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AudioSynced: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

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One of my favorite reading genres is southern literature — I can take it in just about any form, as long as it has a healthy dose of the south. I’m amenable to trying different genres with the southern element, including titles like Beautiful Creatures, which I’d otherwise never pick up. When I first read about Saving CeeCee Honeycutt in a trade journal, it sounded like something right up my alley, even though I’m not a huge fan of so-called “domestic fiction” (is that not the most useless term?). The description immediately made me think of Sue Monk Kidd’s Secret Life of Bees, which I read years ago and liked well enough.

I decided to give this one a whirl on audiobook, hoping I’d get some nice southern vocals, and I was not disappointed.

CeeCee Honeycutt hasn’t had an easy childhood: her father is always gone away on business, and she is left at home with her mother in Willoughby, Ohio, who is herself losing her mind. CeeCee’s mother was once a pageant queen in Georgia, and over the course of the beginning of the story, she becomes more stuck in her past to the point she is wearing old prom dresses, garish makeup, and making a show of herself in the small town. On one of her regular trips to the Goodwill cut her mother’s life short, though, when she gets hit by a car, and now CeeCee is left to fend for herself.

Fortunately, an aunt of CeeCee from Savannah, Georgia, offers up her home and her love for young CeeCee. Aunt Tootie takes her in, moving her from Ohio to Savannah, where CeeCee gains not only a home, but a wealth of new motherly figures.

This book doesn’t have a whole lot of action, but it is a sweet story of growing up. I found CeeCee’s discovery of the power of southern women particularly interesting, and I thought that each of the women depicted in this story were well-drawn. Savannah can be tasted in the story. Hoffman’s story delves into many issues facing the south in the late 1960s, as well, including racial tension, politics, and the emerging power and importance of women. None of these topics were included to serve a point but instead, they enhanced the setting and period of the novel. This is a book about growing up and appreciating what’s around you when it’s easy to overlook the everyday. Book clubs will love this title — more on this in a second. This is marketed as an adult novel, but I can see teens enjoying this title as well, particularly those who are into lighter reads, Oprah-esque books, or even the Bronte sisters.

Jenna Lamia gives a wonderful fully-voiced reading of this title. CeeCee is a young main character, not quite in her teen years yet. Lamia is believable and her waivering voice for CeeCee is spot on, with just enough fear and confidence to render her a true-to-live pre-teen. Lamia’s ability to create a fully-voiced audiobook is impressive, given the range of accents and ages she needed to develop. The production quality of this audiobook is top notch, with no sound changes, volume changes, or obvious seams in the editing. This was a smooth listen that forced me to sit in my car once I got past my destination more than one time.

Does this title seem familiar to you? Perhaps it’s because it is very similar to that of the previously mentioned Secret Life of Bees. The books both have the same editor, who started at Penguin with SLoB, left for a year, and then was offered her own imprint by Penguin, Pamela Dorman books. Oh, and it’ll be the first pick of the Sam’s Club book club (perhaps they’re capitalizing off the incredible money-making book club Target has going)? Dorman has an eye for southern fiction, so expect more of this type in her line, which you can read about here.

So, after putting those pieces together, I dove into learning a bit about Jenna Lamia, the book’s reader. Guess what book she also read and won an audie for? If your answer was SLoB, then you’re good. Her repertoire is strong, and I definitely plan on seeking out other books she’s read for, as she was a pleasant companion for the last week.

If you’re looking for a strong audiobook to begin listening to, whether as a new listener or a seasoned one, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt will not disappoint. In fact, it might make you want to learn more about the author, the editor, the reader….which is always a bonus, isn’t it?

AudioSynced: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

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Every once in a while, you get lucky and everything — EVERYTHING — about an audiobook works. There’s the perfect narrator, the perfect story, and just the right amount of pacing, musical interlude, length, and breadth to the audio that you wish it could go on forever. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Place on Earth by Eric Weiner (pronounced “whiner”) was that book for me.

Weiner is a correspondent for NPR, and he is the reader on the audio. It’s what you would expect — the intonation is even, the emphasis on certain words and phrases are spot on, and the pacing is even and intentional. There are a lot of people who don’t like when authors read their own works, but in this particular title, I don’t think it could have been done better by another reader.

The premise of this is quite simple: Weiner wanted to go in search of the happiest places in the world and figure out what makes these places so happy. He begins his journey in Holland, and he goes from there onward to Bhutan, then on to Qatar. Within each of these countries, he interviews locals by drawing upon his journalism experience, and with incredible wit and utter respect for the people and customs, he shares what he learns. In addition to sharing the insights into happiness, he offers bits of wisdom from philosophers historical and contemporary.

But this isn’t just a book about happiness. Weiner goes to unhappy places too, including Moldova (the unhappiest place in the world) and India. His insights are at times laugh-out-loud funny, precisely because he is spot on in his observation and utter love for people. Weiner devotes time on this adventure, too, to Iceland, to Thailand, and to Great Britain.

I found it quite interesting that the bulk of his travel was in southeast Asia, particularly given a comment he makes near the end of the book about people in Latin America consistently ranking high on the happiness scale. I wish we could have gotten his take on a Central or South American country, too.

Lest you think Weiner is just interested in telling us about how other places are better than America, the last chapter of his book, along with the epilogue, bring us back to America. What he does in the end of the book is perfect: he brings together all the bits of wisdom collected from both the happy and unhappy corners of the world, and he offers those nuggets. He makes no judgement about who is living better or why they’re living better. Instead, the central premise boils down to the fact that happiness comes down to love and relationships. This point is so cleverly woven into the whole of the story with his own humorous vignettes.

This is a heartwarming but funny, insightful, adventure-filled, and straight up fun read. I love travel narratives like this — almost in the style of Bill Bryson — and listening to it was the ideal way to go. If you like reading about adventures, the notion of happiness, travel, other cultures, or even a book that’s just “different,” this is a winner. If you haven’t tried an audiobook yet, this would be a great place to start. There are no quality issues and no editing issues, and the sound is smooth and crisp through all 11 discs. Weiner maintains a steady narrative, and he speaks clearly, thanks in part to his career with NPR.

The Geography of Bliss would be a perfect go-to for those looking for something after finishing The Happiness Project. Reading them simultaneously was a great experience for me, as I didn’t find myself tired of the topic, but instead, I felt Weiner’s book really informed my reading of Rubin’s personal story.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

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I have a confession: I love reading books that make me feel happy. As soon as I picked up Gretchen Rubin’s highly publicized The Happiness Project, I knew this was one that would fit the bill.

The premise is remarkably simple but utterly engaging. Rubin, now a full-time writer with a couple other titles under her belt, chose to spend a full year working on things that would make her happier. Each month, she chose a concept and from that concept, she developed a small list of goals and resolutions (something she defines as markedly different things). So, for January, her big concept was “vitality” and from that, she hoped to boost her energy. In March, her concept was “work,” and she hoped to aim higher. This was the month she began her very popular happiness project blog.

In each month, Rubin practiced wisdom she picked up from others who had shared their views on happiness, from philosophers to writers. She likewise developed a set of twelve commandments for herself to follow while testing out and practicing these nuggets of wisdom, and these included “Be Gretchen” (a recurring theme), “Do what ought to be done,” and “Act the way I want to feel.”

Everything that Rubin does in this book is entirely practical, but it’s her writing and her ability to laugh at herself and enjoy the moment that makes this such an enjoyable book. Right now – and to give some spoilerage to a future post – I’m also listening to Eric Weiner’s book The Geography of Bliss, and something he mentions is that too often, we relegate solving our problems to self-help gurus who have nothing but profit in mind. Rather than try to understand our place and our feelings, we think we’re wrong and therefore jump to getting help. The self-help industry is just that: an industry.

Instead, Rubin is entirely relatable, and she has a sense of humor about everything she does. One of her goals one month is to not nag or to criticize when others try their best to help her. As readers, we see exactly what would have irritated her and how we would have responded in the situation, but Rubin responds appropriately according to her happiness project goals. Pffft, how perfect, right? Well, no. Rubin then tells us EXACTLY what was going on in her mind and how she normally would react….and sometimes, despite her best efforts, she still responds in her old ways. You have to like a fallible character, especially one embarking on a project like this.

This is a highly readable book, and one which you can pick up and put down at any time. I found it quite a motivating title, as it made goal making easy, straightforward, and attainable. Rubin is the kind of person I would love to meet and hang out with. She’s funny, insightful, and totally human. She even gets a kick out of becoming “one of those writers” — you know, the ones who do something for a year, write a book, and make a profit.

I think The Happiness Project stands out from that crowd, as it’s a manual any of us can pick up and develop our own projects. It’s hard not to read this and come a way with a bit more insight into happiness or even feel happy reading it.

Bag ladies

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I’ve discovered a new trend — headless bag ladies!


Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson was published by Thomas Nelson in September 2009.


The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews was published by Harper in June 2009.


Rich Again by Anna Maxted was published by St. Martin’s Griffin in December 2009.

Three types of bags, three headless ladies. I think that Rich Again did it best, but I’m partial to the dress, the shoes, and the great orange background that will stand out on a shelf.

What do you think? Seen any heads looking for their bag ladies lately?

What I’m Reading, Twitter Style.

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I’ve been busy – between moving and reading for Cybils, my personal reading has been a little everywhere (and a little spare). But here’s what I’m reading or have recently read, Twitter-style!


Wish / Alexandra Bullen: Disappointing fairy tale w/ predictable plot, uninteresting characters, & off-putting writing style. Cannot believe there’s a sequel coming.

Leaving Gee’s Bend / Irene Latham: Historical fiction set during 1930s w/o being about the Depression. Engaging & one that will be considered a “best” in 2010. Low teen appeal.

The Happiness Project / Gretchen Ruben: Eager for perspective on happiness. Think this year-in-my-life may be valuable guide, rich w/insight w/o preachiness. Husband loved it.

Along for the Ride / Sarah Dessen: Audio book has some voice & volume inconsistencies, but the story is engaging enough, though predictable & same as rest of Dessen’s oeuvre.

Searching for Whitopia / Rich Benjamin: Unscientific but interesting non-fiction about what quality makes a community feel “safe” and “special.” Black author on whiteness = unique.

Travels with Charley / John Steinbeck: Professing the love of one’s country w/ trip through it. Highly entertaining, beautiful descriptions. I underlined many passages for memory.