eAudiobooks

I've found a wonderful new things. The St. John's County Public Library has eaudiobooks and I a having a great time. After traveling the 120 mile round trip to get my card updated, I spent about 6 hours trying to figure out how to download the audiobooks and start listening on my computer. I say 6 hours, but it is probably more if I count the hours spent before I went down to the library. Why is it and computer things are always so complicated? It never fails that there is at least one instance where the computer directs me to click on the ??? at the top of the screen and the ??? is never there!

After a few hours, I finally realized that the program was giving me instructions for an Internet Explorer screen and I was using Firefox. Once I got over that, I was only halfway there. I still had to figure out how to use a new vocabulary that included "licenses" vs "checkouts." Eventually, it all worked out and I started listening to my first book.

Now that the "birth process" is over, I have only one complaint. The books are checked out for 3 weeks and you can't check them back in. You can only check out 10. While this would seem more than adequate, but it doesn't work well for me. I am getting ready to drive to Virginia and spend 2 months house sitting for my sister. This is my time to cross stitch, knit and listen to audiobooks. I made the mistake of downloading lots of short books because my wireless signal was weak and now I don't have enough books. I still have three to add, so I am getting Anna Karenina, Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Crime and Punishment. I figure those will last me long enough.

Death of a Scriptwriter

Death of a Scriptwriter by M.C. Beaton


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another in the Hamish Macbeth books. The Scottish constable is left to sort out the deaths of an obnoxious scriptwriter and another member of the TV crew while trying to keep out of Inspector Blair's reach. Part of the plot centers around the TV production of a mystery book. The TV program so distorts the original book as to create many potential suspects. Since this is one of my pet peeves, it was a vicarious pleasure to read about someone wrecking havoc on the kind of people who perpetrate these abominations.

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Grace and Favor: Love for Sale

Love for Sale by Jill Churchill

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is very light reading, but cute. I'm reading a heavy book about Russia, so this is a little relief. Grace and Favor is a mansion with strings attached. Robert and Lily were two rich young siblings at the time of Stock Market crash. Their wealthy father lost everything and killed himself. They were penniless when an uncle died and left them a mansion with a lot of strings. They have to stay there for 10 years, get jobs and give back to the town. They turn Grace and Favor into a boarding house with some interesting guests. The town just happens to have all sorts of crimes that connect somehow to the mansion. A friendly sheriff relies on help from Robert and Lily. In this case, a cheating radio preacher gets killed at the manor and there are all sorts of suspects. There are also some other things going around town, but all the strings are tied up neatly in the end.

There are some very promising characters in this book, but they need to be fleshed out more. I'd love to see some of them come back again in future books.


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Who's Sorry Now? by Jill Churchill

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This time the mystery centers on a German/American who seems to be targeted for some hate crimes. Robert and Lily are involved along with their good friend, the young Sheriff. Suddenly an out of luck railroad worker is killed just when Robert has gotten him a job sorting mail. There doesn't seem to be anyone around who would wish to do him harm. Eventually, after meeting a number of new characters, the murder is solved.

There are all these young marriageable characters, but none of them seem to be pairing off. We keep getting hints that some of these folks care for each other, but from book to book, there doesn't seem to be much progression. There are a lot of quirky characters who could be developed more, but at this point, they are still too lightly drawn. I hope the author can flesh them out more in later books.

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In the Still of the Night by Jill Churchill

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Robert and Lily have a great idea for earning some money. They've invited a special guest to Grace and Favor, a reclusive author, and then invited paying guests who wish to attend his lectures, share meals with him and, in general, get to know him better. This book was filled with interesting characters and plot twists and turns. I'd say this is the best of Jill Churchill's that I have read. The characters are better drawn and more interesting. Lily's idea for the " resident author" weekend seemed great to me. I'd love to spend a weekend with some of my favorite authors in a relaxed setting like Grace and Favor!

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