Silent Bite (Andy Carpenter, #22) by David Rosenfelt

Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrator Grover Gardner is the perfect Andy Carpenter voice! I love all Andy Carpenter books & audiobooks- I chuckle all the way through, but I love the pace of the plot- Andy doing his best to defend a client, using all the characters that help in the courtroom and interviewing people, taking care of dogs, and loving his life with Laurie and his son (also Tara & assorted dogs). I highly recommend all of Rosenfelts' books in this series & I will also read his others after I am finished!

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Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

Simon Sort of Says: by Erin Bow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Simon; he has suffered a major trauma and as a result, his family moves far away. In this new town Simon makes 2 friends, is glad there is no internet and gets used to the new life while also being well aware what he survived. There was so much to love about this book; the plot, the characters, the funeral home hijinks, the farm, his pastor father all combine to give the reader a story so important you cannot put it down. You will laugh and you will cry but Simon's many messages will resound with ALL readers! Highly recommended!

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The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this with my Albright College Zoom Book Club. Narrated by Dominic Hoffman, this historical fiction has everything; racism, social class distinctions, family, friendship, sorrow, humor, and hope. But it is the way McBride tells this story of Jews & Blacks living in the Chicken Hill area of Pottstown, PA in the 1920s. I went to Albright College in Reading so I loved reading landmarks, cities, & hospitals in this compulsively readable book. I could not stop listening! The characters Chona, Dodo, Nate & his wife, Bernice, and Monkey Pants were my favorites but all characters were authentic. I rooted for the many subplots & McBride did not disappoint! This is a stellar must read; I highly recommend it!

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Muzzled (Andy Carpenter, #21) by David Rosenfelt

Muzzled by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great audiobook mystery in the Andy Carpenter series, Andy helps his friend, Beth reunite a dog with his owner, only he is dead, or is he! Another legal thriller with Andy's brand of humor!

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Dachshund Through the Snow (Andy Carpenter, #20) by David Rosenfelt

Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Number 20 of the Andy Carpenter series, is a Christmas delight! When Laurie wants to grant a wish to Danny and his dog, he finds the plea to help his father heartfelt and enters into another murder mystery.

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Collared (Andy Carpenter, #16) by David Rosenfelt

Collared by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this latest audiobook, awesomely narrated by Grover Gardner! A dog tied to the Foundation's door sets off this legal thriller with Andy's humor and sarcasm. There is dog DNA, real DNA, murder, a drug lord, and Andy representing someone for $1.00. I loved the "Pod Hike" appearance in this book, too.

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Maybe Not (Maybe, #1.5) by Colleen Hoover

Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A sizzling romance in the Maybe series by Colleen Hoover between Warren and Bridgette who is a new roommate. This novella had me laughing as Warren persisted in trying to woo nasty Bridgette, will he win her heart, or NOT?

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Twin Cities by Jos Pimienta

Twin Cities by José Pimienta
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Twins, Fernando & Teresa live in Mexicali, Mexico but in the fall they will be going to different schools for the first time ever with Teresa crossing the border to a private school. There is the normal brother and sister drama but it reaches a hostile roar---will Fer & Teresa ever be close again? I learned alot about the different sides of the border and I loved the illustrations!

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The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat & illustrations by Joanna Cacao

The Tryout: A Graphic Novel by Christina Soontornvat
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this because it was a Nerdie Award Winner for 2022 and it was such a great middle school graphic novel with awesome illustrations by Joanna Cacao! Based on Christina's life (she is Asian American) like her best friend Megan, life gets chaotic when they decide to tryout for the cheerleading team in 7th grade. There are those friends who are supportive and other students with their racist remarks. Readers will love the fierce inner musings of Christina as she questions everything while falling in love with cheerleading, making new friends, and chasing dreams. Highly receommended!!!

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Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Julia Whelan's first book, so I was really excited for this 2nd book and oh did I love it---using humor, romance, chemistry, and learning oh so much about narrating audiobooks, Julia, once again rose to the top as an awesome narrator (she kills males' voices) and the plot was super funny, yet serious with all the madcap happenings- needing lots of $$$ for nursing home care for her grandmother, winning awards narrating nonfiction, suddenly narrating a romance book (she hates romance tropes, etc.!) meeting a dreamy man and enjoying one night sex, narrating with the famous Brock McNight (no one has ever seen him or met him) and flirting and being honest with each other, and the relationships she has with her father, Blah (her grandmother), mother, best friend, and owner of a production studio were all so authentic! I loved this novel and was so glad I listened to it because Julia Whelan's voice is my favorite audiobook narrator!

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The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue (The Vanderbeekers, #3) by Karina Yan Glaser

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by Karina Yan Glaser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this 3rd book, the humor continues as their house with all the pets fails an inspection and someone keeps dropping off kittens, guinea pigs, a dog and chickens. As they try to get them adopted and save their mother's business, the hilarity and wholesomeness continues! Such an awesome book!!!

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I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to go to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise by Erma Bombeck

I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise by Erma Bombeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My mom gave me this awesome book to read---how Erma Bombeck turned a humorous light on cancer through interviews with the children who shine through their challenges with cancer. She also takes on the women- Moms and the men-Dads and doctors and how cancer has affected them. A must read, lots of information but even more the strength and resilience of kids and their families fighting a disease, which still has no cure.

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Aven Green Sleuthing Machine by Dusti Bowling

Aven Green Sleuthing Machine by Dusti Bowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this great book bringing me one of my favorite characters, Aven Green as a private investigator! Lots of chuckles as Aven adds her own thoughts as she investigates "many" cases in her home and elementary school. I read this to my youngest granddaughter and gave it as a gift to my oldest granddaughter. She likes mysteries and I know she will enjoy this...as will all readers! Such a treat!

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The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh did I love the journey of Canadian Norris Kaplan, hockey player, Haitian American, snarky, and moving to Austin, TX. His guidance counselor asks him to keep a journal of his observations of this new world, thus the title of the book. His ruminations, his real life interactions into the high school world, and just life in general all go into the field guide. Funny most of the time, but Norris' thoughts and mouth continues to get him in trouble. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

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Best Friends (Real Friends #2) by Shannon Hale

Best Friends by Shannon Hale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, this was a more serious look at Shannon Hale's elementary & middle years before she begins high school. Shannon is a good kid who is with a group of popular friends ruled by a bully and I could feel her anxiety as she tries to figure things out, figure out what a best friend is, and loved her first attempt at a novel. What I really enjoyed was the sub who came in to teach when her pregnant teacher left for pregnancy leave. I also loved the author notes, kids will love this book!

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A Date With Darcy (Bookish Boyfriends #1) by Tiffany Schmidt

A Date with Darcy by Tiffany Schmidt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this first in the Bookish Boyfriends series! I love retellings and this book with cheesy, funny book nerd Merilee, her sister, Rory and best friend, Eliza had me turning those pages, laughing, smiling and rooting for Meri's perfect boyfriend. I always enjoy Tiffany Schmist books and this did not disappoint; looking forward to the next book in the series!

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The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this book as part of the 2019 HUB Reading Challenge; the narration by Gildart Jackson was so good it won an Amazing Audiobook Award as well as the M. T. Anderson winning the Edwards Award. I just continued to laugh and chuckle as Gildart Jackson seemed to have so much fun with the voices of historian Brangwain Spurge (also known as The Weed), himself an elf who has been asked/ordered to spy on the goblins and bring a gift to their King. He is staying with archivist Werfel and since neither one really understands the customs of each other; there is much bumbling, miscommunication, lots of blunders, but oh so many laughs on the reader's part! I especially enjoyed the authors in their afterword as they perfectly mimic their main characters in friendship and hilarity.

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The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm

The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Ellie, her humor, her positive outlook on the world and her hysterical grandfather who inhabits a body of a 14 year old boy (Melvin and living with them). Holm's book will be totally enjoyed by middle school students; her plot is totally believable with the science experiments, her best friend Raj, her grandfather's life as a teen and cat, Jonas. I totally enjoyed this book; I laughed out loud, I was plunged to the depths of despair and was so happy with how Ellie deals with so many things (she loves her grandfather, cat, is a good friend, and enjoys school, movies, and friends). The science fair experiment had me enthralled, too bad Ellie and her grandfather did not get first place.

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My Oxford Year by Julia Whalen

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh did I love this debut by awesome narrator Julia Whelan (I have listened to and loved many of her narrations as well) I was intrigued to listen to a debut and heroine, Ella Duran is one feisty, smart, compassionate character. Arriving to begin her work as a Rhodes Scholar (she also has a job back in the US which she conducts by phone or Skype) in English Lit which she really has no background in- but boy is she good with dates, authors, etc. I was mesmerized by Jamie Davenport from beginning to end- Whelan's descriptions of him and her British voice were so sexy and as a couple they were exciting with their forays, discussions, and their "no strings" romance (haha) but even more, I loved Ella's friends, Ella's thoughts, Ella's voice, and everything Ella. What a wonderful adventure for this reader; I'd like a series---Ella's life will be exciting, I am sure!

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I Believe In A Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I totally enjoyed Goo's funny book about super achiever, Desi - she is a great soccer player, student body president, involved in after school clubs and activities and very close with her dad, Appa. It is only when it comes to guys that she has ALL Flairures (love that made up word by Desi's friends)!!! When she meets new guy, Luka Drakos, Desi decides to plan her path to this her first boyfriend. By watching Korean dramas with her Dad, she crafts The K Drama Steps To True Love, which entails binge watching the Korean RomComs, taking notes and presenting to her friends Fiona and Wes how she will "catch" Luka. What the reader sees from the get-go is that Luka really likes her from the first moment they meet and despite the many steps she achieves (many with disastrous results) on her list - she and Luka, kiss, fall in love, etc. But, Desi is her own worst enemy and I enjoyed seeing her learn from her many disasters. I rooted for Desi & Luka (oh is he swoon worthy) loved her Dad and stalwart best friends. Goo has crafted a funny novel filled with good drama teens will enjoy, see themselves in and want to pass on to their friends!

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