Discover Most Popular Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Top Rated

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Falling from Horses

Author: Molly Gloss

Narrator: David Aaron Baker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-14

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In 1938, 19-year-old cowboy Bud Frazer sets his sights on becoming a stunt rider in the movies. Fantasizing about rubbing shoulders with the great screen cowboys of his youth, he leaves his home in Echol Creek, Oregon, and heads for Hollywood. On the long bus ride south, Bud meets a young woman who also harbors dreams of making it in the movies, though not as a starlet but as a writer, a real writer. Lily Shaw is bold and outspoken and confident in ways completely out of proportion with her small frame and bookish looks. The two proceed to strike up an unlikely kinship that will carry them through their tumultuous days in Hollywood - and, as it happens, for the rest of their lives. Acutely observed and impeccably authentic, Falling From Horses charts what turns out to be a glittering year in the movie business, seen through the wide eyes and lofty dreams of two people trying to make their mark on the world, or at least to make their way in it. As she did so memorably in her previous novel, the best-selling The Hearts of Horses, Molly Gloss weaves a remarkable tale of humans and horses, hope and heartbreak. Molly Gloss is also the author of The Jump-Off Creek, a winner of both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the Oregon Book Award, The Dazzle of Day, a New York Times Notable Book and winner of the PEN Center West Fiction Prize, and Wild Life, winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Award.

Members Reviews:

I thoroughly enjoyed this nostalgic journey back to 1930s Hollywood

I thoroughly enjoyed this nostalgic journey back to 1930s Hollywood, especially the opportunity to take an inside look at how the early B Westerns were made. The focus is on the stunt men who fell from horses, jumped from wagons, and charged pell mell over open fields with trip wires that more often than not crippled the horses and ended their lives. Like other young fans of these early westerns, I was not mindful at the time of the risks these stunt men were exposed to nor was I sensitive to the callous treatment of the horses, at a time when both human and animal lives seemed to have minimal value for the movie makers of the era. As for the characters, nineteen-year-old Bud, the narrator who leaves his parents and their hardscrabble ranch life in eastern Oregon, for the adventure of 'falling off horses' in front of the movie cameras, is admirable for his grit and guts as well as his deepening sensitivity to and ultimately his rejection of the brutal way of life that the stunt men--and their horses--endured and accepted. Bud befriends a budding screenwriter on the bus also on her way to Hollywood. Her single-mindedness, ambition and indifference to romance diffuse any possibility of Bud becoming involved with her. She seems more interested in Bud and his daily experiences making movies than in developing any kind of lasting attachment to the young horseman. The story's magic is found in Bud's account of his sister and her tragic fate with a horse, a fate that is eerily similar to what happens to Bud on his last day working as a stunt man in Hollywood.

Read if you love horses, cowboys and honesty

Be prepared. This one is hard to read in spots but well worth the effort. Well rounded characters, lively action and an in-depth understanding of the problems facing a young man from the wilds of Oregon in Hollywood for the first time.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Sharpe's Honour: The Vitoria Campaign, February to June 1813

Subtitle: The Sharpe Series, Book 16

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Narrator: Rupert Farley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-23-14

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Major Sharpe finds himself a fugitive, hunted by enemy and ally alike.

Major Richard Sharpe awaits the opening shots of the army's campaign with grim expectancy. For victory depends on the increasingly fragile alliance between Britain and Spain - an alliance that must be maintained at any cost. Pierre Ducos, the wily French intelligence officer, sees a chance both to destroy the alliance and to achieve a personal revenge on Richard Sharpe. And when the lovely spy La Marquesa takes a hand in the game, Sharpe finds himself enmeshed in a web of political intrigue for which his military expertise has left him fatally unprepared.

Soldier, hero, rogue - Sharpe is the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles whose green jacket he proudly wears.

Critic Reviews:

Sharpe and his creator are national treasures. (Sunday Telegraph)

Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation. (Daily Mail)

Cornwell's narration is quite masterly and supremely well-researched. (Observer)

The best battle scenes of any writer I've ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive. (George R.R. Martin)

Members Reviews:

Sharpe's Honour.

One of the best in the series. Almost matches Sharpe's Enemy and the fantastic narration by Rupert Farley who outdid himself reading the dying Hakeswell . Sharpe in this one goes off with a fortune - wonder if he'll buy himself a watch (doubt it)

A good Sharpe story, well read

Would you listen to Sharpe's Honour: The Vitoria Campaign, February to June 1813 again? Why?

Yes, it is an enjoyable listen.

What other book might you compare Sharpe's Honour: The Vitoria Campaign, February to June 1813 to, and why?

Sharpe's sword. Continuation of the story.

What does Rupert Farley bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you had only read the book?

Brings life to the characters

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

Not especially. It is a story I know well.

Sharpes honour

Brilliant

This was read brilliantly by Rupert Farley but I missed the relationship between sharpe and Patrick harper and the company

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Lamentation

Subtitle: Shardlake, Book 6

Author: C. J. Sansom

Narrator: Steven Crossley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 25 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-23-14

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 28 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The eagerly anticipated new Shardlake novel from the number-one best-selling author.

Summer, 1546. King Henry VIII is slowly, painfully dying. His Protestant and Catholic councillors are engaged in a final and decisive power struggle; whoever wins will control the government of Henry's successor, eight-year-old Prince Edward.

As heretics are hunted across London, and the radical Protestant Anne Askew is burned at the stake, the Catholic party focus their attack on Henry's sixth wife, Matthew Shardlake's old mentor, Queen Catherine Parr.

Shardlake, still haunted by events aboard the warship Mary Rose the year before, is working on the Cotterstoke Will case, a savage dispute between rival siblings. Then, unexpectedly, he is summoned to Whitehall Palace and asked for help by his old patron, the now beleaguered and desperate Queen. For Catherine Parr has a secret. She has written a confessional book, Lamentation of a Sinner, so radically Protestant that if it came to the King's attention it could bring both her and her sympathizers crashing down.

But, although the book was kept secret and hidden inside a locked chest in the Queen's private chamber, it has - inexplicably - vanished. Only one page has been found, clutched in the hand of a murdered London printer.

Shardlake's investigations take him on a trail that begins among the backstreet print shops of London but leads him and Jack Barak into the dark and labyrinthine world of the politics of the royal court. Loyalty to the Queen will drive him into a swirl of intrigue inside Whitehall Palace, where Catholic enemies and Protestant friends can be equally dangerous, and the political opportunists, who will follow the wind wherever it blows, more dangerous than either.

The theft of Queen Catherine's book proves to be connected to the terrible death of Anne Askew, while his involvement with the Cotterstoke litigants threatens to bring Shardlake himself to the stake.

Members Reviews:

Like listening to a play

Where does Lamentation rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I am such a fan of CJ Sansom that he can do no wrong. The reader is just superb, I rate this book up in my top five, and will re listen to it of that there is no doubt

What other book might you compare Lamentation to, and why?

I suppose it would compare to either P Gegory or A. Weir both write about Tudor times and both are very good. Lots of historical content written within a really good story

Which character as performed by Steven Crossley was your favourite?

Barak, but I have to say that all the characters are so different and the voices he gives are so fitting to the character.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Love Tudor history and a good story this is for you

Any additional comments?

I cannot wait for another CJ Sansom book Lamentation ended with Shardlake being taken on by Elizabeth before she becomes queen I so hope that it is the start of a new era with Shardlake. I hope Barak re joins him together with Nicholas

Good story - Shame about the reader

Would you listen to Lamentation again? Why?

Probably not. For me, Steven Crossley just does't get the tone right for the story right and and has massacred the voices of Barrak and Guy Morton.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Blind Eye

Subtitle: A Sephardic Journey

Author: Marcia Fine

Narrator: Christina Cox

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-14

Publisher: L'Image Press, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

First Place NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award

Emblazoned across distance and time, The Blind Eye A Sephardic Journey, frames a sweeping narrative beginning in 1492 with the expulsion of almost all Jews from Spain. As The Inquisition pursues them for 400 years they seek refuge in Portugal, Brazil and beyond. With the historical accuracy of scents, sounds and sights, this First Prize winner links family and cultural ties to a contemporary Cubana with a wicked wit as she learns about her past. Fast and moving.

The Blind Eye by award-winning author MARCIA FINE, is a First Prize winner from the Arizona Authors Association. This work of historical fiction also taps into the authors formative years in South Florida. With three historical novels and a satirical series set in Scottsdale, Fine has been a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award, Foreward Book of the Year, Best Books Award and USA Books News as well as a First Prize winner in Satire/Humor and selected as a "Top Ten Book of the Year" by bookcheerleader.com.

CHRISTINA COX is a 2014 Anthony Award nominated narrator best known for her starring roles on several series including Defying Gravity for ABC and Blood Ties for Lifetime as well as guest starring as Officer Zoey Kruger on Dexter, she is also known for the feature films The Chronicles of Riddick and Better Than Chocolate. As Co-Executive Producer and star, Christina recently helped resurrect Nikki & Nora - the most watched never aired pilot in history--as a web series. A self-confessed design junkie and devoted yoga practitioner, Christina currently resides in Los Angeles.

Members Reviews:

Engrossing & educational!

This story entwines two tales: one in the late 1990s an the other starts in 1492. Alegra Cardoza is a Native Floridian, descended from Cubans, who is looking for a new job, and perhaps a new life. She applies for a position as secretary to a history professor (Harold Guzman). In keeping his life organized, she learns that he is researching a writing a historical fiction about the Jewish expulsion of Spain in the late 15th century. The narration drops in and out of the fictional book the professor is writing, so we get to know the characters (mostly the Guzman family) in his book pretty well.

Wow! Just, simply, wow! I really enjoyed this book. Was I ignoring noisy chores, like vacuuming, just so I could listen to this book a little longer? Hell yes! Did I carry my laptop around with me so I could sneak in a few minutes of listening pleasure here and there, yes, I did. Perhaps I even ignored my man a little (Ive made it up to him and now he has a great book recommendation for his next listen).

Normally, when two stories are intertwined like this, I tend to strongly enjoy one over the other and kind of wish that the focus was just on the one I enjoyed. In this case, I enjoyed both equally well even though they were each quite different. They were intertwined quite well, showing the differences and similarities between the two times (especially for women).

Alegra is a modern woman in America. She has a full time job, has a boyfriend, lives her life the way she wants to. She also sucks at dating and lets her sisters bully her into make-overs all too often. Her life is at a cross roads when she applies for and gets a job with Professor Guzman. Pretty soon, the two are headed to Spain for his further research. There, she learns of his manuscript.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Reign: The Prophecy

Author: Lily Blake

Narrator: Anne Marie Gideon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-01-14

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

An original novel based on the hit television series, Reign.

Since Mary, Queen of Scotland was a child, the English have wanted her country and her crown. She is sent to France to wed its next king - to save herself and her people. It's a bond that should protect her, but there are forces that conspire...forces of darkness, forces of the heart. Mary's rule, and her life, has never been safe.

Find out what happens to Mary, Francis, Bash, and the rest of the French court after the season one finale.

Long may she reign.

Members Reviews:

Like a crudely done painting of an original masterpiece, this lacks the depth of passion that makes Reign so beloved.

I really didn't have high expectations but I was somewhat desperate having just finished Reign. The writing was ok---as someone who typically reads authors such as George RR Martin or Diane Gabaldon, it was not descriptive enough, and I felt there were so many different ways ---words, descriptions, backgrounds information--- that the author could have used to give more depth and originality to the piece. What ultimately was missed, and what made this just an "okay" book" rather than a "good book" was that the author failed to bring readers fully into the story; she missed the mark completely by failing to connect and enhance upon the core personalities that made these characters not just historical, but beloved; uniquely and undeniably Reign. Francis, Mary, Bash, Lola and even Catherine, who holds such a grounding point in the TC series with her fierce passion for her family, broke from character in ways that simply undermined the entire story. This could have been quite good, but unless the author learns to go deeper into what makes a character uniquely themselves, how to enhance and add dimension to an already well-loved story---it will never be great. I give credit for the attempt; there is some talent hiding here. It simply needs to be given more depth to make it truly come alive.

Four Stars

It was well written but a little disappointing after watching Reign

Lovely job!

Author did a lovely job!

Five Stars

Good book, but the best part is the perfect condition in which i received it.

Captivating

Great captivating story. It is so much richer if you have watched the program tv version, but works on its own, too. Quick, can't put it down kind of book.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Desert God

Author: Wilbur Smith

Narrator: Mike Grady

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-25-14

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A novel of Ancient Egypt from the best-selling author of River God. Wilbur Smith is a master at the helm of one of the greatest stories of all time.

On the banks of the Nile, a hero will rise.

Across the lush plains of Egypt, Taita, a freed eunuch slave, wears his authority lightly. Not only is he the close advisor to the Pharaoh, but he is guardian to Pharaoh Tamose's two teenage sisters, the young beauties Tehuti and Bekatha.

But the kingdom is not at peace. They have been fighting Southern Egypt's constant and historic enemy, the Hyksos people in the north, since time began. To finally crush them, Pharaoh must turn to his most trusted friend. Taita, philosopher, poet and expert strategist, has a plan that will see Egypt destroy the Hyksos army and form a coveted alliance with Crete in one move. This plan will take him, his expedition commander Zaras, and their mighty warriors on a perilous journey up the Nile, through Arabia to the magical city of Babylon, then across the open seas to Crete.The many dangers will cost lives and time, and they will meet battle and betrayal head on. But Taita must not forget his two charges, the spirited young princesses, whose attraction to the very warriors who lead the fight threatens Taita's meticulous plan and the future of Egypt itself.

Critic Reviews:

Praise for River God:

"Superlatively evocativeSmith's descriptions hardly falter over 500 pages and River God has relentless momentum" (Observer)

"Big, brave and blockbusting brilliantly detailed descriptions of life on the Nile" (Mail On Sunday)

"Grand mythical material. the set pieces are fabulous" (Times Literary Supplement)

"High adventure there is never a lull in his majestic novel overflowing with passion, rage, treachery, barbarism, prolonged excitement and endless passages of sheer, exquisite colour" (The Washington Post)

"A rich, compelling look back in time to when history and myth intermingled" (San Francisco Chronicle)

"A grand tale of intrigue, deception, true love and exile" (Denver Post)

"An epic of sex, death and intrigue in the Valley of the Kings richly written packs in the action excellent" (Weekend Telegraph)

Members Reviews:

Gripping story

couldn't stop listening. the story line is gripping and the characters crystal clear and precise in description.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Miniaturist

Author: Jessie Burton

Narrator: Davina Porter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-26-14

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Sold in over 30 territories, this evocative debut in the tradition of Sarah Dunant, Tracey Chevalier, and Emma Donoghue is set among a wealthy, dysfunctional family living in Amsterdam in 1686, during the decline of the Dutch Golden Age

"There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed...."

On an autumn day in 1686, 18-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of the illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways....

Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall?

Beautiful, intoxicating, and filled with heart-pounding suspense, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.

Members Reviews:

Mini houses

The miniaturist is a book about a young naive girl an mean religious woman and a wealthy gentleman who all have secrets from each other and amongst the town. It's all about revenge and too much pride.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Deadliest Sin

Author: The Medieval Murders

Narrator: Colin Mace

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-31-14

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In the spring of 1348, tales begin of poisonous clouds fast approaching, which have overwhelmed whole cities, with scarcely a human being left.

While some pray earnestly, there are those who hope that God's wrath might be averted by pilgrimage. When a group of pilgrims are forced to shelter at an inn, their host encourages them to tell their stories of sin, so that it might emerge which one is the best. And the worst...

Critic Reviews:

"With the combined imaginations of Bernard Knight Susanna Gregory, Ian Morson, and Philip Gooden, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read" (Daily Mail on The Sacred Stone)

"The various excellent crime writers each weave a clever and inventive tale around a central theme" (Good Book Guide on King Arthurs Bones)

Members Reviews:

Meandering story not helped by meandering reader

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This story, while interesting in places, does not really have a clear direction. It wanders all over the place and only briefly finds its footing. I wouldn't particularly recommend the book to a friend unless they really have nothing else on the go.

What three words best describe Colin Maces voice?

Great characterisation made off-putting by pauses and 'full stops' added. Where they should not be. Like that!

Was The Deadliest Sin worth the listening time?

Not really, but I'd bought it, so persevered.

Any additional comments?

Disappointing.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Sheep Country

Author: M. M. Lehman

Narrator: Gene Engene

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-10-14

Publisher: Books in Motion

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Upon the death of her father, Kim Demming has no alternative but to leave Seattle and go live with her uncle in Arrowhead, Wyoming. On the way, she meets Steve Owens a drifting cowhand who decides to look for work in Arrowhead. Neither of the two are aware of the serious roles they are about to play in Wyoming. Kim knew her uncle owned a ranch, but she didn't have any idea it was a sheep ranch located in cattle country. Nor was she aware of the range war brewing. Both Kim and Steve are hell-bent for trouble....

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Vacant Possession

Author: Hilary Mantel

Narrator: Sandra Duncan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-04-14

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Ten years have passed since Muriel Axon was locked away for society's protection, but psychiatric confinement has only increased her malice and ingenuity. At last free, she sets into motion an intricate plan to exact revenge on those who had her put away. Her former social worker, Isabel, and her old neighbors have moved on, but Muriel, with her talent for disguise, will infiltrate their homes and manipulate their lives, until all her enemies are brought together for a gruesome finale. Hilary Mantel's razor-sharp wit animates every page of this darkly comic tale of retribution.

Members Reviews:

Timely and accurate description.

Description was accurate and the book arrived promptly.

Read too long ago to remember much about it except that I liked it.

I CAN'T really remember it now- read it awhile ago--I liked it though.

Another goodie from Hilary Mantel

Her characters are always well-drawn and the situations they find themselves in are real. Reading it, one hopes for a successful resolution of the problems of this family and they can't always be guessed at. An enjoyable read.

brilliant. it is a dark and dirty world out ...

brilliant. it is a dark and dirty world out there. do not kid yourself it is not.dark lanes and houses where the DHSS only go with cover from the SAS Most of you never even smell the world so many people live in. And the reality is that you who sit in comfort whilst you read this book, actually fund it's existence. Look out the Bogeyman and Bogeywomen is about. and they will get you in the end. well done Hils.

Vacant Possession

Book and delivery from Amazon was, as usual, spot on. The Book, however was confusing and dark. I have read some of her other books and did not find them boring. Will try more of her others.