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Title: The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

Author: Maggie O'Farrell

Narrator: Daniela Nardini

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-25-06

Publisher: Headline Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Years later, in the same city, a young woman named Iris Lockhart receives a letter informing her that she has a great aunt in a psychiatric unit who is about to be released. Iris has never heard of Esme Lennox, and the one person who should know more, her grandmother Kitty, is too adrift in her own memories to answer Iris' questions. What could Esme have done to warrant a lifetime in an institution? And how is it possible for a person to be so completely erased from a family's history?

Critic Reviews:

"O'Farrell's imaginative territory is one you return to with delight." (The Times)

Members Reviews:

I didn't like it

When this book ended I thought there was some kind of mistake, so I listened to the last part again....how unsatisfactory. It's like the author just ran out of ideas and quit! I was waiting for it to get started.

One of the best readings I have heard

What made the experience of listening to The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox the most enjoyable?

Daniella Nardini's characterisation and interpretation

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox?

The most memorable moments were when Esme was removed to the hospital. The extraordinary unfairness of the law and the brutal conditions in mental hospitals at the time were graphically and movingly described

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

The voices of the different characters, especially Kitty, which I think I would have found it hard to track through reading only

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

I have been listening to talking books for over 15 years and this is one of the best readings I have heard. I was moved to tears.

Gripping

This certainly was the equivalent of a 'page turner' I could not stop listening. I love Maggie O'Farrel's writing, and was gripped by this latest novel. That said, I did feel that the ending of this novel was a little light weight.....I felt it ended just when it had really begun....Not, in my view, her best work, but still extremely well written and engaging.

Glad to be modern

This is a woman's book. I don't mean this in a derogatory way, but any woman would be gripped by the appalling and sad story of Esme. This book is a little slow to start, but once the characters are established, it is fascinating to compare the lives of women born 50 years apart, and Daniela Nardini is excellent at delivering the changing voices of the different generations. The story unfolds slowly through snippets of conversation until everything falls into place. Clever and thought-provoking.

Heartbreaking story of a life denied

What is the worst thing you can do to another human being? Esme experiences a number of horrors made worse still by the fact they have been inflicted by her family and the people who are supposed to love her. In this short book, Maggie O'Farrell manages to weave an intimate and intriguing story of three family generations and the secrets that lurk in their background. The characters are vividly written and their stories are gripping and believable. This is an emotional book, but the pathos is not overdone and the ending is stark and believable.

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Title: Elements of Style

Author: Wendy Wasserstein

Narrator: Kathe Mazur

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-06

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 58 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

We meet Francesca Weissman, the Upper East Side pediatrician rated #1 by Manhattan magazine, who takes us into the upper strata of privilege and aspiration (she's originally from Queens with a father in hosiery; life on the fringes of glittering New York is fine with her); Samantha Acton, thoroughbred descendant of the Van Rensselaers and the Carnegies, who defines the social order in the great tradition of Mrs. Astor and Babe Paley; Judy Tremont from Modesto, California, daughter of a cop, her life's work, her obsession, is New York society and its richest families; Barry Santorini, Republican, moviemaker, winner of 12 Oscars, and his wife, the Italian supermarket heiress and former media rep for Giorgio Armani; and many more.

As Elements of Style opens, we see a madcap mosaic of the social lives and mores of 21st century Manhattan, of romance, work, family, and friendship. Satiric, fierce, touching, and deliciously Wasserstein.

Critic Reviews:

"Wasserstein gets the trappings and tribulations (of friendship and of romance) right, making her depiction of the rich and fab trying to connect with one another witty and entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

I love the book!

I can't believe two people gave this book one star. I listened to the book three times and found it enjoyable every time. If you like park avenue princess stories like I do, this book is apparently with a lot of brain and irony. I also think the character development is done very well. One thing i can say for sure is that this book will not bore you.

What a Waste!

This book was something like a marriage between "The Nanny Diaries" and "The Great Gatsby" but without the style, emotion, or humor. Wasserstein's writing style is in itself good, however her character delevopement and story line lacked any depth. She should have stuck to plays where at least she could rely on actors' style and delivery to add a human element. This book was an awful waste of time - it was impossible to even figure out which characters are supposed to be protaganists, and which are the antagonists. All were so flat, humorless, and dry. I would not recommend.

Not a Good Choice

I got this book specifically because of Ms. Wasserstein's reputation as a playwrite, and because I felt her death was so untimely and a loss to the literary community. The book is awful. The characters are hateful. There is no plot line. What a shame. Do not waste your time.

Elements of Style

BORING! Blah, blah, blah. Could not wait for it to end. Dry writing style and short choppy setences. Didn't care for the "brand placement". Should have know by the title...

Excellent Read

This is a great novel by a great lady. Wendy Wasserstein's untimely death adds to the poignancy of this very wonderful story about the real and imagined trappings of beauty and fame. Wasserstein had the uncanny ability to profile the elite and make us see the ordinary in their fame and/or greatness. Don't miss this excellent read as it's Wasserstein's only novel. Her death is literature's loss.

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Title: The Youngest Hero

Author: Jerry B. Jenkins

Narrator: Laurie O'Brien, Jack Sondericker

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-05-02

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Miriam Woodell realizes that the man she married, though charming and athletic, is gripped by a dangerous darkness. She has no choice but to save herself and Elgin, her young son - leaving rural Mississippi for the big, cold city of Chicago.

Strong and resolute, Miriam struggles to survive. Meanwhile, Elgin pursues a seemingly impossible dream. Fueled by the lessons his father taught him, he plays ball on the concrete streets and even sets up a batting cage in the basement, using a decrepit, malfunctioning pitching machine to teach himself to hit.

By spring, Elgin is ready to find a team. By the end of the summer, everyone will be talking about the 11-year-old who plays baseball like a high school star - a prodigy on his way to greatness, despite staggering odds.

Yet Elgin must still come to terms with his father, whose life has reached a dead end. With a new man entering Miriam's life and scouts wooing Elgin, mother and son must learn painful lessons about themselves, each other, and the people they are forced to trust.

Critic Reviews:

"Baseball fans will gladly stick with the story until the final inning." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

dissapointed

A word of caution to all of the fans of Jerry's many Christian books: this is not one of them. The characters are engaging and the writing keeps you moving, but I kept waiting for the spiritual side of their lives to come forth. It never did.

Perhaps this had to do with this book being published by Time Warner.

Not impressed

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

I found the plot lacking and very stereotypical in a way of a Christian style love story and plot...in a way. Not my favorite one and am usually impressed with this author.

It's different from the book!

this is one of my favourite books so I noticed the changes. love it though!

Great Book

The only negative thing I would say about this audio book is I just could not make myself stop listening. It was interesting from the very start until the very end. Great book!!

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Title: Kate & Ruby

Author: Emily Gallo

Narrator: Emily Gallo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-17

Publisher: Emily Gallo

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Kate's retirement plans are put on hold when her old nemesis, Ruby, reappears and both their lives are turned upside down. Two stubborn, independent women discover that the lines between love and hate, and between past and future, are muddled and transitory.

Members Reviews:

Emily Galloâs KATE & RUBY could just as easily be titled

Emily Galloâs KATE & RUBY could just as easily be titled, âGrace & Redemption.â Galloâs character development and dialogue brings us a story that rings true. The reader is caught up in two lives in transition. Kate has just retired from teaching and is about to down size her property and go for her long awaited dream of a serving in the Peace Corp. Overnight she finds herself in the bewildering predicament of becoming the caretaker of her prickly ex-mother-in-law, Ruby. These two have a shared history of deep emotional wounds and resentments. That Ruby is a black, elderly blues singer from Mississippi and Kate a white, liberal Californian adds to both the tension and humor as Kate grows in grace, offering Ruby last ditch redemption. A great read.

Third time is a charm-what's next?

I read all 3 books of Gallo's books and am eagerly awaiting "Roads Not Taken" next. While these are not necessarily a series, there is a link to many of the characters in each book, with a primary focus on someone who had a "supporting" role in another story. I enjoy these even more, being familiar with the locations and related history, but that is not needed to appreciate and get caught up with the lives and decisions and experiences that are so well presented.

Through the less-than-fortunate life circumstances of some of her characters, Gallo is able to give an inside look at how current social policies impact real-world situations, offering a greater perspective that is often overlooked.

Belinda

"Kate and Ruby is a delicious read"

âKate and Rubyâ is a delicious read, filled with the crazy twists and turns of life. I immediately identified with Kate as she joyfully catapults into retirement and plans to enter the Peace Corps in Africa. Without warning, her irascible, African American, Mississippi raised, former mother-in law Ruby âfallsâ into her life again. The fateful interaction between these two women pulled me into each chapter and I could not stop reading. Iâve read all of Emily Galloâs books and savored the references to past characters from Venice Beach and The Columbarium in this latest novel. Iâm hungry for a dose of âWhatâs Next?â

Great weekend curl up with a book read

Loved Kate and Ruby with all of the twists and turns life brings into their lives.. Kate had it all planned as to how her life would flow and change with retirement.

But then along came Ruby and life became a little more complex, confusing, irritating and ultimately enlightened. The relationship between Ruby and Kate expands both their views and points out how we all have judgement that can change to love and kindness. Fun characters with mysterious lives. Love the cat! A great weekend read with characters that captured my heart. More, please!

Nice!

Very good book.. not typical in the least! I liked that there were connections from the author's previous books that I had read, but not so much that anyone would need to read those prior to this one.

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Title: The Branding of a Child

Subtitle: First Novel in the Branded Series, Volume 1

Author: Eldon Reed

Narrator: John Eastman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-06-13

Publisher: Eldon Reed

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Seven-year-old Brandon Hall has been neglected by his mother and abused by the men she keeps. He is removed from the home and taken to the Childers' eighteen-hundred acre Angus ranch. He is shy, afraid, and seemingly scarred permanently by his ugly past.

This is Kirk and Katie Childers' first foster child. Will they know how to answer the many questions foster children have? More importantly, will they be able to transform those scars from his violent past into a special brand of his own?

Members Reviews:

The Branding of a Child

I really enjoy The Branding of a Child and am so glad it will be a series. Fostering children is a wonderful calling and benefits both the parents and child. I could barely put the book down and wanted to know what was coming next in Brandon and the Childers' life. Life can be so cruel for the most innocent and when that happens it is nice to know there are people like the Childers out there. Thanks Eldon Reed for your book.

Nancy

Even Better than I had hoped

I didn't know what to expect, but what a story it was! Such sadness that the children who came to Katie and Kirk Childers ranch, suffered. It was good to see that while they couldn't keep each child who passes through their home (even though they wanted to) they could at least give them regular meals, a safe place to live, love, kindness and stability and most of all introduce them to Jesus. All of these things that didn't have much of before. Its not a heavy Jesus theme, they lived it more than pushed it in the story.

I wasn't totally sure that I would like this book, but in many of the cases it was about Redemption stories of each child, and what the Childers went through as they loved them. Its kind of hard to describe other than what has already been said on other reviews. Many of the other reviews give you the basics of the story, so I am adding my feeling about it too. Its engaging and heartbreaking without being another Oliver Twist kind of story. Make no mistake, the things that happened to some of these kids was horrific, but they had people rooting for them, who went the extra mile. And for the first foster child, Brandon, it was a long mile!!!

engrossing story of a couple & their foster children

While the book was quite long, and a bit overly wordy at points, I was caught up in this tale. The characters were a variety of personalities and it felt like a very real (and heartbreaking) situation. Coming from a family that also fostered, I wondered how they would present it - a glossed over 'feel good' or a cautionary tale on the difficulties. It was neither. This story boldly presented some of the darker sides of broken family life, and how an ordinary couple attempted to help. Of course they didn't come out of it unscathed, but the overall theme of the story was up-lifting. If you are looking for a quick read, this is not for you. If you like curling up to a story with some meat, get this one.

Definitely recommend

I couldn't stop reading this book. It wasn't that the writing was great, although it is OK. It is that this author has totally captured the emotions and ups and downs of foster care and adoptions. He didn't hide the hard parts and didn't downplay the joys. We experienced many of these in the process to adopt our son.

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Title: A Bunch of Sweet Peas

Author: Henry Donald

Narrator: Judi Dench

Format: Unabridged

Length: 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-21-11

Publisher: Canongate Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In 1911, in the Scottish Border village of Sprouston, the young parish minister wrote to the Daily Mail for entry forms for its sweet pea competition.

The top prize was a staggering 1000 and organisers predicted that as many as 15,000 would enter. He could not foretell that the paper's estimate of the number of competitors would be more than doubled, or that a fortnight before the deadline a nation-wide drought would threaten the very existence of the sweet peas he was so painstakingly cultivating. This touching - and beautifully illustrated - tale is based on a true story.

Members Reviews:

Charming summer tale with a lovely narrator.

This true story is simply and lovingly told, in some ways reminiscent of later short story authors like Paul Gallico. Judi Dench reads it beautifully, capturing the sweetness and old-fashioned innocence of the writing well. This story wears well and should serve to wrap you in it's warmth for years to come.

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Title: The Dog Who Spoke with Gods

Author: Diane Jessup

Narrator: Casey Turner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When Elizabeth, a young pre-med student happens upon Damien, a dog being used in laboratory research on her campus, she has no way of knowing how drastically her life - and her beliefs - will be changed. Without meaning to, she slowly becomes drawn into the dog's fate and is soon torn between the love and respect she has come to feel for Damien and the sense of loyalty and obligation she feels for the medical profession as well as her father and grandfather, both cardiac surgeons.

With an uncanny ability to write convincingly about life from the point of view of a canine, Diane Jessup tells an extraordinary story of friendship and loyalty in The Dog Who Spoke with Gods. Few writers have ever shown the world of man's closest friend as clearly and movingly. For anyone who has ever loved a dog, this is a must-listen.

Members Reviews:

Must Read For Dog Lovers

Despite the fact I cried almost from opening page to final word, this is one of my favorite novels. Working in rescue and sharing my life with half a dozen dogs for decades, very few writers have ever been able to capture the 'interior' life of the dog - intellect and emotion - his concept of self in the world - as the author does.

As horrific as the scenes of scientific testing is to read it is also true. This book makes very clear that these test subjects are sentient beings - not "just a dog". Too many people turn away when asked to look at the suffering in labs - as if not seeing makes it go away.

A great book with a unique character voice focusing attention on a barbaric treatment of innocent souls. I've given this book as gifts to many fellow animal lovers.

Very impressed

I was very impressed by this book, and I actually think it would make a great movie. It really got me thinking about the horrors that animals go through in laboratory testing to make our lives better, supposedly. I have to say I was sickened and I have joined some online petitions to fight against it now. All in all, great story, unexpected ending, and I absolutely am a huge fan of pit bulls so I'm glad they were shown in such a positive light in this book.

This book was written from the heart of someone whose soul is wide open to the world around her.

This book was written from the heart of someone whose soul is wide open to the world around her. An amazing story, well written with deep meaning. I recommend all dog lovers read this book, but more so I wish those who have never connected with a dog would find some time to flip through the pages of this story and be moved. I was not disappointed. I don't want to give anything away, just read the book! ;)

POWERFUL AND AMAZING

WOW!!! This book was gripping and compelling. I could not put it down! It is full of heart and compassion and will definitely change the way you see the world. This is a novel that is definitely worth your time. I HIGHLY recommend it!!

A Mandatory Read For Animal Advocates

A must read for anyone who loves dogs. The novel vividly enters reader into the world of laboratory animal research; something very real. As a professional in the animal care field I absolutely relate to the frequent disconnect she mentions with people who work with animals. It is a phenomenon that occurs in my field and I felt validated by the author. This novel will make you think, will expand your compassion for animals and will make you want to hug your dogs.

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Title: Mastani

Author: Kusum Choppra

Narrator: Shaheen Khan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-01-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Until recently, history had relegated Mastani to forgotten pages as a dancing girl - a myth kept alive by lack of evidence about her true place in the Peshwa household. Daughter of Maharaj Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand, Mastani married Peshwa Baji Rao I while he was in power, but she was obscured almost to anonymity by several forces. Her life as a strategist, both on the field and at home, was veiled with intrigue due to the jealousies of women in zenanas and power-hungry relatives in the Peshwai.

What was Mastani's story? Was being a true companion to the Peshwa as well as his most loved wife a threat large enough to snuff her out in the pages of history? Fascinated for years by the secrecy behind her life and death, Kusum Choppra unravels the mysterious surrounding the deaths of both Peshwa Baji Rao I and his second wife. The novel explores Mastani's royal lineage and the elegant bearing of a warrior princess caught in the political web of a changing empire.

Members Reviews:

Not the best book to do as audio

I have a new appreciation for people from non Anglo-European cultures who read historical fiction or period fantasy with English as their second language. There's all that generally untranslatable, specific terminology (hauberk, falchion, keep, oubliette). There are deeply Anglo-European cultural motifs and allusions (Biblical references, King Arthur, Greco-Roman mythology). Trying to listen to this book was a learning experience, and despite the great narration and interesting story, it was tough.

This story is very dense with cultural material and terminology, and it's an uphill battle. I tend to obsessively look up any word I don't understand, but it was hard to do that with non-English terms in an audio medium. I could only get glimpses of the far more rewarding experience I might have had if I'd been reading an actual book that I could've used to look up unknown words.

On the other hand, I learned a great deal more about this period in Indian history than I ever would have otherwise. It was really fascinating to slowly piece together the cultural context from implicit clues, rather than having it all spelled out for me directly.

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Title: Birmingham Blitz

Author: Annie Murray

Narrator: Julia Franklin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-15

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

August 1939. Genie Watkins, a Birmingham kid, would love to have a proper happy family like her Italian friend, Teresa. But Genie hasn't reckoned with the outbreak of war, her already rocky family being split up and the strangely liberating effect it all has on her mother....

Under Birmingham skies darkened by blackout, Genie shares her fears and hopes with Teresa, keeps her spirits up with her nan and glamorous auntie Lil, and tries to hold her family together. And amid it all, she discovers love....

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Title: Breathing Water

Author: T. Greenwood

Narrator: Susannah Jones

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-27-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Effie Greer watches the final days of summer play out from her grandparents' home in Lake Gormlaith, Vermont, with her boyfriend, Max. Despite the idyllic setting, Effie is hiding a secret. With a heated temper and shattered past, Max is headed toward self-destruction, and Effie, unwilling to let go, is close behind. Slowly, Effie begins to gain the strength necessary to leave the suffocating relationship. But on the evening she decides to go, Max's violence results in a tragic boating accident and the death of a child.

Unable to deal with her role in that terrible August night, Effie drifts aimlessly from city to city. Only when she learns that Max has died of a heroin overdose does she find the strength to return to Lake Gormlaith and face the demons that have kept her away. No longer a naive young girl, Effie is now a woman desperately seeking absolution. She ultimately finds her chance in the most unlikely of people.

Members Reviews:

Good story - odd narrator

Would you listen to Breathing Water again? Why?

The story was very good - kept my interest.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Susannah Jones?

I have only one small issue with the narration. Overall it was fine but this book often used the expression "mmm hmmm". When a character was supposed to answer mmmm hmmm the narrator said Um Hum - spoken like two words instead of the humming sound of mmm hmm. I know it's a tiny thing but it was jarring - instead of a soft sound of agreement it sounded weird. Perhaps it has to be voiced instead of hummed because of the recording?

Riveting! !!

Would you consider the audio edition of Breathing Water to be better than the print version?

Absolutely. The narrator made this book an absolute full body experience!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Breathing Water?

The moment she began to get "mysterious gifts".

Which character as performed by Susannah Jones was your favorite?

The leading female.

If you could take any character from Breathing Water out to dinner, who would it be and why?

No idea

Any additional comments?

None o