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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Flying Lessons by Ellen Oh

Flying Lessons & Other Stories by Ellen Oh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to Flying Lessons, a short story compilation about growing up diverse. I loved every story, they were so different; were middle school and high school stories, from awesome authors and some were even read by those authors (like Kwame Alexander and Meg Medina). Ten authors weave stories of growing up, diversity, many cultures, with friends, family and laughs. Not to be missed; you will love Kwame Alexander, Matt de la Pena, Meg Medina, Soman Chainani, Tim Federle, Tim TYingle, Jacqueline Woodson, Walter Deam Myers, and Kelly J. Baptiste's tales which stress the importantce of diversity and its universality.

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In the Afterlight (The Darkest Minds #3) by Alexandra Bracken

In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh I loved this series, I did not want it to end- all the kids became my circle of friends, Ruby, Liam, Cole, Zoo, and the other kids labeled as freaks. Their world was so bleak but the hope and daring do and the adults in the camps, government were horrible except the poor parents. I loved the growth of Ruby ad her brave band, such a great series, I recommend all read or listen to it. I LOVED AMY McFadden's narration!!!!

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Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this audiobook as part of the 2017 HUB Challenge and oh did this audiobook narrated by Allan Corduner deserve the Odyssey Award and kudos to debut author, Gavriel Savit; I look forward to reading more from him. It is 1939 and Anna is just 7 yrs old when her Polish father is taken away, never to return. Anna meets the Swallow Man who is a master manipulator, commands a knowledge of many languages and together they teach each other how to survive in a world gone beserk. OMG I loved Allan Corduner's narration, his voices, his hypnotic voice, his chilling voice, his Anna and his Swallow Man. A must read; a different kind of Holocaust book but gut wrenching all the same about a horrific period of time.

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Traffick by Ellen Hopkins

Traffick by Ellen Hopkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this Hub Challenge Top 10 Amazing Audiobook!!! Awesomely narrated by: Julia Whelan , Madeleine Maby , Rebekkah Ross , Kirby Heyborne , Jacques Roy their many voices were heartbreaking, gut wrenching and ultimately hopeful about young adults who become prey to drugs, alcohol, prostitution, violence and the fallout to themselves and their families. No one but Ellen Hopkins can write these novels in verse as authentically and gripping. Teens will gobble up both the book & I highly recommend this audiobook, I could not stop listening. It was great to listen to my favorites Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne and be introduced to new narrators, too! Highly recommended!

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The Beast by Brie Spangler

Beast by Brie Spangler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG what a book! I could not stop listening to Andrew Eiden as he narrated flawlessly the voice of Dylan called Beast by everyone because of his size and friend to one jerk, JP who makes him beat up kids to collect money owed him. Andrew Eiden's rendition of Jamie, the girl Dylan meets & falls for in group. What he doesn't know (because he tuned out) is that Janie is transgender & when he finds out, he deals with it all wrong. I ached for Dylan, his life, his yearning to get signs from his dead father, and his lack of faith in his mother. I rooted for Dylan & Jamie to triumph over themselves, other's judgments, and grow to appreciate the very horribleness of the world. A must read & recommended for all libraries!

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Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First I read and loved this book, read it again for a Twitter Book Chat and just finished listening to the audiobook which won an award for top 10 Amazing Audiobooks from YALSA! I listened to this audiobook as part of the 2016 Hub Reading Challenge. I was a little unsure about how this book would convert to audio BUT it was fantastic! All of the narrators were unbelievably awesome in delivering this thriller! The sounds of AIDAN, pilots, battles, hackers, and of course, Kady & Ezra make this one of my favorite books and I am most definitely looking forward to the 2nd book! There will be a great Twitter chat with #2jennsbookclub at 8pm Thursday 6/9- join in the discussion!

Here is my review from reading the book:) https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...
What a fantastic rip roaring good read! As Kady & Ezra break up (this is a big thing) little do they know by afternoon their planet, Kerenza, has been attacked and the ex-lovers (barely speaking & angry with each other) are fleeing for their lives. What I loved about this sci-fi action drama was the high octane super charged way the authors accomplished this first in a series- using Memos, hacked documents (IMs, texts, emails), interviews, pictures, graphics all pull this story into a hold your breath drama where 1 girl (great with technology, doesn't work well with others & super bad ass) and 1 guy (team player, fighter pilot and still in love with Kady) fight together & separately to save those on The Alexander, Lincoln & Hypatia from a mutating disease, AIDAN's insanity, and still stay alive. I could not stop following the Kady & Ezra communications (OMG!!!) I am so looking forward to the 2nd book in the series! Kaufman and Kristoff create a thriller where everything is crazy and Kady & Ezra are very strong protagonists the reader just keeps rooting for! Highly recommended!

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Half Wild by Sally Green

Half Wild by Sally Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this book as part of the 2016 Hub Challenge Top 10 Amazing Audiobooks. OMG, Carl Prekopp's narration of this amazing audiobook was killer. I could not stop listening to Nathan, half white witch & half black witch, as he grows older, receives his wishes from his father, feared black witch, Marcus, searches for his love, Annaliese, and revels in his tentative relationship with Gabriel (who is in love with Nathan). This is part 2 of the Half Bad series by Sally Green and it is just as riveting as the first book!!! With a cliffhanger for an ending, I can't wait for the 3rd book in this series.

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Reader Response: Amazing Audiobooks

2015 August 24

tags: 2015 hub reading challenge reader response, amazing audiobooks for young adults, audiobooks, Ava Dellaira, deborah wiles, emma pass, julie anne peters, Sally Green

by Guest Blogger

   

 

The following is a reader response from BJ Neary, who participated in and finished the 2015 Hub Reading Challenge.
This is my second year participating and completing The Hub Reading Challenge.  I am an avid reader of all things YA- enjoying all genres in YA especially nonfiction, novels in verse, and series books.  This year I discovered I had read many books on the list.  So I decided to push myself and delve into audiobooks in the Challenge.  Below are just a few of the award winning titles I listened to and RECOMMEND in the Amazing Audiobook section of the 2015 Hub Reading Challenge.
Love Letters to the Dead  by Ava Dellaira was awesome. Laurel is still reeling from the death and loss of her older sister, May.  Laurel has transferred to a new school. In English her first assignment is to write a letter to a dead person. This assignment begins a year- long letter writing campaign from Laurel to Kurt Cobain, Judy Garland, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart, Amy Winehouse, poets and many more…What I liked about these letters is that Laurel researches each subject and the reader learns about the lives of these dead people and we see parallels to May, Laurel, and her family. As Laurel struggles with her guilt, her silence, her own self- image, and her idealization of May…who will she become? As a reader, I savored the New Mexico setting, the flawed (but real) characters, the letters, and Laurel’s journey.  Teens will relate to Laurel, Sky, Natalie, and Hannah in their daily lives and interpersonal relationships in high school.
Acid by Emma Pass – I couldn’t stop listening as Jenna Strong is imprisoned by the police (the most barbaric force known as ACID) for murdering her parents when she was 15 years old. But all is not as it seems; if you love action, suspense, and thrillers; you will not soon forget Jenna’s world of lies, espionage, and sinister brutality—what will she do to remember her life as it was and as it is now? This audiobook has riveting plots, characters (nasty and nice) and a dystopian world you won’t forget! 
Revolution by Deborah Wiles – What I enjoyed most was the factual speeches from the 1960s and news stories  interspersed with white Sunny’s story of civil rights workers coming to her town in Mississippi and getting blacks out to vote. Sunny’s teen viewpoint was key- she did not know about racism and segregation other than what she hears (“they are invaders”) from her family and others in charge.  Sunny learns so much more that summer as events unfold, friendships are made and broken, and families are mended.
Define Normal by Julie Ann Peters – LOVED it. Both girls are fantastic protagonists, although the story is told solely from Antonia’s point of view.  Antonia is peer counseling Jazz Luther who is her total opposite. As I listened to this compelling audiobook I realized why I love Julie Ann Peters’ books- she gets teens. This book is no different- both Jazz and Antonia have “stuff” going on and teens will be riveted reading or listening to this book; can seeming “opposites” get along, trust each other, and become friends?
Half Bad by Sally Green is an amazing psychological thriller audiobook! I loved Carl Prekopp’s narration; he was gripping and mesmerizing as Nathan. In a future England, Nathan is half white witch and half black witch and it is being the son of notorious black witch, Marcus, that brands him an outsider—even his own sister, Jessica, hates him. Thankfully Nathan has a wonderful and sympathetic brother, Aaron.  Aaron is sweet, trusting, and very protective of Nathan. But Aaron is not bullied, beaten up, or branded “BAD” like Nathan. Will Nathan be able to elude the hunters and survive until his 17th birthday and receive his three important powers of magic? Will he be able to survive in a world that does not want him or his father?
-BJ Neary