Author: HCNewton Page 246 of 610

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Character Names In the Titles

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On February 1, 2022

In News/Misc.


The topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesdays is the Top Ten Books with Character Names In the Titles

It would’ve been super easy to tap into series like Amari and the Night Brothers, Agatha H. and the Airship City, etc. Or titles that that are just a character’s name like August Snow, Betty, Taran Wanderer…I tried to go for more creative uses of a character’s name (you may disagree on what I found creative).

Top Ten Books with Character Names In the Titles

10 46% Better Than Dave
46% Better Than Dave by Alastair Puddick

Dave’s new neighbor, also named Dave, seems to be a more successful version of the titular Dave. They work in the same industry, but “new Dave” makes more money, is part of a more prestigious firm, seems friendlier—and well, title Dave does some calculations and overall, “new Dave” is 46% better. Can “old” Dave make up the difference?

My post about the book.
9 Be Frank with Me
Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson

Frank is a very eccentric boy with a low tolerance for anything other than unvarnished truth, which can make things pretty difficult for his new companion—a woman brought out to monitor Frank’s mother’s progress on her overdue novel.

My post about the book.
8 The Book of Joe
The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper

So many layers to this title—it’s a novel about Joe and it’s a novel about Joe’s book. Tropper’s second novel features a man who has to go back home to deal with the family and friends he left behind when he moved away—and deal with their reactions to the way they were depicted in a novel he wrote.
7 Fletch's Moxie
Fletch’s Moxie by Gregory Mcdonald

I liked this one because it works in a reference to Fletch’s on-again/off-again girlfriend, Moxie, and it’s a description of the moxie the intrepid former-investigative reporter demonstrates when he brings the main suspects in a murder case to a house outside the jurisdiction of the police.

My post about the audiobook.
6 Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest
Helen and Troy’s Epic Road Quest by A. Lee Martinez

But the quest that Helen and Troy find themselves is ultimately a very sweet story, which may not be what you expect about a minotaur girl, an all-American boy, a three-legged dog, and a classic car on a road trip.

My post about the book.
5 Is Fat Bob Dead Yet?
Is Fat Bob Dead Yet? by Stephen Dobyns

Actually, I’m not sure the central question this novel tries to answer has much to do with the status of Fat Bob. But they do look into it. It’s a very strange book, and, yes, there’s a reason the beagle is smoking.

My post about the book.
4 Nice Try, Afton
Nice Try, Afton by Brent Jones

In a series about a would-be serial killer/librarian, “truce” isn’t a word that leaps to mind. But in this novella, Afton attempts to establish one. And, well, it’s a nice try.

My post about the book.
3 Ophelia Immune
Ophelia Immune by Beth Mattson

I titled my post about this book, “The feminist Zombie Book you didn’t know you were missing.” For a guy who doesn’t like Zombie books, this really worked for me. Ophelia is immune to the Zombie virus, but that doesn’t mean she has an easier time of it. It’s one of those that sticks with you, just thinking about the book to write this short paragraph has brought back the entire novel in detail that suprised me.

My post about the book.
2 The Questionable Behavior of Dahlia Moss
The Questionable Behavior of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone

Like the Afton books, above, I could’ve used any of the books in this mystery trilogy. Dahlia’s at her most professional in this book, yet, yeah, her behavior strikes many as questionable. A good way to close out a series that I wish was ongoing.

My post about the book.
1 Seraphina's Lament
Seraphina’s Lament by Sarah Chorn

Did I pick this one just for an excuse to use the cover again? Well, sort of, I figure if I use it a few more times, it’ll stop creeping me out. But mostly, it was one of the few that jumped to mind without me having to think about it/scan my shelves. This dark fantasy novel is both beautiful and an emotional wringer. It’s a pretty good story, too. And the slave Seraphina has every reason in the world (and a few more) to lament.

My post about the book.

January 2022 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

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On February 1, 2022

In Books, Calendar Items, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

2022 got off to a decent star: 24 titles, 6428 pages, with an average of 3.75 stars. Thankfully, I’m done with the looking back at 2021 posts, that took a little longer than I wanted (still, I had fun doing them—hopefully someone else enjoyed them). Things are doing okay on the posting front—always have ambitions for more, but I think things are going okay so far. I’ve got some fun things in the works, some of which you’ll hopefully see soon.

But enough about that, here’s what happened here in January.

Books/Novels/Novellas Read/Listened to

Family Business Gone Missing The Finders
4 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars
And Your Enemies Closer God Dwells Among Us Bloodlines
3.5 Stars 4 Stars 3.5 Stars
The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello (Audiobook) Where the Drowned Girls Go Two Witches and a Whiskey
4 Stars 3.5 Stars 3 Stars
The Accomplice God with Us How to Save a Superhero
4 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars
Dark Queen The Good Sister A Bathroom Book...
5 Stars 3 Stars 3 Stars
Bye Bye Baby Dogtripping The Hobbit
4 1/2 Stars 3.5 Stars 5 Stars
Dead Man's Grave Reconstruction How to Save a Superhero
4 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars1
Burning Bright You're Only Human The Jackals
4 Stars 4 Stars Still Deciding

Still Reading

The Story Retold Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law Revenge of the Beast

Ratings

5 Stars 2 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 1 2 Stars 0
4 Stars 10 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 5 1 Star 0
3 Stars 6
Average = 3.75

TBR Stacks/Piles/Heaps

Audio E-book Physical Goodreads
Want-to-Read
End of
2021		 9 45 42 144
1st of the
Month		 9 45 42 144
Added 2 4 7 3
Read/
Listened		 5 3 6 5
Current Total 6 46 43 142

Breakdowns:
“Traditionally” Published: 18
Self-/Independent Published: 6

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Fantasy 2 (8%) 2 (8%)
General Fiction/ Literature 1 (4%) 1 (4%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 11 (46%) 11 (46%)
Non-Fiction 1 (4%) 1 (4%)
Science Fiction 1 (4%) 1 (4%)
Theology/ Christian Living 1 (4%) 1 (4%)
Urban Fantasy 3 (13%) 3 (13%)
“Other” (Horror/ Humor/ Steampunk/ Western) 4 (17%) 4 (17%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wrote
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th), I also wrote:

Enough about me—how Was Your Month?

How to Save a Superhero by Ruth Freeman: A Cute MG Adventure

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On January 31, 2022

In Science Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

How to Save a SuperheroHow to Save a Superhero

by Ruth Freeman

DETAILS:
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication Date:  October 18, 2021
Format: Hardcover
Length:264
Read Date: January 26-27, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

“Adelaide. Now that’s a name you don’t hear very often. I think it’s old German by way of French. How do you do, Adelaide? My name is Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom. I have a theory that interesting people have interesting names. Are you interesting?”

After taking a moment to think about it, Addie said, “I’m kind of working on it.”

“Good answer,” said Minerva Swift. “I’m working on it too.”

What’s How to Save a Superhero About?

Ten-year-old Addie and her mom have one of those relationships where you’re not sure who the parent is a lot of the time. While it’s clear that Tish is devoted to her daughter, she’s not really devoted to anything else—especially her frequently changing employers in frequently changing towns. Since her mother died, she just hasn’t been able to hang on to anything, and Addie’s been emotionally untethered since then, too.

Now they’re staying with another one of Addie’s aunts and Tish is working at the Happy Valley Village Retirement Community on a one-month trial. After school, Addie joins a couple of other children of employees and spends time with some of the residents.

One resident, in particular, is a favorite of Addie’s—and her mother seems to be the only employee that he seems to tolerate. Mr. Norris has been having trouble with falling, so he’s in the HVV until he can regain his stability.

One of Addie’s friends becomes convinced that Mr. Norris is a super-hero—and there have been some strange things happening around him—Addie can’t believe it. Another friend is convinced that he’s a retired Professional Wrestler. Addie’s not so sure about that one, either.

The three friends do what they can to get to the bottom of Mr. Norris’ identity (over his strident and cantankerous objections), and find themselves in the middle of other adventures with some of the other residents while they’re at it.

So, what did I think about How to Save a Superhero?

This was an okay book. It did everything it needed to do and was well told. I never really connected to any of the characters, or any of the rest of it. I can’t tell you what it was missing, but it seemed to be missing that spark.

It was enjoyable enough—just enough—and it’s likely that the target audience will find it more entertaining than I did. So, sure, I’d recommend it for a middle-grade reader, but I wouldn’t necessarily tell anyone older they’d enjoy it.*

* That sounds harsh to me, I’m not trying to be…

3 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

God with Us by Daniel R. Hyde: A Look at The Mystery of the Incarnation

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On January 30, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

God with UsGod with Us:
Knowing the Mystery
of Who Jesus Is

by Daniel R. Hyde

DETAILS:
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Publication Date: June 29, 2021
Format: Paperback
Length: 155 pg.
Read Date: January 16, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

Machen powerfully stated, “Let us not deceive ourselves; a Jewish teacher of the first century can never satisfy the longing of our souls.” No mere man, however holy, can bring us into fellowship with God.

What is amazing in Scripture is that this is the case because God not only desired to give us grace that met our crimes against Him but that His grace would “super-abound” (hupereperisseusen) beyond our sins (Rom. 5:15-21). Only an infinite Savior could bring us an infinite grace. Had Christ not possessed the two natures of divinity and humanity in His one person, we would be without salvation.

What’s God with Us About?

Hyde begins his Introduction by talking about some of the problematic teachings he was introduced to as a young Christian as an example of the wide range of problematic teachings being promulgated throughout Evangelicalism (whatever that means).

The antidote for that is a better understanding of what the Bible teaches—as developed, defined, and defended by the Early Church. In five chapters he talks about the singularity of the Incarnation, helps the reader to understand the doctrine of the hypostatic union, and also clarifies understanding of Christ’s Human Nature and His Divine Nature. Why was it necessary for Christ to be both God and Man, and the benefits for believers that He was.

Hyde closes with a chapter comparing the Christ presented in the Qur’an and the Christ of the Bible as a means of applying the rest of the work.

So, what did I think about God with Us?

This is the Second Edition of this book, and Hyde refers to improvements he made, but without spending time reading both, I really couldn’t tell you what was changed. He does quote some hymns from The Trinity Psalter Hymnal, that wasn’t published when the first edition was, so I guess that would be a change (he may have cited some of those same hymns before, just from a different hymnal)—oddly, though, he didn’t update his Bavinck quotations from Our Reasonable Faith to The Wonderful Works of God.

Throughout Hyde’s footnotes refer to dense, heavy theological tomes, but he distills the points to easy-to-digest wording.

Not only does he provide good explanations of the teachings of the Early Church as they worked through these doctrines, but he also ties it into the Reformation churches to demonstrate their continuity with the Early Church. Hyde made particular use of the Belgic Confession, of the Three Forms of Unity, it’s the one I see cited the least, so that was nice to see.

The book as a whole was great—Hyde does yeoman’s service in laying out these doctrines in a clear and helpful manner. For me—this time through, at least—the most meaningful chapter was Chapter 6, “The Importance of this Mysterious Doctrine.” Faith, sanctification, worship, personal comfort, evangelism, and more are tied to and grounded by our understanding of the Incarnation, of God truly being one of us. Outside of reading the whole book, it’s a chapter to return to.

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely, for those new to the Christian faith and those who are not—a better understanding, or a refreshed understanding, of these vital truths is always called for and Hyde is a great guide through them.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Saturday Miscellany—1/29/22

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On January 29, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

  1. This post is brought to you by “hey, I remembered to proofread (seconds before I hit publish)!” Something I frequently forget to do (and only caught out of the corner of my eye while moving the mouse to the button). So this isn’t going up with the 4 missing links and 8 glaring formatting errors that it almost featured.
  2. I’d picked the graphic for this far before I read the last post I mention, there’s no connection between them.

Hope everyone had a decent week, and that it ends on a relaxing note—and, hopefully, with a good book.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet ‘I always be sneaky’: Boise eight-year-old hides self-made book on library shelf—an insanely cute story from a library nearby
bullet The Comics Cavalcade: The rise of a medium—a very brief history of Comic Books
bullet Humor in Books, and Other Places, Too! An Interview With Susana Imaginário—the latest installment in Lockhaven’s series. (I’m really enjoying these, can you tell?)
bullet Witty and Sarcastic Book Club had another fun series this week, Fantasy Focus: Comedic Fantasy, you should check it out.
bullet An Interview with Andi Ewington, coauthor of Campaigns and Companions
bullet An Interview with Sean Gibson, author of The Part About the Dragon was (Mostly) True
bullet A guest post by Kyle Lockhaven, the aforementioned interviewer
bullet An Interview with Bjørn Larssen , author of Why Odin Drinks
bullet A Guest Post by D.H. Willison, author of things like Love, Death, or Mermaid?
bullet Where to start with: Agatha Christie—Janice Hallett provides this handy guide for people like me, who haven’t actually read one of the genre’s greats and want to start.
bullet 21 Phrases You Use Without Realizing You’re Quoting William Shakespeare
bullet A Reading Spreadsheet Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated—they don’t?
bullet 10 Book Series I Loved Growing Up—a fun post over on FanFiAddict, even if it makes me feel really old because I literally couldn’t have read most of these as a kid
bullet Blogging to Get Free Books: Sometimes Necessary, not Evil—Once again, I have missed a blogging controversy (and I’m fine with that), still a good post.
bullet What I’ve learnt from reading fiction – part 7—I really like these posts
bullet To binge read or not to binge read?

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet The Appeal by Janice Hallett—came out in the U.S., and should not be missed. I talked a bit about it last year.
bullet Accomplice by Lisa Lutz—will get under your skin. I posted about it recently.
bullet Light Years From Home by Mike Chen—a family drama and UFO abduction story, that just might involve an intergalactic war. I hopefully dive into this next week.

The Friday 56 for 1/28/22: The Jackals by Adam Shaw

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On January 28, 2022

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
The Friday 56 Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
The Friday 56 Find a snippet, short and sweet.
The Friday 56 Post it

from 56% of:
The Jackals

The Jackals by Adam Shaw

As soon as I step out the front door, I exhale. The chilly downtown air hits me all at once, and I’m forced to recognize the beads of sweat resting in my hairline, the moistness of Rob’s post-workout filth on my shirt, the goosebumps traveling up and down my arms. I quit my job. Apparently, I’m moving.

“Jack!”

Beth is smiling. Her pale skin shines against the red brick of the wall behind her. Her hair is down, and she’s wearing the same red flannel she wore the day I got back to Lafayette. A couple golden strands cling to it near her right shoulder, but she either doesn’t notice them or doesn’t care. It only takes her eyes a couple seconds to notice the box of belongings under my arm, though, the bat signal of a corporate walk of shame, and her smile disappears.

Book Blogger Hop: Book Signings?

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On January 28, 2022

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

 

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Have you ever attended a book signing? If so, who was the author?

Not as many as I’d like to–my corner of the world doesn’t really attract many authors I’m into, alas. But there’ve been a few:
bullet Lance Olsen, who was then Idaho Writer in Residence, at Borders bookstore. This would’ve been somewhere around 1996, I think.
bullet Cherie Priest was at Rediscovered Books in November 2011 for a reading/signing.
bullet John Scalzi did a reading/signing here in ’15
bullet A couple of weeks later, Shane Kuhn, did, too.
bullet I’ve been to a couple of signings/book releases/etc. for Devri Walls books.
bullet Craig Johnson was really entertaining when he did a reading/signing in 2018.

All in all, these are great ways to hear writers reading their work, hear their stories, and get your book squiggled in. Also, they are fantastic opportunities for me to fail at basic human interaction, you know, just in case I forget that I can’t handle that.

What about you?

Spelling the Month in Books: January

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On January 28, 2022

In Books, News/Misc.

Spelling the Month in Books: January
I saw a few people doing this over the last year or two and thought it seemed fun. It also felt like a good way to highlight and talk a little bit about books I haven’t talked about in a while, or at all. I’m going to try to mostly talk about books I haven’t blogged about here, just to keep things interesting (for me and you–how many of you really need to hear me saying something glowing about Robert B. Parker? again, etc.).

I intended on getting this done earlier in the month but I spent too much time fiddling with the look. Now that I’ve settled on one, I should be able to get this going earlier in the month for the rest of the year.

A Juliet, NakedJuliet, Naked
 

Nick Hornby’s novel about a reclusive musician is tough to summarize briefly. Duncan’s a superfan of Tucker Crowe, a pop star turned recluse. Anne breaks up with him because…well, there’s a lot there. Along the way, she becomes online friends with Tucker, and eventually, that relationship grows. Maybe somewhere in all that are new lives and second chances for all involved. Or something like that. It’s been a decade, my memory’s a bit fuzzy.
A After the Golden AgeAfter the Golden Age
 

Carrie Vaughn’s tribute to Golden Age super-heroes was a great ride. Celia West is the non-powered daughter of two of the greatest heroes ever, she did all she could to stay away from that world after she grew up. Now, events are dragging her back into that world, despite all her efforts. Ten years ago, I thought it was the best thing Vaughn had written. It’s still at least in the Top 3.
N Needle SongNeedle Song
 

Russell Day’s first novel about Doc Slidesmith is one I’ve talked a lot about, but it’s been a while, so I’m allowing it. Also, of the novels on this list it’s by far my favorite. The language just grabbed me, the characters were fantastic, and the story was almost as good–overall, it was a devilishly good book.

(here’s my original post about it)
U UprootedUprooted
 

Naomi Novik’s novel took my breath away. Just that simple–it’s a revisited folk tale, and it’s something special. I didn’t know what to say back in 2015, not sure I do now.
A The Automatic DetectiveThe Automatic Detective
 

A. Lee Martinez’s novel is a mash-up of SF and hard-boiled detective tales. Mac Megatron is a robot who has turned away from his intended purpose and is trying to make his way as a P.I. I remember having a hard time taking in all the weirdness that Martinez brought to the table, but once I did, I had a blast with it. I’ve since gone on to read all of his novels, and can’t wait for the next.
R Riding the RapRiding the Rap
 

This is the second of Elmore Leonard’s books to feature Rylan Givens. As I recall, it gets vaguely adapted in season 1 of Justified. I remember very little about this book, but remember really enjoying it. Hard not to think reading a Leonard book was a good use of time.
Y Year ZeroYear Zero
 

Rob Reid’s hilarious story about First Contact and Copyright law. No, really. The rest of the universe has become addicted to Earth’s pop music and owes us enough money that they’re about to become bankrupt. Wiping out the Earth’s populace would be a whole lot cheaper. Can this lawyer save us all?

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies

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On January 28, 2022

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for the first in a Gaslamp Fantasy series, The Cruel Gods, The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies. I didn’t have time to read it, which is disappointing, because I’ve heard nothing but good things for a few months now about this book–but I wanted to take a moment to help spread the word about it with this Spotlight. After you read this, you should absolutely check out some of the posts about it at https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours.

The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies Tour Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies
Release date: October 13, 2021
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook
Length: 535 pages
The Thirteenth Hour

Book Blurb:

When the saints fail, the sinners step up.

Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.

Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.

To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.

For a city that bows to cruel gods, it’ll take godless heathens to save it.

The Thirteenth Hour is the first book in The Cruel Gods series—a gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. This is an adult book containing strong language and mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. For a full list of content warnings, visit Trudie Skies’s website.

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Trudie SkiesTrudie Skies has been living inside fantasy worlds ever since she discovered that reality doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Through the magic of books, she wishes to share these worlds of hope and heroes with other weary souls. Living in North East England, Trudie spends most of her free time daydreaming about clouds, devouring whatever fantasy books or video games she can get her hands on, and chasing after her troublesome dogs, who would like to reassure you they are very good boys.

Her debut YA fantasy series, Sand Dancer, was published through Uproar Books. Trudie is now writing adult gaslamp fantasy with her new series, The Cruel Gods.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

 


My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

The Hobbit (Audiobook) by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator): Serkis (Naturally) Knocks It Out of the Park with this Audiobook

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On January 27, 2022

In Audiobook, Fantasy, Fiction

The HobbitThe Hobbit, or
There and Back Again

by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication Date: September 20, 2020
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length:10 hrs., 25 min.
Read Date: January 18-22, 2022 
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s The Hobbit About?

I suppose it’s theoretically possible that in 2022 someone will be reading a book blog and not know the basics of this, right?

So a Hobbit (Bilbo Baggins) is recruited (quite presumptuously) by the wizard Gandalf to join a band of thirteen dwarves on their odyssey to sneak back into their territory which had been taken over by the dragon, Smaug. Their goal is to steal back the treasure (particularly an heirloom of the king’s family, the Arkenstone). There’s really no reason to think that Bilbo, who hates the idea of adventure and just wants to stay in his comfortable home all day (like 99.9997% of Hobbits) will make a capable burglar. But Gandalf insists on it, overrules the objections of the dwarves, and tricks Bilbo into accepting the role.

Along the way, they have various adventures—in addition to some nasty geographical features, they meet goblins, giants, trolls, freakishly huge talking spiders, a ware-bear, elves, and several others. Some of those are allies, many are not. Eventually, they reach the Lonely Mountain, face off against the dragon, find themselves in the middle of The Battle of Five Armies, and then (as the title implies) Bilbo goes back home.

The Narration

I saw that Serkis recorded this and almost jumped immediately—but I made myself hold off until he did the follow-up trilogy. Well, that happened last fall, so after I wrapped up my Alex Verus re-listen, I moved on to this series. What a delicious listen!

Serkis does a great job bringing individual characters to life—and keeping them individual. A couple of times I wondered if he was doing a McKellen impression with Gandalf, but I talked myself out of it—ditto for the other characters. I thought his Smaug was excellent, too.

The moment that [name redacted out of habit, can’t imagine I’m spoiling anything] turns on Bilbo was so well done that I felt something like surprise while I was waiting for it.

But the big question for me going in was how was he going to approach Gollum. Would he be prevented from duplicating the voice/characterization from the films in this format, because it wasn’t owned by some film company or something? Or was Serkis just sick and tired of doing it and wanted to try another approach? Nope and nope. His audiobook Gollum sounded just like the movie Gollum and I could’ve listened to that section of the book on a loop for few times through. I just loved it. It almost didn’t matter what he did the rest of the time.

I typically listen to audiobooks at more than 1.0x speed—it varies from book to book, narrator to narrator, genre to genre—what speed I use. Frequently, too, I’ll start at something like 1.2 and then work my way up as I get used to a narrator/book. Not with this one—I wanted to soak in the performance. I don’t think I made it more than a paragraph or two before I slowed to 1.0 and kept it there the whole time, I just really got into his performance (I’m not sure that I’ll do that for LoTR, those are some long reads).

Oof, I really should’ve thought of this before starting the book…

If you’re reading, it’s easy to skip and/or skim through the songs. If you’re listening to an audiobook—unless you want to stop everything you’re doing to focus on fast-forwarding just enough, you’re stuck listening to them all.

Call me a Philistine if you will, but I just can’t do the songs. And I consistently forget how many of them there are in this book. I tried, I really tried to pay attention, but I couldn’t. I do think Serkis did a decent job carrying a tune with them. I’d love a Behind the Scenes look at how they decided on a tune for him to use.

So, what did I think about The Hobbit Audiobook?

I’m not the Tolkein-fanboy that I (and many acquaintances) would’ve assumed I am. This is only my third (complete) time through the book—I tried a handful of times in grade school, but couldn’t make it through. I got some encouragement from a big fan in college to push through it so I could get to The Lord of the Rings, but didn’t get around to it until the year before Jackson’s LotR was released. I really enjoyed it then, and my appreciation grows in the re-reads. Serkis’ work here moved that up a lot, too.

It’s just a fantastic audiobook—any problems stem from the original text, not Serkis’s performance—if anything he helped the text (not that it needed much). I can’t wait to see what he does with LoTR, those books demand a bit more, and I’m confident he’ll live up to expectations, now I just want to hear it for myself.

If you’re at all curious about this, you should give it a shot—you’ll be glad you did. If you have no curiosity about this—are you sure? Should you reconsider your position? This’d be a great way on family vacations or something to introduce younger readers to the series, I’d think.

5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

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