Audiobook Review: Four Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss
Four Years Trapped in My Mind Palace
Author: Johan Twiss
Narrator: Johan Twiss
Published: December 8, 2016
Audiobook: 7 hours 29 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: September 17-23, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Audiobook Description:
I was paralyzed—trapped in my own mind. The friendship of a crazy old man was my way out.
Fourteen-year-old Aaron Greenburg is trapped in a vegetative state. He’s awake and aware of everything around him, but the doctors don’t realize it. After being placed in a care facility, he receives a new roommate–Solomon, an old eccentric jazz musician with dementia. When Aaron talks in his mind to stay sane, Solomon hears his thoughts and replies. But no one believes that Aaron and Solomon can converse, except for Solomon’s teenage granddaughter, Sarah.
When Solomon relives the past during his dementia episodes, Aaron joins him in those moments in time to experience 1920s New York City, getting into a scuffle with the mob in a Chicago nightclub, fighting in World War II, and much more as the two develop an unlikely and unique friendship.
Four Years in My Mind Palace is a humorous and heartwarming coming-of-age story, entwined with an end-of-age story, that will capture your imagination and renew your faith in the power of friendship.
Jessica’s Review:
My friend Beccie has been on me for YEARS to read this book. For Christmas in 2020 (yes, I am very embarrassed about this now!) she even bought me a signed edition by the author. I promised I had intended to read it before now because I did buy a kindle copy years ago. Twiss now has a new edition of Four Years with a gorgeous cover, so I finally decided to read it. Let’s just say that 2024 has not been my year to read books, so I am thankful that audiobooks exist and I used an Audible credit for this one: I can say that I have all the formats of this book covered!
THIS BOOK: It gives you all the feelings! I was pulled in from the very beginning and just fell in love with Aaron and Solomon. This book is magical realism with a bit of historical fiction added. It would be appropriate for middle grade readers and up. Everyone will find something to love with this book. I loved everything about it. We even get some history mixed in with Solomon’s life. This reader learned some things.
Twiss also narrated the audiobook. He really brought both Aaron and Solomon to life. This is a book that deserves so much more attention than it has gotten, and with a gorgeous new cover, I hope it does! This is a book that will touch you and you will look back at it fondly.
Twiss also talks about the research he did with the historical aspects of the novel.
I have a kindle version of his novella 30 Red Dresses that I hope to read sooner rather than later now! If you haven’t read Twiss yet, do pick it up and read it now versus waiting as long as I did. My excuse is this: There are too many excellent books and never enough time!)
Here are pictures of my signed copy courtesy of Beccie:
Book Review and Movie Comparison of Five Feet Apart
Five Feet Apart
Authors:
Rachael Lippincott
Mikki Daughtry
Tobias Iaconis
Published: November 10, 2018
288 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: July 30- August 30, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
Can you love someone you can never touch?
Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.
The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.
Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.
What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?
Jessica’s Review:
I first read this book back in 2019, which was before the whole world changed. It was interesting reading this one again in a Post-Covid world: These kids were wearing masks and keeping six feet apart long before it became the ‘thing’ to do in 2020! LOL, but seriously, I looked at my review and can’t really say anything more than I did back then, so I will give the link to that review. And it was apparently a double review with Kim, so you’ll get her thoughts on it back then too.
And the book cover is just…. I love it!
Here is the link to both Kim and I’s reviews of Five Feet Apart.
Kim also recently re-read it and said she wouldn’t change a thing on her thoughts, though the teenage drama got to her a little bit more this time around. She still really enjoyed it!
Movie Comparison
Movie Trailer
Jessica’s Thoughts on the Movie Compared to the Book:
I thought they did good with the movie compared to the book. A lot of my thoughts on the book are the same for the movie. The biggest thing for me was that Poe seemed to be more of a minor character in the movie. I wasn’t as attached to him in the movie as I was in the book. I adored ‘book Poe’. Parts of the movie seemed rushed compared to the book. So when the movie got to a certain point through the end it just wasn’t as emotional for me.
I’d give the movie 4 stars on it’s own not comparing it to the book. Comparing the movie to the book, then movie would get 3.5 stars.Will I watch the movie again? No. But I do have a copy of the book.
Purchase Links:
Book
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Movie
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Review: What the River Knows Series by Isabel Ibañez
What the River Knows
Series: Secrets of the Nile #1
Author: Isabel Ibañez
Published: October 31, 2023
404 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: February 4- March 19, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind.
When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.
With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.
The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in this lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.
Jessica’s Review:
This was a good read! Ancient Egypt is always a welcome location for a book to take place and there was adventure even a slow burn romance. There is something for everyone in this book!
We have a strong YA character in Inez, I really liked her! A lot happens in this book! And Whit, it was like just get together! The version I read had some pictures in it and I pictured a young Henry Cavill playing him.
Having been to Egypt in 2006, it brought back memories of that trip! Egypt was one of my bucket list places to go to and I did it! How many people do you know that have been to Egypt? I have a friend (Beccie) going there this year and this book came from her. I am so excited that she is finally going to one of her bucket list places!
The only ‘bad’ thing about this book is a cliffhanger and I have to wait until NOVEMBER for the sequel and final book. If you like action, adventure, romance, Egypt, pick this one up and read it now! Or wait until closer to the end of the year so you can read the sequel without a long wait!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK