Skip to main content

September 3, 2019 - October 1, 2019

Ivy
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Narrator Name: Michelle Obama

Rating the Audio Performance
5
It was as if she was holding a conversation with me. The quality of the performance was crisp and clear.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The content was engaging. I was thoroughly engrossed in the context and manner in which she shared her story and how she became the woman she is today.

Tessa
Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
Narrator Name: John Moffatt

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I like Moffatt’s interpretation of Poirot, but he has a deep voice that just isn’t right for most of the women, and certainly not for the teenagers involved. Still, he does a pretty good job of the narration.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
A girl is found drowned in a bucket intended for apple-bobbing during a Halloween arty. Who could have murdered her? I love Hercule Poirot, although he can sometimes be insufferably smug and “superior.” I love the way he puzzles out a problem, sees the clues in seemingly inconsequential events and facts, and puts the whole together to reveal the culprit.

Helen
Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
Narrator Name: Therese Plummer

Rating the Audio Performance
5
This book comes alive with Therese Plummer. It is fast-paced with many nuances that Plummer captures perfectly. This is my first time with this narrator but I know I will be checking for other books she has lent her talents to.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
This was my first book by Katherine Center and it most definitely will not be my last. I am going to recommend this book to my book club. I loved the main character - her bravery, her flaws as well. The setting in Boston was perfect - I love reading about my hometown.

Francisca
Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
Narrator Name: Jayne Entwistle

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Jayne Entwistle does a marvelous job performing the audiobooks in this series. Her Flavia is delightful, and she does a good job bringing all the characters to life.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Book Five in the series starring eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, amateur chemist and amateur sleuth. I love Flavia. She’s an intrepid explorer, pedaling about Bishop’s Lacey on her trusty bicycle, Gladys, and doing experiments in her laboratory. She is smart, independent, curious and determined.

Vikki
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Narrator Name: Emily Rankin

Rating the Audio Performance
5
There were so many different characters. Narration was excellent and definitely added to the story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
A married couple and their four daughters struggle as they experience different stages of their lives. The adult children have an unrealistic view of their parent's marriage and this leads to disappointment with their own lives.

John
Dark Illusion by Christine Feehan
Narrator Name: Jim Frangione

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The narrator truly understands his mages and warriors!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
A mage and a warrior have never before had such a sparky romance!

Richard N B
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Narrator Name: Gary Sinise

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Gary Sinise’s performance on the audio is flawless…well, maybe he could have raised the pitch of his voice just a tad higher for Curley’s wife. All the hopes, dreams, innocence, anger, pity, love, and sorrow of the characters are in his voice.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Steinbeck’s novella is taken from an incident in his own background. His emotional closeness to the story is evident in this tragedy. This is third or fourth time I’ve read it; second time listening to the audio. Steinbeck’s genius here is to write a spare story that still tells volumes about the human condition. It is a story of friendship, loyalty, and love.

THERESA E
Our House by Louise Candlish
Narrator Name: Elizabeth Knowelden and Elliot Hill

Rating the Audio Performance
4
The story is set in London so having British narrators was a plus, and both narrators were very expressive.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I didn't quite know what I was genre this book was going to be and thought if might be a psychological thriller. Instead it's a wild story of a man who keeps making terrible choices that start to snowball and the hoops he keeps jumping through.

Charlene
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Narrator Name: Julia Emelin

Rating the Audio Performance
5
This is my very first audiobook. And you know what? I liked it! I understand that some readers are saying the audiobook isn't really all that great, but it certainly brought the ambiance of the story to life for me, as well as assisting in the pronunciation of names I had no idea how to pronounce.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
After reading Novik's SPINNING SILVER, I knew I had to get my hands on her other work. UPROOTED went past my expectations and more. Another life filled with the mysterious, the magical, and the legends that surround Agnieszka were to die for. I absolutely loved her habit of staying unclean, the expectations that went with her lessons in magic. I liked how the Dragon taunted her as she began to become bolder. I enjoyed the moments where you want to hold in a breath and not let it out for fear of what comes next. I marveled after her wit and ability to solve century-old dilemmas and problems. With my ears hearing how she even fell in love, I almost couldn't take it.

Megan
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Narrator Name: Blair Brown

Rating the Audio Performance
5
This is the second book narrated by Blair Brown that I have listened to and I love her narration! She speaks clearly and transitions from one character to another seamlessly.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Great story as told by an eighty-nine-year-old woman looking back on her life in NYC in 1940. This is a unique departure for Elizabeth Gilbert from her usual books but I think it is her best.

Tessa
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Narrator Name: Megan Follows

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Megan Follows has clear diction and imbues the work with the drama and tenderness appropriate to various scenes. I especially liked her interpretation of the more dangerous episodes – the flood and the bear attack, for example. My one complaint about the audio is the cheesy dramatic music. It really irritated me, but the kids loved it.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Three beloved family pets – a young labrador, an aged bull terrier, and a Siamese cat – head home across 300 miles of wooded and mostly uninhabited territory in Ontario, Canada. I saw the original Disney movie when I was a child and read the book at about that same time. I’m glad I revisited it now. It’s a wonderful tale of adventure, friendship, loyalty, teamwork, and kindness.

Francisca
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Narrator Name: Del Roy

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Del Roy does a marvelous job reading the audiobook. He set a good pace, quick enough for the adventure to come through, not so quick as to lose the listener. The characters really come alive in his narration as well.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Book number one in a children’s middle-grade series. I can certainly see the appeal for middle-grade readers. There are issues common to all children (and adults) here – what makes us afraid, bullying, learning to get along, and tolerance for other people’s differences. It’s a fun adventure story of friendship and courage.

Debra
The Button Man by Andrew Gross
Narrator Name: Edoardo Ballerini

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Whatever Mr. Ballerini reads, I will listen! His golden voice lends itself perfectly to this thriller about the New York garment industry and organized crime. He is a master of accents, and his vocal pacing are perfect for this genre.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This book reveals the savagery of the early mobsters trying to control the garment industry, while at the same time showing the power of brotherly love. I couldn’t wait to hear what was coming next.

Sabrina
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Narrator Name: George Guidall, Barbara Caruso, Julia Gibson and Andy Paris

Rating the Audio Performance
5
When the first narrator stopped I was so disappointed because I loved his voice so much. But then I came to like the others and he came back. It is really well done.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This is a perfect book that I have listened to several times and am once again enjoying. I judge a book by its ending and this one is special.

Ricki
There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
Narrator Name: Vikas Adam and Soneela Nankani

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Both narrators were perfect for their roles.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Very fun YA rom-com. It's the second in a series, but definitely stands alone.

Stephanie
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice by Bill Browder
Narrator Name: Adam Grupper

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Grupper does a fine job of bringing the emotions and intensity of the story to a full court press.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
An amazing, harrowing memoir that puts you right there in the action.

Pam
The Fallen by David Baldacci
Narrator Name: Kyf Brewer

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Clear and concise narration.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2
Too much effort on the part of the author to educate the reader and too high a body count just ruined this one for me. It didn't flow well at all.

Kristen
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Narrator Name: Elizabeth Acevedo

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I love it when the author reads their own work and so well!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I really enjoyed the story and seeing how a young woman can defeat the odds in not a dramatic but powerful way.

Roberta
South of Broad by Pat Conroy
Narrator Name: Mark Deakins

Rating the Audio Performance
5
He just makes it sound like the South! And that just adds to the atmospheric side of the book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Conroy's books are always engaging.

Gwen
Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
Narrator Name: Renée Raudman

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Renee Raudman's narration was liked hearing the characters brought to life
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Entertaining, humorous adventures in a magic world. With a bad ass heroine.

Gwen
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews
Narrator Name: Bernadette Dunne

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Dunne does great at portraying the characters. Continues to exceed expectations as a narrator.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Love this series. Eccentric characters. Laugh-out-loud funny. Was so good I went and got all of the series.

Syntha
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Narrator Name: Michael Kramer

Rating the Audio Performance
4
My first time listening to Kramer; he's quite good.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
This is an epic fantasy, quite well written.

Cindee
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Narrator Name: Michelle Obama

Rating the Audio Performance
5
This is an incredible book. Listening to Michelle Obama read is a treat for sure. She tells her story in rich language and her voice adds to the excellence of the story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Incredibly interesting.

Richard N B
Sutton by J. R. Moehringer
Narrator Name: Dylan Baker

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Dylan Baker does a credible job of narrating the audiobook. It’s difficult to follow at times because of the constant moving back and forth in time. The text version using different fonts to give the reader a clue, but the person listening to the audio version doesn’t get any such clue. That’s not the narrator’s fault, it’s the author’s.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Moehringer tries to bring infamous bank robber Willie Sutton to life in this work of historical fiction. The technique he used to frame the story doesn’t quite work for me. There were scenes that were completely engaging and interesting, and other that just fell flat. I really wanted to like it, but my final reaction is a wishy-washy ‘it's okay.’

Sydney
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Narrator Name: John Ritter

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Ritter gives a lively and captivating performance. It is a very short audiobook, less than 5 hours. I liked that I was able to get it done while cleaning the house without making a large time commitment.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The novel reminds me what it was like to be in love the first time and the excitment of young adulthood. The book reminds me how to love myself for me without the pressures of what other people may be thinking.

Mary
Himalayan Adventures by Francis Younghusband, Sven Hedin, Regis Everest Huc, John Wood, Herman Buhl, et. al
Narrator Name: Ken Albertsen

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Ken narrates in a non-rushed manner with a mature voice. Not a tenor, clipped and rushed voice as one so often finds on audiobooks. A listener can sense the narration is not edited to clip all spaces from between words and sentences. Ken's voice fits with the diaries he's reading in that they're mostly from the 1800s and there is no modern interpretation. In other words, the diaries are read verbatum using the exact words and expressions used - as they were written.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
THE HIMALAYAN ADVENTURES audiobook is particularly great for kids between 8 and 18, but is also fine for any age. Youngsters, in particular, benefit from hearing how elegant the English language sounded 170 years ago. No less endearing are the verbatum diaries of the exploration leaders themselves. These were the first men (or at least the first westerners) to deign to risk their lives to explore the highest peaks, and the sources of some of the world's more remote rivers. Not all were westerners. One story has a Japanese man who spent all his meager life savings to climb the Himalayas. He did so by using a pair of sheep as pack animals.

Tessa
There, There by Tommy Orange
Narrator Name: Darrell Dennis, Shawn Taylor-Corbett, Alma Cuervo and Kayla Garcia

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The audiobook is performed by four talented voice artists: Darrell Dennis, Shawn Taylor-Corbett, Alma Cuervo, and Kayla Garcia. I don’t really know which performer handled which chapters, other than matching the narrator’s gender to the character’s voice. Despite the stellar job done by all of them, I think I may have enjoyed this more had I read the text rather than listened to the audio.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
In his debut novel, Orange explores the world of today’s Urban Indian through the stories of twelve characters are planning to attend the Big Oakland Powwow. Their lives are interwoven by coincidence, thin threads of DNA, circumstance, and/or proximity. They are in turn angry, desolate, hopeful, joyous, loving, confused, determined, generous or mean. Orange’s voice is unique and powerful. And I look forward to reading more from him in the future.

Kristine
Sunburn by Laura Lippman
Narrator Name: Susan Bennett

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Many times I may speed up the audio because the narrator can be slow...this narrator’s voice is so seductive, I couldn’t! Her voice drew me into the story from Chapter 1! And later, I found out she is the original voice of Siri! Ha!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I didn’t like the main character and many others but this story was fascinating! Very twisty and kept me on the edge of my seat! Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Pat
Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman
Narrator Name: Susan Bennett

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Narrator was amazing at performing the various characters with unique voices as this story has several essential stories to be revealed.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I won this book on this Sounding Off on Audio contest so I was delighted to receive this book that I had on my “to read” list. Setting is Baltimore in the 1960s and Maddie has decided that she wants more out of her 20 year marriage and leaves her husband and son. But what’s next? She and a friend volunteer to assist in a search for a missing teenager. They discover her dead body in the woods and the surrounding events lead her to pursue a job at the newspaper Baltimore Sun. Maddie then becomes obsessed when another discovery of a body. The lady in the lake leads her as a reporter to uncover details of the victim’s life by interviewing family and friends. I admit I never saw the surprise ending coming. Great read!

Suzanne
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Narrator Name: Imogen Church

Rating the Audio Performance
5
With a marvelous voice Imogen Church brings a variety of characters to life. They include Ronan, the narrator, who speaks with an upper class British accent; the organized quick clipped voice of Sandra, the mother of four and business woman; two young (5 & 8 ) girls, each with a distinct personality that is easily recognizable. Further she gives a surly Scottish housekeeper the proper ‘looking down her nose’ voice and a male Scot voice of a handyman who is caring, gentle, and efficient. Another voice coming through loud and clear is the lecherous mewings of the father. Throughout the book the narrator provides the proper atmosphere of either attempted gaiety or ominous, mysterious activities taking place or about to happen.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The book starts by the narrator writing a lawyer to plead that she wanted out of jail and that she didn’t kill the girl. The story is told as she tells what happened in her letter to the lawyer. A British nanny leaves her job and is accepting as anew position in a remote old mansion that has been made into a "smart" house. All electrical components (lights, locks, music, appliances,etc) are controlled by an app. She finds that the previous nannies had not stayed long. One of the children told her not to stay as the ghosts wouldn't like it. As things progress strange sounds and happenings occur. She learns the history of the previous owners. All culminates in one tragic evening. A good page-turner.

Francisca
The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Narrator Name: Steven Crossley

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Steven Crossley does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He has a matter-of-fact delivery that eases the listener into the story and really helps with suspending disbelief (especially in some of the more outlandish escapades).
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
3.5 stars. On his 100th birthday, Allan Karlsson escapes from his nursing home and goes on an adventure – or should I say, ANOTHER adventure. This is a fun romp of a novel that reminded me of FOREST GUMP. Allan’s great talent seems to be going with the flow; he’s rarely ruffled, keeps his wits about him and just enjoys the ride. Readers would do well to follow his lead. Suspend disbelief and enjoy.

Cindie
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Narrator Name: Rebecca Soler

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I really enjoyed the way the narrator was able to portray the nuances of each character. I found I could recognize the voices quite early in the book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
This story, full of magic and mystique, had me totally enthralled. I usually reserve my audiobook time to my commute, however, I found myself listening whenever I could grab a minute until the very end. I can’t wait to read the next book in the “Legend” series.

Richard N B
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Narrator Name: Sarita Chouchury

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Sarita Choudhury does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace that still allows the reader to absorb the complexities of the writing. Still, I am glad that I also have a text copy. Lahiri’s writing is the kind that I want to pore over, to read and read again.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The novel follows the Ganguli family over three decades, from the parents’ arranged marriage in Calcutta to raising their family in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is the type of literary fiction I relish. Lahiri writes with such eloquence and grace, letting the reader learn about this family much as she would do when meeting new acquaintances who become friends over decades. She tackles issues of the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, differences (and conflicts) between generations, and personal identity.

Karen
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Excellent reading. Easy to follow.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Interesting memoir. Well written. Tara had a horrifying childhood.

Pat
City of Windows by Robert Pobi
Narrator Name: Stephen Graybill

Rating the Audio Performance
5
He has the perfect voice for this thriller!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Keeps your attention on every page.

Karen
In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen
Narrator Name: Gemma Dawson

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Gemma Dawson's reading brings the book to life. She voices both female and male characters so that one can envision them as they live their lives. The tempo and tone of her reading make the story enticing to listen to.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
It is 1941 in Kent, England, and World War II is in progress. The family of Lord Westerham is doing their best to contribute to the war effort: housing soldiers, growing food, living with rationing, housing children from London, and working for the government. When a soldier with a failed parachute is found dead on their estate, suspicion is aroused. The soldier is an anomaly. He is wearing an out-of-date uniform and has landed in an area that doesn't train pilots. It is likely that he is a German spy. MI5 sends operative Ben Cresswell, the vicar's son, to investigate. One of the daughters, Pamela Westerham, is also involved in the investigation. Ben and Pamela learn some disturbing things about their neighbors.

Karen
Meet Me in Monaco: A Novel of Grace Kelly's Royal Wedding by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Narrator Name: Nancy Peterson and Jeremy Arthur

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I thought the audio performance was fantastic. The narrator used different voices and accents, which to my ear were quite good and helped to distinguish the characters. I appreciated the feeling in her reading as it helped move the story along without being overly dramatic.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
This book is not my typical read, but I read a lot of recommendations from bloggers and members of Facebook pages. Wrapped around the story of Grace Kelly, it was indeed a romance, but while it followed the typical tale of star-crossed lovers who eventually find happiness, it flowed nicely and was not a bodice ripper. It was a gentle story of awakening, growth and love, and just what I needed now amidst harsh and hateful headlines.

Karen
Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen
Narrator Name: Tavia Gilbert

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I appreciated the even flow and gentle voice of the narrator. I would look for books read by this narrator again. Excellent performance.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Movie stars are not my typical read, but with all of the reading we are doing about World War ll, this book seemed like a "must-read" to me when I saw it. It goes into the biggest battle of the Netherlands and how Audrey Hepburn came to be there with her mother and not with her English father. Both the story of Audrey as a young teenager during this period and the war itself were interesting stories with which I was not familiar. Well done by the author and the narrator I highly recommend this to general readers interest in WWll as well as readers of celebrity biographies.

Francisca
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
Narrator Name: Tamara Lovatt Smith

Rating the Audio Performance
3
Tamara Lovatt Smith does a fine job narrating the audiobook. However, Liane Moriarty switches point of view between the two women. In the text it’s a little easier to tell when she switches. One character’s perspective is always written in first person, the other in third person narrative. However, there is much dialogue in which a character would naturally speak in first person. (e.g. “I went to the store.”) While this is easy to discern on the printed page, it’s less obvious when listening. Not the narrator’s fault at all, but it still adversely affected the audio experience. I probably would have rated this higher if I had read the text rather than listened.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
What an interesting and fresh take on relationships and the psychology of love. What makes us attracted to one another? What holds us together? What happens when one partner moves on, but the other hangs on --- desperately, crazily, dangerously?