Anyone who knows me or reads my blog knows that I’m all for audiobooks and love using them to up my numbers and chip away at my backlist, but as of late there’s a lot of opinions cropping up about them. There’s always been people who take issue with whether or not listening to audiobooks is reading or not, but now the issue of speed has come up.
It’s been alarming, to be honest, seeing comments on people’s videos and posts that chide people for listening to audiobooks at more than 1x speed. There’s a lot of negativity and honestly hate, towards those of us that listen at faster speeds, saying there’s no way we could comprehend it, or that we’re not listening at all.
This, my friends, is not true. Now, not every audiobook can be listened to at faster speeds and not everyone can handle listening to them at faster speeds, it’s going to vary by person and/or by narrator. It’s true that some people can’t listen at fast speeds, everyone’s ears and brain are different and there’s nothing wrong with that. People shouldn’t be shamed for only listening at 1x and people shouldn’t be yelled at for listening at 3x. I often listen to audiobooks anywhere from 2.5-3x, but there have been some where I can’t because of the narrator. Each book is different and each person is different.
Honestly, I think the debating and shaming should stop – we’re all reading and enjoying books, why does it matter how we consume them?
We’re already a month into May and my days are still blending together, so we’ll see how much of this I actually adhere to, but I’m going to do my best to get some solid reading done.
As always, I concentrate on books I’ve received for review and then try to fill in more around them. Since I’m working from home right now (and in a weird head space) I admittedly haven’t been listening to as many audiobooks as usual. I’m hoping to get that number back up as that’s partly how I knock out some of my backlist.
Beyond that, I’m participating in the TBR and Beyond monthly challenge for Middle Grade May. Since the first week of the month has been hectic work wise I haven’t yet decided on my TBR for that, but I have a whole pile of middle grade books pulled that I can read from.
So I guess what I’m saying is that besides review books I have no really solid plans, but I am looking forward to chipping away at my TBR.
I know there are split opinions on the Goodreads Reading Challenge, some people feel like it is too pushy or that it’s like a status symbol, but I personally like to use it to challenge myself.
This year I set a goal of 200 books for myself. I chose this because I far surpassed it last year, so figured it would be a fair median. I always hope to read more, especially since I would like to get my TBR down, but I’d still be happy if I simply met my goal.
Currently I’m sitting at 90 books read this year, so I’m on track, even with the issues focusing as of late, I’m pretty confident I will be able to hit 200. Still, we’ll have to wait for more of the year to pass before we are completely sure.
Do you set one or do you not like the challenge? Either is fine as I think everyone should do what is best for them. How many books do you want to read?
Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.
This week I’m mexcited to feature Lindsay Wong’s upcoming release, My Summer of Love and Misfortune. The premise of this one instantly intrigued me. I’m lucky enough to have a physical ARC of this one, so it’s on my immediate pile!
Iris Wang is having a bit of a rough start to her summer. In an attempt to snap her out of her funk, Iris’s parents send her away to visit family in Beijing, with the hopes that Iris will “reconnect with her culture” and “find herself.” Iris resents her parents’ high-handedness, but even she admits that this might be a good opportunity to hit the reset button.
Iris expects to eat a few dumplings, meet some of her family, and visit a tourist hotspot or two. What she doesn’t expect is to meet a handsome Mandarin-language tutor named Frank and to be swept up in the ridiculous, opulent world of Beijing’s wealthy elite, leading her to unexpected and extraordinary discoveries about her family, her future, and herself.
I know a lot of us are staying home as much as possible and going without luxuries that we may normally be used to. I’m high risk so I’ve literally been staying in my house 24/7 and thankfully have a significant other who can go get necessities that are needed. Needless to say ordering books online and going to bookstores has dramatically decreased, so what do you do when you need new books but also want instant gratification? Ebooks!
I’ve only read one of the books here today, but I’ve heard good things about all of them. Also, a slight disclaimer – I’m in the United States so depending on location the prices may be different, plus some of them may be limited. Always make sure to double check the prices before buying.
Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing– a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.
But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil’s Bible. The text of the Devil’s Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth.
Jade City ($2.99) – Jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. It has been mined, traded, stolen, and killed for — and for centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their magical abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion.
Now, the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon’s bustling capital city. They care about nothing but protecting their own, cornering the jade market, and defending the districts under their protection. Ancient tradition has little place in this rapidly changing nation. When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone — even foreigners — wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones — from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets — and of Kekon itself.
Pan’s Labyrinth($0.99) – Oscar winning writer-director Guillermo del Toro and bestselling author Cornelia Funke have come together to transform del Toro’s hit movie Pan’s Labyrinth into an epic and dark fantasy novel for readers of all ages, complete with haunting illustrations and enchanting short stories that flesh out the folklore of this fascinating world.
This spellbinding tale takes readers to a sinister, magical, and war-torn world filled with richly drawn characters like trickster fauns, murderous soldiers, child-eating monsters, courageous rebels, and a long-lost princess hoping to be reunited with her family.
A brilliant collaboration between masterful storytellers that’s not to be missed.
Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer.
Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.
The Will and The Wilds ($1.99) – Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.
Maekallus’s help isn’t free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna’s kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. It’s a temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.
Enna shares Maekallus’s suffering, but her small sacrifice won’t last long. If she and Maekallus can’t break the spell binding him to the mortal realm, Maekallus will be consumed completely—and Enna’s soul with him.
Well, it’s happened, I’ve written myself into a corner.
In a normal time I would be able to back up and deal with this, but with the amount of anxiety and stress that I’ve been under, I just had to walk away for a while. I’m at a point with my mental health that going through a re-write would just cause me too much upset, so I’m going to deal with it when I’m in a better place.
Where does that leave me? Well, of the 30k words I wanted to write this month I’ve written 5,138. Yeah, not great. So for the last 10-ish days of the month I’m going to scrap my original plan. I’m still going to aim for 30k words, but I’m going to work on the projects that draw me and make me happy. I’m going to be happy with just getting certain scenes done if that’s what I can do.
I know everyone is in a different situation, some people are handling this time with a much lower amount of stress, but in my case I am a ball of stress, anxiety and depression. I have to recognize that and work to not worsen the situation – so if I don’t exactly meet this goal I’m not going to beat myself up over it.
I’ve definitely had to prioritize self-care right now, and I have to be ok with that. I’m still working a 40 hour work week (thankfully from home) so while I’m at home, I’m still not having as much free time as you would think. I’m going to write when I’m inspired to write and just be ok with it.
How is everyone else doing? Are you getting any good writing done?
Somehow the first quarter of 2020 has passed us by and I know a lot of us (myself included) are having a rough time, so I thought that today I would talk about a few of my favorite books of 2020 so far. I wholeheartedly recommend picking up each of these books and they are definitely in the running for my top books of the year!
First I have to mention Don’t Read the Commentsby Eric Smith. This one took my completely by surprise but I LOVED it. It tackles so many issues that are relevant in the gaming and streaming community, as well as in society in general. The friendships and relationships that Smith crafted were wonderful and there were so many beautifully crafted scenes in this book. I can guarantee this is going to be on my top books of the year as I don’t see many books being able to top it.
Next let’s talk about Poems to See By. This one was really interesting as it was comics created to accompany classic poems. Each comic is a different style that goes along with the subject matter or tone of the poems. While I knew a lot of the poems included already, this would be a great way for someone to be introduced to the poems themselves. It gives a new avenue for people to be exposed classic poetry with beautiful imagery.
Another poetry collection that I have absolutely loved this year was the latest installment from Amanda Lovelace, Break Your Glass Slippers. I’ve read most of her poetry collections and enjoyed them all to different degrees, but Break Your Glass Slippers was by far the best in my opinion. It shares themes with her other works, but this one really spoke to me. It’s definitely going to take a lot for her to top this one in my opinion.
Finally let’s talk about the book that was easily my most anticipated book of the year, Night of the Dragonby Julie Kagawa. This was the conclusion to the Shadow of the Fox trilogy. I knew this one was likely going to wreck me and oh boy, it did. It was an amazing conclusion to the trilogy even though it destroyed me. If you’re looking for a trilogy that reads like an anime and is a thrilling adventure, definitely check these out.
Do any of these sound good to you? If so, I’ve made sure to link to the amazon pages for each one. Check them out and see if they are new favorites for you too.
A new miniseries from Harlequin Intrigue. Welcome to the Tactical Crime Division, a rapid-deployment joint team of FBI agents specializing in hostage negotiation, missing persons, IT, profiling, shootings and terrorism, with Director Jill Pembrook at the head.
Today I’m featuring an excerpt from book 2 in the Tactical Crime Division mini-series, Secret Investigation. Enjoy!
In the wake of a tragedy, the Tactical Crime Division is the first call. When ironclad body armor inexplicably fails and soldiers perish, the Tactical Crime Division jumps into action. Agent and former ranger Davis Rogers asks to go undercover to find the traitor responsible for the death of one of his friends, and Petrov Armor CEO Leila Petrov is happy to provide access to her company…especially once she discovers she’s being framed. But will their joint efforts be enough to uncover the truth?
***
As in the Bureau, dying in the field was a possibility you accepted. You did whatever you could to prevent it, but if it happened, you knew you’d be going out doing something you believed in. But not like this. Not the way Jessica had died, trusting the military, trusting her training, trusting her equipment.
“I want to take the lead on this case,” Davis blurted. Gazes darted to him: from profiler Dr. Melinda Larsen, silently assessing, suspicion in her eyes, as if she somehow knew he had a history with one of the victims. Always buttoned-up Laura Smith was quiet and unreadable, but her Ivy League brain was probably processing every nuance of his words. JC, staring at him with understanding, even though he didn’t realize Davis knew Jessica personally. No one on the team did. “Is your personal investment in this case going to be a hindrance or a help?” Pembrook asked, voice and gaze steady.
Davis’s spine stiffened even more. She was talking about his army background. She had to be. But if she thought he was going to fidget, she underestimated the hell he’d gone through training to be a ranger for the army. “A help. I’m familiar with how the army works. And I’m familiar with the product. I’ve worn Petrov Armor vests.”
Petrov Armor had supplied the body armor Jessica and her team had been wearing during the ambush. That armor—supposedly the newest and best technology—had failed spectacularly, resulting in the deaths of all but three of the soldiers and one of the locals. In his mind it wasn’t the insurgents who had killed Jessica and her team. It was Petrov Armor.
He didn’t mention the rest. He’d more than just worn the vests. He’d had a chance to be an early tester of their body armor, back when he was an elite ranger and Petrov Armor was better known for the pistols they made than their armor. He’d given the thumbs-up, raving about the vest’s bullet-stopping power and comfort in his report. He’d given the army an enthusiastic endorsement to start using Petrov Armor’s products more broadly. And they had.
“I’m not talking about the armor,” Pembrook replied, her gaze still laser-locked on his, even as agent-at-large Kane Bradshaw slipped into the meeting late and leaned against the doorway. “I’m talking about Jessica Carpenter.” Her voice softened. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
The gazes on him seemed to intensify, but Davis didn’t shift his from Pembrook’s. “Thank you. And no, it won’t affect my judgment in the case.”
Pembrook nodded, but he wasn’t sure if she believed him as she looked back at the rest of the group and continued her briefing. “Petrov Armor won a big contract with the military five years ago. The armor this team was wearing is their latest and greatest. It’s not worn widely yet, but their earlier version armor is commonly used. The military is doing a full round of testing across all their branches. They’ve never had a problem with Petrov Armor before, and they don’t intend to have another.
“Meanwhile, they’ve asked us to investigate at home. We got lucky with the news coverage. We’re still not sure how it was leaked, but not all of it got out. Or if it did, the news station only played a small part. And somehow they don’t have the name of the body armor supplier. Not yet,” she said emphatically. “Rowan, we don’t have to worry about PD this time. I’m putting you on the media. Hendrick can lend computer support if you need it.”
Rowan Cooper nodded, looking a little paler than usual, but sitting straighter.
Publishers Weekly bestselling and award-winning author ELIZABETH HEITER likes her suspense to feature strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists and a little romance. Her research has taken her into the minds of serial killers, through murder investigations, and onto the FBI Academy’s shooting range. Her novels have been published in more than a dozen countries and translated into eight languages. Visit her at www.elizabethheiter.com.
We’re already more than a week into April, but I thought I should still discuss my reading plans. With everything going on I am feeling like I’m in a bit of a slump, but I’m hoping April I will really tackle the books I have on my list.
My main goal for April is to get ahead on my review books so that I can then really tackle backlist books or those I have coming in. Bringing in books to ease anxiety is a real thing, I just need to get reading.
As for clearing the hoard, I kinda failed this last month. I only read three books that I have physically, and one was a re-read, so technically only two counted. Still, after the month that was March I am not too disappointed.
Here’s hoping April will be a great reading month!
Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.
This week I want to bring attention to Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund Broka. This is their 3rd book together and after reading the first two I can’t wait to get my hands on it. They’ve definitely become auto-buy authors for me. Time of Our Lives comes out on April 21st so if it sounds like something you might like be sure to pick it up!
A boy desperate to hold on, a girl ready to let go.
Fitz Holton waits in fear for the day his single mother’s early-onset Alzheimer’s starts stealing her memory. He’s vowed to stay close to home to care for her in the years to come–never mind the ridiculous college tour she’s forcing him on to visit schools where he knows he’ll never go. Juniper Ramirez is counting down the days until she can leave home, a home crowded with five younger siblings and zero privacy. Against the wishes of her tight-knit family, Juniper plans her own college tour of the East Coast with one goal: get out.
When Fitz and Juniper cross paths on their first college tour in Boston, they’re at odds from the moment they meet– while Juniper’s dying to start a new life apart for her family, Fitz faces the sacrifices he must make for his. Their relationship sparks a deep connection–in each other’s eyes, they glimpse alternate possibilities regarding the first big decision of their adult lives.
Time of Our Lives is a story of home and away, of the wonder and weight of memory, of outgrowing fears and growing into the future.
The Wandering Wordsmith 