Audiobook Review: Golden Hills by Jennifer Weiner

Author: Jennifer Weiner

Narrator: Courtney Patterson
Title: Golden Hills

Genre: Chick Lit, Novella, Short Stories, Politics
Published: June 1, 2023
Pages: 53

Where I Got It: Amazon

Summary: 

Senatorial favorite Ida Berkowitz is headed for a win. Raised by a hardworking widowed mother, she’s authentic, relatable, and down-to-earth. Voters love her. Polls promise victory. Then her campaign manager utters four awful words: Who is Marissa Schuyler? She had almost managed to forget. Ida’s bunkmate at Camp Golden Hills when they were girls, Marissa was confident, sophisticated, and wealthy. Everything Ida wasn’t. Now the polished wife of a major conservative donor, Marissa’s announced a press conference. About Ida.

Just like that, Ida’s old insecurities come rushing in. So do new feelings of dread. After all these years, she knows what’s on Marissa’s mind. It could undermine everything Ida’s worked for. Because it isn’t very pretty.

Review: 

So I guess this was Amazon Prime First Read’s Pick for the month of May 2023. I had no idea about that when I first downloaded this. I have read previous books by this author so I knew I had to check this out. 

This follows Ida who is a senatorial favorite. She was raised by a hardworking widowed mother. She is authentic, relatable, and down-to-Earth. The voters are eating it up and love her. Everything is looking good until her campaign manager utters four awful words: Who is Marissa Schuyler? All the memories from Camp Golden Hills come rushing back. After all these years, she knows what is on Marissa's mind. It could very well undermine everything Ida has been working for. 

Now, I really really liked this from page 1. It had feeling and Ida really is someone you can't help but love. I'm sure she would get my vote if she was real.

Sadly....the ending and the "big reveal" was super cringe. SUPERRRRR CRINGE! I could not roll my eyes any harder at the ending. Sighs. Disappointing. I was hoping for more there. 

The narrator was good. I would like to listen to more by her. 

Overall....I started off liking this and even loving it. Ida is a great character. The ending and "reveal" was eye-rolling-worthy. 

2 stars from me. 

Challenge(s):

- #31 for Audiobook challenge

Audiobook Review: Mr. President by Katy Evans

Author: Katy Evans

Narrator: Isabelle Gordon and John Lane

Title: Mr. President

(White House #1)

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Drama, Politics

Format: Audiobook

Published: October 31st 2016

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

He's won the hearts of millions. But is he willing to lose his?

I met the president’s son when we were both young. Matthew Hamilton was handsome, polished, and intelligent. I’d never met a guy like him.

He promised me that he’d never run for president. I promised that if he did, I’d be by his side.

Three terms later, an invitation to join Matthew Hamilton’s campaign is the most exhilarating opportunity I’ve ever experienced. I'm determined to make a difference; he is determined to win.

Focused on his goal, Matt is steadfast, ruthless, and disarming. All eyes are on him and his popularity is surging. But soon, the next possible president of the United States is possessing me in more ways than one—and despite the risks, I'm helpless to resist.

We're stealing touches, stealing moments, and stealing away at night. But our chemical connection is quickly becoming dangerously combustive, putting not only my heart, but Matt's chance at the presidency on the line.

Winning will take everything. Walking away will be the hardest thing of all.

Review:

Seen this at the library and it fits perfectly for the romance reading challenge I'm doing. 

Here we follow Matthew Hamilton who is America's sweetheart and now he is running for president. Charlotte met Matthew when they were kids and Matthew was just the President's son. She made a promise to him that if he ever ran she would join his campaign. Years have passed and they meet again. Matthew remembers her vow and asks her to join his campaign as an assistant. They soon realize there is lust they can't deny. 

Why can't Matthew Hamilton be a real guy? I would def vote for him. He's nice, honest, hot, and has a good set of morals. His only "bad" thing is his lust for Charlotte. WHICH he is a single dude and she is a single girl. Sure she is working on his campaign, but I don't see the real drama here. Once the election is over they can easily start dating...so just hold out guys. It's not an all-or-nothing situation. Now...if he was married, yes, I can see the issue and drama then.

I felt the drama was silly and easily solvable. Sure, he doesn't want kids or a wife because he doesn't want to neglect them while he's a president not. However, it is not like he doesn't desire that. He can easily have it all.

I liked our couple and watching them fall in love even though I thought their drama was overblown. Charlotte was very sweet and Matthew is a hunk. They deserved love!!!!

There is more to their story in book 2. This left off with barely anything remotely solved. Not sure if I am going to the next one. We shall see. Maybe if I do another reading challenge that needs a politician. We shall see. 

Maybe I'll like it more since the struggle of the campaign is now over, but I fear like it is going to be the same stuff "OH NO MATTHEW! WE CAN'T POSSIBLY BE TOGETHER EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE SINGLE AND I'M SINGLE! THE COUNTRY LOVES YOU AND I COME FROM A POLITICAL FAMILY AND MY BACKGROUND IS FLAWLESS SO THERE IS LITTLE THE MEDIA CAN USE AGAINST ME!" Like I said...I get that she is technically on his campaign and helping him run....but I'm sure once the election is over and the campaigning is done there would be barely any scandal if they got together then. Sighs. 

The narrators were good. I do wish the male narrator/Matthew's POV had more time. It seemed like it was 90% Charlotte and 10% him. Bummer. 

Overall, this was okay. I liked Charlotte and Matthew a lot but I had the drama/scandal made me roll my eyes. Also, I wish the POV switching was more balanced. I would've liked more time with Matthew. In the end, I'll give this 3 stars. It wasn't a bad listen. I enjoyed watching these two go from lust to love.

  

Challenge(s):
- #18 for Audiobook challenge

- #12 for Romance Reading Challenge - Politician

Book Review: The 10 Big Lies About America

Author: Michael Medved
Title: The 10 Big Lies About America
Genre: Non-Fiction, Politics
Pages: 288
First Published: November 2008
Where I Got It: Borrowed it from Library


"In this bold and brilliantly argued book, acclaimed author and talk-radio host Michael Medved zeroes in on ten of the biggest fallacies that millions of Americans believe about our country—in spite of incontrovertible facts to the contrary. In The 10 Big Lies About America, Medved pinpoints the most pernicious pieces of America-bashing disinformation that pollute current debates about the economy, race, religion in politics, the Iraq war, and other contentious issues.

The myths that Medved deftly debunks include:

Myth: The United States is uniquely guilty for the crime of slavery and based its wealth on stolen African labor.

Fact: The colonies that became the United States accounted for, at most, 3 percent of the abominable international slave trade; the persistence of slavery in America slowed economic progress; and the U.S. deserves unique credit for ending slavery.

Myth: The alarming rise of big business hurts the United States and oppresses its people. 

Fact: Corporations played an indispensable role in building America, and corporate growth has brought progress that benefits all with cheaper goods and better jobs. 

Myth: The Founders intended a secular, not Christian, nation. 

Fact: Even after ratifying the Constitution, fully half the state governments endorsed specific Chris­tian denominations. And just a day after approving the First Amendment, forbidding the establishment of religion, Congress called for a national “day of public thanksgiving and prayer” to acknowledge “the many signal favors of Almighty God.”

Myth: A war on the middle class means less comfort and opportunity for the average American. 

Fact: Familiar campaign rhetoric about the victimized middle class ignores the overwhelming statistical evidence that the standard of living keeps rising for every segment of the population, as well as the real-life experience of tens of millions of middle-class Americans.

Each of the ten lies—widely believed among elites and taught as truth in universities and public schools—is a grotesque, propagandistic distortion of the historical record. For everyone who is tired of hearing America denigrated by people who don’t know what they’re talking about, The 10 Big Lies About America supplies the ammunition necessary to fire back the next time somebody tries to recycle these baseless beliefs. Medved’s witty, well-documented rebuttal is a refreshing reminder that as Americans we should feel blessed, not burdened, by our heritage."


~*~


I debated myself whether or not to review this book for a while. I randomly found this book in my local library when I was looking for books about Scotland (I wrote a paper on Scotland in my geography class). How odd is that? I think it was fate for me to read this...I'm glad I decided to review this and read this, because the book touches base with many "issues" Americans and others have against the United States. 


Professor Hull, my US History professor, had always said its good to have an open ear to different opinions. That was why he always pushed for discussions in class. So when this book came around, I was excited and intrigued to hear this guys opinions. Yes, I call them opinions. 


This was a quick read. I could barely put it down. Usually with books like these, the writing seems choppy and rather boring. This isn't the case with this one. Michael Medved's writing style seemed to flow very nicely and it kept me interested. I was also impressed by his examples  and his sources. He seems like an intelligent man and I would be very interested in discussing some of these "myths" with him. I agree with him on about 75% of the things he "debunked", but the other 25% I felt like calling him up and giving him a debate he would never forget. 


At times I felt like his "opinions" were strongly biased and one-dimensional. Even though I found his writing to "flow very nicely", at times I felt like he was too emotional and sarcastic about the matters at hand. Also, some parts were dry and very, VERY biased. However, I feel like a learned a lot from the conservative point of view.


Even though I don't agree with him on a lot of points, I can now understand that viewpoint. Since I'm going to school to be a teacher, its always good to learn how to take opposite opinions in stride and understand them. All-in-all, I'm glad I read this book and I learned a lot. I recommend this book to those who would like a good shake up in their reading and for those looking for a good conservative aspect to certain American issues. Our of five stars, I grant this one 4 stars. In all reality it would be 3.5 stars, but I don't give decimals, so I rounded.  

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<3CaroleRae