Are You Afraid of the Dark

Are You Afraid of the Dark 

by Sidney Sheldon

 

Abridged on CD, read by Marsha Mason

 

Many many years ago Sidney Sheldon's novel, "The Other Side of Midnight" was very popular and made the rounds of my group of friends and touted as a great story. Based on this recollection I picked up this audio book expecting to be happily entertained.

 

I was disappointed. It was not to be.

 

I don't know if it was the fact that the story was abridged, and possibly lost some of it's appeal through deletions or omissions, or

 

Perhaps it was Marcia Mason's reading of the story, making the female characters always speak in breathy, too urgent voices, or

 

Just maybe it's the fact that Batman (or was it Jame Bond?) already took care of the mad scientist trying to control the world by controling the weather.

 

Whatever it is, I recommend you not waste your time on this one.  At least not the audio version.  Sorry Sidney, it's a bust...

 

(from my former MySpace blog)

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven

Fannie Flagg

 

When I was a child watching day time game shows on TV that featured celebrity players I always wondered who the celebrity Fannie Flagg was.  When Fried Green Tomatos was released as a movie I got the idea that she was a writer. More recently Harriett insisted that I read this book by Fannie and it was a total delight! She is indeed a writer and talented story teller. 

 

Ms. Flagg introduces us to southern living through a cast of characters that we all know from our own families. 80 or 90-something year old Aunt Elner's death by wasp stings which cause her to fall from the fig tree starts the story. We follow Aunt Elner to heaven where she visits with the supreme being (who is actually two people who happened to be radio personalities at one time on earth). As Aunt Elner visits with them, word of her death spreads sadly through her small town. 

 

Fannie Flagg makes us feel part of the town and involved in the lives of the people feeling the impact of Aunt Elner's passing. Her story telling is fun and could easily be translated into an enjoyable play.  Don't be fooled by Aunt Elner's death, the story is full of humor!

 

Everyone could use an Aunt Elner in their lives.  

 

(from my former MySpace blog)

The Second Assistant

The Second Assistant 

by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare

Audio book on CD

Truly a chick-lit book about an educated young woman choosing to go to work for a talent agency in Hollywood. 

In this story full of Hollywood stereo-types, the heroine, Lizzy, manages to avoid getting too close to most of them. Through the expected "hell" of a job, she manages to find a real man and actually fall in love with her job.  Pure fluff but good fun, the stuff that chick-lit is made of. 

(reposted from my former MySpace blog)