Christina

Implausible, sexist, head-scratchingly stupid

Revisado: 01-16-19

I'm returning this one, but first I'm writing out this warning to save some of you the trouble of listening to it for a few hours. The main character knows nothing about drugs or crime or world politics or science, but he sure thinks he does. The middle-school level familiarity with adulthood constantly removes you from suspension of disbelief, and the narrator, Christopher Ragland, seems to feel it too. Sometimes, his intonation sounds like "I know this doesn't make sense, but it's what the book says." I quit at a weird scene where the main character is threatening to have a banker's daughter gang raped unless the banker gives him some records. Gross. And nonsensical. This is a failure of writing and editing. The description of what the disposable female murder victim in the first chapters must have been feeling sounded like it was written by a nine year old boy. There are a lot better escapist crime novels out there. Go with one of those.

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Skip!

Revisado: 10-18-18

This book is just too stupid to keep listening to. Bad writing, worse editing. Nonsensical.

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So Much Fun!

Revisado: 07-11-17

What did you love best about Beneath the Skin?

I love a supernatural book, and I love a good private detective noir. This is both!

Have you listened to any of Ray Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I really like the combination of Ray Porter and Jonathan Maberry, and this is no exception. Sam Hunter is basically the same character as Joe Ledger - nice guys, weirdly humble and acknowledging of their feeling, quintessentially honorable and good, tritely working class, so it was an easy transition from Joe to Sam. Ray Porter is a great narrator.

Any additional comments?

This is a book of short stories about the same character, Sam Hunter. I won't ruin the surprise in the first story, but the stories are very satisfying private detective stores. Highly recommended fun book.

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Wow, this book is amazing!

Revisado: 07-11-17

What did you love best about Zeroville?

The sneaky thematic ending that ties the entire book together. I had to go back and listen again once I got it. I won't spoil it though.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Vikar, the main character, is really unique and weirdly lovable.

Any additional comments?

This is a book about movies, but that doesn't really give any information about what you're about to get yourself into. The prose in the book is truly sparse and beautiful. The characters are distinct and complicated. The plot is creative, unpredictable and very satisfying. The theme goes throughout the book, but I didn't catch on until the end. It's one of my top 10 favorite audiobooks ever. I liked the narrator, and because Vikar is so likable. I will probably follow Bronson Pinchot because I came to like his voice so much.

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Sardonic

Revisado: 03-10-17

If you could sum up Eileen in three words, what would they be?

Sardonic, sparse, uncompromising

What did you like best about this story?

This was a good little book. If you liked Girl on the Train or Gone Girl, this is definitely in that vein. It's a little bit harsher than either of those books. The descriptions are more raw, the characters more unapologetically terrible, the writing more sharp and sparse, the entire book somewhat more literary. The characters, especially Eileen, are memorable. They stick with you, whether you want them to or not. Their idiosyncrasies and horribleness make them hyperreal.

Which scene was your favorite?

The opening few paragraphs of this book are fantastic.

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Beautifully Written, Engaging, Informative

Revisado: 03-10-17

What made the experience of listening to The Lonely City the most enjoyable?

Olivia Laing's writing was on point. This is a great book to read/listen to if you are or have ever been lonely, if you are or have ever been an artist, if you are interested in art or art history or New York City, or if you are interested in the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s. I downloaded the book in a fit of acute loneliness, and it was comforting. I did not expect it to be so satisfying personally, politically, intellectually, and artistically. It's one of my top five audiobooks ever.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! But it's too dense to absorb all at once. I immediately started it from the beginning after I finished it, and wrote out several quotes so that I could go back to reference them later.

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Doesn't live up to the hype, but I didn't return

Revisado: 01-25-17

Would you recommend When Breath Becomes Air to your friends? Why or why not?

Hi friends! I don't actually recommend this book. My take away from it is that doctors, who are tasked very often with helping people transition from living to no longer living, have no more insight into the process or the meaning or the method for living and dying than anyone else. Kalanithi, like a true physician, is a conformist to the end. He can't figure out what else to do with the rest of his life, so he just keeps going to surgical residency. However, it is short, so if you are collecting stories about this experience, it's a relatively easy one.

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Lovely Memoir-ish

Revisado: 01-25-17

What made the experience of listening to A House of My Own the most enjoyable?

Sandra Cisneros is a lovely and relatable voice. The book is a collection of introductions, commissioned pieces, and essays written by Sandra Cisneros over the years. There are a few introductions to various editions of House on Mango Street, introductions to other authors' work (so be prepared to read some other books as a result of this one like Time of the Doves and Open Veins of Latin America), essays about art that is difficult to find on the internet, and music. My favorite thing about this book is the vulnerable honesty that Sandra Cisneros shares. She admits to feeling not entitled to be a writer and artist. She admits to relationship trouble. She admits to writer's block and the difficulty of art and inspiration. She admits to financial trouble. I think most people can relate to her struggles - especially people suffering from impostor syndrome. The book is read by the author, which I usually enjoy, but it does take some getting used to. Her voice is a little bit high, so listen to the sample to see if you will like it.

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Fun Listen

Revisado: 02-27-16

The girl in 6E has not left her apartment in three years to protect the world from her homicidal maniac tendencies. She supports herself by camming (sexually explicit acts via webcam for the pornographically un-inclined) and orders all she needs from the Internet and has it delivered. Entertaining and very satisfying for an introvert who sometimes fantasizes about shutting out the world.

The beginning of the book reads like modern American literature, but the Dexter-type adventure at the end reminds you that you're listening to fluff (nothing against fluff, we all love fluff). Not sure if I will get the rest of the series because I imagine the cynicism of the beginning of this book is used up.

Narration was fine. The voice is young-sounding and feminine but easy to get used to. Try the sample to see if it grates because I can see how it could.

Good listen. I recommend it!

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