August 1, 2017 - September 6, 2017
Joanne from White Cloud, MI
Julie from Whitehall, WI
Rebecca
Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose
Narrator Name: Barrett Whitener
Rating the Audio Performance
Voice monotone...when reading quotes from persons, sounds rather contrived. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Extremely interesting, but very long (20 disks). This historical novel introduced me to a tremendous amount of facts about Meriwether Lewis,Thomas Jefferson, and the opening of the American West.
KC
Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart
Narrator Name: Andrew Eiden
Rating the Audio Performance
Andrew Eiden did an amazing job with all the characters voices, kept the story moving when needed and slowed things down when there was tension or emotions. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a wonderful coming-of-age tale. One of family, loss, devotion, and undaunted courage.
Natalie
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Narrator Name: Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, Carrie Brownstein, Miranda July, Lena Dunham and a full cast
Rating the Audio Performance
At first listening to 166 voices was confusing, but I suspect that audio is the best way to handle this book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
One of the most unusual books I've ever read/listened to. Sometimes difficult to follow but worth the effort.
Tessa B C
The Bat by Jo Nesbø
Narrator Name: John Lee
Rating the Audio Performance
Lee does a fine job narrating the audio version. He has good pacing and I loved his Aussie accent! He even does a pretty good job with the female voices. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Book #1 in the Inspector Harry Hole series. Nesbø writes a tight, fast-paced thriller with plenty of clues, several red herrings, a flawed but likeable lead detective, and an interesting setting. I’ll definitely read more of this series.
Diana
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Narrator Name: Bahni Turpin
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent! I really enjoyed listening to the book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Mr. Whitehead gives us a hard look into the lives of slaves in the 1800s. We follow Cora and her friend Caesar as they run into the night to escape plantation misery. In this story Mr. Whitehead has created an actual real underground train and rails rather that the safe houses and secret routes that actually did exist. The story is good, although brutal and painful to read, and the characters, white and black, are very well developed.
Aimee
Descent by Tim Johnston
Narrator Name: Xe Sands and R.C. Bray
Rating the Audio Performance
I enjoyed the audio performances, but especially the men in the book. R.C. Bray does an excellent job with the cool, detached voice of the kidnapper, giving him the appropriately creepy feel. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book has unnerving material - in and around the kidnapping, and in other scenes. The last third of the book was especially gripping.
Cristine
Jackie's Girl: My Life With the Kennedy Family by Kathy McKeon
Narrator Name: Aedin Moloney
Rating the Audio Performance
I so enjoyed this audiobook. The author, Kathy McKeon came over from Ireland to live the American dream! So I really enjoyed that they had someone with Irish accent read the book. I am also grateful that accent was understandable! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Kathy McKeon came over from Ireland to live the America Dream! In doing so, she became the First Lady's Personal Assistant and sometimes nanny. More importantly I believe she became a close confident to Jackie O. and held a very special place in the hearts of John Jr. and Carolyn. She was with the family through JFK's assassination, Bobby's assassination, Jackie's second marriage and sadly the lose of Jackie O. and John Jr. Even though she only formally worked for the Mrs. Kennedy for 13 years, it does give you the feeling that she was a very important part of their family.
Lori
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Narrator Name: Allison Hiroto
Rating the Audio Performance
I enjoyed the audio performance. The reader made it easy to follow the characters and had an Asian accent which fit with the book It was a long audiobook, so I appreciated that she made the book interesting. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This was an interesting saga for me, since I don't know much about Korean history or about Koreans living in Japan. This was an easy way to learn a little about this time period. The characters were interesting and quite a change from most of the books I read.
Karen
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Narrator Name: Grover Gardner
Rating the Audio Performance
Grover Gardner's performance is that of a storyteller. He has a great voice for the elderly widower, Captain Jefferson Kidd. He voices the little girl and other characters credibly as well. Gardner entertains the listener with his performance and makes them want to hear more. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Jefferson Kyle Kidd has been in the military since he was a teenager. His favorite assignment was being a messenger. He values the printed word and after the war he starts a newspaper business which doesn't do well because of the poor economy. He then starts traveling around reading newspapers, for a small fee, to groups of people. He is asked, at one of the readings, to transport a young orphan girl, who was kidnapped by the Kiowa Indians who killed her family, back to her relatives near San Antonio. It is a perilous journey, but he and the 10-year-old girl bond. He tries to acclimate her for her return to her family, and she is a very quick learner. The reunion with her family doesn't go quite as expected...
Linda
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
Narrator Name: Xe Sands
Rating the Audio Performance
Oh, my gosh! If you don't believe Lillian is narrating this book herself...Turns out Ms. Sands is in her 40s (there's a conversation between the narrator and the author at the end of the story) not 84-85 as is Lillian. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is the fictional account of a 84-85 year old (she lies about her age because saying she was born in 1900 is better than 1899) as she walks through New York City on New Year's Eve 1984. She reminisces about her life from coming to New York, her job as R.H. Macy's top female ad executive, her marriage and divorce. Not maudlin, but hopeful. Based on a real person.
Beverlee
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Narrator Name: Joe Morton
Rating the Audio Performance
Joe Morton has such an amazing voice. He kept me engaged for the full 18 hours of listening. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book is a classic and I can't believe it took me so long to "read". It should be a must-read for all high school students!
Wendy
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Narrator Name: Ruth Ozeki
Rating the Audio Performance
It is always great to hear an author read their own books. In this case, the fact that the author and narrator is a Japanese-Canadian who is a practicing Buddhist nun gives the audio performance great depth. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The story starts with a woman finding a package washed up on the shore of the BC island she lives on. Inside is a Hello Kitty lunchbox and inside the lunchbox are some letters in Japanese, a journal in French and a journal in English. The English journal is that of a young Japanese-American girl living in Tokyo after spending most of her life in California. She is bullied at school and she is deeply unhappy. Her father is also very unhappy and contemplating suicide because he cannot find work. Then the girl's great-grandmother who is a Buddhist nun takes the girl under her wing. Her influence is significant but the girl is still contemplating suicide. On the other side of the ocean the BC woman worries about her.
Angie
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Narrator Name: Nicholas Guy Smith
Rating the Audio Performance
Fantastic job of sounding like an aristocratic gentleman. His voice adds so much to the book. I loved his performance! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Although many other reviewers gave this 5 stars I found it to be a rather full account of day to day life.
Mary
Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance
Narrator Name: J. D. Vance
Rating the Audio Performance
The author is great; he makes the book come alive. Mr. Vance makes you connect with his story - you feel that you are living his life. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
HILLBILLY ELEGY by J. D. Vance is a memoir of his life in Ohio to his time in the Marines after his family moves from rural Kentucky to Middleton, Ohio in search of a better life. This is narrative nonfiction at its best. You learn what his life was life, coping with missing parents, family problems, and trying to keep his head above water. It is a well-written book that will linger in my memory a long time after I finished it. I recommend this book to people who read WHITE TRASH.
Diana
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Narrator Name: Reese Witherspoon
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent performance! Well paced and easy to follow. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Set in the 1950s, Jean Louise, Scout, returns to her hometown to visit her aging father who is still practicing law. It is the beautifully-written story of a young, well-educated Southern woman coming to terms with civil rights tensions and political turmoil she had not experienced living in New York. It is about fallen idols and disillusionment and growing up. It is about family and love and understanding.
Linda
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Narrator Name: Trevor Noah
Rating the Audio Performance
Expertly narrated by the author. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Trevor Noah, present host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" shares his early years and life with his mother in apartheid South Africa. Humbling, heartbreaking, remarkable. Worth a listen.
Marlene
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Narrator Name: Saskia Maarleveld
Rating the Audio Performance
I enjoy listening to two storylines, and the narrator is perfect as young Charlie in 1947 and Eve/Daisy in 1916. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Again two storylines that slowly connect as the story progresses. I love the suspense of small bits of information being released.
Shari
I Found You by Lisa Jewell
Narrator Name: Helen Duff
Rating the Audio Performance
Helen did a great job with using different voices for each of the characters so it was easy to follow her. Her enthusiasm and pace kept me interested in the story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Alice Lake finds a man sitting on the beach outside her home and finds out he is suffering from amnesia. Alice has a good heart and takes this stranger in to help him find his memory. While in London, Lily Monrose's husband is missing and she finds out her husband never existed. Can these men be the same man?
Kristen
Theft by Finding by David Sedaris
Narrator Name: David Sedaris
Rating the Audio Performance
This is the best way to read David, by listening to him tell you the tale. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I am very biased, but I do love his stories and musings on everyday life.
Barbara
Theft by Finding by David Sedaris
Narrator Name: David Sedaris
Rating the Audio Performance
Love David's narration of his own work so much!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Not as funny as some of his other work, but still great because of David Sedaris!!!
Francisca E B
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
Narrator Name: Joan Walker
Rating the Audio Performance
Joan Walker does a fine job performing the audiobook. She has a wide range of characters to voice and she is up to the task. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I was charmed by Elsa and her crazy grandmother, as well as by the cast of “not-quite-normal” characters who inhabit the apartment building Elsa calls home. There is plenty of action, some significant danger and distress, and enough humor to ease the tension. If the scenario is not believable, well who cares. I wanted a happily-ever-after ending, and for the most part that what’s I got.
MAUREEN
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Narrator Name: Imogen Church
Rating the Audio Performance
There are three accents needed - American, British, and Norwegian. THe narrator did an excellent job!! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Great book with several good twists. It certainly kept my interest.
Jennifer
The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
Narrator Name: Joshilyn Jackson
Rating the Audio Performance
I was born and raised in the Deep South, and when performers/actors who are not from the South try to speak like a Southerner, I cringed even if I know the book will be awesome. I usually give up the audio and turn to the hard back But when Joshilyn Jackson reads one of her her books, I do back flips (in my head, not my yard!). I swear I could listen to her read her grocery list and be just as enthralled as hearing one of her stories. She performs each character's voice with precision and perfect accents. I feel like she is a friend who is telling me a wonderful story about her crazy family. I love her - she should win every prize for audio performance that there is out there in the literary world!! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Joshilyn Jackson has a way with words - she spins wonderful Southern Gothic stories that really can be a true story for any of us Southerners. Our families are so entertaining and so familiar, as all of her characters are for me. THE ALMOST SISTERS has two main characters, a young, successful comic book author and her aging, tough-as-nails Southern Belle grandmother. Throw in a trunk from the attic that contains human bones, and we have a maze of family secrets that kept this reader up all night to finish the "next" chapter. Ms. Jackson has done it again with a true winner. I will buy the hard back and put it on the shelf with all my favorite Southern writers and my treasured books.
Gerry
The Child by Fiona Barton
Narrator Name: Mandy Williams, Rosalyn Landor, Jean Gilpin, Katharine McEwan, and Steve West
Rating the Audio Performance
All the readers were excellent, and I loved being able to so clearly distinguish one character from another based on their voices. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3-1/2 stars for a mystery that started slowly, but eventually gathered steam and reached a very satisfying conclusion. When the skeleton of a newborn baby is unearthed at a construction site, there's great confusion about the identity of the child. Reporter Kate Waters, in search of a compelling story, begins investigating on her own, and finds more than she expected.
Gerry
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Narrator Name: Emily Bauer
Rating the Audio Performance
Very good narration. Powerful without becoming melodramatic. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4-1/2 stars for a vivid and emotionally wrenching story of a young girl struggling to cope with memories of sexual abuse. Reading this the same weekend I started watching The Keepers made it all the more powerful.
Gerry
The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
Narrator Name: Finty Williams
Rating the Audio Performance
Well done!! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is not my favorite genre, but a friend gave it a five-star review, so I had to try it. I really enjoyed it! It takes an awfully good writer, I think, to create a coherent and believable post-apocalyptic world, and Carey certainly accomplished that. The setting, the characters, and the plot were completely engaging, and the ending (no spoilers here) was just perfect. This is an author to watch!
Shirley
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
Narrator Name: Will Damron
Rating the Audio Performance
Will Damron brought to life the characters in Northern Italy during WWII. His inflection and narration was in keeping with the characters personality without being gratuitous. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book which is described as an work of fiction and the authors imagination is based on a true story and real characters. As such, it brought to me the actualities of the Great War in Milan and northern Italy. It was suspenseful and intriguing, yet showed other sides of the main characters.
BK
A Long Time Gone by Karen White
Narrator Name: Pilar Witherspoon, Jennifer Ikeda and Susan Bennett
Rating the Audio Performance
The readers were very good. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Vivien escapes from her dull Mississippi upbringing in the family home to find anything else. Nine years later she returns to heal as a pill addict and a runaway from a broken marriage. The 12-year-old stepdaughter she loved but was kept from by the wicked ex-husband shows up at the nearest airport. Vivien discovers dark secrets of her own family past that takes the story from the early 1900s to the present day. She also finds that all she originally ran away from was really what soothes her soul.
BK
The Whistler by John Grisham
Narrator Name: Cassandra Campbell
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator was okay, but the pace was slow for it to be a suspense novel. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
South Florida is ripe with scams and illegal activities. This one involves a crooked judge and the federal agents trying to expose what she had done on an Indian reservation. A death penalty case is involved.
BK
Miss Julia Inherits a Mess by Ann B. Ross
Narrator Name: Cynthia Darlow
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Miss Julia finds herself in a new complication when an old church lady dies and surprised her by leaving her as the executor of the will. The woman leaves many bequests, but no apparent means to fulfill the bequests. Julia has to dig through all the woman’s property and finds a surprise. I love Miss Julia and have listened to every one of her adventures. I hope there will be many more.
BK
The Dandelion Years by Erica James
Narrator Name: Emma Gregory and Lee Maxwell Simpson
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrators did a great job. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A young British woman works with her father in old books. They take a job of helping with the estate of an eccentric old bachelor. Inside a book she finds the cutout center hiding a diary of his WWII years. The novel switches between current day book evaluations and the time of the WWII story.
BK
The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason
Narrator Name: George Guidall
Rating the Audio Performance
His voice is perfect for this kind of book. The narrator, George Guidall, is a master reader who has won awards for his recorded books. I can count on anything he narrates to be captivating.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Translated from Icelandic, this is another Inspector Erlendur mystery. Following an earthquake, a lake drains and reveals a skeleton weighted down by a Soviet era radio. The investigation goes back to the men who were reported as missing during the Cold War era and to a woman who was in love with a man who disappeared at that time.
Ramona
Trouble in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon
Narrator Name: Johanna Parker
Rating the Audio Performance
Johanna has it spot-on for the levity needed for this outrageous tale situated in "Mudbug", which is a hilarious name in itself. Clear, concise, and easy to listen to, Johanna is my newest favorite audio reader. The voice quality is good even at a low volume, which is great for my middle of the night listening! Her southern accent is good and she changes characters with ease. I can't wait to find another book read by her. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I am a big cozy mystery fan, as well as a fan of audiobooks. There are books that I must read, and others that I want to listen to, to get the full nuance of the story. This is one of those books. I wanted to hear the voices, the dripping sarcasm, the hilarity of the story, in my ears, just not in my head. Maryse Robicheaux is a likeable character who seems to have the world's worst mother-in-law, (Helena). The harassment she receives after the vile woman's death is outrageous and makes the story great. Then of course you must have the love interest, and who better than a DEA agent, named Luc Lejeune, assigned to protect scientist, Maryse. Even his name exudes sexuality. So, if you want a great beach listen, this is the audio for you!
Linda
It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
Narrator Name: Grover Gardner
Rating the Audio Performance
Grover Gardner is an award-winning book narrator. He does a marvelous job with this book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
An unexpected man wins the presidency, speaking to the population who feel disenfranchised. As soon as he takes office, he makes rules that restrict the rights of Negroes, Jews, women, and others. Citizens turn in others who do not follow the new rules. In light of the U.S.'s present political situation and president, this book seems very timely (and scary). Nope! It can't happen here.
Ramona
Home Front Girls by Rosie Goodwin
Narrator Name: Gabrielle Glaister
Rating the Audio Performance
I truly am enjoying this audiobook. Gabrielle Glaister is now one of my favorite "English" accented readers. She has a wide enough range of voices, from young to old, to satisfy my hearing ear. I am even enjoying her male readings. I usually prefer that there be two voices, one male, one female, as a lot of readers just can't do both to my satisfaction, but I have finally found one that is pretty good! Nice clarity of voice, richness, good accents, excellent pitch, pace and power! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I am actually on my second go of this title. First the book, and now finished the audio...liked the story that much! I took it with me on a long road trip and it made the hours and miles fly by! I enjoy historical fiction, and seem to be in the WWII era most of the time. Dotty, Lucy and Annabelle are the main characters, supported by Annabelle's mother; Lucy's neighbor, Mrs P. who cares for Lucy's mentally challenged baby sister; and Lucy's older brother who has recently enlisted and becomes Annabelle's love interest. The three girls develop a unlikely friendship after they meet at an Owen Owen department store, where they have all just procured jobs. Annabelle is well-to-do and not used to work.
Linda
Jackie's Girl: My Life with the Kennedy Family by Kathy McKeon
Narrator Name: Aedin Moloney
Rating the Audio Performance
What's better than an a woman with an Irish brogue reading a book about a young woman from Ireland? Not a thing. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The author emigrates from Ireland and after one dismal working experience moves to a long-term position with Jackie Kennedy watching Caroline and John. Her relationship with the family is chronicled from early 1964 to the summer of 1999 (John's death).
Francisca E B
Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett
Narrator Name: Cassandra Campbell
Rating the Audio Performance
Cassadra Campbel does a fine job of narrating the audio version. She has good pacing and is able to give each character a sufficiently unique voice so that there’s no confusion as to who is speaking. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a typical cozy mystery scenario, with an amateur sleuth who cannot keep out of the investigation. The plot stretches credulity, but I liked the many references to mystery authors sprinkled throughout.
Linda
The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines
Narrator Name: Chip and Joanna Gaines
Rating the Audio Performance
It was very refreshing to hear a couple's journey to finally becoming huge HGTV stars of the TV show, Fixerupper with absolutely no dysfunction in their family of six. Just good old-fashioned values. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
See above. Fun to listen to the actual characters.
Rosalie
Amy Snow by Tracy Rees
Narrator Name: Melody Grove
Rating the Audio Performance
Very good diction and inflection. Easy to follow. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Excellent character development.
Julie
I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere but the Pool by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Narrator Name: Lisa Scottline and Francesca Serritella
Rating the Audio Performance
This is the latest in a series of books where this mother-daughter duo reads their own book. They sound exactly like you think they would and hearing them adds so much to the listening experience. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book is a collection of articles from the authors' column in the Philadelphia newspaper. They are funny, touching, relatable - very enjoyable.
Judith
The Late Show by Michael Connelly
Narrator Name: Katherine Moennig
Rating the Audio Performance
I really had a problem with this narrator. She spoke too fast and was boring. There was no life put into the characters. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I am a big Michael Connelly fan so this book was a disappointment. I don't know if most of my unhappiness was from the narrator or the plot. I don't think this book was up to Connelly's best.
susan
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Narrator Name: Polly Stone
Rating the Audio Performance
She narrates several voices with accents and really adds to the story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Love following the two sisters' lives.
Carol
The Child by Fiona Barton
Narrator Name: Mandy Williams, Rosslyn Landor and full cast
Rating the Audio Performance
Their accents lent so much to book. Great voices, Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Storyline kept you guessing until the end. Not until the DNA results came into play did I start questioning the connection.
Pat
One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline
Narrator Name: George Newbern
Rating the Audio Performance
I loved the narration of this book. Newbern was very effective in conveying the main character Chris as an undercover ATF agent in disguise as a teacher/coach. Very engaging performance. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The story led me in one direction and then did a 180, which totally surprised me!
Ricki
Echoes of an Angel by Aquanetta Gordon
Narrator Name: Robin Miles and Chris Macias
Rating the Audio Performance
Very moving narration; perfect for a memoir. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Uplifting and touching story of a boy who lost his eyes but was still able to "see" using echo-location.
Linda
Edgar and Lucy by Victor Lodato
Narrator Name: Victor Lodato
Rating the Audio Performance
Lodato lives his characters. Bravo! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This story of an 8-year old boy and his mother is not simple. It's not easy. It is worth delving into. Well-defined characters. I never knew where this one was going.
TM
Seeded: Flash Fried Fiction by Benjamin Descovich
Narrator Name: Benjamin Descovich
Rating the Audio Performance
The author reading his own story to me made this short sci-fi/fantasy come alive. Bravo!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Wow! I downloaded this eBook with audio narrated by the author on a whim, and I'm glad I did! It's a tasty little tidbit at only 9 printed pages & 13 minutes long. It's a great blend of science meets fantasy.
Debbie
Camino Island by John Grisham
Narrator Name: January LaVoy
Rating the Audio Performance
The narration was good but not great. The female voices were better than the male voices, and sometimes it was difficult to keep track of whose voice it was. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I generally like Grisham's books. This was not one of my favorites. It was a departure from his usual fare, which was both good and bad. I learned a lot about "first editions" and their value, and I liked the fact that writers and bookstores were at the center of the story, but the story did not grab me like most of Grisham's books do.
Tessa B C
Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
Narrator Name: C. J. Critt
Rating the Audio Performance
C. J. Critt is barely passable reading the audiobook. Her delivery is S L O W…with L O N G pauses at scene breaks. I also didn’t like the voices she used for most of the characters. This should be a fast, snappy delivery. I recommend reading the text instead of listening. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3.5 stars. The earlier books in the series are very entertaining, but I lost interest after about book twelve. I re-read this one because it’s fast, enjoyable and fits a challenge.
Linda
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Narrator Name: Juanita McMahon
Rating the Audio Performance
Old world text meets its match. McMahon doesn't shrink from the task. Great. Would love to listen to it again. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Partially a love story, but a great adventure of a town seeking the legendary Essex Serpent (think Sasquatch but the U.K.) reeled me. Loved it.
Tessa B C
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
Narrator Name: Martin Jarvis
Rating the Audio Performance
Martin Jarvis does an okay job of reading the audio version, but I really disliked his voice. Still, he did convey a sense of urgency as he related the events of that horrible night. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a first-hand account of what the people aboard the Titanic recalled on the night she sank. It’s a gripping story, and Lord does a great job of bringing all these people to life. I get a real sense of the confusion and disbelief when the ship first strikes the iceberg. And later, of the chaos and panic when it is clear she will go down.
Karen
The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan
Rating the Audio Performance
Julia Whelan's reading entices the listeners into the story of the two women, and those who shaped their lives. She brings all of the characters to life with her voicing of the them. The rhythm of her reading keeps the listeners engaged and excited by the unfolding story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Two women who have been victims of violent assaults are on paths that will intersect. A young married woman, Claudia, is raped and beaten in her home, and shortly after she discovers she is pregnant. The wounds heal, but the psychological damage lingers making it difficult to deal with her husband, her daughter and life in general. Zoey, was 14 years old when her parents were murdered in front of her, and she was badly injured during a violent home invasion. She is very angry, and she wants justice which leads her to want to deal with the killers in her own way. The house that Claudia now owns is where Zoey's family lived and died. Zoey returns to see the house, and the answers to the cause of the invasion start to unfold.
Kimiko
Come Sundown by Nora Roberts
Narrator Name: Elisabeth Rodgers
Rating the Audio Performance
Ms. Rodgers did a pretty good job of reading to us in that she had to play many different roles, male and female. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Predictable ending.
Karen
Use of Force by Brad Thor
Narrator Name: Armand Schultz
Rating the Audio Performance
Armand Schultz has a great voice for reading this book. He voices the characters as listeners would expect them to sound. His reading enhances the listener's experience. The tempo of his reading reflects the action in the book. If it is an urgent situation, his voice reflects that action as well as calmer scenes when appropriate. Brad Thor's discussion of his craft at the end of the book was a nice touch as well. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A timely novel since it involves the pursuit of terrorists. An attack is expected some where in Europe, especially after a smuggler's ship sinks off the coast of Italy, and the body of a know terrorist, a bomb maker, washes ashore. The CIA hires Scot Harvath, a counter-terrorism operative to find out where, when, how and who is involved. Harvath and his team gather information while cooperating with Italian terrorism police. They are able to gain helpful information, but not exactly what they need until they get a break while interviewing a suspect.
Mandy
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry
Narrator Name: Jim Dale
Rating the Audio Performance
Jim Dale does an amazing job with the different voices, reading at just the right pace with just the right number of pauses. My whole family enjoys Jim Dale. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS is the story of Peter Pan, before he became the boy who could fly and would never grow up. It is the first in a series of books of wonderful adventures by Peter, how he met the pirates, his friends, and a host of other magical creatures including mermaids. This is one book that our whole family enjoys listening to on car trips, from upper elementary age kids through adult.
Kristi
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Narrator Name: Am Poehler
Rating the Audio Performance
Enjoyed this book a lot - picked it up at the library book sale. The narration was done by the author who has a very recognizable voice, which added to the experience. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Good overview of the author's childhood and career.
Linda
If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating by Alan Alda
Narrator Name: Alan Alda
Rating the Audio Performance
Alda is great reading his own work. His childlike enthusiasm for his topic is evident. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The book starts with Alda's experience with a dentist who thinks he explains a procedure well to his patient (Alda). A few days later, Alda discovers his smile has been affected. He didn't feel the dentist's explanation was thorough enough for anyone, let alone someone who makes his living partially through facial expressions. I'm sure we've all been there: think we are crystal clear only to discover our words flew through someone's ears with no stop at the "understand" airport. I really enjoyed this book and would love to know/read more.
Candy
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Narrator Name: Saskia Maarleveld
Rating the Audio Performance
The narration for this book was spot on!! The Irish brogue was wonderful as was the English and German. All were wonderful!! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I was mesmerized by this story. The bravery of the women was phenomenal! To deal with the murderous Nazis daily must have been a horrible experience. Then to have been shunned by their countrymen as collaborators was mind-boggling. This book was eye-opening experience for me - the love and loss was heartbreaking.
Linda
Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro
Narrator Name: Dani Shapiro
Rating the Audio Performance
Very monotone. I was glad it was very short and that I could hasten the speed. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The author's recollections of her adult life. No big boom event was the impetus for the book. Just reminisces. A friend who turned 50 this year and is rethinking her life recommended it. I'm way past 50, I did my re-thinking decades ago.
Laura
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
Narrator Name: Carrie Fisher
Rating the Audio Performance
What's not to love? Carrie Fisher. She does a great Debbie Reynolds. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
It was sad though as she say a few time "when I die" or "when I'm no longer here", and she isn't.
Prudence
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
Narrator Name: Joan Walker
Rating the Audio Performance
Perfectly pleasing voice. Captures characters' intonation in a realistic manner. Makes for a most enjoyable listen. Would listen to other audiobooks narrated by Joan Walker. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Depicts the charming and close relationship of a quirky grandmother and her "unusual" granddaughter. Looks at the world through the eyes of a precocious child. Just lovely.
Barbara
Come Sundown by Nora Roberts
Narrator Name: Elisabeth Rodgers
Rating the Audio Performance
Elisabeth Rodgers does an outstanding job of bringing each character to life as if you've just met a new friend. Male and female are distinct. Fear is really a strong emotion in this story and she has you swallowing hard as you listen to her performance and picture in your mind's eye what the character is going through. I listen to audiobooks in my car and I took lots of unnecessary trips because I was so entranced with the characters and storyline. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Nora Roberts has a talent for creating the hunkiest men who are everything you've ever wished for. This book has several so you get to choose which type appeals to you most. In this book, she also takes a very relevant topic and puts one of her characters smack into the situation.You FEEL what she is going through. You want to slap, kick, cry and about 100 other emotions as you listen.
Kay
Al Franken, King of the Senate by Al Franken
Narrator Name: Al Franken
Rating the Audio Performance
Often when authors read their own stories it doesn't always work. Not this time. His comedic timing, his steady and familiar voice was music to my ears. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
It helps if you like his politics and I do. I found his story of deciding to run and how he came to the decision interesting and vital to the book. His honesty about the struggles he had and the mistakes he made was refreshing. He talked freely about his goals, the personalities he's encountered, he was humble and gave credit where it was due. Minnesota will sorely miss this man.
Francisca E B
44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
Narrator Name: Robert Ian Mackenzie
Rating the Audio Performance
Robert Ian Mackenzie does an excellent job of narrating the audio version. He has a great facility with voices, and even gives us a plausible twenty-year-old Pat. He really brings these characters to life and evokes a sense of fun throughout. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3.5 stars. I love this kind of ensemble piece. Not much happens, and everything happens: love found, lost and found again, awkward encounters, a hidden masterpiece, a new job and therapy sessions. I want to know more about them, especially Pat and Matthew.
Jamie
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Narrator Name: Trevor Noah
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This was an excellent story of his early life in South Africa.
Linda
Devil's Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency by Joshua Green
Narrator Name: Fred Sanders
Rating the Audio Performance
Spoke with authority and clarity. Easy to understand, good pacing. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A Bloomberg reporter presents Steve Bannon's background and his eventual pairing with 45. Kindred souls. Much of what is here, especially late in the book, is common knowledge for any who followed the last presidential election.
Lory
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Narrator Name: Amy Poehler
Rating the Audio Performance
I thought the narration was better than the content. Amy had "guest" narrators who seemed to elaborate further than what would have been in the written book. It's always nice to have someone narrate their own memoir - makes it seem more genuine. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Listened to this audiobook on a recent road trip. Although I enjoyed the narration and the "conversational" aspect Poehler included at different points with several guests, the story itself was kind of blah. Some chapters were like a stand up comedy routine...a little lost on me because I feel her gestures and expressions add to her comedy. Other chapters covered her role in Parks and Recreation and on SNL; I have never watched Parks and Rec so dazed off at that point. I LOL'd maybe 3 times throughout, was a bit interested in her life and claim to fame, but was not largely impressed. I'll stick to watching her skits and comic routines.
Sandi
Drunken Fireworks by Stephen King
Narrator Name: Tim Sample
Rating the Audio Performance
Good strong narrator. Vibrant voice - easy on the ears. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A nice little short story - sans horror - told in the Stephen King fashion. A contest, if you will, between the down-home good ole boy Alden and his rich Italian neighbor across the lake. Each year, for four years, they try to outdo each other in shooting the biggest and best fireworks off across their mutual lake. Finally Alden thinks he has the answer. This final year the fireworks take control.
Gail
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Narrator Name: Amy Poehler
Rating the Audio Performance
She was funny, I think ad libbing even. She had guest speakers too! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
She tells of how she became a comedian/actor. Very interesting.
Joanne
Echoes in Death by J. D. Robb
Narrator Name: Susan Ericksen
Rating the Audio Performance
This was my first jump into audiobooks. I've read all of the "In Death" series so it was amazing to hear the narrator's interpretation of Robb's characters. I was especially loving both Roark and Peabody. I knew that Roark was from Ireland, but it never occurred to me that he would speak with an Irish brogue. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This was another in Roberts/ Robb's In Death line.
Kelly
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Narrator Name: Cathleen McCarron
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator was able to capture the personality of Eleanor and I really became involved in the story quickly. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The character, Eleanor, was quirky and funny, but as the storyline developed I felt such compassion for her. I had read that Reese Witherspoon had purchased this title for a movie. I think it would be a great story for the screen.
Carol
Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor
Narrator Name: Cassandra Campbell, Steven Jay Cohen, Sara Morsey, Xe Sands and Teri Schnaubelt
Rating the Audio Performance
The various voices of the characters added to the enjoyment of the book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The book was enjoyable - a little long and a bit wordy but the storyline kept me interested. I liked that the setting was in a small town and the characters with all their flaws added to the soul of the book.
Gerry
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance
Narrator Name: J. D. Vance
Rating the Audio Performance
Hearing an author read his/her own work is such a thrill -- assuming of course that the author reads aloud in an engaging manner, as J. D. Vance certainly does. Listening to him read this memoir made it an almost conversational experience. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A New York Times Best Book of 2016, HILLBILLY ELEGY is a well-written memoir of growing up in the Appalachian "hillbilly" community, first in Kentucky, and then in a community of Kentucky transplants in Ohio. Vance presents a balanced perspective on the combination of poverty, limited opportunities, and poor decision-making that seem to doom this culture to continued marginalization. While there are steps the government (especially local governments) might take to improve the lives of these people, Vance places primary responsibility on the community itself, to instill in its children the work ethic and sense of personal responsibility to improve their own lives, and those of subsequent generations.
Cathey
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Narrator Name: Rosalyn Landor
Rating the Audio Performance
Wonderful narrator - it was a very calming listen - she had only small variations in voices, but they were enough. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
As I listened, I learned more and more about their lives and what was REALLY happening to the children as they grew up and moved on. It was interesting that it was dystopian, but set in the fairly recent past. In my mind an all too possible a scenario. Been on my TBR list for quite a while and I'm glad I finally got to it.
Linda
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Narrator Name: Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, George Saunders, Bill Hader, Carrie Brownstein, Miranda July, Lena Dunham and full cast
Rating the Audio Performance
The audio of this book is presented by an entire cast headed by Nick Offerman and David Sedaris. Marvelous. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The Bardo is a Buddhist belief about the place people go as a waiting station after they die. The dead person is Abraham Lincoln's young son, Willie. Sometimes confusing to listen to (footnotes are read and research from books/letters about Lincoln). Stupendous production, well-worth a listen.
Tessa B C
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Narrator Name: Laural Merlington
Rating the Audio Performance
The audio is read by Laural Merlington. Her performance was fine when voicing the chapters narrated by Penelope. But the audio used an incredibly irritating digitally enhanced “multiple voice” for the chorus. You know those “disguised” voices used to protect people when interviewed on a news show? That’s what this chorus sounded like! Skip the audio; read the text. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Atwood takes the story of the faithful Penelope, waiting twenty years for Odysseus to return from the Trojan War, and re-imagines it. I liked this intelligent, savvy woman.
Julie
I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere but the Pool by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Narrator Name: Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Rating the Audio Performance
The authors read their own material and their voices perfectly fit who you think they are. I really think I enjoy listening to these books much more than I would reading them. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
While I enjoyed this book, I thought it was not quite as engrossing as the earlier books. Lisa said "to stay on point" so many times, I found it really annoying, which is not usual for me.
Patti
All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani
Narrator Name: Blair Brown
Rating the Audio Performance
Audio is read by the author. She knows her writings and performs it well. Being the author and the reader it brings extra life to her characters. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The story of Hollywood famous star Clark Gable and his meeting young Loretta Young. The scandal in the 1930s.Bring in sister Alda Ducci forced from her convent to become Miss Young's secretary. Hollywood at its best in the 1930s. Many of the big names in Hollywood appear in the story.
Linda
Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang
Narrator Name: Greta Jung
Rating the Audio Performance
Marvelous job of living/performing the material. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Eight short stories of a young immigrant and her family.
Barbara
Defending Jacob by William Landay
Narrator Name: Grover Gardner
Rating the Audio Performance
Great audio performance!!! Highly recommended. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Very riveting story, kept my interest on the drive to and from work unlike some audiobooks!
Karen
The Child by Fiona Barton
Narrator Name: Mandy Williams and Rosalyn Landor
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrators voice each character like they are part of a well-chosen cast of characters. Their performances reflect the thoughts and actions of the characters which draws the listeners into the story and keeps them listening to find out what comes next. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Kate Waters, a reporter for the Daily Post, sees a small article in the paper about the skeleton of a baby found at a building site. She suggests that it would be a good human interest story and good.for business. Her editor agrees so she starts interviewing people who lived in the area. Meanwhile, a woman, Angela, thinks it may be her newborn baby, Alice, who disappeared from the hospital shortly after her birth many years ago. DNA tests are done, and there is a match, but there is a hitch. The baby was wrapped in a more current newspaper when it was buried, and another woman, Emma, claims the baby is hers. Her DNA is also a match. How can this be? Was there a testing error? Kate has to find the answer.
Richard N B
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Narrator Name: Simon Prebble
Rating the Audio Performance
I think I would listen to Simon Prebble read his grocery list. He does a marvelous job. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3.5 stars. I'm way past the age when fantasy was interesting to me, but I did enjoy parts of this book. I liked the play/counterplay between the two magicians, and particularly enjoyed the scenes where they are influencing the Napoleonic Wars. That being said, however, this was just way too long. I found my mind wandering, and I wouldn't go out of my way to read another novel by Clarke.
Linda
Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta
Narrator Name: Carrie Coon and Finn Wittrock
Rating the Audio Performance
The entire cast (there were about six) did an excellent job. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A single 46-year-old mother with a college-age son, at first, has trouble taking him and leaving him at college. She then discovers the joys of a truly single life that includes going out and being propositioned by one of her son's friends. The son, too, is discovering his identity, and then decides that maybe college isn't right for him. Right now, at least.
Linda
Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard
Narrator Name: Simon Vance
Rating the Audio Performance
Simon Vance is one of my favorite narrators. He does not disappoint. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Before Winston Churchill made his fame as a member of Parliament (and subsequently Prime Minister), he made his name by escaping a prisoner of war camp during the Boer War. The Boers made it a high priority to recover Churchill, who had been cheeky enough to leave a letter to his captors, found after his escape. Very interesting. The epilogue includes follow-up for many mentioned in the book. 
