The Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddons

The Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddons, 223 pages

I was looking for an interesting Playaway to listen to and this struck my fancy.  I enjoyed listening to this story about four women who get together every August in South Carolina. The ladies have taken a break from their yearly vacation when one of the four, Melinda, dies in a tragic car crash.  But when Melinda's husband, Ted, remarries a very young lady named Baby, the three find themselves gathering once again with the new addition of Baby.  What follows is a touching and heartfelt story about the relationship between these women and how each one is affected by the other's life.

Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich

Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich, 312 pages

Stephanie Plum is back at it in book 10 of the Plum series.  I kind of jumped around reading this series.  But, I think as long as you read the first one in the series. you can read these in any order. In Ten Big Ones, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum finds herself stuck in the usual dilemmas of having her car blow up and trying to choose between Ranger and Joe Morelli.  When the local deli mart is robbed by a Trenton street gang, Stephanie finds herself in a dangerous situation.  Who will come to her rescue?

The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve

The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve, 293 pages

Anita Shreve has written many books and the Pilot's Wife, I believe, was an Oprah book selection.  I listened to this as a playaway read by Melanie Griffith.  Kathyrn finds herself a young widow when the commercial plane her husband is flying crashes after taking off from London.  Shocked when it is suggested that he committed suicide by crashing the plane, Kathyrn searches for answers.  What follows is a shocking and surprising twist that will change Kathyrn's life forever.

The Boy On The Porch by Sharon Creech

The Boy On The Porch by Sharon Creech, 151 pages

The Boy on the Porch is a sweet story with a wonderful message about a special couple John and Marta who find a young mute boy on their porch one day.  John and Marta care and nurture the boy until one day his father returns.  They grieve deeply for the boy that is taken from them but turn it into a positive by fostering more children.  This is a story with a special message and  beautiful symbolism with the children's shoes.  Both children and adults will be touched by this story.

Bad Dogs Have More Fun by John Grogan

Bad Dogs Have More Fun by John Grogan, 247 pages

This was a fairly entertaining audio by journalist John Grogan, who is also the author of Marley and Me.  It follows his true life stories and thoughts on family, animals (especially Marley) and life in general. The playaway was read by Arte Johnson and was quite good.

Return To The Hundred Acre Woods by David Benedictus

Return To The Hundred Acre Woods by David Benedictus, 201 pages

Everyone can use a little Winnie the Pooh in their lives.  I listened to this as a playaway and found it a little boring to listen to.  The ten stories follow the animals in the woods as they anticipate the return of Christopher Robin.  The animals learn to play cricket and Owl becomes an author.  I checked out the book which contains beautiful illustrations and would recommend the book over the audio, especially for young children.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, 288 pages

Thirteen Reasons Why is a teen book which may be considered controversial, but I found it a great story about teens and is really quite relevant in today's society where kids may be bullied. Clay Jenson finds himself on the receiving end of mysterious tapes that contain the thirteen reasons why Hannah Baker committed suicide.  Listening to this book on a playaway made the story all that more intense as you are listening to Hannah's voice on the tapes.  I recommend this read to both teens and adults.  It was really eye opening.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, 262 pages

I listened to Brooklyn as a playaway.  I saw the movie, which was very good and really wanted to read the book.  The audio was a great alternative when the book was checked out.  It was beautifully read with the Irish accents. Brooklyn follows young Irish immigrant Eilis Lacey as she makes her way from Ireland to Brooklyn in the 1950s for chance of a better life.  When she finds herself torn between her family in Ireland and her new life and love in Brooklyn, she is faced with a most difficult choice.