Kate’s 2¢: “Nonna Maria and the case of the missing bride: a novel” by Lorenzo Carcaterra

“Nonna Maria and the case of the missing bride: a novel” by Lorenzo Carcaterra

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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   This fits my impression of an Italian grandmother. She is warm, friendly, well-known, full of advise, and takes no nonsense. I enjoyed reading/listening to Kathleen Garrett narrating this story.

From Wikipedia

Carcaterra was born in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, New York. His Italian family was from the island of Ischia, 18 miles (29 km) off the coast of Naples.[1]

He became a journalist in 1980, when his first articles begin to appear in various newspapers.

Lorenzo Carcaterra (born October 16, 1954) is an American writer of Italian descent. Hell’s Kitchen is the setting for his most famous book, Sleepers, which was adapted as a 1996 film of the same name. In April 2009, he joined True/Slant as a blogger. True/Slant ceased operations on July 31, 2010.

   Carcaterra’s wife, Susan Toepfer, died of lung cancer on December 24, 2013. She was also the mother of Carcaterra’s two children, Kate and Nick.[2][3]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Nonna Maria and the case of the missing bride: a novel DB120972

Carcaterra, Lorenzo. Reading time: 7 hours, 19 minutes.

Read by Kathleen Garrett.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

“When a crime on a beautiful Italian island stumps the police, locals locals turn to the nosy, elderly widow Nonna Maria in this transporting mystery from author Lorenzo Carcaterra. Nonna Maria has lived in Ischia, a little island in the Gulf of Naples, her entire life. Recognizable by the widow’s black she’s worn every day for decades, Maria always has pasta on the stove and espresso in the pot for the neighbors who stop by to ask her advice on life and love. Everyone knows her, and she knows everyone’s business. So when something goes wrong, islanders look to her, and not the local carabinieri, to find the solution. A man’s fiancé disappears the night before the wedding. Is it a case of cold feet, or is something more sinister in play? A fisherman who knows the waters around the island like the back of his hand is drowned early one morning. Was it a tragic accident, or is there more to the story? While the police appear uninterested in these domestic concerns, Nonna Maria pours herself another glass of red wine and gets to work”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Downloaded: June 27, 2024

Download Nonna Maria and the case of the missing bride: a novel

Kate’s 2¢: “The Anthropocene reviewed: essays on a human-centered planet” by John Green

“The Anthropocene reviewed: essays on a human-centered planet” by John Green

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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   The author experienced Lybirinthitis as well as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and now realizes that one must live your life. There are no observers of life, only participants.

    The most common symptoms of labyrinthitis are:

• feeling that you or your surroundings are moving or spinning (vertigo)

• feeling or being sick

• some hearing loss

These symptoms can vary in severity, with some people feeling that they can’t stand upright.

Other symptoms of labyrinthitis may include:

• mild headaches

• ringing or humming in your ear(s) (tinnitus)

• fluid or pus leaking out of your ear(s)

• ear pain

   Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD), is a mental health condition, where there is frequent thought of fear or worry.

      Green reads his own book with a slow, well modulated voice. He reviews his podcasts and rates them based on a five-star scale. His brother thought up the title, because Anthropocene is the label for the age we currently live in.

John Green – Wikipedia:

John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author, YouTuber, podcaster, and philanthropist. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including The Fault in Our Stars (2012), which is one of the best-selling books of all time.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The Anthropocene reviewed: essays on a human-centered planet DB103903

Green, John Reading time: 10 hours, 5 minutes.

John Green

Social Sciences

Bestsellers

In this collection of personal essays adapted and expanded from his podcast, the author reviews the contradictions found within humanity. He discusses how mankind is both far too powerful and not nearly powerful enough and covers topics ranging from the QWERTY keyboard to Canada geese. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2021.

Download The Anthropocene reviewed: essays on a human-centered planet DB103903

Kate’s 2¢: “Call Me Maybe” by Cara Bastone

“Call Me Maybe” by Cara Bastone

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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

I suspect most of us have experienced being put on hold for a long time. This story has a happy ending after being on hold for a long time. Don’t we wish we could all have such a happy ending.

   Lucy Christian and Neal Hellegers did a great job of narrating this story for us.

carabastone.com

In love with everyday love. Hi, I’m Cara! I’m a full time writer living and writing in Brooklyn with my husband, sons, and an almost-goldendoodle. My goal with my work is to find the swoon in ordinary love stories.

I’ve been a fan of the romance genre since I found a grocery bag filled with my grandmother’s old Harlequin Romances when I was in high school. I’m a fangirl for pretzel sticks, long walks through Prospect Park, and love stories featuring men who aren’t hobbled by their own masculinity.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Call me maybe DB116667

Bastone, Cara Reading time: 5 hours, 59 minutes.

Lucy Christian; Neal Hellegers

General

Family

Romance

“Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It’s amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth…when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Kal. He’s surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he’s a little awkward…in an adorable way. And suddenly I’m flirting with him? And I think he’s flirting back. And suddenly it’s been hours, and we’re still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he troubleshoots my website. And suddenly we’re exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!). And suddenly I’m wondering if it’s possible for two people to fall in love at first talk. Because I’m falling…hard.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Call me maybe DB116667

Kate’s 2¢: “Call Me Maybe” by Cara Bastone

“Call Me Maybe” by Cara Bastone

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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

I suspect most of us have experienced being put on hold for a long time. This story has a happy ending after being on hold for a long time. Don’t we wish we could all have such a happy ending.

   Lucy Christian and Neal Hellegers did a great job of narrating this story for us.

carabastone.com

In love with everyday love. Hi, I’m Cara! I’m a full time writer living and writing in Brooklyn with my husband, sons, and an almost-goldendoodle. My goal with my work is to find the swoon in ordinary love stories.

I’ve been a fan of the romance genre since I found a grocery bag filled with my grandmother’s old Harlequin Romances when I was in high school. I’m a fangirl for pretzel sticks, long walks through Prospect Park, and love stories featuring men who aren’t hobbled by their own masculinity.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Call me maybe DB116667

Bastone, Cara Reading time: 5 hours, 59 minutes.

Lucy Christian; Neal Hellegers

General

Family

Romance

“Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It’s amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth…when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Kal. He’s surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he’s a little awkward…in an adorable way. And suddenly I’m flirting with him? And I think he’s flirting back. And suddenly it’s been hours, and we’re still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he troubleshoots my website. And suddenly we’re exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!). And suddenly I’m wondering if it’s possible for two people to fall in love at first talk. Because I’m falling…hard.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Call me maybe DB116667

Kate’s 2¢: “Alone: lost overboard in the Indian Ocean” by Brett Archibald

“Alone: lost overboard in the Indian Ocean” by Brett Archibald

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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   This is the story of two remarkable men. The one who fell overboard and survived 28-1/2 hours in the salty Indian Ocean and the instinct and perseverance of Captain Doris, who located and plucked Brett out of the ocean.

Copilot GPTs

The experience changed my life 180 degrees! I thought I was being such a cool dude but while I was in the ocean, I reflected on all of that and realized none of that meant anything!

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Alone: lost overboard in the Indian Ocean DB87975

Archibald, Brett Reading time: 10 hours, 0 minutes.

Byron Mondahl A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Adventure

Businessman and entrepreneur recounts being lost at sea for twenty-eight hours. Shares the events that led up to his falling overboard into a storm-tossed Indian Ocean sixty miles from shore, his interactions with wildlife, and his psychological state while awaiting rescue. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2016.

Download Alone: lost overboard in the Indian Ocean DB87975

Kate’s 2¢: “Empire of ice and stone: the disastrous and heroic voyage of the Karluk” by Buddy Levy

“Empire of ice and stone: the disastrous and heroic voyage of the Karluk” by Buddy Levy

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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   Truly a story of perseverance, trials, and tribulations, not to mention bravery and the will to live and assist the party left behind. I must admit, I’m not a high rish taker and I’d never venture into the cold unknown. I’m happy that there are those who can do it and live to enlighten the rest of us.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In an astonishing work of scholarship that reads like an adventure thriller, historian Buddy Levy records the last days of the Aztec empire and the two men at the center of an epic clash of cultures. It was a moment unique in human history, the face-to-face meeting between two men from civilizations a world apart..Conquistador: Hernán Cortés, King Montezuma, and the La…

   Levy is among several academics, historians and others providing their expertise to the four-part documentary series about Davy Crockett.

History and adventure are common themes for Levy.

His latest book is No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon (St. Martin’s Press, 2017), which he wrote with adventurer Erik Weihenmayer. His other books include Geronimo: Leadership Lessons of An American Warrior (co-authored with Mike Leach, Simon & Schuster, May 2014); River of Darkness: Francisco Orellana’s Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon (Bantam Dell, 2011). He also is the author of Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs (Bantam Dell, 2008), which was a finalist for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, 2009, and nominated for the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, 2009, and the PEN Center USA Award 2009; and Echoes On Rimrock: In Pursuit of the Chukar Partridge (Pruett, 1998). His books have been published in six languages.

As a freelance journalist Levy has covered adventure sports and lifestyle/travel subjects around the world, including numerous Eco-Challenges and other adventure expeditions in Argentina, Borneo, Europe, Greenland, Morocco, and the Philippines.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Empire of ice and stone: the disastrous and heroic voyage of the Karluk DB113494

Levy, Buddy Reading time: 14 hours, 43 minutes.

Will Damron

Biography

Adventure

World History and Affairs

“In the summer of 1913, the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean. At the helm was Captain Bob Bartlett, considered the world’s greatest living ice navigator. The expedition’s visionary leader was a flamboyant impresario named Vilhjalmur Stefansson hungry for fame. Just six weeks after the Karluk departed, giant ice floes closed in around her. As the ship became icebound, Stefansson disembarked with five companions and struck out on what he claimed was a 10-day caribou hunting trip. Most on board would never see him again. Twenty-two men and an Inuit woman with two small daughters now stood on a mile-square ice floe, their ship and their original leader gone. Under Bartlett’s leadership they built make-shift shelters, surviving the freezing darkness of Polar night. Captain Bartlett now made a difficult and courageous decision. He would take one of the young Inuit hunters and attempt a 1000-mile journey to save the shipwrecked survivors. It was their only hope. Set against the backdrop of the Titanic disaster and World War I, filled with heroism, tragedy, and scientific discovery, Buddy Levy’s Empire of Ice and Stone tells the story of two men and two distinctively different brands of leadership: one selfless, one self-serving, and how they would forever be bound by one of the most audacious and disastrous expeditions in polar history, considered the last great voyage of The Heroic Age of Discovery.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Empire of ice and stone: the disastrous and heroic voyage of the Karluk DB113494

Kate’s 2¢: “Forfeit: a classic racing mystery from the king of crime” by Dick Francis

“Forfeit: a classic racing mystery from the king of crime” by Dick Francis

 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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   Tony Britton did a good job of narrating this interesting story for NLS. I suppose there is greed, corruption, and nasty people in every profession. The protagonist did a clever ploy to foil the need to forfeit the horse race.

From britannica.com

 Dick Francis (born October 31, 1920, Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire, Wales—died February 14, 2010, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) was a British jockey and mystery writer known for his realistic plots centred on the sport of horse racing. The son of a jockey, Francis took up steeplechase riding in 1946, turning professional in 1948.

   It was the worst-kept secret in publishing that the Dick Francis books were written by both Dick and Mary Francis together John Junor, the then editor-in-chief of the Sunday Express, read the book and invited my father to write six weekly features for his newspaper about the current racing scene.

Dick Francis: How a sporting calamity jump-started a great writing

irishtimes.com

Alongside his sports journalism, Dick Francis began penning fiction, and in 1962, he published his first ever crime thriller, Dead Cert. The book told the story of an amateur jockey named Alan York and was the first of many horse racing-based novels for the author.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Forfeit: a classic racing mystery from the king of crime DB114002

Francis, Dick Reading time: 7 hours, 21 minutes.

Tony Britton

Mystery and Detective Stories

Animals and Wildlife

“Dick Francis, the bestselling master of mystery and suspense, takes you into the thrilling world of horse racing. When reporter Bert Chekov falls to his death, his colleague James Tyrone is suspicious. Chekov’s column had recently recommended some ‘can’t-lose’ horses, who then wound up out of the running on race day. Tyrone thinks he can prove it was murder, but he may not live to tell the tale. Because as the dead man has already made clear, there’s no such thing as a sure thing…” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Forfeit: a classic racing mystery from the king of crime DB114002

Kate’s 2¢: “The oceans: a deep history” by Eelco J. Rohling

“The oceans: a deep history” by Eelco J. Rohling

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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   Ken Kliban did a good job of narrating this learned story. Rohling knows what he’s talking about and presented his research in a readable format for all of us to understand.

Copilot GPTs

 EELCO J. ROHLING is Professor of Ocean and Climate Change at the Australian National University. He is secondarily affiliated with the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. His research focuses on ocean and climate change, in particular sea level, climate sensitivity, and past episodes of enhanced carbon burial in ocean sediments.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The oceans: a deep history DB94383

Rohling, Eelco J Reading time: 11 hours, 38 minutes.

Ken Kliban A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Science and Technology

Oceanographer provides a history of the world’s oceans and their role in Earth’s climate systems over the past 4. 4 billion years. Discusses the oceans’ origins, change agents, climate swings, the impacts of life on Earth, acidification, and prospects for the future. 2017.

Download The oceans: a deep history DB94383

Kate’s 2¢: “The Teacher” by Freida McFadden

“The Teacher” by Freida McFadden

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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   Wow. Another good one from McFadden. By having Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth read various parts added to the listening experience of this suspenseful, though disturbing, story.  

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification.)

www.freidamcfadden.com

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 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.freidamcfadden.com

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 teacher DB119661

McFadden, Freida. Reading time: 9 hours, 38 minutes.

Read by Leslie Howard; Danny Montooth.

Suspense Fiction

School Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Psychological Fiction

Bestsellers

“Something isn’t right at Caseham High School. Last year, the school was rocked by scandal: a teacher was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Now, Addie is a pariah and will do anything to get through the year. More than that, she’s desperate to keep the truth from coming to light. Evie, a colleague of the disgraced teacher, is horrified to find Addie in her class. She knows the girl can’t be trusted and soon realizes she’s being watched – which is dangerous, considering she’s hiding something from her husband. But each has secrets about what happened last year. And someone in this school will do anything to keep them silent”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

Downloaded: June 20, 2024

Download The teacher

Kate’s 2¢:” A calamity of souls” by David Baldacci

”A calamity of souls” by David Baldacci

 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 her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   One day I heard a PODcast “Books in Three Bytes” when David Baldacci was being interviewed. It was anew book and hadn’t been recorded by NLS at that time. Eventually, I was hooked on reading Baldacci’s books.

   Sometimes, a court drama is long and rather boring, but Baldacci’s court room scenes move right along and get to the point. He is a cameo narrator along with Kiiri Sandy,  Sisi Aisha Johnson, Cary Hite,  and MacLeod Andrews. Having multiple readers enhanced my listening pleasure, not to mention how the story kept me glued to my Victor Trek Reader  until the twist at the end.

www.davidbaldacci.com

David Baldacci, known by his pseudonym David Baldacci Ford (born August 5, 1960) is an American novelist. An attorney by education, Baldacci writes mainly suspense novels and legal thrillers.[1]

Early life and education[edit]

David Baldacci was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He graduated from Henrico High School and earned a B.A. in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, after which he practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A calamity of souls DB120798

Baldacci, David. Reading time: 14 hours, 31 minutes.

Read by Kiiri Sandy; Sisi Aisha Johnson; David Baldacci; Cary Hite; MacLeod Andrews.

Suspense Fiction

Legal Fiction

“Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially-charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully-accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly and wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. And he quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what is at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial. Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. She comes to Freeman County and enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era. Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecutions deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice. Over a decade in the writing, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.”– OCLC. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Downloaded: June 20, 2024

Download A calamity of souls