Chad W.

Kid's Stuff

Revisado: 08-30-19

Story: 3-Stars
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This is the latest show to be centered around an in-studio appearance by an author - in this case, Chris Grabenstein. Every time this is done, I find it elevates the level of content. Chris has a fascinating, multi-faceted background to share, particularly his investment in improving the reading curricula in our schools. Bonus point to Chris for the SRA mention - he's the first person in 30+ years that I have heard mention this strange approach to reading education!

Kid's lit is a challenging topic to cover due to the many 'levels' present. While the hosts hit at least one title appropriate for each age group, there is a heavy unbalance to middle grade/teen titles. Also, I would have appreciated some coverage of scifi/fantasy titles (chronically under-represented genres).

Performance: 3-Stars
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There is a charming intro/outro that has been added specifically for this episode - a positive technical addition. The Audible hosts are their normal informed selves, and for the second consecutive show we get a male perspective, which is appreciated.

The author's presence on the show is, for the most part, positive. He has a very distinct voice and a great sense of humor,

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A Respectful Balance

Revisado: 08-27-19

Story: 4-Stars
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Kudos to the Audible team for presenting this episode! It had to have taken some courage to speak about what can be an incredibly divisive topic, especially given the deeply personal nature of one's beliefs. There clearly was great thought given to representation on the show, divided as it was between discussions of Christianity (Abby), mysticism (Rachel), meditation (Kat), and outright skepticism (newcomer Sean). No matter what your beliefs, you will likely come away with at least one moment from the show that will occupy your thoughts.

Performance: 4-Stars
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The hosts strike an appropriate tone given the subject matter. This is not an adversarial discussion where the hosts advocate a spiritual 'I am right and you are wrong' position. They do not advocate horoscopes as hard science, for example. It is more a series of informative discussions that attempt to show how elements of each can be helpful to an individual and, for those interested, some recommended listens for additional learning. For the most part, they are successful.

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A Respectful Balance

Revisado: 08-27-19

Story: 4-Stars
************

Kudos to the Audible team for presenting this episode! It had to have taken some courage to speak about what can be an incredibly divisive topic, especially given the deeply personal nature of one's beliefs. There clearly was great thought given to representation on the show, divided as it was between discussions of Christianity (Abby), mysticism (Rachel), meditation (Kat), and outright skepticism (newcomer Sean). No matter what your beliefs, you will likely come away with at least one moment from the show that will occupy your thoughts.

Performance: 4-Stars
*******************

The hosts strike an appropriate tone given the subject matter. This is not an adversarial discussion where the hosts advocate a spiritual 'I am right and you are wrong' position. They do not advocate horoscopes as hard science, for example. It is more a series of informative discussions that attempt to show how elements of each can be helpful to an individual and, for those interested, some recommended listens for additional learning. For the most part, they are successful.

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Close to Greatness

Revisado: 08-27-19

Story: 3-Stars
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Genre-wise, this episode focuses primarily on self-help. More specifically, self-help for women. The Audible editors do their usual fine job in presenting titles that have served them well, yet they are outshown by the inclusion of Rachel Hollis as part of the panel. Her presence is easily the most compelling author point of view to date for the Audicted series. Mrs. Hollis is forceful, convincing, clear, funny, and driven. Those not familiar with her work (like me) will come away from the show with a clear understanding of why she is successful.

If that was the entirety of the show, the rating would have been higher. Unfortunately, two-thirds of the way through the conversation veers suddenly into the romance genre......again. I am increasingly disappointed at the heavy over-representation of this genre on the show.

Performance: 4-Stars
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The majority of the episode is a highly compelling listen. Mrs. Hollis has a talent for communicating her message, and the show hosts wisely hand her the reins. Unfortunately, the latter part of the episode is more akin to a romance fangirl gathering compared to the status-quo-challenging self-help discourse. This is a jarring shift in tone and content that, in my opinion, should have been left on the cutting room floor.

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Close to Greatness

Revisado: 08-27-19

Story: 3-Stars
************

Genre-wise, this episode focuses primarily on self-help. More specifically, self-help for women. The Audible editors do their usual fine job in presenting titles that have served them well, yet they are outshown by the inclusion of Rachel Hollis as part of the panel. Her presence is easily the most compelling author point of view to date for the Audicted series. Mrs. Hollis is forceful, convincing, clear, funny, and driven. Those not familiar with her work (like me) will come away from the show with a clear understanding of why she is successful.

If that was the entirety of the show, the rating would have been higher. Unfortunately, two-thirds of the way through the conversation veers suddenly into the romance genre......again. I am increasingly disappointed at the heavy over-representation of this genre on the show.

Performance: 4-Stars
*******************

The majority of the episode is a highly compelling listen. Mrs. Hollis has a talent for communicating her message, and the show hosts wisely hand her the reins. Unfortunately, the latter part of the episode is more akin to a romance fangirl gathering compared to the status-quo-challenging self-help discourse. This is a jarring shift in tone and content that, in my opinion, should have been left on the cutting room floor.

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Too Much Loving

Revisado: 08-20-19

Story: 3-Stars
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Full disclosure: I am not into the romance genre, so this was a tough listen for me. I approached the episode more from an academic perspective, and there is value to be found even if you have no intention of exploring the recommendations. The sheer number of tropes in the genre is amazing, and the level to which Audible has studied, categorized, and marketed this space is something to behold. Fascinating from a sheer learning point of view.

Ultimately, however, one of my chief problems with the Audicted series is a continued over-representation of this genre. I understand that romance must be a considerable driver of their revenues. There is a completely separate subscription model for the genre, for example. Moreover, two of the show's full-time hosts are editors in this field, and there is a completely separate Audicted series that has started to specifically cover romance. I'd appreciate more diverse coverage in the future.

Performance: 3-Stars
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Two of the normal hosts (Kat and Abby) are missing from this show, with romance editors Michael and Melissa stepping in for the first time. I felt that the two newcomers acquitted themselves well, unlike some of the previous guest editor appearances that have dotted the show.

I've noticed that the opening vignettes have gone MIA - regrettable, since they were (in my opinion) a positive addition.

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Too Much Loving

Revisado: 08-20-19

Story: 3-Stars
************

Full disclosure: I am not into the romance genre, so this was a tough listen for me. I approached the episode more from an academic perspective, and there is value to be found even if you have no intention of exploring the recommendations. The sheer number of tropes in the genre is amazing, and the level to which Audible has studied, categorized, and marketed this space is something to behold. Fascinating from a sheer learning point of view.

Ultimately, however, one of my chief problems with the Audicted series is a continued over-representation of this genre. I understand that romance must be a considerable driver of their revenues. There is a completely separate subscription model for the genre, for example. Moreover, two of the show's full-time hosts are editors in this field, and there is a completely separate Audicted series that has started to specifically cover romance. I'd appreciate more diverse coverage in the future.

Performance: 3-Stars
*******************

Two of the normal hosts (Kat and Abby) are missing from this show, with romance editors Michael and Melissa stepping in for the first time. I felt that the two newcomers acquitted themselves well, unlike some of the previous guest editor appearances that have dotted the show.

I've noticed that the opening vignettes have gone MIA - regrettable, since they were (in my opinion) a positive addition.

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Coasting Along

Revisado: 08-19-19

Story: 3-Stars
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This episode has as its centerpiece an author interview and discussion of the recent Netflix phenomenon "Bird Box". The editors then take the opportunity to discuss several book-to-screen adaptations heading our way. Perhaps the most interesting segment closes the show with a discussion on interesting stories that have not yet made the leap from page to film, though I also was interested in the 'book before movie?' (or vice versa) discussion along the way.

This is the second episode that capitalizes on a recent buzzworthy release (the first being the launch of the Beastie Boys' book). A more organized presentation of content this time around was appreciated.

Performance: 3-Stars
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Noteworthy is the loss of editor Rachel (permanent?) from the show, whose wit was always appreciated. More importantly, I felt she brought a solid genre balance to the production that I fear may be lost.

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Coasting Along

Revisado: 08-19-19

Story: 3-Stars
************

This episode has as its centerpiece an author interview and discussion of the recent Netflix phenomenon "Bird Box". The editors then take the opportunity to discuss several book-to-screen adaptations heading our way. Perhaps the most interesting segment closes the show with a discussion on interesting stories that have not yet made the leap from page to film, though I also was interested in the 'book before movie?' (or vice versa) discussion along the way.

This is the second episode that capitalizes on a recent buzzworthy release (the first being the launch of the Beastie Boys' book). A more organized presentation of content this time around was appreciated.

Performance: 3-Stars
*******************

Noteworthy is the loss of editor Rachel (permanent?) from the show, whose wit was always appreciated. More importantly, I felt she brought a solid genre balance to the production that I fear may be lost.

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Great Narration of a Story Spread Too Thin

Revisado: 08-16-19

Story: 3-Stars
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First, a couple of public service announcements:

1. The marketing blurb can give the impression that this is appropriate for young adults. While that can be debated, parents (and other concerned parties) should know that this story contains a fair amount of strong profanity.

2. This is not a 'hard sci-fi' production. Technical elements are largely glossed over.

On to the review...

The story, while entertaining, suffers somewhat from what I like to call 'initiative fatigue.' A non-exhaustive list of topics tackled includes: adoption, single-parent issues, mixed-race family dynamics, teenage sexual angst, racism, bullying, and north vs. south cultural differences. Any one of those would have made an interesting narrative on its own. Stuffing them all into a sub-two hour production (roughly the length of a novella) left me with the feeling that they were all given short shrift.

There are powerful characterizations (Wally and his mother), and the author is effective in presenting a believable, coming-of-age teenage perspective. Serious issues are dealt with in genuinely funny ways. There are a few missteps in plot - I am still wondering why the tourist scene was included, for example - though nothing completely out of bounds.

My overall feeling is that Wally Roux's adventures, each tackling one of the myriad themes, would have been best presented in a multi-episode or longer form fashion. That being said, Nick Carr almost pulls this off. Almost.

Performance: 4-Stars
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William Jackson Harper delivers a great performance. This is truly a case where the performance elevates the material. Presented as a performance of a one-man play, the characters are wholly distinct. Harper's performance of Wally is particularly noteworthy, as he nails the pubescent teenager's cracking voice and, later in the tale, conversational baritone.

A few nits to pick would be the somewhat overacted (though funny) performance of Wally's mother. Her spoken parts are LOUD, as in hurriedly smash the volume button loud, compared to the rest of the character voices. A few instances of audible swallowing are peppered throughout (I wonder if this type of thing should be edited out), though little else distracts from Harper's highly engaging presentation.

There are a few sound engineering elements such as background environmental sounds in certain scenes. The production is better for having them, though their volume can sometimes make it difficult to discern the spoken parts.

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