Blindspot : a novel by a Gentleman in Exile and a Lady in Disguise by Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore

Narrated by John Lee and Cassandra Campbell.
Audiobook published by Blackstone Audio, 2008.
Formats available: print, ebook, MP3 audiobook, CD audiobook.

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This book is unique and very hard to put a label on. Blindspot is an unusual love story. It's an historical romantic comedy, but it is also a mystery. Picture Boston, 1764.  It's just before the revolution and there's a lot of political tension between the separatists and the loyalists.  There is also a great deal of angst and debate about slavery going on.  Amidst the political and social intrigue we find two characters who are both present to, and yet separate from, the happenings around them. Stewart Jameson, a Scottish portrait painter has fled his home and come to Boston to escape his debts.  Fanny Easton, daughter of a wealthy Bostonian judge, is disowned by her father after having an affair with her brother's tutor. Jameson and Fanny meet when Fanny disguises herself as a boy (called Francis Weston) and becomes Jamie's apprentice.

Fanny (as Weston) soon falls in love with her master and Jamie is equally besotted by Weston.  They spend their days painting together the portraits of  colonial political figures and their love remains hidden, to themselves if not the reader.  Into this love affair that isn't (yet) steps Dr. Ignatius Alexander.  Dr. Alexander is an escaped slave and friend of Jamie's.  His arrival takes place just before the murder of Samuel Bradstreet, the most important political figure of the day (and an abolitionist).  When two of Bradstreet's slaves are convicted of his murder, Jamie, Weston, and Dr. Alexander decide to investigate the murder in hopes of exonerating them.  

The story is told in the voices of Fanny and Jamie and the two narrators, John Lee and Cassandra Campbell, capture them beautifully.  Lee does credit to Jamie's sarcastic Scottish brogue and Campbell portrays both the silly romantic yet determined Fanny Easton and the witty sly self-aware Francis Weston equally well.

I enjoyed this book very much.  It is one of those books for which the audio really enriches the experience of the novel.  One complaint: it's longer than it needs to be and the story slows to a crawl towards the end.  Just when I thought it should be wrapping up nicely (the murderer revealed, Alexander freed, and Fanny and Jamie living happily ever after) I looked at the play list and saw there were 3 HOURS left to listen to.  That being said, the fact that I did listen to the end means that I enjoyed the book enough to not give up on it.  Very much recommended.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Narrated by David Sedaris.
Audiobook published by Hachette Audio, 2008.
Formats available: print, ebook, MP3, CD, and cassette audiobooks.

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What can I say about David Sedaris? If you think he's hilarious, as I do, you'll enjoy this book. If you don't, well you won't find anything new here to entice you to give him another shot. This book is classic David Sedaris fare: travel writing + childhood nostalgia + self-deprecation, with a few potshots at his parents and partner thrown in for good measure. This probably isn't his funniest book ever, but I laughed, a lot.

Who could possibly narrate a David Sedaris book but the man himself? Now, I am not of the opinion that all authors should narrate the audio versions of their books. I've listened to too many versions of that going terribly wrong. But David Sedaris is in a league of his own. His voice is so unique, so instantly recognizable. I can't imagine listening to anyone else read his books. Very much recommended.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Narrated by Anne Flosnik.
Audiobook published by Tantor Media, Inc., 2009.
Formats available: print, ebook, MP3 audiobook, CD audiobook.

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Before reading Little Bee, my experiences with Nigeria had been limited to the novels of Chinua Achebe and the "Nigerian prince" who likes to spam my email every so often by asking me to send him money. Little Bee took me to Nigeria and reminded me that the world is full of things that I know nothing about.

We meet Little Bee, our eponymous protagonist, in the immigration detention center she has found herself in after attempting to illegally immigrate to the UK. By twist of fate she is released along with three other women though she has no papers and is in the country illegally. She has no one to turn to except a couple, Sarah and Andrew, who she met briefly on a beach in Nigeria two years before. Although she does not know Sarah and Andrew, she feels a bond with them as a result of the traumatic experience they shared on the beach.

Ultimately this story is about how much of ourselves we're willing to give others. What do we give and how much do we keep back? This book is not a light-hearted read but it is a powerful one. Although I can't say that I "loved" it, I do highly recommend it. I give the story 4 out of 5 stars partly because I don't feel like Chris Cleave gets the voice of 4-year-old Charlie, Sarah and Andrew's son, quite right. If you're not the mother of a 4-year-old boy (as I happen to be) you probably won't notice. I also felt that the book ended rather abruptly. It left me feeling as if I'd missed something important.

I do especially recommend the audiobook. Anne Flosnik does a stunning job bringing the voice of Little Bee to life. I can't give her 5 stars simply because she struggled with Andrew's Irish accent and has trouble at times transitioning between Little Bee's Nigerian accent and Sarah's British one.

On the whole I thought this was a brilliant book read very, very well.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Narrated by Simon Vance.
Audiobook published by Random House Audio, 2009.
Formats available: print, ebook, MP3 audiobook, CD audiobook.

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I have never been a huge fan of crime/suspense fiction but Stieg Larsson has made a convert of me. This book got so much good press I just had to see for myself what all the fuss was about. I fell under its spell almost immediately.

Simon Vance has a wonderful voice and is perfect in this role. The only reason he didn't get 5 stars for his reading is that he doesn't pronounce 'Salander' (the last name of our unlikely heroine) correctly. I actually didn't know this while listening to the book, but discovered the mispronunciation when I heard the book being discussed on Diane Rehm's Readers' Review. The mispronunciation bothered me when I later listened to him narrate the other two books in the trilogy.

Audio is the perfect format for suspenseful storytelling. You can't skip to the last page to find out what happens; you have to let the story unfold as the author intended. Impatient souls may experience frustration, but those who are willing to wait for the thrilling resolution will not be disappointed.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

Narrated by Firdous Bamji.
Audiobook published by Recorded Books, 2009.
Formats available: print, ebook, MP3 audiobook, CD audiobook.

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I wasn't living in the US when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. I didn't experience Katrina in the way that most Americans did, but this book made me feel as if I had lived through it personally.

Set in New Orleans just before and after the hurricane, Dave Eggers opens up to us the life of one family, the Zeitouns. Abdulrahman Zeitoun and his wife Kathy own a house-painting company. Zeitoun, as he is referred to throughout the book, is a jack-of-all-trades and a respected member of their New Orleans community. When Hurricane Katrina hits, Kathy takes their four children and leaves the city, but Zeitoun stays behind to wait out the storm and to try to mitigate any damage that might be done to the various properties that they own. Eggers takes us through the hurricane and the flooding of the city, through the stress of limited communication between Kathy and Zeitoun and tells us a story of great heroism.

After the storm abates, Zeitoun takes his canoe and paddles around the city rescuing people and animals who have been trapped in their homes by the flood waters. We see the strangeness of the ruined city through his eyes. Kathy repeatedly asks Zeitoun to leave the city but he stubbornly refuses, believing he can be of service to the people who could not escape. About a week after the hurricane Zeitoun is arrested. Because he is a Syrian immigrant and devout Muslim, Zeitoun is treated abominably by US soldiers.

While the book is a must-read, I can't recommend the audiobook experience of it. The narrator's voice is not exactly monotone but it is monotonous. I found myself nodding off at times. My advice, read the book but give the audiobook a pass.