Books and Sensibility

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Jess

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

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Rating: 2 out of 5.

Reese, I don’t know about this one. I randomly selected this book on Scribd and was immediately pulled in as a visitor shatters Hannah’s seemingly perfect new life.

40-year-old Hannah has moved from NYC to scenic Sausalito, CA to be with her new husband and his moody teenage daughter Bailey. Now her husband has disappeared and it’s up to Hannah and Baily to find the truth

The book takes kind of a strange turn as Hannah and Bailey head to Austin, Texas for answers. At first, I enjoyed reading about them finding clues and putting the puzzle together, but the ending comes out of left field and didn’t match the vibe of the first part of the book.

There are a slew of side characters that pop in and out of the story. These characters have no real impact on the story except maybe to be red herrings. All of the characters felt kind of thin, especially the husband who we only ‘see’ in flashbacks. He’s constantly put on the pedestal by Bailey and Hannah–but as a reader, I didn’t find him to be likable.

The narration by Rebecca Lowman was pretty solid.

Side Note

The MCs live in Sausalito, CA which is a very specific San Franciso enclave. I mean Sausalito is even on the cover–yet the book barely takes place there. They spend more time in Austin, Texas.

Jess’ End of The Year Mini Reviews

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No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfeld

Rating: 3 out of 5.

A vicious murder-suicide at an idyllic lake house leaves a small town reeling. and a society housewife on the run.

I found this to be an enjoyable quick read. It’s a study in class and the choices afforded to those with money and privilege. Rosenfeld does deep dives into her characters, which can sometimes leave the plot wanting.

I hate to be that person but I clocked the twist in this book by the 4th chapter. I read this on audio and print– the print makes the twist very obvious. I think the author is somewhat aware of this and the ‘reveal’ actually comes in the middle of the book instead of the end.

Now that we are firmly in the 2020’s I’m finding more books are having to consider social media when delving into the character’s past. If a character is between 18-30 years old you can’t talk about their high school experiences without considering what their high school Facebook or Instagram looked like.

Heartbreak Symphony by Laekan Zea Kemp

My first impression of this book was wow…this feels like it could be a prestige television show. It was this down-to-earth and character-driven book with an ominous narrative twist. Aspiring DJ Aarón Medran embarks on a series of clandestine humanitarian missions around his small barrio at the behest of La Maquina, a celebrity DJ and hometown hero Aarón is never alone on these missions as La Maquina’s 7-foot-tall robot mascot has been following him since his mother’s death. This seemingly friendly robot has a foreboding nature and leads to some of the more poignant and moving parts of the story. I liked this strange aspect of the story. I always enjoy YA books that go for a high or unusual concept.

We also follow Nina, a high school senior whose self-doubt has kept her from pursuing her dreams and performing the trumpet she loves dearly. Her story honestly felt like it could have been a companion book. I felt like both stories could have stood on their own.

Kemp masterfully balances grief, hope, and forgiveness in this emotion-packed read.

Wild is The Witch by Rachel Griffin

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On the romance blog Kat mentioned that the thing with enemies-to-lovers is that if it is not done well you end up hating both characters and Wild Is The Witch gets real close.

Wild is the Witch is set in a contemporary world where witches live out in the open. The story follows Iris , a young witch who has recently settled in the Pacific Northwest.

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AudioFile’s 2022 Best Young Adult Audiobooks

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Listen up audiobook fans ! It’s the end of the year which means it’s time to announce AudioFile’s 2022 Best Young Adult. Don’t forget to check out all of AudioFile’s 2022 Best Audiobooks. 🎧📚

AIN’T BURNED ALL THE BRIGHT

by Jason Reynolds | Read by Jason Reynolds, Nile Bullock, Tatum Marylin Hall, JaQwan J. Kelly, DePre Owens [Simon & Schuster Audio | 37 mins.]

How do you create an amazing audiobook from an illustrated novel in which the vibrant art takes center stage? Record two takes: one deftly narrated by Reynolds himself, and the second voiced by an outstanding cast.

AudioFile Earphones Award

REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/211710/

ALL MY RAGE

by Sabaa Tahir| Read by Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan, Kausar Mohammed [Listening Library | 10.5 hrs.]

A stellar trio of narrators delivers the alternating viewpoints in this superb contemporary novel and National Book Award-winner set in California’s desert. Grief and loss paint narrator Kamran R. Khan’s voice as he portrays Salahudin, who fears the loss of his mother and the breakdown of his friendship with Noor. 

AudioFile Earphones Award

REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/211863/

BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN

by Natalia Sylvester| Read by Frankie Corzo [Harper Audio | 9.25 hrs.]

Frankie Corzo delivers a satisfying and beautiful performance with her heartfelt and nimble narration. Peruvian-American teenager Veronica has hip dysplasia; being in the water is the only way she feels relief. She longs to become a mermaid performer—but her parents don’t approve.

AudioFile Earphones Award

REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/214701/

THE HONEYS

by Ryan La Sala| Read by Pete Cross [Scholastic Audiobooks | 10.5 hrs.]

Narrator Pete Cross delivers a compelling performance of this supernatural thriller filled with secrets and emotional twists and turns at a summer camp full of surprises—and the not-so-sweet Honeys.

AudioFile Earphones Award

REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/220096/

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD

by Tiffany D. Jackson| Read by JD Jackson, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Joy Nash, Christopher Salazar, Karen Malina White [Harper Audio | 11 hrs.]

Versatile narrators effectively differentiate interwoven characters’ perspectives in this retelling of Stephen King’s CARRIE. Maddy, a timid biracial teen who is bullied at school, has secret psychic powers that explode on prom night with disastrous consequences.

AudioFile Earphones Award

REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/216419/

WHAT SOULS ARE MADE OF

by Tasha Suri| Read by Alex Williams, Becca Hirani [Macmillan Audio | 8.25 hrs.]

Alex Williams and Becca Hirani give impassioned performances in a captivating retelling of Emily Brontë’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Suri’s adaptation gives listeners perspectives on the minds of two teenagers who are desperately in love, while also delving into their backstories and underscoring the impact of British colonization.

AudioFile Earphones Award

REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/219026/

The Charmed List by Julie Abe

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I didn’t think cozy soft-magic romance was my thing…but this magical YA road trip romance/coming-of-age has me second-guessing that.

In Abe’s world the magic community exists in secret alongside the regular world. Ellie and Jack are former childhood best friends who grew up in their family’s magic-infused retail shops. Jack’s mother’s death pushed them apart and they’ve been making life hard for each other ever since. The last thing they want to do is embark on a road trip to a magical retailer convention together.

Did someone say enemies-to-lover second chance romance with the only one-bed trope ?

I enjoyed the simple mythology of magic in this world. Magic is a resource that the magic-aware can use to create small charms or enhance a food item. Magic does little things like boost confidence or fix a cracked phone case. Abe goes out of her way to make sure the magical system has rules and she even crafts a bit of magical history.

This book is called The Charmed List because Ellie also has this list of things she wants to do to make herself less of a wallflower. I’ll admit I’m getting a wee bit tired of the female main character who always feels ignored and has to learn to shine. 

Jack and Ellie’s adventures down the California coast was the best part of this book. I felt like the ‘charmed list’ plot point didn’t really gel with the story and could have been left out.

This was an ideal blend of contemporary and fantasy!

Scenes From My Life by Michael K. Williams

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I am the last person who should be reading Michel K. Williams’s memoir. I have never seen an episode of The Wire. I only know him from his 3 episode stint on Community. In Season 3 episode 1 he says the line “I know who Sean Penn is! I seen Milk!” and I think about the way he delivered this line all the time.

I also remember how, back in the day, The Wire got so much press because they hired actors with the same lived experiences as the show. Notably, Williams was not from Baltimore and the New York projects he grew up and lived in were culturally different from the Baltimore projects…though I’m sure the producers didn’t get that nuance. 🙄

The memoir is a fascinating dive into Williams’ journey to fame and how he used his fame to become a juvenile incarceration reform advocate.

Williams was a queer Black man living in New York City during the 80’s–part of his early young adulthood was spent in the underground ballroom scene. He spent much of his life balancing his queer and Black identity. I will say–it did sort of stand out to me that there was very little about his romantic relationships or his thoughts on having his own family.

William is brutally honest about his failures and mistakes. Despite becoming a pop culture icon and renowned actor–Williams struggled to support himself and manage money well into his 40s. He found renewed purpose later in life and became an advocate for reforming juvenile incarceration.

Williams struggled with addiction his entire life which ultimately lead to his passing before this book could be completed. Williams’ addiction was often triggered after performing violent street roles that mirrored his real-life trauma. I can’t help but think that if there were more diverse roles for dark-skinned Black actors– Williams could have had a chance to expand his range and side-step his addiction.

I probably won’t watch The Wire (BTW this book spoils the show so …*20 year spoiler alert* ??) but I do want to check out his Vice show Black Market and the documentary he made about juvenile incarceration. 

If you want a cliff notes version of this book check out Vanity Fair’s Michael K. Williams Breaks Down His Career video on YouTube. I think they used this interview to help flesh out the book.