Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Favorite Audiobook Narrators

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is My Favorite Audiobook Narrators.  I love audiobooks and the narrator can make or break a book.  Here are some of my favorite narrators!

1.  David Tennant - I'm a big David Tennant fan in general but I will listen to anything the man reads.  It's normally a good sign when any actor is narrating an audiobook but Tennant is my favorite.

2.  Lorelei King - I love her narration of the Sunshine Vicram series

3.  Mary Jane Wells - She is probably my favorite narrator for historical romance

4.  Heather Wilds - I love the Verity Kent series by Anna Lee Huber and Wilds' narration made it even better.

5.  January LaVoy - I love Nora Roberts books and if LaVoy is narrating them I know I'm going to love them even more.

6.  Fiona Hardingham - This was one of my favorite books of 2021 and Hardingham's narration really added to my enjoyment.

7.  Saskia Maarleveld - She was the narrator of both The Alice Network and Last Bookshop in London which were two books I absolutely loved and her narration was fantastic!

8.  C.S.E. Cooney - She narrated the Witch City Mystery series by Carol J. Perry and made a thoroughly enjoyable series even more fun!

9.  Kate Reading - Reading has narrated so many of my favorite books and I always know I will an audiobook if she is reading it!

10. Luke Daniels - Daniels is so great with romantic suspense titles.  He doesn't get to over the top with his emotions but is never monotone.  I love all the Heather Graham books he has narrated.

Who are some of your favorite audiobook narrators?

Cinnamon Twisted - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Cinnamon Twisted (Deputy Donut Mystery #7) by Ginger Bolton

Rating:  Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Weeks before summer begins, Deputy Donut Café owner Emily Westhill has it all—a tabby cat by her side, cinnamon twists powdered to perfection, and a murderer on her case . . .

An ordinary late-spring afternoon for Deputy Donut Cafe owner Emily Westhill becomes one that will remain baked into her memory from the moment a customer gives Emily’s cat a toy donut and then flees Deputy Donut, dropping an earring in her panic. Concerned about the customer, Emily attempts to return the earring . . . only this time the customer doesn’t have a pulse. Things get more complicated when an ambitious police detective finds the earring and an unsealed envelope addressed to Emily at the murder scene. The envelope contains a cryptic letter and a fading photograph of a woman standing in front of Emily’s house.

Why did the customer grab her cinnamon twists and flee Deputy Donut? With the detective eying Emily as a prime suspect, Emily is determined to find out. But once a donut-shaped murder weapon is discovered in her own backyard, Emily has no time to lose as she pulls apart the connection between the victim and the strange history of her property—while stopping the real culprit from ensuring her fate is done and sugar-dusted . . .

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This sounded like a fun series to try and I was intrigued by the premise involving the fading photograph.

My Impression: I've become a big fan of reading a series in order and if the premise for this one hadn't hooked me I probably would have passed.  I'm so glad I didn't!  For starters, I was able to jump in with absolutely no issue and felt connected to Emily right away.  Emily is a nice person with a quick mind.  While not in law enforcement herself, she is surrounded by people who are and is aware of how things work.

The mystery is a good one.  Emily's attention is caught by a woman at her shop who seems very unhappy and then scared.  She is shocked and saddened when she later finds the woman dead and is pulled into the investigation only by the strange actions of the new Police Chief.  When odd things start happening around Emily's home and things may connect back to the murdered woman Emily is pulled even farther in.  

This was a fast read with likable characters.  I loved the community the author created - especially Emily's strong group of friends - and can easily see this being a favorite series just so I can revisit these characters.  The mystery was woven into Emily's day to day life so that while she is investigating it doesn't come off as over the top nosiness.  I really wasn't quite sure what was going on until Emily herself figured it out.  If you're looking for an interesting mystery with a great community this is a fantastic choice.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I haven't read anything by this author before but will be going back to read the earlier books in the series.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozies I think you'd like this one!  It's a fun read though it did make me want donuts a time or two!

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Week in Reading - April 23

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Overdue or Die by Allison Brook - I really enjoy this series and can't wait for this book! (Publisher)

Shadow of Death by Heather Graham - I really liked the first book in this series involving cults, an FDLE agent and an FBI agent but was a bit meh on the 2nd book so I have my fingers crossed on this one.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson and Pall in the Family by Dawn Eastman

Listening:  The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

I spent last weekend and most of this week not feeling well and am just now starting to feel back on my feet.  I have a tendency towards upper respiratory infections that if I'm not careful seem to turn into pneumonia and apparently this week was the week for one to show up.  Luckily, I caught it pretty early and after a round of meds am starting to feel back to normal.  Because of that I didn't do much other than the bare minimum and try to get as much rest in as possible.

I did manage to get Will to his physical therapy appointment where he got a glowing report.  While he still does have a bit of foot pain he's not showing any sign of drop foot anymore.  We will go one more time but than will probably be done unless some other problem shows up.  He's been in a good mood and has been obsessed with Star Wars and Legos lately.  It's really good to see him be able to really focus on interests and have fun without worrying about pain or fatigue or nausea.  

Have a great week and happy reading! 

The Sunken Sailor - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Sunken Sailor (Inspector Henry Tibbett #2) by Patricia Moyes

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  Poor Inspector Tibbett! Once again, he is attempting to have a nice vacation. And once again, Crime has a different idea. This time, Tibbett and his cheerful wife, Emmy, are lazing on a friend’s yacht, tacking from one little English sea-town to the next, and it should all be delicious indolence…except that Henry can’t stop thinking about death. Well, one death in particular. The death of a local sailor. And he especially can’t stop thinking about it when it starts looking as though the drowned sailor is somehow connected to the robbery at a nearby manor-house. As with so many of the books in this series, much of the pleasure lies in the setting’s timelessness: It’s officially 1961 for The Sunken Sailor, but in Berrybridge Haven, and on England’s peaceful waterways, it is time out of mind.

 

Genre:  Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  I read a few of Patricia Moyes' books years ago and enjoyed them so I decided I wanted to read all the Inspector Tibbett books in order.

My Impression:   I really enjoyed this mystery!  I liked the first Henry Tibbett book but found it a bit slower paced and harder to get into.  This book was faster off the mark with the action and pulled me in a bit faster.  Henry is on a sailing holiday with his wife, Emmy, and friends who are trying to teach them the joys of sailing.  In between all the wind and water and learning Henry hears of two incidents that catch his attention.  The first in the theft of family jewels belonging to the noble family of the coastal village and the second is the death of a fellow sailor that no one is quite easy about.  

The investigation itself slowly unfolds as Henry and Emmy get to know the sailing community a bit better and people start to open up (or lie) to him.  But a series of events brings the cold cases very much to the present leaving Henry, Emmy and their friends scrambling to figure out the details before it's too late.  

I did figure out the who fairly early but there were enough red herrings and other possibilities to keep me not quite sure of myself.  As well, the sailing bits might get a bit clunky from time to time and I did find myself skimming some of the longer sequences.  Overall, I did really enjoy this mystery and the blurb was actually right calling it timeless.  For the most part this book could have taken place at just about any time which made it a bit refreshing.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.  

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers I think you would also enjoy Patricia Moyes.

Friday Fives - Five Short Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  A Hard Day for a Hangover (Sunshine Vicram #3) by Darynda Jones - This is the 3rd book about Sheriff Sunshine Vicram and it was by far my favorite.  One plot point from the 1st 2 books is tied up and there is now communication between all the major players which is super nice.  I've liked the 1st 2 books but the pacing was so fast in this one and there were some crazy scenes that I found myself coming up with extra chores so I could get some extra listening in which is the sign of a really enjoyable book!  This is a series that is best read in order which won't be a hardship!  My Rating:  Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

2.  The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood - I really loved the premise of this book.  I love that the characters were graduate students and up.  It has all the fun of a school setting but the characters are adults and not teenagers.  I loved Olive's friends and how supportive they all were of each other.  As well, I loved the relationship that formed between Olive and Adam.  Adam has the reputation of being harsh and exacting and while he stays true to character I found him easy to like and connect with.  I loved Olive.  She's smart and pretty and such a good friend but I wanted to reach into the book and shake her for the majority of it.  She has no confidence in herself and misses all the signs that were so screamingly obvious that the pumpkin spice latte she was drinking could see them.  I think I would have gotten less impatient with her if there had been more progress slowly through the book.  I really liked that protocols of dating in a school/workplace were addressed and they took care to never be in a situation where Olive was beholden to Adam in some way.  I really loved the last quarter of the book (though there is a spicy scene that is decidedly NOT fade to black) and will be reading more from the author.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

3.  Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman - I've had this book on my TBR for years and finally picked it up.  My primary experience with magical realism up to this point is Sarah Addison Allen's books but have read enough Alice Hoffman to know this isn't going to have the same feel as those books.  For the most part I liked this.  The characters were interesting and complicated with ever changing bonds with each other.  I liked how the theme of sisters reoccurs with the aunts, then Sally and Gillian, and then Antonia and Kylie.  All of that said I didn't fall in love with this book nor did I ever feel connected to the characters or the world they lived in.  I think I would have enjoyed this book much better if had either been shorter or had more depth to it.  If I had felt connected to the world the sisters lived in I wouldn't have found the pacing to be almost stagnant at times.  If it had been faster paced I wouldn't have missed the depth of the story.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

4.  Close Up by Amanda Quick - I love this series and this one did not disappoint!  Vivian was an interesting main character.  She was a passionate photographer and dedicated to her career as an artist as well as paying the bills a freelance crime scene photographer.  There is quite a lot about the different sides of the argument about photography being an artform as well as the politics in the art world.  Nick is a private investigator with an ability to read people and have incredibly vivid dreams that tell the future.  It has complicated his relationship with most of the people in his life leaving him leading a mostly solitary existence.  Together Vivian and Nick make a great pair.  They work well together and are able to communicate clearly and understand each other.  The mystery of who is out to kill Vivian kept me pulled into the story and it was quite a roller coaster ride!  I was very glad to see that Vivian's sister is in the next book and I'm looking forward to getting to know her a bit better and spend more time in Burning Cove.  If you enjoy romantic suspense with a touch of paranormal and a old Hollywood setting this book and this series are a good choice.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

5.  The Hollow by Nora Roberts - This is the second book in the Sign of Seven trilogy and focuses on Fox and Layla.  All six characters have met and realized they needed to join forces and they know what they're fighting and why.  The how is still a bit shady but they're working on it.  In a lot of ways Layla is the weakest link in the six.  She doesn't have long running close friendships with anyone else of the six and she's struggling to wrap her head around what's happening and the fact that within her history is both light and dark.  Fox is a great character.  He comes from a large artistic family and is practical but with a genuine desire to really help people.  It's hard not to love him.  The six are in the middle of research and desperately trying to figure out just what to next.  There is enough progress in the story - both in the battle and character development - to keep me engaged in the story.  I can't wait to read the next book and find out just how the story comes to an end.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Books from the Backlog - Orchard House

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  Orchard House: How a Neglected Garden Taught One Family to Grow by Tara Austen Weaver

Blurb:  Peeling paint, stained floors, vined-over windows, a neglected and wild garden—Tara Austen Weaver can’t get the Seattle real estate listing out of her head. Any sane person would have seen the abandoned property for what it was: a ramshackle half-acre filled with dead grass, blackberry vines, and trouble. But Tara sees potential and promise—not only for the edible bounty the garden could yield for her family, but for the personal renewal she and her mother might reap along the way.
So begins Orchard House, a story of rehabilitation and cultivation—of land and soul. Through bleak winters, springs that sputter with rain and cold, golden days of summer, and autumns full of apples, pears, and pumpkins, this evocative memoir recounts the Weavers’ trials and triumphs, detailing what grew and what didn’t, the obstacles overcome and the lessons learned. Inexorably, as mother and daughter tend this wild patch and the fruits of their labor begin to flourish, green shoots of hope emerge from the darkness of their past.

For everyone who has ever planted something that they wished would survive—or tried to mend something that seemed forever broken—Orchard House is a tale of healing and growth set in a most unlikely place.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This is the kind of book that I either love or hate.  I need to pick it up and see if it'll be a quick DNF or one of my favorite books of the year.

Life in Five Senses - Nonfiction Review

Goodreads:  Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World by Gretchen Rubin

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  For more than a decade, Gretchen Rubin had been studying happiness and human nature. Then, one day, a visit to her eye doctor made her realize that she’d been overlooking a key element of happiness: her five senses. She’d spent so much time stuck in her head that she’d allowed the vital sensations of life to slip away, unnoticed. This epiphany lifted her from a state of foggy preoccupation into a world rediscovered by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.

In this journey of self-experimentation, Rubin explores the mysteries and joys of the five senses as a path to a happier, more mindful life. Drawing on cutting-edge science, philosophy, literature, and her own efforts to practice what she learns, she investigates the profound power of tuning in to the physical world.

From the simple pleasures of appreciating the magic of ketchup and adding favorite songs to a playlist, to more adventurous efforts like creating a daily ritual of visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attending Flavor University, Rubin show us how to experience each day with depth, delight, and connection. In the rush of daily life, she finds, our five senses offer us an immediate, sustainable way to cheer up, calm down, and engage the world around us—as well as a way to glimpse the soul and touch the transcendent.

Life in Five Senses is an absorbing, layered story of discovery filled with profound insights and practical suggestions about how to heighten our senses and use our powers of perception to live fuller, richer lives—and, ultimately, how to move through the world with more vitality and love.

Genre: Nonfiction  

Why I Picked This Book:  I really loved Rubin's The Happiness Project and it's been a long time since I've read anything by her.

My Impression:  While I had really enjoyed a previous book of Rubin's I wasn't sure what to expect from this book.  What could possibly be said about the five senses that would be interesting enough for a full book.  Turns out quite a lot!  

After becoming aware that she is more at risk for retinal detachment because of her very poor eye sight (I fall into this camp as well so this really caught my attention!) Rubin becomes aware of how little she's really been paying attention to the world around her and all the sensations that flow past her with little to no acknowledgement. She develops a plan to tackle each sense at a time and isolate and fully experience each sense over a period of time.  Her primary framework is to visit one place every day for a year and experience it through the lens of all her different senses.  

I really love how the author tackles her challenges.  All of her projects are something that anyone could implement (with some alterations - I can't visit the Met everyday but I could visit the library or some place local to myself for example) and I usually find myself eager to implement them myself.  For sight she begins to collect items of a particular color and for taste she and her husband and friends have blind taste tests of single ingredients to truly isolate what they're tasting.  I suddenly want to start going on shopping quests for single color items (my color would be peridot) and buying 6 different types of mustards to truly taste them.  I'm not sure I will do either of these things but it is fun to think about.

This is an interesting read about how our senses allow us to experience the world around us and how they interact with each other.  I found myself thinking about how I interact with the world as Rubin goes through each sense and I enjoyed this book from start to finish.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely!  She has published several books that I've yet to read and after how much I enjoyed this one I will definitely be looking for future books by her.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would!  This was an interesting look at how we experience the world around us.  

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *