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The Bones Beneath My Skin
by TJ Klune

A Sci-Fi Whimsical Read (4/27/2025)

THE BONES BENEATH MY SKIN
By T. J. Klune

Narration by Kirt Graves was very well done and brought the story to life with his reading, in this sci-fi whimsical storytelling by T. J. Klune.

Taking place in 1995 when Nate returns to his family cabin in Oregon after the violent …more

The Bright Years
by Sarah Damoff

Impressive Debut (4/25/2025)

THE BRIGHT YEARS by Sarah Damoff

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC ebook of this brilliant story.

This is Sarah Damoff’s debut and I have to say I was impressed by her incredible writing skills of telling this beautiful, heartbreaking, and …more

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
by Jesse Q. Sutanto

A Cozy Mystery (4/24/2025)

VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS
By Jesse Q. Sutanto

Reading by Eunice Wong was very good. I paired audio with the book.

A cup of tea, food, and a corpse …

A cozy mystery taking place in a small neighborhood of San Francisco. We meet 60-year-old Vera Wong who finds …more

The Women on Platform Two
by Laura Anthony

Based On A True Event (4/23/2025)

THE WOMEN ON PLATFORM TWO
By Laura Anthony

Narrated by: Jessica Regan, Shakira Shute, and Maeve Smyth The narrator’s all did a fine job reading this story.

1970s Ireland —— a time when women had no rights to their bodies and forms of contraception were prohibited.

Dublin, 202 …more

Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

An Impressive Debut (4/11/2025)

Daughters of Shandong
By Eve J. Chung

A work of historical fiction inspired by Chung’s family who was displaced during the Communist Revolution in China. The Daughters of Shandong is told through the eyes of Hai, the eldest daughter of the Ang family. Hai along with her …more

The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree
by India Hayford

A Southern Gothic Story (4/4/2025)

The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree
by India Hayford

Narration by, Zura Johnson, Matt Godfrey, and Laura Jennings was very good.

3.5 stars
A haunting Southern gothic story with sprinkles of magical realism, that takes place in rural Arkansas in 1967. Genevieve, at a young age …more

Tilt: A Novel
by Emma Pattee

Literary Thriller Debut (3/29/2025)

Tilt by Emma Pattee

A pregnant overwhelmed woman’s epic journey across a ravaged city with the weight of her past and her hopes for the future.

Narration by Ariel Blake was very well done for this rapid paced literary thriller debut. An impressive read set over the course of …more

The River Knows Your Name: A Novel
by Kelly Mustian

An Immersive Read (3/25/2025)

The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian

This haunting atmospheric southern story paints a vivid picture of the Mississippi Delta and its people. The characters are well developed; complex and nuanced with compelling backstories. Kelly Mustian created an immersive read …more

Dream Count: A Novel
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Complex and Layered Stories (3/16/2025)

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The readings by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sandra Okuboyejo, A’rese Emokpae, and Janina Edwards, are all very well done. I paired the audiobook with the book.

Is true happiness ever attainable or is it just a fleeting state?

Set in …more

Saltwater: A Novel
by Katy Hays

Hidden Secrets (3/12/2025)

SALTWATER by Katy Hays

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC ebook

In 1992 the wealthy Lingate family is vacationing in beautiful Capri, when playwright, Sarah Lingate, is found dead below the cliffs. Sarah leaves behind a three- …more

The Spectacular: A Novel
by Fiona Davis

Inspired By True Events (3/12/2025)

THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis

I paired the book with the audiobook, and Rachel L. Jacobs and Kimberly Farr both do a fine reading of this book.

This story is inspired by true events. As with all her books, this too is set in New York City, at the Radio City Music Hall, in …more

Wild Dark Shore: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy

Impossible Choices (3/12/2025)

WILD DARK SHORE by Charlotte McConaghy

Read by: Cooper Mortlock; Katherine Littrell; Saskia Maarleveld; Steve West

All of the readers did a great job of narrating this book. Saskia Maarleveld is a favorite narrator of mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the …more

Penitence: A Novel
by Kristin Koval

A Suspenseful Debut (3/12/2025)

PENITENCE by Kristen Koval

Therese Plummer does a fine reading of this suspenseful story. This is Kristen Koval’s debut and I thought it was well written and I’m excited to see what she does next.

Opening family wounds and bringing dark truths to light with the guilt we live …more

The Edge of Water
by Olufunke Grace Bankole

A Beautifully Told Narrative (3/12/2025)

The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole

Nicole Cash does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of this debut book with her reading of this epic tale following the lives of three generations of daring women.

is told in alternating chapters by Esther, a strong-willed …more

The Oligarch's Daughter: A Novel
by Joseph Finder

Engaging Read (3/12/2025)

Paul Brightman is a man on the run, living under an assumed name in a small New England town with a bounty on his head. His security is breached and he must flee before Russian operatives locate him.

Alternating between two timelines — the present as Paul is struggling to …more

Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
by Clare Leslie Hall

Compelling Debut (3/12/2025)

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC read now ebook.

This is the author’s US debut and you will fall head over heels with this unputdownable read. A sweeping story set primarily in the 1960’s but toggles back in the past too, with so many layers it is …more

The Safekeep
by Yael van der Wouden

A Beautifully Written Story (2/23/2025)

Narrated by: Stina Nielsen and Saskia Maarleveld both do a wonderful reading of this beautifully illustrated debut.

A historical fiction debut about obsession and loss…

Set in the eastern
Netherlands 1960s post-war; following Isabel, an awkward and closed off 28-year-old …more

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books: A Novel
by Kirsten Miller

The Power of Books (2/15/2025)

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kristen Miller

Narrated by: January LaVoy

This is all about the power of books ——

January does a wonderful reading of this provocative satirical read set in Troy, Georgia, a small southern town, in the spring and summer of 2024. …more

The Queens of Crime: A Novel
by Marie Benedict

The Detection Club (2/11/2025)

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC eGalley — pub. date February 11, 2025

A historical fiction book that is well written and researched of a group of strong women, by Marie Benedict. Five great women crime authors …more

Isola: A Novel
by Allegra Goodman

A Timeless Story Of Survival (2/7/2025)

Isola by Allegra Goodman

4.5 stars
Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival. French noblewoman, Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, who lives to tell the tale of her exile on an island off …more

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Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by Parade and The New York Times Book Review, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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