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June 3, 2019 - July 1, 2019

Cindy from Lawrence, KS
Janet from North Canton, OH
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Francisca
Michael Tolliver Lives by Armistead Maupin
Narrator Name: Armistead Maupin

Rating the Audio Performance
3
Maupin read the audiobook himself. He’s not a trained voice artist, but he’s so invested in these characters that I can’t imagine anyone else doing a better job. There’s a bonus interview with the author at the end of the audiobook. Maupin comments that he was “blushing furiously” when reading those sex scenes.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Eighteen years after “finishing” his TALES OF THE CITYseries in 1989, Maupin returned to the beloved characters and gave readers a 7th installment. Michael has a landscaping business and a new husband. He’s dealing with what many middle-aged people face – the decline of our elderly parents. I really like the way these characters support and love one another. However, readers who are offended by gay sex scenes should beware. I’m not easily shocked, but a couple of scenes made me uncomfortable.

Jenelle
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Narrator Name: Michelle Obama

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Steady cadence.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Too much emphasis on the early years of Michelle Obama and not enough on the White House years.

Midge
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Narrator Name: Cassandra Campbell

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I do not normally listen to audiobooks, but rather read them. However, a couple of people recommended I listen to this book, and I am so glad I took their advice. This audio performance was beautifully read, and I loved the way the narrator read the descriptive prose. Her voicing brought each character to life. A lovely book that was gorgeously read.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Every so often you read a book that leaves a lasting impression on your heart. This is one of those books. The description of nature, the development of the characters, and the intriguing story made this one of those books I will recommend to everyone I meet. I could not wait to finish to find out how it ended, and at the same time it was so beautifully done, I wanted to savor and enjoy every minute. This book will be on my favorite books ever read list.

Donna
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Narrator Name: Yangsze Choo

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Read with passion and a gorgeous clipped British accent, exquisite pronunciation of place names I was not familiar with made me fall in love with this book immediately.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
An evocative story of life in colonial British Malaya in the 1930s with added intrigue mystery and local lore. The setting reminded me of THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY, the film and the book by Christopher J. Koch.

Cindy
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrator Name: Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer, Pablo Schreiber

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Sooooo much fun! How can it get better for summer reading? Sex, love, drugs and rock ‘n roll! Lots of narrators equals lots of character development!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
What a fun ride!

Cindy
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O’Brien
Narrator Name: Erin Bennett

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Clearly read with good audio quality.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Great history of women in aviation. I loved hearing about so many women pilots that have been overshadowed by Amelia Earhart in history.

Robin
Because I'm Watching by Christine Dodd
Narrator Name: Andi Arndt

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Easy to differentiate the different characters.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Good book. Interesting characters and suspense.

Charlene
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Narrator Name: Julia Emelin

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Very compelling; she changed her voice with different characers.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Very captivating; the story was rooted in fantasy and had a steady love interest while keeping you on the edge of your toes for suspense.

Tessa
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
Narrator Name: Blair Brown

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Blair Brown does a very fine job narrating the audiobook. She’s a talented actress and breathes life into all these characters. I particularly liked the way she interpreted Maryam and Bitsy, two women who are virtually polar opposites.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
A story of the immigrant experience and two families united by the decision to adopt. Tyler writes so well about family dynamics, about all the little events in our lives that both form and show who we are. As I got to know these characters, I grew to love them. And I wanted to give them all a big hug at the end.

Ricki
Fat Angie by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo
Narrator Name: Angela Dawe

Rating the Audio Performance
1
The whole six hours sounded like a poetry slam.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Too many issues crammed into one novel, but all were handled well.

John
Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick deWitt
Narrator Name: Simon Prebble

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The narrator does many characters!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The heartwarming tale of a young man moving to a new castle and making new friends!

Pat
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
Narrator Name: Marin Ireland

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Narrator is wonderful in taking on the many voices in this story from senior citizens to a four year old.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Such a great book! It picks up on the characters from his earlier book BEARTOWN when we learn what happens when the local residents have to deal with the possible loss of their beloved hockey team. Wonderful character development...

Linda
Cemetery Road by Greg Iles
Narrator Name: Scott Brick

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Great performance by Scott Brick. He is able to give that sense of foreboding beautifully. Also the tension, the fear, especially toward the end of the book, with the scene at the deer camp. (In the interest of transparency, though, I should say that I could probably listen to Mr. Brick read the phone book...)
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
It took me about an hour of listening before the story really pulled me in, but I’m a big Greg Iles fan, so I was confident that it would. What a cast of characters is in this book! You can really feel the evil emanating from some of them, and the gentleness from others. The story, once it got going, was one of those that had me driving around the block a few times so I could listen longer. I kept trying to figure out where it was going --- and I was almost always wrong. Love when a book can keep me guessing!

LAURIE
The Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See
Narrator Name: Jennifer Lim

Rating the Audio Performance
4
The narrator did mostly a good job. She read the book and it was easy to understand her. The difficult Korean names and terminology were well done.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This really surprised me - I had no idea that women in Korea were the "bread winners" of the Island Jeju. I was fascinated by all that they had to endure. They learn to hold their breath for long periods of time as children so they can go diving for the sea creatures to sell.

Maureen
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Narrator Name: Cassandra Campbell

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Lovely voice and great inflection.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Interesting story. It's a murder, it's love story. It's a testament to the human spirit.

Francisca
My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith
Narrator Name: Timothy Ackroyd

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Timothy Ackroyd does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He has good pacing and I loved the way he voiced the Italians! I could practically see his arms waving about for emphasis.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Smith is fast becoming my go-to author whenever I feel the need for a gentle humorous break from the realities of life. Like most of his novels, this one is full of the drama of everyday life. Not much happens, but somehow major life decisions get made. Along the way are scenes of heartache, humor, friendship, and romance.

Keri
The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Narrator Name: Susan Bennett

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The narrator did an amazing job on this book. I instantly fell in love with the narration from the beginning and it did not disappoint.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This was my first book by Diane Chamberlain, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The story was one that I instantly fell in love with. Her characters were well developed and had charisma. I laughed, smiled, and cried. This is one of my all time favorite books ever.

pat
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Narrator Name: Susan Orlean

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The author narrates her story with such genuine emotion.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Susan tells the story of the tragic fire at the main branch of the LA Public Library.

Shannon
Rust and Stardust by T. Greenwood
Narrator Name: Therese Plummer

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I did not always know who was speaking at the time. Some of the voices sounded the same, however, the delivery of the story was great. You could always hear the the emotion of the character.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Very real in the storyline. Did not know until later that it was based on a true story. Was not able to finish the book. I had too much anxiety about the story and what was happening.

Katharine
Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
Narrator Name: Ruthie Ann Miles, Kimiko Glenn, Alexandra Allwine, Gabra Zackman, Jeremy Bobb, Joy Osmanski, Emily Walton and Erin Wilhelmi

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Multiple narrators made the book easy to follow. Well done!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Excellent story and interesting information about Chinese traditions, tea and adoption.

Jennifer
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
Narrator Name: Melinda Gates

Rating the Audio Performance
4
It was nice to hear the author read her own work, but the performance fell a bit flat. Her voice remained the same whether reading something sad, funny, or serious.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Very interesting. The book informs about the various activities of the Gates Foundation and many examples through the world where empowering women is making a difference.

Kristin
Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak
Narrator Name: Vanessa Johansson

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Very well done audio performance! Great job capturing the characters and feel of the book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
I enjoyed this book - the story of two young ambitious women and their toxic friendship. It was a fun, a propulsive listen.

Janet
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
Narrator Name: Clare Corbett

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I thought it was well read, drama was felt along with the suspense of the story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2
I thought I knew going in this would be a typical other woman story. Well, I was wrong. Bad things are happening and there is lots of suspense. I hated to have to stop. Very engaging up to the end!

Nancy
Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
Narrator Name: George Guidall

Rating the Audio Performance
3
Easy to hear and understand. Would be 4 stars if the female voices were more, well, female-sounding.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I am a fan of the Longmire series. I enjoy the western setting and the developed regular characters. This book brings together competing interests both local and distant over the ownership of the largest dinosaur skeleton found to date. Conflict ensues, the giant skeleton disappears and people turn up dead. No spoilers here.

Mary Lou
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Narrator Name: Richard Poe

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Very good job with distinguishing the various characters, easy on the ears! No matter how good the book, if the narration doesn't work, the audio version is a bust. This narrator nails it.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Engrossing and slow-moving, very character-driven book. Told from Larry's point of view, the story of the relationship between the couples and the relationships between the partners in the couples is simply fascinating. So easy to fall into the descriptions and scenes. Each of the four has a major life challenge, and each of the four has a different approach. As a late-comer to this author, I am left asking myself, how did I miss Stegner for all these years? The good news is I have a great back list to explore!

Mary Lou
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Narrator Name: Molly Pope

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Mollly Pope did an outstanding job on narration for this book. The shift in voice from character was subtle yet very easy to follow. I will definitely keep an eye out for her work going forward.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This is one of those audiobooks that I found myself making excuses to listen to. Riveting. The author gets the whole dysfunctional family dynamic, captures the pain, and works through the evolving of the relationships and incidents in beautiful fashion. Plot and character development work extremely well in this book. I found myself nodding in agreement at different points in the book. Very cathartic read, very well done.

Melanie
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
Narrator Name: Paul Stanley and George Guidall

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I am a sucker for foreign accents and the narrators do a great job.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The Forrest Gump of music...

Linda
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Narrator Name: Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee and Juliet Mills

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Not typical for so many narrators but it worked.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Historical fiction done well.

Sherri
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
Narrator Name: Jennifer Jay Myers

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Very well done with much inflection and interest. Previous book I read by this author was narrated by the author, and I thought Myers did as well as the author herself.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Second book I have read by this author and enjoyed both very much. I enjoy the idea of her taking a very short newspaper article about a man on trial in Florida for stealing orchids from Indian land and taking us with her on a wide variety of tangents for her research to dig deeper and tell the bigger story. Even if you think you wouldn't be interested, she makes everything interesting from a person's passions, Florida history, and descriptions of orchids to trivia such as Naples has more golf courses per capita than any other city and by 2020 will have no space for people to live (so now I am not as interested in retiring to Naples...) Can't wait to read another one by this author.

Mary
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Narrator Name: Cassandra Campbell

Rating the Audio Performance
5
She was very believable as the young girl.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I really was routing for the young girl through all the hardships she endured.

Gwen
When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger
Narrator Name: Laura Benanti

Rating the Audio Performance
4
A great narrator, with different voices and accents for the three protagonists (plus everyone else), conveying just the right amount of exasperation, annoyance and mood.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
A world unlike that which most of us (I hope!) inhabit. How one makes the transition to full-time mom after full-time worker/mom/wife is challenging, and one that not many people are up to. How one makes the transition in a business that's up-to-the-minute and dependent on reputation and word-of-mouth is fascinating. It may be as cutthroat as all that, and maybe many men can't keep it in their pants and be loyal partners. I sure hope not! Fascinating to experience life with Emily, Miriam and Katrina, but also exhausting -- too much pressure, too much drama. Good to have loyal friends like that, though.

Rebecca
The Huntress by Kate Quinn
Narrator Name: Saskia Maarleveld

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Narrator had a very heavy accent and at times was difficult to understand. Overall, the narration was good.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This is a riviting, well-researched book featuring a female Russian bomber pilot who helps an English journalist track a Nazi war criminal. I love historical novels and this certainly did not disappoint.

Lory
The Great Believers by Rebeca Makkai
Narrator Name: Michael Crouch

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Michael Crouch was engaging and did so well adjusting his voice to play the varying characters. I really liked his narration of this book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This book brings you right into a world of change, despair, and confusion as the AIDS crisis takes its hold on a group of friends in Chicago in the late 80s. Makkai eloquently chronicles the effects this disease had on lives, family, and a community and gives the reader a feel for how increasingly secluded, attacked, and often isolated the gay population felt during this time. My heart sunk into my stomach as characters in the story died one by one; it almost felt I was reading a sci-fi in which some silent, unknown creature or chemical creeped in and was killing people. The characters' helplessness, anger, fight for optimism, resonated deep within me.

Lory
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
Narrator Name: Robert Fass and Kathleen Gati

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I felt the characters were reading to me...forgetting there are actually narrators telling the story. It was very well done.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This book was touching, heart-wrenching, and just beautiful. Hunter approaches WWII from a different angle. Instead of highlighting the standard horror and details of the War, she focuses on magnifying intertwined stories of hope, survival, and resilience. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of heartache and horror that can never be eliminated from any story that takes place in Europe during WWII, but the suspense and resilience in her story, chronicled by the terrifying experiences of this one, "lucky", nuclear family whose members were able to unbelievably defy the odds of death, is inspiring and often seemingly implausible.

Laura
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Narrator Name: Carolyn Lee

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I loved how the narrator captured the different characters.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
The story is about nine people at a health resort and how they interact.

Wendy
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Narrator Name: Molly Pope

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Nice use of changing voices for different characters. Easy to listen to.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Started out very interesting, but I felt that it dragged on and the ending left some loose ends for me. A little bit of a pat ending.

Tessa
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
Narrator Name: Simon Vance

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Simon Vance is one of those audio performers who can do no wrong in my eyes (or ears, as the case may be). He’s marvelous narrating this audiobook.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
“The name is Bond, James Bond.” And this is the book that started it all. It’s a fast-paced, spy thriller that entertains. Bond’s attitude towards women is rather appalling, but he’s a product of his time, and of the genre.

Faith
Blessing in Disguise by Danielle Steele
Narrator Name: Dan John Miller

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Mr. Miller has narrated all of Danielle Steele’s books so I am familiar with his voice by now, and I really enjoy his performance of all the different characters.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
The story is supposed to be about a mother and her three daughters but it only touches on the daughters’ lives. I think the daughters characters could have been more developed. The pace of the book didn’t let the reader become too attached to any particular relationship; the book centered more on Isabelle then her children. The end of the book was very abrupt and it could have been wrapped up much nicer with one more chapter. I did enjoy the book but it was not as emotionally riveting as some of her other books.

Tiffany
The Last by Hanna Jameson
Narrator Name: Anthony Starke

Rating the Audio Performance
3
I really did not enjoy the performance of this audiobook. I found the narrator to switch between a fake southern accent, which the character was supposed to have, and a real Austrailian accent, which a separate character was supposed to have. It was jarring and took me out of the story constantly.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
The beginning of this book was excellent when they were describing the end of the world. How events unfolded was chilling as it was not long before that I was watching a disaster unfold across Facebook, Twitter, and my news notifications. It mirrored that situation seemlessly and left me unmoored. Unfortunately, that was followed by a terrible story, and an ending that felt cheap. So cheap that I fell asleep at the denouement five times and had to go back and listen to what happened. I was glad when this book was over and upset that I had paid what I did for such a story.

Katie
The Likeness by Tana French
Narrator Name: Heather O'Neill

Rating the Audio Performance
4
THE LIKENESS by Tana French is feat of audio performance by O'Neill. There are multiple variations of the Irish accent used very craftily to enhance the listener's understanding of the tension between characters. High-and lower-class accents spar throughout the narration, absolutely understandable and never garbled.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
The storyline of the novel is unique - an undercover detective able to pass (physically) as the murdered victim - and is oddly believable throughout. Cassie is a capable, flawed antagonist, and listeners will probably hope she can settle into the nearly-surreal world of Whitethorn House. The novel would have been well-served by an editor willing to cut repetitive sections and tighten the book to the suspense-filled thriller it appeared to be at first glance.

Joyce A.
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Narrator Name: Rebecca Lowman

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The natural voice of the reader was nice to listen to, soothing. She did a nice job in her distinguishing between the characters, even the male parts. As I drove while listening and tuned-out due to traffic or when I got back in the car after a long period, I could tell right away what was happening because I could tell which character was speaking and pick right up.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
My review is 3.5. I enjoyed the telling, how it was told, but some of the subject matter was not my go-to for literature. The story is about feminism, relationships, mentoring, ambition, class, loss, and forgiveness, which is told through the relationships of Greer Kadetsky, a member of the Class of 2010 who’s starting college and her mentor/boss, Faith Frank, a baby boomer and leader in the feminist movement, the romantic relationship of Greer and long-time neighbor and competing classmate, Cory Pinto, a freshman at Princeton, and the friendship of Greer and Zee Eisenstat, a lesbian from Scarsdale whom Greer meets at college and who introduces Greer to Faith Frank.

Shirley
The Guest Book by Sarah Blake
Narrator Name: Orlagh Cassidy

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The narrator brought this book to life. Her rich voice and tone brought to the forefront the glory and beauty of the age in which this book took place.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This is a great family saga, with secrets and lies...everything with the makings of a wonderful story and a peek inside the rich and famous lives.

Shirley
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
Narrator Name: Imogen Church

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The narrator gives no clues as to what will happen as her voice is calm and soothing. She personifies the narrator of the book and modulates her voice to shoe surprise, questions, a wistful reverie of the past, and anxiety about the situation that the character is in.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This book had me guessing and speculating about the outcome from the beginning. The story setup was a little contrived and I did not trust where it was going. There was a lot of tension and I wanted to know the reason that the characters had so much animosity towards each other and what the big issue was.

Richard N B
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
Narrator Name: Ralph Cosham

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Ralph Cosham does a fine job narrating the audiobook. He set a great pace but gives the listener enough time to absorb details.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Book Three in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, set in the small town of Three Pines, Quebec, very near the U.S. border. I like this series chiefly because of Gamache and his relationships with friends and colleagues. This is not a cozy series, despite the small-town setting and cast of eccentric residents. Rather it is more of a police procedural. Penny crafts the story from multiple points of view. The reader as well as Gamache must figure out the truth from bits of information gleaned from different witnesses/suspects.

Karen
Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
Narrator Name: Elizabeth Evans

Rating the Audio Performance
4
The narration of this book added to the depth of the storyline and effectively expressed the broad range of emotion throughout the book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
This is a strongly moving story about Bone and her family living in poverty in South Carolina. It was a painful and poignant story that kept you on the edge of your seat. Perhaps the most important book I've read all year.

Carolyn
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
Narrator Name: Kyla Garcia and Frankie Maria Corzo

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Very authentic and engaging.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I learned a lot about the situation in Cuba and found the story unique.

Carolyn
Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson
Narrator Name: Alison Larkin

Rating the Audio Performance
3
It was innocent, took me some time to get into story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Some of the story was a little cheesy and took me some time to get into, but happy I stuck through.

Carolyn
A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams
Narrator Name: Mia Barron, Barbara Goodson, & Adrienne Rusk

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Engaging and interesting. I like the different narrative for each character.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Starts very engaging with a crime!

Linda
The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
Narrator Name: George Guidall and Suzanne Toren

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The chapters in this book alternate between the points of view of the two main characters, so the narrators take turns telling the story. Both do an excellent job, but OH MY GOSH - Mr. Guidall, who narrates the chapters from Josef’s point of view, is absolutely amazing! You can hear the yearning, and the longing in his voice. His voice stayed with me for a long time!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
A totally different take on a World War Two story. It is sad, of course, as all books about WWII and the Holocaust are, but such a story of resilience, too. I think that the story flowed really well, and Ms. Richman really brought a sense of foreboding as the lives of the Jews are made, first of all, more difficult, and then impossible. You can just tell that things are going to get worse and worse. And there’s always the hope Josef and Lanka will find each other, but it begins to seem impossible. Altogether one of the best books I’ve ever listened to!

Tessa
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Narrator Name: Lynn Chen

Rating the Audio Performance
3
Lynn Chen does a pretty good job of the audio performance. But she didn’t have very good material to start with. At least she moved along at a brisk pace. Her accents were all over the place and I found them distracting, but I think she was trying to differentiate all the many characters.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2
2.5 stars. Okay, I knew it was chick-lit going into it, and of course I remember the incessant trailers for the movie. Sounded like a fun, quick, breezy beach-read kinda book. But I have to say that I really hated most of these characters. Rachel and Nick were okay but Kwan does little to really explore their relationship. I also got tired of all the “product placements” for designer this and designer that…much of which was lost on me. Not impressed. I’ll just put on my Walgreen’s sunglasses and Kohl’s sandals and enjoy a different book at the beach.

Rebecca
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrator Name: Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer and Pablo Schreiber

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I listened to this book on my trip to upstate New York during the course of three days, and I loved it! Jennifer's voice was so soothing as Daisy, and I loved how the book was read by so many other voices. I couldn't wait to get back in the car and listen to this book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I liked the storyline of the book, although I did not connect it to Fleetwood Mac like so many of my friends did. I think that was because I kept picturing Daisy as Jessica Biel, and I like the fact that I wasn't thinking of Fleetwood Mac. By listening to it, I pictured myself right in each of the settings of parties in California, concerts around the country, and even the recording studio.

Vicki
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Narrator Name: Yangsze Choo

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I loved the lovely clear Brit tone of her voice, especially when speaking for Ji Lin.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I liked the interwoven stories of the characters and their connections. I also liked the stories and ancient beliefs. I am planning on finding the other book by this author to listen to.

Beth
Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews
Narrator Name: Kathleen McInerney

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I enjoyed the narration. The pacing was great, and it was easy listening.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
This was a great summer read --- a mixture of family relationships, as well as a mystery.

Geralyn
The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson
Narrator Name: Marisa Calin

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Marisa does a wonderful job seamlessly changing from a French accent to various regional British dialects and even Canadian! She really brought to life the interesting story of the creation of then-Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I really enjoyed the backstory of the artisans working on Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown, and the story brought new insight into the austerity measures during and after the war and the excitement of the country that the wedding created. Learning about the inspiration behind the embroidery and the backstory of Ann and Miriam was so interesting. I actually just bought the autobiography of Norman Hartnell to learn more about his design process.

Francisca
The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
Narrator Name: Kate Lock

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Kate Lock does a fine job of voicing the audiobook. However, her Irish brogue is so thick in places that I had difficulty making out the dialogue. Thank heavens I had the text available. Despite Lock’s skill as a voice artist, I do not recommend listening to this book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
3.5*** A nurse trained by Florence Nightingale is sent to watch a young Irish girl who claims to have not eaten for four months. Is the child a “living wonder” or a fraud? As she records her observations, Lib Wright gets to know Anna, the intelligent and devoutly religious young girl. Along the way, the novel explores issues of faith, belief, guilt, abuse, family dysfunction, social mores, and the role of the Roman Catholic Church and her priests in protecting (or not) children. I had to remind myself a few times that the time frame of the work is the mid-19th century. I think it would result in a great book group discussion.

Bobbie
Cari Mora by Thomas Harris
Narrator Name: Thomas Harris

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Thomas Harris has an unusual voice. It is raspy and even creepy sometimes. He uses accents somewhat effectively. I do think his voice matches his book, though.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
The story was not as good as THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. I was entertained enough to finish the book, but I thought THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and HANNIBAL were much better.

Richard N B
Moonraker: James Bond 3 by Ian Fleming
Narrator Name: Simon Vance

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Simon Vance does a fine job performing the audio. He sets a good pace for this kind of thriller, and I really like how he voices both Bond and the villainous Drax.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Book three in the original James Bond series. This novel focuses on cold-war sensibilities about a decade post-WWII. The reader gets what’s expected: danger, car chases, explosions, dastardly villains, beautiful women, and ever debonair, intelligent and resourceful Bond.

Jia
Too Damn Dumb to Think by Diana Wright with Dr. Bernie DeCoke
Narrator Name: Kristi Moya

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Kristi's narrative voice and enunciation is clear, fluid and so easy to listen to. Her ability to translate mood and emotion is clear and easy to believe. I appreciate her natural style, making each phrase of this book come alive. I look forward to hearing more from her.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This memoir took me on a beautifully human walk, facing struggles unique but all too familiar. Well crafted and beautifully executed, I would recommend this book to all adults --- women and men alike. An epic journey of conflict, struggle and redemption characterized by a beautiful resilient will not only to live but to flourish.

Gwen
The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris by Mark Honigsbaum
Narrator Name: John Lee

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Lots of technical jargon, global names, all rendered beautifully. A pleasure to hear!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Traces major epidemics, and pandemics, in the past 100 years, including Spanish influenza, psittacosis, Legionnaires' disease, AIDS, SARS, Ebola and Zika. Technology makes it easier and faster to spread a disease (jet travel), but also makes it easier to link scientists (WhatsApp) and find diseases (databases of virus type, e.g.)

Tessa
After the Funeral: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie
Narrator Name: Hugh Fraser

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Hugh Fraser does a commendable job of voicing the audio. There are so many characters that it is hard to keep them straight at times, especially when there is a meeting of two or more women, but Fraser manages quite well. And I do love his interpretation of Hercule Poirot!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Oh, I love Hercule Poirot and his little gray cells. Always entertaining and always keeping me guessing. Here we have quite a number of characters, all of whom seem to have some motive for killing Cora Lansquenet and/or Richard Abernathie. The killer and Dame Christie cleverly give us many red herrings, false clues, misleading statements and seemingly meaningless occurrences to confuse, baffle and thwart any attempts at solving the mystery. But, of course, Poirot will unveil the killer.