Master and Commander

Title: Master and Commander

Author: Patrick O'Brian; Narrated by Simon Vance

Series: Aubrey/Maturin, Bk 1

ISBN: 0786188375

Length: 13.5 hrs or 11 discs

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

The plot was spotty or meandered, but the characters were great.  The description and vocabulary - when it came to nautical terminology - was much beyond me.  But the reading and rhythm was lovely.  There were certainly points of humor and interest.  Some points started or were more intense than others.  Jack Aubrey is a mostly good-natured fellow and obviously clever when it comes to sailing and managing on the sea.  On land, well.  He gets himself into some trouble.  And Maturin is contemplative and philosophical.  There is one scene in particular where he is observing the mating of some mantises... I was trying to maneuver through some local construction traffic, and only hearing his observations about the mating/female eating the male left me with any good humor.  There is some intensity toward the end - on the last 1 1/2 discs that kept me anxious to hear what would happen next.  That is not to say there aren't battles throughout - after all this story takes place during a war time.

I will be continuing this series in audio (if I can).

It's Monday! What are you reading? 6/25/2018

Hosted by: Book Date

This week I finished:

The Hills Have Spies (Family Spies, Bk 1) by Mercedes Lackey - I've posted about this here.  Basically, it was a quick read that I enjoyed.  I look forward to more of Valdemar, this family, and Mercedes Lackey books in general.

Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal - My post.  I enjoyed this, though I definitely enjoyed her Glamourist Histories series better.

Master and Commander (Aubrey/Maturin, Bk 1) by Patrick O'Brian and narrated by Simon Vance - I'll be posting on this later.  While there isn't much in the way of a plot (I agree, as this has been stated in several reviews I read), I enjoyed the characters and the atmosphere.  I intend to continue listening to this series.

I'm currently reading:


In ebook format, I've been reading A is for Alibi (A Kinsey Millhone Novel, Bk 1) by Sue Grafton.  This is my first time reading these, and I figure it is about time to start since the series is as done as it will be.  I'm still enjoying this one, but I haven't made much progress with it this past week.

In print, I've been reading (off and on) Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash by Shia Su. I haven't read any further this past week, as I've been focused on some of my other library books.

Also in print, I've started Better Off Read (Bookmobile Mystery, Bk 1) by Nora Page.  I've been slower about getting into it, but the mystery part has started, so hopefully it will pick up a little.

 

Up next:

In downloadable audio, I hope to get back into Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain and narrated by Käthe Mazur (which I had started some time ago and have left lingering lately).

I will be starting Moby Dick by Herman Melville and narrated by Paul Boehmer in book-on-CD format.  This is a monster of a book, but I've never read it and need to, so...

It's Monday! What are you reading? 6/18/2018

Hosted by: Book Date

This week I finished:

 Night of the Living Deed (A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery, Bk 1) by E.J. Copperman and The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts (The Unbelievables, Bk 1) by K.C. Tansley, both in print.

I've been meaning to read Night of the Living Deed (personal copy) for quite some time.  I read an enjoyed the first in E.J. Copperman's Asperger's Mystery series, The Question of the Missing Head in 2015, and I read the first two Double Feature Mysteries published under his Jeffrey Cohen name several years ago.  In any case, I enjoyed Night of the Living Deed, but I did have to put it down frequently as life took over.

I must have met this K.C. Tansley at some point - I had a bookmark for The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts - but I don't remember when.  I finally followed up and requested the title through Interlibrary Loan.  Once I started it, I zipped through the story.  It does have a bit of a cliffhanger, though the immediate issue is resolved.  Now I am waiting to read the second book in the series, The Girl Who Saved Ghosts.

Yesterday, I read Wicked and the Wallflower (The Bareknuckle Bastards, Bk 1) by Sarah MacLean, also in print. I managed to purchase a copy a little early after hearing Sarah MacLean speak.  I haven't read much romance lately, so I was looking forward to this.  I enjoyed the story, I look forward to more of the series, and to more romance over all.  This is definitely a genre I need more when things go crazy IRL.

I'm currently reading:


In ebook format, I've been reading A is for Alibi (A Kinsey Millhone Novel, Bk 1) by Sue Grafton.  This is my first time reading these, and I figure it is about time to start since the series is as done as it will be.  So far I'm enjoying the book, both for the actual story, and while catching the tidbits that date this book (originally published in the early 80s).

I've been listening (on CD) to Master and Commander (Aubrey-Maturin, Bk 1) by Patrick O'Brian and narrated by Simon Vance.  I was listening to an interview with Simon Vance, and this series came up.  He mentioned that it is OOP, with the official estate version being narrated by someone else.  However, he added that the version he narrated is potentially available at libraries.  I immediately looked into this and found this first book at my local library.  So far I am enjoying it.  Though much of the nautical terminology and description goes way over my head, I'm particularly finding the characters and their interactions with each other enjoyable.

In print, I've been reading (off and on) Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash by Shia Su.  I've rather gotten stuck in the recipes (for housecleaning and toiletry products), so I'm going to need to just push through.  Conservation/Environmentalism is a subject I'm generally interested in and would like to apply to my life, but perhaps I'm not quite on board enough to actually live the life demonstrated in this book.  We'll see how the second half goes.

Up next:

The Hills Have Spies (Family Spies, Bk 1) by Mercedes Lackey