July 2, 2018 - August 1, 2018
John from Iowa City, IA
Sylvia from Summerville, SC
Tessa B C
The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg
Narrator Name: Simon Vance
Rating the Audio Performance
Simon Vance is excellent, as usual, when performing this audio. His voice simply draws the listener into the story. There are many characters to handle, and he is more than up for the task, even doing a good job of the women’s voices. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3.5 stars. This is the fifth book in the series featuring crime writer Erica Falck and Detective Patrik Hedström in the village of Fjällbacka, Sweden. However, it’s the first one I’ve read. Läckberg uses a dual timeline to tell this story. There are the events of 1945, when one young couple’s plans are shattered by prejudice and violence. And there is the current-day mystery of an artifact that threatens to reveal long-held secrets. I look forward to reading more of this series.
Susie
The Myth of Perpetual Summer by Susan Crandall
Narrator Name: Amy Rubinate
Rating the Audio Performance
Amy Rubinate’s narration was amazing! She brought every character to life with a very authentic narration! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book teaches you that the things that hurt you as a child may have been just as hard on the people you blame and until you hear the story from their side, you don’t know the whole story.
This family has its troubles, as Tallulah calls them her daddy’s hurricanes and shadows, we would probably call him bipolar by today’s standards but in 1958 Tallulah just knew her daddy had hurricanes and shadows. Her parents are very hands-off and when tragedy strikes the family falls apart, Tallulah goes off on her own, until a new tragedy brings her back home. Even though Tallulah is now a grown woman this book kind of feels like a coming-of-age story or maybe a coming-to-terms story. I really enjoyed the story.
Lana
The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman
Narrator Name: George Guidall
Rating the Audio Performance
George Guidall is one of my favorite narrators and, as always, his performance was excellent. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Good use of geography of the Southwest. Enjoyed as something different. Made for a good audiobook on a short road trip.
Patti
The Golden Egg by Donna Leon
Narrator Name: David Rintoul
Rating the Audio Performance
Wonderful listening! Makes the audiobook feel like you are investigating with Brunetti. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Commissario Guido Brunetti, an investigator in Venice, unravels crime. He always finds there is more to the case than at first.
.
Audrey
In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken
Narrator Name: Amy McFadden
Rating the Audio Performance
The reader has a lot of expression in her voice. She also does different voices for different characters to help you recognize which one is talking. She reads at a comfortable rate - not too fast or dragging. Her voice is pleasant and, although she modulates for expression, you do not lose words because she tones her voice down too quietly. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is an excellent addition to the series. Ruby continues to push to rescue the other kids who have been taken to government camps because they have special abilities. Having been in a government PSI Camp she knows the abuses the children are suffering. She rises to become a leader and leads an assault on Thurmond Rehabilitation Camp to rescue the children.
Audrey
The Kill Switch by James Rollins
Narrator Name: Scott Aiello
Rating the Audio Performance
Voice is modulated so that you get expression and you can hear all the words when you have the volume at a reasonable level. Some audiobook readers go from loud to whisper in order to "act" it out. That's good except unless you are constantly adjusting the volume it is annoying. This reader maintains a good volume without losing emotion. He also does different voices for different characters. The reading is clear and paced well. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Lots of moving around. That's my only negative and it may not be a negative for most. I just felt like it held up the story. Former Army Ranger Tucker Wayne and his military working dog Kane are recruited by Sigma Force to extract a Russian pharmaceutical magnate from Siberia. A scientific genius, the drug tycoon holds the biological key to a new weapon system, a danger engineered from the ancient past to terrorize the modern world. From the frozen steppes of Russia to the sun-blasted savannahs of Africa, Tucker and Kane must piece together a mystery going back to the origins of life on Earth—before the ancient peril can destroy the heartland of America, and with it, all of humankind.
Audrey
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
Narrator Name: Joan Walker
Rating the Audio Performance
This reader is British and has worked in theater. Although she did a very good job, there were times that she would modulate her voice so low that I could not hear what the character was saying. If this had characters on a stage with a microphone, the low whispering or mumbling words would have been clear, but this was not the case. She also, of course, has a British accent which was not a problem and shouldn't be for most people. She did a very good job. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This was an unusual read for me. It was my book club read - not one I would have picked up otherwise, but that's the point of a book club, isn't it? The main character is Elsa, a seven year old. She has a special bond with her grandmother who is eccentric. At the end, you find out the stories and make-believe world she tells Elsa about is really the story of herself and all the people she cares about. When she dies, she leaves a series of directions for Elsa which she carries out. In the process she learns all about the other people in the apartment building and their relationship to her grandmother. She realizes the pretend place is actually the real world she is living in and the characters are her neighbors.
Sandi
Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming
Narrator Name: Alan Cumming
Rating the Audio Performance
Narrated by the author - Alan Cumming. Excellent narrator. Knowing what he wanted to say, what he wanted to get across in his story made for an excellent narrative. He spoke in his "real" voice, so the Scottish accent was a bit heavy, however easily understood once you listened for a second. I really doubt that anyone could have narrated this any better. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The story starts out when Alan is young - from a family of four, father, mother and one sibling, Tom, a brother. It tells of his painful childhood and how he has reacted as an adult from that experience. When appearing on "Who Do You Think You Are" he received a shocking revelation. It is during the filming that Alan was able to unfurl and dissect not only his own shocking reality, but also that of his grandfather. He takes you on his journey, shows his vulnerability, shows his anger and disappointment, and explains exactly how this has made him the man he is today. He has walked that proverbial, hard row to hoe, and came out a better man for it. Kudos to Cumming for his forthright story and his ability to not only survive but thrive.
Francisca E B
Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett
Narrator Name: Cassandra Campbell
Rating the Audio Performance
Cassandra Campbell does a fine job performing the audiobook. She is becoming one of my favorite narrators. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Book Number Three in the Booktown Mystery series. This is a typical cozy mystery, with a cast of colorful characters, and a nosy amateur sleuth who simply cannot help herself when it comes to investigating a crime on her doorstep. It’s not great literature, but it’s entertaining and a quick read.
Katherine
Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall
Narrator Name: Nick Hendrix and Eleanor Matsuura
Rating the Audio Performance
3-1/2 stars. I got confused listening to the audio because I couldn't tell from Mike's perspective what was real or not. I think I would have been better reading the print copy. This takes nothing away from the narrators though. Nick was a great narrator for Mike. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3-1/2 stars. I liked the story and having the book from a Mike's perspective was creepy.
Debbie
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Narrator Name: Rebecca Lowman
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator captured the voices of all the characters very well. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a very interesting story told from the various perspectives of the main characters -- Greer Kadetsky, her boyfriend Corey Pinto, her college best friend Z, and Faith Frank, a "first generation" feminist, who changes the course of Greer's life and her relationships with the people who mean the most to her -- Corey and Z. In some respects, it is a story about the history of feminism; but it is also a story of love, in its many forms, and of the compromises that we make in our lives or refuse to make to reach our goals. For Greer and Corey, "twin rocket ships," who are inseparable, brilliant students who appear to be destined for success, life takes some unwelcome turns, which require them to reevaluate what is important to them.
Debbie
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
Narrator Name: Lara Sawalha
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator's accent was perfect. She helped to identify the characteristics of each character and made each one come alive. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A beautiful and timely story about two young women, born thousands of years apart, who find themselves in the same part of the world --- the first seeking adventure, the second fleeing from her home in Syria that was destroyed by war. It is a story about family, both those we are born into and those that we create out of necessity or circumstances, memories and how history repeats itself. It is also a story of maps and their importance in all aspects of our lives.
Terri
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
Narrator Name: January LaVoy
Rating the Audio Performance
I thought the narrator read the content the way I read a book, so it flowed along smoothly. The words that were stressed maximized the suspense. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. Also, I thought about the characters long after the book was finished. That is always a sign of a good book to me.
Lois
The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
Narrator Name: Ari Fliakos
Rating the Audio Performance
Easy to listen to and a good distinction between voices. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Imaginative, fast moving and creative --- typical Grisham!
Patricia
Calypso by David Sedaris
Narrator Name: David Sedaris
Rating the Audio Performance
David Sedaris is, of course, the best narrator of his work. You feel like he is sitting across from you on the couch! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
David recounts many wonderful family experiences that make you feel as though you were there also. Funny and poignant at the same time.
Patti
Long Gone by Alafair Burke
Narrator Name: Tamara Marston
Rating the Audio Performance
Wonderful --- fast-moving and keeps you guessing. Her reading makes the story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Alice finds a job, but the next morning the whole gallery is gone. Police become involved.
Alice searches for answers and it leads her down a dark path.
Sylvia
By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank
Narrator Name: Susan Bennett, Courtney Patterson and Sarah Naughton
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrators were engaging and worked well together. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A fun beach read with quirky and sometimes unlikable characters.
Tessa
A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
Narrator Name: Polly Stone
Rating the Audio Performance
Polly Stone does a fine job. She sets a good pace for the narrative. I did get a little confused about the timeline at first, but this was more the result of Kline’s style of storytelling than it was any fault of Stone’s performance. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
As she did in ORPHAN TRAIN, Kline uses multiple timelines to tell the story. I thought Christina Olson was a marvelous character and appreciated the way Kline took what little is known of this real woman and expanded it to weave this narrative. I liked that she focused more attention on Olson’s relationships with her family and friends than on her connection to Wyeth.
Ricki
Return of the Mummy by R. L. Stein
Narrator Name: Kirby Heyborne
Rating the Audio Performance
I think Heyborne's narration is what makes the Mummy books stand out from the rest of the Goosebumps series. He never sounds too childish and he creates great suspense. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Aside from not using the word "sarcophagus" once, this was just as good as the first one. I think the narrator also played a part in that.
Paige
Girl Last Seen by Nina Laurin
Narrator Name: Vanessa Johansson
Rating the Audio Performance
Love the narrator. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A great thriller with unexpected twists.
Diane
Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk
Narrator Name: Corey Allen
Rating the Audio Performance
Corey Allen's voice is the perfect fit for Palahniuk's unique novels! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Compelling. Intense read that is fun and always makes you think.
Sherri
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Narrator Name: Emily Woo Zeller
Rating the Audio Performance
She did a good job of infection and capturing the voice of the author, I think. Positive, clear and energetic. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Author explains her cleaning/tidying method-the KonMari method based on her consulting practice and life time experiences with tidying. The premises is to tidy category-by-category, quickly choosing what to keep based on whether it sparks joy. She gives lots of detail and examples from profound to over-the-top (woo-woo! weird, in my humble opinion). I did find it encouraging, but overwhelming - I think I need her as my consultant in order to help make it happen. Maybe just keep the audiobook playing in the background as I tidy my overwhelming mess of a house. Good luck to all who try this. Recommended by a friend and she used the ideas she could. I think I will do the same.
Karen
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Narrator Name: Imogen Church
Rating the Audio Performance
Imogen Church is an excellent reader. Her reading make the story interesting and entices the listener to keep listening to find out what happens next. She brings the story to life. The listener can feel Hal's emotions, indecision,courage and fear as the story progresses. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Harriet (Hal) Westaway grows up in dreary circumstances, and after mother is killed in a hit and run accident, her life is even more dire. She earns very little as a psychic and is being threatened by a shady money lender when a letter arrives saying her grandmother has died, and she is a beneficiary. She knows nothing about her family because her mother didn't talk about her family or Hal's father. She meets the family at the funeral, and when the will is read, she finds that the family estate has been left to her, her cousins and the housekeeper; each receives a small amount of money and her 3 uncles receive nothing. Hal's parentage is in question, and Harriet tries to learn about her mother, Maggie and her Aunt Maud to clear this up.
Patricia
Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Narrator Name: Kimberly Farr
Rating the Audio Performance
Kimberly draws you in as Willa the narrator of this compelling story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Tyler is so precise with her words that you have such a clear perception of Wills’s life and her struggles through the years.
Barbara
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Narrator Name: Catherine Taber and Emily Rankin
Rating the Audio Performance
The characters were distinctly portrayed. The narrators did an excellent job. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The story is based on the true events that occurred in Memphis. Georgia Tann stole children off the streets and then put them up for adoption. The story is beautifully written, and it's hard to turn off the audiobook.
Richard N B
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Narrator Name: Christopher Timothy
Rating the Audio Performance
Christopher Timothy does a marvelous job performing the audio. I love the many voices he uses for the various characters. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I am definitely not an animal person, but Herriot’s reminiscences of his early efforts to build a veterinary practice in Yorkshire in the mid-to-late 1930s were delightful, if a bit repetitious. This is a re-read for me, and that affects my rating. When I first read it in the early to mid-1970s I would probably have given it 4 stars.
Erin
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
Narrator Name: Marin Ireland
Rating the Audio Performance
Crisp, clear and easy to listen to. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
BEARTOWN was my favorite audiobook of 2017 and I think this will take the top prize for 2018. I cannot recommend this series enough. I didn't want US AGAINST YOU to end. I love these characters so much. I can only hope for a third book to read more about Benji, Amat, Bobo, Maya and Ana.
Karen
Varina by Charles Frazier
Narrator Name: Molly Parker
Rating the Audio Performance
Molly Parker was an a good choice to perform this novel. Her performance of Varina makes the listener feel as if they are watching the action as it unfolds. As Varina, she calmly tells of her early life, and how she came to be Jefferson Davis's wife. Then with anger and disappointment as Davis's wife when she realizes that her value is only as a hostess, housewife and mother. Resignation is the emotion projected when she is forced to share Davis's beliefs, and then must try to save herself and her children from a pursuing army and angry citizens. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I knew nothing about Jefferson Davis's wife, Varina, but I really enjoyed learning about her. Davis lost his beloved first wife, and to further his political ambitions he needed a wife. He married 19-year-old Varina who was well educated and would serve as a good hostess. Varina is not happy when she realizes Davis is heavily influenced by his older brother, Joseph, who has no respect for women. There were no children until she and Davis moved from Joseph's land to Washington. Varina was excited by the city's atmosphere. She becomes first lady of the confederacy when he resigns from the senate and is made the confederate president. Varina supports him even though she expects him to fail. She then must deal with the aftermath.
Karen
After Anna by Lisa Scottoline
Narrator Name: Mozhan Marno and Jeremy Bobb
Rating the Audio Performance
Both Mozhan and Jeremy are readers who enhance the listeners enjoyment of the book. They voice the characters they represent to sound as the listener would imagine the character to sound. Noah has a firm, confident voice. Thomas, Noah's lawyer, is confident, sure of his ability in the court room and his advice to clients. Maggie is cheerful and hopeful. Anna is tentative at the start, but as time goes by she sounds two-faced. Kathy is Maggie's best friend. Lovely Linda, the prosecuting attorney, is aggressive, imaginative and tenacious. Caleb is sweet, excited to have a sister, but later feels she doesn't like him and in the end is resourceful and brave. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
AFTER ANNA keeps the listener on edge from the start. Noah, Maggie and Caleb have a happy family, but when Anna joins the family, things begin to go badly. Maggie wants Noah to bond with Anna, but when he tries she starts accusing him of making improper advances. She forces Noah out of the house with a complaint to the court and her mother's support. Noah returns home one evening and finds Anna dead on his front porch. He tries to revive her, but she is gone. Noah is the logical suspect so the police and prosecuting attorney build a case against him. Noah says he is innocent and will not take a plea deal. Noah is found guilty of murder and sent to prison. Maggie wants a divorce, but then she receives a call that changes things.
Karen
How It Happened by Michael Koryta
Narrator Name: Robert Petkoff and Christine Lakin
Rating the Audio Performance
Both Robert Petkoff and Christine Lakin are good choices to read this novel. They voice each character as one would expect the character to sound. The policeman, Don Johansson, Howard Pelletier, lobster fisherman and Mathis Burke, caretaker, lawn care and handyman speak with the local accent, but Rob, who has also spent summers in Port Hope, Maine, speaks without the accent. Kimmie speaks like a girl who has had a hard life. Liz Street, reporter, speaks like a more mature and educated person. Emily Broward speaks with the local accent and confidence of a policeman. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A year after Jackie Pelletier and Ian Kelly go missing; there are indications that a local woman, Kimberly Crepeaux, has information about them. After may tries, Rob Barrett, FBI agent specializing in confessions, gets a confession from Kimmie. She gives a detailed description of what happened the night they disappeared. She says they were killed by Mathis Burke who forced Kimmie and another woman, Cass Odum, to help him dispose of the bodies. The bodies are not found where Kimmie says they were so her confession appears to be false, and Mathis Burke smugly goes free after a caller on the tip line tells exactly where the bodies are. Rob is off the case, but tries to solve the case. It is more complicated than he expected.
Francisca E B
The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
Narrator Name: Karen Ziemba
Rating the Audio Performance
The audiobook is performed by Karen Ziemba. She has great pacing and drew me into the story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3.5 stars. What I have come to love about Patchett is the masterful way she draws her characters. The story unfolds in bits and pieces, much as it would in real life. You don’t tell everything at once to someone you’ve just met, and likewise Sabine and Dot each keeps some things to herself. The environment also plays a role; Sabine is a different person in Los Angeles than she is in Nebraska.
Donna
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan
Rating the Audio Performance
Well read with emotions. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I felt like the book was slow-moving.
Patricia
Calypso by David Sedaris
Narrator Name: David Sedaris
Rating the Audio Performance
There is no one like David Sedaris in sharing his stories. So many laughs... Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
His stories of his life with Hugh and his fun family are hilarious.
Karen
The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille
Narrator Name: Scott Brick
Rating the Audio Performance
I felt like I was watching the movie with the range of characters' voices. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Exciting twists. Highly motivated to listen to the last drop.
ML
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
Narrator Name: James Langton
Rating the Audio Performance
Lovely. Narrator had the “voice” of Arthur. Charming story indeed. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Sweet and whimsical story of a belated coming of age.
Andrea
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Narrator Name: Kathleen McInerney
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator did a great job with portraying the character voices differently and emotionally. The narrator helped make the story flow well. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This story plot was twisty. The author kept you guessing about what was going on with the characters and how their lives were going to go. The characters were flawed but likable. The unpredictable twists made the story much more intriguing. The reaction of the characters to the life-altering event, which is the story anchor, was true-to-life with different characters processing the event differently and struggling to understand why others were not processing it the same. I was surprised by the ending because it could have gone a little differently and made the story a more probable reality.
Rachel
Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
Narrator Name: Robert Bathurst
Rating the Audio Performance
We've listened to all the Gamache books. Bathurst was a new narrator now that the old one is dead. After a couple of chapters we got used to him. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Based on an actual "big gun", it still seemed a little far-fetched, but Three Pines continued to have a starring role. We're going to Montreal and Quebec City next month, inspired by the locale.
Lynn
Every Note Played by Lisa Genova
Narrator Name: Dennis Boutsikaris, Dagmara Domińczyk and Lisa Genova
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent book no matter the format it is consumed in. The narrators switch back and forth for the main characters in the book. They did an excellent job and I did not want to stop listening. I felt as though I knew them. A touching story that will remain with you a long, long time! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This story is still affecting me and I recommend this book every time someone asks me for a recommendation. Lisa Genova really hits your emotions hard with her books dealing with difficult diseases and the struggles of the families affected by them. I stood and cried while listening to this book --- it has such an emotional impact and you feel like you really know these characters. Looking forward to her next book!
Tessa
The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston
Narrator Name: Bill Mumy
Rating the Audio Performance
Bill Mumy does an exceptional job narrating the audio book. I felt the sense of awe and wonder at the discovery of the artifacts, and the sense of worry and suspense regarding the health effects many in the group suffered. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I was mesmerized by this adventure story, as Preston recounts the expedition’s efforts to find these ruins in the dense jungle, plagued by weather, poisonous snakes and biting insects. Preston also gives equal time to political discourse and environmental impact. And the medical mystery of health effects of their time in the jungle was equally fascinating and horrifying.
Yvonne
From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon
Narrator Name: Cassandra Campbell
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator for this audiobook is my favorite. She has a beautiful voice and engages the character’s dialogues easily. I hope to hear her reading other books. Very well done! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Although WWll is a popular time period of many books, I knew little about the Nazis and Jewish citizens of Italy. This author captures the mindset of regular people trying to live their lives amongst a war. I fell in love with the characters.The author’s writing carried me alongside these complex characters who struggled both emotionally and physically. I enjoyed the beginning, middle and end of their story.
Amy
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir by Sherman Alexie
Narrator Name: Sherman Alexie
Rating the Audio Performance
Sherman Alexie reads his words the way they were meant to be read -- with passion. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This memoir covers the author's early life on the reservation as well as his urban life. He talks a great deal about the death of his parents (especially his mother) and the way death has been a constant in his life. It is very emotional. You will laugh out loud and then suddenly want to cry --- all on the same page. It was very good, but I could only listen for short periods of time because it was such heavy stuff. I now totally get why he had to cancel this book tour; it was too emotionally draining to share day after day.
Richard N B
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
Narrator Name: Michael Boatman
Rating the Audio Performance
Michael Boatman does a fantastic job of voicing this audiobook. He has to deal with many characters and he brings them all to life – from the “larger-than-life” John Brown, to the smallest bit player. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3.5 stars. McBride looks at John Brown and Harpers Ferry through the lens of a “freed” slave, Henry Shackleford (known as Onion). I’ve seen reviews that compare McBride to Mark Twain, and I guess I see that here – an adventure tale that is about a serious event/issue, but that includes room for humor.
Helen
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen
Narrator Name: Anna Quindlen
Rating the Audio Performance
Fantastic. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Loved her life story -- will make you laugh and cry.
Lory
Educated by Tara Westover
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan
Rating the Audio Performance
The voice, Tara's voice, was a bit bland throughout. I noted in my review that there seemed to be a lack of true emotion in the story. I wonder now if the narration contributed to it. There were very few intonations and it was just "eh". Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book is very similar to Jeanette Walls' THE GLASS CASTLE. As a result, I think many of the events, although interesting, carried less shock value (compared to my reaction to learning about Jeanette's experiences while reading THE GLASS CASTLE). Westover's growth and success, despite her sheltered and challenging upbringing, is admirable and definitely unusual; some of the events, responses, and relationships were just unfathomable. I was particularly glad she realized and explained how much her parents' eccentric behavior was in reality a result of mental illness. However, her description of herself was very guarded and void of true emotions, explained more by negative events she experienced and her behavioral responses.
Sue
Fascism by Madeleine Albright
Narrator Name: Madeleine Albright
Rating the Audio Performance
Secretary's Albright narration is simply perfect. She speaks clearly and adds emphasis appropriate to the subject as only an author can do. She has a well-known distinctive voice which is comforting, yet a call to action. No other Secretary of State has equaled her intellectual grasp of the United States and our relationship on the international stage. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Thank you, Secretary Albright, for compiling this history of the despots who led the way to the development and expansion of fascism. Sadly, our current President exhibits many of the basic characteristics of his predecessors. This book provides information upon which to base future action, either individually or collectively.
Natasha
The Good House by Ann Leary
Narrator Name: Mary Beth Hurt
Rating the Audio Performance
I found Ms. Hurt's narration of THE GOOD HOUSE to be engaging. Her raspy New Englander voice as Hildy Good allowed to me to better see the story through her eyes. I still recall the husky laugh when talking about her youthful indiscretions. One of the best audiobooks I have heard! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The story is about Hildy and about her small New England community. She tells of the wealthy families moving to town and the community changes. The friendship with a new resident - Rebecca - and the interpretation of an "outsider" was insightful. Hildy talks about her marriage and divorce, community members (especially the Trash Man), and her love of a good wine. Her relationship with alcohol colors interactions with her children. Hildy grew over the time of the story - at an age when so many consider life over.
Elizabeth
Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes
Narrator Name: Santino Fontana
Rating the Audio Performance
The character who narrates this novel is a very complex, frustrated, observant young man (and NYC bookseller!) who has already killed three people when the story begins. Santino Fontana, the narrator of the audiobook, really brings the intensity of this character to life which includes frustrations in love and relationships, many wonderful pop culture observations about NY and LA, and a whole host of other factors influencing millennials today (Facebook, Tinder anyone?). Joe is a killer, and Fontana as the narrator definitely conveys the intensity, hatred, and rage that Joe has inside him as a character. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The character who narrates this novel (Joe) is a very complex, frustrated, and observant young man (and NYC bookseller!) who has already killed three people when the story begins. The plot revolves around his quest for revenge against a young woman who fooled him in a relationship and then robbed him and disappeared. He follows her from NY to LA and encounters a whole host of entertaining and often pathetic characters as he attempts to track down and kill Amy.
Jean
Calypso by David Sedaris
Narrator Name: David Sedaris
Rating the Audio Performance
Loved listening to David Sedaris telling his story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I thoroughly enjoyed David’s story of his family and aging.
Erin
The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
Narrator Name: Kristin Kalbli
Rating the Audio Performance
I liked her voice. She kept me interested and involved in the story on my long drive. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I loved the setting of this book and the time period. I always enjoy stories involving families and their secrets. I was really rooting for Miranda and Joe.
Francisca E B
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Narrator Name: Nicholas Guy Smith
Rating the Audio Performance
The audiobook is performed by Nicholas Guy Smith, who does a superb job. I absolutely fell in love with his Count Rastov. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5 stars and a HEART! Well, this book cements Amor Towles in my list of favorite authors. I love the Count and the way he leads his life. His accommodations may be limited, and he may be confined to the hotel, but his life is certainly NOT limited. They may take his possessions, they may restrict his movements, but they cannot make him less a gentleman.
Betty
Two Graves by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Narrator Name: Rene Auberjonois
Rating the Audio Performance
This is in a trilogy and he does a great job. I've heard all three. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Didn't read them in order, read the middle one first, but had to know what was the cause of it all. Definitely will be listening to more. 
