Hello everyone and here is my choice for my “fill in the blank” post. For those that know me know how much I rely on audiobooks to enrich the long hours of my long and tedious commute. I really don’t know what I would do without these audiobooks and am always thankful for having them around. This year I went back to my romance roots and enjoyed some truly wonderful listens. If you have not enjoyed some of these books via audiobook then I highly suggest giving them a try. You will not be disappointed.
Readers/Bloggers choice. Please fill in the blank with ONE of these topics – Diverse Books, Villains, Contemporaries, Dual POV’s, Novellas, Adult titles, New Adult titles, Love Triangles, Couples, Bad Boys or Debuts. REMEMBER – this list MUST be from books you’ve READ in 2017
BEARD IN MIND
By Penny Reid
Ok! Now I know that by now you have figured out how much I love the Winston Brother series by Penny Reid. With each book I claim it to be my favorite, but this one is it folks. I could never believe that I would ship a couple so hard or fall completely in love with everything that this book is about but I have. I truly believe my falling has a lot to do with the fact that I love it’s narrators. They truly give this story depth and a certain life that is so completely endearing. Yay to Penny Reid for sticking it out and waiting for the best narrators Angela Dawe , Chris Brinkley because it made my year.
All is fair in love and auto maintenance.
Beau Winston is the nicest, most accommodating guy in the world. Usually.
Handsome as the devil and twice as charismatic, Beau lives a charmed life as everyone’s favorite Winston Brother. But since his twin decided to leave town, and his other brother hired a stunning human-porcupine hybrid as a replacement mechanic for their auto shop, Beau Winston’s charmed life has gone to hell in a handbasket.
Shelly Sullivan is not nice and is never accommodating. Ever. She mumbles to herself, but won’t respond when asked a question. She glares at everyone, especially babies. She won’t shake hands with or touch another person, but has no problems cuddling with a dog. And her damn parrot speaks only in curse words. Beau wants her gone. He wants her out of his auto shop, out of Tennessee, and out of his life. The only problem is, learning why this porcupine wears her coat of spikes opens a Pandora’s Box of complexity – exquisite, tempting, heartbreaking complexity – and Beau Winston soon discovers being nice and accommodating might mean losing what matters most.
Beard in Mind can be listened to as a stand-alone.
BEARD SCIENCE
By Penny Reid
Cletus, oh Cletus. You and your banana cake queen have had me entertained from the start and I thank you from the bottom of my romantic heart. Another fantastic book by Penny Reid, expertly narrated by Chris Brinkley, Joy Nash.
Make a deal with the devil and you might get what you want, but will it be what you need?
Jennifer Sylvester wants one thing, and that one thing is not to be Tennessee’s reigning Banana Cake Queen. Ever the perpetual good girl and obedient daughter, Jennifer is buckling under the weight of her social media celebrity, her mother’s ambitions, and her father’s puritanical mandates. Jennifer is officially desperate.
And desperate times call for Cletus Winston.
Cletus Winston is a puzzle wrapped in a mystery covered in conundrum sauce, and now he’s in a pickle. Despite being convinced of his own omniscience, extortion by the exalted Banana Cake Queen of Green Valley has taken him completely by surprise. So what’s a maniacal mastermind to do?
Likely, the last thing you expect.
Beard Science is the third book in the Winston Brothers series, is a full-length romantic comedy novel, and can be heard as a standalone.
BEAUTY AND THE MOUSTACHE
By Penny Reid
The first book in this fantastic series but not necessarily the first that I delved into, but great googily moogily is it amazing and oh so good to listen to. The narrator Joy Nash was so good and she had all the emotion and comedic timing that was perfect for this book.
This is a full-length novel, the fourth book in the Knitting in the City series.
There are three things you need to know about Ashley Winston: 1) She has six brothers and they all have beards, 2) She is a reader, and 3) She knows how to knit.
Former beauty queen Ashley Winston’s preferred coping strategy is escapism. She escaped her Tennessee small town, loathsome father, and six brothers eight years ago. Now she escapes life daily via her Amazon kindle one-click addiction.
However, when a family tragedy forces her to return home, Ashley can’t escape the notice of Drew Runous – local Game Warden, bear wrestler, philosopher, and everyone’s favorite guy. Drew’s irksome philosophizing in particular makes Ashley want to run for the skyscrapers, especially since he can’t seem to keep his exasperating opinions – or his soulful poetry, steadfast support, and delightful hands – to himself. Pretty soon the girl who wanted nothing more than the escape of the big city finds she’s lost her heart in small town Tennessee.
THE HATE YOU GIVE
By Angie Thomas
The Hate You Give is my favorite YA book for 2017 not only because of it’s brilliant writing and relevant subject matter but because of the depth of the emotion demonstrated in the audiobook that I greedily enjoyed. A must listen for everyone because Bahni Turpin knocks it out of the park.
The Hate U Give is a groundbreaking, thought-provoking debut novel inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, about a teen girl who is the only witness to her friend’s fatal shooting by a police officer.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, Khalil’s death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Starr’s best friend at school suggests he may have had it coming. When it becomes clear the police have little interest in investigating the incident, protesters take to the streets and Starr’s neighborhood becomes a war zone. What everyone wants to know is: What really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does — or does not — say could destroy her community. It could also endanger her life.
LETTERS TO THE LOST
by Brigid Kemmerer
How did I end up to still being able to drive after I read this book, I do not know, but let me tell you this story line narrated by these characters with all that depth of emotion just about destroyed me. Yet, in the best way. This book will always be on my all time favorite slots and narrated by Brittany Pressley , Kirby Heybourne you can easily understand why.
Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother’s death, she leaves letters at her grave. It’s the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he’s trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can’t resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they’re not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.
GEEKARELLA
by Ashley Boston
OMG! folks this book was so adorably cute that I think everyone needs to read it and it is just so much fun to listen to. Narrators Eileen Stevens , Tristan Morris are just so great that it makes me want to listen to more from them.
Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic science-fiction series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck and her dad’s old costume, Elle’s determined to win – unless her stepsisters get there first.
Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons – before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he has ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake – until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?
Part-romance, part-love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.
THE GENTELMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE
By Mackenzie Lee
This book was so much fun to listen to. I adore accents and TGGTVAV was just that special treat to have me buzzing along traffic with a smile on my face. It’s an amazing read that is oh so much better to listen to believe me, and Christian Coulson is fabulous as it’s narrator.
A hilarious and swashbuckling stand-alone teen historical fiction novel.
A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable grand tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age written by This Monstrous Thing author Mackenzi Lee – Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the 1700s.
Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
So Monty vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.
Witty, dazzling, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is an irresistible romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.
THE LAST OF AUGUST
by Brittany Cavallaro
In this second installment for this series your ears will be amazed as you are brought further into Charlotte and Jaime’s worlds and realize that you could still be surprised by what transpires along with the excellent narration between Graham Halstead (Narrator), Julia Whelan (Narrator).
In the second brilliant, action-packed book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are in a chase across Europe to untangle a web of shocking truths about the Holmes and Moriarty families.
Jamie and Charlotte are looking for a winter break reprieve in Sussex after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But nothing about their time off is proving simple, including Holmes and Watson’s growing feelings for each other. When Charlotte’s beloved Uncle Leander goes missing from the Holmes estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring—the game is afoot once again, and Charlotte throws herself into a search for answers.
So begins a dangerous race through the gritty underground scene in Berlin and glittering art houses in Prague, where Holmes and Watson discover that this complicated case might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.
A CONJURING OF LIGHT
by V.E. Schwab
I was most excited about this book and remember being on the edge of my seat in my car as I sat in traffic listening to the last few chapters. Such an excellent series that was very well narrated by Kate Reading (Narrator), Michael Kramer (Narrator).
Londons fall and kingdoms rise while darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire, and the fraught balance of magic blossoms into dangerous territory while heroes struggle. The direct sequel to A Gathering of Shadows, and the final audiobook in the Shades of Magic epic fantasy series, A Conjuring of Light sees the newly minted New York Times best-selling author V. E. Schwab reach a thrilling conclusion concerning the fate of beloved protagonists – and old foes.
Shades of Magic series
1. A Darker Shade of Magic
2. A Gathering of Shadows
3. A Conjuring of Light
WARCROSS
by Marie Lu
The audiobook version of this book is out of the world! I could not have asked for a more entertaining read and Nancy Wu (Narrator) crushed it.
For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game – it’s a way of life. The obsession started 10 years ago, and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks in to the opening game of the international Warcross Championships – only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem…and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.
In this sci-fi thriller, number one New York Times best-selling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.
AUDIOBOOK LOVERS
do I have an amazing opportunity for you
Today as part of my Top Ten Best Of participation: The Audiobook Edition. I am giving away five great audiobooks that ya’ll all need to read. Enter the giveaway below and enter to win a chance at listening to these great books.
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