Audiobook Review: Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie
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This science fiction novel first came to my attention when I was looking into science fiction and fantasy with matriarchal societies (see the blog post here). Although Ancillary Justice is not set in a matriarchal society, it does have an interesting take on gender and that led me to researching other SFF books which handle gender differently or have unique gender systems. You can read that blog post here. 

Audiobook Review: The Eighth God by Paul S. Lavender (published by Paul S. Lavender)
 
This grimdark fantasy audiobook was a good listen. It tells the story of a world full of elves, humans, orcs that has enjoyed an uneasy peace for thousands of years, after a mighty battle where seven elves were granted the power of seven Gods to decimate an orc army. Since that time the orcs have kept to their lands and the humans and elves to theirs. But the orcs are twitchy, and spurred on by mysterious allies, they decide to invade.
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Audiobook Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (published by HarperCollins)
 
I absolutely loved the audiobook narration of this one. The actor Jeremy Irons did a brilliant job bringing this mystical tale to life, with the character’s voices and with the flow and pacing. It’s a shame that I didn’t love the story more. ​

Audiobook Review: The Dry (Aaron Falk #1) by Jane Harper (published by Macmillan Australia)
 
This audiobook was a great listen. I loved the Australian narrator – a great change from British or American accents. The Dry is a mystery thriller that focuses on the story of Aaron Falk, a police officer in Melbourne who focuses on money fraud. When his childhood best friend dies in the same rural, farming town where Aaron grew up, he returns and – on the insistence of the dead friend’s father – becomes involved with the investigation as to what happened. ​

Audiobook Review: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (published by Penguin)
 
The audiobook narrated by British actress Helena Bonham Carter was absolutely excellent. Her reading helped to make this story come alive for me, adding humour, emotion and a vibrant personality to Anne that I probably wouldn’t have imagined if I had read the text. ​

Audiobook Review: The Power by Naomi Alderman (published by Penguin)  
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WOW! I luurrrrrrrvvved this book! It’s science fiction with a feminist slant and a hint of dystopia. It tells of an event that sees almost all the women in the world suddenly having the ability to create electricity from their bodies (from a new ‘organ’ called a skein) and electrocute at will. And then lays out a scenario for what the world would become if the women became the more powerful gender.​

Audiobook Review: Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice by Bill Browder (published by Simon & Schuster)
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This fascinating non-fiction book is more like a political thriller and at some points I had to remind myself that some of the unthinkable things it described actually happened in real-life. It follows the story of Bill Browder, an American financier who, due to personal reasons, was intrigued by Russia and decided to set up business there in the 90s, making a small fortune on his investments when the Soviet Union collapsed.  But his success came at a cost and he managed to piss off lots of oligarchs by exposing their corrupt practices, and then cause friction all the way up the chain to Vladimir Putin.

Audiobook Review: Paternus (Paternus Trilogy Book 1) by Dyrk Ashton (published by Paternus Books Media)

​I won a free audiobook of Paternus in a giveaway hosted by the author.  Intrigued by the blurb, I started listening immediately and - mind blown – this book was brilliant!  It’s a unique blend of urban, contemporary, mythical fantasy, and it features the most incredible beings – called the Firstborn.  

Audiobook Review: The Girls by Emma Cline (published by Random House)
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The Girls is set in Northern California in the late sixties and this novel contrasts the dreamy, hazy summer days, the drug taking and relaxed hippy vibes of that time with the violent, senseless murders carried out by members of a cult.  It is loosely based on the real events of the murders committed by Charles Manson and his cult in 1969.

Audiobook Review: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (published by Riverhead Books)
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I started listening to this audiobook in December 2016 and finished in June 2017.  That’s seven months of listening to this twenty-six hour audiobook but boy, what a journey!  This is an EPIC book.  And what an incredible performance by the seven audiobook narrators.  There were a few times that I thought about throwing in the towel but I’m pleased I stuck it out as I *loved* this book by the end.