I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jennette McCurdy (audio read by Jennette McCurdy)

Jennette McCurdy has a horrific child star story, but thad he enormous strength and luck of some kind to succeed in overcoming severe issues with disordered eating. Her memoir about her "close" relationship with her mother (read smothering) unfolds as an almost stereotypical story. Well, stereotypes come from somewhere. In this case, McCurdy knew she … Continue reading I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jennette McCurdy (audio read by Jennette McCurdy) →

Shelterwood – Lisa Wingate (Audio Narrators  Christine Lakin, Dan Bittner, Jenna Lamia)

This is a novel that just drew me in. It is not an easy book and no one should read it if they cannot bear to hear that children have been abused, cheated and murdered. So I guess that accounts for the lower reviews of people who want to live in a pretend, safe world … Continue reading Shelterwood – Lisa Wingate (Audio Narrators  Christine Lakin, Dan Bittner, Jenna Lamia) →

Life Hacks for a Little Alien – Alice Franklin (Audio narrated by Sally Phillips)

This book, written in the third person is about a little girl who is neurodivergent being raised by an engineer father and a mother who seems neurotic but in a common way when we first meet her. Hester. That's a spoiler I guess, because at first, we just hear about the child in a very … Continue reading Life Hacks for a Little Alien – Alice Franklin (Audio narrated by Sally Phillips) →

Bad Nature – Ariel Courage (Audio version narrated by Cia Court)

Whoa! Hester's dad was a truly abusive jerk, but she often minimizes it, suggesting others have had it much worse than she did. After her parents divorced, things improved in her life, but she never was socially secure with others. She had one friend in high school, May. Her mom died when she was 18. … Continue reading Bad Nature – Ariel Courage (Audio version narrated by Cia Court) →

Against the Grain – Peter Lovesey (Peter Diamond, Book 22)

I enjoyed "Against the Grain" so much, I went to the first and second novels in Peter Lovesy's Peter Diamond series. (They were a promising beginning) There's something about a curmudgeon who is great at his job but impossible to work with that speaks to me. Also, he is trying to decide whether to retire … Continue reading Against the Grain – Peter Lovesey (Peter Diamond, Book 22) →

Locked In – Jussi Adler-Olsen (Department Q #10) (Translator – Caroline Waight)

Locked In is the first novel in a while that I could not put down until I could not stay awake. For me, I am certain, it was extra rich reading because I have always been a huge fan of Olsen's Department Q novels, even when the villains do things so far out of any … Continue reading Locked In – Jussi Adler-Olsen (Department Q #10) (Translator – Caroline Waight) →

Silent Scream – Angela Marsans (D.I. Kim Stone Book 1) Audio Narrator – Jan Kramer

I've spent a portion of this year reading the first book in a number of well-regarded mystery/police procedural/mystery series. D.I. Kim Stone is a compelling character with a terrible background. We know early that her mother is institutionalized for a mental illness and that her twin brother died when they were six. So, Kim spent … Continue reading Silent Scream – Angela Marsans (D.I. Kim Stone Book 1) Audio Narrator – Jan Kramer →

The Good Liars – Anita Frank (Audio Narrator – Kristin Atherton)

Admission: I kept listening to this WWI - centered British mystery when I was distracted. I almost made a serious mistake! I almost decided not to finish it. There are so many fine books out there to read and so little time. But I decided to be fair to "The Good Liars" and to start … Continue reading The Good Liars – Anita Frank (Audio Narrator – Kristin Atherton) →