#ThrowbackThursday – Rosepoint Publishing

Three Audiobooks Mini-Reviews – #IndigenousFictionforTeens, #MysteryThrillerandSuspense, #RichandFamousBiographies – #TBT

It’s just too easy to listen to audiobooks! They’ve gotten ahead of me again, so I’m posting shortened versions here. (Title links are to Amazon.)

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Isabella Star LaBlanc
Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Debut Novel (2021) Winner for Readers’ Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2021)

The main character, Daunis is a bi-racial daughter of a French mother and a native Ojibwe father. The Ojibwe is a tribal community located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Because her father was not listed on her birth certificate, she is not allowed to be listed as a full tribe member. She has a strong attachment to the tribe but never felt she was fully accepted in either society.

The novel favors a strong theme of family, responsibility, and loss. It’s a beautiful peek into the beliefs, traditions, and customs of the tribe and follows Daunis on her quest to discover and bring to justice the person responsible for the murder she witnessed. She must weigh the odds that the perp may very well be someone she knows and loves and whether or not that will seal a yay or nay in her Ojibwe community.

An emotional writing style with heart, layers of plot, and well-developed characters. As a YA narrative, it includes the inevitable romance and abundance of hormones, but the overall storyline will be of interest to adults as well.

The Wife and the Widow by Christian White
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Caz Prescott
Amazon Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Hate to admit that it wasn’t that long ago I finished this book but now only have a vague memory of it and didn’t take notes. Well, then again, either inconvenient or just lacking stellar quotes(?). I must have missed some serious stuff as it got an accolade, but (scratching my head), what was it?

It did start out a bit slow for me. I wondered for a while why we were getting these two very divergent stories of Abby and Kate. I do enjoy stories that have a monster twist, an AH HA moment that leaves you shaking your head and this one does. Just for me—it took too long, a bit laborious, and sometimes I get tired of the sloppy police work trope that forces mere mortals to take over.

Belport could be atmospheric, the community inhabitants cliquish and gossipy, but, really, a main character whose hobby is taxidermy? Ugh!

If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) by Betty White
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrator: Betty White

Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Humor (2011)

Good grief! Could the woman have written eighty-two books? When did she have the time for that? Okay, well, given this audiobook was only 2 hrs 16 mins, I guess it might be possible if the others were also short.

One of our National Treasures, Betty White was an actress for a very long time, achieving six Emmys and eighteen Emmy nominations. She won comedy awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. Of course, she also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

One of my favorites, who doesn’t love Betty White? For one thing, she brought a whole new concept of sexuality to older women.

I was disappointed this audiobook was so short, although she talked about her TV shows, the people she loved to work with, and shared little snippets of stories from her experiences “getting there.” She also shared her observations about the animals in her life, how she created shelters.

The narrative ended all too soon but I’ve no doubt it’s one you’d enjoy as much as I, and as short as it is, why not?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these audiobooks. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown #AudiobookReview #bookclub #TBT

Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

in Olympic Games

Nominee for Readers’ Favorite History & Biography (2013)

Book Club at the Y - February selection

Count this one as another I’d have never chosen on my own, but another that I’m glad to be part of a book club that introduces the reader to epic groundbreaking award winning titles. Who knew you could get excited about a bunch of college guys rowing for the old alma mater? What if you could throw in historical depths of the Depression, the dust bowl, and Europe possibly facing another war?

And how timely is that—while we are busy watching the Winter Olympics!

My Thoughts:

I don’t usually read many non-fiction books, unless memoirs, or historical catastrophes, and must admit to favoring the Winter Olympics over the Summer Olympics. This narrative caught my attention early on though with the focus on Joe Rantz, a boy literally left on his own when his destitute blended family viewed him as an extra mouth to feed they could ill afford. It is basically Joe’s POV that we hear throughout the book.

I love it when I go into the story of a sport I’ve never really noticed nor cared about and end by not only enjoying the narrative but researching it later. Joe Rantz did indeed have a horrendous childhood, scraped and scrabbled along until he found himself on the University of Washington rowing team. (A roof over his head and food in his belly.)

Joe was strong and healthy. It is during his years at UW that he meets Joyce who becomes his primary cheerleader and while pursuing her own goals, gently leaves him to his.

Not all of the young men on the team were composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, or farmers, however. The University of Washington’s crew was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast but it wasn’t long before the coach became aware he had a special group of young men. His goal was to defeat the East Coast teams and possibly head to the Summer Olympics in Berlin, 1936.

Of course, if at all possible, I listen to the audiobook and I must say narrator Edward Herrmann did a fine job of relaying the emotions, the turmoil, and the drama of the story.

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 as well as my interpretation of the consensus of the book club participants.

Book Club Thoughts

The publisher provides pointed questions for discussion at the book club. Among issues specifically examined were:

►How did Joe Rantz’ early childhood experiences shape his trust or mistrust of others? Did that experience influence his reluctance to bond?

He learned not to trust. Anyone. Including early on, his teammates.

►How did the coach handle the press and why?

It was thought there were several reasons, for one, he didn’t want the other schools to know the growing prowess of his team. He didn’t want the boys growing an ego over their wins and kept the boys guessing who was the weak link (each thinking it was themselves).

►How does the story of the ’36 Olympics compare to today’s?

The time frame of the story encapsulated several horrendous global calamities, not the least of which was the growing power of Hitler (and the possibility of war) while back home the Depression—the failure of banks, loss of jobs, disastrous weather, and few governmental services or support.

Several of the women noted they were bored with lengthy descriptions of the boats, components, and vocabulary for the sport, while acknowledging there will always be global conflicts, politically as well as atmospheric.

It can be noted that George Clooney directed a movie that was released in 2023 by the same name that reportedly omitted much of the personal stories of the individual teammates and focused instead on the university experience and the Olympics. I haven’t had a chance to view that film yet, but plan to if and when it comes to Netflix.

How did the Book Club vote?

Book Club Rating

Book Details:

Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrator: Edward Herrmann
Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Daniel James Brown grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Diablo Valley College, the University of California at Berkeley, and UCLA. He taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford before becoming a technical writer and editor. He now writes narrative nonfiction books full time. His primary interest as a writer is in bringing compelling historical events to life vividly and accurately.

He and his wife live in the country outside of Seattle, Washington, with an assortment of cats, dogs, chickens, and honeybees. When he isn’t writing, he is likely to be birding, gardening, fly fishing, reading American history, or chasing bears away from the beehives.

Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #psychologicalthrillers #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April; secrets she’d rather you didn’t know – like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard?

Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her. I’ll make sure of that.

My Review:

I’ve been flipped again. Misdirected. Unashamedly misled.

And why was that a surprise? I’ve read this author before, the most recent being The Intruder. At this point, aren’t you expecting another twist, one last zinger? The one you didn’t see coming. Or did you?

Here we have the typical small town, the gossip (because what is there to do other than that in a small town?) and the new family to the hood. Are they suspicious? The POV of the main character is that of baking sensation April Masterson—on the periphery of the “in-crowd”, possibly by virtue of her apparently successful YouTube channel that includes a “secret” in her recipes. They are all delicious!

The problem is, as possibly often happens, the face on the camera and the face at home may not be the same. The first time she pulled a switch in a demonstration of how to get her new neighbor’s child into the proper school should have been a big red flag.

The fun part begins when April starts getting scary little texts. But from whom? Dang, is she beginning to get some of her own medicine?

Big switch!

Try to keep up. If you got past a slightly slow start, this is your reward. Crazy twisty. Can you trust no one? You aren’t supposed to love these characters (I don’t think), so switch of POV…go with it. I didn’t love the epilogue, the ending, but the novel on the whole is wildly entertaining, page-turning turmoil that just keeps getting crazier.

McFadden fan? Then you no doubt will enjoy this one.

Well plotted and paced. Okay, ignore those points of disbelief. Is it entertaining? Engaging, keeps you reading?

Yes. And isn’t that the point?

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 Stars