The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle - Matt Cain

I knew from the first chapters of Matt Cain's new novel, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, that I was going to love it.

Albert is a small town postman in England. He does his best to stay out of the spotlight and do his job, keeping himself to himself. His only company is his cat Gracie. But then he receives notice that as he is turning 65, he must retire. 

My curiosity was piqued. Why does he live such a small life? What has happened in his life? What will he do now, without his job to anchor him? I knew what I wanted to have happen....

Slowly, but surely Albert ventures out into the world, speaking to people, beginning to interact and more. And finally, he decides to rectify his biggest regret, the one that shaped his small world.

Ahh, what a great lead character. You can't help but behind Albert cheering him on as he takes hesitant steps forward. And your heart will break when you learn of the 'why', the 'who' and the how. Just as engaging as Albert are the friends he makes, the community he becomes part of, and the life he finds at sixty five. 

Matt Cain has penned a wonderful feel good listen. It's easy to predict what the end of Albert's odyssey will bring, but the journey there is enjoyable, uplifting and heart warming.

I chose to listen to The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. The reader was Simon Vance - one of my favorites. He has a rich tone to his voice and a lovely British accent, that's very easy on the ears. The voice he initially uses for Albert is hesitant and unsure. But as the book progresses, Albert's voice grows stronger. Vance provides different and identifiable voices for the other characters, including female players. I thought the voice for Nicole was spot on. Vance has captured Cain's work and does a great job of presenting it. The emotions and situations are well portrayed. I've often said that I become more immersed in a book when I listen and this was the case for The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt.

@MattCainWriter • @recordedbooks • #TheSecretLifeofAlbertEntwistle 

Lean on Pete - Willy Vlautin

I'm always a sucker for books and movies that champion the underdog, the overlooked, the hard luckers and the downtrodden. Willy Vlautin'snovel, Lean on Pete, is all that. It's recently been made into a movie.

Charley is fifteen years old and lives with his single father, often fending for himself. But tragedy strikes after they move to Portland, leaving Charley on his own. Determined not to be put into 'the system', Charley sets out to find a job and earn enough money to travel, looking for the only relative he has left in the world. He finds a job at the local racetrack, ending up in the employ of a crusty, somewhat shifty, old man named Del. Del is the owner of a number of failing racehorses, including one named Lean on Pete.

Charley bonds with Pete, pouring out his hopes, dreams, desires and fears to the horse. The horse becomes the boy's family. Loneliness populates Vlautin's book. The main characters are all wounded and isolated, as are many of the others we meet. Marginalized in so many ways. And yet, Charley's life and circumstances are not that far from the truth for many teens. I became quite worried as the book progressed and Charley is faced with many unsavory people and situations. I did feel that there were a few too many of these scenes (especially as Charley hit the road) and some seemed simply gratuitous and didn't add much to the overall narrative. Charley's voice is spare, matching his daily life - simply trying to survive. The reader can't help

Knowing nothing of the racing world, I found some of the racetrack practices and treatment of the horses quite disturbing.

I chose to listen to Lean on Pete and was excited to find that the author himself was the narrator. There's nothing better than listening to an author read his own work. Vlautin is also the lead singer of a band. He has a wonderfully resonant voice, with a slight gravelly undertone. His voice never raises, but keeps the listener closely drawn in to this haunting, harrowing tale. Listen to an excerpt of Lean on Pete.

Did I like it? Yeah, I really did. Vlautin's work has a touch of Steinbeck and Twain to it. Now, we'll have to see if the movie does it justice.

The Music Shop - Rachel Joyce

I'm often asked - who is your favourite author? Well, I just can't narrow it down to one, but Rachel Joyce is on the top ten list. Her books are so affecting - they resonate with me long after the last page has been turned.

And that is true again with her latest book, The Music Shop.

"There was once a music shop. From the outside it looked like any shop, in any backstreet. It had no name above the door" ...... "As long as it was on vinyl, there were no taboos. And if you told Frank the kind of thing you wanted, or simply  how you felt that day, he had the right track in minutes. It was a knack he had. A gift. He knew what people needed even when they didn't know it themselves."

Joyce's characters are always a little left of center, eccentric in their own ways. Inherently good and kind, but a little lost. Frank is missing something in his life, but he doesn't know it until the mysterious woman in the green coat enters his shop. Her arrival is the catalyst for a change in Franks' life. And not just Frank, but the other inhabitants of Unity Street. Although Frank is the lead character, I found myself just as drawn to the supporting cast - especially Kit - the 'assistant manager' of the music shop.' His innocence, bouncing around, love of posters and unfailing good nature endeared him to me. Maud, the surly tattoo artist was another favourite. They're all a little out of step, but I would love to be a resident of this wee little back street and walk with them.

Joyce has such a way with words - her prose are thoughtful and worth savouring. "They spoke in the flat monotone they used these days in order to remain on open road where nothing would jump out and surprise them. One wrong word and it was like trees coming down."

Now, as I first started to read, I began writing down the musical references and referrals that Frank makes. I was fascinated by the explanations of the music, the background of the pieces and what to listen for. The list soon grew too long and I was too caught up in reading to stop and add to the list. But, I do want to go back and listen to some pieces recommended by Frank and catch his interpretation of the piece. The explanation of silence within music intrigued me, as did many more of the musical references. Joyce neatly ties those references to what is happening with the characters.

It'd be lovely if there was a Frank - who doesn't want to have the right music 'prescribed' for them. On reading the author's notes, I learned that the premise for The Music Shop sprang from events in Joyce's own life.

I loved The Music Shop - absolutely recommended! Here's an excerpt of The Music Shop.

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old - Hendrick Groen

Inheriting Edith - Zoe Fishman

Inheriting Edith is Zoe Fishman's latest book.

Maggie is a single mom who has been working as a house cleaner. One of her clients is a well known author, who treats her well. But when Liza kills herself, Maggie is stunned to find out that she has been left a house in Sag Harbor - complete with the author's eighty year old mother Edith - who has Alzheimer's.

This reader was immediately engaged with Fishman's characters. I think each reader will have a favorite character, based on their stage of life. Maggie is a pull no punches woman, struggling to do her best by her little daughter, who has a voice in the story as well. (Some of her dialogue is a bit advanced for the age of the child, but out of the mouth of babes...) Edith is the character who spoke to me the most. Her struggle with memory, everyday living and putting the past right struck close to home for me. I thought Fishman did a great job portraying the everyday issues that come with Alzheimer's  - from both Edith and Maggie's viewpoint. I did find Edith's friend Lillian a bit overdrawn and over the top.

There aren't a lot of surprises in Inheriting Edith - this type of story has been written before. But Fishman's premise was unique and I found her exploration of motherhood, friendship, grief, aging, illness, self discovery and yes, love, to be thoughtful. I think book clubs would enjoy this novel.

If you're in the mood for a heart string tugging tale, consider Inheriting Edith. Read an excerpt of Inheriting Edith.

You can connect with Zoe Fishman on her website and follow her on Twitter.

I received this book from Harper Collins for review.

After You - Jojo Moyes

Friends kept telling me that I would really enjoy Jojo Moyes's books. I would nod and add them to my ever growing TBR list. I finally got to them last year. And you know - they were right!

Moyes is a wonderful storyteller, creating wonderful characters that I became totally engaged with and cared about, humorous situations and dialogue, and a storyline that captivates me. And the depth of the storylines caught me off guard initially - Moyes tackles some heavy topics. But she does it really, really well.

Her latest is After You, a follow up to the bestselling Me Before You. Do yourself a favour - read or listen to Me Before You first before this latest.

*Spoiler ahead - stop now if you plan to read the first book.*

For Louisa Clark, life continued after the death of Will. But this isn't the spunky, spirited Louisa we came to love in the first book. She's depressed (and rightly so) working in a dead end bar job in the airport, living away from her family and is just simply existing. Until a knock at the door brings a most unexpected visitor. That visitor, Lily, wakes up Louisa and shakes up her life.

Lily was a hard one for me. I think she had a lot of the same spirit as Louisa, but I found her somewhat annoying for the first bit of the book. And I must admit, I got a little annoyed with Lou for letting her walk all over her. My patience would have given out long before Lou's. But Lily redeems herself as the book progresses.

And it is all about progression and moving forward. For everyone, not just Lou. The families from the first book are also part of this story. (I love Lou's crazy family) And there are some new characters brought in that are just as engaging.

And again, Moyes tackles some hard issues - love, loss, grieving, families and more in her trademark fashion, with insight, empathy and humour.

Did it live up to the first book? For me, not quite, but pretty darn close. There was one too many yes, no, maybe so, will she, won't she situations. And although the ending is 'right', it's not what I envisioned.

I chose to listen to After You. Anna Acton was the reader. I just plain liked her voice. I thought she interpreted the story well and did justice to Moyes's work. Listen to an excerpt of After You.  Read an excerpt of After You.

You can connect with Jojo Moyes on her website, on Twitter as well as on Facebook.