Rivers of London: A Recap and Review of a Super Fun Series

My friend Meghan told me a while ago to request Midnight Riot on audio from our library. So I did, and have been patiently working my way up the hold list. I blazed through the whole thing in just over a day about two weeks ago -- because Kobna Holdbrook-Smith does an AMAZING job of narrating all the different British accents in the story.

The basic premise of the series is that Peter Grant, a young constable with the Metropolitan Police, is shocked to discover that he's been talking to a ghost. And then things get even weirder, when a wizard shows up to explain to Peter that magic is real, and that he himself has latent magical ability. Soon apprenticed to the sorcerer, but simultaneously continuing his police work, Peter finds himself solving murders with "unusual" qualities to them.

The series is hilarious - full of tongue-in-cheek references to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and other magical books; plus they're actually really good mysteries - with Grant narrating the typical way that police work is done in England (with some super amusing sarcastic asides). As his investigation into a series of murders goes on, he discovers links to Mama Thames (the goddess of the river), and her daughters - who include Fleet, Tyburn, and Beverly among others. (The sisters are all goddesses of minor London tributaries - hence the "Rivers of London" series - and British title of the first book. Not quite sure why they changed to Midnight Riot for the American edition.)

Book two, Moon Over Soho, found Peter and his sorcerer master investigating a series of deaths of jazz musicians. At one point he's theorizing why the musicians are dying, and he says he thinks it might be vampires who are feeding off the sound of the music. "You think there are vampires who feed off of jazz? JAZZ VAMPIRES??" I laughed out loud at the skeptical tone of voice. So great.

I'm 3/4 of the way through book 3, Whispers Underground, which is crazy, since I they're all around 11 hours long, and I stopped to listen to Naomi Novik's Uprooted in the middle! They really just are SO much fun on audio. I especially enjoy Peter's look at the world - his father is a white "cockney geezer" and jazz legend (which is partly how Peter got drawn into the events of Moon Over Soho), while his mother is a cleaning woman from West Africa, lending him a unique perspective on several different aspects of society in London. And, since I've visited London several times, I love reading about places I've been and streets I've walked.

If you like paranormal mysteries, or you're an Anglophile like me, you'll love these. And even if they're out of your normal comfort zone genre-wise, I really do recommend the audio versions extremely highly! I haven't read any in print, so they might not be quite as good without Holdbrook-Smith's superb narration, but I bet that they're still fun.

What audiobooks have YOU enjoyed lately?

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Bookish Links to Start Your Workweek

Eleanor came home with a reading medal on Friday - she was the star reader of all the kinder classes at her school! I'm partly super proud, and partly jealous. Where's MY reading medal!? (Ha!)

• Don't forget that the Sync free summer audiobooks have started! Sync offers two free books a week - one YA, paired with one classic or nonfiction title - which you can download to your computer, or to your mobile device via Overdrive.
• Nathaniel Philbrick's new book came out last week. I'm on the hold list at the library, but you can buy it (afflink) if you're more impatient than I am. I don't think I've ever read a history of Benedict Arnold, so I'm excited. 
• This lady is AMAZING - she hand-painted the first page of a Harry Potter book on her wall. Now I just need to talk Noel into letting me do this.
• These 9 Excuses Every Book-Lover Has Used are all pretty true for me, especially #8 and #9! 
• There's been so much fun Shakespeare stuff floating around in honor of the 400th anniversary of his death. Check out #Shakespeare400 across social media for tons of cool things. I did surprisingly badly on this "Spot the Real Shakespeare Words" quiz. (I only got 3 right!)

And from the Quirky Bookworm archives for this week: 

• 4 years ago: Fictional Moms: The Good, The Bad, and the Nonexistent
• 3 years ago: Book Spine Poetry - I need to do this again!
• 2 years ago: Death in Sardinia by Marco Vichi (featuring adorable bald baby Juliet) 
• 1 year ago: Triplets, Spaceships, and Broken Families: What I've Been Reading

Happy Monday!

9 Celebrity Memoirs That Are Great Audiobooks!

I have a not-so-secret fondness for celebrity memoirs on audiobook. There's just something so fun about listening to someone's memoir when it's read by the celebrity whose story it is!

1. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. This is probably my favorite of all of these. Lowe is a superb narrator, and his willingness to name drop makes for some excellent anecdotes! This book made me laugh out loud so many times. Plus, let's face it. Rob Lowe is very attractive! Who wouldn't want to have him talking in their ear for 10 hours?
2. Wildflower by Drew Barrymore.
   This is where a great performance is huge. The actual book wasn't very interesting to me; I found Barrymore's stories a little dull. But - her presentation was FANTASTIC, and made for a fun listen.
3. Yes, Please by Amy Poehler.
   Again, this is one that was all about the performance for me. The book was decent, but the audiobook is great. I, of course, particularly loved the chapter where she talks about Parks & Recreation.
4. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming.
   This gives Rob Lowe a run for his money. It's a gripping book (Cumming's father was abusive, and he has some hard memories to work through), and his Scottish accent is so charming. You might even want to watch Cumming's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? before listening (like I did), so you can picture more of the people he describes.
5. Along the Way by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. I adored half of this book, and was slightly irritated by the other half. It's told in alternating chapters by Martin (whom I love), and Emilio (who is awfully full of himself). But put together it makes for a great listen, and I've added The Way to my list of must-see movies as a result of reading this.
6. Bossypants by Tina Fey.
   I didn't listen to this one, and I wish I had. Everyone I know who listened to the book raves about it, and I was a little underwhelmed by the print edition. If I ever find the time, I'm going to listen to it and see if it's better the second time around!
7. I Must Say by Martin Short.
   Parts of this book were over my head (Short's SNL run was ahead of my time, so I didn't have a frame of reference for some of the characters he described). But oh goodness was his relationship with his wife Nancy so incredibly sweet. The book is basically an homage to the wife he misses, and parts of it made me cry - something I didn't expect from someone as funny as Short!
8. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling.
   First of all, what girl can't relate to that title? I thought this book was original and funny, and is MUCH better than Kaling's second book.
9. As You Wish by Cary Elwes.
   This one is SUPER SUPER fun on audio, because many of the original stars - including Robin Wright and Rob Reiner - voice their own reminiscences. Some of my favorite parts were when Elwes was sharing his memories of Andre the Giant. If only Andre had still been alive to participate in the project!

I'm always looking for more good celebrity memoirs to listen to! Have a recommendation for me? Share in the comments below!

And if you'd like to purchase my two favorites, click through the images below to buy them (or anything else you want!) on Amazon. It won't cost you anything extra, but I'll earn a few cents on the transaction. Better me than the big, faceless company, right? Thanks for supporting Quirky Bookworm!

January Reading Wrap-Up

Whoops, it's already February. But better late than never to check back in on my January reading plan! Here are the books I did and didn't read.

The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson

Did I actually read it? Yes!
Why: To review for Shelf Awareness. (So good - 5 stars!)

Betty Boo by Claudia Pineiro

Did I read it? Yes!
Why: For review. And to help my Latin American book stats this year. I ended up being surprised how much I enjoyed it, in spite of its slightly silly title.

I'm Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjork

Did I read it? No.
Why not: I ran out of time. I still might get to it. Maybe? Seems a little doubtful though.

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling 

Did I read it? Yes!
Why: Honestly, I don't really know. Why did I finish this? It was meh.

Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming

Did I read it? Yes!
Why: It was super good. I need another great audiobook like this one. (Although full disclosure - he details some of the abuse he endured at the hands of his father, and those parts were difficult to listen to.)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Did I read it? Yes!
Why: It finally came in at the library. And it was pretty good!

In Arctic Waters by Laura Crawford

Did I read it? Yes!
Why: For the RTFEBC.

I'm so excited! I actually read 6/7 of the books I planned to read. In addition to those, I also read The Rule of Four, Wildflower, Fates and Furies, Fool's Assassin, The Year of Miss Agnes, and The Snow Child. I didn't like the first two very much, I have mixed feelings about Fates and Furies, and I really enjoyed the last three - more on those soon.

What did YOU read last month? 

31 Days of Book Pics - Day 24 - Audiobooks

You guys know that I love audiobooks. I wrote a whole post on why you should be reading them. Here are a handful of audiobooks I've loved recently.

• Bill Bryson's books are great on audio. They're enjoyable and fascinating nonfiction, and he does a pretty good job narrating for an author. (Usually I like professional narrators much better.)
• I love anything narrated by Rebecca Lowman. She does all of Rainbow Rowell's books, and they're so good. 
• Celebrities who perform their own memoirs are also super fun. I've enjoyed books by Martin Short, Amy Poehler, Martin Sheen, and Cary Elwes - but my favorites are Rob Lowe's books. Stories I Only Tell My Friends is especially great.
• Other favorite narrators - Jim Dale, Simon Vance, Orlagh Cassidy, Caroline Lee. 
• Other authors whose books make for addicting audiobooks - Kate Morton, Tana French, Marissa Meyer, Liane Moriarty, Robin Hobb.

This is Day 24 of my 31 Days of Book Pics series for 2015. I'd love it if you'd play along on Instagram and Twitter by posting a bookish picture each day of October. Don't forget to hashtag your photos with #31bookpics so that I can find them! Click the image below to find the whole series!

31 Book Pics - Day 16 - Obsessed With It

Considering that I listened to Fangirl on audio three times in less than one year, I'm pretty sure "obsessed with it" is the correct terminology. For some reason, I just can't get enough!

What book are YOU obsessed with?

This is Day 16 of my 31 Days of Book Pics series for 2015. I'd love it if you'd play along on Instagram and Twitter by posting a bookish picture each day of October. Don't forget to hashtag your photos with #31bookpics so that I can find them! Click the image below to find the whole series!

31 Days of Book Pics - Day 13 - Made You Cry

I knew what was going on in Me Before You, but oh man, it still made me blubber! I'm on the hold list for After You at the library.

This is Day 13 of my 31 Days of Book Pics series for 2015. I'd love it if you'd play along on Instagram and Twitter by posting a bookish picture each day of October. Don't forget to hashtag your photos with #31bookpics so that I can find them! Click the image below to find the whole series!

31 Days of Book Pics - Day 9 - Reading Accessories

These are two different reading accessories I use frequently. The earbuds are for audiobooks, which I listen to all the time. And then sometimes, if I'm reading a book at the library or something, I use them to listen to music while I'm reading, so that other people's conversations don't distract me.

I have a handful of pretty bookmarks which I like using when I'm reading hardback books. Sometimes I use whatever scrap of paper is handy, but I usually try and hunt down a bookmark, just because it looks nicer!

Are you a bookmarker?

This is Day 9 of my 31 Days of Book Pics series for 2015. I'd love it if you'd play along on Instagram and Twitter by posting a bookish picture each day of October. Don't forget to hashtag your photos with #31bookpics so that I can find them! Click the image below to find the whole series!

31 Days of Book Pics - Day 1 - Current Reads

You want to hear the crazy part about this picture? None of my current reads are "real" books. Food: A Love Story and I Must Say are audiobooks, Where'd You Go Bernadette? was part audio and now part e-book, and The Marriage Pact is an e-book. Even a year ago, I would have been stunned by how rarely I read actual books these days.

How about you? Do you read "real" books?

This is Day 1 of my 31 Days of Book Pics series for 2015. I'd love it if you'd play along on Instagram and Twitter by posting a bookish picture each day of October. Don't forget to hashtag your photos with #31bookpics so that I can find them!

After today, I'll update this post with links to all the other pics in the series, so that you can always check back here to find the full list!

Day 1 - you just read it!
Day 2 - Shelves
Day 3 - Underrated
Day 4 - Green Books
Day 5 - Movie Adaptation
Day 6 - #bookwormproblems (a link-up!)
Day 7 - Old Favorites
Day 8 - Pretty Books 
Day 9 - Book Accessories
Day 10 - Unforgettable
Day 11 - Book Poetry
Day 12 - Books & Nature
Day 13 - Made You Cry
Day 14 - Book Source
Day 15 - Birthday Books
Day 16 - Obsessed With It
Day 17- Blue Books
Day 18 - Ugly Cover
Day 19 - Reading Place
Day 20 - Picture Books
Day 21 - New Books
Day 22 - Book Club
Day 23 - So Bad It's Good
Day 24 - Audiobooks
Day 25 - Wild Books
Day 26 - Makes You Laugh

Tales of a Listening Addict: 11 Audiobooks and Podcasts I Can't Get Enough Of

In the last two months, I've listened to several great audiobooks. Something like 120 hours worth - which is about 5 whole days! (Although I tend to listen to them on 1.25 speed, except for the really technical parts of the The Martian, so really it's probably more like 4 days worth.)

I've also been enjoying some great podcasts.

(And in related news, I never listen to music anymore, unless it's classical or kiddy stuff with the girls in the car.)

But, back to the podcasts and audiobooks. Here's a roundup of the things I've been enjoying.

Audiobooks

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, narrated by Caroline Lee

Moriarty is such a fun writer. She does a superb job of mixing dark topics (abuse, divorce, miscarriage) with humor. And Caroline Lee's narration is spot-on: she makes me want to visit Australia so badly!

The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb, narrated by James Langton

I read the first one (Fool's Errand) about 3 years ago, but when I tried to pick up book 2 I couldn't remember enough of the plot. So I bought all 3 titles on Audible, and really enjoyed listening to them all. I particularly enjoyed Golden Fool I think - but Fool's Fate was great too. Golden Fool just had the widest span of different accents, and Langton was really convincing at all of them. And Hobb's writing is always gorgeous - these are epic, high fantasy at their finest.

The Martian by Andy Weir, narrated by R.C. Bray

This one made me laugh out loud several times. And in spite of all the math/technical details, I was completely engaged. Mark Watney, the astronaut who gets stranded on Mars, is very funny and self-deprecating, and Bray does a great job of getting that across in his narration. For example, when Watney tries to work out how long it will take something to evaporate, and is having difficulty with the exact math, he says, "Chemistry, being the sloppy bitch that it is..." Oh man, so many little moments like that, which cracked me up!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra

I read the book in 2013, and reread it this month for the YA Book and Movie Club. I really enjoyed most of the audio production. Lowman narrates all of Rowell's other books, and does a great job. Malhotra was good as Park's voice, but I didn't like the parts where Malhotra was being Eleanor. (The book is told alternately from Park and Eleanor's perspectives, so Lowman does both voices in her chapters, and Malhotra does both voices in his chapters.) I think I might've liked this one better in print, but on audio you do notice each character's little verbal tics more clearly.

Podcasts

Sorta Awesome

Sorta Awesome is my new favorite. It's so fun. I've been bloggy friends with Megan for several years (she guest posted here back in 2012), and it's a blast to see her new venture thriving. She has rotating cohosts, and they share their "Awesome of the Week", plus talk about different themes ranging from friendship to reality tv to parenting to summer plans, and everything in between.

Mystery Show

Mystery Show is my even newer favorite. Host Starlee Kine goes on small quests, to solve a mystery in each one - ranging from tracking down an old video store, to finding out if Britney Spears ever read a certain book. The first episode bothered me a bit, because Starlee has a slight lisp, and her "sss" was a teensy bit annoying. But by episode 2, I didn't even notice anymore. My favorite so far is episode #3, Belt Buckle, which totally made me cry at the end.

America's Test Kitchen

I've always loved the tv show, but I never seem to catch Test Kitchen when it's actually on. So quite often lately I've been listening to episodes of the podcast while I make dinner. I really liked the Rick Bayless episode.

The Inspired to Action Podcast

I've mentioned Inspired to Action before. It's an excellent podcast if you're a mom in need of some inspiration. Kat is really encouraging, and funny, and challenges her listeners to be the mom God has created them to be.

Coffee Break French

I listen to Coffee Break French when I get worried that my French skills are too, too rusty. And it really does help! If you're a beginner, you can go back to the very beginning. I'm listening to season 4, which is probably advanced-intermediate.

What have YOU been listening to?

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