Audiobook | Lost in a Good Book

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

24 Oct 2024 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, LGBTQIA, Young Adult Tags: Audiobook, caroline sorunke, claire kann, lgbt, LGBTQIA, three stars, young adult

Published: 04 June 2019 (print)/2021 (audio)
Publisher: Swoon Reads/Spotify Audio
Pages: 352/9 hrs and 48 mins
Narrator: Caroline Sorunke
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

Winnie is living her best fat girl life and is on her way to the best place on earth. No, not Disneyland–her Granny’s diner, Goldeen’s, in the small town of Misty Haven. While there, she works in her fabulous 50’s inspired uniform, twirling around the diner floor and earning an obscene amount of tips. With her family and ungirlfriend at her side, she has everything she needs for one last perfect summer before starting college in the fall.

…until she becomes Misty Haven’s Summer Queen in a highly anticipated matchmaking tradition that she wants absolutely nothing to do with.

Newly crowned, Winnie is forced to take centre stage in photoshoots and a never-ending list of community royal engagements. Almost immediately, she discovers that she’s deathly afraid of it all: the spotlight, the obligations, and the way her Merry Haven Summer King, wears his heart, humour, and honesty on his sleeve.

Stripped of Goldeen’s protective bubble, to salvage her summer Winnie must conquer her fears, defy expectations, and be the best Winnie she knows she can be–regardless of what anyone else thinks of her.

I almost gave up on this book quite early on. It was uninteresting and I wasn’t connecting to these characters or their weird small town celebration. It is one of those small town beauty pageants that is revered to only those in the town limits. Puddin’ had something similar which was also just as strange.

I persisted because I wanted to see the diversity rep, it had appeared on a few lists and I was reading it as a box ticker instead of any real interest in the plot. Thankfully it got better by the halfway point, by then you get to know the characters and could work around the weird stuff and pick out some good moments.

I liked Winnie, and I liked her opinions and her fight against injustice. The weird pageant isn’t as big of a plot point as I thought it would be which made it better. I zoned out on a few bits but it didn’t impact the plot or my understanding.

It is a great book for representation because it covers a lot of different experiences. Winnie is queer, kinda bi, kinda pan, but queer easily covers it. Despite armed with this knowledge I’m still not entirely sure what the deal is with Cara. There is mention of a queer platonic relationship which is fantastic, and she has been pegged as aromatic but it is vague within the story. Again, unspecified is totally fine, there doesn’t need to be neon signs and labels pointing everything out to a reader, but sometimes it is nice having things confirmed. I think the implications are enough to go on though, especially given Kann’s history of writing LGBTQIA rep.

Around the strong opinions and the personal strife the story does get boring again but you power through. There’s generational issues to explore plus there are good, serious, and honest conversations between friends and family members which is a nice change from unrealistically avoiding conversations for plot tension.

Overall it’s slow, it’s a bit boring, but I can see it is important and Winnie is a good character to tell the story. Sorunke is a decent narrator and brought Winnie’s voice to life. I liked that the ending wasn’t a perfect happily ever after. It felt real, and it felt hopeful, which is all you could ask for really.

You can purchase If It Makes You Happy via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

15 Oct 2024 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Fantasy Tags: Adjoa Andoh, Allan Corduner, clare corbett, Jane Collingwood, John Sessions, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Katherine Kingsley, Lara Pulver, Michael Maloney, moira quirk, Niamh Walsh, Peter Forbes, Sean Baker, three stars

Published: 23 October 2014 (print)/22 September 2015 (audio)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc/Harper Audio
Pages: 72/1 hrs and 5 mins
Narrator: Jane Collingwood, Clare Corbett, Allan Corduner, Katherine Kingsley, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Lara Pulver, Niamh Walsh, Adjoa Andoh, Peter Forbes, John Sessions, Michael Maloney, Sean Baker
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fairytale
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents.

I love the style of fairytale retellings where they are still trying to be fairytales. They aren’t modern, they aren’t new genres. Instead we get retellings that are like an existing fairytale. There’s the rule of three as well as characters who are wise and profound but also people who are miscreants and tricksters. Gaiman keeps the dark creativity of Grimm’s original tales and there is a bold and deep fairytale tone throughout.

I wasn’t expecting this to be anything other than Gaiman’s take on Sleeping Beauty but there is a mix of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty references in this retelling as the characters are clearly from these stories. They are recognisable but not tired tropes and Gaiman has a great new approach to them that turns expectations on their head in a really clever way.

The Queen (Snow White) and her dwarfs are in a neighbouring kingdom to one that fell prey to a sleeping spell seventy years prior. I love the implication that the fairytales all exist in the same universe (why not given the overlapping themes and magic in many of them?). As the sleeping sickness starts to spread it’s up to the queen to seek out and stop it before it impacts others in the realm.

It is a relatively quick read but it has a lasting impact like all fairytales want to do. I did this as an audiobook which probably was part of the experience. Oral storytelling works so well with fairytales and the dark twist on how fairytales are meant to be adds another layer. I know the book has amazing illustrations by Chris Riddell but the audio isn’t lacking a bit of magic either. Having so many narrators makes it a little like a radio play but it doesn’t feel like a radio play either. It’s a compelling story with each character given their own voice which brings it to life.

You can purchase Sleeper and the Spindle via the following

QBD | | Blackwell’s

Dymocks | Wordery

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Mort (#4) by Terry Pratchett

01 Oct 2024 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Audiobook, Fantasy Tags: Audiobook, bill nighy, discworld, five stars, peter serafinowiez, sian clifford, terry pratchett

Published: 12 November 1987 (print)/2nd October 2022 (audio)
Publisher: Corgi Books/Penguin Audio
Pages: 272/7 hrs and 57 mins
Narrator: Sian Clifford, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.

Death is the Grim Reaper of the Discworld, a black-robed skeleton with a scythe who ushers souls into the next world. He is also fond of cats and endlessly baffled by humanity. Soon Death is yearning to experience what humanity really has to offer, but to do that, he’ll need to hire some help.

It’s an offer Mort can’t refuse. As Death’s apprentice he’ll have free board, use of the company horse—and being dead isn’t compulsory. It’s a dream job—until Mort falls in love with Death’s daughter, Ysabell, and discovers that your boss can be a killer on your love life…

I was apprehensive after finishing the first three books in the series. Two were ok and one was marginally better. I thought I was going to have to tackle a few dodgy books before Pratchett truly shines in the later books but Mort smashed those expectations. This book is amazing and it only got better and better as it went along. I love Mort, I love Death, I love everything about this book: the set up, Mort’s life, and the life of those around him. Essentially Death decides to take a holiday and Mort gradually finds a new vocation. It’s brilliant.

This is my fifth Discworld book, four read chronologically publication wise (I know you don’t have to, and I’m not being a rigid rule follower or anything, it’s more the completionist in me who always has to read things in order). The fifth being Hogfather which I read as my first Discworld at Uni and fell in love with Death. When I realised this was one of Death’s novels I knew it was going to be amazing. The only difference is I keep comparing this Death to the Death in Hogfather and they are different Death’s so it’s a fun mind confusion.

There is so much to love in Mort. The subtle but apt social commentary – timeless, naturally. Especially the ways you can see variations of our own world reflected in the mirrored, slightly askew, and distorted world in the book. Like Equal Rites, Pratchett is a master at sliding these in amongst the most absurd things, knocks you over with his insight before returning to the bizarre.

I am probably biased because I fell in love with Death years ago so I may have liked this book regardless, but Pratchett tells such a brilliant story that it’s hard not to admire everything about it and cherish all the characters involved.

Mort is a great character, and even knowing what I know from Hogfather it didn’t impact my enjoyment or ruin any surprises at all. Hogfather is too far in the future and has a compelling plot all on its own to worry about delving into Death’s family tree and past.

The mysticism of Discworld is on show as the magic moves around and affects people. Being Death’s apprentice is a job that is both mundane and fantastic and seeing Mort learn what’s involved reveals more about the world and those in it.

There is a cast of characters as narrators this time around for the audiobook. Sian Clifford, Peter Serafinowicz, and Billy Nighy all lend their voices to this story. It doesn’t feel like a radio play, there’s no extra sound effects or anything, but it was fun hearing different characters have different voices for a change.

You can purchase Mort via the following

QBD | Dymocks

Wordery| Blackwell’s | Fishpond

Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Equal Rites (#3) by Terry Pratchett

17 Sep 2024 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Fantasy Tags: Audiobook, bill nighy, discworld, fantasy, indira varma, peter serafinowiez, terry pratchett, three stars

Published: 15 January 1987 (print)/28 April 2022 (audio)
Publisher: Corgi Press/Penguin Audio
Pages: 240/7 hrs and 50 mins
Narrator: Indira Varma, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son. Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic (not to say misogynistic) world of magic, he failed to check on the newborn baby’s sex…

I love Pratchett’s writing style. It’s a lot like Douglas Adams, even a lot like Michael Ende. It’s serious, has important messages, but is absurd and quirky, funny but also has heart. It’s no wonder he’s so revered.

Equal Rites is third book in the Discworld series and is a refreshing tone form the first two which was good but a bit dull.

The miscalculations of giving the 8^th son of an 8^th son wizard magic, when the baby turns out to be a daughter instead is the initial plot problem. Rules are rules is a great way to deal with this, and I loved the journey Esk, Granny Weatherwax and other characters go on dealing with this fact.

There’s a great introduction to the wizarding world, as well as the overall Discworld which was fascinating to discover. The different regions of the world means there’s always something new to learn and different communities to explore.

I loved how much importance Pratchett places on witches and the good they do in the community to help people, while also acknowledging that belief in the magic of witches goes a lot of the way to believing a herb concoction will cure you through magic and not basic science. And believing something will cure you often will.

Celia Emery is the fabulous audiobook narrator and she brings Esq and Granny to life, her great narration style making Pratchett’s words vivid and lively. I always wondered how the footnotes would work in audio form but there’s wizards in our world too and the subtle little differences in tone, voice, and music let you know when a side bit of information has popped up, never once disrupting the flow of the story.

I really loved Granny Weatherwax and her teachings to Esk, the good and the strict. There is a powerful message through this whole book that despite its age is still very Girl Power and feministic. It isn’t enough to overshadow the phenomenal fantasy story, but enough push back to make you realise yes why are these the rules, and of course this is stupid. Which coming from a Pratchett book set ibn Discworld where a lot of this can be silly and intentionally ludicrous, it was refreshing to see a push back against the more serious stupidity. Of course it ends just as silly as it should, but those sprinklings of moments that make you think are a great inclusion.

With a few more well-known Discworld characters introduced in this book I look forward to continuing my journey through the series and getting to know them all better.

You can purchase Equal Rites via the following

QBD | Dymocks

Wordery | Blackwell’s

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Long Lost Review: Can’t Say it Went to Plan by Gabrielle Tozer

12 Sep 2024 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, LGBTQIA, Young Adult Tags: #ll, Audiobook, gabrielle tozer, long lost review, Long Lost Reviews, three stars, young adult

Long Lost Reviews is a monthly meme created by Ally over at Ally’s Appraisals which is posted on the second Thursday of every month. The aim is to start tackling your review backlog. Whether it’s an in-depth analysis of how it affected your life, one sentence stating that you only remember the ending, or that you have no recollection of reading the book at all.

Published: 14 September 2021
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

School’s out.

Forget study, exams and mapping out the future.

For the next seven days, the only homework is partying with friends, making new ones and living in the moment.

There are no parents or curfews – and no rules.

Zoe, Samira and Dahlia are strangers, but they have something in common: their plans for a dream holiday after their final year of school are flipped upside-down before they even arrive at the beach.

From hooking up and heartache, to growing apart, testing friendships and falling in love, anything can go down this week.

Interestingly I remember reading this book which is often rare for a LLR, but I can’t actually think of anything to say about it. I have tried twice before to read a Tozer book, I didn’t like the other two, but I was willing to give this one a shot. Unfortunately it befell the same fate. I felt it was a little too long, or at least too drawn out, after a while it started to fade out and I became disinterested.

The characters were fine, I never became attached to them and there were a lot to keep track of. There were three different groups with numerous storylines between them so you had to pay attention. I did enjoy when the different groups would cross paths and when they eventually joined up. There is decent character development for a few of the characters but it took a long time. I didn’t expect a quick change, but with the story feeling drawn out the moments in between anything happening felt eternal.

There’s characters to like and characters to dislike, and it was good to see our main players come to their senses and not deal with the idiots they come across. Being a schoolies week of course there had to be the toolies, but Tozer manages them really well and I liked her approach to their inclusion. Clear judgement of a guy who is too old to still be hanging around.

There is still one more Tozer book, I have it on my shelf but deciding when to finally read it will be hard. Do I dive in and get it over with? Wait a few more years to give it a gap between the last one, or do I never even try? These are the questions. It might be that Tozer isn’t the author for me and I should give up.