11-22-63 A Novel

11/22/63: A Novel

By Stephen King
Narrated by: Craig Wasson
Published 8 November 2011
My review: 4 out of 5

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back?

In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King - who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer - takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

It begins with Jake Epping, a 35-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away: a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer. Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, his life - like Harry’s, like America’s in 1963 - turning on a dime.

Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession - to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson, in a different world - of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there’s Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love, every turn is leading, eventually of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas, where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful - and where history might not be history anymore. Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying.




This book was a wild ride. Its hard to sum up your feelings when the book is 30+ hours to listen to. I loved the way that this book played out. I thought I knew what was going to happen and it totally didn't. Loved the ending. I think King did an amazing job with a time travel book that wasn't like all the others. The love story wrapped up inside was a nice touch.

The Family Secret

The Family Secret

By Kiersten Modglin

Narrated by Jennifer Sun Bell

Listening length: 6 hours, 44 minutes 

Release date: April 4, 2023 

My review: 4 out of 5 stars

When freshly engaged Austyn Murphy and Lowell Bass receive the news that Lowell's parents have died unexpectedly, they set out for the historic Bass estate to handle their affairs and lay the former heads of the family to rest.

Enshrouded in layers of secrecy and tradition, the Bass estate, and the family residing within its walls, give anything but a warm welcome. When the idea of staying in the home permanently is brought up, Austyn witnesses a side of her future husband she's never seen before.

Late one night, Austyn overhears a whispered conversation, revealing she hasn't been given the full truth about the world she's marrying into. And when Emily, an old friend, calls with devastating news of her own, Lowell and Austyn invite her to join them for a visit at the estate.

Upon Emily's arrival, a confession is made, causing a rift in the seemingly impenetrable bond the girls once had. As Emily settles into their home, becoming closer to Lowell than ever before, Austyn fears she's made a grave mistake.

Trapped inside the Bass estate under the ever-watchful eye of the staff and her soon-to-be family, Austyn makes another chilling discovery—something so terrible it changes everything.

With distressing revelations hidden around every corner and time running out before final decisions are made about her future, Austyn must uncover the truth about the opulent and powerful Bass family...at the risk of becoming another one of their dark secrets.

Although I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the opportunity to listen to this novel.

This book was a wild ride. While I have read a few of the "family secret" type books, this one is by far one of my favorites. Until the very end, I had no idea what the secret was or how things were going to play out. It did have some of the troupes that many of these books have like the rich man sweeping the not so wealthy woman off her feet, taking her into a world that is so unlike her own. The girl being so overwhelmed by the opulence of the wealth. The fact that this book starts with the death of his parents made this start out a little differently then I was used to, and I kind of appreciated that. It made for a relationship that felt more real (at least in my opinion). This one kept me guessing what was going to happen until the last pages. The epilogue made the ending for me. Loved that wrap up like a bow on a fancy present.

The Soulmate

The Soulmate
By Sally Hepworth
Narrated by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry
Listening length: 7 hours, 44 minutes
Release date: April 4, 2023
My review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

"Listeners will be captivated as the narrators create tension and drop hints about the real problem in this “ideal” family."—Booklist on The Younger Wife

Get ready for a thrilling, addictive novel about marriage, betrayal, and the secrets that push us to the edge in Sally Hepworth's The Soulmate.

There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral...Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate...lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to listen to this novel.

This was a wild ride of a book. I never saw the ending coming and while I did enjoy the story overall, it felt a bit over the top. As someone who is in a relationship with someone with bipolar, the disease was painted a little bit inaccurately. I guess that could be the case for some people, but not for my husband. It made me uncomfortable. That's why the deduction in stars for me. I also hated that Pippa lied to her husband about such a big thing in their marriage. The whole thing could have been avoided if she were just honest. I guess that is part of the story, but it is still so frustrating to read that. It was a good book and I enjoyed it, but won't be reading it again.

I did enjoy this passage from chapter 79, it is from the viewpoint of the woman lost on the cliff that is under investigation: "While I've been in this liminal space, I've discovered things that most people never get to see. Things which have altered my perspective on the messiness of humanity.
It's as if, while living your life, you view the world through a straw. You see only the tiniest sliver, all of it from your own perspective. Other people have their motives, their backstories, their feelings, but you don't know that unless they share them with you. And even then, there is every chance they are lying or prevaricating."

You Know Her

You Know Her

By Meagan Jennett

Narrated by: Sophie Amoss and Xe Sands

Listening length: 11 hours, 1 minute 

Release date: April 4, 2023 

My review: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

"This book will be the talk of the genre. If you read one thriller this year, read this one." —Chelsea Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Heartsick

Killing Eve meets Sharp Objects in this lush, savage Southern Gothic about two women: a fledgling murderer and the cop hell-bent on catching her.

Two hours before he vanished, Mark Dixon stole a glass of wine. That's what bartender Sophie Braam told the cops when they questioned her about the customer whose mutilated body was just found. What she didn’t tell them is that she’s the one who killed him.

Officer Nora Martin is new to the Bellair Police Department and trying very hard to learn the ropes from Detective Murphy while ignoring all the men in the department snapping about a diversity hire. When she meets Sophie, they build an uneasy camaraderie over shared frustrations.

As winter slides into spring and bodies start piling up, Nora begins to suspect that something’s not quite right with the unnerving, enigmatic bartender. But will she be able to convince Murph, or will he keep laughing off the idea that the serial killer haunting their little town is a woman?

A crackling cat-and-mouse thriller set against the verdant backdrop of small-town Virginia, Meagan Jennett’s You Know Her probes the boundaries of female friendship and the deadly consequences when frustration ferments into rage.

While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to listen to this story.

Talk about creepy! You go between two views; one is the cop looking for a possible serial killer. But no one else in her department seems to be convinced that 1) their murders are that of a serial killer or that 2) it is a woman. But Nora is convinced and is just working her way through clues and learning the ropes of her, soon to be position, in her new dept. The other viewpoint is that of the killer, Sophie. You don't really see at first how deeply disturbed Sophie is. The deeper into the book you get, the crazier you see she is. I just kept wondering when the crazy was going to spill out of the normal facade that she kept so well in place for everyone else. It was a page turner for sure and had me wondering, when (or if) Nora or anyone in her department was ever going to put all the pieces together and be able to stop Sophie. Not sure I really got my answer...

Small Game

Small Game

By Blair Braverman
Narrated by Kristen Sieh
Published November 1, 2022
Listening length: 7 hours 5 minutes
My review: 4 out of 5 stars

Read for my March 2023 Reading challenge, prompt 2: a green book. The color green or the word green. I picked a book that was almost entirely green! 

A gripping debut novel about a survival reality show gone wrong that leaves a group of strangers stranded in the northern wilds

Four strangers and six weeks: This is all that separates Mara from one life-changing payday. She was surprised when reality TV producers came knocking at Primal Instinct—the survival school where she teaches rich clients not to die during a night outdoors—and even more shocked to be cast in their new show, Civilization. Now she just has to live off the land with her fellow survivors for long enough to get the prize money.

Whisked by helicopter to an undisclosed location, Mara meets her teammates: The grizzled outdoorsman. The Eagle Scout. The white-collar professional. And Ashley, the beautiful but inexperienced one who just wants to be famous. Mara’s unusual, rugged childhood has prepared her for the discomforts and hard work ahead. But trusting her fellow survivors? Not part of Mara’s skill set.

When the cast wakes one morning to find something has gone horribly wrong, fear ripples through the group. Are the producers giving them an extra challenge? Or are they wrapped up in something more dangerous? Soon Mara and the others face terrifying decisions as “survival” becomes more than a game.

A provocative exploration of the comforts, rituals, and connections we depend upon, Small Game is a gripping thriller and a poignant story about finding the courage to build a new life from the ground up.

Freaking crazy book. 

This was a new concept for me so it was interesting to listen to. We have all seen the survivor type shows, this is based on that premise, but these contestants somehow get forgotten about or intentionally left behind in this deserted place. Just a crazy story about how these people try to stay alive in the middle of nowhere with no outside help. 

At what point do they go in search of help? How far will they have to go for help? These questions and more were running through my head. It was a quick listen. Only problem I had with it is that you miss the juicy details of the after. What happened to the show people? Why did they get left behind? There are still so many unanswered questions! Still a solid four star read for me =)

The Quarry Girls

The Quarry Girls 

Jess Lourey 

Amazon First reads pick October 2022 

Finished January 1, 2023

My review 4 stars out of 5

Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means late-night swimming parties at the quarry, the county fair, and venturing into the tunnels beneath the city. But for two best friends, it’s not all fun and games.
Heather and Brenda have a secret. Something they saw in the dark. Something they can’t forget. They’ve decided to never tell a soul. But their vow is tested when their friend disappears—the second girl to vanish in a week. And yet the authorities are reluctant to investigate.

Heather is terrified that the missing girls are connected to what she and Brenda stumbled upon that night. Desperately searching for answers on her own, she learns that no one in her community is who they seem to be. Not the police, not the boys she met at the quarry, not even her parents. But she can’t stop digging because she knows those girls are in danger.

She also knows she’s next.

Four stars out of five 

Set in the seventies, this one brings back the small town feel with a sinister twist. 

Just when I thought I knew what was going on, who dunnnit so to speak, there would be another twist. 

I fell in love with Heather and wanted to know what happened to her, what happened to her mother, what happened to their family. 

When things start happening in town, starting with the disappearance of a local girl, the questions start to outweigh my answers. In addition to just the feelings that come with growing up, Heather is dealing with the missing girl and a mentally ill mother and a mostly absent father (he works a lot!), she is basically raising her sister. It was just a really good book. A page turner to the end.