Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Book Round-Up. June is Audiobook Appreciation Month. Audiobooks are a huge format for readers so I thought I’d highlight some must-listen books from Audible. They aren’t in any order but are all highly rated.
Brief Cases By: Jim Butcher
Narrated by: James Marsters, Jim Butcher, full cast
An all-new Dresden Files story headlines this urban fantasy short story collection starring the Windy City's favorite wizard.
The world of Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, is rife with intrigue - and creatures of all supernatural stripes. And you'll make their intimate acquaintance as Harry delves into the dark side of truth, justice, and the American way in this must-have short story collection.
From the Wild West to the bleachers at Wrigley Field, humans, zombies, incubi, and even fey royalty appear, ready to blur the line between friend and foe. In the never-before-published "Zoo Day", Harry treads new ground as a dad, while fan-favorite characters Molly Carpenter, his onetime apprentice, White Council Warden Anastasia Luccio, and even Bigfoot stalk through the pages of more classic tales.
With 12 stories in all, Brief Cases offers both longtime fans and first-time listeners tantalizing glimpses into Harry's funny, gritty, and unforgettable realm, whetting their appetites for more to come from the wizard with a heart of gold.
Collection includes:
"A Fistful of Warlocks" (from Straight Outta Tombstone, edited by David Boon), read by Cassandra Campbell
"B Is for Bigfoot" (from Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron, edited by Jonathan Strahan), read by James Marsters
"AAAA Wizardry" (from the Dresden Files RPG), read by James Marsters
"I Was a Teenage Bigfoot" (from Blood Lite 3: Aftertaste, edited by Kevin J. Anderson), read by James Marsters
"Curses" (from The Naked City, edited by Ellen Datlow), read by James Marsters
"Even Hand" (from Dark and Stormy Knights, edited by P. N. Elrodread), read by Jim Butcher
"Bigfoot on Campus" (from Hex Appeal, edited by P. N. Elrod), read by James Marsters
"Bombshells" (from Dangerous Women, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois), read by Julia Whelan
"Cold Case" (from Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie Hughes), read by Julia Whelan
"Jury Duty" (from Unbound, edited by Shawn Speakman), read by James Marsters
"Day One" (from Unfettered II, edited by Shawn Speakman), read by Oliver Wyman
"Zoo Day" (original), read by James Marsters
*The author’s notes that precede each story are read by the author.
©2018 Jim Butcher (P)2018 Penguin Audio
Procrastination: Learn How to Overcome Laziness and Master Your Time By: Justin Martin
Narrated by: Michael Christopher Gines
Are you tired of being unproductive and procrastinating? Want to get rid of those feelings of laziness?
Covering everything you need to know about procrastination and its impact on your life, this audiobook provides you with real life examples of procrastinators from the author’s own experiences.
Once a procrastinator of epic proportions, the author has done the hard work of breaking the procrastination habit. Now, you’ll be able to do the same by following the advice offered in this book.
Break yourself of laziness, denial, puttering, and distraction and take back your life!
Concrete advice about how to overcome procrastination, an action plan to do it, and challenges to keep you on track are all part of this (sometimes) comical book about a tragic problem. Procrastinators everywhere will find real help in this audiobook - help that will assist them in getting on track, staying on track, and mastering time, once and for all.
Procrastination has littered the world with broken dreams, frustration, and general chaos. The work of the Procrastination Monster (who eats your time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) is never done. But this volume trains you to slam the door in this hideous time sucker’s face.
Take back your life! Stop putting off until tomorrow what you know darned well you can get done today, with Procrastination: Learn how to Overcome Laziness and Master Your Time.
Learn how to do stop procrastinating today by buying this audiobook! You won't regret it!
©2017 Justin Martin (P)2018 Justin Martin
Part-Time Lover By: Lauren Blakely
Narrated by: Shane East, Grace Grant
I'll say this about Christian - he made one hell of a first impression. When I first saw the strapping man, he was doing handstands naked on a dock along the canal. His crown jewels were far more entertaining than anything else I'd seen on the boat tour, so I did what any curious woman would do - I took his photo. I might have looked at the shot a few dozen times. Little did I know I'd meet him again, a year later, at a secret garden bar in the heart of the city, where I'd learn that his mind and his mouth were even more captivating. But given the way my heart had been trampled, I wanted only a simple deal - No strings. No expectations. Our arrangement worked well enough until the day I needed a lot more from him.
Let me just say, this whole part-time lover thing was her idea. I'd have gone all-in from the start, but hey, when a gorgeous, brilliant woman invites you into her bed, and only her bed...well, I said yes. But then, one hysterical phone call from my brother later, begging me to find myself a wife so grandfather's business stays in the family, and I need a promotion with Elise. Turns out a full-time husband suits her needs too, and a temporary marriage of convenience ought to do the trick, until we can simply untie the knot...as long as no one finds out...as long as no one gets hurt...as long as no one falls in love....But our ending was one I never saw coming.
©2018 Lauren Blakely Books (P)2018 Lauren Blakely Books
The Word Is Murder: A Novel By: Anthony Horowitz
Narrated by: Rory Kinnear
The New York Times best-selling author of Magpie Murders and Moriarty brilliantly reinvents the classic crime novel once again with this clever and inventive mystery starring a fictional version of the author himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes, investigating a case involving buried secrets, murder, and a trail of bloody clues.
A woman crosses a London street.
It is just after 11 a.m. on a bright spring morning, and she is going into a funeral parlor to plan her own service.
Six hours later the woman is dead, strangled with a crimson curtain cord in her own home.
Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric man as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. And Hawthorne has a partner, the celebrated novelist Anthony Horowitz, curious about the case and looking for new material.
As brusque, impatient, and annoying as Hawthorne can be, Horowitz - a seasoned hand when it comes to crime stories - suspects the detective may be on to something, and is irresistibly drawn into the mystery. But as the case unfolds, Horowitz realizes he’s at the center of a story he can’t control...and that his brilliant partner may be hiding dark and mysterious secrets of his own.
A masterful and tricky mystery which plays games at many levels, The Word Is Murder is Anthony Horowitz at his very best.
©2018 Anthony Horowitz (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
Wild Rescuers: Guardians of the Taiga By: StacyPlays
Narrated by: StacyPlays
From StacyPlays, creator of the mega-popular YouTube series Dogcraft, comes a thrilling novel about a girl raised by a pack of wolves and her quest to protect their shared forest home. The first in a new Minecraft-inspired fantasy adventure series!
Stacy was raised by wolves. She’s never needed humans to survive, and from what she sees of humans, they’re dangerous and unpredictable. For as long as she can remember, Stacy’s pack of six powerful, playful wolves - Addison, Basil, Everest, Noah, Tucker, and Wink - have been her only family.
Together, Stacy’s pack patrols the forest to keep other animals safe, relying on her wits and each wolf’s unique abilities to accomplish risky rescue missions. But as the forest changes and new dangers begin lurking, are Stacy and the wolves prepared for the perils that await them?
Fans of DanTDM: Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal and the Warriors series - plus shows like Ranger Bob - will love this Minecraft-inspired adventure.
©2018 StacyPlays, LLC (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
Matchmaking for Beginners By: Maddie Dawson
Narrated by: Amy McFadden, Joyce Bean
Marnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life - a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Then Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s irascible matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying, and everything changes - just as Blix told her it would.
When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked. She’s even more astonished to find that she’s inherited Blix’s Brooklyn brownstone along with all of Blix’s unfinished “projects”: the heartbroken, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness. Marnie doesn’t believe she’s anything special, but Blix somehow knew she was the perfect person to follow in her matchmaker footsteps.
And Blix was also right about some things Marnie must learn the hard way: love is hard to recognize, and the ones who push love away often are the ones who need it most.
©2018 Maddie Dawson (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Desire: A LitRPG Adventure (Volume 1) By: Cameron Milan
Narrated by: John Downey
An all powerful entity bestows individuals with a powerful brand in the form of a tattoo. Using the system that is controlled by the tattoo, you can learn supernatural abilities, acquire knowledge unknown to man, and acquire objects that would only be found in fiction. The world is changing... and it has yet to be determined if it is for better or worse.
Two friends who grew up together, Ace and Vincent, have been chosen. Ace lives for physical improvement. He loves the feeling of breaking his records and growing stronger. Unfortunately, he has plateaued in recent months, discouraging him greatly.
Vincent is plagued by little to no desire in anything he does. Good grades? Successful life? He feels nothing. Except, perhaps, the feeling of pain and fear. Sadly for him, modern day society is a peaceful one.
The arrival of the tattoo flipped their lives upside down. It granted them the ability to fulfill their desires. However... they weren't the only ones who were given the tattoo.
©2018-2018 Cameron Milan (P)2018 Cameron Milan
The President Is Missing By: Bill Clinton, James Patterson
Narrated by: Dennis Quaid, January LaVoy, Peter Ganim, Jeremy Davidson, Mozhan Marnò
The White House is the home of the president of the United States, the most guarded, monitored, closely watched person in the world. So how could a US president vanish without a trace? And why would he choose to do so?
An unprecedented collaboration between President Bill Clinton and the world's best-selling novelist, James Patterson, The President Is Missing is a breathtaking story from the pinnacle of power. Full of what it truly feels like to be the person in the Oval Office - the mind-boggling pressure, the heartbreaking decisions, the exhilarating opportunities, the soul-wrenching power - this is the thriller of the decade, confronting the darkest threats that face the world today, with the highest stakes conceivable.
©2018 James Patterson and Bill Clinton (P)2018 Hachette Audio
Have a must-listen audiobook to recommend? Share in the comments below and don’t forget to share using the buttons below. See you next week!
MRS N, Book Addict