Panda 's bookshelf: read en-US Mon, 07 Jul 2025 23:39:04 -0700 60 Panda 's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Daggerbound (Swordheart, #2) 231425241 T. Kingfisher Panda 0 to-read, fantasy 3.00 2026 Daggerbound (Swordheart, #2)
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Panda
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: to-read, fantasy
review:

]]> Queen of Bones 230025657 Set between Cubas 20 years apart, Havana native Teresa Dovalpage's new mystery features an unusual detective - an ex-cop turned Santeria priest and a familiar face from her acclaimed crime fiction debut, Death Comes in Through the Kitchen .

Juan, a Cuban construction worker who has settled in Albuquerque, returns to Havana for the first time since fleeing Cuba by raft 20 years ago. He is traveling with his American wife, Sharon, hoping to catch up with Victor, his best friend from college - and, unbeknownst to Sharon, discover what has become of two of his ex-girlfriends, Elsa and Rosita. Juan is surprised to discover that Victor has become Victoria, and runs a popular drag show at the local hot spot Caf. Arabia. Elsa has married a wealthy foreigner, and Rosita, still single, works at the Havana cemetery.

When one of these women turns up dead, it will cost Padrino, a Santeria priest and former detective on the Havana police force, more than he expects to untangle the group's lies and hunt down a killer.]]> Teresa Dovalpage Panda 0 0.0 2019 Queen of Bones
author: Teresa Dovalpage
name: Panda
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: to-read, narrator-is-award-winning
review:

]]> Malinalli 60466426 An epic, magical tale, set against the backdrop of the final days of the Aztec Empire and reimagining the life of Malinalxochitl-otherwise known as La Malinche-a Nahua warrior priestess-in-training caught between two vicious men, both of whom have wronged her and her people.

Five hundred years ago, Spanish conquistadors destroyed the wondrous Mexica (known as "Aztec") city of Tenochtitlan, thus beginning the history of modern-day Mexico. Hernando Cortés and Moctezuma were at the helms of power, but today many people blame a young Indigenous Nahua woman for the cataclysm. Known by many names-Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina and Malinalxochitl, she was only eighteen when she was awarded to Cortés as a war prize. Cortés saw the value in her command of Indigenous languages, and though her exact role has been lost to history, she has long been seen as a woman who betrayed her culture. Debut author Veronica Chapa reinterprets her epic story with great power and empathy.

The firstborn in a set of fraternal twins, Mali spends her early years eager to take her rightful place as a student in Tenochtitlan's House of Magical Studies. Then tragedy strikes and she leaves home to study elsewhere among powerful priestesses. All the while, she hungers for revenge against Moctezuma, whom she believes responsible for destroying her family. Turmoil lands her under Cortés's control, working as his interpreter. She takes pride in the role-until she discovers his quest to conquer both his "new world" and her spirit. Far from home and with nothing and no one to fall back on, she dedicates herself to brokering peace between Cortes and those he meets en route to Tenochtitlan, where her powers fully emerge and her loyalties will be tested, with fateful consequences.]]> 12 Veronica Chapa 1797185616 Panda 4 Cynthia Farrell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Cynthia Farrell is excellent in her narration. She is an award winning narrator who received the Earphone Award for her narration of Queen of Bones, as noted:
Narrator Cynthia Farrell's mellifluous and confident rendering of Cuban speech patterns alternating with perfectly colloquial American ones gives the listener a delicious sense of having been transplanted to Havana, a treat you couldn't get from the page alone. In Dovalpage's atmospheric tale, Juan Chiong returns home 20 years after barely surviving his escape to Florida on a raft. He misses his old flame, Elsa, and has no idea that his best friend, Victor, is now Victoria, host of a prominent drag club. This is not the Cuba that Juan left behind. His prosperous American wife, Sharon, has at the last minute decided to come along precisely because she senses Juan doesn't want her to. Bad idea. Farrell's performance is atmospheric and assured, a delightful listen. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]

I think I might have to give that book a looksie!
The audio is flawless.

I was drawn into this novel from the jump. Veronica Chapa worked her magic on me and I enjoyed every second of the 12 hour journey. Would do it again!

]]> 3.93 2025 Malinalli
author: Veronica Chapa
name: Panda
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/07/07
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: historical-fiction, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by Cynthia Farrell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Cynthia Farrell is excellent in her narration. She is an award winning narrator who received the Earphone Award for her narration of Queen of Bones, as noted:
Narrator Cynthia Farrell's mellifluous and confident rendering of Cuban speech patterns alternating with perfectly colloquial American ones gives the listener a delicious sense of having been transplanted to Havana, a treat you couldn't get from the page alone. In Dovalpage's atmospheric tale, Juan Chiong returns home 20 years after barely surviving his escape to Florida on a raft. He misses his old flame, Elsa, and has no idea that his best friend, Victor, is now Victoria, host of a prominent drag club. This is not the Cuba that Juan left behind. His prosperous American wife, Sharon, has at the last minute decided to come along precisely because she senses Juan doesn't want her to. Bad idea. Farrell's performance is atmospheric and assured, a delightful listen. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]

I think I might have to give that book a looksie!
The audio is flawless.

I was drawn into this novel from the jump. Veronica Chapa worked her magic on me and I enjoyed every second of the 12 hour journey. Would do it again!


]]> <![CDATA[On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous]]> 45165366
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one's own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard.

With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.]]> 7 Ocean Vuong Panda 0 3.78 2019 On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
author: Ocean Vuong
name: Panda
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: book-club, poetry, currently-reading
review:

]]> The Alchemist 13425880
Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found.

The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories can, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.]]> 4 Paulo Coelho 0060879076 Panda 0 3.42 1988 The Alchemist
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Panda
average rating: 3.42
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: to-read, book-club, philosophy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing]]> 25203710 This best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing.

Japanese organizational consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly declutter your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Whereas most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, the KonMari Method's category-by-category, all-at-once prescription leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have been repeat customers (and she still has a three-month waiting list of new customers!). With detailed guidance for every type of item in the household, this quirky little manual from Japan's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help readers clear their clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home--and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire. ]]> 5 Marie Kondō Panda 0 currently-reading, nonfiction 3.57 2010 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
author: Marie Kondō
name: Panda
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: currently-reading, nonfiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up]]> 28961732 Spark Joy is an in-depth, line illustrated, room-by-room guide to decluttering and organising your home. It covers every room in the house from bedrooms and kitchens to bathrooms and living rooms as well as a wide range of items in different categories, including clothes, photographs, paperwork, books, cutlery, cosmetics, shoes, bags, wallets and valuables. Charming line drawings explain how to properly organise drawers, wardrobes, cupboards and cabinets. The illustrations also show Ms Kondo's unique folding method, clearly showing how to fold anything from shirts, trousers and jackets to skirts, socks and bras.

The secret to Marie Kondo's unique and simple KonMari tidying method is to focus on what you want to keep, not what you want to get rid of. Ask yourself if something 'sparks joy' and suddenly it becomes so much easier to understand if you really need it in your home and your life. When you surround yourself with things you love you will find that your whole life begins to change.

Marie Kondo's first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, presents her unique tidying philosophy and introduces readers to the basics of her KonMari method. It has already transformed the homes and lives of millions of people around the world. Spark Joy is Marie Kondo's in-depth tidying masterclass, focusing on the detail of how to declutter and organise your home.]]> 6 Marie Kondō Panda 0 currently-reading, nonfiction 3.81 2012 Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
author: Marie Kondō
name: Panda
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: currently-reading, nonfiction
review:

]]> The Dark Half 31218098
He'd like to say he has nothing to do with the series of monstrous murders that keep coming closer to his home.

He'd like to say he has nothing to do with the twisted imagination that produced his bestselling novels.

He'd like to say he has nothing to do with the voice on the phone uttering its obscene threats and demanding total surrender.

But how can Thad disown the ultimate embodiment of evil that goes by the name he gave it - and signs its crimes with Thad's bloody fingerprints?]]> Stephen King 1441738673 Panda 0 5.00 1989 The Dark Half
author: Stephen King
name: Panda
average rating: 5.00
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: stephen-king, currently-reading
review:

]]> Nine Goblins 219293049
Nine Goblins is a novella of low...very low...fantasy.]]> 1 T. Kingfisher Panda 2 Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc.

I love this author but not this book.]]> 3.58 2013 Nine Goblins
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Panda
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2025/07/06
date added: 2025/07/06
shelves: fantasy, magic, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (5 hours) narrated by Jonathan Johns
Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc.

I love this author but not this book.
]]> The Fisherman 41218504 John Langan Panda 1 book-club Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc

I gave this a good 2.5 hours, as a book club read. I was not enjoying this at all, but I gave it a good go.]]> 3.59 2016 The Fisherman
author: John Langan
name: Panda
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2016
rating: 1
read at: 2025/07/06
date added: 2025/07/06
shelves: book-club
review:
Audiobook (11 hours) narrated by Danny Campbell
Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc

I gave this a good 2.5 hours, as a book club read. I was not enjoying this at all, but I gave it a good go.
]]> A Forgery of Fate 228408237 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A breathtaking romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes!

“Everything I love in a story—danger, complex characters, romance, betrayal and gorgeous writing.” —Mary E. Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of Dance of Thieves

Truyan Saigas didn't choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father's disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King's inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms. . . .]]> Elizabeth Lim Panda 5
Mirai () does a fantastic job with this narration. While she has yet to win an award for her narration skills, she is sure to be recognized soon. It is only a matter of time.
The audio is flawless.

Elizabeth Lim has a knack of writing fantastical fantasy fairy tale like stories with beauty and prose.

When I say beauty, her writing is exceptionally beautiful, however not in an overly flowery or a way that seems like she is trying too hard to accomplish a certain style. It seems that the world and the characters just flow effortlessly from her pen, which generally the easier the writing looks the more that she and her editor worked hard to make it seem easy.

The world just opened up for me. She really drew me in, and I ended up spending the entire day with her.

I will be reading more.]]> 4.55 2025 A Forgery of Fate
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Panda
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/07/04
date added: 2025/07/04
shelves: dragons, fantasy, narration-is-good, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (15 hours) narrated by Mirai

Mirai () does a fantastic job with this narration. While she has yet to win an award for her narration skills, she is sure to be recognized soon. It is only a matter of time.
The audio is flawless.

Elizabeth Lim has a knack of writing fantastical fantasy fairy tale like stories with beauty and prose.

When I say beauty, her writing is exceptionally beautiful, however not in an overly flowery or a way that seems like she is trying too hard to accomplish a certain style. It seems that the world and the characters just flow effortlessly from her pen, which generally the easier the writing looks the more that she and her editor worked hard to make it seem easy.

The world just opened up for me. She really drew me in, and I ended up spending the entire day with her.

I will be reading more.
]]> <![CDATA[Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1)]]> 52052100
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.]]> Elizabeth Lim 1984884549 Panda 0 to-read, fantasy 3.71 2019 Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1)
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Panda
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/04
shelves: to-read, fantasy
review:

]]> Hansel and Gretel 222156823 The haunting tale of two brave children lost in a dark and dangerous forest, reimagined by literary legends Stephen King and Maurice Sendak in an all-new picture book.

Let Stephen King, global bestselling and award-winning author, and Maurice Sendak, beloved creator of the Caldecott Medal–winning Where the Wild Things Are, guide you into the most deliciously daring rendition of the classic Grimm fairy tale yet. But will you find your way back out?

With a personal introduction from Stephen King, the beautiful book has been created in close collaboration with the Maurice Sendak Foundation. This stunning storybook makes the perfect gift for fans of King, Sendak, and the Brothers Grimm.]]> 48 Stephen King 0062644696 Panda 0
I am absolutely giddy for my childhood self. RAWR!

September 2.

I have just tightened up my budget again and I must not pre-order this book! I did make a notification setting at my library though... Ohhh.... my want for this one is strong.]]> 5.00 2025 Hansel and Gretel
author: Stephen King
name: Panda
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/04
shelves: to-read, stephen-king, fairy-tales, retellings
review:
Wow! Stephen King and Maurice Sendak!

I am absolutely giddy for my childhood self. RAWR!

September 2.

I have just tightened up my budget again and I must not pre-order this book! I did make a notification setting at my library though... Ohhh.... my want for this one is strong.
]]> <![CDATA[Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil]]> 138390707 🎧Length = 18 hours and 26 minutes

This program is read by a full cast, including Grammy-winning narrator Julia Whelan, who has narrated over 600 audiobooks and is a multiple Audie and SOVAS Award winner; Marisa Calin, an Audie, Odyssey, and AudioFile Earphones Award winner; and Katie Leung, best known for her role as Cho Chang in Harry Potter.

“Julia Whelan skillfully narrates Sabine's story of bloodlust and decay…Katie Leung's soft Scottish accent suits the grieving Alice…Lottie is portrayed by Marisa Calin, whose crisp English accent reminds listeners of Lottie's high-society past.”—AudioFile

This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

This is a story about life—how it ends, and how it starts. ]]> V.E. Schwab Panda 1 Julia Whelan, Katie Leung, and Marisa Calin

The narration and audio of the first half of the book is fine. I did not finish, but imagine that the rest was likely just as good.

I was looking forward to this book. As I began reading I kept seeing it pop up in my timeline from friends who were either working on or finished with the book, mostly with 4 or 5 star ratings, with the exception of one with a 2 star who was having a similar experience.

Off the jump I wasn't thrilled with the book, mostly as it starts off with a third perspective narrative, which generally is bland. Not always, and I have seen it used creatively, however many of the times I have read a book with this type of outside telling the characters and world are flat, as in this instance. Also, I find that third person narrative's are sometimes used as a way to skirt around hiding information held on by the main character, so that they can do some kind of grand reveal later as 'how could they have possibly known that?' Yeah, no.

It's boring...

More than that, it sucks.

Yes, this is a vampire story, but not that kind of sucks. The kind that makes you not finish halfway through and makes me wish that I had stopped soon so that I could read something awesome.

If you love it, enjoy it. It just isn't for me.]]> 4.28 2025 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
author: V.E. Schwab
name: Panda
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/06/29
date added: 2025/07/04
shelves: vampires, narration-is-good, audio-is-good, book-club
review:
Audiobook (18 hours) narrated by Julia Whelan, Katie Leung, and Marisa Calin

The narration and audio of the first half of the book is fine. I did not finish, but imagine that the rest was likely just as good.

I was looking forward to this book. As I began reading I kept seeing it pop up in my timeline from friends who were either working on or finished with the book, mostly with 4 or 5 star ratings, with the exception of one with a 2 star who was having a similar experience.

Off the jump I wasn't thrilled with the book, mostly as it starts off with a third perspective narrative, which generally is bland. Not always, and I have seen it used creatively, however many of the times I have read a book with this type of outside telling the characters and world are flat, as in this instance. Also, I find that third person narrative's are sometimes used as a way to skirt around hiding information held on by the main character, so that they can do some kind of grand reveal later as 'how could they have possibly known that?' Yeah, no.

It's boring...

More than that, it sucks.

Yes, this is a vampire story, but not that kind of sucks. The kind that makes you not finish halfway through and makes me wish that I had stopped soon so that I could read something awesome.

If you love it, enjoy it. It just isn't for me.
]]> The Tommyknockers 28112597 source: simonandschuster.com]]> 28 Stephen King 1508217262 Panda 3 Edward Herrmann
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Edward Herrmann was a well accomplished actor on both the small and large screens, as well as on and off Broadway. He also did quite a bit of voice work. Although he passed in 2014 from brain cancer, his family has licensed his voice in 2023 which has since been synthesized by DeepZen.io for new audiobook narrations.
As for this book and narration, although he was well traveled and lived in many areas, including New York, I do not believe that he had ever lived in Maine, however he rocked that Maine accent with style!
The audio is flawless.

The Tommyknockers is told in a third person narrative, which I generally loathe, however there are many many characters, none of which are present throughout the story as a main character, making a first person narrative not possible.

The book does have that long book slow start, with a lot of descriptives and introductions. It takes a while to be fully introduced to the people and the area, but many about an hour in or so, things pick up and the story starts to form.

This isn't one of my favorite King stories, although I still really enjoy it. I think that I very much enjoy being able to zone in one one main or supporting character and fully embrace what is going on with them. There are so many people in the story that it's a bit tedious for me. Although I do have a couple of favorites, there are just so many voices, which as I think about it really speaks to the narrator. Although there is a lot of third person telling, Herrmann did have to voice a lot of people in conversation throughout the story. He did so with ease. ]]> 3.26 1987 The Tommyknockers
author: Stephen King
name: Panda
average rating: 3.26
book published: 1987
rating: 3
read at: 2025/07/03
date added: 2025/07/03
shelves: stephen-king, narration-is-good, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (28 hours) narrated by Edward Herrmann
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Edward Herrmann was a well accomplished actor on both the small and large screens, as well as on and off Broadway. He also did quite a bit of voice work. Although he passed in 2014 from brain cancer, his family has licensed his voice in 2023 which has since been synthesized by DeepZen.io for new audiobook narrations.
As for this book and narration, although he was well traveled and lived in many areas, including New York, I do not believe that he had ever lived in Maine, however he rocked that Maine accent with style!
The audio is flawless.

The Tommyknockers is told in a third person narrative, which I generally loathe, however there are many many characters, none of which are present throughout the story as a main character, making a first person narrative not possible.

The book does have that long book slow start, with a lot of descriptives and introductions. It takes a while to be fully introduced to the people and the area, but many about an hour in or so, things pick up and the story starts to form.

This isn't one of my favorite King stories, although I still really enjoy it. I think that I very much enjoy being able to zone in one one main or supporting character and fully embrace what is going on with them. There are so many people in the story that it's a bit tedious for me. Although I do have a couple of favorites, there are just so many voices, which as I think about it really speaks to the narrator. Although there is a lot of third person telling, Herrmann did have to voice a lot of people in conversation throughout the story. He did so with ease.
]]> The Wilder Side of Rage 60800166 Robert ‘Rage’ Wilder is a police officer and he’s a werewolf. He’s getting a new partner and she’s a woman. He’s never worked with women and isn’t crazy about the idea. He must keep the world of the Lycan secret. No problem, right? Add to the mix, an arrogant and vicious werewolf causing trouble and he’s come into Rage’s territory. Oh, and a deadly virus is raising alarm bells.
Officer Jolene Killagan has a new partner, a charmer. She has a few secrets of her own. Her tragic childhood comes back to haunt her and Rage is right in the middle of it all. Jolene is pulled unwittingly into the world of the Lycanthropes. Can she survive their brutal ways?]]> 268 S.A. Ison Panda 0 4.58 The Wilder Side of Rage
author: S.A. Ison
name: Panda
average rating: 4.58
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/29
shelves: recommended-5-star-gr-friend, to-read
review:

]]> Swordheart 57580085 Return to the world of Clockwork Boys in this all-new novel from T. Kingfisher!

Halla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle's estate...and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel. When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder against everything from bandits and roving inquisitors to her own in-laws...and the sword itself may prove to be the greatest threat of all....

Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins]]> 15 T. Kingfisher 1705297714 Panda 0 currently-reading, fantasy 3.96 2018 Swordheart
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Panda
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/29
shelves: currently-reading, fantasy
review:

]]> The Blood Orchid 229467699 Whatever power you think you have is an illusion.

Whatever your dreams are, they belong to me.

And wherever you run, I am already there waiting for you.

Since Zilan entered the world of royal alchemists, she has learned firsthand that alchemy comes at a price. She has lost her family and her beloved prince in her search for justice against the evil Empress. All Zilan wants now is to find some way to bring them back. Resurrection is her specialty, after all.

In search of Penglai Island, where the infamous myth says life can be fully restored, Zilan starts a new adventure. But Penglai Island has been kept well hidden by a group of unpredictable, and often dangerous, alchemists. Uncovering the secret means challenging some of the most powerful alchemists to ever live. And when old threats come back to haunt Zilan, she will have to decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to save her loved ones—and the practice of alchemy that has long defined her and the world around her.

This gripping duology closer by the acclaimed author of The Keeper of Night is not to be missed!]]> Kylie Lee Baker Panda 4 Natalie Naudus

The narration and audio are flawless.

Great historical fiction fantasy, follows in line with the first book as far as story and writing.

I will be seeking out more by Kylie Lee Baker.]]> 3.57 2024 The Blood Orchid
author: Kylie Lee Baker
name: Panda
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/28
date added: 2025/06/29
shelves: fantasy, magic, historical-fiction, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (11 hours) narrated by Natalie Naudus

The narration and audio are flawless.

Great historical fiction fantasy, follows in line with the first book as far as story and writing.

I will be seeking out more by Kylie Lee Baker.
]]> <![CDATA[The Scarlet Alchemist (The Scarlet Alchemist, #1)]]> 199423000 A dark YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where alchemy has led to income inequality as the rich eat gold to achieve eternal youth, and a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.

You cannot create good without also creating evil.

Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she's trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table - resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she'll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it's only a matter of time before they - and secrets of Zilan's past - catch up with her.]]> Kylie Lee Baker Panda 4 Natalie Naudus

The narration and audio are flawless.

Unexpected entertaining fantasy read.

This is the first book of a duology, I am already reading the second book.

Kylie Lee Baker uses fictionalized history as her backdrop. She goes over the differences at the end of the book. The details, the characters, all excellent.]]> 3.92 2023 The Scarlet Alchemist (The Scarlet Alchemist, #1)
author: Kylie Lee Baker
name: Panda
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/26
date added: 2025/06/27
shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, magic, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by Natalie Naudus

The narration and audio are flawless.

Unexpected entertaining fantasy read.

This is the first book of a duology, I am already reading the second book.

Kylie Lee Baker uses fictionalized history as her backdrop. She goes over the differences at the end of the book. The details, the characters, all excellent.
]]> <![CDATA[Wicked: The Graphic Novel Part 1]]> 215564061 From the Epic Inpsiration of the Major Motion Picture—Now Streaming


Experience the magic of Oz as you’ve never seen it before with this brand-new graphic novel adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s masterpiece Wicked, the inspiration for the Broadway show and major motion picture—the first in a two-part series featuring gorgeous full-color illustrations by Scott Hampton.

Like Dorothy when she crash-landed all those years ago, prepare to be swept into a new and colorful world in this first-ever graphic novel adaptation of Wicked. While the long-running Broadway musical and major motion picture take inspiration from this iconic novel, this is Oz as Gregory Maguire wrote it—a fantastical story with dark edges that explores morality and ambition, love and friendship, and discovering one’s inner power.

Elphaba was born with emerald-green skin—no easy burden in a land as mean and poor as Oz, where superstition and magic are not strong enough to explain or overcome the natural disasters of flood and famine. Still, Elphaba is smart, and by the time she enters Shiz University, she becomes a member of a charmed circle of Oz’s most promising young citizens.

But Elphaba’s Oz is no utopia. The Wizard’s secret police are everywhere. Animals—those creatures with voices, souls, and minds—are threatened with exile. Young Elphaba, green and wild and misunderstood, is determined to protect the Animals—even if it means combating the mysterious Wizard, even if it means risking her single chance at romance. Ever wiser in guilt and sorrow, she can find herself grateful when the world declares her a witch. And she can even make herself glad for that young girl from Kansas. 


]]> 178 Scott Hampton 0063391090 Panda 1 graphic-novels This is horrible 3.75 Wicked: The Graphic Novel Part 1
author: Scott Hampton
name: Panda
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/06/27
date added: 2025/06/27
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
This is horrible
]]> The Passengers 45286961
You’re riding in your self-driving car when suddenly the doors lock, the route changes and you have lost all control. Then, a mysterious voice tells you, “You are going to die.”

Just as self-driving cars become the trusted, safer norm, eight people find themselves in this terrifying situation, including a faded TV star, a pregnant young woman, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife, and a suicidal man.

From cameras hidden in their cars, their panic is broadcast to millions of people around the world. But the public will show their true colors when they are asked, "Which of these people should we save?...And who should we kill first?"]]> John Marrs 0593151178 Panda 4 Clare Corbett
Roy McMillan
Tom Bateman
Shaheen Khan
Kristin Atherton
Patience Tomlinson
Publisher: Books on Tape (Penguin Audio)

The narration and audio are excellent.

John Marrs has a decent voice as an author. He excels at taking characters who are drawn up as everyday people, generally with notable flaws that are either flaunted or hidden and discovered. The discovery is also often motivated by something moral.

While I enjoy his setup and writing of the story, I think that he writes to long after the end of the characters story. Marrs seems to not trust the reader to make or form their/our own opinions of what is going on, even when he goes to great lengths to make it clear who is the bad guy and who is the injured party. Marrs, in every novel I have read by him, goes on to have the 'great explanation' as to why this was bad, in great detail with extra and new information thrown in that shows that not only was this person bad for doing this obviously horrible thing but they also did these other horrible things along with way. The only thing that we don't get is the mustache twisting, black hat wearing, cartoon bad guy. ]]> 4.06 2019 The Passengers
author: John Marrs
name: Panda
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/24
date added: 2025/06/27
shelves: dystopia, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by:
Clare Corbett
Roy McMillan
Tom Bateman
Shaheen Khan
Kristin Atherton
Patience Tomlinson
Publisher: Books on Tape (Penguin Audio)

The narration and audio are excellent.

John Marrs has a decent voice as an author. He excels at taking characters who are drawn up as everyday people, generally with notable flaws that are either flaunted or hidden and discovered. The discovery is also often motivated by something moral.

While I enjoy his setup and writing of the story, I think that he writes to long after the end of the characters story. Marrs seems to not trust the reader to make or form their/our own opinions of what is going on, even when he goes to great lengths to make it clear who is the bad guy and who is the injured party. Marrs, in every novel I have read by him, goes on to have the 'great explanation' as to why this was bad, in great detail with extra and new information thrown in that shows that not only was this person bad for doing this obviously horrible thing but they also did these other horrible things along with way. The only thing that we don't get is the mustache twisting, black hat wearing, cartoon bad guy.
]]> <![CDATA[Road to Ruin (Magebike Courier, #1)]]> 205224040 An electrifying, gritty fantasy from debut author Hana Lee that takes a royal messenger on a high-speed chase across a climate-ravaged wasteland, featuring motorcycles, monsters, and magic.

Jin-Lu has the most dangerous job in the wasteland. She’s a magebike courier, one of the few who venture outside the domed cities on motorcycles powered by magic. Every day, she braves the wasteland’s dangers—deadly storms, roving marauders, and territorial beasts—to deliver her wares.

Her most valuable cargo? A prince’s love letters addressed to Yi-Nereen, a princess desperate to escape the clutches of her abusive family and soon-to-be husband. Jin, desperately in love with both her and the prince, can’t refuse Yi-Nereen’s plea for help. The two of them flee across the wastes, pursued by Yi-Nereen’s furious father, her scheming betrothed, and a bounty hunter with mysterious powers.

A storm to end all storms is brewing and dark secrets about the heritability of magic are coming to light. Jin’s heart has led her into peril before, but this time she may not find her way back.]]> 11 Hana Lee 1797172778 Panda 3 Natalie Naudus
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

This is the second book in a row that I have had the luck to have Natalie Naudus narrate and I have one more in my queue. Completely and totally a happy accident. Love Natalie! ]]> 3.82 2024 Road to Ruin (Magebike Courier, #1)
author: Hana Lee
name: Panda
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/23
date added: 2025/06/23
shelves: post-apocalyptic, debut, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (11 hours) narrated by the award winning Natalie Naudus
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

This is the second book in a row that I have had the luck to have Natalie Naudus narrate and I have one more in my queue. Completely and totally a happy accident. Love Natalie!
]]> Little Women 48815462 Louisa May Alcott Panda 5 Emily Bauer
Laura Dern
Lauren Fortgang
Allison Hiroto
Carly Robins
Suzanne Toren
Publisher: Audible Originals

There are several versions of this book both in print and audio versions with many many different narrators. This version, by Audible, with Laura Dern doing all of the commentary, or everything outside of the character conversations, has been highly rated since it's publication in 2019. I have had it on my list, and had picked up a copy, as Little Women was one of my favorite reads as a child. It wasn't until it came up as a book club read that I actually got around to it, however, and it is fantastic.
The narration and audio is flawless.

The book itself is a classic. I read it all the way back in fourth grade, and believe that it was my first conscious read of a classic novel. I was so amazed by the book that I went down a rabbit hole where I would spend time in the library learning about the author, Louisa May Alcott, who I ultimately wrote a report on for English class.

As a child, the characters in the book seemed like friends. They were all so different, living life. They weren't perfect, they fought, but also loved each other dearly.

As an adult, I could completely relive my love for this book. I think that I was hesitant to read it in case it wasn't as good as I had remembered. It was.

What amazes me is that although this book was written well over a century ago, in 1868, the relationships are just as relevant today. While there are obvious points that date the novel back in years, the people themselves could very much be the same in today's world, perhaps with the addition of cell phones and bottled water. The issues that Alcott wrote about are still issues, and I find it incredible at how well traveled some of the characters were!

A beautiful book. Beautiful writing. Realistic, real world relationships. Flawed characters and a coming of age story for several characters along with an aging matriarch. Have I said beautiful enough yet, because the story is absolutely beautiful!]]> 4.08 1868 Little Women
author: Louisa May Alcott
name: Panda
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1868
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/18
date added: 2025/06/22
shelves: best-audiobooks-list, book-club, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (12 hours 15 minutes) narrated by a full cast including:
Emily Bauer
Laura Dern
Lauren Fortgang
Allison Hiroto
Carly Robins
Suzanne Toren
Publisher: Audible Originals

There are several versions of this book both in print and audio versions with many many different narrators. This version, by Audible, with Laura Dern doing all of the commentary, or everything outside of the character conversations, has been highly rated since it's publication in 2019. I have had it on my list, and had picked up a copy, as Little Women was one of my favorite reads as a child. It wasn't until it came up as a book club read that I actually got around to it, however, and it is fantastic.
The narration and audio is flawless.

The book itself is a classic. I read it all the way back in fourth grade, and believe that it was my first conscious read of a classic novel. I was so amazed by the book that I went down a rabbit hole where I would spend time in the library learning about the author, Louisa May Alcott, who I ultimately wrote a report on for English class.

As a child, the characters in the book seemed like friends. They were all so different, living life. They weren't perfect, they fought, but also loved each other dearly.

As an adult, I could completely relive my love for this book. I think that I was hesitant to read it in case it wasn't as good as I had remembered. It was.

What amazes me is that although this book was written well over a century ago, in 1868, the relationships are just as relevant today. While there are obvious points that date the novel back in years, the people themselves could very much be the same in today's world, perhaps with the addition of cell phones and bottled water. The issues that Alcott wrote about are still issues, and I find it incredible at how well traveled some of the characters were!

A beautiful book. Beautiful writing. Realistic, real world relationships. Flawed characters and a coming of age story for several characters along with an aging matriarch. Have I said beautiful enough yet, because the story is absolutely beautiful!
]]> <![CDATA[Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng]]> 231749472 In this explosive horror novel, a woman is haunted by inner trauma, hungry ghosts, and a serial killer as she confronts the brutal violence experienced by East Asians during the pandemic.

Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner, washing away the remains of brutal murders and suicides in Chinatown. But none of that seems so terrible when she’s already witnessed the most horrific thing possible: her sister, Delilah, being pushed in front of a train.

Before fleeing the scene, the murderer shouted two words: bat eater.

So the bloody messes don’t really bother Cora—she’s more bothered by the germs on the subway railing, the bare hands of a stranger, the hidden viruses in every corner, and the bite marks on her coffee table. Of course, ever since Delilah was killed in front of her, Cora can’t be sure what's real and what’s in her head.

She pushes away all feelings and ignores the advice of her aunt to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival, when the gates of hell open. But she can't ignore the dread in her stomach as she keeps finding bat carcasses at crime scenes, or the scary fact that all her recent cleanups have been the bodies of East Asian women.

As Cora will soon learn, you can’t just ignore hungry ghosts.

For fans of Stephen Graham Jones and Gretchen Felker-Martin, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a wildly original, darkly humorous, and subversive contemporary novel from a striking new voice in horror.]]> 9 Kylie Lee Baker Panda 5 Natalie Naudus
Publisher: Harlequin Audio

I sometimes don't look at the name of the narrator before I start the book. As soon as I started, however, I knew that voice. Natalie Naudus! I love her and she was as awesome as ever.
The audio is flawless.

I was pulled into this book so fast.

There is so much here.

Kylie Lee Baker expertly ties together the pandemic, racism, murder, and a kick-ass ghost story.

The entire novel just flew by, seemingly in a blink.

It's fast paced, dynamic, detailed but also laid out in a way that doesn't tell the reader what to think or feel. Instead Baker pulls you in and let's you live the experience and add the adjectives in your own mind. This is a perfectly executed way of showing you through another persons eyes rather than telling you or trying to convince you. I could feel the frustration throughout the novel without a character ever having to say the word. It was obvious.

Excellent novel.]]> 4.10 2025 Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng
author: Kylie Lee Baker
name: Panda
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/22
date added: 2025/06/22
shelves: horror, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (9 hours) narrated by Natalie Naudus
Publisher: Harlequin Audio

I sometimes don't look at the name of the narrator before I start the book. As soon as I started, however, I knew that voice. Natalie Naudus! I love her and she was as awesome as ever.
The audio is flawless.

I was pulled into this book so fast.

There is so much here.

Kylie Lee Baker expertly ties together the pandemic, racism, murder, and a kick-ass ghost story.

The entire novel just flew by, seemingly in a blink.

It's fast paced, dynamic, detailed but also laid out in a way that doesn't tell the reader what to think or feel. Instead Baker pulls you in and let's you live the experience and add the adjectives in your own mind. This is a perfectly executed way of showing you through another persons eyes rather than telling you or trying to convince you. I could feel the frustration throughout the novel without a character ever having to say the word. It was obvious.

Excellent novel.
]]> The Glassmaker 218629041 maestros spend their lives learning to handle.

Women are not meant to work with glass, but Orsola Rosso flouts convention to save her family from ruin. She works in secret, knowing her creations must be perfect to be accepted by men. But perfection may take a lifetime.

Skipping like a stone through the centuries, we follow Orsola as she hones her craft through war and plague, tragedy and triumph, love and loss.

The beads she creates will adorn the necks of empresses and courtesans from Paris to Vienna – but will she ever earn the respect of those closest to her?

Tracy Chevalier is a master of her own craft, and The Glassmaker is vivid, inventive, a virtuoso portrait of a woman, a family and a city that are as everlasting as their glass.]]> Tracy Chevalier Panda 4 Lisa Flanagan
Publisher: Books on Tape

Lisa Flanagan kills her narration! Seriously, I absolutely loved her performance from the very start of the book, all the way through.
Her bio:
I also found a fun 1 minute video of her speaking of another book that she recently narrated, The Faculty Lounge, that I have added to my tbr list as I really want to hear more by Lisa.

I picked up The Glassmaker as a historical fiction book club read.

Overall, I loved the story. There's so much richness of life, family, and relationships. The magical realism part of the storytelling is a bit odd, as is the wrap up. It's both beautiful but also a bit off-putting. I'm unsure as to what was behind the decisions to tell this story in the way that Tracy Chevalier did, but as odd as the time jumps were I very much enjoyed her work.]]> 3.93 2024 The Glassmaker
author: Tracy Chevalier
name: Panda
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/21
date added: 2025/06/22
shelves: book-club, historical-fiction, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (14 hours) narrated by Lisa Flanagan
Publisher: Books on Tape

Lisa Flanagan kills her narration! Seriously, I absolutely loved her performance from the very start of the book, all the way through.
Her bio:
I also found a fun 1 minute video of her speaking of another book that she recently narrated, The Faculty Lounge, that I have added to my tbr list as I really want to hear more by Lisa.

I picked up The Glassmaker as a historical fiction book club read.

Overall, I loved the story. There's so much richness of life, family, and relationships. The magical realism part of the storytelling is a bit odd, as is the wrap up. It's both beautiful but also a bit off-putting. I'm unsure as to what was behind the decisions to tell this story in the way that Tracy Chevalier did, but as odd as the time jumps were I very much enjoyed her work.
]]> The Faculty Lounge 202181808
By the acclaimed author of Moxie, a funny, bighearted adult debut that is at once an ode to educators, a timely glimpse at today’s pressing school issues, and a tender character study, following a sprawling cast of teachers, administrators, and staff at a Texas high school

With its ensemble of warm and unforgettable characters, The Faculty Lounge shows readers a different side of school life. It all starts when an elderly substitute teacher at Baldwin High School is found dead in the faculty lounge. After a bit of a stir, life quickly returns to normal—it’s not like it’s the worst (or even most interesting) thing that has happened within the building’s walls. But when, a week later, the spontaneous scattering of his ashes on the school grounds catches the attention of some busybody parents, it sets in motion a year that can only be described as wild, bizarre, tragic, mundane, beautiful, and humorous all at once.

In the midst of the ensuing hysteria and threats of disciplinary action, the novel peeks into the lives of the implicated adults who, it turns out, actually have first names and continue to exist when the school day is done. We a former punk band front man, now a middle-aged principal who must battle it out with the schoolboard to keep his job; a no-nonsense school nurse willing to break the rules, despite the close watch on their campus, when a student arrives at her office with a dilemma; and a disgruntled English instructor who finds himself embroiled in even more controversy when he misfires a snarky email. Oh, and there’s also a teacher make-out session in a supply closet during a lockdown.

As these people continue to manage the messiness of this school year, there is the looming threat of what will become of their beloved Baldwin High. Ultimately, at the heart of this unconventional workplace novel is a story of the power of human connection and of the joy of finding purpose in what it is we do every day.]]> Jennifer Mathieu Panda 0 3.80 2024 The Faculty Lounge
author: Jennifer Mathieu
name: Panda
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/22
shelves: to-read, narrator-is-award-winning
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Odyssey (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #4)]]> 219582405
The next book in Stephen Fry's acclaimed internationally bestselling Greek myths series telling the story of The Odyssey.

Sometimes the hardest journey is the way back home . . .

Wily Odysseus, King of Ithaca, has won Troy for the Greeks – after a decade of brutal, bloody warfare. But now this warrior remembers he is a husband and father – and his gaze turns longingly towards home.

Setting sail with a small fleet, Odysseus dreams of soon lying in the arms of his beloved wife Penelope, and of teaching his son Telemachus the ways of a warrior. However, the gods laugh at the foolish hopes of mortals. And, angered by this upstart, Poseidon – God of the ocean realms – curses our hero to wander the seas for ten long years.

Encountering one-eyed giants, six-headed monsters, terrible storms, titanic whirlpools, hypnotic sirens, seductive witches and jealous goddesses, Odysseus is tempted and tormented beyond any man’s endurance.

Yet he is no mere mortal – and the lure of his wife and son draws him, step by step, stroke by stroke, ever closer to home and his ultimate destiny . . .

A tale of love and longing, return and redemption, home and hope, Stephen Fry’s Odyssey sees the author and national treasure weave the final threads of the fabulous story begun in the worldwide bestseller, Mythos, into an astonishing and mesmerising tapestry for the ages.]]> Stephen Fry Panda 4 Stephen Fry
Publisher: Chronicle Books

Stephen Fry is a beloved and award winning narrator, perhaps most known for his narration of the UK version of the complete Harry Potter series of books.
His narration and the audio of this novel are flawless.

This is the fourth book of the mythology series written and narrated by Stephen Fry.

In this edition we mostly hear of the tales of Odysseus with a bit a narrative of a few others, like Scylla.

Thus far, the first book of the series has been my favorite, however all of them have been decent and this one was done very well.

Anyone who enjoys Greek Mythology, should consider taking a look. Although the books are in a series, there isn't a reason to read them in any particular order or if you were to be a fan of just Odysseus, you could certainly just read this book as a one off.]]> 4.25 2024 Odyssey (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #4)
author: Stephen Fry
name: Panda
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/20
date added: 2025/06/22
shelves: mythology, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (11 hours) narrated by the author, Stephen Fry
Publisher: Chronicle Books

Stephen Fry is a beloved and award winning narrator, perhaps most known for his narration of the UK version of the complete Harry Potter series of books.
His narration and the audio of this novel are flawless.

This is the fourth book of the mythology series written and narrated by Stephen Fry.

In this edition we mostly hear of the tales of Odysseus with a bit a narrative of a few others, like Scylla.

Thus far, the first book of the series has been my favorite, however all of them have been decent and this one was done very well.

Anyone who enjoys Greek Mythology, should consider taking a look. Although the books are in a series, there isn't a reason to read them in any particular order or if you were to be a fan of just Odysseus, you could certainly just read this book as a one off.
]]> The Haar 217397738 Runtime: 6 hours and 56 minutes

“I don’t fear death... but they do.”

Muriel McAuley has lived in the Scottish fishing village of Witchaven all her life. She was born there, and she intends to die there.

But when an overseas property developer threatens to evict the residents from their homes and raze Witchaven to the ground in the name of progress, all seems lost… until the day a mysterious fog bank creeps inland.

The Haar.

To some it brings redemption… to others, it brings only madness and death. What macabre secrets lie within… The Haar.

Romantic and deranged, The Haar is a gore-soaked folk horror fairy tale from David Sodergren, author of The Forgotten Island and Maggie’s Grave.]]> 7 David Sodergren Panda 0 to-read, book-club 3.97 2022 The Haar
author: David Sodergren
name: Panda
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/22
shelves: to-read, book-club
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Stephen King The girl Who Loved Tom Gordon pop up]]> 144984829 0 Stephen King Panda 5 pop-up Text adaptation: Peter Abrahams

Illustrations: Alan Dingman

Paper engineering: Kees Moerbeek

Publisher: Little Simon

All parts of this book are awesome.
I included a link to either the personal page or IG account for each of those partly responsible for bringing Stephen Kings book to life in such an artistic way.

The girl who loved Tom Gordon is such a great book. Stephen King, the Red Sox, some gratuitous horror... great stuff. So when I found out last year that there was a pop-up version, I was all in!

The book itself is awesome.

The illustrations, the overall construction of both the pop-ups and the 'mini books' spread throughout on thick cardstock paper with nice heavy corners that hold the mini pages in place to keep everything nice and tidy to prevent damage.

I had taken some photos to share but I found this great video on YouTube that pages through the entire book showing all of the magnificence of this book, where you can see the attention to details. They did such a great job that I am going to share their video for those who wish to see it, and in the meantime, I am going to read mine again, because I leave it out so that I can just leaf through it or casually read it whenever the mood strikes.


Enjoy the video! ]]> 3.25 1999 Stephen King The girl Who Loved Tom Gordon pop up
author: Stephen King
name: Panda
average rating: 3.25
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/22
date added: 2025/06/22
shelves: pop-up
review:
Pop-up book
Text adaptation: Peter Abrahams

Illustrations: Alan Dingman

Paper engineering: Kees Moerbeek

Publisher: Little Simon

All parts of this book are awesome.
I included a link to either the personal page or IG account for each of those partly responsible for bringing Stephen Kings book to life in such an artistic way.

The girl who loved Tom Gordon is such a great book. Stephen King, the Red Sox, some gratuitous horror... great stuff. So when I found out last year that there was a pop-up version, I was all in!

The book itself is awesome.

The illustrations, the overall construction of both the pop-ups and the 'mini books' spread throughout on thick cardstock paper with nice heavy corners that hold the mini pages in place to keep everything nice and tidy to prevent damage.

I had taken some photos to share but I found this great video on YouTube that pages through the entire book showing all of the magnificence of this book, where you can see the attention to details. They did such a great job that I am going to share their video for those who wish to see it, and in the meantime, I am going to read mine again, because I leave it out so that I can just leaf through it or casually read it whenever the mood strikes.


Enjoy the video!
]]> James and the Giant Peach 42181768
Now in splendiferous binaural!

Listen with headphones for a wondercrump audio experience that sounds like Roald Dahl's phizz-whizzing characters are in the room with you!

James Henry Trotter's parents have been eaten by a rhinoceros, so now he lives with his two repulsive aunts.

One hot day something peculiar happens and an enormous peach grows in their garden. Soon James and the Giant Peach are rolling away from his horrible aunts, towards a most marvellous and wonderful place....

Listen to James and the Giant Peach and other Roald Dahl audiobooks read by some very famous voices, including Kate Winslet, David Walliams and Stephen Fry - plus there are added squelchy sound effects from Pinewood Studios!

Look out for Roald Dahl apps in the App store and Google Play - including the disgusting Twit or Miss! - inspired by the revolting Twits.]]> Roald Dahl Panda 0 to-read, book-club 4.00 1961 James and the Giant Peach
author: Roald Dahl
name: Panda
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1961
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/17
shelves: to-read, book-club
review:

]]> The Unmapping 231390336 4 a.m., New York City. A silent disaster. There is no flash of light, no crumbling, no quaking. Each person in New York wakes up on an unfamiliar block when the buildings all switch locations overnight. The power grid has snapped, thousands of residents are missing, and the Empire State Building is on Coney Island—for now. The next night, it happens again. Esme Green and Arjun Varma work for the City of New York’s Emergency Management team and are tasked with disaster response for “The Unmapping.” As Esme tries to wade through the bureaucratic nightmare of an endlessly shuffling city, she’s distracted by the ongoing search for her missing fiancé. Meanwhile, Arjun focuses on the ground-level rescue of disoriented New Yorkers, hoping to become the hero the city needs.

While scientists scramble to find a solution—or at least a means to cope—and mysterious “red cloak” cults crop up in the disaster’s wake, New York begins to reckon with a new reality no one recognizes. For Esme and Arjun, the fight to hold the city together will mean tackling questions about themselves that they were too afraid to ask—and facing answers they never expected. With themes of climate change, political unrest, and life in a state of emergency, The Unmapping is a timely and captivating debut.]]> Denise S. Robbins Panda 4 dystopia Julia Whelan
Publisher: Audiobary

The narration and audio are good.

The Unmapping is an unusual and interesting dystopian novel from the mind of Denise S. Robbins.

The world building is fantastic, and although the synopsis states that this novel is character driven, I disagree. The characters are not bad, not dynamic but decent. The meat is in the world, which stands as it's own living breathing character. The people in the story are support characters to the world, which is literally changing, growing, moving.

Is it great? No. But it's good. It's a nice break from reality.

What I really like about the characters, intentional or not, is that they are developed enough to have a nice solid outline of average Americans where they are located, so that in a dystopian novel it's easy to slip yourself or someone you know who fits the vibes of the character into that role, making the story more personal, allowing the reader to mold the character in their minds into who they are thinking of, adding emotion to the story. An example of this would be in recent TV history, Westworld character Caleb Nichols. Those who watched the show may not recall the name. It was the character portrayed by Aaron Paul. Caleb was written as an 'every man character' who Aaron Paul is excellent at portraying. A character that many either identify with or see someone who they know in him, making him immediately loved (or in some cases hated but mostly loved in Caleb's case) and embraced. If done correctly it's an excellent way to gain sympathy and/or empathy for the characters without having to give a slog of information or a huge backstory and flashbacks.

If Denise did this intentionally, she nailed it. If it was a happy accident and/or part of her writing style, as long as her world continue to be as dynamic as this one, it's a huge plus, especially with this type of story as if the readers don't care about the characters, then what is happening in the dystopian world may not even matter.

This is a shade under 4 stars for me. It's early in Robbins' writing career and I will be looking out to see what she put outs next.]]> 3.10 2025 The Unmapping
author: Denise S. Robbins
name: Panda
average rating: 3.10
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/16
date added: 2025/06/17
shelves: dystopia
review:
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by Julia Whelan
Publisher: Audiobary

The narration and audio are good.

The Unmapping is an unusual and interesting dystopian novel from the mind of Denise S. Robbins.

The world building is fantastic, and although the synopsis states that this novel is character driven, I disagree. The characters are not bad, not dynamic but decent. The meat is in the world, which stands as it's own living breathing character. The people in the story are support characters to the world, which is literally changing, growing, moving.

Is it great? No. But it's good. It's a nice break from reality.

What I really like about the characters, intentional or not, is that they are developed enough to have a nice solid outline of average Americans where they are located, so that in a dystopian novel it's easy to slip yourself or someone you know who fits the vibes of the character into that role, making the story more personal, allowing the reader to mold the character in their minds into who they are thinking of, adding emotion to the story. An example of this would be in recent TV history, Westworld character Caleb Nichols. Those who watched the show may not recall the name. It was the character portrayed by Aaron Paul. Caleb was written as an 'every man character' who Aaron Paul is excellent at portraying. A character that many either identify with or see someone who they know in him, making him immediately loved (or in some cases hated but mostly loved in Caleb's case) and embraced. If done correctly it's an excellent way to gain sympathy and/or empathy for the characters without having to give a slog of information or a huge backstory and flashbacks.

If Denise did this intentionally, she nailed it. If it was a happy accident and/or part of her writing style, as long as her world continue to be as dynamic as this one, it's a huge plus, especially with this type of story as if the readers don't care about the characters, then what is happening in the dystopian world may not even matter.

This is a shade under 4 stars for me. It's early in Robbins' writing career and I will be looking out to see what she put outs next.
]]> <![CDATA[Maybe I Don't Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery]]> 60778923 ONE OF THE OBSERVER'S BEST MEMOIRS OF 2021 AND THE TIMES' BEST FILM AND THEATRE BOOKS OF THE YEAR.

'As a Black British man I believe it is vital that I tell this story. It may be just one account from the perspective of a person of colour who has experienced this system, but it may be enough to potentially change an opinion or, more importantly, stop someone else from spinning completely out of control.' – David Harewood

Is it possible to be Black and British and feel welcome and whole?

Maybe I Don't Belong Here is a deeply personal exploration of the duality of growing up both Black and British, recovery from crisis and a rallying cry to examine the systems and biases that continue to shape our society.

In this powerful and provocative account of a life lived after psychosis, critically acclaimed actor, David Harewood, uncovers devastating family history and investigates the very real impact of racism on Black mental health.

When David Harewood was twenty-three, his acting career beginning to take flight, he had what he now understands to be a psychotic breakdown and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He was physically restrained by six police officers, sedated, then hospitalized and transferred to a locked ward. Only now, thirty years later, has he been able to process what he went through.

What was it that caused this breakdown and how did David recover to become a successful and critically acclaimed actor? How did his experiences growing up Black and British contribute to a rupture in his sense of his place in the world?

'Such a powerful and necessary read . . . Don't wait until Black History Month to pick up this book, it's a must-read just now.' - Candice Brathwaite, author of I Am Not Your Baby Mother

'David Harewood writes with rare honesty and fearless self-analysis about his experiences of racism and what ultimately led to his descent into psychosis . . . This book is, in itself, a physical manifestation of that hopeful journey.' - David Olusoga, author of Black and British]]> David Harewood 1529064163 Panda 0 4.38 Maybe I Don't Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery
author: David Harewood
name: Panda
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/14
shelves: to-read, memoir, mental-health
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Nightingale's Castle: A Novel of Erzsébet Báthory, the Blood Countess]]> 224240313 In the vein of riveting historical novels such as Hamnet and Circe —with a touch of Dracula —a propulsive feminist reimagining of the story of Erzsébet Báthory, the infamous sixteenth-century Hungarian aristocrat known as the “Blood Countess”, who was rumored to have murdered hundreds of peasant girls and bathed in their blood.

In 1573, Countess Erzsébet Báthory gives birth to an illegitimate child. Secretly taken to a peasant family living in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, the infant girl is raised as their own. Years later, a young woman called Boróka—ignorant of her true history—is sent to join the Countess’s household.

Terrified of the Countess’s murderous reputation and the brutally cruel women who run the castle, Boróka struggles to find her place. Then plague breaches the castle’s walls, and a tentative bond unexpectedly forms between the girl and the Countess. But powerful forces are moving against the great lady whose wealth and independence threatens the king. Can the Countess trust the women seemingly so close to her? And when the show trial begins against the infamous “Blood Countess” where will Boróka’s loyalties lie?]]> Sonia Velton Panda 4 Elinor Coleman
Publisher: HarperCollins (HarperAudio)

The narration and audio were flawless.

I think this may have been a book club pick at one point, but it took a while for me to get my hands on a copy and I just finished it.

This is an interesting historical fiction, gothic read dating back to the 1800's. It had a really nice feel to it and the audiobook narrator did a good job keeping the ambience of the time and place.

The book wasn't overly detailed and I think that I would have liked a bit more of that for both of the world and the characters, however, after an initial slow start I was drawn in and Velton held my curiosity as to what was going on and what was going to happen next.

I would say this is a 3.5 star read for me. I rounded it up to 4 because although at first I wasn't sure if this was going to end up being for me, once it started to peek my interest, I was all in. It was like Velton laid out a bread crumb path of blood red gothic gummy bears and I needed to pick them all up like I was ET when he discovered M&M's (which the studio edited to Reese's pieces when M&M's declined to pay for a mention in the movie and Reese's said yes please, so chocolate became peanut butter). Yes, my ADHD is showing!

Anyway! These delicious pomegranate and strawberry bloody red gummies kept me on the path and I nearly read this 11 hour book straight through for the last 8 hours or so. It felt a bit like mythology in it's telling and style, which is probably part of what that pull was. Super cool that it's based on a true story, in which the author's notes at the end explains her research process as well as how she tried to keep it as accurate as possible to the available information.]]> 4.00 2024 The Nightingale's Castle: A Novel of Erzsébet Báthory, the Blood Countess
author: Sonia Velton
name: Panda
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/14
date added: 2025/06/14
shelves: historical-fiction, gothic, horror, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (11 hours) narrated by Elinor Coleman
Publisher: HarperCollins (HarperAudio)

The narration and audio were flawless.

I think this may have been a book club pick at one point, but it took a while for me to get my hands on a copy and I just finished it.

This is an interesting historical fiction, gothic read dating back to the 1800's. It had a really nice feel to it and the audiobook narrator did a good job keeping the ambience of the time and place.

The book wasn't overly detailed and I think that I would have liked a bit more of that for both of the world and the characters, however, after an initial slow start I was drawn in and Velton held my curiosity as to what was going on and what was going to happen next.

I would say this is a 3.5 star read for me. I rounded it up to 4 because although at first I wasn't sure if this was going to end up being for me, once it started to peek my interest, I was all in. It was like Velton laid out a bread crumb path of blood red gothic gummy bears and I needed to pick them all up like I was ET when he discovered M&M's (which the studio edited to Reese's pieces when M&M's declined to pay for a mention in the movie and Reese's said yes please, so chocolate became peanut butter). Yes, my ADHD is showing!

Anyway! These delicious pomegranate and strawberry bloody red gummies kept me on the path and I nearly read this 11 hour book straight through for the last 8 hours or so. It felt a bit like mythology in it's telling and style, which is probably part of what that pull was. Super cool that it's based on a true story, in which the author's notes at the end explains her research process as well as how she tried to keep it as accurate as possible to the available information.
]]> <![CDATA[Journey to the Centre of the Earth]]> 52455936 9 Jules Verne Panda 3 Publisher: InAudio
Released: January 1, 2003

I couldn't find the correct edition as there are so many editions of this classic, including a plethora of audiobooks by various narrators.
This is an unabridged version and the narration is very good, as is the audio.

I read this as on of this months picks of the book club EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club
/group/show/...
This is the third pick and the third book that I read from the club this month, including The Year of Magical Thinking, and And Then There Were None

I mean, it's Jules Verne. There's chatter, there's science that he collected in his time machine and sold as fiction, and it's entertaining. This one has never been a favorite of mine but it interesting.]]> 3.53 1864 Journey to the Centre of the Earth
author: Jules Verne
name: Panda
average rating: 3.53
book published: 1864
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/14
date added: 2025/06/14
shelves: book-club, classics, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (10 hours) narrated by Stephan Cox
Publisher: InAudio
Released: January 1, 2003

I couldn't find the correct edition as there are so many editions of this classic, including a plethora of audiobooks by various narrators.
This is an unabridged version and the narration is very good, as is the audio.

I read this as on of this months picks of the book club EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club
/group/show/...
This is the third pick and the third book that I read from the club this month, including The Year of Magical Thinking, and And Then There Were None

I mean, it's Jules Verne. There's chatter, there's science that he collected in his time machine and sold as fiction, and it's entertaining. This one has never been a favorite of mine but it interesting.
]]> The Stationary Shop 216875733 0 Marjan Kamali 1508286582 Panda 0 to-read 4.26 2019 The Stationary Shop
author: Marjan Kamali
name: Panda
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lion Women of Tehran 199235739 An “evocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism” (People) set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran—from nationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali.

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams for a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions of becoming “lion women.”

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.

“Reminiscent of The Kite Runner and My Brilliant Friend, The Lion Women of Tehran is a mesmerizing tale” (BookPage) of love and courage, and a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young.]]> 10 Marjan Kamali 1797175343 Panda 5 Mozhan Navabi, and Nikki Massoud
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Both of these awesome women have won awards for their narration skills.
The audio is flawless

This book was read as this months book club selection for Historical Fictionistas
/group/show/...
As a lover of historical fiction, I have found many books to love through this group. If I am not reading a book with the group, it is most likely because I have already read it. Totally recommend if you enjoy historical fiction.

Marjam Kamali has 5 distinct works, and of those this is a first read for me.


Absolutely beautifully written. If you take a moment to read her bio, in the link above, you will see that this is personal. I could feel so much emotion in her writing, in all of the best ways. I loved everything about this novel, including that it reminded me of a once upon a time friend that I have lost contact with, from school, Naomi. Naomi and her family left Iran in a time of turmoil, and this story made me think of her and I do hope that she and her family are doing well.

This is a story about so many things. The world. Relationships. Growing up. Politics. Culture. A lot, there is so much packed in, without being tedious, or preachy, or too political... It's beautiful, heartbreaking, wholesome, full of love, some hate, and just real life stuff.

Awesome writing.

I highly recommend this story.]]> 4.50 2024 The Lion Women of Tehran
author: Marjan Kamali
name: Panda
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/13
date added: 2025/06/14
shelves: book-club, historical-fiction, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (10 hours) narrated by Mozhan Navabi, and Nikki Massoud
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Both of these awesome women have won awards for their narration skills.
The audio is flawless

This book was read as this months book club selection for Historical Fictionistas
/group/show/...
As a lover of historical fiction, I have found many books to love through this group. If I am not reading a book with the group, it is most likely because I have already read it. Totally recommend if you enjoy historical fiction.

Marjam Kamali has 5 distinct works, and of those this is a first read for me.


Absolutely beautifully written. If you take a moment to read her bio, in the link above, you will see that this is personal. I could feel so much emotion in her writing, in all of the best ways. I loved everything about this novel, including that it reminded me of a once upon a time friend that I have lost contact with, from school, Naomi. Naomi and her family left Iran in a time of turmoil, and this story made me think of her and I do hope that she and her family are doing well.

This is a story about so many things. The world. Relationships. Growing up. Politics. Culture. A lot, there is so much packed in, without being tedious, or preachy, or too political... It's beautiful, heartbreaking, wholesome, full of love, some hate, and just real life stuff.

Awesome writing.

I highly recommend this story.
]]> The Boy on the Bridge 35072307
The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world.

To where the monsters lived.]]> 13 M.R. Carey Panda 1 zombies Publisher: Hatchette Audio

The narration and audio of what I read was good.

I read a large portion of this book and it was OKish, but not exciting. Was just bland and at some point I just thought to myself, "Why am I spending time on this?"

I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. So I picked up something a bit more interesting.]]> 3.99 2017 The Boy on the Bridge
author: M.R. Carey
name: Panda
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2017
rating: 1
read at: 2025/06/14
date added: 2025/06/14
shelves: zombies
review:
Audiobook (13 hours) narrated by Finty Williams
Publisher: Hatchette Audio

The narration and audio of what I read was good.

I read a large portion of this book and it was OKish, but not exciting. Was just bland and at some point I just thought to myself, "Why am I spending time on this?"

I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. So I picked up something a bit more interesting.
]]> Dracul 42398704 The prequel to Dracula, inspired by notes and texts left behind by the author of the classic novel, Dracul is a supernatural thriller that reveals not only Dracula's true origins but Bram Stoker's--and the tale of the enigmatic woman who connects them.

It is 1868, and a twenty-one-year-old Bram Stoker waits in a desolate tower to face an indescribable evil. Armed only with crucifixes, holy water, and a rifle, he prays to survive a single night, the longest of his life. Desperate to record what he has witnessed, Bram scribbles down the events that led him here...

A sickly child, Bram spent his early days bedridden in his parents' Dublin home, tended to by his caretaker, a young woman named Ellen Crone. When a string of strange deaths occur in a nearby town, Bram and his sister Matilda detect a pattern of bizarre behavior by Ellen--a mystery that deepens chillingly until Ellen vanishes suddenly from their lives. Years later, Matilda returns from studying in Paris to tell Bram the news that she has seen Ellen--and that the nightmare they've thought long ended is only beginning.]]> Dacre Stoker 0525640487 Panda 5 Pete Bradbury
Vikas Adam
Saskia Maarleveld ❤️
Raphael Corkhill
Alana Kerr Collins
Allan Corduner
Publisher: Books on Tape (Penguin Audio)

I was thrilled and excited to see Saskia Maarleveld as one of the narrators in this team. Once I started the novel, the excellence of the skills of all of those involved allowed me to get lost in the book. Absolutely fantastic.
The audio is flawless

Dracul is another homerun from one of the best bookclubs on goodreads, Horror or Heaven:
/group/show/...
Seriously, the group is quite active with it's members, and every month there are so many fantastic nominations, one each in the horror and science fiction genre's, that it is sometimes difficult to select a winner. As a group the selections are generally at least good and have landed in the 4 and 5 star reads for me frequently, as in this month. So I will shout out this group for anyone who enjoys either horror, sci-fi or both to take a look and see if you too may be introduced to great reads you may never have heard of or potentially be encouraged to clear off those on your to be read list.

I wasn't sure what would happen with this book. I saw the cover and the author and figured that it was either someone in the family or a fan trying to get in on the vampire authoring. From there, either it's going to be someone who is either awesome or thinks that they are, especially putting Stoker on the cover.

It's a great re-telling by Bram Stoker's great grand nephew.

There was an AMA (Ask Me Anything, basically an interview where people can post questions and have a chance for the person to answer them) done by Dacre Stoke 9 years ago on reddit:

with Twitter proof:



I have yet to read through the entire AMA. I read a couple of questions and noticed that for some reason the original account by Dacre Stoker has been deleted, but the questions and answers are still there. It says deleted but the blue OP shows which posts were answered by him, so still worth a look if you have the time and are interested in the back story of the book.

At the time they were having a contest for two people to win to sleep in coffins at Dracula's Castle, sponsored by Airbnb. I am really curious about this and if anyone knows about this, has any links or videos if you could point me in that direction. This sounds like it could have been a lot of fun!

The book itself has two authors, the second author being J.D. Barker:

The above link has a little blurb and has some info, like the movie writed have been optioned by Paramount with Andy Muschetti (It, Mama) as the director. I haven't seen much mentioned since this was mentioned back in 2018, so it could be in production or the option could have run out. I guess time will tell.

I'm not sure how much each author wrote but I gather that Dacre had access to tons of notes and whatnot from the family archives. There's definitely an influence, and yet it is a book all of it's own.

The writing is nice. It has a nice flow. The world is fantastic. Some of the characters are built well and slowly and others, while not shallow, are perspective characters, as we only know and see what our story teller sees. Sometimes that means that the character is mostly a voice with a few descriptors and other times, if the person is interesting to the story teller/narrator, we get more. What we do get from his perspective feels realistic. Just as we run into people and some we take notice of and others we may have an interaction with once or twice but there's not much there.

On the vampire side, I don't want to say much, as I feel less is more and yeah. There are some things that are very true to lore. It is a re-telling, and some things are very different and perhaps unexpected. The style of writing as it pertains to the vampirism itself, feels like a throwback. I'm not sure if Bram would like the story, but I think that he would be intrigued, humbled by the fact that someone so far down the line went into the family business and that people are still around and excited to read new content by the Stoker family, and ultimately proud of it's reception.

Barker has been on my radar for a minute and this is, I believe, my first encounter with one of his books and it will not be my last. As for Stoker, it looks like he has some things as well, mostly collabs with other authors, that I may have to take a look at and see what's up.

This book was definitely a win and I highly recommend it.

]]> 3.84 2018 Dracul
author: Dacre Stoker
name: Panda
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/12
date added: 2025/06/14
shelves: book-club, vampires, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning, narration-is-awesome
review:
Audiobook (16 hours) narrated by a full team with at least one award winning narrator, including:
Pete Bradbury
Vikas Adam
Saskia Maarleveld ❤️
Raphael Corkhill
Alana Kerr Collins
Allan Corduner
Publisher: Books on Tape (Penguin Audio)

I was thrilled and excited to see Saskia Maarleveld as one of the narrators in this team. Once I started the novel, the excellence of the skills of all of those involved allowed me to get lost in the book. Absolutely fantastic.
The audio is flawless

Dracul is another homerun from one of the best bookclubs on goodreads, Horror or Heaven:
/group/show/...
Seriously, the group is quite active with it's members, and every month there are so many fantastic nominations, one each in the horror and science fiction genre's, that it is sometimes difficult to select a winner. As a group the selections are generally at least good and have landed in the 4 and 5 star reads for me frequently, as in this month. So I will shout out this group for anyone who enjoys either horror, sci-fi or both to take a look and see if you too may be introduced to great reads you may never have heard of or potentially be encouraged to clear off those on your to be read list.

I wasn't sure what would happen with this book. I saw the cover and the author and figured that it was either someone in the family or a fan trying to get in on the vampire authoring. From there, either it's going to be someone who is either awesome or thinks that they are, especially putting Stoker on the cover.

It's a great re-telling by Bram Stoker's great grand nephew.

There was an AMA (Ask Me Anything, basically an interview where people can post questions and have a chance for the person to answer them) done by Dacre Stoke 9 years ago on reddit:

with Twitter proof:



I have yet to read through the entire AMA. I read a couple of questions and noticed that for some reason the original account by Dacre Stoker has been deleted, but the questions and answers are still there. It says deleted but the blue OP shows which posts were answered by him, so still worth a look if you have the time and are interested in the back story of the book.

At the time they were having a contest for two people to win to sleep in coffins at Dracula's Castle, sponsored by Airbnb. I am really curious about this and if anyone knows about this, has any links or videos if you could point me in that direction. This sounds like it could have been a lot of fun!

The book itself has two authors, the second author being J.D. Barker:

The above link has a little blurb and has some info, like the movie writed have been optioned by Paramount with Andy Muschetti (It, Mama) as the director. I haven't seen much mentioned since this was mentioned back in 2018, so it could be in production or the option could have run out. I guess time will tell.

I'm not sure how much each author wrote but I gather that Dacre had access to tons of notes and whatnot from the family archives. There's definitely an influence, and yet it is a book all of it's own.

The writing is nice. It has a nice flow. The world is fantastic. Some of the characters are built well and slowly and others, while not shallow, are perspective characters, as we only know and see what our story teller sees. Sometimes that means that the character is mostly a voice with a few descriptors and other times, if the person is interesting to the story teller/narrator, we get more. What we do get from his perspective feels realistic. Just as we run into people and some we take notice of and others we may have an interaction with once or twice but there's not much there.

On the vampire side, I don't want to say much, as I feel less is more and yeah. There are some things that are very true to lore. It is a re-telling, and some things are very different and perhaps unexpected. The style of writing as it pertains to the vampirism itself, feels like a throwback. I'm not sure if Bram would like the story, but I think that he would be intrigued, humbled by the fact that someone so far down the line went into the family business and that people are still around and excited to read new content by the Stoker family, and ultimately proud of it's reception.

Barker has been on my radar for a minute and this is, I believe, my first encounter with one of his books and it will not be my last. As for Stoker, it looks like he has some things as well, mostly collabs with other authors, that I may have to take a look at and see what's up.

This book was definitely a win and I highly recommend it.


]]> <![CDATA[The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society]]> 10924618 As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends--and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society--born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island--boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. "From the Hardcover edition.]]> 9 Mary Ann Shaffer 1415954429 Panda 0 to-read, book-club 4.10 2008 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
author: Mary Ann Shaffer
name: Panda
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/13
shelves: to-read, book-club
review:

]]> Salvage: A Ghost Story 52725273
When his sister drowns, Owen Saddler follows in her footsteps, determined to uncover the circumstances surrounding her death by diving into the murky waters of Chapel Lake.

30 years ago, the town of Peace Falls was flooded for a hydroelectric dam, and its ruins remain below. The disappearance of the church’s Pastor and parishioners still haunts the citizens of Chapel Lake, but does the church haunt the lake itself? Is Owen really seeing ghosts, or has he succumbed to the depths of madness?

Salvage is the debut novel of author Duncan Ralston, a darkly disturbing story of depression, religious fanaticism, and the afterlife, illuminating the darkness lurking within us all.]]> Duncan Ralston Panda 0 to-read 3.64 2015 Salvage: A Ghost Story
author: Duncan Ralston
name: Panda
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Kosa: DarkLit Books 229478539
However, as Kosa grows older, she begins to question the reality she has been presented with. Doubts eat away at her, fueled by a deep-rooted curiosity and a burgeoning sense of independence.

But Kosa possesses a mysterious and powerful ability that Mother desperately needs to sustain her own existence. Mother, a figure shrouded in shadows and secrets, will stop at nothing to ensure that Kosa's power remains potent and under her control. The sinister grasp that Mother has on Kosa becomes increasingly suffocating as she tightens her grip, isolating Kosa further from the truth that exists beyond their home.

In this dark and captivating tale, Kosa's journey unravels the intricacies of control, the strength of one's convictions, and the true nature of the world beyond the shadows. The choices she makes will not only determine her fate but also influence the fate of those around her.]]> John Durgin Panda 0 to-read 0.0 2024 Kosa: DarkLit Books
author: John Durgin
name: Panda
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Staircase in the Woods 231922357 A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods.

While on a camping trip, five high-schoolers bound by an oath to always protect one another discover something in the middle of the forest: a mysterious staircase to nowhere. One friend climbs up but does not come back down. Then the staircase disappears. Twenty years later it reappears, and the friends return to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase.]]> 13 Chuck Wendig Panda 0 to-read 3.67 2025 The Staircase in the Woods
author: Chuck Wendig
name: Panda
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Life of Chuck 57213544
Originally featured in the acclaimed story collection If It Bleeds, this unforgettable, mind-bending tale unfolds in reverse, taking readers through the extraordinary life of Charles 'Chuck' Krantz.

In a crumbling world plagued by natural disasters, collapsing infrastructure, and mass panic, bizarre billboards and advertisements appear throughout town: "Charles Krantz. Thirty-nine great years. Thanks, Chuck!" Marty Anderson, a schoolteacher, becomes obsessed with these messages as the world, inexplicably linked to Chuck's life, seems to be approaching its end.

Told in three acts, presented in reverse order, The Life of Chuck explores one man's past. We see him in middle age on a business trip in Boston as he is seduced by a busker into spinning a gorgeous sidewalk dance. And we see him as a child, in a house haunted by a terrible secret, learning to dance with his grandmother. In these pages King reminds us that life's quotidian pleasures are even more glorious because they are fleeting: the outrageous good fortune of a beautiful blue day after a string of gray ones; the delight of dancing when every move feels perfect; a serendipitous meeting. King's ability to describe pure joy rivals his ability to terrify us.

Now a major motion picture and winner of the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award, The Life of Chuck is a glorious story about community and about humanity at its best, a celebration of joy, mystery, existential wonder, and the multitudes contained in all of us.]]> 58 Stephen King Panda 4 If It Bleeds

The audiobook is under 2.5 hours at 1x speed, has high quality audio that is easily understood from 1x to 2x speed, as preferred.
Danny Bursten used a fun narration style that really fit this story, which was filled with emotion with a lot of personal movement, like dancing. I did enjoy his reading of this short story.

The Life of Chuck was, surprise!, about the life of... dum... duuum... dummmmm... Chuck!

There was a lot going on in this short story, mostly revolving around the relationships Chuck built with himself and those around him. I think that when I am done with the collection that I will probably go back and re-read this one as I feel that there are a lot of layers and I would like to double read it to fully realize the totality of it. Although not necessary, I really love relationships in stories, and this one was touching.

Recommend.

Edit: This is a release of the single story from the book If It Bleeds. I highly recommend going in for the full collection, if you are going in for a purchase or even a first time read borrow from your local library. As a second run through to pick up at the library, sure, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there are several awesome stories in the full collection.

The release of the single goes along with the movie that is currently in a limited theater run. The cast looks outstanding. I cannot wait to see it!
Trailer:

Finally there is a 5 minute read by Stephen Kings doppelganger, Stephen Kinds on YouTube:

King looks so happy as he begins and ends his new book introduction. Thrilled would probably be appropriate, with the biggest smile that engulfs his entire face! ]]> 3.97 The Life of Chuck
author: Stephen King
name: Panda
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/21
date added: 2025/06/10
shelves: stephen-king, horror, relationships
review:
The Life of Chuck (Chapters 6-9) narrated by Danny Bursten, is part of If It Bleeds

The audiobook is under 2.5 hours at 1x speed, has high quality audio that is easily understood from 1x to 2x speed, as preferred.
Danny Bursten used a fun narration style that really fit this story, which was filled with emotion with a lot of personal movement, like dancing. I did enjoy his reading of this short story.

The Life of Chuck was, surprise!, about the life of... dum... duuum... dummmmm... Chuck!

There was a lot going on in this short story, mostly revolving around the relationships Chuck built with himself and those around him. I think that when I am done with the collection that I will probably go back and re-read this one as I feel that there are a lot of layers and I would like to double read it to fully realize the totality of it. Although not necessary, I really love relationships in stories, and this one was touching.

Recommend.

Edit: This is a release of the single story from the book If It Bleeds. I highly recommend going in for the full collection, if you are going in for a purchase or even a first time read borrow from your local library. As a second run through to pick up at the library, sure, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there are several awesome stories in the full collection.

The release of the single goes along with the movie that is currently in a limited theater run. The cast looks outstanding. I cannot wait to see it!
Trailer:

Finally there is a 5 minute read by Stephen Kings doppelganger, Stephen Kinds on YouTube:

King looks so happy as he begins and ends his new book introduction. Thrilled would probably be appropriate, with the biggest smile that engulfs his entire face!
]]> The Golem and the Jinni 16065751
Struggling to make their way in this strange new place, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their neighbors while masking their true natures. Surrounding them is a community of immigrants: the coffeehouse owner Maryam Faddoul, a pillar of wisdom and support for her Syrian neighbors; the solitary ice cream maker Saleh, a damaged man cursed by tragedy; the kind and caring Rabbi Meyer and his beleaguered nephew, Michael, whose Sheltering House receives newly arrived Jewish men; the adventurous young socialite Sophia Winston; and the enigmatic Joseph Schall, a dangerous man driven by ferocious ambition and esoteric wisdom.

Meeting by chance, the two creatures become unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures, until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful menace will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, threatening their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.

Marvelous and compulsively readable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of folk mythology, historical fiction, and magical fable into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.]]> 20 Helene Wecker 0062263056 Panda 0 to-read 4.08 2013 The Golem and the Jinni
author: Helene Wecker
name: Panda
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Children of Nazis: The Sons and Daughters of Himmler, Göring, Höss, Mengele, and Others (Living with a Father’s Monstrous Legacy)]]> 55882958
How did the offspring of these leaders deal with the aftermath of the war and the skeletons that would haunt them forever? Some chose to disown their past. Others did not. Some condemned their fathers; others worshiped them unconditionally to the end. In this enlightening book, Tania Crasnianski examines the responsibility of eight descendants of Nazi notables, caught somewhere between stigmatization, worship, and amnesia. By tracing the unique experiences of these children, she probes at the relationship between them and their fathers and examines the idea of how responsibility for the fault is continually borne by the descendants.




RUNNING TIME => 7hrs. and 8mins.

©2016 Grasset & Fasquelle; English-language translation copyright 2018 by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. (P)2020 Tantor]]> 264 Tania Crasnianski Panda 0 to-read, war, nonfiction 3.91 2016 Children of Nazis: The Sons and Daughters of Himmler, Göring, Höss, Mengele, and Others (Living with a Father’s Monstrous Legacy)
author: Tania Crasnianski
name: Panda
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/10
shelves: to-read, war, nonfiction
review:

]]> The Girl With All the Gifts 22567427
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.

The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.]]> 420 M.R. Carey Panda 3 Finty Williams

Finty Williams does an awesome job with her narration, so it was no surprise that I found that she was won multiple awards for her narration efforts. I think that I actually forgot it was just one person!
The audio is flawless.

This novel is kind of the zombie version of The Passage. It isn't as well structured or written, but it's in the ballpark. I did feel that the writing was a bit sophomoric, at times. I have to wonder, however, if that is an unfair assessment based on an unconscious comparison between Justin Cronin, due to the similarities of the main characters of this novel and The Passage. The writing styles are completely different. It wouldn't even be like comparing apples to oranges, it would be like comparing apples to an apple pie.

Looking at the publication dates of the two books, Cronin's coming out in 2010 and this one in 2014, I wondered if there was some inspiration there. According to this interview, there was not:


I do like how Carey added flare to his interpretation of zombies and how people might respond to a zombie apocalypse. While not completely unique or original, the story flows nicely, the overall tone is just off center from other similar type stories and the characters are tropes, but they work in the overall context of the story, which is entertaining.

Off to start the second book of the duology, The Boy on the Bridge, because, why not?]]> 3.96 2014 The Girl With All the Gifts
author: M.R. Carey
name: Panda
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/08
date added: 2025/06/10
shelves: fantasy, horror, book-club, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (13 hours) narrated by Finty Williams

Finty Williams does an awesome job with her narration, so it was no surprise that I found that she was won multiple awards for her narration efforts. I think that I actually forgot it was just one person!
The audio is flawless.

This novel is kind of the zombie version of The Passage. It isn't as well structured or written, but it's in the ballpark. I did feel that the writing was a bit sophomoric, at times. I have to wonder, however, if that is an unfair assessment based on an unconscious comparison between Justin Cronin, due to the similarities of the main characters of this novel and The Passage. The writing styles are completely different. It wouldn't even be like comparing apples to oranges, it would be like comparing apples to an apple pie.

Looking at the publication dates of the two books, Cronin's coming out in 2010 and this one in 2014, I wondered if there was some inspiration there. According to this interview, there was not:


I do like how Carey added flare to his interpretation of zombies and how people might respond to a zombie apocalypse. While not completely unique or original, the story flows nicely, the overall tone is just off center from other similar type stories and the characters are tropes, but they work in the overall context of the story, which is entertaining.

Off to start the second book of the duology, The Boy on the Bridge, because, why not?
]]> Blood on Her Tongue 231355035 "I'm in your blood, and you are in mine…"

The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry. 

Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.]]> 9 Johanna van Veen Panda 4
I wasn't able to find a lot about the narrator and goodreads points to an author, rather than her own page. I do have an instagram link though:
I very much enjoyed her narration, feeling that her performance fit the book perfectly.
The audio was good.

Johanna van Veen took an old school approach with her vampire story, placing her world allllll the way back in 1887, in the Netherlands.

This also isn't an action packed type vampire novel, but more of a slow burn that reminds me a bit like the writing of T. Kingfisher, like her novel What Feasts at Night. The world building is on a similar keel, and I feel as if the characters are as well. They aren't deeply written characters, but the main characters slowly come into focus as the story goes on and the side characters are animated and add a lot of structure and emotion to the story, if that makes sense.

Let me give an example, a rough one so as not to spoil anything.
Let's say that the main character is walking down the street, side character Stacy would run out and match a slow dragging pace with Manny the main character and start talking, "why so glum today Manny?" and perhaps a third character would enter the scene and Stacy would worryingly whisper to Thirdsidely (the second side character but third in the story because I am such a creative name provider) "I'm worried about Manny, he doesn't look so well." and Thirdsidely would respond, "yeah, doggo passed away last night after being sick for a few days. He was 18, if you can believe it."

So the side characters show emotion, provide the context of how the main character is moving and doing and what is going on. Of course the writing is a bit better than in my example, and the names are more regular and appealing, probably. lol

This is my second book by the author and also the authors second book. Looking over my review of My Darling Dreadful Thing, I want to add that both novels are conversation heavy, with the narrative of what is being said really carrying the weight of the story.

Johanna also used a historical point in time for her debut novel, however I feel like in my darling DREADFUL thing the point in time was another whole character, where in this novel the time was important but not vital.

Parts of the story also dragged on a bit and I think could have been tightened up. As a second book it is fantastic. I am curious as to what comes next!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4]]> 3.62 2025 Blood on Her Tongue
author: Johanna van Veen
name: Panda
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/09
date added: 2025/06/10
shelves: vampires, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (9 hours) narration by Emily Tucker

I wasn't able to find a lot about the narrator and goodreads points to an author, rather than her own page. I do have an instagram link though:
I very much enjoyed her narration, feeling that her performance fit the book perfectly.
The audio was good.

Johanna van Veen took an old school approach with her vampire story, placing her world allllll the way back in 1887, in the Netherlands.

This also isn't an action packed type vampire novel, but more of a slow burn that reminds me a bit like the writing of T. Kingfisher, like her novel What Feasts at Night. The world building is on a similar keel, and I feel as if the characters are as well. They aren't deeply written characters, but the main characters slowly come into focus as the story goes on and the side characters are animated and add a lot of structure and emotion to the story, if that makes sense.

Let me give an example, a rough one so as not to spoil anything.
Let's say that the main character is walking down the street, side character Stacy would run out and match a slow dragging pace with Manny the main character and start talking, "why so glum today Manny?" and perhaps a third character would enter the scene and Stacy would worryingly whisper to Thirdsidely (the second side character but third in the story because I am such a creative name provider) "I'm worried about Manny, he doesn't look so well." and Thirdsidely would respond, "yeah, doggo passed away last night after being sick for a few days. He was 18, if you can believe it."

So the side characters show emotion, provide the context of how the main character is moving and doing and what is going on. Of course the writing is a bit better than in my example, and the names are more regular and appealing, probably. lol

This is my second book by the author and also the authors second book. Looking over my review of My Darling Dreadful Thing, I want to add that both novels are conversation heavy, with the narrative of what is being said really carrying the weight of the story.

Johanna also used a historical point in time for her debut novel, however I feel like in my darling DREADFUL thing the point in time was another whole character, where in this novel the time was important but not vital.

Parts of the story also dragged on a bit and I think could have been tightened up. As a second book it is fantastic. I am curious as to what comes next!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
]]> The Year of Magical Thinking 9811904 6 Joan Didion 1598872079 Panda 2
Wow. I mean the writing is fine, but I known what I was in for I would have given this one a pass. Even as a 5 hour read, it was a lot.

As for the narration by Barbara Caruso, it was OK.
The audio had random word edits here and there, especially in the beginning, where the volume of the added or changed word was just a bit off from the rest of the words giving parts of the novella a wavy kind of feel.]]> 3.58 2005 The Year of Magical Thinking
author: Joan Didion
name: Panda
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at: 2025/06/10
date added: 2025/06/10
shelves: book-club, memoir, audio-is-just-a-bit-off, narration-is-just-ok
review:
This is a book club read and it's depressing af.

Wow. I mean the writing is fine, but I known what I was in for I would have given this one a pass. Even as a 5 hour read, it was a lot.

As for the narration by Barbara Caruso, it was OK.
The audio had random word edits here and there, especially in the beginning, where the volume of the added or changed word was just a bit off from the rest of the words giving parts of the novella a wavy kind of feel.
]]> The Berry Pickers 201555799
A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.]]> 9 Amanda Peters Panda 3 Aaliya Warbus, and Jordan Waunch

The narration is very good.
The audio is flawless.

Amanda Peters tells a compelling and disturbing story about relationships, family, and loss.

Overall I very much enjoyed the story.

While I wouldn't call the world dynamic, it is decently detailed and has a very realistic, and at times, an emotional and alive feel to it. Vibrant, might be a good way to describe it.

I felt that the particulars of what was going on with the characters, their emotions, and their personalities was a bit flat and lacking. I have surmised that some of the muted characteristics in the early story are intended, and Peters way of covering up, or hiding, the secrets and twist to come. That doesn't really account for the later story, however, that while it seemed bigger in many ways, character wise, was still a bit dull and murky.

I do want to note that Amanda Peters does have an interesting voice and writing style. The story itself was, as I stated above, enjoyable. I actually listened to it almost straight through, all day yesterday as I really enjoyed the cadence and overall delivery, even of the more twisted and unsettling parts. I felt that she handled some of the issues with care, almost too much care though as if she held the characters back from showing how they really felt, in some instances.

I have rated it a 3, I could go 3.5, it just isn't quite a 4 star read for me. Saying that I would read her again and see that this looks like only her second publication and her first long story novel, so we have a lot to look forward too as Peters hones her writing and finds her long format story telling voice.]]> 3.90 2023 The Berry Pickers
author: Amanda Peters
name: Panda
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/06
date added: 2025/06/06
shelves: historical-fiction, book-club, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (9 hours) narrated by Aaliya Warbus, and Jordan Waunch

The narration is very good.
The audio is flawless.

Amanda Peters tells a compelling and disturbing story about relationships, family, and loss.

Overall I very much enjoyed the story.

While I wouldn't call the world dynamic, it is decently detailed and has a very realistic, and at times, an emotional and alive feel to it. Vibrant, might be a good way to describe it.

I felt that the particulars of what was going on with the characters, their emotions, and their personalities was a bit flat and lacking. I have surmised that some of the muted characteristics in the early story are intended, and Peters way of covering up, or hiding, the secrets and twist to come. That doesn't really account for the later story, however, that while it seemed bigger in many ways, character wise, was still a bit dull and murky.

I do want to note that Amanda Peters does have an interesting voice and writing style. The story itself was, as I stated above, enjoyable. I actually listened to it almost straight through, all day yesterday as I really enjoyed the cadence and overall delivery, even of the more twisted and unsettling parts. I felt that she handled some of the issues with care, almost too much care though as if she held the characters back from showing how they really felt, in some instances.

I have rated it a 3, I could go 3.5, it just isn't quite a 4 star read for me. Saying that I would read her again and see that this looks like only her second publication and her first long story novel, so we have a lot to look forward too as Peters hones her writing and finds her long format story telling voice.
]]> Dream Count 228718959 A publishing event ten years in the making—a searing, exquisite new novel by the best-selling and award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists—the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires.

Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer who has been successful at everything until — betrayed and brokenhearted — she must turn to the person she thought she needed least. Omelogor, Chiamaka’s bold, outspoken cousin, is a financial powerhouse in Nigeria who begins to question how well she knows herself. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, is proudly raising her daughter in America – but faces an unthinkable hardship that threatens all she has worked to achieve.

In Dream Count, Adichie trains her fierce eye on these women in a sparkling, transcendent novel that takes up the very nature of love itself. Is true happiness ever attainable or is it just a fleeting state? And how honest must we be with ourselves in order to love, and to be loved? A trenchant reflection on the choices we make and those made for us, on daughters and mothers, on our interconnected world, Dream Count pulses with emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations on the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power. It confirms Adichie’s status as one of the most exciting and dynamic writers on the literary landscape.]]> Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 0008685762 Panda 1 historical-fiction Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the author,
Sandra Okuboyejo
A'rese Emokpae
Janina Edwards

The narration and audio of the first three hours is excellent, without flaw or issues.

I am 3 hours into this novel and feel like I have been reading for 3 days.

This is slow and painful and depressing.

I can see how some would love or enjoy this novel, for me I am not in the mood for depressing and I feel like since I lived through the pandemic myself and it wasn't that long ago, I am not ready to relive it. Years from now when those who were too young to understand what was going on or were not yet born, tales like this are going to be historical and bring forth questions and understanding in a first person point of view.

Moving on.]]> 3.65 2025 Dream Count
author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
name: Panda
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/06/06
date added: 2025/06/06
shelves: historical-fiction
review:
Audiobook (19 hours) narrated by:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the author,
Sandra Okuboyejo
A'rese Emokpae
Janina Edwards

The narration and audio of the first three hours is excellent, without flaw or issues.

I am 3 hours into this novel and feel like I have been reading for 3 days.

This is slow and painful and depressing.

I can see how some would love or enjoy this novel, for me I am not in the mood for depressing and I feel like since I lived through the pandemic myself and it wasn't that long ago, I am not ready to relive it. Years from now when those who were too young to understand what was going on or were not yet born, tales like this are going to be historical and bring forth questions and understanding in a first person point of view.

Moving on.
]]> <![CDATA[Uncommon Measure: A Journey Through Music, Performance, and the 카지노싸이트 of Time]]> 223117386 NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE

A virtuosic debut from a gifted violinist searching for a new mode of artistic becoming

How does time shape consciousness and consciousness, time? Do we live in time, or does time live in us? And how does music, with its patterns of rhythm and harmony, inform our experience of time?

Uncommon Measure explores these questions from the perspective of a young Korean American who dedicated herself to perfecting her art until performance anxiety forced her to give up the dream of becoming a concert solo violinist. Anchoring her story in illuminating research in neuroscience and quantum physics, Hodges traces her own passage through difficult family dynamics, prejudice, and enormous personal expectations to come to terms with the meaning of a life reimagined—one still shaped by classical music but moving toward the freedom of improvisation.]]> 5 Natalie Hodges Panda 5 This is currently Libby's book club read, where they have unlimited copies across the platform from May 15 - May 29 2025.
If you pick up your book by May 29th, you will have the full regular time to read it, usually 2 weeks.
There is also a Zoom event on May 30th at 12PM eastern US and Canada, Q&A with the author that you can sign up through Libby's Big Library Read program through the Libby app.
Join us live for a special Big Library Read event featuring Natalie Hodges, author of Uncommon Measure: A Journey Through Music, Performance, and the 카지노싸이트 of Time. In this exclusive Q&A, Natalie will be interviewed by Leah Miller, Director of Book Publishing at AARP, for a conversation that explores the profound connections between music, neuroscience, and the nature of time.

Together, they’ll delve into Natalie’s personal and intellectual journey—from the world of classical violin performance to the frontiers of brain science and human perception. Whether you’re a musician, science enthusiast, or simply curious about how time shapes our inner and outer worlds, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Uncommon Measure is available from May 15-29 as part of the global Big Library Read, free through your library’s Libby collection:


This is only a 5 hour/214 page read, so if you are interested, don't miss out!

Audiobook (5 hours) narrated by Cindy Kay
Publisher: Dreamscape Media

The narration and audio are great.
There is no music, nor any scoring. I note this specifically as although this is a novella about music, music is not played in the audiobook at all.

This is a great exploration of musical thought, especially for those who enjoy musical improv.

The author speaks a lot about the difference in the brain between playing a memorized and practiced piece to playing something improvised, or off the cuff.

She also speaks of how playing in a group the emotional connections and how people play to each other, matching beats and emotional play styles, lifting other playing up, and how the sum of playing in a group is larger than that of it's parts.

Theorizing, emotions, and thoughtfulness come up again and again. This is not an organized novella about musical composition but more of a deep theorizing or philosophies about the emotions about and behind music as well as the emotions of music itself.

For some this is going to be a 5 star read, all day, for others it's going to be a huge miss and boring af.

I loved it!]]> 3.31 2022 Uncommon Measure: A Journey Through Music, Performance, and the 카지노싸이트 of Time
author: Natalie Hodges
name: Panda
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/04
date added: 2025/06/04
shelves: big-library-read, music, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
This is currently Libby's book club read, where they have unlimited copies across the platform from May 15 - May 29 2025.
If you pick up your book by May 29th, you will have the full regular time to read it, usually 2 weeks.
There is also a Zoom event on May 30th at 12PM eastern US and Canada, Q&A with the author that you can sign up through Libby's Big Library Read program through the Libby app.
Join us live for a special Big Library Read event featuring Natalie Hodges, author of Uncommon Measure: A Journey Through Music, Performance, and the 카지노싸이트 of Time. In this exclusive Q&A, Natalie will be interviewed by Leah Miller, Director of Book Publishing at AARP, for a conversation that explores the profound connections between music, neuroscience, and the nature of time.

Together, they’ll delve into Natalie’s personal and intellectual journey—from the world of classical violin performance to the frontiers of brain science and human perception. Whether you’re a musician, science enthusiast, or simply curious about how time shapes our inner and outer worlds, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Uncommon Measure is available from May 15-29 as part of the global Big Library Read, free through your library’s Libby collection:


This is only a 5 hour/214 page read, so if you are interested, don't miss out!

Audiobook (5 hours) narrated by Cindy Kay
Publisher: Dreamscape Media

The narration and audio are great.
There is no music, nor any scoring. I note this specifically as although this is a novella about music, music is not played in the audiobook at all.

This is a great exploration of musical thought, especially for those who enjoy musical improv.

The author speaks a lot about the difference in the brain between playing a memorized and practiced piece to playing something improvised, or off the cuff.

She also speaks of how playing in a group the emotional connections and how people play to each other, matching beats and emotional play styles, lifting other playing up, and how the sum of playing in a group is larger than that of it's parts.

Theorizing, emotions, and thoughtfulness come up again and again. This is not an organized novella about musical composition but more of a deep theorizing or philosophies about the emotions about and behind music as well as the emotions of music itself.

For some this is going to be a 5 star read, all day, for others it's going to be a huge miss and boring af.

I loved it!
]]> <![CDATA[Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation]]> 28818221 I lost an arm on my last trip home.

Home is a new house with a loving husband in 1970s California that suddenly transformed in to the frightening world of the antebellum South.

Dana, a young black writer, can't explain how she is transported across time and space to a plantation in Maryland. But she does quickly understand why: to deal with the troubles of Rufus, a conflicted white slaveholder--and her progenitor.

Her survival, her very existence, depends on it.

This searing graphic-novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler's science fiction classic is a powerfully moving, unflinching look at the violent disturbing effects of slavery on the people it chained together, both black and white--and made kindred in the deepest sense of the word.]]> 256 Damian Duffy 141970947X Panda 0 to-read 4.19 2017 Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
author: Damian Duffy
name: Panda
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The River Has Roots 228393112 Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.

“Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.”

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.

There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.

But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters’ bond but also their lives will be at risk…]]> 4 Amal El-Mohtar 1250353351 Panda 1 Gem Carmella
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Gem Carmella performs an absolutely beautiful narration, including singing.

While I absolutely loved the narration and the overall descriptive words used in the novella were flowery and beautiful, the story just was not for me.]]> 4.22 2025 The River Has Roots
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: Panda
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/06/03
date added: 2025/06/03
shelves: fantasy, debut, narration-is-awesome
review:
Audiobook (4 hours) narrated by Gem Carmella
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Gem Carmella performs an absolutely beautiful narration, including singing.

While I absolutely loved the narration and the overall descriptive words used in the novella were flowery and beautiful, the story just was not for me.
]]> The Emperor of Gladness 229252882 Oprah’s Book Club Pick • Ocean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive

The hardest thing in the world is to live only once…

One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to alter Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community at the brink.

Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Vuong’s writing – formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness – are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance.]]> Ocean Vuong 1529945887 Panda 5 James Aaron Oh
Publisher: Books on Tape

James Aaron Oh, wow! What a narration!
The audio was flawless

This book.

This is my first experience with Ocean Vuong. I will read more.

Absolutely beautiful.

The intricate, realistic, messy, beautiful and horrific relationships. Wow.

This entire book is people. People being at their best and their worst, helping and hurting, being selfish or selfless... The quiet moments that are not generally visible as well as those that are. Everything. All written as if you were able to be an invisible person floating around and quietly observing life.

Loved it so much!]]> 4.00 2025 The Emperor of Gladness
author: Ocean Vuong
name: Panda
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/03
date added: 2025/06/03
shelves: literary-fiction, narration-is-awesome, audio-is-good, relationships
review:
Audiobook (14 hours) narrated by James Aaron Oh
Publisher: Books on Tape

James Aaron Oh, wow! What a narration!
The audio was flawless

This book.

This is my first experience with Ocean Vuong. I will read more.

Absolutely beautiful.

The intricate, realistic, messy, beautiful and horrific relationships. Wow.

This entire book is people. People being at their best and their worst, helping and hurting, being selfish or selfless... The quiet moments that are not generally visible as well as those that are. Everything. All written as if you were able to be an invisible person floating around and quietly observing life.

Loved it so much!
]]> And Then There Were None 16159005 7 Agatha Christie 0062265873 Panda 5 Publisher: HaperCollins (HarperAudio)

Excellent narration and audio

Re-read, first time audio. Even knowing the ending, this was a great read.

Loved it. One of my favorite Christie novels.]]> 4.01 1939 And Then There Were None
author: Agatha Christie
name: Panda
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1939
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/01
date added: 2025/06/03
shelves: best-audiobooks-list, book-club, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (6 hours) narrated by Dan Stevens
Publisher: HaperCollins (HarperAudio)

Excellent narration and audio

Re-read, first time audio. Even knowing the ending, this was a great read.

Loved it. One of my favorite Christie novels.
]]> <![CDATA[Parable of the Talents: A Graphic Novel Adaptation]]> 217545467 This powerful graphic novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s groundbreaking dystopian novel stands beside the acclaimed previous graphic novel adaptations, Kindred, a #1 New York Times bestseller, and Parable of the Sower, winner of the Hugo Award

Set against a background of a war-torn continent under the control of a Christian fundamentalist fascist state, Parable of the Talents is a modern masterpiece that resonates powerfully.

This graphic novel adaptation is brought to life thrillingly by Damian Duffy and John Jennings, the creative team behind the #1 New York Times bestselling adaptation of Kindred.

Parable of the Talents is told in the voice of Lauren Olamina’s daughter, Asha Vere—from whom she has been separated for most of the girl’s life—interspersed with sections in the form of Lauren’s own journals.

Asha searches for answers about her past while struggling to reconcile with her mother’s legacy—caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future among the stars.

Octavia E. Butler's bestselling literary science-fiction masterpieces are essential works in feminist, Afrofuturist, and fantasy genres, and this compelling graphic novel adaptation of Parable of the Talents is a major event.]]> Octavia E. Butler Panda 2 Original novel author: Octavia E. Butler
Adaptation author: Damian Duffy
Illustrators: John Jennings, and David Brame

This is an adaptation of Parable of the Talents, the second book of the Earthseed duology.

The illustrations are fantastic.

As a graphic novel, the adaptation contains the ideas put forth in the original novel, however, Butler has a unique voice that doesn't come through in the graphic novel.

While I feel that it is an excellent idea, and I like that more people will see her work, I do hope that the graphic novels bring a curiosity to Butler's original works.

The thing about digging into a novel written by her is that she has a way of creating these beautifully intricate worlds with complex beings, who then proceed to almost scientifically test the parameters of the world and their lives. The push/pull dynamic is something that I love every time I pick up a book by her, be it the first time or a re-read, although I think I have read everything by her at least once at this point... but there is so much there that I feel like I have an observational viewpoint into this wondrous creation, that I just didn't feel in the graphic novel.

I may try another one that has a different type of story, as I see that Damian Duffy has done several of these. Perhaps Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, which I think might translate better due to the content of the novel itself, and see what that looks like.

If graphic novels are your thing, definitely check it out, but also consider checking out the source material and see what you think.]]> 4.33 Parable of the Talents: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
author: Octavia E. Butler
name: Panda
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/06/03
date added: 2025/06/03
shelves: graphic-novels, science-fiction
review:
Graphic Novel 304 pages
Original novel author: Octavia E. Butler
Adaptation author: Damian Duffy
Illustrators: John Jennings, and David Brame

This is an adaptation of Parable of the Talents, the second book of the Earthseed duology.

The illustrations are fantastic.

As a graphic novel, the adaptation contains the ideas put forth in the original novel, however, Butler has a unique voice that doesn't come through in the graphic novel.

While I feel that it is an excellent idea, and I like that more people will see her work, I do hope that the graphic novels bring a curiosity to Butler's original works.

The thing about digging into a novel written by her is that she has a way of creating these beautifully intricate worlds with complex beings, who then proceed to almost scientifically test the parameters of the world and their lives. The push/pull dynamic is something that I love every time I pick up a book by her, be it the first time or a re-read, although I think I have read everything by her at least once at this point... but there is so much there that I feel like I have an observational viewpoint into this wondrous creation, that I just didn't feel in the graphic novel.

I may try another one that has a different type of story, as I see that Damian Duffy has done several of these. Perhaps Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, which I think might translate better due to the content of the novel itself, and see what that looks like.

If graphic novels are your thing, definitely check it out, but also consider checking out the source material and see what you think.
]]> Never Flinch 221644656 From master storyteller Stephen King comes an extraordinary new novel with intertwining storylines—one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker—featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters.

When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” in “an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,” Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.

Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard—a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.

Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion—a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.

Thrilling, wildly fun, and outrageously engrossing, Never Flinch is one of King’s richest and most propulsive novels.]]> Stephen King 1668131641 Panda 4 Audiobook pre-ordered!

The whole angry downvoting to counteract the ARCs is fun to see. I would like to think it's bored kids on school vacation having fun with trollololing, tis the season and all, but I don't want to blame potential innocents for those who grew up in age with brain rot. Perhaps Krampus with put them on his list?

Audiobook (14 hours and 44 minutes) narrated by Jessie Mueller and the author.

Note, because I looked, Jessie Mueller () is not related to the beloved long time Stephen King narrator Frank Muller (). Their last names are similar enough that at first glance it may bring Frank to mind, as many constant readers do miss him.
Although it does not appear that Jessie Mueller has won any awards for her narrator prowess, as of yet, she has both been nominated and has won many awards for her acting abilities both on stage and on screen, as noted in her Wiki page linked above.
As a couple of people mentioned Will Patton in the comments, who is an awesome and beloved narrator (if you are not caught up in the series, this will be a spoiler which is why I am tagging it, but it is NOT a spoiler for this novel, just for the previous ones in the series) [spoilers removed] I feel that Jessie Mueller does a fantastic job of embracing the identity of Holly. I would encourage anyone who is considering the audiobook to visit Libby or Audible or your favorite audiobook online vendor and listen to a sample so that you can hear a snippet of Jessie Mueller's narration. Unfortunately most take the first few minutes of the book and I am unsure if you will hear any conversation, but I feel like she was pretty consistent throughout and you should get a decent feeling of what to expect from the sampling.
The audio for Jessie Mueller's narration was flawless.
There is an authors note at the end, delivered by Stephen King himself, that has some audio issues.
There is a bit of noise as well as fluctuations in the volume. I could fully understand his narration as it was audible. While the volume is not consistent it doesn't dip too low or high to create issues with either being too soft or overly loud for someone with hearing issues. It is a bit messy and for someone with certain audio sensitivities, there could be an issue. The passage is relatively short and you may be able to run it through an app for a transcript. I do wish they would have cleaned it up before publishing.

This novel is a 3.5 stars for me.

King mentions in his afterword that he wrote this novel while dealing with a significant physical ailment. His right leg gave out and he had hip replacement surgery in 2023. This was a direct result of the accident in June 19, 1999 when he was hit by a van by Brian Smith that nearly removed him from life.

If I had to guess, the resulting recovery was not pleasant.

The story itself is solid, and enjoyable.

The characters, while not 2 dimensional, are lacking the little details that bring them from a great 3 dimensional character writer to the living breathing realistic people that live in the worlds created by Stephen King.

We know who Holly Gibney is. We know her little idiosyncrasies, both physically and vocally, and in this iteration of her she is a bit less Holly than we have previously seen/read. She isn't horrible. She is definitely Holly, just a less vibrant Holly.

Frankly it amazes me that King was able to write such a complex story while in recovery from a painful surgery. He is such a constant writer that I suspect that many will enjoy the story without much thought or that some constant readers may think that it is missing a little something but not be able to put their finger on quite what seems to be missing. It's very close. Just a bit off.

For those of us who love King and/or Holly, this is a great read and definitely worth the 15 hours.

Happy reading!]]> 3.71 2025 Never Flinch
author: Stephen King
name: Panda
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/31
date added: 2025/06/02
shelves: stephen-king, mystery, thriller, crime, horror, audio-is-good, audio-is-poor-quality, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook pre-ordered!

The whole angry downvoting to counteract the ARCs is fun to see. I would like to think it's bored kids on school vacation having fun with trollololing, tis the season and all, but I don't want to blame potential innocents for those who grew up in age with brain rot. Perhaps Krampus with put them on his list?

Audiobook (14 hours and 44 minutes) narrated by Jessie Mueller and the author.

Note, because I looked, Jessie Mueller () is not related to the beloved long time Stephen King narrator Frank Muller (). Their last names are similar enough that at first glance it may bring Frank to mind, as many constant readers do miss him.
Although it does not appear that Jessie Mueller has won any awards for her narrator prowess, as of yet, she has both been nominated and has won many awards for her acting abilities both on stage and on screen, as noted in her Wiki page linked above.
As a couple of people mentioned Will Patton in the comments, who is an awesome and beloved narrator (if you are not caught up in the series, this will be a spoiler which is why I am tagging it, but it is NOT a spoiler for this novel, just for the previous ones in the series) [spoilers removed] I feel that Jessie Mueller does a fantastic job of embracing the identity of Holly. I would encourage anyone who is considering the audiobook to visit Libby or Audible or your favorite audiobook online vendor and listen to a sample so that you can hear a snippet of Jessie Mueller's narration. Unfortunately most take the first few minutes of the book and I am unsure if you will hear any conversation, but I feel like she was pretty consistent throughout and you should get a decent feeling of what to expect from the sampling.
The audio for Jessie Mueller's narration was flawless.
There is an authors note at the end, delivered by Stephen King himself, that has some audio issues.
There is a bit of noise as well as fluctuations in the volume. I could fully understand his narration as it was audible. While the volume is not consistent it doesn't dip too low or high to create issues with either being too soft or overly loud for someone with hearing issues. It is a bit messy and for someone with certain audio sensitivities, there could be an issue. The passage is relatively short and you may be able to run it through an app for a transcript. I do wish they would have cleaned it up before publishing.

This novel is a 3.5 stars for me.

King mentions in his afterword that he wrote this novel while dealing with a significant physical ailment. His right leg gave out and he had hip replacement surgery in 2023. This was a direct result of the accident in June 19, 1999 when he was hit by a van by Brian Smith that nearly removed him from life.

If I had to guess, the resulting recovery was not pleasant.

The story itself is solid, and enjoyable.

The characters, while not 2 dimensional, are lacking the little details that bring them from a great 3 dimensional character writer to the living breathing realistic people that live in the worlds created by Stephen King.

We know who Holly Gibney is. We know her little idiosyncrasies, both physically and vocally, and in this iteration of her she is a bit less Holly than we have previously seen/read. She isn't horrible. She is definitely Holly, just a less vibrant Holly.

Frankly it amazes me that King was able to write such a complex story while in recovery from a painful surgery. He is such a constant writer that I suspect that many will enjoy the story without much thought or that some constant readers may think that it is missing a little something but not be able to put their finger on quite what seems to be missing. It's very close. Just a bit off.

For those of us who love King and/or Holly, this is a great read and definitely worth the 15 hours.

Happy reading!
]]> The Dream Hotel 60499589
From Laila Lalami—the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist and a “maestra of literary fiction” (NPR)—comes a riveting and utterly original novel about one woman’s fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.

Sara has just landed at LAX, returning home from a conference abroad, when agents from the Risk Assessment Administration pull her aside and inform her that she will soon commit a crime. Using data from her dreams, the RAA’s algorithm has determined that she is at imminent risk of harming the person she loves most: her husband. For his safety, she must be kept under observation for twenty-one days.

The agents transfer Sara to a retention center, where she is held with other dreamers, all of them women trying to prove their innocence from different crimes. With every deviation from the strict and ever-shifting rules of the facility, their stay is extended. Months pass and Sara seems no closer to release. Then one day, a new resident arrives, disrupting the order of the facility and leading Sara on a collision course with the very companies that have deprived her of her freedom.

Eerie, urgent, and ceaselessly clear-eyed, The Dream Hotel artfully explores the seductive nature of technology, which puts us in shackles even as it makes our lives easier. Lalami asks how much of ourselves must remain private if we are to remain free, and whether even the most invasive forms of surveillance can ever capture who we really are.]]> 11 Laila Lalami Panda 5 Frankie Corzo, and Barton Caplan
Publisher: Books on Tape

This book won an earphones award for the narration. The blurb about the award is quoted below:
This dystopian novel, set in an uncomfortably near future, features an innocent woman who is incarcerated for her dreams. Exceptionally well narrated by Frankie Corzo, with brief bursts of affectless officialese delivered by Barton Caplan, the story works remarkably well as an audiobook. Much of the narrative is the protagonist Sara's thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Corzo perfectly nails the angsty and bewildered tone of Sara's voice and does a fine job with the other characters in this engaging work--reminiscent of Kafka and Orwell had they lived in the Internet Age. Sara and her cohorts' mysterious plight seem frighteningly possible. This eloquently written audiobook lingers with the listener. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2025]

I would agree with this assessment. There are a lot of emotions going on and both narrators are adept at conveying those feelings with their voice while conversing as their characters, which there is also a lot of conversations. There are also a good deal of group conversations, which are also handled well. It is easy to follow the conversations and who is who as the character voices are consistent.
Although it probably doesn't have to be said, I will note that these two work well together. I am unsure if they narrated together in the same room or if the pieces were edited together. In either case, the chemistry and audio are both flawless.
Congrats to them winning a narration award for The Dream Hotel!

The Dream Hotel is also a Pulitzer prize finalist! Laila Lalami captured fear, terror, personalities, relationships, social status and social norms or how people act and react to what is going on in the world around them. What I am trying to say is that Laila nailed how people act and react, the fluidity of how people tend to move together, the protection responses, fear responses and so much more. This is some special character creation, character development and character growth.

The world is terrifyingly close to today. Laila managed to take what is going on in our world and bend it a little here, half a twist over there, maybe add some shading and nuance drawing it all together into something that is haunting. A lot of readers are going to ponder over this one for a while, it may seep into our dreams... give us pause at the airport or at the Starbucks counter.

This isn't some dystopian novel cast 100 years in the future. This is something that could happen tomorrow, maybe even today... it might be happening right now.

The novel itself only takes a few pages to get going, or to get acclimated as to where you are and what is going on. This isn't a fast pace, fun type of entertainment. The world is set fairly close to a real time scenario at some points, drawing the reader up close and personal to the characters in crisis. There is no where to hide. It made me think about what I would think if this happened to someone I was close too as well as what would I do and what would the reactions be if it were to be me.

Overall this book made me angry and gave me the feeling of helplessness. It also made me wonder how many people would take notice or would the world just move on unless they were directly negatively effected, which pissed me off some more.

Great read.]]> 3.70 2025 The Dream Hotel
author: Laila Lalami
name: Panda
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/28
date added: 2025/05/29
shelves: literary-fiction, dystopia, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning, best-audiobooks-list
review:
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by Frankie Corzo, and Barton Caplan
Publisher: Books on Tape

This book won an earphones award for the narration. The blurb about the award is quoted below:
This dystopian novel, set in an uncomfortably near future, features an innocent woman who is incarcerated for her dreams. Exceptionally well narrated by Frankie Corzo, with brief bursts of affectless officialese delivered by Barton Caplan, the story works remarkably well as an audiobook. Much of the narrative is the protagonist Sara's thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Corzo perfectly nails the angsty and bewildered tone of Sara's voice and does a fine job with the other characters in this engaging work--reminiscent of Kafka and Orwell had they lived in the Internet Age. Sara and her cohorts' mysterious plight seem frighteningly possible. This eloquently written audiobook lingers with the listener. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2025]

I would agree with this assessment. There are a lot of emotions going on and both narrators are adept at conveying those feelings with their voice while conversing as their characters, which there is also a lot of conversations. There are also a good deal of group conversations, which are also handled well. It is easy to follow the conversations and who is who as the character voices are consistent.
Although it probably doesn't have to be said, I will note that these two work well together. I am unsure if they narrated together in the same room or if the pieces were edited together. In either case, the chemistry and audio are both flawless.
Congrats to them winning a narration award for The Dream Hotel!

The Dream Hotel is also a Pulitzer prize finalist! Laila Lalami captured fear, terror, personalities, relationships, social status and social norms or how people act and react to what is going on in the world around them. What I am trying to say is that Laila nailed how people act and react, the fluidity of how people tend to move together, the protection responses, fear responses and so much more. This is some special character creation, character development and character growth.

The world is terrifyingly close to today. Laila managed to take what is going on in our world and bend it a little here, half a twist over there, maybe add some shading and nuance drawing it all together into something that is haunting. A lot of readers are going to ponder over this one for a while, it may seep into our dreams... give us pause at the airport or at the Starbucks counter.

This isn't some dystopian novel cast 100 years in the future. This is something that could happen tomorrow, maybe even today... it might be happening right now.

The novel itself only takes a few pages to get going, or to get acclimated as to where you are and what is going on. This isn't a fast pace, fun type of entertainment. The world is set fairly close to a real time scenario at some points, drawing the reader up close and personal to the characters in crisis. There is no where to hide. It made me think about what I would think if this happened to someone I was close too as well as what would I do and what would the reactions be if it were to be me.

Overall this book made me angry and gave me the feeling of helplessness. It also made me wonder how many people would take notice or would the world just move on unless they were directly negatively effected, which pissed me off some more.

Great read.
]]> <![CDATA[The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)]]> 218126170
But just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral, and Sybil dreams of a moth—the death Omen. Then, one by one, the Diviners begin to vanish.

To find them, Sybil enlists the knight’s help. But the world outside the cathedral’s cloister is wrought with peril. The seven Omens are not merely figures that visit her wakeless mind—they are real. Ancient, sorcerous, and cunning, Sybil must face each of them to recover the lost Diviners. And the knight, with whom she has become inextricably entangled, may be one of them.]]> 400 Rachel Gillig 0316582700 Panda 0 to-read 4.47 2025 The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Panda
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Ghost Eaters 62633084
Erin hasn’t been able to set a single boundary with her charismatic but reckless college ex-boyfriend, Silas. When he asks her to bail him out of rehab—again—she knows she needs to cut him off. But days after he gets out, Silas turns up dead of an overdose in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and Erin’s world falls apart.
 
Then a friend tells her about Ghost, a new drug that allows users to see the dead. Wanna get haunted? he asks. Grieving and desperate for closure with Silas, Erin agrees to a pill-popping “séance.” But the drug has unfathomable side effects—and once you take it, you can never go back.]]> 0 Clay McLeod Chapman Panda 0 to-read 3.41 2022 Ghost Eaters
author: Clay McLeod Chapman
name: Panda
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)]]> 223990305 The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.]]> 12 Heather Fawcett Panda 3 Ell Potter, and Michael Dodds.

Ell Potter and Michael Dodds continue on narrating the third in the Emily Wilde series. As in the second book, their familiar voices brought me right back into the world, immediately. Their narration style is complementary to one another, and they certainly add to the novel.
Ell Potter has won multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards.
The audio is high quality.

I began reading this series in late 2023 as part of a book club read. I found the book enjoyable enough that I have continued on, with the second in the series being my favorite of the three.

Heather Fawcett has created a magical and charming world, actually a few different worlds and times, for her entertaining characters to thrive in.

The finale of the series had a bit of a slow start and wasn't as fun for me as the second, but still was quite enjoyable and wrapped up nicely.]]> 4.03 2025 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Panda
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/27
date added: 2025/05/26
shelves: fantasy, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by Ell Potter, and Michael Dodds.

Ell Potter and Michael Dodds continue on narrating the third in the Emily Wilde series. As in the second book, their familiar voices brought me right back into the world, immediately. Their narration style is complementary to one another, and they certainly add to the novel.
Ell Potter has won multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards.
The audio is high quality.

I began reading this series in late 2023 as part of a book club read. I found the book enjoyable enough that I have continued on, with the second in the series being my favorite of the three.

Heather Fawcett has created a magical and charming world, actually a few different worlds and times, for her entertaining characters to thrive in.

The finale of the series had a bit of a slow start and wasn't as fun for me as the second, but still was quite enjoyable and wrapped up nicely.
]]> Don't Sleep with the Dead 231178763 Don't Sleep with the Dead, a standalone companion novella to The Chosen and the Beautiful, her acclaimed reimagining of The Great Gatsby.

Nick Carraway―paper soldier and novelist―has found a life and a living watching the mad magical spectacle of New York high society in the late thirties. He's good at watching, and he's even better at pretending: pretending to be straight, pretending to be human, pretending he's forgotten the events of that summer in 1922.

On the eve of the second World War, however, Nick learns that someone's been watching him pretend and that memory goes both ways. When he sees a familiar face at a club one night, it quickly becomes clear that dead or not, damned or not, Jay Gatsby isn't done with him.

In all paper there is memory, and Nick's ghost has come home.]]> 3 Nghi Vo 1250386926 Panda 2 Greg D. Barnett
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Greg D. Barnett is a skill narrator, actor, and storyteller:

The audio is flawless.

Don't Sleep with the Dead is an interesting novella.

There isn't a lot of character building, but it is more of an encounter than a broad spectrum story.

The issue for me is that one of the characters in the encounter is annoying as ]]> 3.38 2025 Don't Sleep with the Dead
author: Nghi Vo
name: Panda
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/26
date added: 2025/05/26
shelves: fantasy, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (3 hours) narrated by Greg D. Barnett
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Greg D. Barnett is a skill narrator, actor, and storyteller:

The audio is flawless.

Don't Sleep with the Dead is an interesting novella.

There isn't a lot of character building, but it is more of an encounter than a broad spectrum story.

The issue for me is that one of the characters in the encounter is annoying as
]]> Watch Me 228419625 OVER 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD. THE GLOBALLY BESTSELLING SERIES AND TIKTOK SENSATION IS BACK!

"Addictive, intense, and oozing with romance” Lauren Kate, Fallen

"Dangerous, sexy, romantic, intense! Kami Garcia, Beautiful Creatures

“My favourite series of all time” 카지노싸이트 review

“Perfection” TikTok review

James Anderson had a plan. Or half of one. He managed to do what his older brother, the famous Aaron Warner Anderson, never infiltrate Ark Island, the last refuge of The Reestablishment. No outsider has breached the stronghold of the authoritarian regime, but James is in. In a prison cell, sure, but as far as James is concerned, a win is a win.

It’s been ten years since the notorious duo Juliette Ferrars and Aaron Warner Anderson led a worldwide rebellion and established the New Republic of the West. But The Reestablishment is ready to make a devastating move, and they have the perfect assassin for the job.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. She always has a plan. On Ark Island, where constant surveillance is packaged as security, even emotions must be experienced with caution. Her every movement is monitored—and when she’s given an order to kill, she never hesitates.

Brimming with pulse-pounding action and torturous romance, Watch Me is an explosive journey through a dystopian landscape where enemies-to-lovers has never felt more impossible. Step into a beloved and breathtaking world that demands an answer to a desperate question—

Who are we when no one is watching?

*Watch Me was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller w/c 2025-04-21.]]> Tahereh Mafi Panda 3 Amanda Forstrom, and Gabriel Michael.
Publisher: Storytide

Both Amanda Forstron and Gabriel Michael are award winning narrators. Their narrations are fantastic, they have great chemistry and the audio is flawless.
Gabriel doesn't have a good link currently on goodreads, as it points to an author of the same name. I do have a link to his personal page:
Let me just link to Amanda's page as well:

This is my first Tahereh Mafi novel. I had no idea this was a 'TikTok sensation' nor did I know that this was a spinoff so I have no previous knowledge of these characters. It seems that a lot of the reviews have attachments to the characters, that I had to skim over in case I decide to read the other series, as they would have open spoilers.

Having no previous connections to what is going on, I enjoyed the writing. It got right down to business right away. I didn't feel like this was a sequel, felt that the characters were built well, that the world was also built well. I enjoyed the story and felt that I had enough foundation and was given enough info about the characters to form attachments enough to enjoy the story.

I enjoyed it so much, I do want to read the next book and now that I know that this is a spin off I am interested in what happened before. The characters, or at least the main character does speak and think about what happened prior to the opening of the story, so I do have some idea, and can easily see how it could be a whole other series.

This novel was fast paced. I wouldn't say that it was overly detailed or that the characters are on the level of authors like Stephen King, or Brandon Sanderson, but they certainly were not flat or 2 dimensional. I would give it a 3.5 stars, rounded down to a 3. Very entertaining as a single, and I am intrigued if the writing would hold out through an entire series. I think it might.

Edit: I actually did try and read Shatter Me, but the audio was so horrible that I just couldn't do it. There was a swipe or page turning noise that ruined it for me and I will not be trying to re-visit that series, which was the pre-quel that this one was spun off from. I am also not interested in the romantacy series that she has, so I will wait for the second of this series to come out and see what happens. It's pretty unfortunate but, it is what it is and I really don't feel like I am missing out.]]> 3.86 2025 Watch Me
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Panda
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/23
date added: 2025/05/24
shelves: dystopia, fantasy, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (8 hours) narrated by Amanda Forstrom, and Gabriel Michael.
Publisher: Storytide

Both Amanda Forstron and Gabriel Michael are award winning narrators. Their narrations are fantastic, they have great chemistry and the audio is flawless.
Gabriel doesn't have a good link currently on goodreads, as it points to an author of the same name. I do have a link to his personal page:
Let me just link to Amanda's page as well:

This is my first Tahereh Mafi novel. I had no idea this was a 'TikTok sensation' nor did I know that this was a spinoff so I have no previous knowledge of these characters. It seems that a lot of the reviews have attachments to the characters, that I had to skim over in case I decide to read the other series, as they would have open spoilers.

Having no previous connections to what is going on, I enjoyed the writing. It got right down to business right away. I didn't feel like this was a sequel, felt that the characters were built well, that the world was also built well. I enjoyed the story and felt that I had enough foundation and was given enough info about the characters to form attachments enough to enjoy the story.

I enjoyed it so much, I do want to read the next book and now that I know that this is a spin off I am interested in what happened before. The characters, or at least the main character does speak and think about what happened prior to the opening of the story, so I do have some idea, and can easily see how it could be a whole other series.

This novel was fast paced. I wouldn't say that it was overly detailed or that the characters are on the level of authors like Stephen King, or Brandon Sanderson, but they certainly were not flat or 2 dimensional. I would give it a 3.5 stars, rounded down to a 3. Very entertaining as a single, and I am intrigued if the writing would hold out through an entire series. I think it might.

Edit: I actually did try and read Shatter Me, but the audio was so horrible that I just couldn't do it. There was a swipe or page turning noise that ruined it for me and I will not be trying to re-visit that series, which was the pre-quel that this one was spun off from. I am also not interested in the romantacy series that she has, so I will wait for the second of this series to come out and see what happens. It's pretty unfortunate but, it is what it is and I really don't feel like I am missing out.
]]> Cloud Cuckoo Land 56783260
From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of perhaps the most bestselling and beloved literary fiction of our time comes a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring novel about children on the cusp of adulthood in a broken world, who find resilience, hope, and story.

Set in Constantinople in the 15th century, in a small town in present-day Idaho, and on an interstellar ship decades from now, Anthony Doerr’s gorgeous third novel is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope - and a book. In Cloud Cuckoo Land, Doerr has created a magnificent tapestry of times and places that reflects our vast interconnectedness - with other species, with each other, with those who lived before us, and with those who will be here after we’re gone.

Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in a house of women who make their living embroidering the robes of priests. Restless, insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds a book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. This she reads to her ailing sister as the walls of the only place she has known are bombarded in the great siege of Constantinople. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, miles from home, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the invading army. His path and Anna’s will cross.

Five hundred years later, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno, who learned Greek as a prisoner of war, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. She has never set foot on our planet.

Like Marie-Laure and Werner in All the Light We Cannot See, Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno, and Konstance are dreamers and outsiders who find resourcefulness and hope in the midst of gravest danger. Their lives are gloriously intertwined. Doerr’s dazzling imagination transports us to worlds so dramatic and immersive that we forget, for a time, our own. Dedicated to “the librarians then, now, and in the years to come”, Cloud Cuckoo Land]]> 15 Anthony Doerr 1797128531 Panda 2 Marin Ireland, and Simon Jones
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

I love Marin Ireland's narration style. She is fantastic.
Note that currently the audiobook points to the wrong Simon Jones. The narrator is the English actor, not the author: If you click on his resume you will see a long list of his acting credits on film, television, theater, and radio, as well as several narration awards!
The audio is flawless

Anthony Doerr writes beautiful descriptions of the world and the movement of the characters. The flow of the story is nicely detailed, however the conversation and actual story line is unexceptional and just did not do it for me.

Basically, I was moved by the positioning of a tea cup but bored and struggled to follow the storyline.

This was a book club read and I am not sorry that I picked it up. Now I know that Doerr isn't for me. I would suggest, however, trying out one of his books for yourself, if you are considering it, as his style is pretty and it may be a moving experience for you.

Happy Reading!]]> 3.97 2021 Cloud Cuckoo Land
author: Anthony Doerr
name: Panda
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/24
date added: 2025/05/24
shelves: book-club, fantasy, historical-fiction, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (15 hours) narrated by Marin Ireland, and Simon Jones
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

I love Marin Ireland's narration style. She is fantastic.
Note that currently the audiobook points to the wrong Simon Jones. The narrator is the English actor, not the author: If you click on his resume you will see a long list of his acting credits on film, television, theater, and radio, as well as several narration awards!
The audio is flawless

Anthony Doerr writes beautiful descriptions of the world and the movement of the characters. The flow of the story is nicely detailed, however the conversation and actual story line is unexceptional and just did not do it for me.

Basically, I was moved by the positioning of a tea cup but bored and struggled to follow the storyline.

This was a book club read and I am not sorry that I picked it up. Now I know that Doerr isn't for me. I would suggest, however, trying out one of his books for yourself, if you are considering it, as his style is pretty and it may be a moving experience for you.

Happy Reading!
]]> <![CDATA[Burn to Shine (Rogue Team International #4)]]> 229115133 Rogue Team International joins Joe Ledger in a new, tension-filled mission to stop a wave of bioterrorism from devastating the country.

A covert group is infiltrating the world’s most secure bio-weapons research sites. All across the country, people are acting as human ‘disease bombs’ by infecting themselves and walking into public places. And heavily-armed groups of illegal private soldiers are massing for some unknown strike.

Joe Ledger and the members of Rogue Team International, still reeling from the devastation and heartbreaking losses of their last mission, are forced into relentless action to try and save the country, if not the entire world.

Old enemies are rising and joining forces to hit Joe and his team with one devastating blow after another. What is the end game for all of this madness and terror? Outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and outgunned, Joe Ledger has to find a way back from the fires of grief in order to make a stand between these enemies and millions of potential innocent lives. But Joe has allies, too. His team, the vicious fighters of Arklight, and friends who may or may not be entirely human.

A war of darkness and light is coming. Who will stand? Who will fall? And how will anyone ever survive?]]> Jonathan Maberry Panda 4 Ray Porter
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ray Porter nails it again, this time with a flawless audio. Yay!

The Jonathan Maberry, Ray Porter team come together for another audiobook saga starring Joe Ledger and his team in the fourth installment of the Rogue Team International series.

I appreciate the return of old friends and new as the excitement immediately jumps off the page. Fans of the Ledger series will likely appreciate the new twists and turns in the newest scenario.

I appreciate how Maberry continues to be openly expressive of the mental health of his characters, through his characters. It is a rare series that openly speaks of the traumatic events that happen as trauma in real world situations. I am unsure if Maberry's mental health knowledge comes from personal experience of himself and/or those he is close too, research, or a combination of the two but in 2025 it is refreshing to be able to read characters discuss and talk openly about how they are doing, complete with a therapist. The inclusion of mental health isn't intrusive or 'snow flakey' but real talk that fits well in with the day to day operations of a special operations team that deal with life and death situations, huge losses, traumatic violence, and end of the world situations. This isn't the first time mental health has appeared in the series, although I'm not sure if I have previously mentioned it in either this series or the Joe Ledger series, which this is a spin off of. In any even, it deserves repeating as it is something that Maberry does well and with intention, proving that talking about mental health doesn't soften our hard core military heroes. It is a critical part of life that we all need to take care of, as we do our physical health. Staying on top of it makes us stronger.

If you are in the US and need a therapist, a good place to begin your search is:


If you are anywhere in the world and need to talk, with or without suicidal ideation, there is a great list of hotlines available here:


For mental health information, visit any of the social media sites, including Twitch, Discord, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram of my favorite online therapist, Dr. Mick:




]]> 4.38 Burn to Shine (Rogue Team International #4)
author: Jonathan Maberry
name: Panda
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/22
date added: 2025/05/24
shelves: jonathan-maberry, science-fiction, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (19 hours) narrated by the Ray Porter
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ray Porter nails it again, this time with a flawless audio. Yay!

The Jonathan Maberry, Ray Porter team come together for another audiobook saga starring Joe Ledger and his team in the fourth installment of the Rogue Team International series.

I appreciate the return of old friends and new as the excitement immediately jumps off the page. Fans of the Ledger series will likely appreciate the new twists and turns in the newest scenario.

I appreciate how Maberry continues to be openly expressive of the mental health of his characters, through his characters. It is a rare series that openly speaks of the traumatic events that happen as trauma in real world situations. I am unsure if Maberry's mental health knowledge comes from personal experience of himself and/or those he is close too, research, or a combination of the two but in 2025 it is refreshing to be able to read characters discuss and talk openly about how they are doing, complete with a therapist. The inclusion of mental health isn't intrusive or 'snow flakey' but real talk that fits well in with the day to day operations of a special operations team that deal with life and death situations, huge losses, traumatic violence, and end of the world situations. This isn't the first time mental health has appeared in the series, although I'm not sure if I have previously mentioned it in either this series or the Joe Ledger series, which this is a spin off of. In any even, it deserves repeating as it is something that Maberry does well and with intention, proving that talking about mental health doesn't soften our hard core military heroes. It is a critical part of life that we all need to take care of, as we do our physical health. Staying on top of it makes us stronger.

If you are in the US and need a therapist, a good place to begin your search is:


If you are anywhere in the world and need to talk, with or without suicidal ideation, there is a great list of hotlines available here:


For mental health information, visit any of the social media sites, including Twitch, Discord, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram of my favorite online therapist, Dr. Mick:





]]> <![CDATA[The Memory Collectors: A Novel]]> 229621360 Four strangers time travel to the past and find themselves stuck on the day all their lives were changed in this stunning speculative mystery from award-winning film and television producer Dete Meserve, perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Wrong Place Wrong Time, and The Paradox Hotel.

What would you do if you could spend an hour in your past? Four strangers in the beach town of Ventura, California are about to find out.

Elizabeth aches for one more precious hour with her son who died in a senseless accident. Andy is desperate to find his first love who vanished after a whirlwind romance. Logan craves the rush of surfing and mountain climbing, yearning to reclaim the freedom he lost after a misstep landed him in a wheelchair. Brooke is looking for an hour of relief from the guilt of an unforgivable mistake.

Enter Aeon Expeditions, the groundbreaking time travel invention of Mark Saunders—which allows some lucky clients the chance to spend an hour in their past. Even though Aeon’s technology ensures time travel can’t alter the future, all four clients, including Mark’s ex-wife Elizabeth, yearn to revisit the hour that changed their lives forever.

But when their “hour” extends beyond sixty minutes, they find themselves stranded in the past. As their paths intertwine unexpectedly, they unearth shocking secrets hidden in the shadows of their shared All their lives were shattered the same night on a secluded highway by the beach. As they delve into the hidden truths of that pivotal hour, a startling revelation emerges. They were not alone. Someone else was present, harboring deadly intentions.

The Memory Collectors is a heart-wrenching, genre-bending novel brimming with hope, grief, and second chances.]]> Dete Meserve Panda 0 to-read 3.61 2025 The Memory Collectors: A Novel
author: Dete Meserve
name: Panda
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame]]> 228828326 A new Queer, Asian-inspired fantasy novella about a renowned dragon slayer who never takes her armor off in public, Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame reads like She Who Became the Sun meets The Mandalorian, with dragons!

The fiercely independent nation of Quanbao is isolated, reclusive, and something of a mystery to the rest of the world. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper but instead loved and worshiped.

Yeva is perhaps a strange emissary to these people. Not only because their face has never been seen in public, but because they are a hero born to a birthright that makes them suited for their task—hunting dragons.

And so the dragon hunter must woo Quanbao's queen—the Lady Sookhee—to understand what secrets she is hiding. A woman reasonably suspicious of Yeva's intentions, and the imperial might of the throne she represents, Sookhee bears the burden of the safety of her entire people. How can she trust this stranger newly arrived to her court, a weapon forged in blood and fire, to understand what her people need and how best to safeguard their future?]]> 5 Neon Yang Panda 2 Nancy Wu
Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.

The narration and audio is great. The book is not.

Coming of of the awesome Pet Sematary is a hard novel to follow.

Some of my biggest issues include that Neon Yang did not write a world and characters, she told a story as if she was telling a campfire story. While I love when characters within a novel tell stories like this, to have an entire novella written in this way is a bit much. Even with an award winning narrator, there is only so much expression that can be made when it is a told story rather than having an actual talking character to narrate.

Stories told like this for 10 to 20 minutes, even a half hour can be engrossing, but 5 hours?

The result is a flat 2 dimensional reality with paper doll characters that have nothing to grab a hold of to like or dislike or have many emotions about at all.

If you enjoy this type of story telling, you may really get into this one, but for me, it's going to be a pass on this author going forward. I do, however, have an anthology that includes the author on hold, The Book of Dragons, and I am curious if her short stories hold up better in her writing style. Time will tell.]]> 3.53 2025 Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame
author: Neon Yang
name: Panda
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/19
date added: 2025/05/19
shelves: fantasy, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (5 hours) narrated by Nancy Wu
Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.

The narration and audio is great. The book is not.

Coming of of the awesome Pet Sematary is a hard novel to follow.

Some of my biggest issues include that Neon Yang did not write a world and characters, she told a story as if she was telling a campfire story. While I love when characters within a novel tell stories like this, to have an entire novella written in this way is a bit much. Even with an award winning narrator, there is only so much expression that can be made when it is a told story rather than having an actual talking character to narrate.

Stories told like this for 10 to 20 minutes, even a half hour can be engrossing, but 5 hours?

The result is a flat 2 dimensional reality with paper doll characters that have nothing to grab a hold of to like or dislike or have many emotions about at all.

If you enjoy this type of story telling, you may really get into this one, but for me, it's going to be a pass on this author going forward. I do, however, have an anthology that includes the author on hold, The Book of Dragons, and I am curious if her short stories hold up better in her writing style. Time will tell.
]]> Pet Sematary 49652089
Behind the "pet sematary," there is another burial ground, one that lures people to it with seductive promises…and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—one more terrifying than death itself, and hideously more powerful. An ominous fate befalls anyone who dares tamper with this forbidden place, as Louis is about to discover for himself…]]> 16 Stephen King Panda 5 Michael C. Hall
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Dexter narrated this.
The audio is awesome.

Stephen King wrote this.
The book is awesome.]]> 4.10 1983 Pet Sematary
author: Stephen King
name: Panda
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1983
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/19
date added: 2025/05/19
shelves: stephen-king, paranormal, horror, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (16 hours) narrated by Michael C. Hall
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Dexter narrated this.
The audio is awesome.

Stephen King wrote this.
The book is awesome.
]]> <![CDATA[Parable of the Talents (Earthseed, #2)]]> 16370508 Parable of the Sower, and now continues with Parable of the Talents. The saga began with the near-future dystopian tale of Sower, in which young Lauren Olamina began to realize her destiny as a leader of people dispossessed and destroyed by the crumbling of society. The basic principles of Lauren's faith, Earthseed, were contained in a collection of deceptively simple proverbs that Lauren used to recruit followers. She teaches that "God is change" and that humanity's ultimate destiny is among the stars.

In Parable of the Talents, the seeds of change that Lauren planted begin to bear fruit, but in unpredictable and brutal ways. Her small community is destroyed, her child is kidnapped, and she is imprisoned by sadistic zealots. She must find a way to escape and begin again, without family or friends. Her single-mindedness in teaching Earthseed may be her only chance to survive, but paradoxically, may cause the ultimate estrangement of her beloved daughter. Parable of the Talents is told from both mother's and daughter's perspectives, but it is the narrative of Lauren's grown daughter, who has seen her mother made into a deity of sorts, that is the most compelling. Butler's writing is simple and elegant, and her storytelling skills are superb, as usual. Fans will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in what promises to be a moving and adventurous saga. —Therese Littleton]]> Octavia E. Butler 1449882234 Panda 0 to-read 4.05 1998 Parable of the Talents (Earthseed, #2)
author: Octavia E. Butler
name: Panda
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sisters Grimm: The Sisters Grimm, Book 1]]> 199779759 The House at the End of Hope Street combines love, mystery, and magic with her first foray into bewitching fantasy with a dark edge evocative of V.E. Schwab and Neil Gaiman.

Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity . . .

As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their elemental powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths. Goldie (earth) manipulates plants and gives life. Liyana (water) controls rivers and rain. Scarlet (fire) has electricity at her fingertips. Bea (air) can fly.

To realize their full potential, the blood sisters must return to the land of their childhood dreams. But Everwhere can only be accessed through certain gates at 3:33 A.M. on the night of a new moon. As Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea are beset with the challenges of their earthly lives, they must prepare for a battle that lies ahead. On their eighteenth birthday, they will be subjected to a gladiatorial fight with their father’s soldiers. If they survive, they will face their father who will let them live only if they turn dark. Which would be fair, if only the sisters knew what was coming.

So, they have thirty-three days to discover who they truly are and what they can truly do, before they must fight to save themselves and those they love.]]> Menna Van Praag Panda 2 Adjoa Andoh
Publisher: HarperAudio

Not only has Adjoa Andoh won several narration awards, both Audie Awards and Earphone Awards, she has also won the coveted lifetime achievement AudioFile Golden Voice Award in 2022. Well earned. Adjoa Andoh has enjoyed a long career that spans several types of media, theater, television, film, radio, and video games, that started way back in 1984. It is more likely than not that unless you are literally cut off from society and living under a rock that you have enjoyed the skill and hard work that Andoh has contributed to our entertainment libraries.
The audio is flawless.

The Sisters Grimm is the first book of an interesting series that spins Fairy Tales with witchcraft under the new moon. The synopsis is interesting, as is the overall idea and the underlying storyline.

The telling of the story, however, is a bit flat. I have to wonder if the issue is editing. There are so many interesting moments, but the writing goes from fun or spooky and intriguing to muddy and back.

I may take a peek at something else by this author to see if they have more congruent stories, but I'm not going to proceed on this one. While I did finish this book and it ended with a lot of questions as well as a clear point of moving onto the next chapter, it seemed too much like an unfinished work and I am not interested in muddling about in a novel to find the good spots.]]> 3.80 2020 The Sisters Grimm: The Sisters Grimm, Book 1
author: Menna Van Praag
name: Panda
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/16
date added: 2025/05/17
shelves: book-club, fantasy, retellings, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (16 hours) narrated by Adjoa Andoh
Publisher: HarperAudio

Not only has Adjoa Andoh won several narration awards, both Audie Awards and Earphone Awards, she has also won the coveted lifetime achievement AudioFile Golden Voice Award in 2022. Well earned. Adjoa Andoh has enjoyed a long career that spans several types of media, theater, television, film, radio, and video games, that started way back in 1984. It is more likely than not that unless you are literally cut off from society and living under a rock that you have enjoyed the skill and hard work that Andoh has contributed to our entertainment libraries.
The audio is flawless.

The Sisters Grimm is the first book of an interesting series that spins Fairy Tales with witchcraft under the new moon. The synopsis is interesting, as is the overall idea and the underlying storyline.

The telling of the story, however, is a bit flat. I have to wonder if the issue is editing. There are so many interesting moments, but the writing goes from fun or spooky and intriguing to muddy and back.

I may take a peek at something else by this author to see if they have more congruent stories, but I'm not going to proceed on this one. While I did finish this book and it ended with a lot of questions as well as a clear point of moving onto the next chapter, it seemed too much like an unfinished work and I am not interested in muddling about in a novel to find the good spots.
]]> Sea of Tranquility 59079740 Listening length: 5 hours, 47 minutes

The award-winning, best-selling author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel returns with a novel of art, time, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon three hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space.

Edwin St. Andrew is eighteen years old when he crosses the Atlantic by steamship, exiled from polite society following an ill-conceived diatribe at a dinner party. He enters the forest, spellbound by the beauty of the Canadian wilderness, and suddenly hears the notes of a violin echoing in an airship terminal--an experience that shocks him to his core.

Two centuries later a famous writer named Olive Llewellyn is on a book tour. She's traveling all over Earth, but her home is the second moon colony, a place of white stone, spired towers, and artificial beauty. Within the text of Olive's bestselling pandemic novel lies a strange passage: a man plays his violin for change in the echoing corridor of an airship terminal as the trees of a forest rise around him.

When Gaspery-Jacques Roberts, a detective in the Night City, is hired to investigate an anomaly in the North American wilderness, he uncovers a series of lives upended: The exiled son of an earl driven to madness, a writer trapped far from home as a pandemic ravages Earth, and a childhood friend from the Night City who, like Gaspery himself, has glimpsed the chance to do something extraordinary that will disrupt the timeline of the universe.

A virtuoso performance that is as human and tender as it is intellectually playful, Sea of Tranquility is a novel of time travel and metaphysics that precisely captures the reality of our current moment.]]> 0 Emily St. John Mandel 0593552008 Panda 1 3.86 2022 Sea of Tranquility
author: Emily St. John Mandel
name: Panda
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at: 2025/05/15
date added: 2025/05/15
shelves: historical-fiction, science-fiction, time-travel, book-club
review:
I may pick up The Glass House at some point and if I like that take another look at this one, but right now this one is just a no for me. I have read a good deal of the book, it's only 6 hours long, and it just feels like a chore. Maybe I'm missing something, I don't know. But it seems like I'm not in the mood for it at this time.
]]> <![CDATA[The Sunlit Man: Dramatized Adaptation (Secret Projects #4)]]> 226897298
Running. Putting distance between himself and the relentless Night Brigade has been Nomad’s strategy for years. Staying one or two steps ahead of his pursuers by skipping through the Cosmere from one world to the next.

But now, his powers too depleted to escape, Nomad finds himself trapped on Canticle, a planet that will kill anyone who doesn’t keep moving. Fleeing the fires of a sunrise that melts the very stones, he is instantly caught up in the struggle between a heartless tyrant and the brave rebels who defy him.

Failure means a quick death, incinerated by the sun… or a lifetime as a mindless slave. Tormented by the consequences of his past, Nomad must fight not only for his survival―but also for his very soul.

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Performed by Nick J. Russo, Torian Brackett, Wyn Delano, Taylor Coan, Elena Anderson, Stephanie Németh-Parker, Daniel Llaca, David Cui Cui, Yasmin Tuazon, Nanette Savard, Alexander Amado, Natalie Van Sistine, Chris Davenport, Christopher Walker, Shanta Parasuraman, Scott McCormick, Gabriel Michael, Eva Wilhelm, Colleen Delany, Kenneth Charles, Laura C. Harris, Bradley Foster Smith, Crystal Lee, and Richard Rohan.]]> 10 Brandon Sanderson Panda 2 Nick J. Russo
Torian Brackett
Wyn Delano
Taylor Coan
Elena Anderson
Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
Daniel Llaca
David Cui Cui
Yasmin Tuazon
Nanette Savard
Alexander Amado

This is a fully scored, full cast narrated, Graphic Audio. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some award winning narrators in the mix, let's just leave it at it is awesome. They rightly call it a movie for your mind. Any novel that gets the Graphic Audio makeover that is an enjoyment for you, is worth picking up this version either as a first read, a re-read, or to listen to along with the print version. The work that they do is meticulous. The scoring is generally on point, builds excitement or sets the emotion, much like a movie. The characters generally each get their own voice.
The audio is dynamic, clear, clean, and stable, without high highs and low lows, so you don't have to worry about things getting too loud or too soft to hear while wearing headphones.

The Sunlit Man is the fourth book in the Secret Projects series that started out as a crowd funded series over/during the pandemic. Out of the four books that I have read thus far, the second book, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, has been my favorite with me giving it a full 5 stars, and this one is my least. I have to give it a 2 because I gave Tress of the Emerald Sea a 3, and Tress was significantly more enjoyable.

Sanderson has a decent writing range, and while I enjoy most of it, this isn't the first time that I have had a bit of a struggle through parts of the book. I am also currently working through The Stormlight Archive Series, which I absolutely love.

If you like or love Sanderson, don't let my low rating keep you from this one, it has absolutely zero to do with the writing and is simply my personal preferences and just not caring for this overall story line in this novel (I almost said novella, in the Sanderson world, 10 hours is a novella, trust.)]]> 4.14 2023 The Sunlit Man: Dramatized Adaptation (Secret Projects #4)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Panda
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/15
date added: 2025/05/15
shelves: fantasy, narration-full-cast, audio-fully-scored, audio-is-awesome
review:
Audiobook (10 hours) narrated by a full cast, including:
Nick J. Russo
Torian Brackett
Wyn Delano
Taylor Coan
Elena Anderson
Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
Daniel Llaca
David Cui Cui
Yasmin Tuazon
Nanette Savard
Alexander Amado

This is a fully scored, full cast narrated, Graphic Audio. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some award winning narrators in the mix, let's just leave it at it is awesome. They rightly call it a movie for your mind. Any novel that gets the Graphic Audio makeover that is an enjoyment for you, is worth picking up this version either as a first read, a re-read, or to listen to along with the print version. The work that they do is meticulous. The scoring is generally on point, builds excitement or sets the emotion, much like a movie. The characters generally each get their own voice.
The audio is dynamic, clear, clean, and stable, without high highs and low lows, so you don't have to worry about things getting too loud or too soft to hear while wearing headphones.

The Sunlit Man is the fourth book in the Secret Projects series that started out as a crowd funded series over/during the pandemic. Out of the four books that I have read thus far, the second book, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, has been my favorite with me giving it a full 5 stars, and this one is my least. I have to give it a 2 because I gave Tress of the Emerald Sea a 3, and Tress was significantly more enjoyable.

Sanderson has a decent writing range, and while I enjoy most of it, this isn't the first time that I have had a bit of a struggle through parts of the book. I am also currently working through The Stormlight Archive Series, which I absolutely love.

If you like or love Sanderson, don't let my low rating keep you from this one, it has absolutely zero to do with the writing and is simply my personal preferences and just not caring for this overall story line in this novel (I almost said novella, in the Sanderson world, 10 hours is a novella, trust.)
]]> The Dead Cat Tail Assassins 216965779 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins―resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories―have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget.]]> 0 P. Djèlí Clark 1980064709 Panda 4 Lynnette R. Freeman
Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.

Lynnette R. Freeman has won both the Earphone and Audie awards for her narrations. She knocks this one out of the park. I especially enjoyed her ability to age her voice up and down without it sounding off putting or odd. A lot of times it is difficult for even skilled narrators to voice someone significantly younger and make them sound both age appropriate and decent. It was extremely easy to follow along with who was who and who was saying what even with a heavy dialogue filled with many voices.
The audio is flawless.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a very fun and unique tale that takes the game of assassins and puts it into a fantasy world in a way that seems fresh and new.

P. Djeli Clark's spin on things was a lot of fun to read. Even in a shorter story there was a lot of character growth and a nice build up with a satisfying ending.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Would definitely read more from this author.]]> 3.77 2024 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: Panda
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/13
date added: 2025/05/15
shelves: fantasy, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (7 hours) narrated by Lynnette R. Freeman
Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.

Lynnette R. Freeman has won both the Earphone and Audie awards for her narrations. She knocks this one out of the park. I especially enjoyed her ability to age her voice up and down without it sounding off putting or odd. A lot of times it is difficult for even skilled narrators to voice someone significantly younger and make them sound both age appropriate and decent. It was extremely easy to follow along with who was who and who was saying what even with a heavy dialogue filled with many voices.
The audio is flawless.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a very fun and unique tale that takes the game of assassins and puts it into a fantasy world in a way that seems fresh and new.

P. Djeli Clark's spin on things was a lot of fun to read. Even in a shorter story there was a lot of character growth and a nice build up with a satisfying ending.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Would definitely read more from this author.
]]> Horns 9828412




At first, Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who had been raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.





Once, the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed. But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. Nothing Ig can do or say matters. Everyone it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone that is, but the devil inside. . . .





Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. It's time for a little revenge . . . it's time the devil had his due . . .]]> 14 Joe Hill 0061969311 Panda 4 Fred Berman
Publisher: HarperAudio

Fred Berman has narrated hundreds of audiobooks and won close to 2 dozen narration awards. This is a good one.
The audio is flawless.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. Joe Hill shows the influence of his father with his well built world, characters and knack for pulling ordinary human concerns out of day to day life and building it into a terrifying story with a lot of bite, all while having his own unique style and voice.

Once I got started, it was difficult to put down.

I will note that this one has a lot of difficult moments and is not for the faint of heart and certainly not for anyone who has trouble with profanities or violence.]]> 3.67 2010 Horns
author: Joe Hill
name: Panda
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/13
date added: 2025/05/15
shelves: paranormal, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (14 hours) narrated by Fred Berman
Publisher: HarperAudio

Fred Berman has narrated hundreds of audiobooks and won close to 2 dozen narration awards. This is a good one.
The audio is flawless.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. Joe Hill shows the influence of his father with his well built world, characters and knack for pulling ordinary human concerns out of day to day life and building it into a terrifying story with a lot of bite, all while having his own unique style and voice.

Once I got started, it was difficult to put down.

I will note that this one has a lot of difficult moments and is not for the faint of heart and certainly not for anyone who has trouble with profanities or violence.
]]> <![CDATA[Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians [Dramatized Adaptation] (Alcatraz #1)]]> 39998056
Everything I'd known about the world was a lie.

On my thirteenth birthday, I, Alcatraz Smedry (yes, I got named after a prison, don’t ask) received my a bag of sand. And then I accidentally destroyed my foster parents’ kitchen. It’s not my fault, things just break around me, I swear!

I thought the sand was a joke until evil Librarians came to steal it. You’re probably thinking, “Librarians are nice people who recommend good books,” but that’s just what they want you to think! It turns out they’re actually a secret cult keeping the truth from you—a hidden world filled with magical eyeglasses, talking dinosaurs, and knights with crystal swords!

Or so my Grandpa Smedry claimed when he suddenly showed up to rescue me. So now I have to go with him to invade the local library and get that sand back, before it's used to conquer the world. And Grandpa says how I keep breaking things is actually an amazing talent. There’s no way that can all be true, right?

Will I ever make it back home alive?]]> 10 Brandon Sanderson 1628514442 Panda 5 Alejandro Ruiz
Chris Genebach
Carolyn Kashner
Zeke Alton
Marni Penning
Bradley Smith
Richard Rohan
Peter Holdway
David Jourdan
Colleen Delany
James Lewis
Michael John Casey
Scott McCormick
Chris Stinson
Ken Jackson
Sasha Olinick
Terence Aselford

This GraphicAudio production is excellent, both in narration and audio.
The main character breaks the forth wall several times and rightly calls it a movie for your ears.
Produced for kids, fun for adults.
Highly recommend for urban fantasy nerds.

Beware of ]]> 3.96 Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians [Dramatized Adaptation] (Alcatraz #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Panda
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/18
date added: 2025/05/13
shelves: fantasy, magic, urban-fantasy, narration-full-cast, audio-fully-scored
review:
Audiobook (6 hours) narrated by a full cast, including:
Alejandro Ruiz
Chris Genebach
Carolyn Kashner
Zeke Alton
Marni Penning
Bradley Smith
Richard Rohan
Peter Holdway
David Jourdan
Colleen Delany
James Lewis
Michael John Casey
Scott McCormick
Chris Stinson
Ken Jackson
Sasha Olinick
Terence Aselford

This GraphicAudio production is excellent, both in narration and audio.
The main character breaks the forth wall several times and rightly calls it a movie for your ears.
Produced for kids, fun for adults.
Highly recommend for urban fantasy nerds.

Beware of
]]> Don’t Turn Out the Lights 54804476
Flesh-hungry ogres? Brains full of spiders? Haunted houses you can’t escape? This collection of 35 terrifying stories from the Horror Writers Association has it all, including ghastly illustrations from Iris Compiet that will absolutely chill readers to the bone.

So turn off your lamps, click on your flashlights, and prepare - if you dare - to be utterly spooked!

THE COMPLETE LIST OF WRITERS:
Linda D. Addison, Courtney Alameda, Jonathan Auxier, Gary A. Braunbeck, Z Brewer, Aric Cushing, John Dixon, Tananarive Due, Jamie Ford, Kami Garcia, Christopher Golden, Tonya Hurley, Catherine Jordan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Alethea Kontis, N.R. Lambert, Laurent Linn, Amy Lukavics, Barry Lyga, D.J. MacHale, Josh Malerman, James A. Moore, Michael Northrop, Micol Ostow, Joanna Parypinksi, Brendan Reichs, Madeleine Roux, R.L. Stine, Margaret Stohl, Gaby Triana, Luis Alberto Urrea, Rosario Urrea, Kim Ventrella, Sheri White, T.J. Wooldridge, Brenna Yovanoff






RUNNING TIME ➩ 6hrs. and 45mins.

©2020 Jonathan Maberry (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers]]> Jonathan Maberry Panda 0 to-read 3.88 2020 Don’t Turn Out the Lights
author: Jonathan Maberry
name: Panda
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights]]> 50698705
RUNNING TIME ➼ 17hrs. and 19mins.

©2003 Tananarive Due and Patricia Stephens Due (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC]]> Tananarive Due Panda 0 to-read, memoir 4.50 2003 Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights
author: Tananarive Due
name: Panda
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/12
shelves: to-read, memoir
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Black Panther: Sins of the King]]> 55505706
T'Challa strives for excellence—to be a fair and worthy king, a global citizen, an Avenger. But when an army of undead threatens Wakanda, The Black Panther turns to his long-lost father in the fight against his most lethal opponent yet—the demons of his past.

Narrated by William Jackson Harper. Written by Ira Madison III, Mohale Mashigo, Geoffrey Thorne, Tananarive Due, and Steven Barnes. Art by Khary Randolph.]]> Ira Madison III Panda 0 4.67 2021 Black Panther: Sins of the King
author: Ira Madison III
name: Panda
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/12
shelves: currently-reading, graphic-novels, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked, #1)]]> 223812971 The first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy duology based on characters and teachings created by Bruce Lee!

Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.

But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.

As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself.]]> 12 Shannon Lee Panda 1 dragons, fantasy Eric Yang
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (Macmillan Young Listeners)

The narration and audio of the portion of the novel that I read was flawless.

Shannon Lee, one of the authors of this book, is the only living child of Bruce Lee. She is a skilled martial artist, as was her father. As such, and learning that her father created these characters, I was excited to settle into this book.

The fight scenes are spectacular, well written, and unsurprisingly realistic.

The characters, on the other hand, are unfortunately flat, lacking in personality, and just not enjoyable.

When this book is made into a movie I will what the heck out of it and enjoy the fight scenes. I expect for Shannon Lee to be fully a part of the movie and the fight choreography, which will make it all the better. The book, however, I cannot finish. sadge.

]]> 3.65 2025 Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked, #1)
author: Shannon Lee
name: Panda
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/05/10
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: dragons, fantasy
review:
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by Eric Yang
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (Macmillan Young Listeners)

The narration and audio of the portion of the novel that I read was flawless.

Shannon Lee, one of the authors of this book, is the only living child of Bruce Lee. She is a skilled martial artist, as was her father. As such, and learning that her father created these characters, I was excited to settle into this book.

The fight scenes are spectacular, well written, and unsurprisingly realistic.

The characters, on the other hand, are unfortunately flat, lacking in personality, and just not enjoyable.

When this book is made into a movie I will what the heck out of it and enjoy the fight scenes. I expect for Shannon Lee to be fully a part of the movie and the fight choreography, which will make it all the better. The book, however, I cannot finish. sadge.


]]> Where the Axe Is Buried 214388700 All systems fail. All societies crumble. All worlds end.

In the authoritarian Federation, there is a plot to assassinate and replace the President, a man who has downloaded his mind to a succession of new bodies to maintain his grip on power. Meanwhile, on the fringes of a Western Europe that has renounced human governance in favor of ostensibly more efficient, objective, and peaceful AI Prime Ministers, an experimental artificial mind is malfunctioning, threatening to set off a chain of events that may spell the end of the Western world.

As the Federation and the West both start to crumble, Lilia, the brilliant scientist whose invention may be central to bringing down the seemingly immortal President, goes on the run, trying to break out from a near-impenetrable web of Federation surveillance. Her fate is bound up with a worldwide group of others fighting against the global status quo: Palmer, the man Lilia left behind in London, desperate to solve the mystery of her disappearance; Zoya, a veteran activist imprisoned in the taiga, whose book has inspired a revolutionary movement; Nikolai, the President’s personal physician, who has been forced into more and more harrowing decisions as he navigates the Federation’s palace politics; and Nurlan, the hapless parliamentary staffer whose attempt to save his Republic goes terribly awry. And then there is Krotov, head of the Federation’s security services, whose plots, agents, and assassins are everywhere.

Following the success of his debut novel, The Mountain in the Sea, Ray Nayler launches readers into a thrilling near-future world of geopolitical espionage. A cybernetic novel of political intrigue, Where the Axe is Buried combines the story of a near-impossible revolutionary operation with a blistering indictment of the many forms of authoritarianism that suffocate human freedom.]]> 11 Ray Nayler Panda 4 Eunice Wong
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Eunice Wong is a deserving award winning narrator with lots of experience and a few nominations under her belt before her big win last year.
The audio is flawless.

This is Ray Naylers third novel. I have not read his debut award winning novel, The Mountain in the Sea, nor the novella that immediately followed it, The Tusks of Extinction. This one, however, is fire.

Ray Nayler writes as if he has been doing this for a long while. His story structure is fantastic. The characters are believable and the world is vibrant and disturbing in this dystopian novel. I almost read this straight through, it was so compelling.]]> 3.60 2025 Where the Axe Is Buried
author: Ray Nayler
name: Panda
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/10
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: dystopia, speculative-fiction, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (9 hours) narrated by Eunice Wong
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Eunice Wong is a deserving award winning narrator with lots of experience and a few nominations under her belt before her big win last year.
The audio is flawless.

This is Ray Naylers third novel. I have not read his debut award winning novel, The Mountain in the Sea, nor the novella that immediately followed it, The Tusks of Extinction. This one, however, is fire.

Ray Nayler writes as if he has been doing this for a long while. His story structure is fantastic. The characters are believable and the world is vibrant and disturbing in this dystopian novel. I almost read this straight through, it was so compelling.
]]> Thinner 28112598
Billy Halleck, good husband, loving father, is both beneficiary and victim of the American Good Life: he has an expensive home, a nice family, and a rewarding career. But his is also fifty pounds overweight, heading, as his doctor says, into heart attack territory. One day, in a moment of carelessness, Billy sideswipes an old gypsy woman as she is crossing the street. The woman dies, but Billy has connections and gets off with a mere slap on the wrist. After the trial, the victim’s ancient father curses him with a single word: “Thinner.” Shedding weight by the week, Halleck is desperate enough for one last gamble…one that will lead him to a nightmare showdown with the forces of evil melting his flesh away.
Source: simonandschuster.com]]> Richard Bachman 1508217386 Panda 5 Joe Mantegna
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Along with his Audie Award for Best Male Narrator, Joe Mantegna is the recipient of several awards, including the Tony Award.
While this edition of audiobook has a listed publication date of January, 1, 2016, I believe that this is a re-publication due to it's being fully scored in the old school audiobook way. I expect that the audio was enhanced, as it is very clear and up to todays current audio standards, even the sound of the music, although it is an older sound.
Due to the scoring, if you either have any type of auditory issues or preferences, please do sample the book before picking it up, as it is heavily scored and while I felt that it sounds good and pleasant, it may be difficult or annoying for some individuals. If the scoring is difficult and you need or would prefer an audio version, I would suggest a search on YouTube for a possible fan made narration, or Spotify which has podcasts where they specifically read books, including LeVar Burton Reads (I don't believe he has read this book specifically, he generally reads short fiction to adults as he did to children way back in the Reading Rainbow days).
The audio is scored and flawless.

As with most of my Stephen King reads, this is a re-read but first time audiobook listen.

Even knowing where the story was going and how it ends, the journey still holds so much tension that builds, day to day into this internal intensity that is horrifying. While the story is told through the lens of the main character, we see how those around him feel through his very aware eyes. While we may not be able to hear the other characters internal dialogues, the emotions that our main character goes through seeing the reactions of those around him are palpable.

I both love and hate that King takes this beautiful small family and throws a festering wound into the mix that slowly bleeds into their lives in a way that the reader is able to feel and resonate with. It's one of his shorter novels, but holds all of the character and world building as his much longer novels.

This is a 5 star read for me.]]> 3.53 1984 Thinner
author: Richard Bachman
name: Panda
average rating: 3.53
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: stephen-king, audio-is-scored, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (10 hours) narrated by Joe Mantegna
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Along with his Audie Award for Best Male Narrator, Joe Mantegna is the recipient of several awards, including the Tony Award.
While this edition of audiobook has a listed publication date of January, 1, 2016, I believe that this is a re-publication due to it's being fully scored in the old school audiobook way. I expect that the audio was enhanced, as it is very clear and up to todays current audio standards, even the sound of the music, although it is an older sound.
Due to the scoring, if you either have any type of auditory issues or preferences, please do sample the book before picking it up, as it is heavily scored and while I felt that it sounds good and pleasant, it may be difficult or annoying for some individuals. If the scoring is difficult and you need or would prefer an audio version, I would suggest a search on YouTube for a possible fan made narration, or Spotify which has podcasts where they specifically read books, including LeVar Burton Reads (I don't believe he has read this book specifically, he generally reads short fiction to adults as he did to children way back in the Reading Rainbow days).
The audio is scored and flawless.

As with most of my Stephen King reads, this is a re-read but first time audiobook listen.

Even knowing where the story was going and how it ends, the journey still holds so much tension that builds, day to day into this internal intensity that is horrifying. While the story is told through the lens of the main character, we see how those around him feel through his very aware eyes. While we may not be able to hear the other characters internal dialogues, the emotions that our main character goes through seeing the reactions of those around him are palpable.

I both love and hate that King takes this beautiful small family and throws a festering wound into the mix that slowly bleeds into their lives in a way that the reader is able to feel and resonate with. It's one of his shorter novels, but holds all of the character and world building as his much longer novels.

This is a 5 star read for me.
]]> Just an Ordinary Day 60177107
The stories in this edition represent the great diversity of her work, from humor to her shocking explorations of the human psyche.

The tales range, chronologically, from the writings from her college days and residence in Greenwich Village in the early 1940s, to the unforgettably chilling stories from the period just before her death. They provide an exciting overview of the evolution of her craft through a progression of forms and styles, and add significantly to the body of her published work.

'JUST AN ORDINARY DAY' is a testament to how large a talent Shirley Jackson had and to the depth, breadth, and complexity of her writing. Though this remarkable literary life was cut short, Jackson clearly established a unique voice that has won a permanent place in the canon of outstanding American literature, and remains a powerful influence on generations of listeners, readers, and writers.


©2009 Shirley Jackson (P)2022 Random House Audio]]> 13 Shirley Jackson Panda 0 to-read, short-stories 4.14 1996 Just an Ordinary Day
author: Shirley Jackson
name: Panda
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: to-read, short-stories
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Plague of Giants (Seven Kennings, #1)]]> 36361360 Tallynd is a soldier who has already survived her toughest battle: losing her husband. But now she finds herself on the front lines of an invasion of giants, intent on wiping out the entire kingdom, including Tallynd's two sons—all that she has left. The stakes have never been higher. If Tallynd fails, her boys may never become men.

SCHOLAR AND SPY
Dervan is a historian who longs for a simple, quiet life. But he's drawn into intrigue when he's hired to record the tales of a mysterious bard who may be a spy or even an assassin for a rival kingdom. As the bard shares his fantastical stories, Dervan makes a shocking discovery: He may have a connection to the tales, one that will bring his own secrets to light.

REBEL AND HERO
Abhi's family have always been hunters, but Abhi wants to choose a different life for himself. Embarking on a journey of self-discovery, Abhi soon learns that his destiny is far greater than he imagined: a powerful new magic thrust upon him may hold the key to defeating the giants once and for all—if it doesn't destroy him first.

Set in a magical world of terror and wonder, this novel is a deeply felt epic of courage and war, in which the fates of these characters intertwine—and where ordinary people become heroes, and their lives become legend.]]> Kevin Hearne Panda 0 to-read, fantasy 4.05 2017 A Plague of Giants (Seven Kennings, #1)
author: Kevin Hearne
name: Panda
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: to-read, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Galaphile: The First Druids of Shannara]]> 228356739 New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks makes his triumphant return to the world of Shannara, delving deep into the origin story of the druid order and its enigmatic creator that will change the face of the Four Lands forever.

One of the most iconic structures in the Four Lands is Paranor, the fortress home of the Druid Order. Legend holds that it was erected by an Elven leader known as Galaphile Joss. But who was this Galaphile, and how and why did he choose to establish this center of magic and learning?

Within this book we meet the real Galaphile, following him from a friendless teenage orphan stranded in the Human world to a powerful adult and master mage, studying under the infamous recluse, Cogline. We learn of the forces that shaped him—those he loved, and those he lost; those who aided him, and those who stood against him.

Throughout it all, Galaphile’s goal is a noble to bring order to a chaotic world, and to make life better for those trying to survive it. To this end, he commences building the citadel which will one day be known as Paranor with the aid of the King of the Silver River. But there is one other who seeks dominion over the Four Lands—and for far less virtuous ends.

For this foe has been corrupted by an ancient evil—one that will not only reach out and touch Galaphile’s nearest and dearest, but also echo down through the centuries, sowing the seeds for some of the darkest times the Four Lands will ever face.]]> Terry Brooks Panda 4 Will Damron
Publisher: Books on Tape

Will Damron is a well known award winning narrator who does a fantastic job of narrating this epic high fantasy.
The audio is flawless.

Terry Brooks has been writing fantasy in the world of Shannara since 1977. Both those who have read and are familiar with the tales in the world of Shannara, as well as new comers who love and appreciate old school style epic fantasy tales will appreciate the writing style that comes with years of honed writing skills, for both the world and characters.

In old school style we have the druids, obviously, the elves, the gnomes and so on. Not the same writing style of J.R.R. Tolkien, but someone who obviously grew up with Tolkien's heavy influence, in all the best ways.

This is the type of high fantasy trek, that comes with days of character specific building that may seem more slow paced but is filled with details and getting to know the personality and thoughts of the character, how they interact with others, as well as the world around them. We have both those who are very good, the big bad, and those who are a bit more nuanced and could potentially be swayed, making an interesting puzzle of characters to be enjoyed and mulled over from page one to the end.

I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one.

More please and thank you!]]> 4.00 2025 Galaphile: The First Druids of Shannara
author: Terry Brooks
name: Panda
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/08
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: fantasy, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (13 hours) narrated by Will Damron
Publisher: Books on Tape

Will Damron is a well known award winning narrator who does a fantastic job of narrating this epic high fantasy.
The audio is flawless.

Terry Brooks has been writing fantasy in the world of Shannara since 1977. Both those who have read and are familiar with the tales in the world of Shannara, as well as new comers who love and appreciate old school style epic fantasy tales will appreciate the writing style that comes with years of honed writing skills, for both the world and characters.

In old school style we have the druids, obviously, the elves, the gnomes and so on. Not the same writing style of J.R.R. Tolkien, but someone who obviously grew up with Tolkien's heavy influence, in all the best ways.

This is the type of high fantasy trek, that comes with days of character specific building that may seem more slow paced but is filled with details and getting to know the personality and thoughts of the character, how they interact with others, as well as the world around them. We have both those who are very good, the big bad, and those who are a bit more nuanced and could potentially be swayed, making an interesting puzzle of characters to be enjoyed and mulled over from page one to the end.

I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one.

More please and thank you!
]]> <![CDATA[Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archive #2.5)]]> 36414702 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, a special gift edition of Edgedancer, a short novel of the Stormlight Archive.

Three years ago, Lift asked a goddess to stop her from growing older--a wish she believed was granted. Now, in Edgedancer, the barely teenage nascent Knight Radiant finds that time stands still for no one. Although the young Azish emperor granted her safe haven from an executioner she knows only as Darkness, court life is suffocating the free-spirited Lift, who can't help heading to Yeddaw when she hears the relentless Darkness is there hunting people like her with budding powers. The downtrodden in Yeddaw have no champion, and Lift knows she must seize this awesome responsibility.

]]> 7 Brandon Sanderson Panda 4 Kate Reading
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Kate Reading performs an exemplary solo narration act for this extra edition, slotted in between books 2 and 3, to add a new character.
The audio is flawless

If reading the series and you either love the characters in this edition or love character exploration, this is a must read. Sanderson almost shows off his skills of character creation and relationships in this one. A fun and entertaining read.

Note: Sanderson states in the afterword that this novella was supposed to be 17,000 words and ended up being 40,000. He sighs and says that happens sometimes particularly if you are him. I agree. The novella, however, is not overdone or bloated. It is fine as is, imo.

I have a wait for the next book, which is fine as it's a 55 hour read so I'm going to need to set aside a minute or two in order to get lost in it's pages.

Really loving this series.]]> 4.01 2016 Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archive #2.5)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Panda
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: fantasy, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (6 hours) narrated by Kate Reading
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Kate Reading performs an exemplary solo narration act for this extra edition, slotted in between books 2 and 3, to add a new character.
The audio is flawless

If reading the series and you either love the characters in this edition or love character exploration, this is a must read. Sanderson almost shows off his skills of character creation and relationships in this one. A fun and entertaining read.

Note: Sanderson states in the afterword that this novella was supposed to be 17,000 words and ended up being 40,000. He sighs and says that happens sometimes particularly if you are him. I agree. The novella, however, is not overdone or bloated. It is fine as is, imo.

I have a wait for the next book, which is fine as it's a 55 hour read so I'm going to need to set aside a minute or two in order to get lost in it's pages.

Really loving this series.
]]> Lovely One: A Memoir 219865107
With this unflinching account, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson invites readers into her life and world, tracing her family’s ascent from segregation to her confirmation on America’s highest court within the span of one generation.

Named “Ketanji Onyika,” meaning “Lovely One,” based on a suggestion from her aunt, a Peace Corps worker stationed in West Africa, Justice Jackson learned from her educator parents to take pride in her heritage since birth. She describes her resolve as a young girl to honor this legacy and realize her dreams: from hearing stories of her grandparents and parents breaking barriers in the segregated South, to honing her voice in high school as an oratory champion and student body president, to graduating magna cum laude from Harvard, where she performed in musical theater and improv and participated in pivotal student organizations.

Here, Justice Jackson pulls back the curtain, marrying the public record of her life with what is less known. She reveals what it takes to advance in the legal profession when most people in power don’t look like you, and to reconcile a demanding career with the joys and sacrifices of marriage and motherhood.

Through trials and triumphs, Justice Jackson’s journey will resonate with dreamers everywhere, especially those who nourish outsized ambitions and refuse to be turned aside. This moving, open-hearted tale will spread hope for a more just world, for generations to come.]]> 19 Ketanji Brown Jackson Panda 3 It's probably going to be a minute until I get to it as the list at my local library is long af, but I needed to add a memoir or three to this years reads and this is definitely one that I am excited to dig into.

Audiobook (18 hours) narrated by Ketanji Brown Jackson
Publisher: Books on Tape

EDIT: Review started February 2025, Book completed finally! 5/7/25

Ketanji Brown self narrates and does a fantastic job.
Her edits however are poor. It sounds like she recorded her edited in content in a different location, as there is a mild room echo, and she is much too close to the mic. Some of the edits the mic is closer to her mouth than others but they all seem too close. It may be that it wasn't as good as a setup, but the edits are really unfortunate and I was surprised that she would be OK with putting that out there, especially given how awesome her overall narration is. Given that I doubt that she sat down and narrated the entire 18 hours in one go, the editing to put the pieces together are flawless, and then there's the drop in sentences. So bad.

Ketanji has done some things and lots of people want to know more about her. I know this as there is a long line at my library, still, to read this memoir that I waited months to get to read and this is over a year after publication! When you have the opportunity to tell your story, you get to share what you want, it is your book.

When I picked up the memoir, what I expected was the story of how she worked to get where she is, perhaps her childhood inspiration. I did not expect the memoir to start at her literal birth and go through her entire life. It was interesting and I read every minute, but we didn't get to the law stuff until the last 6 hours and then I thought, here we go... but we had a brief talk about the law and then back to the kids and then an hour or so later another law brief.

I hate to say that I was disappointed in the content as it is Ketanji's story to tell, and yet I feel like what I learned is that Ketanji loves her family, that her family loves her and either she doesn't want to ruffle feathers or she wants everyone to like her. I say this as she seemed to try and fit her self and circumstances to show how she understands everyone, sometimes annoyingly so.

I don't want to bash her but I feel like I liked her a whole lot more before I read her memoir.

I'm not going to get too personal, but there is one thing that I cannot overlook... Ketanji, you went to Harvard and lived in Boston for how many years and yet you said Massachusetts Ave?
Mass. Ave! It's Mass. Ave!
If you had never been to Boston or perhaps you visited from a non New England or non Tri-State Area
you would get a pass, but you lived here and you called it Massachusetts Ave? I just cannot let that slide. Plus your husband was born and grew up here and... Yeah, nuff said.

GG on your awesome life.

In another 20 years, after you've seen some stuff and no longer care what people think, I hope you write another memoir. I will read that one too, every word.]]> 4.42 2024 Lovely One: A Memoir
author: Ketanji Brown Jackson
name: Panda
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/07
date added: 2025/05/07
shelves: memoir, law, politics, narration-is-good, audio-is-flawed
review:
One of the things I love about this platform, outside of all of the awesome goodreaders like yourself, are the lists that are published regularly. I had no idea that Ketanji had a memoir that was released late last year! And she narrates it herself! All 18 hours of it!
It's probably going to be a minute until I get to it as the list at my local library is long af, but I needed to add a memoir or three to this years reads and this is definitely one that I am excited to dig into.

Audiobook (18 hours) narrated by Ketanji Brown Jackson
Publisher: Books on Tape

EDIT: Review started February 2025, Book completed finally! 5/7/25

Ketanji Brown self narrates and does a fantastic job.
Her edits however are poor. It sounds like she recorded her edited in content in a different location, as there is a mild room echo, and she is much too close to the mic. Some of the edits the mic is closer to her mouth than others but they all seem too close. It may be that it wasn't as good as a setup, but the edits are really unfortunate and I was surprised that she would be OK with putting that out there, especially given how awesome her overall narration is. Given that I doubt that she sat down and narrated the entire 18 hours in one go, the editing to put the pieces together are flawless, and then there's the drop in sentences. So bad.

Ketanji has done some things and lots of people want to know more about her. I know this as there is a long line at my library, still, to read this memoir that I waited months to get to read and this is over a year after publication! When you have the opportunity to tell your story, you get to share what you want, it is your book.

When I picked up the memoir, what I expected was the story of how she worked to get where she is, perhaps her childhood inspiration. I did not expect the memoir to start at her literal birth and go through her entire life. It was interesting and I read every minute, but we didn't get to the law stuff until the last 6 hours and then I thought, here we go... but we had a brief talk about the law and then back to the kids and then an hour or so later another law brief.

I hate to say that I was disappointed in the content as it is Ketanji's story to tell, and yet I feel like what I learned is that Ketanji loves her family, that her family loves her and either she doesn't want to ruffle feathers or she wants everyone to like her. I say this as she seemed to try and fit her self and circumstances to show how she understands everyone, sometimes annoyingly so.

I don't want to bash her but I feel like I liked her a whole lot more before I read her memoir.

I'm not going to get too personal, but there is one thing that I cannot overlook... Ketanji, you went to Harvard and lived in Boston for how many years and yet you said Massachusetts Ave?
Mass. Ave! It's Mass. Ave!
If you had never been to Boston or perhaps you visited from a non New England or non Tri-State Area
you would get a pass, but you lived here and you called it Massachusetts Ave? I just cannot let that slide. Plus your husband was born and grew up here and... Yeah, nuff said.

GG on your awesome life.

In another 20 years, after you've seen some stuff and no longer care what people think, I hope you write another memoir. I will read that one too, every word.
]]> <![CDATA[Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)]]> 57127342
You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.]]> 14 Matt Dinniman Panda 4 Jeff Hays
Publisher: Audible Studios

I believe Jeff Hays has won a Society of Voice Arts and 카지노싸이트s Award along with Annie Ellicott for their work on The Antventure Begins. He has a cult following and is not only an awesome narrator but interacts with fans regularly and directly on social media sites such as reddit (u/fiatcelebrity). I am unsure what the competition was for the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, however, I expect that at some point if he continues to narrate the award gods will rain well deserved trophies that his fans already have him winning in their minds.

I have had this book, the first in the series, on my Audible shelf for a long minute. I tend to have eyes for more books than I can read, and the library has time limits so those that I purchase tend to take the back burner. I picked this one up when I was in the middle of reading Skeleton Crew with 10 days left on the loan and for some reason it self returned. When I say I was in the middle of reading it, I was literally listening to the book while I was doing laundry and it paused, I picked up my phone and the book was no longer on my shelf. I did a search and it said that I had returned it. Unfortunately there were 30 people in line waiting for it so best I could do was put it back on hold. I was pissed, needed something fun and chill to calm my salty self down so I picked this up.

It's a fun read. Matt Dinniman managed to put an RPG on paper in such a way that it feels like we are experiencing the game through Carl. It isn't the same as watching a game, as it feels more intense, like a cross between Tron and The Racer.

The sarcasm throughout is fantastic, by both Carl and his cat, who is probably the real main character if we are all honest with the true narrative of the story, at least in book 1.

The character development is fantastic, as the characters grow on the fly. We can literally see them level up as they figure out the new world that they are in, which by the way is also exciting and exceptionally well developed. I would argue that the world itself is its own character, as it itself grows and changes as our team works it's way through it.

I think that gamers of all types would enjoy the read, along with those who enjoy sarcastic humor and a fast paced adventure story along the lines of maybe Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and the like.

I will be picking up the rest of the series, eventually. I don't feel the need to read it all today but it was enjoyable enough to continue. It is available in print but the audiobook is Audible only, so is not available at local libraries at this time as Audible exclusives are currently only available for purchase by individuals on Audible.

]]> 4.38 2020 Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Panda
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/04
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: gaming, fantasy, humor, gamers, cat, audio-is-good, narrator-is-award-winning
review:
Audiobook (13 hours 31 minutes) narrated by Jeff Hays
Publisher: Audible Studios

I believe Jeff Hays has won a Society of Voice Arts and 카지노싸이트s Award along with Annie Ellicott for their work on The Antventure Begins. He has a cult following and is not only an awesome narrator but interacts with fans regularly and directly on social media sites such as reddit (u/fiatcelebrity). I am unsure what the competition was for the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, however, I expect that at some point if he continues to narrate the award gods will rain well deserved trophies that his fans already have him winning in their minds.

I have had this book, the first in the series, on my Audible shelf for a long minute. I tend to have eyes for more books than I can read, and the library has time limits so those that I purchase tend to take the back burner. I picked this one up when I was in the middle of reading Skeleton Crew with 10 days left on the loan and for some reason it self returned. When I say I was in the middle of reading it, I was literally listening to the book while I was doing laundry and it paused, I picked up my phone and the book was no longer on my shelf. I did a search and it said that I had returned it. Unfortunately there were 30 people in line waiting for it so best I could do was put it back on hold. I was pissed, needed something fun and chill to calm my salty self down so I picked this up.

It's a fun read. Matt Dinniman managed to put an RPG on paper in such a way that it feels like we are experiencing the game through Carl. It isn't the same as watching a game, as it feels more intense, like a cross between Tron and The Racer.

The sarcasm throughout is fantastic, by both Carl and his cat, who is probably the real main character if we are all honest with the true narrative of the story, at least in book 1.

The character development is fantastic, as the characters grow on the fly. We can literally see them level up as they figure out the new world that they are in, which by the way is also exciting and exceptionally well developed. I would argue that the world itself is its own character, as it itself grows and changes as our team works it's way through it.

I think that gamers of all types would enjoy the read, along with those who enjoy sarcastic humor and a fast paced adventure story along the lines of maybe Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and the like.

I will be picking up the rest of the series, eventually. I don't feel the need to read it all today but it was enjoyable enough to continue. It is available in print but the audiobook is Audible only, so is not available at local libraries at this time as Audible exclusives are currently only available for purchase by individuals on Audible.


]]> Skeleton Crew: Stories 28112615
In “The Mist,” a supermarket becomes the last bastion of humanity as a peril beyond dimension invades the earth…

Touch “The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands,” and say your prayers…

There are some things in attics which are better left alone, things like “The Monkey”…

The most sublime woman driver on earth offers a man “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” to paradise…

A boy’s sanity is pushed to the edge when he's left alone with the odious corpse of “Gramma”…

If you were stunned by Gremlins, the Fornits of “The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet” will knock your socks off…

Trucks that punish and beautiful teen demons who seduce a young man to massacre; curses whose malevolence grows through the years; obscene presences and angels of grace—here, indeed, is a night-blooming bouquet of chills and thrills.

Read by: Stephen King, Dylan Baker, Kyle Beltran, Matthew Broderick, Norbert Leo Butz, Michael C. Hall, Paul Giamatti, Dana Ivey, Will Patton, Robert Petkoff, David Morse, Lois Smith and Frances Sternhagen

Length: 22 hrs and 37 mins]]> 23 Stephen King 1508218404 Panda 0 3.84 1985 Skeleton Crew: Stories
author: Stephen King
name: Panda
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/03
shelves: stephen-king, currently-reading
review:

]]> The Buffalo Hunter Hunter 227838786 In 1912 a strange confession is given, over several nights, to a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunted the fields of the Blackfeet reservation, looking for justice.

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran Pastor is discovered within a wall and what it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to two hundred and seventeen Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed confessions by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shared the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits, this is a bloody history of the American West that has remained untold until now.]]> 15 Stephen Graham Jones 1668096315 Panda 2
Auditorily, this group of narrators is a big win.
At least the first quarter of the book is flawless in both narration and audio.

I really love the first person narrative story telling style a lot. Between the writing and the narration, it is stunning.

The issue that I am having is that there is a disconnect between myself and the storyteller so it's just this random person telling a story, and as compelling of a story that it is, my lack of connection is causing me to have no feeling for what is going on, which is making it increasingly difficult for me to follow.

I have put down and picked the book up several times. Both Shane Ghostkeeper and Marin Ireland are narrators that I have greatly enjoyed in the past, and hearing them makes me want to love this book so much, but it just isn't happening.

I have a few more days that I can keep the book on my shelf but there's a line of people waiting, so I am going to let it go to someone who is dying to read this beautiful story and I may revisit it in the future. Again, the narration is something special, so if you are considering giving this one a go, I highly recommend that you consider either going full audio or immersive reading where you use both the audiobook and follow along with the printed version. I cannot emphasize enough how well this group tells stories. It is something that you would have to experience yourself.

Happy Reading!]]> 4.13 2025 The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
author: Stephen Graham Jones
name: Panda
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: vampires, narration-is-awesome, audio-is-good
review:
Audiobook (15 hours) with the a very talented group of narrators, including a couple of personal favorites, Shane Ghostkeeper, Marin Ireland, and Owen Teale.

Auditorily, this group of narrators is a big win.
At least the first quarter of the book is flawless in both narration and audio.

I really love the first person narrative story telling style a lot. Between the writing and the narration, it is stunning.

The issue that I am having is that there is a disconnect between myself and the storyteller so it's just this random person telling a story, and as compelling of a story that it is, my lack of connection is causing me to have no feeling for what is going on, which is making it increasingly difficult for me to follow.

I have put down and picked the book up several times. Both Shane Ghostkeeper and Marin Ireland are narrators that I have greatly enjoyed in the past, and hearing them makes me want to love this book so much, but it just isn't happening.

I have a few more days that I can keep the book on my shelf but there's a line of people waiting, so I am going to let it go to someone who is dying to read this beautiful story and I may revisit it in the future. Again, the narration is something special, so if you are considering giving this one a go, I highly recommend that you consider either going full audio or immersive reading where you use both the audiobook and follow along with the printed version. I cannot emphasize enough how well this group tells stories. It is something that you would have to experience yourself.

Happy Reading!
]]> <![CDATA[Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)]]> 20562690 Listening 48 hours and 28 minutes

The Stormlight Archive sequence began in 2010 with the New York Times bestseller The Way of Kings. Now, the eagerly anticipated Words of Radiance continues the epic story and answers many of your questions.

Six years ago, the Assassin in White, a hireling of the inscrutable Parshendi, assassinated the Alethi king on the very night a treaty between men and Parshendi was being celebrated. So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi.

Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.

Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.

Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate ...]]> 48 Brandon Sanderson Panda 5
Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are an awesome husband and wife narration team that I talk about a bit in my review of the first book of the series, here: /review/show...
As dynamic and special of a narration team as they are, I have to wonder if they used a different mic for this book, or perhaps they needed to use a replacement mic as about 43% in there's a section of a bunch of words with S sounds that come out with a lot of hissing around the S's, that sounds horrible. There's slight hissing on the S's both before and after this point, but this section has a version of a "Silly Sally sells seashells by the seashore" S grouping that is unfortunate for the mic and pronunciation method. Old school recordings using poor mics without covers used to loop around this by pronouncing S's with the Z sound to avoid the snake hiss. After this short section, the story is so good that the slight S hissing that is there but not prevalent, melts into the background, unless you are specifically listening for it, and then it is there.
Outside of the unfortunate hissing, at about 92% in there's a mid sentence obvious edit. It isn't horribad, but it is there. It's more of a volume issue with the 4 or 5 words being at a slightly louder volume. Not anything that would harm earphone listeners, just a slight bump that makes it obvious is all.

Words of Radiance, being the second book of the series, has already gone through the huge drawn out, and sometimes tedious, descriptive phase that seems to happen in long fantasy tales, so we don't have any of that here, allowing Sanderson to jump right in.

I noticed that I really love his writing of Shallan, especially early in the story where she is testing coming into her womanhood by immersing herself in the frigid ocean water to view the life under the surface. The attention to detail of both the character, her emotions and the world as well as all of the points of interactions and reactions mesmerized me. Shallan's mental emotions, her physical sensations, what she is looking at, her reactions, and then those around her and her observations of what she was seeing and her perception of that all related to where she was in life as well as her intentions and aspirations. The entire section is beautifully written.

Sanderson is an exceptional character creator overall and I know that many fans of this series love the dichotomy between Kaladin and Dalinar, which are both excellently written, with interesting story lines that draw me in, but Shallan... I do hope that her character is one that hangs around for a while as there is so much there that I want to read about.

I have Edgedancer, book 2.5 on my shelf, that I will be reading next week, and look forward to Oathbringer, which has a bit of a wait at my library.]]> 4.70 2014 Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Panda
average rating: 4.70
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: fantasy, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-flawed
review:
Audiobook (48 hours) narrated by the award winning husband and wife narration team: Michael Kramer, and Kate Reading.

Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are an awesome husband and wife narration team that I talk about a bit in my review of the first book of the series, here: /review/show...
As dynamic and special of a narration team as they are, I have to wonder if they used a different mic for this book, or perhaps they needed to use a replacement mic as about 43% in there's a section of a bunch of words with S sounds that come out with a lot of hissing around the S's, that sounds horrible. There's slight hissing on the S's both before and after this point, but this section has a version of a "Silly Sally sells seashells by the seashore" S grouping that is unfortunate for the mic and pronunciation method. Old school recordings using poor mics without covers used to loop around this by pronouncing S's with the Z sound to avoid the snake hiss. After this short section, the story is so good that the slight S hissing that is there but not prevalent, melts into the background, unless you are specifically listening for it, and then it is there.
Outside of the unfortunate hissing, at about 92% in there's a mid sentence obvious edit. It isn't horribad, but it is there. It's more of a volume issue with the 4 or 5 words being at a slightly louder volume. Not anything that would harm earphone listeners, just a slight bump that makes it obvious is all.

Words of Radiance, being the second book of the series, has already gone through the huge drawn out, and sometimes tedious, descriptive phase that seems to happen in long fantasy tales, so we don't have any of that here, allowing Sanderson to jump right in.

I noticed that I really love his writing of Shallan, especially early in the story where she is testing coming into her womanhood by immersing herself in the frigid ocean water to view the life under the surface. The attention to detail of both the character, her emotions and the world as well as all of the points of interactions and reactions mesmerized me. Shallan's mental emotions, her physical sensations, what she is looking at, her reactions, and then those around her and her observations of what she was seeing and her perception of that all related to where she was in life as well as her intentions and aspirations. The entire section is beautifully written.

Sanderson is an exceptional character creator overall and I know that many fans of this series love the dichotomy between Kaladin and Dalinar, which are both excellently written, with interesting story lines that draw me in, but Shallan... I do hope that her character is one that hangs around for a while as there is so much there that I want to read about.

I have Edgedancer, book 2.5 on my shelf, that I will be reading next week, and look forward to Oathbringer, which has a bit of a wait at my library.
]]> The Vegetarian 25938496  
A disturbing, yet beautifully composed narrative told in three parts, The Vegetarian is an allegorical novel about modern day South Korea, but also a story of obsession, choice, and our faltering attempts to understand others, from one imprisoned body to another.]]> 5 Han Kang 0399566996 Panda 4
The narration is very good.
The audio is just a bit off with a couple of obvious edits.

This is not what I thought it would be. I knew that it was or contained mental health issues, but I was not prepared with the actual topics and spiraling mental health crisis, especially given the title and synopsis.

The writing is very broad. The author gives a blanket, observational look at what is going on without input, perspective, or opinion. This isn't an often used style of writing, and done as well as this it gives the reader the ability to watch a situation and make their own impressions on just the facts.

Kang even manages to write in other characters reactions in such a way that you can read that there is a reaction but are given no prompts as to what is being felt so as to sway your opinion as a reader. It is very well done. Also very disturbing.

I did not enjoy the contents and likely would not have read it knowing how mentally dark it is, but am rating it high due to the authors unmistakable talent and abilities.]]> 3.14 2007 The Vegetarian
author: Han Kang
name: Panda
average rating: 3.14
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: literary-fiction, mental-health, nobel-prize-winning-author
review:
Audiobook (5 hours) narrated by Janet Song and Stephen Park.

The narration is very good.
The audio is just a bit off with a couple of obvious edits.

This is not what I thought it would be. I knew that it was or contained mental health issues, but I was not prepared with the actual topics and spiraling mental health crisis, especially given the title and synopsis.

The writing is very broad. The author gives a blanket, observational look at what is going on without input, perspective, or opinion. This isn't an often used style of writing, and done as well as this it gives the reader the ability to watch a situation and make their own impressions on just the facts.

Kang even manages to write in other characters reactions in such a way that you can read that there is a reaction but are given no prompts as to what is being felt so as to sway your opinion as a reader. It is very well done. Also very disturbing.

I did not enjoy the contents and likely would not have read it knowing how mentally dark it is, but am rating it high due to the authors unmistakable talent and abilities.
]]> Where Shadows Meet 227723021 This dark and thrillingly romantic debut vampire fantasy, which features multicast narration, questions what it truly means to sacrifice for love.


"This is a lush, intoxicating read, packing tender romance alongside vicious twists. My new obsession!"—Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anger is a Gift and Into the Light

You have no idea what I’ve done for love. Just as you have no idea what you may one day do.

Once long ago, a girl named Favre sacrificed her wings for love. Thana, the young goddess she so willingly gave them up for, sacrificed that same love for power. But everything has a cost.

Favre never got over the loss of her wings. And Thana’s choices led to a life of eternal night, and later, their destruction. Favre has bided her time ever since, waiting for the chance to resurrect the girl she loves who turned her into the creature she hates.

Now, a thousand years later, Leyla, the crown princess of a vampire nation, must travel to Nekros, the island of the dead, when her best friend is captured during an attack on her nation’s capital. But nothing is as it seems. The closer she gets to her goal, the more she risks awakening an ancient evil and destroying everything she holds dear.

Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Patrice Caldwell’s devastatingly romantic fantasy debut, Where Shadows Meet, centers the heart-wrenching pain of loss and the struggle of self-discovery to do we choose our fates, or do our fates choose us?

“A feast for the senses. Love, friendship, loss, and the fantastic… it’s all here in exquisite, vivid detail. A brilliant addition to the dark fantasy genre.”—Kalynn Bayron, New York Times bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead and Sleep Like Death

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books.]]> Patrice Caldwell Panda 3 Publisher: Macmillan Audio (Macmillan Young Listeners)

The audio and narration are done very well. With three narrators, the audio is seamless.

Patrice Caldwell starts this story out in this very big vampire fairy tale-esque kind of a way. The descriptors, the emotions play out in such a huge way that it immediately drew me into the character and made me want to hear her story.

Unfortunately after the epic opening it was pretty boring. I mean things happened but nothing as big or epic as what started us all on this journey. The story really petered out in a big way... and it never picked up, nor did it have a huge epic ending to match the beginning.

There were definitely some unusual and unique creative liberties taken with the vampire narrative, but as creative as some of the story decisions were they were delivered rather flatly. I believe that this is the authors debut and I see so much potential there. I liked a lot of the ideas behind the story but I wanted the writing from the first chapter to follow throughout the entire novel, and I'm not sure why it didn't.

I will look for Caldwell in the future, maybe in another book or two and see where her authoring journey takes her. Fingers crossed as I would really like to read the story I thought this was going to be.]]> 3.12 2025 Where Shadows Meet
author: Patrice Caldwell
name: Panda
average rating: 3.12
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: debut, vampires, audio-is-good, narration-is-good
review:
Audiobook (10 hours) narrated by Alexis Campbell, Khaya Fraites, Melinda Sewak.
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (Macmillan Young Listeners)

The audio and narration are done very well. With three narrators, the audio is seamless.

Patrice Caldwell starts this story out in this very big vampire fairy tale-esque kind of a way. The descriptors, the emotions play out in such a huge way that it immediately drew me into the character and made me want to hear her story.

Unfortunately after the epic opening it was pretty boring. I mean things happened but nothing as big or epic as what started us all on this journey. The story really petered out in a big way... and it never picked up, nor did it have a huge epic ending to match the beginning.

There were definitely some unusual and unique creative liberties taken with the vampire narrative, but as creative as some of the story decisions were they were delivered rather flatly. I believe that this is the authors debut and I see so much potential there. I liked a lot of the ideas behind the story but I wanted the writing from the first chapter to follow throughout the entire novel, and I'm not sure why it didn't.

I will look for Caldwell in the future, maybe in another book or two and see where her authoring journey takes her. Fingers crossed as I would really like to read the story I thought this was going to be.
]]> Come with me 58523011
Aaron Decker's life changes one December morning when his wife Allison is killed. Haunted by her absence--and her ghost--Aaron goes through her belongings, where he finds a receipt for a motel room in another part of the country. Piloted by grief and an increasing sense of curiosity, Aaron embarks on a journey to discover what Allison had been doing in the weeks prior to her death.

Yet Aaron is unprepared to discover the dark secrets Allison kept, the death and horror that make up the tapestry of her hidden life. And with each dark secret revealed, Aaron becomes more and more consumed by his obsession to learn the terrifying truth about the woman who had been his wife, even if it puts his own life at risk.]]> Ronald Malfi 1705295924 Panda 5 Publisher Tantor Media, Inc.

The narration and audio is good.

Ronald Malfi nails it with just the right ambience and feeling of being haunted. Between the writing and the narration, the main character fully encapsulates and exudes the essence of the novel from the beginning to the end.

Malfi gets real up close and personal with the main character immediately in the story, and as that character is the narrator, we get in touch with all of his feelings, ideas, questions, and inner workings as the story plays out allowing us an inside/fly on the wall view from behind his eyes. This is a great Malfi novel. Not only does he flesh out his characters, realistically and unapologetically, but the world is fantastic as well. This is not just a story but a ride. I would recommend this to any of my constant reader friends as I feel that King enthusiasts would really enjoy this novel.]]> 3.66 2021 Come with me
author: Ronald Malfi
name: Panda
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: audio-is-good, narration-is-good, horror
review:
Audiobook (11 hours) narrated by Joe Hempel
Publisher Tantor Media, Inc.

The narration and audio is good.

Ronald Malfi nails it with just the right ambience and feeling of being haunted. Between the writing and the narration, the main character fully encapsulates and exudes the essence of the novel from the beginning to the end.

Malfi gets real up close and personal with the main character immediately in the story, and as that character is the narrator, we get in touch with all of his feelings, ideas, questions, and inner workings as the story plays out allowing us an inside/fly on the wall view from behind his eyes. This is a great Malfi novel. Not only does he flesh out his characters, realistically and unapologetically, but the world is fantastic as well. This is not just a story but a ride. I would recommend this to any of my constant reader friends as I feel that King enthusiasts would really enjoy this novel.
]]> Grave Empire 229704879 From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed—and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

Blood once turned the wheels of empire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await.

But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the Empire’s proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse.

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days—the Great Silence.

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and the Empire on the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save...]]> Richard Swan 0316577014 Panda 1 fantasy, steampunk, horror 3.00 2025 Grave Empire
author: Richard Swan
name: Panda
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: fantasy, steampunk, horror
review:
I should love this but try and try again and not happening. DNF at 25%
]]> Snow 200356093
The blizzard begins pummeling the Midwest on Christmas Eve, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Todd Curry doesn't need another reason to disappoint his son, so he joins three other people in renting the last four-wheel drive available and they set out into the blinding snow.

Only two hours into the treacherous trip west, Todd swerves to avoid a man in the middle of the highway. The stranger claims his daughter is lost somewhere out in the snow. Though his odd demeanor and ripped clothes make Todd and his group uneasy, they agree to take the man to the nearest town—if the now-damaged car can make it.

What awaits them at the next exit, however, is nothing they could have imagined. Around an empty town square, fires burn, cars are abandoned, storefronts are smashed. And there is no one to be seen—for now . . .

But soon the shadows lurking on the edges of their vision will step into the light, and Todd and his fellow travelers will find themselves facing a sharp-scythed evil shaped from the snow, tearing its way into human form—and taking the neighborhood by storm.]]> Ronald Malfi Panda 3 Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc.

The narration and audio are decent.

This is one of my least favorite books by Ronald Malfi.

The writing is pretty on point for him as far as the plot, but the characters are pretty shallow and the world building is pretty meh. Sure there's some creativity but it seems more of an idea and outline and needs a few more details to make the characters people that we care more about.

It was still relatively entertaining.]]> 3.27 2010 Snow
author: Ronald Malfi
name: Panda
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: audio-is-good, narration-is-good, horror
review:
Audiobook (8 hours) narrated by Joe Hempel
Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc.

The narration and audio are decent.

This is one of my least favorite books by Ronald Malfi.

The writing is pretty on point for him as far as the plot, but the characters are pretty shallow and the world building is pretty meh. Sure there's some creativity but it seems more of an idea and outline and needs a few more details to make the characters people that we care more about.

It was still relatively entertaining.
]]> Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) 17343101 Alternate cover to ISBN 9780062111234

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.]]> Tahereh Mafi Panda 1 Publisher: Storytide (HarperAudio)

The audio is horrible.
There's either a swipe or page turning sound that happens regularly, sometimes only after a sentence or two. It's unavoidably annoying to the point that after a half hour I was pretty sure that I was done and yes, it just isn't worth it.]]> 3.16 2011 Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Panda
average rating: 3.16
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: paranormal, audio-dumpster-fire
review:
Audiobook (9 hours) narrated by Kate Simses
Publisher: Storytide (HarperAudio)

The audio is horrible.
There's either a swipe or page turning sound that happens regularly, sometimes only after a sentence or two. It's unavoidably annoying to the point that after a half hour I was pretty sure that I was done and yes, it just isn't worth it.
]]> When We Were Real: A Novel 216775498 From multiple award-winning author Daryl Gregory comes a madcap adventure following two friends on a cross-country bus tour through the mind-boggling glitches in their simulated world as they grapple with love, family, secrets, and the very nature of reality in a simulation.

JP and Dulin have been the best of friends for decades. When JP finds out his cancer has aggressively returned, Dulin decides it’s the perfect time for one last a week-long bus tour of North America’s Impossibles, the physics-defying glitches and geographic miracles that started cropping up seven years earlier—right after the Announcement that revealed our world to be merely a digital simulacrum. The outing, courtesy of Canterbury Trails Tours, promises the trip of a (not completely real) lifetime in a (not completely deluxe) coach.

Their fellow passengers are 21st-century pilgrims, each of them on the tour for their own reasons. There’s a nun hunting for an absent God, a pregnant influencer determined to make her child too famous to be deleted, a crew of horny octogenarians living each day like it’s their last, and a professor on the run from leather-clad sociopaths who take The Matrix as scripture. Each stop on this trip is stranger than the last—a Tunnel outside of time, a zero gravity Geyser, the compound of motivational-speaking avatar—with everyone barreling toward the tour’s iconic final stop Ghost City, where unbeknownst to our travelers the answer to who is running the simulation may await.

When We Were Real is a tour-de-force and exploration of what really matters, even in an artificial world.]]> 1 Daryl Gregory 1668109840 Panda 0 to-read, speculative-fiction 4.33 2025 When We Were Real: A Novel
author: Daryl Gregory
name: Panda
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: to-read, speculative-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Dragon in Winter (Kagen the Damned, #3)]]> 218163616 Book 3 of 3: Kagen the Damned
🎧Listening Length = 20 hours and 57 minutes

"Porter pulls listeners into this heroic tale with his rich tone and measured pace as Kagen encounters mysterious lands, gruesome creatures, and insurmountable obstacles. Listeners are in for a treat with this exciting conclusion of an epic series." —AudioFile on Kagen the Damned

The Dragon in Winter brings New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry's epic Kagen the Damned Trilogy to a wild conclusion!

War is coming! War is here! The Witch-king of Hakkia, aided by terrifying dark forces, sits uneasy on his stolen throne. His enemies, led by Kagen the Damned and the Bloody Bastards have found the secrets of ancient magic they hope will defeat him. Strange forces gather on both sides – vast armies of both the living and the dead, devious trickster spirits, strange gods, warrior ghosts, undying vampires, blood plagues that drive people to murderous rage, immortal faeries, and Earth’s last dragon.

Kagen knows that he faces the impossible task of toppling a usurper whose dark magic conquered an empire in a single night. But the Damned fear nothing and there are no limits to what Kagen will do to destroy the Witch-king. With his allies he will tear apart the veils that separate our world from the infinite realms of supernatural magic. The Witch-king will not go down with a fight, and he is willing to drown the western lands in innocent blood to retain his stolen crown. Even if he rules over an empire of dust and blood. His power is growing and soon he will be unstoppable.

But they are not the only forces at work in the world. Magic of all kinds is awakening and who can tell which side they will pick…or if they will pose a new and terrible threat to all! In the frozen North, the last dragon –tortured, captive, dying— cries out in despair. In the inky vastness of the outer dark that cry is heard! And something of incalculable power is coming in answer.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.]]> Jonathan Maberry 1250349893 Panda 3 Publisher: Macmillan Audio

This is one of the sloppiest edited audiobooks I have read. Early on there's a horribly obvious edit and then another and another... and then there's a stretch where I think, OK maybe that's it. Yeah, not even close! The only thing that keeps this from being a dumpster fire is the narration itself, however, the constant slew of obvious edits breaks the immersion of the story. I definitely recommend a hard read of this one, if you are able, even with such a great narrator the audiobook is nearly trash.

The story itself takes a bit to build momentum from the start. Part of that may have been the distractions of the audiobook itself keeping me from enjoying the story. I'm not sure. Once it got going, I was once again back in the world and the book was enjoyable enough. I'm still really salty that they published such a shoddy edition. This book needs to be re-edited and fixed.]]> 4.46 2024 The Dragon in Winter (Kagen the Damned, #3)
author: Jonathan Maberry
name: Panda
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: jonathan-maberry, dragons, narrator-is-award-winning, audio-is-poor-quality
review:
Audiobook (21 hours) narrated by the Ray Porter
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

This is one of the sloppiest edited audiobooks I have read. Early on there's a horribly obvious edit and then another and another... and then there's a stretch where I think, OK maybe that's it. Yeah, not even close! The only thing that keeps this from being a dumpster fire is the narration itself, however, the constant slew of obvious edits breaks the immersion of the story. I definitely recommend a hard read of this one, if you are able, even with such a great narrator the audiobook is nearly trash.

The story itself takes a bit to build momentum from the start. Part of that may have been the distractions of the audiobook itself keeping me from enjoying the story. I'm not sure. Once it got going, I was once again back in the world and the book was enjoyable enough. I'm still really salty that they published such a shoddy edition. This book needs to be re-edited and fixed.
]]> Upon a Starlit Tide 222664707 A dark and enchanting fairy tale-inspired historical fantasy combining elements of "The Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella" into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal.

Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758.
For Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of one of Saint-Malo's wealthiest ship-owners, the high walls of the city are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are interested in securing advantageous marriages, Luce dreams of escaping her elegant but stifling home and joining a ship's crew. Only Samuel—Luce's best friend and an English smuggler—understands her longing for the sea, secretly teaching her to sail whenever she can sneak away. For Luce, the stolen time on the water with Samuel is precious.

One stormy morning, Luce's plans are blown off course when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of the most powerful ship-owner in Saint-Malo, from the sea. Immediately drawn to his charm and sense of adventure, she longs to attend the glittering ball held in honor of his safe return and begins to contemplate a different kind of future for herself.

But it is not only Luce's hopes at stake—the local fae are leaving Brittany and taking their magic with them, while the long-standing war with the English means Saint-Malo is always at risk of attack. As Luce is plunged into a world of magic, brutality, and seduction, secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface. The truth of her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid's tail.]]> Kell Woods 1250386047 Panda 1 retellings This one is a no for me. 4.15 2025 Upon a Starlit Tide
author: Kell Woods
name: Panda
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: retellings
review:
This one is a no for me.
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