Audiobooks

Host by Robin Cook (Audiobook)

November 27, 2015 by Darlene

Book Summary from Penguin Random House

The explosive new thriller from New York Times–bestselling author and master of the medical thriller, Robin Cook.

Lynn Peirce, a fourth-year medical student at South Carolina’s Mason-Dixon University, thinks she has her life figured out. But when her otherwise healthy boyfriend, Carl, enters the hospital for routine surgery, her neatly ordered life is thrown into total chaos. Carl fails to return to consciousness after the procedure, and an MRI confirms brain death.

Devastated by Carl’s condition, Lynn searches for answers. Convinced there’s more to the story than what the authorities are willing to reveal, Lynn uses all her resources at Mason-Dixon—including her initially reluctant lab partner, Michael Pender—to hunt down evidence of medical error or malpractice.

What she uncovers, however, is far more disturbing. Hospitals associated with Middleton Healthcare, including the Mason-Dixon Medical Center, have unnervingly high rates of unexplained anesthetic complications and patients contracting serious and terminal illness in the wake of routine hospital admissions.

When Lynn and Michael begin to receive death threats, they know they’re into something bigger than either of them anticipated. They soon enter a desperate race against time for answers before shadowy forces behind Middleton Healthcare and their partner, Sidereal Pharmaceuticals, can put a stop to their efforts once and for all.

My Thoughts

I was once such a fan of Robin Cook’s novels and then over time I had stopped reading them. After listening to Host I once again know why I used to devour his books. I was hooked from the beginning to the end and it was one of those audios that I just didn’t want to turn off at all. It’s narrated by George Guidall who I haven’t listened to before but he was awesome. He made the story all the more suspenseful and thrilling.

Lynn is a fourth year medical student who encourages her boyfriend Carl to go in for some routine surgery that he needs. It should be all very simple but Carl doesn’t wake up and it’s confirmed that he’s brain dead. Lynn doesn’t believe that this just happened. She knows that there has to be more to the story and she’s determined to uncover just what that may be. Enlisting the help of her lab partner Michael they both dive in head first into a medical conspiracy that could jeopardize their own lives.

I’ve read many reviews that say this is just a re-run of Coma and yes it’s very similar as are a lot of his novels. They follow the same formula but you know it doesn’t matter to me. When I want a book that’s easy to listen to with a story that engages me I know a medical thriller from Robin Cook will do that for me. Recommended for those who enjoy medical thrillers… makes you wonder why you ever even consider going into the hospital!

Buy: Penguin Random House, Audible

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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The Girl Without a Name by Sandra Block (Audiobook)

November 26, 2015 by Darlene

Book Summary from Hachette Book Group

In what passes for an ordinary day in a psych ward, Dr. Zoe Goldman is stumped when a highly unusual case arrives. A young African American girl, found wandering the streets of Buffalo in a catatonic state, is brought in by police. No one has come forward to claim her, and all leads have been exhausted, so Zoe’s treatment is the last hope to discover the girl’s identity.

When drugs prove ineffective and medical science seems to be failing, Zoe takes matters into her own hands to track down Jane Doe’s family and piece together their checkered history. As she unearths their secrets, she finds that monsters hide where they are least expected. And now she must solve the mystery before it is too late. Because someone wants to make sure this young girl never remembers.

The Girl Without a Name is a powerful novel of memory and forgetting, of unexpected friendship and understanding…and of the secrets we protect no matter the consequences.

My Thoughts

Having listened to Little Black Lies by Sandra Block and really enjoying it I was excited to also listen to The Girl Without a Name because it featured the same main character from the first one – Dr. Zoe Goldman. This book does pick up where the last one ended but still I think it could stand on its own although of course one would enjoy the story much more having read the first one and being familiar with the characters. The story revolves around Zoe, her boss, and a girl that’s brought into the mental ward in a catatonic state. It’s an unusual case and one that really intrigues Zoe especially as no one comes forward to claim this girl that they end up calling Jane. And in true fashion Zoe starts to investigate but what she finds is far more than she ever expected.

I really like Zoe as a character. She herself suffers with a mental illness and sees a psychiatrist. It’s one of the things I really like about this series is that it shows that someone suffering from a mental illness can excel in anything they want to. While I enjoyed Little Black Lies a bit more I still enjoyed this second book in the series and I really hope that there will be more to come.

I listened to the audio version which is narrated by Jennifer Nittoso who is new to me. At first I wasn’t sure what I thought of her narration but as I listened I began to enjoy the tone of her voice. I don’t know if that happens to others who listen to audios. Sometimes it takes a bit to settle into the narrator’s voice and way of telling a story. Ultimately I did enjoy listening to her and would again.

Recommended for those who enjoy psychological thrillers!

Buy: Audible, Amazon

Source: Digital eBook copy was received from the publisher for an honest review. Audiobook personal copy. No compensation was received.

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Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (Audiobook)

November 25, 2015 by Darlene

Book Summary from Listening Library

The Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller

If you love Eleanor and Park, Hazel and Augustus, and Mia and Adam, you’ll love the story of Maddy, a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly, the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken. This innovative and heartfelt debut novel unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more.

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

My Thoughts

Maddy is almost eighteen years old and she has never left her house because she has a rare disease that has left her allergic to the outside world. Her little bubble is restricted to her nurse Carla and her mother. She’s never had friends or been to a mall. She does love to read though and she does that with a passion but it isn’t enough for a young woman. So when the good looking Olly moves in next door Maddy knows that somehow she’s going to meet him and they’re going to fall in love. They start with messages back and forth but things escalate as their relationship deepens. Naturally experiencing part of the real world has left Maddy hungry for more…

I listened to Everything, Everything and really enjoyed it. It’s narrated by Bahni Turpin and Robbie Daymond, neither of which I’ve listened to before but I thought both did a wonderful job of bringing these young people and their love to life.

I liked both Maddy and Olly and it’s always sweet to read about first love and especially in this instance where Maddy had lived her life in a bubble. Everything, Everything is a beautifully written novel that comes with an interesting twist (although I did see it coming) and I would recommended it to YA readers and for those adults who enjoy YA fiction.

Buy: Penguin Random House, Audible

Source: Review copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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The Last September by Nina de Gramont (Audiobook Review)

November 20, 2015 by Darlene

Book Summary from Algonquin Books

“When I look back now, it hurtles toward us like a meteor. But at the time we were too wrapped up in our day-to-day life to see it. Charlie and I lived in a borrowed house by the ocean. Our daughter, Sarah, was fifteen months old. September had just arrived, emptying the beaches at the very moment they became most spectacular.”

Brett has been in love with Charlie ever since he took her skiing on a lovely Colorado night fourteen years ago. And now, living in a seaside cottage on Cape Cod with their young daughter, it looks as if they have settled into the life they desired. However, Brett and Charlie’s marriage has been tenuous for quite some time. When Charlie’s unstable younger brother plans to move in with them, the tension simmering under the surface of their marriage boils over.

But what happened to Charlie next was unfathomable. Charlie was the golden boy so charismatic that he charmed everyone who crossed his path; who never shied away from a challenge; who saw life as one big adventure; who could always rescue his troubled brother, no matter how unpredictable the situation.

So who is to blame for the tragic turn of events? And why does Brett feel responsible?

Set against the desolate autumn beauty of Cape Cod, The Last September is a riveting emotional puzzle that takes readers inside the psyche of a woman facing the meaning of love and loyalty.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this selection from The She Reads Books of Fall. I listened to the audio which is narrated by Rebecca Mitchell and I found her tone and different voices and emotions of characters very easy to listen to. Coming in at 10 hours and 19 minutes she definitely captured the essence of the story for me and the hours flew by.

Brett loved Charlie from the moment she met him. He was the brother of her friend Eli and he seemed to have it all – confidence, good looks, and Brett fell hard for him. Eventually they marry and have a child but what seems as though it should be a perfect life does have its flaws. The biggest of those is actually Eli, mentally ill now, who continues to show up in their lives and cause chaos. When an unthinkable tragedy occurs Brett finds herself lost and struggling. Looking back over the past and trying to figure out who she can blame for the tragedy Brett is faced with also trying to find herself and a way to move on.

The Last September is a beautifully written, emotional novel. One definitely worth reading. Readers of women’s fiction or mysteries would likely be drawn to this story. I look forward to more from this author in the future.

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Buy: Amazon, Audible

Source: Digital review copy received from the publisher for an honest review. Audiobook personal copy. No compensation was received.

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Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams (Audiobook Review)

November 18, 2015 by Darlene

Book Summary from Penguin Audio

Each of the three Schuyler sisters has her own world-class problems, but in the autumn of 1966, Pepper Schuyler’s problems are in a class of their own. When Pepper fixes up a beautiful and rare vintage Mercedes and sells it at auction, she thinks she’s finally found a way to take care of herself and the baby she carries, the result of an affair with a married, legendary politician.

But the car’s new owner turns out to have secrets of her own, and as the glamorous and mysterious Annabelle Dommerich takes pregnant Pepper under her wing, the startling provenance of this car comes to light: a Nazi husband, a Jewish lover, a flight from Europe, and a love so profound it transcends decades. As the many threads of Annabelle’s life from World War II stretch out to entangle Pepper in 1960s America, and the father of her unborn baby tracks her down to a remote town in coastal Georgia, the two women must come together to face down the shadows of their complicated pasts.

Indomitable heroines, a dazzling world of secrets, champagne at the Paris Ritz, and a sweeping love story for the ages, in New York Times bestselling author Beatriz William’s final book about the Schuyler sisters.

My Thoughts

Having listened to Tiny Little Thing which is the second book about the Schuyler sisters I was excited to listen to Along the Infinite Sea as well. As a note though these books do stand quite well on their own. I also love to listen to books narrated by Kathleen McInerney and will jump at a chance to do so. This book comes in at 15 hours and 30 minutes but listening to a performance by her goes by so quickly. I truly become lost in the books she narrates.

In this story we are swept from 1960’s America to World War II and it is dazzling. In the present we have Pepper and true to form Pepper is in a tad bit of trouble. She’s pregnant, has no place to go, and is being chased by the baby’s father. While she may not have much she does have a rare vintage Mercedes that she’s managed to sell at auction. The new owner Annabelle Dommerich reads Pepper very well and offers her a place to stay. In doing so the story unfolds further and we travel back in time with Annabelle to a time when she was married to a Nazi but had a Jewish lover. Annabelle’s story is a love story that sacrifices all and lasts a lifetime. Both of these women have issues in their past that need sorting in order for both to move forward with their lives.

Beatriz Williams has become a favorite author of mine. I’ve read/listened to a few of her books now and I always find them to be a wonderful escape from life for a while. Recommended for those who love women’s fiction!

Buy: Audible

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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Bury Me by Tara Sivec (Audiobook Review)

November 17, 2015 by Darlene

Book Summary from ListenUp Audiobooks

I hear screams in my head.
I see blood on my hands.
When I look in the mirror I see a stranger.

How is it that I can remember bits and pieces of my life, but nothing of any importance and nothing that makes any sense? Everything is twisted and nothing is right. I’m choking with every breath I take, suffocating on the unknown.

Two days ago, everything changed. Two days ago, the people I should trust the most became strangers in my convoluted head. The dreams I have can’t be real. The fleeting memories that whisper through my mind are scary and wrong…they have to be. If they aren’t, I have something much worse to fear than my fractured mind. I need to find out the truth, even if it destroys me.

I’ve been told my name is Ravenna Duskin. I’m eighteen years old and I live in a prison…

My Thoughts

I loved this audiobook! Having never listened to Stephanie Willis before I found her to be a fantastic narrator. Her performance was perfect for this book which is suspenseful and mysterious and I found she really brought out those elements of the story keeping me on the edge of my seat at times. I couldn’t put it down and the six and a half hours spent listening to this book flew by in a flash!

Ravenna Duskin is eighteen years old and she lives in a prison. She remembers bits and pieces of her life but not enough to put it all together. Ravenna is an interesting character and especially so as we learn more about her as she begins to remember more and realize that her parents are lying to her about her past. As these memories become continually more disturbing though Ravenna is left wondering just who she is and what she may have done…

Bury Me is a dark novel full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing at just what is going on and how it will come to an end. Each time I thought I knew what was going on I came to realize I really didn’t. Bury Me is sure to please those who enjoy a fantastic psychological thriller!

Buy: ListenUp Audiobooks

Source: Review copy provided by ListenUp Audiobooks for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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