Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

~ Monthly Audiobook Challenge ~

Each month we will have a different theme of audiobook for you to listen to.
Read one, two, three, or thirty. Up to you! Just post at the start of the month which books you will read in the category, update through the month and post a link to your Goodreads review (no links to external sites).

Let's find some great audiobooks together!

Duration: Monthly


April 2024 Theme:

◈ Same Name
Narrated by, or written by an author, with the same first name as you (spelling variations and translated names are acceptable)

How to Participate:

The Audiobook Challenge is designed to not only help you to read your audiobooks, but to also find out about other great audiobooks from other challenge participants!

Though you may pop in/out at any time, the Audiobook Challenge will run on a monthly basis so you are able to see progress being made.

There are no minimum page requirements, and you can read abridged or unabridged audiobooks!


1. At the beginning of the month, post :
a: How many audiobooks in total you want to read for the month
b: How many audiobooks in the monthly category you want to read
c: Post the audiobooks (as you decide on them) by linking them to Goodreads in your post

2. During the month, read the audiobooks that you can AND update your post with your reviews. (You can do this after each book or wait until the end of the month.)

3. At the end of the month, update your post and with:
a: What books you read
b: Link(s) to your review(s) - note: can only be linked to Goodreads and not an external site
c: How many audiobooks you have read for this challenge this year


Then start a new post for the next month!


FORMAT YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE:


Start of Month
Total audiobooks to read:
Audiobooks in monthly category to read:

Books in category:

FINISHED


End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year:
Audiobooks in monthly category read:

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why):

===============

EXAMPLE : (under spoiler)(view spoiler)[

Start of Month

Total audiobooks to read: 6
Audiobooks in monthly category to read: 2

Books in category:


FINISHED


End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year: 9
Audiobooks in monthly category read: 1

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why):

Great story about women, culture and love set in Nigeria. I loved the characters and the setting, and the audio narrator was great with the different voices and bringing the story to life (hide spoiler)]

Start of Month
Total audiobooks to read: 8
Audiobooks in monthly category to read: 2

Books in category:
Found two in my tbr!


FINISHED


End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year: 24 (end of March was 17)
Audiobooks in monthly category read: 2

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why):

was really good and as it isn't a hugely well known book I love it when they surprise :)

OK, I will try. 😊

And the most likely option will be by Melinda French Gates

Start of Month:
Audiobooks in monthly category to read: 1


End of Month:
Audiobooks NOT in monthly category read: 0

Audiobooks NOT in monthly category read: 11

✔️ by Connie Willis
✔️ by Georgette Heyer
✔️ by Erle Stanley Gardner
✔️ by Jerome K. Jerome
✔️ by Julia Quinn
✔️ by Martha Wells
✔️ by Martha Wells
✔️ by Martha Wells
✔️ by Sonali Dev
✔️ by Sarah J. Maas
✔️ by Nicola Nice


Total audiobooks read this year: 38

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why): ✔️ by Connie Willis

Oh, this is going to be a big challenge

April 2024
Start of Month
Theme ◈ Same Name◈ Narrated by, or written by an author, with the same first name as you (spelling variations and translated names are acceptable)

Total audiobooks to read: 20
Audiobooks in monthly category to read: ?

Books in category:
by Alison Goodman
Author - Alison Cochrun ?
Narrator - Alison Larkin ? - Kiss of Steel
✅️ (#3) by Alison Bliss
American Girls by Alison Umminger
Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg and/or Bad Luck Bridesmaid
Author - ?Alyson Noel ?
She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick
The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley and/or Would You Rather

FINISHED
Closely Harbored Secrets (Seaside Cafe Mystery #5) by Bree Baker - ❓️
The Bookworm's Guide to Dating (The Bookworm's Guide #1) by Emma Hart - done 4/16/2024
Witch with a Grudge (Witch Warrior #2) by T.R. Cameron, Martha Carr & Michael Anderle - done 4/14/2024
Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) by Lyssa Kay Adams - done 4/10/2024
More to Love (A Perfect Fit #3) by Alison Bliss - done 4/4/2024
Demons of Good and Evil (The Hollows #17) by Kim Harrison - done 4/3/2024



End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year: 19 (Jan) + 14 (Feb) + 17 (Mar) = 50 so far in 2024 + (April)
Audiobooks in monthly category read:

I'm in, but have none in my tbr! 🫤

Start of Month
Total audiobooks to read:
Audiobooks in monthly category to read:

Books in category:

FINISHED

In category:

- narrated by Samantha Bond. - still have some niggles - 3 stars

Not in category:

- enjoyed this! - 4 stars
- Not bad! - 3.5 stars
- almost great. fluffs it on pacing - 4 stars
- nah - 2 stars
- also nah - 2 stars
- and another - 2 stars
- really good! - 4 stars
- hungry now - 4 stars
- exciting - 4 stars
- predictable - 2 stars
- charming - 4 stars
- loved it! - 4.5 stars
- Murderbot! - 4 stars
- all the nostalgia! - 3.5 stars
- fun - 4 stars
- not bad, but not as good as May's other books - 3.5 stars
- very good - 4 stars
- also very good - 4 stars
- not her best, but still good - 3.5 stars
- meh - 3 stars
- do love HP and his little grey cells! - 4 stars
- nopety nope - 1 star
- Seriously, I buy these for their covers! - 3 stars
- not bad - 3.5 stars
- excellent! - 4.5 stars
- Murderbot! - 4 stars
- not my favourite AC - 3 stars
- lots of fun - 4 stars
- still don't really get all the fuss - 3 stars
- entertaining! - 3.5 stars
- quick UNO re-read - 3 stars
- very different from the movie/series, but not bad - 3 stars
- not what I hoped for - 2 stars


End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year: (85 in Jan-Mar) + 34
Audiobooks in monthly category read: (7 in Jan-mar) + 1

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why):

Sammy wrote: "I'm in, but have none in my tbr! 🫤
..."



wow!! I never thought I would hear those words from you

Apparently my name isn't very popular for authors, lol.

In fact, I only own one book by someone with my name, and I didn't enjoy it much 😂

Once I tried a cosy mystery audiobook with an author called Melinda Mullet, but I hated it despite the Scotland setting and the whisky-mystery, so I dnf-ed returned it to Audible. 😅

The other option would seem to be a thriller writer, so I am sticking with Melinda Gates. 😅

I was going to read A Three Dog Problem and Murder Most Royal on my kindle, but the audios are narrated by Samantha Bond, so I've grabbed those.

Last name would be more useful for me... I could use anything narrated by Juliet Stevenson! 😆

Love JS narrations, but I hope Samanatha Bond will turn out well. She's a good actress. :)

She didn't do a bad job of the first book, so hopefully!

Speaking of good narration "To Say Nothing of the Dog" and Stephen Crossley as narrator are a perfect match for me. (currently included in Audible+)

I was considering reading Doomsday Book in april. If I do, I'll grab that one after. 😁

I will do the other way round. This reads very much like a standalone. :)

Book 1 is also in the + catalogue, though sadly not narrated by SC.

I have a paper copy of that one, so I'm good to go 😁

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Sammy wrote: "I'm in, but have none in my tbr! 🫤
..."

wow!! I never thought I would hear those words from you"

What about just Al or Sam would those be acceptable? Shortened versions rather than "spelling variations"?

Yes I’m ok with that if they are common nicknames for you not just first name

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Yes I’m ok with that if they are common nicknames for you not just first name"

👍🏼 ty

Nothing But Reading Challenges
Monthly Audiobook Challenge: April 2024
Duration: April 2024

Progress: 1 out of 1+

Start of Month
Theme ◈ Same Name◈ Narrated by, or written by an author, with the same first name as you (spelling variations and translated names are acceptable)

Total audiobooks to read: 20
Audiobooks in monthly category to read: ?

Books in category: 1
Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris - ***** - 4/1/2024 - 305 Pages - Narrated by Susan Bennett

FINISHED

End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year:
Audiobooks in monthly category read:

Duration: Monthly


April 2024 Theme:

◈ Same Name
Narrated by, or written by an author, with the same first name as you (spelling variations and translated names are acceptable)

Start of Month
Total audiobooks to read: 7
Audiobooks in monthly category to read: 1

Books in category:



FINISHED:
1.Happy Place-4/2/24
2. The Guest List-4/6/24
3. The Wife Upstairs-4/9/24
4. Hooked-4/12/24
5. Never Lie-4/17/24
6. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder-4/21/24
7. One Italian Summer-4/25/24
8. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?-4/28/24




End of Month=8
Total audiobooks read this year=28
Audiobooks in monthly category read=0

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why): -was not expecting the end of the book.

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Yes I’m ok with that if they are common nicknames for you not just first name"

I have had way more luck than expected with Alison, Allison and Alyson, so might not even look for Al or Ali.

I finished

which was great! Lots of Big Little Lies themes. I will seek out more by the author

Start of Month
Total audiobooks to read: 10
Audiobooks in monthly category to read: 1
-Same Name
Narrated by, or written by an author, with the same first name as you (spelling variations and translated names are acceptable)

Books in category:


FINISHED


End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year: 75
Audiobooks in monthly category read: 10

RL and the UNO challenge has upended my listening goals for this month, so I won't be able to meet my goal-category for April. 😪

But will stay on my TBR as I am interested enough to listen to it some time.

May has been posted
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Melindam wrote: "RL and the UNO challenge has upended my listening goals for this month, so I won't be able to meet my goal-category for April. 😪

But [bookcover:The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the..."

What a shame. Such a nice blue cover too! Maybe this time next year ;)

:D ♡

I am currently listening to an audiobook ARC The Cocktail Parlor which explores the domestic history of cocktails in the US (with connection to England, of course) and it was just mentioned that the first Afro-American woman to publish a book about housekeeping (with recipes of food and cordials) in 1866 was a former slave was called Malinda Russell (pronounced Melinda). Of course it does not equal the challenge completed, but was a piece of interesting info. :)

Very interesting!

Completed mine for April :)

Start of Month
Total audiobooks to read: 8
Audiobooks in monthly category to read: 2

Books in category:
Found two in my tbr!


FINISHED


End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year: 24 (end of March was 17)
Audiobooks in monthly category read: 2

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why):

was really good and as it isn't a hugely well known book I love it when they surprise :)

End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year: (85 in Jan-Mar) + 34
Audiobooks in monthly category read: (7 in Jan-mar) + 1

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why):

In category:

The only one to qualify was .

It wasn't bad, and the series has promise, but much like the first book, the fact that the author gave the queen very outspoken political views bugged me. The queen (and apart from certain people we won't mention, the Royal Family in general - especially those in line for the throne) has always been famously nonpartisan. Of course she will have her own views, but under no circumstances would she ever put voice to them. So having her be so political really felt wrong.

Not in category:



Kinda sweet and uplifting, even amid the sad bits. Pretty much square in Backman's wheelhouse really...

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why): by Connie Willis

This has been a revelation: full of sunshine and literary delights and wonderfully narrated by Stephen Crossley.

It is a literary crossover between Sci-Fi-light (the time travel aspect), P.G. Wodehouse and Oscar Wilde (Lady Schrapnell must be a descendant of Lady Bracknell, surely ;).

Apart from the above mentioned authors (Jeeves & Bertie, anyone? ;) homage is paid to Jerome K. Jerome, Wilkie Collins, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Tennyson & Matthew Arnold in the best and funniest way possible.

Can be read as a standalone.

I know that the other books in this series are darker in subject and sadly not narrated by Crossley, but I will check them out later. (so guess whose TBR-list got a boost!? 🤭)