The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was cute. I’m not much of a short story fan, but this fits the moment. I needed something to read after the last book left me an hour from sleep time. It is fun to finish a book in an hour or so.
I had this one tucked away in my Audible library. Jennifer Jill Araya, the narrator, was able to keep the characters fresh and sincere.
There are a couple more novellas following this one. I plan to get them and finish the story.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am quite the Kristin Hannah fan now. After The Women, I had to read this when it appeared as a suggestion on Libby. Knowing Julia Whelan, the narrator, sealed the deal. She is the most excellent reader. She seems to intuitively read Ms. Hannah’s characters, making the whole story alive and relevant.
Hannah can write historical fiction so that the facts, ‘names and dates’ type of history get lost in following love and family.
After following the book to the conclusion, I was happy to find a bit of discussion about the writing procedure and even Ms. Whelan’s way of narrating. I am still quite interested in that process.
We Baby Boomers can remember hearing about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression from our grandparents and parents. Even though I was forced to read Grapes of Wrath (ugh!) and remember dusty pictures in the history textbooks, this made the historical events real.
I highly recommend this audiobook!
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Can I give this book 20 stars? This was amazing! So many levels and people and places and stories to immerse in!
Abraham Verghese (Author/Narrator) is breathtaking. His writing, knowledge, and ability to voice all the characters so believably from an Indian accent to a Scottish accent, and for a man, his women were varied and respectable, all just astounded me.
I think I saw this recommended on a television show. I was able to pick it up on Libby. I’m so glad I did. But I loved this huge book so much that even though it took me days to read (listen to), I felt at a loss to bid my new friends goodbye. This goes on my wishlist for paperback, Kindle, and Audible versions.
It is a hefty book. But if you plug away at it, you will have lived through several generations and lands. How many books give you that kind of experience?
Please, if you get the chance, read or listen to this one. I doubt you will regret it.
The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This has to be my favorite so far. And I can tell there is more to come. We aren’t left on a cliff, so we’re feeling happy and safe for the moment.
And YAY! Jennifer Ikeda is back as our narrator. I love how well she acts out the characters. I am never lost wondering whose point of view we are in.
The twins are growing up, so it is fun to see what traits they have inherited and how they react to the world.
Ah, but now I have to wait for the next book. I love Deborah Harkness’s writing and the research evident in these stories. Historical fiction is so much easier to take than boring fiction taught to us with just guys’ names and dates of wars. The Black Bird Oracles is the best book yet!
If you liked The Discovery of Witches, keep reading.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Julia Whelan narrated this story with gusto. I didn’t use my headset for a part of it, and my husband enjoyed what he heard, so he ordered his own audible version to listen to. He was a Vietnam vet, so he recognized much of the history and geography.
As a teen in the sixties, I was aware of the attitudes and news in the U.S., and I became more aware as an adult in the seventies. So, I felt I was reliving my youth between the musical and trendy mentions and actual historical events. The anger and angst of being young and a woman and not feeling my feelings jumped to mind as the main character went through her own life. Kristin Hannah is good at that kind of fiction, taking the facts and making you feel it personally.
Regardless of your feelings about that war or those times, I highly recommend this book. Jump into someone else’s world and times and feel what you will as you go. It is a beautifully written book.
Eruption by Michael Crichton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Scott Brick’s overacted narration kind of ruined this experience for me. BUT I could see this as a movie!
This is the kind of story you expect from Michael Crichton. The research on volcanoes was evident without being preachy or pedantic. As expected, the story kept me on edge, worried about the characters and the island.
May I say I hope this never happens to anyone. It is a scary concept. But it’s a super book and hopefully a great disaster movie.
Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After reading the first trio of the All Souls series, I was excited to find yet another two books. Sadly,
Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator) is no Jennifer Ikeda, who read the previous three books. Don’t get me wrong, Saskia did a fine job reading; I didn’t feel like she acted out the characters as well as Jennifer did. On the other hand, this book centers more on Marcus and his intended rather than Matthew and his wife, Diana. So the voices of our old friends don’t need to be the same.
What I liked about this book was all the time travel. Not instantaneous but through memories. Marcus has a lot of memories of the early colony days of America. Among the things he remembers is how he was made into a long-lived vampire. I do love his story. And you see what a person has to do as a ‘baby’ vampire as his fiancé has decided to become a baby to live as long as her mate. Deborah Harkness’s vampires seem different than other authors. I’m much more into the witches but that wasn’t the main subject this time.
What this series is best at is bringing in science and historical references. I think the author has researched these topics thoroughly. Yet I don’t feel her story suffers from factual diarrhea.
Since reading this book I looked for more of the series. I picked up The Jewel House thinking it was a part. I’m nearly finished reading it, and, sure enough, Ms. Harkness has done a lot of studying! But it wasn’t a part of the series. It is a stand-alone textbook of sorts. That review will come in a few days. Meanwhile, I found out she wrote book 5. I had to preorder it. I think it comes out after the 15th. I can’t wait!
I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading books 4 and 5. And if you like a little history of science, try ‘The Jewel House.’
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Okay, my wishes came true. I got to reread the first three books. This time, I just listened to my Audible version. As I said nearly a decade ago, Jennifer Ikeda’s voice kept the story alive. The thing I have to add is that I discovered this series has two more books than what I left in 2014. So, I have already started reading book four, Time’s Convert. So far, I’m not as happy with the narrator, but I’ll wait for my full review about her later. As my former review states, I think everyone should try it. I loved all three.
~~~~~~~~~~
This series was so much fun that I wish I could go back and read it again, right now! I miss the characters and the incredible voice of Jennifer Ikeda. This series is best read with the narration. The experience is over the top!
Anyone who knows me knows I am not into vampires. Okay, I watched Vampire Diary for a while, but it was because of the witch more than anything else. So, if this had not started with A Discovery of Witches and my cousin had not recommended it, I might not have gotten into this series. And the witches sure do kick b*** in this series, so I wasn’t disappointed.
Even writing this gives me a sense of remorse that it is over. Gosh, what a sentimental mush brain, huh? But how else can I tell you how good this series is?
I do have a complaint about the whispersync of this book. For some reason, it would skip over the bottom of each paragraph. But that didn’t stop me. I just signed onto my Audible, played the story from there, and read it on my tablet. Yeah, I had to turn pages, but I hardly noticed as the story moved me forward.
I noticed that there were the slightest threads left undone. Nothing drastic, but it had me hoping there would be more to this series. The last few chapters felt rather anticlimactic, but I wasn’t complaining. It just gave me more time with the family. This was the perfect read for the Halloween season, but it would hold its own over any other set of days, too.
Do read it! I think you’ll enjoy it, too!
The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another fun road trip read (listen).
Lorelei King (Reader) gave Janet Evanovich’s usual fun writing a reality that might not be present as eyes scan a page. She has that acting ability to give each character a different voice. The listener doesn’t get lost between the many people in the book.
I have read other fun books by Janet Evanovich, so I was open to this new character, Gabriella Rose. The adventure was tense yet light and humorous for our ride. We were cracking up as we enjoyed the forest or water scenes we passed in real life—the best combination for a long drive.
Now that I’ve read/heard the first book, I will seek out book two and maybe go back and reread the Stephanie Plum books.
Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Aren’t long road trips the best? I just got back from a lovely long ride. Listening to music can make one hoarse, but a good story can help the time go quickly. My friend and I got to listen to this charmer on our trip. She had started reading (listening) before she picked me up. But two things made it easy for me to start listening in the middle of the story without feeling lost. I have read other Dresden File books, and, well, who doesn’t love Spike to read a story to them? Yes, James Marsters was the narrator.
I think my biggest problem with Dresden Files is the misogynistic attitudes that were less apparent in decades past but now spoil the story. Other than those issues, it is fun to watch our hero go from bad to worse situations and know his Columbo-type personality will get him by.
Even though I started in the middle, I felt I heard enough that I didn’t need to go back and check out the book to reread it. I might want to start the series again, though. Each book is a fun adventure to get lost in.
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 100 books for the 2013 Reading Challenge! 115 of 100 (115%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 225 books for the 2012 Reading Challenge! 225 of 225 (100%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 200 books for the 2011 Reading Challenge! 204 of 200 (102%)
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