Audiobook: Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman

Four thousand weeks is the average number of weeks we get (if we take 75 to be the average age that people live to).

My take home from this book is that there are a lot of productivity programs out there, but the long and the short of it is, that regardless of how productive you want to be, there isn’t really a point to it. The main aim is to enjoy the here and now. Projects that you work on will always take longer than anticipated regardless of how well you try and plan them.

Small increments of work each day gets much more done than trying to do it all in once.

People who take breaks at the same time, e.g. over weekends / holidays, are a lot less stressed, because you don’t feel guilty or stressed about not being at work while others work. I think that is why Christmas / December is just such a magical time in South Africa.  

I didn't enjoy the book as much as I would have liked to. I found the narrator (author)'s voice a bit grating the more tired /irritable I was.

3/5

Audiobook: You are the star in N.P.H’s Life Story. Neil Patrick Harris. Choose Your Own Autobiography. Read by the Author.

What a fun book! Neil Patrick Harris has written his autobiography as an adventure book. A book where you can decide what happens next, and which chapters to flip to. As this is an audiobook, flipping through chapters isn’t possible, but, you still get to hear all the different options. It’s fun. What’s also great about the audiobook version is that he has included the audio clips of e.g. his speech about optimism when he was eight years old.

He has a marvellous sense of humour.

5/5

Audiobook: London's No.1 Dog Walking Agency, Kate MacDougall

Such a sweet book of Kate MacDougall, one of the first (and of course best) dogwalkers in London, and all her interactions with different dogs and dog owners.

The book is read by: Anna Popplewell who was superb.

4/5

Audiobook: The Midnight Man: A Slayton Thriller, Caroline Mitchell

Read by: Emma Gregory and Elliot Fitzpatrick

Oe, this was a good one!

I was gripped right from the Prologue! Totally understand why it was an ‘Audie Awards 2022 Finalist in the Mystery category.”

The reader, Emma Gregory, is just brilliant.

Every time I thought that I had figured it out, there was a twist.

5/5

Audiobook: The Yellow House, Emily O'Grady

 

I haven’t read / listened to many Australian books before. This one was compelling right from the beginning. It’s from the perspective of ten / eleven-year-old girl, ‘Cub’. It is incredibly beautifully written, absolutely loved the metaphors and similes used throughout. There is an underlying shadow of what her grandfather did, which has ostracised the family from the small town that they live in. Very well written, I totally understand why it has won a literary award. 

BUT, As much as I enjoyed it, the ending was a let down. I felt that everything needed a bit more unpacking. I immediately Googled in the hope to see if there is a sequel; sadly none that I can see. 

Book: Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen

Such a lovely written book. But, I must admit that I felt incredibly stressed throughout the book. I had not seen the movie as I am not a fan of traditional circuses, especially animal circuses. But, the book came highly recommended so I decided to give it a shot. I think I had wanted to enjoy it more than I did. The animal cruelty is horrific. I do however find it fascinating that the book is (loosely) based on true events, and some of these events are shared at the end of the book; and, real photos are peppered throughout the book. 

3/5

Audiobook: Silent Sisters ~ A True Story, Joanne Lee with Ann and Joe Cusack

A very disturbing read. It’s incredibly tragic that it is indeed a true story. Very gripping though, which meant that I listened to it every chance I got and worked through it quite quickly.

It is rather shocking that child services were never called or involved while Joanne was growing up. I do find it rather hard to believe that at the age of ten that she was pretty much running the household; that teachers / neighbours / friends didn’t jump in and report her horrendous homelife and social services didn’t do anything, I find this very very odd and troubling.

Personally, I felt that the book got a bit long once the court case and judgement was discussed, I felt that it should have ended there, the additional narrative would have made for a good second book. BUT, it does all tie very well together at the end. So, if you are getting a bit bored, hang in there.

3/5