Have You Listened To Or Read Any Good Books Lately? Well the good news is, I finally figured out a way to download and listen to free audiobooks. Our library uses the CloudLibrary app and since installing the app last week, I’ve already listened to No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox {excellent!} and now I’m listening to Mill Town by Kerri Arsenault {interesting}.
The bad news is, the app only allows you to put 3 books on “hold” at a time. Which kind of stinks because all 3 of the books I currently have on hold have a wait list time of 3-12 months. So basically that means if I want to listen to anything right now, it has to be “available”. It’s frustrating, but the audiobooks also free so I shouldn’t complain.
Reflecting on my reading preferences, I realized my inclination towards autobiographies and historical fiction. But I wondered if I was missing out on other genres and hidden literary gems. So, I turned to you, curious to know if you had any recent encounters with exceptional books, whether through listening or reading. Perhaps your recommendations would broaden my horizons and introduce me to captivating stories I had yet to discover.
I tend to listen autobiographies and historial fiction the most, but maybe I’m missing out. Have you listened to or read any good books lately?
Are there any you’d recommend?
~Mavis
Elizabeth S says
The Vanishing Half, my first 4 star book of the year.
At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider (Travel memoir, I’ve read it 3x)
The Last Bookshop in London, really good.
Bossypants by Tina Fey, hilarious!
Sandy says
Unnatural Causes (The life and many deaths of Britain’s top forensic pathologist) by Dr. Richard Shepherd. It was a fascinatingly easy read that does not get too bogged down in the technicalities of the science but still feels informative on the nature of pathology. Reads like fiction in story format.
Sharon says
Mavis:
Check to see if your library uses Hoopla as well. This will allow you access to Audio books, E-books, movies and music ,,, We can only get 5 choices per month, but they are always available. Just add to your favorites, and you’re good.
Lori says
Relentless. By John Tesh.
Pauline in Upstate NY says
I just finished Chris Bohjalian’s “Hour of the Witch” about a young woman’s petition to divorce her abusive husband. In Boston. In the 1600’s. A very compelling read in historical fiction.
Also for historical fiction, I loved the audio book “The Pull of the Stars,” by Emma Donoghue. The plot of this one evolves over 3 very intense days in the life and work of a young nurse in the “maternal fever ward” of a city hospital in Dublin in 1918. The narrator’s voice added a great deal to my enjoyment of this, too.
And Louise Penny’s murder mystery series featuring Quebec Police Chief Armand Gamache is simply superb. Strongly recommend starting at the beginning (“Still Life”) because of the character development over time.
I love it when you ask your readers for recommendations – I always find some great reads among the suggestions!
Vanessa says
I very much enjoyed the Armand Gamache series as well. Easy and enjoyable read.
Erin says
I agree about the Armand Ganache novels! They’re so charming & so good as audiobooks.
MEM says
I am also a fan – and yes they do need to be read in order as they are chronological. Louise Penny’s books are among the few that I pre-order.
Sara says
Agreed—I just wish she would temper the language so I could listen when my children are around (without headphones.)
Meg C says
All Creatures Great & Small by James Herriot. I really loved reading that book. The biography of Beatrix Potter – I can’t remember exactly which one I read but it was a pretty thick book & totally fascinating. I read it in 2010 & I still think about it regularly.
Vanessa says
Loved all the James Herriot books and also am enjoying the series on PBS! I usually don’t like to watch anything that I’ve read- but the series is very nice even if some things are not the same as the book.
Caroline says
I would love to read the biography of Beatrix Potter that you mention. If you happen to remember which version you read please let us know!
Elle says
The Midnight Library
Beekeeper of Allepo
Wrong Lanes Have Right Turns
Run Rose Run (Dolly Parton)
No Time Like the Future (Michael J Fox)
Having Our Say
Girl in the Blue Coat
The Huntress
Born a Crime
Untamed
Yea, I read a lot!
Kim says
The Lakehouse, by Kate Morton. One of my favorites.
Goodnight from London…………and the book that follows called The Gown, by Jennifer Robson. I listened to The Gown first and it was soooooooooooooooooo good. Fiction with a historical base.
Linda says
Into the Forest by Rachael Frankel, The Chillbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
Nicole says
Atomic Habits by James Clear (how to make good habits and break bad ones)
Margo says
Love some of the recommendations, going to put a Kristen Hannah audiobook on order today. If you like history listening to any of David McCullough’s books are informative and entertaining. I have a hard time sitting to read history, but have really enjoyed listening as I work around the house and garden. Currently listening to Bound for Canaan by Ferguson Bordewich about the Underground Railroad. Very good.
Mary says
I agree about the David McCullough books. I also have Clive Cusseler books at the ready to listen to for trips – so exciting that I pass through entire states without knowing I’m over the border. Speaking of border… A new trick my mom does… She has applied for library priviliges in King County, Pierce County, Kitsap County and another one and was granted priviliges in all of them… Some you don’t have to visit in person to extend to… and she reserves the minimum book number everywhere – so her “rotation” comes up somewhere for some book every couple of weeks! No cost either. She is a super smart 91 year old keeping my hard to keep up with 93 year old dad in books to read – audio or kindle!
Anne Sullivan says
Our library system uses Overdrive and Libby. If you like biographies, check out “The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post” by Allison Pataki, “Vanderbilt”, Anderson Cooper’s story about his mother’s family. I love being able to listen to books while do other things like cook, clean, etc.
Tracey says
Cannot put down Anne Patchetts book State of Wonder at the moment, but I feel that way about all of her books.
Barbara Kingsolvers Poisonwood Bible is one of my all time love to recommend books
And I know you’ve read it, but to hear Tom Hanks narrate the Dutch House is sublime.
LindaT says
I agree about State of Wonder. Great book!I also recommend Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors, a novel about the story behind the building of the Taj Mahal, and anything by Khalid Hosseini, but start with The Kite Runner.
Tracey says
The Taj Mahal! Oh, yes, take me away
Jennifer says
I usually read over 100 books a year and right now have 6 on hold – the max for my library system and about 250 on my wish list of which about 40 are available right now. Anything by Marie Benedict would tickle your fancy as they are rather accurate accounting of famous people in history. Among them are JP Morgan’s personal librarian, Einstein’s wife, Churchill’s wife, a maid of Andrew Carnegie, Hedy Lamar and Agatha Christie, just to name a few.
I just finished The Kitchen Front which was about a cooking competition sponsored by the BBC to come up with creative ways to use food during WWII. Think Spam and whale blubber! Code Girls is about females being used to break enemy codes during WWII.
Pope Joan is thought to be the only female Pope. I’m not Catholic, so this may be common knowledge or have been debunked centuries ago. Great read even if its fiction. Some lighter authors I enjoy are Elin Hildebran, Sophie Kinsella, Ann B Ross and Beverly Lewis.
Lest you think I only read women, some of my favorite male authors are Lee Child, the Reacher series, Stuart Woods, James Patterson, John Gresham and John Sandford.
Glean from all of this what you will! 😉
Karen J says
I just finished the audio of Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. I also enjoyed her first book Homegoing.
Amy in Oregon says
The boys in the boat – Danial James brown was a favorite of ours… Born to fly -Steve Sheinkin was great and Blizzard- james Murphy was a very interesting listen..!!
Sue says
I really loved Boys in the Boat.
And as a former Washingtonian, Mavis might really enjoy the Seattle setting for the majority of the book.
Julie Del Priore says
Two of my recent favorite audiobooks:
Daisy Jones and The Six. Sort of a documentary about a fictional 1970s band. I kept thinking I should know at least some of their music, but. . . It’s hard for me to imagine the print version because the audio version was so good.
Firekeeper’s Daughter. Actually a YA title about a young woman hockey player with one American parent and one Native parent. She straddles both cultures as she witnesses an event and becomes involved with the FBI.
Katherine says
Daisy Jones and the Six was good. The author claims Fleetwood Mac was her inspiration for the story. A miniseries of this book is currently being filmed for release later this year.
MEM says
Mavis, I know you like Kristin Hannah’s books so if you haven’t read “The Great Alone”, “Winter Garden” and “Home Front”, I highly recommend those. Trigger warning about “The Great Alone” – while its about a family living off the grid in Alaska, it is also about surviving domestic violence.
Katie says
Plenty of good recommendations here already, but I think you may also enjoy the nonfiction book Braiding Sweetgrass. She devotes some of it to the harvesting of maple syrup, so it will be timely for you!
Melonie says
Some recent reads I enjoyed:
American Hemp Farmer by Doug Fine (his prior works are all fun, but interesting science, reads too)
The Raven Spell by Luanne G. Smith (her first series, The Vine Witch, was wonderful too)
Sharp Women by Kelly Sayre (nonfiction about situational awareness/self defense for women, great insights and if you haven’t already read Gavin de Becker’s The Gift of Fear, it will probably be a good one to listen to with it, about trusting intuition)
Pure Land by Annette McGivney (investigative journalism into a murder in AZ – trigger warning: mental health/trauma, drug use, abuse, and a tough read for anyone who has dealt with an elder who developed dementia)
If you enjoy alt history fiction (especially Steampunk-esque reads), Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series was fun. Reminded me a bit of Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody mysteries – which were also a great read back in the day. Those were historical fiction (Egyptian archaeology) and have been around for decades so they are often available immediately these days. Another series I’d recommend.
One last oldie but goodie – The Cat Who mysteries. 🙂
Jeanie says
The reader for the Amelia Peabody series is one of my favorite voices in audio books!
Vy says
The Internet Archives site has 63,000+ free audiobooks: https://archive.org/details/audio_bookspoetry
Sara says
The Reading List by Sarah Nisha Adams was really good!
Terry C says
My book club just read Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig. It is the novelization of the true story of a group of Smith College graduates who went to France during WWI to help rebuild a small town.
Anne says
Our book club just read that and it was thoroughly fascinating and mostly true. With the invasion of Ukraine more relevant.
Shar Benson says
“Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale” by Adam Minter.
The title sounds so boring, but it is not. This book was one of the more interesting books I have read in the last few years. The author follows where all of our donations go and how this market has changed in the last few years.
Dianne says
Mavis,
Opt for the large print as well, they seem to have a quicker turn around time.
Great list of books already, but I would like to add the “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” along with the author’s other books. Any book by Colson Whitehead. I really liked the Harlem Shuffle and currently have “The Bowery Boys” to read next. If you like crime/mysteries, I like Harden Coburn, Dan Brown, and Stieg Larsson, especially his series with the main character, Lisbeth Salamander. So many good books out there, there is something to like.
Wendy says
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-yes! I was going to recommend this one.
Wendy Lato says
Peggy Rowe, mother of Mike Rowe, has written 2 best selling books: About My Mother and About Your Father. Both are very feel good stories and she reads them in a very relaxed manner.
Tanya B says
I second Peggy’s books! Also, Mike’s book is excellent even if you listen in short stints as it’s different stories in each chapter. He reads the audiobook in that heavenly voice of his 🙂
I would also suggest “The Library Book” by Susan Orlean. A great history of the LA public library and the fire that was set in the ’80s. However, the author reads this too slow if you ask me. Putting the playback speed up to 1.5 helps immensely!
Julie says
Charles Martin books…. I’ve read When Crickets Cry..Excellent!! Also A Mountain Between Us..also EXCELLENT!!!
Also…Altogether in One Place, by Jane Kirkpatrick. It is based on a true story.
Ca says
Anything by Rosamund Pilcher!
KCB says
The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett Graff
Nancy says
Try ‘Indigo Girl’ by Natasha Boyd, I think you will enjoy it. It’s a story about Eliza Lucas, the Eliza Lucas Pinckney of 1739 South Carolina.
Based on historical documents, including Eliza’s letters, this is a historical fiction account of how a teenage girl influenced the course of history.
Richelle says
I’ve read a bunch of non-fiction over the last year a two:
1. The Promised Land Barack Obama *
2. Tattooist of Auschwitz Heather Morris *
3. One Plane in the Sky Garrett M. Graff *
4. The Year of Yes Shonda Rhimes *
5. Mountains Beyond Mountains Tracy Kidder *
6. Strength in What Remains Tracy Kidder *
7. Lady in Waiting Anne Glenconner
8. Becoming Michelle Obama *
9. Cilka Heather Morris *
10. Dreams from My Father Barack Obama *
11. Small Fry Lisa Brennon-Jobs
12. All Creatures Great and Small James Herriot *
13. About My Mother Peggy Rowe *
14. About Your Father Peggy Rowe *
15. Calypso David Sedaris *
16. My Stroke of Insight Jill Bolte Taylor *
17. Life Keith Richards *
18. 13 Hours in Benghazi Mitchell Zuckoff
19. 33 Men Jonathon Franklin
20. Whiskey in a Tea Cup Reese Witherspoon
21. The Watergate Girl Jill Wine-Banks
The asterisked books were my favorites.
These are on my list:
Eva And Eve: A Search for My Mother’s Lost Childhood and What a War Left Behind / Julie Metz
Tammy Duckworth: Every Day is a Gift
The Leopard / Giuseppe di Lampedusa
Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed: The Story of The Village of Le Chambon and How Goodness Happened There
Jeanie says
Our library uses Libby. We have a home in the Midwest and also in Florida so I have two library cards at different libraries. To beat the system, I look for the book I want in both library systems and then pick the shorter hold time. It usually works really well and the benefit to Libby is that it includes magazines….some of which are expensive UK versions that I never see anywhere.
If you are still a library card holder in the Pacific Northwest, you can access that system as well as where you are in Maine. The bigger the system, the more digital downloads they usually purchase.
Jeanie says
Can we have a moment’s pause for when a good audio version has a great reader! I just listened to a not so great book made unbearable because of the way the reader enunciated every word and her strange vocal breaks. It was awful and I wondered if anyone had vetted her before choosing her to read their book.
Tracey says
So agree! Davina Porter reads Diana Gabaldons highlander books, but could also hypnotize you just by reading the phone book. Alan Rickman has read Thomas Hardy and made me a better listener than I’d ever thought. Maybe a bit dramatic but it’s akin to be lectured by a great professor; it can change your life and reading habit.
Jules says
If you like historical fiction Jane Kirkpatrick is a wonderful author, and she is an Oregonian. I would reread any of books