🎧Have You Heard?🎧Audiobooks For Your Listening Pleasure🎧The Best of February🎧

#gotellthebeesthatiamgone #dianagabaldon #davinaporter #blindtiger #sandrabrown #jasonculp #localwomanmissing #marykubica #brittanypressley #jenniferjillaraya #garytiedemann #jessevilinsky #findingashley #daniellesteel #michaelbraun

Because February is the shortest month, the last day can sneak up on you before you know it. Because I have just finished listening to one of the longest books EVER, I am relieved to be finished in time to include my review this month. And because my 2022 TBR list is long, I’m happy to be making progress with that once more. February’s Best includes the previously mentioned long listen, an action-packed novel by a favorite author, a dramatic performance by four talented narrators, and a feel-good story with a HEA to close out the month.

 

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone

By Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by Davina Porter

So how long have those of us who are Outlander fans waited for Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, Book #9 in the series and the sequel to Written in My Own Heart’s Blood? It’s been long enough that I’m not ashamed to admit I had to look up the name of Book #8! I’m definitely not one of those fans who rereads the previous book in a series in anticipation of the new story. There are too many new books and too little time for that! For those of you who are concerned you have forgotten the storyline, the author adds enough details from the previous books to keep up the flow. I hesitate to  say that a book of 928 pages and 49+ hours of listening time doesn’t really move the story along very much because, as with any beloved series, any time spent with the characters and an equally beloved narrator is a plus. I will say it’s not my favorite in the series, that author Diana Gabaldon is a brilliant writer, and I am still madly in love with a man named James Alexander Malcolm McKenzie Fraser – sorry Claire. May the author and I both live long enough to reach the conclusion of the story!

Blind Tiger

By Sandra Brown

Narrated by Jason Culp

2021 seemed to be a year for novels with settings during the Depression or Prohibition eras and author Sandra Brown followed the trend by setting her latest novel Blind Tiger in post WW1 Texas at the height of Prohibition. Laurel Plummer finds herself a widow stranded in the small town of Foley with a father-in-law she has never met and no income. Thatcher Hutton finds himself stranded in the same town with no income when he is forced to make an unplanned stop on his way home from the war. Thatcher is a gifted horse trainer, but Laurel has no way to support herself except to join her father-in-law in his moonshine business. The sparks fly between Laurel and Thatcher, but the real conflagration is about to occur as warring factions compete for the lucrative trade in illegal alcohol. There is a lot going on in Blind Tiger so enjoy the ride as Jason Culp expertly narrates this action-packed tale.

Local Woman Missing

By Mary Kubica

Narrated by Brittany Presley, Jennifer Jill Araya, Gary Tiedemann, & Jesse Vilinsky

One of our family friends frequently starts conversations with “Do you wanna hear some drama?” Well, don’t even start Local Woman Missing if you don’t want to hear some drama! Now that I’m finished with this complex storyline, I’m inclined to compliment author Mary Kubica for mapping a winding road in such a way that it is possible for readers and listeners to easily follow it to a conclusion that softens the mayhem that inhabits every page. Women are dead, children are missing, and seemingly benign characters commit unspeakable acts to protect their own innocence. The four talented narrators contribute even more to the drama. With each of the four taking an individual POV, it is quite a performance. A word of advice . . . suspect everyone!!!

Finding Ashley

By Danielle Steel

Narrated by Michael Braun

I think I’ve mentioned before that Danielle Steel is one of my go-to authors if I need to come down from one of my psycho-world highs . . . or is it lows? In any event, Finding Ashley is just the sort of book to remind you that people are kind, people are redeemable, and people can make their own HEAs if they try. Melissa and Hattie are sisters who are leading very different lives even though each of them has shut herself away from the real world in a different way. As it turns out their reasons for their choices aren’t so very different. Their reconciliation, as well as their salvation, will hinge on their pursuit of a common goal. Excellent narration by Michael Braun and the author’s unique way with words will skillfully lead you out of psycho-world.

Thank You For Following Us at Literati Literature Lovers and Happy Listening in March!