ARE YOU LISTENING? IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S" 
ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY"  
I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S  
AUDIO BOOK CHOICE.....

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GIVEAWAY ENDED
IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT

Read by Kathleen McInerney
BY JUDY BLUME

  

ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK:

In her highly anticipated new novel, Judy Blume, the New York Times # 1 best-selling author of Summer Sisters and of young adult classics such as Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, creates a richly textured and moving story of three generations of families, friends and strangers, whose lives are profoundly changed by unexpected events.

In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the worst year of her life. Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen, and in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Against this backdrop of actual events that Blume experienced in the early 1950s, when airline travel was new and exciting and everyone dreamed of going somewhere, she paints a vivid portrait of a particular time and place—Nat King Cole singing “Unforgettable,” Elizabeth Taylor haircuts, young (and not-so-young) love, explosive friendships, A-bomb hysteria, rumors of Communist threat. And a young journalist who makes his name reporting tragedy. Through it all, one generation reminds another that life goes on.

In the Unlikely Event is vintage Judy Blume, with all the hallmarks of Judy Blume’s unparalleled storytelling, and full of memorable characters who cope with loss, remember the good times and, finally, wonder at the joy that keeps them going.

Early reviewers have already weighed in: “Like many family stories, this one is not without its life-changing secrets and surprises. There is no surprise that the book is smoothly written, and its story compelling. The setting—the early 1950s—is especially well realized through period references and incidents.” —Booklist (starred review) and “In Blume’s latest adult novel . . . young and old alike must learn to come to terms with technological disaster and social change. Her novel is characteristically accessible, frequently charming and always deeply human.” —Publishers Weekly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We’re Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; and Wifey, all of them New York Times bestsellers. More than 80 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-one languages. She receives thousands of letters a year from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her. 

Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2004 she received the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. 

She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author’s Guild; the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship. 

Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980’s she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers. 

Judy recently completed the final book in a series of four books for young readers, illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson which was published in May, 2009. The first, Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One, was published in September, 2007. The second, Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One, was issued in May and Going, Going, Gone! with the Pain & the Great One, her third book in this series, was published August 12, 2008.

Judy and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.

SOME OTHER BOOKS BY JUDY BLUME:

               

               

                            

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

From the amazing author who gave generations such delights as  Freckle Juice, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Judy Bloom is back with IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT. At 77, this is Blume's first adult novel in sixteen years and she doesn't disappoint. With the same humanity found in all her books, IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT is classic Judy Blume with real-life experiences that illustrate relatable characters that keep readers turning pages.

Based on a series of actual airline crashes that took place over three months in 1951-1952 in Elizabeth, New Jersey (Blume's hometown), IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT draws you in to the daily lives of the people involved in this bazaar phenomenon. Because it was so unbelievable and hard to take in, people began to naturally question why this was happening around them? Some went so far as to say that the communists had to be responsible, or that the government had planned all this, or even that aliens were involved!

Judy Blume develops the narrative around an interesting and long list of characters whose lives are all somehow touched by the three passenger plane crashes. This is easy to believe when one realizes that historically some 100 people died in these crashes, and it also resulted in having Newark Airport shut down for nearly a year. Central to these players, is 15-year-old Miri Ammerman who lives in Elizabeth with her single mother, uncle, and grandmother. I so enjoyed how Blume would blend one player's story into another while keeping the central focus on the tragedy.

Just as Miri and her friends were living through this, they also were experiencing their own problems of being teenagers despite what was going on around them. It would seem hard to keep so many characters straight but somehow Blume weaves her magic and it works. This is Judy Blume's strength, her world, as she draws us all in and I found myself sorry when IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT ended. She left me wanting more and I hope you feel the same way after you listen or read this wonderful novel.

GIVEAWAY

 THANKS TO RICHARD AND THE FOLKS AT

PENGUIN/RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO,
I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS

JUDY BLUME AUDIO BOOK TO 

GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

  

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST
BE SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT 
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ON JUDY BLUME'S WEBSITE BY GOING HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU CAN COMMENT ON EACH ON SEPARATELY AND GAIN MORE ENTRIES THAT WAY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

 6 PM, EST, AUGUST 8

GOOD LUCK!