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Title: Black Mask 4: The Parrot That Wouldn't Talk

Subtitle: And Other Crime Fiction from the Legendary Magazine

Author: Otto Penzler

Narrator: Carol Monda, Alan Sklar, Jeff Gurner, Pete Larkin, Oliver Wyman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-06-11

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

From its launch in 1920 until its demise in 1951, the magazine Black Mask published pulp crime fiction. The first hard-boiled detective stories appeared on its pages. Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner and John D. MacDonald got their start in Black Mask. The urban crime stories that appeared in Black Mask helped to shape American culture. Modern computer games, films, and television are rooted in the fiction popularized by the seminal and venerated mystery pulp magazine (Booklist).

Otto Penzler selected and wrote introductions to the best of the best, the darkest of these dark, vintage stories for the collection The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories. Now that collection is available for the first time on audio.

Includes:

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Holiday Kisses

Author: Alison Kent, Jaci Burton, HelenKay Dimon, Shannon Stacey

Narrator: Therese Plummer, Oliver Wyman, MacLeod Andrews, Gayle Hendrix

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-11

Publisher: Carina Press

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 111 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

It's beginning to look a lot like... Love!

A man gives the gift of trust and receives a second chance at love in return. A woman helps to heal the wounded heart of a soldier. A couple finds that true love knows no distance. And a young widow learns that there can be two great loves in a lifetime. Love, romance and passion come together in this collection of four seasonal shorts. This anthology includes:

"This Time Next Year" by Alison Kent

"A Rare Gift" by Jaci Burton

"It's Not Christmas Without You" by HelenKay Dimon

"Mistletoe and Margaritas" by Shannon Stacey

Members Reviews:

The good, the bad and the awful...

This has become one of the few books I've been unable to even finish. It includes four romance stories with a Christmas theme.

The anthology includes:

This time next year- To be fair this story was good. This one deserves four stars. A beautiful coming back home story and even though it was a short story (less than three hours) the romance was very believeable. Plus it has one of the best narrators ever: Therese Plummer.

A Rare Gift- Well this one has a male narrator. His female voices sound terrible. So from the beggining I didn't like it. Then as it turns out this is a love story between ex inlaws (that's taboo for me). A woman actively trying to seduce her sister's ex husband (yuck) and on Christmas!! And then she wants them to make peace so he can marry her! Awful, just awful.

It's not Christmas without you- Bad narration. This is when I just gave up and realized this is not a book for me. The narrator sounded robotic and the story just didn't catch my attention and interest so I stopped listening.

In my humble opinion this book is not worth a credit.

One Out Of Four Stories Worth Listening To

I tried to listen to all of the first 3 stories, but they were just too boring. Even if they'd had a good narrator it would not have helped, but listened to the fourth in it's entirety. The narration of the fourth story was good, read with feeling.

The star is for the fourth story. Stories 1-3 do not even rate a star, in my opinion.

Wonderful short stories

Enjoyed these because they had just enough information--not dragged out. They are your little romance stories with of the four being cute in their own way. Gets you in the mood for the holidays.

Perfect Holiday Feel Good Romance

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

This book is a condensed series of holiday romance stories. It is hard to put down between stories and keeps you wanting more of each story!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Oh it would have to be Dylan! Just the perfect guy!

Good way to check out new narrators and authors

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This book was good, but not great. I did find that I like new-to-me narrator Oliver Wyman, and I was already a fan of MacLeod Andrews' work from the Boonsborough trilogy by Nora Roberts. I would highly recommend "The Next Always" by Nora Roberts if you want to hear more of MacLeod Andrews narration. That was an awesome story.

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Title: The Adventure of the Illustrious Client

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Ian Davies

Format: Unabridged

Length: 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-14-11

Publisher: One Voice Recordings

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Sir James Damery calls upon Sherlock Holmes, representing an exalted client who wishes his identity protected. Holmes' mission is to break up an engagement between Violet De Merville, the daughter of a prominent citizen, and her rakish fiancee, by exposing his true scoundrel character to her.

Critic Reviews:

"The most incredible one-person audio you have heard. Has to be heard to be believed. David Ian Davies creates theatre in a book." (Charles Prepolec, one of the most respected Sherlockians)

Members Reviews:

Good one!

In this story, Sir James Damery comes to see Holmes and Watson about his illustrious client's problem (the client's identity is never revealed to the reader, although Watson finds out at the end of the story). General de Merville's young daughter Violet has fallen in love with the roguish and sadistic Austrian Baron Adelbert Gruner, whom Damery and Holmes are convinced is a shameless philanderer and a murderer. The victim was his last wife, of whose murder he was acquitted owing to a legal technicality and a witness's untimely death. She met her end in the Splügen Pass. Holmes also finds out that the Baron has expensive tastes and is a collector and a recognized authority on Chinese pottery. Holmes's first step is to see Gruner, who is amused to see Holmes trying to "play a hand with no cards in it". The Baron will not be moved and claims that his charm is more potent than even a post-hypnotic suggestion in conditioning Violet's mind to reject anything bad that might be said about him. Gruner tells the story of Le Brun, a French agent who was crippled for life after being beaten by thugs after making similar inquiries into the Baron's personal business. Holmes gets some help with his mission in the form of Shinwell Johnson, a former criminal who now acts as an informer for Holmes in London's underworld. Johnson rakes up Miss Kitty Winter, the Baron's last mistress. She is bent on revenge and will do anything to help Holmes. Kitty tells Holmes that the Baron "collects women" and chronicles his conquests in a book. Holmes realizes that this book, written in Gruner's own hand, is the key to curing Violet of her devotion to the scoundrel. Kitty tells Holmes that this book is kept in the Baron's study. First, Holmes goes to see Violet, bringing Kitty with him, but Violet is proof against Holmes's words. Kitty then makes it clear that Violet might end up dead if she is foolish enough to marry Gruner. The meeting ends with Holmes narrowly averting a public scene involving the enraged Kitty. Next, Holmes is attacked by two men, and the newspapers imply that he is near death. Watson goes to 221B Baker Street only to discover that Holmes's injuries have been exaggerated to give the impression that he will be out of action for quite a while. Several days later, Holmes is sufficiently recovered to be out of bed. The Baron is planning a trip to the United States just before the wedding and will be leaving in three days. Holmes knows that Gruner will take his incriminating book with him, never daring to leave it behind in his study. Holmes orders Watson to learn everything that he can about Chinese pottery in the next 24 hours. The next day, Holmes presents Watson with a fake business card styling him as "Dr. Hill Barton" and an actual piece of Ming pottery, a saucer.

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Title: A Charles Dickens Holiday Sampler

Subtitle: A Radio Dramatization

Author: Charles Dickens, Jerry Robbins (dramatization)

Narrator: Jerry Robbins, The Colonial Radio Players

Format: Original Recording

Length: 2 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-11

Publisher: The Colonial Radio Theatre on Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

The Cricket on The Hearth was first published in 1845. A cricket constantly chirps on the hearth and acts as a guardian angel to the Peerybingle family. The arrival of a mysterious stranger threatens to shatter this harmony. Does the cricket have supernatural powers? Does he restore faith and overcome suspicion? A masterful story of love and loyalty, The Cricket on The Hearth is effused with the spirit of the season.

The Seven Poor Travellers was first published in 1854. On Christmas Eve, a traveling gentleman happens upon a house in a quaint little village, which houses up to six travelers each evening. He decides to treat them all to a Christmas dinner and tells them a story around the fireplace about a soldier who finds the true meaning of forgiveness and redemption. A sparkling holiday gem from the great Charles Dickens.

Members Reviews:

Absolute Treasures Full Cast Treasures

These two Dickens plays written by the great man to listen to as we sit by the open fire on Christmas Eve, are enjoyable for any time of the year.

There are no best moments both are great performances.

Full cast professional productions, both plays are well acted with a lovely soundtrack set in the old fashioned Victorian era. These may not be to everyone's taste as they appear old fashioned but then this is supposed to be the whole point. Dickens represented 'Old times past'.

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Title: A Creepy Company

Author: Joan Aiken

Narrator: Eve Karpf

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-16-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

These 11 stories include, amongst others, a terrifying Nordic curse and a country garden inhabited by a deadly ghost. Aiken's other works include 'The Kingdom Under The Sea', 'Mortimer Says Nothing' and 'Past Eight O'Clock'.

Members Reviews:

A Special Treat!

I've long loved Aiken's short stories for young adults. The reader does a wonderful job, using voices female and male, old and young, and splendid regional accents, which made this recording a special treat.

The eerie in the everyday

Where does A Creepy Company rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Among the top audiobooks.

What other book might you compare A Creepy Company to, and why?

Joan Aiken stands on her own. She uses very simple language but somehow manages to be poetic. What I like best about her stories are the very ordinary settings and the way these make the supernatural elements all the more magical. I suppose in that, I might compare her to JK Rowling. For the subtle haunting quality, I might compare her to E.F. Benson.

What about Eve Karpfs performance did you like?

I thought she was an excellent narrator, in that I never noticed her. She was especially good at voices; she just became the character.

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

Not really. It was beautiful, haunting; strangely comforting in the way that good ghost stories are.

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Title: Blueprints for Building Better Girls

Author: Elissa Schappell

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-06-11

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Elissa Schappell's book delves into the lives of an eclectic cast of archetypal female characters including the high school slut, the party girl, the reluctant mother, and the anorexic daughter, twisting our pre-conceived notions of who these women are, offering surprising revelations into the nature of female identity, and how it evolves. How the adolescent girl labeled the school slut in 'Monsters of the Deep' will 20 years later become a mother in 'I'm Only Going to Tell You This Once' and, faced with daunting reality of raising a teenage son, be forced to revisit her past. Whether connected by blood, friendship, or necessity, whether living in the same city or in the imagination of others, these women will create a deep and lasting impression.

Critic Reviews:

"...raw and engaging...more textured and complicated world than is usually found in collections. This, combined with the energy of the writing and the dark wit of these characters, will endear the book to Schappell's audience and fans of Lorrie Moore and Maile Meloy." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

It got better, but not a great listen

Would you try another book from Elissa Schappell and/or Julia Whelan?

I don't think I'd listen to another book by this reader. Her voice was too immature for most of the characters and really made it hard to listen to.

Would you recommend Blueprints for Building Better Girls to your friends? Why or why not?

As a book, I think it makes for an interesting read, so yes.

What aspect of Julia Whelans performance would you have changed?

It was just the wrong voice for the book. The only time it felt right was when she was playing The Anorexic - spot on.

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Title: Black Mask 2: Murder Is Bad Luck - and Other Crime Fiction from the Legendary Magazine

Author: Otto Penzler (editor), Stewart Sterling, Wyatt Blassingame, Talmadge Powell, Charles G. Booth, Richard Sale

Narrator: Alan Sklar, Oliver Wyman, Pete Larkin, Jeff Gurner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-11

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

From its launch in 1920 until its demise in 1951, the magazine Black Mask published pulp crime fiction. The first hard-boiled detective stories appeared on its pages. Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner and John D. MacDonald got their start in Black Mask. The urban crime stories that appeared in Black Mask helped to shape American culture. Modern computer games, films, and television are rooted in the fiction popularized by "the seminal and venerated mystery pulp magazine" (Booklist). Never before in audio, these vintage stories are the darkest of the dark, and the best of the best.

Crime fiction fans old and new will delight in rediscovering these taut, character-rich, heart-stopping tales, now on audio for the first time. Includes:

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

Listen to this audiobook free with a 30-day trial. Go to http://hotaudiobook.com/free

Title: Black Mask 2: Murder Is Bad Luck - and Other Crime Fiction from the Legendary Magazine

Author: Otto Penzler (editor), Stewart Sterling, Wyatt Blassingame, Talmadge Powell, Charles G. Booth, Richard Sale

Narrator: Alan Sklar, Oliver Wyman, Pete Larkin, Jeff Gurner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-11

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

From its launch in 1920 until its demise in 1951, the magazine Black Mask published pulp crime fiction. The first hard-boiled detective stories appeared on its pages. Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner and John D. MacDonald got their start in Black Mask. The urban crime stories that appeared in Black Mask helped to shape American culture. Modern computer games, films, and television are rooted in the fiction popularized by "the seminal and venerated mystery pulp magazine" (Booklist). Never before in audio, these vintage stories are the darkest of the dark, and the best of the best.

Crime fiction fans old and new will delight in rediscovering these taut, character-rich, heart-stopping tales, now on audio for the first time. Includes:

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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

Title: The Year's Top Ten Tales of Science Fiction 3

Author: Damien Broderick, Yoon Ha Lee, Ian R MacLeod, Sean McMullen, Allen M Steele, Robert Reed, Peter Watts

Narrator: Tom Dheere, Nicola Barber, Kate Baker, Nathan Lowell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-15-11

Publisher: Infinivox

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

An unabridged audio collection of the "best of the best" science fiction stories published in 2010 by current and emerging masters of the genre as narrated by top voice talents. Stories in this year's collection include "Under the Moons of Venus" by Damien Broderick; "The Shipmaker," winner of the 2011 British Science Ficiton Association Award for short fiction, by Aliette de Bodard; Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain" by Yoon Ha Lee, "Re-Crossing the Styx" by Ian R. MacLeod; "Eight Miles" by Sean McMullen; Elegy for a Young Elk" by Hannu Rajaniemi; "The Emperor of Mars," winner of the Asimov's Readers' Award for best novelette, by Allen M. Steele; "Alone" by Robert Reed; "A Letter from the Emperor" by Steve Rasnic Tem; and "The Things" by Peter Watts.

Members Reviews:

Better than usual anthology

Like all compilations of stories, there is a variety in terms of quality. However, this one leans toward high quality. There are some really great stories in this one - particularly Alone by Robert Reed, and The Things by Peter Watts which was a real surprise and which I had read before, but which was well done in this narration.... and several others that were memorable and original. The narrations are pretty uniformly well done too. This one is definitely worth a listen and worth the credit as the good outweighs the average and there really isn't anything bad. Fun to come across well written science fiction stories!

Good stories, narrators, Bad production

Would you listen to The Year's Top Ten Tales of Science Fiction 3 again? Why?

Yes, several of the stories were thought provoking and I would like to listen again and see if there was anything I missed.

Any additional comments?

The stories are well chosen and I thought the narrators did a decent job, although they came off a bit flat or uneven on occasion. However, the audio quality was just horrible. Everything was understandable, but it sounded as though the entire book was recorded over a phone using a mono tape recorder. I think this detracted from my enjoyment of the first story, but I got used to it. Overall, worth the money and the time. I will be looking some of these authors up for more.

Some good some more mondane.

Any additional comments?

Good sci-fi explores the unknown. To me, good sci-fi explores concepts of space and time, and adds characters that hold it together. Sometimes profundity is obtained. Some of these stories had enough to be good sci-fi, some ( one in particular ) seemed to be trying to hard to be profound. About half way through, and although I hope to be delighted with some of the short stories. I have been quite satisfied so far with 2/3 stories. 'The Emperor of Mars' is read really really well !

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Title: Ghost Stories

Author: M.R. James

Narrator: Emma Topping

Format: Abridged

Length: 1 hr and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-19-11

Publisher: Saland Publishing

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

M.R. James redefined the classic ghost stories and this collection of short stories of widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. Three stories from the collection are read here by Emma Topping including "Lost Hearts", "The Mezzotint" and "The Ash-Tree".

Members Reviews:

Struggled to keep listening.

Voice was difficult to understand. I had to slow it down considerably. Story was not interesting enough to keep me interested.

The narration ruins it

Great stories but it sounds like it is narrated by the love-child of Alexa (or perhaps Cortana?) and a local news reader. Seriously, I couldn't concentrate on the words because the delivery is so... baffling.