Download the Best Full Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary Popular Authors

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: A Christmas Homecoming

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Anne Perry

Narrator: Terrence Hardiman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-25-11

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 85 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Charlotte Pitts mother, Caroline, travels with her young husband, Joshua Fielding, and his theatrical troupe to Whitby, where Dracula first touched English soil. Joshua has arranged to produce a stage adaptation of Dracula by the daughter of Whitby millionaire Charles Netheridge, but the amateurish script produces a disastrous first read-through. As tempers flare and wind and snow swirl around Netheridges lonely hilltop mansion, a black-cloaked stranger emerges from the storm - an eerily opportune arrival, for this enigmatic figure, one Anton Ballin, turns out to be a theatrical genius. At the same time, a brooding evil makes itself felt. Instead of the theatrical triumph that Netheridge desired for his daughter, there is murder - shocking and terrifying.

Members Reviews:

Another favorite!

I very much enjoy Anne Perry's writing. This is no exception. I would compare her writing to Agatha Christie. No undesirable language. Mr. Hardiman's narration is very pleasant. I plan to obtain all of her "Christmas" stories, and I'm also listening to her "Charlotte & Thomas Pitt" collection.

Sorry

Usually am delighted by Anne Perry's books. This one falls flat. The story is contrived, rather dull. Couldn't make it through more than half way in spite of the fine narration. Will certainly listen to more of hers but would skip this one.

Anne Perry at her best

What did you love best about A Christmas Homecoming?

The development of the peripheral characters, like Alice

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Christmas Homecoming?

The finding of the body

Which character as performed by Terrence Hardiman was your favorite?

don't have one

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

of course, who doesn't

Any additional comments?

I very much like Anne Perry's Christmas stories. I trust she will continue to write, them after all she still has Charlotte and Thomas Pitt and Monk, etc.

So very poor

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Normally I love Anne Perry but this was so very poor I couldn't even finish it. Vampires??

Come on Anne give me a break.

Would you ever listen to anything by Anne Perry again?

I might go back to some of her earlier stuff.

Would you be willing to try another one of Terrence Hardimans performances?

Yes

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Nope

Quick, Fun Read

I enjoyed this book tremendously. The narrator did a terrific job and the book was over far too soon!

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: Unusual Uses For Olive Oil

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrator: Julian Rhind-Tutt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-11

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Life is so unfair, and it sends many things to try Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, author of Portuguese Irregular Verbs and pillar of the Institute of Romance Philology in the proud Bavarian city of Regensburg.

There is the undeserved rise of his rival (and owner of a one-legged dachshund), Detlev Amadeus Unterholzer; the interminable ramblings of the librarian, Herr Huber; and the condescension of his colleagues with regard to his unmarried state. But when his friend Ophelia Prinzel takes it upon herself to match-make, and duly produces a cheerful heiress with her own Schloss, it appears that the professor's true worth is about to be recognised.

Maddening, idiotic and hugely entertaining, von Igelfeld is an inspired comic creation.

Members Reviews:

A True Delight

At first I was a bit worried that the new reader would not be able to fill Hugh Laurie's shoes but Julian Rhind-Tutt made an excellent job of reading this delightful tale. Alexander McCall Smith took us on a roller-coaster ride from the depths of stuffiness of academia to adventure on the top of mountains. There is romance in the air on an academic trip to the Alps and we are given hope that Doctor Professor von Iglefeld will find fortune and romance.

It is Mr McCall Smith's acute ability to observe human nature, to include our animal friends - the one-legged daschund survives- that make these stories so good. I greatly enjoyed these few hours of escape from real life. Please keep writing them Mr Mc Smith!

Brilliantly read

Have you listened to any of Julian Rhind-Tutts other performances? How does this one compare?

The story was enjoyable (I love Alexander McCall Smith's stories) but Julian Rhind-Tutt's reading was brilliant - really entertaining and an amazing range of voices! As a result, I'm working my way through his other audio books.

Julian Rhind-Tutt you are brilliant!

A sort of Germanic Mr Bean!! so funny! Julian Rhind-Tutt brings all the characters to life and makes listening to this story such a joy. I laughed out loud. brilliant!!!

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: Ten Miles Past Normal

Author: Frances ORoark Dowell

Narrator: Jessica Almasy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-25-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

New York Times best-selling author Frances ORoark Dowell has garnered the Edgar Award and the Christopher Medal for her keen-eyed, humorous fiction.

Embarrassed by her familys offbeat lifestyle, Janie Gorman lives with her modern-hippy parents on a rustic goat farm. Smart, creative, and a bit quirky, Janie longs to be seen as normal. But having to milk goats every day is not helping her reach that goal.

Members Reviews:

a coming of age story

What did you like best about Ten Miles Past Normal? What did you like least?

I liked the main character Jaine and how she interacted with her life .. however I didn't like how the story just went by without anything really happening I felt empty at the end

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I wasn't satisfied and expected more from it

What does Jessica Almasy bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

the accent of the characters were presented in an excellent way

Could you see Ten Miles Past Normal being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

no , because it would be too boring

Any additional comments?

I wanted to like this book .. the narrator is what kept me going

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: Searching for Caleb

Author: Anne Tyler

Narrator: Angele Masters

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-01-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Duncan Peck has a fascination for randomness and is always taking his family on the move. His wife, Justine, is a fortune teller who can't remember the past. Her grandfather, Daniel, longs to find the brother who walked out of his life in 1912, with nothing more than a fiddle in his hand. All three are taking journeys that lead back to the family's deepest roots... to a place where rebellion and acceptance have the haunting power to merge into one.

Critic Reviews:

"Magic and true, dazzling and wise.... It has an astounding confidence, depth and range.... A wonderful, wonderful novel." (The Boston Globe)

Members Reviews:

As good as I remember

This was a favorite book in my 20s and certainly my most favorite of Anne Tyler's work. When I saw it had been made into an audio I was hesitant. Would it live up to my memories, was the reader good? I am pleasantly surprised. This is a great story. Anne Tyler was a forerunner of the many "wacky family" type fiction you see a lot of today, but I think it's done with more depth and feeling. This isn't as melancholy as many of her books. The characters are interesting and well drawn. Highly recc'd!

Family Can Be Complicated

Another very good Anne Tyler novel that charts the complicated waters of family through her quirky characters. It's one of her starker novels, but I still found it very satisfying.

This is about the tenth of her books I have read, which may be good. Newcomers should check out the books she wrote in the 1980's (Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, The Accidental Tourist) before moving backwards as I am now.

Reader ruined the story

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

No. Because I disliked the reader so much.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Searching for Caleb?

The moment I decided to I stop listening about 1/3 way through. Anne Tyler is one of my favorite authors and have either read or listened to most f her books. It takes a special reader to do justice to Tyler's books and this Angele Masters just read to darned fast..

Would you be willing to try another one of Angele Masterss performances?

NO!

Was Searching for Caleb worth the listening time?

No, because I couldn't even finish it. I know I will get a lot more out of this book if I read it myself.

Any additional comments?

Readers make the story.

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: Travels with My Aunt

Author: Graham Greene

Narrator: Tim Pigott-Smith

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Henry Pulling, a retired bank manager, meets his septuagenarian Aunt Augusta for the first time in over 50 years at his mothers funeral. Soon after, she persuades Henry to abandon South wood, his dahlias and the Major next door to travel through Brighton, Paris, Istanbul, Paraguay...

Accompanying his aunt, Henry joins a shiftless, twilight society: mixing with hippies, war criminals and CIA men, as well as smoking pot, breaking all the currency regulations and eventually coming alive after a dull suburban life.

Members Reviews:

More please!

I've read this book many times, it being a personal favourite so I wasn't sure whether hearing it as well would add anything but I was wrong: Tim Piggott-Smith brought it all to life. I didn't want it to end. I'll be listening to this one again.

greene's worst novel?

I have read almost everything by Greene, most of it on Audiobooks, but this one severely taxed my patience. Greene seems to have padded this out ad nauseum, and if this is an attempt to write a "comic" novel, it fails wretchedly. Avoid this one like the plague --and read as many of the other Greenes as you can get your hands on--especially as Audiobooks, all of which are beautifully read.

Disappointing

The first section was for me, tedious and almost screamingly frustrating. Tim Pigott-Smith is a decent reader, so what is going on here for his narration to be so horrible?

Maybe this is an "interpretation"?

This audio almost went into the 'returns', and may still do so. Sometimes I do keep an awful audio because there is no other reader and if I try really hard I can enjoy the story.

What could be a light enjoyable listen, had become something other, hard work. As I am not a great fan of G G, I do worry I maybe missing something here. The Third Man was good, though it did take Orson Wells to reveal that to me. So was TP-S using the dreadful Jeeves persona to hide a great secret revelation about GG?

Well I think another narrator could do a better job on this story, and doubt there is a Damascus moment to be had.

Awesome

Tim Piggot-Smith is an exquisite narrator giving life to a multitude of characters! Superb! Don't miss it!

Cute characters

My best friend recomended it to me over and over and over again... so there was too much hype.

I liked the charcaters, they were fun, but overall I was let down.

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: Graveminder

Author: Melissa Marr

Narrator: Emma Galvin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-11

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 241 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Three sips to mind the dead....

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the attention her grandmother Maylene bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the small town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn't a funeral that Maylene didn't attend, and at each one Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: She took three sips from a silver flask and spoke the words "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

Now Maylene is dead, and Bek must go back to the place she left a decade earlier. She soon discovers that Claysville is not just the sleepy town she remembers, and that Maylene had good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in Claysville the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected; beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. If the dead are not properly cared for, they will come back to satiate themselves with food, drink, and stories from the land of the living. Only the Graveminder, by tradition a Barrow woman, and her Undertaker - in this case Byron Montgomery, with whom Bek shares a complicated past - can set things right once the dead begin to walk.

Although she is still grieving for Maylene, Rebekkah will soon find that she has more than a funeral to attend to in Claysville, and that what awaits her may be far worse: dark secrets, a centuries-old bargain, a romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility - to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

Members Reviews:

Give it a listen...you will be rewarded!

I found this book when I was aimlessly perusing Amazon.com the other day for a new read. I recently listened to The Host by Stephenie Meyer again and Melissa Marr's Graveminder was likened to it: a wonderful adult work written by a successful YA author. Once I started listening I couldn't stop. I finished it in less than a day. This author seamlessly introduced a fantasy world without bogging the book down with boring details. Give it a try, you will be rewarded!

Haunting and Strange

I loved this book with all it's differences. It's backwoods Appalachia, mystified with guardians of life and death. It's a mythology I've never run into from Appalachia but it fits much of what is there. It's also very small town. And a lovely read.

Gothic Southern Romance meets zombies

Emma Galvin does a fine job in narrating the story, which boasts a pretty interesting beginning and a solid ending. All the self-imposed love-denial stuff in the middle, however, got to me. This read a lot like juvenile lit, so if you are looking for a fun light zombie-read for chicks, go ahead and jump into this one.

Couldn't decide what it was

Like some of the other reviewers I found this one by accident. Though It was not terrible overall and I did enjoy the narrator, to me there was no one real point of the story. Was this a scary zombie-ish book? One about relationships? Dealing with death? I couldn't figure it out. It went off in so many different directions that the main plot line was often lost. If the author had stuck with the main idea, that the dead must be tended and keeping them in their place, and had not gone off into the whole stupid Mr. Charles and the world of the dead section, it would have been a really good book.

A must read!

I read that Jeaniene Frost recommended this book & being that she's one of my favorite authors I got the audiobook.

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: Sweet Little Lies

Author: Michele Grant

Narrator: Karen Pittman, Korey Jackson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-12-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Michele Grant has earned critical accolades and drawn favorable comparisons to some of urban fictions top authors. Sweet Little Lies is her spicy tale of a flawed woman who wants everyone to believe shes perfect Behind Christina Brinsleys image are three broken engagements and plenty more problems. When she meets a sexy professor who sees right through her, the facade crumbles.

Critic Reviews:

"[A] pitch-perfect voice, delivering funny yet believable stories that readers who enjoy Carl Weber and Mary Monroe will relish. (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Enjoyable

This was a great book how one may have to see past age differences and respect ones maturity level. The story and narration was great.

Sweet and sexy

What made the experience of listening to Sweet Little Lies the most enjoyable?

This was my very first audio book, it made me laugh out loud and cry in front of others something I've never done while reading a book in print.

What did you like best about this story?

the realism.

Have you listened to any of Karen Pittman and Korey Jackson s other performances before? How does this one compare?

they were my first and I look forward to listening to them again.

If you could rename Sweet Little Lies, what would you call it?

the name is perfect.

Ummm..can I rate lower than I star???

this book was awful..I read another book by this author and loved it but she really bombed on this one. Why did she keep us notice of the time/dates? The reltionship with te main charters was like teenagers. Also I found myself rewinding trying to figure out what the hell was going on..dont waste your credit!! the only good thing from this book was the narrators!

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 Pale King

Author: David Foster Wallace

Narrator: Robert Petkoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-13-11

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Downloadable audio edition of David Foster Wallace's final and most ambitious undertaking an audacious and hilarious look into the abyss of ordinary life. The agents at the IRS Regional Examination Centre in Peoria, IL, appear ordinary enough to newly arrived trainee David Wallace. But as he immerses himself in a routine so tedious and repetitive that new employees receive boredom-survival training, he learns of the extraordinary variety of personalities drawn to this strange calling. And he has arrived at a moment when forces within the IRS are plotting to eliminate even what little humanity and dignity the work still has.

The Pale King remained unfinished at the time of David Foster Wallaces death, but it is a deeply intriguing and satisfying novel, hilarious and fearless and as original as anything Wallace ever undertook. It grapples directly with ultimate questions questions of lifes meaning and of the ultimate value of work and family through characters imagined with the interior force and generosity that were Wallaces unique gifts. Along the way it suggests a new idea of heroism and commands infinite respect for a writer who dared to take on the most daunting subjects the human spirit can imagine.

Critic Reviews:

"We can imagine his fiction and essays as the scroll fragments of a distant future. He did not channel his talents to narrower patterns. He wanted to be equal to the vast, babbling, spin-out sweep of contemporary culture." (Don DeLillo)

Members Reviews:

Masterpiece

A work unlike any other. Rich figurative language and accounts of human thought and behavior. Petkoff makes it fresh and alive. Listener must succumb to Wallace's heavy world, but it ends up bringing you to a whole new realm of literature and intimacy. Cannot recommend it enough.

Pale, but interesting

Despite the fact this book is chiefly about boredom (and we are given some very in-depth accounts of the kind of tedium its characters experience), it somehow manages to be one of the funniest books I've read or listened to for quite a while. Much of this comes from the way the author has injected humour in the most unexpected places, and from his wholly original approach to characters and situations. In this it is reminiscent of "Catch 22", although the two are very different books in most respects.

Robert Petkoff makes a marvellous job of reading the text, managing to handle multiple voices in very impressive fashion. If you enjoy the book as much as I did, you may also want to get hold of a copy of the print edition which includes numerous footnotes which it would have been impossible to include in the audiobook version. These add some interesting insights, as do a selection of notes that give an indication of David Foster Wallace's intentions for the final shape of the book.

Famously incomplete at the author's death, what we have here feels like only about 80-90% of the intended work, but, largely due I am sure to the excellent job the editor has done in assembling drafts, fragments etc, and above all to DFW's supreme gift of being able to delineate the human condition extraordinarily precisely, what we are presented with in this form is very close to being a hugely successful whole.

If it gets boring, stick with it - it'll get hilarious soon enough.

Petkoff does this remarkable book justice!

A remarkable book that its difficult to grade.

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 Daughter's Walk

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Jane Kirkpatrick

Narrator: Kimberly Farr

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-11

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A mother's tragedy, a daughter's desire and the 7000 mile journey that changed their lives.

In 1896 Norwegian American Helga Estby accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City within seven months in an effort to earn $10,000. Bringing along her nineteen year-old daughter Clara, the two made their way on the 3500-mile trek by following the railroad tracks and motivated by the money they needed to save the family farm. After returning home to the Estby farm more than a year later, Clara chose to walk on alone by leaving the family and changing her name. Her decisions initiated a more than 20-year separation from the only life she had known.

Historical fiction writer Jane Kirkpatrick picks up where the fact of the Estbys walk leaves off to explore Clara's continued journey. What motivated Clara to take such a risk in an era when many women struggled with the issues of rights and independence? And what personal revelations brought Clara to the end of her lonely road? The Daughter's Walk weaves personal history and fiction together to invite readers to consider their own journeys and family separations, to help determine what exile and forgiveness are truly about.

Editorial Reviews:

A mother and her daughter walk across America in this historical novel set in 1896. Clara and Helga Etsby hope to save their family farm from foreclosure with a $10,000 prize if they complete the journey. Jane Kirkpatrick imagines the Etsby women, their journey, and its repercussions in The Daughters Walk.

Prolific historical fiction author Jane Kirkpatrick has a passion for history and it shows in this novel. It is evident that the Etsby ladies walk captured her imagination and led to research of a little known but interesting event in American history. Lovers of womens history and historical fiction will enjoy the details and figures with which Kirkpatrick colors the novel. Though set in 1896 and framed with the mores of the time, the universal truths of family, identity, desires, and consequences still resonate. The first half of the novel is the strongest with fast pacing, family secret revelations, and discussions of womens suffrage. The novel loses energy in the second half as the protagonist, Clara, flounders in her life. The final act pulls together the books strongest elements of character relationships and historical context and The Daughters Walk ends strongly.

Veteran narrator Kimberly Farr has tackled everything from an Audrey Hepburn biography to a Nora Roberts novel to self-help books, and her versatility continues here. She admirably handles the Norwegian-American accents and makes the several female characters distinct. Occasionally, Farr borders on the melodramatic in her performance and an understated narration would have been a better fit for an already dramatic story. Farrs strength is in the characters individual and heartfelt voices that make listeners become invested in the characters, flaws and all.

Womens history and historical fiction fans will enjoy this fascinating story. Its also a great choice for book clubs. Jane Kirkpatrick and narrator Kimberly Farr combine for an imperfect but absorbing listen.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful historic story that should be known!

The story of these women is amazing and interesting. The book is well written and moves along at a great pace.

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: Flawless

Author: Tilly Bagshawe

Narrator: Jane Collingwood

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-18-11

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In the glitteringly ruthless diamond business, Scarlett Drummond Murray is a force to be reckoned with. As stunningly beautiful as the diamonds she works with, Scarlett is determined to make her mark on the industry with her fabulous jewellery creations. But to do so she must battle through a world that is steeped in greed and corruption.

Blazing a trail from London to Beverly Hills, Scarlett is plunged into the world of shady diamond dealers and the stunningly beautiful women for whom they all compete, in business and in bed. All of them are prepared to sacrifice everything in pursuit of that one, elusive, perfect stone. No matter what the cost. Will Scarlett be blinded by the brilliance of the temptation that surrounds her? Or can she keep her nerve - and her principles - and make it to the top with her heart and her business intact?

Members Reviews:

Interesting.

The story is interesting. Narator was also moderately okay. Overall performance was okay. Would look out for another Tilly Bagshawe book.

Very enjoyable

An enjoyable easy listening experience. Well narrated. I will purchase other titles by this author.

Synonyms

The story itself was easy listening

Troubled lives with a happy ending

A kind of modern day fairytale

One thing that annoyed me intensely were the boring stupid unnecessary synonyms