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August 3, 2020 - September 8, 2020

This contest period's winner was Tessa B. from Bayside, WI, who received an audiobook copy of THE PULL OF THE STARS by Emma Donoghue, read by Emma Lowe, and THICK AS THIEVES by Sandra Brown, read by Kyf Brewer.

Tessa
The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
Narrator Name: Susan O'Malley

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Susan O’Malley does a fine job performing the audiobook. She has clear diction and I really like the way she interprets Amelia.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Book Two in the Amelia Peabody series, featuring the intrepid Victorian lady Egyptologist. I read the first book in the series a few years back and was not a fan. Much of what irritated me in the first book happened again. But…I’m beginning to see the humor and satire in Peters’ style. I’m starting to appreciate Peabody’s manner and her relationships with the other characters. This is a strong, independent-minded, intelligent woman who does not suffer fools gladly.

John
Lake Life by David James Poissant
Narrator Name: Jacques Roy

Rating the Audio Performance
5
An excellent performance by Jacques Roy!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
This is an excellent story about the tragedy of selling real estate in modern America.

Lindy Lou
Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
Narrator Name: Luke Thompson

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Wonderfully done!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Each sentence PACKED with nuggets to unfold. Highly recommend.

Gwen
Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Narrator Name: Robin Wall Kimmerer

Rating the Audio Performance
3
Normally I love hearing the author reading their own words, but in this case they seemed too preachy. I loved the words but not the way I was hearing them. This is a book I will purchase and read again in my own hearing.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
There is much beauty in the writing and many reminders of the beauty, bounty and freely given gifts of the Earth. It is very poetic at times. A book to be quietly savored and read with an eye, ear and heart to the natural world.

Kristen
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Narrator Name: Mozhan Marno

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Brought the characters to life.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
A thought-provoking novel about Biblical figures.

Rosalie
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Narrator Name: Emily Rankin and Catherine Taber

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Fabulous. I was brought into the horror of the kidnapping and mistreatment of these poor children who were stolen from their homes and treated as chattel by the Tennessee Children's Home Society. The performance by these two actors really brought the story alive for me.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Based on a true story, Georgia Tann stole 5000 children during the depression until 1950, evading punishment for human trafficking and blackmail. I could not put down this audiobook. Written in two parallel time frames, it was an engrossing story that I highly recommend.

Tessa
Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Narrator Name: Kimberly Farr

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Kimberly Farr does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. She set a good pace and had the skill to different the many characters.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
3.5 stars. The novel follows Willa Drake, her hopes, dreams, disappointments and joys – over five decades, from 1967 to 2017. I like the way that Tyler explores the everyday drama of life. Not much happens – as far as a plot to carry the reader along – and yet much happens in terms of the character’s life. Willa frustrated me for much of this book. She was so passive that I wanted to shake her. I’m glad that by the end she is finally beginning to assert herself, to look at what SHE wants from life and to dare to try to achieve it.

Carolyn
The One by Kiera Cass
Narrator Name: Any Rubinate

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I was enthralled and listened to the first three books of the series in two days!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I enjoyed this series. It is like THE HUNGER GAMES meets The Bachelor! I couldn’t stop listening, it was the entertaining escape I needed right now.

Barbara
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Narrator Name: Khaled Hosseini

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Excellent view of life in Afghanistan with relationships of family and friends.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Beautifully-written descriptions of the land and inhabitants of Afghanistan.

Dottie
The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne
Narrator Name: Vanessa Johansson

Rating the Audio Performance
4
I think she did a good job.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I enjoyed listening to it. It wasn’t too deep.

Katherine
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
Narrator Name: Madeleine Maby

Rating the Audio Performance
4
The narrator was outstanding. Her voices were great, whether male or female. You feel like you are right in 1940s France.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Beautiful book. Kristin is a fantastic historical fiction writer. She pulls you into a story and you never want to leave it.

Kathy
OPEN by Andre Agassi
Narrator Name: Erik Davies

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Excellent, clear, expressive easy listening while I work on puzzles!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I did not realize what a complex person he is. I kinda just wanted to bring him close and hug him. I know nothing about tennis but am still loving it! Very interesting!

Laura
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Narrator Name: Brittany Pressley

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Enjoyed her narration of the book.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
It was an interesting story. A thought-provoking concept about a woman living her adult life with the years not in chronological order. Each year at midnight on New Year's Eve she is transported to the first day of a new year of sometime in her life. She never knows which year it will be. Enjoyed it.

Kimiko
Credible Threat` by J. A. Jance
Narrator Name: Karen Ziemba

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Difficult for women to lower their voices enough to sound like men, but she did a pretty good job overall.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I like the Ali Reynolds series but this was not one of my favorites. It almost seemed as if Frig (the AI) did all the work to "solve" the case.

Shari
Camino Island by John Grisham
Narrator Name: January LaVoy

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Great character audio actor! Her voice was clear and understandable with the right character definition.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The plot was fast-paced with lots of twists that kept you guessing. Great character definition.

Pat
The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede
Narrator Name: Ray Porter

Rating the Audio Performance
5
He was a very compelling reader.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
What the folks in Gander, Newfoundland did when thousands of stranded passengers were stranded after 9/11 as their flights were diverted there. What a fabulous community...

Richard N B
Ways to Hide in Winter by Sarah St. Vincent
Narrator Name: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The narrator does a marvelous job. I particularly liked the way she voiced Daniil and Martin.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
This is a tightly written psychological/political thriller. The characters are skittish, guarded, and yet reveal themselves by their actions. Kathleen and Daniil recognize in one another a certain similarity – both are running from the truth, both profess to need solitude as a way to hide away, and yet both want desperately to confide and reveal their pain and their hopes. This short novel includes some major issues. The landscape is practically a character and adds to the feeling of isolation, loneliness and imminent danger. The reader is kept in suspense to the very end.

Janice
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Narrator Name: Blair Brown

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Great audio.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Interesting read about life in the states during WWII.

Mary
The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Narrator Name: Sneha Mathan

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Narrator was excellent at portraying the voices of the two main characters.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
I had not read/listened to the previous book in this storyline. There were a few times that the author referred to something that happened to the characters in the past that was a bit confusing. The story was very enjoyable and was at times heartbreaking and at other times very funny. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Megan
The Guest LIst by Lucy Foley
Narrator Name: Jot Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Sarah Ovens and Rich Keeble

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Loved the multiple narrators. All did an excellent job and were easily distinguishable. Perfect accents.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
It was a great mystery, fully-drawn characters with complex backgrounds, atmospheric setting on the island of Inis an Amplóra, which was like another character.

Wendy
Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera
Narrator Name: Robin Miles, Adenrele Ojo and Brittany Pressley

Rating the Audio Performance
5
This book had the best narration! Each narrator had the perfect diction and accents that really made you feel like you were there in the story.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
An emotional book told from three different points of view. If you love historical fiction, this should definitely be on your list!

Patricia
Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Narrator Name: Roy Dotrice

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The narrator has such a broad range of voices for all the characters involved...it is mesmerizing to hear. Sucks you right into each character and emotion!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
I was an avid follower of the GoT series on HBO but was at times confused with the storyline. On a whim decided to read the book to get a better grasp, and I am berating myself as to why I did not do this sooner! Now with the first part of book series I do understand and I am enjoying every second. Mr. Dotrice is a master!!

Mel
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
Narrator Name: Sean Pratt

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Sean did a great job transitioning between the male and female characters.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Fascinating and horrifying. Six of twelve siblings diagnosed with schizophrenia. I do wish there was a little less time spent on the history and research of the disease. Those were parts I would have liked to have skimmed quickly but couldn't do with the audio.

Ricki
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Narrator Name: Will Damron and Julia Whelan

Rating the Audio Performance
3
I thought Damron did well, but not Whelan's best - all of her men sounded the same.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
It takes a lot to get to the end, but it is stunning once you do.

Belinda
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Narrator Name: Michael Goldstrom, Kyla Garcia and Assaf Cohen

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Each voice makes the listening very realistic.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Compelling story of three different refugees at different times in history.

Nina
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Narrator Name: Dominic Hoffman, Dion Graham, Bahni Turpin, Fiona Hardingham, Allan Cordune and Jorjeana Marie

Rating the Audio Performance
5
This was a wonderful way to bring this incredible and intricate book to life. The performances were incredible.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Terrific.

Gretchen
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Narrator Name: Jot Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Sarah Ovens and Rich Keeble

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I still consider myself a newbie to audiobooks and I was surprised at the number of narrators, but I enjoyed them all.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Well done story. So many surprises. I never expected the ending!

Tessa
After You by Jojo Moyes
Narrator Name: Anna Acton

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Anna Acton does a marvelous job reading the audiobook. She really brought Lily to life in all her teen drama! And I loved the way she voiced Louisa and Sam, too.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
A sequel to her runaway hit ME BEFORE YOU, this brings the reader up to date on Louisa and her efforts to heal from the events in the earlier novel. I can’t say much more because that would spoil the first book. There are no easy, straightforward answers for Louisa, Sam or Lily. Or, for that matter the supporting characters. While the scenarios these characters are dealing with are not situations I have personally dealt with, their emotions ARE familiar to me. I did think that the plot got a little too complicated. Still, this was a very enjoyable sequel to the first book and I’m glad to have read it.

Lindy Lou
Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
Narrator Name: Luke Thompson

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Engaging, well paced, lively.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Drew me in, held me attention, likable characters.

Anna
Beneath the Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
Narrator Name: Will Damron

Rating the Audio Performance
5
The narrator was excellent. He did an amazing job at tackling the various accents and character emotions.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
A very emotional and amazing story about the life of Pino Lella. I learned so much about WWII and the suffering of the Italian people. It's the first book I've read about the war from the Italian viewpoint. I find it remarkable that so little is known about the bravery and life of this hero. A powerful book that I would recommend to anyone interested in the historical events and people during WWII.

Heidi
Transcription by Kate Atkinson
Narrator Name: Fenella Woolgar

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Her voice entrances. The story entrances. What more does a listener want?
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
A brilliant historical novel.

Francisca
All the Stars In the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani
Narrator Name: Blair Brown

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Blair Brown does a marvelous job of performing the audiobook. A trained actress, she really brings the characters to life. And I’m glad she didn’t try to imitate the distinctive voices of the Hollywood legends.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Historical fiction based on real-life Hollywood drama: the love affair between Loretta Young and Clark Gable that resulted in a love child. I like Trigiani’s writing. I like the way she draws the reader in and moves the story forward. I really liked the secondary story of Alda and Luca – their steady love story is a direct contrast to the multiple relationships/marriages/breakups/divorces of the Hollywood stars.

Debbie
The Cloister by James Carroll
Narrator Name: James Carroll

Rating the Audio Performance
4
His voice and his sincerity are perfect for this novel.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Although I am Catholic and have studied Catholic theology, I knew very little about Peter Abelard and Heloise. Although there are multiple storylines in this book, it works and the author moves seamlessly from one to another. Of course, it helps that, ultimately, all the storylines go back to Abelard and Heloise. I really loved listening to this book and it has inspired me to learn more about the lives of Abelard and Heloise.

Helen
Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
Narrator Name: Ari Graynor and Beth Malone

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Excellent - both narrators are very good.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
A wonderful story of two sisters and their families from the 1950s to the present.

Kristen
Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
Narrator Name: Lydia Look

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Ms. Look just did a great job with the characters and mostly well with the accents - there were several to juggle!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Fun and deceptively light! A great summer read, especially for this year!

Allison
The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
Narrator Name: Erin Bennett and Lisa Flanagan

Rating the Audio Performance
5
It really brings the story to life! I love audiobooks.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Mystery in a library! What more can you ask for?

Lisa
The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Narrator Name: Katie Schorr

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Considering the accents needed for rural Kentucky in the 1930s, Katie is wonderful.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Love the story which is based on real events -- the blue people of Kentucky and the Book Woman program.

Carole
Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
Narrator Name: Erin Bennett

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Erin's narration was excellent and she voiced the characters so well!
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Interesting family story about a historical summer. Great summer read.

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

Rating the Audio Performance
2
The narrators were just okay. Sometimes the male narrator was speaking the part of a woman character and this was a little distracting.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
2
The first few chapters grabbed my attention and got me interested in the plot. But the story soon took a nosedive and became very unbelievable. The ending was too rushed with everything wrapping up a little too nicely. Some of the dialogue was too long and a bit childish. I liked the concept of the story but this book probably isn't one I will recommend to friends.

Tessa
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Narrator Name: Susan Orlean

Rating the Audio Performance
3
Orlean is not a trained voice artist and I didn’t like the tone and timber of her voice to start out with. By the second disc I had gotten used to it, and just focused on the story, but I think it would be a better audio experience with a professional voice over.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
On April 29, 1986, there was a disastrous fire in the Los Angeles Public Library. The conflagration reached 2000°F and burned for more than seven hours. It was the single biggest library fire in U.S. history, consuming 400,000 books and damaging 700,000 more. This is the story of the fire, the investigation, and the building/rebuilding of the library, the fire, the scientists and the fire marshals, and family members of the primary suspect. The result is a comprehensive story, not just of the fire, but of libraries in general, and the LAPL in particular.

Kimiko
Spare Change by Robert B. Parker
Narrator Name: Kate Burton

Rating the Audio Performance
3
Not too bad, but she really emphasized "he said" or "she said" in a flat monotone that I found annoying. That is usually the part of the book that I ignore because generally we can tell "who" is speaking by the context. Also, to be grammatically correct, the author should have written "he asked" after a question instead of "he said".
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
Interesting concept of a serial murderer from twenty years ago who stopped then restarted again in this time frame with another set of murders wherein the victims had no rhyme nor reason with no discernible patterns.

Francisca
Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr
Narrator Name: Kimberly Farr

Rating the Audio Performance
5
Kimberly Farr does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. As an added bonus, those sections of the book where a conversation between Huguette and her cousin Paul occurred are actual tapes of the real conversations, so the listener hears Huguette’s own voice.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
4
Subtitle: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune. I remember the news coverage when Ms. Clark was “discovered” living in a hospital room while her several mansions stood empty. I found this book completely fascinating. And yet, this story made me so very sad for this woman who, for all her wealth, lived such a lonely and limited life.

Francisca
Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Narrator Name: Alison Larkin

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Alison Larkin does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She sets a nice pace, has clear diction, and enough skill as a voice artist to differentiate the many characters.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Book Two in the Little Beach Street Bakery series, this is an enjoyable chick-lit romance with food. There’s the usual drama one expects from new-adult relationships, life choices, career moves, etc. Wonderful cast of supporting characters. It’s a fun, fast, light read. Perfect for a vacation read, or anytime you want something entertaining.

Robin
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Narrator Name: Yareli Arizmendi

Rating the Audio Performance
5
I have tried to listen to books many, many times and never found it a pleasant experience. I never liked the pace or sound of the voice of the reader. With this narrator, Yareli Arizmendi, I had the total opposite experience. Her voice was lyrical and appropriately paced and emotional. I listened to it on a road trip and it made the time fly by.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
5
The storyline pulled me in. The characters were so beautifully revealed to you throughout the book. During this divisive time in America it is important to see many different ways people must journey in life. I disagree with negative reviews because that author wasn't Mexican or it wasn't authentic enough. It is a fictional book people! One that opens your heart, mind and shows you another culture; one that was well researched.

Tessa
The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Narrator Name: Peter Kenny

Rating the Audio Performance
4
Peter Kenny did a fine job of narrating the audiobook. He had many characters to deal with and managed to give them sufficiently unique voices to differentiate them. However, he chose to use British accents for everyone and that drove me nuts. The book is Spanish, the characters are Spanish, NONE of them should have a Cockney accent! Lost a star there.
Rating the Book's Content/Storyline
3
Book Three in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. Oh, I love Zafón’s writing! The book is very atmospheric; I can feel the chill of a wintery wind, smell the candle wax and dust, practically taste the delicacies offered at 7 Portes restaurant. There are twists and turns and changes in timeline that confuse, obfuscate, tease the reader and illuminate the plot.