Samyann's Blog, page 26

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks – Audiobook

The Best of Me is written by Nicholas Sparks, narrated by Sean Pratt, and the unabridged audiobook is almost ten hours long. Downloaded this copy from the Chicago Public Library.

If you are in any way feeling low – don’t add to your misery with The Best of Me … or maybe it is a good idea if you want to revel in the sadness of others. The book will definitely pull you in, because it is, like all Sparks novels, a decent story. But, wow … it is a tearjerker and the author plays with your emotions – a lot!

The two main characters, after over twenty years, return to the home of their roots for the funeral of an old man they befriended as teenagers. Typical of a Sparks romance, you guessed it … the teenagers were in love. Romeo and Juliet characters from opposite sides of the social spectrum are pulled apart, life happens. Today one is an ex-con, the other is a mother married to an alcoholic. Thus is the thrust of The Best of Me.

Narration is fine, no trouble discerning who’s talking to who, a good production.

No explicit sex, no foul language – don’t hesitate to give as a gift to any Sparks or romance fan, teenagers included.

But … whoa … violins will be playing. *sniff*

Very nice Amazon review of Yesterday

 Both contemporary and historical, May 11, 2016


By
Cindy P.



Verified Purchase
This review is from: Yesterday: A Novel of Reincarnation (Kindle Edition)

Yesterday is a good, old-fashioned love story. Déjà vu plays a significant part in this contemporary romance that’s actually a time-travel. Instead of using magic or a dimensional portal, the heroine uses hypnosis. Through a series of sessions, she experiences past lives as a child in the South on the cusp of civil war and an adult during the famous Chicago fire.

Angel bells have a great significance in a little girl’s life that resonates across incarnations and is the catalyst that takes Amanda on her journey through time. Yesterday contains well researched historical sequences. If you like historical fiction as much as I do, you might find this part of the book even more enjoyable than the contemporary sections.

The pulse-pounding action begins right off the bat in chapter one. I won’t spoil it for you, but let’s just say it involves an elevated train (Chicago’s famous “L”), a man, a horse, and our tenacious heroine. The author paints such a realistic visual of the action, you won’t soon forget it!

“What is it about a man on a horse that makes him extraordinary?” Mark, the handsome alpha hero, is a Chicago mounted policeman. “Broad-shouldered with curly black hair and tiny laugh lines at the corners of dark brown eyes. A warm baritone with a faint Irish brogue.” Be still, my heart!

Unfortunately for Mark, Amanda has some sturdy emotional walls built up that he must tear down to reach her. But he’s persistent, even while she gives him an extremely cold shoulder. I found frustrating Amanda’s continued resistance to Mark, even when he was charming, but their relationship also made me a little uncomfortable when he was being too alpha. There were a couple of occasions where I wanted Amanda to tell Mark to get lost.

Some closer editing might have flagged a few confusing sentences and clichés. Other parts of the story shine with brilliant descriptions and turns of phrases that leave no doubt as to this writer’s substantial talent. Her ability to write action scenes is amazing! In some places the novel reads like a screenplay, and I have no doubt that Yesterday would make a great Lifetime movie.

I’d love to see Samyann write an entirely historical romance, and I look forward to reading more of her work!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, Cindy!

Samyann

CLICK HERE for paperback, audiobook, or Kindle!

A Wanted Man by Lee Child – Audiobook

Written by Lee Child, narrated by Dick Hill, just over fourteen hours of listening. This unabridged audiobook version was downloaded from the Chicago Public Library.

Although a different reader was used in early editions of the Jack Reacher Series, I think most audiobook listeners will agree that Dick Hill is ‘the voice’ of Jack Reacher. With several books in this series, none in particular, I’ve enjoyed Dick Hill’s interpretation. In this story, however, I found the interpretation to be annoying as hell. From the very beginning, and throughout the entire story, Reacher has a broken nose. We never find out why or how it got broken, but Hill’s voicing of Reacher reflects the nasally, stuffed-up-nose sound to a degree of aggravation for the listener. This distraction severely hampered my enjoyment of the book, and it served absolutely no purpose – none. Narration is, as Jack Reacher would say, “Not good, not good at all.” But then, Hill had to work with the material he was given. Enough about narration.

Reacher is super-smart, observant, quiet, and has all the strength and abilities of every hardened tough guy you can imagine – with a soft spot for all that is righteous. Hill  portrays Reacher as a deep thinking, somewhat caustic, type A, world-weary loner, former army. In A Wanted Man, Reacher thumbs a ride with two criminals and a female hostage … this is where the story starts. Lots of twists, some surprising, some not so much, but very typically Jack Reacher. The story is a bit predictable, repetitive in areas. Reacher unwittingly finds himself in a number of scrapes you’ll be convinced he cannot escape – but, that’s the fun – he always does.

If you enjoy the Jack Reacher Series, you’ll enjoy the book. Not sure about the reading of the audiobook, however.

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks – Audiobook

The Rescue is written by Nicholas Sparks. The unabridged audiobook is about 10.5 hours of listening and narrated by Johnny Heller. Downloaded from the Chicago Public Library.

If you’re in the mood for a mushy and a bit maudlin story this will do. The Sparks books are always stories of two people overcoming personal demons, finally gazing deeply into each other’s teary eyes as hearts thunder, robins tweet, brooks babble, wind whispers, and … sorry, starting to think gooey – like Sparks. Interesting that a male author’s preferred genre is romance – a bit unusual.  Come to think of it, most romantic poetry and song lyrics are written by men. Mmmmmm.

Nothing earthshaking – not intended to be, although The Rescue has it’s moments of interest in fire rescue. The single mother of a disabled child returns to her roots in a small town. She totals her car and is ‘rescued’ by a local volunteer fireman. You’ll either go through some tissues or roll your eyes throughout the story. No explicit sex, no foul language. Perfect gift for tween girls. All the Sparks romance novels I’ve heard are extremely tame.

Heller does a good job with narration; you’ll have no trouble discerning who-says-what-to-who. If you’re among Sparks’ legion of fans, you’ll enjoy.

Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton – Audiobook

Cry The Beloved Country is written by Alan Paton and narrated by Michael York. The unabridged audiobook is close to ten hours of listening.

The story isn’t what I expected. It is not a soapbox rant about the Apartheid. In fact, Apartheid is not mentioned. Keep in mind this book was published in 1948; Apartheid wasn’t formally enforced by the government of South Africa until 1948. Although racial segregation is present, it is similar to that of the United States prior to the American Civil War. Acknowledged, accepted, a way of life, and there exists a quiet undercurrent of needed change. In fact, a hero of a Cry The Beloved Country character is Abraham Lincoln. According to the characters of this book, many people, black and white, are opposed to the separateness and financial inequities. The abhorrent poverty of blacks was an abomination given the mining wealth of South Africa, and there were many, including powerful whites, that knew change was needed and inevitable.

This is the background of Cry The Beloved Country. A black man goes on trial for the murder of a white man. This simple plot is the foundation of Paton’s exploration into familial bonds, deep friendships, loyalties, and of course, the upcoming winds of change in South Africa.

The locale of South Africa was the reason, I believe, that Michael York was a choice for narration, given his accent. There is difficulty however, with regard to any changes in the voices of individual characters, particularly noticeable in authenticity of ethnicity. There is no change in the voice when different characters are speaking, men or women, adults or children, blacks or whites. York simply reads the story aloud. For me this takes a bit from the story, in that I was completely unfamiliar with it other than to be aware that Cry The Beloved Country is highly rated and admired. Until Paton explicitly identifies him as so, I had no idea the main character, Reverend Kumalo, was a black man. This is a narration problem, in my opinion. Beyond this, pace and tempo are fine, a decent production.

If you’re looking for an angst-ridden racially motivated diatribe, this book is not for you. If you are interested in a very thought provoking look at 1948-pre-apartheid South Africa, this book is excellent.

Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb – Audiobook

Best Boy is written by Eli Gottlieb and wonderfully narrated by Bronson Pinchot. The unabridged audiobook is just over seven hours of listening.

Why I liked this book: 1) It is a unique insight into the mind of an Autistic adult. Because I personally have not been exposed to a victim of Autism, this is an extremely educational story. It’s my understanding that this story is pretty close to a reflection of Eli Gottlieb’s relationship with his own brother, excellently told. 2) I can’t say enough about the narration of Bronson Pinchot. The voice of Todd is absolutely incredible. I’m certain that an already great story is considerably enhanced with this incredible interpretation by Pinchot – just terrific.

Why I didn’t like this book: Only one reason; it had to end. One of the best audiobooks I’ve heard and I personally own thousands. Highly recommended.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult – Audiobook

A Jodi Picoult novel, narrated by Mozhan Marno, Jennifer Ikeda, Edoardo Ballerini, Suzanne Toren, and Fred Berman. The Storyteller is just over 18 hours of listening in the audiobook format.

There are near 10,000 reviews, you need not go far for a synopsis of plot.

No issues with narration, it’s fine.

These comments are directed to the overall impression of mixing a diabolical historical event still an open sore to survivors/descendants, and a mythical SciFi character. The Storyteller very typically Picoult, well written, a page turning mystery with considerable research, a vivid imagination, or a combination of both.

The story within the story is a part of the book I didn’t particularly like – it was extraneous to the heart of the tale – one of the darkest eras of humanity, the holocaust. That segment of the story devoted to modern day Nazi hunting and the memories of Minka through a ghetto, box cars, multiple concentration camps, multiple losses of family and friends, Nazi visceral brutality and genocide, etc., is a gripping tale. These segments are interrupted with another story however, the fictional tale of a vampire – Minka’s writings and link to sanity during her ordeal.

The overall story had me completely lost, initially, until I figured out that the vampire story was Minka’s writings. I had trouble grasping this; it was so bizarre and unrelated to the holocaust. Even Picoult’s effort to weave the vampire tale into a Nazi siblings relationship at the end of the book is a bit silly.

I’m torn with liking/recommending this book. I guess if you like the work of Picoult, you’ll like the book. The Storyteller isn’t the best holocaust book, nor is it the best vampire book – but it is a Picoult novel. Not her best, though.

Playing With Fire by Tess Gerritsen – Audiobook

Written by Tess Gerritsen, narrated by Julia Whelan and Will Damron, an unabridged audiobook approximately seven hours long. This book came to me via an Audible Daily Deal which I jumped into based on previous Gerritsen books that I’ve enjoyed reading.

Playing With Fire has many, many reviews – ergo I’ll skip plot synopsis which you will easily find elsewhere.

Why I liked this book? Well, it is a heart-wrenching story of the holocaust, vividly descriptive in areas. If you’re squeamish about what took place in the camps during WWII this book isn’t for you – it’s pretty explicit. The audio production is superb, great narration, excellent with regard to the violin solos. I’ve no doubt that listening to Playing With Fire is much more satisfying than an ebook read. Very good audio production. Transitions between modern day and the war years is very smooth, nicely done.

Complaints? Not many, but a few. The book is only seven hours in length, ergo room enough for Gerritsen to flesh out the ending to a more satisfying conclusion. It seemed like efforts were being made to pull all the loose ends together quickly and wrap things up — and the story suffers as a result. Playing With Fire is really great tale that falls apart with a too-neat-and-tidy finish. Second complaint, believability with regard to the behavior of the main character. You’ll have to stretch imagination if you want to buy into her ‘black outs’ … but, hey … it’s fiction. For me this creates a dichotomy that pulls legitimacy from the rest of the book – the holocaust was very real.

Overall, Playing With Fire is recommended – especially in the audiobook format – with an ending you may find rushed and disappointing. A haunting and sad story, well narrated.

The Last Mile by David Baldacci – Audiobook

I’ve been a fan of Baldacci ever since his breakout novel, Absolute Power. What a way to start – write a good book, then get it made into a movie produced by and starring Clint Eastwood. Authors can only dream….anyway…I’m not disappointed with the latest effort.

The Last Mile is narrated by Kyf Brewer and Orlagh Cassidy. Unabridged audiobook approximately twelve hours long, Book 2 in the Amos Decker series.

Another winner by Baldacci, The Last Mile is a sequel to Memory Man, although it is easily read stand-alone. The main character, Amos Decker, is a former police officer, the victim of a heinous crime defined in the previous novel, Memory Man.  In ways Amos Decker’s tragedies parallel those of a man on death row in Texas … the subject of The Last Mile.

Lots of twists, tons of guessing to be done, boat-loads of mystery. If you enjoy books that will have you sleuthing away with your own ideas, you’ll have fun with The Last Mile, I did :-).

Narration is okay, a little trouble discerning the difference in female voices – but the transitions between male and female are great.

If you’re a fan of Baldacci, you won’t be disappointed.

Signature Kill by David Levien – Audiobook

Written by David Levien, narrated by Scott Brick, an unabridged audiobook about 9 hours long.

A down and out private investigator is on the trail of a serial killer, a police procedural. Very, very graphic and grisly – more than necessary, in my opinion. If you are squeamish regarding small animal torture, the abuse, brutality, dismemberment of young women, blood and guts that abound, take a pass – otherwise, it’s right up your alley and a relatively decent crime thriller! Personally, I think the author went overboard in his diligent attempt to create a psychopathic killer – a shock-and-awe approach with virtually every other chapter describing his gruesome, gooey-gorey deeds. I found myself fast forwarding through sections muttering to myself: “Okay, I get it, he’s a sicko.”

Scott Brick’s narration is sullen and morose, as is the story. This book stands alone – even though it is book four in a series.

Levine is descriptively ghoulish leaving little, if anything, to the imagination of the reader. Many scenes are a little too explicitly disgusting  – not my cup ‘o tea.