Audiobooks – Living the Adventure

My favorite audible books for 2019 so far….

July 31, 2019July 31, 2019 esther7dancingLeave a comment

The Lake House by Kate Morton

If you enjoy beautiful language and a cozy mystery, you will enjoy “The Lake House” by Kate Morton. The audible version is narrated by Caroline Lee who has wonderful pacing and a British accent. The Lake House is a slower paced mystery, so I found that I enjoyed it more as an audible. I was able to accomplish the cleaning of my house while being entertained by this audio. The Lake House follows the Edevane family who harbor an unsolved family mystery. The book takes place in two time periods. Moving between the scene of the crime and the current time period where detective Sadie is trying to solve this cold case. What I love about this book was the unexpected ways the mystery was solved and how the different characters ended up being connected. It’s a great audible book to use your free credits because its a long one, so you feel like your getting more book for your credits.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This book probably needs no introduction. Okay, I have a confession to make, I did not read Pride and Prejudice until I was an adult. Although, I must say I sometimes feel like we can appreciate some classics more if we wait until we are at a different stage in life. I am delighting in my journey of catching up on the classics. Right now, I am listening to David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens was a phenomenal writer. In my opinion, these classics are the best in audible format. The Pride and Prejudice that I listened to was narrated by Rosamund Pike. Another amazing British reading narrator. You might be able to tell from my list that I am kind of fond of a British accent. In my opinion, Jane Austen books are better because of it. Rosamund Pike did an excellent job of distinguishing the different characters voices and I could easily follow the storyline. I am looking forward to listening to it again in August for my bookclub.

3. At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider

A memoir following Tsh Oxenreider and her family’s journey as they take a year to travel the world. The audible version is read by the author. I adore memoirs that are read by the author because you can receive a better picture of the world they are trying to paint for you. I felt like I was able to step into the different countries as she was describing each place they visited. It was definitely a dangerous book for me to read because it caused my love of travel to increase. The audible version is well paced and an easy read to listen to while you clean your house or perhaps drive to your next errand. I have a full review under the category “Book Reviews” if you want more details on this book. I loved this book so much that I bought the printed version as well. It was worthy of a spot on my bookshelf.

4. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

“Brown Girl Dreaming” is a book written entirely in verse. The entire book is series of poems that connect to the tell the story of the author’s childhood. This book is also read by the author. Books that are written in verse, in my opinion, are better on audio. Especially if they are read by the author. The rhythms and cadence of the written word become clear to the reader as you listen to the book. The language is beautifully poetic and yet you can understand the story that the author has written. If you have never tried a book in verse, try it in an audible version. These books in verse are worth your time.

5. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

I recently did a book review on the blog about this book, but it still makes it in my top 5 for favorite audible books this year. The narrator is Emily Woo Zellar and she did an amazing job of narrating this book. I was delighted by the humor that was brought out by the narrator which I might have missed by just reading the book. At certain parts of the book, I outright laughed due to some of the antics of Marie Kondo’s clients. For more information, check out my full review on this book under the category “Book Reviews”. This was definitely a motivational book to listen to as I cleaned my house. The author did a wonderful job of storytelling in a way that made you want to listen more. I believe I finished this book in about 3 days.

So, why do I love audio books? Audible books are an easy way for me to read more books. I am a busy mama with a list of things in a day greater than I can accomplish in a month. My favorite pastime is to relax in a comfy chair with a book and a cup of tea but sometimes life gets in the way. My solution to still feeding into my love of reading, is audiobooks. They are my saving grace for a bookworm problem.

What has been your favorite Audiobook in 2019 so far?

“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up” by Marie Kondo-Book Review

July 27, 2019 esther7dancing1 Comment

Synopsis: Marie Kondo is a Japanese Cleaning Consultant that helps people get organized and live in clean homes that they won’t have to constantly tidy. Her method is called the KonMari Method which is a combination of her first and last name. The biggest difference between her method and other cleaning and organizational methods is how she doesn’t want to you to clean room by room but by category. She also demands that you clean everything at once. For example, when you are organizing the clothing category, you must obtain all your clothing in the entire house and put it in the middle of the floor or on top of your bed. Then you must sort the clothing and only keep clothing that brings you joy. Her desire is that you get a realistic perspective of how much you own as a whole and this will motivate you to stay tidy in the end. This book has sold over 9 million copies so I would conclude that many people love her methods.

My Thoughts: This was a delightful and enjoyable book. Her use of storytelling was entertaining and fast paced which made it a quick read. There were moments in the book where I was laughing aloud because the description of what her clients were struggling with was a reflection of my own challenges of tidying up. Her reaction to these organizational problems made me laugh. I could just imagine her coming to my own home and saying the exact same things.

The art of organization is my happy place, so finding a book to read on organization is even better. Although, I do not agree with all her methods or beliefs, I was inspired by her art of discarding and her folding methods have changed the way I do laundry forever.

As a homeschool mom of 5 kiddos still living in the house, her method of doing everything all at once is a bit unrealistic. In my reality, I have to go room by room because my kids and family life will not allow anything different. The art of discarding was inspirational and brought an awareness of clutter that I happen to just store and keep for no reason. For example, I have this one cupboard full of cookbooks that I have kept since I was first married. I only use about 5 or 6 of them. Why in the world am I storing the rest? Just recently we had to change the way we eat due to health issues and I bought some beautiful cookbooks for inspiration. Sadly, they do not fit in the stuffed cupboard of cookbooks that I don’t use. I definitely need to incorporate the KonMari method and discard them.

This is also an engaging audible to listen to while you tidy your house. I was able to accomplish quite a bit of cleaning due to wanting to finish the book.

Recommended For: People that love organization or want to be inspired in new ways to organize. You should also listen to the audible version if you want an entertaining books to inspire you while you clean.

Have you read this book?

What are your thoughts about the book if you have read it?

Favorite Fiction Books for Tweens and Teen Boys!

October 23, 2015 esther7dancingLeave a comment

Favorite Fiction Books for Tweens and Teen Boys!

Finding good fiction for tween or teen boys is sometime hard to find. Having two teenage boys, I am always looking for quality fiction books for my boys to read. This is definitely a genre that needs more authors to join the adventure of writing for this age group. If you have a heart or desire to write fiction for tween or teen boys, go for it! I would love to see more clean, quality fiction on bookshelves. In my continuous search for books that become part of our library shelf, I have found a few favorites that are a hit with my kids and me. Some of the books I am recommending are from the same author. Once I find an author that my boys and I like, I search for other works that they have done.

The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black

This is an amazing series that is actually an allegory of the Bible. The author uses the terminology of knights and kingdoms to describe biblical characters. The Prince who trains the knights is Jesus. The knights are the disciples. This is a series that you would want to start at the beginning because there are books that repeat certain characters. The Knights Kingdom series also has a great audio series that go with the books. So if you have an auditory learner, you can get the books on audio. Chuck Black is a homeschool dad that told amazing bedtime stories to his kids. He was encouraged to write them into books and Knights Kingdom Series was born. He is an excellent story teller. My kids are captivated by both the books and the audio. We have listened to the audio several times. You can find his books on Amazon or his website www.perfect-praise.com.

2. Knights of Arrethtrae by Chuck Black

This is another wonderful series by Chuck Black. This series is probably my favorite if I had to choose between the Kingdom Series and Knights of Arrethtrae. This series focuses on the knights of the kingdom called Arrethrae. You do not have to read this series in order except for “Sir Dalton” and “Lady Caryliss” because those two are connected and have repeat characters. Each book focuses on a specific knight and their journey in learning a certain character quality. One book is about overcoming greed and another book is about having faith to step out. These books were powerful stories that illustrate great character building for kids. My favorite was “Lady Caryliss” because of the powerful word pictures that the author gave when Lady Caryliss was given the assignment to set prisoners free. When she was willing to step out and stand up for what was right, it brought freedom to the people. I think teenagers would enjoy the books and the audio. My boys have listened to their favorite “Knight” stories many times.

3. Wars of the Realm by Chuck Black

I have included all the series from Chuck Black because they are all worth mentioning. In my opinion, Chuck Black keeps getting better as he continues to write new series. The thing that I love about this series is that it is quite different from the Kingdom Series and yet it is just as enthralling. Unlike the Kingdom Series, this new series is set more in the present day. The first book is called “Cloak of the Light” and its an adventure worth taking. Its about a young man and his journey to finding God. In the midst of his journey he acquires the ability to see angel and demons. He sees the war that is going on around him and he helps the angels fight to help people. My boys are on the 2nd book which is called “The Rise of the Fallen” and they are complaining that the 3rd book in the series isn’t coming out until February 2016. The author has an interesting perspective on what the “spiritual” realm in heaven and around us might be like.

4. The Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson

Wayne Thomas Batson is another favorite author of my boys. They anxiously await his next book when they are in the middle of a series. “The Berinfell Prophecies” are an adventure/fantasy series that is written for boys or girls for age 10 and up. The first book in the series is called “Curse of the Spider King” and its about these tween and teen that are part of saving the world from the Spider King. Its an exiting adventure that spans 3 books in the series. I loved the twists and unexpected way the storyline went. You will want to start with the first book if you decide to try this series because the books are definitely connected and contain the same characters throughout the series. We also enjoyed the audio books of this series, if you have a child that would rather listen then read the series. These books are found at Amazon or on Wayne Thomas Batson’s website which is enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com.

5. Door Within Series by Wayne Thomas Baston

One thing that is unique about the Door Within Series is that it has many parallels between the Bible and the story line. The reason it is called the Door Within is because the hero finds within himself a heart wanting to follow the King. When he decides to become a knight and follow the King, he is used mightily to save other lives and fight against the enemy. Its an exciting adventure series that is anything but boring. My kids are going through the series for the second time and still enjoy the twists and turn the story takes. There are 3 books in this series and you would want to start with the first book in this series as well.

These are probably my top 5 so far. There are more books that my boys have loved and I hope to add more to this list soon. I think the most unique thing about all these books is that they are Christian based, so its nice to have even spiritual teaching and character training in the middle of books that your kids like to read for fun. I enjoy having my kids read for enjoyment but its also fun to have them read books that make them think. I think both these authors do a great job of incorporating both. Enjoy!

Knights Kingdom- Audio Books

July 26, 2015 esther7dancingLeave a comment

Audio books are a great tool that I have used for teaching, enjoyment or building character in my kids as we drive to places. “Knights Kingdom” by Chuck Black is an excellent audio series that helps develop character training in kids in a creative way. Chuck Black is a homeschool dad who told amazing bedtime stories to his kids, which he turned into fiction books for kids. His first series is an allegory of the Bible using knights and swords. They are very well done and my kids loved the audio versions of the books. They use multiple voices for the audio version which makes the story even more enjoyable.

His second series features different knights that are part of the kingdom. I loved his second series even better because it focused on character training. For example, one of the books addressed greed and another talked about overcoming fear. Each main character was a knight that would have a journey and lesson that they needed to learn. My favorite one was “Lady Carliss” who set people free from the lies of the enemy that were keeping them in prison and helped them see the truth and their need for the Prince, who represents Jesus. My kids enjoyed them at a young age but I want them to listen to all of them again as teens because of the powerful lessons that are portrayed by the author. The only caution I have with these books is that the sword fights can be detailed, so I would say that age 10 and older is probably the best age to listen to the audio books. My younger children listened and had no problems but you know your child best and what age would be appropriate. You can find “Knights Kingdom” by Chuck Black on Amazon or Christianbook.com. He also has is own site kingdomseries.com where you can purchase his products and learn more about the series.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: