December 3, 2018 - January 2, 2019
Linda from Baton Rouge, LA
Wendy from Basking Ridge, NJ
Tessa B C
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp, Camille Kingsolver and Lily Hopp Kingsolver
Narrator Name: Barbara Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver
Rating the Audio Performance
The authors narrate the audiobook themselves, which lends a sort of personal touch. The recipes, however, are not included in the audio version; rather, the listener is referred to their website where the recipes are available. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3.5 stars. Memoir of a year during which Kingsolver’s family vowed to eat only what they grew or could find locally available. I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did, though Hopp’s essays, in particular, left me feeling that I was being scolded. I was happy that Kingsolver included some very humorous vignettes (the stories of “turkey sex” and her 9-year-old’s entrepreneurship was particularly engaging).
Rezina
Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
Narrator Name: Markus Zusak
Rating the Audio Performance
Markus did a good job with his reading. You could hear the emotion in his voice at sensitive passages in the book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I had trouble following the way he was telling the story but was able to get into the flow around Part 3.
Deborah
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Narrator Name: Michelle Obama
Rating the Audio Performance
After almost two years of the Trump presidency, I really miss the decency and compassion of the Obamas. This audiobook brings it all back and leaves the reader with hope for the future. No one could be a better reader for her story than Michelle Obama herself. She's not afraid to let emotion creep into stories of her upbringing in south side Chicago and her parents' many sacrifices, her struggles to give her daughters as normal a life as possible while living in the White House, and her reactions to some of the nastiest insults thrown at her family by political opponents. This is truly a wonderful book lived, written and read by a truly inspiring American woman. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Michelle Obama's memoir was exactly what I expected it to be: honest, thoughtful, endearing, uplifting, and optimistic. Exactly what I needed, considering the current political environment. She walks us through her childhood in Chicago with stories about the extended family that helped to raise her. Their love and support helped to give her the confidence to apply to earn her law degree and practice with a successful Chicago law firm where one of her tasks was to supervise a young legal intern named Barack Obama. As we've heard, it wasn't love at first sight, but Michelle was eventually won over by his enthusiasm and his drive to make the world a better place. Fascinating details about her life as a political wife. An inspiring story!
Annmarie
How Hard Can It Be by Allison Pearson
Narrator Name: Poppy Miller
Rating the Audio Performance
Miller captures both the lightheartedness and the angst in this fun book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Fun and relatable. There’s some Kate in all of us!
Michelle
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Narrator Name: James Cameron Stewart
Rating the Audio Performance
Well narrated in this complex set of characters. Each was distinct. Loved the English accent which enhanced the story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a complex story told in backwards and forward narration. I enjoyed it very much. This book is a combination of "Ground Hog Day" plus a traditional Agatha Christie plot. It is so gripping that I couldn’t stop listening! Very creative in so many ways. I highly recommend.
Lana
Northland by Porter Fox
Narrator Name: Jonathan Yen
Rating the Audio Performance
I listened to this book on CD from my local library while driving. The narrator was okay, but he often dropped his volume at the end of sentences so I had to strain to catch the entire sentence. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
As above, I listened to this book on CD from my local library while driving. Perhaps if I had read a hard copy or eBook, I might feel differently about it. It kept my interest, but I have to say that I have previously read or listened to far better “travel” books such as Ian Frazier’s GREAT PLAINS. Overall, good information.
Kimiko
You Don't Own Me by Mary Higgins Clark
Narrator Name: January LaVoy and Alafair Burke
Rating the Audio Performance
Pretty good for the female characters but a bit tough for this woman to give the various different male voices character enough to distinguish one male from another. Overall very good, however. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I liked the storyline and I've been reading the "Under Suspicion" series from the beginning, but this time I did not like the Laurie Moran character. She jumps to conclusions, like all the others involved in the case, predicting the killer and being completely off-base. It was like I wanted to shake her and say open up your eyes and your mind...it is NOT who you think it is.
Deb
Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg
Narrator Name: Elizabeth Berg
Rating the Audio Performance
Because she knew her characters well, the author did a good job performing despite not changing pitch, tone, etc. for the various characters. Her delivery style was slow and easy, lending to the gradual development of the characters' dilemmas and the resolutions of them. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I enjoyed the further development of characters in her previous book, THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV, as well as introduction of new ones. There was a nice balance between the poignant and the whimsy, with characters who were believable.
Paula
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Narrator Name: Trevor Noah
Rating the Audio Performance
Not only is his story good, having him read it makes it real. I recently watched one of his stand-up comedy shows and got hooked on his story and his accent. What you find out in listening to him read his story is that he knows so many different languages and seems so compassionate towards people. It was sad, happy, and in the end real. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Americans know so little about South Africa (and other countries), but listening to him tell his story with the historical backdrop of the history of South Africa is powerful. It should be taught in our schools...after we start teaching the real history of the U.S. (slavery, Jim Crow, etc.)
Aimee
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Narrator Name: Michelle Obama
Rating the Audio Performance
Michelle does an excellent job narrating her story. She injects the right amount of emotion when necessary. Her diction and annunciation are excellent. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The impetus for listening and not reading her autobiography is due to my friends and daughters getting tickets to see Michelle Obama on her book tour...next week! I admit to not knowing her background too well prior to this book. She is fascinating, intelligent, hard-working and self-made. She has morals, values and integrity. What a phenomenal role model for everyone! I have teared up a couple times while listening. This is my favorite book of 2018.
Daryl
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
Narrator Name: Erin Bennett
Rating the Audio Performance
Speaks well and moves into the voices of different characters easily. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I like the twists and turns of the different characters.
Daryl
I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos
Narrator Name: Angela Dawe
Rating the Audio Performance
Angela Dawe narrates the story in the varied characters' voices making you believe you are listening to an older woman at times, a younger woman, different men, etc. She does a wonderful job! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Loved the switching back and forth between Edith's life and Clare's life, and the way the mystery untangled.
Ricki
Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott
Narrator Name: Chloe Cannon
Rating the Audio Performance
The pacing of the story was slow, which is something a narrator can help with, but she didn't. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The pacing was too slow for a psychological thriller. And the epilogue just did not fit correctly.
Diana
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
Narrator Name: Kathleen Early
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent reading! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
What a thriller! Two sisters, both survivors of a horrible family tragedy, have grown distant from each other as they have come to terms with their shared past. Now they face the possible loss of their father and relive how he handled the aftermath of what happened to them as well as why it happened.
Eve
Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny
Narrator Name: Robert Bathurst
Rating the Audio Performance
I preferred previous narrator (Ralph Cousham) but alas he is deceased. Bathurst is missing the French connection but is perfectly adequate for the task. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Louise Penny is just simply the best.
Heather
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Narrator Name: Elizabeth Acevedo
Rating the Audio Performance
Acevedo did a wonderful job with the narration. The emotion she put into it made the characters seem so real. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A girl trying to figure things out while living with a very religious mom. The story makes you feel the pain of being a young and strong woman wanting to fit in, but also wanting to honor your culture and wanting to make your parents happy.
Melanie
This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Narrator Name: Gabra Zackman
Rating the Audio Performance
Narrator deftly transitions between characters voices very nicely - not a small feat considering that initially Claude is only five years old. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Interesting fictional commentary on a transgender child. Book was a little too long and ended a little too perfectly.
Richard N B
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Narrator Name: Robert Glenister
Rating the Audio Performance
Robert Glenister does a marvelous job of voicing the audiobook. He keeps the pace up (a must for this genre), and he is up to the challenge of reading a book with so many different characters. I really like the way he interprets both Strike and Robin. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Galbraith is the pseudonym of J. K. Rowling, and this book proves that she knows how to craft a compelling story. Strike and loved his assistant, Robin make a great team. The plot is suitably complex, with plenty of red herrings to confuse and misdirect both Strike and the reader. I’ll definitely continue with this series.
Mary
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Narrator Name: J. D. Jackson
Rating the Audio Performance
Each character’s voice was easily discernible in Jackson’s rendering of this outstanding novel. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
One of the best crime novels ever. I never saw the ending coming! Locke conveys the east Texas atmosphere with aplomb. One can envision sitting at the counter of Geneva Sweet’s Sweets, the heart of the novel’s locale: the characters inhabit it like a hand in a well-fitting glove. The plot focuses on the drowning deaths of a local white woman and an African American man who had visited the hamlet. Texas Ranger, Darren Matthews, also Black, unofficially investigates at the behest of an FBI friend. Of course complications ensue: the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas rears its ugly head, the dead man’s widow can’t stay away, and the cafe holds secrets from the racist environs along Route 59 that ties past and present together.
Lana
Northland by Porter Fox
Narrator Name: Jonathan Yen
Rating the Audio Performance
The narrator was okay, but he often dropped his volume at the end of sentences so I had to strain to catch the entire sentence. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I listened to this book on CD from my local library while driving. It kept my interest. I have to say that I have previously read or listened to far better “travel” books such as Ian Frazier’s GREAT PLAINS. Overall, good information.
Mary
The Ballroom on Magnolia Street by Sharon Owens
Narrator Name: Caroline Winterson
Rating the Audio Performance
Great storytelling. Clear and easy to understand. The narrator provides different voices for the characters. Her Irish accent added much to the listening. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The story is set in Belfast in the mid 1980s. It is the story of several families and how they are connected to each other. The relationship between the two sisters - Kathy and Shirley - is hysterical and spot-on. The characters are very well drawn.
Julie
Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
Narrator Name: Robert Glenister
Rating the Audio Performance
Ever since I listened to the first Cormoran Strike novel, I ONLY listen to them. Glenister does a superb job with all of the characters. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I have enjoyed all the the books in this series and I liked getting a little more into the personal lives of the main characters in this book.
Patricia
Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
Narrator Name: Steve West
Rating the Audio Performance
West does an amazing job of drawing you in and sharing Nathaniel’s story. You can picture all the characters from his mysterious mother to the elusive characters who watch over him and his sister. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The reader treasures every word of this story describing growing up just after WW II in London when Nathaniel and his sister are under the care of the Moth when their parents go off on mysterious missions.
Tessa B C
Beartown by Fredrick Backman
Narrator Name: Marin Ireland
Rating the Audio Performance
The audiobook is performed by Marin Ireland who does a fantastic job. She brings all these characters to life, male and female, young and old. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A character wonders, “What are principles worth, if you don’t win?” That may be the essence of this novel, set in a small town where hockey is everything. This is definitely a departure from the kinds of novels that have made Backman an international literary star. No cranky old men or grandmothers who spin fantasy adventure tales here. But you will recognize Backman’s gift for drawing characters – good, bad, young, old, talented young people, and alcoholic has-beens.
Mary
The Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin Mystery, Book 4) by M. C. Beaton
Narrator Name: Penelope Keith
Rating the Audio Performance
A wonderful performance by one of my favorite British actresses who has a British accent that perfectly fits the story she is reading. I could not ask for more! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a fun cozy mystery that I started listening to after seeing the Agatha Raisin series on TV. I enjoy walking and listening to Agatha’s adventures. Great characters accompany Agatha as she tries to fit into village life after retiring from a high-stress job in London. Our Aggie is growing up as she tries hard to tame her rebellious, snarky personality. It is easy to relate to her inability to know what others think of her as Agatha solves village mysteries.
Lara
Ghost Boy by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Narrator Name: Miles Harvey
Rating the Audio Performance
Solid. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A sort of “black lives matter” theme, drawing a line from a 1950s case and a present day one. Recommended if you liked THE HATE U GIVE.
Lara
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
Narrator Name: Robin Miles
Rating the Audio Performance
Great audiobook narration by Robin Miles. I listened to it twice. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Lovely short novel with some really memorable scenes and sentences like: “When you’re fifteen, pain skips over reason, aims right for the marrow.” Oh, so true!
Lara
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Narrator Name: Maya Angelou
Rating the Audio Performance
Read by the author and very engaging. A distinctive voice. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Memoir. A modern nonfiction classic. And understandably so.
Lara
Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cumming
Narrator Name: Alan Cumming
Rating the Audio Performance
Lovely Scottish accent! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Among my favorite books this year. Engaging memoir.
Lara
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley
Narrator Name: Jayne Entwistle
Rating the Audio Performance
Entwistle is the ideal narrator for this book and its sequel. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Feels like an instant classic.
Lara
The War I Finally Won by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley
Narrator Name: Jayne Entwhistle
Rating the Audio Performance
Entwhistle is the ideal narrator for this story told from the perspective of an English girl during WWII. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Enjoyed this one even more than THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE.
Lara
The Neil Gaiman Audio Collection by Neil Gaiman
Narrator Name: Neil Gaiman
Rating the Audio Performance
I really enjoy reading Gaiman own material. He has a very easy-on-the-ears voice. I even love the little happy interludes of music in between the stories - and I rarely enjoy that particular feature of audiobooks. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I've listened to this collection a bunch of times, mainly for bedtime stories for my grownup self, and once with a 9-year-old who also enjoyed it. We couldn't quite agree on which of the four stories is best.
Lara
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Narrator Name: Rupi Kaur
Rating the Audio Performance
I enjoyed hearing her read her own work, and I think that her typically short poems are very suited for audiobook format. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
One can certainly understand why Kaur's poetry is so popular. My younger self would likely have been way into it. My current, older self appreciates several of the poems a lot, others less, and some considerably less. There are some brave moments and striking lines, and then there are instances of self-help wisdom, pretty cliche.
Lara
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
Narrator Name: Linda Lavin
Rating the Audio Performance
Linda Lavin was the perfect reader for this one, such that I wonder if I would have enjoyed the print version as much. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Historical fiction with a family, relationship and coming-of-age focus.
Mary
How Music Works by David Bryne
Narrator Name: Andrew Garman
Rating the Audio Performance
There is nothing wrong with the reading of this book by Andrew Garman - I'm just a little disappointed that the author isn't reading it, though. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I love how the author has organized the chapters. Even though in the preface he states that they don't have to be read in order, they still flow nicely. He also mentions that the book isn't a biography, but he weaves his own musical experiences into the book.
Sherri
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
Narrator Name: Clare Corbett
Rating the Audio Performance
It took me a while to get used to the British accent, but overall the performance had good inflection and character change. There were a few times when it was too loud and somewhat grating. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This book had a new and interesting plot line about the relationship between a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law. Although the characters, were only dating/living together, the relationship between Emily and Adam's mom, Pammy, was negative from the beginning. Emily can never decide why Pamela's dislikes her and needles her. Pammy presents a totally different picture of kindness to everyone else and Emily can't convince anyone, especially Pammy's special son Adam, that it's all a "front" and Pamela is really a horrible person and a liar. The ending is unexpected but the author did a great job of setting it up and drawing you into the center of the conflict.
pat
The 7-1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Narrator Name: James Cameron Stewart
Rating the Audio Performance
This is not an easy book to narrate as the lead character assumes the persona of 7 characters for 24 hours. Yes, confusing but once you get started it is compelling. Try it for sure! Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
A compelling mystery evolves and you must stay with it. It does work and the author is brilliant in his approach.
Catherine
A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen
Narrator Name: Will Bowen
Rating the Audio Performance
The author read his book. He did a good job. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
I enjoyed the book. I found the concept very interesting. I found the author's stories entertaining.
Mary
The Couple Next Door by Sheri LaPena
Narrator Name: Kirsten Potter
Rating the Audio Performance
It was okay; not great, not terrible. It was easy to distinguish between voices, but no character stood out. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
There was some tension at the end, but overall the book was just another same old story. I didn’t feel attached to any of the characters; in fact, I didn’t like them.
Cheryl
Educated by Tara Westover
Narrator Name: Julia Whelan
Rating the Audio Performance
Great reader, easy to listen to and good change in voice for characters. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Hard to believe these situations still exist. I could not believe it when I read THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Wells. If you thought that was rough, EDUCATED will make you more than educated.
Cheryl
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Narrator Name: Kirsten Potter
Rating the Audio Performance
Awesome changes and stylistic. Easy to listen to and gripping. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is one of my favorites this year. The content is so real that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it and how it would impact me in our current world. I find myself running into topics and then thinking, "That's just like Station Eleven." You have read this book!
Cheryl
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
Narrator Name: Lucy Price-Lewis
Rating the Audio Performance
So fun, great accents and easy to follow. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Love it, great conflicts and humanity. What people, especially women, can accomplish when they "just do it" and make their dreams come true. Many times something you would never do make the best journeys.
Mary
Trunk Music by Michael Connelly
Narrator Name: Dick Hill
Rating the Audio Performance
I fully engaged with the characters as performed by Dick Hill. I know this is partly because Michael Connelly is one of my favorite writers in the crime genre. All voices were clearly discernible from each other and I related to all of them, especially Harry. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Another in the stellar series starring LA detective Harry Bosch. I had read the hardcover version years ago and revisited on audio as I waited for the newest Connelly book. He never disappoints. Bosch has values that appeal to me and he’s consistent in applying them. A great guy, great detective brought to life by an author who has never let me down.
Mary
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
Narrator Name: Claire Corbett
Rating the Audio Performance
Very disappointing. I didn’t like the tired voice of Pammie and didn’t manage to engage with any of the narrator’s voices. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Disappointing plot. Old as the hills - mommy doesn’t approve of son’s choice of mate, is unhinged, explanation not believable. This is a 4-star rated book, but it did not appeal to me.
Sandi
The Dinner by Herman Koch
Narrator Name: Clive Mantle
Rating the Audio Performance
3.75 stars. Good inflection, good accent. No problems telling characters apart. Pleasant, likable voice that just carried you along. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3.75 stars. Man, what a crappy family. Each person in this group of people has a problem, and one that supersedes the problem that they are all drawn together to solve. There is not one character in this whole novel that is likable. Some of their actions are very understandable, given the circumstances, however, they were probably not the correct actions. The whole premise surrounds a cold, horrendous act of violence that was carried out by three teenage boys, the sons of the adults drawn together for this dinner. During the gathering each of the four adults thought-process, motives, and insecurities come to light. Decisions are made. Lives are changed.
Francisca E B
Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie
Narrator Name: Full Cast
Rating the Audio Performance
The BBC radio drama is wonderfully acted by a full cast, but I was glad I also had a text version of the book. I find it interesting that I hadn’t noticed before how much of the action in these mysteries is handled through dialogue. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Hercule Poirot and his faithful sidekick Colonel Hastings have their work cut out for them. All these suspects, all these conflicting stories. And those “little grey cells” get a workout! Christie writes wonderful characters, even if she uses stereotypes that are jarring to modern sensibilities. She’s also very good at crafting intricate plot twists. These mysteries are my go-to reading “comfort food.”
Wendy
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Narrator Name: Delia Owens
Rating the Audio Performance
Loved the narrator's accent, very appropriate, and the calmness to the way she spoke. It fit the main character very well. That it was the author who narrated the book just enhances everything. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
The writing was so good. This is a coming-of-age story with a little history of the North Carolina coast, some biology lessons, some romance and first love, and part murder mystery. The chapters alternated between different years, but it was not at all confusing. If this one isn't on your list, put it there!
Karen
The Gray Ghost by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell
Narrator Name: Scott Brick
Rating the Audio Performance
Scott Brick does a great job reading this book. He draws the listener into the story and keeps them engaged. He voices the whole range of emotions that the characters experience like Lord Albert Payton's fear and confusion when he discovers the problems with his finances, the terror of the orphans who witness the train robbery, the murder of the detective, the frustration of the Fargos when they have to scramble for funds to meet their needs and relief when the issues are resolved. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Sam Fargo's mother Libby asks that he and Remi help a distant relative, Lord Albert Payton.
with financial issues. He is trying to raise funds by selling a classic car, the Gray Goose, a Rolls Royce prototype. The Fargos decide to search for the missing Gray Goose and sort out the financial issues. As the investigation unfolds Sam learns a lot about his mother's side of the family and remembers visiting them as a child. Sam and Remi have their staff investigating the financial issues. The perpetrators try to stop Sam and Remi, by targeting their finances which causes them a lot of aggravation. The Fargos continue to unravel the mystery of the adventures of the Gray Goose, and those who have an interest in her.
Linda
Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith
Narrator Name: Lisette Lecat
Rating the Audio Performance
Ms. Lecat's dialect is very beliveable, her pronunciation is very clear. Difficult last names seem to roll right off her tongue.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Mma Ramotswe is the busy owner of a detective agency. She and her dependable assistant diplomatically solve various mysteries, work to keep an automobile repair shop from going out of business, and convince a fiance' to seek medical help for depression. It is not your usual detective story.
Deborah
Transcription by Kate Atkinson
Narrator Name: Fenella Woolgar
Rating the Audio Performance
Excellent voices. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Espionage, consequences of your actions - sometimes much later in time.
Karen
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
Narrator Name: Imogen Church
Rating the Audio Performance
Imogen Church reads each character's words so that the listener can picture the character. Softer tones for Isa, Thea, Fatema, Kate and Miss Weatherbee. Harsher tones for Mary, the barmaid. Shrill, snarky voice for Jess. She does well with male voices: Luke with his French accented speech, the raspy voice of Jerry, the bartender, Owen's voice changing with the situation. She keeps the listener interested with the pace of her reading, which varies with the action in the story. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
THE LYING GAME starts for Isa when she goes to Salten. She meets other girls, Kate and Thea, on the train who are also heading to school at Salten. Fatema arrives later. The lying starts as a snarky bit of fun, but a lie finally envelops them far beyond Salten. The lie involves Kate's father, Ambrose, who was the art master at Salten. Kate is at home when she finds her father near death. He asks her to keep the Tide Mill where they live. She is not 16 and will be put into care if she reports his death so she calls the other girls and asks them to come (sneak out) to help her bury him. The girls are caught and asked to leave the school. Kate later reports Ambrose is missing, but the girls live in fear that the body will be discovered.
Richard N B
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System In a College Town by Jon Krakauer
Narrator Name: Mozhan Marno and Scott Brick
Rating the Audio Performance
The audio version is jointly narrated by Mozhan Marno and Scott Brick. Marno does most of the book, with Brick voicing the forward and the final chapter where Krakauer writes in first person. They do an exceptionally good job. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Subtitle: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town. Krakauer explores the issue of acquaintance rape, and particularly, the ways in which universities dismiss victim complaints in favor of all-star athletes. Disturbing and distressing, but important enough to read. Most rapists are NOT strangers in ski masks hiding in dark alleys; rather, they are the boys next door or men in the office.
Aimee
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
Narrator Name: Rachel Hollis
Rating the Audio Performance
I love when authors narrate their own memoirs, autobiographies or self-help books, because they add their inflection that's appropriate to what they wanted when they wrote the book. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
This is a good book for understanding and acknowledging the myths we perpetuate in our lives, and how Rachel has overcome them in her life.
Tessa B C
Kissing in America by Margo Rabb
Narrator Name: Laura Knight Keating
Rating the Audio Performance
The audiobook is read by Laura Knight Keating. She has a good pace and she really brings the cast of quirky characters to life. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2.5 stars. This is a young-adult “romance” with very little romance. Instead, it is more of a coming-of-age story. Eva learns some important life lessons – about grief, friendship, and forgiveness. Final verdict: it’s a decent YA novel, but not really my cup of tea.
Karen
Love and Ruin by Paula McLain
Narrator Name: January LaVoy
Rating the Audio Performance
January LaVoy has a great voice to read LOVE AND RUIN. She voices both male and female
characters very well. The pace and tempo of her voice draws the reader in. She runs through Martha's full range of emotions: excitement, curiosity, longing, sadness, anger, acceptance and
determination. January expresses Ernest's depression, anger and pettiness. Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
Martha Gellhorn was never going to be an ordinary person. She was curious about the world around her and the larger world in general. She gave up college to travel and see the world. She wrote about what she saw and had written a successful novel when she met her hero, Ernest Hemingway, at a bar in Key West. They were drawn to each other, and she became his third wife in 1940. They were happy for a while, but she did not want to be a traditional wife and stay home, run a household and be a mother. She still wanted to travel and write about world events. Ernest did not go for this and did what he could to compete with her. She went on alone and became a successful war correspondent. 
