Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Sound Recommendations

This past week was a little busier than I was expecting but by Friday afternoon, I felt I was caught up and took the entire weekend off! I did some gardening and took a couple of walks, and generally relaxed.

I gave my eyes a break and turned to only audiobooks last week. I now feel ready to tackle print reading for fun instead of for work. I can't wait to attack my spring books . . . I have a lot of catching up to do.

On TV, I started the new Lost in Space, which I like so far. The new season of Westworld is here. It took me a while to remember what was going on, but by the end I was reinvested in the story.

Here's what I listened to last week.

Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao (Flatiron; March 6). I’m sure I’m in the minority here, especially because I think the themes of this book are important, but this much-praised novel wasn't for me, and I stopped reading fairly early on. I'll begin with the little I know about the plot: two young women of marriageable age in India face a future shaped by men who have all the power. I’m guessing they find a way out. Why did I stop reading? First, I was listening to the audiobook (Macmillan Audio; 11 hr, 38 min) and reached a breaking point with narrator Soneela Nankani. Let me be quick to say that I’ve listened to other books she’s read and, while she is a not favorite narrator, neither did I dislike her performances. For this book, though, I thought her voice was too young, too earnest, and too often on the verge of tears. I just had to turn the audiobook off. So why didn’t I read the novel in print instead? The primary reason was the author’s fondness for metaphors and similes, which were used in abundance and in groups. The other big reason occurred when one of the main characters had a sort of break down; while I understood the woman’s distress, I didn’t buy her symptoms. Then she behaved very shallowly, and I simply gave up at that point. You may have a better experience. Other people and reviewers have loved the book. Give it a try if you’re curious. (for a freelance assignment)

I cleansed my brain by turning to M. C. Beaton and a Hamish Macbeth mystery. Death of a Village (Blackstone Audio; 5 hr, 21 min) is the 19th book in the series and had all the elements I love about these cozies set in the Scottish Highlands. Village gossip, a couple of different scam artists, and a murder are at the heart of the story. Hamish, of course, solves all the crimes but has to downplay his role so he doesn’t get promoted out of his rural beat, where he has friends and plenty of time for himself and his dog. To get the most out of the books, it’s always good to start at the beginning of a series, but you might do okay to jump in anywhere. This is one of my favorite escape series: the audiobooks, read by Graeme Malcolm are short and entertaining, and I often turn to them in between heavier books. (personal copy)

A Shout in the Ruins by Kevin Powers (Little, Brown, May 15) won’t be out until next month, but I couldn’t wait to read it. It’s a dual-time-period story that reveals the long-reaching effects of slavery and the post–Civil War years. In the 1950s, ninety-year-old George returns to his North Carolina roots to see if he can discover anything about his past or the woman who took him in when he was orphaned as a toddler. In the 1860s we follow the love story of two slaves, their owners, and how they fared during and after the war. Powers gives us a lot to think about and a lot to account for in our country’s history and builds characters that are easy to love or hate. There are disturbing episodes of casual cruelty, which are barely balanced by acts of kindness. The unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 7 hr, 13 min) was read by Robert Petkoff, whose performance was strong and affecting. He created a deep emotional atmosphere but avoided melodrama and portrayed the characters in a way that lets listeners come to their own conclusions about events and behaviors. (audiobook provided by the publisher)

I finished The Girl I Used to Be by Mary Torjussen (Berkley; April 24) yesterday. First off, don’t read the Publishers Weekly review; it spoils the story in the first sentence. Torjussen’s newest psychological thriller involves Gemma, a real estate agent / business owner in Chester, England, who becomes the victim of a cyber-blackmailing scheme. She’s sure she knows who is trying to ruin her life, the question is why. The more she tries to keep things secret, the more it affects her business and her marriage, but Gemma is afraid to confide in anyone. When she finally turns to the police, she realizes that she doesn’t have solid proof of the villain’s identity and doesn’t want her name in the newspaper, which could destroy her reputation, her family, and her work. Although some of what Gemma’s hiding is easy to figure out, I was still surprised and wasn’t sure who her allies were, right up to the end. I don’t think this is the most intense thriller I’ve ever read, but I was invested enough to really want to know how she was going to protect herself, stop the blackmail, and save her marriage. The unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 9 hr, 54 min) was read primarily by Katharine McEwan, who narrated the sections told from Gemma’s point of view. Fiona Hardingham took on the sections told by another woman (being vague so as not to spoil the book). Both infused their performances with tension and good pacing, and each picked up her character’s personality. (ARC and audiobook provided by the publisher)