Kate’s 2¢: “Close my eyes” by Sophie McKenzie

“Close my eyes” by Sophie McKenzie

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   It was interesting listening to Joy Fogarty read this story. The author included numerous “inner thoughts” of the characters, then the spoken dialogue.

   Narrative arc touches on several moral and ethical issues we should all carefully contemplate.

A few take-aways:

–You can never eally understand anyone else’s relationship.

–Marriage is like a lot of joggin and long and compromise.

Featured snippet from the web

She was born in London, where she still lives, and worked as a journalist and editor before her first novel was published in 2006. Married with a grown-up son, Sophie loves good food and great stories in all their forms. Her latest book, the teen thriller Secret Sister, publishes in July 2023.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.sophiemckenziebooks.com

Sophie McKenzie is a British author of books for young adults.[1] Many of her novels have won several awards, the most famous being Girl, Missing. Others include Blood Ties and The Set Up. McKenzie writes full-time and lives in London. Her books have mainly been published by Simon & Schuster.

Biography[edit]

McKenzie grew up in London, and became a journalist after university.[2] After being made redundant from her job in 2003, she started a year long ‘Writing for Children course’ at the City Literary Institute in London. She finished her first novel, Girl, Missing at the beginning of 2005, it was then published by Simon & Schuster Children’s Books in 2006.

• Close My Eyes (2013)

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Close my eyes DBC02636

Author: McKenzie, Sophie

Reading Time: 12 hours, 55 minutes

Production: Minnesota State Services for the Blind, Communication Center

Read by: Joy Fogarty

Subjects: Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

Geniver has never recovered from the stillborn birth of a daughter eight years ago. Her husband, Art, is eager to have another child and to move on. Then a woman claims that Gen’s baby had been born alive and was taken away by the doctor and given to someone else, and that her husband was in on the scheme. Unrated.

New York : St. Martin’s Press, 2013.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Ice Sisters” by Rita B. Herron

The Ice Sisters(10)

Kate’s 2¢: “The Ice Sisters” by Rita B. Herron

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Mary March did a good job of narrating this story for us.

   I think other readers will realize why the girls are sisters, but learning who is perpetrating the murders is harder to discern  until the end.

From the web:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job!

With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA stories, but she especially loves writing dark romantic suspense tales set in southern small towns.

Rita is represented by Jenny Bent with the Bent Agency.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The ice sisters DB129620

Series: Detective Ellie Reeves

Order in Series: 10

Author: Herron, Rita B.

Reading Time: 9 hours, 30 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Mary March

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction

“As the snow falls and a bitter wind blows, Detective Ellie Reeves is devastated to discover the bodies of two little girls, alone and frozen on an icy lake, in the isolated town of Cold Mountain. The girls are holding hands, with matching bows in their blonde curls, and when Ellie realizes they are twin sisters, her heart breaks for their mother, who must be desperately wondering where her little darlings are. But, back at the police station, she is horrified to discover that nobody has reported the sisters missing. Are their parents in danger too? When an abandoned car is found near the girls’ bodies, and Ellie learns that the female driver is in hospital, she prays that the injured woman will know something about the twins. A DNA test shows that the woman in hospital is the twins’ mother Barbara, and Ellie rushed to interview her. But when Ellie arrives at the hospital she is faced with an empty bed. Barbara has fled and her house is abandoned too. As Ellie searches the family home, she is chilled to see there is no sign of any children. If Barbara is the twins’ mother, where are the toys and photos of her precious girls? When another little girl disappears, Ellie knows that finding Barbara might well be the key to saving an innocent child. But who is Barbara running from? Or does she have something to hide? And with the clock ticking and a fearsome winter storm brewing, can Ellie find the truth before another innocent life is lost?”– Goodreads. Violence and strong language.

London : Bookouture, 2024.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Sleeping Girls” by Rita B.Herron

“The Sleeping Girls” by Rita B.Herron

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

  Van Stephen Doren did a good job of narrating this story for us. Sometimes taking a closer look at a conviction pays off.

From the web:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job!

With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA stories, but she especially loves writing dark romantic suspense tales set in southern small towns.

Rita is represented by Jenny Bent with the Bent Agency.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The sleeping girls DB128959

Series: Detective Ellie Reeves

Order in Series: 09

Author: Herron, Rita B.

Reading Time: 8 hours, 5 minutes

Read by: Van Doren, Stephen

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction

“When the call comes that fifteen-year-old Kelsey Tiller has gone missing from her bedroom in the middle of the night, Detective Ellie Reeves rushes to talk to her distraught parents. They insist that their daughter would have no reason to run away, but when neighbors report seeing Kelsey with a secret boyfriend, Ellie wonders how much Kelsey really told her parents. Ellie is determined to find Kelsey’s boyfriend and interviews her friends and teachers at school. But just as she is making headway with the case, she receives some devastating news. Kelsey’s parents have received a photo of their daughter lying on a bed with white sheets over her body, her precious life snuffed out. Desperate to find answers for those who loved Kelsey, Ellie studies the picture and realizes that her body has been posed in the same way as a teenage girl murdered ten years earlier. And when she learns that Darnell, the killer in that case, has just been released from prison, fear crawls through her. Could Darnell have stolen another innocent life? But just as Ellie thinks she has cracked the case, Kelsey’s best friend Ruby is snatched from her home, and Darnell has an unbreakable alibi. Haunted by Kelsey’s ashen face, Ellie knows she must race against time to find Ruby alive. And when she discovers one of her team is hiding critical information, she realizes she needs to act alone. But is she dealing with a twisted copycat killer or is the danger far closer to home?” — Provided by publisher. Violence and strong language.

London : Bookouture, 2024.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Clear” by Carys Davies

“Clear” by Carys Davies

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   I enjoyed listening to Russ Bain read this story. A good example of “Walk a mile in my shoes.”

A few take-aways:

–Try to imagine the future…use that to help you make up your mind.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carys Davies is a British novelist and short story writer. She has won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the Wales Book of the Year Fiction Award, the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, the Royal Society of Literature V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize, the Society of Authors Olive Cook Short Story award, and the Ondaatje Prize. She has been shortlisted for The Writers’ Prize and Scotland’s National Book Awards and was runner-up for the McKitterick Prize.

Life and education[edit]

Davies was born in Llangollen, north Wales, and grew up in Newport, south Wales, and in the Midlands, England.[1][2]

Davies studied modern languages at St Anne’s College, Oxford, and worked as a freelance journalist in New York and Chicago before moving to Lancaster, Lancashire.[2][3] She currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.[2]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Clear: a novel DB120994

Author: Davies, Carys

Reading Time: 3 hours, 9 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Russ Bain

Subjects: Historical Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Psychological Fiction

“John, an impoverished Scottish minister, has accepted a job evicting the lone remaining occupant of an island north of Scotland Ivar, who has been living alone for decades, with only the animals and the sea for company. Though his wife, Mary, has serious misgivings about the errand, he decides to go anyway, setting in motion a chain of events that neither he nor Mary could have predicted. Shortly after John reaches the island, he falls down a cliff and is found, unconscious and badly injured, by Ivar who takes him home and tends to his wounds. The two men do not speak a common language, but as John builds a dictionary of Ivar’s world, they learn to communicate and, as Ivar sees himself for the first time in decades reflected through the eyes of another person, they build a fragile, unusual connection. Unfolding in the 1840s in the final stages of the infamous Scottish Clearances which saw whole communities of the rural poor driven off the land in a relentless program of forced evictions this singular, beautiful, deeply surprising novel explores the differences and connections between us, the way history shapes our deepest convictions, and how the human spirit can survive despite all odds. Moving and unpredictable, sensitive and spellbinding, Clear is a profound and pleasurable read.”–Publisher’s website. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

New York : Simon & Schuster Audio, 2024.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Cleaner” by Mary Watson  

“The Cleaner” by Mary Watson  

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Tara Egan-Langley did a great job of reading this intriguing tale of duplicity, conniving, revenge, and turn-abouts.

   I’m not happy with the ending, though. Those two never should have gotten away with it.

A few take-aways:

–Desire…It could drive any of us to desperation.

–They lived next door, met for drinks and parties, and soccor, and yet they knew so little about each other.

–Their houses had told me.

–Sometimes the people we love are selfish and hurt us

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mary Watson (born 31 May 1975)[1] is a South African author. In 2006 she won the Caine Prize for African Writing and in 2014 was named on the Africa39 list of writers from sub-Saharan Africa aged under 40 with potential and talent to define trends in African literature.

Biography[edit]

Born in Cape Town, Watson completed her master’s degree in creative writing under André Brink at the University of Cape Town.[2] After receiving a second master’s degree at the University of Bristol in 2003,[3] she returned to Cape Town where she completed her PhD. She worked as a lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Cape Town between 2004 and 2008.[4]

Watson has lived in Galway, Ireland, since 2009.[4]

Career[edit]

Watson is the author of Moss, a collection of short stories published in 2004.[2] In 2013, her novel The Cutting Room was published by Penguin South Africa. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies.

In 2006, she won the Caine Prize for her short story “Jungfrau”.[5] She was a finalist in the Rolex Protege and Mentorship programme in 2012.

In April 2014, Watson was named in the Hay Festival’s Africa39 project as one of 39 writers from sub-Saharan Africa aged under 40 with potential and talent to define trends in African literature.[6]

Works[edit]

• Moss, Kwela, Cape Town, 2004

• The Cutting Room, Penguin, Johannesburg, 2013

• The Wren Hunt, Bloomsbury, 2018

• The Wickerlight, Bloomsbury, 2019

• Blood to Poison, Bloomsbury, 2022

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The cleaner: a novel DB131454

Author: Watson, Mary

Reading Time: 11 hours, 20 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Tara Egan-Langley

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Women

“Esmie is meant to be invisible. A cleaner for an exclusive gated neighborhood in Ireland, Esmie fades into the background, slipping in and out of kitchens and closets, quietly observing her clients’ perfect domestic lives. These entitled families only see a quiet woman with a mop in hand, who speaks with an accent they don’t bother to place, and this is exactly what she wants. Esmie is well aware that her employers don’t truly see her. To them, she’s a foreigner who cleans up their messes. But there’s one mess she refuses to clean up. Because Esmie is not a cleaner. She’s come to this neighborhood for one purpose and one purpose only. Revenge. Armed with a duster and a cunning plan, Esmie could soon find herself entangled with the very people she came to destroy.” — From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

New York : Penguin Random House, 2025.

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Kate’s 2¢: “My turn: when caregiving roles reverse” by Linda M. Wright   

“My turn: when caregiving roles reverse” by Linda M. Wright   

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Nora Dorsey  did a good job of narrating this moving, emotional, and enlightening story.

   Thank you, Linda, for sharing your story and giving us a lot to think about.

From the web:

Linda is known as the award-winning “writer with a heart.” She writes stories that depict real-life conflicts and issues. Stories that change lives and share hope. Linda also script consults with other writers to push their scripts to the best they can be. When she is not writing or helping others, Linda produces and has several projects in the casting/funding stages.

Linda believes in living your dream – fulfilling your destiny and inspiring other creatives to do the same.

More at IMDbPro

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

My turn: when caregiving roles reverse DBC11817

Author: Wright, Linda

Reading Time: 0 hours, 17 minutes

Production: Perkins Library, Perkins School for the Blind

Read by: Nora Dorsey

Subjects: Biography, Biography of Persons with Disabilities, Family

Downloaded: 12/30/2025

Weaving two different parts of her life, Linda Wright, who was born with a rare bleeding disorder, combines the care she received from her parents and the care she gave to them when they became elderly and frail. Adult. Unrated.

Tallahassee, Florida : Greywood Press, [2017]

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Kate’s 2¢: “When The Earth Was Green” by Riley Black

Kate’s 2¢: “Complicit” by Winnie M. Li

“Complicit” by Winnie M. Li

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Katie Leung did a great job narrating this story. I recognized right away that the story had been inspired by the #me too movement and the   news about the sexual predator Harvey Weinstein.

   I’m glad Li could turn her horrific tragedy to good use by bringing attention to this issue.

A few take-aways:

–Humor Indulge their doomed fantasy of a Hollywood future, while gently guiding their screen writing to show alittle nor neuonce.

—

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Winnie M Li is an American writer, novelist and activist based in England. Her first novel Dark Chapter, released in 2017, was based on her own experience of a stranger rape in 2008.[1] Her second novel Complicit was published in 2022.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Winnie Li was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Taiwanese immigrants. Her family lived in Pennsylvania before settling in Wayne, New Jersey. After graduating from high school, she attended Harvard University where she majored in Folklore and Mythology. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard, she moved to Cork, Ireland to pursue a Master of Arts (MA) in English at the National University of Ireland, Cork (now University College Cork).[3] In 2000, Li was selected in the inaugural class of George Mitchell Scholars.[4]

Later upon deciding to go into writing, Li completed a second MA in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. She studied for a PhD at the London School of Economics (LSE).[5]

Rape[edit]

In April 2008 Li was raped by a 15-year-old boy in Colin Glen Forest Park in Belfast. Li was in Belfast to attend a conference to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Northern Ireland peace process. Li suffered 39 separate injuries from the assault.[6] The case caused outcry in Belfast and received national media attention.[7] A community vigil was held in the park a week after the assault.[8] The perpetrator was arrested and ultimately convicted.[9]

Writing and activism[edit]

In the aftermath of the assault Li began writing about her experience. Li contributed an essay about her assault to the book Sushi and Tapas in 2011.[10] Li wrote several articles for the Huffington Post starting in 2014 on her assault and broader themes of sexual violence.[11] In 2015 Li co-founded the Clear Lines Festival, addressing themes of sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion.[12][13][14] Li regularly appears on BBC and Sky News commenting on themes of sexual abuse and violence.[15][16][17][18] Li has also had featured interviews in The Guardian, The Times, The Irish Times, the Irish Examiner, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Ms..[19][20][21][22][23] In 2018, Li received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland for her contribution to the arts in the advocacy of women’s rights.[24]

Li’s second novel Complicit was inspired by the MeToo movement and the investigation into predators like Harvey Weinstein’s in the film industry. She also drew upon her experience as a former film producer in writing the novel.[34]

The audiobook version of Complicit was recorded by actor Katie Leung.[50]

Personal life[edit]

Li has lived abroad for over two decades. She settled in Horningsham, Wiltshire[51] with her partner and their son (born 2020).[52]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Complicit DB118210

Author: Li, Winnie M.

Reading Time: 14 hours, 0 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Katie Leung

Subjects: Suspense Fiction, Mystery and Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction

“A Hollywood has-been, Sarah Lai’s dreams of success behind the camera have turned to ashes. Now a lecturer at an obscure college, this former producer wants nothing more than to forget those youthful ambitions and push aside any feelings of regret…or guilt. But when a journalist reaches out to her to discuss her own experience working with the celebrated film producer Hugo North, Sarah can no longer keep silent. This is her last chance to tell her side of the story and maybe even exact belated vengeance. As Sarah recounts the industry’s dark and sordid secrets, however, she begins to realize that she has a few sins of her own to confess. Now she must confront her choices and ask herself, just who was complicit?” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

New York, NY : Simon & Schuster Audio, [2022]

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Kate’s 2¢: “The wickedest” by Caleb Femi

“The wickedest” by Caleb Femi

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   This story was one of seven on a cartridge the NLS sent me.

   It was nice to hear Femi’s pleasant voice as he narrated his story. I can understand why the publisher didn’t say more about this book.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caleb Femi (born 1990) is a Nigerian-British author, film director, photographer, and former young people’s laureate for London. His debut poetry collection, Poor, was awarded a Forward Prize for Poetry.

Early life[edit]

Caleb Femi was born in 1990 in Kano, Nigeria,[1] where he was brought up by his grandmother.[2] When he was seven years old, he moved to join his parents on the North Peckham Estate in London.[3] After leaving school, he studied English at Queen Mary, University of London.[2]

 Accolades[edit]

Femi was named in Dazed magazine’s 2021 Dazed100, a list of the next generation shaping youth culture.[9]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The wickedest DB127361

Author: Femi, Caleb

Reading Time: 0 hours, 57 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Femi, Caleb

Subjects: Poetry, African American Topics, Bestsellers

“An immersive poetic epic taking place over one night at an underground London house party, conjured by a multi-hyphenate sensation.”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

New York : Macmillan, 2025.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Mexico by touch: true life experiences of a blind American deejay”

   by Larry P. Johnson

“Mexico by touch: true life experiences of a blind American deejay”

   by Larry P. Johnson

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Jake Williams did a good job of narrating this story in English with numerous Spanish/Mexican words in it. I toured Mexico in 1962 and I enjoyed re-visiting them in Johnson’s story.

A few take-aways:

–Attitude is the single most important aspect of a person’s approach.

–My memories of Mexico are a montage of flavors, fragrances, sounds, and sensations.

–Helen Kellar: Life is a daring adventure or it is nothing.

–Personal journal to inspire, encourage, and motivate readers to follow their dreams…to face life’s adversities and challenges with confidence patience, and a sense of humor.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This biography of a living person relies too much on references to primary sources.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Mexico by touch: true life experiences of a blind American deejay DB126112

Author: Johnson, Larry P.       

Reading Time: 6 hours, 46 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Williams, Jake

Subjects: Blind Authors, Biography of Persons with Disabilities, Travel, Journalism and the Media

“At age 18 he traveled alone to Mexico City. Became the top deejay for the #1 Top 40 radio station in Mexico. Drove a car on a main thoroughfare in the Meixcan capital. Competed against Stevie Wonder in a foot race at 3 am. Broadcast the 1969 Apollo 11 lunar landing. Became the first blind newscaster on Mexican television. Humorous, highly readable account of the author’s adventures as a blind American in Mexico. Marvelously charming metamorphosis from tourist to student to popular radio deejay. A great many books have been published in which the protagonist has been a person who is blind. The unique difference in Mexico by Touch is that it takes place in the fascinating land of Mexico. The author’s blindness is not the central theme of the story, simply one of the components. A book for those who enjoy inspiring stories of personal optimism and perseverance and for those who enjoy laughing at our human mistakes and misadventures.”– Goodreads. Some strong language.

[Bloomington, Ind.] : Independent, 2023.

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