(AUDIO) BOOKS
Seventy-Nine Books Woven Into My 2023
Seventy-seven audiobooks and two traditional books made it to my list last year
Eighteen months ago — almost nineteen — I subscribed to Audible to listen to books. I was tired of YouTube interrupting books every ten minutes with adverts.
Audiobooks have brought me so much. I listen in the car on my way to and from work, listen when I do the laundry, when I clean the house and there are even some of my work tasks I can do while listening to a book. In 2024, I plan to take up my walks again — two or three times a week. My normal route takes me 30–35 minutes, and I will spend every single of those minutes listening to books.
This was my literary journey for 2023…
January 2023
I started the year with a book by Joy Ellis, and at that moment I didn’t know how many of her books I would listen during this year. She’s a brilliant writer, and I just love her series.
I borrowed The White Masai from my daughter, and where I vaguely knew the story, this was the first time I actually read it.
* The Murderer’s Son by Joy Ellis * A Killer’s Wife by Victor Methos * The White Masai by Corinne Hoffman (read, not listened) * Final Act by Sarah Bailey * Perilous Obsession by Carsen Taite
February 2023
This was the first month where I started a marathon listening to consecutive books of the same author, and the last book of the month kicked off the second marathon.
* Black Heart by Anna-Lou Weatherley * The Couple on Cedar Close by Anna-Lou Weatherley * The Stranger’s Wife by Anna-Lou Weatherley * The Woman Inside by Anna-Lou Weatherley * The Fourth Friend by Joy Ellis
March 2023
Have I said how much I love the books by Joy Ellis?
* The Guilty Ones by Joy Ellis * The Stolen Boys by Joy Ellis * The Patient Man by Joy Ellis * They Disappeared by Joy Ellis * The Night Thief by Joy Ellis * Solace House by Joy Ellis
April 2023
This month saw me reading another ‘real’ book, but this time it was a Dutch one. One of the big names in Dutch television wrote the book after she had a stroke, which had significant consequences, and she never returned to work. The book gave me much insight into my husband’s condition after his stroke, especially the fact that he’s sometimes unable to find words.
* The Night of the Party by Anna-Lou Weatherly * 20/20 by Carl Goodman * Lifesign by Carl Goodman * Rinkeldekink by Martine Bijl (Dutch book) * The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft * Stalker by Gemma Rogers * Missing by K.L. Slater * Dead Wrong by Helen H. Durrant * Dead Silent by Helen H. Durrant
May 2023
This is the month I discovered the writing of Colleen Hoover and instantly fell in love with it.
* Dead List by Helen H. Durrant * Dead Lost by Helen H. Durrant * It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover * It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover * Stranger in the Woods by Anni Taylor * Jailbird by Caro Savage
June 2023
This is the month where I became so overwhelmed trying to keep up doing book reviews, that I stopped. I had to take stock of the time it took me to write one, and the money it brought me, and the outcome was a decision to only write a book review when a book really amazed me in either a positive or negative way.
* Villain by Caro Savage * The Rebound by Leeanne Slade * Hunted by Caro Savage * The Perfect Retreat by Kate Forster * Someone’s There by Diane Saxton * When You Find Me by P.J. Vernon * The Seventh Victim by Michael Wood
July 2023
From the list, you can see that when I liked one book of an author, I looked for another.
* The Marriage Lie by Kimberley Belle * Young Rich Widows by Kimberley Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan and Vanessa Lillie * Never Ever Tell by Kirsty Ferguson * The Silent Daughter by Kirsty Ferguson * Daddy Darkest by Ellery A. Kane * The Hanging Tree by Ellery A. Kane
August 2023
Another month with a diversity of authors but look… there’s Colleen Hoover again!
* The First Cut by Ellery A. Kane * The Daughter In Law by Nina Manning * Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover * The Bridesmaid by Nina Manning * The Girl from Blind River by Gale Massey * Lies She Told by Cate Holahan * The Raven’s Mark by Christie J Newport
September 2023
Another month with Colleen Hoover, and I returned to an author — Caroline Overington — whom I discovered in 2022.
* The Game You Played by Anni Taylor * I Came To Say Goodbye by Caroline Overington * Verity by Colleen Hoover * Ghost Child by Caroline Overington * Matilda Is Missing by Caroline Overington * No Place Like Home by Caroline Overington * The Nice Guy by Sarah A. Denzil
October 2023
The books of Nick Pirog came as a package deal on Audible, and when I saw the title, The Afrikaans, I was sold. Those were splendid books!
* Unforeseen by Nick Pirog * Gray Matter by Nick Pirog * The Afrikaans by Nick Pirog * Show Me by Nick Pirog * The River’s Edge by Joy Ellis * Speak the Dead by Grant McKenzie * Dark Murder by Helen H. Durrant * Dark Houses by Helen H. Durrant
November 2023
A month with a mix of authors, but at the end of the month I started another marathon, this time another series of one of my favorite authors, Joy Ellis!
Then there’s the book of Richard Armitage — his debut. I have listened to several books where he did the reading, and I love his voice, and now also enjoyed his book.
* Dark Trade by Helen H. Durrant * She Lies Close by Sharon Doering * The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks * Geneva by Richard Armitage * Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis
December 2023
I absolutely fell in love with these characters, and halfway through this series, characters from the series I listened to in February/March featured here too. It gave such a sense of recognition!
* Shadow over the Fens by Joy Ellis * Hunted on the Fens by Joy Ellis * Killer on the Fens by Joy Ellis * Stalker on the Fens by Joy Ellis * Captive on the Fens by Joy Ellis * Buried on the Fens by Joy Ellis * Thieves on the Fens by Joy Ellis * Fire on the Fens by Joy Ellis
Those who read many of my articles also know I love statistics, so won’t be surprised that I have some numbers for you. There are several authors who appeared multiple times on the list above. These are the top ones:
* Joy Ellis — 18 times * Helen H. Durrant — 7 times * Anna-Lou Weatherley — 5 times * Colleen Hoover, Caroline Overington and Nick Pirog — 4 times
My 2024 listening year starts off with the tenth book in the Joy Ellis series, and of course, I will keep track again of every book I listen.
I just love this alternative to reading a book!
How about you?
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