If you like Historical Non-Fiction, Hawaii, etc., do yourself a favor and read Captive Paradise by James L. Haley.
This book has its moments of being on the academic side of things. but it doesn't get dry like some academic writing can be. It approaches the history of Hawaii with as little a bias as possible, which I really appreciated. It covered some pre-Captain Cook days all the way through the difficult days that lead to statehood. I really enjoyed this book. I did listen to it which, I think, did help my experience.
This book has its moments of being on the academic side of things. but it doesn't get dry like some academic writing can be. It approaches the history of Hawaii with as little a bias as possible, which I really appreciated. It covered some pre-Captain Cook days all the way through the difficult days that lead to statehood. I really enjoyed this book. I did listen to it which, I think, did help my experience.
If you like Urban Fantasy, Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman, etc. please read the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch.
One of the blurbs on the book said something like: It's Harry Potter meets CSI. And that's not far off, but I'd like to add that it's also got a decent helping of both Neverwhere and American Gods. It's anchored in a very real London, but with unexpected magical and/or fantastical things showing up in both very normal and very unexpected ways. In the first book, Rivers of London (or Midnight Riot in America) we meet PC (police constable) Peter Grant on one of his first assignments after being promoted to PC. While guarding a crime scene he has a surprising and life-changing encounter with a ghost who was a witness to the murder. This encounter proves to be only the first of the increasingly strange ways in which Peter's life changes as he becomes apprenticed to one of the last (or so we're led to believe) wizards (or practitioners - meaning of magic). The subsequent books carry the main characters through events that contribute to an over-arching story, but that also have episodic elements. The newest book, 6th in the series, is coming out this summer and I cannot wait! I really enjoyed these, and since I also listened to these I can say that the reader did a fantastic job! He also successfully did a WIDE variety of regional accents, which can be difficult!
If you like Historical Fiction, read Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart.
This book is about the first female sheriff in the United States, Constance Kopp, and her sisters - specifically about the events that led her to that role. It all begins in 1914 with a horse-and-buggy/automobile collision when Constance and her sisters have their buggy overturned by the car of a wealthy silk factory owner. When he not only refuses to cover the cost of the buggy repairs, but begins to harass Constance and her sisters, she takes action to protect her family. It was a bit slow for me at first, but I think that was because I was expecting more stories from her career as sheriff instead of the events that got her there.
To wrap it up, I feel like I must be the last person to have read it, but I finally got around to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Read this if you like a good thriller/suspense book. Also, read this if you enjoy stories told from multiple perspectives.
The Girl on the Train feels like a Hitchcock both in a Rear Window, someone thinks they saw something they weren't supposed to, and also in the frequent use of alcohol. The book is told from the perspective of three different, seemingly loosely connected, women. I especially enjoyed the audiobook as they hired three different readers to voice each of the narrators. I have not actually picked up the book so I can't speak to how well, or poorly, the book denotes which narrator is speaking, but having the audio cue of a different voice was fantastic!
There you have it! A few of the books I've read or listened to lately. I guess there's really only one in the group that I read instead of listened to. But there have been others I've held and read, I promise. Now that you know what I've been reading, I'd love to hear from you! Read anything good lately?
One of the blurbs on the book said something like: It's Harry Potter meets CSI. And that's not far off, but I'd like to add that it's also got a decent helping of both Neverwhere and American Gods. It's anchored in a very real London, but with unexpected magical and/or fantastical things showing up in both very normal and very unexpected ways. In the first book, Rivers of London (or Midnight Riot in America) we meet PC (police constable) Peter Grant on one of his first assignments after being promoted to PC. While guarding a crime scene he has a surprising and life-changing encounter with a ghost who was a witness to the murder. This encounter proves to be only the first of the increasingly strange ways in which Peter's life changes as he becomes apprenticed to one of the last (or so we're led to believe) wizards (or practitioners - meaning of magic). The subsequent books carry the main characters through events that contribute to an over-arching story, but that also have episodic elements. The newest book, 6th in the series, is coming out this summer and I cannot wait! I really enjoyed these, and since I also listened to these I can say that the reader did a fantastic job! He also successfully did a WIDE variety of regional accents, which can be difficult!
If you like Historical Fiction, read Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart.
This book is about the first female sheriff in the United States, Constance Kopp, and her sisters - specifically about the events that led her to that role. It all begins in 1914 with a horse-and-buggy/automobile collision when Constance and her sisters have their buggy overturned by the car of a wealthy silk factory owner. When he not only refuses to cover the cost of the buggy repairs, but begins to harass Constance and her sisters, she takes action to protect her family. It was a bit slow for me at first, but I think that was because I was expecting more stories from her career as sheriff instead of the events that got her there.
To wrap it up, I feel like I must be the last person to have read it, but I finally got around to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Read this if you like a good thriller/suspense book. Also, read this if you enjoy stories told from multiple perspectives.
The Girl on the Train feels like a Hitchcock both in a Rear Window, someone thinks they saw something they weren't supposed to, and also in the frequent use of alcohol. The book is told from the perspective of three different, seemingly loosely connected, women. I especially enjoyed the audiobook as they hired three different readers to voice each of the narrators. I have not actually picked up the book so I can't speak to how well, or poorly, the book denotes which narrator is speaking, but having the audio cue of a different voice was fantastic!
There you have it! A few of the books I've read or listened to lately. I guess there's really only one in the group that I read instead of listened to. But there have been others I've held and read, I promise. Now that you know what I've been reading, I'd love to hear from you! Read anything good lately?
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