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October 1, 2018 - November 1, 2018

Joanne from Ashland, WI
Natalie from Austin, TX
 
 
 
 
 
 

Phyllis
Razor Girl by Carl Hiassen
Narrator Name: John Robinstein

Rating the Audio Performance
4
So many characters, but well done!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2
A light storyline. I have not read other Hiassen books, but I was disappointed in this one! I thought I was in the mood for it, but cannot recommend.

Francisca
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Narrator Name: Hope Davis

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Hope Davis does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She has great pacing and really brought the novel to life for me.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
The novel follows the four parents and six children of the Cousins and Keating families over five decades. As children, the six kids are frequently left to their own devices, the adults in their lives too busy with their own drama to focus on the children. How the adult siblings each interpret and remember what has happened, and how they manage the guilt or shame is the main focus. Patchett really shines when exploring human relationships. She slowly reveals secrets, hopes, and fears until the reader feels she truly knows these people. Little by little events are revealed, and characters are fully realized. Like her other works, this would be a great choice for a book club discussion.

Loretta
Calypso by David Sedaris
Narrator Name: David Sedaris

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Loved this! Listened as I drove on the way to and home from Vermont where my daughter lives. Laughed out loud a lot. The miles flew by.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Might not be for everyone. Language!

Jill
A Simple Favor by Darcy Bell
Narrator Name: Xe Sands, Andi Arndt and Matthew Waterson

Rating the Audio Performance
3
I did not care for the narration of this book. Very monotone.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
I listened to this audiobook and didn’t care for the reading or the book really. I went to see the movie and have to say I enjoyed it better than the book, which doesn’t normally happen. I felt the book left it too open-ended at the end.

Carolyn
The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin
Narrator Name: Shannon McManus

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I listen to many audiobooks and this narration really stands a step above most. I don't think I would've finished the book if I were reading a print edition, but the audio performance was so good I stuck with the story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but was disappointed that it wasn't more of a medical ethics novel -- I misunderstood the premise. But the audio narration kept me engaged in the story and I stuck with it. I'm glad I did; it was an entertaining novel.

Suzanne
After Anna by Lisa Scottoline
Narrator Name: Mozhan Marno and Jeremy Bobb

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Love when male and female voices are used for male/female characters. Really adds to the story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2
Struggled to get through this book and found so many parts of it just unbelievable.

Tessa B C
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Narrator Name: Kate Redding

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Kate Reading does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. Her pacing is good, moving the action forward at a satisfactory clip. She gives each of the girls a sufficiently distinct voice that I was never lost in dialogue between sisters. Of course, she has the advantage of Austen’s skill with writing each of these characters with a unique speech pattern.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
One of the best opening lines of literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” It's no wonder this is a classic. Austen is simply the master of dialogue. The way in which the characters interact brings them to life.

Diane
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Narrator Name: Amanda Dolan

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Good crisp delivery.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Typical for a middle book in a trilogy - good, but drags on a bit.

Sandi
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Narrator Name: Steven Crossley

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Very good. Strong voice, did well on accents and multiple characters. Added inflection where appropriate.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Humorous story of an elderly man escaping a nursing home. Then we follow his merry jaunts, are privy to his more than full previous life, and experience the trouble he gets in. Quirky and entertaining.

Donna
The Nightwatch by Sara Waters
Narrator Name: Juanita McMahon

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Excellent range of male and female voices, completely captivating as if different actors are voicing each role.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Told backwards in time, it was a bit hard to follow on audio when driving and I consulted the text when necessary. Historical fiction at its best, you become completely immersed in the time and place. For anyone who enjoys books about the Blitz, WWII London and the postwar period.

Lana
The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch
Narrator Name: Grover Gardner

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Excellent presentation. Cadence, inflection, and pronunciation were perfect.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
A great read. Book was written by a great nephew of one of the captured children. The author was objective in his rendition of the settlers and of the Native Americans.

Joanne
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I enjoyed listening to both narrators. They were believable in their roles.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The storyline had me intrigued. I started out not liking/trusting Nick, but by the time the story was over, even though I still did not like him, I felt sorry for him.

Francisca E B
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Narrator Name: Robin Miles

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Robin Miles does a fine job narrating the audiobook. It was a little difficult to keep the characters straight at first (so many similar names), but full names are frequently used, which did help somewhat.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. I had seen the movie, but it covers just a few years, and compresses the story of many women into three characters. Shetterly’s book covers the time from the early years of WWII to the moon landing in August 1969. I’m glad I read it, and that these women’s stories are finally brought to the forefront of America’s consciousness.

Diana
Endurance by Scott Kelly
Narrator Name: Scott Kelly

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Scott Kelly's performance was perfect! He was able to bring me into the space station with him and let me see everything. His humor at fixing things as they floated around him and his compassion and concern for his fellow team mates was very real and heartfelt. I felt that he was just talking to me and explaining everything.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I have always wondered what exactly the astronauts did up there in space and now I know. It was interesting, inspiring and incredible! Listening to Scott Kelly actually tell the story made it all the better. He describes his year at the International Space Station, his fellow astronauts from Russia as well as other countries and the bond they all created among themselves. There were funny times and serious, tense times. Kelly also talked about his earlier visit to the space station when he got the tragic call that his sister-in-law, Gabby Gifford, has been shot. Obviously unable to leave, he was constantly on the phone with his twin brother Mark and others checking on her condition. You don't have to be interested in space to love this one.

Tessa B C
Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova
Narrator Name: Skipp Sudduth

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Skipp Sudduth does a fine job performing the audiobook. He really brought these characters to life for me.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
A diagnosis of Huntington’s Disease affects not only Boston cop Joe O’Brien, but his entire family. Genova writes so well about neurological disorders, making the story both entertaining and informative. I really felt as if I knew these characters – their fears, joys, dreams, and anxieties.

Ricki
The High Season by Julie Blundell
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Nothing about the narration really stood out, which makes for a fine audiobook.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Like any summer, this had a lot of highs and lows, but in the best way possible.

Lucy
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Narrator Name: Michael Levi Harris

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Harris is a masterful narrator for this story. His beautiful way with Farsi is incredibly enriching.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Khorram’s candid coming-of-age debut centers on Darius Kellner, a (in his own words) “fractional Iranian.” Darius lives in Portland with his Iranian mother, American father and little sister. He doesn’t fit in school, has few friends, is often picked on, and most days even feels like an outsider in his own family. He is passionate about tea and Star Trek, the latter being the only thing he shares with father is through the hour of Star Trek they watch together every night. Along with Star Trek, Darius shares depression with his father and this book paints and honest, but not hopeless picture of the reality of living with mental illness.

Laura
Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell
Narrator Name: Paul Boehmer

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Narrator has a deep, rich voice and brings a lot of emotion to the story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Historical fiction, but brings to life the characters of the Gospel.

THERESA E
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
Narrator Name: Lauren Woodward

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I thought Lauren Woodward was a fairly even-keeled narrator. She had a pretty good command of differing accents/voices, but nothing that was outstanding, but neither was she annoying.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Was completely absorbed into the storyline. Want to re-watch the movie "Shadowlands" after "reading" this superb work of historical fiction.

Richard N B
The Longest Night by Andria Williams
Narrator Name: Rebecca Lowman, Hillary Huber and MacLeod Andrews

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The three talented voice artists, Rebecca Lowman, Hillary Huber and MacLeod Andrews, do a marvelous job. Each takes a different character, making it easy to follow the changes in point of view.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
A young military couple, Nat and Paul Collier vs his supervisor at the nuclear power plant where Paul works, and MSgt Reynolds’ mean-spirited wife, Jeannie. Add a handsome local cowboy and a reactor with problems that are being ignored and it’s only a question of which will blow first: the reactor, Paul’s career, or Paul and Nat’s marriage. Great character-based novel with a gripping storyline.

Tessa B C
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
Narrator Name: Sandra Burr

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Sandra Burr has a wonderful delivery for this book. There were times I was listening as I drove and just laughing out loud; other drivers who may have looked at me must have thought I was deranged. (Burr also narrated BONK: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex.)
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Subtitle: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. Another entertaining and informative read from an author who has become a favorite “science” writer for me. As she has done for sex, our alimentary canal, and cadavers, Roach turns her curiosity, sense of adventure and wit to the topic of space travel. Entertaining and informative (and with some laugh-out-loud moments).

Judith
A Trick of Light by Louise Penny
Narrator Name: Ralph Cosham

Rating the Audio Performance
5
An excellent narrator. He pulled me in right from the beginning.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I just love Louise Penny's books.

Diane
Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Narrator Name: W. Morgan Sheppard and Mandy Williams

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Crisp and memorable!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Compelling tale, really draws you in.

Andrea
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
Narrator Name: Norbert Leo Butz, Heather Lind and Vincent Piazza

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Narrators added to the pace and drama of the book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Compelling story, with interesting multifaceted characters.

Rebecca
The Shack by William Paul Young
Narrator Name: Roger Mueller

Rating the Audio Performance
5
It was hard to stop listening when I wasn't in the car!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Great book! I loved that the Spirit was an African-American woman!!!

Elaine
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Narrator Name: Bahni Turpin

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. Her voice seemed to go right with the story and helped me to visualize events as they were happening.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Loved the story. I learned a lot about what went on in the time of the Underground Railroad. I even looked up some of the events mentioned in the book. I grew up in the south and had no idea about the hangings in NC and the way people were treated at “safe” places in SC. So, I learned a lot. I feel like the story was written to help you understand how people were feeling.

Patricia
November Road by Lou Berney
Narrator Name: Johnathan McClain

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Captured the drama and urgency of this book beautifully. ,
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Gave the story of one of the conspiracy theories behind the death of JFK in a believable story.

Tessa B C
The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Munro
Narrator Name: Mary Alice Munro

Rating the Audio Performance
1
The author reads the book herself. She clearly has the emotional connection to the book and to these characters, and that comes through on the audio. Her pacing is good as well. However, her pronunciation of Spanish was so bad that it completely distracted me from the book. I kept yelling at the CD whenever she mispronounced “la Virgen de Guadalupe” and other key Spanish phrases. So, she gets only 1 star for her audio performance, and that brings the entire rating down.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
I knew this was a chick-lit, road-trip, find-yourself kind of novel going in. I was intrigued by the link to the monarch butterfly migration. I liked that Luz was a young woman with some uncertainty in her past and uncertainty about her future, who decided to take on this trip without help or assistance. I also liked the various people she picks up along the way: Ofelia, Margaret, even Stacie. These characters bring a new way of thinking to Luz, and help her to eventually find her own path. I was not so keen on the way that Monroe basically dropped the additional characters along the way, however. And I really disliked Luz’s mother.

Nancy
The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
Narrator Name: Ari Fliakos

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Great!!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Typical Grisham. Little good guys vs. Big bad guys. Entertaining and thought-provoking, especially for those with student loans.

Louise
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Narrator Name: Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, Carrie Brownstein, George Saunders, Miranda July, and Lena Dunham

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I truly enjoyed this book so much more on audio as all the characters came to life with and incredible cast, especially Nick Offerman, Bill Hader, Megan Mullally. I would love to see this made into a play.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
I was a little confused as I thought the story was going to be more about Lincoln talking to his dead son. Once I understood plot line by listening to the audio vs. reading the book, the story was much better. I wish the son had more of a voice in the story.

Rina
The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie
Narrator Name: Terri Clark Linden, Kate Rudd, Whitney Dykhouse and J.D. Jackson

Rating the Audio Performance
5
There were several narrators of the book. I found them to be excellent.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This is a great book. A compelling story that will have you riveted until the end.

Melanie
The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob
Narrator Name: Mira Jacob

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I have been listening to audiobooks for almost 25 years and this book has to been in my top 5. The characters' voices, especially the mother's, are spot-on and gave this book an authentic feel.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This book is a few years old and was recommended to me by my sister whose book club listened to it. She also listened to the audio and was as mesmerized as I was. It is about a dysfunctional family from India living in New Mexico and making their way as best as they can. Sad yet uplifting. Audiophiles, you need to listen to this one!

Sandi
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Narrator Name: Gabra Zackman, Gillian Flynn, Patton Oswalt

Rating the Audio Performance
3
Each narrator was used in their own section. Flynn gave the Introduction, Oswalt gave the Epilogue and Zackman was the narrator for the main story. As far as narrating, it was average. It was not good nor was it bad. Had the material been better, the narrating would have been more memorable.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2
I did not find this book to be very well written; I felt it had an unfinished feel. I did not like that it contained a biographical tribute to McNamara. I did not feel this was the place for that.- don't clutter up a book like this with a tribute to the passed author. Too many scattered problems with the writing and story flow to mention. Should not have been published until the perpetrator was at least caught. Not a book I would recommend.

Lory
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
Narrator Name: Rebecca Lowman, Abigail Ravasch, Kath Mazur, and Mark Deakins

Rating the Audio Performance
3
I found one of the protagonists (Alice) to be dreary and monotone, making the story drag way too slowly. The others were done well.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
I appreciate the research Jodi Picoult puts into her books. Part of what grabs me from her novels is the detailed, accurate information she imparts as she doles out her plot and story. Although, I am sure she did the same for this novel, it was buried by all the facts and details she learned and shared about elephants' behavior. The extensive amount of animal science included was unnecessary. It quickly became droll and contributed to the slow, slow moving recounting of young Jenna's efforts as she searched for her mother. After the first 3/4 of the book, it did quickly pick up and Picoult added a reverse "Sixth Sense" into this conclusion, which was very cool.

Lory
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Narrator Name: Trevor Noah

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I love when authors narrate their own books. It brings a certain sense of genuineness to the story/memoir. Noah's voice was understandable and interesting.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2
I was looking forward to this memoir, anticipating learning more about growing up in South Africa, with apartheid and racism. He did share some worthwhile metaphors and philosophical thoughts on race; statements that stuck with me. Once this was accomplished however, early on in the read, it was repeated again and again as we were flipped back and forth through Trevor Noah's life. His narration in the audiobook wasn't too bad but I didn't "love" it. I did LOL about the story of the Jewish dance party with his friend Hitler and noted how influential his mother was throughout his life. However, I largely found this memoir to be very redundant.

Phyllis
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Narrator Name: James Avery

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Very well narrated for both male and female parts.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I lived in Flint, Michigan for 20 years so was very interested in the Depression period and how the residents coped. The main character, Bud, not Buddy, was an orphan who was looking for his mysterious father. Also enjoyed the jazz played between chapters since jazz plays a part of the story when he discovers his mother's father who was Bud's grandfather. Highly recommended for young adults or older children who are interested in historical fiction.

Francisca E B
In the Midnight Room by Laura McBride
Narrator Name: Joy Osmanski and Will Damron

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Joy Osmanski and Will Damron do a fine job of narrating the audiobook. I think my difficulty in following the plot was not the narrators’ fault, so much as it was due to the structure of the work.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
3.5 stars. As she did in her debut work, McBride tells the story of four different characters with little apparent connection, until their stories come together in one specific event. The reader gets a pretty clear idea of the connection of at least two of these women early on, but must wait for events to unfold over several decades before the characters will catch on.

Lois
Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber
Narrator Name: Em Eldridge

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Easy listening! Good expression.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Hooray Debbie Macomber! A great Christmas book which held my interest from beginning to end.

Karen
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil
Narrator Name: Robin Miles

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Robin Miles has a beautiful voice for reading this story. The tone and tempo of her delivery enfold the listener into the story and enhance the listener's enjoyment of the story. The listener feels Clementine's happiness as a young child, her fear of abandonment in her childhood, her frustration as a teenager, and her attempts to deal with the issues she must confront as a successful woman. Clementine's comments about her motivation for writing the story, and how Elizabeth Weil helped her were very interesting as well.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Clementine Wamariya and her family lived a happy life in Rwanda until she was six years old when strife in her country destroyed her family life and sent her and her sister on the run. The invaders threatened the girls so their parents sent them to their grandmother, but they were not safe there so she tells them to run. Fourteen-year-old Claire is in charge of keeping her sister safe as they travel through various countries in Africa. Claire is resourceful and finds ways to earn money without compromising them. After 7 years, Clementine, Claire, her husband and children, move to Chicago. Clementine is helped by the Thomas family. Oprah features their story and reunites the family. Issues from her early life dog Clementine as she ages.

Laura
Vox by Christina Dalcher
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Julia was an excellent narrator. Clear speaking voice with great emotion.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Could certainly see the possibility of this happening in America. Scary how we take our freedoms for granted and are too lax in making sure we keep them until it possibly too late. Good book. Great for a book club to discuss!

Sandra
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Narrator Name: Marin Ireland

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Very engaging.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Loved the big picture about society today.

Tessa B C
You Remind Me of Me by Dan Chaon
Narrator Name: Jim Soriero

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Jim Soriero does an excellent job performing the audio. He is a skilled voice artist, with good pacing. Still, given the nonlinear plot, I’m glad I had a text version available so I could go back and reference earlier chapters easily.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
3.5 stars. Chaon’s skill as a short-story writer shows in his debut novel. The first four chapters of the book introduce us to four different characters and time frames. Eventually the connections between them will be clear to the reader. What I really like about Chaon’s writing is how he explores issues of identity, how characters are shaped by their environment, by chance and opportunity, and by the choices they make. There is much to dislike about these damaged people, and yet I am drawn to these characters and their stories.

Shirley
New York by Edward Rutherfurd
Narrator Name: Mark Bramhall

Rating the Audio Performance
5
A very long listen but the narrator held my attention.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I learned so much about the history of the city!

Sherri
The Hush by John Hart
Narrator Name: Jeremy Bobb

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I thought he did a good job with all the characters. There wasn't a lot of variation, but I could usually follow the story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Johnny only wants to keep his land - "the hush.". No one else seems to understand why and would like to take it away from him. This is the second book I've read by this author, both on audio. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to "read" this before LOST BOY, which I think is a prequel of sorts possibly. I understood the story mostly but I think if you read the LOST BOY first you might have a better understanding of things that I might have missed. I found the story quite interesting and complex with a wide variety of settings and characters. I'm not sure how I felt about the ending - it was quite graphic and mystical.

Pat
Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig
Narrator Name: Em Eldridge

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Narrator really captures Ginny so perfectly. You understand all of Ginny's unique behaviors and root for her to just get that baby doll!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Very enlightening.

Mary
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Narrator Name: Amy Poehler

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The guest speakers on the audio make an already entertaining experience even more so. Amy definitely reworked the audio for the listener with her intro.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I've loved Amy Poehler since her SNL days and she doesn't disappoint. She is a great storyteller and it was fun to hear about her experiences in the comedy/entertainment world.

Natalie Paz-Storey
Son by Lois Lowry
Narrator Name: Bernadette Dunne

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Sensative and compelling interpretation.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The Giver series is one of my favorites!

Francisca E B
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Narrator Name: Nadia May

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Nadia May does a fine job performing the audiobook. However, I did have trouble staying focused. That isn’t her fault - it’s simply the prevalent style of writing of the mid-19th century.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
A classic tale of the redemptive power of love, first published in 1861. A reclusive, miserly weaver’s life is changed when he finds a toddler on a snowy evening. As is typical of the novels of the era, the plot includes numerous coincidences that stretch this reader’s tolerance. There is much misery, but Eliot does give us a few moments of joy, and an ending full of hope.

Megan
While I Was Gone by Sue Miller
Narrator Name: Blair Brown

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Blair Brown is one of the best narrators I have listened to on an audiobook. She changes her voice and her inflection so slightly, but you know exactly who is speaking and what they are feeling.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Sue Miller is a great storyteller and this book is an excellent example. I believe most people do wonder what would have happened if they made different choices in their life and how their lives would have been different. It was easy to get lost inside this story.

Linda
Educated by Tara Westover
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Julia did a great job reading this difficult text.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
A book all should know. As a lover of literature I was encouraged to see the power of language to change the arc of a person's life. Also, I was able to appreciate the power of parents and family in the formation of a person.

Tessa
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Narrator Name: Caroline Lee

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Caroline Lee does a fantastic job of voicing the audiobook. She has good pacing and I never felt lost or confused about which character was the focus of each chapter. I did, however, read about a third of the book in text. It is definitely easier to sort out who is speaking and which elements are the interviews when using the text, because the publisher uses different fonts and paragraph indentations to set those apart.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Moriarty uses the “minor” drama of helicopter parents to explore larger issues of school bullying and domestic abuse. The reader knows from the first chapter that someone has died...but who died and who was responsible will have to wait until the last 40 pages of the novel. Using multiple narrators, and different timelines seems a popular technique in novels these days. It’s difficult to do this well, but Moriarty is a master. Even the secondary characters leap off the page.

Lori
Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Narrator Name: Kimberly Farr

Rating the Audio Performance
2
I really didn't like this audio performance. The book goes through three periods of a woman's life, and for the part when she's a young girl, the narrator sounds like she's reading in an annoying way to a child. When the character is in her 60s, she had a whininess that made me not like the character. I think I would have liked this book better if I had read it instead of listening to it.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Despite not liking the audio performance, I still ended up getting absorbed by the book and was interested to see how things evolved and were resolved. The author did a particularly great job bringing to life the more unpleasant characters. The scenario was unique, but one could see from knowing the main character how this could have happened. I would recommend the print version of the book.

Karen
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Narrator Name: Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee and Danny Campbell

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Anne Marie Lee has a pleasing voice to present the Osage's story. The tempo of her voice as she reads the story gives one a picture of the life of Molly Burkhart and her family. The listener feels the outrage of the treatment of the Osage: price gouging for funerals, costly guardians for adult Indians and no action for crimes against the Osage. I really liked the sound of Will Patton's voice as he reads the part about Tom White and the investigation by the FBI. He portrays White as tenacious, methodical and fair. The listener feels the tension as he unravels the crimes against the Osage and is finally able to prosecute the guilty. Danny Campbell does a good job reading the reporter's account of the extensive research for the book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The subtitle of this book is: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. The Osage are pushed off of their land onto land deemed to be worthless. When oil is discovered, the Osage become prosperous. White men set out to reverse this prosperity by any means they can. The family of Molly Burkhart in particular is targeted. Her mother and sister die of the wasting illness, her sister, Anna, is shot in the head and dumped in a creek and her other sister, Rita, is killed when her home is bombed. Molly is the only one left. She is not taken seriously and none of the suspects are prosecuted. After so many years and many deaths, the FBI is enlisted to investigate. Tom White and his team of agents unravel the complicated mystery.