In no particular order I’ve selected my favorite 5 audiobooks from the 43 I listened to in 2016.

The Never Hero by T. Ellery Hodges  published Sept 2014:

Classification: Science Fiction – This book surprised me, because it walked an interesting line between superheroes (never a hero) and fantasy. The setting is modern day earth with relatable characters. The protagonist develops over the course of the story and never felt formulaic. The author is currently working on a sequel to be released in 2017.

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley published June 2013:

Classification: Romance / Historical Fiction – This book was fun to listen to, I enjoyed the narrator’s accent and the pacing of the story was perfect. I like a good time travel novel, but this wasn’t exactly that, instead of traveling the protagonist sees back into time, based on location and objects, which really resonated with me. The story is told simultaneously in both times, but is not difficult to follow. I’m worried about reading other books by the author, because what if they don’t live up to this one?

Flowertown by S G Redling  published June 2012:

Classification: Science Fiction / Dystopia – This book was full of twists and turns, some  that worked better than others. The premise of this book was interesting and the ending was not immediately predictable. The story grabbed and held my attention. It is the sort of situation that we all hope could never happen.

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison published May 2011:

Classification: Paranormal / Romance – This book was lots of fun. I enjoyed trying to figure out what type of fantasy being the protagonist was, and enjoyed the romance between the two main characters. The book was a quick  and light listen, sort of like audible candy.

The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R King published April 2016:

Classification: Mystery – I’ve been reading the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes books for many years, and was slightly horrified by the title of this novel. Interestingly this book focused more on the Sherlock Holmes’ housekeeper and the background story of Holmes and other recurring characters. It made me want to re-read some of the older novels to see how the pieces evolve. Well thought out and intriguing story, like most of Laurie Kings writing.