The Serialist Friday, Apr 23 2010

The Serialist. David Gordon. Ashland, Or.: Blackstone Audio, Inc.,  2010. ISBN: 9781441727855.

Narrated by Bronson Pinchot

Harry Bloch is about as pathetic as a writer could possibly be.  His career, if that is what you would call it,    barley allows him to scrape by.  He writes pulp novels; series with over-sexed vampires, or a sci-fi epic that involves a sexbot made only for the captain of a large phallus-shaped spaceship, and finally a knockoff series that sound a lot like the Shaft .  Harry ends up making a bulk of his income when he meets Claire, a privileged and sassy teenager who offers Harry the chance to write papers for high schoolers.  Their relationship becomes close as Claire soon becomes Harry’s manager because he just can’t seem to manage his life.

Harry’s recent endeavor to hop in the vampire bandwagon has gives him his best success thus far.  However, in order to pull off the charade of a authoress, Harry is forced to dress up as his dead mother, since he uses her name as an alias for his latest series.  It is during one of his cover shoots, Harry receives a letter from Darian Clay, aka The Photo Killer,  to ghostwrite his life story.  What Harry doesn’t foresee is that there is no such thing as the perfect opportunity, and that his life is about to become far more entangled with Darien’s than he could have ever imagined.

Bronson Pinchot does an excellent job narrating this fantastically funny, satirical, and often gory tale. He gives each character their own voice, making the story easy to follow and enjoyable.  This is not a listen for those with a sensitive stomach.   Gordon captures the essence of a prolific serial killer by using prose that describe his “craft” and obsession with killing and sex.  Yet, despite the graphic nature of the tale, Harry Bloch is a lovable character who gets entangled in events that are far beyond his control.  For those that enjoy the works of David Sedaris, Harry Bloch is a perfect match.

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The Girl Who Chased the Moon Sunday, Apr 18 2010

The Girl Who Chased the Moon. Sarah Addison Allen. Westminster, Md. : Books on Tape, 2010. ISBN: 9781415962190

Narrated by Rebecca Lowman

Seventeen-year-old Emily Benedict is thrust into Mullaby, North Carolina to live her grandfather after the death of her mother.  She is exposed to a world and a family she never new existed.  On top of being thrown into her new southern environment, Emily also begins to notice that Mullaby’s residents and town are  unlike anything she has  ever known to exist.  Her Grandpa Vance is an eight-foot-tall giant, there are strange lights outside in the woods behind her house, and her wallpaper in her room changes according to her mood.

Emily also uncovers that there is a lot of Mullaby history that involves her mother.  The type of information no one wants to tell her.  It seems like everyone knows about Emily and her past, that is, except Emily.  When Emily strikes up a casual friendship with Wynn Coffy, her world becomes even more complicated.  Wynn knows her history, as well as the fact they are not to associate with one another.  As Emily begins to learn about the residents of Mullaby she comes closer to uncovering the truth about the town and her mother’s past, but of course, all truths come with unforeseen consequences.

Emily is also not the only resident who is lost in the complications of Mullaby, there is also Julia Winterson.  She has inherited her father’s old BBQ Restaurant, and plans to run the operation just long enough to save enough money to get out of her old hometown.  Mullaby reminds Julia too much of the past. Julia tries to escape by avoiding the locals and baking cakes, with the strange intention that the smell of her sweet concoctions will resurrect someone from her past to come and find her.   The Girl Who Chased the Moon is a tale about no matter how hard one tries to avoid and forget the past, it will always catch up and find you.

Rebecca Lawson gives life to the tale of the The Girl Who Chased the Moon.  She is able to narrate with ease and give each character its own personality and distinction.  She tells the tale with thought and compassion, bringing the residents and magic of Mullaby, North Carolina to life.

Sarah Addison Allen is a New York Times bestselling author was also penned The Sugar Queen and Garden Spells.

–Melissa the Librarian

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