2021 Book Reviews

Years ago I read Pillars of the Earth and to this day it remains a favorite read of mine. I absolutely loved it. So when we decided on Fall of Giants for a buddy read in my book club I was really excited. Sometimes I love to settle in with a chunkster of a novel and get fully immersed in it. Well… I’m not with the majority on this one. Maybe I was expecting something more in line with Pillars of the Earth but ultimately this one was only ok for me.

For me I found many of the parts dragged on and I did something I don’t normally do and that’s fast forward my audio. Also I could not connect with the characters. It went back and forth between a few story lines and main characters but none really grabbed me and made me care about what happened to them. There were a few I did like and they were what had me completing the book.

I listened to the audio which comes in at almost thirty-one hours. The narrator is John Lee and truthfully he was only ok for me as well. As I said many have loved this novel so check out other reviews on Goodreads or Amazon. I am glad I finished this one but Pillars of the Earth remains my favorite!

Personal copy

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I’ve read several of Lisa Unger’s books. She’s one of those authors that I always keep an eye out for her next new book. I really enjoyed her last one, Confessions on the 7:45 so I was anxious to listen to this one as well.

The premise is good. A dating app and meeting what you think is the love of your life. This is how Wren meets Adam and she falls hard. She thinks he does too but then he ghosts her. He just disappears like he never existed. Wren isn’t one to let things alone and she discovers that Adam has left some missing girls in his wake. As she delves deeper into finding Adam she also has to address her own troubled past.

I enjoyed the audio. It’s narrated by Vivienne Leheny who I have listened to before. I saw a few reviews of some who didn’t like her as a narrator but I find her very easy to listen to. All in all this was a good book but not great like her last one for me. Still an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

Personal copy

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Hour of the Witch is a beautifully written historical thriller. Chris Bohjalian has long been an author whose work I love. His books never fail to give me an escape into another world for a while. This one hooked me in right away and I enjoyed every minute!

The year is 1662. Mary Deerfield is a twenty-four year old Puritan woman and second wife to Thomas Deerfield. Thomas is a cruel man especially when he drinks and most often his rage is directed at Mary. Now Mary isn’t your typical obedient wife of the times. She knows it’s wrong to be treated as she is and she isn’t happy. Then Thomas takes it much too far and stabs her with a three-tined fork in her hand. Mary has had enough and proceeds to getting herself a divorce. Well we know what happened in those times. It didn’t take long for women to be accused of witchcraft if they stepped out of line in the slightest. Mary must not only fight the cruelty of the man she married but also of the society in which she lives.

The audio is absolutely amazing and the cast of characters even more so! It is narrated by Grace Experience, Saskia Maarleveld, Danny Campbell, Cassandra Campbell, Arthur Morey, Mark Deakins, Julia Whelan, Kaleo Griffith, Kirby Heyborne, Rebecca Lowman, and Mark Bramhell. Several of these narrators are my favorites and I’ve listened to them numerous times but really they were all great. What an awesome listening experience! You are literally taken back in time because they talk just as they would have then. Hour of the Witch will be in my top ten list for this year. I really enjoyed it!

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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Oh my this was one suspenseful and twisty tale! It’s one of those psychological thrillers that is absolutely addictive and you find you can’t get through the pages fast enough. I loved it!

Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at a very prestigious private school teeming with privileged kids who never have to work for anything. This bothers Teddy as he was never given such opportunities. Still his motto is to see his students reach their full academic potential despite his ire towards them. Look out though if you are one of the unlucky ones who he really can’t find it within himself to like. Who knows what might happen.

Things take a turn when a suspicious death occurs on campus. Teddy isn’t concerned though but then there is yet another death. What is going on at the campus? Is there a deranged killer targeting the campus? Then we have Teddy who is still going about the business of getting his students in shape but could he possibly be the next target?

The audiobook was so good! It’s narrated by David Pittu and he is the perfect voice for Teddy. I’ve listened to him before and has such a smooth and easy voice to listen to. This book had me saying to myself ‘oh my’ several times as I wondered what was going to come next. Samantha Downing has done it again with a fantastic psychological thriller. Add it to your fall listening or reading list and enjoy!

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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I have read a few books by Louise Candlish and enjoyed them all so I was really looking forward to listening to The Other Passenger. Of course once I got into the flow of this one it was another of hers that I did not want to stop listening to until I finally learned what was going on in this story. This one was twisty. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen I ended up thrown in another direction.

The story opens with Jamie meeting Kit on a riverboat as he heads to work. They become friendly and soon enough Kit’s girlfriend Melia and Jamie’s partner Clare, who happen to work together, join the fray. Then Kit disappears and Jamie becomes the number one suspect as they had been seen arguing. As the situation unfolds we learn that we can’t believe anyone in this story. The web of lies and deceit mounts with each page. Is anyone in this story innocent? Or are they all lying backstabbers?

The audio was great! It’s narrated by English actor and narrator Steven Mackintosh. He is the perfect choice for the voice of Jamie and he pulled me into this story until the very last minute. Another great read by Louise Candlish!

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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