Paula

Fantastic book - terrible reader!

Revisado: 12-11-18

I've been fascinated by the whole concept of ancient DNA and what this tells us about humanity and the intertwined history of 'modern humans', Neanderthals, Denisovans, etc. for some time - and have been moving from audiobook to audiobook as each author points me to a new and even more fascinating aspect. I came to David Reich's contribution from Svante Paabo's amazing book on the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome and couldn't wait to hear the next stage of the sage, until...

... the reader! Honestly! This is one of that class of readers who puts completely random breaks in every sentence without any logic whatever! This is my pet hate and I actually returned the book to Audible because I was so frustrated and bought the e-book version from Amazon instead. But because I live in the country and do a lot of driving and listen to audiobooks in the car, I had to move on to something different - and that, in its own way, was so frustrating that I came back and bought the book again (something I've never done before).

So: the book is marvellous and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the whole ancient DNA / human paleontology subject. The reader is so truly awful that words cannot describe the depths of my distress in having to listen to him! I guess this goes to show just how good the book is.

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Best book I've listened to in YEARS!

Revisado: 10-13-17

I'm a serious audiobook fan - - I've lost track of how many hundreds of audiobooks I've listened to. And my tastes are eclectic in the extreme.

The Martian is the most enjoyable book I've heard or read so far!

This story of one astronaut's struggle to stay alive on Mars until he can be rescued is a triumph of the human spirit, which is also both fascinating and scientifically accurate. It's also funny, witty, exciting and gripping.

The reader is perfect - he has exactly the right laconic, laid-back style for Mark Watney and he handles multiple characters with ease in those parts of the book where they occur.

If you haven't already bought this book, then wait no longer. Buy it today!

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Time travel on steroids!

Revisado: 10-29-14

I love a good time travel book -- and this book is as good a time travel story as I've come across: Timebound has it all! There has been a lot of excellent YA science fiction produced recently and Timebound is definitely one of those YA novels which is equally enjoyable for adults.

The basis for the time travel (a combination of genetics and technology) is very credible and well fleshed-out. While Rysa Walker is not the first author to deal with the concept of time travelling historians, her rogue historian's plot to rewrite history is outstanding! The protagonist, Kate, is a fully three-dimensional character and the bitter-sweet love triangle Kate faces is quite unique and incredibly touching.

I liked everything about this book: the story grabs the reader and pulls you in -- I couldn't stop listening and had to sneak off to quiet places where I could finish the story, something I rarely have to do; the characters are real and memorable; the time travel paradoxes and the ways in which the characters deal with them are both original and compelling; and, best of all, this is just the start of a series of books set in this particular universe.

Kate Rudd does an excellent job of the narration. Without being one of those readers who can create entirely different voices for each character, she nonetheless makes it quite clear who is speaking and seamlessly switches from male to female voices. This story is told in the first person and Kate's young voice is entirely appropriate for the 17-year-old protagonist -- though she does an equally good job of voicing Kate's grandmother and the male characters who share centre stage with Kate.

I've already read the follow-up novella (Times Echo) which shows some of the same events from a different character's perspective and am currently halfway through the 2nd novel (Times Edge) which carries on directly from Timebound. No spoilers on these two here, but I can say that I'm really enjoying this series and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys time travel fiction (or even just a good story).

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Utterly satisfying!

Revisado: 06-28-14

As one of Diana Gabaldon's huge fan base, I came to this eighth "big book" expecting it to be wonderful -- and I was not disappointed!

Written in my own Heart's Blood weaves four separate story lines effortlessly together, resolving all the cliff-hangers from An Echo in the Bone (while introducing some tempting new questions), enlarging our understanding of the characters -- and providing heart-stopping thrills pretty well all the way through!

When I get a new Outlander book, I find I have to read it very, very fast -- just to be sure everyone I care about will survive -- then I can go back and re-read it slowly, savouring all the delightful details, fascinating historical information and character development. And this is where the audio version really comes into its own: my first race through the book is always done on my Kindle, but enjoying all the details with Davina Porter's wonderful reading (she really is one of the very best readers around!) is utterly satisfying.

No spoilers in this review, I'm afraid -- but I cannot recommend this book too highly!

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Another brilliant part of the Outlander series!

Revisado: 03-12-13

I probably don't need to tell anyone this is the seventh book in the Outland series - but if you're new to this series make sure you read this last! The book would almost certainly stand on its own, but you'll get far more enjoyment from reading it as the last in the series (to date - holding my breath for Book 8). I'd also recommend reading the Lord John books before you listen to this one, as he plays a significant role in this book and many of his earlier connections, friendships and adventures are referenced here.

The book is ... huge, fascinating, mesmerising, breathtaking. Like all Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books, it's difficult to say anything about this saga without using hyperbole. The interweaving of story lines is a little more abrupt in this book: I've seen some reviews which are critical of this aproach,but I found it exciting. The story lines seemed to me to flow from one to another without difficulty:

Jamie and Claire's long and infinitely touching relationship continues to evolve - Diana adds new layers, new secrets, new variations to their love and their lives. Lord John and William are, for the first time, significant characters in an Outlander book and the complex relationship between the Grays and the Frasers just gets more complex. Brianna and Roger and their family have a small but important role -- and it's clear this role is going to become still more important in book 8. Ian finally steps out of the shadows and becomes a characeter in his own right -- and the introduction of Denny and Rachel Hunter gives us two wonderful new characters to love.

And, of course, Davina Porter's magnificent reading continues to be as good as ever! I cannot imagine anyone doing a better job of reading this books than she does ...

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Another brilliant part of the Outlander series!

Revisado: 03-12-13

I probably don't need to tell anyone this is the seventh book in the Outland series - but if you're new to this series make sure you read this last! The book would almost certainly stand on its own, but you'll get far more enjoyment from reading it as the last in the series (to date - holding my breath for Book 8). I'd also recommend reading the Lord John books before you listen to this one, as he plays a significant role in this book and many of his earlier connections, friendships and adventures are referenced here.

The book is ... huge, fascinating, mesmerising, breathtaking. Like all Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books, it's difficult to say anything about this saga without using hyperbole. The interweaving of story lines is a little more abrupt in this book: I've seen some reviews which are critical of this aproach,but I found it exciting. The story lines seemed to me to flow from one to another without difficulty:

Jamie and Claire's long and infinitely touching relationship continues to evolve - Diana adds new layers, new secrets, new variations to their love and their lives. Lord John and William are, for the first time, significant characters in an Outlander book and the complex relationship between the Grays and the Frasers just gets more complex. Brianna and Roger and their family have a small but important role -- and it's clear this role is going to become still more important in book 8. Ian finally steps out of the shadows and becomes a characeter in his own right -- and the introduction of Denny and Rachel Hunter gives us two wonderful new characters to love.

And, of course, Davina Porter's magnificent reading continues to be as good as ever! I cannot imagine anyone doing a better job of reading this books than she does ...

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Utterly delightful!

Revisado: 07-20-12

I'm a huge Connie Willis fan so, of course, I'm biased about all her books. And Bellwether, a slightly older title, did not disappoint. It was well-researched, entertaining, and kept me wanting more -- all with that special Connie Willis lightness of touch.

The characters are delightful, I learned more about fads than I would have believed possible - and the ending was totally satisfying.

I heartily recommend Bellwether!

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Histrionic performance ruined this book for me!

Revisado: 05-07-12

I've read The Bourne Identity many times. It's a great thriller - full of excitement, well-paced and well-constructed. It's a little old-fashioned nowadays, I guess, but I was really excited when I saw it was available from Audible and bought it straightaway.

What a disappointment!!! The reader, Scott Brick, who is billed as an outstanding performer, gave an over-the-top histrionic performance which completely ruined this talking book for me!

"And he LOOKED over the BOAT'S RAILING and he SAW ...". Enough of that - you get the picture. Every noun and every verb was declaimed in a tone of almost complete hysteria.

I was driving the car down a country lane while I listened to the start of the book and I had to pull off the road after about 20 minutes and stop the performance. I just couldn't stand any more!

I'll never listen to The Bourne Identity now, sadly -- what a total waste of an excellent book. And why on earth did the reader feel the need to do this?? I'll be watching out for books read by Scott Brick in future -- to make sure I avoid them ...

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Blackout and All Clear are magical books!

Revisado: 12-01-10

Having read all the customer reviews available so far, it's clear the Blackout/All Clear double book is either loved or hated by its readers / listeners. I'm one of the former - as a long-time fan of Connie Willis' work I've been waiting for All Clear to come out before I listened to Blackout and boy, was it worth the wait!

I can see why some readers found the characters' internal agonising over the impact their actions may have had on the space/time continuum too frequent or too long but, to me, the characters were incredibly three-dimensional and their fates something I really cared about. Yes, there were minor issues in historical accuracy - but the depth of Connie Willis' research into WWII England (and, especially, the Blitz) is incredibly impressive! And yes, there are minor inconsistencies in the books and, occasionally, Katherine Kellgren's somewhat unusual pronounciation of words was, er, surprising - but I was swept away by the story and the story-telling and the reading!

I find myself thinking about the characters and wondering what happened to them - sometimes devising plots to resolve ends which weren't tucked up entirely neatly. I think these are truly wonderful books and recommend them to anyone who likes their SF to have a human face

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