Publishing: An industry of out-of-control of egos, unrealistic expectations, and books with the shelf life of milk. This is Kate’s world, but for how long?
When one of Kate Mitchell’s star authors is carted away in handcuffs, she thinks it’s only the beginning of her troubles. As her world crumbles around her, Kate desperately looks for anyone to hold on to but finds that happy endings are truly works of fiction. When her career and love affair hit their expiration dates, Kate sets off on a new adventure....
Starting over in California is easy, but Kate soon learns that leaving her old life behind isn’t. Nicholas Lavigne is eager to help her forget, but two things still own her heart: the dream of discovering the next great American novel and MacDermott Ellis. As Kate tries to rebuild her life, she finds a surprising gift that reboots her career in a new and unexpected direction. Suddenly her name becomes synonymous with one of the biggest best sellers publishing has seen in ages, and she's welcomed back with open arms. At the height of her success, the ghosts of her past come back to remind her of the world she'd been trying to forget and the man who never let go of her heart. Behind the book there’s always more to the story.
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REVIEW
As you may surmise from my review of the print version of Shelf Life, I enjoyed the book. I have loved the entire series, starting with The Publicist (review also at the link above) and the 3rd installment, titled Climax.
Since rekindling my love affair with books, I have read an enormous amount of books and quite a number of them in series. I would have to rate "The Publicist Series" definitely in my top ten series read, and probably in my top 5. (I can't be absolutely certain because the coffee pot is slow this morning and I haven't had my RDA of caffeine needed in order to to simple math calculations.)
However, I can say this: part of my rating would be because I am also acquainted with a growing number of authors and it is fascinating to me what they go through when one of their works get published. The other part of the rating is because any story, in the hands of Christina George, well...is in good hands!
So, how will this review differ from my previous one? Well, the audio format is a different monkey from print, or even e-books, which both rely on a visual experience. The visual you get with an audio format of a book is the cover (which, of Shelf Life is warm and inviting - in a word 'great').
But then that's not why people buy audiobooks. Audiobooks are a wonderful way to experience a story when you have neither the time, or maybe the desire to sit down and read. Maybe you are a mother of young children, or a busy publicist on her way to a meeting at her publishing house. So, you've got time, but not necessarily the hands-free status that is sort of required while reading a physical book.
What I watch out for with audio books depends a lot on the person or people who are doing the narration. On this count, Shelf Life has a winner. I was tickled pink to see that Lisa Cordileone was also narrating Shelf Life, as she had done for the audio version of The Publicist. She is wonderful on the narration, but I believe where she really shines is in the characterizations. She manages to make each one unique somehow and they are consistent throughout her narration. Having her on board is a definite selling point.
I would make a few mild cautionary statements. As before, there are some in flagrante scenes that are for mature readers only. And I wouldn't listen to the racy bits while driving on either a fast, crowded freeway or, say, if your mother-in-law is in the car with you (unless she brought the tape along).
Other than those precautions, if you are a fan of audiobooks or a fan of Christina George, the only way you can go wrong is if you don't pick up Shelf Life on audio.
Since rekindling my love affair with books, I have read an enormous amount of books and quite a number of them in series. I would have to rate "The Publicist Series" definitely in my top ten series read, and probably in my top 5. (I can't be absolutely certain because the coffee pot is slow this morning and I haven't had my RDA of caffeine needed in order to to simple math calculations.)
However, I can say this: part of my rating would be because I am also acquainted with a growing number of authors and it is fascinating to me what they go through when one of their works get published. The other part of the rating is because any story, in the hands of Christina George, well...is in good hands!
So, how will this review differ from my previous one? Well, the audio format is a different monkey from print, or even e-books, which both rely on a visual experience. The visual you get with an audio format of a book is the cover (which, of Shelf Life is warm and inviting - in a word 'great').
But then that's not why people buy audiobooks. Audiobooks are a wonderful way to experience a story when you have neither the time, or maybe the desire to sit down and read. Maybe you are a mother of young children, or a busy publicist on her way to a meeting at her publishing house. So, you've got time, but not necessarily the hands-free status that is sort of required while reading a physical book.
What I watch out for with audio books depends a lot on the person or people who are doing the narration. On this count, Shelf Life has a winner. I was tickled pink to see that Lisa Cordileone was also narrating Shelf Life, as she had done for the audio version of The Publicist. She is wonderful on the narration, but I believe where she really shines is in the characterizations. She manages to make each one unique somehow and they are consistent throughout her narration. Having her on board is a definite selling point.
I would make a few mild cautionary statements. As before, there are some in flagrante scenes that are for mature readers only. And I wouldn't listen to the racy bits while driving on either a fast, crowded freeway or, say, if your mother-in-law is in the car with you (unless she brought the tape along).
Other than those precautions, if you are a fan of audiobooks or a fan of Christina George, the only way you can go wrong is if you don't pick up Shelf Life on audio.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Christina George has worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here’s what this book isn't. It’s not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it’s not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won’t know which ones, cause it’s more fun to guess, right? George continues to work in publicity and helps authors because at the end of the day she does love books, she loves publishing, and she loves authors. She hopes you’ll enjoy this romp through Kate’s world as much as she enjoyed creating it.
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GIVEAWAY!
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Click on the logo that goes to the tour page which features spotlights, reviews of the various books in The Publicist series and plenty of chances at the giveaway! You can also apply to become a book reviewer for iRead Book Tours!
(Disclosure: I received an audio file of this book from the author and publisher via iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.)
I am so honored by this review and so glad you liked the audio version. I love, love working with Lisa. She's such a pro and totally nailed Kate's "spirit" - thank you again for sharing this with your readers!
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