There Might Be Cupcakes Podcast

Goodbye, friend

Revisado: 08-25-23

I was a long-distance friend of the author’s. Listening to this was a second goodbye to him for me. I was okay until he sang “Goodnight Irene” and then I had to take a cry break.
He was extremely proud of this book, and how he used his storytelling skills to both honor to the victims of the real crime, but to obtain a clearer justice than “Meg” received in life.
If the audio bothers anyone, just know the intimacy of it makes me very happy, and makes me feel like a part of my friend will always be here. You are missed and appreciated, Dallas.

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Loved it always, but…

Revisado: 06-17-23

Without spoilers…you might think Wonder has wonder, Joe, but I don’t.
Perfect narrator for Joe, and I loved it being set in my Boston University (and university) stomping ground.

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Nuanced and thorough

Revisado: 03-25-23

The author had complete access to court, school, and psychiatric records. She also waited until everything had finished in the courts, and she talked to both girls. Nothing more thorough could be done. I am fascinated by this case, and I loved this book.

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Marvelous writing, dreadful narration

Revisado: 01-29-23

The book was wonderful, the narrator was horrible. She read this story of the murder and dismemberment of a mother as if she were reading a fairy tale to a group of children, with a sing-song lilt. I could easily imagine her pausing to show pictures to the children. Had I not deeply respected Diane Fanning and her work, I would have stopped listening.

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Unclear what even happened

Revisado: 12-11-22

Great idea ruined by an inexplicable ending. I finished wondering what happened, and not wanting to expend the energy to sort it out.

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Not about Scientology

Revisado: 08-28-22

Autobiographies are risky. People fib about themselves, either on purpose or unconsciously. They go in tangents in or to brag or hide.

Hall spends a great deal of this book telling us how amazing her birth family is—they stomped all over Europe and she pretended to be an oracle on the moors of Scotland while other kids were in school—when they actually weren’t—they were judgmental and verbally abusive. I didn’t want to spend that much time reading about the Marvelous Mighty Halls, or about how Sands Hall is an Educated Talented Writer. I wanted to read about Scientology’s effect upon a person. I got very little of that in a quite long book.

Side note: I now know all about Sands’ time on Guiding Light, but it’s not in the IMDb. Odd.

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Toni Morrison’s voice reminds me of my mother reading to me as a child

Revisado: 02-07-22

Download every one of her books she narrated. Even when the subject matter is dangerous and painful, like Beloved, her voice made me feel that warm, safe, storytelling feeling of having my mother or my elementary school librarian read to me as a child—that magic, storytelling feeling.

This is an unsafe ghost story. It will take you places you might not be ready to go, emotionally and historically. This is a reread, and I still feel worn out upon finishing it. But it is also a Great American Novel, and o say that without hyperbole. I was lucky enough to study it at Yale—my first read. Now I simply come to it the second time as a reader. I am enraptured and heart-rendered.

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This makes me want to voraciously read and write.

Revisado: 01-01-22

This play broke my heart, and made me feel wonderful all at the same time.

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Truly original horror

Revisado: 12-29-21

Fascinating and truly original idea that unfurls its secrets slowly. Bronson Pinchot’s narration is absolutely superb.

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Intriguing story, but…

Revisado: 11-12-21

Actual errors in story logistics bother me. The protagonist does not have money at a crucial juncture…then she suddenly does when it’s needed. That yanked me away from enjoying it.

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