Audiobooks discussion

I'm starting the month with The Remains of the Day. Haven't seen the film, dropped a credit on the Audible copy read by Nicholas Guy Smith, which has proved a good fit.

I'm on Those Barren Leaves by Aldous Huxley. Parts are kind if confusing but still it's got clever lines that are amusing.

I'm kicking off February with Our Little Lies. So far the narrator is doing an amazing job!

John wrote: "I'm starting the month with The Remains of the Day. Haven't seen the film, dropped a credit on the Audible copy read by Nicholas Guy Smith, which has proved a good fit."

love this book and the narrator! enjoy!

I finished The Women of Chateau Lafayette yesterday - 3.5 stars. My Libby program decided to derail itself wrt the audio being properly synced with the progress bar, which soured the experience a tad, but the book also felt like it could've used an editor. I did like all three main characters though, and juggling three timelines in the same book is no mean feat.

Diving into February with The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.

The Hemingses is a long and detailed book. I read it with a group for an online class that lasted a whole semester. The author is a lawyer and likes to make a point over and over.

Robin P wrote: "The Hemingses is a long and detailed book. I read it with a group for an online class that lasted a whole semester. The author is a lawyer and likes to make a point over and over."

I've just finished ch4 and there are already so many details! The research was clearly exhaustive.

Finished The Descent by The Descent, the second in the series. I had read the first one and really enjoyed it. Thought I'd give the audio a try for the next one. It wasn't a bad follow-up and I will definitely be continuing the series, but probably not on audio. The narrator did a fine job but it was a free audio through kindle unlimited and my 3-month membership is ending in a couple weeks.

Started Rules of the Road by Ciara Geraghty. It's a little quirky but so far, so good.

Starting with Aunt Dimity's Death, a cozy mystery. I read book 12 in this series because a copy of it fell into my hands. Decided I liked it enough to see how the series begins.

Cued up after that is The Woman in the Library. I usually only listen while I'm in the kitchen cooking/cleaning, but they are both relatively short (9 hours), so I'll probably be able to squeeze in another one before the month is over.

Ashley Marie wrote: "Robin P wrote: "The Hemingses is a long and detailed book. I read it with a group for an online class that lasted a whole semester. The author is a lawyer and likes to make a point over and over."
..."
I think when she wrote this the Jefferson family was still denying that he had children with Sally. This book was largely to prove that, and afterwards DNA testing confirmed it. The youngest child, Eston Hemings, changed his last name to Jefferson, looks totally white in photographs, and is buried here in Wisconsin!

Starting the month off with The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by, Katherine Marsh narrated by, Anna Fikhman, Christopher Gebauer & Jesse Vilinsky

Robin P wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Robin P wrote: "The Hemingses is a long and detailed book. I read it with a group for an online class that lasted a whole semester. The author is a lawyer and likes to make a p..."

This was published in 2008, and the DNA testing confirming the connection was done a decade earlier. I'm sure it took her that long to write the book, it's so extensive in scope. I have a deep appreciation for the family reunion photos that crop up online from time to time.

I'm starting off the month with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I read The Book Woman's Daughter first. Thought I should go back to the beginning. Interesting historical fiction.

Fran wrote: "I'm starting off the month with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I read The Book Woman's Daughter first. Thought I should go back to the beginning. Interesting h..."

I've had The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek in my audible library for a while. I downloaded it after I finished The Giver of Stars (about a horseback librarian). Maybe I'll tackle that one next.

Lea Ann wrote: "Fran wrote: "I'm starting off the month with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I read The Book Woman's Daughter first. Thought I should go back to the beginning. ..."

It's an ok listen. I had never heard of the Blue Fugates or ‎methemoglobinemia, so that had me intrigued. The author did some decent research and tied the story to The Pack Horse Library Project.

It's been a while since I've updated and I'm too lazy to go back and see what the last book I did was :-)

I'm on Apples Never Fall - so far so good. Aussie narration is fun to listen to for me so I'm enjoying it....

I finished The Trouble with Tom: The Strange Afterlife and Times of Thomas Paine by Paul Collins on the last day in January. I was looking for a little more biography of Thomas Paine than this book gave, but it was interesting. The author follows where Paine's bones have appeared in the years after his death. Along the way we meet all sorts of people that are associated, and brief biographies of most. I'm not unhappy to have read it, but I still am wanting a fuller biography of Paine. I have on deck a fictionalized version...but a non-fiction one would be better.

Currently listening to Eversion by Alastair Reynolds. Early stages in the book, right now in the 1800s on a sailing ship, but that's going to change soon.

I finished A Thousand Li: The Third Realm, latest in the series by tao Wong and narrated by Travis Baldree. This eighth book is a departure from previous ones in the series in that it covers ten years of the MC's life as he travels all over the continent to various countries. It's more like a collection of short stories that are related by their depiction of his progression over time. I really liked this one but will be glad to get back to a more compressed and continuous timeline. I also hope we get back to some of the original supporting characters the MC had to leave behind when he went wandering.

Fined and enjoyed The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/2373008370

I'm in the middle of the fantasy The Stone of Farewell, second in the series by Tad Williams. If I wait too long between series books (esp. with fantasies), I forget the characters and settings and have a difficult time catching up. Looking back at my list, I see a LOT of series for which I only read the first book. Yikes.

You know I am restrictive with my stars. It is debatable if three or four stars is best.

Here follows my review of Those Barren Leaves by Aldous Huxley:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am now reading, and definitely enjoying An Old Captivity by Nevil Shute. Shute is an author fun to return to over and over again. At the start, he had me laughing at the manner of the female character. Talk about funny! Funnier than usual.

I have enjoyed An Old Captivity by Nevil Shute, but at the end it takes a turn I do not like.

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

Now I am reading Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann. It is a long one, over 1000 pages. A GR friend (Manybooks) and I are reading this together. Not versed in the biblical, I wonder if I'm gong to have trouble understanding. I'm reading it in Swedish. She's reading it in German. Lucky her!

I loved this book:
Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang - 5* - My Review

The audio is beautifully performed by Chris Lew Kum Hoi and Billie Fulford-Brown.

I read a pair of Michael Crichton books that were published after his death in 2008, Pirate Latitudes was ok and Micro (co-authored by Richard Preston) was very weak, I didn't like it. Both are narrated by John Bedford Lloyd. I've read most of Crichton's novels but have yet to find Disclosure in unabridged audiobook format.

Now I am enjoying a fantasy title by Seanan McGuire, Indexing. This is the first Seanan McGuire novel I have picked up and I am not disappointed. It is narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal.

In the first days of February I finished several audio books:

The World Was Never the Same: Events that Changed History
In this Great Course, lecturer, J. Rufus Fears reviews Western Civilization by focusing on 36 events or people, beginning with Hammurabi’s code of laws (about 170 BCE) and ending with the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. Fears is an excellent storyteller, making his review of history, from his perspective, fun listening. This was a free Audible listen for me.

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
Author Walter Isaacson explores the science of gene editing, focusing on CRISPR technologies and the work of Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues. The actual science was beyond me, but their research and its ramifications were fascinating.

The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self
Life coach Martha Beck is a friend of Oprah Winfrey, so Oprah added her book to her book club selections for 2022. At this point in my life I’m not interested in self-help books, but I read or listen to all of Oprah’s choices, so I selected Beck’s book. I listened to it off and on for several months. I didn’t do the exercises but I enjoyed hearing about Beck’s personal journey and those of others. Her gravely voice became somewhat soothing when I was too tired to listen to anything else.

Now I’m relistening to SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard before a return trip to Rome and to When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill.

Kathleen wrote: "The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self

Life coach Martha Beck is a friend of Oprah Winfrey, so Oprah added her book to her book club selections for 2022. At this point in my life I’m not interested in self-help books, but I read or listen to all of Oprah’s choices, so I selected Beck’s book. I listened to it off and on for several months. I didn’t do the exercises but I enjoyed hearing about Beck’s personal journey and those of others. Her gravely voice became somewhat soothing when I was too tired to listen to anything else."

Thanks for this, Kathleen. Going to check it out from my local library-they have it in an audiobook. Sounds like an interesting read.

Still chugging along with The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family - can you tell I'm not used to an audiobook taking much more than a week? 😂 Common sense says I should probably take a break with a shorter book before I jump into my next planned listen, since The Count of Monte Cristo is even longer!

But I'm past halfway in Hemingses and still going strong. The speculative chapters don't bother me super-much, because history and extant writings basically force us to guesstimate about how things went between Jefferson and Sally.

Finished The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/5231145524

Finished The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine Katherine Marsh narrated by, Anna Fikhman, Christopher Gebauer & Jesse Vilinsky..This was a really powerful book the way it brought all the stories together I would recommend it for all ages not just middle grade.

Now starting another middle grade book Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies by, Stacey Lee narrated by, Brian McCormick this one comes out tomorrow.

Have been in a reading funk last year so decided to try using Goodreads to help me.

Just finished Magnificent Devices #3. This is a re-read since the author has added a prequel and some short stories. I wanted to read them all again in order with the new ones. A fun steampunk series.

Also going to re-read the Longmire series, saw Craig Johnson on a book tour last year and decided I wanted to revisit Absaroka County. Starting Another Man's Moccasins #4

Just finished Spare! To me it was absolutely stunning. H narrated it himself, so that helps! His perspective of his own life is so heartfelt. While listening I could hear the love for his mother and the hate of the aftermath all through his voice.

Carrie wrote: "Just finished Spare! To me it was absolutely stunning. H narrated it himself, so that helps! His perspective of his own life is so heartfelt. While listening I could hear the love f..."

Agree!!

Carrie wrote: "Just finished Spare! To me it was absolutely stunning. H narrated it himself, so that helps! His perspective of his own life is so heartfelt. While listening I could hear the love f..."

I loved the section where he talked about first meeting his wife <3 the love was audible!

I finished Encore In Death, 56th in the In Death series by J.D. Robb. I enjoyed this back-to-basics police procedural... until the final twist. I had a hard time believing the motivation. Still, I actually enjoyed the fact that Dallas didn't figure it out too quickly and we all were kept guessing. As always, love the narration.

Last week I finished Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow which i enjoyed a lot. It spans 30+ years of friendship and more, and someone said it reminds her of Little Life but I don't think so. At least in this book, the characters grew over the years. The background of this book is developing video games, but even if you are not a gamer (I'm not), you can follow and enjoy the story. Audiobook is better than a paper book in this case because you can imagine the video game in your head better.

I'm chipping away my Audible library and my next book is Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks

Finished the audio of:
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton - 4* - My Review

I have recently been re-watching the Harry Potter movies in sequence. So, when I saw a memoir by Tom Felton, the actor who played Draco Malfoy, I decided it would be an excellent supplement to my nostalgic journey through the films. Felton recounts his childhood and family life, how he got the role in the Harry Potter series, interactions with notable performers, and later in the book, his struggles with addiction and mental health issues. The writing is colloquial and provides a sense of the author’s personality. He shares a few characteristics with Draco, including a mischievous streak. I found it interesting than some fans have trouble distinguishing the actor from the role. This book is filled with self-deprecating humor. I laughed out loud at several of his stories. He seems to be a natural storyteller. I particularly enjoyed his anecdotes about the filming of his movies. I listened to the audio book, read by the author, and he does a fabulous job.

Finished and enjoyed Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies by, Stacey Lee narrated by, Brian McCormick It was a lot of fun!

Now starting Murder at Haven's Rock by, Kelley Armstrong narrated by, Thérèse Plummer Releases 2-21-23

I am maybe 1/4 into Demon Copperhead and the narration is excellent. You don't have to know David Copperfield, but if you do, it's fascinating to see how various characters and incidents are transposed to modern times. Unfortunately, issues like untimely death and exploitation of children didn't end in the 19th century. But the main character has a lot of spunk. Knowing the arc of the story, I was aware when something bad was going to happen, but if it follows along, it has to come out somewhat all right.

I am not sure if I can say this was a pleasant experience, but I found this book much more successful in audio than e-book form. Simon Vance does an excellent job with the narration (the text is written in a "shadow tongue" intended to mimic Old English).

The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth - 3* - My Review

I gave up three fourths of the way through Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann. This is a classic I do NOT recommend.

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

I will begin The Hired Man by Melvyn Bragg. I liked his autobiographical memoir, so I thought I would give this book of fiction a try.

4.5 stars to The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. Karen White read well enough, aside from her pronunciation of "status" which irked me. This is a deep dive into history and excellently written.

On thé road to Ohio for a girls weekend

Finished up Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World’s First Modern Computer - it’s amazing how quickly critical women in tech development were forgotten and/or erased - highly recommend

Started The Science of Murder: The Forensics of Agatha Christie - I’m not a huge Agatha person but it’s interesting how much she predicting certain technologies before they became common place

Also diving back into maisie dobbs with A Lesson in Secrets

Dee wrote: "it’s amazing how quickly critical women in tech development were forgotten and/or erased..."

I agree, but isn't it great that so many books (and films) have been written to try to correct that situation?

I finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January

It was beautifully written, like poetry.
But because it was so wordy, I found it difficult to stay focused on the audio book. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the words on a page.

Robin P wrote: "I am maybe 1/4 into Demon Copperhead and the narration is excellent. You don't have to know David Copperfield, but if you do, it's fascinating to see how various charac...". Good to know! I plan on reading this for a book club in March. Maybe I'll try the audio version.

Kelly wrote: "I finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January

It was beautifully written, like poetry.
But because it was so wordy, I found it difficult to stay focused on the audio book. I think ..."

I read it in print and felt the same thing!

Kelly wrote: "I finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January

It was beautifully written, like poetry.
But because it was so wordy, I found it difficult to stay focused on the audio book. I think ..."

I listened to the audio and felt the same!

Jan wrote: "Dee wrote: "it’s amazing how quickly critical women in tech development were forgotten and/or erased..."

I agree, but isn't it great that so many books (and films) have been written to try to corr..."

Yes but equal fustrating when I have to explain to ppl why we should celebrate these ppl

I just finished Slow Horses by Mick Herron. Chosen after arching the excellent tv series.

I've finished the The Tenant of Windfell Hall by Anne Bronte. And it lived up to the Victorian theme of women striving for independence and creative freedom. The narration was excellent. I believe this was a free Audible Plus.

I'm starting another Wilbur Smith. The Triumph of the Sun. I'd like to say he comes in second to Bryce Courtenay for historical fiction. This is set during the seige of Khartoum, not in South Africa or Rhodesia. So it's a bit of a change up.