Brief Reviews: Playaway Edition

I'm so behind with reviews.  These were read last month!  My memory's not that great so going into detail is just not going to happen.  Hence, here's the short and sweet version. :)

The Litigators by John Grisham, AF, 2011, Playaway digital audio,  11.5hrs, rating=4
Source: library

Small time lawyers Finley and Figg were going to finally play with the big guys with the help of recently hired to their firm, Harvard graduate, David Zinc.  Boy, did they play!

Fabulous read! It had drama, comedy, and suspense. Wonderful characters.  Now I see the fondness for Grisham.

Calico Joe by John Grisham, AF, 2012, Playaway digital audio, 4.5hrs, rating=4
Source: library

Oh wow, brace your heart.  Here I discovered a shocking baseball practice (at least to me) but whoa, did that story exemplified moral qualities that father-son can learn from.  Sad story but redemptive too.

Awesome quick read!

The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler, AF, 2012, Playaway digital audio, 6.5hrs, rating=3
Source: library

I imagine that losing a spouse would be downright devastating.  Saying goodbye just wouldn't be in the vocabulary.  Certainly Aaron wasn't prepared to let go of his wife Dorothy or vice versa (as illustrated by seeing her apparition) but he had no choice.  He did however use this grieving period of time to reflect on their marriage and hence invited the readers to ponder about living for the moment.  Thought provoking read if you read between the lines.

Taken, Elvis Cole #13, by Robert Crais, AF, 2012, Playaway digital audio, 8hrs, rating=2.5
Source: library

Tough topic of human trafficking here so it involved some rough language and violence.  Not my usual cup of tea.  I did like Elvis and Joe's tight friendship and loyalty.  Since this is book #13, they must go way back.  Nice to read that they remained faithful to their friendship.  That's a good take out!

"The Firm"

by John Grisham, 1991, audio cassettes, read by D. W. Moffett, 3hrs, rating=3
*I own a copy of this audio book*

"When Mitchell McDeere qualified third in his class at Harvard, offers poured in from every law firm in America. The firm he chose was small, but-well respected. They were prepared to match, and then exceed Mitch's wildest dreams: eighty thousand a year, a BMW and a low-interest mortgage. Now the house, the car and the job are his. Then the nightmares begin: the secret files, the bugs in the new bedroom, the mysterious deaths of colleagues, and the millions of dollars of mob money pouring through the office into the Cayman Islands, dollars that the FBI would do anything to trace. Now Mitch is in the place where dreams end and nightmares begin..." (Goodreads)

Another audio book I listened to over the weekend.  I didn't care for this presentation that much.  I read the bound book years ago and really liked it.  The many voices of Mr. Moffet just didn't work for me here.  The occasional theatrical music helped a little but it still lacked the thrill I remember feeling when I read the book.  So in this case, reading the book is better than this version. 

I recall not liking the movie adaptation over the book version as well.  Tom Cruise was great but having had read the book and liked the book first... it just didn't hit the spot.

Oh, I went to the library today and discovered a bunch of books on CD and unabridged!  Now I've got to dig out my portable CD player in the garage.  Wish me luck because it's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack! --That's what I get for being a pack rat and downsizing to a smaller house ... but my view is incredible!!!   ...and less cleaning!   =D