Audio: Like a love story by Abdi Nazemian

Narrated by: Lauren Ambrose, Vikas Adam, Michael Crouch

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 06-04-19

Language: English

Publisher: HarperAudio

YA Fiction

Maybe emotional YA fiction is the fiction for me. It always have a bigger impact.

This book has 3 narrators and it works so well when they read their chapters. First there is Vikas Adam as Reza, and yes I absolutely love his voice so that was a big yes for me. Reza is the one fighting his feelings for other boys. He grew up in Iran, he was there during the revolution, and now he has a new life in NY. He is the one in the closet, the one afraid that just being gay will give him AIDS. Since no one is explaining things. I liked Reza, it is not always easy to be brave.

Judy wants to be a fashion designer, at school she is known as the girl with the gay bff and well, for being overweight. She was voiced by a good narrator too. She was the one standing in the shadows, wanting to break out. I also liked her parents, sure her mum could say the wrong things, but considering Art's parents, yes, Judy had the best ones. The book is also about her uncle Stephen who is dying from AIDS. And that does brings so much more into the book. Stephen was so wonderful, and seeing him on what must be his last breath was so hard. I know the 80s was bad, but reading about it is always different. Heartbreaking.

But yes, last there is Art, out and proud, and not giving an f who knows. I really do not have anything more to say about Art, other that he did break my heart at the end.

It was a great story, I knew it from the moment it began. It pulled me in at once, the voices was well done and brought the characters to life.

It was heartbreak, love, fake love, love for Madonna, love for life. Love for being alive.

A great listen

Narrators

I already say that I love Vikas Adam, and I do, he has the perfect voice.

It was my first time listening to Lauren Ambrose and  Micheal Crouch, but their voices fit really well with the characters they voiced.

It's 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.

Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He's terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he's gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media's images of men dying of AIDS.

Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating.

Art is Judy's best friend, their school's only out and proud teen. He'll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.

As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won't break Judy's heart--and destroy the most meaningful friendship he's ever known.

I received this book from Harper Collins in  exchange for an honest review

Audio: The Ruin of Kings - Jenn Lyons

Narrated by: Feodor Chin, Vikas Adam, Soneela Nankani

Series: A Chorus of Dragons, Book 1

Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 02-05-19

Language: English

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

My Thoughts:

I know I keep saying that everything is better in audio, well, this book proved me wrong. Everything is NOT better in audio. Even those that have Vikas Adam narrating.

Gods, where to start!?

The way it was built:

1 Pov telling Kherin's story today

3rd telling Kherin's story 2 years ago

At the same time.

Then there is footnotes, god damn footnotes that come in in the middle in the narration. If you read it you could at least wait until the end of the page.

And omg, then at the end there is a third narrator, the footnote guy that narrates Kherin's story all the sudden.

The names. Everyone had names that sounded similar, everyone had names that started with the same letter.

Footnotes, I guess it was supposed to build the world? It just annoyed me and at the end when I found out who the letter was to, well then I just found footnote guy to be an arrogant prick. Wtf, the footnotes made no sense.

The worldbuilding was spotty. It was too grand that I understood nothing of. There seems to be a lot of different humanoids, gods, monsters, elves? I really do not know. It was a convoluted mess.

Linear. Just make it linear!

The words. She used a lot of madeup words, or I do not know, maybe they are real, but the thing is I have no idea what anyone was wearing? Words without meaning tell me nothing.

The sad thing is that the history was interesting, it was just put together in a messy way.

Khirin could be such a bratty dick at times too. Yes your life sucks cos of your dad, still, he just kills someone in cold blood. Yes the guy was bad, but he had orders. Kill the one that gives orders instead.

oh and then there is the whole oh this person is dead but someone else is using that body. X is mother to Y, even if only by body since the soul is gone. And this happened a lot. So many who is their parents or grandparents. Everyone in someone elses body

No, I will not read more

Narrators

Well Vikas Adam rocked his 1 person

The woman was good as 3rd person Kherin

Footnote guy was good, until he had his own Kherin story and then it fell apart. Suddenly Kherin had a really American accent and it was really weird 

Blrub

Kihrin grew up in the slums of Quur, a thief and a minstrel's son raised on tales of long-lost princes and magnificent quests. When he is claimed against his will as the missing son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds himself at the mercy of his new family's ruthless power plays and political ambitions.

Practically a prisoner, Kihrin discovers that being a long-lost prince is nothing like what the storybooks promised. The storybooks have lied about a lot of other things, too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, and how the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe he isn't the hero after all. For Kihrin is not destined to save the world.

He's destined to destroy it. (less)

Audio: Toxic - Lydia Kang

Narrated by Amanda Ronconi, Vikas Adam

Publication date Nov 20, 2018 by Tantor Audio

Running time 11 hrs 7 min

Sci.fi YA

Thank you Tantor for this review copy

My Thoughts:

Ronconi and Vikas Adam! What could go wrong? Yes I only chose this book cos of them.

Poor Hana, she spent 17 years in one room. Hidden from everyone. Because if they found out she would have been killed. Only those meant to be born are born, and she was not meant to. But she has her life in her room, she learns things, she speaks with the ship. She hopes to one day come out and see the world.

I get that her mother wanted to keep her safe, but it was so very selfish. Wanting a child. Keeping that child hidden in her room. But then again, who can blame her mother for longing for something.

And then she wakes up and everyone are gone. Spoooky! What happened?

Well, that is no spoiler. The ship is dying and they all left and left her behind. That has me wondering so much. Her mother would not leave! Or would she?

And that is how we meet Fennec, voiced by Vikas Adam. He and his crew are there to study what happens when the ship dies. This guy had a chip on his shoulder. He was a thief. He had made mistakes, but come on, Fen! You are just a kid!

The ship is alive, so freaky. I would certainly not want to fly in a ship that is alive, that has thoughts, even if most of the crew though of Cyclo as only a ship. Hana knew it was more, so much more. Poor ship.

There is romance too. Two teens meeting, obliviously things will blossom. I get why Hana falls, and I get why Fen falls.

Not to mention there is suspense, murder! Is there someone else there too?

And the real reason Fen was there was, oh I hate that corporation that made Cyclo.

Conclusion:

It was a good book. It had a bit of everything and I do like the idea of a ship that lives. It is interesting. Too bad it was a stand alone. I would have liked to read more set in this world.

Narration.

Vikas Adam is great, I just find his voice lovely.

Amanda Ronconi is great too. She really is a reason to choose a book for.

They are perfect together.

Blurb

Cyclo, the first and largest biological ship of its kind, is dying. A small crew of mercenaries have handed over the rights to their life to document the death of the ship, but the abandoned ship is anything but abandoned―one girl has been left behind.

Hana has known nothing but the isolation of a single room and the secret that has kept her there for seventeen years. When she meets Fennec, the boy assigned to watch her, she realizes that there is a world she has yet to experience but she is doomed to never meet.

When crew members begin mysteriously dying, Hana and Fenn realize that they are racing against the death of the ship to find a way to survive―unless someone kills them even before Hana’s truly had a chance to live. 

Audio Discussion: When Dimple met Rishi

Hello all! Carole and I will be discussing "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon. I am in orange and Carole in red. 

Author: Sandhya Menon
Title: When Dimple Met Rishi
Genre: YA & Romance
Pages: audiobook
Published: May 30th 2017
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Freebie)

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Look, for June is Audiobook month Carole and I will try our first Audiobook together! We chose this one cos I had heard great things about it. And yes, it was actually that good too, at least I thought so ;)

Happy Audiobook month! And yes! I enjoyed it a lot!! Good pick ;)

We did good for once, phew! I guess this was the only good book this year then. WHat should we discuss first?

Yess the first really good one of the year so far and we are in June! WOAH! But let us see….let’s start with the narrators. We had two of them. One for Dimple’s POV and one for the cutest guy “alive”. I adored the narrators. What did you think?

Obviously I am not the person to ask, I have the BIGGEST voice crush on Vikas Adam *happy sigh* I kind of wanna make babies with his voice. There I said it. I love his voice. Love love love love it. Hihi. Ok yes I am smitten. So yes he was good, ahem.

*serious face* The other narrator whom I can not even recall the name of, sorry! But Vikas! Was good too.

Omg yes. His voice was beautiful and smexy. Hehe. He really was the best pic for our male hero. His girl voice made me chuckle though. 

I thought the same when I listened to a certain other series he narrated, and then I got used to it, but yes they are still amusing ;) I did like that they did it this way. Cos it really was HIS and HERS pov so they could not have done it any other way.

Agreed. I must listen to more by both of them. They really brought the characters alive! I did not feel like I was listening to an audiobook. It felt like I was listening to a show. So good, so good.

Then we both agree, great narration :) And sure, maybe I would have liked it as much if I read it, or maybe I would not have. I feel like the narration pushed it for me to great.

Yes. The story was good, but I feel the narration gave it an extra star for me. The story was good from page one. Those darn parents ;) I felt bad for Dimple, but she made me mad being all mean to Rishi!!!! HE IS AN ANGEL YOU WICKED WOMAN! *shakes fist*

I did wanna slap her at the end. Rishi loves you you stupid idiot! *shakes fist too* But I did like her parents, sure, it was not cool what they did, but they would never have forced her. They just tried to nudge her and it gave us the BEST opening. Omg I snorted when they met.

I did fall for her parents and especially her dad. They are just trying to help wicked Dimple. It was rude not to tell her, but they know she would’ve just said forget it. And yes, that meeting was the best in romance history. And he still wanted to stick around!!!???? Love him.

Oh yes, adore him! If I had met a Rishi, awww, a cute nerd! Gold! He tried so hard, gotta love him. I liked how he loved his own culture.

Yes, I liked that too. They are sooooo different, but so similar that they are the perfect couple. What did you think of his brother and Dimple’s roomie?

I was not sure about him at start, but then we saw this other side to him and I got him. The roomie, well I wanted to kick her too. Stupid idiot. But then I forgave her.

Agreed. A part of me thought the brother was going to fall for Dimple and Rishi would have to kick his little butt. Hehe. But yes, the roomie was sweet but blinded by lust for the “cool” kids. Sighs. Poor girl.

I did love how they called them Aberzombies (the bad peeps in the story). Hehe, cos they so were! Ugh, I hated them

Me too. They made good “baddies” though. I was hoping one of them who seemed to be not TOO bad would change sides and lead the charge against them. Not real life though. WHICH I must say...the author did a good job keeping this realistic. All the awkward 18 year old moments and dramas that seem so serious but isn’t.

It did give good normal drama. I got why the roomie wanted to be cool. It was all well written and felt real.

Yes, I understand her wanting to be friends with them. Things change out of High School...but at the same time they don’t.

I am stuck now, nothing more to say, ugh, think think…..heeeeelp!

Ooo. I was reading some reviews on Goodreads. There were some complaints about how people felt that the author didn’t spend enough time with the app and their development about it. They complained that the author glossed over it just to get to the romance parts. What do you feel? I felt it was well balanced and I came to read a romance...not a story about how to code an app….

They did not spent a lot of time on the app no, I mean they did, but not in the story. Though would we really want page after page about coding? I was fine with the romance. They still talked about it.

Yes, there was a good balance. The author would spend a couple of pages throughout the book about their class and app and whatnot. Also, this is a YA, but it never felt YA.

I guess it is NA *eyeroll* I just do not get NA! Sorry NA lovers. The edges tend to be so blurry there.

NA?

New adult. Out of HS and in the world. Which they were, but it still could be YA. But not really adult.

Ahhh I am so out of the loop sometimes...I swear I live in a cave. Hehe. But yeah...IDK. It was a good story. The ending had me mad...and then happy...but then mad again because I WANT MORE! I want a short story or maybe Rishi’s bro’s story. That would be fun.

Same. MAD, and then happy. A story about his brother, hmmm, dunno, since we know things that might happen. No surprise there for me.

I am just curious how the bro’s chica (will not give spoilers here) will fit in. I am curious about that aspect mainly. She is not someone the parent’s would’ve picked for him.

True, but then he is not really the “perfect” son either so maybe they are lenient. But yes in that way it would be interesting. But you know we would just get mad if they did not like her. Cos they like each other and they are happy so they should be happy.

I agree. I think the parents will like her after a couple of meetings...but the rest of the family? That will be a bumpy ride. Even a short story will settle my curiosity for sure.

Narrated by Vikas then sure ;)

It better be! He can play the brother. Or just do the whole narration. Haha. I would be fine with that.

Yes! Lol, are we done? Next book will suck for sure now

Don’t say thatttt!!!!!!! LOL! But yes, this was a good one and I am happy our first audiobook discussion ended well.

Yay, yes I am glad it worked out.

The end?

The end, Kaj is looking at me with narrow eyes cos he has waited for us to go grocery shopping. He skipped Coffee for it ;)

Hehehe sorrrrrrrrryyyyyy Kaj! *sips on my own coffee*

Running now, byeeeee

Byezzz

About the Authors

Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging a long while now. The last couple of years the epic duo have been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.

Audio: No good dragon goes unpunished - Rachel Aaron

To keep his clan together and his skin intact, Julius is going to have to find a way to make his bloodthirsty siblings play fair. But there's more going on in Heartstriker Mountain than politics. Every family has its secrets, but the skeletons in Bethesda's closet are dragon sized, and with Algonquin's war looming over them all, breaking his clan wide open might just be the only hope Julius has of saving it. 

Audio CD, 19 h
Published December 27th 2016 by Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio (first published August 5th 2016)
Heartstrikers #3
Urban fantasy
Own

My thoughts:

OMG OMG OMG

Like OMG

NO WAY!

OMG!

WOW.

THE END

Can that be my review cos WOW. First Chelsea! OMG, I totally did not see that coming.

And the XXXXXXXXXXXXX omg did not see that coming.

Dang, the revelations kept on coming and I was on the edge of my seat. I think I managed 6 hours today cos I COULD NOT STOP.

I sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo want the next book but it is freaking sold out. Wtf? That is beyond cruel. OMG the thing happening in the next one. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEk.

Poor Chelsea.

I think I have to give this another 5. I told SO that I will NOT speak to him and then I put headphones on. Hehe.

Amazing.

Love Love love this series.

Did I say OMG?

OMG!

Marci!

LOve love Julius!

Amelia!

Ahhh Bob and his Pigeon.

OMG just listen to it. NOW!

Narrator Vikas Adam

He is a god!

SO good.