Okay, I’ve been so tired, (is it summer yet?) but I’ve missed talking about books! Glad to be back today to give you all some brief reviews of a few audiobooks I’ve listened to in the last couple of months. Not going to lie, this also helps my NetGalley percentage!
Thanks to Avon Books UK, Ballantine, Knopf, Recorded Books, and St. Martin’s Press for these free digital copies in exchange for honest reviews.
A Pen Dipped in Poison by J.M. Hall
This is the second in J.M. Hall’s mystery series featuring an endearing group of former school teacher friends in a smallish English village. This is a cozy series, sure, but it is also one that deals with deeper topics like aging, career changes, marital struggles, etc. Julie Hesmondhalgh does a great job narrating–there are multiple POVs in this book and she does a great job differentiating between characters!
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall
Alexis Hall, one of my favorite authors, has done it again. I LOVED Mortal Follies. It’s creative, funny, and full of heart. Nneka Okoye is a PHENOMENAL narrator and was delightful to listen to. Maelys, our main character, finds herself the unfortunate victim of a curse as soon as she tries to enter society. Enter Lady Georgiana, the “Duke” of Annadale, who has a dubious reputation, but may be the only one who can help Maelys, and a very familiar narrator, and you have easily one of my favorite reads of this year.
West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman
It’s been almost a month since I finished this, and I still don’t know what I think about it. What I will say is this: this book is creative. It is different and strays away from a traditional narrative in many ways, which I love. I love when authors play around with narrative “rules.” I’m honestly not sure if I liked the story, but I can say with certainty that I loved the writing. It’s what kept me in it, and the ending was fascinating. With this one, I feel like there’s not much I can say about this book without giving away important details. If you enjoy a nontraditional style and mysteries, you might enjoy this!
The Sword and the Sophomore by B.P. Sweany
Fun fact–I am a sucker for any Arthurian legend retellings. So much so that I applied for a grant to chase down information about Arthurian legends in France and England and I got it! More on that later, but I think this YA novel by B.P. Sweany was a cool and original entry into the rapidly expanding list of Arthurian retellings. It’s chock full of teenage angst and antics…plus magic, time travel, and a rather unfortunate prophecy for MC Rosemary. Tami Stronach is an excellent narrator and drew me into the story immediately! This book is available 7/6/24!
Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Lord by Celeste Connally
This is the first in a new Regency mystery series by Celeste Connally. I love a good historical mystery, and this one was no exception! Lady Petra is clever, brave, impetuous, and caused me a lot of anxiety while reading. I loved her. Eilidh Beaton brings this story to life and I enjoyed her narration. As this story dealt primarily with the unequal distribution of power between men and women in the Regency period, there were many moments when I felt angry by what was happening–and I think this shows Connally’s skill as an author. I’m so excited to read the next book in the series (which I believe is coming out this fall?) especially because of THAT ENDING.
Have you read any of these? Any audiobooks I should listen to next?
The Bookish Bird 