June is Audiobook Month

I thought in honour of the last few days of Audiobook month, I would look back on the audios that I have read in 2016 so far...

Written by Mira Grant

Narrated by Paula Christensen & Jesse Bernstein

I had been wanting to read Mira Grant for a while, but never got to her. I had the e-book version of this book forever and I decided recently to go through my Amazon books and see what qualified to make the audio a reduced rate. This was one of them! I read Every Heart a Doorway under Seanan McGuire, and knew it was time to check out her other books. And, I am so happy I did! I thought I would be sick of zombies, but this manages to put a fresh spin on things and work really well. The narration was also really well done!

Written by Daniel Keyes

Narrated by Jeff Woodman

One of my favourite things to do with audiobooks is wait until favourite books show up in sales, and grab a copy. Flowers for Algernon has been one of my favourite books since junior high, but I had never listened to it on audio. Until now. It was a very simplistic audio. There was no music. It was just Jeff Wooman being made to dictate Charley's life as if he was really doing it. With other audios, that likely wouldn't have worked, but it worked with how this story was written and I enjoyed it. If you haven't read Flowers for Algernon, it speaks to what it is to be human and does it in a really wonderful way. This book is a bit older, but it doesn't seem dated. And, I think that kind of what makes it all that much sadder... 

Written by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

This was all kinds of insane. It is amazing the things that have been done by women in history. Would it have been as crazy if men had done the same things? Well, no, men have! But, men play a much larger role in the overall writings in history, so we have just learned to expect it. While the audio of this was really well-done, it delivered a lot of info and I think it might have worked better for me if I read it. I haven't listened to a lot of non-fiction via audio yet, so I am still learning how to retain it when it is all kind of being thrown at you. I expect to grab a physical copy down the road for a reread.

Written by Sylvain Neuvel

Narrated by full cast

I reactivated my audible membership for this book. I really wanted to read it and had heard good things about the audio. It was so worth it! I can't wait to read the sequel next year... I think I will do that on audio, too, but I also would like to get physical copies of the series to reread in another method. Maybe when the paperback is released! This was a really well-done science fiction novel. And, the audio recording was done so well. I think this was my first time doing a full cast performance and I don't think this book could have been done any other way... It really pulled you in and actually I think this book may be better on audio than just reading it, but I haven't read it to compare.

Written by Danielle Paige

Narrated by Devon Sorvari

I got this on audio during a sale, but then I read it on Scribd last year. I decided both to make use of this book that I bought and to refresh my memory for the sequels, I would reread it on audio. I think it was a bit too soon for a reread... I liked it, but it didn't blow me away because I think it was all too fresh. The narration was good, though, and the story is overall really good. And, I am sure I will appreciate the fresh perspective when I get out of this reading slump and finally read the sequels. 

Written by Leigh Bardugo

Narrated by Lauren Fortgang

Another book I had got on audio to eventually reread so I can finally read the rest of the books. I originally read this book in like 2012 or something, so this book was not fresh in my mind and it was nice to revisit. Now, if I could get out of this reading slump so it was not in vain! Anyway, I read Bardugo's new book last year and still had not read the sequels to this one. I figured that before book 2 comes out in her other series later this year, I should catch up... The narration was really well done on this one. And now that I remember what happened, I am looking forward to what happens next!

Written by Laini Taylor

Narrated by Khristine Hvam

Finally read this series! I have heard lots of good things about it over the years and was really excited to finally get it. This reading through my backlist of audiobooks has worked out really well! I loved the narration on this one and would have loved to read the rest by audio, but at the time my Audible membership was still on hiatus and I didn't anticipate reactivating it right away. So, I read book 2 and then was just not reading when I tried to read book 3... Hopefully I can get back to it soon! I frankly have not read many angel books overall, so I was happy for this very fun take on it. I have read Taylor in the past and this just reminded me that she is someone you shouldn't neglect!

Written by Max Barry

Narrated by Heather Corrigan & Zach Appelman

Sometimes when a book is getting a lot of buzz I will use an Audible credit on it if I have one instead of buying a physical copy. I remember doing that with this book... And then taking forever to actually read it! But it was really good. The narration worked really well and got to love a book about words and their power. It was a refreshingly different thing than what I have read over the last couple years. It reminded me a bit of Jasper Fforde's series, but only because it is about books and words. The overall ideas are very different. I definitely recommend this one!

Written by Jessie Burton

Narrated by Davina Porter

I have wanted to check this out since it came out and had the audio, so decided this year would finally be the year. I just don't read as many historical fiction books as I used to. It used to be one of my main genres. I really enjoyed this one, though. It is a time period and setting I have not read many books set during. And, while not really being fantasy, it still has a fantastic element to it. This made it right up my alley! Plus, the cover is wonderful and I kind of want to own a physical copy just because it would look pretty on my shelf!

Written by M.R. Carey

Narrated by Finty Williams

This was another book that got a lot of buzz and I grabbed a copy of. I have to admit that I don't like spoilers, so I don't always know what I am getting myself into when I read a book. Add in the fact the buzz for this was a while ago and I had no idea it was a Zombie novel when I started it. But, it was really good and so worthy of the buzz! I was still just getting back into audio listening when I grabbed this one, so I was very happy that it kept me engaged and kept my audio listening interest. I am really looking forward to the new book and will likely do that on audio as well.

Written by Ernest Cline

Narrated by Wil Wheaton

I needed to start getting back on the treadmill to help with my ankle recovery, but I was rusty on both the treadmill and the audiobook. (When I first tried the treadmill I could only handle the lowest setting... My treadmill sounded terrible so I stopped using it until I could handle a bit faster!) When you are nervous about something, go with an old favourite. I started my audiobook listening with Wil Wheaton and Ernest Cline, so I decided to start it up with them again. While not quite as good as Ready Player One, this was still worth checking out! And, I think that listening to Wil Wheaton narrate it made me enjoy it even more than if I had just read it. I look forward to more from both of them in the future!

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy, Book 1) by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy, Book 1) by Leigh Bardugo

Completion Date: July 16, 2012
Reason for Reading: Heard good things.

Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.

Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her . . . and only she can save the future.

I had been hearing a lot of good things about this book recently. Plus, it has an awesome cover. I knew I was going to have to give it a read. Normally buying a few books here and there also helps when my reading is depressing, but sadly that doesn't seem to be helping either. I am hoping things will get better in that department... I did read this pretty much as soon as I got it, though. That is one accomplishment. And, I really liked it, so that helped, too. After I ordered it I started seeing some mixed reactions and I wanted to read it before the hype ruined the experience for me. I just heard enough to think I wanted to read it sooner rather than later.

The novel centres around a young girl named Alina. Life has not been easy for her following the Border Wars when she was left an orphan. The only positive in her life was her friend Mal. With age, though, he has started acting differently around her and she has started thinking differently about him. I think you can catch my drift. When the book opens they are part of a group that is headed into the very dangerous Fold where strange creatures that will feast on your flesh are found. It is basically a doomed mission. The thing is they never counted on Alina. She has been hiding amazing powers that will mean big things for her world as a whole. She quickly comes to the attention Grisha and their leader the Darkling. Life is about to change drastically for her. But, again, everything is not entirely as it seems and life is not about to get miraculously better for Alina. Despite what she might be lead to believe.

I found that I really liked Alina. Her up-bringing has made her a no-nonsense type that at times acts her age and then at other times acts the age that experiences has thrust upon her. She is a smart kid, but she is still just a kid. I believe that she was written believably. I also liked Mal. He is also been brought up to a life not ideal for a young person. He is really good at what he does, though, and isn't easily caught up on the glamour that exists. Bardugo has written a very enjoyable young adult fantasy. There were a few nit-picky things and I wasn't keen on what looked like a love triangle, but I still enjoyed how things played out and look forward to seeing what the next book brings. There is a lot more of Alina's story to be told and I want to be part of that.

Recommended.