Part 18b ~ What Are You Listening to Now?

The next thread will be updated to Part 19 in January ~ I believe at least two listening-to-now threads each year should work well going forward.

Starting this library audiobook ~

Miss Julia Weathers the Storm: A Novel by Ann B. Ross

(North Carolina/beach vacation/senior citizen/cozy series/Miss Julia and her friends are a hoot)

I’m listening to The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed. It’s excellent, both as written and read.

Listening to The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben and You All Grow Up and Leave Me by Piper Weiss.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

The Other Woman: A Novel by Sandie Jones
(UK/power struggle/Emily, Adam, Adam's mother/narrated by a Brit)

UPDATE: a fave for the year

I'm currently listening to The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye which is the fifth book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Even though I don't approve of how Stieg Larsson's family cut out his partner I do find Lisbeth Salander such an interesting character that I am following the series provided I can do so without adding anything to the family coffers. In this case it is a free download from my library's electronic media site so I figure other than a miniscule part of my taxes I have not paid anything. I also listened to The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo recently so I seem to be on a bit of a Scandi noir kick.

Just finishing up City of Lies by Sam Hawke, which is fairly good and the narrators are quite good. Next up I think will be Planetside by Michael Mammay which I'm really looking forward to.

With the start of school I’m listening at bedtime with my son to ‘The House with a Clock in its Walls’. For myself I just started ‘Elantris’.

Enjoying this Audible freebee ~

Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir
(England/1500s/latest in a Tudor series/read by Rosalyn Landor ~ about
20 hours long)

UPDATE: a fave for the year

>8 jldarden: I find it so frustrating that only John Bellair's Lewis Barnavelt books are available as audiobooks and of course all but three are written by Brad Strickland (three based on 'outlines' by Bellairs, but an outline isn't much). His Johnny Dixon books are my favorites and I'd love to have good creepy audiobooks of them.

I'm nearing the end of Evalina by Fanny Burney.

Listening to The Windup Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Finding it disjointed....but listening each day to and from work.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

The Wife: A Novel of Psychological Suspense by Alafair Burke
(Jason and Angela/scandals and secrets)

Well I think I'm over my attraction to the Lisbeth Salander books. The Girl who Takes an Eye for an Eye was just mediocre and I really didn't care for Simon Vance as the narrator even though I usually like his voice. It was just too British for these Swedish books.

Now I am listening to an audiobook based on the Manson family The Girls by Emma Cline. It was on a recent list of best thrillers but I'm not thrilled with it yet.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Spider Woman's Daughter (Leaphorn and Chee) by Anne Hillerman

(Native American series ~ tribal sleuths/Navajo Nation/Anne apparently picked up where her father left off over a decade ago)

I'm listening to Fly Girls which is a biography of five aviators in the 1920s and 1930s (including Amelia Earhart) who participated in the sport of airplane racing. I became interested in women pilots after listening to Elizabeth Wein's girl pilots books and finding out that they were based on fact. These women were gutsy!

>14 Molly3028: I listened to that a couple of years ago and was really impressed too. I think she has done a few more.

Finished up the novelized story of the Manson Family, The Girls by Emma Cline. I never did get thrilled with it but it was kind of interesting to review that whole episode of fairly recent history.

Now I am listening to one of Michael Connelly's earlier Bosch books A Darkness More than Night. I really like Harry Bosch's character and this particular book also has ex-FBI profiler Terry McCaleb on board.

>16 gypsysmom:

According to the Fantastic Fiction site, book #5 will be published next year. The cultural aspects make this series a nice change-of-pace crime series. I plan to continue this new discovery.

Enjoying this borrowed OverDrive Kindle eBook ~

Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well by Nancy Atherton

(cozy supernatural mystery series/English countryside/is a wishing well actually granting the wishes of the townsfolk?/***I'm having Alexa read this to me with her British accent***)

Listening to the really long Source by James Michener, probably my favorite author. It logs in at 52+ hours.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

(LA bookstore inheritance/scavenger hunt mystery ~ family secrets/literary references)

Getting back into my audiobook groove now that Fall is here:

A Perfect Spy (by John Le Carré) - I started this one last year in print while I was in France but for some reason put it down and didn't get back to it even though I was thoroughly engrossed with it at the time! This round I picked up the audiobook edition (narrated by the British actor Michael Jayston who is featured in one of the Smiley films.) In this spy thriller, a British agent heads to a small boarding house on the seacoast and starts reflecting on his life in the service. The narrative switches from third-person omniscient to the first person POV, sometimes addressing his son, other times his partner, Jack Brotherhood, and sometimes the POV is self-reflective. He also often refers to himself in the third person which makes the narrative complicated at first, but it soon sorts itself out. Le Carré always manages to suck me into his world and break my heart. This is a novel worth savoring. If I were to do it over again, though, I would stick with the print: There were quite a few passages, characters, and references to American culture which the audiobook narrator was clearly unfamiliar with, which led to mispronunciations and an overly flat rendition of CIA agents' dialogue.

Exogene (Subterrene War #2 by T. C. McCarthy) - This is a Sci-Fi/Mil-Fic novel set in the future where wars are waged over mined metals. All-female super soldiers are bred in tanks with a three-year expiration date and inculcated with a variant form of Christian faith that should keep them fighting and loyal to the cause before they "spoil." Stylistically, the writing is interesting with the rhythm of prayers, the mysticism of hallucinations, and the slaps to our sensibilities as we are given glimpses into the barbarism of war. This installment features Germline soldier named Catherine (sp?) who writes of her journey of faith and acceptance as tries to outrun her fate. However, I would definitely recommend the print over the audio. This is early in Bahni Turpin's career as an audiobook narrator and her delineation between like characters in dialogue is poor, and the corrections were badly edited in.

I just started listening to Beloved (written and narrated by Toni Morrison) last night. I usually avoid audiobooks narrated by the author but this is one in which I definitely wanted to hear the author's voice! I've only listened to the first chapter so far, but I love it so far: Both the writing style and Ms Morrison's voice are hypnotic as the story of a house haunted by a baby starts to unfold

Will start October with this OverDrive audiobook ~

"L" is for Lawless by Sue Grafton

(Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series/a favor for a friend becomes a wild romp involving a decades-old crime)

Wow. Last night, I finished listening to Beloved (written and narrated by Toni Morrison) and it is, for lack of a better word, gorgeous. In 1988, it won the Pulitzer Award for Fiction which gave me the idea that it was lit-fic; and because the author is African-American, I assumed it was Black Literature; And while it is both these things, it's so much more! It is poetry disguised as prose; It's a ghost story; It's a horror story; It's a story that speaks of truths wrapped in a sort of magical realism. "Beloved" is the name recorded on the headstone of Sethe's little girl. Sethe herself is a slave who has escaped to Ohio just before the U.S. Civil War... The recording is old (1998) and shows it's age with a cloudy background and abrupt endings in some parts (possibly where disc tags were removed.) I see on Audible there are reviews that don't like the author as the audiobook narrator, but I found Toni Morrison's voice mesmerizing and giving shape to a narrative that I'm not convinced I would have been able to read and make sense of in print even half as well.

Tanya, I adored Beloved as well. Morrison's voice has that particular S sound that's often really hard for me especially at the start of a book, so I read it in print. I'm hoping to try my next by her on audio again though, since maybe I was having a worse Bad Sound day or didn't try it long enough to get used to it or didn't try changing the speed a little. I'm hopeful for next time though.

I'm just finished Zami: A New Spelling of my Name by Audre Lorde (a memoir). No idea what I'll start next.

Making my way through Laurann Dohner New Species Series only have four books to go Smiley is up next.

I found a Classic American Short Story that had been sitting in my audiobook queue since 2014! The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (by Washington Irving; narrated by Tom Mison) is only about an hour-and-fifteen minutes long but it deserves repeated listening: Everytime I read the story, more details emerge and I marvel that the scenes and characters are so vividly described in a short piece. Ichabod Crane, an itinerant school teacher with his eye on a local heiress, is susceptible to the folk tales of the area. When it looks like our ersatz hero might well be getting his wishes fulfilled, his romantic rival takes things in hand... Tom Mison is the audiobook narrator, and he reads the story beautifully, but I couldn't help but wonder why he was cast in this story about a Dutch town, Sleepy Hollow near Tarrytown, NY when his British accent was obvious. I guess the speaker of the story could> be British but still. 4 stars

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber

(Book #1, Verity Kent/post WWI England/a letter suggests that Verity's dead husband committed treason/British narrator)

Decided to have a re-listen to The Course of Honour by Lindsey Davis. It was actually her first novel set in ancient Rome but she was unable to get it published until her Falco series was well-established. And re-listening to And Be a Villain by Rex Stout.

Starting this OverDrive audiobook ~

Princess: A Private Novel by James Patterson
(Jack Morgan/England/Princess Caroline, third in line to the throne, requests JM's help ~ a friend of the royal is missing)

UPDATE: pulled the plug ~ the story made a major violent detour at the mid-point.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce
(WWII London/aspiring journalist secretly types responses in Mrs. Bird's advice column/humorous confusion and moving war-time realities/narrated by a Brit)

UPDATE: a fave for the year!

Hello all, not sure I've posted here before.

I'm listening to Dry by Jane Harper. It's a mystery, set in small Australian town. Both the writing and the narration are excellent. I typically only listen to and from work, but I've started looking for opportunities to listen to this one outside the car.

Tanya, Beloved is a gorgeous book. I read it years ago, but listening to it read by Morrison is tempting.

>32 mkunruh:

I love the multi-tasking feature of listening to audiobooks. My Sony wearable MP3 player is especially useful for this purpose.

I enjoyed listening to The Dry, and I am looking forward to hearing Book #2 in the future.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Seeing Red by Sandra Brown

(Kerra, television journalist in Texas/a hero and his estranged son/lies and conspiracy/romantic suspense)

Enjoying his library audiobook ~

Consumed (Firefighters series) by J. R. Ward

(book #1/Anne Ashburn becomes an arson investigator after a life-changing tragedy/romantic suspense ~ Anne and Danny/family issues/fire station crew/ensemble narration)

Shifting between fluff and substance.

Sin du Jour, which is an omnibus of the fantasy series. I may abandon if something better comes by.

Tears We Cannot Stop, by Michael Eric Dyson.

Finished listening to Born a Crime (written and narrated by Trevor Noah this morning. It was offered as a free dnload to Audible members at the end of 2016. Oddly, I couldn't find it in my library, but by searching for it in the app, I was able to locate it and play it through that.

It's the autobiography/memoir of a boy/man who lived though post-Apartheid South Africa, and a testament to his mother, a strong, independent woman who was the defining influence in his life. Born a Crime is an exposition on racism, the nuances of which I was unfamiliar with as pertaining to South Africa (it's much, much more than just black vs white.) Hearing the Xhosa clicks and Noah's facility with language (he's a polyglot) was fascinating; but if you're looking for something about his celebrity life (as the successor to Jon Stewart on The Daily Show) you won't find it here. Still, a solid four-stars and very much an important book.

I'm listening to a very interesting non-fiction book The Genius of Birds. I am somewhat of a bird watcher so maybe that's why I find it fascinating but I'll bet anyone interested in nature, physiology, science etc. would also be interested in it. The central message is that the term "bird brain" is not a pejorative.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

(Tokyo convenience store/novel about social pressures and alienation/Asperger's issues?)

I'm listening to Giant of the Senate, read by the author. I like it.

I'm having a re-listen to The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis. Her Falco books are favorites of mine and it's been a long time since I've read the first.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

Her Last Goodbye by Melinda Leigh

(book #2, Morgan Dane series/romantic suspense/Morgan and Lance team up to find a missing mom)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

(a boy and his fox are separated/loss/war/separate adventures before they reconnect/award-winning juvenile lit)

I enjoyed my first visit with Al Franken, so I downloaded Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. It's a short book. I thought another narrator was stated, but he sure did sound like Franken, and today all I can find is that Franken read it.

I have been away from the group for a few months during a crazy time at work.. glad to be "home". :)
I am currently listening to Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robinson. This is a great novel to read while commuting.. Hope to finish it before it expires. If not will pick up the paper copy and finish it. Happy Wednesday all!

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

The Perfect Witness: A Novel by Iris Johansen

(suspense/psychic abilities/crime family/witness protection program/a stand-alone book)

I'm almost finished with Us Against You by Fredrick Backman. I really enjoy this author's works, and this one is living up to my expectations.

It took me a little while (about ten days) to listen to it all, but I finally finished listening to The Lost: The Search for Six of Six Million (by Daniel Mendelsohn; narrated by Bronson Pinchot.) This is a non-linear narrative, in the Ancient Greek style of storytelling, about the author's search for six people who "were killed" by the Nazis." Combining Biblical exegesis, the untangling of family lore, the hard hunt for facts, and the problems of interpretation, this presents a powerful picture of how history works in our lives and the hidden costs of human annihilations. There is a postscript in this version that it is not in earlier editions of the book that provides an emotionally devasting note to the whole of the work which left me a little breathless. Bronson Pinchot narrates the audio with intelligence and emotion. My only quibbles are that the middle of the narrative bogs down a bit, and there are no pictures in pdf attachment or otherwise (and you really do want to see the pictures that are referred to.) I'll definitely be adding a hardback to my collection as well.

Started this OverDrive audiobook ~
The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin
(NYC, 1950s/socialites/Truman Capote/tale featuring betrayal and scandal)

UPDATE: pulled the plug!

********************
Replaced with this OD audiobook ~

Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller

(Kansas, 1870s/novel authorized by Little House Heritage Trust)

For the past few years, I've been listening to a Stephen King audiobook every October. It's been novels so far but this year I saw a copy of the short story anthology, Night Shift (narrated by John Glover) in the library and decided to listen to one every day or so. There are sixteen shorts in the collection but it is also worth noting that while the audio is labeled "An Unabridged Production," (which may have been true in 1994 when the audio was produced,) it does not include "I am the Doorway," "Trucks," "Children of the Corn," and "One for the Road" which are in the 2011 print edition. So I guess I'm saying you need to get both the print and the audio editions for the completed Night Shift experience! Anyway, as to the audio itself, the stories range from the horrific ("Jerusalem's Lot") to the sad ("The Last Rung in the Ladder") and from the artful and sublime (again "Jerusalem's Lot") to the corny/lame ("The Lawnmower Man" and "The Mangler.") John Glover rises to the occasion of each story, his performance style sometimes echoing Rod Sterling, other times Maine locals... The stories are dated ('Night Shift' was published in 1976) but each is well crafted and well narrated.

I am on a mission to escape the national election news scene for about four days. I am listening to Christmas music and starting my holiday book picks for this year. I am also watching some of Hallmark's Christmas movies.

I listened to Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock, and I am listening to His Mistress by Christmas by Victoria Alexander.

-deleted-

Another re-listen for me. Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn.

I'm listening to Americanah and enjoying it. I had to start listening at a slower speed than I usually do because the names and accents were hard for me to understand, but once I got the hang of it, I was able to speed up a bit. I don't often listen to books at 1x. I'm just not patient enough for that.

The Player King by Avi

(England 1487/royal tale based on a true story/a kitchen boy's first person narrative/middle-grade lit)

Enjoying this OverDrive non-fiction audiobook ~

Lincoln's Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency by Dan Abrams

I finished Americanah and enjoyed it, but didn't love it. Too much romance for me, and characters with whom I never really connected. Now I'm starting Unsheltered. I like some of her books but not all, and the jury is still out on this one. I have enjoyed the first hour or so.

Enjoying this Kindle/Audible book combo ~

What Have You Done by Matthew Farrell

(Philly police dept/two brothers in that dept/a dead female)

I really enjoyed Unsheltered although I understand why not everyone will. Barbara Kingsolver narrated the audio edition, and some of her reading was good but some of it didn't work for me. Now I'm listening to a short Audible original, Hi Bob!, while I'm waiting for my pre-ordered Becoming by Michelle Obama to be released. Hi Bob! is just okay.

Still waiting for Becoming, I started listening to I Will Find You by Joe Kenda. I lived in Colorado Springs at the time he was a homicide detective there, and I recognize neighborhoods and landmarks in the TV show Homicide Hunter, so I find this audio quite interesting. It's read by the author and he is doing a better job of it than I expected. Maybe it's all the TV practice.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (NYC/four adult siblings in a rich, dysfunctional family)

UPDATE: ****

Just finished Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled his Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk, which was good, but the audio edition has been taken from cassettes, so the quality wasn't great (this was on my library's Overdrive).

Now listening to The Man Who Wasn't There: Investigations into the Strange New Science of the Self by Anil Ananthaswamy

The Ghost of Marlow House was offered by my library as a Halloween season choice. Don't bother.

I'm Judging You is pretty snarky. I'm trying to listen to the viewpoint.

My serious book is socio-political Winners Take All, by Anand Giridharadas.

Lightning Men by Thomas Mullen

Enjoying this Kindle eBook ~

The Dance Before Christmas (Lady Travelers Society) by Victoria Alexander

(Regency Christmas romp involving mistaken identity/***Alexa is reading this to me with her British accent***)

I'm working on The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson for my book club. Not hating it, but not liking it either. It's a bit too book-clubby and some aspects of the character development feel really off to me (the narrator is a self-described nerd but she's acting like a 16 yr old in some ways when she's actually 38).

I listened to Stardust by Neil Gaiman which was read (masterfully) by Gaiman. I'm a latecomer to Gaiman's writing since I always thought I didn't like fantasy and so I would avoid it. Now I've learned that some fantasy appeals to me and Gaiman is one writer I enjoy. This is a lovely book about a man on a quest at the behest of a lovely girl who might wed him if he is successful. He finds true love although he doesn't realize it until he gets back to the girl who sent him on his quest and realizes she doesn't want him and he doesn't want her.

Started this OverDrive audiobook ~

Lies She Told by Cate Holahan

(psych thriller/reality vs. fiction/Liza is an author/Beth is the main character in the novel Liza is writing)

Brave New World (by Aldous Huxley; narrated by Michael York) - This is a title that, when it appears on one of those "Have You Read...?' lists, I always pause. Surely, I must have read it in high school? Or am I confusing it with Orwell? Since, I don't remember any of it, though, I suppose I can't count it. Then I saw that I had this in my audible library and thought it was the Ghost of Gutenberg to, "Get on with it!" Wow. If I did read this before, I'm shocked that I don't remember it: It's a Classic dystopian tale, a commentary on modernity and a treatise on the costs of happiness. My eyebrows were raised quite a few times when Huxley went places that seemed contradictory, prescient, and insightful. There is a story of sorts, but it's more that there are characters that serve as vehicles to drive home Huxley's points/thoughts. The recording wasn't the best: occasional sounds of booth noises and some odd pauses, but the performance itself was wonderful. Michael York was pitch perfect, delivering outrage, decorum, and bewilderment convincingly; the character delineations were distinctive; and I'm always a sucker for a British narrator ;-)

Starting this library audiobook ~

Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke

(a Hannah Swensen cozy mystery/Thanksgiving/Hannah's husband disappears)

I've got about 3 hours to go before I finish Beloved by Toni Morrison. Someone on LT mentioned that they were listening to it, but I'm sorry I don't remember who it was. At any rate, thank you. I've tried reading this book in the past but never got very far. Listening to it works better for me. I can't say I enjoy it because parts of it are so brutal, but it is beautifully written and narrated by the author, and I am appreciating it.

2wonderY wrote ~

I very much enjoyed The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, so I thought to sample another by this author. I'm listening to This Would Make a Good Story Someday. It doesn't have the same sense of fun and camaraderie that the Fletcher family had. Each character, while part of a family, still seem too separate. It's not uplifting.

Also listening to Star Wars from a certain point of view. It is 40 short stories that expand on the lives of the bit players. Generally good tie-in, but oddly, out of chronological order. This is a full cast recording, but that doesn't stand out.

and

Don't know how I stumbled upon it, but I'm getting some enjoyment listening to Black Man, White House, the parody by D. L. Hughley. The narrative begins before Obama even decides to run, and is carried forward by Michelle Obama and political counselor, David Axelrod. Those voices are straightforward. It's the interjections by all of the other players that are funny.

Since I paid little attention to politics at the time, I'm learning recent history while I'm at it.

Starting this library audiobook ~

Trust Me by Hank Phillippi Ryan
(psychological suspense/two women with major personal issues/murder trial/manipulation)

UPDATE: * * * *

Two this week.

The Hello Girls, about switchboard operators sent to Europe during WW1. They were sent late in the war, so the author pads the book with lots of other relevant stuff. A book for feminists, for sure.

Black Man, White House is pretty snarky. It's humor; painting most of the characters in a ridiculous light. But the main narrative does offer a lot of real material about the Obama campaign and presidency.

Chimera (The Subterrene War #3; by T. C. McCarthy; narrated by John Pruden) - Wrapping up the Subterrene War trilogy on audio! This is a mil-fic story set in a future world in which global wars are fought over the metals in the ground. In this installment, however, the underground wars have ceased and we find our hero, "Bug" lost in civilian life. Soon, however, he is called on a mission into the Southeast Asian jungles to do what he does best: Kill Germline sentients. These are young women who were bio-engineered to be ultimate fighting soldiers. Once in Thailand, however, the shape of the mission changes. Overall, it was a decent story, if borrowing a bit heavily from "Hurt Locker" to form the character, and "Apocalypse Now" to form the storyline. The audiobook narrator and production were very good, though I suspect that John Pruden lent the story a bit more of a parodic tone than I would have gleaned from reading the text, and I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing! :-D

Enjoyed

Christmas Star by Donna VanLiere

Started this library audiobook ~

Robert B. Parker's Blood Feud by Mike Lupica
(Sunny Randall series/in this update installment SR must deal with the Mob to help her mob-connected ex-husband and prevent a Mob war)

UPDATE: pulled the plug

Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (by Lewis Carroll; narrated by Michael Page) - I love Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass! I used to collect various print editions, audio editions, movies, etc. I picked this audio edition up in 2012 and see that it has been re-mastered yet again in 2014 (though I can still hear print-though in the audio sample, the result of which makes it sound like there is a conversation going on in the background.) The recording was done on reel-to-reel in 1995 and the remastered version for the digital age hasn't held up well. The narrator "talks" so fast that I did something I rarely do, adjust the speed. I slowed the recording down to 75%. There is some distortion, but it's not too bad. It sounds like it was corrected for the 2014 re-mastered edition. Anyway, though it's not exactly a keeper, I enjoyed the story as I always do. The poetry, the nonsense, and the imagery are fascinating.

Enjoying this Kindle/Audible combo ~

Bones Don't Lie (Morgan Dane Book 3) by Melinda Leigh

(Morgan and Lance/suspense/Lance has been wondering what happened to his father for over two decades)

While waiting in line for the third book in the series (as well as other popular picks) at the library, I'm listening to A Closed and Common Orbit, which I've already read in print.

Starting two book club books for meetings next week. Girl at War by Sara Novic and The Library Book by Susan Orlean.

Enjoying this informative OverDrive audiobook novel ~

Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher

(London & US, 1930s and 40s/Kennedy clan saga ~ Kick Kennedy's life is center stage)
https://www.librarything.com/work/21448097/book/163294601

and

this Audible novel ~

A Tale of Two Hearts: Book 2 in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas
by Michelle Griep

I can juggle several at once.

SIL got me access to the second Bobiverse audio - For We Are Many. It is a smooth continuation of the events of the first book. It's a universe where the author can play with lots of different SF tropes.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose (Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Chronicles series) by Stephanie Laurens

Enjoying this Kindle eBook Alexa can read to me ~

Amish Christmas Scrooge by Hannah Schrock
https://www.librarything.com/work/22662339/book/163614663

I finally finished listening to What It Is Like To Go To War (by Karl Marlantes; narrated by Bronson Pinchot) - I fully expected to love this audiobook as it was the same author and audiobook narrator who "gave me" Matterhorn ten year sago; but it came up a bit short for me. I am not the target audience: I do not plan to go into the military, no family members of mine are or have been in the 21st century US military, and while I am not unaware or completely indifferent to the issues that face veterans, it's not my primary social justice crusade. Marlantes talks of possible approaches to handling the issues of those men and women who are sent to do "our nation's killing," and while he speaks from experience, and from a well-developed socio-psychological perspective, it's not the sort of thing that would get under my skin. There were some interesting anecdotes form his time as a Marine serving in Vietnam but also some disturbing stories of his time back in the US when he seemed to be stating that he saw ghosts. It is not clear if he was taking literary license or whether he really believes he saw ghosts... And, as much as I admire Bronson Pinchot, this would have benefitted from having the author narrate.

Edit: I posted this in the wrong thread. Sorry!

>86 Tanya-dogearedcopy: It's interesting how different books affect us differently. What It is Like to Go to War is one of those books that has stayed with me even though I've read a few hundred since that one. I think part of that is because I was a 19-year old bride who married young before my husband went to Vietnam weeks after the wedding. And I was an anti-war Californian semi-hippie. That book touched me more than his more popular Matterhorn.

I finished listening to Boy Erased and thought it good but not as interesting as I expected. I finished re-listening to Dead Wake, which I realized I'd already heard once I started listening to it the second time. But the second time was good, too

Then I listened to The Third Wife as something light, and it was just okay.

This morning I started listening to Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd. I've been meaning to listen to or read one of his books for ages, but I kept procrastinating. It's ~45 hours long.

I'm reading my LTER win, Tacoma Stories, and just started reading a Kindle edition of Where the Crawdads Sing.

*****The Part 19 thread is now active*****

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301310