Samyann's Blog, page 53
July 25, 2014
Isolation Ward, Audiobook by Joshua Spanogle – Review
The protagonist, Nathaniel, is a loose cannon, a flawed character in many ways, which is one of those delightful slices of reality in Isolation Ward. As a Centers for Disease (CDC) doctor with a shady past, including getting tossed out of medical school, Nathaniel is a man with an attitude, obsessed with the pursuit of a possibly virulent pathogen.
This unabridged version of Isolation Ward is just over sixteen hours long, read by Scott Brick. Although not a prolific author, Spanogle’s books have that added benefit – realism. Spanogle is a doctor, with a stellar resumè, and this book has a medical theme right up his alley. The old axiom is ‘Write what you know.’, and Spanogle does. Needless to say, Scott Brick is one of the best, and adds a great deal to the story with his brilliant narration. Coincidently, Scott Brick is the narrator for Spanogle’s other books.
This book is in the vein of other medical thrillers, bringing to mind author’s like Robin Cook, Ken McClure, even a couple of Michael Crichton books. In some areas it can be a little protracted/slow, but for the most part this story is a good read and well worth the purchase. Enjoyed.
July 21, 2014
Envy by Sandra Brown – Audiobook Review
Envy is one of the best audiobooks. Plot, characters, pacing, narration … just plain good listening. There are characters to love, hate, empathize with, feel sorry for, ‘envy’, etc., all the emotions of a good drama.
Envy is an unusual tale of writers and publishing, a terrific insight for struggling authors. Two competing college roommates take unique paths that will throw them back together with vengeful jealousy and bitterness that gradually builds throughout the book. A story within a story, clues are dropped throughout each tale that coalesce together in the final chapters with a thrilling ending.
The story is read by Victor Slezak, who has read many of Sandra Brown’s books. Although he does a terrific job, he is a little slow for my taste, so listened at 1.25 using the Audible application. Lots and lots of reviews are available, for all formats. The audiobook was released in 2001 and is just over fourteen hours of listening.
July 19, 2014
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown – Audiobook Review
This audiobook copy of Digital Fortress was purchased in 2003 and it is narrated by Patrick Cohen. This edition is no longer available at Audible.com, or anywhere for that matter – as far as I know. Ergo, I won’t comment much on the audio. The recording is poor, the narration a bit bland – just a guy reading the words. The newer version is read by Paul Michael and although I’ve no way of knowing, I imagine it is much better.
The release date is 1994, so it is likely one of Dan Brown’s earliest books. Stretch the imagination quite a bit and you’ll enjoy Digital Fortress; it’s a fun story, especially given the era in which it was written. Clinton was in the White House, the high tech industry was pushing the stock market to unprecedented heights, the Internet was ‘invented’. Ergo, the imagination could go wild with speculation and in this book, it does. There is also a bit of foreshadowing of the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons in that a climax of the story takes place in a cathedral. The NSA has the ability to eavesdrop on emails, phone calls, etc., good-guys and bad-guys go to the wall in their attempts to thwart. And, the reader is wondering who’s good and who’s bad, an author’s objective. Don’t forget, this story was written five to eight years before 9/11, a different world. So, if you pull your mind back to 1994, it’s a pretty cool story. That is, unless Dan Brown has re-written the tale.
July 16, 2014
Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille – Audiobook Review
Bought this audiobook in 2006 shortly after the release, and I’ve just gotten around to listening. Since I purchased the book, there have been over 2000 reviews on Audible.com alone. So, there isn’t much I can add. The stories created by DeMille are great. The characters, not so much. For some reason, DeMille thinks a character like John Corey has some appeal. Maybe DeMille is using Corey to vent his own obnoxious and offensive side. If it weren’t for a good story, I’d have stopped listening … I couldn’t root for any character, none.
July 8, 2014
Secret Thoughts, Audiobook by H. S. Clark – Review
Secret Thoughts begins with a small child, seemingly having only a cold. It’s more than a cold and the reader is gripped by the frantic efforts of the mother to save the dying little girl. Thus begins a mystery from headlines. A cause is quickly found. The killer, however, is not and, we’re off and running with this thrilling book.
I was immediately involved in the story …. I live in Chicago and vividly remember the public panic here regarding the tampering of aceracetaminophen capsules in the early 1980s. Several innocent people died. Those murders have never been solved.
This is a short novel, just over six hours of listening, read nicely by Ernie Sprance. This is my first listen of Sprance narration, and I was surprised to learn that he has only one other audiobook recording on Audible. Based on this recording, I think, and hope, he’ll be around a while in that he even does a nice job on female voices.
An enjoyable, exciting listen. Well worth the credits.
July 6, 2014
The Good House by Tananarive Due, Audiobook Review
The Good House is in the vein of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, i.e., you must enjoy horror, the hide-behind-the-couch-scary stuff.
The story centers on demonic possession, voodoo, magic spells, and death of the innocent and bad guys alike. A spooky Good House on a hill and an ancient curse, will grip the reader. Anticipation will satisfy the ghoulish heart in you!
The story could have been shorter by a few chapters, in my opinion. The author is extremely adept at stretching out the story, creating new scenes of terror. All fit into the plot, but ultimately some didn’t really add much to the tale. Credibility is an issue for me with the behavior of Cory; he’s a teenager with the volatile hormones of a young man, but follows through with behavior that’s a bit too responsible for even an adult in the same position.
The books I’ve listened to in this genre usually have me rolling my eyes, but Tananarive Due does a great job. Narration is very well done by Robin Miles. At over twenty-one hours, The Good House is a long audiobook, but if you like the genre, it’s probably just about right!
July 1, 2014
Another Amazon Review for Yesterday – Yea!!!
By
Summer Prescott - See all my reviews
Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: Yesterday: A Novel of Reincarnation (Kindle Edition)
A masterfully woven tale which transitions seamlessly from past to present and back again. The vivid pictures painted by the author both of contemporary society and the turbulent times of the Civil War transport the reader entirely into the midst of a timeless love story. You’ll be moved to tears not only by trials and tragedy, but by the shameless purity of love that never dies.
June 30, 2014
Dexter in the Dark, Audiobook by Jeff Lindsay – Review
This edition of Dexter in the Dark, read by Nick Landrum, is just under thirteen hours of listening, and is no longer listed for sale on Audible.com. Admittedly, it’s been in my queue for quite a while. The edition now available for sale is read by the author and is just over ten hours. So…….this should be taken into consideration. The two versions appear to be the same book, of course. But, the narration length is askew. Possibly the author decided to re-write the work?
Dexter in the Dark is the first I’ve listened to in the Dexter series. The lead character is a killer, albeit kills only bad guys. Written in first person, the story involves a great deal of inner thoughts on the part of Dexter, struggling with his demon and deeds, interspersed with a bizarre sense of humor. Dexter slumps into ‘gray, empty, madness’ and is somehow deemed to be the go-to-guy by his police detective sister. Neither she, nor his fiancé, have a clue that the guy isn’t playing with a full deck, he’s brilliant … and insane. Maybe you’re a fan of Dexter, either via the books or the TV series. But … I can’t recommend. Not many audiobooks I don’t finish, but this one is a bit too dark and convoluted.
June 26, 2014
Brilliance and A Better World, Audiobooks by Marcus Sakey – Review
Drawn to this author due to an article in a Chicago newspaper. The setting of Chicago was naturally a draw, it’s my home town and where I live. I don’t usually review two books in one sweep, but these stories are connected. Brilliance begins with the premise that savants have used their ‘brilliance’ to take over and conquer a number of cultural icons, i.e., there is no more stock market, for example. The story progresses via an agent who believes in the necessity to eliminate gifted or brilliant people for perceived terrorism. He learns the evil of his ways and changes sides to protect his children and save the world.
A Better World is a continuation of the story. The world has been saved, however there is still tension between the ‘normal’ and the ‘abnorm’ , abnorms being the ‘brilliants’. The new President of the United States elicits the assistance of our protagonist, Nate Cooper, and we’re off and running with a new mystery, i.e., Cooper chasing the bad guys in his effort to again save the world.
Overall, the stories are fun listen. There are some areas of repetition that I personally found a bit annoying. The narration by Luke Daniels is nice, pace and tempo good. Daniels even does a good job with the female voice. Suggest starting with Brilliance, the first book in this SciFi series.
June 22, 2014
The Power of One, Audiobook by Bryce Courtenay – Review
The Power of One was originally published in the early nineties and released as an audiobook recently, read by Humphrey Bower. Just over twenty-one hours of listening, the story is a first person accounting of a white South African, beginning with his brutal childhood. The main character has the desire to pursue a career in boxing, which in itself holds little interest unless you enjoy the sport.
The tale describes the years of WWII in South Africa, through the eyes of an independent, albeit vulnerable boy. In this coming of age story, quirky characters, violence, sadness, and great happiness traverse the pages and Peekay’s life. The writing, in addition to the wonderful narration by Bower, is pleasant. I’ve a wee bit of trouble with all the laudatory praise. From personal perspective, it is a good book, but not great. The story itself is simply that of a child, from age five, through early adulthood, and subsequent adventures and tribulations. Frankly, in some areas, I glazed over and didn’t bother to rewind. Okay, if you like the genre of memoirs.
