The Weaver by Melanie Kanicky

 Lynnie 

 

young adult, fantasy 

 

A young girl, working alone in her father's shop, is confronted by two men she believes are thieves. While Saatcha defends the store and herself, the two men must show her that life is not what she has been led to believe.

I didn't really know what to expect from The Weaver except that it had an interesting cover and excellent ratings across all platforms - and I understand why! A young adult fantasy adventure that lives up to the YA tag, The Weaver is marvelous from cover to cover; it's a fairy tale for modern times.

Melanie Kanicky created a fascinating world and wonderful characters. I was instantly charmed by Saatcha, Ren, and Kav and invested in their successes and failures. I appreciated that the cast, including side characters, was generally pretty small so it was easy to keep track of everyone from the very beginning.

Overall, The Weaver is about strong friendship, found family, resilience and finding yourself when everything you know is upended. Plus, Saatcha is a kickass heroine who speaks her mind and doesn't need a man to be successful. This would be a great gift for the YA reader in your life. 

Amy's Favorite Audiobook Narrations of 2024

 In 2024, I listened to 38 audiobooks. I love listening to audiobooks while I walk, drive, clean, and craft.

I’ve already posted my Favorite Books of 2024 which included my FAVORITE AUDIOBOOK NARRATION OF 2024, Julia Whelan’s narration of The Measure by Nikki Erlick. The novel earned a 4-star rating from me and almost made my Top Ten novels of the year! I’ve listened to Whelan narrate about a dozen novels and she always does a fantastic job narrating with an amazing vocal repertoire and terrific voice acting.  However, for this novel, she was absolutely spectacular! I give her particular props for her old man voice in this one. Incredible. A+

There were a few more audiobook narrations which received A+ ratings from me this year. These novels weren’t all in my Top Ten but the audiobook narrations and productions were so great they deserve recognition. I’d love to hear more audiobooks from these people!

To get an A+ from me, narrators have to be excellent voice actors, have a large repertoire of voices which are used perfectly for the book's diverse cast of characters, and have no glaring sound production issues. I’m listing these audiobooks in the order in which I liked the novels and including the rating I gave each novel as well as my comments about the narration. To read my full review of the books below, click on the titles.

Julia Whelan (again!) narrating The Women by Kristin Hannah (5 stars), historical fiction. Yes, she earned two A+ ratings from me this year! That is the main reason why she won narrator of the year for me. I just thought her work on The Measure was slightly more impressive than in The Women. But they were both incredible! She did an amazing job with many accents and male voices.

Kristin Atherton and Helen Lloyd narrating All the Broken Places (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas #2) by John Boyne (4-1/2 stars), historical fiction. This was perfect casting for young and old Gretel. Young Gretel required a pretty large voice repertoire including many different accents. Atherton was marvelous with these including the male voices! And Lloyd was pitch perfect in her role as a comfortable, yet guilt-ridden, older woman looking back on her regrettable youth.

January LaVoy and Will Damron narrating Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (4 stars), contemporary mystery.  They were both phenomenal with incredible vocal repertoires. Since the novel includes interviews with multiple people, they had a huge cast of characters to portray and they seemed to give each one their own recognizable voice! LaVoy even had amazing male voices. At times, the audiobook production would include both of their voices during interviews and that was seamlessly and successfully accomplished! I almost made this one my Favorite Narration of the Year. It’s a very close second!

Saskia Maarleveld narrating The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (4 stars), historical fiction. Maarleveld is a fantastic voice actor who has narrated all of the Kate Quinn novels I’ve heard. She’s a fantastic voice actor with a multitude of voices and accents in her repertoire. Most interesting to me, though, was the recorded interview she did with the author at the end of the novel. Her natural voice is absolutely nothing like any of the voices I’ve heard her use in narrations! This makes me respect her even more for not relying on her own speaking voice at all!

Ellen Archer narrating Things I Wish I Told My Mother by Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo (3 stars), women’s fiction. Archer did a terrific job with voice acting as well as displaying several different voices and accents. She even sang which always earns extra points with me.

So, what were your favorite narrations this year?

Lynnie's Favorite Books of 2024

Hi everyone! It's been a GREAT year of reading. This year I've read more books than all but one other year I've kept track on Goodreads - which I've used since 2012. I have no idea how that happened, but to be fair, I did read a handful of novellas which helped my final total. I think I read more romance novels than I've ever read in my entire life this year - possibly cumulatively. Sometimes you just need a happily ever after, right? I also started requesting books on NetGalley and I've enjoyed the opportunity to read some books early in exchange for an honest review; I've generally been thrilled with the books I've chosen (and been chosen for).

Out of the 64 books I've read in 2024, I only rated five of them less than three stars on Goodreads, and I elected not to finish two of those. I rated 18 books higher than three stars, which is pretty impressive! I still curse Goodreads for not allowing half stars, but that's hardly a real-world problem.

Once again, I didn't read any nonfiction or cookbooks so there are not favorites in those categories. As always, this list is not in any order, but these are the books I've been recommending to people when asked. Be sure to click on the title to get the full blog review. 

Here's to a great year of reading in 2025! -Lynnie

 

Fiction:

 

The Book of Doors by  Gareth Brown

Everything about this book enchanted me – the story, the characters, the thought behind the plot. If you had a magical book that could transport you from one door through any other door you could envision, what would you do with it? The adventure is fabulous and the creativity is off the charts in this book. Definitely my favorite book of the year.

 

 

 

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by
Colleen Oakley

A wonderful book from beginning to end. It’s easy to like Tanner and Louise both individually and together as this mismatched duo comes together out of necessity. They make a wonderful pair and each have lessons to learn from the other. It’s a fun, feel-good adventure that will bring a smile to your face.

 

 

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

When Lucy’s best friend dies under mysterious circumstances that Lucy can’t remember, she becomes the prime suspect. After Lucy moves away from her hometown, a podcaster contacts her about trying to solve the case and, with nothing to lose, Lucy agrees to help uncover the truth. Filled with great characters and witty banter, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I've read a lot of Amy Tintera's YA books and I hope this first foray into books for adults (why does the phrase "adult books" sound dirty? Discuss.) won't be her last.

 

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

This is one of those rare books where I loved every single character in its pages. It’s a beautiful story about lost and found family and learning to accept yourself, faults and all. Set at an exclusive wedding, this book is heartwarming, fun and filled with characters to cheer for. It also tackles the very serious subject of suicide with great care.

 

 

Audiobook:

 

Thank you for Listening, Julia Whelan

I’ve needed some light brain candy to read lately, and this was the perfect solution. Sewanee, a former actress and current audiobook narrator has to work with another popular audiobook narrator, Brock McKnight to fill the final wishes of a famous romance author. As women’s fiction dictates, this is a story careening toward a happily ever after. Hidden identities, romantic entanglements and adventures ensue. The author does a perfect job of bringing the variety of characters to life. Julia Whelan narrates her own novel and does a marvelous job!

 

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

An adventure that spans a century, this book filled with magical realism and delightful characters is narrated by Avena Mansergh-Wallace, Olivia Mace and Nick Biadon. The trio does a wonderful job portraying the characters and giving the listener the emotional gravity of this book.

 

 

Young Adult fiction

 

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

A follow up to The Girls I’ve Been (a favorite of mine in 2021), Sharpe takes us back to the world of Nora, Iris, Wes and Lee as they continue to face challenges and danger. Nonstop action from beginning to end of this book, these characters show you what it means when you choose your family and are willing to do anything to keep them safe.

 

 

 

Crafts:

 

Amigurumi Friends by Jade Gauthier-Boutin

A great collection of amigurumi animals with lots of options for poses and body styles. Gauthier-Boutin is very creative in allowing the maker to choose their own variations for each animal which is very clever!

 

 

The Wonderful World of Amigurumi by Khuc Cay

A wonderful collection of amigurumi dolls, many with options for the faces and body. Some of the patterns are very unique, and all tell you what skill level you need before attempting the pattern. 

 

 

Here's to another great year of reading ahead in 2024. In case you're curious and looking for more reading ideas, here's a link to my favorites lists from 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 , 2022 and 2023. Also don't forget to check out Amy's Favorite Books of 2024.

 

Amy’s Favorite Books of 2024

I read fewer books this year than I have in many years. I'm going to blame this on life getting in the way. Also unusual for me, I only read one book in the young adult genre this year! 

Here are the best books of the 51 books I’ve read (so far) in 2024! 38 of these were audiobooks. I started but chose not to finish another 7 books. To read my full review of any books listed below, click on the title.

Also, while I’ve named my favorite audiobook narration of the year at the bottom of this post, I will be posting all of my favorite audiobook narrations of the year in a separate post soon. But just to let you know, all but two of the books in my Favorites below were audiobook experiences and they were wonderful in that format! (I did not listen to Fourth Wing or The Book of Doors audiobooks.)

MY FAVORITE NOVEL OF 2024

The Women by Kristin Hannah (5 stars!), historical fiction: When her brother decided to volunteer to serve in Vietnam in 1966, Franky also decided that she’d like to use her new nursing degree to serve American soldiers in Vietnam in honor of her family's long military history. She naively got in over her head when trying to do what she felt was the right thing. Yet, despite the new difficulties facing her, she rose to the occasion. In fact, she thrived in the horrific, despicable conditions in Vietnam. She made a difference saving lives and found friendships dearer than any others she’d known before. But the way she was treated back home at the end of her service took a huge toll. I thought I knew enough about Vietnam but realized, as I was reading this novel, that my knowledge only touched the surface. I thought about the characters all day, wondering how they were doing and what would happen with their lives. A quote from the book perfectly captures my experience reading this book: “fear and joy in equal measure”. 

THE OTHERS IN MY TOP 10:

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan (5 stars!), romance: Nora is a screenplay writer who recently wrote a movie mimicking her own recent divorce. When the production company films in her own outbuilding property, which she calls her Tea House, the lead actor convinces Nora to let him rent her Tea House for a week so he can unplug from his stressful life. There is also the fact that Leo was once America’s Sexiest Man Alive. Perhaps because Nora was older than the typical romance protagonist, she felt real and authentic and could have been a friend of mine. I think this is the main reason I liked this novel so much. Her concerns were always valid. Her mindset was genuine. And this wasn't written with the typical romance trope where they don't get together until the end of the novel.

Fourth Wing and Iron Flame (The Empyrean #1 and #2) by Rebecca Yarros (4 and 4-1/2 stars), romantasy: These are the only novels that have been released in this series so far. Violet’s father had groomed her to be an academic Scribe. But her mother is now insisting she become a Dragon Rider, instead, after only 6 months of training. She must compete against hundreds of others who have spent their lifetimes preparing for the challenge of becoming a Rider. Her mother’s respected position puts a lot of pressure on Violet and makes her a target at the Rider trials. The Empyrean Series is a fun, violent, adventure-filled fantasy about a young woman who must fight hard and use her head to succeed in a world which has been stacked against her. Dragon Rider hopefuls must survive a series of challenges, have a dragon select them to be their rider, and develop their special “signet” power in order to earn the designation of Rider. It’s daunting but Violet wants to succeed in spite of her improbable odds. Friends and allies become clearer with time. These books are page turners! And the romance is very spicy. Amazingly, the second novel is even better than the first, which is a rare occurrence! Iron Flame was one of the most entertaining and engrossing novels I’ve read in a while which is why these books are appearing on my list. The quick pace of the story was never-ending, continually moving somewhere, and exciting.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (4-1/2 stars), fiction: Deanna is a Wildlife Manager in a national forest in Kentucky living alone in the wilderness, observing and documenting the wildlife in the park, when a stranger crosses her path. Lusa is young, recently widowed, and left to manage her husband’s farm while dealing with his large family. Garnett is a crotchety, bitter, lonely old man living on the property his ancestors have lived on for generations. Prodigal Summer is about these people, and others in their community, over the course of a few months. Kingsolver shined a light on the difficulties of farming as well as the casualties of hunting animals and deforestation. I’ll admit that the pacing was a little slower than I normally like but it was perfect for this story. The best part of the story was the people. They were all so vivid and knowable. 

All the Broken Places (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas #2) by John Boyne (4-1/2 stars), historical fiction: Gretel, a German girl whose father was a leader in Hitler’s regime, suffered for her father’s crimes and had a difficult young adulthood. She is now an old woman living in England. But her past still haunts her. She has been carrying guilt for over eighty years. I have not read the first novel in this series, but this second one was a book club selection and it stands on its own! Gretel’s choices, deceits, shining moments, and shames all felt very authentic. The story, told alternatingly between Gretel’s past and present, was so compelling and even had a pleasant surprise near the end that wasn’t necessary but was extremely satisfying. 

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (4 stars), contemporary mystery: Lucy and her best friend, Savvy, are beloved in their small Texas town. Both are beautiful and smart, but Lucy has returned from college married to a man with generational wealth, while Savvy is known as a very social butterfly with boyfriends all over town. One evening, Lucy is found walking down the road covered in Savvy's blood with no memory of what happened. The police don’t uncover enough evidence to prosecute her but the people in her small town in Texas are convinced Lucy killed her friend. Five years later, the meddlesome podcaster of "Listen for the Lie", Ben, is reopening the case, bringing what happened that terrible night into the public eye along with all the wounds associated with it. When Lucy agrees to go home for her grandmother’s big birthday, she has to face all the suspicion and mistrust that is thrown her way in town. I found this novel to be un-put-downable. Due to the nature of the podcast in this story, I highly recommend listening to this one on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks.

The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (4 stars), historical fiction: This novel is about the close friendship and effective civil rights team of First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, and First Lady of the Struggle, Mary McLeod Bethune. It is a fictionalized version of their story. I loved learning about Mary McLeod Bethune. She was such a proactive, intuitive person who spearheaded many important changes for the African American community. I had never heard of her before reading this novel but I feel like everyone should learn about her! What a hero! When Eleanor and Mary worked together, their natural individual talents complemented each other and proved to be very effective. The two weren’t only political partners. They formed a close friendship and were there for each other. It was a great story! I loved learning about these impressive women. 

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (4 stars), nonfiction: This is a very short collection of letters between the American writer, Helene Hanff, and the employees (and family members) of the London bookshop, Marks & Co., between 1949 and 1969. Hanff initially wrote to the bookshop to ask if they could help her find some used books and Frank Doel responded to her query.  The two then developed a 20-year friendship solely through their written correspondences. They never met in person. The people in these pages were so charming and heartwarming. I absolutely loved their stories and getting to know them. 

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (4 stars), historical fiction: Cyril’s life story, told from his point of view, begins with his young birth mother’s story when she was unwed and pregnant with Cyril in small-town Ireland in the 1940s. It then continues through his challenging, loveless childhood with two adoptive parents who never let him forget he was not their natural child, his dissatisfied young adulthood when he was continually frustrated being gay in his Catholic-run country, his adult life outside of Ireland, and the remainder of his life surrounded by family. Quite coincidentally, I later had to read another novel by John Boyne for book club (see All the Broken Places above), and I’m as surprised as anyone that Boyne has earned 2 of my Top 10 spots for 2024! This fact is even more powerful when you take into account that the only other novel I’ve read by this author, A Ladder to the Sky, was my favorite novel of 2019! Apparently, I love Boyne’s writing! The characters within Cyril’s story felt so real. The situations were relatable. I laughed out loud a few times! I really enjoyed the coincidences with certain people being in Cyril’s life at the right time and how they were interconnected, and kept reappearing, without his awareness. 

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown (4 stars), fantasy: If you possess The Book of Doors, you can travel anywhere by envisioning the door you want to open while opening whatever door is handy. Then you can just walk through to the envisioned space anywhere in the world. But it’s not only that--other magical books exist, each bestowing a different power upon whomever is touching them. Within the small, underground community of people who are aware of these magic books, there are people who are trying to collect more of them and others who are trying to protect the books and their owners. When Cassie’s favorite customer dies while reading in her bookstore, she becomes the new owner of his mysterious Book of Doors. She is delighted to figure out how it works but has no idea of the dangerous position in which she now resides. Right off the bat, this book hooked me.  Magic, adventure, and books! This is one of the most creative novels I’ve read in a while.
 

BEST AUDIOBOOK NARRATION OF 2024

Julia Whelan reading The Measure (Nikki Erlick): This speculative fiction novel did not make my Top Ten but I really enjoyed it (4 stars!) and Whelan was absolutely incredible in this one! (You can read about the plot in the link above.) I’ve heard her narrate about a dozen audiobooks and she always does a terrific job but I usually have some minor complaint and withhold my highest grade of A+. But this is the second book in a row she’s narrated where she was spectacular and truly earned the A+. For The Measure, I’m giving her a special shout out for her fantastic old man voice!

I will be creating a separate post about the best audiobooks of the year soon!!

If you’re hungry for more recommendations, here are my favorites of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Also, don’t miss Lynnie’s favorites of 2024! We both have The Book of Doors and Listen for the Lie on our lists so those are highly recommended. :D