October Audiobooks

I think you will be a little shocked at how short my reading list is this month. I admit that I've been a little distracted by Podcasts lately, specifically health-focused podcasts. There are also a couple of books that I have listened to that I will not share as they might be considered controversial and I'm not interested in getting into any moral debates. Some things we all need to investigate for ourselves and we don't need to share.

But I thought I would share some of the podcasts that I'm listening to. I tend to roll in and out of particular podcasts so don't take this as a definitive list of podcasts that I'm dedicated to. These just reflect current interests.

I like to listen to podcasts to go to sleep and quiet my mind. 
- Sleep Cove is my favorite. There are 2 types of episodes. One is meditation to relax and the other type is boring narration. Both work for me and Christopher Fitton has a nice relaxing voice. I have some of the sleep meditations downloaded so I don't even have to stream them.
- Myths and Legends isn't meant to be a sleep podcast. Jason and Carissa Weiser have a great concept here to tell the stories of myth from all cultures around the world. The charm is that Janson tells the stories in more modern language. The stores are great but I found his voice to be incredibly soothing and it puts me right to sleep.

These are the only two podcasts that I can get Chris to listen to. We listen to them on car trips.
No Such Thing As A Fish - This is my #1 favorite podcast of all. The 4 hosts come together each week with 4 random fun facts and then spend about 50 minutes in hilarious discussion of the facts.
99% Invisible - Roman Mars explores lots of urban living and design topics. It's very interesting and a lot of fun.

I love true crime and there are several interesting true crime podcasts. I don't listen to all of them all of the time but these have some good episodes:
The Murder Squad - I think this was my first murder podcast. I found it because of my interest in the Golden State Killer. Paul Holes and Billy Jensen were involved with Michelle McNamara in researching GSK. They review unsolved crimes.
Criminal - More true crime by host Phoebe Judge. Great research and she has a wonderful radio voice. I've used this one occasionally to go to sleep with.
Small Town Dicks - Yeardley Smith (Lisa Simpson) is the co-host of this podcast with 2 brothers who spent their careers as detectives in a small town somewhere.  They interview detective from around the world to tell their most interesting crime stories.
The Opportunist - This one is a new one but really well researched. The most recent series tells an in-depth story of cult leader Sheryl Ruthven

On the health front I've become interested in "functional medicine". I'm not into it as a total flip from traditional medicine but I just like to research new stuff and my doctor has a functional medicine bent to her recommendations. I like that because I hate pharmaceuticals.
Peter Attia Drive - The fact that I listen to podcasts at all is because my doctor recommended one of Attia's episodes. This is a pretty intense medical discussion so you really have to be almost studying medicine. I don't listen to many of his episodes but there are a few that have been relevant to me. He's really obsessed with longevity. 
The Healthy Rebellion - Is hosted by Robb Wolf and his wife Nikki. He wrote the first book about the paleo diet and I'm reading his book "Wired To Eat". There are 2 types of episodes. One is called Salty Talk where Robb explores one topic or piece of research in depth. The second type is Q&A responding to submitted questions. You have to be able to tolerate some salty language but the information is some of the most honest health information available to us. But if you are interested in reversing metabolic disease you might like this one.
There are some others that I'm listening to to try and I haven't made any decisions yet. Some of these people really lean total carnivore. Being allergic to chlorophyll, I'm no vegan but I'm no carnivore either. But there are some interesting episodes on these:
Dhru Purohit
Dr. Ruscio Radio
Fundamental health with Paul Salidino
The Doctor's Farmacy

Do you listen to podcasts? If so, what are your favorites?

DNF Books
There are 2 books that I just could not get into this month:​
IQ by Joe Ide - This one is showing up on a lot of recommended lists lately. If it bothers you to hear the n-word in every paragraph then don't read this book.
​Brothers York by Thomas Penn - Too much like listening to a history book

Enemy at the Gates
By Kyle Mills, Read By George Guidall

This is book 20 in the Mitch Rapp series and I'm so glad that Vince Flynn's estate picked Kyle Mills to continue the Rapp series. I actually like them better since he started writing them.

There's a mole in the CIA who has stolen a file on the world's richest man, Nicholas Ward. Ward and a virologist have barely survived a kidnapping. Ward hires Rapp to protect him while they are trying to uncover the plot.
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It's very fast paced and action packed. You will not get bored. I finished it in a day. My favorite thing about this book is that Mills wrote a book with political figures but no politics. You have no idea the political party of even the President. So refreshing! See authors, it can be done. Leave your own politics on the editing floor and just write a good story. 

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Silver Sparrow
By Tayari Jones,
Read By Rosalyn Coleman Williams and Heather Alicia Simms

It's the 1980's in Atlanta and James Witherspoon (owner of a chauffeur business) has two families. Each of his wives has a daughter and it's only a matter of time before they meet and become friends. One of the girls knows the secret, the other doesn't. 

The book is told primarily from the POV of each daughter and those 2 parts are very interesting. It's very thought provoking to consider how that situation might affect a young person. The ending, though, left me looking around a bit as if I lost some pages. It was a little unsatisfying. 

If you are an Audible member this one is free for you to listen.

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The Cutting Edge
By Jeffrey Deaver, Read by Eduardo Ballerini

This is number 14 in the Lincoln Rhyme series. I lost track of these books and haven't read one in a long time. Chirp reminded me by offering this one on one of their daily sales. The last one that I read was #8 so I have some catching up to do.

Lincoln Rhyme was a detective with the NYPD until he became a quadriplegic. He is now a forensic consultant and is partnered with (in life and work) Amanda Sachs, a detective. The book opens with a triple murder at a diamond merchant. "The Promiser" is offended by the diamond industry and frivolous ruining of pure diamonds for engagement rings. He's determined to punish those who have them. At the murder scene the merchants apprentice, Vimal Lahori, escapes. He could help solve the case but he's in hiding.

Around the same time there are a series of gas explosions in the city that seem to be related to some drilling activity. These explosions conveniently provide some cover for The Promiser. 

​Lots of action and lots of evil. Amanda Sachs is my favorite character. She's tough but not super-human tough. Eduardo Ballerini is one of my all-time favorite readers.

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The Lost Apothecary
By Sarah Penner, Read by a cast

Poison and revenge, what's not to love.
In 18th century London there's a secret apothecary who sells poisons to help women dealing with oppressive or cruel men in their lives. 
Flip to current day and Caroline is in London on what is supposed to be a romantic 10th anniversary celebration trip. She came alone when she discovered her husband was having an affair. Caroline goes on an impromptu mudlarking adventure on the bans of the Thames and finds an old apothecary jar. 
It was an interesting read but don't cross these women!

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Buried 
By Ellison Cooper, Read By Danielle Deadwyler

Well, this was a nice surprise! When it started off I wasn't so sure. All the main characters are women so I thought it was going to be another over-the-top-strong-women book. I was wrong. The characters are well developed and realistic. Although there are a dearth of men in the FBI. Who knew?

Sayer Altair is an FBI Senior Special Agent. She's just off desk duty recovering from a bullet wound 6 months ago. When an off-duty agent falls into a sinkhole in the Shenandoah Valley and finds a cache of skeletal remains, including 2 fresh bodies. Altair is sent to investigate and given basically no help because the FBI in this book reflects the total political train wreck of the modern FBI.

What I loved about this book is the detailed research that Cooper did in the Shenandoah Valley. She got the details right and Altair is a great character. I'm looking forward to diving into the 2nd installment, but not until I read the 1st one, Caged. It's the source of the bullet wound at the opening of this book.

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