Libby Audiobook: A Short Walk through a Wide World, Douglas Westerbeke

 

I enjoyed listening to this book. Made me think of the Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.

Aubry is cursed and has to continuously move otherwise she becomes violently ill.

The ending was weird, and I had to Google the meaning. Still not 100% sure I get it.

3.8/5

Kindle Audiobook: Seven Days in June, Tia Williams

 

Mine is not is not a popular opinion, I found it meh. So many positive reviews had my expectations very high.

The story follows Eva (Gen-vie-ev) Mercy, an award-winning author and single mother who reconnects with Shane Hall, a mysterious and acclaimed writer she once shared a passionate teenage week with. As they cross paths years later at a New York literary event, old emotions resurface and they’re forced to confront the pain, love, and creativity that have defined their lives since those seven formative days.  

3/5.

Eva (Gen-vie-eve) is an award winning 

Libby Audiobook: Super Cadre, Pieter du Toit

 

Kindle Audiobook: The Family at Number 1, Caroline Mitchell

 

As always, a fan of Caroline Mitchell with loads of twists!

Laura, an estate agent gets an interesting listing to sell. It's a house where Bruce had killed his wife and daughter...

4/5

Kindle Audiobook: The Rebel Son, Andy Maslen

 

It’s not exactly a literary masterpiece, but I do enjoy this series. In this one, Kat’s husband and son are caught in a bomb blast at a concert. She’s also saddled with an over-eager mentee, Abbey, while Tom is drinking on the job. A journalist is murdered with a Scorpion, and there are Middle Eastern connections that add intrigue. At least this time, Kat isn’t engaged in something questionable that needs to be covered up.

4/5

Libby Audiobook: Commando, A Boer Journal of the Ango-Boer War, Deneys Reitz

 

This was a fascinating listen. As someone whose great-grandmother was in a concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War, I have always been intrigued by this part of history, and this account gave an unusually close view into the life of a young Boer soldier.

While riding the Gautrain recently, I sat next to three boys Libby Audiobook: Commando, A Boer Journal of the Ango-Boer War, Deneys Reitz who could not have been older than 17 or 18. I could not help but think that those were the same ages as many who went off to fight in the war, both Boer and English. So young, so eager for the idea of war, yet so unaware of what it would really mean.

I would have preferred to listen to it in Afrikaans for a more authentic experience, but John Maytham’s narration was clear and well-paced.

One drawback was the lengthy foreword or preface, which unfortunately reveals most of the story before it even begins.

The early parts of the book portray what almost felt like a gentleman’s war, where there was an understanding that wounded Boers would be cared for by the English. That tone shifts drastically once Kitchener becomes involved, with the scorched earth policy and the destruction of farms and homes.

Overall, it was a deeply interesting account. I am now particularly curious to learn more about Deneys Reitz’s later time in Madagascar.

4/5

News24 Audiobook:The Shadow State: Why Babita Deokaran Had to Die, Jeff Wicks

 

 Sob our beloved country. Incredibly sad. The corruption. The assassination of a whistleblower.

4/5