Please Note:  I received an advance audiobook copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

With her acclaimed New York Times bestseller (and Reese's Book Club pick) Fair Play, Eve Rodsky began a national conversation about greater equality on the home front. But she soon realized that even when the domestic workload becomes more balanced, people still report something missing in their lives--that is, unless they create and prioritize time for activities that not only fill their calendars but also unleash their creativity.

Rodsky calls this vital time Unicorn Space--the active and open pursuit of creative self-expression in any form that makes you uniquely YOU. To help readers embrace all the unlikely, surprising, and delightful places where their own Unicorn Space may be found, she speaks with trail blazers, thought leaders, academics, and countless real people who have discovered theirs everywhere--from activism to artistic endeavors to second careers.

Rodsky reveals what researchers already know: Creativity is not optional. It's essential. Though most of us do need to remind ourselves how (and where) to find it. With her trademark mix of research based, how-to advice and big-picture inspirational thinking, Rodsky shows you a clear path to reclaim your permission to have fun, manifest your own Unicorn Space in an already too-busy life, and unleash your special gifts and undiscovered talents into the world.

Review:

I have not read the author's previous book on household inequity, Fair Play, It had to do with how much more of the domestic work women often do at home than their partners.  I think this is an important topic, as we all can see by how women were much more affected by the COVID pandemic than their male partners.  Find Your Unicorn Space Eve Rodsky's latest book, is about finding time to pursue your interests.  She makes a good case for why this is important and not a luxury.  I appreciated her practical tips for having conversations with one's partner in order to get free time to do this.  She also wrote about how we can identify what our passions are.  This may seem unnecessary, but as many people put their needs last after their kids, this was actually really useful.

What I didn't appreciate was the author's assumptions that everyone reading this book is a heterosexual woman with a male partner, who has kids.  This really limited the appeal of the book for me. She also seems to scold people who say they don't have extra time in the day.  She makes the case that you can always find time for these pursuits.  But, if someone is struggling financially, in poor health, or working over 40 hours a week, they easily may not have time for anything other than sleep. There are also cultural challenges that some people may face that make doing creative things very difficult.    

What I Liked:

I did like that the book shows how people need to bee creative.  Much as we think this is a luxury, we should realize that it is necessary for a fulfilling life to finds ways to be creative.  While some are lucky enough to combine their passion with something that pays, most of us do not have that.  By finding creative outlets, whether it be cooking wonderful meals for our families, or studying a language, we will have more satisfying lives.  

The author does a good job of describing the differences between seeking happiness, and seeking fulfillment in life.  While happiness is an emotion that comes and goes, fulfillment is deeper and longer lasting.  I really appreciated these distinctions.  Too often, we are told we need to be happy, and if we're not, something is wrong with our lives.  But, happiness comes in waves.  Just because one isn't happy at every given moment  doesn't mean their life is on the wrong track. 

The book also had practical tips for having constructive conversations with your partner about what both of you need.  Getting time to pursue your interests is a two-way street.  If your partner is taking time to work on their interests, you need to get equal time.  The author points out though, that these conversations can be emotionally charged if not handled carefully, and with mutual respect.  

What I Didn't Like:

One of my pet peeves is when someone (like a celebrity) moans about how hard it is to be a mother, only to learn that they employ a cook, a housekeeper, and a nanny!  Oh cry me a river.  They do not have it hard.  This book is like that.  There are many examples that the author uses of having to negotiate with her husband about him taking on more of the household chores and childcare so she can have her creative time.  But, from the acknowledgement at the end of the book, she does employ a nanny.  Leaving out this key detail makes her lose some credibility with me, as a reader.  

The author does concede that every study she sites on the workload inequities that women face are based on cis gender, heterosexual couples.  Maybe there haven't been any studies done with other types of households.  But this narrows the audience for this book.  Single parents, gay couples, etc. are completely shut out.

She also (very briefly) acknowledges that it's more challenging to be creative when you're having trouble making ends meet.  But then she gives examples of women who are able to do this, even though they a struggling financially.  Way to put pressure on women, Eve!  These examples, in my opinion, are themselves, unicorns.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  December 28, 2021

Author:  Eve Rodsky

Genre:  Self-Help

Audio Publisher:  Penguin Random House Audio

Narrator:  Eve Rodsky

Audiobook Length:  8 hours, 52 minutes

Print Publisher:  G.P. Putman's Sons

Print Length:  336 pages

Source:  Penguin Random House Audio

Review Format: Audiobook 

Recommendation:  While this book does offer good tips to create time for creativity, it also reeks of privilege.  I think this would be a good library read.

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from Libro.fm (and a print version from NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in a house of women who make their living embroidering the robes of priests. Restless, insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds a book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. This she reads to her ailing sister as the walls of the only place she has known are bombarded in the great siege of Constantinople. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, miles from home, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the invading army. His path and Anna’s will cross.

Five hundred years later, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno, who learned Greek as a prisoner of war, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. She has never set foot on our planet.

Review:

All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, is one of my favorite books of recent years.  So when I heard the author had finally written another book, I was eager to get my hands on it.  I was not disappointed.  This book is a slow burn.  There are really four stories going on here.  Each storyline is completely different from the others.  They take place at different times, and places, and are filled with vibrant characters.  You know that they are related somehow, but it takes reading most of the book to understand how all the pieces fit together.  I did find it frustrating, at first, because I couldn't understand the structure of the novel, as it does jump around quite a bit.  But I stuck with it and was rewarded with a rich tapestry of people, eras, and stories that are expertly woven together by the author.  

I think it's worth listening to the audio version over the print version, as it has wonderful production values, and clues that I picked up that I know I would have missed if I had only read the words on the page.

This is a truly special book.

What I Liked:

Audiobook Narration:

The book is narrated by Marin Ireland who does a wonderful job with three of the four stories.  She inhibits such a variety of characters from a fifteenth century nun to a sullen modern-day teenage boy.  With each person, she finds just the right voice to fit the character.

Cloud Cuckoo Land (in the book) is presented as a story from ancient times that one of the characters in another story has translated.  Simon Jones is an inspired choice to narrate this fantastical story within the story.  This is the actor who was the original Arthur Dent of BBC Radio's version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and he brings the same sense of wonder and awe into this story.  Also, as his style is completely different from Marin Ireland's, it is an easy reminder for the reader that these sections in the book are a fable, and not actually happening.

Characters:

There are so many characters to love in this novel, but Zeno, the translator, is my favorite.  We meet Zeno as an old man.  The novel opens in 2020, as Zeno assists a group of fifth graders in putting on a play at the local Idaho library.  The play is, of course, Cloud Cuckoo Land.  As the story unfolds, we learn about Zeno's life as a young immigrant to America, to a POW in the Korean War, to his finding his life's work, translating Cloud Cuckoo Land from ancient Greek.

Zeno has had quite a life, but he has also squandered many opportunities for happiness.  As a man learning he is gay in nineteen-fifties America, Zeno has lived with fear all his life.  He is constantly trying to find a way to pass as straight.  When he meets the love of his life in the POW camp, he can't really bring himself to show his feelings.  But all is not lost for Zeno.  Through Rex, the man he loves, he develops a love of ancient Greek, and for translating.  This becomes his life's work.

I also loved Constance, another character who lives on a space ship sometime in the future.  She was born on the ship, and later learns that the journey she is on will take hundreds of years.  She will never live to see the final destination.  While the ship is filled with all the knowledge of the Earth, will it be enough?  If it isn't, how can she find a way to accept this?

I thought Constance (who we see from about age nine through about age fourteen in the story) shows a tremendous range of feelings and maturity.  She is faced with the fact that her life is but a stepping stone for future generations.  But isn't that what all our lives are, really?

Themes:

The themes of this book concern the enormity of time and how we confront that in each of our lives.  The author does this through the vehicle of a book, Cloud Cuckoo Land, that moves across all the stories over hundreds (and thousands) of years. Cloud Cuckoo Land is a story of a journey, rather like Homer's, The Odyssey.  It shows a rather silly man dreaming of a better life, if he could just become a majestic bird.  The story is filled with magic, and is diverting for the other characters in the other stories who read it.  Each person who encounters Cloud Cuckoo Land, comes to cherish it, and fights to preserve it.  But can a book, made of paper and ink, survive the ravages of time?  Won't all material things disintegrate over the centuries?  

For the characters, how do they find meaning when, eventually, everyone is forgotten?  What is important to the characters (family, position, wealth) will not continue on after they die.  Can anything last over time?  I think the author sees stories, and the task of preserving them, as a means to immortalize those who lived before us, and to continue the journey for those who will come after us.

About Libro.fm

This is a wonderful audiobook subscription service!  Instead of supporting billionaires who want to cosplay being astronauts, you can actually support your local independent bookseller!  Part of the subscription prices goes to support the independent bookseller of your choice.  You get one book credit per month, plus 30% off other audiobook purchases.  If you're interested, please use my link, and I will get a credit if you sign up.

http://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm75477

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  September 28th, 2021

Author:  Anthony Doerr

Genre:  Literary Fiction

Print Publisher:  Scribner

Page Length:  640 Pages

Audio Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Audio

Audio Length:  14 Hours, 51 Minutes

Narrators:  Marin Ireland & Simon Jones

Format: Audio Book (and print)

Source:  Libro.fm, and Netgalley

Recommendation:  This is a complex book that may try your patience at first.  But stick with it.  All the stories come together to create a masterful novel.  I highly recommend this book.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this audiobook from Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

As Jenny Lawson’s hundreds of thousands of fans know, she suffers from depression. In Broken, she explores her experimental treatment of transcranial magnetic stimulation with brutal honesty. But also with brutal humor. Jenny discusses the frustration of dealing with her insurance company in “An Open Letter to My Insurance Company,” which should be an anthem for anyone who has ever had to call their insurance company to try and get a claim covered. She tackles such timelessly debated questions as “How do dogs know they have penises?” We see how her vacuum cleaner almost set her house on fire, how she was attacked by three bears, business ideas she wants to pitch to Shark Tank, and why she can never go back to the post office. Of course, Jenny’s long-suffering husband Victor―the Ricky to Jenny’s Lucille Ball―is present throughout.

A treat for Jenny Lawson’s already existing fans, and destined to convert new ones, Broken is a beacon of hope and a wellspring of laughter.

Review:

I've seen the covers of Jenny Lawson's many books, but this is the first book of hers I've picked up.  Although the humor in this book took some getting used to (there's a lot of bathroom humor for a woman in her late forties), Lawson speaks eloquently about the challenges of living with  mental health issues.  She shares her experiences with the various treatments, and health insurance problems she must cycle through to find something that works for her.  

Along the way, she also speaks to the impact this has on her family.  It seems like she feels no small amount of guilt that her illness takes up so much energy in her marriage. But she also understands that her husband and child accept her, and love her, for who she is.  Besides depression, Lawson has anxiety, which means she and her family have never taken a real vacation.  And she knows that she's different from the other mother's at her child's school. 

Where the book really shines is when Lawson talks about the universality of embarrassment.  Everyone has done stupid, foot-in-mouth, embarrassing things.  Her examples of fans sharing their embarrassing moments are hilarious, and help reminds us that whatever dumb thing we've done, we can move on.

Jenny Lawson also provides the narration for this book.  She is the natural choice for this and adds a sense of intimacy that no one else could provide.

This was a wonderful book that makes me want to go back and read all her other works.

A word about audiobooks:  

 If you like audiobooks, and want to support Independent bookstores, please consider buying your audiobooks from Libro.fm.  The money you spend supports Independent bookstores and not Amazon. 

If you are interested, please click on my link.  When you sign up, you'll get a free audiobook:

 http://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm75477

Full Disclosure:  I do earn audiobooks if you sign up.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  April 6th, 2021

Author:  Jenny Lawson

Genre:  Humor/Memoir

Audio Publisher:   MacMillan Audio

Audio Length:  8 Hours, 18 Minutes

Narrator:  Jenny Lawson

Print Publisher:  Henry Holt & Co.

Book Length:  288 Pages

Source:  Libro.fm

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  While the humor may be crude at times, this book had wonderful, humorous insights into life, mental illness, and long-term marriage.  I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state--and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi's before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie's. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. . .

The last thing Brooklyn-based organizational guru Mae Moore, Amanda's sister, wants is to go home to Kansas. But when her career implodes, Food Wars becomes her chance to step back into the limelight. Mae is certain she can make the fading Mimi's look good--even if that pits her against Amanda and Frannie's. With a greedy producer stoking the flames, their friendly rivalry quickly turns into a game of chicken. Yet when family secrets become public knowledge, the sisters must choose: Will they fight with each other, or for their heritage?

Review:

I first heard about this book from my book club.  Several people loved it.  So when I was offered an advance audiobook copy from Penguin Random House Audio, I was eager to listen to it.  The book had been described to me as hilarious, full of family shenanigans, and a cutthroat food competition.  However, I found nothing funny about this book.  This was a serious family saga, with the added element of how manipulative reality television can be.  I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the book had been marketed differently.  While the narration was excellent, I had a hard time empathizing with the main characters.  I do feel this is a well-written book, but it was hardly amusing.

What I Liked:

Narration:

The narrators, Xe Sands and Cassandra Campbell, did a wonderful job of portraying the two sisters, Mae, and Amanda.  Xe Sands has just the right voice for Mae, a  career-driven New York transplant.  Cassandra Campbell, shows just how naive Amanda was.  I particularly enjoyed how Campbell voiced the presenter of Food Wars, the cynical, two-faced Sabrina.  That character could go from sweet and concerned to conniving in a heartbeat.   This illusion for television, and the breaking of it, is central to the plot of the book.

Behind The Scenes of Reality Television:

Mae's highest ambition is to become a reality show host like super organizer, Marie Kondo.  The book gives us a behind the scenes look at these type of shows.  One could tell that the author used shows such as Restaurant Impossible, Cake Wars, and Hoarders, as inspiration.  But while it seems like everything is unscripted, the book shows how the producers of these shows set up conflict, and then use video footage to create a narrative with villains and heroes.  While I would like to think that the tactics used by the producers in the book are an exaggeration, I have a feeling they're not.

Hoarding:

I did like how the book approached the topic of hoarding. Mae and Amanda's mother, Barbara, is a hoarder, an open secret in their small town, but not something they want advertised to the world on television.   I could really identify with some of the guilt and embarrassment as a child of a hoarder.  I appreciate that the book explores the psychology of why people hoard things.  Hoarding is a sign of deep problems.  Blaming the family of the hoarder isn't helpful.  And just cleaning up the mess will not solve what's wrong.  People who hoard need empathy, love, support, and counseling to get to the root of the issue.

What I Was Mixed About:

Characters:

I really had a problem with Mae and Amanda.  Yes, they both had childhood trauma that shaped their choices as adults.  But they were incredibly mean to each other.  Mae is constantly judging Amanda for staying in their small hometown.  She was all too eager to underestimate her sister's talents.  Amanda never misses up a chance to point out Amanda's shortcomings to others.  Considering how secretive they each were about their mother's issues, it was surprising that Amanda was so eager to wave around all the dirty laundry.  The author explained it away as Amanda not understanding how the producers of Food Wars would use Amanda's comments.  But I didn't find that plausible.  

Mae was also generally awful to everyone.  She constantly makes important decisions about her family without consulting her husband.  When Mae makes the decision to take her kids hundreds of miles away to hustle her way to be featured on Food Wars, she shouldn't have been surprised that her husband, Jay was upset.  She continually looked for ways to market herself (and her family) on social media in order to further her career.  I found her sudden interest in the welfare of her mother to be a giant leap.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  December 1st, 2020

Author:  K.J. Dell'Antonia

Genre:  Literary Fiction

Audio Publisher:  Penguin Random House Audio

Narrators: Xe Sands, Cassandra Campbell

Audio Length:  12 hours, 22 minutes

Print Publisher: G.P. Putman's Sons

Print Length:  352 Pages

Source:  Penguin Random House Audio

Format: Audiobook

Recommendation:  

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from Random House Audio in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy.
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.

Review:

A Promised Land, by the Barack Obama arrives just in time to remind the world what government used to look like.  This memoir chronicles not just most of his first presidency, but also Obama's childhood, and his various political campaigns that culminates with his first campaign for President of the United States.  Although, at times, the book dives a little too much into the minutia of policy decisions, this is a riveting book.

What I Liked:

A Look at Life in the White House:

I really like learning how life is like for the First Family.  We see how many people they are surrounded by at all times, from Secret Service agents to chefs, to assistants and cleaning staff.  There are so many people who look after this family.  But, despite all the lack of privacy, Obama is able to enjoy daily dinners with his family (something he never was able to do as a busy lawyer and legislator).  Michelle, the First Lady, is able to maintain friendships, and has the aid of her mother, who moves into the White House to help with the girls.  And Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, make friends, go to sleepovers, and play sports like other kids.

Challenges of Life in the Limelight: 

There are also many difficulties to being in such a high profile position.  Obama and his wife has to endure racist attacks that no other President would have to deal with.   I was particularly interested in what Obama had to say about Donald Trump's "Investigation" into Obama's birth certificate.  

I was also struck by how reluctant Michelle was about Barack's political ambitions.  Actually, this is not surprising.  By choosing such high profile jobs, Barack essentially relegates the entire job of parenting their children to her.  For an accomplished woman who has spent years on her education,  this must have been a bitter pill to swallow.  Plus, she was understandably concerned for the safety and well-being of their children.  You rarely see these concerns aired in public.  This causes the reader to understand how amazingly surreal being President of The United States would be.

Osama Bin Laden:

The most interesting portion of the book has to do with the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.  Obama makes this a priority of his presidency, and the stakes couldn't have been higher.  Reflecting on other military missions that went horribly wrong (remember Black Hawk Down?), Obama is all too aware of how this could make or break his presidency.  The amount of planning, and the decision process, are fascinating.

What I Was Mixed About:

At nearly eight hundred pages, the book sometimes plods on with too many details about various summits and passages of legislation.  I suppose that a reader's reaction to each episode will depend on what their interests are.  If climate change is your priority, you will have ample insight into how the 2016 Paris Agreement was negotiated.  If you are most interesting in the Affordable Care Act, you will get a blow by blow on how it was passed.  I just wish some of this could have been streamlined.  I think more people would read this if the book was shorter.

Rating: 

Release Date:  November 17th, 2020

Author:  Barack Obama

Genre:  Memoir

Audio Narrator:  Barack Obama

Audio Publisher:  Random House Audio

Audio Length:  29 hours, 11 minutes

 Print Publisher:  Crown Books

Page Length:  768 Pages

Format:  Audiobook

Source:  Penguin Random House Audio

Recommendation:  Although overly long, this is a riveting look at an historic presidency.  

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this novel from Libro.fm, in exchange for an audio review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A highly imaginative and original horror-comedy centered around a cursed New England boarding school for girls—a wickedly whimsical celebration of the art of storytelling, sapphic love, and the rebellious female spirit.

Our story begins in 1902, at The Brookhants School for Girls. Flo and Clara, two impressionable students, are obsessed with each other and with a daring young writer named Mary MacLane, the author of a scandalous bestselling memoir. To show their devotion to Mary, the girls establish their own private club and call it The Plain Bad Heroine Society. They meet in secret in a nearby apple orchard, the setting of their wildest happiness and, ultimately, of their macabre deaths. This is where their bodies are later discovered with a copy of Mary’s book splayed beside them, the victims of a swarm of stinging, angry yellow jackets. Less than five years later, The Brookhants School for Girls closes its doors forever—but not before three more people mysteriously die on the property, each in a most troubling way.

Over a century later, the now abandoned and crumbling Brookhants is back in the news when wunderkind writer, Merritt Emmons, publishes a breakout book celebrating the queer, feminist history surrounding the “haunted and cursed” Gilded-Age institution. Her bestselling book inspires a controversial horror film adaptation starring celebrity actor and lesbian it girl Harper Harper playing the ill-fated heroine Flo, opposite B-list actress and former child star Audrey Wells as Clara. But as Brookhants opens its gates once again, and our three modern heroines arrive on set to begin filming, past and present become grimly entangled—or perhaps just grimly exploited—and soon it’s impossible to tell where the curse leaves off and Hollywood begins.

A story within a story within a story and featuring black-and-white period illustrations, Plain Bad Heroines is a devilishly haunting, modern masterwork of metafiction that manages to combine the ghostly sensibility of Sarah Waters with the dark imagin:ation of Marisha Pessl and the sharp humor and incisive social commentary of Curtis Sittenfeld into one laugh-out-loud funny, spellbinding, and wonderfully luxuriant read. 

Review:

Plain Bad Heroines is a story with dual timelines. One story takes place in the early nineteen hundreds at a girls boarding school in New England, while the other is set in modern-day Hollywood.  With it's story within a story format, the book is a look at female romantic relationships in both times.  It's also a fun behind the scenes look at the making of a big budget movie, with all the power plays, and shenanigans that go along with it.  I enjoyed both stories, and found this to be a highly entertaining audiobook.

What I Liked:

Narration:

I was very impressed with the narration by Xe Sands.  She perfectly created both the cadence of New England society women and the cockiness of Hollywood players.  I particularly liked how she conveyed the longing between Libbie and Alex.  At a time when lesbians could go to jail for showing their affections for other women, Sand's voice got across all the secrecy, and fear, of these characters.

Story Within a Story:

There were two parallel stories in this book.  The story of two female lovers who are running an all girls school in Rhode Island in the early nineteen hundreds, and a modern story about the making of a film based on the girls school.  This was a fun behind the scenes look at the making of a movie, that contrasts with (and sometimes mirrors) the evolution of the female relationships at the girls school.

Characters:

My favorite character was Harper Harper, the modern-day movie star who will be the centerpiece of the movie about Brookhanst.  The tough, lesbian actress who always knew how to turn on her movie star charm, also was a young woman who knew how strange it was that she was famous at all.  I could totally see Kristen Stewart in this role.  

I also liked Audrey, the child star who desperately wants to be taken seriously as an adult actress.  The run up of her audition for the role of Clara was a riveting behind the scenes look at the movie business.  Her mother, a faded movie star in her own right, was a cringe-worthy look at a woman who ruthlessly used her daughter to gain attention for herself.

What I Was Mixed About:

Ending:

I have mixed feelings about the endings of the two stories.  I enjoyed the resolution of the contemporary story, but the one that took place in the early nineteen hundreds was unclear to me.   The modern story, which was the making of a movie based on the girls school in the earlier story, showed the completion of the movie, as well as what happened to the characters.  I was deeply invested in these characters and so it was very satisfying to have a follow up on the characters after the movie was finished.  The earlier story involving the love story between Libbie (the owner of the Bookhanst girls school) and Alex (her female lover), has a muddled ending.  Even though I could understand what happened, I had a hard time understanding WHY it happened.  The author went for a gothic horror ending, but it was tempered by the fact that it was so convoluted, the explanation of what happened wound up more confusing than revelatory.

A word about audiobooks:  

 If you like audiobooks, and want to support Independent bookstores, please consider buying your audiobooks from Libro.fm.  The money you spend supports Independent bookstores and not Amazon. 

If you are interested, please click on my link.  When you sign up, you'll get a free audiobook:

 http://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm75477

Full Disclosure:  I do earn audiobooks if you sign up.

Rating:  

Release Date:  October 20th, 2020

Author: Emily M. Danforth

Audio Narrator: Xe Sands

Audio Publisher:  Harper Audio

Audio Length:  19 Hours, 27 Minutes

Print Publisher:  William Morrow

Print Page Length:  619 Pages

Source:  Libro.fm

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  Even with it's confusing ending, this was a very compelling and entertaining book. 

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this Audiobook from Listening Library in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

From New York Times bestselling authors Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff comes an Illuminae prequel digital novella that gives readers a hair-raising glimpse into the calamity that befell the invincible AI system known as AIDAN–and the daring young programmer who would risk her life to keep it from crashing.

AIDAN is the AI you’ll love to hate.

The advanced AI system was supposed to protect a fleet of survivors who’d escaped the deadly attack on Kerenza IV. AIDAN was supposed to be infallible. But in the chaotic weeks and months that followed, it became clear that something was terribly, terribly wrong with AIDAN…

Review:

This novella, by one of my favorite writing duos, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, is a VERY short story, coming in at a listening total of just over ninety minutes.  But, it quickly packs a powerful punch.  But be warned, true to their signature style, the authors created a story that will rip your heart to shreds.

via GIPHY

What I Liked:

Narration: 

This novella may be short, but it keeps the strong production values of the other books in the series.  There is a full cast, with sound effects, and music, all of which bring this story to life.  I particularly liked the voice of AIDAN, the computer who is developing a sense of self.  Lincoln Hoppe does a masterful job of making AIDAN both child-like and disturbing.

Story:

This short story is a terrific introduction to the Illuminae book series.  I shows the origins of one of the main conflict in the series.   AIDAN, the AI that runs the Kerenza spaceship is developing a sense of self.  But, due to the damage he sustains in the attack (that occurs in this book),  his decision making skills are flawed.  Or are his actions self-preservation?  

This story works for fans of the series as well, as we get more backstory on the members of the crew of the Kerenza, and an achingly beautiful love story to boot.  I LOVED Ethan and Liv.  But, knowing how these author roll, I knew their story was headed for...  I'm not going to spoil it!  But have your tissues ready.

via GIPHY

Rating: 

Release Date:  October 20th, 2020

Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Genre:  Science Fiction

Audiobook Publisher:  Listening Library

Audiobook Length:  93 Minutes

Narrators:   

Olivia Klein, read by India Dupré
Ethan Wolf, read by James Fouhey
AIDAN, read by Lincoln Hoppe
Stephanie LeFevre, read by Emma Bering
Ezra Mason, read by Johnathan McClain
Narrator, read by Ryan Gesell
 
Featuring additional performances by Danny Campbell, Frankie Corzo, Chris Cuilla, Deepti Gupta, John Lee, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Donabella Mortel, Austin Rising, Erin Spencer, and Nancy Wu.

Print Publisher:  Knopf

Page Length:  84 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  A must read for fans of The Illuminae series, and a great introduction to this series if you haven't read it. 

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

This is a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.

Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers slowly begin opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people

Review:

Never has a title of a book been more appropriate for our time.  Anxious People is filled with people with major issues.  And at first, I found these characters more obnoxious than anxious.  But, by the end of the novel, I grew to love each personality.  This is a wonderful, funny book that is a perfect read in these uncertain times.  I loved it.

What I Liked:

Format:

The story is told in police interviews, and character flashbacks.  With each chapter, we learn more and more about each person.  Each point of view adds a new layer to each character.  This makes this book a page-turner as we try to figure out who these people really are.

Characters:

This is a character-driven book.  As the story progresses, characters, who we think we understand, are seen in a new light as more information is revealed.  Take Roger and Analena for example.  I found this couple so annoying at first.  Roger is a typical obnoxious older man who puffs around the real-estate showing.  His wife Analena seems clueless.  But as the story unfolds, you really see the humanity and love in this marriage.  

I also love that several of these people are not meeting randomly.  There are connections that are revealed as the story progresses.  This is fun and explains the motivations of some of the characters.  

For instance, the two policemen aren't just colleagues.  They are father and son.  Their bickering demonstrates what a colossally bad idea working with your children is.  It's impossible for the pair to act professional with each other.  While this may not be realistic, it is quite funny.  

Narrator:  

The narrator, Marin Ireland, does a wonderful job with the many characters in this story.  Most of these people have big personalities and attitude, and Ireland finds ways to show their personalities in her delivery.  From the snotty twenty year-old bank teller, to the jaded banker, each character is a distinct individual.

Story:

The fun of this book is that, aside from all the wonderful characters, this is a mystery.  It begins in the aftermath of a hostage crisis after a failed bank robbery.  But when the hostages are released, the bank robber cannot be found.  Where did he go?  Who was he?  All this is slowly unveiled through the story.

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 8th, 2020

Author:  Fredrik Backman

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

Narrator:  Marin Ireland

Audio Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Audio

Audio Length:  9 hours, 53 minutes

Print Publisher:  Atria Books

Print Length:  352 Pages

Source:  Libro.fm

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  This was a wonderful, funny novel.  I highly recommend it.

Please Note:  I received an advance audiobook copy of this novel from Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Kate Rees, a young American markswoman, has been recruited by British intelligence to drop into Paris with a dangerous assignment: assassinate the Führer. Wrecked by grief after a Luftwaffe bombing killed her husband and infant daughter, she is armed with a rifle, a vendetta, and a fierce resolve. But other than rushed and rudimentary instruction, she has no formal spy training. Thrust into the red-hot center of the war, a country girl from rural Oregon finds herself holding the fate of the world in her hands. When Kate misses her mark and the plan unravels, Kate is on the run for her life—all the time wrestling with the suspicion that the whole operation was a set-up.

Cara Black, doyenne of the Parisian crime novel, is at her best as she brings Occupation-era France to vivid life in this gripping story about one young woman with the temerity—and drive—to take on Hitler himself.

Review:

Cara Black is a prolific writer of crime fiction set in Paris.  Her novels are gritty and exiting.  Three Hours in Paris, is another thriller, but this time, it is set in the Paris of WWII.  Kate is uniquely qualified to go behind enemy lines to attempt to assassinate Hitler.  Although an American, Kate is an expert markswoman who is also fluent in French.  But what is most qualifying for Kate is that she has a very personal reason to kill Hitler, he is responsible for the deaths of her husband and daughter.

This is a thrilling novel, where we follow Kate on a nearly impossible mission to France to kill Hitler, and get back to England alive.  Can she do it?  Or is she being set up to fail?  Although the beginning is needlessly melodramatic, I loved the characters, and the complex plot lines.  This was a very entertaining read.

What I Liked:

Setting:

I liked the attention to historical details of life during WWII.  Aside from clothes and food, I could got a strong sense of how Paris became a different city due to the occupation. You could feel the desperation in neighbors and shop owners.  Neighbors could inform on each other.  But many people did want to help fight the Nazis in small, quiet ways.

Characters:

Kate was resilient, fierce and so determined to survive.  I loved that she never gave up.  She was able to adapt and change her plans quickly.  She was like a female McGyver! 

Her trainer, although on the Allied side, was the true villain of the story.  He wrote off Kate as expendable, mostly because she was a woman.  His willingness to send people to their deaths showed how ruthless he was.  It also showed that the behavior of the British were not as pristine as they wanted anyone to believe.

Story:

I loved how fast-paced the story was.  In the chaos of war, none of the plans Kate was directed to follow work out.  Following Kate as she finds workarounds to problems was exciting and made this book a page-turner.  I really wanted Kate to make it out alive.  And, I wanted the men who were so wiling to throw her life away to pay for cruelty.  I couldn't stop listening. 

What I Didn't Like:

Melodramatic beginning:

I know that the author needed Kate to be highly motivated to hate Hitler.  But the killing of her husband and daughter was very dramatic.   Of course, Kate's life was practically perfect.  She had a loving husband, and adorable daughter.  When they die, it's brutal and disturbing.  Afterwards, she really doesn't have anywhere to go.  I wished the author could have made a motivation that was more subtle.  I didn't like that she was so alone. 

Rating: 

Release Date:  April 7th, 2020

Author:  Cara Black

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Audio Publisher:  Recorded Books Inc.

Narrator:  Elisabeth Rodgers

Audio Length:10 hours, 21 minutea

Print Publisher:  Soho Crime

Page Length:  350 Pages

Source:  Libro.fm

Format:  Audiobooks

Recommendation: I thrilling historical fiction.  Highly entertaining.