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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Helsingør Sewing Club [Audiobook] in Books
Feb 13, 2022
![The Helsingør Sewing Club [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/152/637f5c9d-f622-4f67-b890-951e18b0f152.jpg?m=1644757863)
Wow ... just wow!!
What an incredibly powerful story this is and one that is a must read/listen if you want to be gripped by an inspiring tale of bravery that is based on true events.
Told from diary of Inger in 1943 and her granddaughter, Cecilie in the present day, this is the story of how a community in Denmark saved their Jewish friends, neighbours and countrymen from the tyranny of the Nazi regime. Their self-less courage and strength is captured within the words of this book and although it starts off a little slowly, this helps to set the scene of what's to come.
I listened to the audiobook and have to say that Kristin Atherton did an excellent job of narrating this story; she drew me in and kept me there from start to finish.
This is a gripping story about events in Denmark during World War II and one which I wasn't aware of or appreciated so thank you to Ella Gyland for bringing this to my attention and I would certainly recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area or to anyone who just enjoys a really good book.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
What an incredibly powerful story this is and one that is a must read/listen if you want to be gripped by an inspiring tale of bravery that is based on true events.
Told from diary of Inger in 1943 and her granddaughter, Cecilie in the present day, this is the story of how a community in Denmark saved their Jewish friends, neighbours and countrymen from the tyranny of the Nazi regime. Their self-less courage and strength is captured within the words of this book and although it starts off a little slowly, this helps to set the scene of what's to come.
I listened to the audiobook and have to say that Kristin Atherton did an excellent job of narrating this story; she drew me in and kept me there from start to finish.
This is a gripping story about events in Denmark during World War II and one which I wasn't aware of or appreciated so thank you to Ella Gyland for bringing this to my attention and I would certainly recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area or to anyone who just enjoys a really good book.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
ClareR (5733 KP) rated Song of the Huntress in Books
Jun 25, 2024
Song of the Huntress was a really enjoyable listen, narrated well by Kristin Atherton. It felt like I was in 60AD with them: the descriptions of the land, the court, the battles and the Wild Hunt; the inner thoughts and motivations of Herla, Queen Æthelburg of Wessex and her husband King Ine were all described and narrated in such a way that I wanted to keep listening.
This had just the right amount of history, myth and magic for me - well, anything with those three things in is a winner, in my opinion!
With the resurgence of Greek Myth (yes, I’m a fan), it has been really heartening to see the odd Norse and Celtic myth and folklore book coming out. I enjoy a good retelling, and 5is is a good read. Yes, there are some seemingly modern themes: Æthelburg and Herla’s attraction and Ine’s asexuality in particular, but who’s to say these weren’t appropriate in 60AD? I’m sure homosexuality and asexuality have been a ‘thing’ for as long as there’s been humans (there probably is someone who could say - this is the internet, after all).
To me, as a listener/ reader, this just felt really genuine and well researched. I loved learning about the characters and their world.
Just as Sistersong left me eagerly awaiting Song of the Huntress, I’m really looking forward to whatever comes next from Lucy Holland.
This had just the right amount of history, myth and magic for me - well, anything with those three things in is a winner, in my opinion!
With the resurgence of Greek Myth (yes, I’m a fan), it has been really heartening to see the odd Norse and Celtic myth and folklore book coming out. I enjoy a good retelling, and 5is is a good read. Yes, there are some seemingly modern themes: Æthelburg and Herla’s attraction and Ine’s asexuality in particular, but who’s to say these weren’t appropriate in 60AD? I’m sure homosexuality and asexuality have been a ‘thing’ for as long as there’s been humans (there probably is someone who could say - this is the internet, after all).
To me, as a listener/ reader, this just felt really genuine and well researched. I loved learning about the characters and their world.
Just as Sistersong left me eagerly awaiting Song of the Huntress, I’m really looking forward to whatever comes next from Lucy Holland.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Spare Room in Books
Feb 19, 2020 (Updated Feb 19, 2020)
While browsing Audible one day for an audiobook to listen to, I stumbled upon Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell. The book synopsis instantly had me hooked, and I knew I had to listen to this book. I ended up liking Spare Room very much!
Lisa is a young women with some psychological problems. However, she is determined to make it on her own without relying on her parents. When she spots an ad in the newspaper for a spare room in London for a great price, she inquires about the room and ends up living there. After finding a suicide note in her room, Lisa decides to find out more about this man while trying to figure out her own murky past. However, all this will place Lisa in grave danger.
The plot for Spare Room was highly interesting and written very well. Mitchell did a fantastic job at making it easy to transport readers into the setting. I felt like I was with Lisa every step of the way. The pacing, for the most part, is decent, and I found myself having to know more. There were a few spots were the pacing slowed, but for the most part, this book had a lot of action. I had to know more about Lisa's past. There were times I was questioning whether Lisa was sane horrific things happen to her or if she was just losing her mind. There were quite a few plot twists. Some were predictable, but others, I never saw coming. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book, and there were no cliff hangers which I was happy about.
The characters in Spare Room all felt realistic and like they were real people instead of characters in a novel. Mitchell did such a great job of breathing life into each individual character. Lisa was such a complex woman. I admired her tenacity to find out the truth at all costs even when she had everything going against her. Her determination was fierce, and she never let anyone get in her way. Alex was a sweetheart, and I loved how caring he was towards Lisa and how much he helped her out. Lisa's parents cared for Lisa, it was obvious, but I found myself wishing they would go about helping Lisa in better ways. Martha and Jack were fantastic! I always found myself not trusting Martha even though she came across as completely innocent to begin with, and I was always wondering if Jack really was as bad as Lisa thought he was. Patsy was probably my favorite character. That old woman reminded me of my grandma a lot of the time.
The narration, done by Kristin Atherton, was pretty good for the most part. I felt like Atherton started out the beginning of the book a bit flat, but she quickly got better. Her accents and voice changes for different characters were fantastic especially for the characters of Jack and Patsy.
Trigger warnings for Spare Room include violence, animal murder, attempted murder, murder, suicide, alcohol, some sex (though not graphic), profanity, and gas-lighting.
All in all, Spare Room weaves an interesting story with a fantastic cast of characters that will suck you right into their world. I would definitely recommend Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell to everyone aged 16+ who loves a great solid story.
Lisa is a young women with some psychological problems. However, she is determined to make it on her own without relying on her parents. When she spots an ad in the newspaper for a spare room in London for a great price, she inquires about the room and ends up living there. After finding a suicide note in her room, Lisa decides to find out more about this man while trying to figure out her own murky past. However, all this will place Lisa in grave danger.
The plot for Spare Room was highly interesting and written very well. Mitchell did a fantastic job at making it easy to transport readers into the setting. I felt like I was with Lisa every step of the way. The pacing, for the most part, is decent, and I found myself having to know more. There were a few spots were the pacing slowed, but for the most part, this book had a lot of action. I had to know more about Lisa's past. There were times I was questioning whether Lisa was sane horrific things happen to her or if she was just losing her mind. There were quite a few plot twists. Some were predictable, but others, I never saw coming. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book, and there were no cliff hangers which I was happy about.
The characters in Spare Room all felt realistic and like they were real people instead of characters in a novel. Mitchell did such a great job of breathing life into each individual character. Lisa was such a complex woman. I admired her tenacity to find out the truth at all costs even when she had everything going against her. Her determination was fierce, and she never let anyone get in her way. Alex was a sweetheart, and I loved how caring he was towards Lisa and how much he helped her out. Lisa's parents cared for Lisa, it was obvious, but I found myself wishing they would go about helping Lisa in better ways. Martha and Jack were fantastic! I always found myself not trusting Martha even though she came across as completely innocent to begin with, and I was always wondering if Jack really was as bad as Lisa thought he was. Patsy was probably my favorite character. That old woman reminded me of my grandma a lot of the time.
The narration, done by Kristin Atherton, was pretty good for the most part. I felt like Atherton started out the beginning of the book a bit flat, but she quickly got better. Her accents and voice changes for different characters were fantastic especially for the characters of Jack and Patsy.
Trigger warnings for Spare Room include violence, animal murder, attempted murder, murder, suicide, alcohol, some sex (though not graphic), profanity, and gas-lighting.
All in all, Spare Room weaves an interesting story with a fantastic cast of characters that will suck you right into their world. I would definitely recommend Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell to everyone aged 16+ who loves a great solid story.
