(Audio)book Worm

Commenting on Audiobooks that I’ve enjoyed. I tend to only read/finish ones I like so there won’t be any bad reviews I don’t think. Audiobooks are just as good as any other medium of taking in stories. I’m always looking for good recommendations, so I hope you enjoy mine and maybe return some too 😁

[thelatestkate]

Books have always been a alleviating escape for me when things get rough. 

What books have you reread over and over? I’m looking for some more comfort reads.   °˖✧*•  Shop, Patreon, Book, Mailing List *•. ✧˖°`

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I adore this story! It is fun! It is happy! There is laughter and it is so well written.

I really wish I had begun reading the Discworld series earlier and I can’t wait to read more. The only other book in the series that I have read is The Hogfather. Instead of the main character being Death, this book follows Rincewind, a wizard, and a mysterious traveller called Two-Flower. But this mysterious traveller turns out to be less mysterious and more hapless. The lack of knowledge about the land he has arrived in leads these two figures to get into trouble, but also often rescues them. Throughout which they are accompanied by a trunk holding immense wealth and with legs which allow it some independence as well as sharp teeth with which to protect Two-Flower as they travel across land and sea.

Not only is the story, and world, well written, but the voices matched to the characters are brilliant. Colin Morgan, Bill Nighy, and Peter Serafinowicz are all stars within the story, bringing it to life.

I would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxed and joyful book with a well thought out design to the world emphasising creativity.

[book--brackets]

Round 1 Results

Poll 1: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Poll 2: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Poll 3: Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

Poll 4: Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson

Poll 5: Ever by Gail Carson Levine

Poll 6: American Girl by Various Authors

Poll 7: Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz

Poll 8: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Poll 9: Little House by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Poll 10: The Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Poll 11: Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol

Poll 12: The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon

Poll 13: Ever After High by Shannon Hale

Poll 14: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Poll 15: Septimus Heap by Angie Sage

Poll 16: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The next round will be posted on Friday at 12 pm EST!

(We're not gonna talk about how these polls ended two weeks ago)

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

This is the first Discworld novel I’ve ever read, I just can’t believe it’s taken me to get to this series. It was lighthearted, funny in all the right places, with a little bit of darkness to match.

Susan is the granddaughter of Death and just wants to live her life as a sensible, no nonsense governess to a couple of children. Instead she gets dragged into a life of magical hilarity when the Hogfather goes missing and Death decides to step in as a replacement to try and stop the potentially horrific consequences. Of course Death doesn’t make a very good Hogfather, which leaves the world a little out of whack despite his good intentions.

All the characters in this story are created with depth to be seriously hilarious. I had never imagined enjoying a comedy fantasy book, usually I find comedy too cheesy but this never felt boring or awkward.

Of course, as an audiobook it would be remiss not to mention the narrators: Bill Nighy, Peter Serafinowicz, and Sian Clifford. They were fabulous and really brought the story to life. I’m looking forward to reading/listening to the rest of the series.

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I love a good mystery, and this one had so many unsuspected twists and turns that I was kept hooked from beginning to end. A bit of a modern Agatha Christie, this book follows the events that occur on an isolated, tidal island house on Halloween night. The writer matriarch has brought her family together to celebrate her birthday, but there is clear tension in the past for this family.

The story is told from the point of view of a woman who lives almost completely ignored by her family, with only the grandmother and niece on speaking terms with her. But why exactly has this happened? And why is someone killing a member of the family each hour as a poem is brought together in the kitchen? With a slow and taunting murder plot, tensions, and literary clues which implicate the whole family in a previous crime, this book is difficult to put down.

[schleierkauz]

Funke Zoom Call Let's Go

First question the usual "Why write another book" and she goes "murder" I love it here

[schleierkauz]

no idea whether chapter one is actually good or if her voice is doing this but i'm crying?

[schleierkauz]

so. recap:

Inkworld

The host briefly brought up the cover debacle (who could forget) and Cornelia talked about a phone call with the publisher in which they were like "maybe we can make a wrapper with the old design people can put over it, if they want?" and Cornelia replied "yeah, I'd use that, too". Soon after that they asked her to design the cover we ended up with and scrapped the new ones

While on the topic, Cornelia brought up new American covers she dislikes quite a bit, but she sees no chance of changing those. Quote: "They're just boring"

I asked whether she knows the exact plot of Fenoglio's Inkheart and she said no, it's like a scratch card - there are a few key events she's aware of and a lot of blank space. Fenoglio was definitely a fan of Cosimo, though

Jehan ended up surprising her the most in TCoR - she appreciates his "quiet presence" and how he still manages to be a grumpy teenager at the same time

Other

She had her name removed from the Dragon Rider movie because it was just so bad. They changed the hearts of her characters and that can never be forgiven

The latest plan for the Wild Chicks script is now that it'll be rewritten into a tv show script, with every episode focusing on one character. They want the whole thing to be handled by women and are already looking for good candidates regarding writers and directors

Someone asked about writer's block tips and Cornelia compared writer's block to the flat earth theory in that both aren't real (lmao). If you don't know where to go with your story you just got lost in its labyrinth and need to get your head out of the hedge

TCoR Spoilers

Unlike in the WIP version, Jacopo is unfortunately worse than ever and trying to be like his grandfather

Cornelia doesn't know a whole lot about Haniah, but the character is very dear to her anyway because she feels her through Nyame's love for her. She definitely wants to write more about his past and the people in it

Dustfinger's real name was revealed years before TCoR was written, because Cornelia just kept asking him - a stage name that the character "earns" later in life is a very different thing than the name they answered to as a child

The shadow-readers are the same thing as the child-eating witches in Reckless. The Giovanna we meet in TCoR makes an appearance in Reckless 4, they're the same person

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

This books is about a working class girl who starts going to an exclusive boarding school when her father decides to work abroad, she preferred to idea of going to boarding school over living with her aunt.

This school is like no other. It is ruled over by the Medievals, adored by both teachers and students alike. But all is not as it seems. When Greer and two other school outcastes are invited to a weekend getaway with the school royalty they uncover the dark underbelly of the school where the privileged few feel they can get away with anything they like. After all, all their ancestors had done as they wished.

This book is filled with mystery and adrenaline. Even once the truth and the true friends have been discovered, Greer must still navigate herself out of a tight situation or two. It is brilliant, and I can’t wait to listen to the next book.

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

It’s been a few weeks since I read this book, but I really wanted to post about it. I’d heard a lot about this author, both with this book and others (particularly Daisy Jones and the Six), so I felt like I ought to give it a go.

I am so glad I read this!!! It felt glamorous listening to the life of this Hollywood movie star both of the main characters are blunt but charming, though Evelyn Hugo is particularly impressive in this. She seems to have been born with the kind of confidence I can only dream of having. This story could have been written simply as a fictional biography, but Taylor Jenkins Reid created an air of mystery and desire for answers so it felt near impossible to read at a slow pace. I wanted to get find out the why’s surrounding Evelyn Hugo’s decisions and where she would end up next. She was the perfect blend of all the Hollywood stars I’ve watched on the screen, though particularly the ones I understand she was based on (Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner).

Not only did the character seem perfect for the roll, but so we’re the voice actors of the audiobook, Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, and Robin Miles. Even the best of books would fall flat as an audiobook without brilliant voices to match.

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I really enjoyed this book, far more than I could have imagined. It’s a Christmas murder mystery, like duh, where Lily’s aunt has died and her last request is for Lily and all her cousins to come together in the family home. The purpose of this Christmas reunion, to compete in a game of riddles to gain ownership of the house.

The players of the game are isolated in a country house, which has seen a number of deaths in the past, and now people are dying again. Lily arrived with the aim to discover the cause of her mothers suspicious death. But in order to get through the twelve days of Christmas alive, she may have to discover which of her relatives are capable of murder.

If your looking for a modern Christmas murder mystery, this is a great recent addition to a fun seasonal genre, so…enjoy!

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I finished this book yesterday and am already part way through the next in the series. It almost didn’t feel like the story had finished, as though instead of it being the first book of four in a series it was the first quarter of a larger story. There are some series where you can get away with just reading the first book, this isn’t one of them.

I loved joining Blue, Gansey, Roman, Noah, and Adam on their journey around Henrietta to try and find Glendower with them. They were such brilliant and in depth characters and I felt like I was getting to know them so well, I can’t wait to learn more in the coming books. I’m so excited to join them as their adventure continues, and hoping in particular to get to know Ronan a little better, I feel like there’s still a lot to find out 😁

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

This book was both beautiful and fun. It reminded me a little of a fairytale. The characters were brilliant and funny at the same time and I particularly loved Sophie. Despite being young she really did manage to embody the crotchety old grandma image, turning so many of her interactions into slightly ironic exchanges.

I’m not really so sure about how to describe this book except to say that it’s on all the recommendation lists for a reason. If you have any love for fantasy books then at least consider reading/listening to this. It was a true escape from reality, so maybe you should join Sophie, Howl, Calcifer, and Michael in Ingary for a bit too.

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

This story is sooo magical. Not everyone likes it, I’ll admit that, I’ve seen posts that talk about it being too slow. But the thing about the tempo is that it allowed for an appreciation of the scenery and events that are happening. I loved that it took the time to really describe what was going on, and the world it was set in. Erin Morgenstern has an amazing imagination, and her story gives a doorway into that world. You can become one of the characters seeing this enchanting labyrinth for the very first time.

It’s a story filled with Fate, bees, owls, stars, love, and loss. But most of all, it seemed to me to be filled with the magic of hope, and how hope and keep a story going for as long as it takes to find the true ending, and the next beginning.

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I thought this was brilliant. It’s a great comedy take on different points in history. It made me think about the parts of history that people don’t think about, the ones that came before or after the big events.

If you’re looking for a historical laugh, give this a go 😁

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I thought this book was brilliant. I loved the inclusion of African mythology and pairing it alongside the beginning of the slave trade.

The Mami Wata were magically written and I could understand their love of Yemoja from the way she was described. Simi, while breaking the rules, was not actively rebellious either, which I found a really interesting idea, she wanted to do the right thing, but also felt that would be the will of Yemoja. Instead she had to then go on a quest to achieve forgiveness from the leader of the Orisha (gods), The Supreme Creator. Along the way Simi both makes friends, and faces challenges, not least of all pretending to be human and hiding her mermaid tail.

Inspired by both African Mythology and a love of the folktale of The Little Mermaid, this book is brilliant for any lover of myths and fairytales.

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I really enjoy listening to Agatha Christie books, and so far this one has been my favourite. The story was brilliant, and I never expected the killer.

It was also great to see one of the first Poirot mysteries and get a bit more of an understanding of how things began. I also found it really funny to see how Hastings originally thought quite little of Poirot and kept trying to disprove his theories, or at least prove himself to be the superior thinker, and repeatedly failing in each endeavour. While I never thought Hastings in the right, I was just as surprised by the ending as he was.

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I really enjoyed this book, this series… it has feminism, spies, Victorian steampunk (is all steampunk Victorian?), werewolves and vampires… what more could one need?

The writing and narration is immersive and enjoyable. It’s the kind of story that can be raced through so easily, and it’s not easily forgotten 😁

The main character, Sophronia, is so likeable, and certainly not the typical, good Victorian girl. She’s rebellious, intelligent, and doesn’t really fit in with what her parents want, so it’s a good thing that Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy finds and accepts her into their course. So off she goes, onto adventures in a floating school with teachers that range from well dressed vampires, to eminent (if unusual ladies), all the way to scruffy werewolves. Enjoy.

I look forward to getting the chance to reread/listen to this one.

[readingandlisteningtobooks]

I’m going to start off with saying that I love Neil Gaimans’ books. I’ve read, and listened, to a fair few.

This is my favourite of his, well alongside ‘American Gods’. It’s a magical reimagining of London where there is a second city below the one we know of, filled with loyalty, magic and things even further beyond imagining.

The story, the way it was adapted, and the voice actors were fantastical in all aspects. I felt so invested in what was happening that the hours became minutes, but I didn’t want it to end. I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to it three, maybe four times in the last year…so yeah, love it, and hopefully others will read/listen to it too and love it.

(To add - it’s also got an amazing cast in the audio play: Sophie Okonedo, Anthony Head, Christopher Lee, James McAvoy, Nathalie Dormer, Benedict Cumberbatch, and David Harewood. The regular audiobook is also brilliant, narrated by Neil Gaiman who narrates quite a few of his books, and does it so well)