Discover Best Sellers Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary Best Sellers

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Title: Chart Throb

Author: Ben Elton

Narrator: Glen McCready

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-20-10

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The ultimate pop quest. Ninety-five thousand hopefuls. Three judges. Just one winner. And thats Calvin Simms, the genius behind the show.

Calvin always wins, because Calvin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgement upon the mingers, clingers, and blingers whom he has pre-selected in his carefully scripted search for a star, he has no idea that the rules are changing. The real is about to be put back into reality television, and Calvin and his fellow judges (the nations favourite mum and the other bloke) are about to become ex-factors themselves.

Ben Elton, author of Popcorn and Dead Famous returns to blistering comic satire with a savagely hilarious deconstruction of the world of modern television talent shows. Chart Throb. One winner. A whole bunch of losers.

Members Reviews:

Ok, but bit a bit repetitive.

I like most of Ben Elton's work, and this one is pleasant enough. However, I think it's a bit on the long side and lacking a bit of subtlety, with several similar bits in the middle. Perhaps this was the "cunning plan" to make it feel like we watching a reality TV show?

The narrator was very good.

I'm looking forwards to more unabridged Ben Elton audiobooks.

As boring as the real show!

May have to return this. Am gritting my teeth to get through the last 2 hours. It's taking about as much determination as it does to get through a single episode of American Idol.

I normally love Ben Elton books, I have never found one I disliked. He is normally SOOO funny, topical and sarcastic.

With this book through, it is just repetitive. I got the point in the first hour. The show is a fake, reality TV is staged and all the celebs are self-serving egotists. OK, now repeat the above for next 11 hours, dissect every shot, every staged reaction, every scripted sound-bite and that is the book.

In addition - there are no redeemable characters. Even the female lead is weak.

Don't waste a credit.

Not his best work

I have read this book before but this time i found it tedious and hard to kisten to attentuvely

I will never know if this is a good book

I have listened to all of Ben Elton's books and have really enjoyed most of them. Unfortunately I will never know if this is a good book or not, I found the narrators slow overly dramatic voice too much to even consider putting up with him for 15 long hours. I even tried listening at double speed on my ipod and that was just as bad. The speed and pauses were less of a problem but still present even at double speed but the dramatic poetry reading style just doesn't convey the story. What a shame, I was looking forward to this one as Ben Elton can be very insiteful with his social observations used for a basis of his novels.

Really well done

Though I agree that the first 20 minutes of this is not his best work, as the reading continues, he really gets good, he has a brilliant array of voices for the major and supporting characters (in particular Beryl the transvestite super-judge and HRH The Prince of Wales) and I really found myself enjoying and being drawn into this story.

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Title: The Telling

Author: Beverly Lewis

Narrator: Aimee Lilly

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-06-10

Publisher: Oasis Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The anticipation of a homecoming, and a chance to set things right...yet will "the telling" cause further pain? Accompanied by her new English friend, Grace Byler has left Bird-in-Hand to search for her mother in Ohio. But what if Lettie refuses to be found? Meanwhile, Lettie continues her private quest to find the missing piece of her life, though she is increasingly torn between the family she left behind and yearning for her long-lost child. Will mother and daughter find the answers they seek?

Members Reviews:

Not her best, but worth reading.

I have finished the entire trilogy of this series. It was well worth a read, as all of Lewis' books are. However, I found this first book inferior to her other writing. It seemed unorganized to me, especially early on. I'm an editor by trade, and so issues like that stick out for me. The voice seemed very silly in places - I realize the girl is young, but young is different from flighty. I kept reminding myself she is 20 and not 16. This first book ends awkwardly, in the middle of a few story lines. I find this annoying, both as a reader and an author and editor. Each volume needs resolution and to be able to stand alone. The second two books are a bit more satisfying and better written. But stick with the first.. it does get better. I do want to say that what pushed me to the four stars is that these books really challenge the reader to think about the trappings of modern life and society, and I would guess that each individual reader will pause to reassess life a bit. That alone makes the series well worth the read.

Wow!

Blown away again with another awesome story. Lewis is an exceptional story teller. Kept me interested from page 1. Nick uprooted from his alcoholic mother who promises to get her life back in order and come get him one day, is taken to live in an Amish community with the Bishop's family next door to Rose. Sad he never adjust to their way of living and continues to hope his mother will come get him like she promised. Rose feels compassion for Nick and befriends him. They grow up confiding in one another and becoming best friends. Nick works for Rose's father so she sees him every day. He never joins their church so he's considered an outsider. Christian, the Bishop's real son thinks that Nick is ungrateful and should join the church. He also thinks that Nick should cut his long hair and show some respect for his father. Christian never got along with Nick. Nothing changes when they grow up, except that Nick finds out his mother has died. Rose is of courting age and when one of the local Amish boys starts courting her Nick feels hurt because he realizes she is more than just a friend. Rose is torn between her friendship with Nick and her new beau. She has an important decision to make. Then tragedy strikes and is a total game changer. Can't wait to see what's going to happen next.

Being pricked by the thorns can hurt but in the thorns beauty is reaveled by the rose in it's midst.

I had read Beverly Lewis books before and they were very good. This definanely brought you into the Amish way of life. Rose, Nick and Hannah all had their struggles. They met others along the way who had their struggles as well. Rose was able to help Mr Browning daughter Beth come out of her shell. Rose ends up being in love with two young men. The one Nick she had known him all her life but only had friend type feelings for him.

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Title: Model Home

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Eric Puchner

Narrator: David Colacci

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-02-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Warren Ziller moved his family to California in search of a charmed life, and to all appearances, he found it: a gated community not far from the beach, amid the affluent splendor of Southern California in the 1980s. But his American dream has been rudely interrupted. Despite their affection for one another - the "slow, jokey, unrehearsed vaudeville" they share at home - Warren; his wife, Camille; and their three children have veered into separate lives, as distant as satellites. Worst of all, Warren has squandered the family's money on a failing real-estate venture.

As Warren desperately tries to conceal his mistake, his family begins to sow deceptions of their own. Camille attributes Warren's erratic behavior to an affair and plots her secret revenge; 17-year-old Dustin falls for his girlfriend's troubled younger sister; teen misanthrope Lyle begins sleeping with a security guard who works at the gatehouse; and 11-year-old Jonas becomes strangely obsessed with a kidnapped girl.

When tragedy strikes, the Zillers are forced to move into one of the houses in Warren's abandoned development in the middle of the desert. Marooned in a less-than-model home, each must reckon with what's led them there and who's to blame - and whether they can summon the forgiveness needed to hold the family together.

Subtly ambitious, brimming with the humor and unpredictability of life, Model Home delivers penetrating insights into the American family and into the imperfect ways we try to connect, from a writer "uncannily in tune with the heartbreak and absurdity of domestic life." (Los Angeles Times).

Critic Reviews:

Heartrending.... With careful attention to nuanced and fractured perspectives, Puchner teases a fragile beauty out of the loneliness that separates the members of this family. (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

The worst book I've listened to EVER.

This author has managed to take a story that would be, could be tender, emotional, and has created characters that I want to like. But this writer doesn't seem to know how to do anything but write trash. There's so much swearing and crudeness and absolutely nothing to lighten the subject matter for a little relief from the utter hopelessness. I can't help but think that this author checked into a broken down cabin in the woods, after some terrible tragedy, drank himself into a stupor and wrote the entire book while having himself a pity party.

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Title: Solar

Author: Ian McEwan

Narrator: Roger Allam

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-18-10

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 90 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Features the author in converstation with his editor, Dan Franklin.

Michael Beard is a Nobel prize-winning physicist whose best work is behind him. Trading on his reputation, he speaks for enormous fees, lends his name to the letterheads of renowned scientific institutions and half-heartedly heads a government-backed initiative tackling global warming.

A compulsive womaniser, Beard finds his fifth marriage floundering. But this time it is different: she is having the affair, and he is still in love with her.

Ranging from the Arctic Circle to the deserts of New Mexico, Solar is a serious and darkly satirical novel, showing human frailty struggling with the most pressing and complex problem of our time. A story of one mans greed and self-deception, it is a profound and stylish new work from one of the worlds great writers.

Critic Reviews:

'[A] novel that promises comedy as well as crisis.' (The Guardian)

Members Reviews:

Squeamishly entertaining

And I'm clearly not talking about blood and guts here. Solar sits you down and serves you scotch in the mind's armchair of Prof. Michael Beard, Nobel Prize winning scientist, opportunist and everyday scoundrel. Entertaining because it's funny - he is a true rogue and gentleman, and squeamish because despite your better judgement you'll be on Beard's side. Mostly because you've silently recognised the rogue in yourself. Surely that's not just me?

There are those who call this the most self concious novel in a string of particularly successful books and perhaps there's truth to that. But Solar is well written, well read, and will in parts raise more than a smile.

Blurring the boundaries between fiction, hearsay and fact, there's plenty to sink your teeth (ears?) into. Thoroughly modern, thoroughly enjoyable.

One of the best Ian McEwan novels!

"Solar" far exceeded my high expectations. I consider myself an experienced reader of McEwan's novels, having gone through the excellent "Amsterdam", "Enduring Love" and "Saturday". In my opinion, "Solar" is the best among this impressive peer group of novels. I might be prejudiced, as green technology is one of my areas of interest, but it is not just the excellent insights on technology that make this book truly Great. Professor Michael Beard's character is a dramatic one, at times reminding me of tragic Shakespearean protagonists.

Beard is a man with a cognitive claim to fame (his Nobel Prize) that is quickly gathering dust, and who more than offsets this achievement by pretty much screwing up everything else in his life: obesity, lack of social intelligence, marriages and breakups, cover-ups of his vile deeds, general "untidyness", etc.

As usual (he's done similar things in earlier novels), McEwan introduces a dramatic plot turn that is defining the rest of the novel. After that, the decay of Michael Beard seems to accelerate.

A great novel with a nice structure incorporating flashbacks, well narrated in the audiobook version, and ending with an insightful interview with the author.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Disappointing - at best

What a disappointment!

McEwan either has a brilliant vocabulary or a well-thumbed thesaurus; maybe both. Many passages in Solar seemed only to exist to give the author an excuse to show-off his vocab, and served no purpose to progress or enhance the storyline.

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Title: The Left Hand of God

Author: Paul Hoffman

Narrator: Sean Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-14-10

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 84 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The Left Hand of God is a stunning first installment in a remarkable epic trilogy...

"Listen. The Sanctuary of the Redeemers on Shotover Scarp is named after a damned lie for there is no redemption that goes on there and less sanctuary."

The Sanctuary of the Redeemers is a vast and desolate place - a place without joy or hope. Most of its occupants were taken there as boys and for years have endured the brutal regime of the Lord Redeemers whose cruelty and violence have one singular purpose - to serve in the name of the One True Faith.

In one of the Sanctuary's vast and twisting maze of corridors stands a boy. He is perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old - he is not sure and neither is anyone else. He has long-forgotten his real name, but now they call him Thomas Cale. He is strange and secretive, witty and charming, violent and profoundly bloody-minded. He is so used to the cruelty that he seems immune, but soon he will open the wrong door at the wrong time and witness an act so terrible that he will have to leave this place, or die.

His only hope of survival is to escape across the arid Scablands to Memphis, a city the opposite of the Sanctuary in every way: breathtakingly beautiful, infinitely Godless, and deeply corrupt.

But the Redeemers want Cale back at any price... not because of the secret he now knows but because of a much more terrifying secret he does not.

Members Reviews:

Good idea, poor execution

Paul Hoffman seems to have come up with an interesting plot, but unfortunately never got past the drafting stage for this novel. The clipped dialogue and focus on distinct details convey well the grim mood during the first chapters of this book. Unfortunately, the writing style doesn't change much as the story progresses, leaving both the dialogue and the storyflow poorly paced and lacking in flavor. Perhaps for this reason, many of the characters were left feeling shallow and unimaginative.

The further the story progressed, the less polished it became. Characters were introduced, just to be completely forgotten a few chapters later. The author also became ever more obliged to explain (rather bluntly) characters' actions and reactions (no matter how obvious or uninteresting they are), as if he had a need to convince you with the logic of it, instead of trusting into his own storytelling. The events, first logical and tightly bound, soon became disjointed and artificial, feeling to be arbitrarily forced by the author rather than stemming from the world he created. Most of the events didn't seem to have much of effect on the overall story progression, as the characters were plunged into the next plot twist, without having any choice about it.

This book suffers from poor storytelling. However, my main complaint is about something else. It has a good deal of real-world references. Real town names, currency, nationalities, religious references and terminology are all used as-is. At first, this felt interesting and sometimes amusing. Soon, it started getting repetitive, making it difficult to immerse into the book. By the end of the book, these references seemed more like cheap and unimaginative placeholders, which no one bothered to replace afterwards.

That being said, I did buy the next book in the series.

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Title: The Secret Lives of the Kudzu Debutantes

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Cathy Holton

Narrator: Marguerite Gavin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-15-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 126 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Cotillion: A formal gathering of bright young women on the verge of entering adulthood, the society pages, and prospective high-tax-bracket marriages. Think a Civil War reenactment with crisp, clean white dresses.

Catfight: An impromptu gathering of not-so-young women on the verge of losing their cool. Think a cotillion with hair-pulling.

It's been more than a year since the Kudzu Debutantes exacted sweet, merciless revenge on their cheating husbands, but the repercussions are still palpable throughout Ithaca, Georgia: Nita is anxiously preparing herself for marriage to Jimmy Lee, a man 13 years her junior; Lavonne, despite having dropped her husband - and 80 pounds - and having launched her own business, longs for love; and while Eadie remains married to Trevor, she feels more neglected than ever.

So the occasion of Nita's second wedding seems like just the ticket to cheer up the disconsolate Debs. But they've made a formidable enemy in Virginia Broadwell, first lady of Ithaca and the bride's ex-mother-in-law. Hell-bent on vengeance and determined to restore old-school social mores, Virginia hatches a plan so devious it makes her pedicured toes curl in anticipation.

Soon enough, the women are knocked for a loop, but you can't keep a Kudzu Debutante down for long. The one thing stronger than Virginia's wrath is the bond between the three friends, who soon learn that one of Virginia's Jimmy Choos contains an irresistible Achilles' heel. With spirit, wit, and down-home gumption, the take-no-prisoners trio decides it's time to ditch their cotillion manners as they rally to save Nita's marriage, Lavonne's business, Eadie's sanity, and the honor of Kudzu Debs the world over.

Packed with authentic Southern flavor and characters as colorful as an azalea in full bloom, The Secret Lives of the Kudzu Debutantes serves up stinging one-liners and earthy wisdom in equal measure.

Critic Reviews:

"A comic vengeance fantasy that....goes down as easily as sweet tea." (Boston Globe)

"Holton's headstrong heroines deliver homespun wisdom and hearty laughs in this uproarious sequel." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

The Secret Lives of the Kudzu - PROFANITY ALERT

Oh my, Oh my... Ms. Holton has nothing else to say other than bad words, and I mean the really bad ones and taking the Lord's name in vain constantly. I love it when I can identify with the characters of a book, in this case I am glad I don't. I live in the South, and I have never met women like these! This book lacks charm, intelligence, wit, humor but will reward you with drunken ladies, low moral and profanity. I wish I hadn't bought this book, and luckily I only spend $5.00 on it.

Could have been much better...

This audio book has all the earmarks of what COULD HAVE BEEN a great book: terrific characters, humorous situations, and an interesting plot. I didn't expect great literature, but it should have been much more enjoyable. I think I might have been rolling on the the floor, at times, if someone like Judith Ivey, Isabel Keating, Renee Raudman, or Lorelei King had narrated it.

Marguerite Gavin's narration of the story wasn't bad, but it wasn't good, either. Most of her sentences came out as statements, and there was too little differentiation between character voices.

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Title: The Stalls Of Barchester Cathedral

Subtitle: The Complete Ghost Stories of M. R. James

Author: Montague Rhodes James

Narrator: David Collings

Format: Unabridged

Length: 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-14-09

Publisher: Andrews UK Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This is the unabridged audio recording of M R James' excellent ghost story "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral". Read by David Collings, this is sure to scare and delight in equal measure.

(P)2009 Andrews UK Ltd under exclusive license from Craftsman Audio

Critic Reviews:

"David Collings Reads Wonderfully Well." (The Observer)

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Title: The Ash-tree

Subtitle: The Complete Ghost Stories of M. R. James

Author: Montague Rhodes James

Narrator: David Collings

Format: Unabridged

Length: 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-14-09

Publisher: Andrews UK Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This is the unabridged audio recording of M R James' excellent ghost story "The Ash-tree". Read by David Collings, this is sure to scare and delight in equal measure.

(P)2009 Andrews UK Ltd under exclusive license from Craftsman Audio

Critic Reviews:

"David Collings Reads Wonderfully Well." (The Observer)

Members Reviews:

spooky a f

a classic horror story with a great narrator. worth a few listens at least. curses

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Title: Nothing but Trouble

Author: Susan May Warren

Narrator: Anne Pepperidge

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In this lively tale by RITA and Christy Award finalist Susan May Warren, 28-year-old P. J. Sugar wants to shed her reputation for being nothing but trouble. But her efforts to be the favorite daughter, best friend, perfect aunt, fetching beauty, and hometown hero - all at once - trigger both laughter and tears.

©2009 Susan May Warren; (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

This book should be made into a movie!

How many times have you felt like magnet trouble? The main character seems to do just that and the result is sometimes comedic. Her struggle with becoming a "new" person is a struggle that most can identify. I loved this book!

Nothing But Trouble was Nothing But Great

I enjoyed the audio version of Nothing But Trouble. I enjoyed the characters in this book. The audio was enjoyable and characters were distinguishable.

It kept me in suspense until the end. I hope there is a sequel so I can follow PJ Sugar's adventures and romantic interests.

Good read (listen)

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Title: Somebody's Sinning in My Bed

Author: Pat GOrge-Walker

Narrator: Sharon Washington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In Somebody's Sinning in My Bed, Pat G'Orge-Walker - best-selling author of the Sister Betty series - delivers a tale of infidelity and its consequences. Reverend Grayson Young and his wife Chyna seem to have the perfect marriage. Yet despite Grayson and Chyna's public railings against adultery, they're both involved in multiple affairs. And then the lecherous poser catches his wayward wife in flagrante.

©2009 Pat G'Orge-Walker; (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

Took a little while to get interesting.

Nice, but took it to a minute to get interesting. I did love the wisdom of Deacon Parnell.

Great Story...But lacks push and power in delivery

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

Yes and No. I really enjoyed the story itself, however, the narrator worked my nerves. She dragged much of the text and caused anxiety in the build up when it wasn't necessary. It went on and on and it was quite exasperating. If it weren't for me desiring to know for myself I would have stopped the narrative in chapter 1.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Deacon Pillar. I enjoyed his randomness and quick wit. He was so humble and quick on his toes.

How could the performance have been better?

YES YES YES. The performance left much to be desired for me as the listener. The narrator really did take urgent moments in the story and dragged them on and on. It was terrible and frustrating. The very first chapter of a climatic scene was terribly done. I almost gave up on the story b/c of it, but because I love the author I hung in there.

Could you see Somebody's Sinning in My Bed being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes, with great actors and an amazing soundtrack. Also more dramatics should be added.

Any additional comments?

n/a