AIT

Unbelievable

Revisado: 01-29-24

I am surprised at all of the five star ratings for the story.
 I thought the narrator did a good job, and the production values were good… But the story just did not work for me.
 Maybe I’ve read one too many of the gone girl type books with the big switcheroo and the unreliable narrator kind of concept?
 I just couldn’t get into the story,l nor did I find it at all believable… And I love thrillers so my “believable” is in the realm of the plots associated with mysteries/thrillers.

Light “spoilers” to follow:
The protagonist just got out of prison… 10 years in prison… And she still completely naïve and sort of a doormat? (do we ever find out what she spent 10 years in prison for… Did I just skip right over that part?) I understand her character was supposed to be desperate for a job, but I can’t imagine someone spending 10 years in prison being so clueless about possible nefarious motives on the part of others and so completely unprepared, to defend herself in any way.

She is gifted a cell phone by her employer, and uses it once to translate for the “hot hunky, Italian lawn guy” but then never again. It seems like she would’ve been smart enough to try to communicate with him via Google translate.
The list of unsatisfying plot points goes on and on…

Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this type of book but I did not particularly enjoy it, I did not like any of the characters or find any of the events (plot twists) especially surprising.
This kind of thing has been done much better in other books, IMHO.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

One of the few times in my life I liked the movie better

Revisado: 01-28-24

First, this is an excellent book. It’s gripping, spooky, and the story stays with you long after you finished. The narrator does a terrific job of keeping the story moving, and all the characters differentiated and engaging.

 That said, I think I enjoyed the movie a bit better. The movie simplifies the plot line… Perhaps for some people too much… And combines two characters into one in some places… But it’s a really engaging and spooky movie. Perhaps because I saw the movie before I read the book, or maybe it’s my love of the vintage actors who appear in the movie (Fred Astaire, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks, junior,Melvin Douglas, Patricia Neal) but whatever the case, I had a hard time getting into the book.

However, once I got into it and quit comparing it to the movie, I did enjoy. It is a very complicated plot line and the “ghost“ is a different type of malevolent spirit than portrayed in the movie.

The first couple of chapters were hard to get into but again perhaps it was my comparing it to the movie and being confused about what this character was doing. If you’ve never seen the movie jump right in, you’ll enjoy it. If you have seen the movie divorce the two in your mind and you’ll have a better experience.



Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A fitting end to a remarkable series

Revisado: 01-28-24

The narration is spot on. She really brings the character to life.
 The story is very engaging and kept my interest the whole time.
 In fact, the whole entire series is worth listening to. The earlier books, A,B, C… Maybe a few others are narrated by a different actress. But she does a good job as well. 
Kinsey Millhone was a fantastic character. Quirky, flawed and very relatable.
While I don’t believe it’s necessary to listen in order, it is fun to watch the character progress. Sue Grafton kept the setting in the 1980s, so it’s very interesting to recall a world without cell phones, and GPS and the Internet, etc. etc.
So, if you enjoy detective fiction, and are open to a female protagonist, the entire series is very engaging and enjoyable. And this book, Y, the last one in the series before the author passed away, is one of the better entries in my opinion.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

An in-depth history of the Carol Burnett show

Revisado: 01-28-24

Carol Burnett is, as always, charming, warm, and funny. And in that regard, this book does not disappoint at all.
However, this book is a blow by below description of almost every episode and skit they performed during the shows 11 year run.
I grew up with her show, and very much enjoyed the behind-the-scenes anecdotes and the reminiscing about so many of the famous skits that I remember watching as a child. However, if you are not, especially familiar with the show, didn’t see many episodes, or are not familiar with the celebrities of that era, this book might not be for you.
That said, Several parts are laugh out loud funny.
I did enjoy her autobiography more. It’s even funnier and more touching and I would recommend that book (and audiobook narrated also by ) to anyone and everyone.
However, if you are a fan of Carol, Tim, Harvey, Vicky, Lyle, the show in general or are curious about television history, you won’t want to miss this book.



Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

“Try hard, help your friends, don’t get too crazy, and have fun”

Revisado: 01-28-24

I completely enjoyed finding out more about Penny Marshall.
I was familiar with the show, Laverne and Shirley, and aware that she had directed several popular movies, but other than that I did not know anything about her life.
The book is very stream of consciousness. A collection of stories, and anecdotes and events from her life, told in chronological order. But in a very casual way. Like a friend or relative telling you funny stories.
Penny narrates her own story, and her voice is very distinctive. I appreciate the Bronx accent and the very plain spoken way of getting her point across “what are you gonna do”.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys biography, or has interest in Hollywood history, or even sports history… Turns out Miss Marshall was a big sports fan and knew a lot of the players from various teams!
She knew everyone who was anyone in the entertainment industry during her era. And her stories about these people are very intriguing and often hilarious.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Ok, but not as engaging as My Life In France

Revisado: 03-31-21

I am a HUGE Julia Child fan. I grew up watching her PBS TV shows with my father who loved to cook. This "part 2" by a great grand nephew with whom she co-wrote My Life In France does not live up to the previous book. The author is the narrator this time and I think a professional actor would have done a better job with the voices and the pacing (Kimberly Farr did a GREAT job with MLIF). The book feels like a rather dry recitation of facts and events. Somehow this part did not capture Julia's spirit or personality as the previous book did.
Prud'homme did do a lot of research and includes many interesting tidbits, but there are MUCH better books about Julia out there.
I recommend: My Life in France, Dearie and Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child, and Avis DeVoto (Not available as an audiobook as far as I know, but a GREAT read!)
TL/DR?: An OK book for fans. But better reads and listens available that cover the same ground.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Not as good as I remembered

Revisado: 03-31-21

I read this book decades ago and became a bit obsessed with the series. I loved Interview and eagerly awaited (and then devoured) the next several in the series.
Interview With The Vampire was my "October Listen" this past fall, and I was eager to "relive the magic" that I remembered from reading it.
And although the performer was outstanding, the book was a disappointment. So wordy and overwrought. Rice's style felt florid, and her descriptions overdone. The extreme angst of the main characters became annoying and overshadowed the story.
This listen left me wondering why I remembered loving the book. What had I seen in it all those years ago?
Perhaps my expectations were too high based on my recollections from the early '80s.
If you are unfamiliar and like gothic horror, I say give it a go. But don't get your hopes too high.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Engaging thriller

Revisado: 04-29-19

Well voiced by Ann Marie Lee. She is particularly effective when acting the main character Anna.
The book begins in the middle of the story and works back and forward as the story goes along.
The plot is interesting. A few twists and surprises.
I especially enjoyed all the references to old movies! However, if you are not a fan of classic Cinema, I suspect the very frequent references to the movies will seem confusing or annoying.
Two small issues...after finishing the book, I reflected on how, for such an accomplished, educated woman, Anna is blazingly incompetent in her field of expertise. Secondly as she is such a fan of old movies, I was surprised she did not employ some of the tactics of her movie heroes and heroines. To avoid spoilers I’ll stop there.
Not great or "the best ever" but for fans of the genre I think you will find The Woman in the Window overall an enjoyable listen!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Book 2 Travis McGee

Revisado: 04-13-19

One of the weaker books in the series, in my opinion. The plot is pretty contrived and implausible. But considering it was written in the early 60s I think that’s where the obsession with Hallucinogenics comes from.

The performance is terrific. Petkoff narrates the entire series and really does an outstanding job.

As to the series…
Well, to read detective novels from the 60s and 70s is to accept that there will be a certain amount of racism, sexism, misogyny and homophobia.
And all those things are present in the Travis McGee novels. Perhaps it is nostalgia on my part… My dad was a huge fan of these books back in the day… so I overlook a lot of that when listening to these books. If you were able to overlook those things, or encapsulate them in the time the books were written, the Travis McGee novels are quite engaging and entertaining as mysteries. And, again, the performance is so good in all of these that you will be quite drawn in.
If you are new to this series, don’t start with this one.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great performance of a classic!

Revisado: 04-03-19

Truly excellent multi cast performance of a classic gothic style mystery.
Unabridged
If you are not familiar with the story/ author ... the style is similar ( IMHO) to Charles Dickens... lots of dramatic descriptions.
If you like Dickens you will love this.
If not, you may find some passages tedious... speed up the playback!
It is my understanding that The Woman In White if often credited as the first mystery.
Give it a go!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona