TH

Not Great

Revisado: 08-29-17

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I felt like this book was a bad knock off of Clive Barker's "The Thief of Always." I suppose someone will enjoy it. I'll admit I enjoyed "The Third Floor" by C. Dennis Moore.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Probably the Neil Gaiman item in my library

How could the performance have been better?

The performance sound quality was bad. It sounded like the narrator was speaking into a loud echoing hallway. He also mispronounced words, which made me cringe inside.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Annoyance and disappointment. It wreaked of Barker's Holiday House setting, but not in a good way. The Thief of Always is one of my favorite books, but Moore's character Oliver is definitely not on par, at any level, with Barker's Harvey Swick.

Any additional comments?

If you want a more enjoyable story, read or listen to Clive Barker's The Thief of Always.

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Not Quite What I Expected

Revisado: 03-08-17

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have personalized it quite a bit more. Ms. Kerman focused on very mundane activities: food, work, exercise. We get it; prison was boring. I live in a state which has a prison reentry program with multiple partnerships among sister state agencies, private entities, and stakeholder groups. I've visited mens' prison, as part of this effort, and seen dormitories, work shops, etc. The prison I visited, had a large garden for the inmates to tend, which supplemented their food, and provided enough surplus to benefit a local homeless shelter and food pantry. It also had an art studio, a wildlife rescue clinic (which also grew insects for wildlife food), a trout farm, a doggy daycare (for COs and administrative staff), which was staffed by inmates (who took great pride in their work, and who stated they often fostered special needs dogs from the shelter.) I also have a cousin who served 14 years for drug trafficking; he earned his GED and became HVAC certified, while incarcerated, and is currently married with a child, working and living a productive life. I was moved by the problems with commissary, discussed in the book, wherein, an inmate is provided with laundry detergent, in surplus, but not provided with basic toiletries for hygiene. I also found it very hard to believe that Ms. Kerman got along with her former lover, and the lover's sister and made deviled eggs in their cell. That seemed pretty far-fetched.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I was most glad Ms. Kerman recognized that she had responsibility in opiates addiction, and the heroine epidemic, for her small part in trafficking. I was moved by the feelings of remorse that she expressed for her actions, and in seeing the end results of what had once seemed glamorous and adventurous. I was also moved by the stories of mental illness, poverty, domestic abuse, and addiction, for we often "lock up" people who we're mad at, instead of addressing their problems through medical treatment. They, then, end up alongside the people who we fear, which is never going to create any good outcomes. The least interesting was the prison cheesecake and other concoctions made in the microwaves from stolen food.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I thought the narration was fine.

Do you think Orange is the New Black needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes; it is pretty outdated. Ms. Kerman presently resides in Columbus, Ohio, and teaches a writing workshop at a women's correctional facility in Marysville, Ohio. It would be interesting to hear her perspective about Ohio's prisons, and its efforts to make offender reentry more successful. It would also be interesting to hear a collection of experiences from other inmates with whom she served, and from inmates who are currently serving time.

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Not bad

Revisado: 02-06-17

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was enjoyable, but differed from the King Fountain series. I was expecting them to be similar, but they were not.

If you’ve listened to books by Jeff Wheeler before, how does this one compare?

I listened to the King Fountain series, and really lied it a lot. I cared a lot about the characters and they developed and grew over time. I'm waiting for maturation and depth to be gained by the characters in Muirwood.

What three words best describe Kate Rudd’s voice?

middle-pitched feminine

Did The Wretched of Muirwood inspire you to do anything?

I will try the remaining books in the series and have them added in my queue.

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Wishing I'd read this first

Revisado: 01-17-17

What did you like best about The Academy? What did you like least?

It helped explain a lot of the animosity between Nalasco and Crosswhite.

If you’ve listened to books by Robert Dugoni before, how does this one compare?

This was, thankfully, not quite so repetitive...

Did Emily Sutton-Smith do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

She did. She made a concerted effort to give them individual voices.

Could you see The Academy being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Not really.

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Dull

Revisado: 01-17-17

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I felt like I was rereading the first book. Does Dugoni not have anything new to say about Tracy Crosswhite? She hasn't been able to grow or develop as a person in three books?

What could Robert Dugoni have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Develop his characters and quit retelling the same story

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narration was fine.

What character would you cut from In the Clearing?

I would have eliminated the flashbacks to Buzz Almond's investigation. I found it to be very unnecessary and distracting. Tracy Crosswhite did not have access to his perspective, beyond the case file, so why would it make sense for us to have it?

Any additional comments?

It took a very long time to tell a very short story.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Not as good as the first

Revisado: 01-17-17

What disappointed you about Her Final Breath?

It took a long time to tell and it didn't need to refer to the first book so much. If one is reading the second book in a series, the writer should assume the reader has read the first book. If most of the first book is in the second book again, there's no point in it.

What could Robert Dugoni have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Less repetition and more focus to the main plot line.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narration was fine.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Her Final Breath?

I would have deleted Tracy's stalker as it detracted from the story...it was not a plot twist...it was annoying and took away from the serial killer plot line.

Any additional comments?

The ending sequences with the Cowboy serial killer were actually interesting. I wish more of the book had been written that way .

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

It was okay

Revisado: 01-17-17

What did you like best about My Sister's Grave? What did you like least?

It was alright, but it took a lot longer to tell then needed. There were parts which were repetitive.

If you’ve listened to books by Robert Dugoni before, how does this one compare?

I listened to the seventh canon. I liked that story better than this one, but I think it is because the characters were a little more interesting and engaging.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith?

yes

Was My Sister's Grave worth the listening time?

It wasn't a complete waste of time. I listen to books while I work to drown out a noisy open office environment.

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Not Bad

Revisado: 01-12-17

Would you listen to The 7th Canon again? Why?

probably not, because I didn't feel connected to any of the characters in the story

If you’ve listened to books by Robert Dugoni before, how does this one compare?

I have not, but it was interesting enough that I've added the Tracy Crosswhite series to my queue to begin listening. I also participate in Kindle Unlimited, and they are available to read and listen under that program at no additional cost.

Have you listened to any of James Patrick Cronin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I hadn't heard him before, but he is easy to listen to.

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

No, I spread it out over several days, partly because of meetings.

Any additional comments?

The sappy ending scenes in the hospital seemed to detract from the story. The final scenes of the book were predictable.

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esto le resultó útil a 14 personas

Somewhat bland

Revisado: 01-03-17

Would you try another book from Lindsay Jayne Ashford and/or Justine Eyre?

Perhaps

What do you think your next listen will be?

I will be listening to Jeff Wheeler's Muirwood series.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes. The narration was fine. The story differed from actual history, which bugged me.

Was The Woman on the Orient Express worth the listening time?

It passed time during holiday work lull.

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Looking forward to next book!

Revisado: 12-27-16

Would you consider the audio edition of The King's Traitor to be better than the print version?

I thought they were both enjoyable. I listen to books while I work, both in office and at home, but I read paper books and Kindle format books.

What other book might you compare The King's Traitor to and why?

The Arthurian Legends

Which character – as performed by Kate Rudd – was your favorite?

I didn't have a favorite character, but I enjoy Ms. Rudd's narration. She gives each character his/her own voice, and her pitch, rate of speech, etc. are pleasant.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Severn Argentine is deposed, but forgiven by Drew.

Any additional comments?

I'm looking forward to the next book, which should be available July 2017. Many of the reviews call this a trilogy, but it is not.

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