My year on audible

Lots of listening recommendations

I was walking to the park with my daughter talking to another parent who also enjoyed reading. They quickly prefaced this with “well actually audio books” as if it held less value.

I am not a reading snob and I genuinely feel any way that people spend time reading in/listening to stories is important.

I thought I would round up my year of books, each year I seem to discover a new favourite.

January - The Nursery

I have previously spoken about The Nursery in my “books on motherhood” which you can read here. I loved this book, it is raw and so realistic that it felt as if the author was there with me during those newborn days.

February - A Girl is a Half Formed Thing

Last year I listened to Emar Mcbrides The lesser bohemians and was blown away by the lyrical prose. This book I’ve struggled to get into, I’ve not yet finished it. mainly because the subject matter is child abuse/sexual abuse and it’s not really something that I find interesting or easy to read about. I might go back to it as I’ve heard such great things about the novel.

March - All Star Chain Gang

I picked this up after hearing rave reviews on the NYT podcast. It sounded so extreme and exciting.

I did enjoy the book, but I wasn’t blown away. The narrator made the characters come alive and did a great job in telling the story. I’m not even sure what it was but I just didn’t mesh well. I didn’t find myself routing enough for the characters, there was something holding me back and I’m not sure I know why!

April - ** at the end of March I had a baby so did not listen or read much in April

May - The Womb

I’m not someone who gravitates much towards non fiction which is something I would really like to improve on. Being someone who has a womb and has had two children I downloaded this as a book that I felt vital to read.

The first half I really enjoyed, I learnt some interesting things and nodded along to lots of the facts given. By the second half the book lost its momentum slightly and I hate to admit it but I actually DNF the last chunk.

I plan to go back, but I felt it got a little repetitive. I do find this happens often in my experience with non fiction. Research shows that women’s health is put last. Rinse and repeat.

June - Greta and Valdin

I do gravitate towards these very easy read contemporary novels. This was a perfectly funny debut from Reilly. I enjoyed Greta’s perspective and loved her sense of humour, she was great despite her personality grating on me too. Valdin’s perspective was my favourite. I would have loved if the book had focused solely on him and his relationships rather than flitting between the both. I will definitely relisten to.

July - Long Island

Although I hadn’t read the prequal Brooklyn, I had seen the movie with Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen I wanted something easy going to keep me company on long newborn nap walks. This was ideal. It was a gentle pace and I really got invested in the family drama. Although I personally didn’t like some of the choices the protagonist made it was an enjoyable.

August - Wedding people

I think Wedding People is my favourite audible of the year. It was lighthearted with substance. I laughed so much and breezed through this. Despite some audible glitches it is a delightful reading experience.

At times I stopped in my track, anyone who wants something fun this has become my go to recommendation.

September - God of the Woods

This came HEAVILY recommended to me, buy some of my subscribers as well as personal friends. It was a good story and had many good elements to it. But again I found there something missing between myself and the characters on the page.

October - Private Rites

This was a book I saw lots of people pick up over the summer. I loved that it was a dystopian novel whilst also being very contemporary.

I think it helped that I listened to the majority of the book whilst trapped under a teething/unwell baby watching the rain pour down outsite. I love it when a novel slots in with current seasons.

As a retelling of King Lear, a story I’m not familiar with unfortunately so I can’t comment on any comparisons. I have to admit the ending lost me slightly. I might revisit and relisten to try and understand it better!

November - This Ragged Grace

As someone who thoroughly enjoyed Literary Friction I downloaded octavias memoir feeling as if I already knew her. It talked mainly about her sobriety and the decline of her fathers health and ultimately his death which was so utterly heartbreaking. Her prose was very metaphoric and poetic.

December - East of Eden

I’ve really decided to end the year with a bang. Determined to read outside my comfort zone and really tick some iconic books off of my tbr I chose East of Eden. Not yet finished. Review to come. But the little I have listened so far I’m enjoying.

I have also just seen that Netflix have had the go ahead for an adaptation, which I think will be really interesting to see.

What are you favourite audibles?