Jill

King of Melodrama

Revisado: 07-24-06

Very mild spoiler alert ...

I was encouraged to listen to this after all the positive reviews, and perhaps having such high expectations was the problem. I think that the basic storyline is good, and the characters are well developed, but I will reiterate what another listener said and say that the similes and metaphors and attempts at being creative in his prose were corny and melodramatic and got to be ... annoying. The only real problem that I had with the story was the incessant emphasis on who "Work" thought was the perp, and once it changed he obsessed over the next alleged perp.

The narrator was totally unconvincing and unpleasant to listen to. I guess I am not used to listening to swallows and inhalations and almost no differentiation between characters voices, except for Max, who I am disappointed was not more developed. In addition, his voice had no sublety or nuance - he always sounded like he was speaking to someone hard of hearing.

Good enough to want to hear what happens at the end, but not recommended.

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New Tami Hoag Fan

Revisado: 07-17-06

Like many others, this was my first Tami Hoag book, and I was not disappointed! It had an array of well developed characters, a very human and likeable main character, and a suspenseful storyline sprinkled with bits of humor that kept me perpetually interested despite its length. I look forward to listening to more of her work, hopefully with a different narrator. This would have received 5 stars if not for the staccato, Captain Kirk-like delivery of Holter Graham (I think I have been spoiled by Scott Brick).

In short, a highly recommended book, especially for those who have not been introduced to Tami Hoag.

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I'm Guilty!

Revisado: 07-10-06

Guilty of being sucked in from the start and seldom turning off my ipod. This grabbed my attention and never let go, despite its length. Scott Brick now feels like an old friend and it is a pleasure listening to anything that he narrates. There were a couple of scenes that were emotional by themselves, but with his added compassion and understanding of the characters, I was actually almost moved to tears, which makes me feel quite silly, but also is a testament to how deeply the characters are developed and how we get to know them and feel for them.
In addition, I am most certainly not good at predicting what will happen or who the "bad guy" is, but the ending made my mouth drop and a little gasp escaped me. All this while at the gym.

Most definitely and very highly recommended!!

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Bad Omen

Revisado: 05-22-06

I think that the title for this book is inadvertently a clue as to its nature. Although it kept me entertained enough to pass the time at the gym, I felt that the characters were either not very well developed or very unoriginal and thus kind of "cheesy" ... the oversexed wife married to clueless older man, the perfect-seeming yet ultimately less than admirable rich boy, the wise old Jewish friend. Actually I liked him. He had at least a few interesting things to discuss. And the very best part was the narration by Scott Brick, who I have unintentionally listened to in 3 of my last 5 books.
Unless you are a rabid "Lost" fan and must absorb any and all things associated, I would not recommend this book.

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A Necessary Read

Revisado: 04-18-06

Sure this book reiterates many of the facts and figures in SuperSize me and Fast Food Nation. Sure it is not especially scientific nor does it necessarily provide solutions to the problems it presents. Sure, it is sensationalistic and in-your-face. But considering the epidemic that is obesity, and what seems to be a "treat the effect and not the cause" attitude that far too many people hold, a book like this is what we need in addition to the others mentioned to open our eyes just a bit to what is certain to be a long uphill climb to some degree of healthiness and longevity.

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Fantastic Voyage!

Revisado: 04-17-06

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I was so disappointed, knowing it had to end. Initially Bill Bryson's narration seemed not quite right, but in no time at all the dryness of his voice matched that of his humor. This was interesting, amusing, informative, upbeat, even historical, full of little tidbits of information you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere except in someone's private journal. I am currently in Australia and it is so fun to actually see and experience the things he is describing. But this is certainly not a requirement to enjoy this book. I look forward to reading some of his other travel narratives.

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I love the premise ...

Revisado: 04-17-06

And am therefore giving this a 4. I love the idea of this pervasive and invasive bit of technology being the instrument of such destruction and chaos. I haven't read a Stephen King book in a long time, but felt like this was worth a listen to. There are moments that it drags on and seems a bit repetetive as to the themes being examined, as well as not examining thoroughly enough other themes ... but interesting enough to hold my attention, although I felt somehwhat ... cheated at the end. Many questions go unanswered. Perhaps that is part of SK's appeal?

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Couldn't put it down

Revisado: 04-17-06

I enjoy the legal thrillers but I haven't read a Michael Connelly book so I didn't know what to expect ... this had my attention from beginning to end! I thought the characters were well developed, the narration was good, it was suspenseful, and a very good introduction to this author. I will definitely listen to more of his books.

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Interesting and Insightful

Revisado: 04-17-06

I wasn't sure what to expect; a male-bashing monologue or a feminist bandwagon lecture or ??? What I discovered was unexpected and surprisingly humbling, or so it seemed, from what the author described. Although her narrative is a bit monotonous, the book is well written, funny, and at times sad and touching. It takes what are our (women's) pre- and misconceptions and blows them out of the water ... it's like an intro to behavioral psychology and gender roles, albeit not very scientific. I think there is a lot to be learned from this one.

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Read the book instead, if you must

Revisado: 04-17-06

I cannot emphasize enough how horrendous the narration was for this story. It was emotionless, amateur, and difficult to distinguish from one character to the next, except perhaps when some type of accent was attempted (but butchered). I was looking forward to it because of all the praise showered on this author for the Devil Wears Prada. Even so, I was not impressed and felt it was overly contrived. I am fairly new to the "chick lit" genre (I apologize for calling it that but don't know what else to name it!), so maybe I am being unfair ... but I did read and thoroughly enjoy Sophie Kinsella's "Can You Keep a Secret?". Try that one instead.

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