#NYTimesbestsellingauthor – Rosepoint Publishing

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid #AudiobookReview #FictionSagas

Goodreads Choice Award – Winner for Readers’ Favorite Historiacal Fiction (2025), Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Audiobook (2025)

Book Blurb:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, NPR, Good Housekeeping, Them, Marie Claire, Book Riot, Library Journal, Chicago Public Library, She Reads

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, it all changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, creating complex protagonists, and telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love—this time among the stars.

My Review:

Well, phooey. Not what I expected. But it says right up top that it’s a love story. Obviously, not one of my favorite genres.

I really enjoyed Daisy Jones and The Six, and somehow expected that same level of realism in the space industry turned fiction for the consumption of the masses.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid — Atmosphere – US cover

Joan Goodwin has always been fascinated with the stars and space, and though she is a successful professor at Rice University is immediately consumed with the desire to become an astronaut when she reads an advertisement looking for women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program.

Despite all the odds, she and a select few other women complete the training and are now vying for the upcoming scheduled missions with the few men also selected. These are the elite of the elite: scientists, engineers, and military combat pilots.

The storyline, which is told in a split timeline, details Joan’s story, her family, and her academic achievements. She is singularly devoted to her little niece, Frances, with whom she’s at times at odds with her sister, Barbara. Lots of support characters, mostly lightly developed, who run the gamut from the light-hearted to the back-stabbing Lydia.

I enjoyed some of the discussions regarding the stars, their positions, and history. Somewhere in the middle, however, the storyline veered away from the original mission and strongly into the love story. Once started as an ode to the stars, now drowning in emotional philosophical discussions.

I felt like I was promised an explosive, cutting-edge women in space piece with a double-edged sword. Also, the ending was too predictable. Too much personal development; too little in the aerospace industry. (I think it’s a 3-star effort, but I’m adding a half-star for the subplot with her sister. A well-written antagonist—kept me listening.)

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Fiction Sagas, Family Saga Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B0DKZMG16C
Listening Length: 9 hrs 52 mins
Narrators: Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publication Date: June 3, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

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.

Tis the Season!

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

A Voice of the Wilderness Novel Book 1

Book Blurb:

This gripping novel about survival and family is based on the real story of one wolf’s incredible journey to find a safe place to call home. This irresistible tale by award-winning author Rosanne Parry is for fans of Sara Pennypacker’s Pax and Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan.

Swift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter.

Alone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. His journey takes him a remarkable one thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest. The trip is full of peril, and Swift encounters forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before he finds his new home.

Inspired by the extraordinary true story of a wolf named OR-7 (or Journey), this irresistible tale of survival invites readers to experience and imagine what it would be like to be one of the most misunderstood animals on earth. This gripping and appealing novel about family, courage, loyalty, and the natural world is for fans of Fred Gipson’s Old Yeller and Katherine Applegate’s Endling.

Includes information about the real wolf who inspired the novel.

My Review:

Okay, so it’s billed as a middle school book, but certainly not one that an adult can’t enjoy as well.

As most of you who follow my blog know, I tend toward animal stories (well, among the suspense and thrillers), most predominantly dogs. This is close, and while not exactly a Canis Lupus Familiaris (domestic dog), a Canis Lupus (wolf). Our domesticated dogs, of course, a subspecies of the wolf, though it’s uncanny how many look and still have inborn Lupus traits.

Such a controversy with wolves! The ranchers cite the wolves’ tendency to take down domestic animals and hunters their game animals. The ever-encroaching spread of human habitation tends to push their boundaries.

Still, they go a long way to creating a balanced ecology and restoring biodiversity. Their management creates a tear in the normal cycle of life.

A Wold Called Wander by Rosanne Parry — A Wolf Called Wander-US cover

This is a story remarkably told from a wolf pup’s POV. He is Swift and his pack includes brothers and sisters along with mom and dad who keep them fed, train them in noble wolf ways, and protect them—until the day a rival pack attacks and he and his family are forced to flee.

It’s a coming-of-age story. And Swift has a lot to learn to survive as he is suddenly thrust into a raw world he is not totally prepared for. Since each in the pack has its “job”, he has never yet truly brought down prey.

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry — A Wolf Called Wander – UK cover

I love that the narrative follows the true story of a real wolf that had been tagged and followed through a thousand mile journey as he seeks a new territory to call his home. The epilogue at the end describes the life of the wolf and wolves in general, as well as the tracking of the wolf’s odyssey. Along the way, he encounters coyote packs, a deadly forest fire, and a lack of food/prey and water confronting and surviving each. He meets a female eventually and together create their own pack family in the Siskiyou’s of northern California, southern Oregon.

Having lived in Yreka (California) a number of times, I can attest to the beauty of the area and the miles of remote forested wilderness. It’s a gorgeous, largely untamed area, boasting 14,000 foot Mt. Shasta (a dormant volcano).

I greatly enjoyed the narration by Kirby Heyborne for his lively reading of the audiobook. I had to chuckle, however, when he mispronounced Siskiyou—obviously never having heard it pronounced correctly.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Children’s Fox & Wolf Books, Animal Action & Adventure for Children, Animal Fiction for Children
Publisher: HarperAudio
ASIN: B07NDLGJL1
Listening Length: 3 hrs 54 mins
Narrator: Kirby Heyborne
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Rosanne Parry is the author of seven award-winning middle grade novels, including the newly released A Whale of the Wild and the NY Times best seller A Wolf Called Wander which is published in 11 languages. Rosanne is a part-time bookseller at legendary Portland independent bookstore, Annie Blooms, and is the captain of the League of Exceptional Writers, a free mentoring workshop for young avid readers and writers (on hiatus until 2022). She lives with her family in an old farmhouse in Portland Oregon and writes in a treehouse in her backyard. You can find Rosanne at http://www.rosanneparry.com

Here’s a list of all her books

Heart of a Shepherd
Second Fiddle
Written in Stone
The Turn of the Tide
Last of the Name
A Wolf Called Wander
A Whale of the Wild

#throwbackthursday

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

Everyone has secrets, but not everyone has remorse…

A terrible accident.

Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom and working full time as an ICU nurse, when a patient named Caitlin arrives in her ward with a traumatic brain injury. They say she jumped from a bridge and plunged over twenty feet to the train tracks below.

A shocking revelation.

When a witness comes forward with new details about Caitlin’s fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was a crime committed? Did someone actually push Caitlin, and if so, who… and why?

No one is safe.

Meghan lets herself get close to Caitlin until she’s deeply entangled in the mystery surrounding her. Only when it’s too late, does she realize that she and her daughter could be the next victims…

My Review:

My first experience with this author and my head is still swimming. I thought I was confused, but maybe it was the author.

I’ve gotten into complex, multi-layered storylines before, but this one took that idea and ran too far with it.

First, it was a slow start. Prologue hooked interest, then let the interest wane in a long, detailed narrative about—everything. Meghan is an ICU nurse in Chicago. We don’t live too far from Chicago and take a shuttle to the VA hospital occasionally for my veteran hubby. My son works in Chicago and I’m becoming familiar with a few streets but would rather not hear about them more than once or twice. I’m not a fan.

Then the twists start happening and suddenly it seems like too much is happening and holes open that don’t get closed even in denouement. I never really became invested in the MC, then disliked her daughter, and then the more I knew of Caitlin—ur—Nat, intensely disliked her as well.

The plot seemed to be crammed with twists but most resulted in confusion, contradiction, made no sense. The plot line was stutter-step. One of the threads was pretty obvious early on and later a couple others just became a bit absurd, leaving me shaking my head.

I’m not sure if this book was a good example of the author’s writing style and may try another. But I’ll have to think about it for awhile.

Did you read this book? Did your assessment fall on the love it side or the meh side?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
ASIN: B0C4C9Q2KT
Listening Length: 10 hrs 32 mins
Narrator: Andi Arndt
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Mary Kubica is a New York Times bestselling author of suspense thrillers including The Good Girl, The Other Mrs., and Local Woman Missing. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. She’s been described as “a helluva storyteller” (Kirkus) and “a writer of vice-like control” (Chicago Tribune), and her novels have been praised as “hypnotic” (People) and “thrilling and illuminating” (L.A. Times). She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.

Visit Mary at http://www.marykubica.com/

Happy Holidays--Have a great Sunday!

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben #AudiobookReview #crimethrillers

Amazon Charts #10 this week

Nominee for the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards [Vote Now]

Book Blurb:

A full-cast recording featuring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Saskia Maarleveld, Peter Ganim, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Kiff VandenHeuvel, and James Fouhey

An unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben, Gone Before Goodbye is the story of a woman trapped in a deadly conspiracy—where uncovering the truth could cost her everything.

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan…until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance.

Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is…

My Review:

Wow, I love the name of this book! That title will stick in the brain and roll easily off your tongue when you speak about it. So how does the rest of the book stack up?

First, I guess we might have expected that Reese would narrate protagonist Maggie McCabe. That decision might have weakened the character somewhat without a professional narrator in the translation from written to spoken word by inflection often either over the top or insufficient. Nowhere did I expect a book authored by Reese to include women cosmetic surgeons, Russian baddies, and biker gangs. (Although I must confess I liked Pork Chop.)

Did Harlan add his drama and suspense only to have Reese decide it was a good thing, so repeat it with her edits? It bogged down somewhere in the middle for me and several times rehashed scenarios we’d already visited before. The dialogue appears to have a difference in origination and is uneven in character.

Goodreads shows more three and four-star reviews than five with a deeply divided reaction to the characters and the pacing. There are as many narrators as characters, including Reese herself as well as one of my favorites, Saskia Maarleveld. Amazon notes in her bio that it is Reese’s debut novel, co-authored.

But What Did AI Say?

For those burning to know (as was I) just how much Reese contributed to that obvious Harlan Coban writing style, AI says it was a true collaboration “where both were involved in the writing process…”

Writing process? Aren’t we also talking plot?? Isn’t that a signature Coban plot and pace?

No, says, AI.

Noted that it was originally Witherspoon’s idea, pitched to Coben who ran with it, obviously “contributing his expertise in plotting and structure…signature twists and suspense. “

But hey, you know how AI can, and often does, make mistakes. You read it? Did you read Coban or Witherspoon?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thrillers, Mystery Action & Adventure, International Mystery & Crime
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ASIN: B0DJ9K5CLM
Listening Length: 10 hrs 34 mins
Narrators: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Peter Ganim, Saskia Maarleveld, James Fouhey
Publication Date: October 14, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Authors:

With over 80 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times author of thirty five novels including WIN, THE BOY FROM THE WOODS, RUN AWAY, FOOL ME ONCE, TELL NO ONE and the renowned Myron Bolitar series. His books are published in 46 languages around the globe.

Harlan is the creator and executive producer of several Netflix television dramas including FOOL ME ONCE, STAY CLOSE, THE STRANGER, SAFE, THE FIVE, THE INNOCENT and THE WOODS. He is also the creator and executive producer of the Prime Video series Harlan Coben’s SHELTER, based on his young adult books featuring Mickey Bolitar. Harlan was the showrunner and executive producer for two French TV mini-series, UNE CHANCE DE TROP (NO SECOND CHANCE) and JUST UN REGARD (JUST ONE LOOK). KEINE ZWEIT CHANCE, also based on Harlan’s novel, aired in Germany on Sat1.

Harlan’s novel TELL NO ONE (NE LE DIS A PERSONNE) was turned into the renowned French film, directed by Guillaume Canet and starring Francois Cluzet. The movie was the top box office foreign-language film of the year in the USA, won the Lumiere (French Golden Globe) for best picture and was nominated for nine Cesars (French Oscar) and won four, including best actor, best director and best music.

Winner of the Edgar Award, Shamus Award and Anthony Award – the first author to win all three – international bestselling author Harlan Coben’s critically-acclaimed novels have been called “ingenious” (New York Times), “poignant and insightful” (Los Angeles Times), “consistently entertaining” (Houston Chronicle), “superb” (Chicago Tribune) and “must reading” (Philadelphia Inquirer).

In his first books, Coben immersed himself in the exploits of sports agent Myron Bolitar. Critics loved the series, saying, “You race to turn pages…both suspenseful and often surprisingly funny” (People). After seven books Coben wanted to try something different. “I came up with a great idea that simply would not work for Myron,” says Coben. The result was the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller TELL NO ONE, which became the most decorated thriller of the year. Two books later, Bookspan, recognizing Coben’s broad international appeal, named NO SECOND CHANCE its first ever International Book of the Month in 2003 – the Main Selection in 15 different countries.

Harlan was the first writer in more than a decade to be invited to write fiction for the NEW YORK TIMES op-ed page. His Father’s Day short story, THE KEY TO MY FATHER, appeared June 15, 2003. His essays and columns have appeared in many top publications including the New York Times, Parade Magazine and Bloomberg Views.

Harlan has received an eclectic variety of honors from all over the world. In Paris, he was awarded the prestigious Vermeil Medal of Honor for contributions to culture and society by the Mayor of Paris. He has won the El Premio del Novela Negra RBA in Spain, the Grand Prix de Lectrices in France, and the CWA/ITV3 Bestseller Dagger for favorite crime novelist in England. On the other end of the spectrum, Little League Baseball inducted Harlan into their Hall of Excellence in 2013, and Harlan is also a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame from his playing days at Amherst College.

Harlan was born in Newark, New Jersey. He still lives in New Jersey with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben MD, a pediatrician, and their four children.

Reese Witherspoon is an award-winning actress, producer, founder and New York Times bestselling author. She won an Academy Award® for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line and was later nominated in that same category for Wild in 2014, which she also produced. Witherspoon also starred in beloved films Sweet Home Alabama, Legally Blonde, and Election, as well as the award-winning television series Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, and The Morning Show. Her other film credits include Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, Universal Pictures’ animated musical comedy Sing and Sing 2. In addition to her acting and producer roles, Witherspoon is an author and founder. In 2018, Reese released her first book, Whiskey in a Teacup, which was an instant bestseller. In 2016, she established the media brand Hello Sunshine. Hello Sunshine puts women at the center of every story it creates, celebrates and discovers. Hello Sunshine tells stories across all platforms–from scripted and unscripted television, feature films, animated series, podcasts, audio storytelling, and digital series–all shining a light on where women are now and helping them chart a new path forward. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese’s Book Club, Reese’s YA Book Club and newly launched Gen-Z focused brand Sunnie. Hello Sunshine is part of Candle Media, an independent, creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, high-quality, category-defining brands and franchises. She’ll soon release her first novel, Gone Before Goodbye, a thriller, co-authored by Harlan Coben on October 14th.

Audiobooks with earphones and earbuds

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger #AudiobookReview #bookclub #TBT Banner

Goodreads Choice Award nominee (Also Goodreads Choice Award nominee 2023 for Best Mystery & Thriller

The selection for the October read of the Y Book Club was This Tender Land. Not the first experience with this author as I read Iron Lake last year, the kick off to his popular Cork O’Connor series. The book club meets once a month (except for December) and is very popular.

I must admit that Krueger is an extraordinary storyteller and it’s only nitpicky that I don’t feel a five star.

There might be a bit of déjà vu reading the plot line, that feeling of familiarity, borrowing from a couple masters perhaps, except that it’s not, creating a plot line of its own. The narrator is a twelve-year-old and the author does an exceedingly good job at standing in the youth’s shoes, at times mature beyond his age, and then a gentle reminder by his decisions and actions—no—he’s only twelve.

It’s the depression. The loss of Odie’s mother and then his father lands him and his brother Albert in an orphanage—not a white orphanage—one meant for the transition of Native Americans to white society. It’s cruel. Depressing. And unfortunately, historically accurate.

And it’s the cruelty that forces Odie to a wretched act forcing him and his brother, along with mute Native American Mose, and little girl Emmy to flee. Possessing knowledge of the capture and return or disappearance of previous attempts, they elect to catch a local river (rather than the train) with hopes it’ll take them far away from the brutality of the orphanage and it’s owners.

The epic novel follows them through the experiences of their venture down the river where they meet a whole world of people, the good and bad, in their bid to find their home, now a destination to St. Louis and a surviving aunt.

It’s a multi-layered plot, complex, alternately heart-wrenching and joyous. Even the support characters are so well developed and engaging, you’ll want to know what happens to them.

A breath-taking conclusion, however, may not answer all your questions. Are there some you must decide for yourself? Perhaps. For the most part, it’s satisfying, and though it leaves an impact, allows you to close the chapter and the tale.

An epic saga working on becoming a classic. Many thanks to our local well-stocked library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Club Thoughts

The publisher provides pointed questions for discussion at the book club, ably kept on topic (for the most part!) by the moderator. Some of the questions this time, however, just didn’t jive with our own areas of lively interest, with points of view generally in agreement.

We all found it amazing that a twelve-year-old could or would proceed with maturity sufficient to survive in a world heavily poverty stricken and starving. Of course, there was little question that thrust into the world at large these days, a child of twelve, virtually without any resources, would not find the same level of success.

Items specifically examined were:

►The individuals in the vagabond group: Odie’s older brother the oldest, Emmy, the girl, and the youngest.

►The sad state of those Native Children being torn from their families, their way of life, even their languages.

►Those who managed to hang on to their properties, farms or ranches, but without any resources to manage them.

►Revival tents and the level of religious fervor as well as the money generated.

►Hoovervilles—the hopelessness generated by the loss of everything and the lack of governmental intervention.

A look back at a sad time in this country beautifully laid in prose, emotion, well-developed characters, and atmospheric scenes. Well-paced, engaging, and thoughtful. I can recommend this novel. Narrated by Scott Brick who brings a special kind of emotion to the narrative.

Book Club and my star ratings

Book Details:

Genre: Indigenous Literature, Coming of Age Fiction
Publisher: Recorded Books

Narrator: Scott Brick
ASIN: B07S85YLDY
Listening Length: 14 hrs 19 mins
Publication Date: September 03, 2019
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Raised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, William Kent Krueger briefly attended Stanford University—before being kicked out for radical activities. After that, he logged timber, worked construction, tried his hand at freelance journalism, and eventually ended up researching child development at the University of Minnesota. He currently makes his living as a full-time author. He’s been married for over 40 years to a marvelous woman who is a retired attorney. He makes his home in St. Paul, a city he dearly loves.

Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last five novels were all New York Times bestsellers.

“Ordinary Grace,” his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published in that year. “Manitou Canyon,” number fifteen in his Cork O’Connor series, was released in September 2016. Visit his website at http://www.williamkentkrueger.com.

The Narrator: Scott Brick (born January 30, 1966, in Santa Barbara, California) is an American actor, writer and award-winning narrator of over 800 audiobooks.

Brick studied acting and writing at UCLA before embarking on his professional career in 1989.

In 1999, Brick began narrating audiobooks and found himself a popular choice for top publishers and authors. After recording some 250 titles in five years, AudioFile magazine named Brick “one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy,”^[1] and proclaimed him a “Golden Voice,” a reputation solidified by a November 2004 article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Publishers Weekly then went on to honor Brick as Narrator of the Year in 2007 and 2011. To date, he has won over 50 Earphone Awards, two Audie Awards and a nomination for a Grammy Award.

He opened his own audiobook recording studio and publishing company, Brick By Brick Audiobooks, with the goals of streamlining production and ensuring consistency throughout his body of work. [Courtesy Wikipedia]

The YMCA Book Club

Rosepoint Reviews – October Recap – Can Holiday Books Be Around the Corner?

Rosepoint Reviews - October Recap

October harkens not just a change of season or weather for us, but personally, the mad dash to the end of the year beginning with our daughter’s birthday the middle of October. Then it’s on to Halloween, followed in quick succession with Thanksgiving in November and Christmas and end of year holidays.

Our trip to southern Illinois for her birthday found us exploring a botanical garden in Springfield, somewhat disappointing with not only the size but end of season flower displays. Usually, we love botanical gardens this time of year as they yield some interesting seeds (shush!), but there weren’t many of those yet either. We loved the bell tower though, the sound much like an active cathedral. Unusual trees—but unfortunately no name plates to tell us what they were. Also, our granddaughter arrived with her family to celebrate her mother’s birthday so we got to see our great-grandchildren. Good grief, have they grown!!

The CE and I joined the “Summer Sizzle” promo at our Y, attended extra exercise classes and were awarded our free t-shirts. Keeping with the social interaction, the Y also started a Bingo get-together once a month, using the holiday theme (Halloween for October, of course) for prizes and lunch (pumpkin pie—I suspect we’ll also have the pie again in November). Lunch was delicious and the Bingo (although it gave me flashbacks to the years I worked the Bingo kitchen for our kids’ high school bands) was fun.

October 8^th marked our second year with our little rescue Pomeranian, Punkin, now seven years old. She’s pretty much housebroken at this point. She’s allowed me to pet her a couple times—but not approach her unbidden. Unfortunately, she’ll likely never understand what a toy is. She enjoys going outside now—but only when she’s ready. Also, she’s decided my treadmill is a good place to relax. At least it gets some use.

Well, needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of clean-up done on my garden—still trying for one last harvest, but with the consistent cool weather, nothing is ripening. That’s the end of the garden this year. (sad face)

Also, as you might have guessed, October saw more audiobooks than ebooks. We reviewed a total of thirteen books in October—for the first time the majority in audiobook form–with the CE contributing two (ebooks). As always, the major source of our books is the library (audiobooks as well as ebooks), NetGalley, author and publisher requests. The links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.

Rosepoint Reviews - November Recap

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver (audiobook)
Asa James by Jodi Lew-Smith (CE review)
After You by Jojo Moyes
Our Souls at Night by Ken Haruf (book club-audiobook)
Imposter Syndrome by Andrew Mayne (CE review)
Crime Writer by Vinnie Hansen
The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel (audiobook)
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand (audiobook)
The Night Fire by Michael Connelly (audiobook)
I Know How This Ends by Holly Smale (audiobook)
Every Last One by Carolyn Arnold
Allied Flames by Jean Grainer
The Intruder by Freida McFadden (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

The CE gave five stars to Asa James, one of only two he read in October. I did enjoy several books, but only one to the extent of five stars—and that is Michael Connelly’s book, The Night Fire.

Favorite for October – The Night Fire by Michael Connelly

My Reading Challenges page…Another extremely busy month. Family, traveling, the last of the outdoor activities for the season. I’ll try to catch up with Challenges next month.

Yes, I’m still behind on catching up on reviews and my Goodreads landing page shows 159 of a goal of 150, so I’m at 105% of the challenge. I’ll have to catch the others up to figure out what I need to do to win the challenges for Audiobooks, Historical Fiction, and NetGalley, although I suspect the Audiobooks Challenge has been met.

Holiday Books

Are They Just Printed Hallmark Romances?

Yes, the holidays are quickly gaining on us and I usually have a spate of blogging buddies who read and review Christmas or holiday books—not something I usually read! So I wanted to include a shout-out to those who do. There are so many different kinds of holiday novels from romance to cozy mysteries that I thought it would be fun to highlight a few that I run across beginning with the post by Carla at Carla Loves to Read. You might find a whole new reason to check out a holiday book. Please read her blog tour review of Missing at Christmas by Deena Alexander.

Thank you sooo much for your visits and comments. I do appreciate your comments and apologize if I’m slow to respond. Keep those likes and comments coming—and I thank you for each and every one!

Happy Autumn Weekend to you from Rosepoint Publishing

The Intruder by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #PsychologicalThrillers

#2 this week

Book Blurb:

There’s someone at your front door—should you let them in? Find out in a riveting new thriller from global sensation and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid, Freida McFadden!

Who knows what the storm will blow in…

Casey’s cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she’s a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.

She’s young. She’s alone. And she’s covered in blood.

The girl won’t explain where she came from, or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.

The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.

In this taut, deadly tale of survival and desperation, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden explores how far one girl will go to save herself.

My Review:

I love books with a creepy factor. This one checks that box, though maybe not entirely for the reason you are thinking.

I’m beginning to worry about McFadden’s mind though, she appears to excel in the sick and twisted. At the beginning of the book, it can be assumed Casey is a normally intelligent person, but then she lets a young girl into her cabin in the woods during a massive storm who’s cover in blood. (Yeah, I know, don’t get me started.)

You only think that the girl has a secret. That’s because you are still sifting through the first two-thirds of the book. You have to wonder why a young woman with a decent education and a formerly appropriate job is out of work and in the woods. The back and forth gets you closer to the truth.

The girl with all the blood? Yeah, we’ll get to it. Interesting character development here, but can you allow yourself to lend sympathy with either character? Maybe not. The men, peripheral, support characters give you just enough background to think, “run, Forest, run.”

You might have caught on to the author’s tricks, her twists. The novels are well plotted and paced, engaging and entertaining. Might be compelled to just keep reading. But what you absolutely know you can count on is that one last zinger (really, you expected that?), the one you may not have seen coming. Good for you. This one caught me by surprise.

Again. (Kudos to the narrators for keeping the suspense going.)

Yeah, I’m beginning to catch on, having read two recently, The Housemaid’s Secret and The Boyfriend in August this year. There’s just something about watching a train wreck…

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Domestic Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
ASIN: B0F94KB253
Listening Length: 8 hrs 19 mins
Narrator: Joe Hempel, Patricia Santomasso, Tina Wolstencroft
Publication Date: October 7, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)

Title Links:

Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a physician who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.

Freida lives with her family and cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden.

Halloween

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Nantucket #4

Best Literature & Fiction

Book Blurb:

The beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author brings her Nantucket novels to a brilliant finish: when rich strangers move to the island, social mayhem and a possible murder follow. Can Nantucket’s best locals save the day, and their way of life? Includes special audio content!

Chief of Police Ed Kapenash is about to retire. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce. But when a 22-million-dollar summer home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons—how did they make their money, exactly?—Ed, Sharon, and everyone in the community are swept up in high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts, and raise impossible hopes of everyone they meet. When their house burns to the ground and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms.

The last of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Nantucket novels, SWAN SONG is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.

The audiobook edition features an interview between Elin and her longtime narrator Erin Bennett.

My Review:

I guess I get a bit tired of the uber-rich stories. Those poor people have no clue how the masses live. That must be a serious problem as they have nothing left to do but gossip about each other.

Still, the star of this novel, the major character is Nantucket, a tiny island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and a summer destination of storied history. Settled in 1641, it was a 19th-century whaling hub that evolved into an exclusive, high-end resort, replete with five-star restaurants, quaint cottages, and cobblestone streets.

I loved the descriptions of the area, the town, the coast, and the food. The characters—not so much.

When the mysterious Richardsons purchase a long vacant mansion and begin deep restoration while hosting exclusive parties, the island inhabitants take notice. Who they were, their history, and where they came from produced speculation that ran the rumor mill for weeks. Mrs. Richardson, in particular, invited the deepest and awestruck circumspection.

The lavish parties and themed beach swims managed to finally produce a twist not seen coming—the fire. A big one. And it happens when holding another party out on the yacht. The personal assistant goes missing.

Finally. Some excitement!

I guess this is the final installment of a series and the first I’ve read and I may not have missed much. I wasn’t thrilled with the characters and tired of the parties. The police chief (I think), looking at retirement, was intended to have a stronger voice but was left in the background. There really wasn’t much of a mystery, not sure it is intended as such or a sub-plot left in layered storylines.

Just could not get into this one. I see mixed reviews from both those new to the author (as I am) to die-hard fans…and many of the latter also disappointed. You may love it for the atmospherics and it does enjoy that aspect.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Friendship Fiction, Small Town & Rural Fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
ASIN: B0CMFBSVY9
Listening Length: 13 hrs 31 mins
Narrator: Erin Bennett, Elin Hilderbrand
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Elin Hilderbrand first discovered the magic of Nantucket in July 1993. Her recipe for a happy island life includes running, writing at the beach, picnics at Eel Point with her three children, and singing “Home, Sweet Home” at the Club Car piano bar. Here’s to Us is her seventeenth novel. [Amazon]

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa. [Goodreads]

Enjoy Your Sunday!