You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)

by Felicia Day

narrated by Felicia Day

Felicia Day is very quirky and someone I would love to meet and have as a close friend.  She has had great success with her internet show “The Guild,” a web series about gamers.  Felicia did not have a traditional life by any means.  She went to college on a violin scholarship at the age of 16, and also got a “real degree” in mathematics.  College Felicia is a 4.0 student, determined to overachieve which causes her a lot of anxiety about blending in and living up to expectations.  She talks about what she went through as she tried to launch her show and what she does to promote it.  Felicia talks about a lot of things that you may not get if you are not a gamer, but she also talks about the pressure of being successful, dealing with socially awkward situations and depression.  I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I have bought it for my own collection.  It is one of my favorite books that I have listened to so far.  Definitely check this book out.   

Food: A Love Story

by Jim Gaffigan

narrated by Jim Gaffigan

If you are not familiar with Jim Gaffigan’s standup comedy act, you have been missing out.  Jim Gaffigan himself narrates this book, and it is a scream.  You will not be able to control your laughter.  We all love food, and Jim’s interesting take on all things food related will make your stomach hurt from laughter.  He talks about his love of Hot Pockets, seafood and of course a juicy burger.  Those of you who dislike kale will be able to laugh out loud at his take on the so called Superfood.  You should definitely check this audiobook out if you are looking for something to make you laugh and put a smile on your face.  If you can’t wait to get your hands on this one, you can also download it from our digital library in Overdrive.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

The Queen of the Tearling

by Erika Johansen

narrated by Katherine Kellgren

19 years Kelsea has been in hiding, until the queen’s guard shows up at the door.  Running to take her rightful place as queen she had many near death experiences.  Once she arrives to the Tearling it is a fight for the crown.  She is on a quest for justice driven by emotion with a sense of loyalty to a people that have been oppressed for too long.  The Tearling has had a dark cloud hanging over it in the form of the neighboring kingdom ruled by the “Red Queen.”  We get to see the struggle Kelsea goes through as she tries to adjust to her new role as queen, discovering things about herself that she did not even know were there, and her resolve earning her loyal allies that have strong reputations in the territory.  She will be put to the test everywhere she turns.  This is an excellent story, and the narrator is perfect.  I can’t wait to listen to the sequel, Invasion of the Tearling, on its way to our shelves.  Definitely recommend this one.  Content warning: language and violence. 

Ruby Red

by Kerstin Gier

narrated by Marisa Calin

Most of us enjoy reading a great book now and then, but if you want to tickle your ears with a great book, read with a great British accent, then Ruby Red is the book you’ll want to listen to next. Charlotte, not Gwyneth is the sixteen-year-old girl that is supposed to have inherited the time-travel gene in the family. After all, Charlotte has spent her entire life practicing swordplay, learning etiquette and manners of the past four centuries, and receiving special music instruction. Gwyn has none of that training, yet she’s the one in the female line of descent that suddenly finds herself time-traveling uncontrollably three times within a 24 hour time period. Spunky teen Gwyn, is pulled into a secret society of Guardians that protect the chronograph, which allows for safe and controlled time-travel. This was a super-fun book filled with modern teen absurdity, jealous cousins, a hint of romance, and a full dose of unresolved mystery spanning four-centuries of time travel. This isn’t just a book for teens, but one for those who have dreamed of the possibilities of time-travel. All three books in this trilogy are read by the same delightful narrator and available to download.

It's a Long Story: My Life

by Willie Nelson

Narrated by David Ritz

What a wild ride!  Highly entertaining, Willie Nelson has had a very full life.  Besides having Willie narrating this story himself, they could not have picked a better reader.  There is some swearing and drug references, so it may not be something you want to listen to with your kids in the car.  I enjoyed this book immensely and learned quite a bit about Willie.  I never realized how many songs he has written, and how long it took him to reach the top.  He talks about his battles with agents, his struggles along the way and his trouble with the IRS.  Willie also talks about writing his songs, his time growing up, his family, and his works with other big name artists such as Waylon Jennings and many others.  Don’t miss the story of this Outlaw Country artist. 

Red Rising

by Pierce Brown
In this story, the main character is Darrow.  He is 16 and a “Helldiver,” which is a driller for helium. His job is helping to prepare the surface of Mars for habitation, or so he thinks.  He is also a red, or a slave.  Tragedy strikes Darrow and his wife EO, throwing him into a world he didn’t even know existed.  Darrow had no idea he was a slave. His wife had opened his eyes to a world of injustice.   Darrow is a reluctant leader chosen to lead a rebellion.  The mission is to infiltrate the Golds (the people that already inhabit the surface), and he will undergo a major transformation to do so.  Eventually he will embrace his mission and it will become everything to him. 

This book is not yet on our shelf, but will be soon.  It is also available to download through our digital library, One Click Digital. You can start listening today, or reserve the CD book.  Tim Gerard Reynolds’ voice brings the story to life; you will not want to stop listening even when you reach the end. I will definitely be looking for more books that he narrates.  

The sequel to this book is Golden Son and I cannot wait to start listening to this book.

Theft of swords by Michael Sullivan, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds, will be coming soon as well.

Happiness for Beginners

by Katherine Center

Narrator Marguerite Gavin

Everyone experiences disappointment in life so severe that it becomes necessary to learn how to be happy again. In Happiness for Beginners, Helen loses her baby, divorces her alcoholic husband and realizes she has just forgotten how to be happy. While listening to this book, I was surprised to find that the plot takes the reader to wonderful Wyoming. Helen signs up to take a Wilderness survival course in Evanston, Wyoming with her younger brother’s annoying best friend Jake. Searching for something to replace the losses in her life, she goes on an adventure, initially realizing that she might be in over her head. She finds what she really had not expected:  love. You probably guessed this. The journey she goes on to discover love improves her life in many ways; she does some soul searching on her trip and settles on trying to find the positive in every day.     

The Bullet

by Mary Louise Kelly

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

From the beginning I was hooked. This mystery by Mary Louise Kelly was very entertaining.  Caroline Cashion goes to the doctor for what she assumes will be a routine visit; she is having pain in her wrist. Given her symptom of wrist pain, the examination leads to more than she ever could have imagined. She has a bullet in her neck with no idea how it got there. No scar, no memory nor any other sign of how or when she was shot. This development turns her life upside down. This book was so riveting, I could not stop listening; I will be adding this author to my favorite author list. I don’t want to spoil the ending, so I’ll stop there. Definitely a book to try.

One Plus One

by Jojo Moyes

Narrator: Elizabeth Bower

I got really involved in this story. However, it is not a happy go lucky kind of story.  You follow two characters, Ed and Jess, whose lives seem to have a lot of downs and not a lot of ups.  Ed makes a decision that at first seemed like a good idea, but he did not really think about the consequences.  Now he is looking at possible prison time.  He has had a failed marriage and several unhappy relationships, and his life decisions make him feel like he is way behind everyone else he knows.  Then there is Jess, who is a single mom of two, trying to keep a positive outlook on everything.  She can’t seem to get ahead financially, works all the time and has a gifted child looking at private school.  Her son is having a really hard time with the local bully and is closing himself off to everyone.  Ed, Jess and her two kids end up on a journey together that should only have taken a few hours.  Instead, it stretches out to several days.  You will laugh and you will feel like crying for these characters, but you will definitely want to find out what happens to them.  I really recommend listening to this book; the narrators were excellent and it was a pleasure to listen to.