Time for more audiobook reviews! Since I tend to put them up in a group, they are short and sweet reviews. For more information, and lots more reviews from readers, click the Goodreads link provided for each one.
Title: All the Stars in the Heavens
Author: Adriana Trigiani, Blair Brown (narrator)
Published: October 13, 2015 by Harper
Length: 14 hours 35 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads
My review:
Interesting fictionalized account of the relationship between Loretta Young and Clark Gable in old world Hollywood. Mostly told from the viewpoint of Young's faithful secretary Alda, this novel takes place during a time period that fascinates me. Dragged a bit at times, but overall I enjoyed this one.
Title: A Land More Kind Than Home
Author: Wiley Cash,
My review:
An engrossing tale about a weird cult religion and the effect on the town when things at the church go horribly wrong. Lots of twists and turns in this one, and an overall theme that while it may seem implausible, was not that uncommon (and maybe still isn't) in backwoods southern towns. A creepy preacher, faith healing, snakes........intrigued yet? Cash is one of the best at writing about the backwoods south.
Title: The Bookseller
Author: Cynthia Swanson, Kathe Mazur (narrator)
Published: March 2, 2015 by Harper
Length: 11 hours 32 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads
My review:
With a cover like this, how can you go wrong? I didn't think I would like this one as much as I did since it involves an alternate reality. Kitty (by day) is a bookstore owner with her best friend, single, and mom to a cat. Katherine (in her dreams at night) is married with triplets, one of whom is autistic. How these two worlds intersect is the premise of the book, and then ending was completely unexpected.
Title: The Pearl That Broke Its Shell
Author: Nadia Hashimi, Gin Hammond (narrator)
Published: May 6th, 2014 by William Morrow
Length: 16 hours 10 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 3/5
Goodreads
My review:
A story told by two women in Afghanistan, 100 years apart, that illustrates that not a lot has changed in this country from a woman's perspective. I really loved the way this book brings light to the awful treatment and disgusting thoughts about a woman's worth that still exist in a lot of these countries. It was a rather depressing, but yet enlightening read. I did think that it was a bit long, and the writing did not always flow as I thought it should. Still worth a read, and a nice start for a debut author.
Title: The Aviator's Wife
Author: Melanie Benjamin, Lorna Raver (narrator)
Published: January 15, 2013 by Delacorte Press
Length: 16 hours 24 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 3.5/5
Goodreads
My review:
I knew very little about the Lindberghs, other than the famous kidnapping of their son and his flight across the Atlantic. This was a well documented fictionalized account of their lives, written from the perspective of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I really like Benjamin's writing style, although this one could have used a tad more editing as I did get bored in a few places. Overall, a good glimpse into the lives of a much beloved couple with a lot of issues behind the scenes that the public was not privy to.
Title: Best Boy
Author: Eli Gottlieb, Bronson Pinchot (narrator)
Published: August 24, 2015 by Blackstone audio
Length: 7 hours 20 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy via BEA
Rating: 4.5/5
Goodreads
My review:
This was one of the books talked about at BEA 2015 that I was highly anticipating reading. A wonderful story told by an autistic man living in a care facility. Beautifully written, I loved the voice of Todd, and teared up many times as we are made aware of the fact that his way of looking at things is not always the way we would see them. Definitely a must read/listen!
You've been doing some great listening! All the Stars in the Heavens looks really good and I want to read or listen to The Aviator's Wife. I've been on the fence about The Bookseller because of the alternative reality stuff but it sounds like it really works.
I really did not think I would like The Bookseller, but it ended up being a surprise winner for me. I'll be interested in your take if you give it a try.
I am reading All the Stars in the Heavens and it is not one of her better books. Just kind of slow and I am not sure what the point of the story is? I keep putting it down and have read all of her books and never could put them down.
I enjoyed it, but I have maybe only read one prior book from her so I don't have lots of previous books to compare it to. I have read lots of other reviews which say that this is not one of her best.