Discover Legally Popular Titles Full Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary Top 100

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Title: Best Friends

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Martha Moody

Narrator: Renee Raudman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-07

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

As the years pass, Clare becomes a doctor and Sally a lawyer, always remaining roommates at heart, only a plane ride or phone call away. Marriages and divorces and births and deaths do not separate them. But secrets might - for as Clare watches, the Rose family begins to self-destruct before her eyes. And the things she knows are the kinds of things that no one wants to tell a best friend.

Critic Reviews:

"Freshly observed and gifted....The book never loses its edge...nor its moving conviction that a strong friendship between women can be one of life's most powerful relationships." (Publishers Weekly)

"A valentine to the staying power of women's friendships." (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Members Reviews:

Complex and Satisfying

Odd pairing of two women and three or so decades of their evolution, devolution, intersection and divergence. Issues a bit dated (this is a nineties book) but that's just backstory. The basic narrative translates into any time and place and could all happen in present day with different situational challenges.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, despite the naive-sounding narrator and her histrionics.

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Título: Bendiceme, Ultima

Autor: Rudolfo Anaya

Narrador: Dario Tangleson

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 11-29-07

Editor: Recorded Books

Calificaciones: 4 de 5 de 15 votos

Categorías: Fiction, Contemporary

Resumen del editor:

Note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

amazinggggg

This has been the best audio book i have ever used. It reads enthusiastically and is very easy to follow along. At first you think the reader is over doing it but soon love his voice as you quickly follow along the book. This made reading much faster and helped me pull all nighters easily!!!

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Title: Unless

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Carol Shields

Narrator: Joan Allen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-25-07

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Warmth, passion, and wisdom come together in Carol Shields' remarkably supple prose. Unless, a harrowing but ultimately consoling story of one family's anguish and healing, proves her mastery of extraordinary fictions about ordinary life.

Critic Reviews:

"A landmark book that constitutes yet another noteworthy addition to Shields's impressive body of work." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Production issues

Decidedly, I am a fan of Carol Shields. This novel even has a bonus layer, a view into the protagonist's life as a writer and her process which I found illuminating.

But unfortunately I can only give three stars because of production issues. While Shields' precise and descriptive grasp of the moment and development of images never fail to deliver, the narration in "Unless" is uneven, starting out crisp and clear at each chapter's beginning and then fading away as the section progresses. I found myself having to constantly adjust the volume on long commutes. Additionally the narrator's voice seemed occluded, as though she'd swallowed a frog.

And then there is the issue of the background music which I thought was intrusive. I sometimes fall asleep during a listen - no, not while driving, although I did take a wrong exit once - and the too-loud piano interludes kept jolting me awake and ruining my nap!

So, to conclude, excellent book, mediocre listen.

Very enjoyable

This was a very gentle book with an underlying sadness over the choices of the oldest daughter. The unfailing love of her parents and sisters allows her to return in the end.

MONOTONOUS & BORING!

If I could give this book minus stars, or better yet, give it back I would in a heartbeat.

I'm 2:49 into it and as far as I can tell, there is no actual plot to this 'story,' it is the droning monotony of this mother's daily life as she goes about it with her eldest daughter in the background having become some sort of transient.

She hangs out with her friends, and this is what she thinks about it. She makes love to her husband and this is what she thinks about it (never has sex been so unromantic), she goes shopping and this is what she thinks about it. She has lunch and this is what she thinks about it.... You get the idea.

It is literally the minutia of her daily life and what she thinks about it.

While the readers voice is quite nice, and her reading very agreeable, and I found none of the production quirks the other reviewer spoke of, the material is at best a sleep aid.

I'm not sure how or why I, or WHAT for that matter, I'm supposed to care about. It just goes on and on about NOTHING. Not in a good Seinfeld way, but in the way a lonely co-worker might corner you and tell you all about how they rearranged their figurines for the entire weekend.

That is exactly how 'page-turning' this novel is.

Seriously, I can't think of a good thing to say about this novel. I can't finish it. Whatever may happen, I just don't care.

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Title: The Guardians

Author: Ana Castillo

Narrator: Ana Castillo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-16-07

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

After several days of waiting and an ominous phone call from a woman who may be connected to a smuggling ring, Regina and Gabo resolve to find Rafa. Help arrives in the form of Miguel, an amorous, recently divorced history teacher; Miguel's gregarious abuelo Milton; a couple of Gabo's gang-banger classmates; and a priest of wayward faith. Between the ruthless "coyotes" who exploit Mexicans while smuggling them to America and the border officials who are out to arrest and deport the illegal immigrants, looming threats are constant companions on the journey.

Ana Castillo brilliantly evokes the beautiful, stark desert landscape and creates vivid characters with strong voices and resilient hearts. The Guardians serves as a remarkable testament to enduring faith, family bonds, cultural pride, and the human experience.

Critic Reviews:

"At once shatteringly realistic and dramatically mystical, Castillo's incandescent novel of suffering and love traces life's movement toward the light even in the bleakest of places." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Great and inteligent novel

This is an intelligent novel about the resiliency of the human spirit.

It is a great novel by a great writer that deals with serious issues in a humorous and intelligent way. I dare you not to laugh at loud!

Told from the point of view of four distinct characters, Ana Castillo does a wonderful job narrating her novel.

The Guardians tells the story of a family whose members straddle both sides of the US-Mexican border. Castillo succeeds painting for her readers a realistic picture of what it is to live in such a contested terrain.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson writes of the novel: "Ana Castillo's words truly make you feel as though you know exactly what it is like to grow up in a small border town in New Mexico."

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Title: Aegypt

Author: John Crowley

Narrator: John Crowley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-30-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 106 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Is there more than one history of the world? This is the question Pierce Moffett is seeking to answer when, jilted and newly jobless, he gets off a bus by chance in the Faraway Hills and steps unawares into a story that has been awaiting him there. His search will bring him into contact with Rosie Rasmussen, another seeker marked by loss. And it will lead them both on a path toward the longed-for country of our oldest dreams and most unanswerable desires, toward a magnificent discovery.

©1987 John Crowley; (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"A dizzying experience, achieved with unerring security of technique." (New York Times Book Review)

"Aegypt is a must....Crowley [is] an original moralist of the same giddy heights occupied by the likes of Thomas Mann and Robertson Davies." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Affecting, cerebral, surprising and delightful, this extraordinary philosophical romance suggests an unlikely but thriving marriage between a writer like Anne Tyler and one such as Jorge Luis Borges." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

slow, meandering, and beautiful

Crowley develops his stories slowly with lots of detail and writes beautifully. His writing and ideas are meant to be savored and pondered. If you like the idea of listening to a 15 hour and 29 minute narrative poem, with another poem inside it, then you might well like this book.

Crowley narrates the book himself, in a flat middle-American voice, with a quirky, slightly self-conscious manner. The narration worked for me. I found his voice easy to listen to, and his reading gave me more insight into what his artistic intentions are. But the narration isn't going to please everybody.

A Rare Experience

If your idea of a good book on spirituality is the Davinci Code or The Celestine Prophecy than this book is not likely for you. If on the other hand you are a lover of the great books and look to Shakespeare for spirituality than Crowley will not disappoint. A book that tries to make magic something more than new-age spirituality, to reawaken the weight and power it once possessed.

worlds within worlds

Here are worlds within worlds, stories with stories, a 15th century Dominican Monk, a young Will Shakespeare, a crowd of likeable 1970's types. The text does ramble, but the reachings are enjoyable, often poetic, many times profound. I love the combination of authorial ambition and accessibility, novel history and philosophical magical realism. Because it is stories within stories, it was difficult, sometimes, to follow the leap from real time text to the fictions or histories that the protagonists themselves were reading. (This is not a problem with the hard copy.) I was tempted to give it 4 stars for that reason, but I so enjoyed hearing Crowley read and and the book has staying power for me, so 5 stars it is. I'm glad I own it because I will listen to it again.

High Expectations

I was sold on the thesis of the book concerning alternate histories. Unfortunately, John Crowley lost me somewhere in the badlands of his plot. This book is an ambitious effort at corraling a wild and free, open range idea. But that mustang remains on the loose for me. When I read reviews of the book's sequels, critics warn that the author hit his high mark in Aegypt. Adios John. Your lasso flew way over my head.

Read it Twice

My first time through, i grew restless with this book.

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Title: Coast Road

Author: Barbara Delinsky

Narrator: Howard McGillin

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-12-07

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Coast Road celebrates those things in life that matter most: the companionship of friends and the irreplaceable time spent with children and family.

Critic Reviews:

"A winner...Delinsky selivers an emotion-packed journey...firmly cementing her status as a bestselling writer of top-notch books." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

How not to find yourself.

A few well- placed and honest conversations between the husband and wife in this book would have meant the book would not have been written. it was an odd feeling, reading about two people for whom I was supposed to have empathy, but just got more and more impatient that they had allowed their petty desires to get in the way of seeing the big picture. Who doesn't feel uninspired at times and wish they lived elsewhere? Who doesn't deal with traveling spouses, or spouses who work long shifts, or are in the military, or are very busy at a given point in their lives? The timeline was just so awkward, too. For six years the couple has been divorced. Which means the two teenage daughters were in elementary school when their parents split. And yet up to the point of the divorce, the family had gone on vacations, etc and apparently enjoyed their life and each other... And then the mother suddenly throws up her hands and insists its "her" time and leaves the father, taking the daughters with her. How long was she unhappy? Since the last vacation? And did he pay her alimony and child support so she could go off on gpher "own."? They couldn't talk this out? And somehow she's some kind of sainted martyr. It was hard to wade through a book when I had no respect for the person I was supposed to respect most. I won't give away the end but suffice it to say that after all she's done to have the freedom to make her own decisions, she lets everyone else decide for her how the rest of her life is going to go. It was just not a pleasant story - it felt tortured and preachy- and I was glad to be done with it.

Wonderful story. Couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed this book. I caused a bit of reflection on my part, specifically emphasizing that we shouldn't wait to tell loved ones that we love them. I liked how Jack really began to see things from a different perspective. He was really trying to reach his daughters who had become distant because of the divorce. I loved a number of supporting characters.

I agree that better communication during the marriage would have likely left the marriage in tact, but that's not what happened. It's often the case. My own marriage is great, but occasionally there are miscommunications that cause hurt and/or misunderstandings.

I disagree that Jack really didn't know his wife. He did, but just let other things get in the way and he eventually realized that he had been shutting her down. He got bogged down with creating his own career and forgot to recognize and appreciate all the things he loved about Rachel.

I have read a few books by this author and will likely read more.

Heartwarming story

As a fan of Barbara Delinsky, I love everything she writes. Coast Road was no exception . It was an excellent read from beginning to end . If I had one criticism of the story it would be that at times storyline seem to drag just a little bit .

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Title: Fat, Fifty, and Fxxxed!

Subtitle: A Fast & Furious Novel

Author: Geoffrey McGeachin

Narrator: Peter Hosking

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-28-06

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 48 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Martin Carter is having a crook day. His home life's a misery, he's been retrenched by the bank, and everyone's forgotten his birthday. But a million-dollar payroll, a pistol, and a split-second decision change everything. Hurtling north on a motorcycle with the intriguing Faith, Martin encounters a mysterious hit-man, a new-age bike gang, a reclusive media mogul, and the booby-trapped mountain hideout of an old schoolmate. With Faith's help he learns about love again, along with some bitter truths about instant coffee, brown suede shoes, and the legendary Great Aussie Truck-stop Breakfast.

©2004 Geoffrey McGeachin; (P)2005 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Editorial Reviews:

Geoffrey McGeachin didn't publish his first novel until 2004, but since the award-winning debut of Fat, Fifty, and F***ed!, McGeachin has made up for lost time, writing two complete series in the wake of his initial success. The author is like the Australian version of Carl Hiaasen, populating his novels with wit, humor, and (often) criminal action.

Actor Peter Hosking has performed more than 100 audiobooks over the course of several decades. He brings his expert pacing and agility to this winner of the inaugural Australian Popular Fiction Competition. The performance is above all entertaining, taking emotionally defeated protagonist Martin Carter from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds.

Critic Reviews:

"A very satisfying adventure/romantic comedy with an undercurrent of impending danger....An effortlessly entertaining story that will have you itching to hit the open road yourself." (Australian Crime Fiction Database)

Members Reviews:

Delightful

This is the perfect book for a long drive or while doing chores. It's a very funny roimp through the Australian countryside with a bank manager who has just turned fifty and decides to rob his bank branch that just closed and chuck it all. You will laugh out loud. Very enjoyable.

Lots of fun

The story did not work my brain extra hard, but I really had a good time listening to it. It was fun, funny and entertaining. This probably has something to do with turning 50 this year.

A heartwarming story full of great Ozzie humour

What did you love best about Fat, Fifty, and Fxxxed!?

Beautifully narrated story, loveable characters, brilliant one-liners. One of my favourite audible books ever.

Well Done

What made the experience of listening to Fat, Fifty, and Fxxxed! the most enjoyable?

The pacing and humor went well together.

What did you like best about this story?

The opening scene showing why the male protagonist felt the way he did.

Which scene was your favorite?

See above.

If you could rename Fat, Fifty, and Fxxxed!, what would you call it?

Running Free

Any additional comments?

no

fat and f,d

Where does Fat, Fifty, and Fxxxed! rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

the story stared well with good twists all through

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fat, Fifty, and Fxxxed!?

the holdup it was differant

Have you listened to any of Peter Hoskings other performances before? How does this one compare?

yes they all pretty good he has a great sense for the storytelling

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Title: Wicked!

Author: Jilly Cooper

Narrator: Samantha Bond

Format: Abridged

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-04-06

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Neither parents nor staff of either school are too keen on this radical move, although some can see the possible financial advantages. For the students, however, it offers great opportunities to get up to even more mayhem than usual.

Members Reviews:

Enjoyable, fun, exciting

I thoroughly enjoyed Samantha Bond's reading of this novel. The plot has many twists and turns, the characters are interesting and believable, and the dialogue is brilliant.

I'm not good at remembering who's who when there are many characters, but Cooper's writing style keeps providing prompts and clues without imposing on the story, so it wasn't difficult keeping track.

It's a pity this is the only Jilly Cooper title available on Audible, since she has published so many blockbuster novels.

AWESOME

Jilly Cooper at her wonderful best yet again.

Worst Jilly Cooper book

Such a let down. I'm convinced she didn't even write it.

The characters and storyline are not believable. There is no substance to any of the relationships.

None of the humour or charisma of her usual (old) books

Not my cup of tea!

What would have made Wicked! better?

A better plot, more developed characters, a proper storyline. This was my first and last Jilly Cooper book. I enjoy many different genres of books and like to change between books (see underneath) and like to change between literature and light books but this was a bit too light for me.

What will your next listen be?

I have always a couple of books on the go depending on my mood I go on listening to different things. I just finished The Killing 2 which was great, also listening to A tiny bit marvellous by Dawn French, which is hilarious. Also listening to a brief history of Britain and Seven Ages which is a collection of poetry and nice to listen to in between. I am going to start on The Importance of Being Earnest now I think or the Queen's Gambit and return this book.

What about Samantha Bonds performance did you like?

I like her voice and I have listened to another book she read, The Constant Princess. I have read already a lot of Philippa Gregory's books but Samantha Bonds rendition of this one really made me enjoy this one even more then the other ones from this author, that is why I gave this Jilly Cooper a try.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Immense boredom...

Any additional comments?

Thank you audible for returns!

Disappointing

Not as good as some of her previous books.

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Title: Slumdog Millionaire (a.k.a. Q&A)

Author: Vikas Swarup

Narrator: Kerry Shale

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-22-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 730 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This novel was originally published with the title Q&A and is the basis for the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

Editorial Reviews:

Why we think it's Essential: It's rare that you hope for traffic on a road trip, but when I drove from New York to Boston with Kerry Shale's narration of Q&A for company, I had my fingers crossed for a back-up at the bridge. How could I tear myself away from Shale's distinct characterizations? The orphan from Mumbai, the faded Bollywood star, and the ruthless game show host - Who Wants to Win One Billion Rupeeeeees? - all made for a truly extraordinary listen. Diana Dapito

Critic Reviews:

"Shale's performance is brilliant." (USA Today)

"Reader Kerry Shale captures every nuance and distinction of the many personalities involved." (Boston Globe)

"This production gains much from Shale's excellent and lively performance....Shale makes it sincere, hilarious, heartbreaking, and delightful....His gifted reading, full of emphasis, inflection, and excitement, is a joy to listen to." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Highly Recommended

I have listened to many audiobooks and this one is definitely in the top 5. The story was entertaining, different and very interesting. The story line is rather unusual, not your average thriller, romance or fantasy book. it's in a category all its own.

Ram Mohammad Thomas, the main character in the book lived a difficult and at the same time very full life. Although he is only 18, he has been through so much and his journey all ties in to the Q&A quiz show he won. Clever and entertaining.

Kerry Shale the narrator, is without a doubt a gifted actor. His reading added so much to the book. I am sure people who actually read, instead of listen to the book do not get the same enjoyment. The only regret I have is that the book was not offered in the unabridged version. I could have listened for hours on end. Don't think twice about using a credit on this one.

Outstanding narration of a terrific story

This is a good book. It is narrated in spectacular fashion with each character coming to life through the differing dialects of the narrator. I bought the audiobook for a trip, and sat in the car for 45 minutes at my destination, refusing to leave my car until hearing the end of the story.

A treat!

This was a fantastic listen! I'm on my second time through...very engaging ending indeed! The color and imagination invoked reminds me of another audiobook I picked up here called Shantaram. I can't imagine the movie living up to this fascinating tale....

a great listen

A sad yet redeeming novel. Listened to in one day due to the interesting and fast paced story line. a good look into a life outside of America and into slum life in India. You acquire tender feelings toward the main character and come to appreciate raising above the odds of a life once doomed to despair! The narrator was very entertaining with his various characters.

Great story

This was the first audiobook I have ever purchased and all I can say is wow. I heard the sample and thought the audio quality was a little rough, but the story and narration were put together so well, I couldn't help but marathon through the entire book in about four sessions. It's a great story that just makes you feel good in the end.

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Title: Company

Author: Max Barry

Narrator: William Dufris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-27-06

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 515 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Stephen Jones, a young recruit with shoes so new they squeak, reports for his first day in the Training Sales Department and finds it gripped by a crisis involving the theft of a donut. In short order, the guilty party is identified and banished from the premises and Stephen is promoted from assistant to sales rep. He does his best to fit in with his fellow workers, among them a gorgeous receptionist who earns more than anyone else, and a sales rep who's so emotionally involved with her job that she uses relationship books as sales manuals, but Stephen is nagged by a feeling that the company is hiding something. Something that explains why when people are fired, they are never heard from again; why every manager has a copy of the Omega Management System; and most of all, why nobody in the company knows what it does.

Critic Reviews:

"Mr. Barry is a deft and focused satirist, and his sense of business ethics is right on the money." (The New York Times)

"[Barry's] at his funniest lampooning the suits that tread the stage, consumed by the sound and fury of office politics that signify nothing." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Characters brought to life

There have been various comments about this readereither love him or hate him. I happily align with the former.

Since there are many other sources for a review of the book, Ill comment only what makes this different, the reader. With so many characters in the story, I found different voices the reader used for each helpful and delightful in the reading of this very clever story.

I rate William Dufris right along my other favorite reader, Scott Brick.

Easy, fun listen.

A Wonderful Experience

If you're a fan of "The Office" - either the BBC version or the one with Steve Carrell - you will love this book. The book includes everything you've ever been afraid of if you've worked for a large company.

Great narration by William Dufris, and funnier than most things out right now.

Very enjoyable.

Highly recommended.

Dark humor for the office crowd

Combine "The Office" with "The Borg" from Star Trek and you'll get an idea of what this book has in store for you. The characters are people easily recognizable by anyone who's ever worked in a cube farm or a large company - some are sad, some are scary and some are downright like-able - all have that sense of realism to them that makes them familiar. I enjoyed the dark humor and twisted take on how easily employees can be manipulated by gossip, clueless management techniques, and the whims of "upper management". This was a fun read overall and I think it would make a fantastic movie or TV series.

Hilarious look at business

I recently started working in a large company again. Reading this book has provided me with many laughs; some while reading and some while sitting in meetings remembering passages. I may get this for my VP as a holiday present.

I found the book entertaining enough to listen to multiple times!

Good Listen

I enjoyed this book. It was funny and easy to listen to. I really liked the narrator too.