Jen Si

Fast paced and thought provoking story

Revisado: 08-22-23

Really fun sequel that could easily stand alone. The folks that survived the Yellowstone explosion have found a viable earth in a different timeline and are working hard to create a colony. At first, the scientists get along, but as they pick up more survivors from the non-scientific community, tempers start to flare. A very interesting look at ageism, political divides, and survivalism. Quickly paced, this is a fun read.

The reviews on Audible are very divided, with some saying it is too "left" or "political". I disagree. It is science-based and sticks with accurate science throughout, and I found that to be refreshing.

Narrated by the great Ray Porter. Recommended.

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Taylor and Porter Excel In this Fast Paced Story

Revisado: 05-29-23

Dennis E Taylor and narrator/performer Roy Porter are a force to be reckoned with. They return in this Audible Original story of a young man who has been suspended from MIT and who accidentally kills an invisible alien by running over it with his truck.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Immediately, Jack and his friends Patrick and Natalie find themselves in an intergalactic mess. This story is light, humorous, and fast paced. What a fun read/listen! Lots of science to enjoy, fun Star Trek jokes, and quick adventures as the team tries to save the Earth from a group of aliens who are using disinformation to speed up the planet's demise.

I read some reviews on Audible and some people were upset that the book addressed climate change and QAnon and the like. They said things like, "Keep politics out of your books!" But, the thing is, that is part of the plot. The aliens are using media outlets to promote false information to speed up the destruction of Earth. It is plausible and feasible, and the book is not preachy about it.

Highly recommended!

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Brilliant Diary Entries, Narrated Flawlessly

Revisado: 10-18-21

I, too, was surprised and a bit hesitant to have anyone other than David Sedaris read his diary entries. As David explains in the introduction, there were some entries where English and Scottish accents made the works even funnier, and who better to perform them than Tracy Ullman?

David narrates well over half the entries, and once you give Tracy a chance, you'll really enjoy her interpretation of David's work.

The diaries are, of course, hilarious, and show a maturing David as he transitions from a life of hitchhiking and cleaning apartments for a living, to flying first class and living his dream of performing in front of thousands of people. He still pokes fun of his own idiosyncrasies--he picks up trash and walks 18 miles a day (must keep those calves toned!), but he also opens up about how he deals with crises and tragedies. I was especially moved by his evolving relationship with his father.

So, in summary, get this audiobook and settle in for 17 hours of exceptional entertainment.

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Brilliantly Bleak

Revisado: 08-21-21

Never before have I suffered so much with a family than I did with this novel. It seems that nothing good can happen to this ever shrinking family as they lose their family farm and head west to pick crops to earn money.

Steinbeck is, of course, a brilliant writer and the characters are fully fleshed out and believable. The prose is lush and the dialog is realistic. The story is tragic, yet, you won't want to leave this family.

Beautifully narrated by Dylan Baker, who has great pacing and a calming tone, The Grapes of Wrath is a classic for a reason. It is brilliant and moving, thought provoking and bleak.

Recommended.

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Essays filled with nuance, humor and pathos

Revisado: 08-21-21

John Green is a fiction novelist, but this turn to non-fiction may be his best work yet. Each essay is a book report of sorts on one subject, which Green presents with nuance, humor and poignancy--and then rates on a five star scale. Weaving in stories from his own life and asking questions about the larger picture, John does a brilliant job of pulling in the reader and inviting them to imagine the world complexly.

Green's narration is slow and calming. The chapters can be read out of order, or you can read straight through, as they each have the strength to stand alone. I found myself listening to one essay a night and really trying to savor the book. I was sad that it ended and am glad that the podcast from which this book is based, is returning.

John Green may be a YA novelist at heart, but this book is for everyone. Brilliantly composed and bravely revealing.

I have to do it: "I give The Anthropocene Reviewed....5 stars".

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What if you woke up on a spaceship

Revisado: 08-21-21

What if you awoke on a space ship and didn't know how you go there?

Andy Weir, beloved author of "The Martian", takes us on a journey of discovery and suspense in his new novel, "Project Hail Mary". Brilliantly narrated by the great Ray Porter, this novel tells the story of a lone "astronaut" who finds himself alone on a space ship in outer space. He does not know where he is or why he is there, and he certainly does not know how to control the ship. In fact, at first, he is not even sure what his name is. All he has for company is a set of arms that hang from the ceiling and a disembodied voice that tend to his needs as he recovers....from something.

Slowly, as he progresses through his recovery, his memories begin to come back. As he pieces together the whys and the hows, he uses his knowledge of science and math to help him with important decisions that will directly affect his survival. But is there a larger purpose than his own survival? And what is that light in the distance?

Andy Weir knows his science, and Roy Porter knows how to breathe life into our protagonist. This is a story that gets more captivating with each page. Touching on themes of the hero's journey, friendship, and the human capacity for using science to problem solve and discover, this novel is a page turner that stays with you after it is over.

Highly recommended.

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Amazing Collection of Favorites and New Pieces

Revisado: 08-21-21

To be clear, this is a "BEST OF" book. David has gone through his prior essays and short fictions and re-edited and re-recorded some pieces that he mixes with classic recordings and brand new essays in this remarkable anthology of his work so far. I've seen other reviews mentioning uneven sound, but I found that the production values were great and the music between the pieces to be very moving.

Perhaps best of all is the interview with Sedaris at the end of the book, where he shares his selection process, his critiques of his own work, his editing process, and some updates on his family.

Sedaris is very brave with this selection of work, in that he shares new pieces that do not paint himself as innocent or heroic. He has let his guard down quite a bit and turned the magnifying glass back on himself, often with some discomfort. He has shown nuance and complexity in his family and now in himself and his writing is all the better for it.

Beautifully narrated and produced. At times laugh out loud funny, and at times, moving the reader to the point of tears, this collection is worthy of a listen even if you, like me, already own all of Sedaris' previous works.

HIghly recommended.

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Exquisite Storytelling That Will Draw You In

Revisado: 02-28-21

Evelyn Hugo is an international superstar with amazing good looks and the acting chops to back them up. She is also an intelligent woman who uses people to get what she wants in Hollywood.

Now in her 80s, living in a luxurious apartment in New York, she reaches out to the highest profile fashion magazine there is to get a story done, but only if they send one particular reporter--a junior writer, in fact--to do it. Reluctantly, the magazine sends the reporter Evelyn wants, Monique, and they begin their journey together.

Evelyn has her reasons for picking Monique, and on the first day as they meet, she reveals that she does not want an article for the magazine at all. She wants Monique to write a book of her life story to be published after she dies.

And so begins this winding tale that is told in flashbacks by Evelyn of her life, and in real time by the Monique, who is trying to figure out how to honor her commitment to the magazine and not get fired, while at the same time, humoring Evelyn and retaining the ability to publish a book about her that will make her millions of dollars....eventually. Most of all, though, Monique wants to know why she was picked over all the talented writers with more experience.

Evelyn's life story is engrossing, and Monique's challenges in real time keep the pace. This is a book about wanting to be loved and respected, and about getting power and then using it once you obtain it. This is a book about sexuality and the sad reasons one has to hide it, both in the past and in the present. Mostly, though, this is a book about family.

In reading this novel, I forgot that Evelyn Hugo was not a real superstar. I forgot that Monique was not a real struggling reporter. I was so engrossed in the novel, that I could not put it down, and when I had to, I kept thinking about it.

Beautifully constructed and deep, this novel pulled me in and I wish it were not over.

The multi-narrator approach was seamless and the pacing was perfect.

Highly recommended.

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Family ties, social norms, and oh yeah, vampires

Revisado: 01-19-20

The Radleys are an atypical family. They are vampires, but the parents have not told their children, who suffer from sensitivity to sunlight, rashes, pale skin, and weakness and have no idea why.

One day, their young daughter is attacked in the forrest and while defending herself, she tastes blood for the first time. Their lives, of course, will never be the same.

This is a quickly told humerus story with a surprising dose of drama that helps move the plot along. In the end, it is a story about family secrets and social norms.

Good narration and nice writing.

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Good story buried beneath the flowery prose

Revisado: 01-05-20

Faulkner is known for his lush descriptions and flowery prose. Light in August is filled with these staples, and it is a bit unfortunate, because there is a good story buried beneath these layers of fluff if you can only find it.

Also hindering the story is the plethora of chapter long soliloquies. Rambling and often incoherent, these passages read like fever dreams, and the reader is left without assistance to try to find some sense in them.

The story itself is filled with themes of racism, sexism, classism, authority, and religion. Two men named Joe, both from very different backgrounds, meet up while working at a mill. The elder Joe--quiet, mysterious, and dark, invites the younger Joe-- talkative, simple, and attention-seeking, to live with him in a cabin behind a rich woman's house so that they can sell bootleg whiskey.

One morning, the rich woman's kitchen catches fire and her body is found upstairs, leading the town to wonder if the men in the cabin had anything to do with her tragic demise.

A manhunt begins after one of the Joes claims the other killed the woman and demands the thousand dollar reward, and the other Joe disappears seemingly into thin air.

In the middle of the chaos, a young woman, heavily pregnant, shows up after walking to Mississippi on foot from Alabama in search of the baby's father. The town is scandalized by the unmarried woman with child, but a millworker falls in love with her and goes out of his way to help her with lodgings and food, all while trying to keep her from finding the father of the child.

The millworker takes daily council from a disgraced pastor who lives on the outskirts of town, and who tries to convince him to stay out of the woman's life completely, lest he fall into sin.

As the reader expects, the stories all intertwine eventually and the ensuing drama is satisfying and entertaining.

Four stars because of the need to sit through meaningless and unnecessary prose and confusing soliloquies to find the story. I'm not sure if I will read more by this author.

Will Patton does a great job with the southern accents, and makes the many characters distinguishable from one another. The narration is well-paced as well.

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