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Title: The Somnambulist

Author: Jonathan Barnes

Narrator: John Curless

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 72 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Once the toast of good society in Victoria's England, the extraordinary conjurer Edward Moon no longer commands the respect that he did in earlier times. Still, each night he returns to the stage of his theater to amaze his devoted, albeit dwindling, audience, aided by his partner, the Somnambulist - a silent, hairless, hulking giant who, when stabbed, does not bleed. But these are strange, strange times in England, with the oddest of sorts prowling London's dank underbelly. And the very bizarre death of a disreputable actor has compelled a baffled police constabulary to turn once again to Edward Moon for help - inevitably setting in motion events that will shatter his increasingly tenuous grasp on reality.

©2007 Jonathan Barnes (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"[A] cheeky tale ... salvaged from the sensationalist novels of the past three centuries." (

New York Times)"This superb debut from British author Barnes raises the bar for historical thrillers." (

Publishers Weekly)"[B]rilliant...Barnes crafts one of the finest first novels of the young century...Truly surprising plot twists and red herrings abound." (

Austin Chronicle)

Members Reviews:

Disturbing ending

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book with the exception of last two chapters. Excellent writing. Excellent narration. Intriguing story. Disappointing ending. Egregious violence that completely did not fit with the rest of the book.

Fun Writing - Story only Okay

Stylistically speaking, this was fantastic. The story was just kinda slow and random. I didn't feel like the protagonist was clear and I felt like the title character was an unexplained extra.

Too Contrived and Too Quirky

The author seemed to place quirkiness above all else in writing this book. Many characters (including the titular Somnabulist) seemed to be in the book for no reason other than to add eccentricity. That can be OK, but it was entirely overplayed in this book - it was a kitchen sink approach to quirkiness.

On top of that. characters seemed to do things and events happened for no reason other than to further the plot (well, what plat there was).

All in all, I thought it was a pretty bad book. If I'd been reading it, I never would have come close to finishing it - I would have thrown it away in exasperation. I think the only reason I actually finished it was because the narrator was enjoyable.

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Title: The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet

Author: Colleen McCullough

Narrator: Jen Taylor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-13-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 87 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Readers of Pride and Prejudice will remember that there were five Bennet sisters. Now, 20 years on, Jane has a happy marriage and large family; Lizzy and Mr. Darcy now have a formidable social reputation; Lydia has a reputation of quite another kind; Kitty is much in demand in London's parlors and ballrooms; but what of Mary?

Mary is quietly celebrating her independence, having nursed her ailing mother for many years. She decides to write a book to bring the plight of the poor to everyone's attention. But with more resolve than experience, as she sets out to travel around the country, it's not only her family who are concerned about her....

Members Reviews:

It was a disappointment

This is just a silly book. I though perhaps it would be a tale of a woman finding independence in early 1800s England. But no, there was a demented monk with child slaves, hidden gold, secret half brothers, it was just a silly book that got sillier as the reading went on. Save your money.

A fun frolic, but not literature

An interesting exploration of life after "Happily Ever After" for the beloved Bennet sisters. However, prepare yourselves for a Mr. Darcy who practically twirls his mustache with schemes and maliciousness in the first half of the story. The plot has many odd twists and turns more consistent with Harlequin romantic fantasy than Austen's world of social realism. The characterization of Mary Bennet as keener and more sensible than her sisters is difficult to reconcile with the ridiculous predicaments she gets herself into. It can be summed up as an interesting, even satisfying, story that happens to have some familiar names.

Entertaining

I liked the storyline overall. Could have done without some of the bad things and the last couple could have waited, but good overall!

Far From the Shades of Pemberley

Mark Twain said in effect, a library without a single Austen volume was well on its way to greatness. So what do we do? We invent even more Austen books such as this one. I am of two minds about Austen completions and Austen knock-offs. As a sucker for anything Austen, I have read Sanditon, Charlotte, and The Watsons and Emma Watson as well as a number of books which carry Austen's stories into the future such as this one. At times, it appears that some of these authors are arrogant and have a disdainful superiority to Miss Austen. After wavering back and forth, I finally concluded that even these authors are in a way, paying their respects.

Separately from the Jane Austen characters, this is an interesting book. I was a bit put off by changes in Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy's relationship as well as the use in places, of coarseness in language, thought and deed which would not have been alluded to by Austen. I certainly don't like the way Mr. Darcy's father was thrown under the bus. In addition, there is the Feminazi attitude toward men which is unattractive. Other than that, this book fairly gallops full out from start to finish and is full of plot twists and surprises. The young Mary Bennet was an awful bore always quoting some threadbare wisdom at inappropriate moments. This older Mary Bennet has been knocked about a bit and spent the intervening years in self-denying care for her mother, extensive readings from a large library and in reflections. This Mary is much improved and admirable.

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Title: Fanon

Author: John Edgar Wideman

Narrator: Dion Graham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-27-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In this fictionalized view of the revolutionary's life, an African-American writer travels the world to do research for a biography of Fanon. In a tale that is part love story, mystery, and biography, Fanon examines how a political radical's views apply in a post-9/11 world.

Critic Reviews:

"Beautifully written ..." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Feeding your head.

This is not a novel to read on the beech; however, if you like to be tickled on your intellectual funny bone then this is just for you. Wideman is ironically self-conscious without taking himself too seriously, as he explores issues of writing, political engagement, racism and other inequalities. In many ways the novel is a rabbit hole in wonderland and Wideman takes us on a truly illuminating journey.

Why Not Fanon?

At one point in this rambling, experimantal, or postmodern novel, the actual author's brother asks why write about Fanon. In fact, the question is a theme running throughout the work, and the answer is this: given Wideman's background and concerns, why not write about Fanon. The problem is that although Wideman writes beautifully at times, he is not a storyteller, and so Fanon seems like a device to hang words on.

This author does a lot of dithering about writing, about why write, about just who is writing about Fanon, about words, and about the impossibility of writing. The author starts out in first person, but immediately invents Thomas, a fiction, to write what we are reading for which Wideman is responsible. Does this give a taste of the style? Thomas slips in and out of the text along with Fanon, a severed head, Wideman's family, and Jean Luc Godard. It is hard to believe that Wideman actually thinks that he owes his readers, fellow travelers, much of anything even though he says he owes us an explanation and admits that we want to know what happens at the end, but when there is no story, how can there be an end.

Even if you stick with this book to the bitter end, you do not come away with much. The part where Wideman as Wideman visits his brother in prison almost seems inserted and could, however, make a good short story.

Tedious book about not writing a novel about Franz Fanon

I was startled that this book about a writer like John Edgar Wideman with a brother serving a lifelong prison sentence making a few stabs at imagining the life of Franz Fanon (1925-1961), the psychiatric theorist about the scars of colonialism on colonized and colonizer, made the New York Times list of 100 best books of 2008. I have to consider this an affirmative action pic, having epined that the book should not have been published in its turgid, massively self-indulgent and narcissistic form. (Established authors, not just black ones, publish books badly in need of firm editing, so I would not say that the publication is an instance of affirmative action.)

Wideman works in a severed head and fantasies that Jean-Luc Godard wants the narrator to write a screenplay for a Fanon biopic (as if Godard cared about screenplays... or Wideman! and Godard's "Le petit soldat" was made long, long ago).

Fanon did not live to see what the decolonized Algeria he strove for became.

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Title: One Room and a Path

Subtitle: The Early Days of World War II

Author: Virginia H Maas

Narrator: Rebecca Rogers

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-08

Publisher: Books in Motion

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

But Maudie, often to her husband's chagrin, becomes more than a mere landlady to the succession of renters that make their way up the path that leads to her door. Her adventures are at times sad and frightening, but more often lighthearted and funny.

Members Reviews:

Sentimental Claptrap!

If you are thinking that this might be an interesting story providing an insight into the home front during World War II, think again!

At best - this is a romance novel. At worst, it is a very badly executed adolescent work that appears to have been written by an adolescent. And whatever redemption the novel might have had through it's noble purpose is destroyed by the very amateurish reading of M. J. Wilde. Someone should have been managing her performance and instructed her to slow down. The speed of her delivery leads one to believe that she's attempting to get it all in before the tape runs out.

And finally - Maude E. (call me Maudy) is hardly the image of Rosie the Riveter. Her characterization as a WWII wife and heroine lacks - well - everything. Did the author never read Louise May Alcott?

Disappointment!

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Title: Canaan

Author: Donald McCaig

Narrator: Donald McCaig

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-24-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

This sequel to Donald McCaig's award-winning Civil War novel Jacob's Ladder delivers a gripping saga of Reconstruction America from Lee's 1865 surrender at Appomattox to Custer's 1876 massacre at Little Big Horn. McCaig follows the changing fortunes of a diverse ensemble of characters, including Edward, a wartime top sergeant for the 38th Regiment, US Colored Troops. Travelling west as a scout, trail cook, cattle driver, and sharpshooter, he marries a Santee Indian.

Members Reviews:

Evocative, provocative, elegiac, elegant, a marvelous historical novel--

Magnificiently written panoramic exploration of the first decade after the Civil War ended. Mr. McCaig skillfully blends characters historical and fictional, documents and letters likewise, and creates innumerable memorable moments, places and people. One glimpses the hopes and failures of Reconstruction, the beginning of the continuing suppression of black Americans following emancipation, the start of the Gilded Age, and the tragedy of our Native Americans. The story of the Little Bighorn has been often told, but never more nuanced nor better than this; a Pyrrhic victory for the allied Plains Tribes given what ensued, but that might have been inevitable given the voraciousness and overwhelming numbers of white Americans. It may be that at least they got in one mighty blow at the white psyche with the massacre of the arrogant Custer and, sadly, any number of hapless troopers, including a number of immigrants, there because they could find no other work. A novel but also a series of lessons, which those who should learn them in our country today will not, ever.

Thought provoking and timely.

The histories of three cultures just after the Civil War. Honestly told and evoking the true characters of the men and women in this turbulent time. Each person is alive and vivid in his characterization. The motives of all three factions are understandable and sadly, inevitably destructive. The attitudes born from this time permeate society today and reverberate in our social conflict.

Really excellent, I think it was a partial mistake when ...

I've probably read 30 - 40 books on my Kindle since I got it, this is the first time I took the trouble to write a review. Really excellent, I think it was a partial mistake when I bought it, I think I thought it was history, not a historical novel, somewhat near the periphery of my usual tastes, but really first class, one of those books that you stay up till 3:00 am reading, even though you know you have to get up in the morning.

Excellent post-Civil War novel

Although difficult to keep the many characters straight, the stories combine into an effective narrative of struggles of the late nineteenth century ordinary Americans.

I enjoyed it. Learned a lot about the Lakota and ...

I enjoyed it. Learned a lot about the Lakota and understand Little Big Horn much better.

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Title: Julia's Last Hope

Author: Janette Oke

Narrator: John Randolph Jones

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-23-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The only thing she has left is her faith in God. . . . Is it enough? With the closing of the Calder Springs' timber mill, most of the town's residents are left unemployed. Several families, realizing the lack of a future in the small mountain town, soon decide to relocate. But not the Harrigan family. Although John has lost his job at the mill, he and his wife, Julia, make the decision to stay in their beautiful home with their twin daughters. Eastern-educated Julia searches for a way to bring business and people back to Calder Springs - a task she feels God leading her to accomplish. Will her faith and determination carry her through the challenges and setbacks she'll face?

©2006 Janette Oke; (P)1993 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

Good Story... poor sound quality

Would you listen to Julia's Last Hope again? Why?

No, the sound quality of the recording was bad.

What other book might you compare Julia's Last Hope to and why?

Any other Janette Oke book... the person encountered troubles, she learned a lesson and everything worked out in the end.

Would you listen to another book narrated by John Randolph Jones?

Yes, the performance was fine. The issue was with the background noise on the recording.

Good story!

This is a good story, but it moves slower than her other books. I don't think Janette Oke could write a bad book, but this isn't one of her best.

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Title: Heyday

Author: Kurt Andersen

Narrator: Charles Leggett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 26 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-22-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 46 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

As they set out on a wild, extraordinary transcontinental race west, lured by the prospect of easy wealth and new beginnings, they are unaware that a stranger bent on revenge shadows their every move.

Members Reviews:

Where's the buzz on this book?

I'm surprised we haven't heard more about this book. It's chock full of interesting characters doing interesting things at one of our country's most interesting time periods. It's really an epic novel and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Awesome

Great, detailed, well written historical fiction. Loved it.

Entertaining and informative

Kurt really hit the nail on the head with this story that routes you through the mid 1800s from Europe to New York through the Midwest on to Gold Rush California. In many scenes readers meet real people like Darwin and Walt Whitman. The story uses characters you will be able to recognize and who do amazing and ordinary things. I wish it wasn't over.

Ambitious but ultimately disappointing.

Yawn. Forgetable characters, predictable plot, I kept finding my mind wandering, and worse, it wasn't necessary to rewind, since much of what transpires has no real plot impact. Well researched, but the story just isn't interesting. AND the narrator is over the top, way too dramatic and his many accents are pretty awful.

Wow this was good!

I loved this book. It was a nice road trip across the America of the late eighteen forties,

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Title: Buy the Chief a Cadillac

Author: Rick Steber

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-11-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Winner of a Spur Award, Buy the Chief a Cadillac is a powerful story of American Indians confronting an uncertain future in the Pacific Northwest. In his praise of this dramatic novel, best-selling author Tony Hillerman says it "should be added to reading lists for students of American history".

Members Reviews:

Things You Should Know

The Klamath Indian Tribe, like many other tribes across the North American continent, were bamboozled out of their treaty-granted lands through cynical and twisted policies designed to prey upon the frailties of impoverished peoples. This novel, "Buy the Chief a Cadillac," retells the story of the Indian Termination Act through the eyes of a fictional and righteous character, Pokey Pitsua, a Klamath ("half-breed") whose virtues are vast.

The novel is both entertaining and tragic at the same time. You will be torn between your guilt at finding humor in human tragedy and discovering that every tragic character is a mirror to your own personal demons. Rick Steber writes about us...now, not about a tragic land grab and rip-off fifty years ago.

Read this book...it entertains, and enlightens.

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Title: The Learners

Author: Chip Kidd

Narrator: Bronson Pinchot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-27-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 93 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Written in sharp, witty prose and peppered with absorbing ruminations on graphic design, this stand-alone sequel to Chip Kidd's previous novel, The Cheese Monkeys, again shows that Kidd's writing is every bit as original, stunning, and memorable as his celebrated book jackets.

Critic Reviews:

"[A] beautifully composed paean to pre-computer graphic design...Kidd's ebullience and generosity in unpacking the art and practice of graphic design carry the novel." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Not Really a Comic Novel

I truly loved The Learners for the first third or so. It was charming, witty, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Bronson Pinchot is a fantastic narrator, performing every voice so that I felt like I knew those people. His reading is certainly a 5-star performance, even though his material fell short.

The problem I had with this book was its inconsistency of tone. About a third of the way through to book, it abruptly turns from a light-hearted read (with a few weightier moments) into a maudlin presentation of a series of depressing events. I didn't expect the book to be "happy" all the time, but such a disparity was startling. The product description told us that the main character would face something devastating, but the change in tone just took it too far.

I certainly am not advocating staying away from this book. I am still glad I got it--if for nothing more than Pinchot's narration. But you should know what you're getting. If you like the sample, the narration is that fanststic consistently. If you're looking for the book to maintain that tone-- it won't.

Not much to like

The author is clearly in love with graphic design, advertising, and how it was practiced in the pre-digital age. That passion does bring a nice level of detail to the book, but that's about the only nice thing I can say. Well, I could also add that Pinchot does do a fine job with the reading.

The humor of the book falls flat as do the cardboard cut out wacky/tragic characters. The whole thing reads like a pale imitation of Cofederacy of Dunces. There is not much believable, charming, or funny about any of them or the situations they get into.

disappointing, jarring

Without revealing anything specific I can only say that this sequel was a jarring segue from The Cheese Monkeys, which I loved. It's less of a sequel and more of a macabre digression.

Performance makes this book

Bronson Pinchot brings this book to life! The story is interesting, but Pinchot lends an added 'umpf' to make this are really fun listen.

animated read

interesting departure from usual best seller reads, with super animated narration.

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Title: A Free Life

Author: Ha Jin

Narrator: Jason Ma

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-12-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 65 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

At first, their future seems well-assured. Nan's graduate work in political science at Brandeis University ensures him a teaching position. But after the fallout from Tiananmen, his disillusionment turns him toward his first love, poetry. Leaving his studies, he takes on a variety of menial jobs as Pingping works for a wealthy widow as a cook and housekeeper. As Nan struggles to adapt to a new language and culture, his love of poetry and literature sustains him through difficult, lean years. As Pingping and Taotao slowly adjust to American life, Nan still feels a strange attachment to his homeland, though he violently disagrees with Communist policy. But severing all ties, including his love for a woman who rejected him in his youth, proves to be more difficult than he could have ever imagined.

Critic Reviews:

"A poet as well as a fiction writer, Ha Jin writes of sacrifice, isolation, and valor with uncommon perception." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Did not enjoy it.

I did not enjoy this audiobook. Not sure if I would have liked it as a "regular" book, but I didn't like the reader. He tries to use a Chinese accent for some of the characters, but it comes off as mocking & inauthentic.

Better to read

I couldn't get past the first 7 hours. Accents were annoying and the repetition of names was boring. I'll get the book from the library and read it because I liked the original reviews...but I'm not going to finish listening to it.

A long story that leads to simplicity

This traces the heroes life from China to the American dream. He is married and has a child, buys a home, and even buys a Chinese restaurant. In China he was a teacher, but when he arrives in America he can only find work as a janitor. This gives him time to work on poetry, since he only has to clean up and check off his work hourly, but his ambitions grow and he discovers that the American dream he believed so strongly in wasn't his dream after all. This was a great way to see America from a recent immigrants eyes.

A Free Life

While I forced myself to listen to this story (and the story was interesting) I did not like the narrator's characterizations nor his inflections. I was also tired of the whining tone of the book and hearing "if only..."

Enjoyed the book!

The book seems a little slow in the beginning, but it's a good one in essence!