Audio Book

Audiobook: The Girl with a Thousand Faces

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by Sunyi Dean
Read by Natalie Naudus
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Content: There is a lot of violence, including some gruesome killings, as well as swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

Mercy Chan has spent the past 30 years since she washed up on the shores of Hong Kong being a ghost talker in the walled Kowloon neighborhood of Hong Kong. She’s made a bit of a reputation for herself and works for the largest gang in town, helping them keep the streets of Kowloon safe (ish). But a new demon has infiltrated the walls of the neighborhood, one that can’t be talked down to and one that is killing indiscriminately. As Mercy finds out more about the demon, she slowly comes to realize that maybe this one has more to do with her than she thought.

I was told by my SFF reading buddies at work (whom I trust to send good books my way) that this was excellent. And when I saw it on audio, I picked it up. First, that was an excellent choice. Nadus is a FANTASTIC reader, one of those that I will actively seek out books she reads. She added a level of atmosphere to this one that added to the creepiness and to the story, which really made it engrossing.

Second, I might have given up on this one if it weren’t for Nadus. It’s interesting but not really compelling until nearly through the second part, when it just hits a different level. The problem for me, though, was that the second part was written in the second person. Which I loathe. I really hate feeling like a book is talking to me rather than just reading a story, but listening to it on audio softened this annoyance. I get why Dean made that choice, but it still was mildly annoying. Even so, this was a fantastic ghost story – horror lite, which I’ve discovered I don’t hate – and one definitely worth listening to.

Audiobook: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest

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by Aubrey Hartman
Read by Marisa Calin
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Content: There are some intense moments, especially for animal lovers. It’s in the Newbery Medal section of the bookstore.

Clair is the usher of animals’ spirits into the afterlife. He’s comfortable in his life; he enjoys his job; and his undeath keeps him from going to the afterworld he thinks he’s destined for: the realm of Pain. Then one day, a badger (of all animals!) comes through and can’t find her way into the afterlife. Clair tries everything he knows how to do, and nothing works. So he and Gingersnipes (the badger) set out on an adventure to try and figure out what to do.

It’s a simple story, and one I think that if I’d read, I’d not enjoy very much. But, listening to it on audio? It was perfect. Calin did an excellent job with the story, keeping me as a listener engaged. Some production elements helped as well – echoes and different effects, and so on — that helped as well. And as a result, I couldn’t stop listening. It was compelling, entertaining, and yes, touching.

This one would make an excellent read-aloud as well.

Audiobook: Piranesi

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by Susanna Clarke
Read by Chiwetel Ejiofor
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Content: There’s some talk of murder; it’s pretty intricate in its writing, and there are about a dozen f-bombs at one point. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore

I don’t have a lot to add to my original review; let’s just say if you’re among those who have not read this yet, the audiobook is incredible. We picked it up because we were going to St. Louis and back, and my husband hadn’t read it yet (though our daughters have urged him to). I didn’t remember much from the last time I read it, so I was willing to listen to it. And it was remarkable. Ejiofor did an incredible job with the narration, and I was captivated from beginning to end.

It’s a truly remarkable book.

Audiobook: Star Shipped

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by Cat Sebastian
Read by Joel Leslie
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Content: There are a couple of on-page non-graphic sex scenes, and swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Simon and Charlie have been co-stars for the past seven years, working on a space TV show called Out There. They have fought constantly, griping at each other. Simon doesn’t particularly like Charlie, and is convinced that the feeling is mutual. But then, Charlie needs help on a road trip to Arizona, and suddenly Simon’s life is turned upside down: maybe what he was thinking/feeling wasn’t right at all.

There’s more to the story than that – mostly because Sebastian does an excellent job with Simon’s issues: he has migraines, he is very anxious, and he has mild OCD. Charlie has panic attacks. They are real people with real problems (even if they are rich and semi-famous actors), and Sebastian does an excellent job weaving that into this romance. Simon started off cold and distant, and it was delightful to watch him grow and open up as his and Charlie’s relationship grew.

It was also a love letter to fandoms (I was describing this to my husband when I realized that it was very much a Kirk-Spock fanfic), and the impact that having stories that center queer characters have have in the lives of queer kids.

I absolutely loved it, and I’m definitely going to seek more of Sebastian’s books out!

Audiobook: How to Fake it in Society

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by KJ Charles
Read by Will Watt
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Content: There is some swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and some fade-to-black sex. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Titus Pilcrow is the fifth son of a wealthy (now dead) English landowner, and so has had to make his own way in the world. He was given an apprenticeship in making paints for artists, something he has come to love, and even has his own ship. Except that his landlord (a former lover) is raising the rent. Titus is pretty despondent, and when he goes to collect a bill from a wealthy customer, he is roped into her dying wish: marry her, inherit her fortune, so she can cut her despicable nephew off.

The problem was: she was going to marry Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte. So when Nico comes back from a business trip to find the woman dead and another man in his place, he’s a bit… upset. Especially since he and his cousin owe a money lender 2,000 pounds. So, of course, he’s going to find his way into Titus’s good graces. What he didn’t expect was to fall in love.

There was so much silliness in this one, and I found it absolutely delightful. Titus goes from a beleaguered and battered man – a terrible father and older brother as well as a cruel lover will do that to a man – to a more confident person because of Nico’s influence. And Nico learns to trust. And in between there are fabulous clothes, art, outrageous French accents, and a whole lot of delight. I really enjoyed this one a lot. It was silly, yet there was an undercurrent of seriousness (especially when Titus’s former lover was trying to blackmail him) and the reminder that not even wealthy people are exempt from people taking advantage of them.

An absolute delight of a book.

Audiobook: The Secret History of Wonder Woman

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by Jill Lepore
Read by the Author
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Content: There is some swearing (no f-bombs, I think), and talk of unusual partering situations. It’s in the Sociology section of the bookstore.

In this book, which is essentially a biography of William Moulton Marston, Lepore details the social situations and history that led Marston to create Wonder Woman and become her first writer. It’s a bit of a sweeping history – ranging from his childhood through his education and his marriage (and unusual parterning relationships; we’re not calling him a polygamist, but he kind of was) to the creation and impact of Wonder Woman as a comic character.

I’ve been meaning to read this for years, ever since it came out, and while in between audiobooks, I remembered this one. Lepore was an excellent narrator, thoroughly entertaining and doing all the voices. I was fascinated by the story – Marston was a wild, weird person – and it helped that I had just finished Mrs America, which had a bit of an intersection with the early feminism of the 1920s, which is what Wonder Woman was born out of. It was a fascinating social history, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Audiobook: Pole Position

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by Rebecca J Caffrey
Read by Joshua Chase & James Joseph
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Content: There’s a lot of swearing, including many f-bombs. There’s talk of sex and on-page sex scenes. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Are we here for gay sports books? Yes. Yes, we are.

Kian Walker is the reigning F1 World Champion, and he has so much going for him. He’s methodical, prepared, focused, and the best in the world. Harper James is the exact opposite. A talented driver, but a party boy – he’s determined to never let anyone close enough to find out what demons he’s chasing. So when he ends up in the second driver position with Kian, sparks fly. And it doesn’t help that they feel this…. attraction. It’s not going to be an easy season for either of them.

I picked this up – I’ve had it kicking around for a while – because F1 started up again! So why not celebrate with a little gay F1 romance? It’s not deep, though they deal with abandonment issues and the trauma from bad parents, as well as the death of a parent. I did like the F1 references- sure, the teams were made up, but I think Caffrey captured the intensity of the sport and the way the drivers make decisions on and off the track. It’s probably not entirely accurate, but for a mid-level fan like me, it fit the bill. And I did like Kian and Harper’s relationship. I liked the push and pull and the way they eventually came to trust one another. And the narrators kept me engaged when the plot wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be.

So, was it great? No. But it was a lot of fun, which was excatly what I was looking for.

Audio book: French Windows

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by Antoine Laurain
Read by Alex Wyndam
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Content: There is mention of infidelity and murder, and there’s some mild swearing. It’s in the Fiction section of the bookstore.

Doctor Faber is a pretty run-of-the-mill psychologist. No remarkable clients, nothing remarkable to speak of. That is, until Nathalia Guitry comes into his office, saying that she has lost her artistic drive ever since she photographed a murder. Faber suggests an unorthodox treatment: why doesn’t she tell the stories of the people in the apartment building where the murder took place, and she can work out what’s bothering her. There’s a reclusive cartoonist, a social media influencer, and on and on as Nathalia spins her stories.

This is all about the power of fiction. Are Nathalia’s stories true? Maybe. Maybe there are some elements that are. But mostly, she’s getting at the heart of what makes people do the things they do. There’s also a twist that I kind of saw coming. Even so, it felt satisfying. Wyndam was a good narrator as well, though I kind of struggled to figure out when he was in “story mode” and when he was in “Doctor Faber narration” mode. That said, it was a short book, and an intriguing one at that.

Audiobook: Black AF History

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by Michael Harriot
Read by the author
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Content: There is swearing in this, including multiple f-bombs, and true to its title, Harriot doesn’t water down the abuses of white people in history.

This one is exactly what it says: American history through the lens of Black people. It starts in the pre-colonial era and goes through the present day, which is a lot to ask out of one book. That said, I think Harriot does a good job making history both interesting and challenging. I thought, when I began, that I wouldn’t learn anything after reading Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, but I learned a bunch. Hariot doesn’t just stick with “known” history – he weaves in stories from his family history, giving this book a distinctly personal touch. I liked his three little questions at the end of each chapter and the supplemental stories.

And, on top of that, Harriot is an engaging and funny writer/narrator. I know he wasn’t going for “funny”, but sometimes hard truths go down better with a laugh. Like his conversations with Racist Baby, or when his uncle “took over” the narrative.

It was tough listening at times, though I think it’s a good thing to be challenged in what one has learned. It’s good for that, yes, but I also think it’s a book worth reading on its own merit.

Audiobook: The Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl

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by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Read by Connor Crais, Victoria Connolly & Teddy Hamilton
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Content: There was swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and lots of explicit on-page sex. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Maddie is coming off a long-term relationship that has left her broke and unsure of her direction in life. So when she lands a job as an adjunct lecturer at the university in Mount Astra, Kansas, she jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, adjuncting doesn’t quite pay enough so she picks up a side job as a nanny to supplement her income.

Bram has been divorced for five years and has been raising his three girls with his ex-wife. Things are going well enough until his ex-wife gets a grant to study a glacier in Alaska for two months. It’s impossible with his job as a science professor at the university to handle all the childcare duties, so he hires a nanny.

He just wasn’t supposed to be so attracted to her (or she to him).

This was a mix for me. On the one hand, the characters kept feeling like they were bad for wanting this relationship (she is 26 and he is 35, and they actually had a one-night stand before she went to work for him), like it was some sort of terrible kink. It’s not. And that bugged me. As did the use of the word brat. (As in “she’s so bratty” or “the brat”). It was also borderline too much sex, not enough plot, but it managed to save itself in the end. I did like Maddie’s journey to figure out what she wanted – it felt realistic after coming out of a long-term relationship where she changed herself for the guy. And I appreciated that she was comfortable in her body, and the body-positive aspects of the story. I did love the side characters (except for Joey Kemp,who was just annoying and took up too much space in the book), and wouldn’t mind spending more time with them. I didn’t hate the book, but I didn’t love it either.