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Chopstickz11
The Wishing Stone: Dangerous Dinosaur “I was pleasantly surprised by this adorable children’s book. The premise is engaging for adults and children alike. The main character is a reluctant reader that will surely encourage any reluctant reader to take a second look at what books can do for you. The narration was a bit off to me at first due to the quality of the sound, but not the narrator’s voice. After a few minutes I was lost in the story and no longer noticed. I would recommend this book for adults and children alike! I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
The Wishing Stone 2 – Dragon Dilemma “These books are targeted to children and children like consistency. I was surprised to see that with the second book the author decided to narrate the book herself. In my experience this has not often led to the best results for the reader. Thankfully, in this case that is completely incorrect. I don’t want to give it away, but Ms. Hoopes does a great job narrating the book and she isn’t really alone. When you hear it and realize what she did, you will smile too. It is adorable and I just love it! The story was great of course as well. I love that each child has their own power with the stone and the ability to help inside the story. I love that the children learn more about reading and the time frame of the setting and I am putting my faith in Ms. Hoopes that the facts are true since the books is targeted to children. I certainly recommend this series for young and old alike. Make sure you listen closely to the narration on this one for a sweet and heartfelt surprise. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
Takin’ It Back “I was intrigued by the premise of this book, a repo man for magic items, but what I found was a novel about family and undying love. It was not what I expected but it was certainly a great read. This is the first time I’ve read anything by Ms. Krafton and I’ll admit I did anticipate a few of the twists of the book, but not all of them. Ms. Reece did a good job narrating the book and provided voices for each of the main characters. Her narration certainly helped to keep the novel on track. I did feel that the end felt rushed. There was a lot going on with different spells and artifacts and it became a bit hard to follow at times. Overall though I would recommend this book, especially if you enjoy the idea of magicians and supernatural beings living among us as typical business and homeowners. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
Einstein’s Compass: A YA Time Traveler Adventure “Anyone who reads my reviews will recall that I am not a fan of high fantasy. I read the summary of this book and loved the concept from the start; however, I was almost thrown by the prologue. I’m very glad I kept going! In addition to the unique concept from the author, it was fascinating to think of Einstein as a child. When most think of him it is with his wild hair, similar to the cover photo used on the book. To imagine him growing up with such a mind was a great treat as well. I really hope that Ms. Blair and Ms. Bright continue this concept and create more books with this theory. It was wonderful to see everything play out in the realm and the concept of those folks (not named for spoiler sake) sitting together was quite amusing. I was provided with a free copy of the audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
The Demon Duchess “I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and I enjoyed this one too, but I think the first one set such a high standard that I liked it quite a bit more. This book revisits some of the characters from the first book, but they essentially switch roles; those that were primary become secondary and those that were secondary become primary. And of course, new characters are added. This book had a bit of a twist that I won’t spoil here, but it was refreshing as the Baroness was not one of my favorite people and it was nice to see her one upped a bit. Because of the way she acted in the first novel, I found myself not as emotionally tied to this story as I was to the first. I did come to like the characters a lot more by the end. In all, it is a great addition to the series and I hope Ms. Bowen continues with additional characters and stories. I can think of a few that could certainly be included in a future book. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
The Devil Duke “I really enjoyed this book. This was the first time I had listened to a romance novel and I was pleasantly surprised. The story reminded me of My Fair Lady in that a commoner is taken in by the aristocracy and made over to become a Duchess. I really enjoyed the characters though there were times when Izzy’s voice was a bit much. As the book went on I feel like her voice was toned down a bit and it was much more pleasant to listen to. The only negative was that there were a few times that I would have liked Izzy to stick up for herself a bit earlier than she did, but at least she did stick up for herself. While the story itself is one that is often told, (rich playboy meets common girl, falls in love, etc.) this version felt fresh and new and also added the element of the playboy having a young daughter. It added additional complexity to the story and more opportunities for humor and character development and discovery. It was a great story and one that I will likely listen to again. It is also the first in a series and I have already started on the next one! I was provided with a free copy of this audiobook for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
Dear Maude The Dear Maude Trilogy, Book 1 “I was suffering a book hangover when a friend suggested I read this next. I wasn’t really sure in the beginning, because like others, I found the two roommates very annoying and frustrating in the beginning of the book. My friend urged me to read on and I’m so glad I did! I’m now suffering from a new book hangover and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series. I originally thought it might be similar to an advice column, but I was wrong, and it is SO much better. I am not one to give away things in my review, but if you are a fan of time travel novels read past the beginning frustration and immerse yourself in the fascinating world that Ms. Liebig has created. I felt that Daniela Acitelli did an excellent job narrating the book, especially with the different accents for eras which likely do not come naturally. Switching on a dime between current colloquial language to that of the early 1900s could not have been easy. Not only does she pull it off but the skill with which she does leads to some additional hilarity as well. I can’t wait to start the next one and I may even reread this one again before I do. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
The Billy and Monster Collection “This is a very cute series for kids but beware the fart jokes. Mr. Burgess did a great job narrating and adding in the appropriate sounds for the ‘monster’ that many kids will likely try to imitate. That said, I loved that the series is several short stories that are easier for children to digest and that they teach lessons. I really appreciate that Mr. Chuka made sure that the lessons learned in one book were utilized in the next. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
The Wishing Stone 3: Mesmerizing Mermaids “The adorable narration continues in this book. Now I hope Ms. Hoopes continues to narrate all the Wishing Stone books in this manner. Hopefully her co-hosts will continue to oblige. In this story we finally see the ability of the third child. I am thankful that the children share well and provide life lessons for their young readers. I’m also thankful that Ms. Hoopes is attempting to give equal story time to each of the main characters. As the series continues it will be interesting to see how she continues to divide their time. Now that all of the abilities have been introduced, I hope to see them work together even more. This series is a wonderful addition to any library and will rekindle the love and wonder of reading for even the most seasoned readers. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
Dead Stream Curse “First, I am a huge fan of this series. I love the way that Ms. Erickson has the ability to intertwine timelines and characters all while leaving the reader wondering and waiting in anticipation of the next creaky floorboard and hidden ghost. That said, surprisingly this one took me the longest to get into. I’ve grown accustomed to different narrators for each book, but I was surprised to see that this one had two narrators. I was a little off put that the volume of the narrations was not equal and felt that I had to increase the volume with Ms. Swanson and therefore, decrease the volume with Mr. Hart. Overall, I felt that they both did a decent job and it helped the story move along switching between the view points and types of narration each of them provided. It was Ms. Erickson’s writing style that kept me listening though. Her stories require focus to follow the multitude of characters and the different timelines, but it is so worth it in the end. She has an uncanny ability to wrap everything up so eloquently that despite any frustration a reader may have during the book, it all dissipates upon the novel’s end. I highly recommend these novels, especially if you enjoy spooky/scary stories and truly if you have ever visited the location that inspired them all. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
Anasazi Intrigue “This book reminds me of a cozy mystery wrapped into a much longer mystery novel. There is a lot of sweetness and the descriptions are a bit excessive at times. I am not typically a fan of the cozy mystery myself and I did feel that the beginning of the book was a bit disjointed with jumps in the timeline. However, if you are a cozy mystery fan that never feels they are long enough for you, this is certainly a book for you. That being said there is a very intriguing mystery that takes a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and engaged in the lives of the Evans. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
The Rebels of Cordovia “It's not hard to see the parallels between this book and the tale of Robinhood. The difference is that Ms. Clarke places a strong, independent female in the lead role. Set in a time when women were hardly ever considered for anything outside of the home, Ms. Clarke has crafted a wonderful story providing young girls with character they can look up to. Full of humor and action, this book moves along quickly and makes for a great weekend read. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
The Marauder “This is the first book in a new series by Tessa Bowen and while the opening is a bit unusual for a ‘romance’ novel, it is fully disclosed in the description of the book. Read expertly once again by Virginia Ferguson, the ‘hero’ is sometimes hard to love but the story is well penned. I loved the unexpected surprises this book offered. I look forward to reading more in this series as I think there are certainly several characters that could be further explored. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
One Hundred Reasons “I was originally drawn to this book/series because it is narrated by one of my favorite romance narrators, Logan McAllister. He has an amazing voice and would likely make the phone book sound sexy. Upon listening I was quickly drawn into Ms. Collins amazing writing, quick wit and intriguing story. There is great character development for both the primary and secondary characters which sets up nicely for the series. I also enjoyed the way Ms. Collins took her time to introduce the characters so that they are not easily mixed up and their history and personalities are easy to remember. Ms. Collins has penned an amazing story and created a wonderful locale for what I can only hope are many stories to come. I am hoping that the series will slowly reveal the contents of each pink envelope and I can’t wait to read more. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
One Hundred Heartbeats “I don’t know how it’s possible, but I think I like this book even better than the first one. I love the way it is intertwined with the characters of the first book and allows them to grow, while still focusing on the primary characters of this book. I’m quickly becoming a fan of Ms. Collins wonderful writing style of slow build up and small reveals. It keeps the story moving along quickly and is very engaging. I also enjoy how the reader is slowly learning more and more about Bea’s life as the series continues. Since we never got to meet her, it’s great to see how she is evolving as a character through the eyes of others. This book is also read by the amazing Mr. McAllister, who as always does an excellent job. For what it’s worth, I read the first two books so fast that I had to force myself to stop and write the reviews before starting the third book so I did not mix them up. The books are standalone-esque but in reality, it’s almost like a television show with different seasons that focus on different people, but everyone else is still there. I can’t wait to read more and see what else Ms. Collins and Mr. McAllister come up with. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
One Hundred Wishes “I am absolutely loving the ability of Ms. Collins to take a minor character and make them into a main character while retaining the previous main characters. The carousel of moving main characters to the background while not forgetting them and moving previously background characters to the foreground is riveting. It makes me pay so much more attention to the secondary characters wondering who will be next. The true magic is that Ms. Collins manages to ensure that their previously mentioned traits are consistent with their main character story as well. This is another great story of the ‘small’ town of Aspen Cove. My only disappointment with this particular one is that there were no pink envelopes. I kept waiting for Dalton to open one or someone to have one for him, but alas, no envelope. This is only a minor complaint, but with the first two novels they tied them together well. It seems now that it will be the town itself that ties everything together. This is about the tenth book I’ve read that has been narrated by Mr. McAllister. He always does an amazing job. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of his voice. I certainly can’t wait to read more about this adorable little town, but I do hope the envelopes return and make more appearances. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”
One Hundred Promises “The fourth book in the Aspen Cove series and I am happy to report that pink paper and envelopes returned. This story was quite amusing as I grew up similar to Wes in that I have also never teepeed a house. I loved hearing the fun but harmless stunts. Ms. Collins continued her great ability of weaving in characters from previous novels and adding new ones for us to love. I’ve come to enjoy trying to figure out which characters will be the focus of the next book. I am eager to continue the series. I am sure at this point that Mr. McAllister could read the phone book and I’d be riveted. He is certainly one of my favorite narrators. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.”