Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan

Grimoire Girl: A Memoir of Magic and Mischief by Hilarie Burton Morgan -- 222 pages

Since childhood, Hilarie Burton Morgan has felt the call to record, keep, and catalogue life in all its strange wonder. It was a whimsical habit, with no clear goal. And then, when she became a mother, the importance of all that collecting snapped into focus. 

In an effort to patchwork together an anthology of traditions, curiosity, and magical thinking that she could pass down, Burton Morgan realized she was crafting a grimoire. 

In her most intimate book yet, Burton Morgan shares how she’s creating an inheritance of mischief and magic that will outlive her. What’s more, she shows readers how they too can look at the elements of their lives and collect the pieces into a tangible collection of a lifetime of learning. Because in its purest form, a grimoire was a guide to keep you alive.

Like the grimoires of old, full of life-saving wisdom, these pages record the people, places, ideas and habits that have kept Burton Morgan alive, in her signature voice that is at once honest, witty, and charming. Accompanied by whimsical two-color illustrations by Olivia Faust, the book also includes Simple Spells, which are ways to bring magic into your daily create an altar that delights and inspires, practice candle magic and poetry spells, make an oracle deck, or channel your inner kitchen witch with recipes and potions. So begin creating your own inheritance, take a long look inward and decide...What wisdom will be written on the pages of your Grimoire?

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan, 432 p. 

"For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more. If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers."--Goodreads blurb

As an avid audiobook lover, I loved the idea of this book being about an audiobook narrator. While I have listened to Whelan narrate several books, I've never read anything written by her, and I was pleasantly surprised. This was a fun and funny romance book about romance books. It was fairly easy to see what was coming from a mile away, but that didn't take me out f the story any and I really enjoyed this book. I will be reading Whelan more. 

 

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

 Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks-Audiobook, 6 CDs (340 pages in print)

I listened to this in my car on a recent road trip. It's a good listen. Katie Feldman (aka Erin Tierney) arrives in a small seaside town in North Carolina (called Southport). She has a hidden past and tries to keep to herself. However, with a little pushing from her new neighbor, Jo, she starts to fall for the local general store owner (and widower), Alex. He has two young children, Josh and Kristen. Katie falls for them, too. Katie ran from her abusive husband, Kevin Tierney and ended up in Southport. I won't say anymore, except that I liked this book. It's my favorite Nicholas Sparks novel so far (I haven't read nearly all of them, though). 

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas; narrated by Elizabeth Evans, 418 p.

Celaena may have won the King's Champion, but secretly, she is far from loyal to the crown and the king who is pure evil. As she finds out that she may not be the only one bent on the destruction of the crown, she starts to question her relationship with everyone she holds close: Chaol, Dorien, and even her best friend, Nehemia.

As one tragic night changes Celaena's life forever, secrets are unveiled, worlds crumble, and she will have to decide to whom she is loyal and for whom she is willing to die. 

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Invasion of the Tearling

by Erika Johansen

The Queen of the Tearling Trilogy - Book 2

514 pages

Kelsea Glynn, the Queen of the Tearling is back in a brand new adventure. War has been declared on the Tearling by The Red Queen and her Mort army which are slowly marching toward the kingdom to invade and cause violence. While preparing for the inevitable, Kelsea also has to deal with the new holy father and her fainting spells which teleport her to the past before the Tearling existed in the pre-crossing. She finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally; a woman named Lily, who is fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. Soon Kelsea herself begins to change; she does not recognize either her reflection in the mirror or the extraordinary power she now commands. The fate of the Tearling - and that of Kelsea's own soul - may rest with Lily and her story, but Queen Kelsea is running out of time.....

I was really excited when I realized the second book in this trilogy was available and so looked forward to listening to it hoping it would be read by the previous reader Katherine Kellgren. Alas it was not to be. The second book is read by Davina Porter and though I enjoyed Katherine's reading more, I got used to Davina and looked forward to what was going to happen next in the story. I can't wait until the final book in the trilogy is available to find out what happens to Queen Kelsea and her kingdom.

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Erika Johansen grew up and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She went to Swarthmore College, earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and eventually became an attorney, but she never stopped writing. The Queen of the Tearling is her first novel. 

“Harry Potter” star Emma Watson, who announced she’s signed on as both executive producer for the film adaptation of the book — the first in a trilogy by debut author Erika Johansen — and its star. “I was desperate to hate it,” joked Watson, who conceded she couldn’t put the book down.