All Categories - JARED R. LOPATIN

THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE by Richard Osman (Audiobook)

6/17/2025

Read by Lesley Manville.
#2 - The Thursday Murder Club

I am loving this series. Four pensioners who are solving crimes and outsmarting...well, everyone around them. I love that we get more of their backgrounds in this one, not to mention some expanding on the secondary characters. There's so much more humor in this book than one might expect from a mystery novel. It's fun and twisty and still keeps the tension of high stakes. Osman is great at infusing each character with their own distinct idiosyncrasies. I do wonder why he puts in random first-person perspectives from Joyce; I'm not mad at it. Of course, Lesley Manville does a beautiful job with the narration as well. Eager for the next installment.

Quotes:

"The brain was is tremendously clever. One of the reasons Ibrahim likes it so much. Your foot was your foot and would remain your foot through thick and thin, but the brain changes in form and in function."
"Revenge is not a straight line; it's a circle. It's a grenade that goes off while you're still in the room and you can't help but be caught in the blast."
"People love to sleep and, yet, they are so frightened of death."
"I am learning that it is important to stop sometimes and just have a drink and a gossip with friends even as corpses start to pile up around you which they have been doing a lot recently. It's a balancing act, of course, but, by and large, the corpses will still be there in the morning and you mustn't let it spoil your dominoes."

5/5

HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH by Sarah J. Maas (Audiobook)

6/14/2025

Read by Colleen Delany as Narrator, Kit Swann as Bryce Quinlan, Danny Montooth as Hunt Athalar, Nick J. Russo as Ruhn Danaan, David Cui Cui as Cormac Donnall, Jonathan David Bullock as Ithan Holstrom, Danny Gavigan as Tharion Ketos, Devon Lexington as Lidia Servos, and Dawn Ursula as Celestina; with Rayner Gabriel, Sura Siu, Nhea Durousseau, Daniel Llaca, Emily Beresford, Henry W. Kramer, Robb Moreira, Tia Shearer, Torian Brackett, Patrick Boylan, Michael Glenn, Lolita Horne, Anthony Palmini, James Konicek, Debi Tinsley, Todd Scofield, Sarah Ruth Thomas, Drew Kopas, Gregory Linington, Kelly Baskin, Grace Srinivasan, Wyn Delano, James J. Johnson, Tanja Milojevich, Crystal Lee, Deepa Samuel, Donald Guzzi, Thomas Penny, Laura C. Harris, Ryan Dalusung, Gail Shalan, Michael John Casey, Belsheber Rusape, and Karenna Foley.
#2 - Crescent City

Are we kidding? It took me half a beat to return to this world but Maas' worldbuild is extensive and I quickly found my footing once more. Bryce and Hunt are back and I'm glad they are. This is now a soap opera as Maas explores a number of other characters, offering us an expansion on what has gone before. Still sex-filled, still twisty, still an adventure, we are faced with new enemies and friends, not to mention new systems. The Astronomer for one...well, that was something I didn't expect. Also one moment that took me completely by surprise. (Hence the "Are we kidding?") I am thrilled that the third book is readily available because whatever's coming...I'm here for it.

5/5

VOYAGER by Diana Gabaldon (Audiobook)

6/10/2025

Read by Davina Porter.
#3 - Outlander

I wasn't sure about this one, to be honest. Ship adventures are never my ideal reading material. I don't know what it is about a voyage at sea; it just never feels as exciting. I also recognize the need for a new storyline but I really didn't think chasing after a teenager was going to be the next piece of the Claire/Jamie saga. Still, all-in-all, I enjoyed this book. I was glad to see the return of some old friends (and foes) and to meet some new characters. I'm very curious about where this one ended and where it's going from here. While the books are getting longer and longer, Gabaldon's writing holds my interest. It seems the politics are becoming more subsumed within the actual story which is much more palatable for me.

4.25/5

A FUGITIVE GREEN by Diana Gabaldon (Audiobook)

6/4/2025

Read by Jeff Woodman.
#2.5 - Outlander

I wasn't sure about this. I was considering just going through all of the main books in the series and then going back and reading the "halves" but I'm glad I read this one in between. I really enjoyed Minerva and the way she handles her troublesome situation. I like the setup of this novel. It was a refreshing break from the rest of the Outlander series and, though I missed Claire and Jamie, I was happy to meet these new characters. I'm curious to see how Hal and hopefully Minerva show up in the rest of the novels. I did recognize the last name Grey from the second novel; enjoying that little hint of connection. I do miss Davina Porter narrating but Jeff Woodman does a decent job.

4.25/5

DRAGONFLY IN AMBER by Diana Gabaldon (Audiobook)

6/3/2025

Read by Davina Porter.
#2 - Outlander

It took me a minute to get into the second book in the Outlander series. I'm fascinated by the interpersonal relationships, especially between Claire and Jamie, of course, but I find myself glazing over the political elements of the novel. I know that's kind of bad since that's basically the through-line of the books. Overall, though, I get the gist of it. I found this to be a second novel. It dips a little from the first, or perhaps that's just a bias of something being new. I will say, I am very much enjoying Davina Porter's reading of the novel - she is able to create distinct characters with her voice so I never have any trouble knowing who is speaking. Gabaldon's writing is still holding me and I will definitely continue with the Outlander series.

3.75/5

SOURCERY by Terry Pratchett (Paperback)

5/24/2025

#5 - Discworld

I wanted to like this one more than I did. The premise was interesting; the compounding of magic upon magic to create a concentration that then threatens existence. I mean, who doesn't love an apocalypse? Plus, Rincewind is back and I really enjoy him, not to mention Death showing up. There was also a little bit of a nod to GOOD OMENS with the four horsemen, though perhaps it's not such a nod as inspiration since it predates GOOD OMENS by two years. I just wasn't as invested as I wanted to be. It felt like a lot of things happened and, yet, nothing at all. Perhaps if it were the first book in the series, I would have enjoyed it more but I have a certain standard I now expect from the Discworld books and this one was slightly subpar. I do wonder if this concept and if Coin will come back in subsequent books as the full story unfolds.

3.75/5

YELLOWFACE by R. F. Kuang (Audiobook)

5/22/2025

Read by Helen Laser.

Dear gods, can this author write a book! I loved BABEL and I was not disappointed to pick up another R. F. Kuang novel. Kuang is adept at writing such rich characters who are not always likable but there's always a piece of them that's grounded in relatability. Juniper is sympathetic and yet not. It reminded me a little of THE PLOT but it definitely takes a different turn. I found myself eager to know more and isn't that the hallmark of a great author? I am definitely an R. F. Kuang fan. The end was...well, I don't want to give anything away. I feel like I have so much to say about it and no words to actually express my feelings. It's a bizarre situation. I do have some quotes that I really enjoyed:

"Writing is such a solitary activity. You have no assurance that what you're creating has any value."
"Writing is the whole world. How can I explain this to her? Stopping isn't an option. I need to create. There's a physical urge, like breathing, like eating. When it's going well, it's better than sex, and when it's not...I can't take pleasure in anything else."
"Only the dead can be so constantly present."

5/5

THE AWAKENING by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (Audiobook)

5/20/2025

Khaya Fraites as Tory Vega, Jessica Schly as Darcy Vega, Gregory Linnington as Orion, Julian Dailey as Darius, Jon Vertullo as Caleb, Ryan Dalusung as Seth, and Gabriel Michael as Max. Also with Karenna Foley, Daniel Llaca, Lydia Kraniotis, Nora Achrati, Kelly Baskin, Stephanie Németh-Parker, Crystal Lee, Dawn Ursula, Lise Bruneau, Kaylee Eluvian, Marissa Clay, Bradley Foster Smith, Michael John Casey, Ken Jackson, Tyler Hyrchuck, Donald Guzzi, Yasmin Tuazon, Jeri J. Marshall, Laura C. Harris, Karen Novack, Eric Messner, Scott McCormick, Drew Kopas, and James Konicek.
#1 - The Zodiac Academy

I have been curious about this series for awhile now. After all, I have my own astrology-themed series and I love to see how other authors incorporate the stars into their novels. I was a little bit disappointed that there wasn't more of a tie to the signs themselves, but maybe that's forthcoming. Love some of the references and, of course, I'm a fan of elemental magic. Seems that there is a lot being brought into this world: astrological quality, mythological creatures, elemental magic...I'm curious to see how it all plays out. Right now, some of the villains are a little two-dimensional; I suspect they are getting fleshed out in books to come and the authors are playing a long game here. There's so much of a world here to explore and I want to know more. This is a good introduction.

4/5

DIAL A FOR AUNTIES by Jesse Q. Sutano (Audiobook)

5/16/2025

Read by Risa Mei.
#1 - Aunties

I picked this up because I saw it on many of the lists of the agents I've been querying. I'm so glad I did. I wasn't sure about it at first but Sutano's writing is compelling and entertaining. She is able to provide such serious situations with hilarity and compassion so that I'm laughing while I'm concerned for these characters. I love Meddy and her whole family. They are so relatable despite the difference in culture; it seems that families are families. It feels a little Finlay Donovan to me as well. I just really enjoyed the twists and turns of this little adventure, especially as the characters grew. I can't wait to see what happens next. It also makes me want to pick up some more of Sutano's work.

5/5

HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas (Audiobook)

5/14/2025

Read by Colleen Delany as Narrator, Kit Swann as Bryce Quinlan, Danny Montooth as Hunt Athalar, Nick J. Russo as Ruhn Danaan, Torian Brackett as Isaiah Tiberian, and Gail Shalan as Danika; with Stephanie Németh-Parker, Gabriel Michael, Robb Moreira, Debi Tinsley, Lise Bruneau, Holly Adams, Daniel Llaca, Joel David Santner, Nhea Durousseau, Khaya Fraites, Michael John Casey, Henry W. Kramer, Karenna Foley, Jonathon Church, Sarah Ruth Dawson, Sura Siu, Ryan Haugen, Bradley Foster Smith, Christopher Williams, Emily Beresford, Karen Novack, LaMont Ridgell, Rob McFadyen, Deepa Samuel, Christopher Walker, Thomas Penny, Jonathan David Bullock, and Jeri J. Marshall.
#1 - Crescent City

I am trying another Maas series. I wasn't expecting this one to be so much of a murder mystery. I love the unconventional sleuths considering it's set in a fantastical world. Maas seems to have a knack for creating such rich worlds and the characters are well-fleshed out. I, of course, adore Bryce and I happen to be a big fan of Ruhn. I know I'm supposed to love Hunt and I like him but he's not my main interest in this. I enjoyed the premise of this, especially since it takes such a sharp turn to the left so early on. I would love to be able to use this as an example of a trigger in my teaching but it's probably not one I should put on the curriculum. There were moments that caught me by surprise, which I admit, probably shouldn't have, but I love just relaxing into a story and not ALWAYS trying to figure out the twist. I am looking forward to the next in this series.

4.75/5