Five More Audiobooks I’ve Listened To Recently:
Back In A Spell by Lana Harper
Back In A Spell by Lana Harper is the third book in the Witches Of Thistle Grove series. This book stars Nineve Blackmoore and Morty Gutierrez. Finally the best bartender gets a book! So, Nineve, or Nina as she goes by in this book, recently had a bad breakup. To put herself back out there, she joins a dating app and ends up matching with Morty. She dates him because she knows she won’t get attached. Morty begins to develop magical powers from dating Nina whose powers also start to increase and go a little out of whack. The two have to figure out what the heck is going on. Oh, and it turns out, the Blackmoores are trying to buy Morty’s bar which isn’t exactly endearing.
The audiobook of Back In A Spell is narrated by Carlotta Brentan. It is 9 hours and 45 minutes long. I’ll be honest and say I did forget a lot of what happened. I listened to this book while I was busy and stressed and under some pressure. If I had to go back and re-read, I would probably either slow down the speed I listened to or pick up the physical or ebook and read it that way. Nothing wrong with the narration, it just wasn’t quite the right audiobook for me at the time. I would still recommend for witchy vibes and the non-binary rep. Also, this series is really a lot of fun.
@aprilbooksandwine Reading Wrap Up Books Mentioned: The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat Lost In The Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed Back In A Spell by Alexa Martin Well, That Was Expected by Jesse Q Sutano Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin #aprilbooksandwine #ReadySetLift #booktokover30 #momsofbooktok @penguinaudio @berkleypub
♬ original sound – April Books & Wine
Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutano
The opening of Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutano had me ROLLING. Oh my god it was hilarious. Sharlot Citra is caught in LA in a compromising position with a boy, so her mom takes her away to Indonesia, where she is from. Meanwhile, the other point of view character, George Clooney Tanuwijaya, is also caught in a HILARIOUS situation that has his family cutting off his internet access. His family is wealthy and has essentially this empire of apps. Anyways, Sharlot and George’s parents catfish each other on this app and so, to get their parents off their backs, the two decide to fake date, in a very public fashion, in front of the media. Also, neither one realizes that the other was a catfish, just that their parent was pretending to be themselves.
I had a blast listening to this audiobook. Well, That Was Unexpected kept me entertained and invested in the characters. I think this was the first book I’ve read with Indonesian representation, love that for me. The audiobook was an excellent listen. Risa Mei and Yoshi Sudarso narrate this 9 hour 41 minute audiobook. I absolutely would listen to another book narrated by these two who do a fabulous job. Highly recommend this book if you want something light and fun.
How To Succeed In Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy
Aislinn Brophy’s How To Succeed In Witchcraft was such a surprise to me! This book was amazing. Of course, I love books about witches. This book, however, is about so much more. It follows Shay Johnson who goes to TK Anderson Magical Magnet School. She’s hoping to win this prestigious full ride scholarship to college called the Brockton Scholarship. Her competition is Ana Alvarez. Mr. B, yes, the B stands for Brockton, convinces Shay to participate in the school musical alongside Ana. There, Ana and Shay become friends. But it gets tricky when Mr. B takes a special interest in helping Shay. Oh, and did I mention that Shay is gay?
Like I said, I loved How To Succeed In Witchcraft. This blog is in FULL SUPPORT of Black Girl Magic. Brophy’s story has witches, a musical, romance, and some serious themes too. It all melds together perfectly. I was so invested in the ending and just how it would all play out. I even got really on edge thinking Shay’s chance at a good future would disappear. It helps that the audiobook is narrated to perfection by Tashi Thomas. The audiobook is 10 hours and 44 minutes long, but flies by. You absolutely must pick this book up.
Highly Suspicious And Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
Talia Hibbert’s books are such a joy to listen to — even with the deeper themes. Highly Suspicious And Unfairly Cute is Talia Hibbert’s YA debut. I loved this book. It follows Brad Graeme who is a popular football player with OCD and also former friend to main character Celine Bangura. Celine is really into conspiracy theories and runs a very popular tiktok account about conspiracy theories. The two end up having to work together on this wilderness retreat and through different challenges for a chance at winning a scholarship. As they continue to work together, they start to have feelings for each other. You see, prior to this, they really did not get along.
I really enjoyed both Celine and Brad’s different quirks. The way the story played out was PERFECT. Also, the wilderness part was like catnip to me. The setting was so good — for those parts. This story was creative and engaging and so easy to be invested in. I love books about Black teen joy, even when they are navigating difficult situations and mental health diagnoses. It’s great to see those coping skills in action. I highly recommend this audiobook – narrated by Amina Koroma and Jonathan Andrew Hume. It is 9 hours and 15 minutes long. One thing I would advise is to slowly speed it up if you are someone who listens to audiobooks sped up. As someone who is not British, I did find the accent a little hard to understand sped up. Otherwise, definitely would say give Highly Suspicious And Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert a listen.
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis is such a unique addition to the young adult genre. First, it’s historical fiction which doesn’t seem to be as trendy at the moment. But wait! It’s historical fiction about Black people that isn’t set during the antebellum south or the civil rights era! That’s right, this book is set during the Gilded Age in Chicago. It centers around a family who made their fortunes after being freed from running a carriage company. And so, the book is about The Davenports, a Black family who are quite wealthy. There are four main characters – two Davenport sisters, one girl who essentially is a maid to the Davenports and one girl who is the best friend of one of the Davenport girls. There’s romance and stories of Black girls blazing their own trails.
Marquis’s The Davenports keeps getting compared to Bridgerton, which I kind of get on the one hand. But on the other, if we’re really going to compare to adult romance, why are we leaving out Beverly Jenkins? Like, this book is about Black people doing well for themselves during history having love stories — that absolutely screams a Jenkins comparison to me. And I LOVE IT. This book was captivating and I cannot wait for more from the series. My favorite was Helen Davenport who just wanted to fix cars but also had a thing for the boy who is intended for her sister. There’s drama and it’s juicy. Oh and I also listened to the audiobook which was well done. It’s narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt and is 12 hours and 2 minutes long. I would recommend if you want an absorbing story.
@aprilbooksandwine Reading wrap up Books Mentioned: Court Of The Vampire Queen by Katee Robert The Davenports by Krystal Marquis Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna Beasts Of Prey by Ayana Gray When The World Turned Upside Down by K. Ibura #booktok #aprilbooksandwine #booktokover30 #momsofbooktok
♬ original sound – April Books & Wine
Latest posts by April (Books&Wine) (see all)
- Wreck The Halls by Tessa Bailey | Book Review - December 26, 2023
- Along Came Holly by Codi Hall | Book Review - December 23, 2023
- The Christmas Brides Of Twilight by Lori Wilde | Audiobook Review - December 14, 2023
