The Silent Cry by Kenzaburo Oe, author with Kevin Shen, narrator

Rating: 3 star rating

The Silent Cry by Kenzaburo Oe is a really tough read. It follows two brothers, Mitsu and Takashi, who go back to their old family village in Japan, and everything just goes downhill from there.

Heads up: this book is incredibly depressing and has some super messed up sexual stuff in it. Honestly, I couldn't get through the sexual content and had to skip over parts. I almost DNF'd (did not finish) the whole story. The main guy, Mitsu, is dealing with awful depression because his best friend killed himself and his newborn baby has severe disabilities. On top of that, there is some really disturbing stuff involving incest, violence, and a graphic assault on Mitsu's wife.

The story gets wild because the younger brother, Takashi, basically loses his mind and starts a violent riot after recruiting some kids from a soccer team.

I thought Kevin Shen (Narrator) narrator did a great job with the character development and changing of voices.

I would not recommend this audiobook to some people or anyone with triggers. It was not my choice of book for myself.

Thank you, NetGalley, Bolinda Audio, the author Kenzaburo Oe, author and Kevin Shen, narrator for the book review consideration. All opinions are my own

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This is a review of the audiobook.

Tame Your Thoughts Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life by Max Lucado Narrated by Max Lucado

Rating: 5 star rating

I just finished listening to the audiobook version of Tame Your Thoughts by Max Lucado, and it is a practical guide if you struggle with overthinking or a racing mind. Max blends biblical wisdom with modern neuroscience to show how we can actually retrain our brains. Max spends a lot of time focusing on what he calls "mental quicksand," which includes everyday struggles like anxiety, guilt, rejection, and systemic dissatisfaction. 

He uses really interesting examples to show how this plays out in real life, like retelling the story of Amnon and Tamar to dive into the dopamine driven cycle of modern addiction and lust, or showing how King David reframed his fear of Goliath by focusing on God's power instead of the giant's size. He also unpacks the story of Job to help you guard your thoughts when you are puzzled by deep personal pain.

To break free from these toxic mental loops, Max gives you a toolkit of three specific steps. First practice "picky thinking" by carefully guarding what you allow into your mind. Second, learn to spot "UFOs," which stands for Untruths that create a False narrative and cause an Overreaction. Finally, you "uproot and replant" by weeding out old regrets and replacing them with scripture, using a positive framework called "TAP" (Truth, Accurate narrative, Power) to take control when you feel swamped.

What makes this a 5-star listen is that Max narrates it himself with his calming, patient voice. He even shares his own struggles with late night worry, making the advice feel down to worth and worth listening to.  

The audio also includes a companion PDF with questions and a scripture databases for deeper study. It ends with a step by step daily mental routine to protect your peace. I recommend downloading this audio edition if you need to quiet the chaos in your mind.

Thank you, NetGalley, HCCP & HCF Audio, and author and narrator Max Lucado for this free audiobook review consideration. All review opinions are my own.

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This is a review of the audiobook.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Rating: 5 star rating 

An unforgettable, heartbreaking masterpiece you won't be able to put down!

The Women by Kristin Hannah is an emotional ride. It is a powerful historical fiction book that follows Frankie McGrath, a sheltered girl from California who joins the Army Nurse Corps in 1965 to follow her brother to Vietnam.

The first half throws you into the trenches with her. Frankie becomes an incredible surgical nurse working under chaos, surviving horrific mass casualties and heartbreak. She loses her mentor and crush, a surgeon named Jamie Callahan, and a pilot friend named Rye Walsh. The only things keeping her together are her fellow nurses, Barb and Ethel, who become her lifelines.

The second half completely broke my heart. When Frankie comes home, society shuns her, and everyone tells her that women weren't even in Vietnam. She spirals into severe, undiagnosed PTSD, turning to alcohol and pills to numb the flashbacks. She hits rock bottom until her dad steps in and saves her life, checking her into a hospital. In a huge twist, the doctor running her rehab facility is her ex-fiancé, Henry, who helps diagnose her trauma and gets her on the path to healing.

Thankfully, there is a beautiful sense of closure. Frankie moves to Montana to start a ranch refuge for other female veterans called "The Last Best Place." The book wraps up in 1982 at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C., where Frankie finally gets the recognition she deserves, and she even runs into Jamie Callahan, who miraculously survived his crash years ago. It ends on such a hopeful note of true healing and peace. You will definitely need tissues for this one.  

I recommend this wonderful book.

I purchased this book for myself. All review opinions are my own.

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Homecoming by Eleanor Wells Narrated by Hope Mercugliano

Rating: 5 star rating

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Homecoming by Eleanor Wells, and narrated by Hope Mercugliano. I just need to talk about how good it was. It is a historical fiction story set in the summer of 1950. If you are into family dramas or coming of age books about healing after a major loss, you are going to want to add this to your TBR list.  

The main plot follows a sixteen year old girl named Rosalie Hastings. Her family used to have an great life in New York, but everything completely fell apart when her dad was killed in World War II. They ended up moving to Chicago for a fresh start, but by 1950, they are all basically drifting apart. 

Her older brother, Sean, gets married to his long-term girlfriend and moves out, which leaves Rosalie feeling totally alone. To keep herself busy, she joins her high school newspaper, discovers she loves writing, and even starts falling for the editor in chief. But as winter gets closer, the memory of her dad's death starts hitting everyone hard again. 

Her mother begins to seriously withdraw into the past, Sean's quick marriage starts tracking toward a breakup, and Rosalie has to figure out how to step up and hold her family together. I liked how the book ended because it gave such a realistic sense of closure. It does not give you some magical, happy ending, but it feels genuine. Rosalie finally learns to handle her own grief and finds her independent voice, and you get the feeling that the family is actually going to be okay and move forward together.  

Hope Mercugliano did an amazing job narrating the audiobook. She captures Rosalie's quietness and shyness perfectly without making it sound too overly dramatic or sappy. The absolute best part is that the whole audiobook is less than three hours long. It is the perfect length for a busy weekend or listen to on a long drive, and I highly recommend picking it up.

Thank you, NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and author Eleanor Wells and narrator Hope Mercugliano for this free audiobook review consideration. All review opinions are my own.

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This is a review of the audiobook.

A Thousand Souls A Novel in Stories by Catherine Tudish

Rating: 4 star rating 

If you like books that make you feel like you actually live in the town, you'll definitely enjoy this one. It’s a novel of short stories set in a beautiful town called Neptune, Vermont. It follows a bunch of different people over three generations, which shows how everyone’s lives are connected in ways they don't even notice.

The characters themselves are really interesting. You have Stewart, the local mailman dealing with a tough marriage and a tragic past. There's a sheriff who gets in trouble for doing the right thing, a little girl with a bad stutter who somehow befriends a wild bear, and a kid named Isaiah who takes a long train ride with his mother to meet his real dad for the first time.

The reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because it's a multi character driven story. It jumps around to so many different stories and people, it took me a little while to get invested every time the focus shifted. I sometimes found myself wishing it just stuck to one or two main storylines so I could stay with Isaiah or Stewart a little longer.

The ending wraps up in a way that connects the older generation to the younger generation. It leaves you feeling like you really know this town. Definitely worth a read if you like good small town drama.

Thank you, NetGalley, Acre Books, and author Catherine Tudish for this free ebook review consideration. All review opinions are my own.

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Artsy Rambler Mindful Journeys to Paris and Beyond by Evy Journey and Rich Journey

Rating: 5 star rating

Oh my gosh, you seriously have to read Artsy Rambler. I just loved this travel art tourist book. It is nothing like those boring, traditional travel guides. Instead of rushing around to snap photos of tourist traps, this couple moves to Europe for months at a time just to soak it all in. It is written by a woman named Evy and her husband, Rich, who used to be a therapist.  

Evy actually got her love for travel from her mom, who always dreamed of seeing the world. Once Evy and Rich got together, they started traveling "slow." They will rent an apartment in Paris for months, buy groceries at little neighborhood markets, and just wander around with no real plans. Paris is the main focus, where they hit up cool tourist spots like the massive Centre Pompidou art museum and gorgeous Gothic cathedrals. Since they love local food, they dive into regional French cuisine and dynamic open-air markets. 

They even lived near a 100 year old cheese shop on Rue Mouffetard where the shopkeepers wear white coats like scientists and let you gently squeeze the cheese.

They also take quick trips to places like Prague, Florence, and Munich, exploring historic buildings like the Art Nouveau Obecní dům. Rich even uses his psychology background to keep them calm and mindful when things get stressful. By the end, they talk about how much they learned from living this way. They compare their peaceful lifestyle to those, rushed tour groups where everyone is stressed out.  

It made me realize that travel isn't about checking off a bucket list. It is about slowing down and changing how you look at the world. It is a cozy read that made me want to prepare my own itinerary, and travel somewhere.  

If you would love to travel, this is definitely the read for you. I love how they tell a story, and even if you can't travel, you feel like you have been there, just by reading this book. You must check this book out, it's a great read.

Thank you, NetGalley, Books Go Social, and the authors Evy Journey and Rich Journey for the book review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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Girl from Tomorrow’s Town by Naomi Musch

Rating:  5 star rating

I just finished reading The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town by Naomi Musch, and I loved it so much.  It’s a sweet historical romance about a girl named Lily who was sent away on an orphan train when she was little.  She lived with a family in Wyoming for over 10 years, but she never felt like she belonged, and the family was not very good to her, so she finally runs away to find her real mom.  

Shortly after getting on the train in Wyoming, she meets Francis "Frank" Basnett, and they become traveling companions.  When they get to Chicago, the police catch up to her because her adoptive mother tried to charge her with stealing money. Frank sticks right by her side through the whole mess.  Luckily, Lily clears her name by explaining that she secretly made all that money doing sewing work on the side, and they prove she is telling the truth.  

After they part ways, they meet up again later when Frank helps her get a sewing job at the traveling circus where he works.  Frank is a really nice guy, but he is secretly losing his eyesight. They grow really close, but a disaster strikes when a troop train crashes into their circus train, leaving everyone fighting to survive. The story is a beautiful, emotionally moving journey that tests their relationship and their trust in the future.  

This is a wonderful, clean historical fiction novel about resilience, romance, and discovering what it truly means to find your family. I highly recommend picking this book up, if you want a nice clean historical romance.

Thank you, NetGalley, Barbour Publishing, and the author Naomi Musch for the book review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

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Amoura Awakened The Veiled Flame Series, Book One by Meg Kramer

Rating: 5 star rating

Amoura Awakened by Meg Kramer is a really good ya fantasy book envolving magic and witches. It is the first part of The Veiled Flame Series and takes the classic magic school story and makes it feel exciting. The book takes place in San Francisco and mixes normal teen problems with big, dangerous secrets. Anyone who likes clean fantasy books about tough main characters should read it.

The story is about sixteen-year-old Amoura Renly. She is adopted and has two dads. Her life changes when a school bully picks on her. She gets so mad that her hidden magic comes out and sets her classroom on fire. Since people think she is dangerous, she gets sent to Elderwood School for the Magically Inclined. This is a secret school hidden right under San Francisco. But the school is not safe. Amoura does not fit in. The other teenagers have a lot of angst with one another, and they constantly bicker and look down on her for being raised by regular humans.

Worse, her magic does not work like theirs. The other kids can throw fire or water, but Amoura’s magic comes from inside her own body and breath. A scary group called the Purity Champions guards the magic world, and they get rid of anyone who is different. There are also powerful characters at the school who are dangerous and against her because they want to protect their own status. This puts a huge target on Amoura. Then she finds an old diary that shows the leaders of the magic world have been hiding secrets and getting rid of people for a hundred years.

The ending moves super fast and solves the school mysteries. It explains how Amoura’s magic works and sets up the next book, Amoura Ascending. Amoura stops being scared, accepts her weird powers, and fights back against the bullies and dangerous people, making the book a fast and fun read.

Thank you, NetGalley, Candid Crow Press, and author Meg Kramer, for this free ebook review consideration. All review opinions are my own.

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The Gilded Girl by Lorna Cook

Rating:  4 

I just finished The Gilded Girl by Lorna Cook and I couldn't put it down. If you love drama and historical fiction that has a dual timeline, you will need to read this one. 

The present day timeline is so interesting.  We follow Zennor Trelenna, who is busy fixing up her family's old mansion over in Cornwall. While working on the house, she finds a hidden old letter that starts a massive mystery. 

The book then jumps back to the 1920s to follow Grace Pascoe, a poor maid at that same mansion. Grace falls in love with Laurie, the young son of the estate's owners, but he completely betrays her, or so she thinks. Enter Andrew, a kind butler at the estate who steps up to help Grace escape England and get to America. They end up getting married and later they fall in love.  Together they build an empire running a successful restaurant business during New York's Gilded Age.  Andrew sadly passes away, leaving Grace with a massive fortune.

Later on, Laurie has a son named Edward with another woman that his parents make him marry. In a wild twist of fate, Grace and Andrew's daughter ends up marrying Edward. This forces Grace to finally return to England and face her past, which blows the whole mystery wide open. 

In the present day, everything wraps up perfectly at the end with a great ending.  Zennor uses all these puzzle pieces to uncover the truth about her heritage, giving her the courage to make a big choice about her own life and future. It is just such a comforting, emotional read that ties up the loose ends. 

Here is a heads up for readers looking for something clean: this book features some sexual content, including a pregnancy out of wedlock, so it definitely isn't a clean book.

Thank you, NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK/Lake Union Publishing, and the author Lorna Cook, for the book review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

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Gutted, How an Old House Remodeled Me by Maida Korte

Rating: 5 star rating

I just finished, Gutted: How an Old House Remodeled Me by Maida Korte. If you love funny stories dealing with life changes, surviving a nightmare home renovation, or just trying to overcome your own inner control freak, you will love this book. It is such a down to earth read.

This story is about Maida, a super organized interior designer from Chicago who leaves the city because her husband, Andy, wants to live out in the country. They buy this large, 100 year old Victorian farmhouse in Woodstock, Illinois. She thinks it's just going to be a fun, easy design project, but the place turns out to be a money pit full of crumbling plaster, awful wiring, and actual bats in the attic.

But the story isn't about the construction. As the workers tear down the walls of the house, Maida starts tearing down her own emotional walls. She is a perfectionist who has dealt with anxiety since she was a kid. Watching her handle the absolute mess of a gutted house while looking back on her stressful years raising four daughters is so relatable.

In the end, through a ton of hard work, they save the crumbling house and turn it into a gorgeous home. Andy gets his country living dream, and he stays the steady, patient guy who got Maida out of her comfort zone in the first place. The four daughters stand behind them, and the finished house becomes this amazing place for them and all eight of Maida’s grandkids to hang out. 

Maida changes the most by finally letting go of her need to control everything, learning to slow down, and finding some peace with herself. It is a great book that I would definitely recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley, She Writes Press, and the author, Maida Korte, for the book review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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