#BDB #TheThief #JRWard #JimFrangione #ChroniclesofTheOne #OfBloodandBone #NoraRoberts #JuliaWhelan #ConnectionsinDeath #JDRobb #EveandRoarke #SusanEricksen #BlackHistoryMonth #DustTracksonaRoad #ZoraNealeHurston #Autobiography #BahniTurpin
Happy Shortest Month of the Year to all my readers! Here’s hoping the loss of a couple of days hasn’t hampered your listening pleasure! The Listening Lady got in four unabridged books and found them all worth the listen.
I’ll begin with the BDB because the Brothers will take a back seat to no one. I almost let The Thief slip past me until one of the Lovers brought it to my attention that the newest book will be coming out April 2 and I still had not listened to The Thief. Based on our discussions, I think the book played to mixed reviews among the Lovers, but for me, it’s a solid 4 Stars because it’s like any other family saga. Not everything that happens is wildly exciting, but it’s all necessary information if you want to keep up with the characters. 5 Stars to Jim Frangione for another great performance and kudos to J. R. Ward for continuing to feed our BDB addiction.
Next up, I give you Book #2 of Nora Roberts’ Chronicles of the One trilogy. From my perspective, Of Blood and Bone drug a bit initially even though the information provided is necessary. A fast-paced conclusion and lead-in to Book #3 kept it at 4 Stars. As a God-like character, Fallon Swift is intriguing to me because she isn’t immortal despite her magical powers and she has to get out and fight her battles to defeat evil just like the rest of us even though she’s The One. I’m very curious to see where Roberts goes with this. There’s definitely romance in the air and portends of a huge battle to come. Here’s hoping all will be revealed in the next book. 5 Stars to Julia Whelan even though the narrative didn’t challenge her considerable talent for voices and accents.
None of you will be surprised that I was ready to push “play” the day Connections in Death was published. It is just wrong for Nora Roberts to also be J. D. Robb!!! Any time spent with Eve and Roarke is good, but I’m giving this one only 4 Stars because it was very long on police procedure and short on suspense. All of the characters seemed a bit weary, so I think Roarke needs to pack them up and take them on a nice vacation to one of his tropical properties. Come to think of it, that would make a great setting for a book! NYPSD in Paradise! I love you, Susan Ericksen, so 5 Stars to you for maintaining consistency in the voices of the characters throughout this long-standing series.
The book that stole my heart may surprise you . . . or maybe not. It’s from a genre that I rarely choose – autobiography – because many times these books are self-serving and boring. Not so with Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston. I closed Black History Month 2018 with my review of her classic Their Eyes Were Watching God, so I decided to close Black History Month 2019 by digging a little deeper into the life of this fascinating woman. Read for us by gifted narrator Bahni Turpin (to whom I wish I could give 10 Stars), Dust Tracks on a Road is not some dull rendering of “I did this and then I did that” until the inevitable conclusion when the author becomes famous. Ms. Hurston’s story will hold your attention from the beginning of her memories as a child growing up in Eatonville, Florida through her years of struggle to complete her education and establish herself as a writer. Throughout her recounting of trials and hardships we can only imagine, the author never seems to expect any emotion from her readers except an honest interest in her story. I loved this book, I loved the author’s courage, and I loved Bahni Turpin’s interpretation of her words. 5 Stars to the compelling story of a rare woman who not only lived in interesting times but made a valuable contribution to the times she lived in.
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