Betsy Fowler

Alanis Morrisette's story with songs

Revisado: 04-28-25

I am not a fan of Alanis but I appreciate her talent. Her tale is not unusual but would be more compelling if she could tell it without the jargon she now uses, which was often incomprehensible to me. She performs with energy and conviction. Recommended for her fans.

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Heroes in the US government

Revisado: 04-21-25

This compilation by Michael Lewis includes 2 articles he wrote, which are better than the others. All the articles are interesting and put the US government and its employees in a favorable light. But now, in April 2025, I wonder if any of the civil servants featured in this audiobook still have their jobs. Thanks to the Trump-Musk government-job destruction juggernaut, if they do today, the odds are slim that they will for much longer.

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Betty Reid Soskin's life and career, in her own words

Revisado: 04-13-25

This excellent, well-written and engrossing audiobook should be required reading for those who seek truth about African-American history, if there are any such people left in the now-benighted and degraded USA. The author pulls no punches about her opinion of "the land of the free" and she is more right nowadays than she was when she wrote this memoir. Though she ends her story during the hopeful Obama era, today as I read it our country has fallen back to the dark ages with a malevolent despot destroying far too much of what used to be good about America. Soon the US will truly be a shit-hole nation, deservedly hated by every other country, no matter its politics. Betty is 103 now and I hope she lives to see better times.

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Advice to the Democratic Party from Klein & Thompson

Revisado: 03-31-25

Ezra Klein begins by clearly and cogently recapping recent political history and demonstrating how the Dems failed see what they ought to have done to maintain any form of leadership in the US, by mistaking ideals for action. He then gives many examples of projects which have failed, and why. Thompson continues by giving concrete examples of projects which succeeded and why they did. The reader is left to imagine what might happen next. No analysis is offered regarding the appalling retrograde actions being taken by the Trump-Musk destruction machine.

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Superb book about George Washington

Revisado: 03-21-25

Travels With George is an excellent book--entertaining, informative and sometimes surprising. Comparisons of Washington's time with our own makes clear how far we have fallen from our own ideals as a nation. Author Nathaniel Philbrick is a gifted writer. As a narrator, he is OK, but far less gifted. This does not in any way from the value of his book.

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Elton John's touring career

Revisado: 02-12-25

This audiobook is about Elton John's final tour and also looks back on his entire touring career. Narrator Richard Armitage reads EJ's side of the story and makes him sound very warm and likeable and I believe EJ has these qualities, but this is the most annoyingly self-congratulatory book I've read in many years, so despite the attribution to EJ and his husband, I think it is ghost-written. Most of the non-Armitage content is uninteresting, but the discussions of EJ's views on LGBTQ+ rights are worth hearing, Go for it if you are a big fan!

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Applebaum on Autocracy

Revisado: 02-07-25

"Autocracy Inc." is a timely and important
work, especially now that Donald Trump is back as US president and behaving like the malevolent dictator he has always wanted to be. It was eye-opening to me how autocracies form networks, so we can only hope that Trump's hatred of China, Iran and North Korea (though not of Russia) might help save the US from losing its democracy entirely. One problem with this audiobook is Ms Applebaum's rapid-fire delivery, probably forced upon her. (She narrates more slowly in one other work I've heard.) Highly recommended all the same.

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Pulp thriller fiction, well performed

Revisado: 01-30-25

I am no fan of books with phony plots, so I rushed through this one. Richard Armitage's performance drew me in at first but I soon wearied of the overly-contrived story. Not recommended unless you are a die-hard Alice Feeney fan!

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Susanna Clarke's novel of magic brought to life

Revisado: 01-25-25

I had read 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel' about 20 years ago, not very long after it appeared; although I was impressed by it I did not fully appreciate it until I heard this audiobook. The talented performer Richard Armitage makes it come alive as I could not have imagined. All the characters seemed like old friends by the time I finished it. Highly recommended!

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Agatha Christie's "Styles" mystery brilliantly performed

Revisado: 12-27-24

This is a wonderful audio adaptation with an excellent cast--Peter Dinklage does a very mannered and temperamental Poirot and Hamish Patel a hasty but likeable Hastings. Johnny Flynn's music is wonderfully atmospheric. A must-hear.

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