What I listened to in October!

At the start of the year, I started listening to audiobooks. I always wanted to be a reader but couldn't/wouldn't make the time, so audiobooks were a way around it. I could be busy doing something while still listening to a book. Anyway, I thought I would share what I have been listening to. All of my audiobooks come from my local library through the app BorrowBox. I know lots of what I listen to might be considered old but they are all new to me!

This is what I listened to in October:

An Unlikely Visitor by Joanna Cannon!

Margaret thinks her time is up. Things have been hard since her husband Derek died, and they never got over the disappearance of their daughter, Jeanie, all those years ago. With his support, it seemed like everything would be okay okay enough, that is. But now Derek’s gone. Margaret moves through the days slowly, quietly, alone. Then one day, Margaret returns home to an unlikely visi­tor, and together they set out to discover what really happened to Jeanie. Perhaps if she knocks on enough doors, she might find another end to the story. Part mystery, part ghost story, part meditation on grief, An Unlikely Visitor is a warm hearted and hopeful reminder that the people we love are always with us.

When I started this book I had no idea the unlikely visitor would turn out being who it was. No spoilers but what a twist! Margaret tugged on each and every one of my heartstrings and I just loved following along as she pushed herself out of her comfort zone. This book is sad and I had a tear in my eye at times but it is beautifully written and packed full of emotion! I loved it!

Blacklands by Belinda Bauer!

Twelve-year-old Steven Lamb digs holes on Exmoor, hoping to find a body. Every day after school, while his classmates swap football stickers, Steven goes digging to lay to rest the ghost of the uncle he never knew, who disappeared aged eleven and is assumed to have fallen victim to the notorious serial killer Arnold Avery. Only Steven's Nan is not convinced her son is dead. She still waits for him to come home, standing bitter guard at the front window while her family fragments around her. Steven is determined to heal the widening cracks between them before it's too late. And if that means presenting his grandmother with the bones of her murdered son, he'll do it. So the boy takes the next logical step, carefully crafting a letter to Arnold Avery in prison. And there begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game between a desperate child and a bored serial killer.

I really liked this book. It's heart breaking to realise that Steven was just trying to find the body of his murdered uncle to fix his little broken family. All he wants is to be normal and happy. Even though the story is told from the perspective of a 12 year old boy it is not for children because of the serial killer who was a truly evil and sick man! The ending felt a bit rushed but on the whole it was fantastic to listen to and I didn't want to stop listening. It did make me think of the Ian Brady/Myra Hindley case which made it feel so, so real!

Over Sharing by Jane Fallon!

Can you live a lie without spilling the truth? Once, Iris was happy. She had the home, the husband, the promise of a family. Now she's divorced and renting out her spare room to make ends meet. Life could be worse. But could have been better - if it hadn't been for Maddy: the woman who ruined her life. Social influencer Maddy's brand is happy families. She preaches about loyalty and the sanctity of marriage, and is quickly becoming famous for her wholesome videos of life with her husband and adorable twin girls. Iris doesn't believe a word of it. And she's going to prove it's all false. Because if there's one thing that will bring back Iris's happiness, it's taking away Maddy's.

I wanted to like this book but couldn't get past or relate to the main character. Iris isn’t a very nice person at all! Her behaviour is ridiculous and she really annoyed me because of the way she treat people. She was a car crash waiting to happen but I couldn’t look away. There were some funny moments but overall I found the story a little boring. I did finish listening to it just to see how it ended.

Eyes on You by Adele Parks!

At 15, Amy witnessed her father brutally murder his secret lover. Her testimony sealed her father’s fate. With him in prison, Amy and her mother must rebuild their lives in the shadow of a notorious crime. Years later, Oliver Harrington walks into the restaurant where Amy works. Just like Amy, Oliver has a past he’d rather forget. Amy is drawn to him at a profound level; they feel a connection, an understanding. This seems a lot like love, but does it hide something darker – an obsession that could lead Amy into a web of deception and violence she thought she’d escaped? As the truth looms ever closer, Amy must confront a harsh where there is love, there is often betrayal.

I struggled with the beginning of this one. At first it felt as though the story wasn’t really going anywhere and there were moments when I was very close to giving up. It just wasn’t grabbing me in the way I had hoped it would. I am very glad I carried on because once everything started to come together, the story took a completely different direction. Once the story got going I was completely invested and eager to see how everything would turn out. It is a good reminder that sometimes a little patience really does pay off. I nearly gave up on this one but I am so glad I stuck with it!

Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale!

If you had the power to change the past…where would you start? Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order…until now. She's just been dumped. She's just been fired. Her local café has run out of banana muffins. Then something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated but soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.

I think if I was reading this book I would have got bored with it but hearing it on Audiobook made it fun! I love that it didn't have the typical then and now point of view even though it had wiggly time stuff in the plot. Being autistic Cassandra is not a character that everyone can relate to but I found her well intentioned, loving and loveable. Her effort to deal with the world were at times laugh out loud funny and gave valuable insight into an autistic perspective. The story did leave me with some unanswered like where did the sudden ability to time travel come from? I wasn't too keen on the ending and that is all I will say so I don't spoil it for anyone else. I feel like I need a second book after the ending.

What have you been reading or listening to lately?