Carole's Monday: What moves the dead

 

Author: T. Kingfisher

Narrator: Avi Roque

Title: What Moves the Dead

Genre: Historical Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Novella, Retellings

Format: Audiobook

Published: July 12, 2022

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania.

What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.

Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.

Review:

I've had my eye on this one for a little bit so when I saw the audiobook available at the library I swooped in. A perfect book for the Spooky season. It is a retelling of one of my favorite Poe shorts. 

Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline is dying, they race to be with Madeline. She is one of the last of the Usher line along with her brother. What Alex finds at the Usher home is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife. The lake is dark and pulsing. Madeline is sleepwalking and speaks strange voices at night while her brother, Roderick, is consumed with nerves. With the help of a British mycologist and an American doctor, Alex must try and unravel the secrets of the House of Usher. 

Creepy, creepy, creepy. Did I mention creepy? If you like a creepy read I recommend this. Poor Alex. Alex is a great friend for sure. Being summoned by Madeline and arriving to such a creepy house. The house is creepy....Madeline and Roderick look like corpses. If I was Alex I would've gotten on my horse, say 'Feel better', and get the heck out of dodge. 

What a great cast we were given. The original only had three people, but here Alex has some aid. I loved Miss Potter. She is the brains and I only want good things for her.

This wasn't only just creepy, but we had some humor....which was nice. Alex has mixed feelings about Americans and even the British. So we get some little jabs and it made me smile.

Okay...those hares!? Ugh!!! Gah. We do have a couple of scenes that might be a touch gross, BUT it is necessary for the plot. I am an animal lover, but I was shouting for them to just burn the whole forest to the ground. *shudders* Burn the whole town and house too while you are at it. 

The narrator was fantastic. Fit Alex quite well. The narrator really brought the characters and creepy world alive. 

Ooo! Nearly forgot to mention the cover. *chef's kiss* Perfection. It really gives you the creeps but makes you want to read it. That is what caught my eye first.

In the end, this deserves 5 stars. This was a great retelling and I think Poe would've enjoyed it. I had zero issues with this. It was perfect. It had the right amount of thriller, comedy, horror, and nostalgia for the classic. Even if you struggle with horrors...this was just enough that you won't have nightmares. Perfect for the Spooky season! 

Challenge(s):
- #48 for Audiobook challenge

Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths

368 pages, Paperback

Series: Harbinder Kaur (#3)

Format: 368 pages, Paperback

Published: September 29, 2022 by Quercus Publishing

Library/ Thriller Mystery Crime

I want to try a short review.

A new Harbinder Kaur, I had to get to it fast. I do prefer her other series, but this one is fun too. And omg the guessing who the killer was, as Always I am all over the place. It doesn't really count when I think everyone did it.

This one was about a a murder at a class reunion, and then we follow them all as Harbinder tries to figure it all out.

Good mystery. Thrilling ending

DS Cassie Fitzgerald has a secret - but it's one she's deleted from her memory. In the 1990s when she was at school, she and her friends killed a fellow pupil. Thirty years later, Cassie is happily married and loves her job as a police officer.

One day her husband persuades her to go to a school reunion and another ex-pupil, Garfield Rice, is found dead, supposedly from a drug overdose. As Garfield was an eminent MP and the investigation is high profile, it's headed by Cassie's new boss, DI Harbinder Kaur. The trouble is, Cassie can't shake the feeling that one of her old friends has killed again.

Is Cassie right, or was Garfield murdered by one of his political cronies? It's in Cassie's interest to skew the investigation so that it looks like the latter and she seems to be succeeding.

Audio: Partners in crime

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani, Shahjehan Khan

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Release date: 10-18-22

Publisher: HarperAudio

Romance / to review

I do like a matchmaking book, well I should not call this that, but stay with me. Mira is tired of bad matches. And then she will come across that first match, that perfect match, whom she left. Mira! 

I thought it would be a cute contemporary romance, but, yeah no. Mira gets kidnapped, together with her ex. Suddenly the book changes tone. An accountant and a lawyer on the run. Who to trust. And what do they want with Mira? What was her no good dad up to?

And then I understand why she left Naveen, even though she loved him and they were perfect. Because her family was quite the something else.

It is non stop action, and running, heists and madness. At the end they have a chance to catch their breath and realise they are meant to be. But yes not a lot of romance, but then they were always meant to be.

Good fun story.

Great narrators. I really like Soneela's voice,  I have listened to her before and she is always good. Khan who did Naveen's voice is new to me and they worked well together.

Mira Patel’s got a solid accounting career, good friends, and a whole lot of distance between her and her dysfunctional family. All that’s missing is a stable romantic relationship. Armed with a spreadsheet and professional help, she sets out to find her partner in only legal activities, but much to her matchmaker’s dismay, no one is quite right.

Including Naveen Desai, the very first match she unceremoniously rejected. Lately Naveen’s been too focused on keeping his sick grandfather’s law firm afloat to think about love, and he’s stunned when Mira walks back into his life to settle her aunt’s affairs. He’s determined to keep things professional…though it’s impossible not to be intrigued by all of the secrets piling up around Mira. If getting back together with an ex is a bad idea, getting kidnapped with one is even worse.

Suddenly, Naveen and Mira find themselves in a mad dash through Las Vegas to escape jewel thieves, evade crime bosses, and follow the clues to untangle the mess her family left behind. As her past comes back to haunt her, Mira despairs of ever finding someone who might understand her…but maybe, over the course of one wild night, she’ll find that he’s right by her side.

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

10/25/2022 Share your favorite horror books or movies.

Fav horror movie? Nothing for me! I will avoid those thank you very much. No need to watch someone get killed. ugh and do not even start on zombie movies, I just have to watch one single zombie and I get evil nightmares.

I do not like in your face horror books either. I like the creepy, subtle ones. One I read is still with me. I had to close the blinds after finishing in case someone was watching through the window

11/1/2022 What was/were your favourite subject/s in high school?

11/8/2022 Do you belong to any book clubs? 

11/15/2022 What activity that you've read a character doing in a book have you dreamed of trying?

11/22/2022 Tell us about your favorite books as a kid.

11/29/2022 Which books are you looking forward to reading this winter? (Dec-Feb)

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole's Monday: Where the Echo Calls

Author: Steve N. Lee

Title: Where the Echo Calls

Series: Books for Dog Lovers

Genre: Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 281

Published: October 19th 2022

Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

Summary: 

Sometimes a dog isn’t just a dog — it’s hope.

Left for dead in the gutter, Rio struggles to his feet and lurches into the shadows for a place to hide. Life has always been brutal, thanks to a monster of an owner, but at least he’d had food, a bed, a place to call home. Now…?

Ben’s life ended when he lost his family. Drink no longer dulls the pain; therapy is a joke; friends have moved on. He’d had everything, yet now…?

But when the broken man meets the broken dog, they discover something neither had ever dreamed could exist… a reason to go on.

In a story as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, When the Echo Calls explores how hope can be found in the most unexpected of places if only we have the courage to look for it.

Review:

Couldn't wait to get started on this one! I have loved the others. In a way this is bittersweet. It is the last doggo story from this author for the time being. 

Rio was left for dead in a gutter by his terrible human. He had been a fighting dog but at least he had a home. He is taken in by the shelter to find a forever home. Will he find this when Ben takes him home? Ben had lost his family and nothing helps. However, when he finds a broken dog he never imagined the friendship as they fix each other. 

I loved, loved, LOVED seeing some old characters make an appearance here. However, this does well as a standalone, but it does add something special to seeing old people and dogs that you previously read about. This truly does show there are ALWAYS two sides to a story. 

This author really knows how to pull at the heartstrings! There is so much sadness for poor Rio and poor Ben. They have been given some terrible things in life and they deserve all the happiness! It was beautiful watching them fix each other and find their way. We had some humor too which is always nice. One scene had me laughing so hard that I had tears. Can't tell you, but it was so unexpected!

Awww Woofy!!!! Loved that furball and his owner.

I will warn the beginning was a little rough seeing poor Rio (Razor his previous name when he was a fighting dog) navigate the streets and then survive some terrible humans. It is important to his journey, though, to fully understand why he is the way he is. It made me cry because it breaks my heart that people are so cruel. I had a rescue growing up and I have one now... and I can't imagine what they both went through before we brought them home. 

That ending was simply perfect. I couldn't ask for a more perfect ending for Ben and Rio. In a way...it was a perfect ending for all the characters from the previous books too. There is always room for another dog tale but this wrapped up the series nicely. I do have plans to re-read one of the past ones (I re-read one a little while ago). These are for sure good re-reads. They are quick and short-ish, but they leave a huge impact.

Overall, I loved this. I loved all the books! They have it all. Humor, joy, sadness, and meaning. It was rough seeing Rio go through what he did before Ben, but it melted my heart seeing him finally find the pack he deserved. These books are great. A part of me wants more, but the ending of this one really ties everything perfectly together. I shall stamp this one with 5 stars. I highly recommend this and the other books. 

 

Happening by Annie Ernaux

Paperback, 77 pages

Published February 13th 2019 by Fitzcarraldo Editions (first published March 14th 2000)

Original Title: L'évènement

Memoir / Library

 It was recommended at bookclub, and well it was short one! Just what I needed, I finished it in an hour.

It is the story of how she in the 60s tried to get an abortion. But it was illegal, and she tried and tried to find one. She even tried a knitting needle on herself, and then she went to some quack and later ended up in the hospital. And it was harrowing. 

It was a constant stream of memories without a break, and it turned out to be really interesting, and so very NOW.

In 1963, Annie Ernaux, 23 and unattached, realizes she is pregnant. Shame arises in her like a plague: understanding that her pregnancy will mark her and her family as social failures, she knows she cannot keep that child. This is the story, written forty years later, of a trauma Ernaux never overcame. In a France where abortion was illegal, she attempted, in vain, to self-administer the abortion with a knitting needle. Fearful and desperate, she finally located an abortionist, and ends up in a hospital emergency ward where she nearly dies. In HAPPENING, Ernaux sifts through her memories and her journal entries dating from those days. Clearly, cleanly, she gleans the meanings of her experience. 

Carole's Thursday: The Loch

Author: Steve Alten

Title: The Loch

Series: Loch Series #1

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror, SciFi, Fantasy

Format: Paperback

Pages: 541

Published: 2005

Where I Got It: My shelf (Goodwill)

Summary: 

Loch Ness holds secrets, ancient and deadly. Does a monster inhabit its depths, or is it just myth? Why, after thousands of reported sightings and dozens of expeditions, is there still no hard evidence? Marine biologist Zachary Wallace knows, but the shock of his near-drowning as a child on Loch Ness have buried all memories of the incident. Now, a near-death experience suffered while on expedition in the Sargasso Sea has caused these long-forgotten memories to re-surface. Haunted by vivid night terrors, stricken by a sudden fear of the water, Zach finds he can no longer function as a scientist. Unable to cope, his career all but over, he stumbles down a path of self-destruction…until he receives contact from his estranged father…a man he has not seen since his parents’ divorced and he left Scotland as a boy. Angus Wallace, a wily Highlander who never worked an honest day in his life, is on trial for murdering his business partner. Only Zachary can prove his innocence – if he is innocent, but to do so means confronting the nightmare that nearly killed him seventeen years earlier.

Review:

This has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time. Just kept forgetting about it. Thanks to the TBR reading challenge I am finally dusting this bad boy off to read it. 

We all know the rumors and myth of Nessie the monster of Loch Ness. There have been thousands of reported sightings and dozens of expeditions...but there is no hard evidence. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace knows, but due to the shock, he suffered as a boy has buried all the memories of what he experienced. Years have passed and a near-death experience during an expedition in the Sargasso Sea has caused these forgotten memories to start bubbling back to the surface. Haunted by vivid night terrors and a sudden fear of the water, Zachary finds he can no longer function as a scientist. He is stumbling down a path of self-destruction...until he hears from his estranged father. His father is on trial for murdering his business partner, but he swears it was the legendary Nessie. Only Zachary will be able to prove his father's innocence but confront the nightmare that nearly killed him. 

Gah....I felt so bad for Zachary. He just wants to be left alone to do his science stuff. He has nearly died twice in nearly the same fashion....I can see why his body was all "NO MORE WATER!". Poor guy. 

I felt like I was on the most inconsistent roller coaster of my life. One minute I was absolutely hooked and then the next minute I was nodding off. The flow was extremely weird. 

The issue was that there were HUGE amounts of info dumping throughout. Some of it was useful...like at the beginning when going over the legend of Nessie and the history of Scotland. Yes, very helpful to get into the mindset. However, there were some LONG passages that really seemed could have been trimmed a bit. I'll be honest and I skimmed through these info-dumps. The court scenes were sometimes a huge bore. There were moments I was all "DAAAAAAAAMNNNN!!!" and had to read more. 

The mystery was deep and complicated and I loved it. I literally had no idea what was going to happen to our characters. I was super worried for everyone. The last 100 pages I couldn't put down. I had to finish!

This just needed some cleaning up. Some trimming and maybe quick summaries of some of the info. Just too much for me. 

Overall, this was pretty good. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. The parts I liked...I loved. However, there were some huge lulls due to info-dumping. There needed to be some trimming in some parts. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Challenge(s):

- TBR Reading Challenge (#7)

The American Adventuress

By: C. W. Gortner

Narrated by: Ell Potter

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Release date: 09-20-22

Publisher: HarperAudio

Historical fiction / to review

I did not really know a lot about Jennie..or anything. I know some of the Dollar Princesses to come, but Jennie was one of the first, and what a life!

Jennie met and fell in love with the 2nd son of the Duke of Marlbourough. Some drama there, she being an American, he a nobleman. But they get each other in the end, have two kids, one being a certain Winston Churchill.

And then lots more. She had lots of affair, the most noted one with the future king of England. She still loved her husband, but noble marriages were strange. She also did a lot of things I could not have imagined. Like sending aid and going to the Boer war. Her marriages though, dang she must have been a very fascinating woman. One of a kind.

I do confess, I googled a lot! I just wanted to know things before  and here at least I knew nothing tragic would happen.

An interesting book about an interesting woman.

First time listening to this narrator. Not the most variation among voices, but as this truly was Jennie's story that did not matter. Everything came from her. It was a good fit for a historical fiction and def something you should listen to

Daughter of famed financier Leonard Jerome, Jennie was born in New York City to wealth—and scandal. When her parents separated for reasons that were quickly hushed up, Jennie and her sisters followed their mother to Paris, where the city became their finishing school. Determined to marry her daughters into the most elite families, Mrs. Jerome draped them in the finest gowns by Worth and introduced them at Queen Victoria’s court.

Jenny quickly caught the eye of Randolph Spencer-Churchill, a man-about-town and aspiring politician whose father, the Duke of Marlborough, was one of Britain’s loftiest peers. But although the Marlboroughs’ Bleinheim Palace was grander than Buckingham Palace, the family was cash-poor, and desperate to marry their sons to well-heeled American heiresses like Jennie and her sister-in-law Consuelo Vanderbilt. Jennie wasn’t prepared to stop at a duke’s second son, though. With Randolph’s tacit approval, she became mistress to the Prince of Wales, a celebrated bon vivant and womanizer. Their friendship, which lasted decades, greatly bolstered Jennie’s social fortunes—and Randolph’s career ambitions.

But with great highs came great lows. Randolph’s life was cut short, and after losing him, Jennie dove into a disastrous marriage to George Cornwallis-West, much to the dismay of her two sons, who were the same age as their new stepfather. But as Winston began his own brilliant political career, it was Jennie who proved his most valuable supporter. And when she cast off her second husband and took on a third in the midst of the Great War, the American adventuress truly came into her own. 

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

10/18/2022 Which genre/s do you enjoy the most? 

Romance!!!

Fantasy!! :D

If I really, really have to pick, I will go with romance cos hello! There you get Contemporary, historical,  some UF with romance

And fantasy just fullfills my soul

10/25/2022 Share your favorite horror books or movies.

11/1/2022 What was/were your favourite subject/s in high school?

11/8/2022 Do you belong to any book clubs? 

11/15/2022 What activity that you've read a character doing in a book have you dreamed of trying?

11/22/2022 Tell us about your favorite books as a kid.

11/29/2022 Which books are you looking forward to reading this winter? (Dec-Feb)

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Monday Movie: Hocus Pocus 2

 

This month we decided to review the new 'Hocus Pocus 2'. 

I am in red and Carole in purple.

Title:  Hocus Pocus 2

Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Released: 2022

Length: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: PG


Two young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world.

Click here for the trailer.

DISCUSSION:

Ok, I will be brutally honest…I am not sure I have seen the first movie. Like maybe? Or have I only seen clips cos it is a popular movie? Or maybe I did watch it when younger? I do not know!

Really? I was addicted to it and watched it too many times to count, but it has been a few years.

I honestly do not know. But I also felt that I was never lost or anything. The movie is still so popular that I knew stuff and could easily be swept away.

Agreed. I do think this stands well as a standalone. Anything you need to know they tell you/show you. 

Exactly, and that is perfect for me. Who might not have seen it. Or if I did it was so freaking long ago! It was never one of those movies who was shown here.

It made me want to rewatch the original. I’m sure there are some things I do not remember. 

I should do that!

One of my favorites. I wonder if the original is as good as I remember. But I did really enjoy this…..so even if the original is not as good as I remember then at least I have this new one. Haha

I liked this one so I am happy with that one. Just the perfect amount of everything.

Agreed! Perfect for adults and the kiddos. I couldn’t stop laughing but then near the end I had some tears. That ending….oh boy. 

I can’t really complain about anything. I liked the backstory stuff too. I did wonder about that first witch though.

I feel like if they make a third movie we may learn more. I hope so. '

Like where did that witch go? 

I’m sure she was watching….always watching. She seems up to something….the long game.

 

Yes I wonder…

So many things they could do in the third movie….if they make one…I also want a movie about those three and their early life as new witches. I think that would be fun!

Yes that could be cool! And they could always use different actors then if it is the early stuff.

Esp those girls! They were perfect!

Omg yes, just perfect :D

Indeed! I even liked the modern teens. They were fun! That footballer and the mayor were a hoot.

I am sure they will make more.

Hope we don’t have to wait another 20 years again hahahahaha. They need to take advantage of the love. 

Ride that wave! Maybe next Halloween.Ohhh, a tv series!

Even better! I would be game for that! There is so much more story to tell. That ending….gah! We need more!

It would be so much fun

Yesss I feel like there is so much backstory on everyone. The mystery witch, our fave witches, and the new ones. :D

They are totally missing their chance if they do not make a tv series about the origins of them

For real! Plus I could use a really funny and fun witch tale(s)! PG version of Salem hahaha

Same. Some humour and fun. I would like that.

And more songs! I love the singing!

Aye I could enjoy it :) Let’s hope for that too.

One can dream and hope! Anything else?

Nope, I liked it. Maybe my kid can watch it one day too :) Just a few more years.

Yesss! Maybe that is when you watch movie 1! ;D 

One day!

I need to watch it again soon too. 

The end?

The end

Audio: The Duke not Taken

By: Julia London

Narrated by: Justin Hill

Series: A Royal Match, Book 2

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Release date: 09-27-22

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Historical romantic /to review

Amelia is bored, flirts with every handsome footman she can find, and as a princess she is totally out of line. So she is sent to England to find a husband.

Insert boring countryestate, not close to London at all. Not much to do there or to find yourself. Also the worst grumpy Duke lives near.

Joshua did have his reasons to be grumpy. He lost his child and wife. But he is also blaming himself(hey man, blame the shitty maternal care you had.)

They meet. They think the other one is annoying. They continue to meet. All other suitors suck. And it really is a slow burn romance and I enjoyed that. They learned about the person behind it all, and they had to work for it.

Nice romance. More about the people and the road there though.

Good narration. Everything is just better in audio you know. Historical romance just pops in audio. All the better to be swept away with

Ever since her sister became queen two years ago, Amelia Ivanosen, Princess of Wesloria, has been flirting and skirting scandal—just barely. Before she does anything too outlandish, she is sent to England and Lila Alexander, illustrious matchmaker to the ton, is recruited. Respectably ensconced at the country estate of a family friend, Amelia is introduced to many eligible bachelors, but…there is no spark. There never seems to be unless the man is completely wrong for her.

Next door lives Joshua Parker, Duke of Marley, who is grumpy and reclusive—for good reason. His first wife died in childbirth. When Marley is dragged by a friend to his neighbor’s soiree, he and Amelia instantly dislike each other. Their banter is snarky and heated. He’s a stuck-up smarty-pants; she’s a self-involved, annoying princess.

Sparks fly when they’re together—fireworks actually—but they loathe each other. Really. So why can’t they stop thinking about each other?

Love out Loud

Narrated by: Summer Morton

Series: Animal Attraction, Book 3

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Release date: 09-27-22

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Contemporary romance/to review

Fiona is a vet, she is great at it, but, she is not great at speaking. And now she has to give a freaking speech!

Jake is a speak coach and is hired to help her.

He has to understand that she is not shy. And she will help him with something that he struggles with. I did like that, they have both things to learn from each other. It is not about changing a person, just making them happier with some things.

They like each other, but it is a no gone zone, she is a client! There is some drama, silly man. But all in all a sort of short nice romance where everyone lived happily ever after.

A good narrator that brought me into the story. I felt for these two and rooted for their happy ending

Veterinarian Fiona Nichols does not do well in stressful social situations. A little babble here, saying the absolutely wrong thing there. But that doesn’t stop Fiona from checking out the delectably hot guy in her building…from afar. Fate apparently has a nasty sense of humor, though. Somehow Fiona gets herself and Hot Guy stuck in the building’s revolving door—all thanks to a certain squeaky dog toy…that unfortunately looks decidedly, uh, penile.

Turns out that Jake Ward is Fiona’s new public-speaking coach. A hot extrovert who always knows what to say. Fiona should hate the man on sight. Instead, she’s only finding him more attractive. And now she’s finally getting out of her comfort zone…only to get in over her head. 

Audio: Forever wolf

Narrated by: Senn Annis

Series: Legend of All Wolves, Book 3

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Release date: 09-27-22

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Urban fantasy /to review

This one was different from the previous two, in those there were some romance, but here, well it is had to explain. She does meet someone, but it feels like they connect on a whole other level. And it is perfect in the end.

Varya is a shielder. No one likes her, but they fear her. At the same time these wolves are having problems. Stupid humans who trespass and shoot them while they are in wolf form (like hello, I am way more scared of bears and wolves). For people have always feared wolves. But Varya protects her people are all costs She was one tough wolf. Then she finds a wounded stranger, alone wolf who does not know what he is. Eyulf. And she feels something she has never felt with anyone.

But most of this story is them trying to stay alive. Humans are encroaching on their land, shifters are after them. And there is infighting, because not everyone appreciate living like this anymore. For the moon to hold that much sway on you.

Oh it was good, but also bittersweet. I wonder how they will make it, it is hard being a wolf in a man's world. I need to know more, I need one more book. And I read the premise right now, seems to be about the alpha.

Great narration. All the feels. I was there in the great north with them all

Legend says his eyes portend the end of the world...or perhaps, the beginning...

Born with one blue eye and one green, Eyulf was abandoned by his pack as an infant and has never understood why, or what he is...

Varya is fiercely loyal to the Great North Pack, which took her in when she was a teenager. While out on patrol, Varya finds Eyulf wounded and starving and saves his life, at great risk to her own.

With old and new enemies threatening the Great North, Varya knows as soon as she sees his eyes that she must keep Eyulf hidden away from the superstitious wolves who would doom them both. Until the day they must fight to the death for the Pack's survival, side by side and heart to heart...

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

10/11/2022 How long do you give a new-to-you series to decide if you like it? 

....at worst a few pages. I will NOT suffer through book after book in case the series gets better. I do not get people who buy 5 books in a series. Nah, not me. I buy book 1, and if I do suffer through it all I will not buy book 2.

If you suck, you are gone. I do not care if you are new or not

10/18/2022 Which genre/s do you enjoy the most? 

10/25/2022 Share your favorite horror books or movies.

11/1/2022 What was/were your favourite subject/s in high school?

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Carole's Monday: Mrs: Wickham

Author: Sarah Page

Narrator: Jessie Buckley & Johnny Flynn

Title: Mrs Wickham

Genre: Historical Fiction, Novella, Short Story, Retelling 

Format: Audiobook

Published: September 8, 2022

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

Imagine if you made one little mistake when you were young and were punished for it for the rest of your life. Well, that’s what happened to Lydia (yes, that Lydia, the youngest Bennet sister from Pride and Prejudice), and she’s here to set the record straight. Hold on to your teacups and get ready for sophisticated (and a little bit naughty) hot takes and witty banter that’ll make you laugh—and think.

We meet Lydia just as she is denounced by her family, exiled miles from home, and married to the rogue George Wickham, who seems to love all women...except his own wife. She must learn to summon great bravery to carve out a place for herself in the society that has brutally rejected her.

Lydia isn’t the traditional Austen heroine, and this isn’t a traditional, polite period drama. Lydia is a badass. A trailblazer. She’s fierce and fiercely funny. And she might inhabit the Regency period, but she’s fighting the same battle many of us are today—having to defend the decisions she’s made and the person she chooses to love, to shut out the 'trolls' and gossips, to hold her head high in a world that will judge her for any mistake she makes.

Review:

Randomly stumbled upon this in Audible. Seemed a perfect listen for the mood I was in! Please I can't remember the last time I read/listened to a P&P variation.

Here we follow Lydia. She made a bad decision and it is being held against her. She is denounced by her family and exiled miles from home. She realizes George is a rogue and never truly loved her. He spends all his money on women and booze. Instead of just accepting this fate, she picks herself up and carves out a place for herself among society. 

Go, Lydia! Yayy! 

I will admit I found her annoying and bratty and selfish....but I never hated her. I felt pity for her because she ended up with a Wickham. That is not a prize anyone should want. It was nice to see her get a story to explain herself and learn and grow. She certainly did learn and grow A LOT here. You will find yourself, like me, cheering for her to succeed and find some sort of happiness. 

I honestly loved all this. I do go back and forth on how I feel about the ending. It makes sense that people can change and people can come back from terrible, horrible decisions. BUUUUUT it is not easy. I won't spoil anything....but yes, I have mixed feelings about the ending. 

Oooooo the narration team-up was fantastic. We have two here and they worked well together. Perfection. There was even sound effects and etc and that worked well too. 

In the end, I highly enjoyed this. If you like PP I recommend this for sure. It is inspiring, fun, and will make you look at Lydia (and even George) in a different light. 4 stars from me. 

Challenge(s):
- #43 for Audiobook challenge