2018 Reviews Week 10

☘️ 2018 Reviews Week 10 ☘️

March 5th- March 11th, 2018 

Book 32: Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, 

Death, and Jazz Chickens

by Eddie Izzard
Read by the author
Listened to March 6th-8th

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It was a joy listening to this book this week. Eddie Izzard is one of my favorite stand-up comedians ever and I wanted to listen to this audiobook ever since it came out. I finally got it from the library this week.

This tells the story of Eddie's life from his humble beginnings to now. I enjoyed learning about his life and how he became the talent that he is today. His sections on his mother were heartfelt and genuine. Also, everything else about his family and his life dealing with how people think of him was the most interesting aspects of this book. This was a different side to him that I enjoyed listening to.

There were also the bits that I was used to and had me laughing out loud a lot. I don't believe I have ever laughed so much while listening or reading a book in my life as I did with certain parts of this.  It never felt like he was reading the material. It felt like he was there talking to me and telling me these stories. There was extra material in the audiobook that is not in the regular book. He would go off on Footnotes, they were some of the funniest parts that I ever listened to.

If you are a fan of Eddie's I would recommend this book. If you are a fan of a great humorous memoir, I would also recommend this book. Especially, the audiobook. It was like listening to one of his comedy shows. This was so genuine and enjoyable.

Book 33: Fire and Bone by Rachel A. Marks
Read by Will Damron and Kate Rudd
Listened to March 9th- 10th

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This was the first book that I read dealing with Celtic Mythology and I loved every moment of it.
Sage has lived on the streets for awhile and is trying to make do with what she can. This is until she finds out that she is a daughter of a Celtic Goddess. She is then taken in to learn about this mythological world and also about how to control her powers that were dormant until her eighteenth birthday. Now that she is of age, she has been asked to join forces with one of the five deities that rule over the land. The families or members of the groups are all willing to do anything to get her on their side. She is tempted by it especially since she grew up with nothing. All the glam and magic stand out but she's not sure if she's willing to give up her life on her own for it. Also, there's a prince who is trying to vie for her affection on one of the sides, who could give her a great ranking.

 Kate Rudd narrates Sage's perspective as we learn along with her about this magical world and the secrets that it hides. In the story, another character named Faelan also narrates, read by Will Damron. Faelan is the person assigned to teach Sage of this mythological world and is as mysterious to her as her identity. Both narrators do an incredible job narrating the characters and perfectly reflecting their personalities. I loved going back and forth between them. This was one of the best books that I have read that has multiple perspectives. Enough time is spent with both so that the reader gets each side and learns from each. There were plenty of reasons to use two perspectives and they were used in a productive way that added to the overall story. Also, both characters had distinct voices that stood out.

This book had me really intrigued with the mystery elements throughout. I loved not being able to guess everything that was going to happen. The love story (triangle) was an element that I actually really liked. I have never been a fan of love triangles but this one was different than I expected. There has never been a love triangle that I cared for both of the guys and this one had me liking both. I never expected that going in either. I won't spoil any of that for you because some of the plot points with Sage and her "love interests" are quite entertaining to read or listen to. It went in directions I would have never expected and I loved every moment of this book.

I would go into this book knowing hardly anything because I think that the surprises were so much more thrilling when I knew the bare minimum. A great tale that had me wanting to learn more about Celtic Mythology and Irish lore. It was a fun read that I enjoyed the entire time. I cannot wait for the next book. It is an urban fantasy tale that has heart, mystery, love, and a story that will pull its readers or listeners in.

If you love mythology, fantasy, urban fantasy, magic, witches, druids, and many other fantasy elements, please pick this book up. It's a wonderful read that I hope more people will find.

(Oh and Will Damron's accent was incredible. I loved listening to this audiobook so much.)

*I received this book for free for an honest review.*