Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd (4)

UPDATE ON AUDIOBOOKS
Now that I've actually been driving around places, I really, really like audiobooks. I go through at least one a month and it's awesome. This book is the first one I actually took out of my car and played at home, and it was kind of nice to fall asleep listening to it. However, I then had to figure out where I was in the CD when I fell asleep, which was annoying. My car saves my place, which is super convenient. Before, when I was bus-ing everywhere I tried uploading a book to my ipod to listen to, which was really nice except when I listened to music in between and completely lost my place. Which was even harder to find because I sometimes didn't even remember which cd I was on. It was a sad adventure and I never finished that book ("The Prime of Miss. Jean Brodie") even though it was only 3 CDs long. I am a failure.

UPDATE ON THE BLOG
I'm thinking about just writing about whatever I feel like, instead of just randomly talking about the books I read. I may also still talk about the books I read. Or maybe I'll just start another blog that is only about me. Thoughts?

ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE BOOK I READ:
 
I wish I was a cool, blog-savvy person who knew how to write this next to the ginormous picture of the book, but I'm not. *sigh* 

Maybe I'll revoke my previous statement about liking audiobooks. I feel less of a response to this book then I usually do when I read books. Usually I read them much faster than it takes me to listen to the book, since I only listen while I'm driving. I think I may have given it a 5 if I actually read it, but since I didn't, I didn't really know what I wanted to rate it, because I didn't remember how much I liked it...maybe I'm just weird.

Short Jananopsis (where I tell you what I think is important, which may not be what Amazon or the back of the book says its about):
Basically, this girl deals with her mom dying and hating her dad and the South sucking and no one liking her or her only friend, who happens to be an older black woman named Rosaleen. She runs away from home because Rosaleen tries to register to vote and ends up getting arrested and Lily (the girl) thinks she's going to get killed in jail, probably because she is (she spit on a white man's shoe who just so happens to think that black people shouldn't vote. Or have rights. Or not be slaves.). They end up living with these sisters who make honey and they just pretend like they aren't running from the cops.

I think You'll Like this Book if You Like:
-Ya-Ya Sisterhood
-other Sue Monk Kidd novels
-fun cultures

You May Not Like This Book if You Don't Like:
-women (or women sitting around talking)
-coming-of-age stories
-bees
-sad things occasionally happening. (It's not a totally depressing book, but I definitely cried)

Coming up Next:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (which so far is amazing. I don't know why I'm writing this instead of reading it.)
OR PERHAPS -
one of the many books I've already read and haven't written anything about because I'm lazy. And had a broken laptop.

And after that:
I really want to read a laugh-till-you-pee book. Like Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. But for adults. So more like Bridget Jone's Diary. Maybe I'll read the second one?

I also need a car-audiobook. For that I kind of like books I've been putting off for awhile. But now I've been out of school and actually reading so that list is dwindling fast. Perhaps Patty Clark, Ha Ha Ha? I don't want anything super depressing because crying on your way to work is awkward. Suggestions?

Yours in absolute nerdiness,
Jana :D

4 comments:

  1. I love audio books! I listen to them all the time at work. Darling Jim by Christian Moerk is excellent and is also fun to listen to because they have different people read the sections of the books that are written from different characters points of view. If you want to try out some intense film noir-esque crime fiction, I highly recommend Black Dahlia by James Ellroy (I just finished it and am still reeling). Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris are always good for short, entertaining memoir stories. (I have all these on my computer, so just let me know if you want me to burn them to a disc and mail it to you.)

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  2. I know Sara listens to audio books all the time when she's driving across the state to visit family. Right now she (we, when I come along) have been listening to Don Quixote. I've found Stephen King books to be pretty interesting to listen to, but my favorites so far have been the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. I've also been keeping my eye out for audiobooks of anything from H.P. Lovecraft. I think some of those books would be absolutely perfect for a long drive.

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  3. I love audiobooks for walking to work, it helps keep my mind off how freaking cold it is here! It's also nice for long road trips. I found a Montana Library website where I can download them using my library card. You should check to see if there is something like that in WA. I agree with you that it is sometimes hard to rate the book, because your mind is allowed to wander much more and you miss out on some of the things in the book.
    Can't wait to hear how you like "the girl with the dragon tattoo." I've heard great things, but not sure it's my style.

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  4. Jaaaaaaana!

    Write about whatever the hell you want.

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