This is check in part 3 for April 21- Jun 18
Check out Part 1 and Part 2 to see my reviews and thoughts on the 34 books and short stories.
I took 2 entire weeks off from listening to books at the end of April and beginning of May, and another long weekend off for a family wedding. I did not have the head space or capacity to even do my job at that point, so I certainly didn't have the capacity for anything extra. I did finish 4 books by my favorite author Marie Benedict and a waiting on bated breath for her next book coming out at the end of June and discovered Ellen Marie Wiseman reading several of her books as well.
I listened to most books this check-in at 1.4x speed or higher- so all speeds for listening are noted at the end of each entry.
35.The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict is a biographical novel based on the life and experience of Hedy Lamarr. Perhaps most famous for her time in Hollywood, Ms. Lamarr born Hedwig Kiessler in Austria a Jewish woman whose first marriage was anything but happy provided the information to engage in her amazing works later in life as an inventor with hopes of helping the US win WW2. Half of the book focuses on the courtship and marriage to her first husband with arms dealer Fritz Mandl while the 2nd half looks at her life in Hollywood and her work with George Antheil. There are points in the book that may be triggering for individuals with a past of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence. (1.4x speed)
36.If you only knew ** spoiler alert ** 2 Stars
I knew 6 chapters into this book that I wasn't going to like it, but I also have a habit of hyper fixation and needing to finish what I start, so here I am, reading bad books.
I struggled with much of this book as it revolves around the way 3 women need the men in their lives. Completely unable to stand on their own 2 feet for the entire duration of the novel. The mother demonstrates this in every conversation she has where she can bring up her dead husband and how lonely life is, her daughters stay in relationships without love, long for relationships with closed off men and move from one broken person to another. There was little "healing" in this story only an inability to be okay with ones self- by ones self. (1.4-1.5x speed)
37.Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict. I have loved other works by Ms. Benedict but this one didn't have enough of the personal connection. It was very science based and spent much of the time focused on the work of Rosalind Franklin, which while amazing, meant that for much of the book it felt like being an outsider watching. One of the reasons I love Marie Benedict's other books is because of the fictional aspects she creates to make us as readers care about and want to root for the leading females. I didn't fee the same reading this and forced myself to finish it.
38.On Cussing by Katherine Dunn is a quick but impactful listen on the ways in which language and communication can be impacted through cussing and the ways in which what we as society consider to be cussing have shifted over time. Your college level creative writing works, dramatic pieces and prose can all benefit by spending time with this piece, I know my communication with others certainly will. (1.4x)
39.Autism in Heels by Jennifer Cook O'Toole, is the book I needed 7 years ago. It makes me want to go pick up her books Asperkids which I likely would have benefitted from more when they came out a decade ago, but that will probably still be useful to me now. When I look for a representation of my myself or a model for what my future could hold, there really aren't that many options, this one while not identical to my story certainly struck a chord other works by other Autistic women have not. I did skip over about 30 minutes of the book for my own mental health and triggers that impact me, but I really appreciate that she does give the trigger warnings so I could safely take the break I needed. There is something that happens any time I read a book by an Autistic author and that's feeling the gripping hold of comparison. So if that's something that you know impacts you, make sure you're in a good place or in an open enough head space to be listening to a book like this. I listened to this book on (1.4 and 1.5x speed)
40. America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray. The slow southern drawl is one I don't mind in conversation, but in listening to what would typically be a 24 hour audio book if listed to a 1x speed its just too slow. As a result I listened to this book at 1.5x speed. This is a beautiful historical novel that imagines the thoughts and feelings of Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph as she lives her life as a public figure a role she did not choose for herself. The book works through all of the emotions and stages of grief, both the things we grieve as the happen and the losses of life, relationships and property along the way. (1.5-1.6x)
41.Sitting Pretty By Rebekah Taussig is a book about embracing yourself, defining the words that define you and the ones you wish didn't, unpacking the ways disability intersects with the multiple facets of being human. Line after line either resonated with my experience or forced me to think about my privilege within the disabled community in a new way. My time with this book was filled with reflections and insight and it will be a book I pick up again- it may even be a book I bother to own a hard copy of as well as an audio book. I love when authors read their own work, especially in the memoir category as their intonation, pauses and insights are so much more powerful in their own voice. I listened to this book on 1.4x speed
42.The Mitford Affair: A Novel. By Marie Benedict. I'd probably give this 3.5 stars. I'm really glad I kept with it, as I would have given in 1-2 stars after the first 90 minutes of listening. The book takes on 3 perspectives of 3 of the 6 Mitford Sisters who were real people living during Hitler's rise to power, each with their own take on Nazism. The book follows Unity, Diana and Nancy. Both Unity and Diana are fascists who are aligned with Hitler and Nancy a social democrat who is thrown by her sister's extreme views and uses her writing as a way to navigate her thoughts on their choices. While we get a glimpse of "Decca" (Jessica) the communist sister it is through one of the other 3 sister's lenses. This book highlights the way politics can overwhelm and undermine a families dynamic. Read at 1.4x speed.
43.The Personal Librarian Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray joined forces to create an amazing reflection on the experience of Belle da Casta Greene a woman who live in a time where newly earned freedoms from the emancipation from slavery were being stripped away by segregation, hate, and bigotry of a society seeking to maintain. it's power and the status quo. Belle and her family walk the color line, doing everything in their power to pass as white and maintain opportunity. The book shares the emotional turmoil of living the life long lie in order to protect ones self and family. The authors don't shy away from difficult topics as they may have been discussed at this point in history. From antisemitism to homosexuality to abortion. I appreciate the care given to topics that challenge our society as much today as they did 100 years ago.
This partnership provided insights on both sides- allowing Murray to grow in understanding writing through a historical lens, while providing Benedict with the lens of a Black woman- one she likely would never have taken on without Murray's support and guidance. This is my favorite book by Marie Benedict and I can only hope the 2 pair up again in the future for another novel. Read at 1.4x speed
44.The Rural Diaries By Hilarie Burton Morgan. As someone who dreamed of being Peyton only to learn as an adult what a toxic space that set was for her and her other female cast mates, I became more impressed with the person (Hilarie) behind the character. I loved her again on White Collar. Celebrities owe us nothing- they are people doing a job so we can all have entertainment- but I truly enjoy and connected with parts of her story I am grateful that she shared it. I also saved all the recipes and book quotes, because they were all either yummy or added to the experience of the book. 1.3x
45,What She Left Behind By Ellen Marie Wiseman.This story does contain many topics that may be disturbing or traumatizing to individuals including: Institutionalization, electric shock therapy, abuse, sexual assault of a minor, and self harm
Fiction with some historical information thrown it to make it interesting. The Willard Asylum for the Chronically Insane, was a real place in upstate New York that remained open until 1995. The reasons for institutionalization and treatment while institutionalized especially of women were appalling for much of the last century. But this story is fictional.
Wiseman does a beautiful job of connecting and intertwining the stories of 2 young women over a half a century apart highlighting their similarities and making sure their stories shine in their own right. The last 2 chapters bring the story lines together in a way that makes it feel like a happy and realistic ending. Which after much of the story containing a lot of traumatic references was welcome. Read at 1.35x speed
46.The Life She Was Given By Ellen Marie Wiseman. This story does contain many topics that may be disturbing or traumatizing to individuals including: Circus and Freak Shows of the early 20th century, alcoholism, animal cruelty, abuse, and early 20th century terms for disabled people.
Like "What she left behind" this story bounces back and forth between the stories of 2 sisters approximately 20 years apart- who don't (at least at the start) know about the existence of the other. Though they are connected to the people that raised them, some people really shouldn't have children.
It was an by about half way through the story arch was clear, just had to listen to the path it took. It certainly isn't bad, but not nearly as well written as What she left behind. 1.35x speed 2.5-3 stars
47.The Plum Tree By Ellen Marie Wiseman. Unlike the other stories I've read by this author, there is only 1 person's perspective in this story. I can tell this was her first book. It's not as well written as "What she left behind" and is commensurate with "The Life she was given" but I enjoy the topic better as I learning about enjoy WW2. While this is a work of fiction, it is so similar to so many stories of the lives and horrors people were forced to endure. It has an obvious story ark, but how it navigates that path is interesting. I would have liked more of the story to be based at Dachau, but understand the dark and twisty-ness of that thought. 1.25x 2.5 stars
Total listening time as of today is 14 days 16 hours and 9 minutes or 352 hours and 9 minutes. My original goal for this year was 365 hours. Clearly that's not my goal any more. I have read 47 books of my 75 book goal. If you had told me a year ago I'd be spending this much time with books I would have said you were nuts, but I'm enjoying making up for lost time and digging into good stories.
Summer vacation starts in 3 days and I'm sure I'll read it fits and starts depending on my activities, but another update will come before the start of the school year.
-Claire
