Monday, February 23, 2015

What Are You Reading?

Sheila over at Book Journey hosts this meme that gives you the opportunity to share the books that you have been losing yourself in lately and also the ones that you are looking forward to picking up next.

What I finished:
Our last book club selection was The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark.  I will be preparing my review for this one, but don't expect much as no-one in my book club enjoyed it, including myself!

What I'm reading now:
Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson has been sitting on one of my piles for over year.  When one of my friends told me she just picked up the audio, I decided to open this one myself.  Jackson is spot on with this one.

What's next:
Our next book club selection is The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith.  These books are always enjoyable and I am looking forward to kicking back with a cup of tea to enjoy the Botswana atmosphere.

I can't believe I haven't posted a review in two weeks!  Life has definitely been getting crazy for me.  I thought people slow down as they get older, but I seem to be doing the opposite!  With as busy as things have been I've only been able to read during my lunch hour at work, but it's better than nothing.  So pages have you been turning lately?


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Audiobook Review: All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner



Title:  All Fall Down

Author:  Jennifer Weiner

Narrator:  Tracee Chimo

Unabridged Length:  12 hrs, 44 mn.

Here is a summary of the book from the publisher's website:
Allison Weiss got her happy ending: a handsome husband, an adorable daughter, a job she loves, and the big house in the suburbs. But while waiting in the pediatrician's office, she opens a magazine to a quiz about addiction and starts to wonder: Is a Percocet at the end of the day really different from a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class, or if your husband ignores you? 

She tells herself that the pills help her make it through her days; but what if her increasing drug use, a habit that's becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?

My Review:
Do you ever pick a book without knowing anything about it?  That's what happened with this one, and it turned out to be a winner in my book!  I've always liked rollercoasters so maybe that is what attracted me to this novel.  This audiobook turned out to be a rollercoaster ride of Allison's life that was non-stop, from beginning to end.

As the book opens I thought Allison to be your average mother/housewife, taking her daughter to the pediatrician.  It doesn't take long to catch on to her abuse of prescription painkillers, as with every little crisis in her day, she finds herself needing to pop a pill to get her through the next couple of hours.

Wiener did a wonderful job of of relaying the thought process of someone addicted to painkillers.  I've heard of people seeking prescriptions from various doctors, and this method is explored in this novel.  She even goes so far to cover up her abuse that she opens another bank account to transfer funds, allowing her to keep an ample supply through the mail.

It's easy to see Allison's life spinning out of control as she makes her downward spiral.  When she no longer can complete daily tasks it doesn't take her family long to figure out what is transpiring.  When they confront her with their discoveries, of course she tries to pass it off as if no problem exists, but finally, she concludes that her daughter deserves more than this.  This decision starts Allison on a new rollercoaster ride as she is admitted into a treatment center.

This book turned out to be so much more than I expected and Tracee Chimo did a great job of narrating Allison's character.  There was no doubt of Allison's need and desire of her painkillers with Chimo's narration.  With themes of addiction, family, and perseverance, you may enjoy this book as much as I did.  I don't hesitate in recommending this book for personal leisure or as a book club selection.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.