hayhay321

Perfect Narration

Revisado: 10-13-21

This was a great listen. A variation of the body-swapping genre with not only a fun romantic story line but a heart-warming story about family too. But the narration is what really brought this gem to life. I hope to see more narrations from Phillipa Soo in the future!

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Glimpse into a real life Molly Weasley-style home

Revisado: 07-30-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This was not what I expected when I originally downloaded the title. Being first, unfamiliar with Red Tash's other works, and second, a fan of a few series featuring kitchen witches as the protagonists, I thought this was going to be another fictional story about a kitchen witch. So for anyone expecting that, this is NOT a supernatural, fictional story.

However, it was a delightful listen. Red shares recipes for everything from tasty chicken dishes to fabric softener. She makes the idea of brewing your own household products sound fun and easy, rather than being a daunting task that only a "perfect" lady of the house could accomplish. She also shares some other helpful ideas for making life around the house a little simpler, a few of which I plan on implementing myself now that I know they're even an option! Scattered among all these helpful tips and tricks are funny stories of her family life and endearing descriptions of her home, all of which make me want to come spend the day snuggled in front of her wood burning stove, sampling some of her homemade concoctions!

Red also provides a website where you can access lists and links to all of the items or ingredients she mentions in her book, which is very helpful for someone like me who listened to this while commuting or getting other things done around the house and was unable to make notes.

If you are an established fan of Red Tash, this will give you a fun peek into the life behind her stories. And if you are a new fan of hers like I am (I will certainly be looking up some of her fictional works in the near future) this is a great listen with helpful ideas. If you're looking for ways to simplify life just a little bit to make time for things more fun than vacuuming and doing laundry, without completely outsourcing all of your household responsibilities, this is the book for you!

*I was provided a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Much more than just a list of profanity

Revisado: 09-07-17

Any additional comments?

I very much enjoyed this book. I don't wander away from fiction very often, so when I do and it's worth it, I have to speak up. Granted, if you are, should we say, a bit prudish or easily offended, or simply prefer to stay away from profanity in all forms for whatever reason, this is probably not a book for you. The first few chapters where Bergen compiles long lists of profanity for definition, classification, ranking, etc purposes, it was slightly shocking at first. But, where as if I had been reading a hard copy of this book I might have scanned through them and moved on, listening to the audio version I was forced to sit and listen as Bergen read off each list in its entirety, and before long it really was more funny than anything to be sitting in my car listening to someone read off such long lists of profanity. The later chapters dive into interesting questions- how does something become a swear word? How does our brain reaction and process those words differently? Does our brain process obscene gestures in the same manner as hearing profanity? How do deaf people swear? Do different languages across the globe swear in the same way and find the same things offensive? Does censorship work? Bergen dives into each question in a thoroughly scientific manner, describing in detail the experiments that have he has run to determine these answers and what the findings were. In some cases he explains why there have been no studies done, and in others he dives into the studies published by others, walking the reader through the reference material and the conclusions, and either supporting or debunking the results. Now, this sounds thoroughly boring, but let me assure you it is not. This is a funny, witty, intelligently written book. In almost every chapter Bergen starts by introducing you to the history of the subject at hand, be it spoken language, sign language, the differences between cultures, etc, and I found myself learning about all kinds of new topics before he even brought the discussion around to profanity and how it relates to the subject on hand. Obviously this book is going to have a slightly smaller general audience than books on other topics, but if you can get through the opening chapters, I promise there are gems in here you won't be sorry you missed.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

The Original Time Loop Novel

Revisado: 09-07-17

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What if you could live for hundreds of years, but never actually got to see the future? Replay, one of the earliest forms of the time loop genre that I was, until recently, completely unaware of, explores this idea. But this book is about so much more than just replaying a portion of your life. It explores ideas about whether or not you can find more than one great love in a lifetime, and how differing circumstances can change and alter that love and who you both are within that relationship. It illustrates how important it is to find someone who understands you and you can be open with, whether or not you've had the exact same experiences in life. It plays with the idea of what we can and cannot change in this world, what we should and should not try to change. When you have the ability of foresight, are you obligated to use it? This book makes you think. But it's also full of beautiful moments. There were times where I just closed my eyes and listened, and found myself smiling as I pictured what the characters were experiencing. I imagine this is a book that changes with each new reading, depending on where you are in your own life. I definitely plan on recommending this to the people in my life, and look forward to discussing how we each responded to it.

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A twist on Twilight for adults

Revisado: 08-22-17

Any additional comments?

An interesting twist on the vampire romance genre. I found myself over and over again under the impression that I was reading a more mature version of Twilight. I do wish the book spent more time developing the conflict and secondary characters, instead of focusing on the romantic relationship between the 2 main characters. A large portion of the book was devoted to developing the relationship between Diana and Matthew, filled with unnecessary displays of bravado, possessiveness, self doubt, and denial of one's feelings and/or abilities. I found the beginning and the end of the book to be much more interesting, when I was able to learn more about this particular universe, how the laws of magic worked within it, and see how the story lines among the many creatures started to entwine themselves. I definitely want to know more about the Bishop house, and hope that it is developed more as a character unto itself in the remainder of the series. This book as a whole was a bit long and rambling to not be a stand alone novel. I would not suggest reading this if you do not intend to finish the series, as this entire first work really only sets up the rest of the story to come. That said, now that I've finished this novel, I will definitely be seeking out the remainder of the series to see how things play out.

I will say that Jennifer Ikeda did a wonderful job with the wide range of accents among the characters.

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Intriguing from the first chapter

Revisado: 08-04-17

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This book was great. Peter Clines definitely has a new follower, and I'll also have to check out more items narrated by Ray Porter. As I listened to the story build and climax, I was reminded of listening to Jurassic Park, or the Martian: sitting on the edge of my seat, having lost track of whatever I was doing and staring off into space as I listened. The major difference here being that I hadn't already seen the movie and I didn't actually know what was going to happen next. Clines was able to generate an intangible sense of unease from the very first pages. A knowledge that something is wrong, but you just can't put your finger on it. He builds on that as the story progresses, making it impossible to put this book down. And even as the answers start revealing themselves, each one comes as a new surprise with more questions. Porter did an excellent job narrating, with each character's voice and way of speaking nuanced depending on their role and motivations in the story as it unfolds. The intensity and sense of urgency he was able to capture during the closing chapters had me gasping, cringing and clasping my hands over my mouth as if I was watching a blockbuster thriller. (I'm sure the drivers around me as I listened during my commute home were VERY curious as to what was going on.)

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Hilarious, snarky, a MUST listen!

Revisado: 03-13-17

Who was your favorite character and why?

Yulric Bile- his dry comments and reactions as his old school expectations run up against barriers in this new world just make for such hilarity!

Which scene was your favorite?

Our first encounter with Yulric in the house as the mob approaches is fantastic, and the description of his varied reactions as Amanda drives him into the city had me cracking up.

Any additional comments?

If you like books with dry wit and snarky characters, this is a must listen. An ancient villain wakes up in the modern world, develops an intense aversion to cars and a great love of television, and is disgusted to learn that vampires are expected to be sexy, attractive and GOOD. After learning how to navigate this new world- with a little help from a busty, blonde 22-year-old but mostly through hilarious series of trial and error- he teams up with an 8 year old who would rather play with crossbows than hang out with the other kids in his neighborhood, a comatose woman, and several old colleagues in order to set the record straight. Hands down one of the funniest books I've listened to.

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Claire Danes shines in this dystopian novel

Revisado: 03-06-17

Would you listen to The Handmaid's Tale again? Why?

Yes. While I wouldn't rank this among my favorite books (I'm not a fan of books without clear endings) I think it would be an interesting book to listen to again. First to pick up on any details I missed. Second in an attempt to sort out the timeline a little more clearly in my head. And third in order to see how my opinions of the social and political commentary evident in the novel changes over the years.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Personally I enjoy a more clearcut ending to my novels. But to be fair, I'm not sure it would have been possible to wrap this one up nicely with a bow without coming across as a copout.

What about Claire Danes’s performance did you like?

Claire Danes was perfect in this performance. She managed to separate the individual characters without resorting to absurd accents or over the top caricatures. The nuances of her performance gave the narrator a depth and range of emotion that seemed both realistic and appropriate to the different moments in her life as portrayed in this novel.

Any additional comments?

An interesting listen. I'm not sure about the ending- whether I like it or not. The writing was wonderful though. The moments where it seemed like more of an exercise in word association, or stream of consciousness were well done. Instead of confusing the reader as this kind of writing can sometimes do, Atwood used these as opportunities to jump seamlessly from one point on the narrator's timeline to another, lending the story a sense of cohesiveness in a new and creative way. As with any well written dystopian novel, the political and social commentary gives the listener plenty to think about. I'll definitely be recommending this to my friends so that we can discuss when they finish!

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A delightful narrating of a delightful tale

Revisado: 02-21-17

What does Christina Moore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Christina Moore was WONDERFUL! She made each character distinctive, and her voice for the Swamp Monster and the Perfectly Tiny Dragon couldn't have been more perfect. I think I fell in the love with these characters more through her portrayal of them than I would have if I had read this on my own.

Any additional comments?

This was a truly delightful listen. Barnhill did a wonderful job of weaving the story together through the use of multiple narrators, and layering the characters to keep them from coming across as one dimensional- the Swamp Monster and the Perfectly Tiny Dragon are probably my favorites. This book examines the span of human emotions- love, sorrow, grief, hope, anger- in such an honest way, and the way it uses each of these emotions to pull magic out of different characters is so clever. This would be a great book for younger listeners, but is just as enjoyable for mature audiences.

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Immensely entertaining and educational!

Revisado: 02-16-17

What does Simon Winchester bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I rather think this might have been a fairly dry read, with all of the definitions and historical references. Listening to it, especially by the author, allowed inflections and tones to be come through as intended. I think this also helped pace the book in a manner where I could keep up, rather than having to go back and reread sections that I had gotten lost in or not understood fully, as I think might have been the case if I had read it myself.

Any additional comments?

As many of my friends and family already know due to my daily raves, I enjoyed this book immensely more than anticipated. What I started reading due to an intriguing title and premise, has quickly become one of my most fervent recommendations to anyone looking for their next book. The amount of research that went into this work and the topics covered is simply staggering (as noted when you get to the acknowledgments section at the end of the book). What results is an entertaining, but also tremendously interesting and educational tale, spanning several continents and nearly a century (rather more than a century if you include the references to modern dictionaries and the current study and treatment of the mentally ill). I stopped several times while reading in order to look up in more detail some topic that had been woven into this history and grabbed my interest, and as a result have added several titles to my wishlist I would have otherwise never known about nor had any interest in reading. Also of note, I have never been a huge fan of non-fiction, so the fact that I found this title so entertaining speaks volumes for the way Winchester was able to sort through the mountains of information and weave together such a cohesive narrative. I truly cannot recommend this book enough!

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