Kindle Audiobook: Shallow Ground, Andy Maslen

The first in the Detective Ford series.

His wife died during a climbing accident, he blames himself. 

We meet his teenage son, Sammuy, as well as Hannah who is a highly intelligent detective with Asperger's.

A serial killer who kills people who makes use of the food bank, to use their blood.

4.5/5

Libby: Slagyster, Rudie van Rensburg

 

Oe, I enjoyed this! First of Kassie Kasselman's detective series. He is a detective in Newlands, Cape Town.

I was worried when I saw that it was about illigal weapon and oil dealings in Nigeria, that it would get complicated to follow. But, it's written well and kept me at the edge of my seat! There were a number of plots that twist together. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

5/5

Kindle Audiobook: Pretty Little Thing, Kit Duffield

What a load of rubbish. I battled to get into it, then went onto Goodreads, where the reviews looked promising, with someone confirming it's a slow start, but encouraged that it would pick up and would be worth it. It. Was. Not.

The characters were grating, not believable and got more irritating as the book progressed.

Beckett is abused by her father because she ittitates him because of her night terrors. Turns out it's not nightmares, but actually a local boy, Kai, who creeps into her room at night and is obsessed with her. Her best friend, Leanne, is also obsessed with her.

Kai and best friend are dating, (which Beckett knows). Beckett hooks up with Kai. 

Kai and Leanne conspired to get Beckett back into their lives by killing off her parents.

It's so highly unlikely, oh yes, at some point Beckett is stabbed in the stomach with a shard of glass, but still able to run around.

Highly unrecommendable.

2/5

Libby Audiobook: Activate Your Greatness, Alex Toussaint

 

I had not heard of Alex Toussaint before. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Particularly like it when the author reads their own book.

Appreciate him sharing his vulnerabilities, his relationship with his dad. Being sent off to military school. How he found his path to success.

Not only is he an incredibly successful Peleton instructor, but, also a motivator.

We have to make sure we rest, and that our cup is overflowingw. It's about we not i, even illness becomes wellness when we focus on we. We are like Christmas lights, if one fades in the string all the others are impacted too.

4.5/5

Libby Audiobook: An American Marriage, Tayari Jones

 

Ah, what a sad story.

Binge listened to it in one day.

We meet newly married Celestial and Roy, one evening after visiting Roy's parents they stay over in a hotel. Roy is wrongly accused of raping one of the guests and sentenced to prison.

Each chapter is the perspective of each, in some instances, the letters they wrote each other while Roy was in prison.  Then, how to cope when he gets out of jail and life has continued.

Beautifully and sensitivity written.

4.5/5

Libby Audiobook: Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus

 

Absolutely loved this book. Binge audio listened to this over two days.

Met Elizabeth Zock, a scientist in the 1950's. She falls in love with Calvin, also a scientist and who is a rower and gets her into rowing. They get a dog 06:30. Her journey, trials and tribulations of what she has to deal with not wanting to get married. Then having to deal with being an unwed mother. Then she presents a television program Supper at Six, snd combines cooking with science.

Just so beautifully written. None of the characters grated me.

I highly recommend this book.

5/5

Libby Audiobook: Are You Happy Now? Hanna Jameson

 

Meh.

Started off interesting, friends attended a wedding, one of the guests has a fit of some kind, has she been drugged? What is going on? Turns out it is some or other pandemic causing catatonia. But, only / mainly affects younger generations.

We follow the journey and relationship of four friends.

I battled to keep track with who is who, and when I have to Google to understand a book at the end, it's not a good sign.

Not a book I would recommend. 

2/5

Libby Audiobook: The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek

 

A book recommended via the CEO X Factor.

Cool that I'm track with my comparison of building a business and reputation being a marathon not a sprint. In this book Simon Sinek shares that there isn't an end to building a business, business leaders who are concerned about the longevity of their business are more successful than those who treat it as something to win/a finite goal.

Our lives are finite, but life is infinite ~ it continues with or without us.

No one wins at life, we all die. 

3.5/5

Kindle Audiobook: The Original Twin, Paula Gleeson

 

This got quite high ratings on Goodreads. 

I found it incredibly wishy washy, highly unlikely and all over an absolute slog to get through.

We meet twins, May and June, named after their respective birth months. Their monther disappeared years ago under mysterious circumstances, pn the anniversary of their mom's disappearance, June disappears.

This is not a book I would recommend.

2/5 is being generous.

Kindle Audiobook: A Little Bird, Wendy James

 

Enjoyed this Australian book. Met Josephine (Jojo) who has moved back to where she grew up. Her mom left her and her father, taking her baby sister with her. Sent a note not to look for her.

Good book. All I didn't like was that narrator clipped her words quite a bit.

4/5