Madapple by Christina Meldrum (Audiobook)

I recently found a new TEEN audiobook sitting on my desk... someone suggesting that I wanted to listen to it. So, I get disc 1 out, put it in my computer and turn up the volume... The only thing I get out of it was that the family is from Denmark... so I decide that I need to wait, so I can turn the volume up louder and be able to listen more closely.

On my dinner break I take Madapple with me, and crank up the volume. As I'm driving home for break I'm introduced to sisters, Sara and Maren - in 1987. Sara has a daughter named Susanne and is pregnant, and Maren just reveals that she is also pregnant, only 3 or so months behind Sara.

Then the story jumps forward in time to 2007 and there is a courtroom and I'm utterly confused! But I stick with the story, it's got my attention and I want to know what's going on!

The story jumps backward in time to 2003, Maren's daughters name is Aslaug, and they are gathering plants - which you find out as you keep listening/reading that the plants throughout the story are very important all the way through.

To sum things up, Aslaug finds herself alone, her mother has died of cancer... so Aslaug finds her aunt and cousins and lives with them.... but the story gets complicated after that! Aslaug was raised by her mother alone, and they rarely left the house... Now Aslaug is living with her Aunt and cousins in a world she didn't know even existed.

After I was done listening to this book, I found myself sitting in my living room just thinking about Aslaug. This was a wonderful book. There are some "grown up" scenes toward the end of the story, so I would recommend this for older teens to adults. If you don't like books that jump from one time to another and back again, this story isn't for you. It goes back and forth between the "present (2007)" and the "past (2003/4, 2006)".

Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey

Kestrel has had a hard life. Her parents were murdered when she was four, and she has been on the run since then. Having magical Promise in her world ensures a quick trip to the Danisoba--one that you never return from.

But Kestrel has one more talent. Water nullifies magic--all except hers. In order to stay safe, she became a pirate, hiding her secret from the crew and living under the protection of her captain. Until he is arrested for a crime he didn't actually commit. Now with the threat of his hanging over her head, Kestrel embarks on a daring mission that will reveal her abilities to her enemies and her friends. She must try to save the captain and the king without falling victim to those who hunt her for their own reasons.

The ending of this novel wrapped up a bit too quickly, but the story itself was action-packed and well described. An interesting tale of a strong young woman determined to make her own destiny.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Earth has been taken over by aliens who call themselves souls. They take over human bodies (the organism that effects the environment the most) and live out their life in that guise.

Wanderer, one of the most experienced souls, has requested an adult body, almost unheard of in her day. Adults are the more difficult to control, as they have been influenced by outside forces for longer than children. As one of the strongest souls in their society, Wanderer is expected to use her new body to find the hidden pockets of resistance and help make Earth more peaceful.

What no one expects is that Melanie is very much alive in her own body. Shunted off to the side by Wanderer's soul, Melanie clutches on to her very being--unwilling or unable to let go completely. As she and Wanderer spend more time together, however, Wanderer begins to understand the complexities behind human existence. Forced to see the evil nature of her own species through the eyes of the very organisms she has been trained to discard, Wanderer cannot resist Melanie's pull to find her family and help them survive.

Even though this book is primarily science fiction, it has appeal across all genres as it examines what it means to be human. There are definitely some slower parts to the novel--Meyer has written three teen novels--this is her first adult attempt. The examination of what makes us human, and what can still be admired about our own species is a nice change from everyday life.

Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin

Lavinia tells the story of Lavinia, a young woman in the early days of Italy. She is the foretold wife of Aeneas, one of the survivors of the Trojan War. Virgil spoke of her in his epic poem, The Aeneid, but she had no voice.

Le Guin has corrected that error and tells Lavinia's story in her own voice. Lavinia is the daughter of a king, and must choose between a horde of suitors all wanting her lands and her wealth. Lavinia, however, knows there is a foreigner coming for her, one from a distant land. She knows this because she has been visited by someone she calls 'the poet'--Virgil. After speaking with her, Virgil wishes he had corrected his story when he had the chance.

Lavinia's story is a story of love, passion, politics, religion, and the strength of a young woman determined to decide her own fate.

I Am NOT My Breast Cancer by Ruth Peltason 362.196

Everyone should read this book. If you have breast cancer you will relate to the women in this book. If you don't have it yourself, you probably have a friend, a colleague, a neighbor or a relative who has faced this diagnosis.

Peltason writes in her introduction, "My greatest wish for this book is that it offer comfort to any woman living with breast cancer and to those who care about her. If this book is kept on the bedside table, then I hope its need is brief and its impact lasting. I Am Not My Breast Cancer speaks of courage, heroism in deeds small and large, and incredible faith and fortitude." I think this says it all.

Pretty is What Changes by Jessica Queller 362.196 Que

This was a great (if often sad) non-fiction read. Jessica was raised by a mother (Stephanie) who was more interested in material things than in nurturing her two daughters. The daughters are grown up now. Stephanie has battled through breast cancer. Six years later, at the age of fifty-eight, she is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Jessica and Danielle, her sister, devote themselves to their mother during her last two years. During this time Jessica finds out about a test to see if one is a carrier of a BRCA mutation. With this mutation the lifetime risk of breast cancer is up to 87% and a 44% lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. This is the story of Jessica's struggle with losing her mother, wrestling with the idea of taking the test and the usual stuff (finding the right guy!). It is a very moving book.

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

This is the second novel I've read by Coben and it was just as good as the last one! This mystery centers around Tia and Mike Baye and their teenage son, Adam. Teenagers are often moody and distant and now Adam is just like that. Since Adam's best friend committed suicide, they are extremely worried about his state of mind. It gets so bad that they have a spy program put on his computer. A cryptic message received by Adam shakes them up.
Mike (who is a doctor) is also dealing with worry over his next-door neighbor's son who needs a kidney transplant. Lots and lots of things going on. It kept me reading.