If you are just finding my blog today, I encourage you to go look at the other book summaries/reviews in previous posts here: Books 1, Books 2, and Books 3.
This post comes to you at the end of the summer. I go back to work tomorrow. When I started my reading (listening) journey in January I set a goal for myself of 365 hours- That has been smashed; but now I am listening for joy, for learning, for comfort, for self-discovery, for peace. I've added several books of poetry into my rotation; not with the intention of finishing any of them, but of gaining perspective from them.
Thanks to a friend I finally took on The Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas, and that did not disappoint- I completed the first 2 books in less than 72 hours.
Total hours read as of today 462 hours over 19 days of listening.
48.The Wishing Game - By Meg Shaffer **Spoiler alert** Is outside of my normal wheelhouse and to be honest I wasn't sure for the first hour of listening, but I really wanted to listen to the rest of the love story and the riddles-really the riddles. The book does cross some boundaries of teachers-I don't think its appropriate for teacher (or aids) to make promises like "I'm going to be your mom" or "we will be a family" or frankly making any promise ever. Promises make for disappointment and kids have enough of that in their lives; as is obvious throughout this book.
Yes I know this is a book that has to have a plot line with a happy ending and story arc, but does grate on me throughout the book. The main character is very clearly a mellow dramatic all or nothing twenty-something year old-I can recognize it, because I've been it. However it does make the book a little rough to get through because you aren't (or at least I wasn't) always rooting for her- I just wanted to shake her-which does show I developed an attachment to her, which is the point. I will say it's really well written, great imagery and intriguing conversations, I just wish the story line was less predictable. This is her debut novel, and I look forward to seeing how she develops as an author 3/5 stars read on 1.35x speed.
49.The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: A heartbreaking novel of survival based on a true story By Ellen Marie Wiseman. This reads like a YA book in its simplicity and repetitive nature of the writing (it could have easily been 3-5 chapters shorter) but I'd never let anyone under 17 read it. This is not for the faint of heart or faint of stomach. It provides accurate and detailed descriptions of life inside Willowbrook. The book includes pervasive use of the R-slur and other vulgar and derogatory language used to describe disabled populations and had such detailed descriptions of the experience of willowbrook that I nearly vomited.
It is not a predictable story line, which I appreciated. But I struggled with the ending and the stereotypical image of the mentally ill. 1.35-1.6x
If you are interested in learning more about Willowbrook there are several documentaries available on Youtube. Additionally Wiseman has written another book that centers it's story around an asylum or institution in What She Left Behind which is historical fiction and I personally think it was better written.
50. The First Ladies Is the newest novel by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray who together previously authored The Personal Librarian. This novel uncovers the friendship of Mary McLeod Bethune and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The book goes back and forth between Mary and Eleanor's perspectives often of the same scene. It was a beautiful listen for book 50 this year. I am sad to admit that I was not very familiar with Mary McLeod Bethune, beyond her work as an educator and college founder. It was a great treat to learn about all she gave to a country that gave little to her. This novel does not shy away from complex topics that people of the era encountered; poverty and the experience of most of American in the wake of the Great Depression, the openness of discussions around Boston Marriages, the importance of both the woman's vote and black vote, lynchings, the KKK, desegregation, and other topics connected to the early civil rights movement; which was the primary joint work of the two women. As I said with the Personal Librarian, I look forward to any further writing that comes out from Benedict & Murray together. 1.4x
If you are interested in learning more about Mary McLeod Bethune you can start HERE with some brief information about all the amazing things she did over her lifetime.
51. Bluets is a book of poetry on the color blue. I think I’m not the target audience for this one. Or maybe it has to be read not listen to. The author who performs the book has the same intonation and (lack) of inflection from start to finish maybe that’s the point but at some point the use of profanity started to be mundane. Fuck and other provocative language should add to a description not be there for nothing not be thrown away. But it felt forced at some points so clearly I am not the target audience and that’s okay. 1.3x
52.I Have To Tell You Something By Zara Bas. This is not an audio book. I actually own a physical copy of this book and have been working my we through the poems since Christmas 2022. I don't feel like you ever really finish books of poetry. I go back to them over and over again as the need arises and get new things from them each time. It also became very clear as I was finishing this book that for me personally poetry should be seen and read and that listening to poetry (unless its in a poetry slam performance setting) isn't a fit. But I was really excited to finish at least a first read through this poems. I have another book of her work I will be reading this summer as well, but considering it took me 6 months to finish this one- no promises.
53.A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is for those of us that grew up loving Harry Potter, LOTR and dreamed of being Buffy The Vampire Slayer and who are open to erotic tones in our literature. This isn't Game of Thrones, but it is a book that when made into a Movie or Show should definitely carry an a TV-MA or NC-17 label. That all being said it is the grown up version of all the fantasy books and good vs. evil and what is good and evil stories that my generation grew up with. I am the target audience- Female between the ages of 24 and 40 looking for a fantasy world to escape into when the real one is overwhelming. I listened to the Dramatic Read of this book with full cast- on 1.15x which is far slower than I normally listen, but dramatic reads are different, it really is like a movie in your mind. I still finished it in a day and could see myself returning to it again as regular read. At time of writing this review I'm half way through the 2nd book and have already stumbled across easter eggs that I know will make the first book different upon 2nd glance. I'm sure that by the time I complete all 5 books I'll be ready to go back for more. 1.15x
54. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is the 2nd book in the series. I again listened to the Dramatic Audio which is played with a full cast and is a great way to read fantasy books. Part 1 is the link provided. It is more expensive than normal reads which I understand as more work goes into them, but truly worth it in my opinion. This book picks up where Court of Thorns and Roses leaves off, and follows Feyre and Rhysand though their development as friends and lovers as well as the understanding and initial development of Feyre's powers. There are more graphic scenes in this book, graphically violent, explicit sex scenes and moments of trauma. Looking forward to see what happens next in book 3. 1.15x
55. A Court of Wings and Ruin This is the link to the audio book, but like all the others I've listed to the dramatic audio version. Cauldron Bless the main cast is consistent. This story comes to us is 3 parts and had me laughing, crying multiple times and weaving connections between the lives of the characters and my own. They are fantasy- high fae (Fairies) and yet so many of their person struggles are struggles we all navigate. There is less spice in this book- its still there but less than in book 2 however, there is a lot of graphic violence- it is war after all. 1.15x
56. A Court of Frost and Starlight Darkness is a deep void, but even in darkness there can be hope. I firmly believe everyone should have a holiday book, something that you can enjoy year after year that gives you the warm fuzzies- Mine use to be Harry Potter- it's now THIS. Set in the winter solstice this short book (less than a 6 hour listen) touches on many of the topics the holiday season can bring up for many people- family dynamics, love, loss, thoughts of new beginnings in the year to come, etc. I think this will be a fun story for my winters for years to come. I am sad I have to wait until Mid-August for the 5th and final graphic audio book to come out for this series, but I know it will be worth the wait. 1.15x
57. The Librarian of Burned Books features 3 time lines and 3 women whose stories overlap. They share with us only what we need to know piece by piece, like pulling back the layers of an onion. The parallels between the story being told in this book about censorship and the 1933 book burnings in Germany and the current state of affairs around our country today was horrifying. Fascists don't want an educated populous because people taught to ask questions, to be curious, those people don't vote for them, they don't follow parties blindly, they push back. Today the news that greeted me when I woke up was that of Florida deciding to re-write this history of slavery, to require white nationalist propaganda on race massacres as fact in history classes and further erase the stories of people of color. Daily we see more and more states banning books, but keeping firearms legal. The goal to keep a population who doesn't push back. So take this as your reminder to read, stay informed and push back.
58. .Two More Days is an anthology of 30 short stories, below are the first 16- by a variety of authors who were all given the same 3 words...Two more days. Each story has its own characters, plot, setting and theme; because none of the short stories are related I thought it best to break them down individually here. Some of them come into nice conclusions others are openings to their own book series. This is an adult read- a lot of spicy scenes.
I only have 16 here because honestly they grew more and more disappointing. I count it as a book because I have counted short stories similar lengths to each of these individually as full books, so there is no good reason to not list 16 of them as a book.
Tequila Mate is adult in nature it’s not 50 shades of grey but it’s definitely what headphones were made for. The main character is relatable but the whole thing is cheesy with a lot of sex. 1.5x
Always Cake is every RomCom condensed into a 45 minute short story- which is the length most RomComs should really be. 1.4x
Confessions could easily be turned into a 5 season teen drama on the CW. Girl likes boy- Boys family hates girls family- for reasons that become very obvious very fast, time passes, boy tells girl he likes her and family doesn't hate her even if they hate someone she loves. 1.4x
Head of Heels in Love:
Slow to get started quirky girl gets hot guy who is genuinely a good guy sweet story. 1.5x
Second Summer:
Feels like the first few chapters to a novel then in the last minute of the story you realize it is. The line the best way to get over one man is under another is in this story and about sums it up. 1.5x
Protected:
Teen girl in witness protection because her dad ratted on the Irish Mob to protect her. Cop slated to protect her has sexual tension with her she’s 19 but he’s easily in his 30s and it screams creepy to me, even if they are both consenting adults. Another beginning to a book, that you could choose to continue if you wanted. 1.4x
The Vanished: They are dead, but temporarily reincarnated in New Orleans, which is fitting. 1.4x
The Shelby: TW-Domestic Violence. Girl on spring break meets rich man - married man and does things with him, he basically leaves her for dead, decades later she gets her revenge. Basic writing not great, primer level dialogue. Doesn't make me want to read more by this author. 1.4x
Sunshine Rae: High school girl is bullied, develops friendship with the guy who stuck up for her and is feeling anxious about his upcoming engagement years later. In the 12th hour she tells him, he freaks out, she walks away, he realizes he was wrong (that poor long time girlfriend) so boy finds girl and finally they make their timing work. The parts about their friendship are relatable, but the becoming more is just so obvious- I just want a story where they don't a realistic story where they are just good friends. Basic writing, nothing worth writing home about or reading more of. 1.4x
From Friends to This: A 10 year HS reunion leads to friends reconnecting 10 years after their friendship fell apart. Poorly written spicy scenes can ruin a read. This one certainly did. 1.5x
The Kiss: Married best friends since childhood Leo and Mila are about to have their first child. Leo's section is word vomit of every thought that goes through his head- it's obnoxious. Mila's section is more realistic. Leo's reads as what a wife thinks is going on inside her husband's brain. 1.5x
Stoneheart: Fantasy an immortal gargoyle found a way to stop existing has one more task to do. This is the first short story in this anthology I've really enjoyed. The first one that felt like this author is worth reading more from. 1.4x
Without Yesterday: 2 Strangers meet in a bar- and the ripple effect is put in motion. 1.4x
Good Girl Gone Bad: Getting over 1 guy by getting under another seems to be a theme in this anthology. This story went passed that and the one night stand turned into more. Why can't women just be badasses on their own, by themselves and move on without another hot man? Abrupt ending 1.4x
Of Potions and Poison: Opens in a jail cell preparing for an execution then goes back in time to how she got there. 1.4x
Breaking The Rules: Texting strangers, connect over messages and decide that if they talk for a month and still like each other that they will meet in person. She's probably 18-20 and he's somewhere between 21 and 34 (old enough to drink not old enough to be president) They set up rules and then some of them are broken. 1.4x
59. The Bookshop of Yesterday family secret coming undone, fully figured out where it was going halfway through chapter 11, but it was still an enjoyable journey
60. The Darkling Bride Full of mystery and intrigue. This book is full of dynamic relationships and more centuries of family secrets. If you enjoy murder mysteries or folklore you'll enjoy this story. Bonus points because it's set in Ireland.
61. The Bookseller's Secret Nancy Mitford delighting me again. I enjoyed learning about her and her sisters during Marie Benedict's Mitford Affair and this story shines more light on Nancy and her life during WW2, the book also threads a modern love story through the pages. This would make a great hallmark movie.
62. When The Nightingale Sings Based on a fictionalized friendship between Hedy Lamarr and Joan Curran (portrayed as Judy Morgan in the book) the book does explore how the intellect of both women was often ignored and underestimated. If you enjoyed "The Only Woman in the Room" by Marie Benedict and felt you wanted more of Hedy's life after leaving her first husband, this is a great book. Also with the allure of Oppenheimer right this book fits right into that timeline. Get out your tissue box though- I started crying in chapter 32.
