IF I RUN

Author:  Terri Blackstock

Genre:  Christian Thriller, If I Run #1

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  2/5 (not enjoyable)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Nan Gurley

Yearly Count:  12


From NetGalley:

Casey didn't kill her friend Brent. She discovered his body, but she'd never try to hurt him. He's the only person she's ever trusted enough to tell the truth about what happened to her father . . . and there's no doubt in her mind that Brent was killed trying to help her prove it. She has to run before they get to her too.

Dylan Roberts was hired to find Casey and bring her back so that justice can be served. As a former Criminal Investigator for the Army, he can't imagine that tracking down one girl will be that difficult.

But the more elusive Casey turns out to be, the more Dylan digs into her past to try to determine what she might be thinking. What he finds there doesn't fit the profile of a killer at all. She's unlike any other fugitive he's ever seen.

The police refuse to discuss any other possibilities. There's something more going on here. Something more to this fugitive who has captured his attention. Now he just has to figure out what it is . . . and Casey just has to stay one step ahead of everyone who's after her.

How many ways can you roll your eyes?  The narrator had no character voice change, it was very unrealistic and dare I say a bit saccharine (could have been the narrator).  And, you are left with an open ending.  This, of course, is because it's #1 of 3.  Yikes!  I will not be reading anymore in this trilogy, because it simply wasn't for me.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Zondervan and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

BORN A CRIME

Author:  Trevor Noah

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  4.5/5

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Trevor Noah

Yearly Count:  10

From Goodreads:

The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime New York Times bestseller about one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

This was educational, entertaining, and I experienced a whole range of emotions, as well.  The stories weren't told succinctly, but they were engaging nonetheless. That may have been a little more noticeable due to this being an audiobook (no physical break in pages). The foul language wasn't pleasant either, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thoughts of Joy

A THOUSAND NAKED STRANGERS

Author:  Kevin Hazzard

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.75/5

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/George Newbern

Yearly Count:  8

From Goodreads:

A former paramedic’s visceral, poignant, and mordantly funny account of a decade spent on Atlanta’s mean streets saving lives and connecting with the drama and occasional beauty that lies inside catastrophe.

I thought I'd step into the life of an EMT/paramedic.  Unfortunately, I think I have been permanently scarred!  I will NEVER look at an ambulance or the paramedics inside the same way.  😟  My emotions ran the gamut, but centralized on how perplexed I was regarding the attitude of the author.  He wasn't a horrible person or anything like that, BUT he definitely didn't have the same nature as I do.  What he said was more disturbing than funny.  I do believe I giggled once, though.  HOWEVER, it does take a special kind of person to deal with and perform the duties emergencies require that arise in the medical field.  What's gross or appalling for some is intriguing and compelling to others.  I get that.  And thank goodness for them.  I'm just looking at them with a little skepticism these days.

Thoughts of Joy

  

THE TWENTY-THREE

Author:  Linwood Barclay

Genre:  Mystery, Promise Falls #3

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Poe & O'Neill

Yearly Count:  49

From NetGalley:

Everything has been leading to this.

It’s the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd, and the small town of Promise Falls, New York, has found itself in the midst of a full-blown catastrophe. Hundreds of people are going to the hospital with similar flu-like symptoms—and dozens have died. Investigators quickly zero in on the water supply. But the question for many, including private investigator Cal Weaver, remains: Who would benefit from a mass poisoning of this town?

Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is faced with another problem. A college student has been murdered, and he’s seen the killer’s handiwork before—in the unsolved homicides of two other women in town. Suddenly, all the strange things that have happened in the last month start to add up…

Bloody mannequins found in car “23” of an abandoned Ferris wheel…a fiery, out-of-control bus with “23” on the back, that same number on the hoodie of a man accused of assault…

The motive for harming the people of Promise Falls points to the number 23—and working out why will bring Duckworth closer to death than he’s ever been before…

This was a bit of a manic start, then it just took forever to move forward.  I'm glad there will be no more Promise Falls (end of trilogy).  It wasn't my favorite Barclay work - easy listening, though.  I do, however, look forward to more standalones.  He's a comfort read/listen for me.  Hooray for that!

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

PARIS FOR ONE & OTHER SHORT STORIES

Author:  Jojo Moyes

Genre:  Fiction Short Stories, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Full Cast

Yearly Count:  32

From Goodreads:

Nell is twenty-six and has never been to Paris. She's never even been on a romantic weekend away—to anywhere—before. Traveling abroad isn't really her thing. But when Nell's boyfriend fails to show up for their mini-vacation, she has the opportunity to prove everyone—including herself—wrong. Alone in Paris, Nell finds a version of herself she never knew existed: independent and intrepid. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life? Funny, charming, and irresistible, Paris for One is quintessential Jojo Moyes—as are the other stories that round out the collection.

After not reading short stories for quite some time, I really enjoyed listening to this collection.  The main story (novella?) kept me interested with its more modern take on dating, and the other stories were engaging, as well.  I think Jojo Moyes has quite the talent for relationship sagas.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

FORGIVE ME

Author:  Daniel Palmer

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Tavia Gilbert

Yearly Count:  12

From NetGalley:

At DeRose & Associates Private Investigators in Virginia, Angie DeRose strives to find and rescue endangered runaways--work that stands in stark contrast to her own safe, idyllic childhood. But in the wake of her mother's sudden death, Angie makes a life-altering discovery. Hidden among the mementos in her parents' attic is a photograph of a little girl, with a code and a hand-written message on the back: "May God forgive me."

Angie has no idea what it means or how to explain other questionable items among her mother's possessions. Her father claims to know nothing. Could Angie have a sister or other relative she was never told about? Bryce Taggart, the US Marshal working with her agency, agrees to help Angie learn the fate of the girl in the photograph. But the lies she and Bryce unearth will bring her past and present together with terrifying force. And everything she cherishes will be threatened by the repercussions of one long-ago choice--and an enemy who will kill to keep a secret hidden forever.

Two storylines were going on at the same time. The investigator's personal story and the one that she was hired to do - track down a runaway.  The runaway storyline seemed very true to life (unfortunately), but it didn't captivate me in how it was told.  And, I didn't care much for the narrator's version of this audiobook.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Kensington Books and Netgalley for providing me with the eGalley.

BEHAVE

Author:  Andromeda Romano-Lax

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  2/5 (not enjoyable)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/
Elisabeth Rogers

Yearly Count:  11

From NetGalley:

With Behave, Andromeda Romano-Lax offers a provocative fictional biography of Rosalie Rayner Watson, a woman whose work influenced generations of Americans, and whose legacy has been lost in the shadow of her husband's. In turns moving and horrifying, Behave is a richly nuanced and disturbing novel about science, progress, love, marriage, motherhood, and what all those things cost a passionate, promising young woman.

This first 4/5 of the book was not good.  It was very dry and just dragged on and on.  I can't comment much on the actual content, because I don't know for sure what was fictionalized or not.  The only interesting part was the last couple CDs.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Soho Press and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

POOR STUDENTS, RICH TEACHING

Author:  Eric Jensen

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  3

From Goodreads:

Discover practical and research-based strategies to ensure all students, regardless of circumstance, are college and career ready. This thorough resource details the necessary but difficult work that teachers must do to establish the foundational changes essential to positively impact students in poverty. Organized tools and resources are provided to help teachers effectively implement these essential changes.

This was read as a Book Study over the last several months.  It was an encouraging read, but nothing new.  It's always nice to dust off and be refreshed, though.  The ultimate goal is to get students to graduate high school and be job or college ready.

Thoughts of Joy

  

CLOSE YOUR EYES

Author:  Michael Robotham

Genre:  Mystery, Joseph O'Loughlin Series #8

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Sean Barrett

Yearly Count:  38

From NetGalley:

When a former student bungles a murder investigation, clinical psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin steps in to face a ruthless killer.

A mother and her teenage daughter are found murdered in a remote farmhouse, one defiled by multiple stab wounds and the other posed like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince. Joe O'Loughlin is drawn into the investigation when a former student, trading on Joe's reputation by calling himself the "Mindhunter," jeopardizes the police inquiry by leaking details to the media and stirring up public anger.

Joe discovers a link between these murders and a series of brutal attacks where the men and women are choked unconscious and the letter "A" is carved into their foreheads. As the case becomes ever more complex, nothing is quite what it seems, and the fates of Joe and those closest to him become intertwined with that of a merciless and unpredictable killer.

I have read a few books in this series and have enjoyed Joe.  This book was no different.  I actually enjoyed his personal life more than the mystery.  Ultimately, I had the same feeling about the audioread - not quite good enough for me to say it was "very good," but I did like it.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.
  

THE PASSENGER

Author:  Lisa Lutz

Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  2.75/5 (eh )

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Madeleine Maby

Yearly Count:  33

From NetGalley:

In case you were wondering, I didn’t do it. I didn’t have anything to do with Frank’s death. I don’t have an alibi, so you’ll have to take my word for it...

Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband’s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It’s not the first time.

She meets Blue, a female bartender who recognizes the hunted look in a fugitive’s eyes and offers her a place to stay. With dwindling choices, Tanya-now-Amelia accepts. An uneasy―and dangerous―alliance is born.

It’s almost impossible to live off the grid today, but Amelia-now-Debra and Blue have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation, to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret…can she outrun her past?

Well, I didn't have much luck with Lutz's other books, but I really wanted to give this one a try.  I still am not a fan of her style, BUT I actually finished this book!  And, I didn't strongly dislike it!  :)  There was definitely an element of wanting to know what was going to happen instilled in me, and that was a good thing.  Can't say I'm interested in picking up another, but this one wasn't so bad.  😝

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

WHERE IT HURTS

Author:  Reed Farrel Coleman

Genre:  Mystery, Gus Murphy Series #1

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/
Chris Andrew Ciulla

Yearly Count:  32

From NetGalley:

Gus Murphy thought he had the world all figured out. A retired Suffolk County cop, Gus had everything a man could want: a great marriage, two kids, a nice house, and the rest of his life ahead of him. But when tragedy strikes, his life is thrown into complete disarray. In the course of a single deadly moment, his family is blown apart and he is transformed from a man who believes he understands everything into a man who understands nothing.

Divorced and working as a courtesy van driver for the run-down hotel in which he has a room, Gus has settled into a mindless, soulless routine that barely keeps his grief at arm's length. But Gus's comfortable waking trance comes to an end when ex-con Tommy Delcamino asks him for help. Four months earlier, Tommy's son T.J.'s battered body was discovered in a wooded lot, yet the Suffolk County PD doesn't seem interested in pursuing the killers. In desperation, Tommy seeks out the only cop he ever trusted—Gus Murphy.

Gus reluctantly agrees to see what he can uncover. As he begins to sweep away the layers of dust that have collected over the case during the intervening months, Gus finds that Tommy was telling the truth. It seems that everyone involved with the late T.J Delcamino—from his best friend, to a gang enforcer, to a mafia capo, and even the police—has something to hide, and all are willing to go to extreme lengths to keep it hidden. It's a dangerous favor Gus has taken on as he claws his way back to take a place among the living, while searching through the sewers for a killer.

I liked Gus and Coleman's writing style, but I found the storyline to be a bit lackluster.  It was a little slow with not much happening.  However, Gus and the narrator (Ciulla) were a good team, and I'll be happy to visit with Gus again.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

THE LAST ONE

Author:  Alexandra Oliva

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  2/5 (not enjoyable)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/
Chamberlain & Zanzarella

Yearly Count:  28

From NetGalley:

She wanted an adventure. She never imagined it would go this far.

It begins with a reality TV show.

Twelve contestants are sent into the woods to face challenges that will test the limits of endurance. While they are out there, something terrible happens—but how widespread is the destruction, and has it occurred naturally or is it man-made? Cut off from society, the contestants know nothing of it. When one of them—a young woman the show's producers call Zoo—stumbles across the devastation, she can imagine only that it is part of the game.

Alone and disoriented, Zoo is heavy with doubt regarding the life—and husband—she left behind, but she refuses to quit. Staggering countless miles across unfamiliar territory, Zoo must summon all of her survival skills—and learn new ones as she goes.

But as her emotional and physical reserves dwindle, she grasps that the real world might have been altered in terrifying ways—and her ability to parse the charade will either be her triumph or her undoing.

Sophisticated and provocative, The Last One is a novel that forces us to confront the role that media plays in our perception of what is real: how readily we cast our judgments, how easily we are manipulated.

Dour.  That's the first word that comes to mind to describe this book.  I did not enjoy it for a couple of reasons.  One - it was dour.  Two - I think I prefer to watch reality TV shows over listening to all the monotonous descriptions of every little expression or movement of the contestants.  Just blah.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

WHAT WAS MINE

Author:  Helen Ross Klein

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Various

Yearly Count:  26

From NetGalley:

Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.

When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood.

After being engaged throughout the entire book, the ending left me incredibly unsatisfied.  I didn't even particularly like any of the characters, but I wanted to listen every chance I got.  Such a disappointing way to end a good experience.  :(

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

  

BEFORE THE FALL

Author:  Noah Hawley

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  2.5/5 (eh)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Robert Petkoff

Yearly Count:  25

From NetGalley:

On a foggy summer night, eleven people--ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter--depart Martha's Vineyard headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the passengers disappear into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs--the painter--and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of a wealthy and powerful media mogul's family.

With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the tragedy and the backstories of the passengers and crew members--including a Wall Street titan and his wife, a Texan-born party boy just in from London, a young woman questioning her path in life, and a career pilot--the mystery surrounding the crash heightens. As the passengers' intrigues unravel, odd coincidences point to a conspiracy: Was it merely dumb chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something far more sinister at work? Events soon threaten to spiral out of control in an escalating storm of media outrage and accusations--all while the reader draws closer and closer to uncovering the truth.

Amid pulse-quickening suspense, the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, human nature, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

This started out good, but ended up getting bogged down with too many characters that I didn't care about in the least.  And, the completed storyline felt underwhelming.  

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

HILLBILLY ELEGY

Author:  J. D. Vance

Gerne:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/J. D. Vance

Yearly Count:  18

This is an account of a self-professed Hillbilly who makes it against many odds.

Since I have read numerous books regarding poverty (and see it in my profession), this book didn't hold any revelations for me, but it was interesting.  Vance did a great job reading his own work, and I appreciated his efforts in showing that getting out from underneath can be accomplished.

Thoughts of Joy

THE THINGS WE KEEP

Author:  Sally Hepworth

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  2/5 (not enjoyable)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Plummer & Kreinik

Yearly Count:  10

Anna enters a residential housing situation due to her diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's.

This was not an enjoyable audioread.  I didn't care for either of the storylines, which was pretty much all negative.  And, on occasion, I was confused as to the timeframe.  Blah.  

Thoughts of Joy

    

ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN

Author:  Wendy Walker

Genre:  Psychological Thriller/Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  4.5/5 (excellent)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Dylan Baker

Yearly Count:  7

Jenny, a high-school student, is given a controversial drug to help erase a traumatic event.  With that success comes the fact that it's a failure, as well.  Not knowing was causing even more of an emotional toll on Jenny.

I didn't think I was going to like this book after hearing only one narrator talk and talk and talk.  I gave it some more time and . . . I couldn't stop listening.  Listening to the topic and graphic nature of the storyline was still difficult, but it was presented very well.  The characters, the suspense, the memory function explanations, the dilemmas raised regarding childrearing, marriage issues -- virtually everything captivated me.  It wasn't perfect, but I found it to be an excellent audioread.

Thoughts of Joy

   

GIRL IN THE BLUE COAT

Author:  Monica Hesse

Genre:  YA Historical Fiction/Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Natalia Payne

Yearly Count:  5


In 1943, Amsterdam, Hanneke seeks after black market items for customers.  One customer asks her to locate the missing teenager she had been hiding.  Hanneke reluctantly accepts the challenge.

There was much research acquired for this book, and it was apparent.  However, there still were scenes that didn't feel realistic, but the whole Nazi occupation seems unfathomable.  So who am I to say?  I enjoyed the storyline and found some surprises along the way.  It was definitely a good, YA historical fiction read.

Thoughts of Joy

THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10

Author:  Ruth Ware

Genre:  Mystery, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Imogen Church

Yearly Count:  3

From NetGalley:

Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

After I suspended disbelief, I enjoyed this mystery.  In general, it actually started out pretty good for me, then it got a little far-fetched.  I was curious enough to know what really was going on and am glad I did.  It wasn't anything special, but a decent audioread.  

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

NEWS OF THE WORLD

Author:  Paulette Jiles

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Grover Gardner

Yearly Count:  1

During the aftermath of the Civil War, Captain Kidd, a traveling newspaper reader, is asked to deliver a 10-year-old girl to her relatives 400 miles away.

This book was my introduction to Jiles.  I enjoyed her style of writing and thought the storyline was good, but incredibly predictable.  Now the narrator, Grover Gardner, was very good. 

Thoughts of Joy