Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “AN Act of Love” by Nancy Thayer
Kate’s 2¢: “AN Act of Love” by Nancy Thayer
“AN Act of Love” by Nancy Thayer
Successfully raising a blended family can be tricky. This story addresses some of the issues and possible solutions. Cyn Delafield Did a good job of narrating this novel.
Nancy Thayer – Wikipedia
Nancy Thayer is a bestselling author of more than 30 novels. She was born in Emporia, Kansas, in 1943. She lives in Massachusetts with her second husband, Charley Walters. She has two children, Joshua Thayer and Samantha Wilde. Her daughter has followed in her footsteps, also becoming a successful author.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
An act of love DB56225
Thayer, Nancy. Reading time: 10 hours, 21 minutes.
Read by Cyn Delafield.
Human Relations
Family
Linda and Owen McFarland’s marriage falls apart when Linda’s teenage daughter Emily attempts suicide after being raped. Emily accuses her older stepbrother Bruce of the attack, but he vehemently denies it. Each parent struggles with conflicting emotions until the truth finally comes out. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 1997.
Downloaded: July 4, 2024
Download An act of love
Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “Immortal Longing” by Chloe Gong
Kate’s 2¢: “Immortal Longing” by Chloe Gong
“Immortal Longing” by Chloe Gong
This was one of seven stories sent to me by NLS on a cartridge. I’m not into fantasy fiction, although I did read some of this story that is part of the Flesh and False Gods trilogy.
The narrative arc seemed okay, but the bit about bouncing in and out of other people’s bodies was something I couldn’t swallow.
Chloe Gong – Wikipedia
About Chloe Gong: Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in the New York Times, PEOPLE, Forbes and more.
She has a younger sister and brother. She was raised on the North Shore in Auckland, New Zealand, and attended Rangitoto College. While growing up in New Zealand, Gong was immersed in Chinese culture at home, speaking Shanghainese, cooking Chinese food, and celebrating Chinese holidays.
FromNLS/BARD/LOC:
Immortal longings DB116607
Gong, Chloe Reading time: 12 hours, 2 minutes.
Jeena Yi
Fantasy Fiction
Bestsellers
Romance
“Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches. Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him. Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning. Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.
Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “The Red Scream” by Mary Willis Walker
Kate’s 2¢: “The Red Scream” by Mary Willis Walker
“The Red Scream” by Mary Willis Walker
I enjoyed this tory, which was ably read by Carole Jordan Stewart. Wile the ending might surprise you, it is logical and understandable.
Mary Willis Walker – Wikipedia
Mary Willis Walker M W About the Author Mary Willis Walker is the author of Zero at the Bone, which won both the Agatha and Macavity awards and was nominated for an Edgar; The Red Scream, winner of the Edgar Award; and Under the Beetle’s Cellar, recipient of the Hammett Prize, the Anthony Award, and the Macavity Award. She lives in Austin, Texas.
She returned to her maiden name of Mary Willis, but continued to published as Mary Willis Walker, which, she wrote in an article for the New York Times Magazine, she now considers a pen name. She continues to live in Austin. She began writing in her mid-forties, which she characterized as ” ‘pretty late to start’ “.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
The red scream DB40090
Walker, Mary Willis. Reading time: 12 hours, 44 minutes.
Read by Carole Jordan Stewart.
Mystery and Detective Stories
A decade after confessing to the murder of Texas socialite Tiny McFarland, serial killer Louie Bronk faces execution. But journalist Molly Cates, who wrote a book on his crime, is beginning to have doubts about his guilt: Tiny’s widower’s second wife has been murdered, and so has a key player in Bronk’s conviction. Now Bronk is changing his story–or is it just his death-row red scream? Strong language, violence, and some descriptions of sex.
Downloaded: July 4, 2024
Download The red scream
Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “The Housemate’s Secret” by Freida McFadden
Kate’s 2¢: “The Housemate’s Secret” by Freida McFadden
“The Housemate’s Secret” by Freida McFadden
If you’ve read any of McFadden’s novels, you know that the first part is not what it seems. This story will live up to your expectations.
Gabriella Cavallero does an outstanding job of reading this novel. I love listening to her narrating any story.
#1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.
Freida lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification.)
Freida McFadden (born May 1) is an American author and practicing physician specializing in brain injury from New York City.
Biography[edit]
McFadden self-published her first book through Amazon KDP in 2013. Her 2022 book The Housemaid was an international bestseller. A movie adaptation of the book is set to be adapted for Lionsgate with Rebecca Sonnenshine to pen the screenplay, and Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young to produce.[1]
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
The housemaid’s secret DB117095
McFadden, Freida. Reading time: 9 hours, 5 minutes.
Read by Gabriella Cavallero.
Suspense Fiction
Psychological Fiction
“It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything… That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe. Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…” — Provided by publisher. Strong language and some violence.
Downloaded: July 4, 2024
Download The housemaid’s secret
Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “Toxic Prey” by John Sandford (pseudonym of John Roswell Camp)
Kate’s 2¢: “Toxic Prey” by John Sandford (pseudonym of John Roswell Camp)
“Toxic Prey” by John Sandford (pseudonym of John Roswell Camp)
I enjoyed this action-packed book. Robert Petkoff did a good job of narrating the story.
It comes scarily close to what could happen.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Sandford, pseudonym of John Roswell Camp (born February 23, 1944), is an American New York Times best-selling author, novelist, former journalist, and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize.[1][2][3]
Early life[edit]
Camp was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of Anne Agnes (Barron) and Roswell Sandford Camp.[4][5] His mother’s family was German and Lithuanian.[6] He received a bachelor’s degree in American history and literature[7] and a master’s in journalism, both from the University of Iowa.[8]
From 1971 to 1978, Camp wrote for The Miami Herald. In 1978, he moved to Minneapolis and started writing for The Saint Paul Pioneer Press as a features reporter; in 1980 he became a daily columnist. That year, he was a Pulitzer finalist for a series of stories on Native American culture.[9] In 1985, during the Midwest farm crisis, he wrote a series titled “Life on the Land: an American Farm Family,” which followed a typical southwest Minnesota farm family through the course of a full year. For that work, he won the annual Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing[9] and the American Society of Newspaper Editors award for Non-Deadline Feature Writing. He worked part-time at the Pioneer Press in 1989[10] and left the following year.
Camp is an avid fiction reader himself. When asked in 2018, “What’s your favorite book of all time?” by the New York Times, he responded, “An impossible question. If you put a gun to my head—say a .40-caliber Walther PPQ, or maybe a .45 ACP Colt Gold Cup—I’d say The Once and Future King by T. H. White.”[11] Both weapons he mentioned make appearances in many of his novels.
Camp is a personal friend and hunting companion of fellow Minnesota author Chuck Logan.[12]
Fiction writer[edit]
In 1989, Camp wrote two novels that would each spawn a popular series. The Fool’s Run (Kidd series) was published under his own name, but the publisher asked him to provide a pseudonym for Rules of Prey (“Prey” series), so it was published under the name John Sandford. After the “Prey” series proved to be more popular, with its charismatic protagonist Lucas Davenport, The Fool’s Run and all of its sequels were published under John Sandford.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Toxic prey DB120267
Sandford, John. Reading time: 11 hours, 21 minutes.
Read by Robert Petkoff.
Suspense Fiction
Mystery and Detective Stories
“When a renowned expert in infectious diseases disappears without a trace, Letty Davenport, with the world on high alert, calls in her father, Lucas, to locate him, and when their worst fears are confirmed, they must race against time to stop the virus he created from becoming the perfect weapon.”– OCLC. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
Downloaded: June 20, 2024
Download Toxic prey
Kate’s 2¢: “Rock Bottom” by Fern Michaels
“Rock Bottom” by Fern Michaels
Laural Merlington did a great job of narrating this story for us. I agree that perpatrators deserve their just dessert, however, the punishment seemed a bit sadistic and inhuman. Okay. Okay. Purposely building with subpar materials is a terrible thing.
I liked the swapping of the semi carrying bakchoy with one with the cheap cinder blocks. That was just desserts and saved the children, to boot.
www.fernmichael.com:
Fern Michaels (born Mary Ruth Kuczkir; April 9, 1933) is an American writer of romance and thriller novels. Her books include Family Blessings, Pretty Woman, and Crown Jewel, as well as the Texas quartet and the Captive series. Fern Michaels is the pen name of Mary Ruth Kuczkir, who was born in Hastings, Pennsylvania on April 9, 1933.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Rock bottom DB120975
Michaels, Fern. Reading time: 8 hours, 57 minutes.
Read by Laural Merlington.
Suspense Fiction
Mystery and Detective Stories
“Isabelle “Izzy” Flanders and Yoko Akia are beginning a new project–an indoor/outdoor café that will be the cornerstone of a market village. Izzy knows just where to get the project off the ground: her old college classmate, Zoe Danfield, now vice president of a huge construction corporation. But the Zoe that Izzy reencounters doesn’t seem like her old, confident friend. This Zoe is tense and stressed, and Izzy eventually learns why. Buildings and bridges have been collapsing all over the world, causing hundreds of deaths, and Zoe suspects her firm’s inferior foundation materials are the cause. When she asks questions, she gets told to keep her nose out of what doesn’t concern her. Zoe knows someone has to blow the whistle and reveal the truth. Who better than the Sisterhood? But this adversary has money, power, and resources to match the Sisterhood’s–and no intention of giving up without a fight…”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
Downloaded: June 27, 2024
Download Rock bottom
Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “The Secret Witness” by Victor Methos
Kate’s 2¢: “The Secret Witness” by Victor Methos
“The Secret Witness” by Victor Methos
Timothy Andrés Pabon did a good job of narrating this story for us. I must admit, I didn’t anticipate the story ending the way it did.
From the web:
Victor Methos is the Edgar Award nominated bestselling author of over forty novels. He has been a criminal and civil rights lawyer in the Mountain West, conducting over 100 trials, and produces two books a year with his dog Fraiser by his side.
Victor Methos immigrated to the United States from Kabul, Afghanistan, at the age of nine and wrote his first short story in English at the age of ten.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
The secret witness DB120976
Methos, Victor. Reading time: 8 hours, 7 minutes.
Read by Timothy Andrés Pabon.
Suspense Fiction
Mystery and Detective Stories
“This is Reaper speaking. So begins an anonymous letter published in a Utah newspaper after a young couple is viciously murdered. Tooele County sheriff Elizabeth Gray leads the investigation into the double homicide, which is eerily reminiscent of a string of brutal killings years ago. When the letter leads detectives to yet another body, Gray calls on an old friend for help. Former prosecutor Solomon Shepard is still struggling to recover from the deadly courtroom attack that ended his career. He’s been keeping a safe distance from the action, teaching criminology seminars about serial murders and psychopathology–until Gray asks for his help on the Reaper case. As the body count mounts, Shepard and Gray race to unravel the deranged design of a copycat killer–and find themselves in a face-off with an enemy they never saw coming.” — Back cover. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
Downloaded: June 27, 2024
Download The secret witness
Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden
Kate’s 2¢: “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden
“The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden
Sandra Murphy did a good job of narrating this story. It starts out as the usual theme of bitchy wife’s rich and handsome husband falls in lust with the housemaid. Then the reader learns the diabolical truth.
#1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.
Freida lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification.)
Freida McFadden (born May 1) is an American author and practicing physician specializing in brain injury from New York City.
Biography[edit]
McFadden self-published her first book through Amazon KDP in 2013. Her 2022 book The Housemaid was an international bestseller. A movie adaptation of the book is set to be adapted for Lionsgate with Rebecca Sonnenshine to pen the screenplay, and Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young to produce.[1]
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
The housemaid DB114201
McFadden, Freida. Reading time: 10 hours, 7 minutes.
Read by Sandra Murphy.
Suspense Fiction
Mystery and Detective Stories
Bestsellers
Psychological Fiction
“Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor. I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband. I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late. But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am. They don’t know what I’m capable of…” — Provided by publisher. Violence, strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller.
Downloaded: July 4, 2024
Download The housemaid
Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “The Coworker” by Freida McFadden
Kate’s 2¢: “The Coworker” by Freida McFadden
“The Coworker” by Freida McFadden
Alyson Krawchuk did a good job of narrating this story. The individual characters’ back stories become vital in understanding what is going on. The ending is quite thought provoking and seems to lead to another book.
#1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.
Freida lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification.)
Freida McFadden (born May 1) is an American author and practicing physician specializing in brain injury from New York City.
Biography[edit]
McFadden self-published her first book through Amazon KDP in 2013. Her 2022 book The Housemaid was an international bestseller. A movie adaptation of the book is set to be adapted for Lionsgate with Rebecca Sonnenshine to pen the screenplay, and Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young to produce.[1]
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
The coworker DB116357
McFadden, Freida. Reading time: 8 hours, 15 minutes.
Read by Alyson Krawchuk.
Suspense Fiction
Mystery and Detective Stories
“Two women. An office filled with secrets. One terrible crime that can’t be taken back. Dawn Schiff is strange. At least, everyone thinks so at Vixed, the nutritional supplement company where Dawn works as an accountant. She never says the right thing. She has no friends. And she is always at her desk at precisely 8:45 a.m. So when Dawn doesn’t show up to the office one morning, her coworker Natalie Farrell—beautiful, popular, top sales rep five years running—is surprised. Then she receives an unsettling, anonymous phone call that changes everything… It turns out Dawn wasn’t just an awkward outsider—she was being targeted by someone close. And now Natalie is irrevocably tied to Dawn as she finds herself caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering: who’s the real victim? But one thing is incredibly clear: somebody hated Dawn Schiff. Enough to kill.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
Downloaded: July 4, 2024
Download The coworker
Uncategorized
by kate
Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “Deep as the sky, red as the sea” by Rita Chang-Eppig
Kate’s 2¢: “Deep as the sky, red as the sea” by Rita Chang-Eppig
“Deep as the sky, red as the sea” by Rita Chang-Eppig
This story was one of seven on the NLS cartridge that was automatically sent to me. I think I would have down-loaded this story, as I enjoy reading about other cultures, their legends, myths, and folklore.
I enjoyed this story, even though I couldn’t geel much sympathy with the main character. The only part that resonated with me, is child-birth.
The ending stated it correctly: The story-teller has the choice of how to end the story.
Copilot GPTs
About 183,000 results
Rita Chang-Eppig is a celebrated novelist with an unparalleled writing ability. Having grown up amongst books, she developed a profound passion for reading and writing at an early age. And it was through these she grew into one of today’s most renowned historical writers, providing work for a variety of different and prestigious outlets.
Chang-Eppig received her MFA in fiction from NYU. Her stories have appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Conjunctions, Clarkesworld, The Rumpus, Virginia Quarterly Review, Best American Short Stories.
From NLS/BARD/LOC”
Deep as the sky, red as the sea DB115949
Chang-Eppig, Rita Reading time: 10 hours, 43 minutes.
Emily Woo Zeller
Historical Fiction
Adventure
“When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband’s second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet. But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans–tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung’s alliance–have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung’s cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.