Audiobooks discussion

I'll be starting off the month listening to Michael Page read a nonfiction science book: Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World.

I set A Most Clever Girl aside; something about it isn't working for me just now, but I'm sure I'll give it another try sometime.

Kicking off February with Take a Hint, Dani Brown. 3% of the way in this morning and I'm already obsessed. I liked Chloe very much and I feel like I may like Dani even more.

Happy Lunar New Year to anyone who is celebrating. I'm almost finished listening to Caravans by James Michener. Fascinating historical fiction!

Listening to The Secret of Snow a little more to this one than just romance and a good reader.

i'm listening to Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Doomed Quest to Clean up Sin-loving New York - it was a random pick based on the need for a non-fiction book with a 3 word title with the letters in the phrase LOVE MY LIBRARY

FWIW - do you know how hard it is to find a book that doesn't have a word starting with T or S in it...lol!

i also wrapped up Saving Time - i wasn't sure how i was going to like the time police books but damn if Jodi Taylor doesn't keep me on the edge of my seat...

Outstanding so far…Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service by Carol Leonnig


Narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed & Carol Leonnig

I finished Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and loved it. I was really hooked from the first chapter. Jon Lindstrom did an outstanding job with the narration, too.

Now listening to Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. I can relate so much that it might as well be about me! LOL

I started it in January,1984. Really good!! Better than the first time I listened to it many years ago. Are we getting closer to this 'nightmare'? It was the most read book in 2016, but who would have thought we would have such a divided society...first step! Divide and Conquer.

I finished Echo Burning in the Jack Reacher series. A solid series for me, even though this one seemed a little off. Some of the things that happened just seem a tad implausible. But still enjoyable.

Next up is Just as I Am. Will be interested to hear from Cicely Tyson. She's someone I'm not so familiar with so I want to hear her story!

Nancy wrote: "Next up is Just as I Am. Will be interested to hear from Cicely Tyson. She's someone I'm not so familiar with so I want to hear her story!"

I listened to this last year and loved it!! Robin Miles does a fantastic job with the narration, as always.

Finished listening to The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher. Enjoyable historical novel about Sylvia Beach establishing the English bookstore Shakespeare & Company in 1920s Paris. The narration was done well, to my ears, with the French and Irish accents.

Now back to The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds by Jon Dunn. About two-thirds done when I had to pause for the other title came up in my loans and is more popular at the library right now.

I've had a difficult day and I am sooo very tired, but I wanted to jot down my thoughts on the book just finished. It is a very good book and deserves praise.

The Tightening String by Ann Bridge,
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have begun The Lincoln Highway, Amor Towles' latest.

Starting the month with My Mother, Munchausen's and Me: A true story of betrayal and a shocking family secret by Helen Naylor narrated by the author.

Just finished this coming-of-age story set in 1932 Minnesota during the Great Depression:
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger - My Review

The audio book is nicely read by Scott Brick.

Finished Caravans this morning. I gave it 4* but it was close to a 5. I tried googling some of the references in the book, but had trouble finding them. It's not the usual sweeping saga that Michener is known for. There is a lot of drama as an American military attache from the embassy in Kabul is tasked with finding an American girl who has disappeared. The story takes place in 1963, post WWII and as usual with Michener the research was impeccable. Afghanistan was on the cusp of modernization and the mullahs are an impediment. I wonder about how prescient Michener was in forecasting the rise of extreme Islam. There is a lot to think about and lots of good vs. evil, politics and even gender roles. Great book.

Now I've started The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow. I think someone here recommended it. I'm only a little over an hour in and WHAT A MEMOIR!

In celebration of Black History Month, I began listening to The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

Sara wrote: "In celebration of Black History Month, I began listening to The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration"

So good!

Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America by Jim Murphy - 3* - My Review

Short book that tells the history of a severe blizzard that hit the Northeastern US in March, 1888. Though the storm covered many states, from Virginia to Maine, the story is focused on the area around New York City. It contains stories of individuals who miraculously survived and many who did not. Back then, weather forecasting was still pretty primitive, and telegraph communications were easily disrupted. Near the end, the author recounts some of the improvements that were made in disaster planning as a result. It provides enough historic details to give readers a good idea about how people lived in those days and how different it is from today.

The audio is competently read by Taylor Mali.

Joy D wrote: "Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America by Jim Murphy - 3* - My Review

Short book that tells the history of a severe blizzard that hit the Northeastern US in March,..."

This book is certainly relevant with today's weather across much of the US! The schools around here are closed tomorrow already and I'm hoping our own winter weather doesn't result in power outages... my home is all electric!

Jeanie wrote: "This book is certainly relevant with today's weather across much of the US! The schools around here are closed tomorrow already and I'm hoping our own winter weather doesn't result in power outages... my home is all electric!..."

Stay warm, Jeanie!

Listening to an Audible Plus selection: The Corpse with the Silver Tongue by Cathy Ace. It feels very Agatha Christie-ish. The author is narrating - not sure how I feel about the narration yet.

I finished Tesser: A Dragon Among Us and won't be continuing the series.

Hopefully, The Last House on Needless Street will be a better read.

I am listening to Clapton written by the author and narrated by Simon Vance. As always Simon Vance is on top of his game so far I am thoroughly enjoying this audio book as I previously knew very little about Eric Clapton and his life.

Currently rotating through
American Cozy: Hygge-Inspired Ways to Create Comfort Happiness by Stephanie Pedersen

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
by Thich Nhat Hanh

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

Shane wrote: "I am listening to Clapton written by the author and narrated by Simon Vance. As always Simon Vance is on top of his game so far I am thoroughly enjoying this audio book as I previously knew very li..."

Yeah, Simon Vance is always a treat. Be sure to let us know how you like the Clapton story. :)

Set in California in 1983:
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - My Review

The audio is nicely read by Julia Whelan.

Starting The Maid Nita Prose narrated by, Lauren Ambrose

Sorry to have to post here but how do I unsubscribe from topics on mobile? Keep getting notifications that I don't want.

I'm still reading A Little Life because it's 34+ hrs! It's depressing as hell but the reviews are split; either it's a rave or one star. I do not appreciate most of the parts but I've invested in so much I need to find out what'll happen in the end.

Next book has to be something lighter, a lot lighter!

Finished Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh

Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service by Carol Leonnig

Patrick wrote: "Sorry to have to post here but how do I unsubscribe from topics on mobile? Keep getting notifications that I don't want."

There are a couple reasons you might be getting these. On your Goodreads profile/settings, you can choose what kind of notifications you want. You can uncheck any you don’t want. Also, when you post, there are 2 options that appear below, “Add to my update feed” and “Notify me when people reply”. You can go back to earlier posts and change that if it got checked in error.

Christine wrote: "Finished Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh

Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service by [author:C..."

Thich Nhat Hanh passed away 1/22/22. Deep bow in remembrance of such a remarkable man.

I finished The Pale-Faced Lie and gave it a 4*. It's a brutal memoir of a family terrorized by their father. If the subject of child abuse is disturbing, please be forewarned.

Now I'm heading in to what is foreign genre territory for me and starting up Ready Player One. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a 'no thank you' review for this title. I'm way out of my comfort zone but want to see if I can branch out a bit. Just a little bit.

I'm not at all the target audience for Ready Player One, but I still liked it a lot.

I started Gideon the Ninth but after a few chapters felt I wasn't getting into it. I wanted to read a fantasy for a particular book challenge, so I switched to The City We Became. Just getting started but finding it pretty engrossing.

I finished The Last House on Needless Street. It's quite the ride. I'll be thinking about this book for awhile.

I just started The Eye of the World read by Rosamund Pike. I really like her delivery. The prologue made me think of Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings.

Finally finished 32+ hr (700+pages) A Little Life, and I gave it a rare 2 star. Without spoiling the book, I came up with a drinking game: every time Jude or Willem says "I'm sorry" you take a shot. If they say "I'm SO sorry" two shots. If anyone other than Jude or Willem say "I'm sorry" three shots.

I bought the same author's new book To Paradise, I hope it's better than this. At least the settings are three different eras, so I won't be stuck in a same miserable setting.

I need something fun now. But I go through my TBR and I don't find any fun books. I don't know what happened there?

I am in the minority but The Maid wasn't doing it for me I set it aside after 3 hours.

Now starting The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf narrated by, Brittany Pressley

I’ve been listening to the Kurt Wallander books by Henning Mankell. They’re available in Audible Plus. I’m finding them very absorbing. I’m currently on the fourth in the series, The Man Who Smiled.

Finished the Audible Plus selection: The Corpse with the Silver Tongue by Cathy Ace. The MC is a criminal psychologist with a photographic memory and is quite quirky and rather sarcastic at times. She did make me laugh. But the author did the narrating and the secondary character voices were a little overdone. I gave it a 2 star rating.

I decided to immediately listen to the next one in the series since it was also available on Audible Plus: The Corpse with the Golden Nose. I enjoyed it quite a bit more and rated it 4 stars. The MC, Cait, had a side-kick in this one which I liked. And there was not a whiney secondary character to distract me in the narration. Unfortunately, the next books in the series are not available on audio.

I've started Missing For Good by Alex Coombs. It's the 2nd in a series I started and I'm finding it a little more violent than the 1st one was. I can do violence if I'm reading with my eyes but hearing it is often harder for me. I'm using the 30 second jump ahead to get past some of it.

While Take a Hint, Dani Brown is delightful, it's not the most suitable for office listening 😅 I'm more than halfway along now and tossing between Dani in the mornings (before anyone else arrives, so it's safe) and Over Sea, Under Stone in the afternoons. I do like Alex Jennings's narration of Over Sea, Under Stone very much but I've realized I need to be in the proper mood or mindset for it, otherwise I zone out too much and must resort to my ebook. This one is a reread so I can continue the series, and it's just as entertaining as I remember.

Kaoru wrote: "Finally finished 32+ hr (700+pages) A Little Life, and I gave it a rare 2 star. Without spoiling the book, I came up with a drinking game: every time Jude or Willem says "I'm sorry"..."

This farce about a group of assassins on a train was entertaining.

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka

I finished Abandoned in Death, newest release in the Eve Dallas series by J. D. Robb. I thought this one was quite good and at least in the top half of this 54 book above average series. I liked that in this one Lt. Dallas doesn't exhibit the preternatural sleuthing skill she's had in the last several books where she seemed to know whodunnit the instant she encounters the person who commited the crime--even before there's any real evidence. This one required a whole lot of plain old police work that finally led to the epiphany. The narration was, as usual, outstanding.

I'm slowly plugging along with the fantasy novel Beneath the Keep: A Novel of the Tearling by Erika Johansen, a prequel to The Queen of the Tearling trilogy, written last year. It is pretty good, even though it has been a couple of years since I read the trilogy. I'm not progressing very quickly this month as I'm dealing with my elderly father's severe Covid infection; he got monoclonal antibody treatment yesterday to save his life and seems to be doing a bit better today, home from the hospital, no pneumonia in his lungs so far. It's a rough roller-coaster ride. It has been a week and my mother and I have so far tested every other day, negative. This is challenging our vaccinations for certain. Stay safe out there everyone, the virus is not gone yet.

Finished The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf narrated by, Brittany Pressley another good one from this author! She never disappoints.

Now starting Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies by Laura Thompson read by the author, this one releases Feb. 15th.

Fran wrote: "Sara wrote: "In celebration of Black History Month, I began listening to The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration"

So good!"

Yes it was great Fran! I am listening to Bluebird, Bluebird and this one is a good race related murder mystery too!

A GR friend of mine loved The City We Became bur I am about a quarter of the way through and it seems like the same thing over and over again. We meet someone who is a temporary embodiment of a NYC borough and they have to fight against a strange unknown power. I can't really see where else it is going but I will stick with it for now. The audio is excellent with the different NYC voices.

Just finished this quirky story set in Paris:

The Girl Who Reads on the Métro by Christine Féret-Fleury - 3* - My Review

The audio book is nicely read by Stephanie Racine.

Joy D wrote: "...The audio book is nicely read by Stephanie..."

Joy: I like your terminology; "nicely read" is a nifty phrase. I've adopted your use of "competently read." The saying goes that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" :-)

I changed books Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies wasn't doing it for me ( I know this is all me not the book, plenty of people liked it).

Now starting Bone Deep: Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case by Charles Bosworth Jr., Joel J. Schwartz narrated by, Gary Bennett this one releases 2/22/22

I finally finished listening to all 50!! hours of Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, which was nicely read by Davina Porter. I'm very disappointed in this too long book which rambles all over and is in great need of an editor. The best I can say is that it was mildly entertaining.

This is a great review of the book by Sharon:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

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