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Showing posts with the label netgalley

Cirque Du Slay by Rob Osler

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Cirque Du Slay by Rob Osler narrated by Pete Cross This is the 2nd book in a cozy mystery series.  I hadn't read the first book, and it definitely didn't hinder my enjoyment of this book.  The book follows Hayden McCall and his friends as they walk the tight rope of life, love and solving a murder.  Hayden and his best friend Hollister are helping out with a fundraiser that is being hosted by Hollister's friend Sarah Lee.  However, the main act (Kennedy Osaka) for the fundraiser fails to show.  Since Sarah Lee is a longtime friend of Kennedy, she decides to look for her in Kennedy's hotel room.  Not only does Sarah Lee find Kennedy murdered, but she is found there by the police while holding the murder weapon.  Even though Hayden doesn't really like Sarah Lee, he decides to help his friend Hollister in clearing Sarah Lee's name.   This book is phenomenal!    I listened to the entire book in one day.  I did have to pause a few times to walk away from the book, bu

The Body's Keepers by Paul Kimmel, M.D.

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The Body's Keepers by Paul L. Kimmel, M.D. narrated by Lane Hakel From a medical standpoint, this book is quite interesting.  Does it give you information on how to help yourself if you have kidney issues?  No, it does not.  However, it does a great job of detailing the function of the kidneys, the past and current available treatments, as well as the ramifications of a capitalistic medical machine has on the treatment of patients. Dr. Kimmel uses medical cases and personal accounts to help you understand the ramifications of kidney disease on your health and finances.  Living with kidney disease is not an easy undertaking.  I am currently at stage 3a of chronic kidney disease.  This means that my kidneys are not functioning to the capacity that they are supposed to be.  This book helped open my eyes to what it truly means to have CKD and its effects on my body.  You don't really realize how much is affected by your kidneys not functioning at a normal level.   I was able to lea

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley

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Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley narrated by Eunice Wong Can I start by saying "WOW"?  The audiobook is a little over 12 hours long, but I finished it in one day.  I did not want to stop listening at all.  Robin Wasley sped out of the gate with her first book, a great combo fantasy/horror book.   First up, the narration.  Eunice Wong was incredible.  Her voicing of the story kept me on the edge of my seat.  There was depth to her characters as well as range in her intonation of the actual story.  When characters were whispering, she did too.  If the characters were anxious, you could feel it in her voice.  I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by Eunice! The story starts off describing the sleepy little town where tourists visit to see where the magic used to happen.  However, the fault lines were sealed off ages ago and the magic is no longer accessible.  There is one caveat to that though.  There are guardians who hold keys to unlock th

The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire by Denise Alvarado

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The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire by Denise Alvarado narrated by Adenrele Ojo Being a pagan, I have always been interested in the magickal workings of people around the world.  And the Louisiana Voodoo community has really had me intrigued.  There are too many times in the media, that you see Voodoo and other magickal practices being demonized.  I was ecstatic to see find this book that allowed me to take a look at the life of Marie Laveau and learn about her practices. Adenrele Ojo did a superb job at the narration.  There were a few times though that were a little tedious to get through though.  I think that was mainly due to it being a list of herbs and their magickal properties.  So, it was read more like a bulleted type of list.  But I really can't see any way around that scenario happening.   There was so much to unpack in this book.  The was a lot of great research done on Marie Laveau.  This was done through Marie's diaries, newspaper articles and even interviews with so

Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr

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Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker & Max Meyers There are 2 narrators for this audiobook.  Jeremy Carlisle Parker is a woman who is a trained opera singer.  I have heard and enjoyed her narration before in The Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper.  Max Meyers who has acted in Off-Broadway productions.  I have not listened to any of their previous work.  I think that both narrators did the best job that they could in order to portray so many different POVs in one audiobook.  However, this book would have benefited better from a much larger cast of narrators in order to help differentiate.  Anyone who has read my previous reviews will know that I rarely DNF a book.  Even if there are points about the book that I don't like, I will generally try to stay until the end in order to give the author a chance of redemption.  However, I just could not continue listening to this book.  I really did try, but I couldn't. Now the blurb that I read

The Wonderful World of Amigurumi by Khuc Cay

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The Wonderful World of Amigurumi by Khuc Cay This book has got to have some of the cutest creations that I have ever seen.  Each one is so darling and special in its own way.  Thankfully, Khuc Cay has provided great instructions that make it easy to create these special animals.   She starts with basic instructions on how to crochet and even embroidery work.  Of course, she provides a list of which types of supplies you will need to finish these projects, as well as which brands of yarns that she likes to work with.  There are also great tips such as putting blush on the cheeks of your creations to increase their cuteness factor.  She also gives tips on how to make them bigger if you would like.   Before the instructions for each amigurumi, she tells you a little bit about its personality.  For instance, the picture on the cover of the book is of Onni the Platypus and he likes to hang out near the water eating ice cream.   The instructions include information on who it is rated for (be

Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher

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Not Your Crush's Cauldron Book 3 of Supernatural Singles by April Asher narrated by Zura Johnson This is the 3rd book in the series and I hadn't read any of the prior books.  This did not affect my ability to follow along with the story.  In fact, I absolutely loved this story.  As soon as I was done listening, I bought the first 2 books.  I can't wait to listen to those!! Zura Johnson creates voices for the characters that fit their personality and has great intonation.  I do tend to listen to my books at 1.5X speed and the pacing at that rate was great.  This is the first book that I have listened to that she has narrated.  I plan to keep an ear out for more of her books.   The series follows triplet witches as they try to discover their true selves as well as their one true love.  In Not Your Crush's Cauldron, we get to know Olive (the 3rd born of the triplets) much more.  She is a reserved, down-to-Earth professor that teaches supernatural studies.  She has a normal

The Witches Workshop by Melissa Jayne Madara

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The Witches Workshop by Melissa Jayne Madara First, I would like to note that I reviewed the eBook edition.  I wanted to mention this since I have already said that I focus on audiobooks.  However, with a book of crafts or recipes, I feel that it is necessary to be able to see the process instead of listening and trying to figure it out in my head.  It is less noisy this way. Now on to the book itself.  This book is a witch's guide to creating your own tools.  The first thing that came to mind when I saw this title was that by crafting your own incense, dyes, or oils you can already start to put your intentions into them while crafting.  This way you will have the added benefit during your spell or ritual work.  Whereas, if you are buying mass produced items, you don't have the energy already starting.   I know that many people skip introductions in this type of book.  There is a lot of great information in this section.  The author attempts to show how the very definition of a

Crocheting Reversible Amigurumi Projects by Jesse Van In

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Crocheting Reversible Amigurumi Projects by Jesse Van In These animals are so cute!  I know that this is going to show my age with this comment, but they sort of remind me of Popples!  The big difference is that Popples only turned into a ball.  Whereas these darlings turn into other things depending on the project you choose.  For instance, the pattern for the fox has an inside that is a cat.  The otter becomes a seashell.   The other cool thing is that you don't have to make them reversible if you don't want.  You can actually make them one sided and seal them closed.  So, if you only want that adorable panda bear, then you make the panda part of the pattern and then fill it with stuffing and seal it off.  Then you have a cute stuffed panda. There are so many handy tips and guidance in this book that even beginners like me have a chance at creating these cuties.  I know that it will take me awhile to finish one of these patterns, but I am working my way through one at the mom

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian

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A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian narrated by Soneela Nankani I have been impatiently waiting for this audiobook to be released.  I was excited when I learned that I could review the eALC for NetGalley. First, let me tell you how I learned of this great series.  I am a HUGE fan of the narrator.  I absolutely love the work of Soneela Nankani and I was wanting something to read, but really didn't feel like tackling my TBL pile.  Well, I did a search to see what books Soneela Nankani narrated and came across this series about a stage magician, locked room mysteries and hidden rooms.  I was intrigued.   Let me tell you that Soneela doesn't disappoint with her voicing of the characters.  From creating the accents for the Indian grandparents to the Scottish grandmother to her American friends, Soneela seems to manage it all without skipping a beat. As for the story, most cozy mysteries you can skip around in the series without an issue.  However, in this particular book, I advise tha

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan

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Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan narrated by Stephanie Németh Parker This book is listed as a horror-mystery.  I do feel that it is more of just a horror book.  That is perfectly fine with me.  I spent my teen years reading Clive Barker and Leigh Nichols (Dean Koontz pseudonym).  Plus, being a teen in the 80s, I spent time watching horror films such as Nightmare on Elm Street.  So, going into this book, I was ready for horror and blood.   This book is based on the Romanian mythology of the Strigoi.  I know that many people are not aware of the stories surrounding them.  So, the picture on the cover doesn't really make sense to many.  The Strigoi are a mix between a vampire and a zombie.  They start out as a zombie/ghoul type of being that will feed on humans and gain strength.  As they gain strength, they will start to appear more and more human.  In the original tales of the Strigoi, they can turn invisible and shapeshift.  That didn't occur in this book though.  However, the be

A Killer Romance by Maggie Blackburn

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A Killer Romance by Maggie Blackburn narrated by Christa Lewis This is the 3rd book in the Beach Reads series.  It is the first book that I have listened to in the series.   Summer Merriweather inherited not only a house, but a book shop from her deceased mom.  Once a professor of Shakespearean literature, she has now uprooted her life to run Beach Reads on a small island in North Carolina.  Against her better judgement, Summer hosts Lana Livingstone for the Valentine's Day event "Romance by The Sea".  Summer feels that Lana's latest book does not fully understand Romeo and Juliet.  And talking to Lana, she quickly realizes that Lana has the misunderstanding that "Romeo and Juliet" is a romance and not a tragedy.   It soon becomes apparent that Lana is a suspect in her husband's murder.  And when she is found dead at the local B&B, the Beach Read employees are under suspicion.   There were a few things in the story that did bother me a little bit.  I

The Dollmaker by Morgan Shamy

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The Dollmaker by Morgan Shamy narrated by Kate Rudd Set in the 1920s, there were a few anachronisms that did take me out of the time period.  However, for the most part, I was right there in the time with the characters. The story revolves around Dawn, a single woman who wants to be a doctor.  This is something of an anomaly for that era.  Women were housewives, teachers, nannies or maids.  They did not attempt to achieve anything more than that.   Dawn's parents are wanting to marry her off to a grotesque elderly man because he is rich and Dawn's father has lost all of the family's money.  Of course, this is something that Dawn is not wanting.  In the meantime, women are going missing and parts of them are being found sew together sort of like a deranged Dr. Frankenstein's version of a porcelain doll.  It isn't until one of Dawn's friends is taken that she starts her search for the murderer.     I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I know that some people are upset

A Bean To Die For by Tara Lush

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A Bean to Die For by Tara Lush narrated by Kae Marie Denino This may be the fourth book in the series, but it is the first one that I have read.  I was hooked from the beginning.  I do have to admit, I am not into coffee.  Yea, I know that isn't something to admit to.  I will drink coladas occasionally.  I just don't like regular coffee.   Now that we have that out of the way, the main protagonist is Lana who owns the Perkatory (a coffee shop in Devil's Beach, Florida).  She is to the point in her career where she is thinking about growing her own coffee beans.  Her dad gets her set up with a plot in the community garden.   Darla, the woman who runs (or should I say rules) the community garden, has a long list of rules that must be followed.  It is very easy to get thrown out.  In fact, Lana is taking over the plot of someone who was recently thrown out.  While she is there clearing out his plot, she finds his dead body.   The victim's name is Jack and at first it looks

Huggable Amigurumi by Franziska Pfoser

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Huggable Amigurumi by Franziska Pfoser   IG: @franzi_einfach_tierisch I am fairly new to crochet.  Well, I guess not since my mom tried to teach me back in the 80s.  However, she was a righty & I am a lefty.  So, I made a mess of things.  I gave up quickly.  I wish that I would have stuck with things though.  I was always enamored with all the wonderful things that my mom would make.  Now with all the tutorials on YouTube, I have been learning.   Since I live in South Florida, I don't want to make tons of blankets like my mom did.  I also don't want to make hats and scarves that I won't be able to use.  So, I have been trying out fun and cute patterns that will hold my interest (especially since I am an extremely slow crocheter).  This book is full of squishy, adorable cuties!!   Franzi has marked each pattern with stars to let you know how hard they are.  They range from 1 to 3 stars.  I am still sticking with a 1-star pattern.  Yes, I am still working on my first one.

Hammers and Homicide by Paula Charles

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Hammers and Homicide  by Paula Charles narrated by Petrea Burchard A new series by a new author and what a way to start!  After the last word of the book was spoken, I immediately wanted the next in the series.  Alas, this series is fresh off the press.  So, there will be quite a bit of waiting to go. Hammers and Homicide is the first in the Hometown Hardware mystery series.  The main character is a recently widowed woman named Dawna who owns a hardware store that she opened with her husband.   I loved that the author jumped into the story and you learned about the characters as the story progressed.  Instead of giving a detailed backstory about the main character first.  You meet many of the townsfolk and learn about their quirks and foibles.   There is a very small hint of paranormal to the story as Dawna does feel like the ghost of her deceased husband is still with her.  She feels like she smells him around her.  She talks to him regularly.  Because of this, her kids think she is g

The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

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The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale narrated by Stephanie Cannon Audiobook publication date: Feb 13, 2024 For the most part, I liked the book.  However, at times the pacing was a little too slow for me.  An audiobook this length would normally take me a day or two at max to get finished.  I kept finding myself pausing and it ended up taking me about 4 days to finish.   I loved how each chapter was started with a card from the tarot deck and its meaning.  I have loved the tarot since I was young.  The "theme" of what was happening in each chapter then revolved around the meaning of the card.   I also don't feel like there was much tension built up to the big reveal.  When it came down to it, it was just put out there.  But the story along the way was interesting enough to keep me listening.   Would I listen to another book by this author?  I am really not sure.  Like I said, the story was interesting, but I didn't find myself invested enough to want to keep readi

Deadly to the Core by Joyce Tremel

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Deadly to the Core by Joyce Tremel narrated by Hilary Huber First, I need to fan girl about the narrator a little bit!!  I absolutely love Hilary Huber. 😍 She narrates some of my favorite series and does a fabulous job.  So, when I hit play and heard her voice I was overjoyed!  There are three narrators that I will go out of my way to look for books that they do, and Hilary is one of them.  I always know that she will do a great job with the characters.  Ok, gushing over Hilary over.   Let's get on with the review of the actual book.  This is a new to me author and I am glad that I found her.   Kate physically survived a crash that took her beloved husband away from her, but mentally she feels like she died with him.  Or at least she wishes that she did.  That is until her Uncle Stan passes away and leaves her an orchard.    She uproots her life and moves to the orchard in the hopes of starting fresh and healing from her past.  However, the orchard manager and her uncle's trus

Living the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

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Living the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron narrated by Eliza Foss I was so excited when I was accepted to review this book.  I had read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron ages ago when it was first published.  I had done my morning pages religiously up until I had my stroke.  Then I got frustrated.  I was so angry that words didn't come easy to me.  I struggled for even the simplest of thoughts.  So, I shut myself off from something that really would have been beneficial to me.  When you think about it, morning pages aren't about what you write, they are about just the act of writing.   Living the Artist's Way reminded me of that and then took it one step further.  In this book, Julia Cameron talks about how we can use our writing to ask our higher self (the higher being or whatever else you feel guides you) to answer questions in our writing.  These pages are done separately from our morning pages.   She takes you through 6 weeks of learning how to listen to that guid

NetGalley Reading Journal

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NetGalley Reading Journal For about a year now, I kept seeing people posting pictures of their reading journals online in various groups.  They would have all these stickers and pictures in them.  They were always so cute. NetGalley has made a reading journal for all the people who do reviews of their books.  Inside there are pages for all the books in your to be read (or listened to) pile, pages to keep track of your reviews, pages to keep track of challenges that you are taking part in.  They even provided stickers that you can use. The only thing that I don't like is that I don't find it very easy to use.  They could have made it so easy since it is a PDF.  When creating PDFs, you can make them where they have fields that are easy to fill-in.  Instead, when you want to fill in the field, you have to edit the file and create a text field yourself to fill in the area.  You have to do that for each and every area.  To me, that is very tedious.   One good thing is that NetGalley