Libby Audiobook: The CEO X Factor, KC Rottok Chesaina

 

This has been my morning listen. Love that it wasn't 'the usual suspects'.

Appreciate learning from successful business owners. 

Core values and your team are crucial to your success.

Balance, sense of humour, reading,  empathy are also keys to success.

4.5/5

Kindle Audiobook: An Eye for An Eye, Carol Wyer

 

Battled initially to get into it and did wonder whether I did want to start another crime thriller series.

Then, I happened to see that Caroline Mitchell highly rated it on Goodreads, so I decided to stick it out and I was thrilled that I did.

Starts off on a train.

Detective Kate, married to Chris a journalist needs to solve why men are being murdered, they are choked on appels and their eye sent to the next victim.

We also meet Faith a forensic pathologist from Zimbabwe. The narrator battled with her accent.

There was a massive twist that I had not seen, shook me and I actually felt quite emotional.

Loads of characters to keep track of, didn't love that. I will listen to the rest of the series.

4/5

Libby Audiobook: Beartown, Fredrick Backman

 

Slow burn. Took quite a bit of time to get into it. Got a bit confused by the names. Went online to look for an outline of the characters which was a mistake, because I got quite a big spoiler.

Didn't love the present tense, but it's less annoying as an audiobook.

The town revolves around ice hockey.

Turned out to be very good. Looking forward to the next in the series.

4/5

Libby Audiobook: The Kind Worth Saving, Peter Swanson

 

Twisted!

The sequel to The Kind Worth Killing, but apparently not a must to read it first.

We meet Mr Kimble teacher turned PI.

GOOD, the only thing is that I am not 100% sure I understand the ending.

3.5/5

Libby Audiobook: The Life and Love of a He Devil, Graham Norton

 

A fun take on what he likes and hates. Entertaining and in some areas so sad. 

Candid take on his life, dogs, lovers, booze and work.

He also narrates it.

4/5

Kindle: Cross Her Heart, Melinda Leigh

 

Quite a serious one. It wasn't bad. If I have absolutely nothing else to read I may read the next one.

We meet Bree, her dad had killed her Mom, then himself. 

She has a sister Erin and brother Adam.

Bree is in law enforcement.

Erin is killed and Bree has to find the killer. She meets Matt who helps her. 

3/5

Kindle: Never Tell a Lie, Gail Schimmel

 

This one was ok. Also kept me intrigued with what was going to happen next. Who do you trust? Who is telling the truth?

It did annoy me that Mary's son was called Django and Joshua 's daughter, Willow. It feels like Gail was watching TV and these two popped up and she decided to name the characters after them.

It starts with a school reunion and Mary reunites with school friends, and becomes close friends with April and Joshua.

I switched between reading and audiobooking, both are good.

I preferred Little Secrets. 

3/5

Kindle Audiobook: Women Like Us, Amanda Prowse

 

The autobiography of Amanda Prowse. I have enjoyed all the books that I have read of hers, now even more after getting to know her a bit more after this book.

She does the reading of all her audiobooks!

Love how she followed her passion of writing, and didn't listen to the neighsayers.

Also love and appreciate how she shares her challenges with food, open, raw and brutally honest.

4.5/5

Libby, Little Secrets, Gail Schimmel

 

An absolutely marvellous family drama! At the beginning of September I said to myself that I would like to read more books written by South African authors. I didn't realise that Gail Schimmel is South African so it was a marvellous surprise when I saw the Johannesburg references. I stayed up way too late to read the book.

We meet Jewish family Monique, married to Ben, their oldest daughter Rosie and twins Hugo and Cooper. Each chapter is from the perspective of either Monique, Ben or Rosie.

Ben meets Daisy and things start to unravel. 

Couldn't put it down, just had to know what was going to happen next. 

Only thing is that I am not a fan of present tense writing, but that's a me problem :).

Highly recommended.

Libby Audiobook: Princess Bride, William Goldman

 

I remember watching the movie with Mark years ago, but can't remember it. 

The audiobook is ok, I think the book would be better.

I got a bit confused who is who, but there were funny, witty bits.

3/5

Kindle Audiobook: The Silent Wife, Andy Maslen

 

This is the third in the Detective Kat Ballantyne series, and definitely my favourite so far.

Narration is so good.

It has ended on quite a cliffhanger!

Her bag man Tom is in a coma, and why did her dad pay £50k into her account...?

4.5/5

Libby Audiobook: Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

 

Aah, absolutely loved this book. We get to meet Damon/Demon Copperhead. 

It is written so sweetly, naively from a little boys perspective of growing up with a junkie Mom, no dad and who then gets put into the foster system. It's flippen sad. So well written.

I had borrowed the book from Libby, but it's quite a thick book and I wasn't able to renew it because someone else was waiting for it. So I also borrowed the audiobook version. I already had Demon's voice in my head so hearing the audiobook felt incongruent. I definitely preferred the book vs. the audiobook.

4.5/5