Samyann's Blog, page 5
July 31, 2021
Falling
Falling by T.J. Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Plot. Two Kurdish friends, having fled to the USA to escape poverty and live the American dream are suddenly grief-stricken and seek revenge. One kidnaps a woman and her kids, the other is on board a passenger plane with her pilot husband. As you’ll soon learn, Fallen is out of the headlines politically with the US abandonment of the Kurds by the Trump administration. Hair-raising events on a passenger plane, courageous and cowardly behavior ensue to make you stay up too late.
Liked. Gripping page-turner. Believable. No sex, no language issues, a clean read. The narration and voicing of the characters were well done.
Not so hot. Editing is needed regarding the plot – but, revealing these plot errors would be spoilers. You’ll spot ‘m.
Written by T. J. Newman, narrated by Steven Weber, 8.5 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in July 2021 by Simon & Shuster.
Recommended thriller.
Tracy Crosswhite Series by Dugoni
The Tracy Crosswhite Series is written by Robert Dugoni, narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith, All released by Brilliance Audio starting in 2015, seven novels to date.
Tracy Crosswhite, the main protagonist, is a Seattle homicide cop. Having successfully solved the 20-year-old murder of her sister in Book 3 of the series, Tracy is back on the job in Seattle.
Good cops, bad cops, a myriad of suspects traverse the pages as the author works toward solving crimes. You’ll be convinced, many times, that you have figured out the story and nailed a psychopath – then Dugoni throws you a curve. Good plot twists!
Narration is fine, male and female voices alike. You’ll have no trouble discerning who is saying what to who.
No gratuitous sex, no bad language. Not great literature, not intended to be – just good stories worth the investment
July 26, 2021
I Alone Can Fix It
I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year by Carol Leonnig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There are serious elements herein that should stoke fear in the hearts and minds of Americans – regardless of your party.
An American president attempted a coup, literally. The president relentlessly pushed his aides, allies, the vice president, the US Military to make it happen – and he nearly succeeded – within a hairs-breadth. The violence of January 6th is only one element of a constant drumbeat to maintain power, all else be damned – including American lives, the US Constitution, the rule of law. After getting advice from constitutional scholars, the vice president knew he must certify the electoral college votes – he did so because he had no choice.
I Alone Can Fix It names names, dates, times, places. If it is not all true, where are the libel suits? Crickets. How it is possible that near 1/2 of America is so willfully ignorant to this peril is mind-boggling. Sadly, the people who need to read this book the most will not.
Narration and audio production is fine, no issues.
Written by Carol Leonnig, Philip Rucker, narrated by January LaVoy, Carol Leonnig, Philip Rucker, 20 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in July 2021 by Penguin Audio.
Highly recommended.
July 19, 2021
Frankly, We Did Win This Election
Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost by Michael C. Bender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The most interesting thing about the flood of books about Trump and his administration is the fact that there are no libel suits. If the details, names, dates, etc., are not accurate representations – why hasn’t the author been in court, defending his “fake news”?
Well, that is because what is revealed in Frankly…. is NOT fake news, but nothing surprising. Narration is fine, bumped the speed up to 1.3.
Written by Michael C. Bender, narrated by Eric Pollins, just over 17 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in July 2021.
Recommended.
(Same review as for Landslide. If you’ve been watching the news for the last five years there is nothing surprising.)
Landslide
Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency by Michael Wolff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The most interesting thing about the flood of books about Trump and his administration is the fact that there are no libel suits. If the details, names, dates, etc., are not accurate representations – why hasn’t the author been in court, defending his “fake news”?
Well, that is because what is revealed in Landslide is NOT fake news, but nothing surprising. Narration is fine, bumped the speed up to 1.3.
Written by Michael Wolff, narrated by Holter Graham, just over 11 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format released in July 2021.
Recommended.
July 14, 2021
Red Sky over Hawaii
Red Sky over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Plot. A woman in Hawaii finds herself as protector/caretaker to two German little girls, a Japanese old man, and a Japanese boy, in the days immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Circumstances and fear of both the Japanese and Germans have forced her into the role. The story is a feel-good familial tale with a message that family is not necessarily blood ties. There is an internment camp on the islands, and Japanese citizens are interrogated relentlessly, and most are sent to this camp. Our heroine falls in love with a camp officer as she hides her wards from certain arrests, orphanages, a pedophile.
Liked. Island life, especially during wartime. The Hawaiian names and legends of local flora, fauna, and volcanos. No sex, no explicit language, a squeaky clean read. Narration is fine. Not great literature, not intended to be – just a comfortable story.
Not so hot. Bumped the speed to 1.4 – a bit slow for me.
Written by Sara Ackerman, narrated by Jennifer Robideau, 10 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in June 2020 by Harlequin Audio.
Recommended beach read.
July 11, 2021
Dark Sky
Dark Sky by C.J. Box
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Plot. Dark Sky is a Joe Pickett story. Joe is a Wyoming game warden. That sounds like a fairly innocuous career. Not so for Joe. Trouble always finds him. He’s a happily married father of a few girls, a man’s man with a decent heart … and he’s no push-over. This time Joe is tasked by the governor of Wyoming to guide a tech billionaire on a hunting trip. Naturally, there is bad guy skulduggery that quickly puts Joe and the billionaire in life-threatening situations, revealing more would be spoilers.
Liked. The mystery. The author’s review of online bullying. Narration is fine – no trouble discerning who is talking to who.
Not so hot? Nothing concerning – I’ve read Joe Pickett stories before. BTW, you can jump in anywhere in the series, no need to start at book one.
Written by C. J. Box, narrated by David Chandler, about ten hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in March 2021 by Recorded Books.
Recommended.
July 10, 2021
Stars of Alabama
Stars of Alabama by Sean Dietrich
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Plot. This is the story of Coot, the son of a hell-fire-and-brimstone abusive preacher, and Marigold, a woman with mysterious healing powers, and the religious tent revivals of the south. Personally, I did not enjoy it – I found the whole thing depressing.
Liked. It is an interesting picture of the hypnotic power of the evangelical preacher and somehow explains some of the blind fever they can evoke from the poor and ignorant.
Not so hot? The author breaks into the middle of the story, more than once, with a sales pitch for other works. What? All this did was convince this listener to NEVER listen to another book by this author or publisher again. Ever. What the … expletive deleted … audiobooks are BOOKS … there are no ads!
Written and narrated by Sean Dietrich, 10 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in July 2019 by Thomas Nelson (religious publications),
For the first time in my 1000s of audiobook reviews, I can clearly state: NOT recommended.
July 7, 2021
Thomas Prescott Series
Thomas Prescott Series: Premium by Nick Pirog
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This review covers 5 full-length novels – Unforeseen, Gray Matter, Afrikaans, Show Me, and Jungle Up.
Plot. Thomas Prescott has a storied past – once fired from a police force for punching out a fellow officer, drafted into a homicide detective role, and now retired. Sarcastic, caustic, and funny, trouble seems to find him, as each of the five stories involves him involuntarily knee-deep in an investigation: murders, greed, corruption, theft, piracy, and more. You don’t need to read all to enjoy any of the books, but … you’ll miss some threads without starting at the beginning with Unforeseen. You’ll enjoy the dog; he’s in most books – he has narcolepsy – really. He’ll drop into a dead sleep while doing regular doggy things. Actually Googled this, and yeah – dogs do get narcolepsy! You’ll also enjoy the adorable baby sloth.
Liked. Fun stories, twists. No explicit sex or inappropriate language. Clean reads. A little violence, but since it’s bad guys getting comeuppance … shrug. Narration is fine.
Not so hot. Well, I know Thomas’ horn-dog nonsense was part of the character, but…cliché, juvenile, and over the top. You’ll roll your eyes, promise.
Written by Nick Pirog, narrated by Johnny Heller, a total of 44 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released from 2019 – 2021 by Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Comfy mysteries with a few hair-raising events – recommended.
July 6, 2021
Across the Winding River
Across the Winding River by Aimie K. Runyan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Plot. In 2007, Beth Cohen, the daughter of a widowed WWII veteran, Max, helps him search for the pregnant German girl she discovers in one of his old war photos. The woman is not Beth’s mother. The story is flashbacks to the war from the early 30s through 1947, in addition to modern-day sleuthing. Who is this girl, did she live, what happened to the child?
Liked. Creative, educational details, intriguing story. Narration is fine, no issues. Bumped the speed up to 1.4 – but that’s not a criticism, just a bit slow for my taste. No explicit sex, no objectionable language. Max does liberate Dachau, so there is a bit of upsetting history – but it IS history everyone should know.
Not so hot. Flashbacks jump from 1940 to 1937 to 1945 to 1944 … just an example, but you get the idea. Current war events during the flashbacks are near impossible to figure out. IMO, the author misses a chance to build suspense during the war chapters and make events easier to follow, if they were sequential.
Written by Aimie K. Runyan, narrated by Kathleen Gati, Lisa Flanagan, Michael Crouch, approximately 9 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in August 2020 by Brilliance Audio.
Although fictional characters, these events happened and will happen again if we are not vigilant.
Recommended.
