Elisabeth Nadler > Recent Status Updates

Now in book three. Back to Liam. Yay!

Book 2 in audiobook set.
I thought my writing in The Kith Trilogy was dark. This is almost too much. Kyla loves to lean heavily on tragedy. Yeah this is post-apocalyptic, but she writes the darkness of humanity/violence so well, I wonder what happened to her as a child.
Narrator is great! Story is dark. Have to take a break sometimes before I cry my eyes out. And I need a laugh every now & then, gosh darnit!

I am so slow at reading these days... But I love this book! As aforementioned, the style is different than what I usually read, and there was just an unexpected jarring back to a memory out of the blue.... It worked, though, and it was actually well timed in drawing you closer to the character.

Liam's prequel is absolutely depressingly heartbreaking. Why am I listening to this??? Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment and I like crying while doing dishes? Darnit.

There's still the usual repetitive stuff and choppy sentences, but this shorter book is definitely better at getting me more invested in the characters than the first one. The narrator is very good with the emotions and voice changes.

Alright, I get cliff hangers, but that was a little dull. I do like Liam. Probably because I am a total sucker for struggling soldiers/former soldiers in books (yeah, if you read my books you probably already knew that)

Since this is a "box set" version of the Audiobook, I am now listening to Liam's short prequel, which, so far, I like much better than the first book. But I'm preparing for the heartbreak. Poor Liam.

They didn't take the snowmobile but he did?! Did it magically appear after they left? What the heck.

I'm going to laugh the next time it says that she "spoke so softly he could hardly hear her." Otherwise, I think listening to it being read instead of reading is helping me deal with the short choppy sentences. Some repetitiveness, but lots of action. Makes time pass by while I get projects & household stuff done.

Alright, I've decided to try this on Audible this time in the hopes that me not seeing the short choppy sentences might help. It does a little, but I'm still cringing at everything I cringed at before. It passes the time while I work/clean/drive, however, and I do not have to give my full attention to the story to get the gist of what's going on. Still... let's see if I can make it through the rest!

Oh goodness. I knew it. I knew when I first started that this book would make me cry. I'm not even that far in!

Yes, the switch between scenes and character thoughts is a little unexpected and not the norm, but I never find myself questioning where I am in the story.

What I do find? Lots of feeling and connection with ALL the characters so far! Allen Levi seems to have a knack for drawing you into every character.

Am I listening to my own book on Audible? Yes, why yes I am! I have been working with this amazing narrator for months, and while I have listened to every chapter for edits, this is the first time I am listening to the finished Audiobook from start to finish! Alvaro did an amazing job!

If anyone is interested, I have some Promo Codes left for a free audible on this! Comment and I'll find a way to get one to you.

I have seen so many glowing reviews about this book that I decided to burrow it from someone in the book club I recently joined. Only 15 pages in and I get the impression I am going to love and be moved by this! The writing is so well balanced and poetic in a gentle way.

I still think the male narrator sounds old for the MMC, but he does a wonderful job of switching accents and bringing different characters to life. Meanwhile, the female narrator? Love her! She has a wonderful range of emotions. I wish she could narrate my books! Instead, you guys are stuck with my humdrum voice, haha...

And of course, most importantly... This story is fantastic! Fun, detailed, and engaging.

I love this story so far! The narrators are really good, even though I think the male narrator sounds a little old for the MMC. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the integration of all the music. Seems a little too much at times.

If I had the time to read, I know I would absolutely love this story even more! I'm still not used to audiobooks, and I miss a lot, but with how busy things are, I'm liking audiobooks!

I have a lot of cleaning to do and more flooring, so I decided to splurge on this audiobook!

I like where this is going! But, current issue is over-explanation. 1st person present tense is familiar, & as a writer, I've realized that I have to be cautious to not over-explain. I've been guilty of it! MC mentally explains things that the reader would already assume. Leads to drawing the scene out too long, which is common here, & makes things drag.

Next update will explain the name thing I mentioned earlier!

Finally! At around 50% it took a turn & became more interesting. I like the twist it is taking. It could have happened sooner maybe?

Side note. Naming a new character Fukuda is an interesting choice. Yes, I can guess how it's supposed to be pronounced, but I know/worked with people whose humor goes that way, so yes, tough to unthink. Haha! Especially since this book kinda overuses names/titles. More on that later.

This is far more YA than I expected...& slow. I like the "Come find me. Come know me" revealing of God & the Revelations-like dreamscape, but something makes this hard to "feel", if you know what I mean. I think the MC & worldbuild dialogue are not blended in an emotional way. Of course, I might be spoiled by Raena Rood's YA books(her writing keeps you engaged/feeling, even at 3rd person POV)

Still reading, though!

I like that this is first person POV in present tense. It is very well written, and while one already gets a glimpse of the horror of the concentration camp this early in, it is not overwhelming. Yet. I am bracing myself for tears at some point.

My pet peeve strikes: inaccurate medical methods.

It's the defib again!
From a website for defibrillator information/usage:
"An AED(defib) can only be used on someone with a rapid heart rate. You cannot use it on victims with an extremely slow heart rhythm or those whose heart stops beating."
Stopped hearts are treated with CPR & epinephrine.

End rant. Back to reading!

The dreamscape is interesting, and I definitely get Book of Revelations vibes. The frequent use of "Grandmommy" by a 17 year old is still getting to me, but that's a minor thing. So far, well written, decent world building. I like that it is 1st person present tense (my favorite!). Although, I will say that the story is somewhat slow at the moment.

I see why 1 reviewer bailed out early (I'm no quitter!). Lost count of how many times "Grandmommy" is used in the first few pages. I get wanting something new & unique in a dystopian book; something obscure like calling someone Grandmommy. Weird. Different. Could be original & acceptable. But that many times? It makes it "in your face" more than it is unique. But other reviews say it's a great story. Let's find out!

I think I'm beginning to love audiobooks for cleaning/cooking and driving! The book is alright; I've read it before and chose it because it's easy enough that I don't have to concentrate too hard but it's still entertaining. The narrator is pretty decent. Some voices are hard to tell apart. I feel the narrator does not have much range of tones, but I might have become a snob since recording my own books.

Audiobooks are not my norm. With everything going on, I got Audible to listen to books while cleaning in preparation for showings & stuff like that. Or during the long trips to the city (1.5 hour drive).
I also got it so I can listen to narrators for researching styles & quality in order to improve my own narrating skills. & yes, I listened to my own Audible to make sure it was all in order, lol!
More updates later.

Story was good; some flaws. Then things fell apart with consistency. Began as a 200 mile walk.
Day 1: Walked 25mi. "We need 30mi a day to make it" Says a guy "We travel at night"
Day 2: Walked 30mi. By day.
Day 3: Traveling by day again?
Day 5: Guy says they traveled 44mi in 5 days? Says they averaged 9mi. daily.
Day 6: FMC says 62mi left. Later MC says they just reached 63mi.
What?Math ain't mathing. Still reading.

Oh goodness... Just look at my highlights on this book... I love my husband so very much, and he has been going through some struggles that put a strain on things, and stumbling on this book was not an accident.... The whole notion that our "knights in shining armor" need us to pray the armor onto them? Oh my.... I never thought of it that way!

This story is so cute! So, first, this is a young author (maybe 14?) & I stumbled on her when reading her glowing review on another author. When I clicked on her name, it showed that she recently debuted this short story, & I HAD to read it! Mostly because I raised goats when I was growing up, & partly because I was simply curious. I have to say, even though I haven't finished yet, this young author is going places!

Saw this when checking on my book's new release ranking. The cover & premise caught my attention. Totally my forte (former military man, tough woman, both struggling with past)
So far the story is decent. Despite my dislike of short choppy sentences, this author makes it work better than most. Characters are engaging & draw you in. Formatting could use work, mostly needing speech/thoughts separated from main text.