Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Sandra Burr and Bruce Reizen

Unabridged 14hr, 19 min

A policeman from the reservation moves to LA. He discovers a woman who has lost her memory. Turns out she is an anthropologist married to a well known Hollywood star. The couple looks "picture perfect". But all is not perfect. Her husband sometimes goes off and becomes abusive. She stays with him. Why does he suddenly become violent when he loves her? Why does she stay with him? Why does she leave him? Why...so many 'whys'.

This is not the type of book I normally read. That said, I must admit to quickly becoming involved in it and wanting to see, perhaps understand why a woman with her 'smart' would stay with this man and how it would be resolved at the end.

For a long time we listen to the voice of Bruce Reizen, so I felt a bit disrupted when suddenly Sandra Burr starts talking at chapter 19, part one. It goes back to Bruce on part 2, chapter 7 through the story's end. Both people have excellent narrating abilities but I felt disrupted with the change back to Bruce Reizen. I still don't get it, which is why I could not give the story 5 stars.

Born in Fire by Nora Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrated by Fiacre Douglas

LENGTH 9 hrs and 5 mins

PUBLISHER Brilliance Audio

Maggie views of marriage is tainted by that of her parents. She has sworn she will not follow in their in footsteps; she will never marry. As much as she adored her father, she resented her mother. As her father was dying, she promised to care for her mother and beloved sister. She is a very talented glass blower who will used the money from sales of her works to keep her promise. Her resentment is increased by her mother's constant demands on her sister. Maggis is as stubborn as can be expected by a red headed Irish lass. She is independent and outspoken having no time to waste on self sensor. She dresses without care as the work calls her. Not only is she talented in her working of glass, she is passionate about it to the point that at times she forgets eating or sleeping. Phones are a bother that she totally ignores.

Then Rogan Sweeny discovers her work. He wants to show Maggie's work to the world as he sees it as it and its creator as an Irish treasure. With his tenacity, he will finally get her to work with him. She will try his patience to the nth degree.

Now you know that as this is love story, these two will end up together. What you don't know is how they will get there. Remember, Maggie is not the most receptive person to ideas of love and/or marriage.

Fiacre Douglas's accent when not speaking for a character, has a lightly accented voice which does intensify when needed for the native ones. I wonder if he enjoyed the conflict dialogs as much as i did!

I would recommend this story to all who love to hear the sounds of old Erin...who love characters who challenge each other mightily, as well as the interpersonally relationships between Margaret Mary, her sister, and mother.

PS The is one of those sale books from Audible.com that I went wild about!

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrated by Spencer Locke, Elijah Wood

5 hrs and 41 mins

AUDIBLE RELEASE DATE 12-14-09

PROGRAM TYPE Audiobook

PUBLISHER Hachette Audio

It was a football Sunday for him. I had NO interest. My choices were take a nap (too wide awake), read a book (the stack is fairly high but nothing there attracted me), read an ebook (no, no titles grabbed me), or listen to an audio book. On line I went and low and behold, I found this one in my Audible.com library. It sounded kind of fun. It was YA. Who cared! There are no laws that after a certain age you can only read these books!

The publisher's summary said it best:

"The world is changing - the government has seized control of almost everything and kids are disappearing.
For 15 year-old Wisty and her older brother, Whit, life turns upside-down when they are hauled out of bed one night, separated from their parents, and thrown into a secret compound for no reason they can comprehend, except that the new government is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Imprisoned together in a decrepit cell, Wisty and Whit cling to the only things they have left - a blank book, a drum stick, and each other. While searching for ways to escape, both begin exhibiting strange abilities. Maybe there is a reason they were singled out!
Can Wisty and Whit, a witch and a wizard, master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents - and maybe the world?

From James Patterson, the creator of the best-selling Maximum Ride and Daniel X novels, comes Witch and Wizard, his most terrifying and awe-inspiring series yet."

It was perfect! Just the right length to get me through football. Perfect company was I weeded out all my duplicates in Ancestry! And it had 2, yes TWO narrators! What great fun it was to hear the back and forth of male and female voices! I didn't expect the effectiveness that two different voice would have on a book. And the story? The story was equally entertaining. Lesson, were there lessons young people should learn from this book? Probably but who wants to look for lessons when they just want to escape for a while. Not me!

So do I think this is a good hollowed book to share with kids and grandkids. YEP! It's a bit scary...the eyes widening kind, not the hide under the bed kind. But then I loved Peter and the Wolf and Three Billy Goats Gruff too.

OH NO! I WON!

Sandy, you've lost it again!

No, you just don't understand. I know a wonderful fine artist who uses both acrylics and oils as her mediums of choice.  (She also dyes the most wonder colors of yarn!) She had a Friday contest where in the winner gets to choose a print of one of her paintings. I won! I whooped! I twittered about it! Joy! Excitement! I raced to her site! AND THEN IT HIT ME! I love her work (L C Neill)! How do I choose?

Places is adorned with sun rises...I love sun rises and sets and the way they color the clouds in the sky!

People...walking dogs. Lost in thought while seemly stareing at a wall. Walking in the rain. Reading a book. People just doing things I see people doing all the time. I feel their movement or stillness.

Things has so many things! Curling ribbons with crisp edges and turns. Flowers...just their faces and in a clear container where you can see how glass and water changes the way stems look. Scrabble tiles that look so real and have a bit of whimsy as you notice the words they spell out!

And I, I have to pick one, just ONE. Want to guess how I have spent the past 3 hours? Yes, opening each thumb nail picture to try and ascertain which one should come live at my house!

Thank you L C Neill for giving me such a lovely chore!

Go here and see some of the pictures I have been talking about... http://bit.ly/o8EFXu.