Books #20 and #21

I got these two audiobooks for my drive back from Georgia end of September. They killed about half of the trip.

#20: Doctor Who: The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner Narrated by David Tennant

This book had the highest ratings on the book-rating websites I found. It was pretty good, if not stellar (stellar wasn't what I needed, anyway). The Doctor and Rose go back to the Roman Empire after finding a statue of her in the British Museum. There are some interesting twists, a pleasantly predictable resolution, and a touch of humor. A few parts were out of character, but most where spot-on, and David Tennant knocked the voices out of the park.

#21: Doctor Who: The Feast of the Drowned by Stephen ColeAlso narrated by David Tennant

Even if this book got lower marks on the websites I saw, I actually liked it better. There was more suspense and I really couldn't figure how they'd get out. Some aliens living in the oceans have taken over the bodies of drowned(?) people, and aim to take over even more. They take over Rose (surprise, surprise) but the Doctor doesn't save her - she saves everyone else, with some group help.

Really, I'd listen to David Tennant narrate most anything. It looks like he narrates a bunch of audiobooks related to How to Train Your Dragon. I'll have to get some of those if I ever drive the kids around.

Book #22: Asperger's from the Inside Out by Michael John Carley

This book was research for this year's NaNo. My main character insisted on having Asperger's (and working at FedEx for some reason), so I need lots of research to get her right. Most materials at the library were aimed for children and their parents, but this book addresses adults on the spectrum. It also confirmed that certain characteristics of my MC are appropriate, which I had worried about. She's a musician with a string of one-night stands, for example; a lot of stuff regarding says that people with Asperger's don't like touch or loud environments. This book, and folks on the NaNo forums, confirm that some, in fact, love being touched and have no problems with noise. Falling in love is totally possible (which is good, since this novel is mostly about that), even if dating is hard as hell.

Outside of the novel, though, it was very informative for my life. I've worked with some Asperger's kids, and have an unconfirmed hunch about certain members of my family. Understanding more about different brain processing can help me be more patient and express my own needs better to different people.