#audiobookreview – Page 17 – Rosepoint Publishing

Overkill by Sandra Brown – #AudiobookReview – #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a riveting thriller where a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives.

Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca’s parents have the final say.

Four years later, Rebecca’s attacker, Eban—the scion of a wealthy family in Atlanta—gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, a brilliant state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change—if she were to die—Eban could be retried on a new charge: murder.

It isn’t lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their ill-timed attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he’s in, plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca—and the end of his freedom.

My Review:

Have you ever found yourself requesting the same book? Or attracted by the cover and blurb, loaned the audiobook from the library a year later? I’ve done so, more than once. This time, however, it was a book from NetGalley requested last year that the CE read and reviewed. It wasn’t until I began preparing for this review that I ran across his review, a shortened version included below. We were fairly close in agreement with this one.

Zach Bridger was apparently a Super Bowl quarterback of some renown, as he was often recognized. His marriage to Rebecca was a short, unhappy one. She ended up on life support with what appeared to be Zach’s responsibility as her father could not, would not “pull the plug.”

First, a former star quarterback was a bit difficult for me to find fully engaging, although I did appreciate his philosophy regarding Rebecca. Kate Lennon has a stake in seeing that Eban should still be held accountable after his release. She is smart, driven, and effective in her role as a state prosecutor. Of course, Zach and Rebecca will become romantically involved.

“She placed her hand on his chest, ‘Thank you for saving by life.’ ‘Thank you for coming into mine.’” [Zach]

I thought the age-old struggle of the “right thing” to do was handled well, including both points of view but for me, the middle of the narrative sagged a bit going into the conclusion. What finally ticked up the interest was that little zinger in the end.

Love those twists you don’t see coming and this one caught me by surprise. The philosophy of the situation ended in a stalemate—but it’s that end run with the legalese that provides the satisfying ending.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook with narration by Kyf Brewer from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts. 4 stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ASIN: B09WTLHHVK
Listening Length: 10 hrs 10 mins
Narrator: Kyf Brewer
Publication Date: August 16, 2022
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Overkill [Amazon]

His Review:

[redacted] Rebecca Pratt Bridger is confined to a hospital bed. She has very little brain activity and for all practical purposes is a vegetable. Her ex-husband, Zack Bridger, has been designated her legal guardian and the one who can tell them to disconnect the life-saving devices.

Rebecca found her husband intolerable soon after the marriage and began to sleep around. One of those times she chose a man who liked to choke the woman while having sex. She didn’t come to again.

The man who caused Rebecca to be in the coma is out of prison after four years. Eban has been spoiled his whole life. He is a person with no scruples or remorse.

The author captured the essence of a narcissist who has no regard for other individuals. It kept me engaged expecting something would happen to Eban. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Did you read this one last year too?

The Author: Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE (2013), LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011), and the critically acclaimed RAINWATER (2010).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Narrator: Kyf Brewer, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actor known for Serial Mom, Stop, Record, and Fallen Arches.

The CE and I

Rosepoint Reviews – April Recap – Hello May!

Rosepoint Reviews - April Recap

April was a month of crazy temps reaching from freezing temps to the low 80s. Of course, I put my potted plants out during the 80s only to have the last week of April revert to freeze warnings. In any case, it’s going to be a while before I try to start my annual veggie garden. Thinking I’ll keep it simple this year with the dominant crop as always cherry tomatoes. Dried, they are better than candy!

We took a more relaxed pace in April which appeared to have also slowed our reading-reviewing activity. We read or listened to thirteen books in April, NetGalley books as well as audiobooks. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

April Reads

The Remarkable Wisdoms and Bizarre Tales of Tennison Hawk by Michael Reisig
Netflix Series Daisy Jones and the Six vs Audiobook by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Spare by Prince Harry
Velma Gone Awry by Matt Cost
The One Who Fell by Kerry Wilkinson
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
Reaping the Whirlwind by Rosey Dow
The Devil’s Glove by Lucretia Grindle
Plum Island by Nelson DeMille
You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard
Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
Blow Up by Ellen Crosby

If you’ve read one of these, please let me know your thoughts. These included Prince Harry’s memoir, of course, as well as historical fiction, cozy mystery, literary fiction, and another comparison of audiobook to netflix series.

Favorite Book of the Month

Okay, I have to give it to Harry. I really enjoyed his memoir, certainly as he read his own work. This could be followed closely by Plum Island—opening my eyes to a new author I can follow.

My Book of the Month for April—Spare.

Blogger Post

I did get to do a little blog hopping in April and always appreciate the varied posts of Lynne at Fictionophile as well as her beautiful graphics. She also offers a number of features that will interest you from “Cover Love” to “Wednesday’s Word.” If you read many book review blogs, I’m sure you’ve already found her delightful site, but if not, it’s time to check it out.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 48 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (three books ahead of schedule) and still keeping a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. Lagging behind on the others again but hope to have the page and challenges caught up shortly.

Once again, I’m bumping up against the Happiness Engineers at WordPress. Used to be I could jump on a chat but that went bye-bye. Then it was send an email, but I wonder if you’ve discovered it’s getting increasingly difficult to even find the help link. I wrote recently asking about where I could find my broken links. Pam wrote back several days later:

“While access to email support starts with the Personal plan, being on the Free plan you have unlimited access to our community forums, where you’ll be able to find answers to your questions.”

OOH…And no, there isn’t any answers to my questions in the Forum. I view it as a campaign to eliminate their free users. I realize I don’t know what I don’t know and had checked with Semrush for a (free) site audit. Have you subscribed to any SEO tool? Well, mercy, I have some fixin’ to do—if I only knew how! Google Analytics (again) doesn’t help with a free site. So I’d request that if you click on a link and it’s broken, please let me know. I’m trying what other suggestions Semrush pointed out, but it’s a struggle. It appears I’m going to have to upgrade shortly but not sure the “personal” plan would make me any happier with the engineers.

Also, when did this “Blaze” thing start? (I didn’t notice it last month when I was working on the recap.) Promote your content? The Blaze link has been attached to every one of my post links. Anyone else notice this? Is it, indeed, new?

I do appreciate you all. Thank you sooo much for reading and commenting on my posts. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Authors to books to reviewers

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes- #Audiobook Review – #psychologicalthrillers

Book Blurb:

Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend’s sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed….

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer.

Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer—the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.

At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin….

Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.

My Review:

It’s not like I haven’t sucked up to a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick before (witness my recent review of both the audiobook and the Daisy Jones and the Six Netflix series, but really—this one?

Yes, I noticed it was a book pick, but also read the blurb and thought it sounded interesting. After all, it was billed as a “can’t put it down” debut and I needed an audiobook. I thought I’d wised up to that kind of hype, but obviously needed to read a few of the posted GR reviews first.

Maya has issues, lots of baggage, and she’s steadfastly refused to let it go through seven years of meds, booze, and shrinks. Now that she’s seen a video that duplicates the death of her best high school friend, up to and including the very man that was in attendance of the former death, she’s at it again, while trying to dodge accusations of mental illness, issues with drying out and investigating two similar deaths.

Maya has returned to her Berkshires hometown to look into the matter further. She has a boyfriend, but he is unaware of her struggles with drugs, memory lapses, and booze. The support characters are not fully developed and except for Frank, couldn’t engage in either them or Maya. Frank is just…creepy.

I had a problem with the flip-in-time sequences, the entry into the mystery of the Guatemalan father’s book, and the law student (oblivious) boyfriend. The pace is slowww and there were periods when it just seemed to die. Then something would happen and I’d tune back in.

There are times when it just doesn’t mesh and there are holes that aren’t filled with logic. The big reveal isn’t a big surprise as it seemed to be hinting—heading that way. The conclusion, while disquieting, is unfulfilling.

Maybe I’m just getting tired of damaged MCs, and I won’t call this a snooze fest, but neither did it capture my interest from the beginning. I got tired of Maya’s problems (guess I just don’t have the patience anymore) and areas that ran in disbelief.

Do you read Witherspoon’s book picks? This one? If so, do you agree or disagree with this pick?

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Women’s Psychological Fiction, Women’s Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Penguin Audio
ASIN: B09X51M1NK
Listening Length: 8 hrs 34 mins
Narrator: Marisol Ramirez
Publication Date: January 3, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: The House in the Pines [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Three stars

The Author: Ana Reyes is a writer in Los Angeles with an MFA from Louisiana State University. Her work has appeared in Bodega, Pear Noir, The New Delta Review and elsewhere. The House in the Pines is her first novel.

K, luv u, bye

Spare by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex – #BookReview – #Memoirs – #audiobook

#1 this week

Book Blurb:

It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.

For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

My Review:

You can say what you like about Harry’s book, but one thing it is is entertaining. Where is Snopes when you need them? So many controversial snippets contained within these pages, it’s hard to know if you haven’t carefully followed the royals all your life what is accurate and what isn’t. What we do know is that it’s extremely personal at times getting into the over-sharing, TMI zone of stories (a frost-bitten penis? mercy!).

You don’t have to be reading the National Enquirer to know that some of the stories out of the major news sources are ca-ca. We’ve long held that you can only “believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.” So with that, I’ll venture to say that I found Harry’s book enlightening, while also confirming much of my impression of the monarchy. This is not, has never been, a loving, demonstrative family. It’s a major business and as such, now more than ever must rely on good press for validation.

Prince Harry was a casualty of birth—the second male—and told and understood from the beginning he was only a backup heir—the spare. He loved his mother and grandmother and the loss of his mother at twelve years of age was a tragedy he denied into adulthood. He tangled often with “the paps” (as he called the British paparazzi) who often made a healthy living off the photos they took by any means to sell.

In this raw memoir, he relates the struggles with his childhood, school, his brother, and those members of the royal family as well as the courtiers who dictated his life down to whether or not he could have a beard. He openly relates his experiences with drugs, alcohol, mental illness, and his failed relationships with women most of the latter of which were blamed on the paps. Of his school years, I wonder why he hadn’t been tested for ADHT and/or dyslexia, something, but then can’t explain his success in the military. It seems inconceivable that he could fly an Apache helicopter in combat if he had experienced neurodevelopmental symptoms.

1 – There were several stories in this narrative that I found most engaging and one was that of his military service (impressive!)—his struggle to find the proper niche—and his success with flying one of the world’s most advanced and proven attack helicopters into Afghanistan. If he could have chosen, it would have been his career choice—the military.

2 – His introduction to Africa and his love of the animals and experiences there where he also meets the people who would become those he escaped to in times of soul-crushing stress.

3 – His story of Diana and what she meant to him—how he finally—as an adult drove that last mile of her life into the tunnel and received the police report (and pictures) to which he was finally given access.

I cannot even begin to understand or walk in the shoes of Meghan Markle and this is a story that understandably was left near the end of the book. We certainly had enough press of Diana to see she had gained enormous popularity the world over. It was not the first time we were plunged back into the drama of the monarchy. And there again, the paps or press printed some of the most despicable stories and pictures imaginable—of both the Princess and Meghan.

There are times he comes off as a spoiled, entitled brat and I wonder how he could not, as he discusses the castles, the retreats, the summer home, the trips, the food, other accouterments of the wealthy. Then this is juxtaposed against the most simple of privilege being denied.

There are no free lunches.

Still, disinherited Harry has landed on his feet in one of the most expensive cities in California, beautiful historic Santa Barbara. Whether or not you’re a fan of him and his bride, you have to give him kudos for exposing a massive, unfiltered peek into the life and times of the business that is the royalty of Britain. Not exactly a touchy/feely hugging-type family but definitely one of fantasy or fairytales (the Grimm kind?).

His ghostwriter, J R Moehringer, did a smashing job. His narration—riveting. I found it open, honest, heartfelt, and emotional. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library (after a significant wait time!). These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Great Britain History, Memoirs, Biographies of Royalty
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B0BJ4JGQGS
Listening Length: 15 hrs 39 mins
Narrator: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
Publication Date: January 10, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Spare [Amazon-US]
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

The Author: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, is a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist. He resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs. https://princeharrymemoir.com [Goodreads]

Authors = Books = Reviewers

Netflix Series Daisy Jones & The Six vs #Audiobook by Taylor Jenkins Reid– #fictionsagas

Introduction

It’s not difficult to see the hand of Reese Witherspoon in this Netflix series. It’s a historical, somewhat nostalgic look at the age of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll well past its infancy, as well as a spyglass full of the 70s LA rock music scene. An almost faithful reproduction of the book.

Netflix TV Series

After listening to the audiobook and reading Reese’s bubbling promo of her series baby, I couldn’t help but tune in as soon as it was released. Admittedly, it began almost as sluggishly as the book and the CE ignored it—found something else to do. I think it was somewhere around the third episode he began to find interest.

With this type of unusual format, it takes a minute or two to get used to the interview technique that the book and the series employs to introduce each of the characters. It didn’t take as long for the general viewer to get hooked, however, exhibiting an impressive increase in demand on the most streamed TV series across US platforms. Even Rotten Tomatoes “reported a 70% approval rating with an average of 6.7/10*.”

The series is written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber alongside Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter. The author Taylor Jenkins Reid also produces the ten-episode series that examines the reason for the dissolution of the fictional band twenty years after their final emotionally charged concert.

There is a full-length album, Aurora, that was released by Atlantic Records in March. The lead vocals are performed by Riley Keough (Elvis’ granddaughter) and

Sam Claflin as in the series.

(The pricy album is available on vinyl on Amazon. I love the album cover!)

Daisy is played as a rich but neglected daughter, while Billy played the older brother (Dunne brothers) and band leader-vocalist in his garage-originated boy band. I couldn’t help but think of Janis Joplin—that same carefree boozy attitude (although I still prefer Janis). I didn’t care for either Daisy or Billy and knew the hate-to-love trope was working its magic and indeed, sparks begin to fly.

Watching the two steal glances at each other, you had to wonder how much is real and what is an act. The chemistry is amazing. Neither did I care much for other members of the band although I liked Teddy Price, the producer.

Early in the series, I thought I recognized passages directly from the audiobook, familiar phrasing they used and I particularly enjoyed these quotables:

Buddhists say, “Pain is inevitable—suffering is optional.”

“I think it’s easy to confuse a soul-mate with a mirror.”

My Thoughts

#2 this week

As most know, Daisy Jones & The Six was Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club of the month in March of this year, but the book was published back in March of 2019.

It reads like the story of a band on a rocket to the top of the rock band list in the middle and late 70s. It sells the idea through the interviews of each of the band members, examining their origins and their rise through the LA music scene twenty years after the abrupt split of the band following their concert in Chicago.

There is a decided division where the series and the book splits somewhat with what happens to the support characters. I love the outdoor scenes of the photo shoots and concerts. Watching the interviews with the characters makes it easier to remember who is speaking than does the audiobook, where I sometimes lost track.

The clothes, styles, hair was so perfect; absolutely puts you back in the decade along with the music. As the episodes progress, there is greater inclusion of the music, snippets of the concerts, and I hoped for more. 4.5 stars

Audiobook (Blurb)

Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Historical Fiction (2019)

A Reese’s Book Club + Hello Sunshine on Audible Pick

A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous breakup.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in LA in the late ’60s, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s 20, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the ’70s. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

My Thoughts

The unusual writing style threw me at first when I started this audiobook. There are interviews that started introducing the characters of the band and I finally caught on to the unique style of getting to know the individuals, their role in the storyline, and the inkling of who they are, how they got here.

Plunged deeply into the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll era, Daisy quickly becomes iconic. She is the personification of a free love, braless society, with strong women finding their voice in more ways than ever before. Sometimes I envied their newly found freedom.

The ‘70s LA music scene is wild and as the characters took on more shape, more personality, it is obviously part of the whole societal revolt happening at the time.

Hubby and I missed much of the cultural revolution being outside of the country during his Naval service until 1970. It was shocking when we came home to see how our country changed during our absence. We were still the earlier generation’s sensibilities, married, working, paying taxes, and busy ignoring the craziness going on around us.

The bands—so many—and so many messages of resistance, peace, and love. This fiction saga is strongly rumored to follow somewhat loosely the story of Fleetwood Mac (and by extension, Stevie Nicks. We were not a fan).

Daisy is the product of a rich family, largely ignored or forgotten altogether, and drowned her stinging rejection with anything she could swallow. She manages, however, to become established locally on a low scale in the music scene and begins to write her own music. Equally largely unknown The Six (the Dunne brothers), evolving as the members aged, one going into the conflict only to die on ‘Nam soil. Billy, their leader is controlling, narcissistic.

The book explores several themes besides love, loss, and addiction and is an apparent hate-to-love trope soon after Daisy joins the band. Still, it can’t be denied that between them they manage to come up with some winning songs and begin to gain popularity, particularly after the band meets a producer/promoter.

Of course, it’s totally character-driven—certainly Daisy and Billy take center stage ramping up the tension between herself and Billy’s main lady (who births a daughter) and as each of the other characters are interviewed weigh in on how they impact the success of the band.

I did enjoy the little twist at the end, revealing the source of the interviews. 4 stars

The Author

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her newest novel, Malibu Rising, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles.

You can follow her on Instagram @tjenkinsreid.

Book Details

Genre: Fiction Sagas, Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B07K8WGT23
Listening Length: 9 hrs 3 mins
Narrator: Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer, Pablo Schreiber
Audible Release: March 5, 2019
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Daisy Jones & the Six [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble (TV series tie-in)
Kobo

Overall Impression

The Movie

Hooked and crazy engaging, totally entertaining after a slow burn entry. Riley sells it as Daisy—she is Daisy—in her expressions, sober or not. The production sells the time, location, atmosphere. It is so compelling. My only quibble was the ending—not as the book would have it—but searching for that happy ever-after feeling and perhaps not so realistic as the authenticity it earlier gained.

The Audiobook

The book keeps a steady pace for the most part, although it is somewhat slow to gain interest at the beginning. The narrators do a great job with their parts and as the book moves toward conclusion, ramps up the tension. It is such a unique writing style, but it works. Engaging and entertaining, into that era, that pop culture, those post-conflict ballads. The interviews gain a deeper understanding of what leads to the breakdown and quietly concludes but the switch between interviews can be confounding.

Conclusion

Watching Riley as Daisy is compelling. She sells her part, spoiled entitled brat that she is. I even began to like Billy near the conclusion. But it’s a visual feast for the eyes as well as the ears and edges out the audiobook. Even if that isn’t your generation, you can watch and be mesmerized by the birth, growth, and frenetic rise that once again, begins to sour under the weight of stardom. The depth of emotion is beautiful.

#TuesdayBookBlog

*Stat info attribute Wikipedia
Actor photos courtesy Google

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly – #Audiobook Review – #TBT

Book Blurb:

High in his attic bedroom, 12-year-old David mourns the loss of his mother. He is angry and he is alone, with only the books on his shelf for company.But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness, and as he takes refuge in the myths and fairytales so beloved of his dead mother, he finds that the real world and the fantasy world have begun to meld. The Crooked Man has come, with his mocking smile and his enigmatic words: “Welcome, your majesty. All hail the new king.”

With echoes of Gregory Maguire’s and C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, author John Connolly introduces us to a cast of not-quite-familiar characters – like the seven socialist dwarfs who poison an uninvited (and unpleasant) princess and try to peg the crime on her stepmother. Or the Loups, the evil human-canine hybrids spawned long ago by the union of a wolf and a seductive girl in a red cloak.

As war rages across Europe, David is violently propelled into a land that is both a construct of his imagination, yet frighteningly real – a strange reflection of his own world composed of myths and stories, populated by wolves and worse-than-wolves, and ruled over by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a legendary book…The Book of Lost Things.

My Review:

Fairy tale turned fantasy turned horror. Yikes! I’ve read Charlie Parker, his signature detective/mystery series, and those narratives could turn dark, paranormal, deadly. But this one?

The storyline starts with twelve-year-old David and his newly minted step-mother (Rose) and half-brother. In an effort to avoid those two as much as possible, he pretty much sequesters himself in his room, burying himself in his books. His dad, a professional, is seldom around.

In an effort to improve the situation, Rose moves him to another room, vacated by an old uncle that is filled with books and baubles. But as time wears on, the fables, fantasies, and childhood tales begin to fuse with reality. Indeed, he loses himself more into the dream lately, which is becoming darker—there is, after all, a war on.

Definitely not a tale for children—and possibly not queasy-stomached adults either. Beginning with “The Crooked Man,” the characters grow into malevolent beings, many of which are not human.

Locked into a noir fairy tale, he must travel (as Dorothy did) to find the king who has the Book of Lost Things. Only then can he be returned home—to reality—and out of his marathon nightmare.

Fortunately, there is a kind and wise woodsman, but he must fight his own battles and is not keen on taking on the care of a young one. At each encounter, David must learn to conquer or out-think the creepy folk horror confronting him—most with the aid of the experienced woodsman.

Ewww, some of the descriptions were almost vomit-inducing encounters. Talk about a learning experience—enough to grow hair on the chest of a child. And he does gradually mature, begins to evaluate with a new reality or philosophy, and challenges appearances. My favorite quote:

“…listen closely to his words for he will say less than he means and conceal more than he reveals.”

Beautiful! And that’s the lesson is it? The story is as shocking as revealing, pushes tension, attitude, with awakening. Extremely imaginative, creative in prose, subtle in nuance—but oh, so, powerful (I’m sure enhanced by the narrator).

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. Perhaps periodic issues of too bloody violence for me. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Coming of Age Fiction, Suspense
Publisher: Recorded Books
ASIN: B001J6XF2E
Listening Length: 10 hrs 56 mins
Narrator: Steven Crossley
Publication Date: October 23, 2008
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: The Book of Lost Things [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

John Connolly - author — John Connolly – author

The Author: I was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and have, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a “gofer” at Harrods department store in London. I studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which I continue to contribute, although not as often as I would like. I still try to interview a few authors every year, mainly writers whose work I like, although I’ve occasionally interviewed people for the paper simply because I thought they might be quirky or interesting. All of those interviews have been posted to my website, http://www.johnconnollybooks.com.

I was working as a journalist when I began work on my first novel. Like a lot of journalists, I think I entered the trade because I loved to write, and it was one of the few ways I thought I could be paid to do what I loved. But there is a difference between being a writer and a journalist, and I was certainly a poorer journalist than I am a writer (and I make no great claims for myself in either field.) I got quite frustrated with journalism, which probably gave me the impetus to start work on the novel. That book, Every Dead Thing, took about five years to write and was eventually published in 1999. It introduced the character of Charlie Parker, a former policeman hunting the killer of his wife and daughter. Dark Hollow, the second Parker novel, followed in 2000. The third Parker novel, The Killing Kind, was published in 2001, with The White Road following in 2002. In 2003, I published my fifth novel – and first stand-alone book – Bad Men. In 2004, Nocturnes, a collection of novellas and short stories, was added to the list, and 2005 marked the publication of the fifth Charlie Parker novel, The Black Angel. In 2006, The Book of Lost Things, my first non-mystery novel, was published.

[truncated]

I am based in Dublin but divide my time between my native city and the United States, where each of my novels has been set.

Reading Ireland Month 2023

A Week in Summer-A Short Story by Maeve Binchy- #Audiobook Review – #FictionShortStories – #audiobook – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

After many happy years of marriage and raising a family, Brian and Kathleen suddenly find themselves a bit lost in life. Midwesterners who’ve never traveled, Kathleen decides that what she and Brian need is a vacation, and with the help of an enthusiastic travel agent she plans a trip to Ireland in search of her roots. In beautiful, quaint Lisdoonvarna, to the couple’s surprise, they find themselves in the midst of a joyous yearly gathering dedicated to celebrating the life and work of a late Irish poet, and they rediscover something much more important than evidence of long-dead ancestors: their love for each other and for life itself.

My Review:

Either read (29 pages) or listened to (33 minutes), this short story is so short I’m not really sure we actually get a story. Don’t blink or you’ll miss the whole thing.

My one experience with this author was back in 2020 for #ReadingIrelandMonth20 when the CE and I co-read A Week in Winter. You can’t compare a 418 page novel with a 33 minute audiobook. He loved the former—I balked—and this is apples and oranges so you can’t compare the writing style of the two.

Brian and Kathleen after years of marriage have found themselves at an unhappy crossroads. When Brian’s job leaves him high, dry, and despondent, she decides they need a vacation and researching choose the land of her ancestors. She books a week in Lisdoonvarna where, coincidentally, they are celebrating the work of a late, great Irish poet.

While my heart goes out to Kathleen, I didn’t care at all for Brian. Given his lack of interest in anything, I wasn’t sure how she convinced him to go on the trip. Perhaps Brian wasn’t given enough development, the effort having gone to Kathleen, but he remained an enigma and I never warmed up to him.

Kathleen loves her husband, tries very hard to put some spark back into their marriage. Brian, who’s never been one to do much of anything fun, suddenly participates in various activities, joining the celebration. And what happens in the conclusion leaves me scratching my head.

Huh? I was shocked! She is willing to accept this Brian. I was thinking perhaps he was in need of a psychologist.

So, no, not wholly thrilled with this one either. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Fiction Short Stories, Family Life Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B004Z902DC
Listening Length: 33 mins
Narrator: Maeve Binchy
Publication Date: May 4, 2011
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: A Week in Summer [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

The Author: Maeve Binchy was born in County Dublin and educated at the Holy Child convent in Killiney and at University College, Dublin. After a spell as a teacher she joined the IRISH TIMES. Her first novel, LIGHT A PENNY CANDLE, was published in 1982 and she went on to write over twenty books, all of them bestsellers. Several have been adapted for cinema and television, including TARA ROAD. Maeve Binchy received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Book Awards in 1999 and the Irish PEN/A.T. Cross award in 2007. In 2010 she was presented with the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bord Gáis Irish Book Awards by the President of Ireland. She was married to the writer and broadcaster Gordon Snell for 35 years, and died in 2012.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Desert Star (Renée Ballard Book 5) by Michael Connelly – #Audiobook Review – #mysteryactionfiction – Little, Brown & Company

in Mystery Action Fiction

Book Blurb:

LAPD detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to hunt the brutal killer who is Bosch’s “white whale”—a man responsible for the murder of an entire family.

A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny, demoralization, and endless red tape. But after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her own ticket within the department, Ballard takes back her badge, leaving “the Late Show” to rebuild and lead the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division.

For years, Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him—the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free. Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come volunteer as an investigator in her new Open-Unsolved Unit, and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him.

First priority for Ballard is to clear the unsolved rape and murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. The decades-old case is essential to the councilman who supported re-forming the unit, and who could shutter it again—the victim was his sister. When Ballard gets a “cold hit” connecting the killing to a similar crime, proving that a serial predator has been at work in the city for years, the political pressure has never been higher. To keep momentum going, she has to pull Bosch off his own investigation, the case that is the consummation of his lifelong mission.

My Review:

Okay, wait…what is Connelly telling us with Book 5? COME ON! We are talking Ballard and Bosch here! I particularly enjoy it when these two get together.

Read most of his books, I’m a fan; watched all the Netflix episodes. While Welliver sells Bosch in the title role of the TV series, he reinforces Titus Welliver in the audiobooks—makes him real! So what’s with the ending in this installment?!

This installment, though, where Ballard brings Bosch in to help her with her cold case, it also renews his interest in solving a cold case of his own. I was quite surprised when the two so quickly handled her cold case, almost too soon. But Bosch’s “white whale” (that of the odious murder of an entire family) kept the two working.

Yes, Harry had quit the force—hasn’t gotten any younger. Ballard, of course, is eyeing a successful partnership again—they work well together. Have cases to solve. She is eager to keep her funding, her new department active. Ballard has grown in character depth, but there is still a lot to learn about her while we are quite familiar with Bosch.

Connelly is preparing us though—things are going to change—hopefully not in the next episode, but Ballard appears to be gaining in her position. She’s done well under the mentoring of Bosch. Out of left-center field comes a psychic. I’m not at all sure if she is to remain part of the Open-Unsolved Unit and I’m not sold on her yet.

Fast-paced, well-plotted, packed with technology—something new to learn. Always suspenseful, building tension as Bosch navigates treachery and Ballard handles personnel, the department, the funding and budget, the direction, the clues, and dispenses appropriate action. Perhaps this is not the installment to break into this series.

Something’s afoot!

I’ve enjoyed previous episodes, the last Dark Sacred Night and the CE’s review of The Dark Hours. Hopefully, there will still be more.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library and again recommend the audiobook with Welliver’s narration. My only reservation with the audiobooks is that it sounds sometimes like he read his parts at some other place or time and it was fitted with the other two narrators. Can’t put my finger on it—but it’s an obvious change in timbre. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery Action Fiction, Crime Action Fiction, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
ASIN: B09X295Y68
Listening Length: 9 hrs 37 mins
Narrator: Titus Welliver, Christine Lakin, Peter Giles
Publication Date: November 8, 2022
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Desert Star [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than thirty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.

Titus Welliver - actor, narrator — Titus Welliver–Compliments of Wikipedia–thank you!

The Narrator: Titus B. Welliver is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of the Man in Black in Lost, Silas Adams in Deadwood, Jimmy O’Phelan in Sons of Anarchy, and the title role in the television series Bosch. Wikipedia Born: March 12, 1962, New Haven, CT.

Cheers