There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.
Goodreads Synopsis
Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin's most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor's gruesome secrets. As an aspiring writer, Hazel believes that writing a novel could be her only ticket out of this frozen hellscape. And then her neighbor confesses to hiding the body of an overdose victim in a dumpster.
My Thoughts
I found out WHEN I’M DEAD, one of my Book of the Month (BOTM) books, is the third book in the Black Harbor series. I wanted to read it this month so I decided to check out the first (HELLO, TRANSCRIBER) and second (THE WIDOWMAKER) books from my library.
I’m glad I decided to read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER. It was a captivating romantic thriller. Thanks to Morrissey’s beautifully descriptive prose, I zipped right through it by staying up all night listening to the audiobook. It hooked me right from the beginning and has left me thinking about the characters and their relationships.
HELLO, TRANSCRIBER is more than a thriller with romantic fluff. It’s also a thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like spousal abuse, depression and suicidal ideation, homo- and transphobia, and drug use in minors.
As I read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, I could see the big twist at the end. Knowing about the twist didn’t ruin the suspense or story for me, though, because I still wanted to know how everything would play out. View Spoiler »I’m disappointed that Hazel and Nik don’t stay together in the end. I feel like it could’ve worked out without damaging the overall feeling of the story. « Hide Spoiler
Before I started reading HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, I thought the series was a classic series with the same characters in each novel. However, I’ve since learned that the sequels are companion novels with different characters that take place in Black Harbor. Despite this, I look forward to reading both sequels and any others Morrissey writes.
Have you read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER? If so, what did you think?
Trigger Warning
There is a trigger warning for suicide, suicidal ideation, cheating on a spouse, spousal abuse, homo- and transphobia, and drug use.
Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, andshowcase books and other things.
What Happened this Week
I’ve decided to change up my Sunday News posts. I’ve realized how much I disliked trying to think of something to share in each category every week.
Anyway, this week has been kind of quiet. I spent some time with my BFF. Her birthday was Thursday. Corey and I went to dinner with her and her family, we ate cake and cookies, played some Mario Kart and Boomerang FU on the Switch, and watched CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart.
We also went to my BFF’s oldest daughter’s jazz band concert on Friday morning. She plays both the clarinet and tenor sax like her mom. It’s been really fun to watch her grow and gain confidence in her playing skills.
I finished rereading SUNRUNNER’S FIRE this week. I’m really glad I decided to reread the Dragon Prince trilogy. It was fun to revisit some of my favorite stories and characters. You can click the link above if you’re interested in my thoughts about the trilogy.
I couldn’t sleep Tuesday night so I listened to the HELLO, TRANSCRIBER audiobook and finished it before Corey woke up. I’ll be posting my review tomorrow.
I finally started reading FOURTH WING this week. I haven’t gotten very far because I’ve been really tired this week. I’m really excited to see what all the hype’s about.
I also started listening to the WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING audiobook. I started reading the Kindle book a couple of years ago but got sidetracked and never finished it. I went through my library’s available audiobooks and it was one of them. I really like the audiobook so far.
Before I Blogged is a feature here at JenniElyse. The idea is to post my original review of a book I recently reread and my feelings after the reread.
I recently reread the Dragon Prince trilogy by Melanie Rawn. Here are my original reviews of each book:
Dragon Prince: June 9, 2008
During lunch today, I finished reading DRAGON PRINCE by Melanie Rawn. This is the first book in the Dragon Prince trilogy. Becky, one of my co-workers, recommended it to me and I’m glad she did because DRAGON PRINCE has earned a place as one of my favorite books.
Upon the death of Rohan’s father, Prince Zehava, Rohan finds himself as the prince of the Desert, one of the vast princedoms of the Continent ruled by the evil High Prince Roelstra. Sioned is a Sunrunner witch and is Rohan’s chosen bride. Together, they must outwit Roelstra to maintain their lands and establish peace throughout the Continent.
The story’s very intriguing and captured my attention by the end of the second chapter. In fact, it was one of those books I didn’t want to put down. The story has elements for everyone, such as romance, adventure, betrayal, conflict, and fantasy.
The Star Scroll: October 2, 2008
Tuesday evening, I finished reading THE STAR SCROLL by Melanie Rawn. It’s the second book in the Dragon Prince trilogy.
Just like its predecessor, THE STAR SCROLL has earned a place as one of my favorite books. The story has elements for everyone, such as romance, adventure, betrayal, conflict, and fantasy. By the end of the first page, I couldn’t put the book down. It only took me as long as it did to read it because I had so many other things going on this month.
I loved THE STAR SCROLL because I was reintegrated into Rohan’s and Sioned’s life. I also met new characters, good and bad, and the new dynamic of sorcery was introduced.
Sunrunner’s Fire: December 28, 2008
Tonight, I finished reading SUNRUNNER’S FIRE by Melanie Rawn. It’s the third book in the Dragon Prince trilogy.
Just like its predecessors, SUNRUNNER’S FIRE has earned a place as one of my favorite books. Also, just like its predecessors, the story has elements for everyone, such as romance, adventure, fantasy, and conflict. I found the story to be riveting from beginning to end.
One of the reasons I loved SUNRUNNER’S FIRE is that it’s the end of the trilogy so most of the events that had been brewing from the beginning finally came to an end. The Sorcerers had a more central role in the story, which I thought was very interesting as I learned more about their powers and saw a glimpse of the reason for their hatred of the Sunrunners. I also loved watching the events in the lives of the characters, especially Rohan’s and Sioned’s, play out.
As I started to read SUNRUNNER’S FIRE, I knew Melanie Rawn had written a second trilogy that follows Pol’s life rather than Rohan’s, Pol’s father, and I didn’t expect all of the conflict to get resolved. By the end of SUNRUNNER’S FIRE, Rawn has laid the ground work for the Dragon Star trilogy to flourish into its own story. Luckily, there was enough closure that I don’t have to start the second trilogy immediately.
Reread Feelings
Wow. My reviews have gotten a lot better, thankfully. Lol.
Anyway, I’m glad I decided to reread this trilogy. I adore Rawn’s writing. I love the epic fantasy-ness of the series thanks to the fantastic world building, characters, relationships, political intrigue, and the ethical/moral issues the books explore. The trilogy actually reminded me a lot of DUNE, but fantasy, during my reread.
It seems that most, if not all, epic fantasy stories come with a huge cast of characters and the Dragon Prince trilogy is no different. I didn’t feel like any of the characters were superfluous and I especially love the two main ones. To top it all off, the villains are the kind I love to hate.
One of my favorite aspects of the trilogy is the farahd’im (Sunrunners) and diarmahd’im (Sorcerers). People who are born with faradhi gifts are sent to Goddess Keep to be trained in the sunrunning arts of weaving light using the power of the sun and moon, call fire and wind, and conjure images of the future. The diarmahd’im have been in hiding for hundreds of years because of their differences with the farahd’im. They also weave light, call fire and wind AND earth and water, and produce conjurings using the forbidden power of the stars.
I hope to start reading the Dragon Star trilogy within the next couple of months. I’m excited to find out what happens. Hopefully, my two favorite characters are still a part of the stories.
What about you? Have you read the Dragon Prince trilogy and / or the Dragon Star trilogy? If so, what did you think about either or both?
https://i0.wp.com/jennielyse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/beforeiblogged-sq.png?fit=919%2C918&ssl=1918919Jenni Elysehttps://jennielyse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/logo_2024_black-1030x312.pngJenni Elyse2024-07-12 00:00:002024-07-14 15:52:12Before I Blogged: Dragon Prince Trilogy
Book vs. Movie is a feature here at JenniElyse. I do a side-by-side comparison of the book and adaptation. Afterward, I reveal which I like better.
I read DARK MATTER back in December 2016 for my IRL book club. Even though I read it in three sittings, the story consumed me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it in between reads and I wanted to get back to it as soon as I could. It was a such a mind-blowing, intense ride. I loved every minute of it. And, even though a lot of the physics went over my head, I did understand quite a bit. When I finished the book, I just keep thinking what if? The possibilities are both exciting and scary.
I decided to watch the AppleTV+ series with Corey because I knew he’d like the multiverse and string theory aspects of the story. I didn’t tell him anything about the book when we started the first episode. We both found it hard to wait a week for the next episode. If we had to do it all over again, we’d probably wait until all 9 episodes had dropped and then binged it in one sitting.
The tv show had a fantastic cast. Joel Edgerton was the perfect Jason Dessen and did a fantastic job playing each version of Jason. I really felt the original Jason’s fear, loss, anger, and determination as he realized what happened to him and wanted to get back to his wife and son. Jennifer Connelly was amazing as Daniela, the original Jason’s wife. I really felt for her as her world fell apart. When she started distrusting who she thought was her husband, I could feel her confusion, anger, and fear. Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Oakes Fegley, Amanda Brugel, and Dayo Okeniyi were also fantastic in their roles.
I’m really glad I decided to watch the series. Seeing it on screen and hearing / seeing the actors portray the characters’ emotions really added to the story and experience for me. I’m curious if they’ll continue the series because this first season covered the entire book. The ending was left open just like the book was so they could definitely continue the story if they want to.
Verdict
The AppleTV+ production was fantastic. From what I remember about the book, the show follows the plot very closely. There might have been some liberties taken with each of the worlds Jason and Amanda encountered, but the spirit of the story’s still the same. Most of the time books are way better than their adaptations, but in this instance, I think both the book and tv show are equally as good.
Have you read DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch? Have you seen the AppleTV+ series? Do you like the book or the series better?
https://i0.wp.com/jennielyse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/bookvsmovie-sq.png?fit=918%2C918&ssl=1918918Jenni Elysehttps://jennielyse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/logo_2024_black-1030x312.pngJenni Elyse2024-07-11 00:00:002024-07-11 13:41:24Book vs. Movie: Dark Matter
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Books on My Summer 2024 TBR
Since I didn’t participate in the Top Ten Tuesday topic for my summer TBR, I’ve decided that’s what I’d do for this week’s freebie topic. I’m a huge mood reader so I might plan to read specific books because they fit a challenge, they’re for book club, or I just want to read them. If I’m not in the mood, though, there’s no amount of obligation that can force me to read a book. With that being said, here are ten books I’d like to read this summer, mood permitting:
What about you? Which books are on your Summer 2024 TBR? Do we have any in common?
Title: Hello, Transcriber
