Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want. Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to The Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
This week’s theme is Top Ten Favorite Audiobook Narrators. I have what I think is a varied collection! Enjoy.
1. Prince Harry. That’s right. The Spare. He did an amazing job narrating the audiobook for his memoir. I really hope he does more audiobook narration. He and his wife Meghan Markle, also known as the Duchess of Sussex, have a three-book deal.
2. Zara Ramm: Zara is the narrator of Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St. Mary’s and Time Police series and my absolute favorite narrator.
3. James Earl Jones. What a voice. He is fantastic at narrating different versions of The Bible.
4. Jim Dale. He narrates the American version of the Harry Potter books and does a great job.
5. Cynthia Farrell. I’ve only heard her read the Go As A River audiobook, but I enjoyed it so much I will seek out her work again.
6. Kellie Martin: She narrates the audiobook of Catherine Marshall’s Christy, and her Appalachian Mountain accents are on point.
7. Eunice Wong. I’ve only heard her read the new audiobook of Jennifer Hillier’s Wonderland, but I was very impressed
8. Lauren Graham: I love her books and she does a great job with the audiobook narration. I’m also a big fan of Gilmore Girls.
9. Bernadette Dunn: She narrated both Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Both amazing performances.
10. Ilyana Kadushin: She narrated the Twilight books and many others.
I’ve been blogging for over two years now and while I have Instagram and Twitter pages, I haven’t done much with Facebook beyond a small personal account. I just created a Facebook page for this blog to help share my reviews and our writing even more. I would love it if anyone who has a Facebook page would also follow me there: Bonnie Reads and Writes on Facebook. I find engagement for Indie books is even greater on Facebook and I want to take advantage of that. If you’re willing to share my new page with your Facebook followers, that would be most appreciated.
My publisher invited me to attend an all-expenses paid writing retreat at the posh new Hartfield Regency Resort in Loveland, Colorado. Carole isn’t nice like that—there must be a catch.
There is. His name is Ryder Hawk, the outlaw leader of the all-male Western writers who work for the same publishing company. He thinks he’s agreed to attend an all-expenses-paid week at a dude ranch.
Yeah, no. Carole has other ideas. She wants to break into the cowboy romance market. If I want to renew my writing contract, I have to do more than put up with Ryder and his gang of cowboy cronies for a week. We have to write together.
The problem is, Ryder and I have a history.
And it’s more like war than peace.
PRAISE FOR REGENCY THERAPY
“Fun, sweet, slow burn. I was rooting for them!”— Liselotte, Goodreads
“You don’t have to be an Austen fan to love this series!…If you’re looking for a clean, well-written book with some truly laugh-out-loud moments, grab this one today!”— Lorie AH, Amazon, on Matchmaking Therapy
BOOK REVIEW
This is a sweet, clean contemporary romance that will make you smile. When two rival authors are thrown together at Hartfield Regency Resort, sparks fly. Lucy is a Regency Romance author and Ryder writes Westerns. They do not hit it off at first, but are assigned to write a contemporary Cowboy romance together. Their constant, teasing banter adds a lighter note to the book. Lucy’s pride in being a Regency Romance author and her prejudice against Westerns is a fun nod to Jane Austen.
Although this is a very modern, very contemporary romance, there is a lot of discussion of Jane Austen. As a fan of historical fiction, I definitely appreciated this. Contemporary romance is not usually my go-to, but I think fans of that genre will enjoy this light enemies-to-lovers romance. It will be a nice, quick read this Spring and Summer.
I received a free print copy of this book via Austenprose PR. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Catmull writes sweet contemporary romances and clean and wholesome romances in the Victorian era. Her books have been nominated for Swoony, RONE, and Whitney awards.
She taught Middle School English and History for seven years before pursuing screenwriting and writing. She currently lives between a canyon and a lake in Utah with her husband, two cats, and two rambunctious children.
Her books can be found on Amazon and are always free for Kindle Unlimited readers.
Indie Weekend is my attempt to help Independent Authors with the task of marketing. Indie authors have to do it all, from cover design to editing, promotion, and more. If I can help even a little bit by sharing their wonderful books with others, I’m happy to do it.
Please share this review with your social media followers as well so we can spread the word about great Indie books as far as possible.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)
England is on the brink of collapse. After a mysterious plague ravaged the world during the American Civil War, the Crown imposed decades of isolation. The King now turns once again to colonization, and to save what little family he has left, James Barlow, an imprisoned resistance leader, is forced to join an expedition across the Atlantic to America. Waiting for them, however, is a scorched land ruled by a brutal cult. Hunted relentlessly, the expedition is split up, and James is captured. But the cult will soon learn that James is more than a mere prisoner. He is a born rebel.
THE ASHEN WAR is a raucous action-packed journey through a re-imagined America changed by an apocalyptic event during the country’s most fragile period that speculates what cultures, religions, languages, and societies might have emerged. Follow the adventure of smart-mouthed rebel James Barlow and the well-read but untested Liz Stillman, whose journeys will take them through ruined cities, crumbling mining towns, and the fiery, smoke-filled lands of a vicious cult as they try to come to terms with their past while saving what they can of the future. THE ASHEN WAR is the cinematic debut novel by Dan Le Fever and the first of a planned trilogy.
BOOK REVIEW
This is exciting, action-packed alternate history. The premise is fascinating–America was ravaged by a plague during the Civil War, changing it forever. The British isolated themselves for decades, trying to avoid the plague, and their strict control measures resulted in a civil war of their own. When they decide to finally venture out, they send their most expendable to see what happened to America. The new America that the author Dan Le Fever has built is fascinating in its fanaticism and brutality. The belief that dragons destroyed America has gripped a large community of people. The idea that a myth can be used to control others is explored, as well as mankind’s ability to both inflict torture and to withstand it. The effects of extreme isolation on a civilization are shown in haunting detail. In the same way, determination and a fighting spirit are also an agent of change, and they are embodied in our main character and others.
The chance to visit a reimagined America is fascinating. Familiar names are attached to vastly different circumstances, and the states in America have changed completely. The effects of a plague on a people are explored, as well as the brutality of slavery. An interesting question arose: Which is worse, a plague or a war? I was not as connected with the book for about the first ten percent until they arrived in America, and then the action did not stop. This is a compelling look at an alternate America and Britain that will keep you enthralled. Fans of alternate history with a bit of fantasy and lots of adventure will enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Le Fever is just a guy from Lynn, MA who puts one word after another in the hopes that it makes sense in the end. He has two short stories published by Fundead Publications. The first is a horror story titled PANIC and can be found in One Night In Salem. The second is Land of Promise, an American Gothic tale set in the Dust Bowl era, found in Exquisite Aberrations. His first Eerie River published story is Xook, which will be released in It Calls From The Sea. His first full-length novel, The Ashen War, was released on 9/27/22.
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The first iteration of the Book Blogger Hop, which was started in March 2010 by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books, ended on December 31, 2012. On February 15, 2013, Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer reintroduced the hop with Jennifer’s approval. The hop will begin on a Friday of each week and end on a Thursday of the following week. Every week, there will be a prompt with a book-related query. The aim of the blog hop is to provide bloggers with an opportunity to follow other blogs, discover new books, make friends with other bloggers, and gain new followers for their own sites.
Answer: Not that I can recall. I read mostly on my phone with a Kindle or Apple Books app, so the phone provides plenty of light. I have received quite a few print books lately, so maybe I should invest in one. A search on Amazon shows that there are some lights that clip onto the book and some you wear around your neck.
How about you? Have you read with a book light and can you recommend one?
Tabitha, a former “Rosie the Riveter” in Detroit, moves to Paris to stay with her wealthy “Grandpere” after she loses her job to men returning from war. She is fortunate to be living next door to Paul and Julia Child. Paul is a diplomat at the U.S. Embassy and Julia is taking classes at the famous cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu. When a woman is murdered behind their building, the murder weapon is found to be Julia’s own chef’s knife. Knowing that someone at a party in Julia’s apartment during the night of the murder had to be the killer, Tabitha begins to investigate.
I just adored this through and through. The lively personality of Julia Child draws the reader in right away. Julia is not directly involved in the investigation, but she is behind the scenes, making suggestions about the investigation, teaching the culinary-challenged Tabitha how to cook, and trying to line up eligible men for the quite single Rosie the Riveter. We also meet Julia’s sister “Dort,” who is staying with her at the time and partying the night away after working at the Théâtre Monceau. When Tabitha realizes the murdered woman worked at the same theater, she slowly begins to put the pieces together. The mystery is captivating and has plenty of red herrings. Also woven into the story are trips to the market with Julia and “Tabs” for fresh herbs, eggs, poultry, and gossip, plus Tabitha’s quest to fix her Grandpere and her “Oncle” Rafe something tolerable to eat.
Julia is also trying to solve a smaller mystery which she lets the whole market in on. She suddenly cannot produce a successful mayonnaise. As I read this clever mystery, I also learned how to best make an omelet and roast a chicken. And I think I figured out why my homemade mayo never works.
I tried making the omelet using Julia’s instructions to Tabitha in the book, and it’s by far the best one I ever made. This is not a book with recipes, but Julia’s instructions to Tabitha can be followed as recipes.
I received a free copy of this book from Kensington Books. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Mastering the Art of French Murder is Book 1 in the “An American in Paris Mystery” series. It will be released April 25, 2023.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colleen Cambridge is the pen name for an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From a young age, Colleen has loved reading mysteries and now she couldn’t be happier that she is able to write them.
Within hours of arriving in Montego Bay, Eddie Barrow and his friend Corey Stephenson witness a gruesome murder outside a bar. When the victim’s sister reaches out for help, they learn of machinations to conceal foreign corporate corruption and a series of horrific sex crimes. However, Barrow and Stephenson’s commitment to solving the case is put to the test once they find themselves in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal network—one that extends beyond the shores of Jamaica.
Author Bio:
Russell Brooks is an Amazon bestselling author of several thrillers—Pandora’s Succession, Unsavory Delicacies, Chill Run, and The Demeter Code. If you enjoy heart-pounding thrillers with conspiracies, martial arts, sex, betrayal, and revenge, then you don’t need to look any further and see why these are among the best mystery thriller books of all time.
Update: Super busy here as I’m editing the next book in the Jax Diamond series by the wonderfully talented Gail Meath. It’s called Blackjack. It’s fun work, though. Wanted to send a quick weekly update.
Saturday Doug and I went to Elizabethton, TN, to Carter County’s Carter Mansion, where they were exhibiting a little history. Doug took some photos here. It’s interesting that what was thought to be a mansion in the late 1770s looks like a pretty average house today.
NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG
I’m going to put up a review tonight of The Ashen War for Indie Weekend.
I’m going to post a review of Mastering the Art of French Murder tomorrow. It’s not published until April 25th so I’ve been holding off.
I’m also going to do some mini reviews of some other books I’ve sent in to Netgalley recently.
And next week I’ve going to review Fixed Moon for Indie Weekend.
BOOK HAUL
I got the audiobook for No Two Persons. I had received the ebook last week.
The first iteration of the Book Blogger Hop, which was started in March 2010 by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books, ended on December 31, 2012. On February 15, 2013, Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer reintroduced the hop with Jennifer’s approval. The hop will begin on a Friday of each week and end on a Thursday of the following week. Every week, there will be a prompt with a book-related query. The aim of the blog hop is to provide bloggers with an opportunity to follow other blogs, discover new books, make friends with other bloggers, and gain new followers for their own sites.
This is an easy one! It’s the websites of all my blogger and author friends on here who write such great reviews and make recommendations. I still do go to Goodreads, but reviews there are all over the place, so I take much more stock in the opinions of the great bloggers and writers I’ve met on this journey.
What about you? What is your go-to website to check out book reviews?
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
You can read more about the books below by clicking on the covers.
What Am I Reading?
This question has more than one answer because I’ve often started three or four books at a time. I’m going to pick one of those, however.
This is the sixth Daniel Pitt novel, but they can all be read as standalones. In this book, Daniel is trying to prosecute a wealthy philanthropist for fraud and Miriam gets involved in the suffrage movement.
What Have I Just Finished Reading?
This is the Book 14 in the St. Mary’s Chronicles. It is not a standalone, and I recommend starting from book one. Although it’s long, about 500 pages, I devoured it in one sitting as usual. These characters have become old friends.
What Am I Going To Read Next?
I really enjoy Gilded Age novels, and this one is about the rags-to-riches story of Arabella Huntington
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