Darlene's Book Nook: Harper Audio

Showing posts with label Harper Audio. Show all posts

Friday, December 7, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 2 out of 5 stars for The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen @HarperAudio ‏

TITLE: The Queen of the Tearling

SERIES: The Queen of the Tearling, Book #1
AUTHOR: Erika Johansen

NARRATOR: Katherine Kellgren

PUBLISHER: HarperAudio

PUBLICATION DATE: July 8, 2014

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 14 hrs and 30 mins

GENRE: Fantasy, Science Fiction/Dystopia
ISBN: 9780062332288

Her throne awaits . . . if she can live long enough to take it.

It was on her nineteenth birthday that the soldiers came for Kelsea Glynn. They’d come to escort her back to the place of her birth – and to ensure she survives long enough to be able to take possession of what is rightfully hers.

But like many nineteen-year-olds, Kelsea is unruly, has high principles and believes she knows better than her elders. Unlike many nineteen-year-olds, she is about to inherit a kingdom that is on its knees – corrupt, debauched and dangerous.

Kelsea will either become the most fearsome ruler the kingdom has ever known . . . or be dead within the week.

Combining thrilling adventure and action, dark magic, mystery and romance, The Queen of the Tearling is the debut of a born storyteller blessed with a startling imagination.

MY REVIEW:

I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but then my interest in it started to wane.

Kelsea, future Queen of the Tearling, has been tucked away hidden from society for her entire life. It has been for her own safety as future Queen. After she reaches her 19th birthday, the Queen's Guard comes for the girl to take her to the castle and throne that await her.

I enjoyed the mystical elements, such as how Kelsea's necklace reacted at times. However my main pet peeve is how this book is wrongly categorized as Young Adult. It is not YA. It is wrongly shelved as YA on Goodreads, and it is also under YA reads on Audible. I went into this read thinking it was YA, but the language is just too vulgar for it to be YA in my opinion. I'm okay with f*ck and c*nt in an adult book and, depending on the genre, that language might be appropriate! It most certainly is not appropriate, in my opinion, for YA. So my conclusion is that this book was inappropriately marketed to the wrong audience. Later in the book, there is talk of a woman tweaking her own nipples. Okay, definitely not appropriate for YA! I hate to think that there are parents out there who are buying this for their tweens or teens thinking that this is an appropriate read. As a mom, I most certainly wouldn't want my teen daughter reading this.

My other issue with the book was the slow pace of the story. It just felt like it took forever for anything to happen. I keep waiting for some excitement, but that never happened. At 14+ hours on audio, my mind wandered. This definitely could have used some paring down.

There is a film adaptation in development starring Emma Watson. Even though I do not plan to continue reading this series, I probably would watch the movie because I enjoy Watson.

I've heard nothing but praise for narrator Katherine Kellgren, and this is my first narration by her so I was looking forward to hearing her at last. I enjoyed her versatility but, at times, she was just too over the top. It was almost as though she felt like she needed to shout to add some excitement, and I was constantly fiddling with the volume. Here is a sample of the narration:

MY RATING:

2 stars!! Meh, it was just "okay."

This book qualifies as:

#71 for my Audiobook Challenge 2018
#43 for my 2018 Library Love Challenge
#112 for my 2018 Beat the Backlist Challenge
#101 for my The Backlist Reader Challenge 2018
#72 for my New Authors 2018 Reading Challenge
#74 for my 2018 Try Something New Challenge
#112A for my Good Rule Reading Challenge
#26 for my 2018 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

#26 for my 2018 A to Z Reading Challenge
#6 for my 2018 Dystopia Reading Challenge
#23 for my 2018 Book to Movie Reading Challenge

View all my reviews

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan @GillyMacmillan @HarperAudio

TITLE: What She Knew

SERIES: Jim Clemo, Book #1
AUTHOR: Gilly Macmillan

NARRATOR: Penelope Rawlins and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart

PUBLISHER: Harper Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: December 1, 2015

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 11 hrs and 53 mins

GENRE: Mystery
ISBN: 9780062444622

In her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother’s search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One.

In a heartbeat, everything changes…

Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It’s an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes.

Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public’s attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion.

As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes that nothing is quite as she imagined it to be, not even her own judgment. And the greatest dangers may lie not in the anonymous strangers of every parent’s nightmares, but behind the familiar smiles of those she trusts the most.

Where is Ben? The clock is ticking...

MY REVIEW:

This book is every mom's worst nightmare!

Rachel takes her son, eight-year-old Ben, to the park and he begs to run off ahead of her as children often do. She allows him to do so, and then he is gone. The police are called, and a search turns up Ben's clothes. It is evident that someone has taken him.

I really felt for Rachel. The public scrutiny is unfair, and she's labelled a bad mother for allowing Ben to run ahead without her. The story is told through dual points of view from Rachel and Detective Jim Clemo.

Macmillan did a great job at raising suspicion towards multiple suspects, and I enjoyed trying to figure this one out! I thought it was a great debut, and I will certainly read more from this author.

I loved the dual narration by Penelope Rawlins and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart. This is a highly emotional story given the content, and they both conveyed the turmoil of the characters. 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!

This book qualifies as:

#60 for my Audiobook Challenge 2018
#37 for my 2018 Library Love Challenge
#7 for my Goodreads 2018 Chubby Chunkster Challenge
#60 for my New Authors 2018 Reading Challenge
#62 for my 2018 Try Something New Challenge
#1E for my Color Coded Reading Challenge
Bonus #1Q for my 2018 Literary Escapes Challenge
#98A for my Good Rule Reading Challenge

#31 for my 2018 Cloak and Dagger Challenge
Task #2 for my Goodreads An Apple a Day Fall 2018 Seasonal Scavenger Challenge
#12 for my R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XIII Challenge
#4 for my FrightFall Read-a-Thon

View all my reviews

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz @AnthonyHorowitz @HarperAudio

TITLE: The Word is Murder

SERIES: Hawthorne, Book #1
AUTHOR: Anthony Horowitz

NARRATOR: Rory Kinnear

PUBLISHER: Harper Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: June 5, 2018 (first published 2017)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 9 hrs and 2 mins

GENRE: Mystery

ISBN: 9781443456425

She planned her own funeral. But did she arrange her own murder?

New York Times best-selling author of Magpie Murders and Moriarty, Anthony Horowitz has yet again brilliantly reinvented the classic crime novel, this time writing a fictional version of himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes.

One bright spring morning in London, Diana Cowper - the wealthy mother of a famous actor - enters a funeral parlor. She is there to plan her own service.

Six hours later she is found dead, strangled with a curtain cord in her own home.

Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric investigator who’s as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. Hawthorne needs a ghost writer to document his life; a Watson to his Holmes. He chooses Anthony Horowitz.

Drawn in against his will, Horowitz soon finds himself a the center of a story he cannot control. Hawthorne is brusque, temperamental, and annoying but even so his latest case with its many twists and turns proves irresistible. The writer and the detective form an unusual partnership. At the same time, it soon becomes clear that Hawthorne is hiding some dark secrets of his own.

A masterful and tricky mystery that springs many surprises, The Word Is Murder is Anthony Horowitz at his very best.

MY REVIEW:

This was a great mystery that sucked me in right from the start!

A woman in her 60s, Diana Cowper, attends at a funeral parlor to pre-arrange her own funeral. Although she does not have an appointment, the funeral director meets with her. Approximately six hours later, Diana is strangled in her apartment. Daniel Hawthorne, an ex-cop with ten years on the force now working as a PI, is called in by the police to investigate.

Meanwhile, Daniel approaches Anthony Horowitz (yes, the author has written himself into the story) to ask him to write a story about him. Although he initially says no, Horowitz agrees and shadows Hawthorne while he works.

The funeral is carried out according to Diana's wishes. After the body is lowered into the ground, a recording of a children's song is heard coming from the casket. Diana's murder appears to be tied to another crime, and her murder is just the first.

This mystery was so engaging and, to me, Horowitz's savviness is reminiscent of Agatha Christie. I loved how he inserted himself into the story and even referenced his other works. Hawthorne is astute with an eye for detail, and nothing seems to escape his notice. He also has an air of mystery surrounding him, which makes him all the more appealing as a character. I want more Hawthorne!

This is my first book by Horowitz, but it won't be my last! I am so excited to see that there is a second book in this series, The Sentence is Death, which is expected to be published in November 2018.

Rory Kinnear was an excellent choice of narrator. I love his accent, and he made this a very enjoyable listen! 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 a good mystery.

This book qualifies as:

#46 for my Audiobook Challenge 2018

#23 for my 2018 Library Love Challenge
#76 for my Beat the Backlist 2018 Challenge

#44 for my New Authors 2018 Reading Challenge

#45 for my 2018 Try Something New Challenge

#6B for my Color Coded Reading Challenge
Bonus #1N for my 2018 Literary Escapes Challenge

#76A for my Good Rule Reading Challenge
#22 for my Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge
Task #12 for my Goodreads 2018 Summer Scavenger Challenge: Music Styles
#3 for my Chapter Break August Bookish Bingo

#15 for my Bookish Bingo Summer 2018
#27 for my COYER Big Summer Birthday Bash
#19 for my Summer TBR Wipeout

View all my reviews

Thursday, July 26, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 2 out of 5 stars for The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay @HarperAudio

TITLE: The Cabin at the End of the World

AUTHOR: Paul Tremblay

NARRATOR: Amy Landon

PUBLISHER: HarperAudio

PUBLICATION DATE: June 26, 2018

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 9 hrs and 25 mins

GENRE: Horror

ISBN: 9780062849588

The Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts adds an inventive twist to the home invasion horror story in a heart-palpitating novel of psychological suspense that recalls Stephen King’s Misery, Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood, and Jack Ketchum’s cult hit The Girl Next Door.

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road.

One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: "Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world."

Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. The Cabin at the End of the World is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay.

MY REVIEW:

When I read the synopsis for this book, it grabbed my attention right away. I've been pumped about this book since the Spring, and I even featured it on one of my "Can't-Wait Wednesday" posts. Stephen King also tweeted that it was terrifying! Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.

Wen and her two dads are on holiday in Northern New Hampshire at a remote cabin. She is outside in the front yard playing alone, when she hears someone coming down the road. He introduces himself as Leonard and says that he wants to be her friend. He seems friendly enough, but Wen is wary. After Leonard's three friends arrive, they confront Wen's parents and tell them that they will have to make a sacrifice to save the world. If they fail, a series of cataclysmic events will be set in motion.

Okay, so let's talk about what worked: I love the isolated and remote setting. There's nothing creepier than being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no way to contact anyone else if something were to happen. I also love the doomsday prophecy.

What didn't work was that this book seemed to go nowhere for so long! I think half the book was talking about what was going to happen, and I kept thinking, "Okay, this is where it's going to get good!" but that never happened. For a book that was described as "heart-palpitating," I expected something more gripping but instead it was kind of boring.

If you look up the reviews on Audible, the narrator (Amy Landon) is criticized pretty harshly. In my opinion, she wasn't that bad. Maybe the narration was a bit lackluster and dull because the writing was? I do think that probably is the case. Here is a sample of the narration:

MY RATING:

2 stars!! Meh, it was just "okay."

This book qualifies as:

#41 for my Audiobook Challenge 2018

#19 for my 2018 Library Love Challenge
#9 for my 2018 New Release Challenge
#39 for my New Authors 2018 Reading Challenge

#40 for my 2018 Try Something New Challenge

#7A for my Monthly Key Word Challenge

#14B for my 2018 Literary Escapes Challenge

#9B for my Good Rule Reading Challenge
#13 for my 2018 Platypire Diversity Challenge
#4 for my 2018 Dystopia Reading Challenge
Task #3 for my Goodreads 2018 Summer Scavenger Challenge: Music Styles
#6 for my Chapter Break July Bookish Bingo

#15 for my COYER Big Summer Birthday Bash
#10 for my Bookish Bingo Summer 2018
#7 for my High Summer Readathon July 2018

#7 for my Summer TBR Wipeout

View all my reviews

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Devil to Pay by Jeaniene Frost @Jeaniene_Frost @HarperAudio @taviagilbert

TITLE: Devil to Pay

SERIES: Night Huntress, Book #3.5

AUTHOR: Jeaniene Frost

NARRATOR: Tavia Gilbert

PUBLISHER: HarperAudio

PUBLICATION DATE: June 24, 2014 (first published 2009)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 2 hrs and 18 mins

GENRE: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9780062361875

Blake Turner had it all—until a demon decided to take residence in his soul. Plagued with constant black outs and a trail of dead bodies in his wake, Blake thinks vampire Elise is his best chance at ending the nightmare. It’s just too bad he’s fallen in love with the gorgeous vamp right before he has to die… Featuring characters from New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress world. (Originally appeared in Four Dukes and a Devil anthology)

MY REVIEW:

This is a novella in the Night Huntress series. At the outset, I was a bit disappointed that Cat & Bones weren't featured centrally in the storyline but I quickly became immersed in the book nonetheless!

Blake is possessed by a demon. His life hasn't been the same since a woman jumped out in front of his car several weeks ago. She ended up dying in his arms, but then Blake started to suffer from blackouts with no idea what he had done or where he had gone. He would get this strange buzzing in his head, and he'd know that an episode was coming on. The demon would leave him notes, taunting him by telling him what he had done. Blake just wants to end it all. He wants to commit suicide to end this torture and to prevent him from harming others, but a woman stops him. Her name is Elise, and she is a vampire. He's not scared of her, because he thinks she'll drink his blood and kill him but that's not what she has in mind. She contacts her sire, Mencheres, to ask for his help. The demon will only jump to another nearby human host once Blake is dead, so they have to find a way to draw the demon out while far enough away from humans and without killing Blake.

Elise is a loner, and I like how she came out of her shell with Blake. They make a very good pair! I always liked Mencheres, and I like him even more now! Cat and Bones also make a cameo appearance.

While I enjoyed getting to know different characters in the Night Huntress universe, I'm itching to get back to Cat & Bones! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Destined for an Early Grave.

Tavia Gilbert, as always, is perfection! If you haven't heard her narration for this series, you simply must! 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 urban fantasy.

This book qualifies as:

#40 for my Audiobook Challenge 2018

#18 for my 2018 Library Love Challenge
#65 for my 2018 Beat the Backlist Challenge
#38 for my New Authors 2018 Reading Challenge

#60 for my The Backlist Reader Challenge 2018

#4.2 for my 2018 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

#2G for my Color Coded Reading Challenge
#17A for my 2018 Literary Escapes Challenge

#65A for my Good Rule Reading Challenge
#32 for my What An Animal Reading Challenge 2018
#2 for my The Series That Never...Ends Challenge
#9 for my 2018 Literary Pickers Challenge
#26 for my 2018 Paranormal Reading Challenge
#16 for my Science Fiction vs Fantasy Bingo 2018
#13 for my COYER Big Summer Birthday Bash

#5 for my High Summer Readathon July 2018

#5 for my Summer TBR Wipeout

View all my reviews

Friday, March 2, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson #KatherinePaterson @HarperAudio ‏

TITLE: Bridge to Terabithia
AUTHOR: Katherine Paterson

NARRATOR: Robert Sean Leonard

PUBLISHER: Harper Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: August 18, 2009 (first published 1977)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 3 hrs and 30 mins

GENRE: Children's Fiction, Classics

ASIN: B002VA8VYO

Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together, they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.

Then one morning a terrible tragedy occurs. Only when Jess is able to come to grips with this tragedy does he finally understand the strength and courage Leslie has given him.

MY REVIEW:

I own this paperback, but I wanted to pre-read it before reading it aloud to my younger daughter so I borrowed the audiobook from the library.

The main character is a 10-year-old boy named Jess, who has four sisters. They live out in the country, and a new family is moving in next door. They have a daughter, Leslie, who is the same age as Jess.

Jess and Leslie develop a warm friendship, and they have a special place that they go called Terabithia. It's a magical place, and you can only get there by swinging across the creek on a rope. It's their secret hideaway, where they imagine they are the king and queen.

Of course, tragedy strikes! I shed lots of tears with this one, and I'm glad that I pre-read it because I don't think my sensitive younger daughter is ready for this one yet. I think our school division uses this book as a novel study for their Grade 5 students, so I'll hold off until then.

I enjoyed the narrator, Robert Sean Leonard. His pace was good, and my only complaint is that I wish that he would have distinguished more between the characters as opposed to simply "reading" the book. Here is a sample of the narration:

MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy middle grade fiction!

This book qualifies as:

View all my reviews

Friday, May 5, 2017

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost @Jeaniene_Frost @HarperAudio

TITLE: Happily Never After

SERIES: Night Huntress Universe, Book #1.5
AUTHOR: Jeaniene Frost
NARRATOR: Tavia Gilbert

PUBLISHER: HarperAudio

PUBLICATION DATE: June 24, 2014 (first published May 28, 2008)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 2 hrs and 46 mins

GENRE: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Isabella Spaga is about to reluctantly walk down the aisle with Mr. Dangerously Wrong…but not if dashing vampire Chance has anything to say about it. As a favor to Bones, Chance has come to derail this wedding of beauty to the beast. Now if only he can keep his hands off the bride. From New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress world, it’s the wedding of the season…that everyone wants to miss. (Originally appeared in Weddings From Hell anthology)

MY REVIEW:

This novella takes place after the events in the previous book in the series, Halfway to the Grave. We are introduced to some new characters. Greta Spaga, a 75-year-old woman who knew Bones in her youth, needs a favour and calls upon her old friend to meet her. Bones travels to South Philly, and he warmly greets the elderly woman. She tells Bones that her grandchildren are in trouble. Because Bones is tied up with tracking someone down (presumably Cat), he says that he can’t take care of the matter himself but sends someone he trusts in his stead. Sadly, that’s the last we see of Bones in this novella.

Isabella and her brother, Frazier, were raised by Greta after their own parents were killed when they were young children. Isabella has been blackmailed into marrying Robert Bettini, a crime lord and Tony Soprano wannabe. She had told Robert that she wasn’t interested, but that made him want her all the more. Frazier disappears and then he calls Isabella telling her that it’s a matter of life and death and that she must go along with the engagement and upcoming nuptials. Bones sends one of the vamps he has sired, Chance, to fix the problem. He thought that Chance could take care of things with a little mind control, convincing Robert that he did not want to marry Isabella, and the problem would be solved quickly and painlessly. However, Chance has other ways in mind. He is taken with Isabella and, when he witnesses Robert striking her, he wants to make Robert pay. And he does!

Greta was a hoot, and I really enjoyed her character! I loved learning about her background and how she met Bones when she was a prostitute and how Bones took care of her and two other working girls. I liked Isabella as well and how she wanted to even the score with Robert. She is tough and wasn’t afraid to go up against him, and her loyalty to family is commendable. The romance between Isabella and Chance felt a little too rushed for a novella, but I do like them together and their sexcapade was hot!! Even though this story didn’t feature Cat and Bones, I did enjoy the new characters that Frost introduced to us. I have to be honest, though: I can’t wait to get back to Cat and Bones with the next book in the series, One Foot in the Grave.

Narrator Tavia Gilbert is a perfect fit for this series! Her vocalizations sound authentic to the characters, and I like the attitude she brings to them! Here is a sample of the narration:

MY RATING: