Year-a-thon TBR

The beginning of the April Year-a-thon is here and that means we start reading the Highest and Lowest rated books on your Goodreads TBR. So these are the two books I’ll be picking up this week.

‘Empress of A Thousand Skies’ by Rhoda Belleza is the lowest rated book on my Goodreads TBR so I will be picking that up, along with ‘Heartstopper: Volume 3’ by Alice Oseman which is my highest rated book.

I’m really looking forward to reading both and I’m a little glad that this challenge is making me prioratise books that may not of been on the forefront of my TBR.

Audible Collection

Disclaimer: I am a HUGE fan of Audible.

I used to listen to it every day on the train and now I use it to listen to something while I clean the house. It’s something that I go back and forth from constantly because it is just so handy!

These are the books in my Audible library. Most are mine but a few are ones I’ve downloaded for my partner so I can’t review all the books – he is terrible at rating books!

Lets get into it – there are a few books.

50 shades’50 Shades of Grey’ By E.L. James
Narrated by Becca Battoe
When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
 Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.
Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.
Rating:  4/5

If I stay‘If I Stay’ By Gayle Forman
Narrated by Kristen Potter
Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.
I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.
Stay, he says.
Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?
Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.
If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.
Rating: 5/5

fault‘The Fault in Our Stars’ By John Green
Narrated by Kate Rudd
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
Rating: 3.5/5

before I fall‘Before I Fall’ By Lauren Oliver
Narrated by Sarah Drew
With this stunning debut novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver emerged as one of today’s foremost authors of young adult fiction. Like Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why and Gayle Forman’s If I Stay, Before I Fall raises thought-provoking questions about love, death, and how one person’s life can affect so many others.
For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—”Cupid Day”—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.
However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realises that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.
Named to numerous state reading lists, this novel was also recognised as a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, The Daily Beast, NPR, and Publishers Weekly. It has been optioned for film by Fox 2000 Pictures.
Supports the Common Core State Standards.
Rating: 1.5/5 – DNF’d 

HP philosophy‘The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles
By Gregory Bassham and William Irwin
Narrated by Susan Duerden
A philosophical exploration of the entire seven-book HarryPotter series
Harry Potter has been heralded as one of the most popular book series of all time and the philosophical nature of Harry, Hermione, and Ron’s quest to rid the world of its ultimate evil is one of the many things that make this series special. TheUltimate Harry Potter and Philosophy covers all seven titles inJ.K. Rowling’s groundbreaking series and takes fans back to Godric’s Hollow to discuss life after death, to consider what moral reasoning drove Harry to choose death, and to debate whether SiriusBlack is a man or a dog.
With publication timed to coincide with the release of the movieHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1), this book will be the definitive guide for all fans looking to appreciate the series on a deeper level.

  • Covers a range of intriguing topics such as the redemption ofSeverus Snape, the power of love, and destiny in the wizardingworld
  • Gives you a new perspective on Harry Potter characters,plot lines, and themes
  • Makes a perfect companion to the Harry Potter books andmovies

Packed with interesting ideas and insights, The UltimateHarry Potter and Philosophy is an ideal companion for anyone interested in unraveling the subtext and exploring the greater  issues at work in the story.
Rating: 3.5/5

the list‘The List’ By Siobhan Vivian
Narrated by Allison McLemore

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction – and the price that’s paid for them.
It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn’t matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.
This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, “pretty” and “ugly.” And it’s also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.x
Rating: 1.5/5 DNF

These days‘These Days are Ours’ By Michelle Haimoff
Narrated by Michelle Haimoff
Six months after September 11th, New Yorkers are instructed to get on with their lives despite the terror advisories, streets filled with 9/11 merchandise, and mail that may contain Anthrax.
But for Hailey, still jobless after college and living in her family’s Fifth Avenue penthouse, getting on with life means getting closer to Michael Brenner, the Princeton graduate and future human rights lawyer who seems to have it all. The city feels as if it’s on the brink of apocalypse, and seeking out any sort of future seems pointless. So Hailey and her friends – Katie, already working at Morgan Stanley; Randy, a trust-fund kid who wears sweaters with holes in them; and Jess, confident of her future success regardless of her present inertia – stay out all night, dream up get rich quick schemes and aspire to greatness while questioning how much that greatness really matters.
But when Hailey meets Adrian, a transplanted Pennsylvanian and recent Brown graduate who doesn’t belong to Hailey’s privileged mileu, she begins to realize that her view of the world might not be the only one there is, and soon she is questioning everything she thought she knew.

Rating: 2/5

Modern Romance‘Modern Romance: An Investigation’ By Aziz Ansari
Narrated by Aziz Ansari
At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. This seems standard now, but it’s wildly different from what people did even just decades ago. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, our abilities to connect with and sort through these options are staggering. So why are so many people frustrated?
Some of our problems are unique to our time. “Why did this guy just text me an emoji of a pizza?” “Should I go out with this girl even though she listed Combos as one of her favourite snack foods? Combos?!” “My girlfriend just got a message from some dude named Nathan. Who’s Nathan? Did he just send her a photo of his penis? Should I check just to be sure?”
But the transformation of our romantic lives can’t be explained by technology alone. In a short period of time, the whole culture of finding love has changed dramatically. A few decades ago, people would find a decent person who lived in their neighbourhood. Their families would meet and, after deciding neither party seemed like a murderer, they would get married and soon have a kid, all by the time they were twenty-four. Today, people marry later than ever and spend years of their lives on a quest to find the perfect person, a soul mate.
For years, Aziz Ansari has been aiming his comic insight at modern romance, but for Modern Romance, the book, he decided he needed to take things to another level. He teamed up with NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg and designed a massive research project, including hundreds of interviews and focus groups conducted everywhere from Tokyo to Buenos Aires to Wichita. They analyzed behavioral data and surveys and created their own online research forum on Reddit, which drew thousands of messages. They enlisted the world’s leading social scientists, including Andrew Cherlin, Eli Finkel, Helen Fisher, Sheena Iyengar, Barry Schwartz, Sherry Turkle, and Robb Willer. The result is unlike any social science or humor book we’ve seen before.
Rating: 5/5

Bossypants‘Bossypants’ By Tina Fey
Narrated by Tina Fey
Before Liz Lemon, before “Weekend Update,” before “Sarah Palin,” Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.
She has seen both these dreams come true.
At last, Tina Fey’s story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon—from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.
Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we’ve all suspected: you’re no one until someone calls you bossy.
Rating: 5/5

gumption‘Gumption: Religion and the Torch of Freedom from America’s Greatest Troublemakers’ By Nick Offerman
Narrated by Nick Offerman
To millions of people, Nick Offerman is America. Both Nick and his character, Ron Swanson, are known for their humor and patriotism in equal measure.
After the great success of his autobiography, Paddle Your Own Canoe, Offerman now focuses on the lives of those who inspired him. From George Washington to Willie Nelson, he describes twenty-one heroic figures and why they inspire in him such great meaning. He combines both serious history with light-hearted humour—comparing, say, Benjamin Franklin’s abstinence from daytime drinking to his own sage refusal to join his construction crew in getting plastered on the way to work. The subject matter also allows Offerman to expound upon his favourite topics, which readers love to hear—areas such as religion, politics, woodworking and handcrafting, agriculture, creativity, philosophy, fashion, and, of course, meat.
Rating: 4/5

martian‘The Martian’ By Andy Weir
Narrated by R.C. Bray
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Rating: 5/5

imperfection‘The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to be and Embrace Who You Are’ By Brene Brown
Narrated by Lauren Fortgang
Each day we face a barrage of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should be. We are led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we’d no longer feel inadequate. So most of us perform, please, and perfect, all the while thinking, What if I can’t keep all of these balls in the air? Why isn’t everyone else working harder and living up to my expectations? What will people think if I fail or give up? When can I stop proving myself?In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown, PhD, a leading expert on shame, authenticity and belonging, shares what she’s learned from a decade of research on the power of Wholehearted Living–a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough, and to go to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. And, yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am worthy of love and belonging.
Rating: 4.5/5

graces guide‘Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to be a Grown Up’ By Grace Helbig
Narrated by Grace Helbig
Face it—being a young adult in the digital era is one of the hardest things to be. Well, maybe there are harder things in life…but being an adult is difficult! So Grace Helbig has written a guide that’s perfect for anyone who is faced with the daunting task of becoming an adult.
Infused with her trademark saucy, sweet, and funny voice, Grace’s Guide is a tongue-in-cheek handbook for millennials, encompassing everything a young or new (or regular or old) adult needs to know, from surviving a breakup to recovering from a hangover. Beautifully illustrated and full-colour, Grace’s Guide features interactive elements and exclusive stories from Grace’s own misadventures—like losing her virginity solely because her date took her to a Macaroni Grill—and many other hilarious lessons she learned the hard way.
Amusing and unexpectedly educational, this refreshing and colourful guide proves that becoming an adult doesn’t necessarily mean you have to grow up.
Rating: 4/5

analog‘I, Justine: An Analog Memoir’ By Justine Ezarik
Narrated by Justine Ezarik
A one-woman media phenomenon and a leading YouTube influencer takes readers behind the camera, and deep inside her world.
Justine Ezarik has been tech-obsessed since unboxing her family’s first Apple computer. By sixth grade she had built her first website. A decade later, she became one of the Internet’s first—and most popular—“lifecasters,” inviting people around the world to watch her every move, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. But it was a one-minute video about an itemised AT&T bill that gave Justine her first taste of viral success: Within ten days of release, her “300-page iPhone bill” had garnered more than 3 million views and international media attention. These days, iJustine is a one-woman new media phenomenon: The popular techie, gamer, vlogger, and digital influencer has an army of nearly 3.5 million subscribers across multiple YouTube channels, with total views approaching half a billion.
Now, Justine is giving friends and fans a look behind the scenes, sharing never-before-told stories about the hilarious (and sometimes heartbreaking) reality of sharing your life online. With her trademark wit and delightfully weird sense of humor, Justine delivers an inspirational message in support of creativity, entrepreneurship, and the power of staying true to yourself, while reminding readers that the Internet is a very small world—you just never know who you’re going to meet.
Rating: 4/5

hobbit‘The Hobbit’ By J.R.R. Tolkien
Narrated by Rob Inglis
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001). Unforgettable!
Rating: 4/5

girlboss‘#Girlboss’ By Sophia Amoruso
Narrated by Sarah Jes Austell
In the New York Times bestseller that the Washington Post called “Lean In for misfits,” Sophia Amoruso shares how she went from dumpster diving to founding one of the fastest-growing retailers in the world.
Amoruso spent her teens hitchhiking, committing petty theft, and scrounging in dumpsters for leftover bagels. By age twenty-two she had dropped out of school, and was broke, directionless, and checking IDs in the lobby of an art school—a job she’d taken for the health insurance. It was in that lobby that Sophia decided to start selling vintage clothes on eBay.
Flash forward to today, and she’s the founder of Nasty Gal and the founder and CEO of Girlboss. Sophia was never a typical CEO, or a typical anything, and she’s written #GIRLBOSS for other girls like her: outsiders (and insiders) seeking a unique path to success, even when that path is windy as all hell and lined with naysayers.
#GIRLBOSS proves that being successful isn’t about where you went to college or how popular you were in high school. It’s about trusting your instincts and following your gut; knowing which rules to follow and which to break; when to button up and when to let your freak flag fly.
Rating: 4/5

place of yesA Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything you Want out of Life’ By Bethenny Frankel
Narrated by Bethenny Frankel
BETHENNY FRANKEL’S no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is personality won over countless fans, and made her a nationally bestselling author and the star of her own hit Bravo show Bethenny Getting Married? Now Bethenny opens up and shares the obstacles she overcame and the great success she has enjoyed while discovering how to approach life from “A Place of Yes.” Bethenny’s path was not always clear as she overcame a difficult childhood, failed relationships, entrepreneurial efforts that never quite got off the ground, and lifelong money struggles. To deal with these challenges, Bethenny developed ten rules for pursuing her goals with authenticity and drive, including:
FIND YOUR TRUTH: Dig deep inside and figure out what is authentic for you, not anybody else.
ACT ON IT: You don’t have to have a master plan. But unless you do something, you’ve done nothing.
EVERYTHING’S YOUR BUSINESS: Treat every job, person, and experience as if it could lead to your next big opportunity.
OWN IT: If you do it, say it, think it—then own it. Stand up for yourself and fully acknowledge who you really are. Each rule is illustrated with compelling, sometimes funny, sometimes outrageous examples that are pure Bethenny. It’s easy to say no, to say “I can’t,” to expect the worst, and to doubt yourself. But your life can be better than “not bad” or “good enough.” It can be amazing. And by putting Bethenny’s rules together, you can use them to be more successful, more fulfilled, healthier, and happier than ever before.
Rating: 4/5

uglies‘Uglies’ By Scott Westerfeld
Narrated by Emily Tremaine
Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can’t wait. In just a few weeks she’ll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. And as a pretty, she’ll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun.
But Tally’s new friend Shay isn’t sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world– and it isn’t very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally’s choice will change her world forever.
Rating: 4.5/5

pretties‘Pretties’ Scott Westerfeld
Narrated by Emily Tremaine
Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she’s completely popular. It’s everything she’s ever wanted.
But beneath all the fun — the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom — is a nagging sense that something’s wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally’s ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what’s wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.
Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life — because the authorities don’t intend to let anyone with this information survive.
Rating: 4.5/5

specials‘Specials’ By Scott Westerfeld
Narrated by Emily Tremaine
“Special Circumstances”: The words have sent chills down Tally’s spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor — frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally’s never been ordinary.
And now she’s been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.
The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more.
Still, it’s easy to tune that out — until Tally’s offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she’s programmed to complete. Either way, Tally’s world will never be the same.
Rating: 4.5/5

extras‘Extras’ By Scott Westerfeld
Narrated by Joy Osmanski
A few years after rebel Tally Youngblood takes down the Specials regime, a cultural renaissance sweeps the world. “Tech-heads” flaunt their latest gadgets, “kickers” spread gossip and trends, and “surge monkeys” are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. Popularity rules, and everyone craves fame.
Fifteen-year-old Aya Fuse is no exception. But Aya’s face rank is so low, she’s a total nobody. An extra. Her only chance at stardom is to kick a wild and unexpected story.
Then she stumbles upon a big secret. Aya knows she is on the cusp of celebrity. But the information she is about to disclose will change both her fate…and that of the brave new world.
Rating: 4.5/5

wildflower‘Wildflower’ By Drew Barrymore
Narrated by Drew Barrymore
Wildflower is a portrait of Drew’s life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years. It includes tales of living on her own at 14 (and how laundry may have saved her life), getting stuck in a gas station overhang on a cross country road trip, saying goodbye to her father in a way only he could have understood, and many more adventures and lessons that have led her to the successful, happy, and healthy place she is today. It is the first book Drew has written about her life since the age of 14.
Rating: 4/5

badass‘You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life’ By Jen Sincero
Narrated by Jen Sincero
In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word. If you’re ready to make some serious changes around here, You Are a Badass will help you: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, blast past your fears so you can take big exciting risks, figure out how to make some damn money already, learn to love yourself and others, set big goals and reach them – it will basically show you how to create a life you totally love, and how to create it now.
By the end of You Are a Badass, you’ll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can’t change, how to change what you don’t love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.
Rating: 4.5/5

marked‘Marked’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Edwina Wren
After a Vampire Tracker Marks her with a crescent moon on her forehead, 16-year-old Zoey Redbird enters the House of Night and learns that she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx and has affinities for all five elements: Air, Fire Water, Earth and Spirit. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is mis-using her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny – with a little help from her new vampyre friends (or Nerd Herd, as Aphrodite calls them)
Rating: 4/5

betrayed‘Betrayed’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Edwina Wren
Zoey, High Priestess in training, has managed to settle in at the House of Night and come to terms with the vast powers the Vampyre Goddess Nyx has given her. Just as she finally feels she belongs, the unthinkable happens: human teenagers are being killed, and all evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realise that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves.
Rating: 4/5

chosen‘Chosen’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Edwina Wren
Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare situation of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely affects the truth.
Rating: 4/5

untamed‘Untamed’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Jenna Lamia
Zoey Redbird’s adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested and shocking true intentions come to light, in this spellbinding fourth novel in the House of Night series.
Rating: 4/5

 

 

 

hunted‘Hunted’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Jenna Lamia
What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil, and all he wanted was you? At the start of this heart-pounding new instalment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn’t want to hear and truths she can’t face?
Rating: 4/5

tempted‘Tempted’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Cassandra Morris
So…you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang.
Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal.Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul?
Rating: 4/5

burned‘Burned’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Caitlin Davis
THINGS HAVE TURNED BLACK AT THE HOUSE OF NIGHT. ZOEY REDBIRD’S SOUL HAS SHATTERED. With a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, she’s fading fast. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to save her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampyre High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only seven days left…
Enter BFF Stevie Rae. She wants to help Z, but she has massive problems, too. The rogue Red Fledgings are acting up again. Her kinda boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but too nosy. Stevie Rae’s hiding a secret that might be the key to helping Zoey, but which also threatens to explode her whole world.
In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledging, trust-fund baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it). She’s always been blessed (if you could call it that) with prophetic visions, but now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her, whether she wants it or not. Aphrodite’s loyalty can swing a lot of different ways, but right now Zoey’s fate hangs in the balance.
Three girls… playing with fire… if they don’t watch out, everyone will get Burned.
Rating: 4/5

Awakened‘Awakened’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Caitlin Davies
Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over her immortal consort Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either… And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?
Rating: 4/5

Destined‘Destined’ By Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast
Narrated by Caitlin Davies
In Destined, the forces of Light and Dark collide as their epic struggle focuses on Tulsa’s House of Night. Zoey is home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side – and preparing to face off against Neferet. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx’s gift of a human form, he and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if Rephaim can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father’s shadow.
But is Zoey really safe? Does she truly know those who are closest to her? And will love win when it is tested by the very soul of Darkness?
Rating: 3.5/5

Scrappy‘Scrappy Little Nobody’ By Anna Kendrick
Narrated by Anna Kendrick
A collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the Academy Award-nominated actress and star of Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect.
Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen starring in films like Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, Twilight, and Into the Woods, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, and “10 percent defiant.”
At the ripe age of thirteen, she had already resolved to “keep the crazy inside my head where it belonged. Forever. But here’s the thing about crazy: It. Wants. Out.” In Scrappy Little Nobody, she invites readers inside her brain, sharing extraordinary and charmingly ordinary stories with candour and winningly wry observations.
With her razor-sharp wit, Anna recounts the absurdities she’s experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture as only she can—from her unusual path to the performing arts (Vanilla Ice and baggy neon pants may have played a role) to her double life as a middle-school student who also starred on Broadway to her initial “dating experiments” (including only liking boys who didn’t like her back) to reviewing a binder full of butt doubles to her struggle to live like an adult woman instead of a perpetual “man-child.”
Enter Anna’s world and follow her rise from “scrappy little nobody” to somebody who dazzles on the stage, the screen, and now the page—with an electric, singular voice, at once familiar and surprising, sharp and sweet, funny and serious (well, not that serious).
Rating: 4.5/5

vunerability‘The Power of Vulnerability: Teaching of Authenticity, Connections and Courage’ By Brene Brown
Narrated by Brene Brown
Show Up and Let Yourself be Seen
Is vulnerability the same as weakness? “In our culture,” teaches Dr. Brené Brown, “we associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.” On The Power of Vulnerability, Dr. Brown offers an invitation and a promise – that when we dare to drop the armor that protects us from feeling vulnerable, we open ourselves to the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives. Here she dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and reveals that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.
“The Power of Vulnerability is a very personal project for me,” Brené explains. “This is the first place that all of my work comes together. This audio course draws from all three of my books – it’s the culmination of everything I’ve learned over the past twelve years. I’m very excited to weave it all into a truly comprehensive form that shows what these findings and insights can mean in our lives.”
Guidance and Insights for Wholehearted Living
Over the past twelve years, Dr. Brené Brown has interviewed hundreds of people as part of an ongoing study of vulnerability. “The research shows that we try to ward disappointment with a shield of cynicism, disarm shame by numbing ourselves against joy, and circumvent grief by shutting off our willingness to love,” explains Dr. Brown. When we become aware of these patterns, she teaches, we begin to become conscious of how much we sacrifice in the name of self-defense -and how much richer our lives become when we open ourselves to vulnerability.
“In my research,” Dr. Brown says, “the word I use to describe people who can live from a place of vulnerability is wholehearted.” Being wholehearted is a practice—one that we can choose to cultivate through empathy, gratitude, and awareness of our vulnerability armor. Join this engaging and heartfelt teacher on The Power of Vulnerability as she offers profound insights on leaning into the full spectrum of emotions—so we can show up, let ourselves be seen, and truly be all in.
HIGHLIGHTS
Cultivating shame resilience—the key to developing a sense of worth and belonging.
Vulnerability as the origin point for innovation, adaptability, accountability, and visionary leadership.
Our emotional armory – how we use perfectionism, numbing, and other tactics to avoid feeling vulnerable.
The myths of vulnerability – common misconceptions about weakness, trust, and self-sufficiency.
Discovering your vulnerability armor – recognizing what makes us shut down, and how we can change.
The 10 guideposts of wholehearted living – essential skills for becoming fully engaged in life.
Six hours of stories, warm humor, and transformative insights for living a life of courage, authenticity, and compassion from Dr. Brené Brown.
Rating: 4/5

Elon musk‘Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X and the Quest for a Fantastic Future’ By Ashlee Vance 
Narrated By Fred Sanders
Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius’s life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in South Africa and flight to the United States to his dramatic technical innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits. Vance uses Musk’s story to explore one of the pressing questions of our age: can the nation of inventors and creators who led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition? He argues that Musk is an amalgam of legendary inventors and industrialists including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, and Steve Jobs. More than any other entrepreneur today, Musk has dedicated his energies and his own vast fortune to inventing a future that is as rich and far-reaching as the visionaries of the golden age of science-fiction fantasy.
Rating: 4/5

Pandemic‘Pandemic’ By A.G. Riddle
Narrated By Edoardo Ballerini
A deadly outbreak in Kenya.
A conspiracy beyond imagination.
And a race to save humanity in its darkest hour.
From A.G. Riddle, the worldwide bestselling author of The Atlantis Gene and Departure, comes a novel that will change everything you think you know about pandemics.
* * *
A hundred miles north of Alaska, an American Coast Guard vessel discovers a sunken submarine at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. It has no national identification and doesn’t match the records of any known vessel. Deep within, researchers find evidence of a scientific experiment that will alter our very understanding of the human race.
In Atlanta, Dr. Peyton Shaw is awakened by the phone call she has dreaded for years. As the CDC’s leading epidemiologist, she’s among the first responders to outbreaks around the world. It’s a lonely and dangerous job, but it’s her life—and she’s good at it. This time, she may have met her match.
In Kenya, an Ebola-like pathogen has infected two Americans. One lies at death’s door. With the clock ticking, Peyton assembles her team and joins personnel from the Kenyan Ministry of Health and the WHO. What they find in the remote village is beyond their worst fears. As she traces the origin of the pathogen, Peyton begins to believe that there is more to this outbreak—that it may be merely the opening act in a conspiracy with far reaching consequences.
In Berlin, Desmond Hughes awakens in a hotel room with no memory of how he got there or who he is. On the floor, he finds a dead security guard from an international pharmaceutical company. His only clue leads him to Peyton Shaw—a woman who seems to know him, but refuses to tell him how. With the police searching the city for him, Desmond desperately tries to piece together what happened to him. To his shock and horror, he learns that he may be involved in causing the outbreak—and could hold the only key to stopping it.
As the pathogen spreads around the world, Peyton and Desmond race to unravel the conspiracy behind the pandemic—and uncover secrets some want to keep buried.
Rating: 2.5/5

Daring‘Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead’ By Brene Brown
Narrated by Karen White
Researcher and thought leader Dr. Brené Brown offers a powerful new vision that encourages us to dare greatly: to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly, and to courageously engage in our lives.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” —Theodore Roosevelt
Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts.
In Daring Greatly, Dr. Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection. The book that Dr. Brown’s many fans have been waiting for, Daring Greatly will spark a new spirit of truth—and trust—in our organisations, families, schools, and communities.
Rating: 4/5

girl‘Girl Walks Into a Bar: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle’ By Rachel Dratch 
Narrated by Rachel Dratch
In this side-splitting memoir, the former Saturday Night Live star recounts the hilarious adventures and unexpected joy of dating and becoming a mother when she least expected it-at the age of forty-four. Anyone who saw an episode of Saturday Night Live between 1999 and 2006 knows Rachel Dratch. She was hilarious! So what happened to her? After a misbegotten part as Jenna on the pilot of 30 Rock, Dratch was only getting offered roles as “Lesbians. Secretaries. Sometimes secretaries who are lesbians.”
Her career at a low point, Dratch suddenly had time for yoga, dog- sitting, learning Spanish-and dating. After all, what did a forty- something single woman living in New York have to lose? Resigned to childlessness but still hoping for romance, Dratch was out for drinks with a friend when she met John.
Handsome and funny, after only six months of dating long-distance, he became the inadvertent father of her wholly unplanned, undreamed-of child, and moved to New York to be a dad. With riotous humour, Dratch recounts breaking the news to her bewildered parents, the awe of her single friends, and the awkwardness of a baby-care class where the instructor kept tossing out the f-word.
Filled with great behind-the-scenes anecdotes from Dratch’s time on SNL, Girl Walks into a Bar… is a refreshing version of the “happily ever after” story that proves female comics-like bestsellers Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler-are truly having their moment.
Rating: 3.5/5

Yes please‘Yes Please’ By Amy Poehler
Narrated by Amy Poehler, Carol Barnett, Seth Meyers, Michael Schur, Eileen Poehler, William Poehler, Patrick Stewart and Kathleen Turner
In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.
Full Review of ‘Yes Please’ can be found here
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Rating: 5/5

Paddle‘Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living’ By Nick Offerman
Narrated by Nick Offerman
Growing a perfect moustache, grilling red meat, wooing a woman—who better to deliver this tutelage than the always charming, always manly Nick Offerman, best known as Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson?  Combining his trademark comic voice and very real expertise in woodworking—he runs his own wood shop—Paddle Your Own Canoe features tales from Offerman’s childhood in small-town Minooka, Illinois—“I grew up literally in the middle of a cornfield”—to his theatre days in Chicago, beginnings as a carpenter/actor and the hilarious and magnificent seduction of his now-wife Megan Mullally.   It also offers hard-bitten battle strategies in the arenas of manliness, love, style, religion, woodworking, and outdoor recreation, among many other savoury entrees.
A mix of amusing anecdotes, opinionated lessons and rants, sprinkled with offbeat gaiety, Paddle Your Own Canoe will not only tickle readers pink but may also rouse them to put down their smart phones, study a few sycamore leaves, and maybe even hand craft (and paddle) their own canoes.
Rating: 5/5

twilight‘Twilight’ By Stephanie Myer
Narrated by Ilyana Kadushin
About three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be—that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
In the first book of the Twilight Saga, internationally bestselling author Stephenie Meyer introduces Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, a pair of star-crossed lovers whose forbidden relationship ripens against the backdrop of small-town suspicion and a mysterious coven of vampires. This is a love story with bite.
Rating: 4.5/5

seraphina‘Seraphina’ By Rachel Hartman 
Narrated by Mandy Williams and Justine Eyre
Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.
Yet to Finish

mythos‘Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold’ By Stephen Fry
Narrated by Stephen Fry
The Greek myths are the greatest stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney.
They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. In Stephen Fry’s hands the stories of the titans and gods become a brilliantly entertaining account of ribaldry and revelry, warfare and worship, debauchery, love affairs and life lessons, slayings and suicides, triumphs and tragedies.
You’ll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia’s revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis.
Thoroughly spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry’s Mythos perfectly captures these stories for the modern age – in all their rich and deeply human relevance.
Full review of ‘Mythos’ can be found here.

Rating: 5/5

norse‘Norse Mythology’ By Neil Gaiman 
Narrated by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok.
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.
Yet to Read

Mark‘The Mark of Athena’ By Rick Riordan
Narrated by Joshua Swanson
Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon figurehead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.
And that’s only one of her worries. In her pocket, Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving command: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?
Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader—but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brian by her side
Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare.
I have a full review of ‘Mark of Athena’.
Rating: 5/5

Illuminae Ray V6FrontOnlyA2A_V3.indd‘Illuminae’ By Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Narrated by Full Cast
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
Full review of ‘Illuminae’ can be found here.

Rating: 5/5

Gemina‘Gemina’ By Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Narrated by a full cast
Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminaecontinues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.
Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.
But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.
Rating: Currently Reading

obsidio‘Obsidio’ By Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Narrated by a full cast
Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion? 
Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha’s past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. 
With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.
Yet to Read

greatesr‘The Greatest Love Story Ever Told’ By Nick Offerman and MeganMullally
Narrated by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally
The year: 2000. The setting: Los Angeles. A gorgeous virtuoso of an actress had agreed to star in a random play, and a basement-dwelling scenic carpenter had said he would assay a supporting role in the selfsame pageant. At the first rehearsal, she surveyed her fellow cast members, as one does, determining if any of the men might qualify to provide her with a satisfying fling. Her gaze fell upon the carpenter, and like a bolt of lightning, the thought struck her: No dice. Moving on.
Yet, unbeknownst to our protagonists, Cupid had merely set down his bow and picked up a rocket launcher. Then fired a love rocket (not a euphemism). The players were Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, and the resulting romance, once it ignited, was . . . epic. Beyond epic. It resulted in a coupling that has endured to this day; a sizzling, perpetual tryst that has captivated the world with its kindness, athleticism, astonishingly low-brow humor, and true (fire emoji) passion.
How did they do it? They came from completely different families, endured a significant age difference, and were separated by the gulf of several social strata. Megan loved books and art history; Nick loved hammers. But much more than these seemingly unsurpassable obstacles were the values they held in common: respect, decency, the ability to mention genitalia in almost any context, and an abiding obsession with the songs of Tom Waits.
Eighteen years later, they’re still very much in love, and have finally decided to reveal the philosophical mountains they have conquered, the lessons they’ve learned, and the myriad jigsaw puzzles they’ve completed, in a book. Featuring anecdotes, hijinks, interviews, photos, and a veritable grab bag of tomfoolery, this is not only the intoxicating book that Mullally’s and Offerman’s fans have been waiting for, it might just hold the solution to the greatest threat facing our modern world: the single life.
Yet to read

 

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OKAY… so thats a lot! if you’d like to see full reviews for any of them, let me know!

That is my current Audible collection! What are you currently listening to?

Review: ‘The House of Hades’ By Rick Riodan

house

The House of Hades 
By Rick Riordan
Book #4 in the Heroes of Olympus Series

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publish Date: October 2013
Pages: 583
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy
Purchase Locations: Amazon and Kindle Audible Book Depository Booktopia Dymocks QBD

 

Synopsis

Hazel stands at a crossroads. She and the remaining crew of the Argo II could return home with the Athena Parthenos statue and try to stop Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter from going to war. Or they could continue their quest to find the House of Hades, where they might be able to open the Doors of Death, rescue their friends Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus, and prevent monsters from being reincarnated in the mortal world. Whichever road they decide to take, they have to hurry, because time is running out. Gaea, the bloodthirsty Earth Mother, has set the date of August 1 for her rise to power.

Annabeth and Percy are overwhelmed. How will the two of them make it through Tartarus? Starving, thirsty, and in pain, they are barely able to stumble on in the dark and poisonous landscape that holds new horrors at every turn. They have no way of locating the Doors of Death. Even if they did, a legion of Gaea’s strongest monsters guards the Doors on the Tartarus side. Annabeth and Percy can’t exactly launch a frontal assault.

Despite the terrible odds, Hazel, Annabeth, Percy, and the other demigods of the prophecy know that there is only one choice: to attempt the impossible. Not just for themselves, but for everyone they love. Even though love can be the riskiest choice of all.

 

Thoughts

First of this book is LONG. It took me 17 days to read! But I was not disappointed! We left of the Mark of Athena with the seven main demigods divided. What a cliffhanger! Annabeth and Percy were in Tartarus and Hazel, Frank, Jason, Piper and Leo were in Rome. Honestly as soon as I finished Mark of Athena I knew I needed to pick up House of Hades. I needed to know was happened!

This book was action packed to say the least. There are monsters everywhere! We also have the reappearance of Bob the titan, who I have to say I loved as a character. He added some much needed humour to the situation. We also meet Calypso again and she’s another one I just love. I can’t even begin to tell you.

This book has everything the 4th book in a series (with quiet long books) needs. It kept me engaged as a reader – so much so that I was devastated when I accidentally left without my book yesterday and couldn’t read any! – as well as moving the story along, edging readers closer to its concluding stage, coming in the 5th and final book in the series Blood of Olympus.

Each book in this series has felt necessary for the progression of this adventure. I’ll be honest when I started the Son of Neptune I was worried that the books would get repetitive and I would DNF the series, BOY WAS I WRONG.

This series is great for any age reader – or maybe I’m just saying that because I’m really loving it and one of my 9 year old students is utterly obsessed – and will have you on the edge on your seat!

 

Rating

Plot: 9/10
Ease of reading: 7/10
Character Development: 7.5/10
World Building: 8/10
Quality of Writing: 9/10
Stars:  4.5/5

August TBR

After two average reading months I am determined to make August count! My goal for the month is going to be to at least – absolute minimum – complete the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan.

I am currently reading ‘The Son of Neptune’ which I started not that long ago. At the time of writing this I am 110 pages in.

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I’ll then move onto the third book in the series ‘The Mark of Athena’ by Rick Riordan before reading ‘The House of Hades’ By Rick Riordan and ‘The Blood of Olympus’ by Rick Riordan.

If I can get all of these read I will more on to the Trials of Apollo series!

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Just on Rick Riordan binge at the moment! I think it’s a little bit ambitious, but I am hopeful to get through them.

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What books are you planing to read this month?

 

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

 

Since coming back from Greece I’ve been binge watching all the YouTube videos I missed while I was away. Among them were a ton of BookTube videos with the ‘Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag’ where people were answering 15 questions about the books that had already read this year and about the books they were going to be reading this year. It looked like a good way to go over the books you had completed already and look ahead with some reading goals.

Now I’ve had to edit the post a little – and by a little I mean I changed one word in one question – to make it more relevant to blogs as opposed to videos.

Anyway, lets get into it!

Mid year freak out 1

kingdom‘A Kingdom of Exile’ By S.B. Nova. This book is a Fae story, I definitely have really gotten into the Fae books this year, all starting with ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ which I loved and couldn’t put down. But this story was another that I LOVED!

 

 

 

Mid year freak out 2

I would have to say ‘A Court of Mist and Fury’ By Sarah J. Mass. I loved the first book IMG_0350in the series, but I feel like the sequel is what really drew me in. I became completely addicted to the story from the second book!

 

 

 

 

Mid year freak out 3

childrenDefinitely ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ By Tomi Adeyemi. This book sounds incredible and there have been such great reviews for it. I just keep getting addicted to series and wanting to finish them before moving on to a new book.

 

 

 

Mid year freak out 4

Ok, there are definitely a few!
* ‘The Forest Queen’ By Betsy Cornwell
* ‘The Adventurer’s Guild: Twilight of the Elves’ By Nick Eliopoulos & Zack Loren Clark
* ‘Imposters’ By Scott Westerfeld
* ‘The Winter Witch’ By Katherine Arden
* Nevermoor: Wundersmith’ By Jessica Townsend

 

mid year freak out 5

artemis-andy-weir-coverProbably ‘Artemis’ By Andy Weir. I love the Martian, I got it on Audible so my fiancee and I could listen to it on a road trip a couple of years ago. It is a book I definitely go back to and have already listened to multiple times.
‘Artemis’ on the other hand, I read. I don’t know if I’d of felt differently if I had listened to this one as well, but I didn’t. I liked it in the end, but I found it hard to get into.

 

Mid year freak out 6

IMG_0447‘A Court of Thrones and Roses’ By Sarah J. Mass. I hadn’t purchased the books because to be real the covers aren’t my favourite. I’m not usually a fan of covers that her people – photo or drawn – but I kept seeing them so I decided to pick the first one up (I also saw the hardcover on sale on Amazon for $9 – I was not about to pass up on savings like that!) Obviously IT WAS AMAZING and I was completely addicted to the series and had to get them straight away and finished all 3 in a month!

Mid year freak out 7

I would have to say Sarah J. Mass and Rick Riordan. I’ve finished both the Percy Jackson Series and the A Court of Thorns and Roses Series and I am currently on book two of The Heroes of Olympus series and once I’ve finished that, The Trials of Apollo books that are out and the Magnus Chase series I plan to move on to Throne of Glass.

Just in case my love for these authors wasn’t obvious…

Mid year freak out 8

I am going to have to say of course Rhysand from ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ By Sarah J. Mass. As well as Wilder from ‘A Kingdom of Exile’ By S.B Nova, I feel like they are sort of similar characters so probably makes sense.

Mid year freak out 9

I’m kind of loving Piper from ‘The Lost Hero’ By Rick Riordan and Suri from ‘Every Heart a Doorway’ By Seanan McGuire.

Mid year freak out 10

I don’t think any thing I’ve head this year has truly made me cry, but ‘Down Amongst the Sticks and Bones’ By Seanan McGuire made me sad and ‘Genesis’ By Bernard Beckett

 

mid year freak out 11

Like nearly every single book I’ve read this year!

Mid year freak out 12

As far as I can remember I don’t think I saw any…

mid year freak out 13

Definitely my 2018 goals post. I feel like it made me really accountable in achieving them, especially doing monthly updates.

Mid year freak out 14

IMG_2103I think it would have to be my rose gold and white hardcover copy of ‘The Great Gatsby’ By F. Scott Fitzgerald.

 

 

 

 

 

Mid year freak out 15

OK, I have a bit of a list:

  • The rest of the Heroes of Olympus Series
  • The Trials of Apollo Series
  • Throne of Glass Series
  • ‘The Children of Blood and Bone’ By Tomi Adiyemi
  • ‘Furyborm’ By Claire Legrand

and honestly… just my entire TBR.

 

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Anyone else having a mid year freak out about ALL the books they still want to read in 2018?!

 

 

 

 

Review: ‘Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold’ By Stephen Fry

mythos

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold
By Stephen Fry

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK
Publish Date: 2017
Pages: 410
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: History Mythology
Purchase Locations: Amazon and Kindle Audible Book Depository Booktopia Dymocks QBD

Synopsis

The Greek myths are the greatest stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney.

They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. In Stephen Fry’s hands the stories of the titans and gods become a brilliantly entertaining account of ribaldry and revelry, warfare and worship, debauchery, love affairs and life lessons, slayings and suicides, triumphs and tragedies.

You’ll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia’s revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis.

Thoroughly spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry’s Mythos perfectly captures these stories for the modern age – in all their rich and deeply human relevance.

My Thoughts

I feel as though I am biased towards this book. Not only do I LOVE Greek Mythology an insane amount, but I also love Stephen Fry, so I pretty much knew I was going to love ‘Mythos’. I was not wrong.

Not only are the myths fantastically re-written with additional dialogue and great character building – I don’t even know if that’s actually possible, but still – and amazing depth of information.

I started reading my physical copy of the book, however as soon as I saw that Stephen Fry was narrating his book on Audible I knew that I needed to listen to it. I decided to save to for my travels in Greece, just to get more of a feel of the book – completely unnecessary, but also totally worth it – which was an amazing choice. I listened as we drove all over the mainland on a tour of ancient sites, many of which are mentioned throughout the myths and it was amazing to see these places as I was experiencing the story.

Fry adds great depth and detail, as well as opinions to his retelling to really give the gods and their stories incredible depth and dimension.

This is a book I will be revisiting again and again, listening to the stories of the Classical period in Greece’s history. (When I’m not devouring the Rick Riordan series that is)

My Rating

Plot: 9/10
Ease of reading: 5/10
Character Development: 8/10
World Building: 8/10
Quality of Writing: 8/10
Stars:  5/5

 

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Is there anything you would read without question?

 

Goodreads ‘To-Read’ Sort #7

So this is how it works

  • Go to your Goodreads ‘to-read’ shelf.
  • Order them on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5-10 (to how ever many you want really) books. Of course, if you do this weekly or more frequently, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books…
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

Here we go again…

‘The Young World’ By Chris Weitz
worldWelcome to New York, a city ruled by teens.
After a mysterious Sickness wipes out the rest of the population, the young survivors assemble into tightly run tribes. Jefferson, the reluctant leader of the Washington Square tribe, and Donna, the girl he’s secretly in love with, have carved out a precarious existence among the chaos.
But when a fellow tribe member discovers a clue that may hold the cure for the Sickness, five teens set out on a life-altering road trip, exchanging gunfire with enemy gangs, escaping cults and militias, braving the wilds of the subway – all in order to save humankind.

I’m going to KEEP this one for now. I’ve started it, but it got pretty intense pretty quickly and I had to put it down. I do want to try it again.

‘What Would Nietzsche Do?: How the Greatest Philosophers would solve your everyday problems’ By Marcus Weeks
NietzscheWhat Would Nietzsche Do? uses the key ideas of more than 80 philosophical thinkers, past and present, to shine new light onto today’s everyday problems.Ever wondered if Schopenhauer could fix your broken heart? How Heraclitus might help you if you lost your phone? Given the chance, would Foucault leave the toilet seat up?With sections on Relationships, Self and Identity, How to Live, Art and Aesthetics, and Politics, there is an answer to each of modern life’s questions here. Each section is comprised of a collection of questions, from ‘Is Shakespeare better than the Simpsons?’ to ‘Should I get a takeaway tonight?’; from little niggling questions, to the great mysteries of human existence. With Marcus Weeks’s illuminating commentary on each philosopher’s answer to the question at hand, you’ll be spouting Socrates and discussing Descartes before you know it.A guide to life, of sorts, and also a fantastic introduction to philosophy for anyone looking to broaden their knowledge of the subject.

KEEP. I love just reading a section here and there.

‘Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow’ By Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crow and her best friend Hawthorne Swift are now proud scholars in the elite Wundrous Society, but life is far from perfect. Does Morrigan have what it takes to prove that she belongs in the Society?

This one hasn’t even been released yet but its staying on the KEEP list. I loved the first novel in the series and I cannot wait for this one.

‘Akarnae’ By Lynette Noni
akarnaeDreading her first day at a new school, Alex is stunned when she walks through a doorway and finds herself stranded in Medora, a fantasy world full of impossibilities. Desperate to return home, she learns that only a man named Professor Marselle can help her… but he’s missing.
While waiting for him to reappear, Alex attends Akarnae Academy, Medora’s boarding school for teenagers with extraordinary gifts. She soon starts to enjoy her bizarre new world and the friends who embrace her as one of their own, but strange things are happening at Akarnae, and Alex can’t ignore her fear that something unexpected… something sinister… is looming.
An unwilling pawn in a deadly game, Alex’s shoulders bear the crushing weight of an entire race’s survival. Only she can save the Medorans, but what if doing so prevents her from ever returning home?
Will Alex risk her entire world—and maybe even her life—to save Medora?

I picked this one up on a whim but think I want to KEEP it and give it a go.

‘The Last Olympian’ By Rick Riodran
olympianAll year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.
In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilisation rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

Definitely a KEEP. Its the last book in the Percy Jackson Series and I really want to finish it, but also so sad because I don’t want it to be over. Probably why I haven’t gotten to it yet.

‘Captain Jimmy Cook Discovers X Marks the Spot’ By Kate and Jol Temple
JimmyCaptain Jimmy Cook has made a Top Secret Important Discovery. Even more important than any discovery that the other Captain Cook from the olden days ever made. A real dinosaur footprint! And everyone knows that underneath a real dinosaur footprint will be a real dinosaur bone.
Jimmy has to keep the amazing discovery a big secret because he found it behind a toilet block (that’s totally out-of-bounds). That’s not going to stop Jimmy and his crew! Once he digs up the dinosaur bone, he’s going to be the most famous Captain James Cook in history and not even Ms Fennel will be mad with him.
But even the greatest explorers have problems. Jimmy’s are these: 1) Everyone in the school now wants to help in The Dig, so it’s just a matter of time before Ms Fennel puts a stop to the greatest discovery of all time and 2) a large smelly cat is sitting in his hole.
But luck is on his side. Jimmy’s found a map of the school with a large X on it. And everyone knows what that means — Treasure! Treasure! Treasure!
Captain Jimmy Cook is about to make the discovery of a lifetime.

KEEP for sure. I read the first one with some students from work and to be honest it was hilarious. I want to read it so I can lend it to my students in case they’d like to read it.

‘Writing Radar: Using Your Journal to Snoop out and Craft Great Stories’ By Jack Gantos
writingWith the signature wit and humour that have garnered him legions of fans, Jack Gantos instructs young writers on using their “writing radar” to unearth story ideas from their everyday lives. Incorporating his own misadventures as a developing writer, Gantos inspires readers to build confidence and establish good writing habits as they create, revise, and perfect their stories. Pop-out text boxes highlight key tips, alongside Gantos’s own illustrations, sample stories, and snippets from his childhood journals. More than just a how-to guide, Writing Radar is a celebration of the power of storytelling and an ode to the characters who–many unwittingly–inspired Gantos’s own writing career.

I don’t have many texts for work on my list, so I am definitely KEEPING this one.

‘Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear’ By Elizabeth Gilbert
bigReaders of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

I never got around to reading ‘Eat, Pray. Love’ but I would really love to get to this one. KEEP.

‘The Law of Attraction’ By Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks
lawThis text presents the powerful basics of the original Teachings of Abraham. Readers will learn how all things, wanted and unwanted, are brought to you by this most powerful law of the universe – the law of attraction.

I love the concept of the law of attraction and really want to learn more about it. KEEP.

 

 

 

 

’50 Ways to Yay!: Transformative tools for Less Stress, More Presence, And a Whole Lot of Happy’ By Alexi Panos
50Effervescent TV host, model, and inspirational vlogger Alexi Panos has helped thousands with their own search for personal happiness. In 50 Ways to Yay!, Alexi, recently named one of eleven Noteworthy Millenials in the Huffington Post, helps you do the same with fifty inspired and thought-provoking lessons and exercises to help you break out of the ordinary and jump into the extraordinary.
Is it possible to be a master of your reality? Be happy, and create an epic life despite your circumstances? Hell yes! And we’re just getting started. That’s the mantra Alexi Panos lives by in 50 Ways to Yay! But Alexi wasn’t always this positive. About six years ago, she woke up to the slow monotony that had become her life. Sick of feeling stressed out, emotionally detached, and never quite happy enough, she knew something had to change.
So Alexi immersed herself in psychology, Eastern thought, and personal development by reading thousands of books, taking classes, and experimenting with techniques that were sometimes amazing, and sometimes disastrous. In 50 Ways to Yay!, she shares her results in this delightful, yet thought-provoking primer, such as:
-It’s not about what life has dealt you, it’s about how you react to it.
-Vulnerability is relatable. Perfection is not.
-Those who are happy with nothing are happy with everything.
Alexi has done the extensive research (so you don’t have to) and synthesised it into fifty practical tools that you can apply for extraordinary results now. With her guidance, you can experience a domino effect of inner peace, inspiration, and a whole lot of happy.

This is another KEEP. I do love a good self help book and I feel as though this one could be helpful to my goal of working on being more positive on a day to day basis.

So this round I kept 10/10 books. hoarder much!

 

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