April 3, 2017 - May 1, 2017
Cassandra from Fort Myers, FL
Nancy from Geneva, NY
Francisca E B
Malinche by Laura Esquivel
Narrator Name: Maria Conchita Alonso
Rating the Audio Performance
Maria Conchita Alonso deserves five stars for her performance of the audiobook. She made me think of summer evenings spent sitting in the dark on my grandmother’s porch hearing stories of the old days and legends of conquest or victory. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Malinalli was a Native woman from Tabasco whose ability to speak Spanish as well as two native languages brought her to the attention of Hernan Cortes. In this lyrical, poetic novel, Esquivel gives us a strong woman with deeply held beliefs who wanted to free her people, and realized her mistake far too late. I love Esquivel’s writing. Her imagery is vivid and tangible. This is a decidedly Mexican novel. Esquivel infuses the story with magical realism, mysticism, and spirituality. It reminds me of the oral story traditions of my grandparents.
Connie
A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierly
Narrator Name: Vikas Adam
Rating the Audio Performance
This narrator has a very pleasant voice. He enunciates clearly, without making it uncomfortable to hear. He has a nice range to his voice, and I enjoyed the fact that he knew when to sound excited, happy, sad, engaged. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a true story based on Saroo's disappearance as a child, and his years of struggle to find his home and his family. It was heartbreaking to read of his struggles and his fear of being lost and alone. Having adopted children of my own, I connect to Saroo and his adoptive family as they sought to help him find his birth family.
Susie Sharp
Deceptive Practices by Simon Wood
Narrator Name: Tanya Eby
Rating the Audio Performance
Tanya Eby's narration is so amazing there were times I had to remind myself this wasn't a multi-voice narration. Her male voices were so authentic and all the different characters each have their own voice so that you know exactly who is talking. Bravo! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book kept me on the edge of my seat and never let up. The spiraling events keep you guessing and you can’t help but wonder, " What would I do in the situation?" You are horrified right along with Olivia as the revelations of what she actually signed up for reveal themselves. I don’t want to give anything away so I will say listen to this book! You won’t be disappointed! I discovered this author through the Kindle First program and have devoured all his books since. His writing is right up there with Coben and Gardner; he is a master of the psychological thriller.
Highly recommend.
Frances
Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
Narrator Name: Lorelei King
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent reader! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I love these books! Stephanie Plum is smart and sassy!
Gerry
Radiance of Tomorrow by Ishmael Beah
Narrator Name: Dion Graham
Rating the Audio Performance
Clear and expressive, very well done. Also includes an introduction and commentary/discussion questions at the end read by the author. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Beah's first novel is just as realistic as his memoir of his time as a boy soldier in Sierra Leone, and just as powerful. Despite the horrors he lived through, and the continued struggles in his country after the war officially ended, he continues to be hopeful. In his introduction and in his commentary at the end of the novel he stresses the importance of his community's tradition of storytelling as a means of passing on wisdom from one generation to the next. He's told a story in RADIANCE OF TOMORROW that's worthy of that oral tradition, in beautiful language that brings his country and its people to life. 4.5 stars for an excellent book.
Gerry
Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
Narrator Name: Nicola Barber
Rating the Audio Performance
Competent narration, but a bit unexpressive. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Interesting account of a young trainee midwife in the East End of London in the 1950s, often under conditions so poor that it was hard to imagine this didn't take place far longer ago.
Gerry
The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan
Narrator Name: Elyse Mirto and John H. Mayer
Rating the Audio Performance
I liked the combination of male and female voices reading different sections of the book, male for the historical "story-within-a-story", and female for the present-day main storyline. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3-1/2 stars. Kiernan has obviously done a lot of research, and this book was both enjoyable and informative. The crochety hospice patient was my favorite character, and it was fascinating to see his relationship with Nurse Birch develop. The WWII storyline was completely new information to me -- who knew that a Japanese bomber had actually hit a target in Oregon?? -- and was a very engaging part of the novel. I found reading about the relationship between Deborah and her Iraq War veteran husband a little less satisfying because it didn't seem to ring true, though that likely reflects my own lack of exposure to the pain that veterans may bring home with them. Overall, a very worthwhile read, from an author to watch.
Gerry
Gratitude by Oliver Sacks
Narrator Name: Dan Woren
Rating the Audio Performance
Very well done. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I find myself drawn to essays and books about aging and mortality lately. Morbid? No, realistic. I hope I can age and face my eventual mortality with even half the wisdom and grace of Oliver Sacks, who has contributed so much to our understanding of the brain and what it means to be human.
Robert
The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine
Narrator Name: Michael Caine
Rating the Audio Performance
I found both his first autobiography, WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?, and this, his follow up, were excellent to listen to. Because he narrated them himself, it was like having Sir Michael in the car with me telling his anecdotes. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The stories he tells about the early days of his career, his meeting with his wife, and the legends he has worked with and learned from were captivating.
Diane
The Hatfields and the McCoys by Otis K. Rice
Narrator Name: Dick Hill
Rating the Audio Performance
Pleasing, well-modulated voice. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Interesting historical background and details.
Tessa B C
C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
Narrator Name: Mary Peiffer
Rating the Audio Performance
Mary Peiffer does a fine job narrating the audio version. She has good pacing, and tries to give each character a unique voice. I wasn’t a fan of the voice she used for Bobby, but that’s a small quibble. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I love Kinsey Millhone; she’s smart, determined, hard-working, loyal to her friends, and strong in mind and body. I also like that Grafton occasionally gives us a little humor to ease the tension of some very dark situations. It’s an entertaining series, and I’ll keep reading it.
Margaret
Tricky Business by Dave Barry
Narrator Name: Dick Hill
Rating the Audio Performance
It was laugh-out-loud funny because Hill is a master of voices. How did he keep them all straight? From elderly Jewish men to young Hispanics. Amazing! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Funny and quirky. Unexpected twists and saves. Thumping good read/listen.
Nancy
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Narrator Name: Grover Gardner
Rating the Audio Performance
I keep a record of readers as conscientiously as I do authors. I gave Grover Gardner 5 stars on my own listing. He's great and fit with this story so well. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Nice story about the old West in the days following the Civil War and when Indians were still living outside reservations. The story brought tears to my eyes.
Cassandra Early
My (not so) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
Narrator Name: Fiona Hardingham
Rating the Audio Performance
Great audio. Well done, even with the English accent. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I enjoyed the story. I have not read any of the shopaholic stories but do enjoy the others.
Jill
The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle
Narrator Name: Johanna Parker
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I never read this author but the book is so compelling and well written, I will definitely put her on my must-read author list.
Linda
The Nix by Nathan Hill
Narrator Name: Ari Fliakos
Rating the Audio Performance
This narrator is fantastic. So many voices with the appropriate attitude. It was easy to tell which character was talking at any time. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Multiple layers for numerous characters, an English professor, his mother, his student, his mother's college friend, the mother's college love, a former policeman now a wheelchair-bound judge. However, are all these people's stories going to resolve? Read it and find out. Excellent writing. Loved his metaphors (e.g. railroad tracks like zippers).
Deborah
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Narrator Name: Jonathan Davis
Rating the Audio Performance
Good. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Fabulous.
Bettty
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Narrator Name: Casandra Campbell
Rating the Audio Performance
The audio performance was wonderful and one of the best I have heard in a very long time. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I was worried that this book would be way too sad and depressing, but I had read other books by this author which I liked and decided to give it a try. Much to my surprise, it is a wonderful book about a loving family and not at all depressing.
Shirley
The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood
Narrator Name: Nina Alvamar
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator was fabulous - I felt that I was a part of the book group. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The story was about a newly separated woman whose husband left her for a woman who was her exact opposite. The heart and soul of the book was the book group where each member chose a book that mattered the most to them. The author tied in these very different books to the storyline and to the situations that occurred. It got me thinking of the book that mattered the most to me...and about the different books at different times in my life.
Kelly
Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig
Narrator Name: David Aaron Baker
Rating the Audio Performance
Narrator used many unique voices, adding substantially to the performance. Enjoyed his narration as well as the story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Set in Montana, Wisconsin and Greyhound buses. Funny and unpredictable.
Linda
Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol 1, 1884-1933 by Blanche Wiesen Cook
Narrator Name: Kate Reading
Rating the Audio Performance
Good job, easily understandable. No problem even when she included footnotes. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A biography of Eleanor Roosevelt from her birth to the beginning of FDR's presidency. I am especially enthralled with the prior generation's relationships amongst each other, especially once Eleanor and her brother Hall were orphaned.
Tessa B C
Money, Money, Money by Ed McBain
Narrator Name: Rom McLarty
Rating the Audio Performance
Ron McLarty does a great job reading the audiobook. I particularly liked his voices for “Fat Ollie” and Will Struthers (burglar and hero). Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is the first book by McBain that I’ve read, and it will not be the last! Fast-paced, intricate plotting and colorful characters make for a quick and enjoyable read, despite the high body count. It may be Christmas but the criminals are busy, and so are the police. I was interested from page one to the very end.
Rebecca Chome
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Narrator Name: Tom Stechschulte
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator's voice and tone are very good. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
So sorry, but this book was very painful to listen to...someone should count the number of "okays" and "okay Papas" to record for posterity - remove those words and the book could be shortened by half. The book itself was depressing. There was no wondering what comes next, we knew it was just wandering.
Shelley K Hitt
Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
Narrator Name: Glennon Doyle Melton
Rating the Audio Performance
Adequate. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Inspiring, though I was sad to hear she recently divorced.
Sue
In Death Series by J. D. Robb
Narrator Name: Susan Ericksen
Rating the Audio Performance
Love Susan's narration. She slips from one character to the next seamlessly. No one else could be Eve Dallas and the crew. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I started listening to the series when I found the cassettes at BJ's. I went back and read from the beginning since most of the early ones weren't on audio or they were abridged. I've pretty much listened to all since. It's not heavy reading but it's fun to see the evolution of Eve, Rourke, Peabody and the rest. Always a fun read.
Pauline Turk
A Mother's Confession: A Heartbreaking Story with a Breathtaking Twist by Kelly Rimmer
Narrator Name: Brigid Lohrey
Rating the Audio Performance
Well read with feeling. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A woman suffers a breakdown after the suicide of her husband. The story goes on to describe the marriage as one of control and physical and emotional abuse by her husband. Family attempts to save her from the situation, but she's unable to break from her abuser. This book kept me riveted from the beginning.
Diane
The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill
Narrator Name: Luke Daniels
Rating the Audio Performance
Good modulated voice. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Interesting, unique tale.
Sandra
The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion
Narrator Name: David Barker
Rating the Audio Performance
I thought that David Barker was perfect for this book. His voice is deep and rich and very British which the novel requires. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I have loved all of Simsion's books. What makes this one special is the connection to music. It is a thoroughly lovely story with memorable characters.
Lee
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Narrator Name: Grover Gardner
Rating the Audio Performance
Fabulous story and best reader ever! In fact, I am checking into more books read by him and see that I'm not the only one who enjoys him. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Seems like nothing much happens, very fluid and well written. Was it the story or the reading?
Deborah Ader
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
Narrator Name: Lindy Nettleton, Johnny Heller, Tom Taylorson, and Andi Arndt
Rating the Audio Performance
I am usually on the fence with multiple narrators as it can take away from the flow of the story, but it worked well for this book where every chapter was assigned to a different character. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I love the way this story unfolded with the back and forth of the timeline. It was a well-crafted thriller.
Anna
This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
Narrator Name: Ann Patchett
Rating the Audio Performance
I listened to this book while driving to Alabama from Tennessee. Listening to the author read her own book was a delightful experience. I enjoyed every minute of it. Last month Ann spoke at a Lunch for Literacy event in my town. That was a treat. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book is a series of essays written by the author. Very enjoyable.
Linda Johnson
The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies
Narrator Name: Avita Jay
Rating the Audio Performance
Kept me engaged. Good reading. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A very young Brit, Gwen, is courted by Laurence, a Ceylon tea plantation owner in Britain. He precedes her to Ceylon. In her travels to her new home she meets an artist who is a native of Ceylon. No one meets Gwen at the dock and she takes advice from her new friend about where to wait. Gwen soon has to deal with a new husband (who was previously widowed), a new country and class differences she is unfamiliar with. Engrossing. I wished I could have read this in one sitting.
Susan
Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles
Narrator Name: Scott Brick
Rating the Audio Performance
I'm assuredly going to get busted for this, but Scott Brick is one of the very few narrators I avoid at all costs. His tone is condescending and histrionic to the point that I feel he has no interest in learning the characters that he is speaking for. One character melded into another making each forgettable and, dare I say, pathetic. Indeed, I only listened to the audio of this book as it is the last in this series and I was hoping against hope that Scott had taken book reading lessons. I was not so lucky. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Greg Iles writes books I thirst for. MISSISSIPPI BLOOD is the end book of a fantastically suspenseful series, one I had been waiting for with great anticipation. The main protagonist, Penn Cage, was way overdue for conclusions that had been haunting him for many years. Greg's style of writing makes me believe that I am part of the book, not just a bystander. However, I think because of poor narration and perhaps the fact that this IS the last in the series, it fell flat. I found myself yelling for something to happen, knowing full well that it wouldn't. Events were re-visited with endless monotony and achingly obvious results. That being said, I will eagerly read whatever Greg hands out next -- he is THAT good of a writer!
Richard N B
Long Man by Amy Greene
Narrator Name: Dale Dickey
Rating the Audio Performance
Dale Dickey gives a superb performance on the audio. Listening to her was like listening to these characters tell the tale. Her narration really put me into 1936 rural Tennessee. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Greene delivers a riveting story that explores the question: What cost, progress? The Dodson’s loss of their home is representative of the hundreds of families displaced by such projects. The novel is peopled with strong characters, with tangled relationships. Their competing loyalties are what made the decisions so difficult: to stay or to go, to delay or to embrace change
Mantura
The Lion by Nelson DeMille
Narrator Name: Scott Brick
Rating the Audio Performance
Easy to understand but often a little hokey when he altered his voice to change characters. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
We listened to this book during a long road trip, and it really kept our interest!
Karen
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Narrator Name: Bahni Turpin
Rating the Audio Performance
Bahni Turpin's reading draws the listener into the story. The tempo of her reading makes the story exciting to listen to and the listener anxious to see what happens next. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is the story of Cora, a young black woman born in Georgia. Her grandmother was kidnapped and brought to America as a slave. Cora's mother, Mabel, escapes and leaves young Cora, an orphan and an outcast. Cora stands up for herself fearlessly with the other slaves. The slaves on her plantation are treated cruelly by the owners. They are beaten, starved, sexually assaulted and sometimes publicly murdered. She escapes with two other slaves, one is captured, but she fights and kills one of slave hunters so she can continue to the Underground Railroad. She spends years on the run, starving, enduring terrible conditions and witnessing those who helped her being punished.
Karen
The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
Narrator Name: Cady McClain and Grace Experience
Rating the Audio Performance
Both readers are very good. Having one read as the adult sister and the other as a the teenage sister is a good touch. Their reading engages the listener's interest and keeps them listening. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Annalee Ahlberg disappears in the middle of the night without a trace. Did she run away, was she taken or sleepwalked into a dangerous situation? Annalee's sleepwalking manifested in surprising ways. She once was stopped from nearly falling into the river while sleepwalking. She participated in a sleep study to try to get her sleep walking under control. It seemed to be working. In addition, the condition may be hereditary which meant her daughters may also sleepwalk. The girls continue to search and hope to find their mother alive.
Sherrie
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Narrator Name: Rebecca Lowman
Rating the Audio Performance
Loved her reading style. Will look for other books narrated by her. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Loved the book! I have a new favorite author! Enjoyed his descriptive style of writing.
Lori
The Antiques by Kris D'Agostino
Narrator Name: Amy McFadden
Rating the Audio Performance
I thought the audio narration wasn’t the best; I thought several words were mispronounced (i.e. “door” for “dour”). The book really wasn’t well-suited to being read aloud anyway because of the number of repetitive “he said” “she said” conversations. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Maybe I’m not the author’s target audience, but I was very disappointed in the book. I didn’t like any of the characters, especially Josef, nor did I find the humor that I expected. I’ve read other books with similar scenarios and liked them all better than this one. I do not recommend this book.
Nora
Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King
Narrator Name: Jenny Sterlin
Rating the Audio Performance
Enjoyed her ability to change the sound of her voice to indicate the different characters. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
It really held my attention. The story was interesting and the characters fascinating. This is a new approach to Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell, is quite a good match for him! They manage to get involved in very complicated situations that require a lot of ingenuity to extricate themselves and survive.
Tessa B C
The Anteater of Death by Betty Webb
Narrator Name: Hillary Huber
Rating the Audio Performance
Hillary Huber’s performance on the audio was less than stellar. She has good pacing, but I
found her voice on the audiobook very annoying! Thank heavens the story pulled me through.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
As cozy mysteries go, this is a pretty good one. A zookeeper is an interesting – and different – occupation for an amateur sleuth. Webb gives tidbits of information on the animals Teddy cares for, as well as the joys and challenges of living aboard a refitted trawler. There were plenty of suspects to keep me guessing, and a reasonably satisfactory ending. I’ll definitely read more of this series.
Julie Bockstiegel
The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang
Narrator Name: Nancy Wu
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator was excellent, clearly distinguishing the voices of the various characters. I think if I had not enjoyed the narrator, I might have abandoned the book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I read reviews that said this was a hilarious book. I think I was expecting something akin to the book CRAZY RICH ASIANS, which I really enjoyed. While this book did have humorous moments, I found it more thoughtful than funny. I liked it, but did not love it.
Michael
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Narrator Name: David Pittu
Rating the Audio Performance
David Pittu had a LOT of characters with different accents, etc. and he nailed it on this recording. His performance really enhanced the experience. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I vacillated between 4 and 5 stars. I have to admit there was a space of about 3 discs where my interest kind of waned a little...but it came back. There is a very annoying time jump but the story, epic and Dickensian to say the least, is mostly riveting. Thumbs up!
Diane
Make Something Up by Chuck Palahniuk
Narrator Name: Chuck Palahniuk, Scott Sowers, Rich Orlow, T. Ryder Smith, Luis Moreno and Ken Marks
Rating the Audio Performance
Different interesting voices. It is especially intriguing that the author narrates some of the stories -- very cool! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Unique and unforgettable!
Ricki
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Narrator Name: David Horovitch, Jamie Parker, Joseph Kloska, Alison Pettitt, Clare Corbett, John Foley, and David Thorpe
Rating the Audio Performance
I really liked that the audio version used a different narrator for each character. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A little longer than needed (especially if you know what happens), but it does have its merits and the style is not bad.
Barbara
Woman of God by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Narrator Name: Therese Plummer
Rating the Audio Performance
She is one of my favorite readers. Her range and performance are top-notch. She keeps the story exciting and is very clear with her expression and emotions. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Books by these authors are very fast-paced, exciting, gripping. I realize this is a book of fiction and I enjoyed reading it -- couldn't put it down, but found the story somewhat far-fetched. Didn't care much for the ending, however. How do you really end the story of an ordained woman priest who is a doctor and has been married and widowed twice?
Barbara
The Apartment by Danielle Steel
Narrator Name: Dan John Miller
Rating the Audio Performance
Has a great voice! Easy on the ears, and speaks the various characters very well. Clear and concise, great with the emotions and exclamations. Very well done. Usually, I like a female reader, but he is very easy to understand and listen to. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
THE APARTMENT blends the lives and challenges of four roommates, all career women. It is written well and kept my interest as to what would occur next in each one's lives. An easy listen...and a story compelling enough to keep my interest.
Rebecca Chome
Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian
Narrator Name: Mark Bramhall, Susan Denaker, Rebecca Lowman and Kathe Mazur
Rating the Audio Performance
Each character was very well expressed as we cycle through the story to hear from the town's reverend, the lead detective, an author, and the victims' daughter...a murder/suicide or a murder/ murder? Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A murder/murder with suspicion falling on the town's minister as many facts come slowly to light implicating the pastor as the perpetrator.
Phylls
Books for Living by Will Schwalbe
Narrator Name: Jeff Harding
Rating the Audio Performance
Very good reading. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I liked the author's suggestion for books and the way the book is divided into categories. Easy and quick read for listening in the car. My pile of "To Read" books has grown after hearing Schwalbe's suggestions.
Kelly
The Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig
Narrator Name: David Aaron Baker
Rating the Audio Performance
First person narrative with interesting vocal variety and reactions. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Loved this book. Historical fiction. Well written and entertaining.
Francisca E B
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Narrator Name: Mark Bramhall
Rating the Audio Performance
Mark Brammhall does a superb job voicing the audiobook. The quiet strength of his delivery is just perfect for this type of literary fiction. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
In the small (fictional) town of Holt, Colorado, Addie Moore drops in on her neighbor, Louis Waters one evening, and asks if he isn’t as lonesome for conversation and companionship as she is. What follows is a beautifully-written story of a mature couple in a different, but very loving, relationship. The strength and dignity with which they faced life endeared them to me.
Karen
Fatal by John Lescroart
Narrator Name: Jacques Roy
Rating the Audio Performance
Jacques Roy's reading is very pleasant. He voices both male and female characters in a believable way. The rhythm of his reading draws the listener in and keeps them interested and waiting to see what happens next. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Two friends, a homemaker and a police detective, who were college roommates, meet weekly to speed walk. Kate Jamison, one of the two, is contemplating an affair with a man she met at a party. The short-lived affair sets events in motion that touch many people. A murder occurs and there are many possible suspects. The police detective and her partner are assigned the case which is full of twists and turns as more people become involved. The conclusion is surprising.
Jayne
Sisters in Law by Linda Hirshman
Narrator Name: Andrea Gallo
Rating the Audio Performance
We must all read this excellent story of the significant contributions made by Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. It is a brilliant comparison and contrast of their lives and how they finally got recognized as worthy of serving on the Supreme Court. Their careers are so significant to helping woman finally reach equality, hopefully, someday. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The impact of area of the country, childhood experiences, and college/young professional networking is shown in the lives of these two outstanding women. We hope that having achieved success in having a few women on the Supreme Court, we can achieve balance on other areas of decision making and politics This audiobook is wonderful for everyone -- male AND female to listen to and discuss as author Hirshman has shown the ways women were NOT allowed equal treatment and how hard these two lawyers worked to achieve their Supreme Court positions, representing many other woman who also were overlooked at that time (and currently) in other professions.
Catherine Adinolfi
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Narrator Name: Zach Appelman
Rating the Audio Performance
I enjoyed the performance very much. He did a great job. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Enjoyed the book, was not crazy about the jumping back and forth in time.
Linda
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Narrator Name: Dominic Hoffman
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator sounded as if he was a native which added to the enjoyment of the book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A multi-generational story that stretches from Asante to the U.S. A lot of history covered in a relatively thin volume.
Linda
Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein
Narrator Name: Karen White
Rating the Audio Performance
Ms. White had to exhibit a variety of emotions and did it admirably. I laughed, I cried. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Karen Neulander is a single mom who discovers she has cancer. Her 7-year old son decides he wants to meet his father. Karen ends up writing a book to leave to her son that shares her emotions and thoughts of her having to find her former love and the mental turmoil that results from trying to giver her son what he wants, even if it impinges on what SHE wants or needs.
Prudence
Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
Narrator Name: Maggi-Meg Reed
Rating the Audio Performance
Maggi-Meg does a superior job capturing the flavor of the country's speech and sayings. Her accent is spot-on, smooth and compelling. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The storyline conveys life in the rugged wilderness of Colorado during the mining days. The rough lives of the wives, often widows, and the support they give each other is beautifully described. The special friendship built between the two female protagonists portrays that friendship and life experience has no age.
Lauralee
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Narrator Name: George Newbern
Rating the Audio Performance
You felt like you lived in Ove's little village, doing his daily routine and meeting his strange neighbors. You felt his pain at missing his wife. You could picture his jacket he put on each time he tried to off himself. Very well done! Loved every minute! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Love the storyline of a miserable older man's loss after his wife's passing. His obsessive behavior was laughable. Loved the story and all the characters within!
Diana
An Irish Doctor in Love and at Sea by Patrick Taylor
Narrator Name: John Keating
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator is great for this CD. He sounds the way I expected the male protagonist to sound when I read the first books in the series. He also does very well at changing his voice enough to make the various characters sound a bit different. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a flashback novel in the series. It gives you more background into Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reily and his life before he came to Ballybucklebo. I absolutely love this series and will be sad to see it eventually end. I have a wonderful time escaping to this small fictional town in Northern Ireland and spending time with the unique people who live there. I picked up the first one on a whim after seeing it in my local library and I have been hooked ever since. It reminds me a bit of the old "Doctor in the House" books by Richard Gordon, though it is set in a newer era.
Terry
Incendiary by Michael Cannell
Narrator Name: Peter Berkrot
Rating the Audio Performance
Very well done but possibly could have used a little more inflection in his voice. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
We have a winner! Finished listening to INCENDIARY by Michael Cannell early this morning and it is so darn good. It left me with such a great appreciation for Dr. James Brussel, a psychiatrist of the 50s whose expertise with the criminal mind led him to pioneer Criminal Profiling, which aided in the capturing of the Mad Bomber. F.P. had a grudge against Consolidated Edison whom he felt destroyed his life and he wanted retribution. He wanted them punished. Until that happened he would set off bombs in various public locations in New York City. Over the course of sixteen years he set off approximately 30 bombs before he was captured.This story gives way to the birth of human profiling and the use of psychiatry in law. Fascinating.
Tessa B C
The Koala of Death by Betty Webb
Narrator Name: Hillary Huber
Rating the Audio Performance
Hillary Huber’s performance on the audio was less irritating to me this time. Either I’m used to her voice, or she dropped some of the affectations that bothered me in the first installment. Her pacing is good, and it definitely held my interest. If I continue the series, however, I’ll probably read the text rather than listen. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I like this cozy series for the information about the animals and the relationships between Teddy and her mother, Caro, and boyfriend, Sheriff Joe Rejas. Webb gives us plenty of suspects and twists in the plot that keep the reader guessing right up to the end.
Melinda
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Narrator Name: George Newbern
Rating the Audio Performance
The reader of this book did a great job bringing out the story of Ove. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Ove is a grumpy old man whose life is set and his way is always the right way. But underneath, this man will surprise you. Ove doesn't smile, doesn't talk a lot, but he's honest, follows rules exactly. Ove begins to change when new neighbors with a couple of children move in. Only then do you begin to hear the good that Ove does. Interesting character.
Dorothy
The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
Narrator Name: Annabella Sciorra
Rating the Audio Performance
Clear delivery and some character-influenced delivery but not overdone. She delivers Italian dialogue in impeccable pronunciation. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Good historical novel with interesting characters. Two young Italian immigrants who find each other after leaving Italy to make a new life in America. Good romance and a exploration of the American dream that helped America become great.
Linda
Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction by Elizabeth Vargas
Narrator Name: Elizabeth Vargas
Rating the Audio Performance
Who better to share her story but the author? She lived it and can add the proper amount of empathy. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Vargas tells of her childhood and her early experiences of anxiety. The anxiety never left, but she found a way to cope with it --- with alcohol. Painfully honest. 
