A Novel of Ancient RomeBy: Taylor CaldwellNarrated by: Simon Mattacks, Cassandra CampbellLength: 33 hrs and 9 mins This was a fascinating listen. I spent many hours cycling around Vadnais Lake accompanied by Caldwell’s beautiful attempt to recount and reimagine the life of a man born in extraordinary times. Already familiar with much of the history,…
Basque History of the World
By: Mark KurlanskyNarrated by: George GuidallLength: 12 hrs and 44 mins My interest in the Basque people began years ago when I learned that their language is a true isolate. For a long time that was all I knew. Later I came to appreciate that they have maintained their unique language and culture while living…
1633
By: Eric Flint, David WeberNarrated by: George GuidallSeries: 1632: Ring of Fire, Book 3Length: 22 hrs and 10 mins This was certainly worth the listen. Part of what I especially enjoyed in the previous book was how closely it stayed tied to real history, but in this volume that thread begins to fray as the…
Forged in Fire
Destiny’s Crucible, Book 4By: Olan ThorensenNarrated by: Jonathan DavisSeries: Destiny’s Crucible, Book 4Length: 28 hrs and 34 mins A fitting conclusion to the initial arc of Jozef in Caedlieum. It was both satisfying and bittersweet to come to the end of this phase of the story. Thorensen tied together the industrial, cultural, and personal threads…
1632
Ring of Fire, Book 1By: Eric FlintNarrated by: George GuidallSeries: 1632: Ring of Fire, Book 1Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins Oh, now this was fun! This book had been crossing my path for years, and I’m glad I finally picked it up. As it happened, I had just read about the Thirty Years’ War…
The Shadow of the Gods
By: John GwynneNarrated by: Colin MaceSeries: The Bloodsworn Trilogy, Book 1Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins DNF Was looking for a little more Red Rising and instead found it dark and dreary.
Red Rising Trilogy
Red Rising – 24 May 2025By: Pierce BrownNarrated by: Tim Gerard ReynoldsSeries: Red Rising, Book 1Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins Golden Son – 31 May 2025Book II of the Red Rising TrilogyBy: Pierce BrownNarrated by: Tim Gerard ReynoldsSeries: Red Rising, Book 2Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins Morning Star – 05 JUN 2025Book III…
Alien Clay
By: Adrian TchaikovskyNarrated by: Ben AllenLength: 13 hrs and 56 minsRelease date: 09-17-24 Tchaikovsky has a remarkable gift for creating worlds that feel both alive and utterly distinct from one another. This book was no exception. The setting was richly imagined, filled with strange new ideas that challenged my perspective while still drawing me fully…
Trinity
By: Leon UrisNarrated by: John KeatingLength: 34 hrs and 13 mins This was an excellent and memorable read. At the outset, I found it somewhat difficult to follow, as Uris shifted between perspectives and narrative styles, almost as if he were laying down fragments of a mosaic. Yet as the book progressed, the story gradually…
Red Phoenix
By: Larry BondNarrated by: J. CharlesLength: 23 hrs and 28 mins And again. Enjoyed it. Previous review:Red Phoenix: The Second Korean War
The Rebel’s Mark
By: Given HoffmanNarrated by: BriAnn BeckSeries: Marked, Book 2Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins A beautiful continuation of the Marked series, this book carries forward Gage’s development in a way that feels both real and meaningful. It shows the reality of life—how things can change, even when it’s not what you were looking for—and does…
Targeted: Beirut
The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing and the Untold Origin Story of the War on TerrorBy: Jack Carr, James M. ScottNarrated by: Ray PorterLength: 14 hrs and 36 mins After reading military theory and action, moving to a focused military history felt very fitting. The background and reality of the bombing, along with the aftermath, were…