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Audio Book

Timekeeper by Tara Sim

July 9, 2019      Leave a Comment

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

8 hours 48 minutes | Fantasy | Skypony Press | Release Date: 11/8/2016

In Sim’s Victorian London clock towers do more than just tell time…they keep it moving. Danny Hart is London’s youngest clock mechanic and his job is to repair England’s many clock towers. But when Danny falls in love with the spirit of the Enfield clock tower their forbidden relationship could stop time forever.

Oh, and they solve a crime.

I kept hearing Eric Smith talk about this book on the Hey YA podcast so when I saw it at the library I decided to pick it up. This is such a unique genre-bending story. It’s got a steampunk setting with fantasy elements and some mystery beats. I will say, the rules about clock spirits and how they work and who can see them does fall apart if you look too hard. I’m a little afraid Sim will have to break her own rules to continue telling more stories in the series.

The audiobook is narrated by Gary Furlong (whose name kept making me think of the character in Veep) who gives a great performance and I highly rec this on audio. Furlong has this great arsenal of British male accents, although he only has about one female voice in him. I see he does some romances so I’ll have to check those out.

Even though Danny is 17-years-old I think this is a great YA for younger readers. It has interesting themes and questions without being too dark. Sims’ world is also inclusive. The clock spirit, Colton, is a boy and Danny being gay is part of his story but not the whole story. I do kind of side-eye the half Indian character who is constantly described as fair and blonde.

AudioFile’s 2018 Best Young Adult Audiobooks

November 28, 2018      Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again to share AudioFile Magazine’s 2018 Best Young Adult Audiobooks. Click the links to read the reviews. Visit the Audiofile Ezine to check out the rest of AudioFile Magazine’s 2018 Best Audiobooks.

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Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cummings

June 15, 2018      Leave a Comment

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

HarperAudio | Memoir | 10/07/2014 

Alan Cumming examines the violent and abusive childhood that nearly sent his adult life off course while on a journey to uncover a family secret on the reality TV show  Who Do You Think You Are? Just when Cumming thinks he has a handle on all his family secrets, his estranged father calls and drops a big one.

This silver fox actor is known for playing eccentric characters. I  know Cumming best from his role as Eli Gold on The Good Wife (He was also in X2).  At the time I had no idea he was Scottish but by the time I finished this audiobook the thought of him with an American accent seemed strange.

…

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Before The Fall by Noah Hawley

January 25, 2017      Leave a Comment

Release Date: 5/31/2016

Pages: 391 pages

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Ten people step onto a plane. Eighteen minutes later the plane drops out of the sky leaving only two survivors.

And one of those survivors, artist Scott Burroughs, wasn’t supposed to be on there. Who is Scott and more importantly. . . why did a perfectly operational plane fall into the ocean?

…

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Audiobook Review : Dreams Of Gods and Monsters

May 31, 2015      Leave a Comment

  • Release Date: April 8th 2014
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Length: 18 hours 11 minutes
  • Publisher: Hachette Audio

IT IS  FINISHED. I started listening to this series 3 years ago  and  have finally finished this sweeping epic fantasy and love story. Taylor’s use of language and creativity have me waiting eagerly to see what she will come up with next.

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series starts off with a whimsical art student in Prague and free falls into a fantastical epic conclusion. While I enjoyed the world-building and conflict Taylor created, the ending fizzled just a bit for me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it;  it just came and went just a little to swiftly. But despite this, all these book have me sold. They are all plotted perfectly and follow an even pace.

…

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Audiobook Review : Fire With Fire by Siobhan Vivian and Jenny Han

November 1, 2013      1 Comment

  • Genre :Contemporary/Paranormal
  • Length : 11 hours 15 minutes
  • Release Date : 8-13-13
  • Publisher : Simon Audio

Fire With Fire picks up just a few weeks after the events of Burn for Burn. The main characters have seemingly moved on, however, it’s not long before the girls find themselves working together to once again take down Reeve Tabatsky. Some people never change. . . or do they?

While the first book introduced the world of Jar Island, this book shifts focus on the community and culture of Jar Island. We get a feel for the traditions, events and celebrations of this small town. This level of world-building within a contemporary setting is admirable….

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