mkduds's reviews
750 reviews

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

4.0

Audiobook review. I have never read a book like this and almost out it down during the first 20 minutes. But, it was very well written. The characters were engaging and you weren’t really sure who to root for. The audio cast and sound design were great. I could never listen to this if it were true or watch it as a movie, but this, as fiction, was gripping. 

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

3.0

Audiobook review. I enjoyed this - a very well told narrative. However, it lost me at the end. Perhaps it was because it was audio and I missed something. There were parts that were very difficult to listen to as well, but that is the nature of marriage stories from the time period. 

Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May

2.0

Audiobook review. I have no idea what the author was trying to do with this book. I couldn’t connect the dots- bees, swimming, fire? I didn’t walk away with some ideas about how I might awaken wonder. Given the other reviews, it seems I missed something listening to this book. 

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

5.0

Audiobook review. This was such a lovely and poignant story by Rowley. I loved the world of these five friends and how they reconnected when they needed each other the most. I laughed and cried and texted my dearest friends. Rowley is one of my favorite authors and I will always devour his books as soon as they come out. 

Scarcity Brain: Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough by Michael Easter

3.0

Audiobook review. Perhaps it was the audio format, but this book wasn’t quite as engaging as Comfort Crisis. But there were some interesting tidbits in this book and it was a pleasant read. 

How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur

4.0

Audiobook review. I enjoyed this book. It’s some academic and some real world practical stuff to consider. The book explores the questions: what am I doing? Why am I doing it? Is there something I could be doing that’s better? Why is it better? 

I like the coda at the end that he writes to his middle grade kids - think about whether your sibling would make the decision you’re about to make, what about someone who you aren’t that close to but are smart, what would they do? And at the end shares “know thy self. Nothing in excess” from the Greeks.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall

4.0

Audiobook review. When this book started, I had no idea where it was going. But it ended up being riveting and fun and felt like “The Understory” where many disparate characters come together at the end. 

The Family by Naomi Krupitsky

4.0

Audiobook review. This was a really powerful story about family and friendship. And how friends become family that you always come back to. 

Ciao For Now by Kate Bromley

2.0

Audiobook review. Eh, I just didn’t get into this book. Another example of not believing these two would end up together. 

The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise by Pico Iyer

2.0

Audiobook review. I could not follow this book. There were some interesting sentences but that’s all I got from it.