December 2017 - AudiobooksNow Blog

Struggling Against the Ticking Clock…”The People vs. Alex Cross”, by James Patterson

American author, James Patterson, has come under great criticism as of late, for pumping out more Alex Cross series books without any particular order, or what some critics call the completely wrong order. He is accused of being more interested in increasing his ever-increasing bank accounts than being interested in pleasing his loyal series readers. However, his newest offering, The People vs Alex Cross seems to have reinstated his place in the eyes of his most loyal fans. With the new twist given to his newest installment, series fans have given kudos to Patterson for finally getting the series in sync.

Alex Cross, that person who with psychiatric training, has been the one to solve the deadliest crimes and find those whom others had no chance of finding. But now, Alex Cross finds himself on the wrong side of the law, and is being accused of being a trigger-happy cop who has actually committed murder. He has been put on suspension, and has decided to fill his free time by counseling others on the police force who needs advice or assistance in working through their problems. His first consult is with a fellow cop, Samson, who was one of his former partners. Several young blonde girls have disappeared, and among them is Samson’s daughter. He is desperate to find her, as he feels that her life is hanging by a thread. Alex Cross puts his own career in jeopardy to help this terrified father find his child, and therefore find the serial killer behind this string of disappearances. At the same time, Cross is fighting his own battle, preparing for a court case that will determine his fate.

As Cross struggles against the ticking clock of a serial murderer, and grows less and less confident in his own case, he must rely on his own psychology training to get himself through his most challenging times. As one reviewer commented……the end of Cross’s trial is absolutely mind-blowing!

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Showing Compassion and a Sense of Humanity…”Wonder”, by R.L. Palacio

“It’s okay, I know I’m weird-looking, take a look, I don’t bite”…… and such is the story-line for author, R. L. Palacio’s newest book…Wonder. It has always been a mystery to me why anyone can be non-compassionate, when it comes to treating others who have challenges or frailties. If you are fortunate and blessed to be what we think of as “normal”, then that should make it compulsory to be kind and sympathetic to those who were not so fortunate. The story of August (Auggie) Pullman shows the kind side of kind people, and the cruel side of cruel people……with not all cruelty coming from his child peers……hard to believe that adults would ever be as cruel as they sometimes are.

Auggie is just 10 years old, and is starting in a private school for the first time. He has a very severe facial deformity that causes others to feel very sorry for him, or very cruel to him. He has a great attitude, as evidenced by the first sentence of this review, but even with the best attitude, his everyday life is full of very high moments as well as those dreaded low ones. Author Palacio captures the story of Auggie’s personal growth as well as others who surround him each day. It is a complicated web of emotions among family and friends as they cheer for him as he learns some of life’s hardest lessons.

Whether author Palacio had intended it or not, the book has spurred a new discussion of showing compassion and a sense of humanity when interacting with those who through no fault of their own, have physical or mental challenges. Hopefully, those who read the book, or see the movie, will either reinforce their current sensitivity toward those like Auggie, or will have a change of heart and develop the sensitivity they should have as a human being.

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The Great Motivator…”Darkest Hour: How Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink”, by Anthony McCarten

It has been said of Winston Churchill, “He was speaking to the nation, the world, and indeed to history……..Author, Anthony McCarten, has written a very descriptive non-fiction novel, The Theory of Everything, about Winston Churchill, the man, the politician, and the Prime Minster of Great Britain. He faced many daunting and stressful moments during the Nazi terrorism in Europe. His main goal was to make sure that Great Britain retained its sovereignty, even secretly giving a passing thought that a peace treaty with the Nazis Regime might have to be a consideration.

Many of our oldest citizenry can remember as children, their families huddled around a radio which had a very weak signal, causing it to sound like a scratched record. They were waiting on the next speech from either our President or Winston Churchill as to what was happening in the war. Churchill was known for his inspiring speeches. Those speeches were not in any way impromptu, but instead were rehearsed and revised as needed before being given publicly. One reader said that one speech made them.want to sign up for a war that happened even before their parents were born. Churchill was most definitely a great motivator when it came to his speeches.

We tend to place such people as Churchill on a pedestal, thinking they do everything with perfection, but McCarten’s novel shows the human side of such a leader, the side that we all have of human vulnerability. The vulnerability of a man on whose shoulders rested the fate of the world during the spring weeks of 1940. He, like every other human being, wrestled with self-doubt, actual failures, and the baggage given to him from a distant and judgmental father.
The Theory of Everything is considered by most reviewers to be a very interesting and worthwhile read about Churchill, World War II and just in speech writing in general. The book is slated to become a movie starring Gary Oldman.

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Unconditional Love….”Noelle”, by Greg Kincaid

As a New York Times bestselling author, Greg Kincaid has presented himself as a lover of dogs (and cats), a believer in the human spirit, and a strong affection for the family unit. His previous books in the series, A Dog Named Christmas, and A Christmas Home, follow the everyday life and passion for dogs that the main characters in the books possess. The McCray family from a small town in Kansas give Kincaid’s books their personality and authentic feel.

The newest in the series, Noelle, is more about the McCray son, Todd, who was described in previous stories as having some sort of mental challenge, but was never mentioned again. Now, this new book finds Todd coming back home to be one of the directors of a newly formed animal rescue group. Of course, Todd cannot resist a newly found homeless dog who survived in a ditch, even when its companion dog did not. Todd names the new adoptee, Elle. She does not fit the expectation of a perfect dog, but that may be a good reason for Todd to adopt her. Elle knows how to make the most of her experiences with people by showing them unconditional love.

There are many stories packed into one book with Noelle. There is the story of Todd and his girlfriend, Laura, the continuing story of Todd’s mother, Mary Ann, and the story of Abby and Link’s dissolving marriage. One reviewer commented that each story could be a book of its own.

Greg Kincaid’s books are filled with stories and characters that all ring true to the spirit of the Christmas season. They are books for dog or animal lovers, those who are lovers of all things Christmas, or anyone who enjoys excellent, solid family stories written in “simple, everyday prose, the warm, somewhat mushy, and equivalent of a Hallmark movie”.

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