In 2001, at twenty-four, after spending much of my adolescence and young adulthood as a drug dealer, I shot and killed a man on a Brooklyn street. I was convicted and sentenced to twenty-eight years to life. I learned how to write in Attica, in a creative-writing workshop. I learned to live with what I […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/03/09/peddling-darkness-edgar-smith-scoundrel-weinman/
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid has been on my radar since it first debut and with the new series coming to Prime I decided it was time to listen. Fascinating, addictive and brilliantly produced, I quickly slipped into this full cast narration and lost myself to rock and roll.
Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrator: Robinne Lee, Julia Whelan, Oliver Wyman, Jennifer Beals, Pablo Schreiber, Benjamin Bratt Fred Berman
Length: 9 hours and 3 minutes
Genres: Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.
Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.
Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.
Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.
The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.
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I was a little nervous in the beginning. First, I have never been one to deep dive into bands beyond the music, but recently a few documentaries and friends reviews had me curious about this fictional account. Some say it mirrors Fleetwood Mac, but whatever or whomever, it was a solid look at life on the road and the music scene in the late sixties. The tale is an oral history with interviews regarding a fictional band and what happens when Daisy Jones joins them and they hit the charts. For me, this made listening the perfect format.
Drugs, sex, marriages, the music, interviews with Rolling Stones, and life on and off the road pulled me in. Daisy is this wild, free loving, braless and barefoot groupie turned singer/songwriter and when she is matched up with Billy Dunne, the songwriter and unspoken leader of the Six magic happens.
From beginning to end, I was hooked. The magic on the stage to the scenes in the background pulled me in. The different points of view shed light on the different way each character perceived things. I laughed, wiped tears from my cheeks, and cheered. Reid threw in some twists and the ending was well done.
This was my first time with author Reid, but I am sure it won’t be my last. She brought these characters, particularly Dunne and Jones to life. She gave a realistic look at drugs, the music industry, abortion, addiction and life in the early seventies.
While I am sure this was stellar as a book, it was perfection in audio format. Thank you to Penguin for choosing a full cast and such a talented one at that. They nailed it and for me it made these fictional characters real. I would have loved the songs and appreciated the realistic tale that transported me back in time.
Cast List: Daisy Jones, read by Jennifer Beals; Billy Dunne, read by Pablo Schreiber; Graham Dunne, read by Benjamin Bratt; Eddie Loving, read by Fred Berman; Warren Rhodes, read by Ari Fliakos; Karen Karen, read by Judy Greer; Camila Dunne, read by January LaVoy; Simone Jackson, read by Robinne Lee; Narrator/Author, read by Julia Whelan; Jim Blades, read by Jonathan Davis; Rod Reyes, read by Henry Leyva; Artie Snyder, read by Oliver Wyman; Elaine Chang, read by Nancy Wu; Freddie Mendoza, read by P.J. Ochlan; Nick Harris, read by Arthur Bishop; Jonah Berg, read by Holter Graham; Greg McGuinness, read by Brendan Wayne; Pete Loving, read by Pete Larkin; Wyatt Stone, read by Alex Jenkins Reid; Hank Allen, read by Robert Petkoff; Opal Cunningham, read by Sara Arrington.
Amazon | Audible
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as four other novels. She lives in Los Angeles.
Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, life-long actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and Creative Writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. While in England, her flirtation with tea blossomed into a full-blown love affair, culminating in her eventual certification as a tea master. When not writing her own books, you can find her reading other people’s out loud into a microphone.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2023/02/daisy-jones-the-six-by-taylor-jenkins-reid.html
Hanging Softly in the Night by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra is about Nick Larson, a detective for the 16th precinct of the NYPD. Despite being overburdened with work and personal issues, the detective is determined to solve a suspicious case that appears to be death by suicide, but some peculiarities can’t be ignored. During a difficult time when a flu epidemic ravages the precinct and recent trauma plagues the detective, Nick realizes there may be a serial killer on the loose. He and his partner, Victor Sacco, embark on a mission to solve a mystery.
Alonso-Sierra has crafted a story that is equally intriguing and chilling, with unexpected developments, set in New York City. As more murders crop up, appearing as suicide deaths, the plot becomes more riveting, with sharp-witted characters, backstories, and an unraveling case that keeps you turning one page after another.
I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of Nick’s history and how his experiences contribute to the story. This book is an action-packed thriller with plenty of suspense and unexpected plot twists that make it impossible to put down. I liked the dynamic between Nick and his partner, Victor, as they raided the city, looking for answers. The book also covers many important aspects vital to the story and relatable to many, such as mental illness and past traumatic experiences, with great care and compassion.
The author’s writing style is descriptive and visual, without dragging the story while keeping a good pace throughout. Hanging Softly in the Night by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra is an exciting read, and it was impossible not to be enraptured by its riveting storyline.
Pages: 436 | ASIN : B08LQXGCFN
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/02/14/hanging-softly-in-the-night/
Is food really the way into a person’s heart?
Shep Lee thought he had it all. A successful restaurant, a loving husband who understood his asexuality, and most of all, the ability to be himself, a popular chef in the small town of Cloverleaf, Montana. That is, until his husband, Elmer Eshler, began pushing Shep more on sex.
Elmer doesn’t understand why he can’t turn his partner on—aren’t they perfect for each other? And Shep loves him, right? Shep, meanwhile, while confident with his body, is and forever will be sex indifferent. Why has Elmer suddenly changed his tune? But he doesn’t want to lose the man he loves so much. What can they do?
Shep convinces Elmer to try a polyamorous relationship. Elmer gets to have Shep and the sex life he’s always wanted. Shep gets a cooking buddy and a chance to experience a relationship and even try sex with a woman as his authentic gender. At first, Shep isn’t sure, but finds himself coming around—this feels safer than opening up the relationship. All three of them will be romantically involved, so that should ease any jealousy, right?
But when Willow Saint, a free-spirited, boisterous, and saucy young woman, comes into their lives, neither are prepared for the emotional and sexual rollercoaster that follows. Enthralled by Willow’s charm and kindness, Elmer and Shep struggle to understand what this means for their own bond. Can they become one happy family? Or will this ruin everything?
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/02/14/acing-the-game-book-trailer/
Ascension: The Witches of Pioneer Vale by David Combs is a tale about Anne-Marie Carmichael, a loving wife and mother who is highly capable and willing to go to great lengths to protect her loved ones and her farm. The story originated in 1671, and Anne-Marie’s resources are limited, so she makes a pact with supernatural forces to become a protective guardian of powerful magic. Unfortunately, evil doesn’t stop, and Shade, a demonic wolf, lurks in the shadows, looking for a chance to cross over from his realm into this world to destroy it.
In the present day, Anne-Marie seeks to make an alliance with her descendant and meets a sociable, athletic girl, Angelica Brighton, with a great natural talent for magic. They must work together to uphold their family tradition as guardians, protect the world from the shadows, and fight for everyone and everything they love. I really enjoyed the dynamic of the characters. Anne-Marie is powerful, knowing fully well the dangers they face, whereas Angelica has a biting wit and cunning nature, despite lacking experience. Throughout their journey, protagonists abruptly step out of their comfort zone and take on great responsibility without hesitation.
The combination of two vividly distinct personalities was a great feature of this story. Combs shares two perfectly intertwined stories, with entertaining shifts from the past to the present. The story pace was excellent and fluid, keeping you attentive and eager to turn one page after the next. Ascension: The Witches of Pioneer Vale by David Combs is the first book in a series, and I look forward to reading the next volume.
Pages: 251 | ASIN : B07YT1LM4W
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/02/14/ascension-2/
The second book of the Vivian’s Perfectly Imperfect series is a biblical reference to Proverbs 11:25, where Jesus describes the benefits of being a generous person.
When Vivian decides to take her Mom’s jewelry and ends up losing a stone from it, her brothers each have an opportunity to be generous with their time to help her find it. While Vivian must learn the consequences of her bad choices, we get to see one of her brothers shine his light by being generous with his time to help Vivian find the missing stone.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/02/14/vivians-perfectly-imperfect-adventure-book-trailer/
Bittersweet by Pablo Camacho is an anthology that reflects life’s joys, sorrows, and thrills, especially in intimate relationships. The author grapples with our ups and downs in a series of evocative poems and prose. I found the writing reflective and sensitive, with references to a life lived fiercely, with intensity, and passion. It’s also about enduring pain and learning to heal and grow.
This collection is emotionally resonant and impactful. I was instantly hooked from the beginning with “May the Wander Never Lose its Lust.” There are many philosophical themes that are thought-provoking, with visuals of untamed nature, oceans, sky, wind, and trees. I enjoyed the imagery integrated into the personal expressions of the author and how they describe life’s wild yet sensitive nature.
The poems delve into the internal landscape, reflecting on the practice and meaning of writing itself. The prose captures the experiences in a raw, natural form through life, love, and death. I really enjoyed how the writing style is well crafted and how the author speaks with humility and reality.
Bittersweet by Pablo Camacho is an authentic collection that details his personal life through a series of poetry and prose written with great skill, eloquence, and knowledge. It’s a passionate collection that I highly recommend to fans of poetry.
Pages: 128 | ASIN : B09QTT31N1
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/02/14/bittersweet/