Michelle Timm Rush

A Different Perspective

Revisado: 03-27-20

Once again I really enjoyed the concept of listening to this novel being narrated by its author. Molly's style of speaking is not my most favorite to listen to but it really got her personality across. She has quite a story and I love learning about experiences that differ from my own. I think it is incredibly valuable for us to try to see things from other peoples standpoints and Molly did a great job of communicating that she is just one person living their best life. It was a breath of fresh air to hear her optimistic outlook even though she has had some incredibly tough times, as most people have, she chooses to still approach each day with positivity. This is a great quick listen for anyone needing a morale boost or looking to learn a little about how someone else lives.

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Dino Lovers Will Love This

Revisado: 03-27-20

Another free download from Audible I'm delighted that I was able to listen to Ben Garrod's A Grown-Up Guide To Dinosaurs! This was a fun dive into some of the new research and information about dinosaurs. It corrected some media bred misconceptions about dinosaurs and involved several experts in the field. I felt like this "read" more like an extended podcast than a book, there were interviews and while I enjoyed this conversational style it may not be everyone's cup of tea. I enjoyed the general narration by Garrod, it was lovely to hear the author narrate exactly how they wanted to. One is never too old to be fascinated by the enormous beasts that use to rule the planet.

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Classic Mystery For A Reason

Revisado: 03-27-20

This book has been on my reading list for so long and I finally decided to jump into it as an audiobook. I'm so glad that I did! This complex story woven within the world of a young woman who thinks she's entered a dream but is in fact embarking into a nightmare. I understand now why this novel has stood the test of time and why people come back to read it many times. Massey did a great job of narration, building just the right amount of tension throughout the story and du Maurier clearly wrote a masterpiece. I think there are some aspects to her writing style that for me made this more enjoyable in audio format than if I had read it for myself.

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A Fun Little Mystery

Revisado: 03-27-20

I got this book as a free download from Audible and it was exactly what I needed at the time. This story was read in kind of a readers theater style where the different characters were voiced by different people and it made it feel a bit like an audio play rather than a straightforward book. The writing style felt a little simple and perhaps a bit juvenile but I do believe the target audience is probably younger than me so I don't know if that is fair criticism. I enjoyed the ride of trying to find out what had happened to the characters and think this is a great listen if you want a little mystery that's not too high stakes.

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Spooky or Not, You Decide

Revisado: 03-27-20

Yesternight was a bit outside of my usual genre choice but I found it quite agreeable especially for an October spooky read. It was well written and I generally liked the flow of the novel. You've got to be open to letting in a bit of the supernatural to enjoy this book but it works quite well and keeps you on your toes.

Xe Sands did a great job of narrating and keeping things evenly paced and read in a fashion that adds just the right amount of the spooky element. Winters kept me interested throughout the novel and there were surprises that I wasn't expecting to keep me guessing.

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A Fictional Biography

Revisado: 03-27-20

This book was extremely long. That's not generally the first thing I note about a book but I couldn't help but feel like it just kept going. Even as an audiobook and sped up, it still took a very long time to listen to. Stevenson did a fine job narrating, there wasn't anything unpleasant in how she read it. The story itself just lacked something of pizazz to keep me interested.

There were definitely good aspects to this novel. The writing was solid and Alma, the main character, is thoroughly fleshed out. It read a bit like a biography but of a fictional character. There were aspects that were like a story and interesting but there were a lot of parts that just felt like I was learning about this pretend woman's life and inner feelings. This is not inherently bad but for me it got a bit repetitive and I just felt lost in the purpose.

I suppose this is more of a character driven novel than a plot driven novel but it lacked something for me. As a sweeping story of one woman's life it had definite high points and interesting aspects but it won't be getting a reread from me.

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A Captivating Journey

Revisado: 03-27-20

Whew!

For starters this book will not let you take a deep breath from beginning to end, so if you haven't started yet, breathe deeply before you dive in.

I believe that diverse voices and authors should be celebrated all of the time but was glad that I was able to read (the majority) this book in February, especially after hearing Adeyemi's epilogue and the heart wrenching call to action that she lays before us there.

This book is beautiful. It is encouraging and steadfast. The characters are so alive, there is an incredible depth to them that keeps you rooting for them and your heart tearing for them constantly. The prose are wonderful and Adeyemi had me hooked from the get-go. I'm so glad that this is only the first in a series because I'm not ready to let these characters go.

The fortitude and commitment that the characters show, in the face of impossible odds reminded me that there really is no excuse big enough to keep us from persevering.

Bahni Turpin also does a great job with the narration. She made each character different and it was always clear who was speaking. I can not wait to experience the next novel in this series.

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A Tasty Tryst

Revisado: 03-27-20

In this story Florand brings together the heir to a bland chocolate multi-national kingdom and an artisan chocolatier in the heart of Paris. The setting is a delight and the interplay between the two cultures holds some interest. If you want a beach read that is a little bit heavy on the romance this is a good pick. There's nothing unpredictable about the plot but it was a fairly easy listen. My biggest complaint, as with many stories involving a complicated romance, was the constant uncertainty by both participants. I never understand why it is so hard for one of the characters to just state things plainly. Why are things always left up to inaccurate assumptions that are the same over and over despite the other character proving and showing that their intentions are true? This is just a personal pet peeve but in some ways it makes the romance drag on. It does have a fun side and was overall a tolerable listen.

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A Mountain Beauty

Revisado: 03-27-20

I really enjoyed this novel. Moyes does a great job of weaving characters throughout the story that are changing and growing while holding true to their character and motives. Whelan also gives a great performance, creating distinct vocal personalities for all of the characters in a way that makes you feel like you could be watching this as a movie.

Set deep in the Kentucky hills this was a beautiful tale of an oft forgotten subset of Americans. The rural setting was beautiful and pulled you right out of your own reality and into that of Alice. This story kept me on my toes, always a little nervous about what was going to play out and Moyes wrapped in up in a beautiful conclusion that left me feeling uplifted and satisfied.

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Beautiful and Painful

Revisado: 10-29-19

This novel can be described only as beautiful and gut wrenching. Following the story of Tangy Mae and her many siblings I found myself being entirely pulled into their story. My heart broke for her when her mother spit words of anger, my heart soared when she performed well at school and so it went through every twist and turn of this novel.

I listened to this as an audiobook and it was still an absolute page turner. I found myself constantly looking for things I could do that would allow me to listen further, needing to know what happened to each character. The narrator Bahni Turpin did an excellent job of bringing this story to life in a visceral way that sometimes felt almost too real. Each character had a distinct personality created by both Phillips and Turpin.

I can't tell you that this will be a feel good story there is triumph but it is hard fought. The narrative of this book is real and painful and needs to be told. I wish that Phillips was still around writing more and more novels, she clearly had a voice that needed to speak and the world is a more empty place without her in it.

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