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Welcome, Avid Listeners.

Does listening to audiobooks count as reading? Here it does. Let’s discuss your favorite reads — or listens.

Please Read It To Me Audiobook Reviews
Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel
Aug 20

Aug 20 Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: A high-brow thriller set in the post-apocalyptic Midwest.

Reality: A richly drawn character study that expertly balances multiple, intersecting plots and timelines.

The Book of Accidents – Chuck Wendig
Aug 16

Aug 16 The Book of Accidents – Chuck Wendig

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: An Americana-hued ghost story.

Reality: Heavy on ambition, light on originality. You’ve heard variations of this story before – and by stronger authors.

Great Circle – Maggie Shipstead
Aug 12

Aug 12 Great Circle – Maggie Shipstead

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: An historical fiction epic focusing on the early days of aviation.

Reality: Heavy on scope and scale, light on focus. It’s mostly enjoyable but also didn’t need to be 600+ pages.

Tin Man – Sarah Winman
Aug 8

Aug 8 Tin Man – Sarah Winman

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: I honestly thought this was a young adult novel.

Reality: A contender for the shortlist of my favorite adult high-brow gay fiction.

Five Book Adaptations I Actually Want to See
Aug 4

Aug 4 Five Book Adaptations I Actually Want to See

The Avid Listener
Non-Review

Watching the “Fear Street” trilogy on Netflix got me thinking about the book adaptations I actually want to see.

Mid-Year Check-In: The Best (and Worst) Books and Audiobooks of 2021
Jul 31

Jul 31 Mid-Year Check-In: The Best (and Worst) Books and Audiobooks of 2021

The Avid Listener
Non-Review

Of the 43 books completed, most have been relatively mediocre with only five solidly five-star reads a few more strong recommendations.

The Sixth Wedding: A 28 Summers Story – Elin Hilderbrand
Jul 26

Jul 26 The Sixth Wedding: A 28 Summers Story – Elin Hilderbrand

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: “28 Summers, Part II,” also known as a quick cash grab by Hilderbrand.

Reality: An effective and rewarding mini sequel that honors the original while giving the reader closure to the rushed ending of “Summers.”

Wanderers – Chuck Wendig
Jul 22

Jul 22 Wanderers – Chuck Wendig

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: “The Stand” meets “The Walking Dead.”

Reality: A mostly solid end-of-the world story that is a tad too long to provide maximum impact.

Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins Reid
Jul 18

Jul 18 Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: Another character-driven crowd pleaser from Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Reality: A mostly solid endeavor that keeps you entertained, but outside of one character it doesn’t deliver the emotional depth of her previous work.

Swimming in the Dark – Tomasz Jedrowski
Jul 13

Jul 13 Swimming in the Dark – Tomasz Jedrowski

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: A coming-of-age story about overcoming outside forces to live your life fully.

Reality: Another historical fiction gay love story that felt a bit recursive.

Felix Ever After – Kacen Callender
Jul 9

Jul 9 Felix Ever After – Kacen Callender

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: A YA romance with a different point-of-view.

Reality: A disconnected effort with a strong plot focused on identity and acceptance brought down by the typical YA tropes of too smart, too woke kids being mad at the world.

Mama’s Boy: A Story From Our Americas – Dustin Lance Black
Jul 5

Jul 5 Mama’s Boy: A Story From Our Americas – Dustin Lance Black

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Part personal memoir, part family history and part cultural commentary, “Mama’s Boy” is nonfiction that follows the formula of quality historical fiction – a strong female character, intersection with landmark events and overcoming barriers both within yourself and from the world around you.

The Road – Cormac McCarthy
Jul 2

Jul 2 The Road – Cormac McCarthy

The Avid Listener
Paperback

Expectation: A fast-paced apocalyptic survival tale.

Reality: A slow-burn family drama that packs a lot of understated horror and emotional attachment to the main characters into the rich prose.

All Boys Aren’t Blue – George M. Johnson
Jun 29

Jun 29 All Boys Aren’t Blue – George M. Johnson

The Avid Listener
E-Book

Three standout essays show the potential of what this memoir-manifesto could’ve been if only Johnson showed more focus.

You Should See Me In A Crown – Leah Johnson
Jun 23

Jun 23 You Should See Me In A Crown – Leah Johnson

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: A YA wish-fulfillment fantasy featuring a BIPOC queer lead.

Reality: A funny, heartfelt and quickly paced story that reminded me of the best late-90s teen comedies.

In the Dream House – Carmen Maria Machado
Jun 20

Jun 20 In the Dream House – Carmen Maria Machado

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

While “Dream House” didn’t totally work for me, it is an important work. How Machado uses her experiences to raise awareness of the challenges same sex couples face when reporting abuse, to addressing the ways in which the queer community will turn on its own, is important and urgent.

The Guncle – Steven Rowley
Jun 16

Jun 16 The Guncle – Steven Rowley

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

Expectation: A what-would-you-do dramedy tailor-made to us queers that relish being the “cool” uncle or aunt.

Reality: A campy, somewhat stereotypical story that runs a little long but delivers a lot of humor and heart.

13 Genre-Spanning Books About LGBTQIA+ Experiences
Jun 13

Jun 13 13 Genre-Spanning Books About LGBTQIA+ Experiences

The Avid Listener
Non-Review

For Pride month, I’ve committed to reading only stories written by LGBTQIA+ writers and/or featuring predominately queer characters.

If you’re interested in a similar challenge, let me help you narrow down your choices with a little “Read This, Not That: Pride Edition.”

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics – Dolly Parton and Robert K. Oermann
Jun 10

Jun 10 Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics – Dolly Parton and Robert K. Oermann

The Avid Listener
Audiobook

At only five hours, I’d encourage anyone to listen to “Songteller,” but it’s probably best suited for fans rather than casual observers of the superstar.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong
Jun 7

Jun 7 On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong

The Avid Listener
E-Book

Expectation: A story about straddling two worlds.

Reality: One of the most beautifully written novels I’ve ever read.

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