Sarah

Disappointing flat characters

Revisado: 07-24-12

Is there anything you would change about this book?

To avoid spoilers won't give all the details, but disappointed in the flat characters who are like TV characters. Episode One: Husband, brother, child, friend, neighbor, mother, dies. Next Episode: NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN. Characters show no after effects of loss, no emotional investment in the death and destruction around them, no emotional response to severe personal loss (husband, mother, brother, etc.). All extremely flat. How do you write a "nuclear holocaust" without showing emotional loss? I guess Pat Frank gets the award for that.

Would you ever listen to anything by Pat Frank again?

I'm going with a no.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite "most irritating"? The one where all the women in the house crying over trivial, ridiculous stuff and the author makes some annoying comment about how women just need a man around to handle life.

I don't know if it was meant to be timely as it's set back in the 60s, but it was jarring and out of place and didn't fit the character who one minute extols his girlfriend as his "rock" and then criticizes all the women for being incapable of living without a man in the house. I'll not forget that scene for a while.

If we want to call it my "favorite" for that reason, so be it.

Was Alas, Babylon worth the listening time?

I read it to compare it against "On the Beach" (another nuclear holocaust book by English-Australian writer Nevil Shute). I wanted to see how time (On the Beach was written in 1957) and nationality impacted a similar story. For that reason: it was interesting. And that reason only. On the Beach covers more intimately the death and despair and yet odd normalcy of living waiting for nuclear fall-out. Alas, Babylon for some reason never really suffers anything: they live in some magical and yet un-explained region of complete purity in the midst of heavy bombing and bombs. There are so many deus ex machinas in this book it's hard to keep count.

Any additional comments?

Alas Babylon is not a nuclear holocaust story. It's a story about living in pioneer times and "making do" and darn it if plucky people don't just make the best of it and gosh darn it if there is ANY death will it's completely off scene and has no emotional resonance. Oh: People died. Moving on.

I don't know if the author is afraid of death or has just never experienced it, but there is absolutely no grieving about the loss of human life in this book. Characters are unemotional and flat, flat, flat (not counting the need for women to sit in the house and weep uncontrollably thereby needing a man, of course).

NOTE: Nothing against the reader though. Will Patton has a great reading voice and was an excellent reader for the story. Story was just weak.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Great Follow Up to Daemon

Revisado: 06-23-12

What made the experience of listening to Freedom (TM) the most enjoyable?

That I wanted to go to there. I want to live in that world. Out of great conflict arises great people, of course. Freedom TM uses that.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Freedom (TM)?

Finally figuring out that TM was part of the title. Audiobook "covers" are so tiny (on an iPod Nano) that I couldn't see that TM.

What about Jeff Gurner’s performance did you like?

Does voices well enough that you can follow the different characters most of the time without having to re-think who is talking (books aren't always written to be spoken and references to different speakers aren't always obvious).

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

Creepy moment of torture on Loki. Sheesh. I have to be in my car and vomiting in my car is so not cool.

Any additional comments?

Great two books. Suarez did a great job on the next book. The first was so good I immediately listened to this one and it was worth it. Kept me interested to the end. Recommend it!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great listen.

Revisado: 05-26-12

Would you consider the audio edition of The Lock Artist to be better than the print version?

Duh. That's why I listened to it. (Perfection comes easily to me).

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

More seated firmly than edge of the seat. I was interested to see how it played out, and the way it skipped around was interesting. But I wouldn't say it was an edge of my seat, about to fall off sorta story. Rather a genuinely interesting story that I wanted to see out to the end, right then and there.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending. The walls. The house. Can't say much more or will have to shout out SPOIL ALERT SPOIL ALERT.

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

Pretty much. See above.

Any additional comments?

Perfect for commuting. Great story. Kept me focused on the book and not the idiots that were driving around me. Great listen! Less road rage. What's not to love?

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Techno Geek Gamer Fun

Revisado: 05-26-12

What made the experience of listening to Daemon the most enjoyable?

The great moments where you go...oh...it's a video game for real life. I want to go to there.

What other book might you compare Daemon to and why?

Snow Crash and Project Ito Harmony. Same feel of future world, games, gamers, and geeks.

What does Jeff Gurner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voices. Nice to hear the mix. He's a little eerie. In a good way.

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

Yes. I did. Had moments where I stared at my husband as he was speaking and thought: "I could be listening to Daemon right now".

Any additional comments?

Read it. And then go get Freedom (sequel) RIGHT AWAY. I did.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Excellent Story with Ingenius Moments

Revisado: 04-21-12

Would you listen to The Financial Lives of the Poets again? Why?

No. Because I don't listen to any book twice. But if I had to...it wouldn't be sheer torture. I'd survive. The other person would survive (I can only expect listening to it again because I am locked in a room or car with someone and they want to listen to it). Both these survivable points means that it's actually a pretty good book.

What other book might you compare The Financial Lives of the Poets to and why?

Oh that book, what is it called...Beat the Reaper. That's it. Reason is they are both light and fun and yet dark and serious. But The Financial Lives of the Poets wins because he does what I see so rarely: he treats "bad" people as just everyday people with crap lives or crap choices. They're human, not caricatures.

Which scene was your favorite?

Dave crying. Hands down. Oh..but also Jamie's comment of "outgrowing your life". Nicely done.

If you could rename The Financial Lives of the Poets, what would you call it?

Nope. It's a good name.

Any additional comments?

Enjoy. I did. It's laugh out loud funny on occasion. I may have looked stupid in my car: but I don't care.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Made Me Sit in My Car and Listen

Revisado: 04-03-12

Would you consider the audio edition of Matterhorn to be better than the print version?

Yes. I thought the audio version was riveting, really allowed for a full immersion into the story. One of the few audiobooks where I was literally riveted. I found myself sitting in my car breathlessly awaiting the next word.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were great. And a book with real details about German Shepherds? I was going through the end-of-life of my shepherd while I listened to this. Completely heartrending. Made me look up the details about war dogs.

Which scene was your favorite?

The last stand on the hill. Full culmination of all that came before. The full insanity of it all was unbearable and well done.

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

YES!

Any additional comments?

LISTEN TO IT. DO IT! You won't be disappointed. I was so

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

It's a Teen Book. Remember That.

Revisado: 03-18-12

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

Yes and no. I was curious as to the story and how it was handled, but felt that it was really a younger read. Not the depth of character or development of story that I enjoy best.

Would you be willing to try another book from Suzanne Collins? Why or why not?

I haven't read the next in the series. I wasn't moved enough to find out what happened next.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I think it was handled well for a kid's book. I do think the death scenes were glossed over a bit, but I understand that it was trying to

Did The Hunger Games inspire you to do anything?

Yes. Not read the next one.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Perfect Read During a Snowstorm

Revisado: 03-18-12

What did you love best about The Leopard?

I was listening to this during February. Often during snowstorms. It was perfect cold weather listening. Only regret that I'd skipped a book in the series by accident (The Snowman). Enjoyed the story, particularly for its coverage of issues such as assisted suicide. One of the better explorations of the topic I've read.

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

The visit of his father were particularly well done.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Read it for the GSD

Revisado: 03-18-12

What did you like best about Dog Tags? What did you like least?

It covers GSDs (German Shepherd Dogs) fairly well (as in lots of praise...). It was classic Rosenfelt, with a healthy dose of GSD worship. What's not to like?

Would you recommend Dog Tags to your friends? Why or why not?

Sure. It's a fun read, light, fast, and perfect for the commute.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Fun for the Commute

Revisado: 03-18-12

What did you like best about Skinwalker? What did you like least?

Needed a fun book for a long plane ride. Started this one in the air and it was fast and fun to listent to. Made the trip enjoyable. I've bought the next in the series now for commuting.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

It was pretty good. There was times it was hard to distinguish between characters talking (not quite the depth of different voices), but overall it worked.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I wouldn't

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña