Shawn Inmon

Knocks it out of the park!

Revisado: 05-25-20

Spoiler: I love all of Terry's books. Having said that, I want to say that Ascension is my favorite of them all.

I read this book some time ago, but had to snap it up as soon as I found it was available on audio.

Leo, our hero, is a great character. He's always two steps ahead of everyone, including me as the reader.

No spoilers from me, except to say, I loved it.

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Like talking about movies with a friend

Revisado: 05-30-19

Was 1999 the best movie year ever? Who cares! The title is just a springboard to talk in-depth about a great year in American cinema.

I went through a divorce in 1999, and consoled myself by going to whatever the new movie was each Friday. Maybe that's why this story resonated for me so much.

But, if you're just a movie fan, this book will still be a great listen.

George Newbern is one of my favorite narrators, and he does a great job in bringing the listener into the book.

Wish I could find more books like this to read.

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Well researched, but parts were a little drawn out

Revisado: 06-07-18

Jack Olsen did a great job of setting the scene and sharing his research into these horrific crimes. I'll admit, there were times I felt like I was there.

The pros for me were a great narrative style and the ring of truth.

The cons were that I didn't need to know quite so much about Houston in that era, and (something the author couldn't help) the fact that the climax of the book, in many ways, came about three-quarters through. The rest was just housekeeping, really.

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More research than story

Revisado: 05-10-18

I knew this would be a quick listen when I picked it up. I didn't know that the vast majority of the book would be retelling what many other books had to say on the subject, and then debunking those claims.

At first, I thought, "Well, this guy has done his research." Then I thought, "Okay, that's enough about what other people wrote about these events - what do you have to say?"

In the end, I came away not knowing much more about this ostensible beginning of organized crime than I had known at the beginning.

The narrator did a great job. That kept me listening.

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In my Top Three SK books of all time

Revisado: 05-01-18

Any additional comments?

This is my favorite SK audiobook, barely edging out "Finders Keepers," which I also think is brilliant. This is a long book, so it's perfect for a road trip, or to kill several weeks of commuting or treadmill time.

I believe this is King at the top of his game. Sadie is my favorite King character of all, and that's saying something, since the reason I love King so much is his characters.

He does an immaculate job of recreating the late fifties. As I listened to our protagonist's arrival in that era, I felt myself transported to the time, and isn't that why we read? To visit another place.

Impeccably researched, but with subplots that really make me care, this is a masterpiece.

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Like being in the shoes of the investigators.

Revisado: 05-01-18

Would you consider the audio edition of "Please...Don't Kill Me" to be better than the print version?

Can't comment, since I haven't read the print version. I very much enjoyed this audio version, though, and the narrator did an excellent job of bringing it to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The outside investigator brought in to assist the police was almost like a fictional character - headstrong, passionate, dogged, and really pretty brilliant.

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

No, but I don't think that was the intent. This book is a breakdown of an investigation into a difficult to solve crime.

Any additional comments?

I think this book may have taken the reader "inside the investigation" more than just about any other true crime book I've ever read. It was enjoyable to see how the case was worked, from the very start, through the frustrating middle, to the satisfying end.

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Bite-sized history

Revisado: 05-01-18

Would you listen to The Battle of Thermopylae again? Why?

Possibly. There was a lot of good information, and it's possible I'll refer back to it again.

What other book might you compare The Battle of Thermopylae to and why?

The obvious comparison is Frank Miller's "300," but this was more like "300 for Dummies." I don't mean that in a disparaging way, it's just that there was a lot of historical ground to cover and it was done very quickly, which is kind of the point of this series.

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

I did. I liked the idea of having all the information so compactly presented. I know this material could have been stretched out into a twenty hour book, but that wasn't what I was looking for at this time.

Any additional comments?

This provided a good overview, with a bit of history both before and after the Battle of Thermopylae.

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The best (and funniest) memoir I've ever read

Revisado: 04-24-18

What did you love best about All Creatures Great and Small?

The sweetness of the whole affair - the innocence and caring of Mr. Herriott. And of course, the characters, which are unforgettable.

What did you like best about this story?

This is one of only three books I've ever read that time and again, made me put the book down because I was laughing so hard. Herriott never works too hard to be precious or twee, the humor arises perfectly out of the situation.

Have you listened to any of Christopher Timothy’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the only one I've listened to, but he handled the many accents with aplomb.

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

I only turned it off when I had to.

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One of the greatest time travel books ever written

Revisado: 04-24-18

If you could sum up Replay in three words, what would they be?

Do it again.

What other book might you compare Replay to and why?

There are some newer books that use this same conceit--notably The Unusual Second Life of Thomas Weaver--but this one got there first, and it lingers in the memory.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the ending. It was a long journey to get there, but the payoff--both emotionally and to the story--was huge.

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

Each time the protagonist had an epiphany, it felt like I did too. To me, that's good writing.

Any additional comments?

Any one who enjoys time travel, do-overs, and second chances will enjoy this book. The only downside to the entire book was that the narrator occasionally mispronounced something - a professional baseball player's name, a city - and that took me out of the book.

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Grabs you and doesn't let go

Revisado: 04-24-18

What made the experience of listening to The Dispatcher the most enjoyable?

Zachary Quinto's narration--thoughtful, measured--is a great reason to listen, but the opening scene was so cleverly written that I knew I had found a winner in the first five minutes.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

In the future, it's hard to commit murder - but not impossible.

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