Titles: The Queen of the Tearling, The Invasion of the Tearling, The Fate of the Tearling Author: Erika Johansen My rating: 4 / 5 Genre: Fantasy Is it worth reading? Definitely. If you love fantasy, action, politics, and magic sapphires, this is the series for you. It's central plot conflict stretches across three books, making the resolution exciting and (mostly)… Continue reading Book Review: The Queen of the Tearling Series
"Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them."— Lemony Snicket Picking a good audiobook isn't just about picking the right book. It's about picking a voice you can listen to for the next 12 hours. I've written about it before, but a narrator can make or break an audiobook. Struggling to find… Continue reading Great Audiobook Narrators, Part 1
Title: The Pillars of the Earth Author: Ken Follett My rating: 4 / 5 Genre: Historical Fiction TL;DR: For more conservative readers, there will definitely be some sections to skip over (sex, rape, violence etc.). However, despite these flaws, Follett's world is so captivating and the drama of the cathedral's construction is so captivating, that if you love being sucked… Continue reading Old Book, New Review: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Title: Everyone Brave is Forgiven Author: Chris Cleave My rating: 1 / 5 Genre: Historical Fiction Is it worth reading? No. I found it to be long, flat, and confusing at times. Characters are underdeveloped, the plot tries to accomplish too much, and dialogue is tiresome. There are so many great WWII novels out there ... this is not one of… Continue reading Snooze Alert: Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
Title: The Circle Author: Dave Eggers My rating: 3 / 5 Genre: Fiction (Dystopia) Audiobook note: The Circle's main character is a woman. Soooo I'm still trying to figure out why it was narrated by a man. It doesn't make sense. I wasn't even sure I would be able to enjoy the audiobook, because Dion Graham honestly sounds like the… Continue reading Book Review: Is The Circle by Dave Eggers Worth Reading?
Title: Commonwealth Author: Ann Patchett My rating: 5 / 5 Genre: General Fiction Audiobook note: I highly recommend the audiobook! Hope Davis has this fascinating voice—equal parts smokey, crackly, and hilariously sarcastic—that makes listening to Commonwealth pure pleasure. Each character has a unique vocal fingerprint. I remember thinking while listening, "I could never have brought these characters to life in… Continue reading Book Review: Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Title: The Light Between Oceans Author: M.L. Stedman My rating: 3.5 / 5 Audiobook note: I initially tried listening to The Light Between Oceans on audiobook, but I had to constantly adjust the volume because the narrator fluctuated between a whisper and yell. Annoying. Is it worth reading? If want a beach read or a quick love story with a little bit of edge, this… Continue reading Book Review: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
