Audiobooks discussion

I've joined a few challenges this year, so starting off listening to a couple of books that qualify...

Confessions of a Bookseller, which seems a lot like the author's The Diary of a Bookseller, but with a different narrator. Here, I've slowed things down to .9x playback to follow it better.

Last autumn, I listened to the Regency-era series A House for the Season by M. C. Beaton (a bit like Poor Relation). Before I got to the last story, I realized it'll fit a 2022 challenge category, so held off until now on Rainbird's Revenge.

i'm in total denial that its 2022 in less than 3 hours!!!

i'll kick off the year finishing up Archangel's Viper, as well as Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

classes start again on Monday but our first week (at minimum) is going to be virtual because we had folks traveling internationally over christmas

I'm going to start the year off with a surprise find... The Willow Marsh Murder, sixth in the Detective Lavender series by Karen Charlton and narrated by Michael Page! Apparently this came out two days before Christmas and I missed it. Anyway, it'll be a good start to the new year.

Surprised that I’m enjoying the book so far. Listening to The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Jeanie wrote: "I'm going to start the year off with a surprise find... The Willow Marsh Murder, sixth in the Detective Lavender series by Karen Charlton and narrated by Michael Page! Apparently this came out two ..."

I missed this too, For some reason, I thought there were only 3 or 4 books in the series. I'll have to catch up! Those would have been good ones to buy during the Black Friday sale.

I am starting the year with the 3rd book in a different series, Persona Non Grata, in Roman-era Britain and Gaul.

Robin P wrote: "Jeanie wrote: "I'm going to start the year off with a surprise find... The Willow Marsh Murder, sixth in the Detective Lavender series by Karen Charlton and narrated by Michael Page! Apparently thi..."

Back when the book was released in print, the author was quoted as saying," An audio edition is not going to happen 'due to circumstances beyond my control'." At the time I assumed the publisher said no feeling they wouldn't make money on it. Wouldn't be surprised if they got a ton of requests (complaints) and re-considered. I bought the ebook, so qualify for the whispersync price; since I don't plan on reading it soon (I just read Plague Pits last month), I'll hold off for a Spend X, get a coupon sale this year.

I finished up The Mountains Sing earlier this week - 4 stars. It's a tough read but well worth the effort, I think. Quyen Ngo reads beautifully.

Ashley Marie wrote: "I finished up The Mountains Sing earlier this week - 4 stars. It's a tough read but well worth the effort, I think. Quyen Ngo reads beautifully."

My sentiments exactly - a very different view of an era that some of us lived through.

wrapped up Archangel's Viper while doing some volunteering for a rescue org today and started Connections in Death; also Call Us What We Carry showed up for me ready to borrow - its only 4 hours so i'm going to grab it vs. put it off like I have all the other audiobooks that just showed up at the same time

My first book to complete was The Cleaners by Ken Liu. A short story that has more potential and hope he’ll explore it for a novel.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - My Review

Dark novel about the impact of Stalin’s Reign of Terror on the people of Lithuania. It follows fifteen-year-old Lena, starting in 1941, as she and her family are separated, loaded onto trains, and sent to the Siberian arctic. It is about the will to survive in horrific conditions. There are a few happy scenes told in flashback to better days, but do not pick this book up if you are feeling depressed. I found it disturbing but appreciated the opportunity to learn more about lesser-known events that took place in the 1940s and early 1950s.

The audio book is nicely read by Emily Klein.

I'm going to start The Women's March: A Novel of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession - time to run an indoor mile tomorrow also!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm listening to Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Not far enough to judge the whole, but it certainly seems dour. An isolated farm in Iceland in 1829 doesn't appeal to me, but I'm hoping the plot carries it.

I read The Christmas Hirelings yesterday and that can officially close the Christmas season for me. Now the tree just has to come down.

Finished and really enjoyed Never
By Ken Follett

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/4414562528

Listening to The Book of Lost Namesn by Kristin Harmel

I finished Fever Dream. It's nice to be back in Pendergast's world.

I started Alone on the Wall.

Janice wrote: "I finished Fever Dream. It's nice to be back in Pendergast's world.

I started Alone on the Wall."

I have Brimstone in my January plans. Love this series!

I made a brief start on Lore toward the end of the year, so I'm continuing with that. I like the concept of these "new" incarnations of the Greek pantheon, and the narration is well done.

Starting the year off with My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle narrated by, Natalie Duke, Seth Podowitz & Charlie Kevin

Learwife: A Novel by J.R. Thorpe - 4* - My Review

This story is an imagining of the life of King Lear’s wife. She is only briefly mentioned in Shakespeare’s play and is said to be deceased. Learwife brings her vividly to life. We are privy to the queen's thoughts, dreams, memories, feelings, and mental decline. The narrative is stream-of-consciousness, shifting backward and forward in time. The writing is operatic and evokes a period of long ago. This is a beautiful and creative piece of writing. It is character-driven and slow in developing. Themes include loss, grief, power, and the role of women of the time to bear a male heir.

Juliet Stevenson does a marvelous job with the narration!

Clap When You Land is read by the author, Elizabeth Acevedo. The book is free verse. It's gorgeous. The story opens when American Airlines flight 587 out of JFK crashes, en route to the Domincan Republic. This is the story of a teenage girl in NY and a teenage girl in the Dominican Republic.
This is a story about a big secret that breaks open. The girls find their way towards each other.
Clap When You Land is best as an audiobook--the story is really good. I was able to get the print version and the audio version same time from the library, so I can follow along as I listen.

i read Clap when you land - but I listened to The Poet X by her - loved her imagry

Beautifully narrated by Madeleine Maby who did excellent work voicing French, German and American accents in the story.


The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Set in Occupied France, a young woman discovers a talent she didn’t know she had and struggles through the consequences of her decisions. A nice read - little slow in the middle, but an exciting suspenseful ending. A good novel for a beach read.



View all my reviews

Starting to listen to Eat a Peach by David Chang

I'm starting the year off with a sure fire book, or at least I'd been hoping so: Ready Player One. I'm already over halfway done and sure enough, it's just a fun and entertaining book.

Usually I have mixed feelings towards Will Wheaton as a narrator, but he is great in this. He and I both got a good chuckle out of the part that actually mentions Will Wheaton, as you could hear the humor in his voice as he tried not to laugh about his own cameo.

After that I'm going to start reading the books that have been sitting on my shelf forever. Mainly because I need more shelf space! LOL

Josh wrote: "I'm starting the year off with a sure fire book, or at least I'd been hoping so: Ready Player One. I'm already over halfway done and sure enough, it's just a fun and entertaining book.

Usually I ..."

I loved Ready Player One on audio! Enjoy, Josh!

Ashley Marie wrote: "Josh wrote: "I'm starting the year off with a sure fire book, or at least I'd been hoping so: Ready Player One. I'm already over halfway done and sure enough, it's just a fun and entertaining book...."

I loved it, too. It's one of my favorite re-reads... knowing the ending doesn't seem to spoil the fun when you log back in. ;)

I loved it too and I'm not at all the target audience, never having played video games (though I did remember a lot of the movies and TV shows referenced.) I really like Wil Wheaton as a narrator. He did a lot of John Scalzi's books and when I went to an author event with Scalzi, I was worried I wouldn't like the reading because he wasn't Wheaton. But it turned out they sound very similar, which is why Scalzi picked him.

I've finished three books so far.

The Cleaners Very short stories on the same theme, it was good but wished it's a longer novel.

Emergency Skin I love this book the best in the collection (Forward collection). Jason Issacs (Lucius in Harry Potter films) narrates really well. I read it for a prompt "second person narration."

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It 3.5 stars I had a high hope for this book, everybody was raving about it and the promise was interesting, an accidental killer and detective, but all the characters are superficial and amateurish. It's a page turner but I enjoyed Firekeeper's Daughter more.

I was kinda stuck about what to read next, but after polling a few people in a FB reading group, I decide to read The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. It's been a long time since I read this one; I forgot how amazing this story is. This time I get to listen to it and the narrator is wonderful! Excellent book to start off the new year and I'll be immersed in this world at least through February. Yay!

My first book for 2022 is A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton. It is good but not amazing. In that it covers so many it does not go into each philosopher with great depth. I)t starts with the ancients and goes up to today.

My review:. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have begunThe Narrows by Ann Pietry. It reads almost like prose poetry--there is a rhythm to the writing. I have not decided if I like it or not.

I've begun Zuleika Dobson, read by everyone's favorite narrator, Flo Gibson!

John wrote: "I've begun Zuleika Dobson, read by everyone's favorite narrator, Flo Gibson!"

I think you left off the ;P

Read Pacific Glory by P. T. Duetermann, book 1 in his World War II Navy historical fiction series. It was read by Dick Hill and I rated it 5 stars.

Then I read Evershore (Skyward Flight series novella #3) by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson, read by Suzy Jackson. Another 5 stars!

Now I am reading Parable of the Sower (Earthseed book 1) by Octavia E. Butler, read by Lynne Thigpen. It's amazing.

2022 is beginning with a series of great reads.

Listening to The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller

My review of Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James W. Loewen

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Narrated by the Author.

Eat a Peach by David Chang

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



David Chang is one of America’s most honored chefs, who even while writing this book, seems surprised and terrified of his success. An honest, engaging, humorous, and at times vulgar, account of a surprising last ditch, desperate attempt to find meaning and purpose in a life that is, by all Korean cultural standards in America, an abject failure. His “33Rules for Becoming A Chef” chapter should be a ‘must read’ for any High School senior ready to embark on the next stage of life - to move beyond the comforts of home, and how best to proactively engage toward adulthood sanely.



View all my reviews

Well, I finished Ready Player One and it did not disappoint! A great way to start 2021.

I decided to move on to "heavier" reading and listened to the first bit of The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe, but I wasn't in the right headspace for it, so switched to Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It is a slow burn but so far I'm liking it.

I finished Alone on the Wall. I'd rather watch Alex climb those cliffs than read him talk about it. Still, it's amazing what he has accomplished in the sport. There were some great take-away comments about managing your fear.

I will start Project Hail Mary today. I'm really looking forward to it.

Finished Agatha Christie's The Murder on the Links narrated superbly by Richard Armitage. It was a nice start to the new year. BTW - it was an Audible Plus book.

I'm a couple hours into The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond. It's not my usual type of book but I'm looking for titles that start with Y and it drew me in pretty quick.

Janice wrote: "I finished Alone on the Wall. I'd rather watch Alex climb those cliffs than read him talk about it. Still, it's amazing what he has accomplished in the sport. There were some great ..."

I have that one in print and was hoping to get to it this year. Now thinking maybe should look for the audio....

I'm starting this year with Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women by Annabel Abbs. So far being introduced to women I'd never heard of, although later we'll get to the women that are more well known such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Daphne du Maurier.

Janice wrote: "I finished Alone on the Wall. I'd rather watch Alex climb those cliffs than read him talk about it. Still, it's amazing what he has accomplished in the sport. There were some great ..."

have you watched the NatGeo documentry on him climbing it? I swear I lost like 20 years off my life watching him because i was like yup going to fall, any minute now

Dee wrote: "have you watched the NatGeo documentry on him climbing it? I swear I lost like 20 years off my life watching him because i was like yup going to fall, any minute now "

Yup, that’s why I’m too chicken to watch - afraid acrophobia might kick-in while watching.


Janice wrote: "I will start Project Hail Mary today. I'm really looking forward to it. "

Sounds like a fascinating read, and look forward to reading your review.

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky - My Review

This book contains mini biographies of fifty women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Some are famous, such as Marie Curie, and others are lesser known. The book is short, so it does not provide much depth about each individual, but I enjoyed seeing so many women of science accumulated in one place. It gives the reader a sense of the many obstacles these women faced. I read this book as a precursor to reading more in depth about women in STEM. It definitely served my intended purpose.

The audiobook is read in a documentary style by Sarah Mollo-Christensen. No complaints.

Finished My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle narrated by, Natalie Duke , Seth Podowitz & Charlie Kevin good thriller to start the year!

Now starting Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins narrated by, Barrie Kreinik I really enjoyed her last book!

Reading Overwatch by Matthew Betley

Listening Rules of War by Matthew Betley

Finished The Night She Disappeared bt Lisa Jewell

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/4196415909

Pamela wrote: "Janice wrote: "I finished Alone on the Wall. I'd rather watch Alex climb those cliffs than read him talk about it. Still, it's amazing what he has accomplished in the sport. There w..."

Alex doesn't narrate the book. I should have mentioned that any my comment about "reading him talk about it" was misleading. Sorry. There are 2 narrators and both did a good job.

Dee wrote: "Janice wrote: "I finished Alone on the Wall. I'd rather watch Alex climb those cliffs than read him talk about it. Still, it's amazing what he has accomplished in the sport. There w..."

Not yet. I always rely on the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour to show Alex's films but Covid... I really miss the BMFF. It was interesting because Alex mentions the BMFF a couple of times in the book.

I'm going to search the film out and see if I can watch it.

ETA - Bonus! It's on Amazon Prime for rent.