Audiobook – Page 2 – Feed The Bookworm

Sian Evans: Maiden Voyages

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The Rundown: An indepth look at the history of ocean travel as told through the stories of the women who went to sea.

Written by Sian Evans, Published 2021

I have always been enamored with history, so I’m always looking for a good historical book that isn’t too dry. Sian Evans does a wonderful job of taking us on a journey through history via the monumental innovation of transatlantic cruising.

We begin in the roaring ’20s and move through the first world war, the depression that followed, the second world war, the aftermath, and finally the death of crossing the Atlantic due to the advancement of air travel. Women were not historically welcome on ships, but at the end of WWII, there was a shortage of men in Great Britain, where many of the women in this book hail from. Not to mention that many women were galvanized into the workforce when their husbands, brothers, and fathers went to war. Many were reluctant to give up the freedom they had achieved by earning a paycheck. And when the sea called, they answered.

We meet the “unskinable” Violet Jessop, who was a stewardess on the Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic when they were damaged. The Olympic struck another ship, no fatalities, the Titanic, an iceberg (and we all know what happened there, ) and the Britannic when it was acting as a hospital ship and was sunk with 30 fatalities. Her stories are featured prominently through the book, as she published a memoir.

While Jessop was up working mostly with the first and second-class passengers, we also hear the story of Maria Riffelberger, who worked down in steerage with the 3rd class passengers, helping usher them into their new lives as American citizens. Many times she accompanied minors making the perilous journey across the vast ocean.

We also meet many women of leisure, refugees of the 2nd world war, political figures, and even the story of an Irish immigrant seeking a new life in America, whose son soars to the top of American politics.

All in all, I found this a very enjoyable, informative, and easy listen. It felt almost like I was taking a guided tour through the golden age of ocean travel. Evans was able to tell a story while keeping the reader engaged on what could be a dull topic. Her knack for storytelling while being descriptive and informative is much appreciated. A big thanks to the author, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for my review.

This audiobook was provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio free in exchange for my review.

Dan Fesperman: The Cover Wife

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The Rundown: The Rundown: After a blown up and a dalliance with her boss, CIA agent Claire Saylor is back in the game. She’s going undercover to protect a professor from radical religious terrorists.

Written by Dan Fesperman, published 2021

We have 3 plot lines running here in this story. Our first is Claire Saylor, a CIA agent who was involved in a failed operation that tarnished her reputation. It also put the breaks on whatever relationship she was having with her boss Paul Bridger. But now, she’s been assigned to act as the wife of Professor Winston Armitage. The professor has written a controversial book that claims that Muslim martyrs will not be given 72 virgins, but 72 raisins. This enrages the radial Muslim cells that were prevalent around 1999 when the book is set. While “the professor” and Claire are under the impression that he is on a book tour to promote his book, sponsored by a think tank, it turns out that it is a ploy to draw out the radial Muslims associated with Al Queda. I’ll use quotes around the professor because the dorky Mr. Armitage isn’t all he seems. But I won’t spoil that surprise for you.

Our second plotline revolves around Mahmoud Yassin, a recent immigrant, who is trying to prove himself to the group of men, in his new mosque. The group leader, Amir, gives him tasks to prove himself, including dropping off a getaway car and getting rid of Esme, the troublesome wife of one of his brothers. Trouble is, Mahmoud seems a little too drawn to the alluring Esme. She represents the life he left behind, and the temptations he must resist.

Our last POV is from Ken Donlan of the FBI, who is also in Germany to keep an eye on Mahmoud and the men he’s associated with. Agent Donlan almost blows the whole operation when he takes a picture of the group of men, which then gets back to the FBI and CIA, and jeopardizes a whole other mission that Claire knows nothing about.

The photo turns out to be the crux of the matter, and when certain facts finally came to light, I yelled out “I KNEW IT!” as I was listening to the book. These events lead to Claire, once again, defying her superiors and going rogue to save a fellow agent.

I’m going to give this book a solid 3 stars. Maybe 3.5 if pushed. And here’s why. I thought this was going to be a romantic thriller. It isn’t. It’s a thriller for sure, but no romance. It’s the perfect setup, a disgraced CIA agent forced to share a bed with a dorknozzle professor who is all too eager, considering he’s married. Anf Mahmoud and his infatuation with Esme. But then, the violence starts and all thoughts of romance are gone. The book has very Tom Clancy vibes, mixing fact and fiction to create a story that culminated in the terror attack on the twin towers on 9/11. But even though it’s a thriller, the book dragged a bit for me. The action really picked up in the last 1/4 of the book, but I wish that it had persisted through the whole book.

Final thoughts- Other reviewers seemed to like this book a whole lot more than I did. So give it a chance for yourself.

This Audiobook was provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

Laura Dave: The Last Thing He Told Me

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The Rundown: Owen Michaels disappears, leaving his wife and daughter questioning everything they thought they knew.

Written by Laura Dave, Published 2021

Owen Michaels and his wife Hannah had it all. Or, almost all. There’s the small fact that Owen’s daughter, Bailey won’t give Hannah the time of day. But in an instant, that all changes. On the day our story starts, Hannah and Bailey both get a note from Owen. Hannah’s simply reads “protect her”. Bailey also finds a cash stash in her locker.

Now, Hannah and Bailey don’t get along. Hannah doesn’t know how much she can or can’t do when it comes to raising Bailey and Bailey doesn’t have faith in Hannah. What follows is a journey of two women, drawn together through extreme circumstances. In an unfamiliar city and unsure of who to trust, Hannah and Bailey must both confront the fact they that have both been lied to. Bailey must question her entire life, and the person she though she was. Hannah questions the man she thought she loved.

My favorite character in this book, beyond a doubt is Grady. He isn’t a major character, but he plays his part so well. I didn’t really know what to make of him at first, and I won’t give too much away on him because it would ruin the story, but you’ll like him too. I also liked that you get to know Owen through Hannah’s flashbacks to happier times. But you doubt him and his motives for about half way through the book.

I loved this book. If I could, I would give it 4.5 stars (but I’ll up it to 5), only because I HATED the ending. I understood it, but I hated it. I think because I’ve been reading a lot of romance novels, where everything is tidied up nice and neat at the end of the book. And don’t get me wrong, the ending fits, and there isn’t any other way it could have ended. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

All and all, a solid book. It’s a page turner for sure, with short, action packed chapters. I finished this book over 2 days, so it’s a quick one.

This book was borrowed from my local library using the Libby App

Sandra Brown: Thick as Thieves

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The Rundown: Twenty years ago, 4 people got away with a half million dollar heist. By the end of the night, one is dead, one is in the hospital, one is in jail and the last is missing, along with the money. The old crime comes back into the present when Arden Maxwell returns home.

Written by Sandra Brown, Published 2021

All hail Sandy B, the queen of twists. I’m a huge Sandra Brown fan, and I’ve read pretty much all of her books by this point. I was underwhelmed by her last two books, so when I picked this one I didn’t expect too much. Boy, was I wrong. This one felt like a throw back to her books of old.

Single and pregnant, Arden Maxwell moves back to her home town to raise her baby. When tragedy strikes and her plans fall apart, Arden makes new plans that revolve around renovating her old family home. She seeks out a number of different contractors, but eventually lands on Ledge Burnet. Ledge has his own reasons for wanting to stay close to Arden and the Maxwell home. 20 years ago, he was involved in the heist. He’s now a reformed, respected war hero.

Then you have the creeptastic Rusty, the ringleader of the robbery who has somehow made it to the position of District Attorney. He keeps popping up where he’s least wanted and most annoying. Not to mention the DA uses his power for evil, not for good.

Insert Arden’s meddling, well meaning, loaded sister Lisa, Ledge’s old girlfriend Crystal, her new flame, and you have all the makings for a sexy and twisted thriller. So buckle up your seatbelts for a wild ride to Payton, Texas. This book is a face paced, romantic thriller that will keep you guessing, and ends with a twist I didn’t see coming.

This book was borrowed from my local library using the Libby App

James Patterson: The Black Book

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The Rundown: Chicago police officer Billy Harney is on a mission to clear his name. Too bad he can’t remember what happened.

Written by James Patterson, David Ellis Published 2017

Ah, Mr. Patterson. Bravo. This book is classic James Patterson. The Black Book is packed with quick chapters so the book moves along at quite the clip. The only downside of this is that I didn’t feel a connection with the characters until about half way into the book.

Billy Harney wakes up in the hospital after taking a bullet to the brain. His former twice time lover and his current partner Kate Fenton, is dead, and so is his new girlfriend, state’s attorney Amy Lentini. Sucks for everyone, especially Billy, that he can’t remember a thing that happened that night. In fact, he can’t remember anything in the two weeks leading up to the event. This proves to be pivotal, as the scene appears to be set up. Little do we know, there are higher powers pulling the strings.

In this book, you distrust everyone. Billy, Kate and Amy, not to mention all of the supporting characters, all have ulterior motives. In fact, as unreliable as Billy is due to his memory, he’s the only one I even semi-trusted. But even he does a good job convincing you he may not be as shiny as his star. Billy has a past that pops up here and there, especially when Kate goes bananas. Sorry to spoil anything, but yeah, Kate loses it.

Also, kind of plot hole? There is a part where we hear about Kate getting a make over and showing up in a fancy new sports car, but we never learn where she gets the money for that. Perhaps we’ll get some answers in the sequel that just came out, The Red Book.

In an effort not to spoil too much for anyone, this book is highly recommended if you have a day or so to kill, because you won’t want to put it down. It isn’t because I was overly attached to the characters, but because I just HAD to know who the dirty cop was. I’m excited for a sequel, because I want to see more Billy. Too bad I liked Amy, but she’s dead. That isn’t a spoiler, she dies in the first chapter. But keep a close eye on details, because someone mundane details are important later.

Perez Hilton: TMI: My Life in Scandal

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The Rundown: that really mean guy (who is now super nice) who used to draw penises on celebs on his celerity gossip site promises to give all the dirt, then falls short.

Written and Narrated by Perez Hilton

Oh, where oh where do I start with this one. Well, this is hard, because I genuinely like Perez Hilton. Not that I know him, but I came of age in the era of the internet, and followed his site from the beginning. His site used to be really funny and full of raunchy. Then he got called out for being on online bully because he posted a video against bullying. He promised to stop writing nasty things about people. I haven’t visited in eons though, as my penchant for celebrity gossip isn’t what it used to be, and lets be honest, we now have Facebook for all of that.

Mario Armando Lavanadeira aka Perez Hilton ushered in (or so he claims) the beginning of the very first internet influencers, before it was even a thing. I found the beginning of the book about him growing up informative and entertaining, although a little dry. Then, we get to the good part. All the dirt. Wrong.

This book swung and missed on delivering anything we didn’t already know. I was hoping for some more juicy details on his fall out with Gaga, but again, no such luck. In fact, Perez confirms fall fairly huge fall outs with 3 different big name celebs, but manages to deflect any blame. Instead he claims “they got too famous for him.” As they said, there are three different versions, his, hers and the truth. Clearly here we are only getting a very one sided account.

He goes into extreme detail when it comes to his two big TV appearances, which I don’t ever remember seeing. He claims his appearance on Big Brother UK made him the most famous (or popular I can’t remember) contestant in the history of the show. I wouldn’t know, I don’t watch it, but I didn’t know he was on there until this book.

I appreciate how Perez repents in his book, mostly for being the worlds first online bully. He also apologized to Ariana Grande and her mom for a previously undisclosed slight, however I think it would have been more effective if he said it to them directly, first, before publishing it in his memoirs. Who knows, maybe he did, but the way he wrote about it makes me think otherwise.

Another reason I’m only going 3 stars on this book is because I found him to be an unlikeable narrator. I listen to his podcast and enjoy it. His TV hosting gigs that I’ve seen, I’ve liked. However I’ve been listening to a lot of author narrated memoirs lately, and this was not a good one. Perez’s narration style did nothing to make the book more likeable. I’ll admit, it was one I had to power through.

Over all, if you’re looking for a quick and moderately entertaining read, this book is for you. Just don’t expect to be left speechless by the new tidbits of information. There aren’t any.

This audiobook was downloaded for Audible using The Audible Plus Catalog

Evan Antin: World Wild Vet

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The Rundown: that hot vet from Instagram wrote a book about his travels

Written and Narrated by Dr. Evan Antin

Where to start, where to start. As you’ll soon find out, I’m a sucker for a book written and narrated by the same person. There is just something about when an author reads their own work that gives it that little something…extra.

Dr. Evan, aka “The Hot Instagram Vet”, won over the social media audience by posing with all kinds of animals. But as he’ll tell you, he’s been doing it long before social media was a thing. In fact, he was on a study abroad program in Australia when he rented a car and set out to find some of the countries coolest reptiles.

The doc will take you to some of the most remote, inaccessible places in the world and bring it to life through not only the stories of the animals, but the people he meets along the way. His guides through the wilderness are invaluable as Evan tries to negotiate the social customs of the places he visits. At one point, he had to drink a blood clot from a freshly slaughtered goat in order to avoid a local faux pas. I’ll admit, I shuddered a bit at that one.

Not only is Dr. Evan a vet and an animal lover, but he is also a conservationist, trying his best to bring the plight of endangered animals all over the world to his viewers at home.

The only reason I knocked a star off of this one is that some of the chapters in the audio book ended abruptly. Sigh. Now I’ll have to get the physical copy and find out what happened in chapter 4 when he met the Kimono Dragon.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to embark on a world wide adventure from the comfort of their own home.

This audiobook was borrowed from my local library using the Libby App.