Audible Archives - The Quick and the Read

Book Review: ‘Etta Lemon: The Woman Who Saved The Birds’ by Tessa Boase

I’ll admit that I came to this book for perhaps strange reasons – I’d heard that it was originally published as ‘Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feather: Fashion, Fury and Feminism’ and that sounded right up my street. I didn’t know who Etta Lemon was, but I settled in for a good read about suffragettes and their fancy outfits.

It was kind of half what I expected, but all fascinating!

Non-Fiction Audiobook Recommendations

Regular visitors to my blog know that I’m an insomniac with an audiobook habit! Here’s some of the best I’ve listened to recently…

May 2022 Wrap-Up and June TBR

It’s been a very slow reading month for me – life got in the way and I only managed 6 books, putting me behind in my Goodreads Challenge on 46/120.

Still, onwards and upwards! I’ve now got many half-read books that I hope to finish in June along with some new additions to the TBR.

April 2022 Wrap-Up and May TBR

It’s been a weird month – Easter holidays (yay!) so lots of reading, followed by a school inspection (not so yay!) and no reading.

This month, I read 10 books – which puts me at 40/120 on my Goodreads Challenge. Exactly on target but not exactly racing through the reads…

All my reads this month were three or four stars – a good month. Keep reading to see what books I enjoyed in April and what I plan for May.

(Audio)Book Review: ‘Square Haunting’ by Francesca Wade

Another book that I’m shamefully late in reading – but very glad that I did.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review – I also bought a copy of the audiobook from Audible and so my review reflects my experiences of both.

This book centres on Mecklenburgh Square, an address in Bloomsbury, London that was home to five groundbreaking and fascinating women during the interwar years. It’s an interesting idea, that this little corner of London famous for its thinkers and writers, was the shared address of these brilliant women – even though they didn’t live there at the same time and were often resident at very different points in their lives. For all of them, Mecklenburgh Square proved to be the ‘room of one’s own’ (in Virgina Woolf’s words) that gave the women the freedom to develop their careers independently.

(Audio)Book Review: ’24 Hours in Ancient Rome’ by Philip Matyszak

I love an Audible bargain and this is one of my best purchases of recent times!

The book covers 24 hours in the life of Ancient Rome, with each ‘hour’ focusing on a different person who lives in the city. We see a diverse selection of people over the course of the day, as well as learn a lot about how the inhabitants of Rome lived. This is clever and entertaining social history.

(Audio)Book Review: ‘Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’ by Andrew Lownie

Wow, was I deluded about the abdication of King Edward VIII! In my mind, it was a wonderfully romantic story about how he sacrificed the monarchy in order to marry his true love, the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.

Yeah, it wasn’t like that at all. I feel so naive!

(Audio)Book Review: ‘Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind’ by Sue Black

I’m very fortunate to have a lovely hardback copy of this and also the audiobook version so this is a combined review as I swapped between them at will!

Normally at this point I’d thank whoever granted me a review copy but I can confirm I bought this one with my own pennies after reading Black’s previous (excellent) book ‘All That Remains: A Life in Death’.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Professor Dame Sue Black is a forensic anthropologist who has worked on some absolutely fascinating cases over a long career. She has a mind-bogglingly long list of letters after her name, awards coming out of her ears and bucketloads of plaudits from just about everyone that matters in her scientific field.

September 2021 Wrap-Up and October TBR

It’s been a slow reading month for me – being back in the classroom is busy and reading has taken a back seat to work.

Still, I managed to read 8 books in September and finished my Goodreads challenge for the year – 100/100 books read! That won’t stop me reading on though – I have some gorgeous October reads planned…

All my books this month were 3 or 4 stars – my favourite was ‘The Royal Art of Poison’ by Eleanor Herman which was an unexpected treat of an audiobook.

Audiobook Review: ‘The Royal Art of Poison: Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicines and Murder Most Foul’ by Eleanor Herman

Mmm, it’s starting to look like I have an obsession with poisoners! (I really don’t!)

I picked this up in Audible’s 2 for 1 sale after I had finished reading about the 20th century ‘teacup poisoner’, Graham Young, in Carol Ann Lee’s ‘A Passion for Poison’ (recommended – my review is here).