Meg

Interesting and dark tale

Revisado: 03-20-21

The audiobook was very well read by the narrator and really embraced all of the characters, so for that I'm grateful. The story itself starts off a little slow, with setting up the premise of the weepers and a little backstory. We are introduced to Archer and Charlotte right away, with an immediate romantic connotation brewing. The dialogue flowed smoothly enough, but it just wasn't exciting or very interesting for most of the first couple of chapters. There are extremely disturbing scenes that take place, which, in my opinion, have every right to be in books as an artistic endeavor of telling a not-so-beautiful tale, however, it does feel uncomfortable because of the format being audio, I suppose. My feelings on this, however, have zero to do with this particular book as it does with any situation depicted verbally or visually versus written word, so this is simply a notation of preference.
The emotional twists Charlotte (and Augustus) need to pilot are painful and many, so the book is neither uplifting nor optimistic, however, there is still enough traction and good writing to have made for an intriguing read that I'd recommend.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Jeff Foxworthy fans will rejoice

Revisado: 02-05-21

I found the audiobook entertaining overall, with smirks and smiles abound. No laugh out loud moments, but definite snickering. However, I think the 2 reasons I couldn't give this 5 stars were pretty significant in my book (pun intended). First, the author did write this as a collection of anecdotes, however, some of them seemed to be grossly exaggerated in that anecdotal category. The money box, for example, was a waste of the few minutes it took to listen to the chapter. Nothing about that, to me, was worth sharing in a book, let alone at a gathering of friends for a couple of hardy har hars. It felt like we needed more pages or time added (a directive of an editor to the author, maybe), so that's what the author came up with. The other reason I wasn't over the moon about the audiobook was because the author narrated it himself. In the past, this was only a negative to me if the author either had an immensely annoying, nails-on-chalkboard or if the author would put me to sleep in a dry, monotone voice...which is NOT the case in this book. But I found that, for the first time, I wasn't thrilled because it was very "schtick" like. Because he's reading these stories of his own, Mr. Oakley's tone came off as arrogant (like "This is the funniest story ever," or "Get a load of this punchline..."). It was like a really haughty stand-up routine, and I found myself annoyed more than entertained. I did enjoy some of the stories he shared and I suspect many people who love books by stand-up comics will get a real kick out of this contribution by David Oakley.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Two women, two centuries

Revisado: 10-29-20

The Mystery of Martha is a smart and beautiful tribute to women of all eras. The author eloquently illustrates that many women throughout thousands of years of history have all struggled with some of the same challenges: self-worth, love, loss, betrayal, faith, impossible decisions...and this story of two women named Martha who existed 2000 years apart amplifies these emotions. We all face seemingly impossible challenges and decisions in our lives, and this book is a fine example that reminds us that we are not alone: someone else, somewhere in the world or somewhere else in time, has or is going through this same thing and trying to figure things out. It's a fantastic story (or they are fantastic stories, if you prefer to look at it from that perspective) that was inspiring as well as captivating. I appreciated all the descriptions, the attention to details in characters and settings, and the writing style of the author. My only hesitation in rating this was the pace: I felt the story dragged a little here and there, but it wasn't a deal-breaker at all. I also really enjoyed the quality of Eliza's narration of the book as well, as I've heard authors voice their own audiobook and it was disastrous.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

An insider's tale of 1960's rebellion

Revisado: 09-25-20

A Little Rebellion Is a Good Thing knocked my socks off. Many people, no doubt, are walking around with stories that should be books or movies in their heads. Many of them are made and successfully so. Many more are not. I'm grateful that Mr. Clarke fulfilled what must have been many nudges to bring this story to readers (and listeners). There are plenty of novels that depict this time in American history, and rightfully so. Our country was going through a lot of terrifying and hopeful changes. Mr. Clarke, er, David Pritchard, denounces the unjust and pitiful way that the president (and his boss) of Traymore College continues to run the school and stands up for the rights of the all-female student body very quickly and passionately. The conversations were very real and not shy of expletives when called for, but always intelligent and intriguing. So much emotion was behind many of Pritchard's thoughts and interactions with everyone he connected with. I also enjoyed how the story began, with a present-day reflection that brought us naturally to the story, which also looped everything back in nicely and not forcefully. I must also give accolades to the narrator, Charlie Boswell, who did a fantastic job giving voice to this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed his tone, pace, expression and versatility.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Historical and modern-day fiction thriller

Revisado: 08-30-20

What a ride! I love audio books so much for so many reasons. I love that I'm "reading" a fantastic novel and still allowing my imagination to create images of characters, settings and backgrounds. I also love that the reading of the book is much like listening to an actor, of course, but I'm still able to connect to them as a narrator or character. Garfield Maitland did a stellar job in his performance in reading Drive by John Nuckel. Of course, anyone's initial impression of an audiobook is the narrator, so I have no doubt this made a valuable first impression on me. The story itself is also incredible! I enjoyed that the backstory wasn't simply narrated to me, but I was brought there, to Roosevelt's meeting. The plot is intriguing, with Annie never really sure what is safe and trustworthy but needing to forge on in an effort to complete her life-or-death mission. Drive kept me on my toes nearly the entire time, which is excellent since I do a lot of my audiobook listening while on a treadmill; adrenaline is welcome! Mr. Nuckel is gifted in storytelling and suspense-building. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone seeking a fast-paced and thoughtful thriller of a historical fiction variety.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Thrilling, enthralling and jaw-dropping

Revisado: 05-08-20

The first impression of any audio book is the narrator. The actor's voice took some getting used to for me. He's very intense, which is absolutely necessary when the scene dictates that, but there were times I felt he was speaking as the veins were popping out of his neck and it was only a narrative describing a room, etc. He tended to have a little of a monotone nature to his style, which, again, I got accustomed to for the most part. There have been audio books I simply could not finish due to the horrible narration; this was not the case. Just not my favorite.

The story is fantastically thrilling. The characters are well-written and described so that I got to know them and felt like I had a solid understanding and compassion for them, especially the protagonists Mark and Hank (and, when things get real with murder sprinkled in the plot, it played along the lines of Dexter--can you really sympathize with a violent person because you know why they've become that way?). The plot is like a wonderful soup that is meant to simmer on low for hours, enticing you the entire day with tidbits and hints of wonder. I was captivated in knowing what may happen next so often, which, of course, is why I loved this novel so much. I definitely recommend the audio book for a suspenseful and well-told work of fiction.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Solid inspirational speaker tone in this audiobook

Revisado: 01-05-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I pictured the author, Brian Watson, standing at a podium with a bluetooth microphone addressing a large corporate audience throughout much of the book. That's not necessarily a bad thing. For me it means that he's got that captivating-speaker-tone down pat and knows how to address people. Not just specific, targeted audiences, but any person. Listening to his personal encounters and lessons he applied to life after them as he focused on the business aspect of his novel was pleasant and quite down-to-earth. While I couldn't relate to his seasoned, global travel objective, he was still impactful at making his point. I did, however, feel as though he had a few too many sidebars, which would have been absolutely fine in a print book, but in this format it lent to more of a "where did this topic even start?" vibe.

The author did not make a mistake in narrating the book himself; his voice, tone, and production were all very natural and well-done. I also liked the pace at which he discussed various topics. The most profound take-away from the book for me was his outlining how one should focus on the specialized tasks and skills that are not able to be delegated and to try to delegate the more generic things as a means to manage time and productivity better. I tend to be a "I'll just do it myself really quick..." person rather than let things go into someone else's hands. I needed the pep talk from the author to focus more on this point in 2020.

I recommend this audiobook for anyone looking to freshen their approach to the way the manage their day-to-day.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Wow! A YA Fantasy book that adults will love, too!

Revisado: 12-08-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Beginning with full disclosure: I had zero idea the author was a teen when I listened to this audiobook, and I'm certain it would not have impacted how impressed I was with the writing after learning of this fact upon finishing. This book is smart and Kyle Prue has a long, successful future as an author. The characters are described well (though I would have loved to get to know them a little more) and the settings are intriguing and cleverly articulated. I enjoyed that there was little in the way of typical scenarios and predictability for the genre, and especially loved that the protagonists are teens, yet their stories go back many generations because of their families' powers and legacy. Intrigue is nearly immediate and I was pulled into the storyline of centuries-long feuding families needing to consider a truce in a desperate attempt to avoid being wiped out completely by an unknown evil seemingly hunting them down.
Also of note was the audiobook actor, John Eric Preston, who was incredible in executing character emotions, enthusiasm and suspense.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and look forward to gifting this to my friends and family who enjoy the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Chronicles of Narnia legendary novels; they will be as impressed and entertained as I was.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Refresh your life cache annually with this book

Revisado: 09-08-19

I am no stranger to self-help books. The obvious gotcha with ANY type of book in this genre is obvious: you only get out of it what you put in after reading. You can agree and "oh yeah" all through the title, but if that's where it ends, you're not really helping yourself and you are actually wasting a lot of your time. What I really enjoyed most about this book is two-fold: first, with it being an audio book, I was able to enjoy some motivation while focusing on another self-improving act (walking on the treadmill). I really love audiobooks for this activity, and the performance for Stop Self-Sabotage is very well done; the reading is clear, concise, thorough and pleasing to my ear. Believe it or not, that is a deal-breaker for me, so it's why I was so pleased in this instance. Second, because it's an audio book, I was happy to have the option to print out a workbook that the author gives instructions for throughout the book. I was concerned that any action items or directives I needed to take from the book may be lost because of its format, but the link for the free print-out directed me away from that potential pitfall and offered some wonderful exercises and helpful action items to improve my approach in many ways. One exercise in particular resonates with me strongly and is very helpful, and that is Developing Values-Based Goals. Some of the other exercises that I found helpful where the "Yes, But" exercise and "Keeping your Values Handy." I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking to figure out the real reason you're not happy or moving in the direction you want and correcting it once and for all, and I intend to re-listen annually to be sure I keep myself in check.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 15 personas

Good Audiobook for distracted listening

Revisado: 05-21-19

I was so excited to listen to this audiobook. I'm a bibliophile. I have a hard copy book in my purse to read during wait times anywhere, I have a hard copy book in my living room for wind-down reading, I have a hard copy book in my nightstand for before lights-out reading, I always have a Kindle book in relation, and I always have an audiobook to listen to on my treadmill and while I sew. This book started off with a bang. I LOVE descriptive narration. I always give kudos in my mind when an author pays tribute to food that characters eat by giving details so great my mouth waters, fashion that adorns them so detailed that I can envision them in my own life, and, above all, scenery that comes to life due to the author's ability to create the moment accurately. I was disappointed, however, that in An Improbable Pairing, that was ultimately the only areas of the book that had any substance. The story was a continual circulation of the protagonist, Scott, who was attracted to equally-attractive and well-off women, their going to eat, at times with other socialites and rendering nothing of worth in the dialogue, and repeating. There was a repetitive cycle of Scott being in the company of a woman, their flirtatious banter being recanted by the narrator, their eating something described in detail while wearing period-appropriate garments (also described in detail), parting ways, a brief narrative about Scott's thoughts about said social encounter, lather, rinse, repeat. There was so much potential in this story. There was a moment when a European tells Scott something about how he must be beside himself after JFK was assassinated. There was SO much potential in this time period, and even this topic alone. What a lost opportunity to get readers to connect to a main character; this slight blurb about JFK was the only moment it was mentioned. The narrative was very impersonal and I felt I was never given an opportunity to get to know and care about ANY character, let alone Scott and the Countess. I never felt like I was rooting for or looking forward to anything because the story was laid out continually like this: Scott meets a girl or a friend (i.e. Jean), the narrator tells what they talk about, what they are wearing and what they eat. The conversation the narrator relays is boring or predictable. They part ways. Scott meets with a female or goes to 1) his apartment 2) school 3) his lover's place. Repeat. I love the author's ability to bring things to life, but I need more than food and fashion to enjoy a book. Also, the voice actor for this audiobook is good, but after a while, Scott's "voice" lent to my not enjoying him or rooting for him even more; she gave him this annoying "American" deadpan to all of his dialogue, conveying no emotion. Also, her French accent was spot-on, but the Italian dialect was strained and painful to listen to. The book offers a variety of American and European accents, but the actor only really nails the pure French. All in all, the book has so much potential, and if you want an audiobook to play while you do something on autopilot and not really need to pay attention to the narrative, this will be an easy listen. If you require substance while listening to your audiobook, you may need to rethink this. To be fair, the book will fulfill many listener's needs, just be sure you are in the right category.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña