Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Bout of Books 25 Wrap Up Post!!

I didn't make daily posts updating my reading progress during Bout of Books 25. However, I did have an awesome week in reading despite not doing any reading for pleasure yesterday!

I listened to a combination of 7 audiobooks, short stories, and several podcast series this past week for Bout of Books 25 as follows:. 

1. The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon
2. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
3. The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
4. The Magic Shop by H. G. Wells
5. The Making of a Massacre by Ginger Thompson
6. Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col
7. Days That Changed The World by Carrie Gibson

Total listening time: 20 hours, 39 minutes.

I only participated in the Day 1 Challenge, which was to describe oneself in 6 words. Here's my 6 word challenge as follows: I'm a reader, knitter, and blogger.

With all the audio listening I completed last week for BOB 25, I managed to finish knitting a triangle shawl using purple ombre yarn while listening to the above items.

Purple Ombre Shawl

Days That Changed The World by Carrie Gibson

Days That Changed The World by Carrie Gibson is a nonfiction podcast I was able to download to my Kindle for FREE from Audible. Listening time for Days That Changed The World by Carrie Gibson is 4 hours, 50 minutes. Below is my honest, unbiased review of Days That Changed The World by Carrie Gibson.

I enjoyed listening to these eleven diverse podcasts pertaining to various days in history that had a significant impact on the world today from the Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986, the protesting of Miss World in 1970, the black salute in the 1968 summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, to Stuxnet (malicious computer worm) in 2010... Plus, more!! 

If you are a history lover and want insight on days that changed the world, then grab Days That Changed The World by Carrie Gibson from Audible.

The following is the publisher's summary for Days That Changed The World by Carrie Gibson from Audible:

Ordinary people. Extraordinary stories. Listen to history's unsung heroes who changed the world, in this powerful documentary series. Get closer to events you may only have heard about from school books with these first person accounts of key moments in recent world history.
In each episode we explore pertinent dates from 1936 to 2010 and find out what happened through the eyes of those who were there. Crossing the globe and drawing on events in London, Mexico City and Afghanistan to name but a few we hear stories including takes from an athlete, journalist, chess player and soldier.

I am giving Days That Changed The World by Carrie Gibson a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col

I was able to download Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col to my Kindle for FREE from Audible. Listening time for Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col is 4 hours. Below is my honest, unbiased review of Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col.

Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow is an 8 episode mystery/thriller podcast. After listening to the first 2 episodes of Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col, I was loving this podcast and ready to give it a five star rating based on what I'd heard thus far. Episodes 3 through 7 were less than stellar and I was left thinking I'd be giving Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow a three star rating... But episode 8 left me put off by Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow.

So what happened??? Well, as I've already written, I felt like Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col started off really well. What ruined it for me? The sound quality for one. There were so many times in which I found it difficult to hear what was being said in this podcast as things were really muffled and difficult to hear in parts. Also, I felt like some of the plot details in episodes 3 through 7 felt contrived in an unbelievable/unrealistic way that soured the storyline for me. Additionally, episode 8 had an unbelievable ending that just ruined Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow for me altogether.

The following is a plot summary for Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col from Audible:

University student Anna Winslow has gone missing. The circumstances of her disappearance are far from ordinary, a fact that only fellow student Melissa Lopez appears to appreciate. Motivated by an unexplained and disturbing voicemail message from Anna on the night of her disappearance, Melissa's curiosity quickly turns into a deeper investigation, an obsession even, which she chronicles as a regular podcast - the very recordings that you are about to listen to. She quickly discovers that Anna was a loner with hearing difficulties and had disappeared for a week earlier in the year, only to return with perfect hearing, but with increasingly unstable behavior.

I am giving Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow by Anthony Del Col a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars:

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Making of a Massacre by Ginger Thompson

The Making of a Massacre by Ginger Thompson is a 5 part nonfiction podcast that I was able to download for FREE to my Kindle from Audible. Listening time for The Making of a Massacre by Ginger Thompson is 2 hours, 10 minutes. Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Making of a Massacre by Ginger Thompson.

I liked listening this nonfiction podcast. It discusses the devastating effects of the drug trade at the US/Mexico border and the deadly consequences when things go very wrong.

The following is the publisher's summary for The Making of a Massacre by Ginger Thompson from Audible:

On a warm evening in a small Mexican border town, men and women started disappearing. Local officials were warned to stay away and when it was all done, up to 200 people were gone. The Making of a Massacre is five-part true story detailing how well-intentioned efforts to curtail the drug trade by the US and Mexican governments had devastating effects. Led by ProPublica’s award-winning journalist Ginger Thompson and featuring true to life performances by notable actors Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Alana del la Garza, Clifton Collins Jr. and Snow Tha Product, listeners will hear how a town was caught in the crossfire of the drug war. When you add Making of a Massacre to your library you will receive all 5 episodes, each with a runtime of approximately 25 minutes.

I am giving The Making of a Massacre by Ginger Thompson 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Magic Shop by H. G. Wells

I was on a classics kick this week. I decided to listen to The Magic Shop by H. G. Wells and narrated by B. J. Harrison. Listening time for The Magic Shop by H. G. Wells is 25 minutes.

The Magic Shop by H. G. Wells is a likable enough storyline/plot about a young boy and his dad who visit a magic store where they have an interesting experience with the shop owner and the magic he shows them during their visit.

Again, B. J. Harrison's narration was simply mediocre.

I am giving The Magic Shop by H. G. Wells a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde

I guess you could say I am on a classic kick of sorts. I haven't read anything written by Oscar Wilde before, so decided to give The Canterville Ghost a listen.

Listening time for The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde is 1 hour, 12 minutes.

I really enjoyed listening to The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde!! It's funny, engaging, and not what I expected for a Victorian ghost tale. I highly recommend reading or listening to this story.

The following is a plot summary for The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde from Audible:

The ghost that haunts Canterville Chase has built a marvelous career of midnight haunting. But when an American family moves in, they simply have no respect for permanent bloodstains, nightmarish chains, or ancient legends. They even throw pillows at him.

I am giving The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

I haven't listened/read any of the tales from The Arabian Nights collection before, so I thought it might be kind of fun to listen to at least one of the stories. 

I download Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and narrated by B. J. Harrison from Audible. Listening time for Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is 1 hour, 38 minutes.

I really enjoyed the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. It contains lots of adventure that keeps the listener engaged throughout the entire short story. 

My favorite character in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is Morgiana, the female slave, as she displays all the cunning and ingenuity in this tale by repeatedly saving her master from harm. Morgiana is eventually freed for saving her master multiple times.

I thought that B. J. Harrison was a mediocre narrator. 

Additionally, there were a couple of times when a phrase in the storyline was repeated back to back, which I could only surmise was due to bad editing on the part of the production team.

I am giving Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday - Page to Screen Freebie - I've Seen the Movie Version, But Have Yet to Read The Book!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I had a tough time choosing the movie 'FREEBIE' topic for this week's Top Ten Tuesday post. Then it occurred to me that there are several movies I've seen based on books, but I've yet to read the book that the movie is based on! 

Below is the list of books I still want to read after watching the movie version.

1. Room by Emma Donoghue
2. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
4. The Lover by Marguerite Duras
5. The Martian by Andy Weir
6. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
8. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
9. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
10. Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Have you read any of the above books? If so, which one do you recommend I read first?

The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon

As an Audible Member, each month members (like myself) are able to chose two FREE Audible Original audio productions from a select number of Audible Originals of their choosing. The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon was one of the selection I chose from this month's offerings. 

Listening time for The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon is 6 hours, 24 minutes. Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon.

Lee Bacon is a new to me author. The Mystery of Alice falls into the young adult genre. I enjoyed the way in which The Mystery of Alice was told through a series of video chats taken with the main character's (Emily Poe) cell phone. It was like listening to someone's video diary and such a 21st century way of telling a story... It also was a great way to help propel the story forward and to create tension, suspense, and mystery!! 

Overall, I really enjoyed The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon. It wasn't perfect though. I think the biggest issue for me is that I felt like the kids involved in this story should have been 16 or 17 years old, verses 13 years old to make the story itself a bit more realistic/believable overall. 

The following is a plot summary for The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon from Goodreads:

Thirteen-year-old Emily Poe has been given the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to attend the exclusive Audyn School in Manhattan. But to win the scholarship, she has to pass a test like nothing she’s ever experienced before: a nearly bare room, a set of strange clues, a locked door. Plus, a mysterious organization—the Leopold Foundation—is watching her every move.

But the real test has just begun. Despite the strange circumstances—in a new house, at a new school—Emily instantly bonds with fellow scholarship winner Alice Wray.

And then Alice goes missing.

Chronicling every surprising twist and turn of her search through her own private video diary, Emily sets out to find the truth behind Alice’s disappearance. Soon, she’s drawn deep into the inner circle of the Audyn School’s elite, the Nobility, who each have secrets of their own. As clues and lies mount, Emily must sort truth from fiction to solve The Mystery of Alice before it’s too late.

I am giving The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!