Book Review - Mouth to Mouth; Antoine Wilson

Mouth to Mouth; Antoine Wilson

Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022 and Avid Reader Press

(audio download and eGalley provided by publisher in exchange for my unbiased review)

(Edoardo Ballerini - Narrator - very good - just under 5 hours)

Every once in a while I am drawn to a book that is somewhat unusual.  Initially, it was the cover art and title. The story proved to be different and rather addictive as well - it's a story within a story.

Our unnamed narrator is a struggling cult author who is at JFK airport as the story begins. His flight bound for Berlin is delayed. When he hears a page for a Jeff Cook and then notices the handsome face of a 40-something man with fancy luggage, he's pretty sure it is the same Jeff Cook he knew at UCLA some 20 years earlier.  After a quick conversation, Jeff invites the narrator, who is flying coach, into the First Class lounge with him.  Jeff proceeds to tell the narrator a story that he has never told anyone else. It seems that he saved a drowning man some 20 years earlier. He claims he became obsessed with finding and learning what happened to the victim, Francis Arsenault.  It seems Arsenault became a somewhat devious but successful art dealer in Beverly Hills. Cook continues to tell how when he meets Francis he wasn't recognized by him yet, despite this Francis sees something in Jeff and takes him under his wing, introducing him to the world of art. 

Why did Jeff supposedly keep this story to himself this long and, why reveal it at this time to someone he hasn't been in touch with since college?  To say more would lead to spoilers. 

This is one of those novels that is hard to stop reading once you begin and because it is just under 200 pages in print and under (5) hours on audio, it is entirely possible to finish it in one day.   This character driven story has a slow build up and a truly unexpected ending as well. The story isn't perfect but, is a doozy. I'm glad I had a chance to read/listen to it.

Rating - 4/5 stars

Book Review - On Animals; Susan Orlean

On Animals; Susan Orlean

Avid Reader Press & Simon & Schuster Audio 10/12/2021

 On Animals was an interesting collection of essays written and published by the author over the last 25 years. Each of the essays examines animal-human relationships from the ones we are most familiar with: the animals who become a part or our family to farm animals and exotic animals as well.  Some of the animals featured in the essays were: tigers in New Jersey, lions in Africa, working oxen pairs in Cuba, the use of pack animals in rocky terrain like Afghanistan, show dogs, dog breeders, donkeys, rabbits, pandas, racing pigeons, Keiko, the orca whale featured in Free Willy and more.   

One essay in particular made me sad when the author wrote about the use of animals in the early movies. Animals in movies at that time were considered disposable, especially horses in movies like Ben Hur. It was terrible how cruelly they were treated at that time.

The essays were based on some of the authors previously published articles, observations and travel research over the last 25 years.  The author, at one point, also gave up city life in Manhattan for farm life in upstate New York where she was able to grow her animal passion - when she moved her animals moved as well.

As an animal lover, I found this collection of essays to be informative and fun to read. I enjoyed the writing style as well  I think most animal lovers will enjoy this book which was so full of interesting information. This was a combo read (eGalley) and (audio download) for me.  The audio was read by the author. For some reason the author's tone seemed a bit flat and uneven to me at times so I opted for eGalley as a supplement.

Thanks go to Simon & Schuster Audio, Avid Reader Press and Edelweiss for allowing me early access to this interesting collection.

RATING - 4/5 stars