Samyann's Blog, page 7
June 26, 2021
The Traveler Series
Home by Tom Abrahams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a 22 hour listen about a post-apocalyptic world. A flea born illness wipes out over two-thirds of the world population. There is no cure, but there is natural immunity. This review references Books 1 – Home, 2 – Canyon, and 3- Wall.
Plot. Marcus Battle, a PTSD victim, returns to Texas and loses his son and wife to the plague; he speaks to them and hears them speak to him. Marcus also lives as a hermit on his land, defending it with shoot-first, so you don’t need to ask questions. After months of solitude, Marcus rescues a woman being chased by a cult of marauders. The marauders have her son. They successfully burn Marcus’s house down. Under a facade of revenge, Marcus and the woman set out to rescue her son and rid Texas of these thugs. The story has a considerable slice of flashbacks to Marcus’ time in service – when he nearly dies to rescue his badly injured friend. Will Marcus conquer his own demons, rescue the boy of a stranger? Stay alive?
Liked. Good character development, easy to visualize action, well-organized plot over three novels. No sex, no explicit language. Decent narration and production.
Not so hot. There are some holes in an apocalyptic world, in my opinion. No mention of shortages of essentials like gasoline, medicine, etc., all that would surely be horrific.
There is more to the story – and, I’m sure, in sequels to come. Too much left to happen!
Written by By Tom Abrahams, narrated by Kevin Pierce in unabridged audiobook format, released in March 2016-19 by Piton Press LLC.
A Time for Mercy
A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Grisham wrote book one to this series, A Time To Kill, I doubt that a sequel was in his mind – there were no pending threads to the plot. A Time For Mercy is far different, as there are many open directions for Grisham to continue this Jake Brigance story. So – if you opt to read this story, be prepared that it doesn’t completely end, and about a dozen directions are possible.
Plot. Jake is assigned the case of an indigent teen boy who is charged with the murder of an admired local police officer. The cop is the son of a good ol’ boys family of toughs.
Liked. John Grisham’s books are fun, page-turning legal thrillers. No sex, no objectionable language, nothing offensive.
Narration by Michael Beck is great – men, women, children, even curmudgeonly old people are great. About twenty hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in October 2020 by Random House Audio.
Recommended.
The Return
The Return by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Typical Nicholas Sparks, stands alone. Happy ending. Oops, is that a spoiler? Probably, only because Sparks books often are not.
No sex, no explicit language, no violence.
Narration by Kyf Brewer is fine, no complaints. Nothing special about The Return, just an okay read.
Stranger in the Lake
Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Plot. Stranger in the Lake is a murder mystery. The body of a beautiful woman floats under a dock and is discovered by the newly pregnant wife of a man who’s first wife was also … wait for it … found floating under the same dock four years ago! We’re off and running with a myriad of suspects, lifelong friendships, small town gossip, good guys, bad guys – something for us all.
Liked. You’ll have fun guessing. There are many areas where you’ll be certain the evil doer is identified, but then … maybe? A good brain twister. Can’t say enough about the narration of Xe Sands, she’s great. Actually, received the notice of a Daily Deal, and didn’t even bother reading about the plot when the reader name popped up. Good enough for me! If you haven’t listed to her, you’ll enjoy. No sex, no objectionable language.
Not so hot? Well, it’s a bit of a stretch for me to buy into the lead being so doggedly convinced of hubby’s innocence. Were the shoes on my feet, I’d have been skittering away as fast as the shoes would allow as soon as I discovered the body. His first wife died the same way, and I wouldn’t have waited around to find out if I’m next. So, stretch your imagination.
Written by Kimberly Belle, narrated by Xe Sands, about ten hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in June 2020 by Harlequin Audio.
An enjoyable mystery. Recommended.
Not Alone
Not Alone: Second Contact by Craig A. Falconer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a very long series, close to 100 hours of listening in the unabridged audiobook format of six novels. Given the length, you need a voice pleasant to hear and James Patrick Cronin does a terrific job throughout. Pacing, tempo, male and female voices, etc., overall production very well done. Not Alone is a SciFi series and Book One was released in August of 2016, book 6 in June of 2020, all by Audible Studios. Not Alone is character-driven, albeit few main characters – which is nice listening and you get to know everyone. No need for struggling to keep track of who-is-who, and thanks to the excellent narration, no problems with who-is-speaking-to-who.
Plot. Dan McCarthy, while riding his bike on a delivery, collides with a robber who drops an envelope containing definitive proof of a government cover-up. Human knowledge of aliens, i.e., we are Not Alone, has been a fact since 1938. Early on, you’re skeptical and before the books are finished – well, no spoilers. But, SciFi lovers will be beyond pleased as Dan’s amazing adventures unfold. Start with book one, and read in sequence or you’ll miss a great deal.
Liked. Character development, humanoid, and otherwise. You like most, hate a few. The ultimate goodness of mankind, and any potential visitors, is something we all wish to be true.
Not so hot? Repetitive. Most noticeable in the series, Falconer re-caps a great deal, almost as if he needs to remind himself where the plot is and how we got here, reading from his own notes. Painful to listen to for anyone who is binge-listening to all six books in the series. Kept mumbling, ‘Yeah, yeah, I know, I know – move on.” Actually did have to fast-forward a bit.
No clicking knees, not a blood-and-guts type horror SciFi. This is a first contact story out of a vivid imagination telling us what it might really be like. World politics, wonder, fear, greed, hope – it’s all here. No sex, nothing offensive. Recommended!
Compromised
Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump by Peter Strzok
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
America is so ridiculously polarized, it is impossible to write a review that won’t offend somebody.
Compromised has little, if anything, to do with COVID19, the current pandemic.
The book primarily addresses the slow, relentless, sophisticated penetration of America’s leadership by Russia and Trump’s decimation of our Constitution, cherished institutions, most founded in the 1700s, and the division, vicious hatred of Americans for each other. Americans distrust their country and are destroying it from within, as Abe Lincoln predicted.
Just what Putin wants.
Simply put, if you are a fan of Trump, you will not believe a word. You will be convinced Strzok should be in jail. If you believe Trump is compromised by Russia, this book will give you incredible details.
Written and narrated by Peter Strzok, 14 hours of listening in audiobook format, released September 8, 2020 by HMH Audio.
Recommended.
Rage
Rage by Bob Woodward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you read ONE book about this administration, read the one with 25% of the content in Trump’s voice, his own words. Not a second-hand interpretation, no filters, but the “real” Donald Trump.
Rage is fundamentally a Q & A discussion with Bob Woodward – a talented author who has documented the administrations of 20% of America’s presidents. There is commentary in the book relating to others in the Trump circle, Woodward notes – primarily details of taped conversations. The author goes to some length conveying authenticity, but there are a few elements of his observations and opinion.
Woodward is not a lightweight, and nothing in this book can be disputed. If so, where are the libel suits? Crickets chirp.
There are many books documenting the first term of Donald Trump as President of the United States, including Woodward’s “Fear”, Cohen’s “Disloyal”. Books by Mary Trump, John Bolton, Brian Stelter, more, and I’ve read these and more. Full disclosure: I will not and have not read anything by Sinclair talk radio hosts nor Fox News entertainment anchors. (FYI, Hannity is a dropout – Maddow has a Ph.D. in Political Science – any questions?)
That said, it is not likely a Trump devotee will read this book, and that is a tragedy. Rage reveals the real man, worts and all.
Narration by Robert Petkoff is fine, just over 13 hours of listening in audiobook format, released by Simon & Shuster on September 15, 2020.
Recommended.
Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series
Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Review addresses the entire series. At this writing, the series consists of Killing Trail, Stalking Ground, Hunting Hour, Burning Ridge, Tracking Game, and Hanging Falls. All books are 9-10 hours of listening in audiobook format. More sequels to come.
Plot. The Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series are police procedurals in a small town. The lead characters are Mattie Cobb and her partner, Robo, a 100lb German Shephard Dog. The overall stories stand-alone – murder the basis for good guys, bad guys and Mattie’s small circle of devoted friends, mostly co-workers, and, of course, Robo. However, there is a sub-plot that traverses the entire series – Mattie’s personal life. This includes a disturbing childhood incident, her current, fragile psyche, and a mutual attraction between her and a recently divorced veterinarian, Cole Walker, and his two girls. Each story comes to a satisfactory conclusion – but, start with book one to get full advantage of a budding romance.
Not so hot. Mattie’s a little too fragile for the role, IMO – maybe that’s just me. But, I don’t think I’d be willing to put a gun in the hand of someone so …. personally breakable – not frail physically, but she always seems on the verge of tears – nightmares included. That and her continued rejection of Cole isn’t real – he’s handsome, unattached, financially secure, and is over-the-moon crazy about her. Gimme a break, Mattie!
Narration is okay, but problematic in places. The entire series is narrated by Nancy Wu – and at times she’s a bit too breathy and whispering. A bit slow, so pumped the iPhone audio up to 1.4. No other issues with audio production,
Liked. Robo, of course! A gorgeous, devoted dog, beautiful in disposition, brains, and strength. A perfect representation of this magnificent breed. Robo will take pleasure playing with kids or a ball, protect Mattie with his life, and quickly bring a grown man to tears of terror. Great dog. The stories are interesting and realistic tales of small-town policing.
The Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries are not great literature and they’re not intended to be; just curl up on the sofa and enjoy. Try not to glare at your own dumb dog. 
A Game of Birds & Wolves
A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II by Simon Parkin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Basic plot: A bit of WWII history. Not a riveting story of ocean battle, like C. S. Forester’s The Good Shepherd, but rather a study of North Atlantic battle strategies to protect allied supply convoys from German U-boat attacks. The strategies are developed by the British using a large warehouse-type floor, string, models of ships and submarines, and Wrens. Wrens are the British equivalent of the US Wacs and Waves, the women who, in my opinion, were the backbone of the armed services. WWII would not have been a victory for the allies if not for these underpaid, incredible heroines ruefully ignored in the written history of the war until recently.
Liked. Learning a hidden history.
Not so hot. The first half of the book is a backstory of submariners, officers, one-upmanship, egos – both British and German – pre-game-development. The actual game development and successful strategies aren’t presented until Chapter 11. Some, in my opinion, is fill not relevant to the story. The book is a bit misogynistic, but I suppose true to the time; the Wrens are almost incidental to the story – in reality, they were not. That’s just me; you may find it peachy.
Written by Simon Parkin, narrated by Elliot Fitzpatrick, just over ten hours of listening, released in January 2020 by Little, Brown & Company.
June 8, 2020
The Secret Letter by Debbie Rix
Plot. In modern-day England, a recently widowed, elderly woman named Imogene receives a letter from an elderly German woman named Magna. The letter tells us that Magna would like to pay tribute to Imogene’s late husband. Thus is the short prologue of The Secret Letter. Flashback to the very beginning of WWII. The two girls, Imogene in England and Magna in Germany, do their duties in defense of allies, and their lives intersect in unpredictable ways as the story unfolds.
Although this is a WWII story, there are no scenes of the Nazi camps, only references to their existence. The Secret Letter primarily documents the fear of the German regime, it’s effects on the lives of Imogene and Magna, and the efforts of the allies.
No explicit sex scenes, although one instance scringe worthy. No language issues, no problems with production, nor narration. Written by Debbie Rix, narrated by Jacqueline King, just over twelve hours of listening, released in December 2019 by Audible Studios.
A bit predictable, not great literature, not intended to be – just an enjoyable read (listen).
