Kate’s 2¢: “The Forest of Lost Souls” by Dean Ray Koontz

“The Forest of Lost Souls” by Dean Ray Koontz

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I enjoyed listening to MacKenzie Beyer narrate this magical realism story. I like the stories that aren’t so far out that you can’t believe it really might happen.

   I’ve read other Koontz books and enjoyed them, also.  There is biographical information about the author at the end of the book.

A few take aways:

–signs and portense are to be taken seriously.

–truth can’t be repressed forever.

–Myths are lessons by which we learn how to think about the world we can see and the world we can’t…The new ways of thinking they teach us.

–the past, present, and future exisist simultaneously.

–use the powerful tools of technology to shape everyone into like-mindedworker bees….into an obedient oneness.

–Those with common sense…feel Technology has grown beyond  humanity’s ability to assess its impact.

–…all watched over by machines with loving grace

–Not to cling to what was…embrace what can be.

–Look with kindness on those who suffer; who struggle against difficulties; who drink unceasingly the bitterness of this life.

AI overview:

Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is a prolific American author best known for his suspense thrillers. His works frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, and satire. Having sold over 450 million copies worldwide, he is a staple on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Born in Everett, Pennsylvania, Koontz grew up in poverty under the tyranny of a violent, alcoholic father. Seeking existential answers, he converted to Catholicism in college. He put himself through university, initially working as an English teacher at Mechanicsburg High School before transitioning to full-time writing in 1967.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The forest of lost souls DB125187

Author: Koontz, Dean R. (Dean Ray)

Reading Time: 12 hours, 14 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: MacKenzie Beyer

Subjects: Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

“Raised in the wilderness by her late great-uncle, Vida is a young woman with an almost preternatural affinity for nature, especially for the wolves that also call the forested mountains home. Formed by hard experience, by love and loss, and by the prophecies of a fortune teller, Vida just wants peace. If only nearby Kettleton County didn’t cast such a dark shadow. It’s where Jose Nochelobo, the love of Vida’s life and a cherished local hero, died in a tragic accident. That’s the official story, but Vida has reasons to doubt it. The truth can’t be contained for long. Nor can the hungry men of power in Kettleton who want something too: that Vida, like Jose, disappear forever. One by one they come for her, prepared to do anything to see their plans through to their evil end. Vida is no less prepared for them. Vida, the forest, and its formidable wonders are waiting. She will not rest until goodness and order have been restored.” — Provided by publisher. Violence and some strong language.

Seattle, Washington : Thomas & Mercer, 2024.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Follow Me Down” by Sherri Smith

“Follow Me Down” by Sherri Smith

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I enjoyed listening to Cecelia Riddett narrate this story of a twin’s love for the other twin. The author let us into what Mia was “over thinking” each time a new character was introduced and how that character might have abducted her brother.

   The ending certainly had quite a twist.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lifeedit

Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois. Since then she has moved around all of the three coasts: New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles.

After high school, she went to college to study film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Broadcast Journalism, an M.S. in Business, and a M.A. in Humanities. She also has a certificate in “enchantivism” from the Pacifica Graduate Institute.[2]

Smith worked in stop-motion animation for Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks!. She worked for three years at Disney TV Animation. After leaving Disney, Smith worked with a construction company at Los Angeles International Airport. This is where she began work on her first novel. After that, she spent nine years working at Bongo Comics.

Sherri teaches at Goddard College and Hamline University. She is a member of the Two Trees Writers’ Collaborative.

Smith lives in Los Angeles with her partner and her cat. She is writing novels for young adults, including Flygirl,[3] Sparrow,[4][5] Orleans,[6] and Lucy the Giant. She is on the faculty of Goddard College’s MFA in Creative Writing Program and Hamline University’s MFA in Children’s Writing Program.

Themesedit

Sherri L. Smith’s novels frequently explore themes of identity, resilience, and the challenges of adolescence. Her works often feature protagonists confronting personal and societal obstacles, including issues of family dynamics, social inequality, and cultural displacement. In Orleans, for example, she examines the long-term effects of natural disasters on marginalized communities, highlighting the resilience and agency of young characters.[7]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Follow me down DB93296

Author: Smith, Sherri

Reading Time: 12 hours, 52 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Cecelia Riddett

Subjects: Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

Pharmacist Mia Haas rushes to her hometown when she learns her twin brother Lucas is suspected of murdering one of his students and has disappeared. Mia faces her dysfunctional childhood and her drug addiction as she frantically searches for the truth. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2017.

New York : Forge, 2017.

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Kate’s 2¢: “

“

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   This was included on the cassette of 7 books sent to me by NLS.

   It was fun to listen to this broadcast of “King Lear”, but it was helpful to know the story before hearing the spoken script.

From the web:

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner (“sharer”) of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later known as the King’s Men after the ascension of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613) he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare’s private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.

Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, which are considered to be among the finest works in English. In the last phase of his career, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances), such as The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Many of Shakespeare’s plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623 John Heminges and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare’s, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare’s dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its preface includes a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the now-famous epithet: “not of an age, but for all time”.

Life

Main article: Life of William Shakespeare

Early life

File:William_Shakespeares_birt…

John Shakespeare’s house, believed to be Shakespeare’s birthplace, in Stratford-upon-Avon

William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover (glove-maker) originally from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning family that was influential in the Recusant Catholic community.[3][4][5] He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date of birth is unknown but is traditionally observed on 23 April, Saint George’s Day.[1] This date, which can be traced to William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on the same date in 1616.[6][7] He was the third of eight children, and the eldest surviving son.[8]

Although no attendance records for the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was probably educated at the King’s New School in Stratford,[9][10][11] a free school chartered in 1553,[12] based about a quarter-mile (400 m) from his home in Stratford’s guildhall.[13] Grammar schools varied in quality during the Elizabethan era, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Latin text was standardised by royal decree,[14][15] and the school would have provided an intensive education in grammar based upon Latin classical authors.[16]

At the age of 18, Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. The consistory court of the Diocese of Worcester issued a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next day, two of Hathaway’s neighbours posted bonds guaranteeing that no lawful claims impeded the marriage.[17] The ceremony may have been arranged in some haste; the Worcester chancellor allowed the marriage banns to be read once instead of the usual three times.[18][19] Six months after the marriage, Anne gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, baptised 26 May 1583.[20] Twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later and were baptised 2 February 1585.[21] Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 August 1596.[22]

File:William-Shakespeare_CoA_1…

Shakespeare’s coat of arms, from the 1602 book The book of coates and creasts. Promptuarium armorum. It features spears as a pun on the family name.[d] William King Lear

King Lear DB131130

Author: Shakespeare, William

Reading Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Corin Redgrave, David Troughton, Geraldine James, Robert Glenister, Kika Markham, Justine Waddell, John Carlisle, William Houston, Clive Francis, John Rowe, Paul Copley

Subjects: Literature, Classics, Drama

“In this BBC full-cast production, King Lear tests his three daughters’ love, with disastrous consequences. Some of the most stirring scenes Shakespeare ever wrote resonate powerfully in this dramatic radio production. Tortured madness, pure evil and the fatal struggle for power grip the listener until the final, shockingly tragic conclusion. Starring Corin Redgrave as King Lear, with Justine Waddell as Cordelia, Robert Glenister as Edgar, Geraldine James as Goneril and Kika Markham as Regan. BBC radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly-formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard. In this acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre. Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the modern day.” — Amazon. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

London : BBC Audio, 2004.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Cutting For Stone” by Abraham Verghese

“Cutting For Stone” by Abraham Verghese

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I down-loaded this book from BookShare™, so it was electronically read.

   Verghese did an excellent job of integrating fact and fiction as he crafted this moving and tragic saga of a pair of Ethiopian twins.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.abrahamverghese.org

Abraham Verghese (born May 30, 1955) is an Ethiopian-American physician and author. He is the Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair for the Theory & Practice of Medicine, and Internal Medicine Clerkship Director at Stanford Medical School.[1][2][3] He is also the author of four best-selling books: two memoirs and two novels. He is the co-host with Eric Topol of the Medscape podcast Medicine and the Machine.[4]

In 2011, Verghese was elected a member of the Institute of Medicine.[5] In 2014, he received the 19th Annual Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities.[6] President Barack Obama presented him with the National Humanities Medal in 2015.[7][8] In 2023, Verghese was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.[9] He has received seven honorary doctorate degrees.[1][10]

Backgroundedit

Verghese was born on May 30, 1955, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,[11] to Malayali Malankara Orthodox Christian parents from Kerala, India, who worked as teachers.[12] As a child, Verghese was an avid reader, and it was reading that introduced him to the world of medicine.[13]

He has three children: two sons from his first marriage and a third from his second marriage. His elder brother, George Verghese, is an engineering professor at MIT,[14] and his younger brother, Phil Verghese, is a former software engineer at Google.[15]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Cutting for Stone

Abraham Verghese

Book cover of Cutting for Stone

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Synopsis

A masterly debut novel, visceral in its power, heartbreaking in its tenderness. Transporting the reader from the 1940s to the present, from a convent in India to a cargo ship bound for the Yemen, from a tiny operating theatre in Ethiopia to a hospital in the Bronx, Cutting for Stone is a thrilling epic of conjoined twins, doctors and patients, temptation and redemption, home and exile–and a riveting family story, irresistibly charged with strange happenings, humour and pathos, that grabs you from its harrowing opening and never lets go. Marion and Shiva Stone are twin sons of a secret union between an Indian nun and a British surgeon at Missing hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother s death in childbirth and their father s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the brothers come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics their passion for the same woman that tears them apart and forces Marion to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as a surgical intern at an underfunded, overcrowded hospital. When the past catches up with him, Marion must trust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world: the surgeon father who abandoned him, and the brother who betrayed him. Cutting for Stone is both an unforgettable story of lives cut in half and a gripping evocation of the power, intimacy, danger and curious beauty of the ancient art that is at its heart.

Details

Copyright Date

2009

Publisher

Vintage Books

ISBN-13

9780307271341

Related ISBNs

9780375714368

Edition

Kate’s 2¢: “Beneath The Skin” by Nicci French

“Beneath The Skin” by Nicci French

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I enjoyed listening to Anne Flosnik narrate this chilling and nerve-wracking story.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nicci French is the pseudonym of English husband-and-wife team Nicci Gerrard (born 10 June 1958) and Sean French (born 28 May 1959), who write psychological thrillers together.

The couple met in 1989 while working at the New Statesman and published their first co-written novel, The Memory Game, in 1997. Married and based in Suffolk, they write separately—Gerrard in an attic office, French in a garden shed—exchanging chapters by email and revising each other’s work until they reach consensus.[1]

By 2010, they had published twelve psychological thrillers, known for exploring ordinary people caught in extreme psychological situations. They described their shared pseudonym as having developed its own distinct voice and interests, particularly in the messy, morally complex aspects of human behavior. Their aim, they said, was not to offer escapism, but to make readers reflect uncomfortably on the darker parts of themselves.

Nicci French began their publishing career with Penguin Books under the imprint Michael Joseph, which released their debut novel The Memory Game in 1997. The duo remained with Michael Joseph for over two decades, publishing numerous bestselling psychological thrillers before moving to Simon & Schuster UK in 2018. The “substantial” six-figure agreement followed an eight-way auction and covers three standalone novels.[2] The first book under the new deal, The Lying Room, was scheduled for release in October 2019.

In 2022, Simon & Schuster UK renewed its partnership with Nicci French in a new three-book deal. The first novel under this new agreement was slated for release in autumn 2023. The renewal followed the success of previous titles published by S&S, including The Lying Room, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick, and House of Correction, which was highly commended for the 2021 CWA Gold Dagger Award. The authors expressed excitement about continuing their collaboration with the publisher, praising the team’s ongoing enthusiasm and support.[3]

Personal lives[edit]

Nicci Gerrard and Sean French were married in 1990. Since 1999 they have lived in Suffolk in East Anglia, England. Both have studied English literature at Oxford University.[4] The couple have two daughters, Hadley and Molly, and Gerrard has two children from her first marriage, Edgar and Anna.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Beneath the skin DB50267

Author: French, Nicci

Reading Time: 11 hours, 6 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Anne Flosnik

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

London teacher Zoe is the first to receive the anonymous messages–almost love letters, but the writer threatens to kill her. The police don’t take them seriously until Jenny receives some, too. Then Nadia, the last target, realizes that local officials are no help at all. Some violence and some strong language. 2000.

New York, N.Y. : Mysterious Press, c2000.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Black Hour” by Lori Rader-Day

“The Black Hour” by Lori Rader-Day

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Carol Dines did a good job of narrating this story. I like the way the author brought the story around to echo the beginning. I also admire the tenacity of the main character.  

A take away:

–It’s darkest before it’s light. That’s why we call it the black hour.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lori Rader-Day is an American author of mystery, crime, and suspense novels. She has won three Anthony Awards (2015, 2018, 2019),[1][2][3] a Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award (2016),[4] and an Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel (2021).[5]

Personal life and education[edit]

Rader-Day was born in Thorntown, Indiana[6] and currently lives in Chicago.[7]

She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University, Master of Arts degree in creative nonfiction from Ball State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Roosevelt University.[8]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The black hour: a novel DB81697

Author: Rader-Day, Lori

Reading Time: 12 hours, 16 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Carol Dines

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

Ten months after being shot by a student, sociology professor Amelia Emmet returns to Rothbert University with the help of pain meds and a cane. Both she and her new assistant seek to learn why she was targeted. Violence, some strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2014.

Amherst, NY : Seventh Street Books, an imprint of Prometheus Books, 2014.

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Kate’s 2¢: “A child’s night dream” by Oliver Stone

“A child’s night dream” by Oliver Stone

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

         Steven Carpenter had an interesting way of performing this stream of consciousness.

   The author presented some vivid descriptions of his environment and thoughts about life and what he was doing. His talent was in transferring his experiences into profitable movies and other media.

From the web:

Oliver Stone is an acclaimed American filmmaker and screenwriter best known for his provocative, politically charged movies. He initially rose to fame as a writer, winning an Academy Award for Midnight Express (1978), before transitioning to write and direct seminal films like Platoon (1986) and Scarface (1983).

• Early Life: Born on September 15, 1946, in New York City,

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A child’s night dream DB44860

Author: Stone, Oliver

Reading Time: 7 hours, 25 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Steven Carpenter

Subject: Psychological Fiction

In this autobiographical story, an alienated young man leaves home on a harrowing odyssey to Vietnam as a combat soldier, across the ocean as a merchant seaman, and to a hotel room in Mexico where he writes about his experiences. Explores the power that dreams have to direct one’s life. Strong language, violence, and descriptions of sex. Bestseller.

New York : St. Martin’s Press, c1997.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Beneath the attic” by Virginia C. Andrews

“Beneath the attic” by Virginia C. Andrews

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I enjoyed listening to Dara Rosenberg read this story. I couldn’t help have the feeling that this young girl was going to get her “come-upence”.

   I also recognized the swan bed from previous episodes.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

vcandrewsbooks.com

Cleo Virginia Andrews (June 6, 1923 – December 19, 1986), better known as V. C. Andrews or Virginia C. Andrews, was an American novelist. She was best known for her 1979 novel Flowers in the Attic, which inspired two movie adaptations and four sequels. While her novels are not classified by her publisher as Young Adult, their young protagonists have made them popular among teenagers for decades. After her death in 1986, a ghostwriter who was initially hired to complete two unfinished works has continued to publish books under her name.

Profile[edit]

Andrews’s novels combine Gothic horror and family saga, revolving around family secrets and incestual, forbidden love (frequently involving themes of horrific events, and sometimes including a rags-to-riches story). Her best-known novel is the bestseller Flowers in the Attic (1979), a tale of four children smuggled into the attic of their wealthy estranged pious grandmother, and held prisoner there by their mother.

Her novels were successful enough that following Andrews’s death, her estate hired a ghost writer, Andrew Neiderman, to continue to write novels to be published under her name.[1] In assessing a deficiency in her estate tax returns, the Internal Revenue Service argued (successfully) that Virginia Andrews’s name was a valuable commercial asset, the value of which should be included in her gross estate.[2]

Her novels have been translated into Czech, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Turkish, Greek, Finnish, Hungarian, Swedish, Polish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Chinese, Russian and Hebrew.

Life[edit]

Andrews was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, the youngest child and only daughter of Lillian Lilnora (Parker), a telephone operator, and William Henry Andrews, a tool-and-die maker.[3] She had two older brothers, William Jr. and Eugene. Andrews grew up attending Southern Baptist and Methodist churches.[4] As a teenager, Andrews suffered a fall from a school stairwell, resulting in severe back injuries. The subsequent surgery to correct these injuries resulted in Andrews’ suffering from crippling arthritis that required her to use crutches and a wheelchair for much of her life.[1] However, having always shown promise as an artist, she was able to complete a four-year correspondence course from her home and soon became a successful commercial artist, illustrator, and portrait painter, using her art commissions to support the family after her father’s death in 1957.[5]

Later in life, Andrews turned to writing. Her first novel, written in 1972 and titled Gods of Green Mountain, was a science fiction effort that remained unpublished during her lifetime but was eventually released as an e-book in 2004.[6]

In 1975, Andrews completed a manuscript for a novel she called Flowers in the Attic. “I wrote it in two weeks,” Andrews said.[7] The novel was returned with the suggestion that she “spice up” and expand the story. In later interviews, Andrews claims to have made the necessary revisions in a single night. The novel, published in 1979, was an instant popular success, reaching the top of the bestseller lists in only two weeks. Every year thereafter until her death, Andrews published a new novel, each publication earning Andrews larger advances and a growing popular readership.

“I think I tell a whopping good story. And I don’t drift away from it a great deal into descriptive material,” she stated in Faces of Fear in 1985. “When I read, if a book doesn’t hold my interest in what’s going to happen next, I put it down and don’t finish it. So I’m not going to let anybody put one of my books down and not finish it. My stuff is a very fast read.” In an interview for Twilight Magazine in 1983, Andrews was questioned about the critics’ response to her work. She answered, “I don’t care what the critics say. I used to, until I found out that most critics are would-be writers who are just jealous because I’m getting published and they aren’t. I also don’t think that anybody cares about what they say. Nor should they care.”[7]

Andrews died of breast cancer on December 19, 1986, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[8] After her death, her family hired a ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman, to finish the manuscripts she had started. He would complete the next two novels, Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts, and they were published soon after. These two novels are considered the last to bear the “V. C. Andrews” name and to be almost completely written by Andrews herself.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Beneath the attic DBC33532

Series: Dollanganger family series; Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.) Dollanganger family series

Order in Series: 06

Author: Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.)

Reading Time: 8 hours, 29 minutes

Production: Braille and Talking Book Library, California State Library

Read by: Dara Rosenberg

Subjects: Family, Psychological Fiction

In the late nineteenth century, Corrine Dixon, a young woman from a respectable, working family crosses paths with the ultra-rich Garland Foxworth. Given their class differences a relationship is forbidden, but when Corrine is discovered to be pregnant, the two families quickly plan a wedding. As Garland is forced into a betrothal with a woman that he had no intention of marrying, he morphs from a charming and passionate suitor into a cruel and violent fiancé. Commercial audiobook. Adult. Unrated.

New York : Gallery Books, 2019.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Christopher’s diary: echoes of Dollanganger” by Virginia C. Andrews

“Christopher’s diary: echoes of Dollanganger” by Virginia C. Andrews

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   It was enjoyable to listen to Kirby Heyborne and Rebekkah Ross

Perform this story.

   I suspect it was inevitable for these teens to do what they did  in the attic. I commend what they did at the end of the story.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

vcandrewsbooks.com

Cleo Virginia Andrews (June 6, 1923 – December 19, 1986), better known as V. C. Andrews or Virginia C. Andrews, was an American novelist. She was best known for her 1979 novel Flowers in the Attic, which inspired two movie adaptations and four sequels. While her novels are not classified by her publisher as Young Adult, their young protagonists have made them popular among teenagers for decades. After her death in 1986, a ghostwriter who was initially hired to complete two unfinished works has continued to publish books under her name.

Profile[edit]

Andrews’s novels combine Gothic horror and family saga, revolving around family secrets and incestual, forbidden love (frequently involving themes of horrific events, and sometimes including a rags-to-riches story). Her best-known novel is the bestseller Flowers in the Attic (1979), a tale of four children smuggled into the attic of their wealthy estranged pious grandmother, and held prisoner there by their mother.

Her novels were successful enough that following Andrews’s death, her estate hired a ghost writer, Andrew Neiderman, to continue to write novels to be published under her name.[1] In assessing a deficiency in her estate tax returns, the Internal Revenue Service argued (successfully) that Virginia Andrews’s name was a valuable commercial asset, the value of which should be included in her gross estate.[2]

Her novels have been translated into Czech, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Turkish, Greek, Finnish, Hungarian, Swedish, Polish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Chinese, Russian and Hebrew.

Life[edit]

Andrews was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, the youngest child and only daughter of Lillian Lilnora (Parker), a telephone operator, and William Henry Andrews, a tool-and-die maker.[3] She had two older brothers, William Jr. and Eugene. Andrews grew up attending Southern Baptist and Methodist churches.[4] As a teenager, Andrews suffered a fall from a school stairwell, resulting in severe back injuries. The subsequent surgery to correct these injuries resulted in Andrews’ suffering from crippling arthritis that required her to use crutches and a wheelchair for much of her life.[1] However, having always shown promise as an artist, she was able to complete a four-year correspondence course from her home and soon became a successful commercial artist, illustrator, and portrait painter, using her art commissions to support the family after her father’s death in 1957.[5]

Later in life, Andrews turned to writing. Her first novel, written in 1972 and titled Gods of Green Mountain, was a science fiction effort that remained unpublished during her lifetime but was eventually released as an e-book in 2004.[6]

In 1975, Andrews completed a manuscript for a novel she called Flowers in the Attic. “I wrote it in two weeks,” Andrews said.[7] The novel was returned with the suggestion that she “spice up” and expand the story. In later interviews, Andrews claims to have made the necessary revisions in a single night. The novel, published in 1979, was an instant popular success, reaching the top of the bestseller lists in only two weeks. Every year thereafter until her death, Andrews published a new novel, each publication earning Andrews larger advances and a growing popular readership.

“I think I tell a whopping good story. And I don’t drift away from it a great deal into descriptive material,” she stated in Faces of Fear in 1985. “When I read, if a book doesn’t hold my interest in what’s going to happen next, I put it down and don’t finish it. So I’m not going to let anybody put one of my books down and not finish it. My stuff is a very fast read.” In an interview for Twilight Magazine in 1983, Andrews was questioned about the critics’ response to her work. She answered, “I don’t care what the critics say. I used to, until I found out that most critics are would-be writers who are just jealous because I’m getting published and they aren’t. I also don’t think that anybody cares about what they say. Nor should they care.”[7]

Andrews died of breast cancer on December 19, 1986, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[8] After her death, her family hired a ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman, to finish the manuscripts she had started. He would complete the next two novels, Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts, and they were published soon after. These two novels are considered the last to bear the “V. C. Andrews” name and to be almost completely written by Andrews herself.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Christopher’s diary: echoes of Dollanganger DBC33536

Series: Diaries series; Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.) Diaries series

Order in Series: 02

Author: Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.)

Reading Time: 8 hours, 53 minutes

Production: Braille and Talking Book Library, California State Library

Read by: Kirby Heyborne, Rebekkah Ross

Subject: Psychological Fiction

Kristin Masterwood has discovered the secret diary of Christopher Dollanganger, a 17-year-old boy who was locked away in an attic with his sister, Cathy. Intrigued by the growing attraction that Christopher describes for his sister during their three years of confinement, Kristin convinces one of her classmates, the rich and reclusive Kane Hill, to reenact some of the passages with her. Commercial audiobook. Adult. Unrated.

[London] : Simon & Schuster UK, 2015.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Christopher’s diary: secrets of Foxworth” by Virginia C. Andrews  

“Christopher’s diary: secrets of Foxworth” by Virginia C. Andrews  

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I enjoyed listening to Kirby Heyborne and Rebekkah Ross perform this story.

   The characters appear to be rather precocious teens.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

vcandrewsbooks.com

Cleo Virginia Andrews (June 6, 1923 – December 19, 1986), better known as V. C. Andrews or Virginia C. Andrews, was an American novelist. She was best known for her 1979 novel Flowers in the Attic, which inspired two movie adaptations and four sequels. While her novels are not classified by her publisher as Young Adult, their young protagonists have made them popular among teenagers for decades. After her death in 1986, a ghostwriter who was initially hired to complete two unfinished works has continued to publish books under her name.

Profile[edit]

Andrews’s novels combine Gothic horror and family saga, revolving around family secrets and incestual, forbidden love (frequently involving themes of horrific events, and sometimes including a rags-to-riches story). Her best-known novel is the bestseller Flowers in the Attic (1979), a tale of four children smuggled into the attic of their wealthy estranged pious grandmother, and held prisoner there by their mother.

Her novels were successful enough that following Andrews’s death, her estate hired a ghost writer, Andrew Neiderman, to continue to write novels to be published under her name.[1] In assessing a deficiency in her estate tax returns, the Internal Revenue Service argued (successfully) that Virginia Andrews’s name was a valuable commercial asset, the value of which should be included in her gross estate.[2]

Her novels have been translated into Czech, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Turkish, Greek, Finnish, Hungarian, Swedish, Polish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Chinese, Russian and Hebrew.

Life[edit]

Andrews was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, the youngest child and only daughter of Lillian Lilnora (Parker), a telephone operator, and William Henry Andrews, a tool-and-die maker.[3] She had two older brothers, William Jr. and Eugene. Andrews grew up attending Southern Baptist and Methodist churches.[4] As a teenager, Andrews suffered a fall from a school stairwell, resulting in severe back injuries. The subsequent surgery to correct these injuries resulted in Andrews’ suffering from crippling arthritis that required her to use crutches and a wheelchair for much of her life.[1] However, having always shown promise as an artist, she was able to complete a four-year correspondence course from her home and soon became a successful commercial artist, illustrator, and portrait painter, using her art commissions to support the family after her father’s death in 1957.[5]

Later in life, Andrews turned to writing. Her first novel, written in 1972 and titled Gods of Green Mountain, was a science fiction effort that remained unpublished during her lifetime but was eventually released as an e-book in 2004.[6]

In 1975, Andrews completed a manuscript for a novel she called Flowers in the Attic. “I wrote it in two weeks,” Andrews said.[7] The novel was returned with the suggestion that she “spice up” and expand the story. In later interviews, Andrews claims to have made the necessary revisions in a single night. The novel, published in 1979, was an instant popular success, reaching the top of the bestseller lists in only two weeks. Every year thereafter until her death, Andrews published a new novel, each publication earning Andrews larger advances and a growing popular readership.

“I think I tell a whopping good story. And I don’t drift away from it a great deal into descriptive material,” she stated in Faces of Fear in 1985. “When I read, if a book doesn’t hold my interest in what’s going to happen next, I put it down and don’t finish it. So I’m not going to let anybody put one of my books down and not finish it. My stuff is a very fast read.” In an interview for Twilight Magazine in 1983, Andrews was questioned about the critics’ response to her work. She answered, “I don’t care what the critics say. I used to, until I found out that most critics are would-be writers who are just jealous because I’m getting published and they aren’t. I also don’t think that anybody cares about what they say. Nor should they care.”[7]

Andrews died of breast cancer on December 19, 1986, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[8] After her death, her family hired a ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman, to finish the manuscripts she had started. He would complete the next two novels, Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts, and they were published soon after. These two novels are considered the last to bear the “V. C. Andrews” name and to be almost completely written by Andrews herself.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Christopher’s diary: secrets of Foxworth DBC33535

Series: Christopher’s diary; Diaries; Dollanganger family series; Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.) Diaries series; Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.) Dollanganger family series

Order in Series: 01

Author: Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.)

Reading Time: 8 hours, 33 minutes

Production: Braille and Talking Book Library, California State Library

Read by: Kirby Heyborne, Rebekkah Ross

Subjects: Family, Psychological Fiction

Christopher Dollanganger was fourteen years old when he and his younger siblings were locked away in the attic of Foxworth Hall. For three years, he secretly chronicled his feelings, hopes, and heartache in a diary. Decades later, seventeen-year-old Kristin Masterwood accompanies her father to Foxworth Hall for a property inspection when she discovers a yellowing, leather-bound book. Reading it, she learns first-hand about the nightmare that Christopher endured, as well as a secret about her own blood ties to this notorious family. Commercial audiobook. Adult. Unrated.

New York : Gallery Books, 2014.

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