A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston, Dorothy Dillingham Blue (Narrator)

My second Ashley Poston of the month. This one had a better narrator but the story was more lacklustre. It was not fantastical enough for me. The magical realism aspect was barely there.

1.8x. July 13-16, 2025.

Evergreen Chase by Juneau Black

Started this during an insomnia night (can’t drink coke!). This was a short story and prequel to the series. The mystery was very simple to the point of being a storybook. It was fine though because it was cozy.

Read July 17, 2025 on Kobo Libra 2.

Onyx Storm (Parts 1 & 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros, Graphic Audio full cast

I really do not care about the main couple anymore. I only like the dragons. I still find that aspect interesting. I actually found some of the voice acting by the supportive cast better than the leads or maybe I was tired of listening to Violet. I was quite bored for most of this book except for the dragon stuff. There were too many characters. The ending was confusing.

1.75x. July 16-21, 2025.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

I started this before a very hectic week and did not really read have time to read most of it. Once I got into it, I gobbled it up. I knew I would like it from the start. I ended up loving it because it hit my particular wheelhouses of found family, immigrant story, and lonely daughter. All things which resonated deeply with me. It’s very similar to Legends & Lattes with the found family crew, adventuring, and baking.

June 29-July 8, 2025. Read a bit on Kobo Libra 2.

The Stand-In by Lily Chu with Phillipa Soo (Narrator)

Continuing on with the romance on audiobooks. This was a Canadian romance novel set in Toronto and featured a half-Chinese protagonist. The writing in it is not bad per se. Gracie was likeable and relatable. The way it dealt with caretaking for a parent with dementia, anxiety, and depression seemed good. The sexual harassment storyline was a bit over the top and the end of it was predictable. I did not like that it had a misunderstanding trope in the last third which results in the usual third act breakup. Boring romance tropes. There was another soap opera element as well which I was fine with but not the bad romance tropes. The best thing was listening to Phillipa Son’s narration. I would have been bored without it and she made the characters. I am almost tempted to listen to more books by this author since Soo is the narrator, but I doubt I will find the writing better. Most of these modern contemporary romance novels are not for me.

1.75-2.5x. July 6-8, 2025.

Sheets by Brenna Thummler

This is a popular graphic novel which I have been meaning to read for years. Maybe it was my fatigue or recent stress, but I only thought this was okay. The mood was more somber than I imagined. The teenage protagonist Marjorie was grieving from the sudden death of her mother, dealing with her depressed father, being bullied at school, and working their family business while being harassed by a charlatan. While there is a lighthearted tone with Wendell and the ghosts, the human dynamics were a bit depressing until the very end. It gets wrapped up too neatly and quickly. The art was nice. I do not think I will pick up the rest in the series.

July 10, 2025.

Mirror Lake by Juneau Black, Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

Revisiting this cozy fantasy mystery series during this busy summer. The mysteries are really easy to solve including their twists and the vibe is cozy. It’s easy going. Vera was still too risky but not stupid. Narrator did a good job as before.

1.5x. July 9-12, 2025.

ADHD 2.0 : New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction—From Childhood Through Adulthood by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey, Fred Sanders (Narrator)

This ADHD book was short and felt like it focussed more on environmental and neuroplasticity. I related more to it as a result. I think environment and lifestyle coping strategies are how I’ve managed my ADHD symptoms since I was a child. Consequently, I can see why the environment has harmed my quality of life and affected ADHD symptoms. I liked the concise presentation and recommendations.

1.8x. June 30-July 3, 2025.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, Brittany Pressley (Narrator)

Romance with magical realism in the form of time travel. I have found contemporary romance easier to consume if there are some fantastical elements. I liked this book more than the Emily Henry I have tried. This was actually a grief novel too. The protagonist Clementine was grieving all of the book from the sudden death of her Aunt. That aspect was realistic and well done.

Since I’ve been so busy this summer, I decided to try listening to romance on audio since they do not require as much concentration. I normally switch to print for fiction especially when I do not love the narrator. The narration was fine but I wanted a background audiobook for walks and chores. I will try more romances or lighter novels on audiobooks this summer since I will not have enough sitting reading time. I’ll switch back to more text reading and nonfiction audio when things get a bit calmer hopefully after summer is over.

1.8-2.0x. July 3-6, 2025.

Good Material by Dolly Alderton, Arthur Darvill and Vanessa Kirby (Narrators)

Audiobook 10%. I enjoyed Alderton’s memoir. I have found that if an author is good in nonfiction, I may not like them as much in fiction or vice versa. The main character Andy was going through a breakup and was quite unlikeable for most of this novel. I realized that it was a satire of a millennial dating early on which made it a tad easier to consume. The other characters were fine and somewhat amusing. I liked Jen’s perspective at the end and there was some good writing flipping how each character were in the relationship. I found Jen more interesting and wished we had more from her, but that would be a different kind of book. I preferred Alderton’s nonfiction and may consider reading more fiction from her in the future.

1.5x. June 26-28, 2025.

Thank You, Everything by Icinori

A really lovely children’s book about gratitude with fantastic art. Beautiful. I do gratitude journaling and this was inspiring.

June 29, 2025.

French Conversation with Paul Noble: Learn to Speak Everyday French Step-by-Step by Paul Noble

This was the most advanced of the Paul Noble French courses I could find. I listened to it slowly in the morning after waking up. It was good except there was an odd story about zombie attacks in the second half. I’ve found the second book in the series most useful for me because of the past tenses. This one had some good points, but I preferred the first half more.

1.25x. May 8-June 18, 2025.

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

The protagonist David is so unlikable. He treated Giovanni, Hella, and his father so poorly and yet the prose is very compelling. It was written extremely well and reminded me of JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, but better in every way. The prose was not excessive and immediately you got a sense of David’s closeted self-hatred. I did not like the character but I did not dislike him either since Baldwin really captured how messed up he was so well. This was a short novel but it packed so much in. Looking forward to reading more Baldwin in the future.

June 17-23, 2025 on Kobo Libra 2.

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

I began meditating for 20 mins a day in July 2023. After two months, I increased to 40 minutes a day by listening to two 20 min guided meditations. Some days I can only get one 20 minute meditation. I have only missed one day where I forgot to meditate completely. I learned about these meditations during CBT-I. I do think it has helped me sleep better. I have also become an occasional napper due to the meditations which was a revolution since I struggled to nap before even when I was a child. Before this, I meditated or did active chanting meditations as a uni student and meditated more after my mum passed away in 2021. The most consistent I have ever been is the last couple of years. I will continue this practice for life. Reading this book is preaching to the choir. I did not find anything too revelatory in it. I really enjoyed it because it was relaxing to listen to someone discuss meditation and its benefits. I liked the tone of the book and the wholesome vibe of it.

1.75-2.0x. June 17-25, 2025.

I was still going through my “reading ennui” where books were not so enjoyable due to life. I decided to read shorter novels and continue the audiobooks.

Le monde de Maxime by Lucile de Pesloüan, Jacques Goldstyn (Illustrator)

I think this was my first full French book of the year. I saw this Quebecoise children’s book twice on Goodreads so I decided to get it from my library. It was a really cute, well illustrated, and good for my reading level. I understand oral French more easily than written so I got to practice.

June 1-8, 2025.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Ray Porter (Narrator)

After Artemis, I was not sure I would pick up another Andy Weir book. His character writing is very lacklustre. Ryland only seems to have the most basic features of a character. There was character development but it was very mediocre due to the amnesia and the lack of depth. The narrator who did such a great job that he made the character better. I listened to this exclusively on audiobook as I had read that the audiobook was great and would help with the plot. The audiobook was very well done and helped me finish the book. The plot was the strongest aspect but there was always too much science talk at times. The second timeline in the past was boring and had rote or cliched characters. At one point, someone slapped Ryland because he was crying as if this was a midcentury film. The ending was stronger though.

1.75-2.0x. June 2-8, 2025.

How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) by Jessica McCabe

I have listened to a few ADHD books in the last year and DNFed a few as well. This one was even recommended to me by a therapist who mentioned that McCabe’s style is emotional and thoughtful. This was one of the most intersectional and considered of the books I’ve read so far. It was slightly more focussed on the emotional aspect and had a good empowering tone.

1.5-1.75x. May 20-26, 2025.

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

My reading slump has caused me to read a lot more slowly. While I am not enjoying books as much recently, I am still appreciating how good they are. This was a debut novel which took the author seven years to write. It was about two unemployed potters in Syracuse who set up a play with Athenian prisoners of war. It was set during the Peloponnesian War which is not really covered in recent history. This was a novel about war, theatre, and being human. It was very well done. There were very few female characters, the protagonist was at times annoying, and the ending is rather sad. I can’t deny there was some really good writing here. It was a great debut because he really drew out the setting and characters.

May 21-30, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill with Christina Moore (Narrator)

I listened to about about 45% on audiobook. The narrator was fantastic. She really captured all the voices and personalities. As much as I wanted to listen to it, I found my attention really waning due the length and had to finish it quickly on my hardcopy. This was longer than most Middle Grade novels. It was well written and had lots of human and magical characters. A good recommendation for an advanced young reader. Recommend the audiobook as well.

1.5-1.75x. May 27-June 1, 2025.

I feel I have a bit of a reading slump. None of the novels this month has resulted in more than 4.5 stars.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, Dominic Hoffman (Narrator)

I wish I had liked this one more. This book had some well written elements. It had a diverse cast of characters and interesting focus about African American and Jewish communities before World War II. The main characters were good when they were there but not enough characterization with them. The slow pacing, large cast, and parable aspect let it down. The two villains were caricatures; the second one was like a bogeyman. They get their comeuppance which made it feel like a morality play. I should have checked content warnings as the book had a couple of my doghouse items i.e. child endangerment and s*xual assault. It was a tad over the top even though these kind of things did happen in a historical setting but so much in one book felt excessive. I doubt I will read more from the writer as I did not like the style. The narrator was great though. I listened to 30% of it.

1.5x. May 16-21, 2025.

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Narrator)

This was my fourth bird book of the year. I have become a casual birder the last couple of years. Birds are relaxing. I read this in tandem with the audiobook as I prefer memoirs on audio. The print copy was necessary for the impressive bird illustrations.

2.0-2.7x. May 18-25, 2025.

National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home by Anya von Bremzen with Kathleen Gati (Narrator)

This a food and travel memoir. I am surprised I have not encountered the author before. Maybe I did read one of her essays in the American Travel Writing anthologies. I thought this would be a fairly easy and interesting listen since I love food and travel, but I was bored about half way through. Each chapter focussed on a different country: France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Mexico, and Turkey. The France one was one of the shortest and the one I knew about the most. There seemed to be a lot of research into each chapter but it also felt like too much information about each of these food cultures. It sorta of meandered with history, culture, and food. It did not help that I became less interested in the countries in the second half. It was not badly written but the writing was not to my taste.

1.5x-1.75x. May 4-7, 2025.

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

A speculative fiction short story collection which I read slowly over the course of a month for a reading challenge. I do not like reading books slowly but since this was short stories, I would read one or two after other books. As usual, I did get very impatient and read the last four stories in one go. I am not a horror person and some of the stories were more in that genre. Other than that, I found Fu’s writing and style engaging. She really captured female characters in particular very well and in few worlds. As with any collection some were too my taste and others not so much. Overall, enjoyable albeit creepy at times.

Read April 1-May 9, 2025.

Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

This debut contemporary kiwi novel had good buzz last year. I liked most of it but there were caveats. Let’s start with the good stuff. There is diversity as the whole family is multi-ethnic Russian / Maori / Catalan, queer, and neurodivergent. While not much happens, the chapters are short and the pace was not slow. It had some dryly amusing moments. The audiobook had kiwi actors and I dipped 15% of the audio. I much preferred to read the dry style though. The setting of New Zealand was interesting as well.

Now for the stuff I found lacklustre. There were too many characters all related to each other and many of them had similar names. It was a bit strange and almost incestuous at times. The novel was narrated by the two sibling main characters and they have a very similar voice and perspective. Their neurodivergence may also have affected their ability to effectively communicate with other characters. The reader was presented info from this odd family but a lot of things are left unsaid or secretive. I was more interested in their parents especially Betty their Maori mother. Her distance from her background and her relationships with the men seemed more fascinating than Greta and Valdin. Overall, a nice debut.

1.5-2.0x. May 9-10, 2025.

Playing catch-up as reading so many books means I am perpetually behind schedule on reviewing them. It was a very audiobook focussed week as I spent more time running.

This contains mild spoilers and implied one big spoiler.