Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary

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Title: Leaving the Atocha Station

Author: Ben Lerner

Narrator: Ben Lerner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-11

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 119 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Adam Gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid, struggling to establish his sense of self and his relationship to art. Instead of following the dictates of his fellowship, Adam's 'research' becomes a meditation on the possibility of the genuine in the arts and beyond: are his relationships with the people he meets in Spain as fraudulent as he fears his poems are? Is poetry an essential art form, or merely a screen for the reader's projections? A witness to the 2004 Madrid train bombings and their aftermath, does he participate in historic events or merely watch them pass him by?

Critic Reviews:

"[A] noteworthy debut.... Lerner has fun with the interplay between the unreliable spoken word and subtleties in speech and body language, capturing the struggle of a young artist unsure of the meaning or value of his art...[and] succeeds in drawing out the problems inherent in art, expectation, and communication. And his Adam is a complex creation, relatable but unreliable, humorous but sad, at once a young man adrift and an artist intensely invested in his surroundings." (

Publishers Weekly)

"Well written and full of captivating ideas." (

Library Journal)

"[P]rofoundly evocative.... [Lerner] cleverly, seductively, and hilariously investigates the nature of language and storytelling, veracity and fraud." (

Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Captured the Challenge of second language

Where does Leaving the Atocha Station rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

The author wrote beautifully about that weird place of understanding enough of the language and culture to pass as fluency and then never be quite sure of what you heard, said, or took place. For any of us that have been there , it was beautifully done: did he say this or that? Was it future or past? what did I just say? A story that might be ho hum takes and humor and sadness from this perspective.

Which character as performed by Ben Lerner was your favorite?

I loved that the reader was the author, He made it rich with his feelings and confusion. The emotions were so heart felt.

Any additional comments?

I recommend this to anyone who has lived abroad or travelled knowing the languge just enough to get into trouble looking fluent.

Insightful, beautiful

I loved this book & Im not sure why. I think part of it is the language (the author is a poet), the other part is how believable the main character is as a human being.

Adam has a serious case of imposter syndrome, and his way of dealing with this is sometimes to lie, try to look or sound mysterious (I'm not sure how well that actually works for him), or pop anxiety pills. His lies are painful not least because hes absolute rubbish at remembering that he lied at all. Hes terrified the people around him will see him as a fraud. Hes uncomfortable, were uncomfortable but the people around him in the book seem to be completely fine with it all, although he ascribes to them a higher wisdom than is likely. He thinks he's a fraud as a person & as a poet & neither of these seem likely. He certainly puts too much meaning in to his interactions with others & overthinks things.

A lot of this book is us spending time in Adam's head. His perspective is definitely warped though so we see some things he doesn't.

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Title: Delta Wedding

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Eudora Welty

Narrator: Sally Darling

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-18-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 42 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Set on the Mississippi Delta in 1923, this story captures the mind and manners of the Fairchilds, a large aristocratic family, self-contained and elusive as the wind. The vagaries of the Fairchilds are keenly observed, and sometimes harshly judged, by nine-year-old Laura McRaven, a Fairchild cousin who takes The Yellow Dog train to the Delta for Dabney Fairchilds wedding. An only child whose mother has just died, Laura is resentful of her boisterous, careless cousins, and desperate for their acceptance. As the hour moves closer and closer to wedding day, Laura arrives at a more subtle understanding of both the Fairchilds and herself. Born in 1909 in Jackson, Mississippi, Eudora Welty is one of the Souths finest novelists. She won a Pulitzer in 1972 for The Optimists Daughter. Delta Wedding is her best known work.

Members Reviews:

Soul Food

Would you listen to Delta Wedding again? Why?

Yes, as I am certain I missed points. Ms. Welty did such a masterful job of painting a word picture of the time, the place, the people. My mother was from the south at just about that time. No, the author did not show the downside of the era or the differences of the races or the way women had no say. That was not the purpose of the story. The Help, Color Purple took on that task. Ms Welty I believe wanted to show life from her perspective.

What did you like best about this story?

I was there. She had a way of putting the reader into the house and the wedding week. From the adoration of an uncle to the brusk no nonsence presence of his brother (father of the house) and the foibles of their sisters married and not to the mother of the house, gentle and accepting we met them all. Then there were the children of all ages and races. We met the negro servants but of course we did not learn their personalities as Ms. Welty woud not have seen them as they were. It was very of the period.

Have you listened to any of Sally Darlings other performances before? How does this one compare?

She made the book what it is. I had not heard her before but what an excellent addition to this book.

If you could rename Delta Wedding, what would you call it?

Yazoo Tales.

Any additional comments?

After a number of books that were controvesial and ripped at your heart I needed a mint julip and slow fan on the porch. This was the book.

This is classic Welty

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

Yes, to someone who enjoys slow, quiet stories that focus on the everyday circumstances of life. As always, Welty creates memorable characters that we can relate to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was the mother. Welty characterized her as strong yet vulnerable.

Have you listened to any of Sally Darlings other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I often chuckled at Welty's details--she is so good with them. In many passages, I wished that I were reading a written copy of the book so that I could go back and reread them as many times as I wished. Her writing is so beautiful and moving.

The Delta Wedding was a Treat

Sally Darling did a wonderful job of reading Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty. I was sad when it ended because I had come to love the sound of Sally Darling's voice. She captured the slow southern drawl perfectly.

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Title: The Judgment

Subtitle: The Rose Trilogy, Book 2

Author: Beverly Lewis

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-11-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 139 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A Christy Award winner, New York Times best-selling author Beverly Lewis enthralls millions with her inspiring tales of Amish life. Now engaged to hardworking Silas Good, Rose Kauffman struggles with her feelings for longtime friend Nick Franco, who left the Amish community under a cloud of suspicion. Meanwhile, Roses older sister has returned to her parents farm, hoping to re-establish her place among the People and to retain custody of her daughter.

Members Reviews:

An Odd Listen For An Old Man

The Judgment by Beverly Lewis was a very odd listen for me. I bought it as a daily special on Audible. I felt a little embarrassed when I realized that young adult females who are devout Christians were the target audience. As a senior male, I still found the simple story with minimal conflict interesting because decorated the story with peaks into the rich Amish culture of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. The Judgment is the second installment in the Rose trilogy, named for main character and narrator of the story. I may just get the first and third installments to see how much more I can learn about the Amish. Afterwards I can give them to my first granddaughter when I am blessed with one.

Storyline drew out far too long

I felt like the storyline surrounding Hen and Brandon's marriage drew out far too long. I was beginning to lose interest.

Awesome

I loved this book. I love the way Beverly Lewis changes from one story to another just long enough to keep you wanting to know what happens next.

Pretty good story - not really my genre

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I liked this peek into what life in an Amish community might be like. This is the first time I have read or listened to a romance novel and I wasn't totally into it, but I did enjoy it. The story was well told and well narrated.

Would you ever listen to anything by Beverly Lewis again?

No. As I said, it just wasn't my kind of book, but it was on sale and I thought I would give it a try.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed when Rose finally met up with her long-lost boyfriend who had been shunned by the People.

Did The Judgment inspire you to do anything?

No.

Really Enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this book the narrator is pleasant to listen to and I love Beverly Lewis.

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Title: Shadow's Edge: Night Angel Trilogy, Book 2

Author: Brent Weeks

Narrator: Paul Boehmer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-07-11

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 123 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Kylar has rejected the assassin's life. In the wake of the Godking's violent coup, both his master and his closest friend are dead. His friend was Logan Gyre, heir to Cenarias throne, but few of the ruling class survive to mourn his loss. So Kylar is starting over: new city, new companions, and new profession. But when he learns that Logan might be alive, trapped and in hiding, Kylar faces an impossible choice. He could give up the way of shadows forever, and find peace with his young family. Or Kylar could succumb to his flair for destruction, the years of training, to save his friend and his country - and lose all he holds precious.

Critic Reviews:

I was mesmerized from start to finish. Unforgettable characters, a plot that kept me guessing, non-stop action and the kind of in-depth storytelling that makes me admire a writer's work. (Terry Brooks)

Members Reviews:

Brilliant!

Shadow's Edge is the brilliant sequel to The Way of Shadows. The Khalidorans have conquered, but a group of Cenarian rebels, led by Logan Gyre fight back against the Godking's armies. Khylar Stern and Vi team up, to attempt the impossible, assassinate the Godking Garoth Urssuul. This audiobook is once again brilliantly narrated by Paul Boehmer.

Fantastic

This is a fantastic story I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading a magnificent story

Superb.

Book 1 was great - this is better. We delve deeper into the characters, and indeed meet some new ones. Some of them are grim, some heroic, but all are fascinating in their own way. Looking forward to hearing book 3!

3.5 Stars - destroying your own work by B.Weeks

The author:

The story is set in a fantastical land with several types of magic, a whole host of politics and an arch-typical anti-hero supported by several groups of friends. Some known and others not so much.

The plot is winding, exciting and intricate if not a touch random at times. All in all solid.

The problem then, the thing which very nearly destroys this book. I mean that too, it almost ruins the very atmosphere Weeks has taken so long to build and worked so hard to make interesting is the dialogue.

It. Is. Awful.

Modern day america, in a fantasy setting. Malcolm in the middle meets lord of the rings. Poor, a poor poor show from a man with obvious talent and it grated one me start to finish. I nearly returned the book within the first 10 minutes of buying it because it was that bad.

It grew on me, or rather the story was good, and it partly made up for the poor character dialogue.

The narrator:

Paul Boehmer doing a superb job as usual. After listening to Robin Hobbs, Farseer trilogy which he narrated, I decided to give this a go. He does a good job of portraying the character differently and in an interesting fashion. there is a few points where he confuses the voices of the characters however but this is not a major issue as it is clear who is saying what or at least meant to be saying.

All in all, if you have read The kingkiller chronicle, The farseer trilogy and are now looking for something else, this falls in a fairly secure third or fourth place. If you haven't read those.... do so now then come back to this.

Great Sequel

This is a fantastic sequel, to a lovely book. After the first book you may worry that not much space was left for character development but Brent Weeks masterfully slips round the obvious problems.

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Title: Joy for Beginners

Author: Erica Bauermeister

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-09-11

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 84 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

At an intimate, festive dinner party in Seattle, six women gather to celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer. Wineglass in hand, Kate strikes a bargain with them. To celebrate her new lease on life, she'll do the one thing that's always terrified her: white-water rafting. But if she goes, all of them will also do something they always swore they'd never do-and Kate is going to choose their adventures.

Shimmering with warmth, wit, and insight, Joy for Beginners is a celebration of life: unexpected, lyrical, and deeply satisfying.

Members Reviews:

Good friends

Would you listen to Joy for Beginners again? Why?

I really enjoyed this book. It is a great reminder of the importance of good friends.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really enjoyed all of the characters. They were all so different in their outlook on life and its issues.

What does Cassandra Campbell bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Hearing this story read made it seem like a conversation with friends.

If you could rename Joy for Beginners, what would you call it?

I think this is a great, innovative title.

Great listen

This was a great listen, well worth a credit. I had read Erica Bauermeister's previous book about a cooking class and enjoyed it so was looking forward to listening to this. It did not disappoint. I enjoyed how each chapter focused on one character and their challenge and how they met it. It made me think about what we might be missing out on life because we might be afraid to try something new.

The story struck the right tone between not too heavy and not too light. I had a few driveway moments where I sat in the car for a few minutes longer after arriving home to hear what happened next.

The narration was generally good, but the male characters, the few that there were, all kind of sounded the same.

All in all a fun, engaging story that also makes you think a little bit about what joy you might be missing out on.

You're here, be here!

What a beautiful story...set of stories, actually...all bundled together to make a lovely epic of love, friendship, courage (big and small) and the daring willingness to try adventures great and small. I'd recommend this book for anyone needing a sense of joy!

So glad to have met diverse and interesting women

Would you consider the audio edition of Joy for Beginners to be better than the print version?

As I have not read it but only listened so I can not compare. Audio is wonderful at brining the the characters alive--Erica Baurmeister's books are great to listen to as they flow in a very conversational manner.

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Title: Artemis

Subtitle: Thomas Kydd, Book 2

Author: Julian Stockwin

Narrator: Christian Rodska

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-18-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 139 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This second naval adventure follows the life of Thomas Paine Kydd who sails into Portsmouth a hero after a ferocious battle against the French. Soon the sea beckons and Kydd sets off aboard his beloved Artemis for another adventure.

Members Reviews:

Excellent Adventure

Would you listen to Artemis again? Why?

Yes - it is a captivating listen - full of excitement, adventure, and feeling. Christian Rodska delivers a sublime narration - brings all of the characters to life.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the whole story. Difficult to pull out any part I liked better than others.

What does Christian Rodska bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Christian Rodska skillfully brings personality via voice to each of the characters - the images appear in my mind of what the characters look like easily because of the excellent performance by Mr. Rodska.

Who was the most memorable character of Artemis and why?

Kydd is the main character and is of course "memorable", but the entire cast is so vividly portrayed that it's difficult to single Kydd out as the "most" memorable character.

Any additional comments?

This Kydd series is a fascinating look at life aboard English ships of war through the eyes of Thomas Kydd - the books are so well written and narrated that it's easy to feel Kydd's experiences - these are really proving to be great books and excellent listens.

Around the World - Triumph to Tragedy

What did you like best about this story?

This book took them around the world with a purpose. Kydd's time on the Artemas is both interesting and challenging. Their time in the South Pacific is an interesting scenario.

Which character as performed by Christian Rodska was your favorite?

Rodska does such a good job with all of the characters, it is very difficult to choose one. He does such an excellent job at making the characters different and realistic. Where the story may lack and lull from time to time, Rodska makes a difference.

A 1790s sailors view of China

I am a big fan of historical age of Sail naval genre particularly those set during the Napoleonic era. I enjoyed the first book in this series Kydd so I have ventured on to book two in the series. The time frame of the book is 1793.

Thomas Kydd and his friend Nicolas Renzi is now Able Seaman aboard the frigate HMS Artemis. After a battle against the French frigate Citoyenne which includes hard to had combat the Artemis barely wins the battle. Our heroes are promoted to Petty Officers. Kydd sister arrived in port to tell him their father is gravely ill. Kydd obtain permission for leave to visit his father before the Artemis sails for India and China.

Stockwin paints a full vivid picture of naval life with lots of attention to detail. It is obvious there is lots of knowledge and research behind this book, as well as knowledge about Royal Navy life of that era. Stockwin is a good writer and drives the story forward at a good clip. The characters are original and interesting. The book is entertaining and educational. I can recommend this book to anyone interested in nautical historical fiction. Christian Rodska narrated the book.

A Fine Sea Tale

This is a fine sea tale and a good read, but not up to snuff on sailing or details of ship work.

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Title: Save Me

Author: Lisa Scottoline

Narrator: Cynthia Nixon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 04-12-11

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 421 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From the New York Times best-selling author of Think Twice and Look Again comes an emotionally powerful novel about a split-second choice, agonizing consequences, and the need for justice. Rose McKenna volunteers as a lunch mom in her daughter Mellys school in order to keep an eye on Amanda, a mean girl whos been bullying her daughter. Her fears come true when the bullying begins, sending Melly to the bathroom in tears. Just as Rose is about to follow after her daughter, a massive explosion goes off in the kitchen, sending the room into chaos. Rose finds herself faced with the horrifying decision of whether or not to run to the bathroom to rescue her daughter or usher Amanda to safety. She believes she has accomplished both, only to discover that Amanda, for an unknown reason, ran back into the school once out of Rose's sight. In an instant, Rose goes from hero to villain as the small community blames Amandas injuries on her.

In the days that follow, Rose's life starts to fall to pieces, Amandas mother decides to sue, her marriage is put to the test, and worse, when her daughter returns to school, the bullying only intensifies. Rose must take matters into her own hands and get down to the truth of what really happened that fateful day in order to save herself, her marriage, and her family.

In the way that Look Again had readers and listeners questioning everything they thought they knew about family, Save Me will have them wondering just how far they would go to save the ones they love. Lisa Scottoline is writing about real issues that resonate with real women, and the results are emotional, heartbreaking, and honest.

Editorial Reviews:

In Save Me, Lisa Scottoline opens with a typical suburban scene Friday lunch in the school cafeteria that goes tragically awry, leaving mom Rose McKenna with an impossible choice: To save the life of her own daughter, Melly, or to rescue the girls who have been bullying Melly. Though the plot gets a little tangled and the prose sometimes crawls, narrator Cynthia Nixon best known as Miranda on Sex and the City keeps the story moving and the widespread cast of characters interesting.

When an explosion in the cafeteria kitchen sets the school on fire, Rose attempts to save both the bullies and her daughter and she thinks shes succeeded, until one of the girls is found in the school, near death, and ends up in the ICU. The other mothers band together to harass the McKennas and a tenacious reporter starts digging into Roses background both of which throw Roses carefully-constructed suburban life into shambles and inspire her to track down the cause of the explosion.

The story starts out strong, raising smart, thought-provoking questions about how far parents should go to protect other children, the safety procedures in place at schools, and the powerful effect bullies of all ages can have on a family. But as it progresses, plotlines about corporate espionage, lifelong secrets, scandalous affairs, murder, and nut allergies cloud the original focus. Even as the story begins to drag, though, Nixon brings it to life. Her gentle narration draws listeners into the tangled plots, and her range of voices which include a third-grader suffering from smoke inhalation, a fast-talking young teacher, a perky reporter, drawling construction workers, company thugs, outraged mothers, and even a gurgling baby is impressive.

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Title: The Peach Keeper

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Sarah Addison Allen

Narrator: Karen White

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-22-11

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 477 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The New York Times best-selling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moon welcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the towns famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be.

Its the dubious distinction of 30-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madambuilt by Willas great-great-grandfather during Walls of Waters heyday, and once the towns grandest homehas stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadowno easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.

But Willa has lately learned that an old classmatesocialite do-gooder Paxton Osgoodof the very prominent Osgood family has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes.

But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the propertys lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it. For the bonesthose of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water 75 years agoare not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town.

Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their familiesand uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living.

Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds thatin good times and bad, from one generation to the nextendure forever.

Editorial Reviews:

They say youll never find friends like the ones who knew you when you were young and for the women in Sarah Addison Allens The Peach Keeper, that wisdom is half right. The story traces the relationships between two sets of women Agatha and Georgie and their granddaughters, Paxton and Willa who travel the winding path of lifelong friendship and the detours along the way.

Narrator Karen White lends her gentle tone to three generations of families in the town of Walls of Water, North Carolina, a southern escape thats become more of a trap for Paxton and Willa. As part of a celebration of the towns Womens Society Club, started by Agatha and Georgie when they were teenagers, Paxton takes on the overhaul of the towns most acclaimed property: A breathtaking mansion that Willas relatives were forced to sell when they lost their fortune. But when landscapers discover a dead body buried on the property, the town starts looking at the Club, the property, and its history in a whole new way.

Paxton and Willa didnt grow up as friends, but as adults theyre forced to work together to solve the mysteries their grandmothers left behind.

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Title: Open City

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Teju Cole

Narrator: Kevin Mambo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-17-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 139 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Acclaimed author Teju Coles writing has appeared in numerous journals in Nigeria and the United States. His second novel, Open City is the story of a Nigerian-German psychiatrist making a living in New York City five years after the Twin Towers were destroyed. The tale emerges as a rich and unforgettable meditation of life and culture.

Critic Reviews:

"Reminiscent of the works of W.G. Sebald, this dreamy, incantatory debut was the most beautiful novel I read this yearthe kind of book that remains on your nightstand long after you finish so that you can continue dipping in occasionally as a nighttime consolation." (Ruth Franklin, The New Republic)

"A psychological hand grenade." (Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic, Best Books I Read This Year)

A meditative and startlingly clear-eyed first novel. (Newsweek/Daily Beast Writers Favorite Books 2011)

Members Reviews:

A Rich Tapestry

Under the guise of young professional's straying thoughts as he walks New York (and later, Amsterdam), Cole weaves a complex world, combining thoughts on the world (everything from bed bugs to economic collapse), personal memoir, happenstance conversations, history and the world around him. As in the movie "The Waking Life", long passages of the novel are incidental monologues that characters seem to recite to the narrator, almost unprompted.

Open City rewards patience. On a minute, paragraph by paragraph scale, Cole's laconic plotting might seem aimless, but rich themes bubble to the fore of each chapter, and larger themes invite probing and relistening as you dig into the book. Cole paints a complex but vivid character, a man who seems to accomplish much but dreams so much more. Yet, you'll see, he isn't quite an angel.

I enjoyed this book greatly. It has its conceits - why does everyone open themselves up so unreservedly to this mysterious narrator? - but the tapestry of thoughts, conversations and dreamlike action, all told with gorgeous prose, was intoxicating. I've actually found it's rich world worth exploring again with a relisten.

Stream of consciousness novel

It was interesting, though unusual. Cole's descriptions of places and people made it easy to visualize them.

Great book

What made the experience of listening to Open City the most enjoyable?

This is a great book. It is thoughtful and insightful. The writing is beautiful and the images of New York are great.

Lyrical at times, but also frustrating

I really wanted to like Open City, but ultimately found this book rather frustrating. Teju Cole's other writing can be wonderful, so I had high expectations. The title is great, and I was initially drawn to the portrait of Manhattan at a particular moment in time (early 2000s). I began reading this book in print, then switched over to kindle for a bit, and finally read the whole thing as audiobook. Kevin Mambo reads in an engaging, fluid way that captures the variety of accents embedded in this book.

As other reviewers have noted, the main character in Open City comes across as self-involved, even arrogant at times. Not sure if this quality was intended by the author, but that is how it comes across.

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Title: These Things Hidden

Author: Heather Gudenkauf

Narrator: Ali Ahn, Angela Lin, Angela Goethals

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 632 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Author Heather Gudenkauf won instant acclaim for her USA Today and New York Times best-selling debut, The Weight of Silence.

Once the golden child of tiny Linden Falls, Iowa, Allison Glenn watches her reputation crumble as she is sent to prison for five yearsconvicted of a terrible crime. But what really happened that fateful night? Allisons younger sister is the only other person who knows the truth. Now out of prison, Allison is more desperate than ever to set the record straight, but the revelation of the truth could have far-reaching consequences.

Members Reviews:

Please save yourself the time

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This is the first review I've written for Audible and I have listened to so, so many. This was described as a psychological thriller. It was not. It was not thrilling. It was interesting but slowly paced. There was a BIT of a surprise at the end but a twisty, shocker of a close? No. No, not at all. The narration was very well done by the sisters. A bit overdone by Claire and Charm. I expected more.

Would you ever listen to anything by Heather Gudenkauf again?

Maybe.

Which character as performed by the narrators was your favorite?

Allison

great psychological thriller

This book is narrated by, Ali Ahn , Angela Lin, and Angela Goethals each telling the different perspectives I thought their narration was well done, however, their voices were all very similar and if you are going to have multiple narrators of the different women their voices should have been a bit more distinct.

This was my first book by Heather Gudenkauf and I like the way she writes. This book is told in alternating chapters by Alison who has just been released from prison for a heinous crime she committed as a teenager, her sister Brynn who has had to live with the shame of having Alison for a sister, Charm who is taking care of her dying stepfather and also holds a secret, and Claire owner of a local bookstore and adoptive mother to little Joshua. These 4 womens lives collide in a way none of them saw coming as the things hidden dont stay that way for long.

What a great psychological thriller it is slow to build as the story unfolds you get pieces of the story from different perspectives while trying to figure out how they all fit together and what really happened on that horrible night 5 years ago and the ending blew me away not at all what I expected to happen.

If you like good psychological thriller/mysteries and great writing I highly recommend this book!

Disjointed

At the onset of the novel, the author bounces back and forth too much as she introduces the different characters of the story, making it difficult to get a grip of the plot. It drags along for over an hour of listening before the reader actually finds out what crime the main character was accused of committing. However, once at the halfway point, it does pick up enough to hold your interest.

A sound mystery

I really enjoyed how this story slowly unfolded. It seems at first that all the cards are laid out in the beginning but there are some surprising turns. I like the voice of the narrator as well. This was a good find.

For Teens

What did you like best about These Things Hidden? What did you like least?

I knew whodunnit long before it was finished.

Would you recommend These Things Hidden to your friends? Why or why not?

No. Too young.