Listening to The Killing (originally titled Clean Break) is like listening to a fantastic crime noir movie from the 1940’s. It was written in 1955 by Lionel White and made into a film titled The Killing by Stanley Kubrick in 1956. I have never seen the film and probably will not. It cannot possibly top the audiobook.
The Killing takes place in New York City and on Long Island. It is a heist novel, meaning a huge robbery is central to the story. There are several characters who could be considered the main character because of the parts they play but I feel Johnny Clay is it. Johnny has spent the last four years in jail planning the perfect heist. Not only does he have the perfect plan but he has the perfect crew to pull it off. Johnny’s crew is made up of non-criminals. The beauty of his plan is that no one should be an immediate suspect by the police. Even Johnny himself has not a record that would make him a usual suspect for that type of crime. The heist is to rob the cashier’s office at the track immediately after the start of the biggest race of the year but right before the armoured truck shows up to collect the expected 1.5 to 2 millions dollars. Everything must go off exactly at the time planned and every man must do his job exactly as planned. This is Mission Impossible with a clock and silencer on a rifle as the high tech. If it works, they split the money, each about a half million each. If it doesn’t, Johnny is probably the only one caught and sent to jail. Johnny’s gang consists of: Big Mike a bartender at the track clubhouse George Peatty a cashier at track Randy Kennan, a cop with a need for cash to pay off loan sharks Marvin Unger, a court stenographer Marvin is the respectable man who has never done anything wrong. He gives Johnny a place to live and hold the planning meetings. He also fronts the money needed to pay off individuals and buy weapons. Johnny’s motivation is his girlfriend Fay. Fay waited for him while he was in prison. His plan is to pull this one job and then for he and Fay to leave the country and start living the good life. All of this is going great until Sherry Peatty, George’s wife finds a ticket stub with an address and time written on it in his jacket pocket. She suspects he is up to something based on his recent behavior. George is a poor soul who thinks he has somehow won the luck lottery by convincing beautiful Sherry to marry him two years ago. Actually, in the vernacular of the time, Sherry is a tramp looking for the easy life and lots of money. George keeps a roof over her head and all she has to do is be “nice” to him when it suits her. She uses her hold over him to find out the minimal details on the heist. She then goes to visit Val, her boyfriend. Val is a gangster who drives a Cadillac and has a real gang of hardened criminals at his disposal. He and Sherry plan to get the details of the heist, let Johnny do the work, and then rob the robbers. Mike Dennis’s narration is first rate. He has a wonderful voice in just doing the descriptions. When it gets to the characters speaking, his talent really shines. Listen to the gravely voice of Randy the cop which conveys his large size. Marvin truly sounds like a fussy little man who alternates drooling over the thought of the money and regretting he ever got involved. Mr. Dennis brings all of those emotions out in his narration. The accents are fantastic. His command of the different shades of a New York City accent is incredible. The novel does a great job of introducing each character and their motivation to join the heist or try to get it for themselves. The language is full of 1950’s slang. It really is addictive. I found myself listening every chance I got. Would they get away with it? Who would end up with the money? I received this audiobook courtesy of Audiobook Reviewer in exchange for an honest review.
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How to Win an Argument by Marcus Tullius Cicero; translated by James May; read by Simon Vance1/21/2017 How to Win an Argument
AN ANCIENT GUIDE TO THE ART OF PERSUASION by Marcus Tullius Cicero; translated by James May; read by Simon Vance Courtesy Audiobook Jukebox - sent from Tantor Media Humans communicate constantly. We inform. We educate. We question. We also try to persuade. Persuasion is the most difficult communication. We need to persuade. We need to bring people around to our way of thinking, to agree with our beliefs. This need to persuade has gone on since humans began to communicate. Which animal are we going to hunt? How many hunters need to go? What is the best way to kill the animal? Who gets the best parts of the meat? Somehow we have lost the ability to persuade. We now just confront, not communicate. Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC) is one of the fathers of the art of persuasion. In the democratic society that he was a part of verbal persuasion or rhetoric was an important part of daily life. He wrote several important books that helped teach his fellow citizens to, “Plan and execute a successful speech in public, in other words, to win an argument”. Cicero has been studied by students of rhetoric down through the ages. If you studied Latin, at some point you were probably translating Cicero. Dr. James M. May, Professor of Classics at St. Olaf College, has done the translating for those of us who never studied Latin. He combed through Cicero’s many works on rhetoric and put together the most useful sections. He has Cicero’s own words followed by his commentary. The book starts with a short biography of Cicero. The next section is “The Origin of Eloquent and Persuasive Speech”. Next is “The Parts of Rhetoric or Activities of the Orator”. The rest is “The Value of Imitating Good Models of Speech”, “The Value of Writing to Prepare Effective Speaking”, “The Requirements and Education of the Ideal Speaker” and finally “A Ciceronian Cheat Sheet for Effective Speaking.” That is the end of the audio book. The physical book also has a section that shows the Latin text that was translated to create the book. It also contains Further Reading and Glossary sections. Simon Vance was fantastic as always. His pronunciation was crystal clear. His pacing was wonderful. I did not miss a single word because his reading was smooth and consistent. I was interested in this title because I believe it can help improve my writing of reviews by teaching me to better construct my arguments. I was also interested to educate myself on Rhetoric to better understand what my son, who is a graduate student at Miami University of Ohio in Rhetoric and Composition, is talking about when he tries to explain his master's thesis to me. The audiobook was great to listen to but I felt like I needed to take notes. Having essential tremor precludes note taking. Having the physical or Kindle book, I could have highlighted the passages I felt I would need to reference often. What I did do was put a ton of bookmarks with a short description for each book mark like “cheat sheet” or “argument arrangement”. I would recommend this audiobook. At three hours running time, it can be listened to during commutes or while doing other tasks. Simon Vance’s voice is so pleasing that listening to it repetitively would be enjoyable. If you can take notes, you will probably only need to listen to it once but you will want to listen to it again and again. Elite
By: Mercedes Lackey Read by: Amy Landon Series: The Hunter Series, book 2 Runtime: 10.2 Hours Recording: Unabridged Release date: 9.6.2016 Publisher: Blackstone Audio Genre: Fiction/Action & Adventure ISBN-13: 978-1-5047-3655-8 Copy of audiobook provided by Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for honest review I recently reviewed the prequel to Elite, Mercedes Lackey’s Hunter. It was fantastic. If you had not read Hunter first, I would suggest reading it first. But if you choose to jump right into Elite, there is some backstory provided but it may not fill in all the gaps. Elite takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The series of events that cause the apocalypse also caused a rift that allowed magic into our world. Hunter and Elite take place several generations after the cataclysm. The universe this series constructs is amazing. It is rich and complex. The characters are complex also. Joy, the protagonist of Hunter, has advanced to the Elite corp of Hunters who guard Apex City. With her new status comes perks and also added risks. The mystery that lingered at the end of Hunter carries onto Elite. While some of it gets solved in Elite, it is still not solved by the end of the book. The character development is excellent. Joy is a believable young lady. She feels happiness and sadness and despair and desperation. Yet she continues to fight. I really like her. I like her and I like her realistic friendships, especially with Mark. This is a young adult novel so the romantic action is described as “making out” or kissing. This would be appropriate for a teen. It is also appropriate for adults. I am fifty-four and really enjoyed it. I am hoping for a the next book in the series to be released soon. Amy Landon is an excellent narrator. I have enjoyed her narration of Hunter and Elite. She gives Joy a realistic voice. Her male voices are good. She does a nice job on the attitude of the characters. Retro, who is all confidence and attitude, is easily distinguishable from Archer, the mature and wise leader of the group, just by the way the narrator performs them. I really enjoyed Ms. Landon’s narration and will definitely check out other books she has narrated. He Knew He Was Right
Written by: Anthony Trollope Narrated by: Nigel Patterson Length: 30 hrs and 32 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:10-14-16 Publisher: Listen2aBook.com The first time I encountered Anthony Trollope’s most popular work, He Knew He Was Right, was in a BBC production. My teen aged children and I enjoyed it. I had not read the book that the mini-series was based on. When I was offered the opportunity to review the book narrated by Nigel Patterson, I was happy to finally get a chance at the source. He Knew He Was Right was written in 1869. It is very important that the listener keep that in mind. It was a very different world, especially for women. The book follows Louis Trevelyan, a wealthy gentleman, who while traveling in one of the Empire’s colonies (it is a fictitious colony) meets the girl of his dreams, Emily Rowley. Although Emily has been raised outside of England, she does come from a good family as her father is the governor of the colony. Emily and her family travel back to England for the wedding. The first two years of marriage are wonderful complete with a baby boy. Then Louis begins to take exception to an old family friend, a man her father’s age, visiting Emily. He demands she no longer see the man because he suspects infidelity. Emily digs her heels in and refuses to end her harmless friendship. Louis takes it as proof that he wife is not faithful. There are several subplots to this book, which is over 300 pages in print and 30 hours in audio. The subplots involve other couples including Emily’s sister, Nora. Each couple has their own challenges to overcome, several involving social standing or economic position. While the subplots are interesting, it is Louis and Emily’s story that is the main attraction. I did have to keep reminding myself of the 1869 publication date because I had a persistent and overwhelming need to slap Louis. Emily never, in deed or word, gives him cause to doubt her but he is so insecure he cannot trust her. It is a combination of Emily’s stubbornness and Louis’s insecurity that cause this to blow up into a major disaster involving both families and dividing friends. That being said, it really is a great book and worth the impulse to slap Louis. Mr. Patterson does a great job narrating this book. He captures the characters and their emotions. He also handles the language well. Sometimes narrators can allow the more formal language of the 19th century to sound stilted but Mr. Patterson does not. He makes the language flow naturally. I have not had a disappointing listen from Mr. Patterson yet. If you are going to invest in He Knew He Was Right as an audiobook, get the right one with Nigel Patterson as the narrator. The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
By: Daniel Mendelsohn Read by: Bronson Pinchot Runtime: 22.3 Hours Recording: Unabridged Release date: 8.16.2016 Publisher: Blackstone Audio Genre: Nonfiction/History ISBN-13: 978-1-5047-0176-1 I read The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million by Daniel Mendelsohn a few years after it was first published in 2006. It was a very powerful book. I learned quite a bit. It was the kind of book that stayed with you. When Audiobook Jukebox offered a copy of the audiobook narrated by Bronson Pinchot, i requested it. It had been years since I read the book so I would refamiliarize myself with the story while enjoying the narration of Bronson Pinchot. It did not quite work out as planned. Daniel Mendelsohn grew up surrounded by older relatives who survived the Holocaust either because they got out of Europe in time or by luck or divine intervention they survived the Nazi’s. Daniel knew this. He knew about the events of World War II. What he did not know if why elderly relatives would begin to cry when they saw him and mention he looked like a person Daniel did not know. Shmiel Jäger was Daniel’s great uncle. Shmiel, his wife, and four daughters did not survive the Holocaust. When they died, how they died and why they died were not know. The only know was “they were killed by the Nazis.” The Lost is the story of Daniel learning of his lost family and as adult his quest to find them. They were not “killed by the Nazis” of meticulous records. They were not all killed at the same time or the same place. In his quest to find their fates, Daniel and his family learned an incredible amount. They learned about Ukrainians who turned in neighbors. They learned about Poles who hid Jews. They learned about the non-Jews who lost their lives trying to save lives. They learned about the unending cruelty that accompanied the last moments of so many people. The hardback edition contains photographs from the author’s family. There is a certain level of heartbreak, which thank whatever Gods you believe in we do not experience often, on seeing two smiling teen girls and knowing their death will come before they experience love, marriage, and motherhood. When I read the book, it was powerful. I expected the audiobook to be the same. It was not. Bronson Pinchot’s narration is masterful and devastating. Pinchot is fantastic at the accents. Whether it is Daniel’s mother’s New York accent or his grandfather’s Yiddish, they are clear and believable. The voices, whether male or female, old or young, are very well done. He creates Daniel’s voice but he also creates so much more. He infuses every word with emotion. But there is a power within Pinchot’s narration that the listener must be prepared for. I was driving and thankfully could pull over for a moment. When Pinchot describes what they believe happened to his one relative, a teenage girl, who was rounded up by the Ukrainians at the direction of the Nazi authorities, held with a thousand other people, naked, without food or water or access to facilities, made to watch their rabbi have his eyes cut out and a cross carved on his chest, then taken to the forest where group by group they walked onto a plank over a pit, to be shot and if God was merciful, they died immediately; if not they lay wounded under covered by other bodies and eventually earth. That was difficult to read. Pinchot’s narration contains so much rage, sadness, and horror that it is devastating to hear. Bronson Pinchot should have the 2016 Audie just for that passage alone. If you have to chose between reading The Lost or listening to Pinchot’s narration, take the narration. The power of his performance will stay with you Thank you, Mr. Hartness, thank you! I have been waiting for the story of how Glory and Q met. And what a story you delivered, just breathtaking in pace and character. I have loved the Harker novellas since the first one. Now here at number 5, the writing continues to be excellent, the plot exciting and the characters true to themselves. The Harker universe is so heavy wiith potential that there should be no end to the series.
For those that are not familiar with Quincy Harker, get thee to a copy! Quincy Harker, the son of Jonathon and Mina Harker of Dracula fame, is trying to live a normal life. It is pretty much a pipe dream since his mother's affair with Dracula combined with his father's night of passion with Dracula's wives gave him some very unusual DNA. He is half human and half still trying to figure that part out. On her deathbed, Quincy's mother entrusted his care and guardianship to his "Uncle" Luke. The novellas follow Quincy and his guardian angel Glory as they fight hell spawn in Charlotte, NC. Uncle Luke helps when he can but is know to have a severe allergy to the sun. As always James Foster does an excellent job of narrating. The books are fun to read but the audios narrated by Mr. Foster are a joy to listen to. He really brings the characters alive for me. All of them, the humans, the demons, the angels and the what the hell is that thing. The best part of the the Harker series for me is getting to hear it narrated by Mr. Foster. I give Heaven Sent another 5 of 5 stars plus a bonus supernova for fulfilling my wish. Keep writing this fantastic series. And thank you for the first of many, I hope, back stories to come. The City on the Edge of Forever by Harlan Ellison
Narrator: Alex Hyde-White, Bonnie MacBird, D. C. Fontana, David Gerrold, Gabrielle de Cuir, Harlan Ellison, J. Paul Boehmer, Jean Smart, Jim Meskimen, John Rubinstein, Judy Young, Larry Nemecek, LeVar Burton, Orson Scott Card, Richard Brewer, Richard Gilliland, Richard McGonagle, Robert Forster, Ryan Britt, Ryan C. Britt, Scott Brick, Stefan Rudnicki, Veronica Scott Published by Skyboat Media on 05 July 2016 Length: 8 hrs This review was first posted on https://audiobookreviewer.com/reviews/the-city-on-the-edge-of-forever-by-harlan-ellison/ The City on the Edge of Forever is ranked among the top episodes of the original Star Trek series. It was written by renowned science fiction author Harlan Ellison. But what was filmed and aired was not what Ellison wrote. He spent the next thirty years fighting with Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, and the legions of fans who held Rodenberry in deity-like devotion to tell the story of what happened to his version. The audiobook is broken into sections. It includes an introductory essay by Ellison, the two different “treatments” the script went through, the script itself, the revised script and an afterwards written by Peter David, D.C. Fontana, David Gerrold, DeForest Kelley, Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy, Melinda Snodgrass and George Takei. Harlan’s introductory essay is filled with vitriol. Since he narrates this section himself, it comes through loud but not clear. I had a hard time understanding everything that was said. Mr. Ellison’s emotion makes his speech unclear. Personally I feel this would have been better handled by a professional narrator. The treatments of the script are interesting. It is a winding road that takes us through the offices of Roddenberry and the TV executives. Each had their own perspective on what the story should look like. Ellison’s objections to the changes were overruled and ignored. When he tried to publicly discuss his dissatisfaction with the changed script, he was vilified by Roddenberry. The scripts, teleplays, differ greatly from what was aired. Listening to the teleplays as they were intended to be done is amazing. Several of the concepts/plot points were eliminated because either Rodenberry or the network execs were offended with them. SPOILER ALERT: One of these eliminated concepts shows up in a later episode where the Enterprise in an alternate universe is a pirate ship END SPOILER ALERT. Another concept that the network found offensive shows up in a Star Trek: Voyager episode if I remember correctly. All in all Ellison’s original teleplay was wonderful and elegant. What the public saw was considered one of the best episodes of the series. But if you have only ever had hamburger steak, you do not know how fantastic prime rib can be. The narration and performance of the audio book is good. The only part I really had issue with was the previously mentioned parts narrated by the author himself. Everything else was clear and easy to understand. There are several narrators, male and female, some with direct connections to the Star Trek franchise. They all do a good job. This is a must for Star Trek fans. I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Title: The Jolly Roger Social Club
Author: Nick Foster Narrator: Donald Corren Publisher/Date: Blackstone Audio, 07/12/16 http://www.audiobookjukebox.com/ The Jolly Roger Social Club is a true crime story that details the murder of five people by William Dathan Holbert. What makes this story so unusual is that the victims were members of the ex-pat community living in the Republic of Panama. They chose Panama because they believed they could live with a higher standard of living than in the United States and they thought they would be safer. Ultimately it was neither. I first heard of “Wild Bill” Holbert several years ago. When the audiobook came out, I requested it from Audiobook Jukebox because I felt I had a unique perspective as a review, I spent time in the Panama Canal Zone as a child. I am familiar history and culture. It is an important part of the equation as the book does a terrific job detailing. The story details Holbert as he continuously reinvents himself as he stays one step ahead of the law. When Holbert and his girlfriend Reese arrived in the Darklands area after wandering around Costa Rica and other areas of Northern Panama, they fall in with the ex-pat community whose motto is live and let live. They keep to themselves, do not assimilate into the Panamanian community. The community isolation by culture and geography, most of Darklands is accessible by boat only, is perfect for this con-man. The book is fascinating cautionary tale. The trail does have a lot of twists and turns which lead to a thrilling conclusion. Donald Corren does a great job narrating. His voice is pleasant to listen to and he enunciates clearly. I would listen to another book he narrated. If you enjoy the true crime genre, I highly suggest The Jolly Roger Social Club. I received a copy of the audiobook from The Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review. The Gates: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel
Written by: Iain Rob Wright Narrated by: Nigel Patterson Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:06-27-16 Publisher: WRIGHT IDEAS LIMITED The Gates has a very fresh concept for apocalyptic horror. No zombies or lethal diseases. The Gates first appear as strange large rocks that seem to materialize from nowhere. They appear all over the world in a short time period. The cannot be moved. Individuals who touch them die, horribly. Then the stones change, strange symbols are revealed by a glowing light from within. As people gather to watch this phenomenon, the stones become gates, allowing monsters to move from Hell onto the earth. The book follows several different groups of people. There are civilians, soldiers, reporters, parents, and children. Each group has an encounter with the entities that come through the gates. While all are different, the commonality is that they want to survive. The action is fast paced. It is not predictable. For the most part the characters are likable, there is one in particular I disliked but I believe he was written to be disliked. My only problem with the book was at times I had trouble remembering which characters thread was being followed. That may be user error on my part and not on the part of the author The Gates is the first book in a series so the ending does not have complete closure. I am adding the next book to my "to read" list. Nigel Patterson does an excellent job narrating. I have enjoyed other books narrated by him and this one was no exception. I hope he continues to narrate this series. I received a copy of the audio book in exchange for an honest review. And Then There Were Nuns: Adventures in a Cloistered Life
Written by: Jane Christmas Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:10-01-14 Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press Inc. Discernment is a different animal than decision. Decision is to make a choice. Discernment is the process of making that choice. Sometimes the process is quick and simple; others it is protracted and painful. Jane Christmas’ takes the reader on the road with her when at age 57 she tries to discern if she is called to a religious life. Jane is born and raised in Canada to a Roman Catholic mother and Anglican father. She is raised with a foot in both faiths. Her father, light years ahead of his generation, exposes her to many different faiths and teaches her to respect all people’s beliefs. As she grows up she chooses the Anglican Church as her home and raises her children Anglican. There is a very interesting discussion about the weakness of the Anglican Church. It was started as the Church of England by Henry VIII when he broke away from Rome in his quest to marry Anne Boleyn. In England and its former territories it is known as the Anglican Church. In the United States it is the Episcopal Church. The weakness that the author points out is it is a religion governed by committee. There is not one central figure. The church’s beliefs have evolved to different principles in different areas. She also talks about how decisions are debated for decades before a vague statement is released which in turn is debated further. I found this peek into the Anglican world fascinating. Jane visits several different groups, both Roman Catholic and Anglican, to try to discern whether she is being called to be a nun. I found it interested that she did not feel called to the priesthood since the Anglican Church does ordain women. Her discernment process involves cloistered groups and groups that work directly with the public. All this would be a very straight forward story of “will she or will she not” become a nun except her life has anything but straightforward. She has been divorced twice, has grown children and accepted a marriage proposal shortly before embarking on her spiritual journey. The main challenge Jane deals with is not the obedience or poverty or even chastity expected of a nun. It is that the discernment process sheds light on a long buried traumatic event and Jane must deal with it in order to move forward. Elizabeth Wiley does a fantastic job narrating. Her voice is clear and pleasant to listen to. She does a wonderful job of conveying Jane’s fear, uncertainty and curiosity. She also does a great job with the many accents involved, men and women both. The best part of Ms. Wiley’s narrating is that I really got a sense of who Jane is as a person. She seemed to have a little bit of mischievousness to her. I think I would enjoy having coffee and chocolate biscuits with her. The production quality was very good. I received a copy of the audiobook from https://audiobookreviewer.com in exchange for a honest review. The Rules of Supervillainy: The Supervillainy Saga Volume 1
Written by: C.T. Phipps Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins Series: The Supervillainy Saga, Book 1 Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:10-23-15 Publisher: Amber Cove Publishing The Rules of Supervillainy was a very fun listen. My son and I listened to it on a ten hour road trip. It kept both of us interested enough that neither of us napped. We both laughed out loud several times. All of the cultural references were a hit. The only one I had to explain to my 22 yr old son was the one related to the vice-presidential debate from the late 80's. The characters, both super and normal, were great. The inanimate object character was a lot of fun. The action was fast paced. The description of the action and the heroes, villains and monsters were very well done. The one monster immediately brought to mind a boss from Dark Souls II. Describing items or people from fantasy worlds can be difficult because there is not usually a frame of reference in real life. Mr. Phipps did such a great job at the descriptions that I could draw (if I possessed any artistic ability, which I don't) pictures of them. Jeffrey Kafer was a fantastic narrator. I have listened to his narrations before and enjoyed them. His speech is distinct and easy to follow. The voices and accents of the different characters were distinctive so I knew which characters were speaking. I enjoyed this book so much, I already purchased the Kindle and Audible versions of the sequel. As soon as I can clear my present stack, I will dive into them. The narrator provided me with a copy of the audiobook in exchange for a honest review. My parents were both avid readers and often discussed their reading choices with me. This is probably why I have an appreciation for classic literature between the 1930s to the 1970s. Leave Her to Heaven by Ben Ames William is one such classic, published in 1944. I had previously read two of his historical fiction novels and was excited to listen to an audiobook of one of his other works. I was rewarded with another excellent story.
Leave Her to Heaven does not actually have any dates in terms of specific years. I have tried to date it by the omission of any mention of war, the existence of airplanes, Warm Springs operating as a polio institution, and have come up with anywhere between the 1920s to the late 1930’s. I tried researching it to pin it down but was unable to. The main character is Harland. He is a successful author, raised in privilege. Since the death of his parents, he now supports his younger brother Danny who is recovering from infantile paralysis, polio. Harland is in his thirties and Danny is thirteen. They have a very close relationship before Danny is sick and afterwards they become even closer. They keep each other strong as they struggle with Danny’s recovery. Harland’s relationship with Danny lives at the heart of the book. He is not a person seeking fulfillment in a relationship. He tries to keep Danny as active as he can be and tries to find activities they can do together. When he and Danny are invited to a friend’s ranch in the west, Danny encourages Harland to go although he cannot accompany him. As Harland travels by train, he notices a beautiful woman reading his latest book. This beautiful woman, Ellen, is headed to the same ranch he is. When they meet on the way out to the ranch, Harland is enchanted by her beauty. Ellen immediately sets her cap for him even though she is engaged to a lawyer in Maine. At the ranch, Ellen’s sister, Ruth and mother, watch as Ellen manipulates her way into marrying Harland before they leave the ranch. He is not truly in love with her but allows himself to be swept of his feet. Ellen will stop at nothing to possess all of Harland. She is jealous of his brother, his writing, or anything that she is not wholly the focus of. It is a fascinating study of a woman whose possessiveness becomes deadly. While some characters realize there is something wrong with Ellen, others are easily manipulated to fulfill her plans. No one is safe while Ellen breathes. Or even after. Mike Dennis does a wonderful job narrating the book. He does a great job with the male vs. female voices. The language in the book reflects the time period in which it was written. Mr. Dennis handles the dated language well. It flows and seems very natural. I would definitely listen to another book narrated by Mr. Dennis. The production quality was excellent. Audiobook provided by Audiobook Reviewer in exchange for honest review. A Path of Ashes: The Path of Ashes, Book 1
Written by: Brian Parker Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins Series: The Path of Ashes, Book 1 Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:11-17-15 Publisher: Muddy Boots Press A Path of Ashes: The Path of Ashes, Book 1 by Brian Parker was an enjoyable book. The book starts with an elderly man talking to children, including his grandchildren, and telling the story of how the family got it’s name. The family name is Traxx. As he tells his story, the book goes back in time, to before, the before the apocalypse. The two main characters are freshmen at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. Both boys were signed to play baseball for the University. Aeric is from Springfield, Missouri and is glad to escape his overprotective parents. Tyler is from Lincoln, Nebraska and is hoping to escape the homophobia from his family. The two boys hit it off and settle into a routine of classes and baseball practice. Around them the world is sinking into chaos with various terror groups mounting weekly attacks but it does not really penetrate the boys’ lives. One night the terror attacks are led by a local quasi-religious group called the Vultures. They manage to destroy most of the campus, take down the electrical grid and kill thousands of people in fires and violence. Aeric and Tyler decided to leave Austin while they can and head to Missouri and what they think will be the safety of his parents. The story follows Aeric and Tyler as they change, not always for the better, in response to the dangerous world around them. When nuclear weapons take away any hope of return to normalcy, it becomes a darwinian struggle to survive and find a safe haven. Stephen Bel Davies does a nice job narrating. His voice is a consistent level so there is no fiddling with the volume necessary. The production values are good. All in all, it is an enjoyable listen and a nice introduction to what looks to be a good series. Contents
The Water Finder’s Shadow by David Bruns When You Open the Cages for Those Who Can’t by Edward W. Robertson Protector by Stefan Bolz The Poetry of Santiago by Jennifer Ellis Demon and Emily by David Adams Keena’s Lament by Hank Garner Tomorrow Found by Nike Cole Pet Shop by Deidre Gould Kael Takes Wing by E. E. Giorgi The Bear’s Child by Harlow C. Fallon Wings of Paradise by Todd Barselow Ghost Light by Steven Saville Kristy’s Song by Michael Bunker Unconditional by Chris Pourteau Anthologies can be tough. They can contain gems and lumps of coal. This particular anthology is very even. All the stories were good. I felt it was important to include a non-spoiler summary of each story. The authors deserve to have their stories highlighted individually instead of a collective rating. The Water Finder’s Shadow by David Bruns Mr. Bruns made me cry. The story was beautiful and very moving and frankly it hit very close to home, my home and my elderly dog. In a world where water is the most precious resource, the water finder is the highest regarded position. That is until their gift is gone and they are sold to slavers. This story follows a water finder whose gift is enhanced by his Shadow, his dog. Even as his gift begins to fade, Shadow continues to lead him to water and safe him from the wrathful tribe time and again. Now Shadow is dying and the water finder is losing not only his gift but his dearest friend. Beautiful story, well constructed world and lyrical language make The Water Finder’s Shadow a must read. Kleenex recommended. When You Open the Cages for Those Who Can’t by Edward W. Robertson A young girl lives out of step with everyone around her. She does not fit in at school. Her parents do not understand her. The only place she is comfortable at the animal hospital where her mom works. The dogs and cats kenneled there do not judge her, simply accept her. When a plague leaves her as one of the few survivors in a dangerous world, her first thought is for those animals caged at the animal hospital. This is a beautiful story illustrating in human and animal relationships it is often impossible to tell who is looking out for whom. Protector by Stefan Bolz Protector is a lovely story of loyalty based on one small act of kindness. The animal featured in this story, besides man, is the wolf. A wolf is fascinating in of itself but given a character and a voice, it really does steal the show. The Poetry of Santiago by Jennifer Ellis I am a very particular cat lover. I do not love all cats. I am very selective and the ones I do love have a uniqueness to their personalities that transcends their cat-ness. It is very hard to describe. The cat is this story would definitely meet my qualifications to be on my cool cat list. He and the human that he comes to know comfort each other in very quiet moments and very subtle gestures. It is a love story for all, even those who are not cat fans. Demon and Emily by David Adams Emily is Demon’s human. Demon is Emily’s dog. This story is the apocalypse as seen and interpreted by Demon. Events have to be processed into human terms. Demon has the unique canine gifts of heightened smell and senses. His job is to protect Emily. Against nuclear bombs, monstrous insects and predatory humans, Demon does takes them all on because Demon is a good boy. The author does a fantastic job of thinking like a dog. I could very easily see my own dog thinking in these terms. Keena’s Lament by Hank Garner What a fascinating story. The apocalypse involved is very real, and a part of human history. The story is told through the eyes of a half human/half angel type individual. He finds an orphaned dog, deeming it the purest of all the creator’s creators. He and Kenna watch events unfolding without understanding their lethal consequences. Tomorrow Found by Nike Cole Thirty years after a nuclear holocaust, a man is debating suicide when he is saved by a mother dog who is saving the runt of her litter by giving him to the man. The puppy saves the man who in turn saves the puppy, who he names Dog. The man is trying to finish his quest to find the past. The man and Dog travel through a dangerous world in search of the past to save the future. Pet Shop by Deidre Gould Surly Shirley is a parrot who lives up to her name. She has been in the pet store for 10 years because she is too mean for anyone to buy. Something has happened. The owner is gone. The food and water are almost gone. The nasty parrot has to try to stop her fellow pets from dying and deal with predatory humans. If you have owned a bird (I had several parakeets over the years), you will have no problem believing Shirley’s actions. Kael Takes Wing by E. E. Giorgi This was one of the shorter stories. There is not as much sense of post apocalypse except mentions of technology augmenting people, like prosthetics. A young raptor being parented by only one parent is at a disadvantage. It gets worse when his mother does not return and he falls from his nest, injuring himself. He is found by humans struggling with their own depravations and injuries. It is a sweet story about who we choose to call family. The Bear’s Child by Harlow C. Fallon Set in a world with a huge chasm between peoples, the people in the city, Icarus, live in safe and clean conditions. The people outside the city are considered ferals. No medicine, no support and they are hunted for sport by the city dwellers. The main character suffers from a degenerative disease that affects the ferals. It has affected her mind and she cannot always tell reality from hallucination. When she finds herself hiding from a hunter in a bear’s den, her life changes when the bear speaks to her. Wings of Paradise by Todd Barselow After an ecological disaster, animals inherit the earth. Budgies and bats form a cooperative to find food and protect themselves. It works well until humans show up again. The decision on how to deal with humans sparks dischord with unforeseen consequences. Ghost Light by Steven Saville The story begins in the post cold war days. Suddenly it begins again and ends within minutes as the buttons are pushed. The main character is a passenger on a plane in flight headed for London. The passengers take a vote and decide to try to land safely as opposed to flying until the plane ran out of fuel. The plane lands in northern Scotland with everyone safe, for the moment. As ghost lights begin to appear, in the form of phantom dogs who circle at night, the passengers know death is coming. Kristy’s Song by Michael Bunker Michael Bunker’s world created for his Pennsylvania series is the setting of this story. New Pennsylvania is a planet where people are encouraged to settle to help relieve the issues of an overcrowded earth. Unfortunately it is caught in a war. Kevin, the main character, has been on the run for over three years after removing the government mandated chip. He has survived because Kristy, his dog, accels at alerting him to danger. This story was a little of a challenge for me because I had not read any of the New Pennsylvania stories. Unconditional by Chris Pourteau A dog and his boy takes place in a world after “The Storm of Teeth” has occurred. The dog is in the yard waiting for the boy to come sneak him into his room. As the family is eating dinner, the dog becomes aware of strange smells, “unlife walking”. He is separated from his boy. As the storm of teeth grows larger, the dog continually searches for his boy. What happens is terrifying, heartbreaking and a testimony to the love between a dog and his boy. After each story, there is an explanation by the author of how the story came to be written. Some of them are fascinating. There is also information about how to find more of that particular author’s work if you enjoyed the short story. Maxwell Zener did a great job narrating. He did a wonderful job on accents, males and females and gave voice to animals that were believable. This was my first narration by Mr. Zener. I enjoyed it and will look for more of his works. Production values were very good. "Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com" Tainted Cure: The Rememdium Series, Book 1
Written by: Ashley Fontainne Narrated by: Rebecca Roberts Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:03-15-16 Publisher: RMSW Press The premise of Tainted Cure is that secret research has been ongoing for about ten years to find a permanent cure of addiction, all addiction. The research is achieved by addicting rodents to heroin. Once addicted, different formulas are tested on the rodents. Only after ten thousand plus formulas does one work. The next step is to select, literally off the streets, and use them as human test subjects. The potential to end addiction has great benefit for many, many people. It will not benefit those who produce, distribute and sell drugs. Having a mole inside the lab keeping a drug cartel lord informed, the plan is to stop the cure from being produced and reverse engineer it to make drugs more addictive. There is an unexpected side effect. The main characters in the book range from scientist to drug lords to preppers and people caught in the middle. None of the characters are really fleshed out well. The plot moves between the different people and places. Rebecca Roberts does a fantastic job narrating this book. Listening to her tell the story is much better than reading it. She infuses life into a plot and characters which otherwise seem flat. Her male as well as female characters are well done. I am never disappointed in any narrations done by Rebecca Roberts. Whether the book is poor, fair, good or excellent, her narration is always perfect. Overall 4 Performance 5 Story 3 Sherry and I participated in Goodreads 2016 TBR Twins Challenge. We chose to read Feed (Newsflesh Book 1) by Mira Grant. It was a very good choice.
When Sherry was about one third of the way through the book, she shared with me, “it's an interesting concept of how the whole thing came to be and about blogging. I kind of like the blogging aspect as now in 2016 you don't see much bloggers. It is like they say, mostly teenagers blogging about their depress/antsy life. I used to do that all during high school. I thought the blogging aspect was cool. It is a more rounded view of what is happening. Not just one person or one organization. What I really like is that it is a zombie apocalypse where civilization has not totally fallen. There is still a government. Still communication. Still the trappings of a normality. Yet there is this constant threat. If you replace "zombie" with "terrorist", it lends itself to a very good conversation. I grew up during the cold war. While we lived everyday normal lives, there was a threat constantly hanging over our heads but not visible. This book reminds me of that type of threat that is there but not there. I When Sherry finished the book, her summary was, “I LOVE IT!!!!! I can't wait for book #2. I don't want to spoil it for you but sad ending. I also think it's awesome that society did not fall. In movies you always see humanity fallen, people just savage and live off the grid. I like that it is still organized and civilized. Once I finished I decided I would give it 5 out of 5 stars. Again the main selling point for me was the uniqueness of a not completely fallen civilization. The ending was sad but left room for so much more to happen. I liked seeing Shawn grow from idiot brother to a fully realized character. As you can tell both Sherry and I were captivated by a semi-apocalypse. Most post apocalypse books I have encountered are somewhat of a scorched earth, nothing left, no civilization, no infrastructure, no communications. It was so refreshing to read a book that still has government and lights and communication. It sets a totally different feel for the book. As I referenced above, the concept of safe areas where no one is truly safe is probably the most horribly aspect of the book. Sherry and I would both highly recommend it. I also picked up the Audible version of Feed and found it to be wonderful. The narrators, Paula Christensen and Jesse Bernstein did a fantastic job. The production values were perfect. 5 of 5 stars. This is the first time I have listened to a novelization of a movie, and a junior novelization at that. Before I discuss the audiobook I just want to clarify a few points. The junior novel is 5 hours and 22 minutes while the adult novel is 10 hours and 21 minutes. There are two different authors, Michael Kogge for the junior and Alan Dean Foster for the adult. Finally there are different narrators, Jonathan Davis for the junior and Marc Thompson for the adult. Also from the sample on Audible, the adult seems to have background music, which frankly I dislike with a passion so I am very glad I am reviewing the junior novel.I feel it is very important to establish the which age group this audiobook is targeting. I asked a friend in grad school who had already listened to it and it was her opinion it was aimed at high school students. I would say middle school but she is much better educated than I am so we will go with her assessment.
If you have seen the movie, this is not a screenplay converted to prose. It does not contain every line of dialog, every moment of action, nor does it describe every breathtaking scene in detail. For those of a certain age it is like the Reader’s Digest condensed version. But that should in no way scare you away from this title. It has very strong merits of its own. The story is well told. It includes all the high points and establishes characters well. It does not include sound effects or background music (thank you whoever produced this audiobook). We meet Rey, Poe, Finn and Kylo Ren in the same manner as the movie. This is a spoiler free review so let’s just say there are some familiar faces who also make appearances of varying length. The production values were very good. There were no extraneous sounds and the volume was a constant level. Mr. Davis did a very good job narration this title. His voice creates the characters well whether they are male, female, homo sapien or other species. I especially appreciated how he did the female voices. Again being a no spoiler review, I can only say that he does almost a spot on imitation of the one male character including the infamous attitude. Mr. Davis’s pace matches the action and emotion he is describing. I did see the movie but that was about three months ago. The audiobook did a nice job of bringing back the full story to my mind. If you have a child who likes Star Wars, this title is great. If you are an adult who wants a shorter version or a version with speech only, no sound effects, you will enjoy the title, too. Story (Plot) 5 Performance 5 Production Quality 5 Attention Holding 5 Overall: 5 This audiobook was provided by Audiobook Reviewer at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review. Bioshock Rapture by John Shirley, Jeffrey Kafer (Narrator)
Published by Tantor Media I checked the Bioshock Rapture audio book from my library via Hoopla Digital. I do not think I would have read this book as a book (physical or ebook). The audio book interested me more because not being a gamer, I thought the audio book would work better for me. It did. Jeffrey Kafer did a spectacular job narrating. There are a variety of voices, accents, ages, and classes. All the voices are believable. The women's voices are very good. The only voice that got to me was the splicers but that is what their purpose is so it was actually a good job. [SPOILER] Having watched my son play Bioshock, I found the story fascinating. It tells the events that preceded the game. How Rapture was conceived and built. How it was originally settled. And how it inevitably destroyed itself. Having listened to the book, I need to seek out more narrations by Jefrey Kafer. If you have played Bioshock, I suggest you listen to this audio book (or read it). Then play Bioshock again. I think it will give the player a whole new appreciation for the incredible world that was Rapture. The Scattered and the Dead, Book 0.5 Written by: Tim McBain, L.T. Vargus Narrated by: Tim McBain Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:02-04-16 Publisher: Smarmy Press The Scattered and the Dead, Book 0.5 had been on my Kindle radar for a few days. I liked the description. The prices was right, less than a dollar, but I just had not made that commitment click yet. Earlier today I was offered a free copy of the Audible version in exchange for a fair review. I immediately committed to it. I thought I would start listening to it tonight and finish tomorrow since it is only two and a half hours long. That did not happen. I sat in my chair totally lost in the book. Other than pausing to tell my family to fend for themselves for dinner (all over eighteen so it is not abuse, it is character building), I got lost in a new universe. The Scattered and the Dead begins twenty-one days before. Before what is something the reader has to discover for themselves. In the dwindling days of “before”, Decker, the main character watches the world slip away. Very important to note, that he watches; other than one event he does not participate. Once the countdown of “before” ends and the count begins to go up for “after”, Decker finds he cannot wait this catastrophe out. When he does venture out and participate, the story was not predictable. I would be neglectful if I did not mention Decker’s reliance on Tang for vitamin C. I feel compelled to share that my plumber advises us to use Tang once a week to keep our sink from clogging. Drink at your own risk. When I finished, I sat for a few minutes wishing it continued. It really is a great story. The production values are excellent. There are no extraneous noises. No background music or sound effects. Just the clear strong voice of the narrator, who happens to be one of the authors. Tim McBain did a fantastic job narrating the book. Perhaps having helped create it helped. He did not seem to be reading it as much as telling it, as one survivor sharing their story with another. It makes for a very intimate narration. I truly enjoyed The Scattered and the Dead, Book 0.5. I am looking forward to the sequel coming out in the next month. The authors have created a post apocalyptic universe that feels different than many of the other I have read (and I have read many). I cannot quite put my finger on it yet to say definitively what is different but I look forward to the sequel to discover exactly what it is that makes this universe different. Story (Plot) 5 Performance 5 Production Quality 5 Attention Holding 5 I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair review. I purchased the Kindle version myself. Karen Memory
Written by: Elizabeth Bear Narrated by: Jennifer Grace Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:02-17-15 Publisher: Recorded Books Karen Memory can be classified as sci-fi fantasy, steampunk, western, mystery, or historical fiction. It is all of those. It is especially the tale of an extremely capable young woman who can be tender, nurturing and kick ass as the situation demands. Karen is one of the most memorable (figure the pun) heroines you will ever meet. She does not need a man to save her. The really great part of the story is the men do not need to be saved either. Both male and female characters are well developed and balanced. If a character is weak it is the personality of the character, not the gender that makes them so. Karen Memory is a prostitute at Hôtel Mon Cherie, one of the better bordellos in what is to become Seattle. She works for Madame Damnable. Karen describes Madame as, “She’s got to be fifty-nine, and she’s still got a balcony you could do Shakespeare from.” The descriptions of people are wonderful. They are three dimensional with actions fitting with their characters. The range of characters is broad also. Besides Karen’s coworkers there are villains, inventors, and a broad range of nationalities as well as ethnicities. Karen tells narrates her own story. Her voice is clear. Her backstory slips in where she feels it is relevant to what is happening. It does help explain her motivations and how she comes to working as a prostitute. The steampunk aspect of the story is very subtle. It is woven into the story and not distracting at all. Karen’s sexuality is seamlessly written into the story. Her attraction to women is not explained or commented on. It just is as it should be only a part of who she is. The narration by Jennifer Grace is perfect. Karen’s voice is strong as she recounts the events that take place in the story. She admits her mistakes, admits her fears, and allows her anger to show. She felt very real to me, like someone I would want to call friend. The other voices are equally well done by Ms. Grace. The women’s voices are identifiable by pitch, accent or tone as are the men’s voices. It really is a great job narrating. I enjoyed Karen Memory and was sad to see the book end. I know it will be one that I will revisit again and again. Story (Plot) 5 Performance 5 Production Quality 5 Attention Holding 5 I received Karen Memory from Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for a fair review. Carnivores
Written by: Richard Poche Narrated by: S W Salzman Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:08-07-15 Publisher: Richard Poche Carnivore is a story set in the urban area of Oakland, CA. It is a pretty standard werewolf story. Nothing really struck me as new or inventive. The story itself was enjoyable as a quick story in a genre I enjoy. It contains the usual props; silver knives, howling, and a lot of blood. The story did have an abrupt ending. I am assuming this will be the first book in a series if the author feels it has an audience. S W Salzman did a nice job narrating. He kept his narration in sync with the pacing of the story. He does well with the different accents required by the characters. But there were times when I was ready to quit the book. The background sound effects and music were horrible. They were distracting and often overwhelmed the narrator’s voice. The use of a guttural or demonic voice announcing each chapter was nails on a chalkboard. The beginning of Chapter Four, I can barely hear the narrator over the music. Dear Producer, please make it stop. Let the narrator carry the story. He is more than capable and the added noises were killing the audiobook. I will try another audiobook narrated by S W Salzman if it is not produced by the same group. I may also try a book by Richard Poche. But I will definitely listen to as much of the sample as I can to make sure it does not contain all the sound effects and background music. Audiobook provided for review by the narrator in exchange for a fair review. Story (Plot) 3 Performance 4 Production Quality 1 Attention Holding 2 Advise and Consent
Written by: Allen Drury Narrated by: Allan Robertson Length: 33 hrs and 17 mins Series: Advise and Consent, Book 1 Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:05-13-15 Publisher: ListenUp Audiobooks When I was a teen in the 1970’s, and reading everything I could get my hands on, my mother suggested Advise and Consent by Allan Drury. I did not pick it up until I was 53 years old and my mother had been gone twenty-seven years. Mom, you were right. It is a fantastic book and well worth reading over and over. The audiobook, narrated by Allan Robertson, is over 33 hours long. I was very impressed by the end of the first hour. Allan Robertson does a fantastic job narrating this book. His cast of characters range from the President to Senators from multiple states and regions to women. It was easy to hear which character was speaking. Mr. Robertson gave them individual, recognizable and authentic voices. No easy task with a book that involves so many characters. The book itself, written in 1959, is a political thriller. It is also a very accurate look at how things get done in Washington behind the scene. The author gets it right how most of the work is done in committee and caucus meetings. Before the bill ever hits the full Senate, it has already gone through countless hours of negotiation. While this may sound boring, Drury makes it suspenseful and exciting. The main plot of the story is the Senate deciding whether or not to confirm the President’s candidate for Secretary of State. Of all the cabinet positions, Secretary of State is the most visible and career enhancing. Several main characters are opposed to the nominee from the beginning, either through personal conflicts or ideological ones. When allegations arise that the nominee has communist sympathies (remember this is 1959 and there was still a very real Cold War with the USSR), the majority party is faced with the choice of doing what their party leader, the President, wants or doing what they feel is right for the country. Backroom deals and blackmail soon become the currency of securing the needed votes. It is still very relevant to the reader in 2016. The USSR may be gone into the history books, but the threats, perceived or real, to our country still exist. The writing is excellent. One of my favorite quotes so far is, "who will do what and why, all the web of interlocking interests and desires and ambitions and arrangements that always lies behind the simple ultimate, final statement, 'The Senate voted today-." I love this one because it is so true. By the time the news reports what the Senate voted on, so much has happened to create those words. Another great quote is when the President is thinking about his mistake in supporting a Senator who is dishonest and power hungry. The President thinks, “He suspects he has created a baby Moloch who will continue to demand sacrifices.” I highly recommend Advise and Consent. The audio version with the narrator’s excellent job on creating the characters is perfect. I just purchased the second book (Kindle and audio versions) in the series. Story (Plot) 5 Performance 5 Production Quality 5 Attention Holding 5 I received Advise and Consent provided from Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for a fair review. Spectacular Wickedness: Sex, Race, and Memory in Storyville, New Orleans by Emily Epstein Landau2/2/2016 My original Spectacular Wickedness: Sex, Race, and Memory in Storyville, New Orleans audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
The only book I have ever encountered before about Storyville was The Girl From Storyville by Frank Yerby, published in 1972. As I listened to Spectacular Wickedness, I was struck by how accurate of a picture Yerby had portrayed in his novel. Emily Epstein Landau introduces us to the real Storyville. New Orleans had a reputation for being a city of sin from it’s earliest days. Landau traces how this reputation was earned in each incarnation of the city. From the French, Creoles, and Americans, as New Orleans changed hands, it did not change its reputation. In 1897, the city passed a zoning code establishing a red light district in the hope of containing the vice to one area. The hope was if the vice was contained, visitors would see more of the honest hard working community and attract more business. This red light district became Storyville and for almost twenty years it was the wildest red light district in the country. Landau explores the history of Storyville through primary source documentation from individuals from all points of the social and economic spectrum. The most important business in Storyville was sex. There were closet sized bordellos and very fancy upscale bordellos. The women who worked there were members of all races as were their customers. The major difference was while the sex workers may be of several different races within a bordello, the clientele would only be white or non-white. The rules concerning races were less stringent in Storyville then outside the red light district. That all changed with the advent of Jim Crow laws due to the Supreme Court ruling on Plessy vs. Ferguson which started in the New Orleans courts. Another area Landau explores is how Storyville was an incubator for Jazz. Many great jazz musicians began their careers playing at the bars, clubs or bordellos in Storyville. Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton are just two of these greats who worked there. Lee Ann Howlett does a good job narrating Spectacular Wickedness. The subject matter is complex and dense at times. Her voice is pleasant and never goes to monotone. Her narration reminded me of a good college professor. It is similar to listening to a very good lecture. Spectacular Wickedness is fascinating. Ms. Howlett does a fine job with it. The only reason I rated it as 4 stars for attention holding is because of the complexity of the information. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to look at a familiar topic through a new perspective. Story 5 stars Performance 5 stars Production Quality 5 stars Attention Holding 4 stars Overall 5 stars Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com Advise and Consent
Written by: Allen Drury Narrated by: Allan Robertson Length: 33 hrs and 17 mins Series: Advise and Consent, Book 1 Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:05-13-15 Publisher: ListenUp Audiobooks I am currently listening to Advise and Consent provided by Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for a fair review. It is over 33 hours long so I am not done with it yet but I am very impressed. Allan Robertson does a fantastic job narrating this book. His cast of characters range from the President to Senators from multiple states and regions to women. The book itself, written in 1959, is a political thriller. It is also a very accurate look at how things get done in Washington behind the scene. The author gets it right how most of the work is done in committee and caucus meetings. Before the bill ever hits the full Senate, it has already gone through countless hours of negotiation. While this may sound boring, Drury makes it suspenseful and exciting. The writing is excellent. One of my favorite quotes so far is, "who will do what and why, all the web of interlocking interests and desires and ambitions and arrangements that always lies behind the simple ultimate, final statement, 'The Senate voted today-." I still have a ways to go but just wanted to share how terrific the audiobook is so far. If anyone else is listening or reading it and wants to discuss it, let me know. The Immortalist: A Sci-Fi Thriller
Written by: Scott Britz Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release Date:04-14-15 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Dr. Cricket Rensselaer-Wright, the main character of The Immortalist, is a virologist who has just returned from Africa. She is coming back to the US to take custody of her only child from her ex-husband. Due to an incident in Africa, she has a staggering case of PTSD mixed with a near fatal dose of guilt. Cricket’s stability is an issue from start to finish in the book, it colors how she sees herself, how she reacts to situations and how others perceive her. It is an almost visible monkey on her back. Cricket returns to the research institute her father started and where she grew up. Her ex-husband, also a scientist, lives there with their teenage daughter Emily. Confession time: I was not always sure who had the more adolescent attitude, Cricket or her daughter. The timing of Cricket’s return is based on her need to have her daughter. To Dr. Charles Gifford, the current director and Jack Niedermann, the VP of Development for Eden Pharmaceuticals, her timing is suspicious. They are ready to unveil the Methuselah Vector, the cure for mortality. The Vector, developed from Cricket’s father’s early work, is the cure all for everything from cancer to aging. Gifford and Niedermann suspect Cricket has returned to demand a share of the profit from the Vector, which will be historically huge. As with all human attempts at conquering death, hubris equals disaster. The Methuselah Vector has a very big flaw that only Cricket sees. Her warnings are written off to her instability or her attempts to extract more money from from the profits. No one believes her until people start dying. The Immoralist was a good story, not a great one. None of the characters really made me care about them. Cricket’s character was shrill. Her actions towards her daughter set my teeth on edge. For a mother trying to reconcile with a daughter, she did everything wrong even when others tried to help. Emily’s was a brat. Gifford was actually stupid for a genius or maybe it was arrogance and not stupidity. Niedermann was a recycled villain. He sneered. He postured. His dialogue was taken from the Villain’s Handbook on Intimidation. The conclusion really dragged out. It was “how many different ways can Cricket be in danger” in the last section of the book. Cassandra Campbell did a nice job narrating the book. Her volume was consistent. In the places where she did have to raise her voice, it was not distorted or loud enough to have to turn down the volume. There was enough shading in her characters to be able to tell them apart. Her accents were good. The production values were good. I would try another book by Scott Britz. The Immortalist is compared to Coma by Robin Cook. It is a valid comparison. If you loved Coma, you will probably love The Immortalist. If you liked Coma, you will probably feel the same about the Immortalist. I have heard books by Cassandra Campbell and she is excellent. I would recommend the book just based on her performance. Story (Plot) 3 Performance 5 Production Quality 5 Attention Holding 3 Overall 4 I received a free copy from Audiobook Reviewer in exchange for a free review. |
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