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Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner -- back to top

Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner (2025-01-06)

Narrated by: Khaled Hosseini
Length: 12 hrs and 1 min

★★★★☆



Ann Patchett - Commonwealth -- back to top

Ann Patchett - Commonwealth (2025-01-09)

Narrated by Hope Davis
Length 10 hrs and 34 mins

★★★★☆



Teddy Wayne - The Winner -- back to top

Teddy Wayne - The Winner (2025-01-14)

Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

★★☆☆☆ ... barely! Gratuitous sex scenes that didn't add much (and, while in place in the narrative, were well out of place in how other things were described). Poor plot with faulty logic everywhere. The story shoved ideas down your throat (e.g., class warfare). I will give the author credit: I didn't envision the major plot development (though probably should have), and it takes a certain amount of guts to make the main character so hateable!

I have no interest in further reading Teddy Wayne!



Stephen King - (Bill Hodges 1) Mr. Mercedes -- back to top

Stephen King - (Bill Hodges 1) Mr. Mercedes (2025-01-19)

Narrated by: Will Patton
Series: Bill Hodges Trilogy, Book 1
Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins

★★★★☆



Liane Moriarty - Here One Moment -- back to top

Liane Moriarty - Here One Moment (2025-01-26)

Narrated by: Caroline Lee, Geraldine Hakewill
Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins

★★★★☆

My review of this book started at 3/5 and dropped all the way to 1/5 before coming back to a 4/5. In fact, I started writing my review before finishing it, and it gives some context. A bit of a spoiler is implied:

I generally love Liane Moriarty. She is an expert at making you fall in love with her characters, and she is really good at including little details that make you relate to them. I am constantly stopping to highlight (or note if listening to an audiobook) a passage or anecdote I find particularly meaningful.

In that regard, this book did not disappoint! But I do not recommend this one to others, nor did I enjoy it. It was just upsetting! The plot wasn't intriguing at all. It was just cruel! Sure, there is some interest in self-fulfilling prophecies and how you will behave, but that was secondary. What she did was force you to fall in love with a bunch of doomed characters, and all you did was follow them on their doom.



Alison Espach - The Wedding People -- back to top

Alison Espach - The Wedding People (2025-01-29)

Narrated by: Helen Laser
Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

★★★★☆



Rachel Kushner - Creation Lake -- back to top

Rachel Kushner - Creation Lake (2025-02-02)

Narrated by: Rachel Kushner
Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins

★★☆☆☆

I wouldn't say I particularly enjoyed this. It kind of felt like the author had a story but also wanted to write essays on various topics and tell them through the emails in the story. It wasn't all together bad and certainly felt more like "literary fiction" than many of the other books I read. But it wasn't my favorite. Also, I think the author did an acceptable-but-not-great job narrating. Not many voices.



Emily Henry - Funny Story -- back to top

Emily Henry - Funny Story (2025-02-06)

Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Quotes

Around 2:25:00

If a person lets you down, it’s time to reconsider what you’re asking of them

And

If you give them control over how you feel, they’ll always use it.

★★★★☆



Kevin Wilson - The Family Fang -- back to top

Kevin Wilson - The Family Fang (2025-02-11)

★★★☆☆



Louise Penny - The Cruelest Month (Gamache 03) -- back to top

Louise Penny - The Cruelest Month (Gamache 03) (2025-02-11)

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
Series: Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines, Book 3
Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Quotes

The near enemy. It’s a psychological concept. Two emotions that look the same but are actually opposites. The one parades as the other, is mistaken for the other, but one is healthy and the other’s sick, twisted. There are three couplings. Attachment masquerades as Love, Pity as Compassion, and Indifference as Equanimity.

Compassion involves empathy. You see the stricken person as an equal. Pity doesn’t. If you pity someone, you feel superior. As long as the pity’s in place there’s not room for compassion. It squeezes out the nobler emotion

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7590404-the-near-enemy-it-s-a-psychological-concept-two-emotions-that

★★★☆☆



Agatha Christie - The Mysterious Affair at Styles -- back to top

Agatha Christie - The Mysterious Affair at Styles (2025-02-13)

A Hercule Poirot Mystery, Book 1
Narrator: Hugh Fraser
Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins

★★★★☆



Stephen King - (Bill Hodges 2) Finders Keepers -- back to top

Stephen King - (Bill Hodges 2) Finders Keepers (2025-02-17)

Narrated by: Will Patton
Series: Bill Hodges Trilogy, Book 2
Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins

★★★★☆



Taylor Jenkins Reid - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo -- back to top

Taylor Jenkins Reid - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2025-02-20)

4.5-stars

Narrated by: Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, Robin Miles
Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Quote:

people think intimacy is about sex but it’s about truth

★★★★★



Chris Hadfield - The Apollo Murders -- back to top

Chris Hadfield - The Apollo Murders (2025-02-26)

Narrated by: Ray Porter
Length: 15 hrs and 15 mins

3.5 stars. Enjoyed the technical and the action was okay, but also a bit out there. Amazing narration though!



Stephen King - Pet Sematary -- back to top

Stephen King - Pet Sematary (2025-03-05)

Narrated by: Michael C. Hall
Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins

★★★★☆

★★★½☆ ★★★★☆ but with caution.



John Green - Turtles all the Way Down -- back to top

John Green - Turtles all the Way Down (2025-03-10)

Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins

2.5-stars: Really, really interesting look at OCD and anxiety disorders but otherwise, uninteresting plot, cheesy lines, and hard-to-relate characters. Things that seemed important (Tuatara) weren't and a very unsatisfactory ending.



Charles Yu - Interior Chinatown -- back to top

Charles Yu - Interior Chinatown (2025-03-12)

Narrated by: Joel de la Fuente
Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins

This was odd. I feel like I only kind of "got it". Great narration and production

★★☆☆☆



Laura Pearson - The Last List of Mabel Beaumont -- back to top

Laura Pearson - The Last List of Mabel Beaumont (2025-03-16)

★★★☆☆



R. F. Kuang - Yellowface -- back to top

R. F. Kuang - Yellowface (2025-03-26)

Narrated by: Helen Laser
Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

★★★☆☆ Everyone else seems to have loved it. I thought it was fine



Stephen King - (Bill Hodges 3) End of Watch -- back to top

Stephen King - (Bill Hodges 3) End of Watch (2025-03-31)

Narrated by: Will Patton
Series: Bill Hodges Trilogy, Book 3
Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins

★★★★☆



Sally Rooney - Intermezzo -- back to top

Sally Rooney - Intermezzo (2025-04-06)

Narrated by: Éanna Hardwicke
Length: 16 hrs and 29 mins

★★★☆☆



Emily Habeck - Shark Heart -- back to top

Emily Habeck - Shark Heart (2025-04-07)

2 Stars. What attracted me to this book was the ridiculousness and how books can easily enable that. I wanted to see how the author tackled this odd idea. I would say mediocre at best... First half: Fine. Not as interesting as I had hoped but still fine. I had hoped that this was a new things, not a well understood condition, and we'd get to see the evolution of that. 50%-80% Disjointed and kind of boring. On it's own it would be fine but not much together. 80-95. Annoying. 95-100 Horrible. (SPOILER): The whole pregnancy felt forced and horrific. Did they sleep together? That actually would have been interesting to read about! in the first half!



Anthony Horowitz - Susan Ryeland 1 - Magpie Murders -- back to top

Anthony Horowitz - Susan Ryeland 1 - Magpie Murders (2025-04-11)

Narrated by: Samantha Bond, Allan Corduner
Series: Susan Ryeland Series, Book 1
Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins

See Anthony Horowitz - Susan Ryeland 2 - Moonflower Murders

★★★★☆



James McBride - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store -- back to top

James McBride - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (2025-04-18)

Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins

Ignoring everything else, why was there a sudden aside about the evils of cell phones and technologies. And the end rant about racisms, etc, while more fitting, was still out of place.

★★☆☆☆: Everyone else seemed to love it. I could pass



Liane Moriarty - Truly Madly Guilty -- back to top

Liane Moriarty - Truly Madly Guilty (2025-04-25)

Narrated by: Caroline Lee
Length: 17 hrs and 31 mins

Time Bookmark [~sic]
01:17:45 I just feel like I can't engineer today
01:43:06 not want for much...
02:00:21 having children
12:02:50 Trying to get kids to eat foods
15:26:24 didn't cry doesn't mean doesn't feel

★★★★☆



Stephen King - The Long Walk -- back to top

Stephen King - The Long Walk (2025-04-27)

Written as Richard Bachman

★★★☆☆



V. E. Schwab - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue -- back to top

V. E. Schwab - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2025-05-01)

Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins
Release date: 10-06-20

Time Bookmark [~sic]
10:57:14 Always liked learning...
13:25:19 thirty is old enough to make decisions
16:05:51 most fights are not of an instant

★★★★★



Richard Atwater, Florence Atwater - Mr. Popper's Penguins -- back to top

Richard Atwater, Florence Atwater - Mr. Popper's Penguins (2025-05-10)

Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
Length: 2 hrs and 14 mins



Charles Dickens - David Copperfield -- back to top

Charles Dickens - David Copperfield (2025-05-14)

Narrated by: Richard Armitage
Length: 36 hrs and 30 mins

Timestamp Chapter Time Chapter Note
04:58:37 29:03 Chapter 9 – Chapter VIII. My Holidays. Especially One Happy Afternoon people who like me cant show it ahd people who hate show it a lot
07:25:35 11:33 Chapter 13 – Chapter XII. Liking Life on My Own Account No Better, I Form a Great Resolution proceastination is the thief of time
17:31:31 40:01 Chapter 29 – Chapter XXVIII. Mr. Micawber's Gauntlet ride on
19:29:54 01:10 Chapter 34 – Chapter XXXIII. Blissful saturated in love
22:46:49 26:22 Chapter 39 – Chapter XXXVIII. A Dissolution of Partnership love must suffer
24:55:30 00:53 Chapter 43 – Chapter XLII. Mischief habits and luck in success
25:34:27 39:50 Chapter 43 – Chapter XLII. Mischief there must be two parties to a quarl
27:11:26 29:18 Chapter 46 – Chapter XLV. Mr. Dick Fulfils My Aunt's Prediction marriage
30:49:42 13:30 Chapter 53 – Chapter LII. I Assist at an Explosion lawyers, sharks, and leaches
30:56:31 20:19 Chapter 53 – Chapter LII. I Assist at an Explosion least said, soonest mended
31:11:48 35:36 Chapter 53 – Chapter LII. I Assist at an Explosion the Tyrrany of words
31:51:04 12:18 Chapter 54 – Chapter LIII. Another Retrospect trifiles make the sum of life
33:06:26 06:27 Chapter 57 – Chapter LVI. The New Wound, and the Old i hope time will be good to you
34:00:14 15:34 Chapter 59 – Chapter LVIII. Absence the things that. ever happen are realities
34:39:52 38:14 Chapter 60 – Chapter LIX. Return religion is a vent for bad humors

3.5 stars



Megan Miranda - All The Missing Girls -- back to top

Megan Miranda - All The Missing Girls (2025-05-18)

Narrated by: Rebekkah Ross
Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

3.5 Stars. I struggled a bit with going backwards in time and trying to recall what the characters knew vs what I knew. But I think it all came together well enough. Some loose ends that weren't tied up (why did Daniel hit Nic???) but a fun read.



Gabrielle Zevin - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow -- back to top

Gabrielle Zevin - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (2025-05-21)

Narrated by: Jennifer Kim, Julian Cihi
Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
Release date: 07-05-22

Time Bookmark
01:02:28 “Next time, we fail better”
02:27:35 "Ones taste exceeds one’s abilities"
02:51:07 Thoughts on cultural appropriation
04:57:54 "It was never worth worrying about somebody you didn't love; and it wasn't love if you didn't worry"
05:03:32 Other life (Things you haven't chosen)
09:19:32 Luck is because you love the things around you
10:31:22 Turn ex-lover into a friend
12:23:27 "The Boredom you speak of...is what most of us call happiness"

“Sadie, do you see this? This is a persimmon tree! This is my favorite fruit." Marx picked a fat orange persimmon from the tree, and he sat down on the now termite-free wooden deck, and he ate it, juice running down his chin. "Can you believe our luck?" Max said. "We bought a house with a tree that has my actual favorite fruit!"

Sam used to say that Marx was the most fortunate person he had ever met - he was lucky with lovers, in business, in looks, in life. But the longer Sadie knew Marx, the more she thought Sam hadn't truly understood the nature of Marx's good fortune. Marx was fortunate because he saw everything as if it were a fortuitous bounty. It was impossible to know - were persimmons his favorite fruit, or had hey just now become his favorite fruit because there they were, growing in his own backyard? He had certainly never mentioned persimmons before

★★★★★



Elizabeth Rose Quinn - Follow Me -- back to top

Elizabeth Rose Quinn - Follow Me (2025-05-26)

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
Release date: 04-01-25

Time Bookmark
07:30:06 “After being ignored, nothing is more powerful than being seen”

★★★★☆



Ann Napolitano - Hello Beautiful -- back to top

Ann Napolitano - Hello Beautiful (2025-05-30)

Narrated by: Maura Tierney
Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
Release date: 03-14-23

Time Bookmark
02:38:07 Sylvie’s style
06:51:01 "We all run into a wall at full speed at one point or another"
09:47:17 “You can’t fail when your doing what you love”
14:48:30 “Grief is love; Forgiveness is too”

★★★★★: Highly recommend it and I still think about this one a lot!



Roald Dahl - Matilda -- back to top

Roald Dahl - Matilda (2025-06-01)

Narrated by: Kate Winslet
Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
Release date: 06-13-13



David Baldacci - Will Robie 3 - The Target -- back to top

David Baldacci - Will Robie 3 - The Target (2025-06-03)

Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy
Series: Will Robie, Book 3
Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins

1.5 to 2 stars

I have to say, I nearly DNFed this and kind of wish I had. It just fell flat to me. The situations felt too fake and nowhere near immersive. For example, there was a scene with torture and you barely "felt" it. It was like you weren't there. Also, the "side quests" were dumb and didn't add value. I think I am over Will Robie.

I enjoyed Ron McLarty's narration but the constant swapping with Orlagh was distracting.



Neil Alexander - The Vanishing of Margaret Small -- back to top

Neil Alexander - The Vanishing of Margaret Small (2025-06-07)

3 Stars. I know everyone else seemed to love it but I found it kind of boring. And the chapter ends--which didn't break the narrative or time line--to be distracting. I guess I just found myself unable to really care very much.



Stephen King - The Outsider (Holly Gibney 1) -- back to top

Stephen King - The Outsider (Holly Gibney 1) (2025-06-08)

Narrated by: Will Patton
Series: Holly Gibney, Book 1
Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins

★★★½☆



Stephen King - If it Bleeds [Collection] - (Holly Gibney 2) -- back to top

Stephen King - If it Bleeds [Collection] - (Holly Gibney 2) (2025-06-11)

Narrated by: Will Patton, Danny Burstein, Steven Weber
Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
Series: Holly Gibney, Book 2

★★★★☆



Amor Towles - The Lincoln Highway -- back to top

Amor Towles - The Lincoln Highway (2025-06-14)

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland, Dion Graham
Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins

★★★☆☆

I found the story a bit un-engaging. I found I just didn't really care what happened to the characters which is not how you usually want to feel when reading. And Dutchess was entirely unlikable.



Debbie Johnson - Statistically Speaking -- back to top

Debbie Johnson - Statistically Speaking (2025-06-17)

Narrated by: Louise Williams
Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

★★★½☆

Cute. Not resoundingly amazing



E. B. White - Stuart Little -- back to top

E. B. White - Stuart Little (2025-06-26)

Narrated by: Julie Harris
Length: 1 hr and 54 mins



Taylor Jenkins Reid - Daisy Jones & The Six -- back to top

Taylor Jenkins Reid - Daisy Jones & The Six (2025-07-08)

Narrated by: Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer, Pablo Schreiber
Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Fully Cast:

Daisy Jones, read by Jennifer Beals
Billy Dunne, read by Pablo Schreiber
Graham Dunne, read by Benjamin Bratt
Eddie Loving, read by Fred Berman
Warren Rhodes, read by Ari Fliakos
Karen Karen, read by Judy Greer
Camila Dunne, read by January LaVoy
Simone Jackson, read by Robinne Lee
Narrator / Author, read by Julia Whelan
Jim Blades, read by Jonathan Davis
Rod Reyes, read by Henry Leyva
Artie Snyder, read by Oliver Wyman
Elaine Chang, read by Nancy Wu
Freddie Mendoza, read by P.J. Ochlan
Nick Harris, read by Arthur Bishop
Jonah Berg, read by Holter Graham
Greg McGuinness, read by Brendan Wayne
Pete Loving, read by Pete Larkin
Wyatt Stone, read by Alex Jenkins Reid
Hank Allen, read by Robert Petkoff
Opal Cunningham, read by Sara Arrington

Timing Note: Listened to it with Meredith while driving back to Albuquerque. 7/5 and 7/6. Then finished it on 7/8

★★★★½



Jodi Picoult - By Any Other Name -- back to top

Jodi Picoult - By Any Other Name (2025-07-14)

Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown, Laura Benanti, Jodi Picoult, Jayne Entwistle, Andrew Fallaize, Joe Jameson, John Lee, Nicholas Guy Smith, Simon Vance, Steve West
Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins

★★★★☆



James Patterson, Bill Clinton - The First Gentleman -- back to top

James Patterson, Bill Clinton - The First Gentleman (2025-07-15)

★★★★☆



Brandon Sanderson - Tress of the Emerald Sea -- back to top

Brandon Sanderson - Tress of the Emerald Sea (2025-07-18)

Tress of the Emerald Sea - A Cosmere Novel

Narrated by: Michael Kramer
Series: Secret Projects, Book 1, The Cosmere
Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

★★★★★

Really enjoyed the book. Certainly more than I expected. I like the wit and humor of the narrator and I surprised myself with enjoying the fantasy.

My review to Alicia:

As promised, I am keeping up with sharing really good [audio]books I've finished where I am sad they are over and just really enjoyed my time.

I recently finished Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. I have had mixed luck with fantasy before but this was a major, major hit! In addition to the fun fantasy, it had great wit and general humor. It was supposed to be styled like The Princess Bride and I think it blew that away! It is part of a greater fantasy universe but is standalone.

I read the single-narrator version. There is a full-cast "graphic audio" but I think I made the right choice. I just listened to parts of the full-cast one and found it hard to follow and less engaging.



Stephen King - The Running Man -- back to top

Stephen King - The Running Man (2025-07-21)

Written as Richard Bachman

Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

★★★☆☆



E. B. White - Charlotte's Web -- back to top

E. B. White - Charlotte's Web (2025-07-22)

Narrated by: E. B. White, George Plimpton
Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins



Liz Moore - The God of the Woods -- back to top

Liz Moore - The God of the Woods (2025-07-25)

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins

★★★★☆



Chris Pavone - The Doorman -- back to top

Chris Pavone - The Doorman (2025-07-30)

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

★★★☆☆

It was fine and enjoyable enough though the politics, even if they were my politics, were over the top!



Christopher Moore - Noir 1 - Noir -- back to top

Christopher Moore - Noir 1 - Noir (2025-08-03)

Narrated by: Johnny Heller
Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

★½☆☆☆

I almost DNFed at 20% when I wasn't enjoying the "Noir" writing or style. But I kept going and even started getting into it and was heading to a solid 3 to 4 stars. Then they brought in the "moon man" and I wasAt least not any time soon and not without checking for Sci-Fi elements. (ChatGPT's research says it has even more!)

The narrator did a very good job though. I was thoroughly impressed with it.



Hernan Diaz - Trust -- back to top

Hernan Diaz - Trust (2025-08-07)

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Jonathan Davis, Mozhan Marnò, Orlagh Cassidy
Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

★★★★☆



Maria V. Snyder - The Chronicles of Ixia 1 - Poison Study -- back to top

Maria V. Snyder - The Chronicles of Ixia 1 - Poison Study (2025-08-14)

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
Series: The Chronicles of Ixia, Book 1
Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins

★★★★☆



Percival Everett - I am not Sidney Poitier -- back to top

Percival Everett - I am not Sidney Poitier (2025-08-18)

Narrated by: Amir Abdullah
Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

★★★★½



John Williams - Stoner -- back to top

John Williams - Stoner (2025-08-21)

Narrated by: Robin Field
Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

★★★★☆



M. T. Edvardsson - A Nearly Normal Family -- back to top

M. T. Edvardsson - A Nearly Normal Family (2025-08-25)

By: M. T. Edvardsson, Rachel Wilson-Broyles - translator
Narrated by: Emily Watson, Georgia Maguire, Richard Armitage
Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins

★★★★☆



Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew 1 - The Secret of the Old Clock -- back to top

Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew 1 - The Secret of the Old Clock (2025-08-28)

Narrated By: Laura Linney
Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins



John Irving - The Hotel New Hampshire -- back to top

John Irving - The Hotel New Hampshire (2025-08-30)

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins

★★★★½

Very much a John Irving book...



Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time -- back to top

Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2025-09-01)

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman
Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins

★★★★☆



Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams, Karen White - The Author’s Guide to Murder -- back to top

Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams, Karen White - The Author’s Guide to Murder (2025-09-05)

Narrated by: Angus King, Saskia Maarleveld, Brittany Pressley, Lisa Flanagan
Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins

Note, I went with the author order from the cover but most sites put it as Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White

★★☆☆☆

Almost DNFed a few times, notably around 20%, 45%, and 90%. Yep. Almost gave up at 90% and even 95%. That should say a lot. Huge plot holes and too convenient endings. I kept hoping it would at least tie up a few things but nope, it just left it.



Susanna Clarke - Piranesi -- back to top

Susanna Clarke - Piranesi (2025-09-06)

Narrated by: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
Release date: 09-15-20

★★★★★



R. F. Kuang - Babel -- back to top

R. F. Kuang - Babel (2025-09-13)

Full Title: Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

Narrated by: Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Billie Fulford-Brown
Length: 21 hrs and 46 mins
Release date: 08-23-22

★★★★☆



Freida McFadden - The Crash -- back to top

Freida McFadden - The Crash (2025-09-16)

Narrated by: Leslie Howard
Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
Release date: 01-28-25

2-Stars. I found the main character to be a bit insufferable and the ending to be even harder to swallow. The main "twist/reveal" felt too forced. Like you couldn't understand the motivation. I was invested enough not to DNF and wanted but my "can't put it down" was more because I wanted to be over with it and move on than it was that I wanted to know what happens.



Jon Hickey - Big Chief -- back to top

Jon Hickey - Big Chief (2025-09-18)

Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
Release date: 04-08-25

★★★½☆



Stacey Abrams - Coded Justice -- back to top

Stacey Abrams - Coded Justice (2025-09-20)

Series: Avery Keene number 3
Released: July 15, 2025

★★★½☆



Miranda July - All Fours -- back to top

Miranda July - All Fours (2025-09-22)

Narrated by: Miranda July
Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
Release date: 05-14-24

★★½☆☆

I struggle to rate this one. I would have gone with just 2 stars at first but as I let it sit more and more, keep thinking about it.



E. B. White - The Trumpet of the Swan -- back to top

E. B. White - The Trumpet of the Swan (2025-09-24)

Narrated by: E.B. White
Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
Release date: 12-04-06



Ann Patchett - State of Wonder -- back to top

Ann Patchett - State of Wonder (2025-09-25)

Narrated by: Hope Davis
Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
Release date: 06-07-11

★★★★☆



Larry McMurtry - Lonesome Dove Saga 1 - Lonesome Dove -- back to top

Larry McMurtry - Lonesome Dove Saga 1 - Lonesome Dove (2025-10-08)

Narrated by: Will Patton
Series: Lonesome Dove Saga, Book 3 (Book 1 in publishing order, Book 3 in the chronology of the series)
Length: 35 hrs and 49 mins
Release date: 09-23-25

★★★★☆



Jerry Spinelli - Maniac Magee -- back to top

Jerry Spinelli - Maniac Magee (2025-10-14)

Narrated by: S. Epatha Merkerson
Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
Release date: 10-10-03



Stephen King - It -- back to top

Stephen King - It (2025-10-21)

Narrated by: Steven Weber
Length: 44 hrs and 55 mins
Release date: 01-01-16

★★★½☆

I know people consider this one of the GOATs for Stephen King but I didn't get that feel. Not bad certainly. And "that scene". Why???



Hiro Arikawa - The Travelling Cat Chronicles -- back to top

Hiro Arikawa - The Travelling Cat Chronicles (2025-10-23)

Translated by: Philip Gabriel
Narrated by: George Blagden
Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
Release date: 10-23-18

★★★★☆

Cute



Sangu Mandanna - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches -- back to top

Sangu Mandanna - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (2025-10-27)

Narrated by: Samara MacLaren
Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
Release date: 08-23-22
Language: English

★★★★★

Cozy and fun. I wish there was more



Roald Dahl - James and the Giant Peach -- back to top

Roald Dahl - James and the Giant Peach.jpg (2025-10-30)

Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt
Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
Release date: 07-25-13



Matt Dinniman - Dungeon Crawler Carl 01 - Dungeon Crawler Carl -- back to top

Matt Dinniman - Dungeon Crawler Carl 01 - Dungeon Crawler Carl (2025-10-31)

Hardcover

Narrated by: Jeff Hays
Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 1
Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
Release date: 01-28-21

★★★★☆

Unlike anything I've ever read. Amazing narration. Fun.



Taylor Jenkins Reid - Atmosphere -- back to top

Taylor Jenkins Reid - Atmosphere (2025-11-04)

Full Title: Atmosphere: A Love Story
Or: Atmosphere: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Love Story

By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
Release date: 06-03-25

★★★★½



Adelle Waldman - Help Wanted -- back to top

Adelle Waldman - Help Wanted (2025-11-06)

★★★☆☆



Liann Zhang - Julie Chan Is Dead -- back to top

Liann Zhang - Julie Chan Is Dead (2025-11-07)

Narrated by: Yu-Li Alice Shen
Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
Release date: 04-29-25

★★☆☆☆

I should have DNFed



Roald Dahl - George's Marvellous Medicine -- back to top

Roald Dahl - George's Marvellous Medicine (2025-11-07)

Ugh. I really didn't like this one.

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
Release date: 09-26-13



Robert McCammon - Boy's Life -- back to top

Robert McCammon - Boy's Life (2025-11-13)

Narrated by: George Newbern
Length: 20 hrs and 4 mins
Release date: 10-07-14

★★★★☆



David Szalay - Flesh -- back to top

David Szalay - Flesh (2025-11-16)

Narrated by: Daniel Weyman
Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
Release date: 04-01-25

★★★★☆



Dennard Dayle - How to Dodge a Cannonball -- back to top

Dennard Dayle - How to Dodge a Cannonball (2025-11-18)

Narrated by: William DeMeritt
Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
Release date: 06-17-25

★★★☆☆

meh



S. E. Hinton - The Outsiders -- back to top

S. E. Hinton - The Outsiders (2025-11-20)

Narrated by: Jim Fyfe
Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
Release date: 07-22-04

★★★★☆

Maybe a bit overhyped about changing my view of the world. Or maybe I am too old.



Mike Birbiglia - The New One -- back to top

Mike Birbiglia - The New One (2025-11-26)

Full Title: The New One Painfully True Stories from a Reluctant Dad
By: Mike Birbiglia, J. Hope Stein
Narrated by: Mike Birbiglia, J. Hope Stein
Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
Release date: 05-05-20

Read with Meredith on a road trip

★★★★☆ (4-stars)

I enjoyed this! Relatable, funny, and well done.



Kate Folk - Sky Daddy -- back to top

Kate Folk - Sky Daddy (2025-11-30)

Narrated by: Kristen Sieh
Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
Release date: 04-08-25

★★★★☆

Weird but fun,



Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew 2 - The Hidden Staircase -- back to top

Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew 2 - The Hidden Staircase (2025-12-01)

Narrated By: Laura Linney
Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins



Junot Díaz - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao -- back to top

Junot Díaz - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2025-12-04)

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Staci Snell
Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
Release date: 09-06-07

Note: It lists length as 16 hrs but that includes the extra material. The books ends at the 10:54:20 mark

Review

★★★☆☆ (3-stars)

I know it got all kinds of awards and recognition but I wasn't as in to it. It was good enough but I found the spanglish to be both very realistic (I guess) and difficult. I didn't understand everything and felt like I missed some of it.



David Grann - The Wager -- back to top

David Grann - The Wager (2025-12-07)

Full Title: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
Narrated by: Dion Graham
Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
Release date: 04-18-23

★★★★☆: Solid "yes". Enjoyed it and it was interesting



Victoria Jamieson - Roller Girl -- back to top

Victoria Jamieson - Roller Girl (2025-12-09)

Narrated by: Almarie Guerra, Abigail Caro, Robbie Daymond, Kirby Heyborne, Hillary Huber, Jorjeana Marie, Cassandra Morris, P.J. Ochlan, Adenrele Ojo, Georgette Perna, Kate Reinders, Tara Sands, Bahni Turpin, Various
Length: 2 hrs and 19 mins
Release date: 01-29-19



Fredrik Backman - My Friends -- back to top

Fredrik Backman - My Friends (2025-12-11)

By: Fredrik Backman
Translated By: Neil Smith
Narrated by: Marin Ireland
Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
Release date: 05-06-25

★★★★☆ / 👍

I absolutely enjoyed it. Very reminiscent of Anxious People in its style and prose. Nobody can say "idiot" with so much love and admiration as Fredrik Backman and/or the reading of Marin Ireland. Great reflection on life, friendship, and grief. I thought it was very sweet though occasionally drifted into both cheesy and saccharine. I would recommend it strongly but it missed the 5-stars for me.



Ariel Lawhon - The Frozen River -- back to top

Ariel Lawhon - The Frozen River (2025-12-16)

Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer, Ariel Lawhon
Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
Release date: 12-05-23

★★★★★

Solid, enjoyable, engaging, fun, read!

My comments to Ann.

I moved The Frozen River up on my list at your suggestion and finished it. It was very, very good. I kept being certain they were going to ruin it with a bad ending but I was very happy with it. I can’t say I guessed it early but once the barn seen started I guessed both the knife that would be used and had a rough guess as to what was to be severed. Happy to see (hear) it come to fruition.

This was on my TBR from "Goodreads top 80 of the last decade" and covered on Instagram, but I moved it up since Ann suggested it.



Jeff Kinney - Diary of a Wimpy Kid 01 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid -- back to top

Jeff Kinney - Diary of a Wimpy Kid 01 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2025-12-18)

Narrated by: Ramon De Ocampo
Series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 1
Length: 1 hr and 57 mins
Release date: 03-10-08



Kevin Wilson - Now is not the Time to Panic -- back to top

Kevin Wilson - Now is not the Time to Panic (2025-12-18)

Narrated by: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kevin Wilson
Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
Release date: 11-08-22

★★★★☆



Douglas Adams - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe -- back to top

Douglas Adams - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (2025-12-21)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Book 2
By: Douglas Adams
Narrated by: Martin Freeman
Series: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Book 2
Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
Release date: 07-04-06

★★★☆☆

Enjoyable enough but nowhere near as good as Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (book 1). Not only did the barely talk about Trillian, but I didn't feel like they did much to develop the other characters either.



Yiyun Li - Things in Nature Merely Grow -- back to top

Yiyun Li - Things in Nature Merely Grow (2025-12-24)

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
Release date: 05-20-25

★★★★☆:

While I am giving this four stars, I don't think I would recommend it to anyone without careful notice. It was intense!. I didn't know what to expect.

Also, despite the timing between this and the last, I listened to this in a single day.



Dennis E. Taylor - Bobiverse 1 - We Are Legion (We Are Bob) -- back to top

Dennis E. Taylor - Bobiverse 1 - We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (2025-12-27)

★★★☆☆: I thought it was an interesting premise but I also found it kind of boring in the second half. It is also possible, if not probable, that I just don't enjoy books I actually read as much since I get through them so slowly and with so few pages at a time. I am not in a hurry to read or listen to the next one though



Chuck Palahniuk - Choke -- back to top

Chuck Palahniuk - Choke (2025-12-28)

Narrated by: Chuck Palahniuk
Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
Release date: 12-20-02

★★★½☆

Enjoyable and a bit odd. Sometimes intense



Katie Kitamura - Audition -- back to top

Katie Kitamura - Audition (2025-12-30)

Narrated by: Traci Kato-Kiriyama
Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins
Release date: 04-08-25

★★★☆☆:

The Booker Prize (shortlisted) continues to be more miss than hit for me. This was interesting and left a lot to interpretation and analysis but I also didn't find it especially compelling.



2025 -- back to top

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DNF Audio