Well, it's official. I am breaking up with Audible.
I gave it a whirl. I tried really hard. But, ultimately, audio books are just not for me.
I first tried Audible this past summer when we were embarking on our ninety-hour Beta roadtrip to Savannah. Each time I plugged my earbuds in and tried to get comfy and listen to the supposedly hilarious book, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I would immediately enter the Twilight Zone and would not catch a single thing going on in the story. This book had been getting rave reviews for quite some time, so I knew it wasn't the book -- it was me.
It took me months to get through Eleanor...., and I tried a few shorter audio books after that one. They were just -- ok. Again, books that were getting awesome reviews. I recently tried listening to Next Year in Havana, endorsed by none other than Reese Witherspoon herself, but halfway through it I hung it up and declared that I CAN NOT DO IT ANY MORE.
I came to the conclusion that it is the monotony of the single voice reading to me that causes me to enter that Twilight Zone each time I hit PLAY. This is not especially helpful to someone who is already easily distracted while driving. Yikes.
On the other hand, I have discovered that podcasts might be a better suit for me. They're short and sweet, usually, and typically have multiple people speaking in conversational tones. I'M HOOKED. The podcasts I'm loving right now are:
-- I Hate Green Beans -- A hilarious look at pop culture and The Bachelor franchise by author Lincee Ray. I loved Lincee's book by the same name and can't wait until her next book comes out in April!
-- Big Boo Cast -- This podcast features two of my spirit animals, Melanie Shankle and Sophie Hudson (AKA Big Mama and Boo Mama) as they discuss everything from religion to Netflix to fashion. I first saw these ladies speak at an engagement in Nashville years ago, and have since read everything they've published. I want to be besties with them, basically.
-- The Bible Binge -- Using pop culture literacy to enhance biblical literacy? Yes, please! With equal parts humor and insight, Knox and Jamie are currently reviewing the "Shady Ladies" of the Bible, and I love it.
-- Pardon the Mess -- This is a Christian parenting podcast that features honest discussions from real people about the messy life that is parenting in today's culture. Sign. Me. Up.
I look forward to each of these every week, and they all offer something different to me in terms of entertainment, which is ultimately what I'm looking for after all!
All that being said, I have read a few good books here lately, but have failed miserably at formally reviewing them. Just this past week I finished the one below, and although I do not typically recommend YA fiction to adults, too, this one was a bit hit for me.
I gave it a whirl. I tried really hard. But, ultimately, audio books are just not for me.
I first tried Audible this past summer when we were embarking on our ninety-hour Beta roadtrip to Savannah. Each time I plugged my earbuds in and tried to get comfy and listen to the supposedly hilarious book, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I would immediately enter the Twilight Zone and would not catch a single thing going on in the story. This book had been getting rave reviews for quite some time, so I knew it wasn't the book -- it was me.
It took me months to get through Eleanor...., and I tried a few shorter audio books after that one. They were just -- ok. Again, books that were getting awesome reviews. I recently tried listening to Next Year in Havana, endorsed by none other than Reese Witherspoon herself, but halfway through it I hung it up and declared that I CAN NOT DO IT ANY MORE.
I came to the conclusion that it is the monotony of the single voice reading to me that causes me to enter that Twilight Zone each time I hit PLAY. This is not especially helpful to someone who is already easily distracted while driving. Yikes.
On the other hand, I have discovered that podcasts might be a better suit for me. They're short and sweet, usually, and typically have multiple people speaking in conversational tones. I'M HOOKED. The podcasts I'm loving right now are:
-- I Hate Green Beans -- A hilarious look at pop culture and The Bachelor franchise by author Lincee Ray. I loved Lincee's book by the same name and can't wait until her next book comes out in April!
-- Big Boo Cast -- This podcast features two of my spirit animals, Melanie Shankle and Sophie Hudson (AKA Big Mama and Boo Mama) as they discuss everything from religion to Netflix to fashion. I first saw these ladies speak at an engagement in Nashville years ago, and have since read everything they've published. I want to be besties with them, basically.
-- The Bible Binge -- Using pop culture literacy to enhance biblical literacy? Yes, please! With equal parts humor and insight, Knox and Jamie are currently reviewing the "Shady Ladies" of the Bible, and I love it.
-- Pardon the Mess -- This is a Christian parenting podcast that features honest discussions from real people about the messy life that is parenting in today's culture. Sign. Me. Up.
I look forward to each of these every week, and they all offer something different to me in terms of entertainment, which is ultimately what I'm looking for after all!
All that being said, I have read a few good books here lately, but have failed miserably at formally reviewing them. Just this past week I finished the one below, and although I do not typically recommend YA fiction to adults, too, this one was a bit hit for me.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
In this new work of YA (Young Adult) fiction, readers follow Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim student, as she navigates life in yet another new town. The year is 2002, a tumultuous time in our country, to say the least, and for Shirin -- life couldn't get much harder. While Shirin is accustomed to being somewhat of a loner, what she is not accustomed to is the sincere attention of a boy. And not just any boy, but the school's star athlete and golden boy, Ocean James.
As an adult reading YA fiction, it is often difficult to relate to the characters in novels, and is especially difficult sometimes to become emotionally invested in their stories. As for this novel, though, I could not possibly root for these characters any more than I did. I wanted so badly for things to work out for them and for them to find peace and comfort in their respective worlds.
It is so rare that I find a YA book that I absolutely can not put down, but this book honestly was that engrossing. I found myself looking forward to any spare moment I could steal away to get through a few pages. I will say, though, that I did rate it 4 stars, as opposed to 5, due to the language and the ending being a little less than I had hoped for. While I fully realize that teenagers often speak with a flair for profanity, I find it quite distracting in a lot of YA lit. Otherwise -- this would have been FIVE STARS alllllllll the way.
“The pain became a drumbeat; a rhythm I could write a song to. It was always there, stark and steady, rarely abating. I learned to drown out the sound during the day, but at night it screamed through the hole in my chest.”
In this new work of YA (Young Adult) fiction, readers follow Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim student, as she navigates life in yet another new town. The year is 2002, a tumultuous time in our country, to say the least, and for Shirin -- life couldn't get much harder. While Shirin is accustomed to being somewhat of a loner, what she is not accustomed to is the sincere attention of a boy. And not just any boy, but the school's star athlete and golden boy, Ocean James.
As an adult reading YA fiction, it is often difficult to relate to the characters in novels, and is especially difficult sometimes to become emotionally invested in their stories. As for this novel, though, I could not possibly root for these characters any more than I did. I wanted so badly for things to work out for them and for them to find peace and comfort in their respective worlds.
It is so rare that I find a YA book that I absolutely can not put down, but this book honestly was that engrossing. I found myself looking forward to any spare moment I could steal away to get through a few pages. I will say, though, that I did rate it 4 stars, as opposed to 5, due to the language and the ending being a little less than I had hoped for. While I fully realize that teenagers often speak with a flair for profanity, I find it quite distracting in a lot of YA lit. Otherwise -- this would have been FIVE STARS alllllllll the way.
✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴
Want to read along with me? Here are the books I'm currently enjoying (or not):
1. "Little Darlings" by Melanie Golding -- This book will be published at the end of April, and I'm thrilled to have the honor of reading a pre-publication copy of it. I've seen quite a bit of buzz about it, and I'm always a sucker for psychological thrillers. This one appears to have a unique storyline, so I can't wait to dive in!
2. "The Library Book" by Susan Orlean -- This book has been featured everywhere recently, so when we got it in our library at school, I knew I had to read it. For one thing, it's just a gorgeous book. For another -- DUH....it's "The Library Book"! I'm about halfway finished with it, and I'll be honest -- some parts have me captivated, while other parts seem to get a bit bogged down with names and mundane history. Stay tuned for my review when I finally finish it!
3. "Making God Smile: Living the Fruit of the Spirit One Day at a Time" by Kim Henry -- I won this devotional in an Instagram giveaway a few months ago, and it seemed like the perfect one to read this year. I love to start each day with something inspiring, and what's more inspiring than the idea of the fruits of the spirit?
I'd love for you to comment below with any book recommendations you might like to throw my way! While my TBR (To Be Read) pile is mile-high, there is ALWAYS room for more! HAPPY READING!
