Chelsea

MurderBot!

Revisado: 07-10-18

I really enjoyed this story. At first you can tell that the narrator isn't experienced reading aloud, but he gets into his character and groove and then things start shaking up in the story. Between these two converging coincidences emerges a gripping story! I really enjoyed the main character's monologues and I felt that the tale was easy to slip into and suspend my disbelief. I can't believe it was free! I would have paid to listen to this story. It was well written, and the ending was not what I expected. I love surprises like that!

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The Things We Need To Know!

Revisado: 07-10-18

While I consider myself a fairly aware person, I acknowledge that so much happens in the world of which I am unaware. Many of the things that I am unaware of are due to the color of my skin. I am a white, middle aged, middle class, female. So much of Mr. Stevenson's book has absolutely nothing to do with me in the sense that these types of events have never touched my life on a personal level. However, I need to recognize how very much this book has to do with me. This book discusses the shape of our criminal justice machine. And that shape is so disfigured and ugly. Thank you Bryan Stevenson for putting such important descriptions to define this shape for those of us fortunate enough not to have suffered at the hands of such a warped and twisted thing. The justice system of America is far from just. This quote encapsulated the confusion that I have over race and helped me to have words to explain what I have not experienced, "The accumulated insults caused by racial presumptions are destructive in ways that are hard to measure. Constantly being suspected, accused, watched, doubted, distrusted, presumed guilty, and even feared is a burden born by people of color that can't be understood or confronted without a deeper conversation about our history of racial injustice." Bryan Stevenson said this in his novel, and reveals a sliver of this injustice in his stories of his experiences as a criminal lawyer. Thank you Bryan for everything you have done and everything you continue to do for America. We don't deserve you.

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The Children Are Our Future

Revisado: 05-01-18

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

YES! It is a gripping story with surprise twists in the plot.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ender is a wonderful character because he is thoughtful. He reflects on his own faults and skills and is aware of those around him as well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES! It was the only book that I've tried to sneak listenings in during the day!

Any additional comments?

I love the development of the characters in this book. Most of the bad guys are truly, truly bad and you want to hate them. The good guys are good and at the same time mysterious. The idea that children would be trained to save the world is empowering to youth and thought provoking to adults.

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Looking for a Self Help Laugh?

Revisado: 05-01-18

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed his accent, and he had many funny quips about self help that were funny because they were so true.

If you’ve listened to books by Gary John Bishop before, how does this one compare?

Haven't read/listened to him before.

Have you listened to any of Gary John Bishop’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

For the love of all things good! I just said I hadn't read/listened to him before!

Do you think Unfu*k Yourself needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No - It's sufficient.

Any additional comments?

His message to remind people that negative self talk has got to go, and that even the words inside our heads matter, is a good one. I enjoyed listening to it, but it wasn't the kind of self help book where I wanted to jump off the couch at the end and do something.

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Sci Fi at its finest!

Revisado: 04-12-18

Where does Rip Tide rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of my favorite brain candy books so far! I was so excited to find out that the first book had a sequel that I got it right away! I enjoyed the surprising twists in the storyline and was excited to see what the author had in store for these characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Rip Tide?

I loved how the tables turned for one of the main character's and her brother!

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed watching Jemma return to the ocean unafraid. The fact that she develops senses is exciting to watch.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I really liked it. I couldn't stop listening.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this series. It's a fast and fun read! If you like sci-fi, you will love it!

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You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Revisado: 04-12-18

Where does Devil in the Grove rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Most of the books that I've listened to so far have been fictional. It's difficult to compare such a stark reality to anything fictional. It ranks very highly in my estimation because of the incredible work that was done by Thurgood Marshall and the incredible struggle and suffering that people have endured.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Devil in the Grove?

I was struck by the amount of events that weren't even prosecuted. Although the prosecuted events were full of such terrible deeds, at least there was hope on the part of those wrongfully persecuted that someone was paying attention to the injustice. For those cases which weren't even addressed - It was just shocking to me. I was most troubled by the violence toward people and the lack of humanity exhibited by so many as though this was acceptable and as though it should be common.

What does Peter Francis James bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I actually wasn't taken with his reading style. I felt like the tone of his voice was droning at times. If the content weren't so riveting I might not have paid as close of attention.

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

I was incredibly frustrated by long standing stints of sherifs and police officers who abused their power. I was frustrated by bigoted politicians, judges and juries. I was furious with the FBI for allowing people to die or suffer in custody when they had exonerating evidence. I was proud of the few who were able to change their position.

Any additional comments?

This is a must read and an eye opener for even the most liberal person. It provides an important accounting of how we have come to terms such as "police brutality" and "racial profiling". These phrases are not "reverse racism". These phrases were born on the wings a history of cruelty and bigotry that cannot and should not be ignored or denied.

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Great story - but what's with the background noise

Revisado: 03-27-18

What did you like best about The Girl with All the Gifts? What did you like least?

The storyline was surprising and things transpired in unexpected ways. I like stories that are difficult for me to predict. I absolutely hated the background noise and music. It was distracting to the story.

What other book might you compare The Girl with All the Gifts to and why?

I really haven't read anything like it! The point of view is unique in terms of the content.

What three words best describe Finty Williams’s voice?

British, great inflection, good emotional interpretation

Do you think The Girl with All the Gifts needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I'm a fan of sequels, so I'm always game.

Any additional comments?

I really, really, really hated the background noise and music. At times it rivaled the volume of the reader, and it was distracting when listening.

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Don't be fooled by his mild mannered tone!

Revisado: 03-20-18

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

Yes! Real life stories are so interesting, and knowing that all of these events happened to Jack makes them that much more curious. It takes us back to a time before truancy boards, and before we really looked out for teenagers as a nation. And it's interesting to see what a kid can get into if unattended ...

What other book might you compare Hole in My Life to and why?

I have never read anything like it, so it's difficult to make a comparison. It reminds me of crime tv but as if the criminals had the camera and wrote the script.

Which character – as performed by Jack Gantos – was your favorite?

Jack was an interesting character, but I also liked the apartment manager Davey. She had spunk!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I certainly felt angry on behalf of Jack. I was frustrated by the judicial system, and concerned at how easy it was for criminals to implicate other criminals without further investigation or scrutiny as to the authenticity of the information that they were giving.

Any additional comments?

This was an interesting read partly because many procedures that happened (or didn't happen) in the 70's really surprised me. How lax we were with student attendance versus how severe we were with essentially child criminals was the most surprising. I'm glad he made it through the whole ordeal.

While his tone is very casual, his story is actually quite serious. It's interesting to listen to it read by the man who lived it, and I guess I expected more animation at certain moments. But he's just not that sort of guy!

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You'll hate it ... then you'll LOVE it.

Revisado: 03-08-18

If you could sum up Go Set a Watchman in three words, what would they be?

A college girl returns to her home town in the south to see her idols with the fresh eyes of an adult, and to revisit past truths in a new light.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Scout, is hands down my favorite character because she is so precocious!

Which character – as performed by Reese Witherspoon – was your favorite?

I appreciated her interpretation of Scout.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, there were times when I listened well into the night.

Any additional comments?

At first, because I have read To Kill a Mockingbird (pretend this is italicized) so many times (17?), I was very attached to the way "things were". And as a result I was angry that characters were not the same. But upon reflection, I realized that the way we view our idols, the people we look up to, at age nine, is not the same as the way we see them as adults. And the unveiling of our role model's faults can be painful and difficult, but they are only human too. I cried a lot when I listened to this book. I cried for the loss of Scout's childhood connection to Cal, and for her idolization of her father and uncle. Although she experiences losses in this novel, these are the types of experiences that grow people up. They are necessary evils if you are human and connect with other humans. It is a part of life.

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