I'm Simply Mad About Mabel... An Audiobook Review of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

I’m just mad about Mad Mabel!

Meet Elsie Fitzpatrick—81 years old, sharp-tongued, a little crabby, and completely unforgettable. (If you loved A Man Called Ove, you’ll instantly see the vibe.) Elsie has lived a quiet, routine life on Kenny Lane for sixty years… until her elderly neighbor—well into his nineties—dies suddenly.

Given their recent, less-than-friendly history (she did call him her “nemesis,” after all), suspicion quickly lands on Elsie.

Ordinarily, this would be a straightforward case. But Elsie is hiding something—and it’s not small... Elsie Fitzpatrick is actually Mabel Waller… Australia’s youngest convicted murderer at just fifteen!! (And that’s only the crime she was caught for.)

As the investigation ramps up and the media descends, Elsie is finally given the chance to tell her story—and she takes it. What follows is a beautifully layered dual timeline that shifts between young Mabel and present-day Elsie, slowly revealing the truth behind the rumors, the headlines, and the woman herself.

The story is rich with unforgettable characters—from Mabel’s early life (her complicated family, her first love, and her fiercely loyal friend Daphne) to Elsie’s present-day circle, including her kind neighbor Peter, perpetually complaining Joan, and the absolute scene-stealer: seven-year-old Persephone, who has essentially adopted Elsie as her grandmother.

There’s a quiet tenderness here that sneaks up on you—especially in the relationship between Elsie and Persephone—balanced with moments of real suspense, unexpected twists, and a few emotional turns that genuinely caught me off guard. By the end, I wasn’t just invested… I was fully rooting for Elsie (and Mabel), flaws and all.

On audio? Even better.

The narration elevates this story beautifully. Jenny Seedsman perfectly captures Elsie’s dry wit and layered personality, while Hannah Fredericksen brings young Mabel to life with equal nuance. The transitions between timelines are seamless, making it an incredibly immersive listen.

By the time I reached the end, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Elsie—and honestly, that might be the highest praise I can give.

I'm not a big audiobook listener, but I am so happy that I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Mad Mabel courtesy of Macmillan Audio and NetGalley! Thank you so much! I loved the story and it was such a pleasure to listen to! I am now officially putting more audiobooks on my TBR list! And you should too! Especially this one! 

Mad Mabel audiobook (and book)

 will be available this coming tuesday, April 21st

Love & War Audiobook Giveaway!

They seemed the most unlikeliest of couples. 

Two political powerhouses from opposite sites of the floor who simply fell in love…. 

And... It's An Audiobook GIVEAWAY!

Love & War: Twenty Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters and One Louisiana Home by Mary Matalin and James Carville is not what you'd expect and then again everything you'd expect. I have always been fascinated by the romance of this couple. How can such political powerhouses and adversaries find love between campaigning? I never thought that their relationship was created for publicity, but it seems that enough people did think that and have asked that question point blank to them. And that's what makes this tale of love and politics so interesting, because even though the media made such a big deal out of their romance, it wasn't a big deal. It was just a working class girl from Chicago and a boy from Louisiana falling in love and raising a family in the craziness of Washington, DC and then taking a step back and making lives for themselves outside the fray and dealing with the fray. Both Mary Matalin and James Carville are smart, savvy political engineers, but that's just one of the wonderful things about their relationship- they knew how to run a campaign, love politics and they could relate to what the other was doing. Political opposites, but that's what makes life interesting. Their life together is as normal as any husband and wife raising a family, buying a house, going to work every day but also filled with some people and places that we as readers have become familiar with if we've payed attention to anything happening to our country in the past 15 years. BUT, this is NOT a book on politics!

I listened to this audio book of Love & War and loved it! Read by Mary Matalin and James Carville, it's almost as if they are speaking to us directly about what's going on in their lives and what had been going on in their lives. They individually answer those questions about getting along, raising children, dealing with being "well known" and trying to live a normal life at the same time, and basically giving us a peek into their lives. Yes, they do talk about their jobs, but it's really not about that. It's about marriage, children and dealing with everything that goes along: Falling in love, staying in love, giving birth, ADHD, buying that first house, going to school, having a job, friends, and keeping your sanity in a Washington DC existence. This book lets you see beyond what you may have thought about Mary and James (individually and as a couple), and find common ground in your own life. Listening to Mary read and then James read what seems to be his "view" of the topic was fun. They both have great voices in respect to audiobooks, and they read wonderfully.

The audiobook of Love & War is unabridged, 9 CD's and 10.5 hours. Thanks to Random House Audio I received a review copy of this! Thanks Random House! AND thanks to Random House Audio I have a copy of this audiobook to GIVE AWAY! It's part of my week long Blogoversary Celebration! I've always talked about Memoirs on Chick with Books and this one really captured my attention. Here's how to enter…

To Enter this giveaway…

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just let me know you're a follower when you leave your comment! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left by Google Friends Connect or Google +! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link for one more entry.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Feb. 24th. I will randomly pick the winner the next day and email you! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

Put On Your Crown by Queen Latifah... Audiobook Review & Giveaway!

"You are braver then you believe,

stronger then you seem

and smarter then you think”

...Winnie the Pooh

And the Winners Are... Lynette, Denny & Kim! Congrats! Amd THANKS to Everyone for Joining in on the Fun!

Put on Your Crown by Queen Latifah is like sitting down with your BFF (best friend) and talking about life. It's a book about being true to yourself... about finding your Inner Queen! Not a preachy self-help book, but inspiring and uplifting, Put on Your Crown by Queen Latifah is a book all young women should read, mother's should give their daughters and us "older" girls should read to inspire us to live our lives being true to ourselves. Here's what the publisher had to say...

Queen Latifah's goal with Put On Your Crown is to help young women build a strong sense of self-esteem. A US Dept. of Justice survey found that females ages 16-24 are more vulnerable to partner violence than any other group, almost triple the national average. Cases like Chris Brown's assault on pop star Rihanna showed an ugly side of adolescent life. However, Queen Latifah has always been a shining example of a woman happy with herself and unwilling to compromise to fit into the "hollywood ideal" of what a confident beautiful woman should look like.

I admire Queen Latifah. She came from humble beginnings, living in "the projects", to become a successful singer, an amazing actress, movie producer, and recording studio entrepreneur (to name just a few of her successes). Never losing sight of who she was inside and never letting the negative influences around her change her inner queen. I listened to the audiobook of Put on Your Crown by Queen Latifah and loved it! First of all her message is wonderful- Women come in all shapes , colors and sizes and it's all good! You should learn to love yourself for who YOU are! The book, and audiobook, is divided into 8 sections, where Queen Latifah talks about Success, Beauty, Money, Love, Fear, Loss, Strength and Joy. She gives us examples from her life about the good, the bad and the ugly, but always tempered with the knowledge that tomorrow's another day if today wasn't the best. We even get sage advice from her mother, Mrs. Owens, who Queen Latifah credits with helping her become the woman that she is today. Sprinkled with wonderful stories, insights and advice, Put on Your Crown is inspiring. Queen Latifah's voice is wonderfully soothing to listen to and perfect for an audiobook (she is a singer after all).

The audiobook is unabridged, approximately 4 hours, and is on 4 CD's. This would make a perfect gift to yourself or a young girl in your life! Who couldn't use a BFF like Queen Latifah for a little while! Listen to an excerpt of Put on Your Crown, and judge for yourself! AND courtesy of Anna of Hachette Book Group, I have 3 copies of the unabridged audiobook of Put on Your Crown by Queen Latifah to GIVE AWAY! Here's how to enter...

To Enter this giveaway...

*leave me a comment with your email address! (no need to do anything else, unless you want an extra entry or two...)

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*For another entry, Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

*Bonus entry... tell me what one woman has inspired you! For me, that would be my Mom, who helped me become the woman I am and who still is always there for me no matter what. Thanks Mom!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The audiobooks will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on June 26th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!