written by Sharon Creech, read by Mandy Siegfried
I haven’t been reading lately, so I’ve been stocking up on audio books. I just finished reading Heartbeat by Sharon Creech. I love audio books—I used to think they were slow, but now I like that about them; they let you think in between, while you’re listening and while you’re resting.

When I’m reading, I tend to finish reading, then wait for a day or two until I write the book review. During that day or two, I think what happens is that the story gets arranged in my mind, and that makes it fairer when I judge. I tend to judge better a day or so after than right after with the words still ringing in my head or ears.

But with audio books, they’re nice, because I think I have the strange tendency to rush through books. I think this is because I read so many books of little worth when my reading career was beginning, that I tended to rush to the end, for hope of better plot, character design, etc., even if I didn’t realize it. And it’s been a habit ever since. I usually go back a few times, to reread certain sections, and it seems that every time I reread a book, I realize something new, which probably means I skim a lot.

In audio books, I can’t miss anything. Not anything. And it’s gives me a lot of time to think in between.

Um, to Heartbeat.

“Annie is twelve years old. Lately, her world has been changing, and she’s not exactly sure to good or bad. Her mother’s expecting a baby, and Annie’s been an only child all her life. Her grandfather seems all mixed up and confused, and much more forgetful. And her best friend, Max, is preoccupied with ambitions, which she’s not sure if she’s part of or not.”

This was a sweet, lovely book. I’m not sure if the voice of Mandy Siegfried is really the voice I’d imagine for Annie if I’d been reading instead of listening. I thought briefly about that at the beginning of the first CD, when I was beginning to know Annie. But by the time it was done, I didn’t think about it any more. Not that my opinion of the voice changed, but it was so familiar it didn’t really matter before.

I listened to the CDs (there were 2) first while I packed for the weekend camp, then while I hemmed my skirt, then while I knit a scarf, and then I just sat on my bed, hearing Annie’s bright, clear voice fill the room.

And I loved the book. I loved the rhythm of her voice, pure and sure. There was humor, and there were sentimental parts.

One thing I love about Sharon Creech is that often she leaves the character at the end of the voice, with things still unresolved, but with the hope that the main character can fix things now. You get the feeling that it doesn’t matter if she didn’t narrate it; the main character is going to fix it all, anyway.

It was the same with Heartbeat. The ending wasn’t absolutely clear, and it wasn’t the usual sort of ending, but at the same time, it was nice and comforting and sweet and kind.

And I would like to recommend Heartbeat to anyone, and everyone.