What Ana Does

Here we go for reading in 2023. Look, I have a real THING for romance novels and I'm not ashamed of saying it. It's feminist as hell to think women's stories, full of emotions, self-improvement, and most of all HOPE are important and worth the read. There are certainly crap romance novels out there but they're also great ones that make me feel and think about my own life. Putting words to emotions or concepts I never could. Reading RULES.  FINAL COUNTS:   Books: 40  Audiobooks: 45  Minibooks on KU: 182   FINAL FOR 2023: 267  BOOKS: *books in yellow were my favorites! Too Hot to Handle by Tess Bailey -- this is a series about grown-up siblings driving across country after losing their mother. It was sweet and the sibling relationships were a mess. Might read the other three? The Stolen Heir by Holly Black -- this might be my favorite Elfhame book, and there's another one on the way. All the tension and court politics - mixed with mythology and...

 Gah! You know how people BINGE TV shows? No judgement, but they can sit through hours of the same show to see what comes next. We binged Schitt's Creek during quarantine, so I get it.  Anyway, I came across this series of books by Penny Reid about the Winston Brothers (and one sister) and I BINGED the entire audiobook series. I. Couldn't. Stop.  What did I love about them?  First off, the male narrator had a very sexy southern accent. And the women also had a very pleasing southern accent so it was just a delight to listen to. The stories were heart-felt and tender. They're nice boys with great manners and depend on each other, which is so sweet. Sure, each love story followed a similar plot line. And there was always something they were trying to be "manly" and protect their family/loves with. And there was always a scene or two where they reluctantly went to their brothers for obvious advice. And each family member and significant other had a well-drawn charact...

Audiobook: Finishing School Series Author: Gail Carriger Read by: Moira Quirk Genre: YA, Steampunk, Delightful! I know I've talked about this YA Steampunk series before ... but I finished the last book in the series and I'm excited to recommend them. These books, and Carriger as an author, just fits into my book-genre wheelhouse. There's action with a tiny bit of romance and a lot of Victorian-era charm and mischief. Sophronia is an excellent heroine of the series, as she's smart and funny yet still misses some things the reader finds rather obvious. And her band of friends are just as fantastic and well-rounded. In this story, her teacher's secrets are revealed and her school explodes. And she finally comes clean about her feelings for Soap. And let's not forget the end of the Picklemen. The audiobook is especially delightful, because the Moira Quirk, the narrator, does such an excellent job at all the accents. Victorian England would have been m...

Audiobook: Longbourn Author: Jo Baker Read by: Emma Fielding Genre: Historical Fiction, Austen Homage If you know Pride and Prejudice and have read it a few times (like me), this book starts out a lot of fun. You can follow the timeline of P&P in the background as the servants play out their own stories -- which tie slightly to the original text. Sarah immediately hates the new coachman James because he doesn't give her the time of day. Sound familiar?! The narrator did an excellent job, too. Her accent and dramatic reading were perfect (especially for Jane). And the descriptions of the countryside and the house drew me further into the world of Austen. Elizabeth probably wouldn't have been such a walker if she had to wash her own petticoats, too true! It's far too easy for me to romanticize the life of the servants in a country estate and long to be in that kitchen while they are baking the bread or tarts. However, I did not like the last (third) volume of ...

Audiobook: 'Heist Society' by Ally Carter Ready by: Angela Dawe Genre: YA Lit, Awesome! I've been thinking about Ally Carter a lot lately because a) her new book comes out on the 22nd and b) I was talking to a 9-year-old friend who was looking for a new series to read. I directed her to Carter's  Gallagher Girls series , but this is a good one, too. So I guess I was a little predisposed to pick up an Ally Carter book when I was at the library last week. And while I read this book about 10 years ago (my first Ally Carter), my memory was fuzzy on the details of the story. In a nutshell, Kat Bishop comes from a family of thieves. She makes an attempt to get out (as a sophomore in high school), but she's pulled back in to the family business when her dad is framed for stealing some priceless paintings from a very bad guy. AND there's a boy. A fantastic, perfect boy named WW Hale the fifth. It's always more fun to have a narrator read the crazy ac...

Audiobook: 'Natural Born Charmer' by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Read by: Anna Fields Genre: Romance, Romantic Comedy Phillips is the gateway drug of romance novelists. Her dialogue is hilarious and her characters are flawed and sweet. They were my first contemporary romance novels (or chick-lit) and after reading them I started digging around for more from this genre. Sweet, light, romantic comedies. So, yup, I've read this book a few times since getting it from a used book store almost a decade ago, and it's my favorite SEP romances. Sure, her books are a little dated (flip phones) now. And I can point you to a bunch of newer books that are a tad steamier. But this book is holding up. And the audiobook does it justice. Blue Bailey is a wanderer who survived an itinerate childhood by not getting too attached to people and places. Dean Robillard is a professional football player (this book is part of the Chicago Stars series) and has buried his childhood disa...

As a commuter, I go through lots of audiobook (rented from the library) each month. And for awhile, I wrote up quick audiobook reviews. I'm going to revive those reviews and place them all under this label , starting with ... Audiobook: 'Cruel Beauty' by Rosamund Hodge Read by: Elizabeth Knowledon Genre: YA Lit, Fairy Tell Retelling Did I really need to read another fairy tale retelling? Maybe not. But this sure sounded good and the cover is beautiful. Plus, I'm a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast story. Nyx is born to avenge her mother's death and father's foolish bargain by marrying the Gentle Lord, the demon at fault for shutting off their country from the rest of the world, and the underworld demons that live in the shadow and drive humans into madness. While her sister is raised to be all light and beauty, Nyx is taught to be hateful and cruel. And she's pretty wrecked by the whole thing, as she has tapped down every cruel emotion and evil t...

In April, I started the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness, beginning with A Discover of Witches,  as an audiobook on my commute to work. It's 20 discs, far longer than the audiobooks I usually choose. But I was quickly hooked by the story, and kept going through the rest of the series:  Shadow of Night and The Book of Life . That's 60+ hours of Diana and Matthew! I will tell you... these books are long on atmosphere and random tangents. And short on big shockers and suspense building. But I really enjoyed the tangled and compelling stories that carried you through the three books and unraveling the mystery of the Book of Life. Diana is a reluctant hero/witch and Matthew, though kind-hearted, is far too overbearing to be an ideal leading man in my real-world. But together, they made this wonderfully passionate and sweet pair. Of course I enjoyed the blossoming romance (though, short!) and their complicated relationship. The supporting characters are very well constru...

Guys! I just finished the THIRD audiobook in the Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater (called Blue Lily, Lily Blue ) and I can't be more please and bereft that it's over.  I wanted to continue listening to this story on my commute to work every day until I retire. Why did it have to end?  The second book was so DARK and filled with nightmares (thanks, Ronan) that I was delighted to find this book featured Blue -- who I adore. How can you not love a teenager living in a house of psychics but with no "real" psychic talent. Who subsists on a diet of yogurt alone and shreds/makes her own clothing. She also the only girl in a pack of private school boys on a mission to find a long-dead Welsh king. So she's just plain awesome.  And Gansey calls her Jane. And that's even more adorable.  It's the third book in this series so these characters are so well known to me -- which is the about the only thing that keeps me reading this series. I...

A few weeks ago I was talking to my Mom about Under the Tuscan Sun . She was just finishing the book and was shocked that it wasn't at all like the movie. In fact, one of the main reasons she avoided the book was because of her dislike of Diane Lane who plays the main character in the movie. (Which is kinda weird, but ok.) Wanderlust Book! If you haven't read it, there are very few similarities from the book to the movie. Southerner Frances Meyers moves to Italy with her beloved husband Ed! (A Minnesotan, by the way.) And they work on the house together! And it's more of a beautiful travel diary than a story about a depressed single women who just broke up with James Franco! Seriously, it's like someone skimmed the book and created a new main character. Anyway, it got me thinking that I haven't read a good travel book in a long time. I love those travelogue that are so well-written, they just take you someplace and you feel like you've been there. You...

Audiobook: Cleaving by Julie Powell Read by: Julie Powell Genre: Memoir I listen ed to Julie & Julia and utterly enjoyed Julie's journey and honesty (and, yes, her creative use of curse words). So I picked up Cleaving , preparing myself for sickening descriptions of butchering. I was NOT prepared (and this isn’t a spoiler) that she’s cheating on her husband. (!) That sweet man who got her blogging and changed her life. Honestly, it took me days to overcome feelings of betrayal. Julie! ! Julie!! Why!!  But once I did, the audiobook went like this:  Part 1: Where Julie learns the art of butchering, which conveniently lends itself to about 200 metaphors of heartbreak, breakups and separating from your husband and lover. “Sometimes separating meat from bone isn't clean, you leave a lot of meat destroyed” (I paraphrased). At first I was like, "Cleaving"! I get it! Then, she started to hit me over the head with it, like maybe we didn’t pick up on the a...

Audiobook: 'Airborn' by Kenneth Oppel Read by: Full Cast Genre: YA Lit, Steampunk This was a bit of an unconventional choice for me -- mostly because it was a high-seas action (boy) book with zero chance of kissing, but I was tempted anyway because it sounded so much like the Leviathan, the steampunk trilogy I read a few years ago. And I was in the mood for an adventure. Happy I tried it out, as this book was filled with excellent high-seas adventure. And I liked the full-cast performance (it was the first I'd come across) -- it really elevated my enjoyment of the story and the characters. Matt Cruise is a cabin boy on an airship called the Aurora. In steampunk fashion, it's a Victorian-era ship (zeppelin) that flies the Pacificus to exotic ports of call. Matt meets Kate, a bold heiress and budding scientist out to prove her grandfather had found something extraordinary before he died. Matt joins her crusade -- amid pirates and shipwrecks. Matt is certainly...

Audiobook: Requiem by Lauren Oliver Read by: Sarah Drew Genre: YA Dystopia This is the third book of the Delirium trilogy. I had to rush out the library to get it right when I finished the second. And was so excited to see the audiobook waiting for me on the shelves that I nearly yelped. And no, it wasn't the ending I was hoping for. It was a bit disappointing, actually. Is there any hope for a fourth book at all? When I think of the word "requiem," I think of ending and death. This story had no ending. In fact, it felt more like a middle book in a series rather than a finale. It didn't pick up steam until the final quarter of the story, otherwise, it was just a lot of walking around and Lena wavering back and forth over which guy she actually loved. Good boy Julian, who's very shallow or Alex, who is dark, deep and mysterious -- I mean, Lena, is there actually a choice here? Wake up! Big props to Sarah Drew whose voice continues to mesmerize me, even...

Audiobook: Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer Read By: Sandra Burr Genre: Romantic Comedy Full disclosure: I read romance novels. Another disclosure: I've read this book, twice. But when I saw it on the shelf, and taking into consideration it's summer and I'm looking for something light, I grabbed it. And I was glad to find the story I liked translated well into audio format, forgiving a few corny production tricks. This is a cute story about Agnes, a cranky food column writer with anger management issues who gets tangled in a 25-year-old murder mystery and a really crazy ex-mob wife. A nephew of a friend, who is a contract killer, comes by to protect her and get to the bottom of things. Romance, and a pretty high body count, follows. Because there's a strange combo of Southern drawl and New Jersey mobster in this book, the reader had to be pretty proficient at a bunch of different accents. And she was good. There's some strange talkin...

Audiobook: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver Read by: Sarah Drew Genre: YA Lit, Dystopia This is the sequel to Delirium , a dystopian novel, that supposes in the future fractured U.S.A has deemed love a virus and are curing the population of it. ( My Delirium review here .) That takes away choice, freedom and passion. Lena, the main character, is all about this cure until she meets Alex and realizes she can't live like a loveless zombie. So she runs. I couldn't help wonder what will become of Lena after she crosses into the "wilds," so I picked up the second audiobook. Now, I've got to pick up the third book. Like now. Usually, the second book in a trilogy is dullsville. It's a bridge from one action book to the epic finish in the third. There's lots of internal development, as the character gets to the place mentally to take on the crazy stuff in the third book. But this second book was actually good! We get new characters, "Then" an...

Audiobook: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell Read by: Rebecca Lowman, Sunil Malhotra Genre: YA Lit I've read a few reviews about this book and though it didn't sound like my normal cup of tea, it still seemed enticing.  Well, I didn't make it past the first disc. Here's the thing about me: I like to escape into books and if those books turn too dark, it spills into my real life and I get moody. And this book was hinting at some bad things to come, so I returned the audiobook after one disc. So, I'm sure it's great -- raw and emotional. And great for adults who grew up in the 80s and love nostalgia.  But not for me. Grade: Red Light

Audiobook : Austenland by Shannon Hale Ready by : Katherine Kellgren Genre : Chick Lit While strolling the shelves at the library, this audiobooks was sticking out a little and I remembered I had read they made this into a movie coming out this summer with Felicity, er, Keri Russell -- and that was all it took. Popped it into my bag. Kinda wished I hadn't. The idea is super. A women is so completely caught up in Mr. Darcy that no other man will ever stack up. So, her eccentric great-aunt bequeathes her a trip to the English countryside and a manor that recreates the Regency era, as a kind of therapy. I'm a Darcy-lovin'-gal myself, so I can get into this. And the manor is crawling with actors roll-playing to help "guests" believe they are in "Pride and Prejudice" or "Emma." But poor, pathetic Jane Hayes, cast as Ms. Jane Erstwhile niece to the residents of the Park, has a hard time relaxing into her role. It's all too fake. And i...

Audiobook: Delirium by Lauren Conrad Read by: Sarah Drew Genre: YA Lit, Dystopia So the plot sounds a little fantastical: A future world where love is a horrible virus. When you turn 18, you're given a cure -- a seemingly "gentle" lobotomy that makes you immune to feeling love and all that comes with it -- passion, intense joy, etc. You're paired, married and asked to procreate and "care" for the children you have no capacity to love. Kinda crazy, right? Love cure? Gimme a break. That's nuts. Why would anyone want to surpress that. Love is all you need, right? I couldn't help investigate. And so glad I did. The story is about Lena, who is just weeks away from having the cure when she meets Alex and becomes "infected" with the love virus. But she now understands a world without love sucks. She isn't a radical, but she's willing to give up everything to be with Alex in the "Wilds" -- the place outside the city bo...

Audiobook: Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maude Montgomery Read by: Shelly Frasier Genre: Classic I think it is (or should be) universally acknowledged that if you're feeling stressed or that the world is spinning too fast and you've grown so out of touch with patience or goodness -- the best solution is Anne Shirley. I completely believe in her powers to heal. So it's after an especially hectic week with out-of-control kids and clients that I picked up this audiobook from the library. And in the end of it, I felt more centered and at ease -- and yearning for the time when we walked to school through the woods and had tea with neighbors. This is the second book in the Anne series. It centers around the two years she teaches at the Avonlea school. As usual, she gets into jams, scrapes and meets kindred spirits. She's a founding member of the Avonlea improvement society, which is a popular trend among the young folk. And she helps out when Marilla adopts twin 6-ye...

Audiobook: Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count by Jill Jonnes Read by: Paul Hecht Genre: Historical Nonfiction With an upcoming trip to Paris, I was very excited to see this book at the library. Since my last (and first) trip to Paris, I've been collecting little Eiffel Towers trinkets, so learning more about its origins was enticing. And what a great story! Even though it's a historical account of the 1889 Paris World's Fair and all its principal players, it's written more like a great work fiction. The ambitious vision of Gustave Eiffel and this enormous undertaking -- to build an iron structure at such a miraculous height -- is inspiring. And he was a pretty decent guy, too. Then you have the story of Buffalo Bill Cody and his troupe of cowboys, Indians, horses, buffalo setting up camp on the outskirts of Paris and dazzling European audiences -- especially st...