Quick Lit: March 2015

It's been a pretty slow month for me. I only read two books this month, and I didn't even finish one of them! I did listen to three audiobooks so that makes this post a little worthwhile, right?  At least it's really a quick read this time!  (Linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy, if you want to find out what other people have been reading just click here.)

What I Read:

I'm going to start with the book I refused to finish. Frog Music. I read Room, the author's debut novel, a few years ago and liked it. It was a rough read, the subject matter was grim. And this book was no different. I just never connected with the story. I can't even really tell you what it is about, other than the main character was a woman who worked in a brothel. She had a baby daddy who was clearly only with her because this book took place in California in the 1800's, because he so obviously had his own male lover on the side. I was actually surprised to see this called a historical crime drama. Maybe I quit too soon (almost halfway through the book), but it didn't read like a crime drama at all. Obviously I'm not a fan, but if you give it a shot, let me know what you think! ($9.99 for Kindle)

I read My So-Called Freelance Life several years ago before I started working as a freelance writer, and as I'm working on rebuilding my business now I thought it was time for a refresher. It isn't just for writers, it is for anyone interested in the freelance lifestyle. I highly recommend it. ($9.99 for Kindle)

What I Listened To:

If you read my post about Audible Alternatives, you know that I've been listening to Harry Potter audiobooks lately. The first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, was pretty much as I remembered. Except the Dursleys are definitely worse in the book! If you haven't read the Harry Potter books yet, what are you waiting for? ($5.99 for Kindle)

The Chamber of Secrets was my least favorite of all the books (and movies) until I finished the series and understood how important it was in the grand scheme of things. I appreciated it much more this time around. There were definitely parts of this book that differed from the movie, so it was fun to be reminded of all that I miss when I watch the movie. Plus the narrator is pretty great at voices, except his Hermoine voice drives me nuts! ($7.99 for Kindle)

The Prisoner of Azkaban was the must different from the movie so far. I vaguely remember  thinking that when I saw the movies originally, but that's been quite awhile ago now. Listening to the book now and thinking about the movie has been fun, trying to decide why they decided to keep and eliminate certain scenes. I'm loving these audio books, obviously! ($7.99 for Kindle)  

So that's my pathetic little list. How did you do this month?

 Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

Audible Alternatives

Last month I talked about how Audible is awesome. And I really think it is! But I also understand that not everyone is willing to part with $14.99 a month for a subscription. That's why I've checked out a few alternatives that you may be interested in.

1. Old School Audiobooks - Our library still offers books on CD, and I think most of them do. It's not the most convenient option, because you can't listen on your phone. But if you have a CD player in your car, it might work for you! Titles are going to be pretty limited, so you may be more interested in option number 2...
2. OverDrive -This might be my favorite option. Like checking out those old school audiobooks, it is FREE! Most libraries nowadays are part of virtual library networks. Ours is part of the OK Virtual Library network, which is powered by OverDrive! Long story short, I can borrow audiobooks through the library and listen to them with the OverDrive app on my iPhone. I've been wanting to listen to the Harry Potter series but they aren't available on Audible, so I was going to have to buy the physical CDs through Amazon. Except they are all available on OverDrive! There is a wait, but I just put my name down and I'm alerted when it is available. Then I download the book within the OverDrive app on my phone and I'm all set.
3. Amazon Whisper Sync - I just heard about this recently. Modern Mrs Darcy has a very detailed post on it, so if you want all the details, head there. But basically you can buy Audible editions of books you already own for your Kindle for a lower price, and Amazon keeps track of where you are at in both. So you can read a book on your Kindle, then switch to Audible, and then back again effortlessly. And in some cases you can save a lot! For example, I bought Come Clean for $2 for my Kindle, and I added the Audible edition for only $1.99. So for $4 I own the e-book and the audiobook! The list price of the Audiobook itself is $20.99, so obviously this is a pretty awesome deal.

Do you have any other Audible alternatives you use? I really can't say enough about the OverDrive app. Getting to listen to Harry Potter for free has made my week! 

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

Quick Lit December 2014

Ok, I confess: I went on a Liane Moriarty kick this month. I loved What Alice Forgot, but was hesitant to read her others. I didn’t think they could live up to Alice. But I’ve really liked all of her books! Are they Chick-Lit-esque? Yes, but I think they have a little more depth and heart than typical chick-lit. There are dark parts (Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret particularly) and real issues that people face. Domestic violence, unplanned pregnancy, rape, ex-spouses, bullying, and so much more are in these books. And portrayed in a way that makes you think about them without shoving them down your throat. At least, that’s how I felt!

And in case you didn't notice, there was a name change to this monthly link-up. Twitterature has become Quick Lit! And now for the first installment of Quick Lit: 

Three Wishes was the first post-Alice Moriarty book I read. It was lighter than the other two subsequent books I read. It focuses on three sisters who are triplets and their families. It is heart breaking, uplifting, and at times makes you want to just shake your head. But I enjoyed it! I picked this up on sale for my kindle, and it is on sale now! ($2.99 for Kindle) 

The Husband’s Secret was unputdownable for me. I got to the end of this book around 9 pm one night, and my husband kept trying to get me to put it down and come to bed. But I’d reached the point in the book where I couldn’t possibly put it down without finishing it! It was a pretty quick read did throw a few surprises out there. I found this one at the library but also had it on my Kindle (another one I picked up  on sale). It isn’t on much of a sale right now, so I’d hold off until it goes down again. Or head to the library! ($9.99 for Kindle)

Big Little Lies may have been my favorite of the three Moriarty books I read this month. You find out at the very beginning that someone died at the school trivia night, but you don’t know who until the end. I honestly didn’t guess who it was until right before the scene (I’m usually pretty good about guess it right way in advance) so of course I loved it! Some very heartbreaking (but relatable) elements of this one, and I highly recommend it. ($3.99 for Kindle)

Drums of Autumn is the latest installment of the Outlander series that I've finished. I find myself getting sucked into the Outlander world and never wanting to leave, I decided to listen to the audio books instead of reading them. That way I can only “read” when I’m in the car or having a slow day at work. I can’t stay up until all hours of the night listening to the audiobook like I would reading it. Because sometimes I just want to know what is going to happen!! The Outlander world has expanded quite a bit by this book, and I can’t really tell you anything about it without some major spoilers for those of you who haven’t made it this far in the series. But let’s just say that I am still loving the story. (Side note: If you are interested in listening to the audiobooks, I highly suggest subscribing to Audible. This book is over $40 to buy through Audible, but when you are an Audible member you get credits. So I use credits for these pricey titles and pay for the cheaper ones [like Yes Please].) ($4.99 for Kindle)

I listened to Unbroken as an audiobook as well. Goodness, this is such a great story. Even more amazing that it is a TRUE story. I might have cried at multiple points, because hearing the description of Pearl Harbor was almost painful. Thinking about all those people who died…well, it broke my heart a little. It’s one thing to read things in history books, or watch them on the History Channel. But I think hearing this story it really hit me that every person who died in that awful war had their own story, most of which will never be told. But this one was. And it is inspiring and painful and amazing. I can’t wait to watch the movie and see how they handled things. I’m sure this one would be just as good (or better) read than told. And it’s on sale for the Kindle right now! ($2.99 for Kindle)

I Capture the Castle is another audio book I listened to last month. It was a daily deal a few weeks back, so I bought it without knowing too much about it. I really enjoyed it, though. It is the story of a 17 year old girl who lives in an old English castle. It is told through the eyes of the girl, in the form of journal entries. I honestly had no idea it was originally published in 1948 until doing a little research for this blog post. And that the author also wrote 101 Dalmations! I think this book was great as an audiobook because it was so descriptive. I could picture the castle, the characters, everything in my head as I drove my daily commute. It made the mind numbing traffic bearable as I imagined the dark and damp old castle. Read or listen, but definitely give this book a try! ($8.53 for Kindle)

I Heart My Little A-Holes is a book I don’t know exactly how to classify. It is essentially a collection of stories (blog posts) about parenting. It’s hilarious. I think I probably won’t appreciate how funny it was until I have kids, but I think it helped me get in more of a realistic frame of mind. Kids are wonderful, but they can also be tiny little a-holes. As evidenced by so many stories in this book. Moms, you need to read this. Women considering becoming moms, read it too! And then maybe re-read it after the kids are born :) ($9.78 for Kindle)

The Vacationers – I heard great reviews of this book, but honestly? I was a little meh about it. It was fine. It kept me entertained in the dealership waiting room while my car had the oil changed. If you have free time and are looking for a book, it will keep you busy. But there are a lot of other great books out there that I’d recommend over this one. However, I did appreciate how she told the whole back story within the context of the 14 day vacation. It was well written, but not compelling. If that makes sense. ($10.99 for Kindle)

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