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The Passage – A Review

Pam is constantly listening to new audio books and has recently listened to The Passage. Read on for her review…

Don’t let the length of this audio book deter you from a great listen! The Passage by Justin Cronin is a fresh take on Vampires (known as Virals in the book, and they definitely do not sparkle), and a post-apocalyptic world where human life has all but vanished. Yes it’s long (36 hours for the unabridged. The abridged is much shorter), but it is worth the time and will have you hooked from the very beginning.

The first in a trilogy, The Passage is an epic novel about a classified government experiment that experiences a major security breach, a virus that goes horribly wrong, and the ensuing aftermath of the outbreak of the test subjects. Just when you find yourself getting into the rhythm of this first story line, you are then thrust a century into the future to see a struggling human race barely surviving. Humans now live in walled compounds, dependent on the lights to keep the virals at bay. With the battery supply that these lights run on about to run out, a small group sets out to try and find help. Of course this journey is not a smooth one, and another edge of your seat storyline unfolds.

It’s hard to place this epic novel into one genre. With undertones of horror, romance, action, suspense and science fiction, The Passage will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Cliff-hangers are abundant and can get somewhat frustrating but on the whole work well for the horror/suspense aspect of the novel.

Scott Brick lends his amazing voice talents to this book and listeners will not be disappointed. Brick does a wonderful job of bringing a voice of authority, calm, and excitement to the story. At times beautiful and at times horrifying, The Passage by Justin Cronin is sure to leave you wanting more and counting down the months till book 2 is released in spring 2012.

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It’s All About The Werewolves For Andrea Cremer

The popularity of vampires can be seen everywhere you look. The attraction is clearly one audience’s can’t get enough of. But what about werewolves? And no I’m not talking about the illustrious Jacob from Twilight. Rather I’m talking about werewolves in general. I have always found that they play roles in the shadows of the vampires. That being said, they may not have big roles, but they are around, you just have to sniff them out.

But why sniff them out, when I can tell you where to find them! Andrea Cremer’s popular adult werewolf trilogy has the perfect combination of everything werewolf related. Although Wolfsbane (the second novel in the series) was just released last week, one chapter from the third novel entitled Bloodrose, has also already been distributed online. And yes I’ve read it!

So, if you take a liking to werewolves, you should probably start listening to the first audio book in the series, Nightshade. As a romantic adventure that features teen wolves, dangerous battles, and forbidden love, you’ll get everything you want and more in this exciting series.

As a fan of Charlaine Harris’s work, I was flabbergasted when it was announced that the author of the famous Sookie Stackhouse Series posted Chapter One of her newest addition entitled, ‘Dead Reckoning’, scheduled for release May 2011. So of course, I had to take a peek. What a great treat just before the holidays. Find out what Sookie has been up to for yourself : Chapter One.

And, if you find yourself not so familiar with the series, check out the Sookie Stackhouse audio books and get caught up on all the action. Experience a story that has some real bite! To get you started check out the first book in the series and meet Sookie in Dead Until Dark.

I’d love to know what you think, just leave me a comment.

If you’re familiar with the success of Stephenie Meyers and the Twilight Saga, you are not alone. With the popularity of bloodsucking vampires these days, there is no surprise that fans of Meyer’s would pick up one of her new novels entitled The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers took notice and pledged one dollar to the American Red Cross for each copy sold in the U.S. A whopping total of $1.5 million was raised. Stephanie was grateful that both her fans and Little, Brown Books could make the generous gift possible.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella is a riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

Rent the audio book today!

Are you looking for a great audiobook, filled with fantasy and raw feelings of emotion?! Try listening to Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series! Find out what happens when vampires live alongside humans, and what other mythical creatures inhabit earth. Narrated by Johanna Parker, this is the first novel in the 10-book series which will keep you entertained for hours.

I highly recommend this choice so that you can broaden your perception of vampires. Harris provides a new and interesting take on those fascinating bloodsuckers… one that will shock and amazing you!

The books have also been adapted into the popular HBO television series entitled “True Blood”. Happy Listening!

They were books.

Lately it seems like there are a lot of books being made into big budget movies, but I tend to lean toward the old adage that the book is always better. Check out some of these books-made-movies and tell us which you think is better: the book or the movie.

The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song is the latest of Spark’s books to be adapted for the big screen. The book follows seventeen year old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller as she visits her estranged father and finds her first love. The book is set in North Carolina, but was changed to Georgia for the film after states campaigned for months to host production. The movie, starring Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana) and Greg Kinnear, is set to hit theatres at the end of this month.

New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series has sold more than 85 million copies, captivated teens and adults alike and has sparked Team Edward vs Team Jacob arguments the world over. The books enjoy must-have status among teenage girls, and the movie versions, starring every young Hollywood heart throb under the sun (Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner), are becoming their own phenomenon. New Moon was just released on DVD, and the third book in the saga, Eclipse, is set to hit theatres this June.

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

I have to admit, I’ve never actually read a Cormac McCarthy book, BUT, I did see the movie version of The Road, and I have to say, I really liked it. I can only assume then that the book is *amazing*. It’s on my rental shelf, and I’m really looking forward to giving it a listen. This post-apocalyptic tale follows a father and son as they walk alone through a burned America, searching for food, hiding from cannibals, and trying to make the best of nothing. The movie stars Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron.

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones was a surprise success when it was first published in 2002. Sebold had previously written a memoir, but she was a young author and this was her first novel, and the plot and narrative device was unconventional. It ended up selling more than a million copies and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year. The movie version, released last month, was directed by Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame), and stars Mark Wahlberg.

Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks

Dear John is the story of John, an angry rebel who drops out of school and enlists in the Army because he doesn’t know what else to do with his life. Then he meets Savannah. They fall in love and want to settle down, but 9/11 changes everything. The movie, starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried hit theatres earlier this year.  Dear John follows a long list of Sparks novels that have been optioned into feature films, including The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, and Nights in Rodanthe

The Blind Side, by Michael Lewis

The Blind Side tells the story of Michael Oher. One of thirteen children by a crack-addicted mother, Oher doesn’t know his real name, his father, or even his birthday. He is taken in by a well-off family who introduce him to love, and football, and change his life completely.  Sandra Bullock stars in the film adaptation as Leigh Anne Tuohy, the woman who takes Oher in. She won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.

And there’s more:

Push, by Sapphire, was made into the Oscar-winning film Precious.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief became a movie by the same name.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the extremely popular kids series, just hit the big screen.

For the hardcore vampire lovers out there who thought your favorite fiends were dying a slow sucky death at the hands of romance, at last, we might have a saviour.

Guillermo del Toro, famed director of Pan’s Labyrinth, Blade II and the Hellboy series, alongside author Chuck Hogan, has just released The Strain, the first in what is set to be a trilogy of vampire novels.

Guillermo and Hogan present vampirism as a virus, about to destroy the world. “They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.  In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country. In two months—the world”

Watch this clip for an idea of what kind of vampire you can expect from del Toro.

Finally vampires are monsters again. Unleash the bloodsucking plague.

(*note – language in video clip may not be suitable for work)