For some time now, maybe over a year, I’ve had difficulty concentrating on reading. For those of you who have followed me for some time, you know I always had a book going and did a yearly Summer Reads list. I still haven’t been able to get my reading mojo back, but I have been enjoying some audiobooks. I just started Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six and I’ll update when I’m done with that. Other audiobooks I’ve read this year are:

I’m going to link all book titles to their amazon page, however if you are interested in audiobooks there are other places to get them other than amazon/audible. Stephen King’s The Institute is long. I’m sure it’s crazy long if you read it. It took forever to listen to as well. I primarily do my listening when I’m cooking on the weekends and making dinner. The Institute wasn’t bad, really. I just compare every King book to my absolute favorite King book, Joyland. This is not as good.

One of the things about an audiobook isn’t just the story itself, but the narrator reading the book. I suggest if you are able, listen to a preview of the book before you pay for it because some voices may just grate on your nerves. I enjoyed the interesting story of The Golem and the Jinni written by Helene Wecker and it was well narrated. Another long listen, I find that months later I can’t seem to remember the ending. But the path that will get you there is worth a listen.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher is book 1 of 17 in the Dresden Files books. It’s fantasy, wizard stuff and I really did enjoy it. Why are so many fantasy books long, long series? I never feel like I want to devote that much time. Are there any fantasy series you’ve read all the way through and think each one is worth it? Let me know in the comments. Anyhow, this book kept my attention, I enjoyed the story and the narrator, and it went quite quickly.

My goodness, it’s been awhile since I’ve read Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me. It was a quick mystery, and not a bad one at that. Is it worth your time? I guess it depends on how much time you have. I strongly suggest you listen to the preview though, to see if you enjoy the narrator.

In July, I listened to Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts. Here’s my description of that: They aren’t ghost stories in the traditional sense, though I suppose there’s one or two like that in there. It’s more the uncanny type of stories that will remain in your mind long after you’ve read them. I wasn’t sure with the first one or two, but now I highly recommend it. Many years ago I read a collection from Breece D’J Pancake, and there was one particular short story that never left me about a snow plow driver. This book is full of interesting tales like that one.

I loved listening to The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore. The narrative was great, the narrator was great, and the subject was great. If you like historical fiction, this book about life in the leper colony at Carville in the 1920s will captivate you.

Another fantasy book, Holly Black’s Book of Night is a fairly quick listen. If you loved Holly Black’s YA Modern Faerie Tales trilogy, this isn’t going to get you there. I’ve been chasing the dream of those three books since I read them years ago.

The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan is indeed a cold case investigation, perfect if you like listening to true crime podcasts. The team doing the investigation was thorough, and did come to a likely answer. In the end, the horror of those who were betrayed and those who did the betrayal left me feeling a bit of hopelessness.

Julia Drosten’s The Girl with the Golden Scissors is the last audiobook I’ve completed. It’s a bit of historical fiction, taking place in Austria and Hungary just prior to and through World War I. It was a very fast listen, and a nice little story. Well worth the time.

Do you have any favorite audiobooks or narrators? What have you been listening to?