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Showing posts with label Dreamscape Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dreamscape Media. Show all posts

Thursday, October 18, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell @lisajewelluk @Dreamscapeaudio

AUTHOR: Lisa Jewell
NARRATOR: Helen Duff
PUBLISHER: Dreamscape Media, LLC
PUBLICATION DATE: April 24, 2018
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 10 hrs and 12 mins
GENRE: Mystery
ISBN: 9781520098289
Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenage golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her. And then she was gone.

Now her mother, Laurel Mack, is trying to put her life back together. It's been 10 years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie's case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a cafe, she is surprised at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she's meeting Floyd's daughters - and his youngest, Poppy, takes her breath away. Looking at her is like looking at Ellie. And now the unanswered questions she has tried so hard to put to rest haunt her anew...as well as some new ones about Floyd and Poppy....

MY REVIEW:

As a mom, this book broke my heart!

 The disappearance of Laurel Mack's teenage daughter, Ellie, ten years ago has haunted her. That was followed by the breakdown of her marriage, and the growing distance between her and her other daughter. Laurel meets a man in a coffee shop, and he invites her on a date. Laurel is happy for the first time in many years, and he is a single dad with two daughters of his own. As their relationship grows, Laurel discovers his ties to her past.

 I really enjoyed this mystery! I liked the multiple points of view through the dual timeline of "then," where we learn what really happened to Ellie, and "now." I was quickly sucked in, and it was a fast read for me. Jewell is a new-to-me author, and I am definitely going to read more from her!

 Helen Duff's narration was fantastic! She had me riveted and wanting more. Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy mysteries!

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Wednesday, August 8, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman @Backmanland @Dreamscapeaudio

AUTHOR: Fredrik Backman
NARRATOR: George Newbern
PUBLISHER: Dreamscape Media
PUBLICATION DATE: May 8, 2014 (first published 2012)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 9 hrs and 9 mins
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction
ISBN: 9781629239828
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon - the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him 'the bitter neighbor from hell.' But behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

MY REVIEW:

I've debated reading this book for years. I wasn't sure that I wanted to read a book about a disagreeable man. However, I was looking for a book in translation for one of my reading challenges and this one fit the bill. I'm so glad that I picked this up!

 Ove is a cantankerous middle-aged man, whose life no longer has any purpose. His wife passed away, he was let go from his job, and there is nothing left for him but his morning rounds in the neighbourhood to ensure that everything is in order. So, Ove makes preparations for 



When a family moves in next door, it's the beginning of a beautiful metamorphosis for Ove. I love the pregnant mom, Parvaneh, who seems to see right into the heart of Ove and knows exactly what he needs.

 Aside from the trigger in the beginning of the book that was upsetting, this was a moving story of how one man's world changes from losing what he thought was everything that mattered to finding joy in new things and people. Life does go on, no matter what. I've always felt that no matter your age that one needs to feel needed and to have a purpose or there is no motivation to get your aching bones out of bed each morning! Life is about living and making a difference, and I love that sentiment that Backman conveys.

 This is my first book from this author, but it won't be my last! I can't wait to read more of his work. He has such a beautiful way of writing. Here are some memorable quotes:
"To love someone is like moving into a house," Sonja used to say. "At first you fall in love in everything new, you wonder every morning that this is one's own, as if they are afraid that someone will suddenly come tumbling through the door and say that there has been a serious mistake and that it simply was not meant to would live so fine. But as the years go by, the facade worn, the wood cracks here and there, and you start to love this house not so much for all the ways it is perfect in that for all the ways it is not. You become familiar with all its nooks and crannies. How to avoid that the key gets stuck in the lock if it is cold outside. Which floorboards have some give when you step on them, and exactly how to open the doors for them not to creak. That's it, all the little secrets that make it your home."

“Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it's often one of the great motivations for the living. Some of us, in time, become so conscious of it that we live harder, more obstinately, with more fury. Some need its constant presence to even be aware of its antithesis. Others become so preoccupied with it that they go into the waiting room long before it has announced its arrival. We fear it, yet most of us fear more than anything that it may take someone other than ourselves. For the greatest fear of death is always that it will pass us by. And leave us there alone.”

“We always think there's enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like 'if'.”

George Newbern's narration was fantastic! He made me laugh and cry and everything in between. He brought these characters to life, and I recommend listening over reading the book yourself. Here is a sample of the narration:


I haven't seen the 2015 film adaptation yet, but I hope it does justice to the book!

 MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy contemporary fiction.

This book qualifies as:
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Friday, May 18, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for When Dimple Met Rishi @smenonbooks @Dreamscapeaudio

AUTHOR: Sandhya Menon
NARRATORS: Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam
PUBLISHER: Dreamscape Media, LLC
PUBLICATION DATE: May 30, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 10 hrs and 45 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Romance/Contemporary
ISBN: 9781520075686
Now that Dimple Shah has graduated, she's ready for a break from her family—especially from Mamma's inexplicable obsession with her finding the Ideal Indian Husband. Ugh. But Dimple knows that her mother must respect that she isn't interested in doing that right now—otherwise she wouldn't have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers, right? Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic, so when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—during which he'll have to woo her—he's totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself. Although their parents hadn't planned suggesting the arrangement so soon, when their kids signed up for the same summer program, they figured Why not?
MY REVIEW:

I don't typically like contemporary romances, but the cultural aspect of this novel appealed to me with the topic of arranged marriages.

 Dimple is a nerdy girl whose priorities aren't straight, according to her mom. She is frequently unkempt, not taking time to tame her wild hair or to wear some makeup. Dimple only cares about going to Stanford to study web development. Her mom hopes that she will find an "I.I.H." (Ideal Indian Husband), but that is the furthest thing from Dimple's mind. 

 When Dimple finds out about a six-week summer program in web development at San Francisco State University, she is itching to go because she thinks that it will give her an advantage over the other students at Stanford in the Fall. She doesn't think her parents will allow her to go because the program costs $1,000 so she is shocked at how easily they agree! Little does she know that they have an ulterior motive. Her parents have actually been in touch with old friends of theirs, who have a son named Rishi and sent a picture of Dimple to him. He is interested in meeting her. Rishi will be going to the SFSU summer program, and Dimple's parents hope that Dimple will hit things off with Rishi and that they can seal the deal on the arranged marriage. The problem is that Dimple is completely in the dark about the arrangement! 

 When Dimple first meets Rishi, things get off on the wrong foot. When Rishi spills the beans about how their parents set up this meeting, Dimple fumes and can't believe her parents would do such a thing. Rishi offers to leave the program, but Dimple realizes that would be silly and they agree to hang out "as friends." However, Dimple finds herself liking Rishi more and more and he likes her just as she is...even without the kaajal (eyeliner) that her mom wishes that she would wear.

 This was such a cute romance that had me giggling at times. I get why Dimple would push back against what her parents want for her, but Rishi is hard to resist! He's sweet, responsible, and good husband material! Definitely an I.I.H. I was a little surprised at how quickly their whirlwind romance progressed, and I would have preferred things to move a bit more slowly. However, I do think they complemented each other nicely. I enjoyed how they both did things to advance each other's dreams.

 I really enjoyed this debut, and I'd definitely read something by this author again! I loved the dual narration from the points of view of both Dimple and Rishi, which I feel really added dimension to the characters.

Narrators Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam are both new to me, but they both were fabulous! I definitely recommend listening to the audiobook because they give the characters such an authentic feel. Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy YA contemporary romances.

This book qualifies as:
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