Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: 3 Audiobooks, 3 Lists, 1 Video

Happy September! I started out the month with the delivery of my new computer. It came just in the nick of time, and now that I have a machine that works smoothly, doesn't crash, and allows me to do more than two tasks at once (yes, it was getting that bad), I can rejoin social media on a more regular basis.

I spent the week preparing myself for the switch from Win7 to Win10. That's a big jump. Thus the bulk of my reading involved the exciting world of computer books. Yay me.

The weekend has been all about transferring files, customizing the new computer, and downloading programs. It's a huge job. I feel lucky to have finished two audiobooks and to have started a third. No print or e- reading got done at all. The good news is that I'll be all set to get back to work tomorrow.

For those who are celebrating Labor Day (USA, Canada) or Father's Day (Australia), I hope you're indulging in some holiday fun.

What I Listened to Last Week

• I loved the third entry in N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth series, The Stone Sky. The books are a kind of mix of fantasy and science fiction and are quite good. The plot lines and characters in this entry were consistent but not predictable. A reveal and a twist took me a little off-guard (in a good way), and I was satisfied with the ending, though already impatient for more. The audiobook was read by Robin Miles, who is a-maze-ing in giving voice to the characters, picking up on the emotional atmosphere, and keeping me glued to my earbuds.
• I listened to Jillian Cantor's The Lost Letter, which is set Austria in the 1930s and in California in the 1980s. I enjoyed both time periods and was relieved that this wasn't just another WWII book. It's much more a story about two young people and how greater world events affected their relationship and who they became as adults. The uniting thread of the books involves the world of stamps (collecting, engraving). The audiobook was primarily read by Allyson Ryan and George Newbern. Although my full audio review will be available through AudioFile magazine, I can say two things here: I was not sorry to have listened to the book instead of reading the novel in print, but the performances were only so-so. I'm not discouraging you from trying the audiobook, I just can't enthusiastically recommend it. (review copy for a freelance assignment)
• I started listening to Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer on Sunday. OMG, I'm so totally hooked and why did I wait so long to give this series a try? I don't quite know exactly what's going on, but there's a region of the world that's blocked from the public. Our hero, a woman biologist, is on a government-sponsored mission to investigate Area X, along with three other professional women. The time period is fairly contemporary, but I can't tell if the world has undergone a major environmental disaster or if only this particular place is, well, not normal. Carolyn McCormick isn't the strongest narrator I've listened to, but I'm not turning off my phone. On the other hand, I may switch to print for the rest of the series because McCormick isn't winning me over. In either medium, I know I'll be zipping through the Southern Reach trilogy.

Book Lists

In other book news, I've found two good reading lists for books that have been or will be published this year, plus a bonus list.

• Southern Living's list contains many expected books (Little Fires Everywhere) and some surprises (Perennials).
• Popsugar's list is a little more predictable, but it contains solid recommendations.
• Bonus list: Real Simple has a list of books to read before they head to the small screen. Even if you don't care about the television adaptations, most of the books are well worth your while.

Outlander

I am counting the days (6 to be exact) until this: