L. Marino
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- 26
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The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal
- De: Jodi Taylor
- Narrado por: Zara Ramm
- Duración: 12 h y 14 m
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Meet Lady Amelia Smallhope, for whom there is no problem that can't be solved by a drink and a think. And Pennyroyal, for whom there is no problem. Ever. Everyone's favourite bounty hunters. Sorry - recovery agents. No bad guy they can't handle. No expense account too flexible. No adventure too outrageous. Join them as they settle scores, break every rule in the book and take the world by storm.
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Her best in a good while.
- De James L. Leggett en 09-19-24
- The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal
- De: Jodi Taylor
- Narrado por: Zara Ramm
Cleverly ties together strands from the earlier books into an enjoyable tale
Revisado: 11-20-24
This book was just plain fun. It feels like somewhat of a reward for those who have read the earlier books and enjoyed these characters’ role in them, though I am sure it would be a pleasure even for a novice to this time traveling universe! With the emphasis here on these characters and their perception of events instead of those who were the protagonists of the earlier books, it was an interesting shift of perspective, before moving on to their own story. And while it strips some of the mystery from these characters, it adds considerably to their depth. As always, Jodi Taylor delivers a clever and enjoyable tale, and Zara Ramm performs it to perfection.
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Drunk on All Your Strange New Words
- De: Eddie Robson
- Narrado por: Amy Scanlon
- Duración: 9 h y 41 m
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Lydia works as translator for the Logi cultural attaché to Earth. They work well together, even if the act of translating his thoughts into English makes her somewhat wobbly on her feet. She’s not the agency’s best translator, but what else is she going to do? She has no qualifications and no discernible talent in any other field. So when tragedy strikes and Lydia finds herself at the center of an intergalactic incident, her future employment prospects look dire—that is, if she can keep herself out of jail!
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My run on good books continues
- De NMwritergal en 07-31-22
- Drunk on All Your Strange New Words
- De: Eddie Robson
- Narrado por: Amy Scanlon
Like nothing else
Revisado: 08-10-24
Extraterrestrial aliens are really no more unusual in this unique story than aliens from south of the border, and perhaps that’s a point to ponder, though I’m not so sure that’s what it’s about. A unique premise that the aliens communicate only telepathically and that only some earthlings can translate their communications blossoms into a mile a minute whodunnit. As far as I can tell you you can’t guess who done it but the answer is both believable and sadly satisfying, given the premise. It’s a great ripping yarn, though as with great science fiction I really think that’s a secondary benefit. This was a 16 hour book crammed into eight hours, in the best way possible and without feeling strained or contrived. Well worth the listen. The writing style is tight and pleasantly evocative, and the narrator is absolutely superb. She’s one of those I would listen to reading a dictionary.
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They Called Us River Rats
- The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans
- De: Macon Fry
- Narrado por: Adam Barr
- Duración: 7 h y 27 m
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They Called Us River Rats: The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans is the previously untold story of perhaps the oldest outsider settlement in America, an invisible community on the annually flooded shores of the Mississippi River. This community exists in the place between the normal high and low water line of the Mississippi River, a zone known in Louisiana as the batture. Until now, the stories of this way of life have existed only in the memories of those who have lived here.
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Passionate, engaging, and informative
- De L. Marino en 07-25-24
- They Called Us River Rats
- The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans
- De: Macon Fry
- Narrado por: Adam Barr
Passionate, engaging, and informative
Revisado: 07-25-24
Mr. Fry is a fascinating cat! This homage to batture life and history is truly engaging. Some of that history is sordid, though more (but not entirely) on the part of others than the batture-dwellers; some is heroic or just plain fun, in a Huck Finn kind of way; and generally it all rings true. Mr. Fry has glossed over some legitimate concerns of the levee districts and the Corps for protection of the levees, but I think out of passion rather than malice. This is a great book for anyone who lives in or knows or simply cares about New Orleans - and helpful to understanding why things are the way they are today in this unique city. Bissot’s successors are, as I write this, trying to create a development on Bissot-claimed property on the flood side of the levee - the irony of this is overwhelming, given what you will learn in this book. The narrator did a great job, and even pronounced almost everything correctly, which as any New Orleanian knows is no mean trick!
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With a Golden Sword
- DFZ Changeling, Book 2
- De: Rachel Aaron
- Narrado por: Naomi Rose-Mock
- Duración: 9 h y 15 m
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Three weeks ago, Lola put her soul on the line to save her sister and stop an abusive blood mage from making himself a god. But while she managed to derail the worst of Victor’s plans, the rest of the world still sees her old master as the hero. To make matters worse, the Nightmare King Alberich has entirely escaped his prison and is now leading the Wild Hunt on a rampage of fear and chaos across the skies of Europe.
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It was good not great
- De Idas1bp en 10-01-23
- With a Golden Sword
- DFZ Changeling, Book 2
- De: Rachel Aaron
- Narrado por: Naomi Rose-Mock
A tale of 2016 and since
Revisado: 03-12-24
At first I dismissed as silly the idea of sheer changeable belief being all-powerful, and then I thought about social media and modern politics, and the idea was not only not far-fetched but a truism. As obviously it should’ve been. Not really sure what to do with that realization, anymore than the realization that Billy Budd was an allegory for Jesus as we learned in high school, but it was a strong snap-to for me.
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Girlfriend on Mars
- A Novel
- De: Deborah Willis
- Narrado por: Landon Doak, Vanessa Matsui
- Duración: 11 h y 3 m
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Amber Kivinen is moving to Mars. Or at least, she will be if she wins a chance to join MarsNow. She and 23 reality TV contestants from around the world—including attractive Israeli soldier Adam, endearing fellow Canadian Pichu, and an assortment of science nerds and wannabe influencers—are competing for two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars, sponsored by billionaire Geoff Task. Meanwhile Kevin, Amber’s boyfriend of 14 years, was content going nowhere until Amber left him—and their hydroponic weed business—behind.
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Good but bleak
- De Moth77 en 09-03-23
- Girlfriend on Mars
- A Novel
- De: Deborah Willis
- Narrado por: Landon Doak, Vanessa Matsui
Some people need to hear this; others will get it
Revisado: 11-04-23
The performances were great. The writing was well done. There was as some reviewers note, a lot of whining. The story line lent itself to an extroverted action-based tale, and make no mistake, plenty happens and fast enough. The thing is, the self-recrimination and self-doubt and self-loathing and self-sufficiency (you may see where I’m going from that) kept going past where I wanted them to stop. They didn’t because the point was to show people who don’t do the heroic or the romantic or the expected thing, and you want them to. The writer stuck to her guns. And I really do like a satisfying and happy ending but that isn’t the way it necessarily or usually goes.
Mild spoilers.
Or maybe you redefine happy based on who you are and where/when you are. And this story rockets you to one of those endings that (a) makes you really, really want to make sure you’re getting on with things and (b) when you look at it right, or at least the way I did, satisfies the itch for at least good enough in the circumstances and really, a kick in the slats to do better. It’s no Animal Farm or Arlington Road, my benchmarks for depression. It’s motivational. Well worth the time spent.
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Starter Villain
- De: John Scalzi
- Narrado por: Wil Wheaton
- Duración: 8 h y 5 m
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Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits.
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Volcanic Lairs, Death Rays & Cats… Oh My! 😼
- De C. White en 09-19-23
- Starter Villain
- De: John Scalzi
- Narrado por: Wil Wheaton
A good story as always
Revisado: 10-13-23
John Scalzi never disappoints, and this latest fun romp is no exception. To be honest I have never physically read any of John’s works, only listened to them as narrated by Will Wheaton, though I have listened to every single thing John has ever written that is available through Audible. John and Will are therefore inseparable in my mind, but I’ve got to tell you, they are a supremely dynamic duo. There is long lead-up humor that is not laugh-out-oud, but supremely satisfying precisely because of the long lead up. There is a large amount of snark, but to my mind appropriately employed, and again, satisfying. This os not as mine-expanding as some of John’s works, and I am really unclear on where he stands on unions given his good points but contrary illustrations, but that is far from the main point. I eagerly await everything John does, and I am glad that he has been able to push through the fog from early Covid, and cannot wait until he is ready to produce more. This story has infinite possibilities for sequels, despite wrapping it up nicely as to the current state of affairs. More would be good though I am hard-pressed to prioritize this one versus his prior endeavors, every single one of which could benefit all of us with further exploration!
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Keeper of Enchanted Rooms
- Whimbrel House, Book 1
- De: Charlie N. Holmberg
- Narrado por: Amanda Leigh Cobb, Graham Halstead, Nicholas Boulton
- Duración: 10 h y 35 m
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Rhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home—until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever.
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I don't know how to fairly review a book like this
- De Katelyn Standiford en 12-06-22
- Keeper of Enchanted Rooms
- Whimbrel House, Book 1
- De: Charlie N. Holmberg
- Narrado por: Amanda Leigh Cobb, Graham Halstead, Nicholas Boulton
Nicely done
Revisado: 05-25-23
I do hate magic, but still am drawn to Ms Holmberg’s writing, which whips along at a pleasant clip, fully imagines a Victorian world with magic as a fact, and walks a reasonable balance between modern sensibilities and the actual ones of the age. I rather like her world more than the historical one, truth to tell. This is only my second of her books, but in a different series, and they are distinctly different in how things operate, even though both featuring magic, which seems to me a testament to her ability. A little swoony in the romance angle, but it was uplifting and frankly probably more on the true-to-the-time side. I feel better for having listened to it, so I think it was well worth the credit. The narrators were great, and all well suited to the material.
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Hive Minds Give Good Hugs
- De: Natalie "Thundamoo" Maher
- Narrado por: Jessica Almasy
- Duración: 18 h y 15 m
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Dorky, socially awkward entomology student Evelyn wakes up one morning to find herself as some sort of alien-human hybrid trapped on an unknown planet. Once the initial panic winds down, she quickly learns she's capable of producing more of herself: additional bodies all sharing one mind. Being well-versed in sci-fi tropes, she quickly resolves to not devour the planet and turn into an unflinching biological armada, and instead uses her new powers to try and help as many people as possible. Unfortunately, it turns out that helping people is often very, very difficult.
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Too much angst
- De Guy en 12-16-22
- Hive Minds Give Good Hugs
- De: Natalie "Thundamoo" Maher
- Narrado por: Jessica Almasy
Well done, entertaining, and thought-provoking
Revisado: 04-02-23
I picked this up on a whim, and was well rewarded for it. The book does exactly what science-fiction does best: present and explore new ideas and new takes on old ones. The premise of a hive mind was new to me, at least other than as a bad guy, and certainly from the point of view of the hive mind itself. Part of the fun was thinking what a hive mind could or would do in a certain circumstance, only for the MC to remark on exactly that, and then proceed to do what I was thinking – there is none of the all-too-common, that was stupid given X, or if I were a hive mind I would do Y, kind of thing that crops up all too often in all fiction. And then the story moves on to consider what really makes entire societies click and conflict, in a thought-provoking if not exhaustive way, since it’s part of the payoff and not the main thrust (I think). There is, of course, massive simplification of how things would really go, but like a Broadway play, you’re not looking for minute detail in every story. There is as much detail as needed to tell this story, and really, remarkable nuance given the brevity.
The voice acting was one of the best performances I’ve ever heard in an audiobook, and I’ve heard quite a number of them. Of course, it’s hard to separate the writing from the reading - we probably have both to thank, and in any event the combination was thoroughly enjoyable and communicative. Well worth the credit and your time - you will have a good time listening to this.
I am dying, however, to know why the author’s nickname is Thundamoo! The Internet, at least to my search capabilities, was unhelpful on this point!
Mild spoilers (nothing specific):
First, for the first 2/3 of the book, I kept thinking that the MC wore a hair shirt too often and tried too hard to turn the other cheek. But in the end, that become a central part of the story. So props all around on that score.
Second, I couldn’t help but think of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court through much of the story. Mercifully, it did not ride that rail to the disappointing ending of the original. Maybe that makes it less realistic in some sense, but I really did appreciate the ending as it was done here. I feel a mind expanded without the depression that can accompany heavy scifi.
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Oddjobs
- De: Heide Goody, Iain Grant
- Narrado por: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Duración: 9 h y 38 m
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Morag Murray works for the secret government organization responsible for making sure the apocalypse goes as smoothly and as quietly as possible. In her first week on the job, Morag has to hunt down a man-eating starfish, solve a supernatural murder, and, if she's got time, prevent her own inevitable death.
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The end is nigh! Ish.
- De Georgy en 03-10-19
- Oddjobs
- De: Heide Goody, Iain Grant
- Narrado por: Matthew Lloyd Davies
Massively creative, and just plain fun
Revisado: 02-28-23
This may be the most creative premise I can recall. Sort of a Men in Black situation but with the bad guys at the end of the tunnel. There is essentially a prophecy or perhaps reality is the better word (used loosely; you’ll understand) that is awful, but one that the reader hopes will somehow be overcome, while the protagonists seek to delay it but accept its inevitability (except, I think, for Morag, our dear heroine). Not laugh out loud funny, but delightful in the purest sense. The reader is pitch perfect, and fully committed (again, you’ll understand), at least to these American ears. I am as we speak planning a return to Scotland. Literally. Sit back and enjoy the ride!
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Travel by Bullet
- The Dispatcher, Book 3
- De: John Scalzi
- Narrado por: Zachary Quinto
- Duración: 3 h y 43 m
- Grabación Original
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The world has changed. Now, when someone is murdered, they almost always come back to life—and there are professionals, called “dispatchers”, who kill in order to save lives, to give those near the end a second chance. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher, and he has never been busier. But for as much as the world has changed, some things have stayed the same. Greed, corruption, and avarice are still in full swing.
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The best Dispatcher story yet ....
- De Sharon en 09-02-22
- Travel by Bullet
- The Dispatcher, Book 3
- De: John Scalzi
- Narrado por: Zachary Quinto
Water to a parched throat
Revisado: 11-15-22
In a way, it just doesn’t matter what John Scalzi writes about. Whatever it is, it’s going to be something new, or a quirky take on something old, and just plain smart. Early in my Audible career, I ran through everything he did (Red Shirts is really tough to beat), so like (or “as”) a 54-year-old fanboy I am left waiting for him to finish more. He doesn’t ride anything into the ground, he moves on to the next conceit long before any sharks are jumped, and this one is no different. Just plain fun, and Zachary Quinto does a fantastic job not just acting the part but becoming it and really bringing it to life in all its glory. My only regret is that it will be so long before the next adventure.
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