K. Burch

Great Advice Wrapped in Tin Can Audio

Revisado: 08-09-15

What made the experience of listening to How to Not SUCK at Writing Your First Book the most enjoyable?

It's to the point. The author doesn't waste time with filler. After a reasonable introduction, they get right to the meat and potatoes of the book.

What other book might you compare How to Not SUCK at Writing Your First Book to and why?

The Scriptbully series.

What did you learn from How to Not SUCK at Writing Your First Book that you would use in your daily life?

Pretty much the whole system, hacked to my own personal needs and quirks of course.

Any additional comments?

This book offers great advice, but the audio quality jags on the ear. It sounds like they recorded it in a submarine at a low bit rate. I couldn't tolerate listing to it with my high quality noise-cancelling headphones, so I did it in my car during commutes to and from work. The less defined output of my car speakers (combined with road noise), made the listen a lot better. Worth the credit once I found a way I could tolerate the listen.

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Got Rid of All My Other Self-help Books

Revisado: 03-03-15

What did you like best about this story?

Everything I need is already within me, and it's so incredibly easy to access that it's mind-boggling how it could be there all these years and I was almost totally unaware of it.

What about Eckhart Tolle’s performance did you like?

His voice is soothing. I actually used the chapters as guided meditations, enhancing their intent. However, the production of the audiobook is a touch under par. Some of his syllables jag on the ear in certain places due to the recording process. Being present however allows me to simply go with those errors without getting hung up on them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Observe plants and animals. All living things except humans are living in the present moment, so when I find myself out of the present, the entire natural would shows me how to be present once more.

Any additional comments?

Glad I spent the credit. I started to roll my eyes at the new age hippy bull**** this book seemed to be peddling at first, but stuck with it and am glad I did. I rediscovered a truth that I had known as a child but lost as an adult, and as I begin the practice of returning to the moment I look forward to staying in it for longer periods of time. I have held on to the devastating pain of child abuse for thirty years, for no other reason than I used the past and future to protect myself from the present. No more.

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Great Radio Drama!

Revisado: 01-21-15

Would you listen to Star Wars (Dramatized) again? Why?

Yes. Well written, acted, and produced, I wish there were more radio dramas of this caliber at Audible.com. This one in particular expands upon the story a little, giving the listener some more background on characters like princess Leia, making it much more than a retelling of the film and well worth return visits.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Star Wars (Dramatized)?

Leia and her stepfather getting into political and legal trouble after murdering an important Imperial dignitary.

What about Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels ’s performance did you like?

The performances all had energy. It seemed like all the actors involved were enjoying their work without letting that enthusiasm spoil the mood and intent of their individual characters. I especially loved the guy who played Han Solo.

Any additional comments?

This and The Empire Strikes back are excellent. Return of the Jedi however felt like an exercise in tedium, like everyone involved just shrugged their shoulders and phoned the last one in.

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Not as Good as the First Two

Revisado: 01-03-15

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. It's a semi-weak follow-up to the previous two Star wars dramatizations. The production values are good for the most part, but the production itself (and the script) feels lazy compared to the first two outings.

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Intelligent and Enjoyable to Listen Too

Revisado: 11-14-14

What did you love best about Undeniable?

The presentation. Bill Nye has always been able to present the facts of our physical universe in a fun and easy to enjoy manner.

What other book might you compare Undeniable to and why?

Not sure. I don't tend to read the "science vs. ideology" genre much. Books of this ilk (on both sides) tend to preach to the choir so to speak, so no matter what side you fall on we all tend to read what we agree with. It's dumb that we do this, but that's human nature for you. If we didn't there would be no debate, because the curious human mind is unraveling this universe day by day, and unfortunately that scares some people.

What does Bill Nye bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Sometimes it's cool to hear the author present their own material, and I enjoyed Nye reading his own stuff.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really. The universe is what it is, and I don't need to be told what the facts about it are. It leaves all its own clues for us to find, and that's basically what Nye was getting at: Don't ignore the truth just because you want to disagree with it.

Any additional comments?

Worth the credit. I doubt it'll convert any of the already religiously indoctrinated (my christian family usually doesn't want to hear the truth from me), but hopefully it'll land in the hands of a few children who otherwise have been robbed of the opportunity to make a fully informed decision for themselves, rather than continue to be forced march in the footsteps of their frightened and ignorant parents.

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Not for Me

Revisado: 09-14-14

Any additional comments?

When the first quarter of the book was about a guy trying to beat a WAY-overcooked suicide evaluation, I started to wonder if there was actually going to be a plot. I never found out because due to the author dragging out what should have been a scene into an act, I decided this wasn't for me.

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The Audiobook is Best

Revisado: 09-06-14

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Sure. It's a fun read that tackles an interesting theme, and the language is a joy to listen to (although it gets a bit repetitive). I actually had an easier time listening to it than I did trying to read it several years ago.

Which character – as performed by Tom Hollander – was your favorite?

Alex. When a writer can get you to sympathize with a scumbag, you know you've just read something good.

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Get to the point, Martinez!

Revisado: 09-02-14

What would have made The Automatic Detective better?

This is my third attempt at an A. Lee Martinez book, and I can never get past the first third of them. I don't know if any of his books actually have a plot, because he founders so much in the beginning that I can't figure out what the point is, get bored, and stop reading/listening to them.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I'm on a noir/neo-noir kick right now, so I might go with the follow up novel to When Gravity Fails. That, or another Elmore Leonard novel that's narrated by Muller. Those are great!

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King Over-indulges...Yet Again

Revisado: 08-27-14

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Only if they were a die hard Stephen King fan. The writing is top notch, but King (as usual) spends WAY too much time developing the characters to no end. He loves to be in people's daily lives, yet he spends far too much time there. The man does not know how to kill his darlings.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Just like The Tommyknockers or Salem's Lot, King could have cut about a third of the novel out and still ended up with the same impact and meaning without losing any of the richness of character.

What about Craig Wasson’s performance did you like?

He's engaging, without overacting. I felt he was a touch out of place for the main character he was reading for, but he still pulled it off quite well.

Could you see 11-22-63 being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yeah, but King's longer works rarely make good films or mini-serise. It's his more modestly sized novels and short stories do that better (and they read better too!).

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Enjoyable Noir. Well Produced.

Revisado: 07-23-14

Where does Raymond Chandler: The Long Goodbye (Dramatised) rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the upper third. These dramatized Chandler tales aren't not long enough to spend a full credit on, but they are entertaining enough to pay the small price Audible asks for them.

What did you like best about this story?

The dramatization. These abridge shorts are very well made.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

I really like the background sounds (a clink of a glass, the click of a gun, etc.)

Any additional comments?

Bought this one and then started collecting some of the others. I'm up to three of these now, and can see myself buying a few more.

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