105. Jan Anonymous - Laura Faria Stolarz, 2020 BosAud (4) 306 pgs. 7/9
107. Find Me - Anne Frasier, 2020 Audible (4.5) 286 pgs. 7/21
108. We're Not From Here - Geoff Rodkey, 2019 BosAud (3) 256 pgs. 7/23 t/a
110. The Perfect Escape - Suzanne Park, 2020 Chirp (3.5) 336 pgs. 7/28 t/a
111. Dating Games - T. K. Leigh, 2019 Chirp (3) 430 pgs. (34,856 pgs.) 7/29 DISBURSED
As soon as I heard the narrator speak, I knew I had listened to her before - I couldn't STAND listening to her and I almost decided not to listen. The way she reads really annoys me, and took away from the personality of the protagonist for me. Much of her voice for the hunky Julian was read in a monotone. Holy Yuckiness. The story was cute, predictable, and enjoyable, with no surprises at all, but I couldn't enjoy it half as much as I would've without the narrator. Too bad. The decadence and small mindedness of the Hamptons really shouts out in this story. I do love these fake fiancé, girlfriend/boyfriend tomes, however. Yes, this one had a few cute twists and turns and although totally predictable, it added a fun dimension. Four for the story taken down to 3 because of the lousy narration.
113. Dark Planet Warriors - Anna Carven - 2016Audible (3.5) 240 pgs. (35,448 pgs.)
8/4 DISBURSED
Far, far away in space in the 24th century is a small asteroid mining station of humans, where Abbie works as a biologist. A spaceship of court Kordovians arrives, headed by the fearsome general Tarak. The story becomes an adventure as well as a romance, and to tell you the truth, it was quite compelling. There are a couple of super steamy sections, but most of it is interesting storytelling. It's the first in a series, and I wonder if the next follow these characters...sometimes they don't. The end of the book is when they are about to reach earth.
115. Ruth's First Christmas Tree (#4.5 Ruth Galloway) - Elly Griffiths 2012 Kindle (4) 26 pgs. (35,990 pgs.) t/a/myst
116. The Sixth Wicked Child (#3 4MK) - J. D. Barker 2019 Audible (5) 626 pgs. (36,616 pgs.) t/a/my 8/8/2020 DISBURSED
Contemporary Chicago. wonder if J. D. Barker knew as he was writing the first book how he would be continuing it, or even if there was going to be a continuation. There are no clues, and it is such a departure from the first, at least in my mind. This, the third book in the series, made me a nervous wreck because of the situation that Sam Porter was put into. Even though I didn't want to doubt, there were places here and there in the middle of the book that I did begin to doubt a tiny bit -- but then I though about Heather, Sam's wife. Whew. Talk about a twisting, turning mind! What a rude. It waas EXCELLENT storytelling!
117. Outsider (#12 Kate Burkholder) - Linda Castillo 2020 BosAud (2.5) 320 pgs. (36,936 pgs.) t/a/myst 8/9/2020
What a disappointment. This was boring, repetitive, and the last of the series so far. It seems to be going downhill fast. Gina, the bad ass friend otht Kate is trying to help/save is one of the most unlikable characters I've met in a long time. So not only did I not care whether she came out of it okay or even alive, I questioned why Kate helped her as much as she did. Another huge snowstorm, hasn't there been bad snow weather in many of the other books, too? And I love the way that Tomaselli jumped on a handy-dandy snowmobile and traveled many, many miles to get to Kate whenever he needed to....over and over again! Yep that would really happen. I wonder how far it is from Wooster to Painter's Falls, lol. I did enjoy getting to know Adam and his three children, but other than that this story could've been told in three hours instead of ten and in a much better manner. I've also noticed that Castillo enjoys using great words, but she tends to overuse some of them. I think she used the word "plethora" four times and it was very noticeable. I used to love these books, it's so disappointing to not love them at all anymore.
118. A Bad Day for Sunshine (#1 Sunshine Vicram) - Darynda Jones, 2020 Bos/Libby (4) 400 pgs. (37,336 pgs.) 8/11 t/a/myst
Well this was definitely the first in a series. I immediately knew the narrator, she's the one who does all the Stephanie Plum stories, and she's definitely got that comical way of speaking down pat. Sunshine is definitely a bit like Stephanie Plum, probably a whole lot smarter, and I was able to let go of the thought of Miss Plum after about a third of the way into the book. Wonderful setting in contemporary Del Sol, New Mexico, up near Santa Fe, and area that I very much enjoy. So that was great and added to the ambiance. There are so many things that are eye-rolling about this book, and pretty much everything is easy to figure out way ahead of time, including pretty much what happened when Sunshine was adducted so many years ago and her daughter, Ari, was conceived. But it was definitely a fun ride...and very, very funny!
The required BFF, the handsome and studly out-of-reach gorgeous hunk, and also some crazy shenaningans...just plain fun to listen to. Definitely want to read #2 when it comes out in a year or so, lol.
119. The Forgotten Ones - Steena Holmes, 2018 Audible (3) 345 pgs. (37,681 pgs.) 8/12 t/a
I'm not sure what to think about this book. It was pretty slow, but compellingly told, although repetitive in many places, which I have discovered really bugs me lately. I think the thing that bothered me most is that I never got a feel for Gertie, mother/wife/antagonist. Why did David lover her so? What was she like? What were her attributes? That made of the the cray unrealistic things he did become unbelievable, because supposedly he loved his wife wo much. I don't know, it's leaving me shaking my head. And then the granddaughter, L was such a disbeliever - she was hard for me to take, too. Yep, I definitely find a lot of things questionable about this story.
120. A Keeper - Graham Norton, 2018 Audible (4.5) 326 pgs. (38,007 pgs.) 8/13 t/a
122. The Switch - Beth O'Leary, 2020 Audible (4) 336 pgs. (38,731 pgs.) 8/20 t/a
123. A Field Guide to Getting Lost - Joy McCullough, 2020 Chirp (3.5) 224 pgs. (38,955 pgs.) 8/22 t/a
124. The Year of the Witching - Alexis Henderson, 2020 Aud (3) 368 pgs. (39,323 pgs.) 8/25 t/a
125. Unsheltered - Barbara Kingsolver, 2018 BosAud (4) 464 pgs. (39,787 pgs.) 8/27 t/a
126. Text 2 Lovers - K. Webster & J. D. Hollyfield , 2017 (3) 245 pgs. (40,032 pgs.) 8/29 t/a
128. Interference - Brad Parks, 2020 Aud (4) 397 pgs. (40,749 pgs.) 9/2 t/a
DNF - . Jane Unlimited - Kristin Cashore, 2017 BosAud 45% of 464 pgs. = 209 pgs. (40,958 pgs.)
129. The Lost Vintage - Ann Mah, 2018 Aud (4) 384 pgs. (41,342 pgs.) 9/11 t/a
130. Nothing More Dangerous - Allen Eskens, 2019 Aud, (5) 352 pgs. (41,694 pgs.) 9/16 t/a
136. The Librarian's Vampire Assistant - Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, 2018 Chirp (1.5) 246 pgs. (43,790 pgs.) t/a
137. Well Played - Jen DeLuca, 2020 Libby (4) 336 pgs. (44,126 pgs.) t/a
138. The Lasaran (#1 Aldebarian Alliance) - Dianne Duvall, 2020 Chirp (3.5) 460 pgs. (44,586 pgs.)
139. 142 Ostriches - April Davila, 2020 Chirp (4) 272 pgs. (44,858 pgs.)
140. Squeeze Me - Carl Hiaasen, 2020 Libby (4.5) 353 pgs. (45,211 pgs.)
142. Chimera - N. J. Tanger, 2015 Chirp (3) 310 pgs. (45,825 pgs.)
143. Today Tonight Tomorrow - Rachel Lynn Solomon, 2020 Chirp (4) 364 pgs. (46,189 pgs.)
144. Big Summer - Jennifer Weiner, 2020 Libby (3) 368 pgs. (46,557 pgs.) 11/21/2020
Set mostly on the tip of Cape Cod in Provincetown and Truro, plus-size up-and-coming Instagram star xxxx reminisces about the back-and-forth relationship she has with her on-again off-again best friend, who is a real bitch. A rich mean girl, she mesmerizes, dumps, chums up with again, and dumps again for years. It's been six years since the straw that broke the camel's back when she reappears in xxx's life and asks her to be her maid-of-honor at her particularly snazzy, well-publicized wedding on the Cape. I liked some of the story, but there was just something about it that didn't strike me right. Perhaps I just couldn't engage with any of the characters? Entertaining but flimsy.
153. Fake Date - Monica Murphy, 2019 Audible (1) 358 pgs. (49,104 pgs.)
154. Christmas at Copper Mountain - Jane Porter, 2013 Audible (3.5) 152 pgs. (49,256 pgs.)
155. It's a Wonderful Wife - Camille Pagan, 2020 Audible (4) 100 pgs. (49,356 pgs.)
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