Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary

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Title: The Tale of Halcyon Crane

Author: Wendy Webb

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-30-10

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 374 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Ghosts don't exist in our world of today. Life is too pragmatic, too consuming, too busy for past lives to linger on longer than their allotted time, or so Halcyon had believed, until she received a letter from a lawyer claiming that her mother, whom she had thought long dead, had actually been living in another part of the country since Halcyon's early childhood. She had only recently passed away, leaving Halcyon heir to an unexpected fortune and an estate on an isolated island in the middle of the Great Lakes.

Setting out to find some answers, Halcyon travels to her mother's home. But will she be prepared for the ghastly family history that waits for her there, the visions and revelations that will change everything that she thought she knew about the father she lived with and the mother she'd lost long ago?

Critic Reviews:

Captivating and haunting, this debut proves Wendy Webb is a very gifted storyteller. (M. J. Rose, author of

The Memorist)

Members Reviews:

Atmosphere plus

Would you listen to The Tale of Halcyon Crane again? Why?

I have listened to this twice since purchasing it. It's one that I am sure I will return to again. It's genuinely atmospheric with a hint of gothic.

What other book might you compare The Tale of Halcyon Crane to and why?

The Thirtieth Tale. Anything by Kate Morton.

What about Cassandra Campbell???s performance did you like?

Her voice is even and fluctuates well with the rise and fall of the story

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

Yes, I could have listened straight through

Any additional comments?

A great ghost story with some real scary moments. Loved it.

loved it

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes - already have

Which scene was your favorite?

"say say oh playmate......." gave me goosebumps

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

kept me interested ..... read while i was driving to and from work. Had to stop listening when i was home by myself at night....spooked

Any additional comments?

the end was a little cheesy, but loved it as a whole

Wonderful author, excellent book

Where does The Tale of Halcyon Crane rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This is one of my favorite audible finds (along with Webb's book The Vanishing).

What did you like best about this story?

The story ties in so many fascinating plot points and handles them all extremely well. Once the story got going, I couldn't stop listening.

Spooky little story, loved it

There were some spooky moments in this story which made it quite enjoyable. Worth the credit for sure.

Loved it

I really enjoyed listening to this tale. Very well written and read!!!! Loved it will find more to listen to by Wendy Webb

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Title: Miss Buncle's Book

Author: D. E. Stevenson

Narrator: Patricia Gallimore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-10

Publisher: ISIS Audio Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 260 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The scene of this entertaining story is laid in a charming English village. The plot centres round Miss Barbara Buncle, a maiden lady who was obliged to write a book because as she naively explained her dividends were so poor. Unfortunately, Miss Buncle had no imagination, so she wrote about her friends quite kindly and truthfully, of course, for she was a benevolent and veracious soul.

The reactions of her friends to Miss Buncles book, however, were a little surprising, and the far-reaching and unexpected results of its publication caused quite a stir.

Members Reviews:

So good, I'll read them all!!

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It is a "period piece" actually written in the period. It was written in the thirties - when the vocabulary was prettier, the manners were kinder and the people were gentler. Sometimes I wished I were reading on my Kindle (for the instant dictionary) but then I would have missed the narrator's delivery - which was spot on - she changed voices for all characters. I plan to listen to all available D. E. Stevenson's books. Miss Buncle and her cast of characters were so entertaining and I got a glimpse of life in England in the thirties.

A delightful comedy

Here's hoping BBC makes a miniseries from the wonderful works of D.E. Stevenson. If so, the Miss Buncle books would be the place to start. They are charming tales that any fan of Austen or Gaskell would likely appreciate.

Barbara Buncle is a naive single woman of a certain age who must suddenly find a way to make a living for herself. Deciding that her only option is to write a book, but feeling herself to be sadly lacking in imagination, Barabara writes about her neighbors in the small town of Silverstream- first assuming the pseudonym of John Smith and politely changing the names of all who are mentioned in her tale. Rather than writing the lives of her neighbors exactly, Barbara allows each character to do what she believes they secretly wish to do.

Unfortunately Barbara does such a good job of describing her neighbors that they quickly recognize themselves. While some infuriated townsfolk begin a witch hunt for the slanderous "John Smith," others, including Barbara herself, take the suggestions of the story as an opportunity to embark on new adventures in this humorous tale of fiction becoming fact.

A delight

I am a long time fan of D. E. Stevenson's books, and Miss Buncle's Book was the first I read. I greatly enjoyed the audiobook version, and am delighted to see that Audible released the second in the series, Miss Buncle Married, which I am downloading as I type. Hopefully this will be followed by the third in the series, The Two Mrs Abbotts, which follows Barbara Buncle Abbott and her niece-in-law during WWII.

Charming. Just Charming.

I got tired of waiting to find a reasonably priced Persephone edition of Miss Buncle's Book, about which I had heard so many raves, so I downloaded an audio version. Wonderfully read by Patricia Gallimore, it was a true delight! (And I'm not one who usually cares much for humorous novels.)

Miss Buncle writes and publishes under the pseudonym of John Smith a book based on observations of her fellow villagers, and quite a hoopla erupts as they recognize themselves in 'Distruber of the Peace,' which soon becomes a best-seller.

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Title: Midnight Sons, Volume 3

Subtitle: Falling for Him, Ending in Marriage, Midnight Sons and Daughters

Author: Debbie Macomber

Narrator: Dan John Miller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-26-10

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 143 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Location: north of the Arctic Circle. Population: 150 (mostly men!) But the three O'Halloran brothers, who run a bush-plane charter service called Midnight Sons, are heading a campaign to bring women to town.

Falling for Him

Christian, the youngest O'Halloran brother, has a problem, and her name is Mariah Douglas. The Midnight Sons secretary is always losing his messages, misplacing his files, and generally creating chaos. Despite that, he can't get her out of his mind....

Ending in Marriage

The clashes between pilot Duke Porter and Seattle attorney Tracy Santiago are legendary. Duke's a tough, rugged individualist who delights in expressing outrageous opinions, particularly when Tracy's around. But she gives as good as she gets...and not just when they're arguing!

And a Special Bonus Story... Midnight Sons and Daughters

Scott O'Halloran and Chrissie Harris are all grown up now. After years away from Alaska, Scott's back in town, and everybody's wondering if he's here to stay. Especially Chrissie, the girl he left behind.

Members Reviews:

have enjoyed all books in this series

Debbie Macomber continues to entertain her followers with entertaining stories based on families. Love the family connection in her books

Really liked all the characters

I enjoyed this entire series. Couldn't wait to listen to each one. Start at Volume 1.

Midnight Sons

This sets the tone for a very great series. I was pleasantly surprised. The narrator was great. He read for the entire series and did a fantastic job, his voice was not irritating nor too masculine for the children or female parts. I listened to all three volumes and was not disappointed.

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Title: Herzog

Author: Saul Bellow

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-02-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 219 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Winner of the National Book Award when it was first published in 1964, Herzog traces five days in the life of a failed academic whose wife has recently left him for his best friend. Through the device of letter writing, Herzog movingly portrays both the internal life of its eponymous hero and the complexity of modern consciousness.

Like the protagonists of most of Bellow's novels - Dangling Man, The Victim, Seize the Day, Henderson the Rain King, etc. - Herzog is a man seeking balance, trying to regain a foothold on his life. Thrown out of his ex-wife's house, he retreats to his abandoned home in Ludeyville, a remote village in the Berkshire mountains to which Herzog had previously moved his wife and friends. Here amid the dust and vermin of the disused house, Herzog begins scribbling letters to family, friends, lovers, colleagues, enemies, dead philosophers, ex- Presidents - anyone with whom he feels compelled to set the record straight. The letters, we learn, are never sent. They are a means to cure himself of the immense psychic strain of his failed second marriage, a method by which he can recognize truths that will free him to love others and to learn to abide with the knowledge of death. In order to do so he must confront the fact that he has been a bad husband, a loving but poor father, an ungrateful child, a distant brother, an egoist to friends, and an apathetic citizen.

Herzog is primarily a novel of redemption. For all of its innovative techniques and brilliant comedy, it tells one of the oldest of stories. Like The Divine Comedy or the dark night of the soul of St. John of the Cross, it progresses from darkness to light, from ignorance to enlightenment. Today it is still considered one of the greatest literary expressions of postwar America.

Critic Reviews:

"A masterpiece." (

New York Times Book Review)"Herzog has the range, depth, intensity, verbal brilliance, and imaginative fullness - the mind and heart - which we may expect only of a novel that is unmistakably destined to last." (

Newsweek)

Members Reviews:

Grows Within You

As I rolled through this listen I kept waiting for for the profundity to hit. Surely there must some great, self-shaking thought just around the corner or maybe somewhere in Chicago. But everyday seemingly regular people, especially our mildly eccentric hero, never do anything really unexpected or extraordinary. Then it begins to sink in. This isn't about the extraordinary. It really is about the common, ordinary life of one man struggling with things we [all] struggle with.

The writing is like yeast added to water and that to flour. At first you don't really notice anything. But given time, it begins to grow. The thoughts on relationships are sad and funny at the same time. Why do we make bad choices? We just do.

I would add this book to a "must read" list.

The narration is perfect for the material and not overdone in the least.

Highly recommend if you like books above the level of the trashy novel but want something easier than Dickens!

Chris Reich

TeachU

Stuck in Your Head

Any additional comments?

I spend a lot of time arguing that you can get as much from an audiobook as from a paper book, but Bellow tests that claim. This is a powerful book about a man who has a hard time pulling himself out of the texts of his life and into his real life.

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Title: Precious

Author: Sapphire

Narrator: Bahni Turpin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-09

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 413 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

For Precious Jones, 16 and pregnant with her father's child, miraculous hope appears and the world begins to open up for her when a courageous, determined teacher bullies, cajoles, and inspires her to learn to read, to define her own feelings and set them down in a diary.

©2009 Sapphire; (P)2009 Random House

Members Reviews:

A True Dose of Reality . . .

I purchased this book and had it sitting on my iPod to listen to . . but decided after watching the Academy Awards on Sunday to listen to it before I rented and watched the movie. And I was not disappointed . . although the language is raw . . the feeling is real. And the further you get into the story . . . you realize it's not just about being black, poor or the result of a system of well-fare that frequently instead of helping people . . only makes them more dependent and promotes fraud. It also reminds us of a society that preys on females . . . and that abuse crosses all color barriers. And it's the story of one girl's ability to overcome all of these barriers . . . and develop into a whole person. A truly inspirational story . . . now I'm looking forward to watching the movie based on it as well.

Emotional Rollercoaster

It's hard to find the words that can describe the feelings brought about by this book. Anger doesn't seem to be quite right, nor does sadness. Precious is a product of her environment, which is a product of our society. Her tale is gut-wrenching and all too real.

After you've recovered from the horrors in this book, you want to jump up and take action against all the forces involved in creating the situation in which Precious lives.

This book is a must for everyone - especially educators and anyone else working with underprivileged and/or abused children.

Amazing Narration!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Precious (Push) is one of those books that makes you think about your life in totally different terms. The struggles of the main character are hard to inagine for many of us. Her strength and endurance despite those circumstances are more than just a feel-good. In fact this is not a feel-good book, but it will make your head spin and remember when you had dreams of a better future.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Precious?

When she first starts learning to use a journal and then developing an amazing relationship of support with her teacher. When she refuses to let her mother take over her existence again.

What about Bahni Turpins performance did you like?

Amazing. This is a hard character to imagine off the page, but the narrator really captures the character's voice and is truly excellent. She does an amazing job with this.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended, even if you've already read the print version.

compelling

I got this not knowing much about the writer or story. Just kept hearing the Oscar buzz for it. I can not express enough how heart wrenching gutting and somehow drizzled with hope this journey has been. I have cried, cheered and have been taken on a journey through the narrators voice. The language is real, raw unrepentant. Days later I'm still thinking of Precious...

Fantastic narration

As soon as I listed to the sample I knew I had to download this. The narrator is stunningly talented and the book is gripping. Highly recommend.

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Title: Juliet, Naked

Author: Nick Hornby

Narrator: Bill Irwin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-29-09

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 871 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Annie loves Duncan - or thinks she does. Duncan loves Annie, but then, all of a sudden, he doesn't. Duncan really loves Tucker Crowe, a reclusive Dylanish singer-songwriter who stopped making music 10 years ago. Annie stops loving Duncan, and starts getting her own life. In doing so, she initiates an e-mail correspondence with Tucker, and a connection is forged between two lonely people who are looking for more out of what they've got.

Tucker's been languishing (and he's unnervingly aware of it), living in rural Pennsylvania with what he sees as his one hope for redemption amid a life of emotional and artistic ruin - his young son, Jackson. But then there's also the new material he's about to release to the world: an acoustic, stripped-down version of his greatest album, Juliet - entitled, Juliet, Naked.

What happens when a washed-up musician looks for another chance? And miles away, a restless, childless woman looks for a change? Juliet, Naked is a powerfully engrossing, humblingly humorous novel about music, love, loneliness, and the struggle to live up to one's promise.

Members Reviews:

So this is how good an audiobook can be

I'm not reviewing the content of the book, quite excellent, especially if you are a Nick Hornby fan, but rather the recording. It was brilliant using the three narrators. I also enjoyed the musical segue ways.

Brilliant!

I thouroughly enjoyed every bit of this book. The narrators were all fantastic. The characters were so well drawn I felt like I knew them all by the end of the book. It was witty and funny and serious and sad all at the same time. It was an all around excellent effort on Hornby's part. Loved it. Can't say that enought. I'm going to check out his other work now too.

Missed the characters terribly after finishing

I liked this novel a great deal -had never read anything by Hornby before but it made me want to read other things by him- and the narration with the English and American accents makes it even more enjoyable. I felt the author understood and explained the different characters very well, especially the woman (which surprised me) and the musician. There were many amusing parts, the dialogue and the feelings and motivations of the characters felt true, and I almost felt I became friends with (or at least would want to, in the case of the woman and the older man-musician) the characters. At the end, I wished the book could have been two or three times longer, so as to not have to say goodbye to the characters.

If you're a fan, this is one of his very best.

I loved it loved it loved it.

It's funny, it's sly, it's deep, it's sweet.

I loved it.

Very good listen!

The three narrators did a wonderful job of exposing the listener to the individual minds of the main characters. If you enjoy Nick Hornby's work, I would highly recommend Juliet, Naked.

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Title: Await Your Reply

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Dan Chaon

Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-14-09

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 213 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Three strangers who are trying to find their way in the wake of loss become entwined in an identity theft scheme, which has a resounding impact on them all.

Longing to get on with his life, Miles Cheshire nevertheless can't stop searching for his troubled twin brother, Hayden, who has been missing for ten years.

A few days after graduating from high school, Lucy Lattimore sneaks away from the small town of Pompey, Ohio, with her charismatic former history teacher. They arrive in Nebraska, in the middle of nowhere, at a long-deserted motel next to a dried-up reservoir, to figure out the next move on their path to a new life.

My whole life is a lie, thinks Ryan Schuyler, who has recently learned some shocking news. In response, he walks off the Northwestern University campus, hops on a bus, and breaks loose from his existence, which suddenly seems abstract and tenuous.

A gorgeously written psychological study, and a meditation on identity in the modern world, this is a literary novel with the haunting momentum of a thriller.

Editorial Reviews:

"Who are you?" a confused character asks midway through Await Your Reply, Dan Chaon's beguiling novel about identity theft. The best answer comes from one of the book's six central characters, George Orson. "We can be anyone we want. Don't you realize that?" the Ohio schoolteacher says to Lucy, an 18-year-old high school student he has run away with to an abandoned motel in Nebraska.

A professor of fiction at Oberlin College, Chaon skillfully weaves together three distinct stories in his critically-acclaimed novel. The second story involves Jay and his newly-discovered adult son, Ryan, who we meet nearly bleeding to death after someone has cut off his left hand late one night in rural Michigan. The third plotline involves Miles, who drives more than 4,000 miles to the remote Arctic outpost of Inuvik in Canada in search of his long-lost twin brother, Hayden. Such stories initially seem unrelated. But as the characters crisscross the globe and the novel jumps back and forth in time, we gradually realize these people have a lot in common besides their desire to reinvent themselves. Quentin Tarantino and Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of Chaon's ingenious yet plausible plot twists.

Await Your Reply raises fascinating questions about personal identity that sound like they came straight out of the Matrix movies or Philip K. Dick novels if they had been set mostly in middle America. Are we who we are for life? Or can we truly transform ourselves as George tells Lucy? And if we can change and actually do so, who are we if we are no longer ourselves? Do our former selves cease to exist? Or are these old personalities simply set aside just in case someone else wants to become that person? If so, does that mean a personality can temporarily exist without a person?

Chaon has narrator Kirby Heyborne to thank for making such seemingly bizarre questions, plots, and characters sound plausible in this performance of Await Your Reply. Heyborne's meticulous tone perfectly matches Chaon's carefully chosen words. And, like many of the people in the novel, Heyborne has a mild-mannered way of speaking that gives the characters an innocent, honest quality. We instinctually believe everything Heyborne says because he sounds as honest as the Midwesterners he brings to life.

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Title: The Historian

Author: Elizabeth Kostova

Narrator: Joanne Whalley, Dennis Boutsikaris, Rosalyn Landor, Martin Jarvis, Robin Atkin Downes, Jim Ward

Format: Abridged

Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-31-09

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 117 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history....Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of-a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history. The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known-and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out.

©2009 Elizabeth Kostova; (P)2009 Hachette

Critic Reviews:

"Quite extraordinary....Kostova is a natural storyteller....She has refashioned the vampire myth into a compelling contemporary novel, a late-night page-turner." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Kostova's vampire is no campy Lugosi knockoff....Blending history and myth, Kostova has fashioned a version so fresh that when a stake is finally driven through a heart, it inspires the tragic shock of something happening for the very first time." (Newsweek)

"Impossible to resist." (Miami Herald)

Members Reviews:

Dracula revisited

I loved this book when I read it a few years ago, and I was a little aprehensive about the abridged version, given that the full story is so wonderful and dense. This audio version is well worth the download.. It flowed seamlessly and I did not once get the sensation that I was listening to only half the story. One of the authors has a bit of a funny tone to his voice, but the primary narrator is engaging and easy to listen to.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys -real- vampire stories, where the creatures are terrifying and intelligent (unlike more contemporary interpretations of Vampires being pretty, shiny, go to high school and are no more frightening than a pair of bunny slippers). Vampire stories that cause your gut to clench in fright.

For those who like their stories with a little history thrown in, Kostova has brought the legend of Vlad Tepes (AKA Vlad Dracul or Dracula) into a relatively modern setting, with the story's protagonists being hunted by Vlad Tepes' sinister inhuman agents as they move throughout Europe in their hunt to find, and destroy Tepes once and for all.

Download, read, enjoy! :)

Don't get the abridged

Great story but it was incomplete. I thought i had not download the whole book when it ended.

But i don't want to spend a credit buying the book again. I am out of this line of books unfortunately.

Probably better unabridged

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

Top 5

Who was your favorite character and why?

The father I guess, he's the protagonist.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

The unabridged version would probably be worth the extra money. I purchased this one because it was only 10 hours long, and I had a 10 hour car trip, and I wanted something digestible. However, the characters are not very well developed, the plot is jumpy, and the language is rushed in this abridged version.

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Title: Bright Lights, Big City

Author: Jay McInerney

Narrator: Daniel Passer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-25-09

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 155 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The tragicomedy of a young man in New York City, a writer, never named, who works as a fact-checker for a prestigious magazine. He struggles with the reality of his mother's death, alienation, and the seductive pull of drugs and a vibrant nightlife.

©1984 Jay McInerney; ©2009 Random House

Critic Reviews:

"A sidelong look at life in the Big Apple, as experienced by youth that once had hope and aspirations. In spite of the depths to which the main characters descend, the exuberance and humour of the narrative maintains its wonderful disregard for conventional behaviour with great buoyancy. An entertaining read, but it is the resignation and frustration that lingers in the mind that makes this novel so compelling." (Kirkus)

"A rambunctious, deadly funny novel that goes right for the mark - the human heart." (Raymond Carver)

"The author is one of those reare writers who catches the moods, nuances and manners of a sub-culture with humor, finesse, skill and accuracy. A born stylist and remarkable discovery!" (George Plimpton)

Members Reviews:

Curiously, mundanely real

Just about everyone who has never lived in New York likes to imagine what it might be like. I found the book just the right balance of obscure and mundane to be believable. It's easy to imagine a person such as the main character existing in NY in the 80s.

Don't let my title mislead though, this book isn't boring. It's just got the right amount of day to day normality to make it believable.

When the book finished I initially thought "What? Where's the ending?". But after more thought about what the book was trying to achieve, I'm pretty satisfied with it. It's not a big morality tale, as I started to expect it would be. I was disappointed with some of the character's actions, in just the way I am sometimes disappointed with my actions or those of friends. But that's what makes this book endearing. It's as just life from the eyes of just another person.

The more I think about this book the more I'm glad I read it.

Final note though: At 5ish hours it's a fantastic quick read. Easy to follow, easy to visualise. I bought this on sale, and am glad I did.

Great Book, not for everyone

If you could sum up Bright Lights, Big City in three words, what would they be?

Provocative, bratty, brilliant.

What did you like best about this story?

This story follows a broken man who refuses to acknowledge he is broken. It is written in such a way that the reader also refuses to acknowledge this brokenness. This story is also written in second person which is interesting and atypical.

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

Yes. I didn't, but it was short enough that I could.

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Title: Invisible Life

Author: E. Lynn Harris

Narrator: Mirron Willis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-11-09

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 98 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Just a few years ago, E. Lynn Harris was selling his self-published novel Invisible Life out of the back of his car. Today he is a best-selling publishing sensation, with more than one million copies of his four novels sold. To celebrate Harris's incredible success, and offer his fans the opportunity to own, at last, an audio version of Invisible Life.

Invisible Life is the story of a young man's coming of age. Law school, girlfriends, and career choices were all part of Raymond Tyler's life, but there were other, more terrifying issues for him to confront. Being black was tough enough, but Raymond was becoming more and more conscious of sexual feelings that he knew weren't "right." He was completely committed to Sela, his longtime girlfriend, but his attraction to Kelvin, whom he had met during his last year in law school, had become more than just a friendship. No matter how much he tried to suppress them, his feelings were deeply sexual.

Fleeing to New York to escape both Sela and Kelvin, Raymond finds himself more confused than ever before. New relationships--both male and female--give him enormous pleasure but keep him from finding the inner peace and lasting love he so desperately desires. The horrible illness and death of a friend force Raymond, at last, to face the truth.

"A quick, entertaining and thought-provoking read - This is a compelling story that commands and holds the attention until the final page is turned." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

©1994 E. Lynn Harris; (P)2009 Random House

Critic Reviews:

"One of our favorite books on race, gender, and rules that you must not live without." (Vibe)

Members Reviews:

Amazing!!!

What made the experience of listening to Invisible Life the most enjoyable?

I have read this book SOOOO many times but hearinig it read was awesome. It brought the book even more to life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Invisible Life?

Kelvin and Ray's first kiss was the most memorable of the book.

Which scene was your favorite?

Kelvin an Ray's first kiss will always be my favorite scene.

Any additional comments?

This book helped me to feel perfectly fine about being openly gay and comfortable in my own skin.

This was do good.

I read this back in the 90's. it's as good now as it was then.

bravo

I cant express my gratitude for your work sufficiently. This is a fantastic read!!!

All in all great read !!

This was actually my first audio book ever. I enjoyed the storyline. I am not knowledgeable about the black male gay community, but I felt like I was being taken to school while reading his book. I read this book wanting to know "why happens next?!", and while it was sensual, it was not explicitly sexual- which was like. I did not feel like I was reading/listening to "gay porn", but- (well, let me not say that- ).

I'm not sure why exactly, but I did not like that narrators voice.- sorry.

Gone too soon

I first discovered E. Lynn in 2000 by that time he was already on his sixth book! I went through each myriad of emotions reading all of his books. It felt like he was telling my life story! Through his books I found inspiration to write my own books. I pray that God gives me the ability to touch people's lives as E. Lynn did! I really would've kept reading as he kept writing. I wander what's going on with Basil, Yancey and Raymond? Hopefully someone will pick up where E.