Simply Audiobooks Inc.

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More Twists and Turns from Jodi Picoult

Today we have something special in store for you, a guest blogger named Deidre! And because today is audio book review day, Deidre has chosen to review an audio book she has recently listened to. Let’s find out what this avid audio book listener has to say!

Posted by our guest blogger, Deidre.

As a Jodi Picoult fan, I was excited to listen to her latest audio book, Sing You Home. The story is about a married couple who get divorced.The wife eventually remarries and wants to use her previously frozen embryos to have a child with her new wife. Yes, you read that correctly. As you can imagine her now born again Christian ex-husband, isn’t pleased about this idea and files a lawsuit to take possession of the embryos.

If you’re a fan of Picoult’s work, you know that she has a very distinct style of writing books with controversial subjects that are written to make you think critically about the subject at hand. While I definitely didn’t agree with or even like all the characters, which I think is partially why Jodi writes such polar opposite characters, it was interesting to see how they progressed and developed throughout the book.

Another thing I like about this audio book is the narration. For anyone who has read physical copies of Jodi’s books, you’ll know that different chapters are typed in a different font to signify a different narrator. In the audio book, there are actually different people narrating the parts of the story from the different characters’ perspective. Having different people narrate accordingly was a really nice feature of this audio book. I’ve also never listened to an audio book that had songs in it. Since the main character is a music therapist, it makes sense, and it’s a nice change of pace.

My favourite part of this book though, was the ending. Jodi takes you on twists and turns throughout the story and you won’t believe it unless you hear it for yourself. Happy Listening!

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Saying Goodbye To The Famous Bookstore

Fans of the film Notting Hill, remember all too well when Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) asked William (Hugh Grant) if she could stay for a while and William answered “You can stay forever.” The memorable scene took place in London’s local bookstore called The Travel Bookstore. Unfortunately, it has been announced that the memorable shop and one of London’s popular tourists attractions, is set to close in a few weeks.

Even though there are lots of poets and writers who are stepping up to the plate to save the bookstore, it does not have enough support to stay open. Simon Gaul, the owner of the bookstore, made the decision to shut the store down after his children showed no interest in taking over the business.

When I heard about the news, I couldn’t help but feel the owner’s disappointment. I’ve never even been there before, so why the sense of loss? I assume it’s because it reminded me of the local bookstore I used to visit with my mother every week. It became a part of my childhood, where we would take a few hours out of our day to walk to the bookstore and she would go on about authors and stories I had to read! I made a connection to the shop, it was a time machine that could take me anywhere; my love for reading flourished because of it.

So although I have never stepped into The Travel Bookstore, I feel for those that have. I maybe listening to a lot more audio books these days (perk of the job), but I am still happy that my local bookstore remains open in town, opening the minds of children to come with both books & audio books!

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Pottermania Will Not Be Settling In Anytime Soon!

Alright Harry Potter fans, even though the books have stopped coming, and the final feature film has already debuted across the world this summer, Pottermania will not be settling in anytime soon.

If you haven’t gotten enough of Harry Potter, don’t worry, you are not alone. Now, you may need to do a little traveling to take advantage of this opportunity, but why not, it’s totally worth it! A new Harry Potter Studio Tour will be opening in a massive Warner Bros complex outside of London, England next year. Fans will get the opportunity to peek inside the fictional character’s world with a chance to set foot on the same sets where the movies were filmed. Freaking out yet?

The tour is said to last up to three hours, (I wish longer), but I’m not complaining. Included in the tour is the chance to see Dumbledore’s office, the Hogwarts’ Great Hall, and the Gryffindor common room.

I wonder how many fans will make the trek out there. I’m not a diehard fan, but I think I know a few people that would book a flight from Canada to England in a heartbeat to check out the tour. How about you? Does this latest addition to the Potter franchise give you something new and exciting to look forward to in the future?

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Will A Film Ever Be Better Than The Audio Book?

I finally did it. I sat down in a comfortable movie theatre seat, ate popcorn and drank loads of pop while watching One Day, adapted from the novel by David Nicholls. What can I say? I wasn’t overly disappointed but I was upset at the lack of character development in the film.

Although the novel takes place on July 15th of every year, I felt that the audio book truly captured the time that lapsed over the course of the year. The movie on the other hand was a whole other story. Emma Morley, played by Anne Hathaway, was exactly as I had envisioned but I never once felt sorry for her in the audio book. The film made her out to be this big loser with no hope for a bright future, but then quickly made her out to be a huge success. Again, this was a time issue. It moved too quickly.

I was hoping for a masterful job of presenting well-developed characters as Nicholls did in the story, but this wasn’t the case in the film. I didn’t feel for Emma or Dexter until the last 20mins at the end.

The mild-celebrity drunken Dexter, played by Jim Sturgess, was fun to watch, as his transformation was evident on the surface from beginning to end. It was troublesome watching him destroy any potential good qualities he may have had. I felt the same way in the audio book as well. Sometimes I caught myself getting angry at someone in the room when I listened to the audio book, because I was upset with Dexter’s actions.

The film did cover the twenty-three years without skipping over any vital parts. I was appreciative about that. I enjoyed that sometimes the duo was seen on-screen together and sometimes they weren’t. This helped truly illustrate the two very different societal atmospheres they were both a part of, rich verses middle class.

The acting overall was a pleasure to watch, but the story itself was the most stimulating aspect of the film. The subtle climatic moment near the end will have you reflecting on all the themes throughout the story with your own life. An emotional roller-coaster ride that will leave you stepping out of the movie theatre questioning choices you have made in the past and thinking about the impact of them in the future.

What about you? Has anyone else seen the film? Did you prefer the movie or the audio book?

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Happy Birthday Annie Proulx!

Happy 76th Birthday Annie Proulx! Born in 1935 in Norwich, Connecticut, Proulx is the well renowned author of The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain.

Growing up, her mother was a painter who encouraged Annie to observe her surroundings closely, paying attention to the little things, like ants. From there on in, Annie spent a great deal of time, not only observing but writing about what she witnessed.

While working toward her Ph.D., she decided to abandon the idea in 1975, believing she wouldn’t find a job. However, soon after, her writing career began. Proulx began working as a freelance journalist and spent any free time fishing, hunting, and canoeing. As a journalist she wrote articles for magazines on all sorts of topics appearing in Country Journal and Organic Gardening.

However, it wasn’t until the 80’s when she decided to work on a collection of “how-to” books, that she started making headway into the literary world. Her career as a fiction writer started to flourish and eventually her name made headlines after the success of The Shipping News. She even won the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for this title.

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to one of her audio books, why not start today and discover this talented Pulitzer Prize-winning author (and I don’t mean by watching the movies).

Find the audio books here.

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Anne Hathaway – The Perfect ‘Emma Morley’

So I know I said, “stay tuned on Wed, when I delve into the comparisons of the movie verses the book!”, but unfortunately life got in the way and I wasn’t able to make it out to see the film, One Day. Nevertheless, I will be making it a priority this weekend so I should have an update on this soon.

Has anyone else seen the movie and listened to the audio book? When I was listening to the audio book I pictured Anne Hathaway playing the role of Emma Morley perfectly. Now I’m even more excited to see the movie because I’m sure it won’t disappoint. But then again, you never know.

On another note, has anyone watched the trailer for the upcoming movie Moneyball with Brad Pit? It’s another adaptation from a book, ‘Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game’ by Michael Lewis. I haven’t listened to this audio book but have read some intriguing reviews.

If you want to hear this title before the movie release on Sept. 23, you can rent and download the audio book here.

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‘One Day’ Sheds Light On Life

Last week I decided to listen to the audio book, One Day by David Nicholls in honour of the movie release on Friday. Narrated by Anna Bentinck, I felt her performance to be raw and full of emotion. Although she was playing the role of Dexter Mayhew, it was easy adapting to her tone when she spoke as Dexter verses Emma Morley. Emma’s voice was always presented with a certain amount of joy, even when she was down, a hopeful voice one could say. Dexter was very dry, almost lifeless. It was easy to pick up the differences between the two characters through the usage of tones.

The story itself was gripping from the first chapter when Emma asks Dexter “Where do you see yourself when your 40?” to the last chapter (I don’t want to give anything away).

The innocence from the beginning is absolutely beautiful; I felt like a child listening in on someone else’s life, while reflecting on my own. The sheer joy of growing up, the excitement of wonder, what’s to come, motivated me to continue reading on. Although, as years go by, reality starts to set in, and eventually you must face the squabbles and fights that everyone must endure.

You’ll find yourself laughing and minutes later shedding tears. An emotional roller-coaster ride that starts July 15th, 1988 and ends…

If you’re looking for a new audio book, this is one that will help you rediscover the meaning of life and relish in every moment left ahead.

Stay tuned on Wed, when I delve into the comparisons of the movie verses the book!

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The Help Hits The Big Screen!

As a big fan for the upcoming film, The Help, from the highly anticipated adaptation of the 2009 best-seller by Kathryn Stockett, I couldn’t resist sharing the cover for the new Entertainment Weekly.

A story about African-American maids and their employers in 1960’s Jackson, Miss., it will make you reevaluate the power of friendship in a whole new way. Although I heard the audio book a while back, the story still holds its weight for being one amazing memorable story.

If you haven’t heard the audio book yet, I recommend you do before it hits screens on August 10th. You can find it here.

I’m going to check out the film this weekend, so I’ll let you all know if it holds true to the book. Keep me posted on what you think as well!

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What Do Teen Choice Awards & Books Have In Common?

Books win!

How many of you caught the Teen Choice Awards last night? Now I may not be a teen, but I’m still interested on how certain movies and television shows do, particularly when they are based on novels.

So I’m here to give you the run down and save you from watching reruns of Selena Gomez accepting 5 awards. What is that all about? Oh ya, Teen Choice Awards. Did I mention they gave her an award for “choice female hottie”? Well they did!

Anyways, to more important matters, Harry Potter and Twilight. Before I get into the details, I wanted to inform you all that The Teen Choice Awards created a “choice vampire” category. Now, everyone can get recognized and given what they deserve. Oh goodie! What next, best Zombie? Anyways, that being said, Robert Pattinson’s Edward Cullen for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse won! I have one problem with this, he apparently beat out not only Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, and Paul Wesley from The Vampire Diaries, but Alexander Skarsgård’s Eric Northman from True Blood! How does that work? Oh wait, target demographics for the Teen Choice Awards verses True Blood. Clearly different audiences.

Now, there was rumored to be a big showdown between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Parts 1 and 2 and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, but everyone seemed to be getting awards. Taylor Lautner won for best sci-fi actor, Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene won the scene-stealers prize. Pattinson won, as mentioned above for best vampire but also for best movie actor for Water For Elephants.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 1 claimed best sci-fi movie, but part 2 got the best of them all, Choice Summer Movie. Tom Felton won for best villain, and Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson won choice summer male and female stars and even the best “movie liplock” award!

I think it’s fair to say most fans were happy to see the split of awards. It’s nice to see films like Water for Elephants (a great audio book might I add) represented at the Teen Choice Awards too.

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August New Audio Books!

I always look forward to the beginning of every month because there are so many new audio book releases! It’s nice planning out what I’m going to hear and what I plan to pass up. Like for example, can you believe Denise Richards has released her own book called Real Girl Next Door? Honestly, I thought Jersey Shores Snooki was enough. I guess I shouldn’t be too critical about it, it might make for a great light beach read or something, but it’s definitely not one of my picks for the month.

But these ones are! Check out the following new releases:

Cold Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
After discovering that his wife, Helen, was murdered, Special Agent Pendergast is desperate to find retribution. He soon realizes he is on the chase of his life, taking him from Scotland to the bustling streets of New York City, to the dark bayous of Louisiana. Forced to dig deep into his wife’s past, he learns that Helen, may have collaborated in her own murder. Sound like a whirlwind ride? That’s because it is!

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner
A fan of Sookie Stackhouse? If so, you are in for a treat! Ever wondered what that creaking sound was in your home? Those creepy feelings that give you Goosebumps and no one’s around. Well, this is a fun blend of Sookie and finding those skeletons in the closet after a home renovation. It’s perfect for those who like a little sci-fi mixed in with reality shows. It’s an all-new collection of paranormal perils of Do-It-Yourself.

Retribution: A Dark-Hunter Novel by Sherrilyn Kenyon
So you may have already heard of the Dark-Hunter series, but have you taken the time to listen to it? You probably should if you’re a fan of gunslingers, hunters, vampires and the list goes on.

The Lying Game #2: Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, Sarah Shepard’s new riveting series is about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.
You won’t want to pull away from this one. A story about a girl who believed she had everything, a great family, a loving boyfriend and the best of friends, except for one problem, the girl was murdered and now lives through her sister Emma, who has taken her place. Who is the murderer and why. Follow along Emma’s footsteps to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance.

This Beautiful Life: A Novel by Helen Schulman
This is a deep and vivid story that blurs the boundaries between privacy and fragility amongst us. You’ll explore the modern life for what it truly is, a portrait that will have you questioning and debating your assumptions about family, morality, and the sacrifices and choices we make in the name of love.

I know, there’s a lot of a great titles to choose from this month. All I can say to that, is make sure you have time to get through as many audio books as you can. You just might find yourself sitting on your driveway a lot longer after your commute from work! You won’t want to stop playing these audio books!