I am about to finish the audiobook of Gods & Monsters, the third book in the Serpent & Dove series, and I will probably be posting a review of the entire series sometime soon! I have been trying to decide what to listen to next and I am torn. I am in the middle of Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, but that is a longer nonfiction and I am taking my time with it. I am looking for something more fast-paced and probably a thriller.
I have a few options, so I thought I would tell you a little bit about them all and then include a poll so you can vote on what I should read next. Or give me your thoughts in the comments!
A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance.
Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. But a Black man with cops at the door knows to be afraid.
The last thing he expects to hear is that his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah’s white husband, Derek. Ike had never fully accepted his son but is devastated by his loss.
Derek’s father Buddy Lee was almost as ashamed of Derek for being gay as Derek was ashamed his father was a criminal. Buddy Lee still has contacts in the underworld, though, and he wants to know who killed his boy.
Ike and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons with little else in common other than a criminal past and a love for their dead sons, band together in their desperate desire for revenge. In their quest to do better for their sons in death than they did in life, hardened men Ike and Buddy Lee will confront their own prejudices about their sons and each other, as they rain down vengeance upon those who hurt their boys.
Razorblade Tears is a new release that is getting a lot of buzz. I am intrigued by the set up of these two ex-cons of different races coming together to avenge the murders of their sons, who were married. I have heard incredible things and I do have to read it for a buddy read on Instagram. I am excited to listen to it on audiobook. Adam Lazarre-White is the narrator and I have really enjoyed his narrating style in the past. This does seem to be on the heavier side though, so I am not sure it is quite what I am in the mood for!
The Delaney family love one another dearly—it’s just that sometimes they want to murder each other . . .
If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?
This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings.
The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?
The four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.
One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.
Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure—but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.
I was so excited to see that Apples Never Fall was one of the ALCs from Libro.fm for August! I honestly had no idea that Liane Moriarty had a new book coming out. I love the two books that I have read from her- Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret. She is so great at what she does! I love that Apples Never Fall is focused on a family and that two of the siblings believe their fathers is innocent of their mother’s disappearance while the other two are unsure. Early reviews having been amazing and I adore the narrator, Caroline Lee. The only reason I am reluctant to start it now is that it is an 18 hour audiobook!
When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?
Look what you started.
A Slow Fire Burning is another August ALC from Libro.fm! I know that both of Paula Hawkins books, The Girl on the Train and Into the Water, get mixed reviews, but I enjoyed them, especially Into the Water. Once again, the early reviews for A Slow Fire Burning have been mixed, but I am trying to not let that affect my excitement for it because I have enjoyed her stuff in the past. I have a feeling that it will be a slow burn with a lot of characters, which I am actually drawn to. I have never listened to her books on audio, but I think I may even prefer them that way! And I just noticed that Rosamund Pike, who stars in the movie adaptation of Gone Girl, narrates it, which is so exciting!!
Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.
A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.
Grady Hendrix is one of the authors who made me appreciate horror novels, and I have been meaning to read Horrorstor for years now! I love that the physical copy looks like an IKEA catalogue, but I have a feeling I will appreciate it more on audio. This is definitely backlist while the other books I am leaning towards are new releases or not even out yet, so in my head I think I should read those first. That said, Horrorstor is only 6 hours on audio and I listen on at least 1.5X speed, so I should be able to get through it quickly.
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When I’m in the mood to read something quick, I usually go for short books or audiobooks 5 and under hours long. They tend to suck me in immediately.
That’s usually my strategy too! Horrorstor would probably be good for that!
Ooh you’ve got some good choices there. I would say the Lianne Moriarty looks like my favourite.
I am so intrigued by that one!
They all sound good but I’m leaning toward one of the first two you mentioned and because I am reading one of her books this month I am going to vote for Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty.
Ohh which one are you reading? I love the premise of Apples Never Fall. Such a good title!
I think if you are looking for a fast thriller Paula Hawkins would be the best choice. Razorblade I have heard great things about but it’s supposed to deal with some really heavy topics so you might want to take your time with it.
I was thinking the same thing! I know Razorblade is going to be amazing but a more difficult read!
The Husband’s Secret. It was on my July TBR but I didn’t get to it so I’m hoping to finally read it in August.
Can’t wait to see what you think about it!
Only read Horrorstor, so I will go for that one! It was a weird but fun read. 🙂
I’m definitely up for weird but fun!!
Ooo Slow Fire Burning looks good! How did you find Gods and Monsters?
Mixed feelings on it! It was definitely better than Blood & Honey but felt like a rehash of the first book in some ways. And it was so long! I did like it though.
I’ve heard such mixed things. I’ve ordered my copy from Fairyloot so am waiting for it to arrive. I was one of the few who loved B&H but what I’ve heard about G&M makes me nervous!!!
I chose Horrorstor for you to read simply because it’s inside an Ikea-like store and that sounded like it would be interesting. But, they all sound good to me! Enjoy!
Thank you! It does sound like such a fun idea. And it’s the shortest audiobook, so I love that 😂
Ok… this is definitely a tough list to pick from with those descriptions.. but Moriarty’s Apples Never Fall sounds JUICY (no pun intended)!
It really does!! I love a good family drama.
i haven’t read any of these, but apples never fall sounds extremely intriguing! hope you enjoy whatever you end up reading💜🖤
It really does! I love the way Kiana Moriarty writes about families!
The only one I’d read would be Horrorstör, and I’m not into the horror genre at all!
I wasn’t either until I read one of Grady Hendrix’s books!!
I love Laine Moriarty, but Horrorstor looks intriguing. That said, the first one (can’t remember the title) is going on my TBR. It looks very good!
Razorblade Tears! I have heard it’s brilliant. I have talked about all of these so much now that I am definitely going to try to listen to them all this month!
I put it on my TBR! Can’t wait to read it.
I got excited about the Liane Moriarty one but then I saw Horrorstor! Should be exciting!!
I am almost done A Slow Fire Burning, so going to start one of those two soon!