'Memoirs of a Porcupine ' by Helen Stevenson and Alain Mabanckou
Format - Kindle
Strange book but in its own way rather compelling. It is a book outside my normal reading habit and comfort zone but that said I enjoyed its strangeness. The narrative voice was really well written and I could find some empathy with the Porcupine and its need to tell its tale and maybe exonerate itself. I would read other works by this author quite happily as the written style flows well, is easy and by the end it became a page turner - though I found the conclusion a little abrupt.
'The Secret Garden' by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Format- Audiobook - Librivox read by Karen Savage
I never read this as a child (though I might have seen a TV version). I loved this. It transported me completely to another time and place and the narrator was excellent - she managed to convey the children's voices perfectly from petulant spoilt to wonder and reason as the book progressed. Even though she obviously isn't from Yorkshire she managed the dialect and accent really quite well. I was totally entertained and the hours flew by.
Sometimes, as Librivox is mainly free and voiced by volunteers, you do get a duff version but I find on the whole the more popular books are read by some very good and dedicated narrators who really deserve a pat on the back for the service they give and the many hours of pleasure they have given me.
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