Part 20 ~ What Are You Listening to Now?

2020 = Part 20 'Now' threads

Looking forward to months of tempting book posts!

Enjoying this Audible suspense novel ~

Final Truth by Mariah Stewart

(book 4, Truth series/true-crime writer Regan Landry)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold by Nancy Atherton

(Aunt Dimity series/paranormal cozy/Christmas happenings & mystery in an English village)

Currently devouring Grant by Ron Chernow. A great story told by a great storyteller.

I'm listening to The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali, narrated by Mozhan Marno. This book is set mostly in 1953 in Tehran, Iran when it was a place of learning and liberalism. Quite a contrast to the present day.

>5 gypsysmom:

The Stationery Shop was one of my faves for last year!

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak

(1700s/Varvara, a palace maid during Catherine the Great's rise/Canadian author)

On the phone
Counting by 7s - heartrending.

In the car
The Martian - a treat to myself.

also
Gumption - just because I like to listen to Nick Offerman read.

>6 Molly3028: That's good to know.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Private Justice (Newpointe 911, Book 1) by Terri Blackstock

(Christian suspense)

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

SPY by Danielle Steel

(London, India, etc./1940s-90s/historical fiction/a young woman moves from a life of privilege into a life of intrigue/British narrator)

My librarian saved a new hardback for me that she thought I'd enjoy - the first in a new series - Call Down the Hawk. Turns out some of the characters starred in another series, so I'm going back to listen to The Raven Boys on my phone, to refresh my memory.

In the car, listening to The Girl Who Drank the Moon. It's a lovely fantasy story; good characters; and read by the inimitable Christina Moore. She has such a practical voice!

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook on a snowy Saturday ~

The Nightingale Before Christmas: A Meg Langslow Christmas Mystery by Donna Andrews

(cozy mystery/interior decorators/Christmas showcase house theme)

Having enjoyed The Stationery Shop a lot I immediately started reading another book set in Tehran in the same time frame as the first part of TSS. Aria by Nazanine Hozar is about an infant girl abandoned on a street in Tehran who was luckily found by a man on his way home from his job as a driver fot the army. He takes the girl home, names her Aria and then has to leave her with his wife because his job involves working away from home for some days at a time. His wife is awful to the girl but she does survive the poverty and illness all around her. The author grew up in Tehran but now lives in Canada. This is her first novel.

>14 gypsysmom:

Have you ever listened to

Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford?

It takes place in ethnic neighborhoods of Seattle during World War
II and involves Japanese American internment camp issues. The
Stationery Shop book reminded me of the enjoyment I had
listening to Ford's book back in 2009.

Touchstone seems to have issues today.

>15 Molly3028: No I haven't but I have heard it mentioned favourably before. Based on your recommendation I just went to my library's digital page and put a hold on the audiobook. I am next in queue so I should have it soon. Thank you.

>15 Molly3028: and >16 gypsysmom:

I didn't have as favorable a reaction to "Bitter and Sweet." A book it reminded me of, and one that I thought was masterful, is Snow Falling on Cedars. Far better plot and mature exploration of racist attitudes toward Japanese Americans in the Pacific NW (among other issues), although set 10 years after WWII.

Enjoying this OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa can read to me ~

Desperate Creed by Alex Kava (4 stars)

(Ryder Creed, book 5/search and rescue dogs/tornado-torn area)

>17 Limelite: I keep meaning to read that book. I saw the movie which I thought was beautiful. Maybe one of these days...

Hi all! I'm a newbie here. I finished reading sun stand still and loved it because it was read by the author (Pastor Steven Furtick) and it was very engaging. Not sure what I will read next for an audiobook, but am narrowing down my options :-).

I slipped Dandelion Fire into the CD player this morning on the way to work. It's the second in a series, and I was not prepared for the breathtaking descriptions herein. A guaranteed pleasure, I think.

>20 nlpolak:

Welcome to our group!

thanks Molly!

STARTED TODAY THE FIGHTER BY MICHAEL FARRIS SMITH.

Finished Aria by Nazanine Hozar which was the second audiobook set in Tehran during the 1950s, 60s and 70s that I listened to in January. This one was, well, grittier is the term that comes to mind, than The Stationery Shop as it involves characters that are quite poor and live in quite horrible conditions. There are also some characters from the privileged class for a nice contrast. One of the interesting things about this tale is the exploration of many different religions that were tolerated in Iran before Khomeini came to power. One family is Jewish, one family is Armenian and so Christian, one family is Zoroastrian although they take Muslim names in an effort to blen in more but they still celebrate some of their Zoroastrian customs in the safety of their own home. It is quite striking how that all changes as the Shah falls and the clerics take over.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

(Philadelphia/police procedural/two sisters/drug abuse)

Finished The Fighter. Starting today, Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone.

Enjoying this OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa can narrate for me ~

The Lady Travelers Guide to Larceny with a Dashing Stranger: A Novel (Lady Travelers Society Book 2)

(one painting/two people seeking ownership/romantic Victorian romp in Europe)

I'm listening to Dear Fahrenheit 451, the author's very personal reviews. Some indicate the contents; others only speak about her circumstances with the book in question. Some are love letters; some are apologies to obscure titles she has had to remove from the collection. The best so far is to Roget's Pocket Thesaurus.

I've got the print book as well, and it is brief enough to be a bathroom book.

Enjoying this library Playaway audiobook ~

A Dangerous Man by Robert Crais

(Cole and Pike series/private investigators/foiled kidnapping intrigue)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Walnut Tree by Charles Todd

(a Bess Crawford Mystery/England & France, WWI/nursing corps)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

The Irish Girl: A Novel (Deverill Chronicles trilogy Book 1) by Santa Montefiore
https://www.librarything.com/work/17902284/book/178675298

(Kitty, Celia, Bridie/Ireland in early 1900s/Castle Deverill/folklore)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

American Dirt (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel (4+ stars)
by Jeanine Cummins

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Ripped the CDs into my iTunes so that I could listen to it at "2x" speed (actually about 1.33x) on my iPod. That part worked fine, but I am too accustomed to audiobook apps that let you see your progress through the whole book. But rest assured, I am anal enough about that to manually add up the minutes and seconds of each track per chapter and overall so that at the end of each chapter, I just need to consult the list in my notebook to know how far along I am 😵

Enjoying this OverDrive non-fiction Kindle eBook Alexa can read to me ~

Mindfulness for Chocolate Lovers: A Lighthearted Way to Stress Less and Savor More Each Day
by Diane R. Gehart

I listened to Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl which her memoir of being the editor of Gourmet magazine. I consider myself a bit of a foodie and often look through Bon Appetit and Cook's Illustrated although I don't usually tackle the recipes. I was never a big Gourmet reader so I didn't follow all the ups and downs of its publishing history. It was interesting to get a behind the scenes look at what went into publishing a monthly magazine but a part of me wondered if Reichl really had such great relationships with everyone on staff as she claims in the book. And I rather wished I had a hard copy of the book for the recipes at the end of some chapters. Still if you are at all interested in food and/or publishing this is a good read or listen.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Other Windsor Girl by Georgie Blalock (4+ stars)

(England, mid 1900s/Princess Margaret tale)

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, via Libby/OverDrive. I own the physical book, but I can't read it on my commute!

Finished listening to The Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice which was read by Billy Merasty. This was an unusual story from an indigenous writer that I was not familiar with. Some CBC radio listeners may know his name because he hosts a radio program from Sudbury. The story is set on a fictional reserve in Northwest Ontario after a power and communications blackout has put the reserve into conditions that existed 50 to 100 years before. At first the band is able to provide power and water by using their backup generators but eventually the diesel to run them is used up. No help is coming to them from the outside world because everywhere has been hit with the same blackout. And did I mention that it's winter? A very long cold and snowy winter that makes life even more difficult. What will happen to the band members when food becomes scarce? Rice has an interesting answer to that question.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

House on Fire: A Novel by Joseph Finder

(Nick Heller series/Boston intel investigator/opioid abuse/whistleblowers)

>40 Molly3028: There was a second description that was correct. So it was a matter of flagging, thumb up and down and recalculating.

>41 2wonderY:

Thanks!

Finishing February with this library audiobook ~

Dead to Her: A Novel
by Sarah Pinborough

WEIRD ~ pulled plug

Just finished up Brave Enough: Getting Over Our Fears, Flaws, and Failures to Live Bold and Free read by the author. It was really inspiring! Great message for women of all ages trying to go through the motions of life and work and family.

Enjoying these two books ~

OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa can read to me ~
The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against a Criminal President by Jill Wine-Banks (4 stars)

OverDrive audiobook ~
Golden in Death: An Eve Dallas Novel (In Death, Book 50) by J. D. Robb
(NYC/2060s police procedural/romantic suspense)

I finished listening to The Tattooist of Auschwitz which is a novel but is based upon real events at Auschwitz. The authorHeather Morris wrote the book after meeting the man who was a tattooist (i.e. he tattooed people's forearms with a number) at the notorious death camp. Lali Eisenberg fell in love with a woman whose arm he was tattooing and despite great difficulties they had a romantic relationship there. The Auschwitz Memorial Research Centre has found a number of inaccuracies in the book but it must be remembered that it is a novel and it is based on the recollections of a man some 70 years after the events. I thought it was a very interesting tale.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

(YA novel/several authors and narrators)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Mademoiselle Chanel: A Novel by C. W. Gortner

(1895-1954/fictionalized biography of Coco Chanel)

Started yesterday, Homesick for Another World

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Hindsight (Kendra Michaels Book 7) by Iris Johansen

(murder of two academy teachers Kendra knew from her school days/Kendra and Adam ~
a favorite romantic suspense series)

Enjoying this OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa can read to me ~

Broken Bone China (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs
(South Carolina/a drone brings down a hot-air balloon)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Chasing Cassandra: The Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas

(book 6/England, 1876/a very wealthy man with a frozen heart would like Cassandra Ravenel for a wife)

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

The Killer's Wife: A Novel by Bill Floyd

(West Coast and North Carolina/ex-wife of a serial killer on death row/stalking suspense)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

You Are Not Alone: A Novel by Greer Hendricks (4+ stars)

(NYC/psych suspense/a subway suicide/Shay Miller, lady who witnessed the event/the mysterious Moore sisters and their group)

Finished today, Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan and started Defending Jacob by William Landay.

>55 jldarden: Oh, I remember Last Night at the Lobster with much fondness. Good heartwarming characters.

I'm starting The Door Before, a YA fantasy. So far, so good. Solid gold imagery and appealing characters.

>55 jldarden:

Defending Jacob is a book that is hard to forget ~ it was one of
my faves the year it was first published. I believe Apple has plans
to make a movie version ~ I'm looking forward to seeing that.

Started this OverDrive audiobook ~

Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel by Peter Swanson

(book 1?/Boston/Malcolm Kershaw is a bookseller, classic crime fiction aficionado and murder suspect?)

I finished Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin and I was completely blown away by how beautiful the writing was. It is the story of an American ex-pat living in Paris and then the south of France. Since that is what James Baldwin did himself it's tempting to say this novel is autobiographical but Baldwin himself denied that. And there are certain key differences. For one thing the American is white and Baldwin was black. Baldwin primarily went to France to distance himself from the racism in the US but David, the character in the novel, is really trying to find a purpose in life. Also David is bisexual and while Baldwin was gay there hasn't been any evidence that he had any sexual relationships with women. David, while his girlfriend is off exploring Spain, moves in with an Italian bartender that he met in a gay bar. They have an intense physical relationship for a couple of months but when the girlfriend returns David drops Giovanni. When Giovanni is subsequently found guilty of murder and is guillotined David blames himself.

This book is on the 1001 Books to Read Before you Die list and I think it deserves to be.

Starting these two books:

OverDrive audiobook ~
The Knave of Hearts: Rhymes With Love by Elizabeth Boyle
(Book 5/Regency/a wager leads to an unexpected romance)

and

OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa will read to me ~
Wild Ride (Black Knights Inc. Book 9) by Julie Ann Walker
(spec-ops group disguised as a custom motorcycle shop/suspense and hot sex)

Finished Defending Jacob and have started The Lost Man by Jane Harper.

>61 jldarden: I loved The Lost Man. I also listened to it.

I finished a novella that completely took me away from the coronavirus craziness. Half Spent was the Night by Ami McKay is read by the author. It's an offshoot of her novel (which I have not read but that was not a problem for enjoying this book) The Witches of New York. It takes place in New York in the 1800s in that period between Christmas and New Year's so if you wanted to save it for that time of year it would be perfect but I enjoyed it even now. Witchcraft and ghosts and elaborate costumes abound.

This is a great thread!

I am currently listening to My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Made it through The Lost Man and today started Alas, Babylon read by one of my favorite narrators, Will Patton.

Enjoying this free book via audiobook.com intro offer ~

Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle (4 stars)

(domestic thriller/spousal abuse)

Finished and thoroughly enjoyed Alas, Babylon. Started last night, Townie by Andre Dubus III.

Started this free book via audiobook.com intro offer ~

Woman in the Water: A Prequel to the Charles Lenox Series by Charles Finch

(London, 1850/young Charles Lenox aims to be a detective)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

Mortal Friends: A Novel by Jane Stanton Hitchcock

(DC high society satire/murder mystery)

Finished Townie last night, which I started out not liking but then ended up quite enjoying. Anyone else feel that generally, authors should not read their own works? Started today, Bad Country by CB McKenzie.

>69 jldarden:. Agreed, most authors are not very good readers, even of their own works. The exceptions are professional public speakers such as actors, tv journalists, some professors, etc.

>69 jldarden: We've got a thread discussing just that question:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/33296

Starting this OverDrive audiobook ~

All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney (4 stars)

(YA fiction/a teenage girl decides to embrace her religion/interesting intro to the Muslim religion)

>69 jldarden: I've actually enjoyed quite a few books read by their authors. I thought Michelle Obama did a great job of reading Becoming and I really love how Bill Bryson narrates his own books. I am right now listening to Days by Moonlight which is read by the author Andre Alexis and I think he is doing a great job.

I've abandoned The Library Book, read by the author, Susan Orlean. She has a harsh, flat voice. Reduced the pleasure.

Wrapped up Bad Country, not terribly impressed. Now into Empire Falls narrated by one of my favorites, Ron McLarty. Just found out he passed away in February. Sorry to hear. A good narrator and a good author.

Enjoying this OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa is narrating for me ~

Lady Clementine: A Novel by Marie Benedict

(historical fiction/Winston and Clementine Churchill)

Finished with Empire Falls friday. Excellent by the way. Started yesterday Swamplandia!

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

My One and Only Duke (Rogues to Riches Book 1) by Grace Burrowes

(Regency historical fiction romance)

I've finished and now reviewed Days by Moonlight and it didn't impress me as much as Alexis' book Fifteen Dogs. I can see that people who really like magical realism would probably enjoy it.

Now I am listening to an audiobook that is much more to my taste: The Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See. It tells the story of women divers in Korea who free dive i.e. use no breathing apparatus. It's quite fascinating. I caught an interview Lisa See did with Carol Fitzgeradl of the Bookreporter.com website. The interview is almost an hour long and Lisa See talks about more than this book but she explains a lot about her research into the community of free divers. Does anyone else subscribe to Bookreporter.com? They review a lot of books plus Fitzgerald talks about her life and what she watches on TV and what she cooks and what is growing in her garden. The weekly email comes on Friday night so I usually look it over on the weekend and make note of any books that appeal to me. There are quite a few reviews of audio books on the site.

I found the literal Books on Tape edition of One Man's America, the autobiography of one-time Time Magazine editor-in-chief and ambassador to Austria Henry Grunwald. Suffice to say, it's not likely to be re-released on Audible or whatever any time soon, so I bought the tapes and a USB-enabled cassette player. I'm trying out its digitization function, but if that doesn't work, I can just listen to it straight off the player.

Starting this OverDrive audiobook ~

Camino Winds by John Grisham (pulled plug early on)

(Camino Island, book 2/a murder in the midst of a hurricane)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

The Inn by James Patterson

(thriller/Bill Robinson is a former Boston cop/Gloucester, MA drug issues)

I finished Swamplandia! then made it through Brilliance. Not sure what's next.

Started this afternoon, Cari Mora by Thomas Harris.

Enjoying this Kindle/Audible selection ~

Belle: An Amish Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (An Amish Fairytale) by Sarah Price
(book 1 in the series)

Started today, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Enjoying a revisit with this favorite series via an OverDrive audiobook ~

White Sister by Stephen J. Cannell

(Shane Scully, book 6/LAPD detective/Shane's wife is missing)

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

The Queen's Fortune: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire by Allison Pataki (4 stars)

(late 1700s-1800s/tale featuring the secret lover of Napoleon)

I've just started listening to The Dry by Jane Harper. It is narrated by Stephen Shanahan who has a marvelous Ozzie accent. I have heard great things about this first novel of Harper's and two hours in I am very much enjoying it.

I waited till it was almost due to start listening to This Is How It Always Is; and kicking myself because I'll have to order it again. Lovely characters and depictions of family life with a houseful of children. And strangely, there is an element of the mythic.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook ~

The American Agent: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear (4+ stars)

(book #15/an American war correspondent in London during the Blitz is murdered)

Finished 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea then breezed through As You Wish inconceivable tales from the making of The Princess Bride. Started last night, Home Field by Hannah Gersen.

Starting this OverDrive audiobook ~

The New Husband: A Novel by D.J. Palmer

(psych thriller/too good to be true?/hidden motives!)

Enjoying this OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa reads to me ~

Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen (4 stars)

(London, late 1800s/mystery tale which unfolds in Queen Victoria's royal kitchen)

Finished Home Field and have started A Gentleman in Moscow.

Starting this OverDrive audiobook ~

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

(Spain, 1950s/Franco dictatorship/two teens/YA tale)

Finished and really enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow. Taking a little bread to listen to some new music I picked up.

>97 jldarden: My book club read A Gentleman in Moscow in March of this year. Because of the pandemic we couldn't have our book club meeting but all the feedback from others by email was that it was a universal hit.

Enjoying this OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa is reading to me ~

Refuge Cove (New Americana) by Janet Dailey

(book 2/Alaska/spousal issues/gal on the run/romance)

Started last night, The Dry by Jane Harper.

***The 2020 listing continues here***

https://www.librarything.com/topic/321273