Jane Jameson is getting into the routine of being a vampire. Her mom is in denial and her sister won't talk to her, but that's okay. She's not quite s...moreJane Jameson is getting into the routine of being a vampire. Her mom is in denial and her sister won't talk to her, but that's okay. She's not quite sure where she stands with her boyfriend, but she's also got more friends than she did when she was alive. She's loving her vampire superpowers.
This wasn't quite as good as Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, but it's still entertaining. Amanda Ronconi does a really good job of narrating. My only real complaint is that Harper goes into a bit too much detail with the sex and some of the sex scenes don't really fit with the tone of the book. I guess that's what makes it paranormal romance rather than urban fantasy.(less)
I was prepared to be disappointed by The Fault in Our Stars. It's received so much praise that I thought it couldn't possibly be that good. It really...moreI was prepared to be disappointed by The Fault in Our Stars. It's received so much praise that I thought it couldn't possibly be that good. It really is that good. It's a story about life, love, and death. Two teens with cancer fall in love. You know from the onset it can only end tragically. Generally, a young love cancer book is cheesy. Anybody remember Love Story and that gawdawful line, "Love means never having to say you're sorry."? Gag. Fortunately, Green avoids the cheesy trap. Instead, he has written a book that feels honest. By the end, I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. That fifth star is for those tears.
Kate Rudd did an amazing job narrating the audiobook. In fact, I suspect that this is one of those books that is made better by listening to her performance. Maybe it would have been cheese in print, but Rudd is so authentic as the voice of Hazel. The way she captures Hazel's shortness of breath when she exerts herself or the way she talks when she's on the CPAP machine is subtle and realistic. Her narration was probably the main reason I ended up in tears. I really believed her performance.
I cannot express what a good audiobook this is. Wow. Just wow.(less)
What the heck is going on with me? Lately, all that's been holding my attention is frothy, romantic, humorous books. My usual reading style is gritty...moreWhat the heck is going on with me? Lately, all that's been holding my attention is frothy, romantic, humorous books. My usual reading style is gritty and thought-provoking.
Molly Harper's humor is right up my alley. It's snarky. The narration here is good too. This book is pretty light, so there's not much else I can say about it other than it kept me smiling. (less)
This is definitely the middle child of the trilogy. You know from the animosity between Hope and Ryder starting in the first book that they'll be a co...moreThis is definitely the middle child of the trilogy. You know from the animosity between Hope and Ryder starting in the first book that they'll be a couple at some point. After all, there are three brothers and three friends. This book follows the growing romance between Owen and Avery. They've know each other all their lives. When she was little, Avery announced that she was going to marry Owen.
One of the things about romance novels is that you know how they're going to end. There really isn't any such thing as a spoiler because the rules are all laid out early. I wouldn't want a steady diet of romance novels, but a good one is kind of a nice change of pace.(less)
I made a mistake a year ago and read the third book in this series. I rated it two stars, but didn't write a review. I suspect that I gave it a low ra...moreI made a mistake a year ago and read the third book in this series. I rated it two stars, but didn't write a review. I suspect that I gave it a low rating because I came into the series late and didn't really know what was going on. (I gave it the rating before I found out it was #3.)
I actually liked Dead Witch Walking quite a lot. Urban fantasy can be hit or miss for me. I love Harry Dresden, Kitty Norville, Mercy Thompson and Felix Castor, but I haven't really liked anything else in this genre. I think I'm going to like Rachel Morgan too.
Marguerite Gavin's narration was good, except for the voice of Ivy Tamwood. She made her voice too deep and breathy. It was very annoying.(less)
I'm not a romance reader, but this was a lot of fun. Molly Harper has a great sense of humor. There weren't any surprises in this novella, but that's...moreI'm not a romance reader, but this was a lot of fun. Molly Harper has a great sense of humor. There weren't any surprises in this novella, but that's okay. I laughed out loud several times and that made it worth the listen.
I've never heard of the narrator, Sophie Eastlake, before. However, I will be keeping my eyes open for other books narrated by her. She was delightful. (less)
I generally like A. Lee Martinez's work. However, this one was too episodic for my tastes. It jumped from one scene to the next and felt like a bunch...moreI generally like A. Lee Martinez's work. However, this one was too episodic for my tastes. It jumped from one scene to the next and felt like a bunch of disconnected stories. Martinez's signature humor is there, but I had trouble with the story.
Scott Aiello did a terrific job of narrating. There was some real pathos in his voice as Mollusk talks about retiring as an evil warlord. He get's the character's smugness right too.(less)
As the parent of a teenage boy, this book made me really, really uncomfortable.
(view spoiler)[If you've ever seen the movie "The Bad Seed", you know e...moreAs the parent of a teenage boy, this book made me really, really uncomfortable.
(view spoiler)[If you've ever seen the movie "The Bad Seed", you know exactly what this book is about. It has exactly the same theme. (hide spoiler)] While the story seemed fairly predictable, it was told in an interesting way. Andy Barber, father of the titular Jacob, is on the witness stand testifying about his son. From his testimony, it's quickly apparent that he's discussing something that's in the past, but he's not letting us know what the trial is about. (view spoiler)[I thought Andy was on trial for something, or that he was being forced to testify about Jacob at some time after the original trial, but I was wrong. In fact, I was quite surprised to find out why he was giving testimony. (hide spoiler)] This framing device was quite interesting, but it was also frustrating. There are tantalizing clues about what has happened, but it's not spelled out. He lets you think one thing when the truth is really something else.
I really liked Grover Gardner's narration. He did the various characters really well and actually made it sound like he was someone testifying in a trial.(less)
A CLIFFHANGER!!!!!! HOW DARE HE END THE BOOK WITH A CLIFFHANGER?????!!!!!!
Okay, other than the cliffhanger, this was the best book in the Flavia de Lu...moreA CLIFFHANGER!!!!!! HOW DARE HE END THE BOOK WITH A CLIFFHANGER?????!!!!!!
Okay, other than the cliffhanger, this was the best book in the Flavia de Luce series so far.(less)
In this third installment of the Monster Hunters International series, author Larry Correia takes a break from Owen Pitt's first person narrative and...moreIn this third installment of the Monster Hunters International series, author Larry Correia takes a break from Owen Pitt's first person narrative and follows to MHI leader Earl Harbinger. Frankly, the switch to a third person narrative made for a more interesting story. The tale was also much more straight-foward. Instead of big battle, Bigger Battle, BIGGEST BATTLE, the story just covers one really big battle. I really liked Earl's perspective and his journal entries that reveal his past. All in all, this is the best volume in the series.
As usual, Oliver Wyman's narration is terrific. That man could narrate the phone book and make it sound like the world's greatest novel. (less)
It's probably been 20-25 years since I last read The Handmaid's Tale. What stuck with me over the years was the awful purpose of the handmaids and how...moreIt's probably been 20-25 years since I last read The Handmaid's Tale. What stuck with me over the years was the awful purpose of the handmaids and how utterly depressing women's lives were. What I didn't remember was the fact that it was just as bad for the men. Sure, the laws "favored" men, but they were every bit as trapped in their roles as the women were. They had to have sex for procreation. Because the law said that men couldn't be deemed sterile, the men who couldn't impregnate a woman must have felt some incredible guilt when a handmaid was disposed of for not fulfilling her purpose. This is essentially a feminist story, but it is also a human story.
What impressed me was how little this book has aged. Atwood's dystopian future is every bit as possible today as it was when she wrote it back in 1985. Its one of those books that requires the reader to participate in the creative process. Each reading brings different meaning depending on the reader and on that reader's stage in life.
This audio version was narrated by Clare Danes. If they were to make a film adaptation now, I can absolutely see her in the role of Offred. Nobody does weepy and vulnerable yet strong better than Clare Danes. She's at just the right age and stage in her career to really bring something to the role. However, she does have one big weakness as an audiobook narrator. She inserts a lot of really long pauses after periods and commas. It kind of throws of the organic flow of the narrative. Other than that, she's got a voice that's very easy to listen to. Her enunciation and pronunciation are flawless. She adds just the right emotion to her voice in just the right places. (less)
It took me a really long time to get through the first half of this book. Once I did, it picked up a lot and went really quickly. I found the setting...moreIt took me a really long time to get through the first half of this book. Once I did, it picked up a lot and went really quickly. I found the setting fascinating--a depraved, degraded Arabic city where people change gender and personalities like I change shoes. Although it was written in 1987, it doesn't seem dated. In fact, it fits in with current science fiction better than the SF of 1987.
Jonathan Davis is the perfect narrator for this book. He does very well with books set in non-Western societies. He does accents well without sounding like he's faking it. He definitely does his homework with pronouncing non-English words. When Gravity Fails is the perfect venue for his strengths.(less)
I really, really liked Daughter of Smoke & Bone. It ended in a cliffhanger that forced me to wait for the second book. The wait is over and I have...moreI really, really liked Daughter of Smoke & Bone. It ended in a cliffhanger that forced me to wait for the second book. The wait is over and I have now read the second installment in the series.
Days of Blood & Starlight is very different than Daughter of Smoke & Bone. It's much darker and it centers less on Karou than the first one did. It's very dark and depressing. It's a lot less romantic. It story a lot of time in stasis rather than moving forward. In the end, the characters hadn't progressed very far from where they started.
As with the first book, Khristine Hvam did a terrific job of narrating. However, since half the book was from Akiva's POV, I think it could have benefited from the addition of a male narrator. (less)
I already had The Martian Chronicles on my GoodReads shelf with a four star rating. That was nostalgia. I read all of Bradbury's work when I was in ju...moreI already had The Martian Chronicles on my GoodReads shelf with a four star rating. That was nostalgia. I read all of Bradbury's work when I was in junior high and loved it all with a love that only a 13 year-old can muster. Fast forward nearly forty years and I got a copy of the audiobook for $4.95 through one of Audible's sales. It turns out that I'd forgotten nearly the entire book. I didn't realize that it was a collection of short stories. I didn't realize that there are about 5 different kinds of aboriginal Martians. I didn't realize that the book makes very little sense. I didn't realize that Bradbury's fascination with the government burning things wasn't limited to Fahrenheit 451.
There are parts of the book that are beautiful and poetic. However, the stories are extremely dated and they are very inconsistent. My older self just couldn't muster the love for this book that my younger self had.(less)
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