Book Review: The Truth about DIBELS: What It Is, What It Does by Kenneth S. Goodman

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Title: The Truth about DIBELS: What It Is, What It Does
Author: Kenneth S. Goodman
Publisher: Heinemann Educational Books
Paperback: 87 pages
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

In "The Truth About DIBELS" you'll find out why teachers, administrators, and reading researchers nationwide are emphatically resisting the insidious influence of "DIBELS." Well-known education writers - including P. David Pearson, Robert Tierney, Sandra Wilde, and Maryann Manning - tell you how DIBELS hurts students and teachers and why impairs learning and teaching. They present chapters that: dispel the science and methodology that "support" DIBELS critique the validity of the information that DIBELS spits out demonstrate how DIBELS warps instructional planning to fit its limited measurements - and to fit the political ends of its creators and supporters expose the fiction behind its supposedly miraculous success rates.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I think this is an important book for parents and educators to read -- DIBELS is an intervention program that is increasingly being used in schools, and Goodman gives a good overview of exactly what this test measures and the negative effects it can have on children who are learning to read. Basically, this test only measures fluency skills, not actual reading ability, and when children are being put into special programs based on that and then being taught to the test rather than being taught actual reading skills, it creates a lot of problems.

This book provides a great basic overview of the test itself, but it's fairly biased as far as books go. I think that DIBELS can potentially catch poor readers who need to be put into intervention programs to "catch up," but I also don't think that it should be the only tool used in assessing student reading ability. Also, it's important that parents understand exactly what their children are being tested for and what those test results mean -- information which I don't think is made very clear.

Again, this is just a resource for parents and educators to stay informed about the measures being used to test children and what effects those tests can have.

Book Review: The Children of Henry VIII by John Guy

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Title: The Children of Henry VIII
Author: John Guy
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Expected Publication Date: 1 Jul 2013
Hardcover: 272 pages
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Nothing consumed Henry VIII, England's wealthiest and most powerful king, more than his desire to produce a legitimate male heir and perpetuate the Tudor dynasty. To that end he married six wives, became the subject of the most notorious divorce case of the sixteenth century, and broke with the pope, all in an age of international competition and warfare, social unrest, and growing religious intolerance and discord. Henry fathered four children who survived childhood, each by a different mother. 

In The Children of Henry VIII, renowned Tudor historian John Guy tells their stories, returning to the archives and drawing on a vast array of contemporary records, personal letters, ambassadors' reports, and other eyewitness accounts, including the four children's own handwritten letters. Guy's compelling narrative illuminates their personalities, depicting siblings often scarred by jealously, mutual distrust, bitter rivalry, even hatred. Possessed of quick wits and strong wills, their characters were defined partly by the educations they received, and partly by events over which they had no control. Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, although recognized as the king's son, could never forget his illegitimacy. Edward would succeed his father, but died while still in his teens, desperately plotting to exclude his half-sisters from the throne, and utterly failing to do so. Mary's world was shattered by her mother Catherine of Aragon's divorce and her own unhappy marriage. Elizabeth was the most successful, but also the luckiest. Even so, she lived with the knowledge that her father had ordered her mother Anne Boleyn's execution, was often in fear of her own life, and could never marry the one man she truly loved. John Guy takes us behind the facade of politics and pageantry at the Tudor court, vividly capturing the greatest and most momentous family drama in all of English history.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

There is something so fascinatingly twisted about the Tudor family that I can't help myself when some new thing about them comes out. I don't care what it is: TV shows, films, books, whatever. I love reading about this crazy, messed-up family!

So, of course, there's a lot information out there about Henry VIII and the Tudor family in general, so what is it that makes this unique and worth getting versus all the other stuff out there? Unlike many other books I've read about the Tudors, John Guy goes directly to the source and doesn't offer much speculation about relationships, actions, or whatever else that people like to speculate about. Because of that, I think there's a good overview of the family dynamics, which I don't think is explored very often. So, that was nice. The downside to this is that it gets a bit dry and there's A LOT of listing of presents the children received at Christmas, or just listing in general.

I also felt like the ending was rushed and Elizabeth I's story wasn't fully explored, which was a bit disappointing for me, especially since a good amount of time was spent on her siblings. And I get that going over a long reign is much more complicated than going over her siblings' histories, but I would have liked a better summary of what she accomplished. Maybe in another book?

In any case, don't get this if you're looking for some sort of dramatic story reminiscent of The Tudors TV show. The Children of Henry VIII is very much based on historical documents. But the great thing about this particular royal family is that it's interesting without any dramatization.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review: The Start of Everything by Emily Winslow

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Title: The Start of Everything
Author: Emily Winslow
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Expected Publication Date: 24 Jun 2013
Summary: (taken from The Book Depository)

Outside the city of Cambridge, the badly decomposed body of a teenage girl is found washed up in the flooded fens. Detective Inspector Chloe Frohmann and her partner Morris Keene are called in to establish the identity of the victim. They must work quickly to solve the mystery of her death before the press pounces on the salacious story. 

Meanwhile, Mathilde Oliver, the autistic daughter of a Cambridge don, is attempting to trace the writer of a series of letters addressed to 'Katja', a student at Corpus Christi College who doesn't seem to exist. Across the hallowed paths and storied squares of Cambridge University, Frohmann and Keene follow a sparse trail of clues. The nameless body and obscure letters eventually lead them to Deeping House, an imposing country manor. Here they begin to unravel a web of passions and secrets, of long-buried crimes and fresh horrors ...

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Start of Everything begins when the body of a teenage girl is found washed up in the fens. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel follows the two detectives, Chloe and her partner Morris, as they track down the identity of the girl and the person who killed her. Interwoven are stories and flashbacks from people who become involved in the murder, or who were involved in the murder when it took place.

My favorite thing about this book is that it's a smart, complicated mystery that makes you think and takes time to sift through. All too often, mysteries are dumbed down or only about the romance or the drama while the mystery takes place on the side. In The Start of Everything, we get interesting, complex characters and the mystery really takes center-stage. I'm a fan of stories that take the time to show multiple viewpoints within multiple timelines, so for me, this was perfect; however, I can see people getting confused as they adjust to this sort of storytelling.

With all these different viewpoints, Emily Winslow covers a lot of big topics and does it well -- this is a book that makes you think, and I love that. Whether it be the difficulties of living with autism, what it's like to be a woman in a job dominated by men, what it's like to come back after injury in a high-risk job, sibling rivalry, family dynamics, etc. I came into this book thinking it'd be a fun mystery, but I loved how Winslow surprised me by delving into really serious, deep issues. Kudos to her.

The characters are all fantastic. I have to say, Mathilde is my favorite and I'm sad I didn't get to see more from her perspective, but I think Winslow did an excellent job in showing how she experiences the world differently from most people.

However, the ending just didn't really cut it for me. While the mystery gets solved, I still didn't get a good feeling of resolution. Some people like that, but there were a couple of loose ends I was hoping to see a conclusion for. Also, the book is separated into parts and the way the story moves through these parts is a bit jarring. I didn't mind the multiple perspectives, but the timeline was a bit strange to follow and took some getting used to. Again, this isn't a terrible thing, but it did take me out of the story a little bit.

Despite that, there is so much to love about The Start of Everything. The writing is beautiful, funny, and smart, and the mystery itself is just fantastic.

*Thank you to The Book Depository for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review.*

Audiobook Review: The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

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Title: The Wizard of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Narrator: Anna Fields
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Edition: Unabridged
Duration: 3 hours 59 minutes
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Join Dorothy Gale, Toto, and all of her friends as they explore the incredible land of Oz. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is American's most enduring fairy tale. From the moment Dorothy puts on the silver slippers (changed to ruby slippers by MGM to take advantage of their new advance in movie making: color) until the moment she clicks her heels and returns home to Kansas you will be swept away and captivated by her extraordinary story. 

Overall Rating: 3.5
I can't believe that after all this time of watching the movies and reading the books derived from the original story, I've never read the original! The Wizard of Oz is a cute, fun kid's adventure story that I could see young children absolutely loving. It is a bit simplistic in terms of writing and storytelling, but the message is timeless, and that counts for something. Careful parents -- this is the kind of story children ask to read over and over and over again.

And I would just like to say that I really like the message of this novel. I think it's gotten lost within the numerous retellings over the years, but I thought it was really heartwarming and a good thing for kids to hear. I do wish the witch were a bit more evil and scary, though. She seemed more of a side character than anything, which was strange, again, after seeing/reading all the adaptations.

As for the narration, it was good -- good pacing, intonation, etc. Anna Fields makes sure to give everyone distinctive voices and does a good job at that. However, it contains nothing spectacular that would make me recommend it over the print version. I think reading either version is fine, it would just depend on your preference. I do, however, recommend reading it. It is slightly dated and I think adults would like it for its cultural history, not necessarily because of its inherent entertainment value (Although I'm still reeling over the whole silver slippers instead of ruby slippers thing. So weird!). But I'm sure that kids will love it!

Book Review: The War of the Worlds by HG Wells

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Title: The War of the Worlds
Author: HG Wells
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Paperback: 199 pages
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

'For countless centuries Mars has been the star of war'

The night after a shooting star is seen streaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common near London. At first, naive locals approach the cylinder armed just with a white flag - only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat-ray as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilization is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of trapped, still-living human prey. The forces of the Earth, however, may prove harder to beat than they at first appear.

The first modern tale of alien invasion, The War of the Worlds remains one of the most influential of all science-fiction works. Part of a brand-new Penguin series of H.G. Wells's works, this edition includes a newly established text, a full biographical essay on Wells, a further reading list and detailed notes. The introduction, by Brian Aldiss, considers the novel's view of religion and society.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

As a science fiction fan, I have always been interested in reading The War of the Worlds, since it's the first of its kind. The modern movie with Tom Cruise put me off a little bit, even though I know it was vastly different than the novel. However, I finally got around to reading it and thought it was pretty good.

Told mostly in first-person narrative, the novel starts off with cylinders landing on Earth. The Martians look like sickly, ungainly creatures barely able to survive on Earth, but then prove otherwise, using their heat rays and gigantic killing machines to wreak havoc on England.

If you're looking for story with a lot of character development, look elsewhere. This is a novel solely focused on its plot. The narrator is basically the same person from beginning to end, just a little bit more jaded from war near the end. However, the plot is fantastic and moves along at a brisk pace. Wells does an excellent job in painting a picture of terror and war. I really enjoyed the suspense and thriller aspects of the novels. Also, it's simply interesting to see how this novel has influenced modern interpretations of science fiction and alien invasions.

There are a lot of moments in this story that seemed convenient or forced; of course the main character would be trapped in a room with a peep hole so that he can observe the Martians and describe them; of course had a brother in London who lived to be able to relate those events, etc. This slightly bothered me, but it did further the story and provide a better picture of what was going on. Though I wish Wells would have used some other methods of conveying this information, I can see the dilemma of wanting to provide a seemingly-real firsthand account while also being able to provide all the details.

Also, the narrator bothered me. He always seemed to know best and know more than everyone else, and I didn't really see justification for those thoughts. But, that's more of a personal issue.

I do think this is best enjoyed when you have some knowledge of the historical context in which its written. It is imbued with the scientific thoughts of its time, as well as political and social ideas. (Namely, the idea of colonialism.) Understanding all of that makes The War of the Worlds a much better and more interesting story.

Overall, I liked this novel. It's interesting to see how our ideas of aliens and alien invasion stories have developed, and it's simply an entertaining, dramatic story -- there were times where I held my breath in anticipation for what would happen next. I would recommend this for fans of science fiction and classics lovers.

Audiobook Review: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

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Title: Middlesex
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
Narrator: Kristoffer Tabori
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America
Edition: Unabridged
Duration: 21 hours, 15 minutes
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of l974. . . My birth certificate lists my name as Calliope Helen Stephanides. My most recent driver’s license...records my first name simply as Cal." 

So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City, and the race riots of l967, before they move out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Middlesex is a story about Calliope, who was raised female, but turns out to actually be a male. Told from a first person perspective, this story spans three generations of the Stephanides' family and is absolutely engaging. The prose is beautiful, the characters are a joy to get to know, and I love Cal's personality. It shines through the narration and almost gives a better picture of who Cal is than the story does. (This isn't a bad thing.) I truly enjoyed listening to this novel and liked it far more than I expected I would.

I did think that it was overly long. On the one hand, I loved getting all the background information about Cal's parents and grandparents. But I really do think it took up far too much time. One of my favorite things about this book was the depth Eugenides gave to story and characters; however, some of the things about Cal's parents and grandparents just didn't seem important to the overall story. This frustrated me, because while interesting, I still wanted to get to the point of the story: Cal.

When the time came for Cal's story, I was completely engrossed. His search for identity is dramatic and terrifying in all the ways it should be. And I LOVED the romance between him and "The Object." I thought that was a brilliant story to add to the larger narrative. Like Cal, I found myself wishing that I knew what happened to her.

I can see why this audiobook has won awards -- it is fantastic. Tabori puts life and vitality into the story and every character's dialogue. I even enjoyed the music tracks! I'm not usually the sort of person who likes music in her audiobooks, but I think that the way it was done in Middlesex was perfect. It wasn't there all the time, and it was subtly done. It helped to shift the tone between different parts of the story, which I found clever. While I don't think Middlesex would be any less good in print, the audiobook is certainly a pleasure to listen to, even considering its length.

Audiobook Review: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

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Title: The Poisonwood Bible
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Narrator: Dean Robertson
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Edition: Unabridged
Duration: 15 hours, 33 minutes
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it -- from garden seeds to Scripture -- is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

I always appreciate books that seem real. The Poisonwood Bible definitely had a realistic feel to it. Kingsolver doesn't have problems magically disappear for her characters; the girls really struggle with living in Africa and having to deal with their half-crazy domineering father/husband. And bad things happen. In a weird way, I was glad when the first bad thing happened. It meant that Kingsolver took this story seriously. (Honestly, you can't just put characters in the Belgian Congo in the 60's and not have anything bad happen.) After that, I felt more at ease and looked forward to the conflicts that would ensue.

While I liked the story overall, my opinion changed chapter by chapter with this one. At first, I thought it had promise, then the story lost me, then I got back into it, etc. I think the problem is that it was too drawn out. Near the end, I had thought it ended twice before it actually ended. And sometimes I would just get bored of the description of everyday life or the complaints of living in Africa. Naturally, books that have a lot of details, especially ones that are set in exotic places, are fun to read and do a lot to set a visual in the reader's mind. But this was too much -- just by a little, though. Most of the details were necessary, I just think that condensing would be beneficial to the story.

My favorite character is Ada. The point of view constantly shifts between each of the female characters, and I found myself perking up when it came for Ada's narrative. Because of her quirks, and the way she played with language, her thoughts and version of events were the most interesting to me. Also, I feel like she had some of the most heartbreaking events happen to her. But all the characters are impressively complex and have their own unique traits and distinct points of view -- Kingsolver even makes Nathan Price, crazy devout missionary that he is, seem vulnerable and human. I love it!

I do think that Robertson could have differentiated between each of the characters better by using different voices, or something. My favoritism of Ada may also have been due to the fact that I knew when she picked up the story. For the others, they all melted together. Besides that, it was good narration overall. I was enjoyed the story and it was one of those audiobooks where I made up extra chores just so I could listen to it for another hour. However, considering the content of The Poisonwood Bible, the tone of the narrative, and the shifts of perception, I think print would be better for this one. The audio seemed overly long, and I'm not sure that I would have thought that had I actually read it. In any case, it would be worth it just knowing who was speaking when.

The Poisonwood Bible is definitely a book to try reading at least once. (It could be tedious for some.) If you have the patience and the interest, I think it's worth it.

Book Review: Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn

Title: Jenna Starborn
Author: Sharon Shinn
Publisher: Ace
Paperback: 384 pages
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

From the award-winning author of the Samaria trilogy-a classic story of a woman with the will to rise above the darkest secrets...  

A baby harvested from the gen-tanks on the planet Baldus.  

A girl scorned by the only family she has ever known.  

A woman brave enough to follow her heart-wherever in the universe it may lead her.

Overall Rating: 3/5

In Jenna Starborn, Sharon Shinn gives us a science fiction version of Jane Eyre. As always, the level of complexity of the universe she creates is astounding. Worlds with their own distinctive cultures, an awesome problem-filled caste system, and the ability for the rich to do just about anything, include commission the creation of a baby in a gen tank.

Jenna is the cast off gen tank baby of Mrs. Rentner. When doctors find out that she's being neglected at home, they send her off to technical school, where she learns how to maintain and fix nuclear generators. Fast forward some years, and she arrives at Mr. Ravenbeck's house as a technician and finds that there is more to the place and to Mr. Ravenbeck than what first meets the eye.

To be honest, I enjoyed the changes that Shinn made to the original story. While the horse-and-carriage nineteenth century thing is great, I just think that spaceships, terraformed planets, computerized houses, and robots are even cooler. I loved immersing myself into another unique Shinn world, and figuring out this new universe kept me entertained for most of the time. However, unlike the original Jane Eyre, the characters just didn't draw me in. Mr. Ravenbeck's young ward, Amelia, didn't have the vivacity of Adele, and Jenna is nowhere near as feisty as Jane. While it makes Jenna and Mr. Ravenbeck's relationship less creepy and unhealthy, it also makes it fall flat and lack heat.

I also wished that this story could have been more different; I went through the whole novel, hoping to see some sort of tweak to the story, other than the fact that Mr. Ravenbeck falls in love with  Jenna instead of the nanny character: Janet Ayreson. It was different in the sense that this story is put into a science fiction universe, but I was hoping for something more. In the end, it really is just the story of Jane Eyre with cyborgs and spaceships instead of crazy wives and horse carriages. (Okay, that sounds really cool, but you see what I'm getting at, right?) If you've read Jane Eyre, then the small sci-fi tweaks Shinn makes here and there will give you amusement, but that's about it. It really has nothing on the original. If you haven't read Jane Eyre, you probably won't love this book, to be honest. There isn't much in the way of heat and romance and the changes won't amuse you. In either case, it isn't very satisfying. A nice read, but lacking in depth.

Book Review: The White Forest by Adam McOmber

Title: The White Forest
Author: Adam McOmber
Publisher: Touchstone
Hardcover: 320 pages
Expected Publication Date: 11 September 2012
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Young Jane Silverlake lives with her father at a crumbling family estate on the edge of Hampstead Heath. Jane has a secret—an unexplainable gift that allows her to see the souls of manmade objects—and this talent isolates her from the outside world. Her greatest joy is wandering the wild heath with her neighbors, Madeline and Nathan. But as the friends come of age, their idyll is shattered by the feelings both girls develop for Nathan, and by Nathan’s interest in a cult led by Ariston Day, a charismatic mystic popular with London's elite. Day encourages his followers to explore dream manipulation, with the goal of discovering a new virtual reality, a place he calls the Empyrean.      

A year later, Nathan has vanished, and the famed Inspector Vidocq arrives in London to untangle the events that led up to Nathan’s disappearance. As a sinister truth emerges, Jane realizes she must discover the origins of her talent and use it to find Nathan herself, before it’s too late.    

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Jane is a girl who can hear and see the souls of man-made objects. Nature soothes her, and she sometimes gets visions of a woman covered in flowers and a still, white forest. Her mother had similar abilities, but she died when Jane was young and can't tell Jane anything about what she is. An extreme introvert, when Jane meets a girl named Maddy and a boy named Nathan, she finally comes out of her shell a little. Upon revealing her powers to them, Nathan becomes obsessed. Eventually, he goes missing, setting off a series of events that leads Jane to discover her true power.

I really liked the concept of this novel and enjoyed reading it. Some of it's a little confusing, because it goes back and forth from past to present, but I loved this way of revealing the story. Though the beginning was incredibly slow, the end almost makes up for it. I do think some of the beginning stuff could have been condensed. Most of it needs to be there, since the relationships and character development are so important, but it did seem to drag along for awhile. I wish that Jane's gift could have been explored more. McOmber's level of detail is so great that the novel really came to life, but I don't think that extended to Jane's gift. It's hard to describe it thoroughly when Jane, the girl whose eyes we're looking through, doesn't understand it herself, but I wanted more.

While it's a strange concept to grasp, the mythology is perfect. I love that we get to see it in bits and pieces until it finally comes together through Nathan's diary entries. And it's great to see Jane becoming stronger and stronger as she learns what she is.

The White Forest doesn't have a particularly happy ending, so I know that many will be upset at that, but no other ending was realistically possible, in my opinion. It completely fit the tone of the novel. I liked how everything came together and how Jane finally realized who she was. For those who are squeamish, I would skim through when they're in the white forest, since it gets very violent and bloody.

For those who like Gothic and like their books to be on the weird side, this one's for you. It's beautiful and horrifyingly strange. In other words: a great read.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

Audiobook Review: Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers

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Author: Mary Rodgers
Publisher: Listening Library
Narrator: Susannah Fellows
Duration: 3 hours 21 minutes
Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

When I woke up this morning, I found I'd turned into my mother. There I, in my mother' bed, with my feet reaching all the way to the bottom, and my father sleeping in the other bed. I had on my mother's nightgown, and a ring on my left hand, I mean her left hand, and lumps and pins all over my head.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

I love the premise of this story. A girl wakes up to find that she has turned into her mom and has to deal with all the grown-up problems that her mom deals with. A few movies have been made of this novel, one in 1976, one in 1995, and one in 2003.

I am sad that I never realized the movies were based on a book, because had I not watched the movies beforehand, I think I would have liked this book more. Yes, this is one of those rare books where I like the movies better than the book. For one thing, in the book the switch is caused by the mother, and only Anna, the daughter, learns a lesson. I thought this was completely unfair, because a lot of times adults forget what it's like to be a kid and they don't realize what kids have to go through. I love how the movies show this. Unfortunately, the book does not go into that. Another thing I didn't like was how unrealistic it was. It may be because of a generational difference (after all, it was first published in 1972), but I was surprised how Anna could ditch school, go shopping all around town, and not once be stopped or questioned by an adult.

However, despite that, I thought it was a funny book. There were times I laughed out loud because everything was so ridiculous. It's a fun, quick read that keeps you interested the entire time. It is somewhat dated, but I think it's still very relevant to teens and moms today. If anything, it's interesting to see where this famous story originated.

I loved the narration in this audiobook. Susannah Fellows is extremely talented and switches between characters' voices effortlessly. I was never confused as to who was talking. Also, I love how she adds just the right kind of emotion to mirror the characters' thoughts and actions. Simply fantastic.