A Few Mini-Reviews

It's been over two weeks since I was last seen in the Blogosphere. I went south for Christmas with Mom and east for New Years with Sis. But I am back in my comfortable old spot on the love couch (as my MonkeyBoy calls it) and ready to post a few "best of 2008" and "goals for 2009" posts. But this post is about a few of the books that I squeezed in at the 11th hour.

Durable Goods by Elizabeth Burg

Burg is one of those writers that I just knew I would love based on her titles and their cover designs. I have collected several of her books already but had not yet read any of them. Finally I picked up Durable Goods. I didn't love it but I did like it a lot. It's the story of a young girl trying to grow up without a mother and with an abusive father. The abuse wasn't horrible or graphic. The father is portrayed as damaged and hurting too so the reader can sympathize with him by the end. It was a good weekend book.


Of Mice and Men by John Steirnbeck (audio)

There are two actors with distinct voices that I never tire of hearing. One is Jeremy Irons and the other is Gary Sinice, who narrates this book. He had starred as George in the 1992 movie, which he also directed. He reads this book to perfection. This classic touches me deeply.


A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, Books 1 & 2 (audio)

For the long drive from Southern CA to Texas I brought these two audio books to listen to. I have read the first book before but I thought the kids would like them. They did, and so did my Mom and step-Dad. Read by Tim Curry, these two books were fun and engaging. If you haven't read the series yet, I recommend the audio books.