Jean Mader Booklover

When Life Pauses

Revisado: 07-01-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Author Kristy McGinnis uses her eloquent writing skills to give us a clear portrait of a young woman who is stronger than she thinks. Her debut book “Ellipsis” with its lovely cover and equally lovely words is accurately categorized as “Women’s Literary Fiction” and it focuses on a challenging topic.

I listened to the audiobook version of “Ellipsis”. The audio version is the excellent. The narrator has a wonderful voice and is adept at bring each individual character to life. The story is told in the first person, and is the story of Nell. The narrator creates a voice that fits Nell so well. Nell is a bit aloof, sometimes business-like, sometimes vulnerable and caring.

We now use the word “ellipsis” to mean those 3 dots that appear when the recipient of a text message is writing back. Sometimes we may be impatient, or we may be eager to get the message. But what if the situation is life and death?

Nell tells her story in three parts. The first covers her college years and her first serious romance with an art student from Armenia. She gives birth to a son, Charlie. He is Nell’s whole world. After a few years, the Armenian father moves back to his home country. Nell becomes a teacher and she and Charlie continue as a close family.

The second part of the book deals with a horrific gun tragedy and the third part looks at Nell as she must move forward from great loss. Nell’s story is well written- respectful, considerate, and honest. At the height of the danger, actual ellipses on her phone cause Nell anguish. But as she moves on, she begins to see that an “ellipsis” can be a healing pause. We don’t always have to understand what is coming next, we just have to trust our tribe.

This book would be a a good book club read. The author provides a good overview of the major gun issue talking points, in a very balanced way, which would make for an interesting discussion. But there are other elements to consider: how can friends and family help, how can religion and beliefs be reconciled, how can one deal with unimaginable loss?

I recommend this thoughtful and lyrical book. I requested to listen to this book, and the author gave me access to the audiobook. This is my honest review.

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Going to San Francisco

Revisado: 02-13-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Over fifty years have passed since the iconic countercultural song "San Francisco" was on the radio. Today, writer Bibiana Krall's evocative ghost story brings all the feelings, and spiritual mysteries of the times back for us in this lush and layered story.

Willow is chilling with her friends in San Francisco, the group that is vividly displayed on the card for this audiobook. Mysterious smells, voices and visions haunt her. Are they linked to the boutique where she and her man discovered an unusual signet ring?
Willow's friends notice that she is troubled. Some blame it on pot and other substances, but friend knows that San Francisco is "built on bones". A supernatural force seems to lead Willow to a ghost clad in mist, regret and shadow. Is this her destiny?

I listened to this book on Audible.com. The length of one hour is a perfect time to listen to a complete story, whether on your commute, exercising or cooking dinner. The narrator, L. Malaika Cooper, has an intriguing voice that suits each character, whether spectral or not. This is a very "listenable" book that will entertain you and unsettle you as only a nuanced and well-told ghost story can.

Many thanks to author Bibiana Krall for a promotional code for this audiobook. This is my honest review.

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Thrilling!

Revisado: 06-27-19

Remember that song “This is the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friends…” A Cobbler’s Tale is the book version- this is the “story that never ends”. And even though the drama goes on and on my friends- you will enjoy everything about this book.

I listened to this book as an audiobook with Audible. I had only listened to a few audiobooks prior to this one, and I had never used Audible, but I found that it’s so easy and enjoyable to listen to a book with the Audible app. Compared to the other books that I listened to, A Cobbler’s Tale is great as an audiobook. The chapters are short, it’s told for the most part in a linear fashion, and something exciting is always happening, so it’s easy to listen, stop and then start right back in with the plot. The narrator of the book was also easy to listen to and he captured the accents of the various characters as well as their personalities.

The cover of the book gives a vivid view of one of the main settings of the book, the lower East side in New York City, in the early 1900’s. This street, crowded with people and pushcarts is where Pincus Potasznik, a second-generation Jewish cobbler, born in a small shtetl in the province of Galicia, part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire finds himself. About 500,000 Jewish people lived in this section of New York, immigrants from eastern Europe.

The book details Pincus’ reasons for coming to America, his perilous ship journey to New York, his efforts to establish himself as a cobbler in the lower East side and his journey back to his home to bring his wife and children to America. But, so much more happens and it’s all thrilling and entertaining. The author is a born storyteller and readers will be captivated by all the colorful characters and the dangers, schemes and plots that abound. We also get a good look at the Jewish culture of the times.

Many thanks to the author for the audiobook. This is my honest review.

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Brings the Story to Life

Revisado: 06-27-19

I received a free audio book from the author and this is my honest review. An audio book on Audible is the perfect way to enjoy this book. I had previously read WHAM and I enjoyed it but hearing the story was so much better. I was swept away by the dystopian world- which was brought to life with the excellent quality of the Audible book. I adored the trolls and it’s great to hear them talking and shaking their beads. The Narrator of the book has a delightful voice that well-suits the story. And Audible itself is so easy to use and listen to on various devices. Excellent! Here is my review of the story.

Welcome to an array of fantasy worlds, worlds of different times and places. Some of the worlds are dreary and challenging, some are ultra-modern and evil, and others are charming, green and like a paradise. Welcome to WHAM! where time does not exist as we know it. ”If we are ever to go rollicking about in the distant past or future, we shall simply have to use magic.” WHAM! Is the first in the Timewalker series. The authors have created a mesmerizing fantasy.

The book starts with the world of the Alliance, a highly regimented police-type state. Children are not taught to read or reason in school and are separated from their parents at a young age, often in violent fashion. Nia and Tess are two teenage-aged sisters; their parents are forcibly taken one night. They must fend for themselves in the ruined, polluted land. Nia is taken by the police to the Capitol. No one in the world governed by the Alliance knows where the Capitol is located. At the Capitol, Nia becomes the pet of the dictator and Potentate, Pandora. While Nia looks for ways to save herself and her family, the Potentate has diabolical plans for Nia. Meanwhile, Tess meets other Beings from the magical worlds, such as Fairies, Trolls and Wizards, and teams with them to try to save her world, parents and sister.

All the main characters in WHAM! are well-crafted and I bonded with all of them. Shout out to Bart the Crow! I was also fascinated with the descriptions, language, culture and customs of all the magical Beings. There are many fascinating and creative devices in the worlds of WHAM, including “skinnies” that the government uses to communicate with its citizens. Glossaries are included at the end. Excitement and plot twists abound, which are sure to continue in the page-turners in the rest of the series to come. This is a super read- you will be completely entertained and thrilled.

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