Has anyone read Tracy Chevalier's books? Any good?

[politicat]

Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Lady and the Unicorn, and The Virgin Blue and Falling Angels.

I'm looking for new audiobooks for when I'm cooking or exercising and these seem highly recommended.

Are they any good?

[politicat]

1. single kick.

:kick:

[LostinVA]

2. I read very little fiction , but have absolutely enjoyed her books

I'm also a bit of a history geek...

[politicat]

5. I am a massive history geek.

As in MA in history with an emphasis on statistical demography. Medieval, primarily, but if it can be counted or calculated, I'll look into it. (I love diseases and weather.)

I go back and forth on fiction - spend months reading nothing but non-fic, then go on a huge fiction jag. Audible hasn't had any new science, history or politics since October, though, and I'm out of podcasts.

[deadparrot]

3. I read "Girl with a Pearl Earring."

I really enjoyed it. Very well-written. Good imagery and character development. I'd recommend it, especially if you like history and/or art. :hi:

[Aristus]

7. I agree. I thought it was well-written and entertaining.

Two indispensible criteria for any book.

[Hissyspit]

8. The movie was very good.

I use it in my art class and discuss the verisimilitude and likelihood of the incidents and situations in the plot.

[CBHagman]

4. Just two.

Being a refugee from the law of averages, I have not read "Da Goil with da Poil," as I like to call Chevalier's most popular book, despite working in a bookstore for the past 14 years.

But I did read The Virgin Blue and enjoyed it a great deal, mostly due to the genealogical theme and the story's shifting between two different centuries. One caveat: It's apparently the first novel Chevalier wrote, and the writing shows it.

I also managed to read The Lady and the Unicorn, which was very vivid and earthy. The story is told by multiple narrators, not all of them sympathetic!

If you're into historical fiction, I can also recommend Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard and Holy Fools by Joanne Harris. However, I'm not certain whether they're available in audiobook format.

Have fun!

[politicat]

6. Read Holy Fools.

I couldn't put it down, quite literally. I don't usually like Joanne Harris (Chocolat did not catch my eye) but Holy Fools was next to Enigma (Robert Harris) at the library.

I don't usually read the best seller list, mostly because I have no love for Tim La Haye, Danielle Steele, Sandra Brown or what's-his-name-getting-sued-for-putting-Jesus-and-Magdalene-in-the-same-sentence. But audiobooks are almost always bestsellers or at least in the top 25%.

Sigh... I'm slowly going blind, so I'm kind of frustrated about what I'll have available to read in a few years. Braille books are even more rare than audios at this point.

[CBHagman]

10. Oh, no!

policat, I'm so sorry to hear that you are losing your sight. I hope that the variety of audiobooks will be expanded in the near future.

There is a company on Hampden Lane in Bethesda, Maryland, (the name escapes me at the moment) that does audiobooks of tremendous variety, and I think much of what they do is for the visually impaired reader.

Okay, I did a search on audiobooks, and here are some links:

http://www.audiopub.org/custom/directory/membership.cfm

http://www.simplyaudiobooks.com/

http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=rb.private_library&type=unlimited&code=JAD01&%7Bts%20%272006%2D03%2D24%2012%3A10%3A36%27%7D

Is your library much good? Do you have an audiobook rental place in your area?

Happy reading!

[yellowdogintexas]

9. All her books are wonderful. I read them all...

Don't know about the audio as the reader can make or break an audio book, but they are all really good reading.

I don't even know which is my favorite!!!!! I do know I can't wait for her next book.

[eleny]

11. Hi P-cat! I loved them all

Started with Pearl and worked my way back. I have to say that I found Virgin Blue the most intriguing. I rarely read books a second time. But I want to read that one again.

Btw, I also rarely read a book in one sitting. But I read each of her books that way.