28. Once and Future King

By:  T. H. White
Rated 5+ so far. (In progress)
Audiobook
Read by: Neville Jason

I am through the first two book of Once and Future King,The Sword in the Stone (1938), The Queen of Air and Darkness--first published as The Witch in the Wood (1939),The Ill-Made Knight (1940), and The Candle in the Wind (published in the composite volume, 1958)  There is a 6th book involved that was added later on, The Death of Merlin (1988) which, according to a reviewer is regarded as an "anti-war rant."  This is OK with me because I do a pretty good anti-war rant myself.

I am loving this book and wondering why I have never read it before.  Probably because it's fantasy and I am very much a fantasy lite reader.  But once in a while one comes along that really grabs me.  I am not so sure I would be enjoying this one as much if I were reading it from the printed page as the reader Neville Jason is giving an absolutely brilliant performance of reading it in the gently ironic, tongue in cheek style that the Brits are so good at.

I am having to take it in small bites though.  While tempted to "start at the beginning and go straight through until the end" I start experiencing sensory overload after about 3/4 of one book.  So this one is going to take me a while.

Publisher's Summary

The complete "box set" of T. H. White's epic fantasy novel of the Arthurian legend. The novel is made up of five parts: "The Sword in the Stone", "The Witch in the Wood", "The Ill-Made Knight", "The Candle in the Wind", and "The Book of Merlyn".

Merlyn instructs the Wart (Arthur) and his brother, Sir Kay, in the ways of the world. One of them will need it: the king has died, leaving no heir, and a rightful one must be found by pulling a sword from an anvil resting on a stone. In the second and third parts of the novel, Arthur has become king and the kingdom is threatened from the north. In the final two books, the ageing king faces his greatest challenge, when his own son threatens to overthrow him. In "The Book of Merlyn", Arthur's tutor Merlyn reappears and teaches him that, even in the face of apparent ruin, there is hope.

Public Domain (P)2008 Naxos Audiobooks

51. Museum of Thieves

By:  Lian Tanner
Rated 4 Stars
From:  Library

I don't read a lot of fantasy but I do dabble in the genre from time to time.  I had read so many good reviews of this book written by people whose taste generally runs with mine that I decided to give it a try.

What a fun read!  It's set in a world where children are sheltered by being chained to their parents in order to keep them safe from everything.  Dogs, cats, loose nails, broken glass and splinters.  Everything that might be remotely dangerous are  forbidden by law.

Goldie and boy named toadspit escape from this stifling environment and set out to save their world from an assortment of baddies.  A modern fairy tale, this book is a well written fun read that should appeal to readers of all ages not just children.

Publisher Summary

Welcome to the tyrannical city of Jewel, where impatience is a sin and boldness is a crime. Goldie Roth has lived in Jewel all her life. Like every child in the city, she wears a silver guardchain and is forced to obey the dreaded Blessed Guardians. She has never done anything by herself and won’t be allowed out on the streets unchained until Separation Day. When Separation Day is canceled, Goldie, who has always been both impatient and bold, runs away, risking not only her own life but also the lives of those she has left behind. In the chaos that follows, she is lured to the mysterious Museum of Dunt, where she meets the boy Toadspit and discovers terrible secrets. Only the cunning mind of a thief can understand the museum’s strange, shifting rooms. Fortunately, Goldie has a talent for thieving. Which is just as well, because the leader of the Blessed Guardians has his own plans for the museum—plans that threaten the lives of everyone Goldie loves. And it will take a daring thief to stop him. . . .

18. The Marvelous Land of Oz

By:  L. Frank Baum
Rated 5 Stars
Download libravox.0rg

This was just a quick, delightful re-read of a book I read so long ago that it was the same as a first read.  After All Clear I needed something totally different.  This was certainly totally different.  I loved all the Oz books when I was young.

Publisher's Summary

The Marvelous Land of Oz is the second Oz book.

In this sequel to the original book, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman are back with a boy named Tip as well as a host of new characters, including Mr. H. M. Woggle-Bug, Princess Ozma of Oz, Dr. Nikidik, and Old Mombi. When the Scarecrow, now the ruler of the Emerald City, is driven out by General Jinjur and her all-girl army, his friends--the Tin Woodman, a boy named Tip, and Jack Pumpkinhead--try to restore peace. Dorothy isn't in this story, though she is mentioned frequently by her friends.

66. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

By:  J. K. Rowlings
Rated 5 Stars
Audio Book
From Library

Casting around for a lighter read I decided it might be a good idea to revisit this series before the last movie(s) come out on DVD.  Not that these books stay a light read but in the beginning they were and maybe by the time they start to get darker my mood will change.

On Bookflurries last night a poster was talking about how the series develops and that the books are even better read together, because you can see where she plants seeds that bear fruit in later books.  It will probably be a while before these last two movies are out on DVD but then I plan a leisurely listen to the series so maybe I won't be too out of sync with the movies by the time they are released.

Product Description on Wrapper of Audiobook

Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley.

A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful.

106. The Two Towers

By:  J. R. R. Tolkien
Rated:  5 Stars
From:  Library, Unabridged Audio Book

Even though I have practically memorized the movies there is so many more details in the books.  And I am learning that I can get deeper into a story by listening than I can reading because I am forced to listen at the pace the reader reads.  

The Two Towers continues the story begun in The Fellowship of the Ring but introduces new characters, more battle scenes and a nearly palpable feeling of impending doom as Sauron and Saruman search for the ring.

In this part the Fellowship disburses with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli setting off in one direction to rescue Merry and Pippen who have been captured by Orcs.  Frodo and Sam set out on their own in another to try to reach Gondor and destroy the ring.  This part of the story starts to show more directly the dual nature of good and evil that is at the heart of each of the three books. Every element of good has an opposite. There is the dark tower and the good tower of Gondor (hence, the "Two Towers"). There is the good hobbit Frodo and his opposite Gollum who is a distortion of what was once a hobbit-like creature. There are elves (good) and orcs. (bad) There is the good wizard Gandalf and the evil Sauron. I have not figured out yet where the Dwarfs fit in except that Gimli was a good dwarf but I am not sure his goodness represented all dwarfs. {shrug}

Yet, while these pairs are opposite, they are also linked. Even Saruman was at one time a good personable fellow. Gandalf fears the ring because he can see himself becoming like Saruman and Sauron.

This book introduces my most favorite characters in the book, the enormous tree like creatures - the Ents. They are so charismatic and lovable They steal the show.

100. Fellowship of the Rings

By:  J. R. R. Tolkien
Rated:  5+++++++
AUDIO BOOK From Library

This is a revisit to one of my most beloved stories.  I have just started to seriously listen to audio books and it have been an eye opening, or should I say ear opening experience.  It's a whole other dimension.

This set read by Rob Inglis is is very well read with no drastic voicing of characters. Characters are easily distinguished and thoroughly enjoyable. This set is not full of sound effects and music, but then I  prefer the fact that this is not an over-production and is rather quite focused on what I wanted in the first place, the characters and the story.

97. H.P. and The Camber of Secrets

,BY:  J. K. Rowlings

Rated 5 Stars
Audio Book from Library

LIBRARY SUMMARY:  Harry Potter is in his second year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is visited by a house-elf named Dobby and warned not to go back to Hogwarts. Harry ignores his warning, and returns. He is still famous, although still disliked by Snape, Malfoy, and the rest of the Slytherins. But then, strange things start to happen. People are becoming petrified, and no-one knows what is doing it. Harry keeps hearing a voice.. a voice which seems to be coming from within the walls. They are told the story of the Chamber of Secrets. It is said that only Salazar Slytherin's true descendent will be able to open it. Harry, it turns out, is a Parsel-tongue. This means that he is able to speak/understand snakes. Everyone thinks that it's him that has opened the Chamber of Secrets because that is what Slytherin was famous for.

96. HP and the Socerer's Stone

By:  J. K. Rowlings
Rated:  5 Stars
Audio Book from Library



I am waiting for the DVD of the latest Harry Potter movie to come out and while I am waiting I am going to revisit all the books so that my memory will be fresh.  I am loving this audio format.  Lucky for me my library has all the books on CD in unabridged format and I am uploading them to my IPod.

Product Description
Amazon.com Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley. A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins.