Download the Popular Authors Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary

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Title: The Reader

Author: Bernhard Schlink

Narrator: Campbell Scott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-17-08

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 829 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When he falls ill on his way home from school, 15-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover--then she inexplicably disappears. When Michael next sees her, he is a young law student, and she is on trial for a hideous crime. As he watches her refuse to defend her innocence, Michael gradually realizes that Hanna may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder.

Critic Reviews:

"A formally beautiful, disturbing and finally morally devastating novel." (Los Angeles Times)

"Moving, suggestive and ultimately hopeful. . . . [The Reader] leaps national boundaries and speaks straight to the heart." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Arresting, philosophically elegant, morally complex. . . . Mr. Schlink tells his story with marvelous directness and simplicity." (The New York Times)

"Haunting. . . . What Schlink does best, what makes this novel most memorable, are the small moments of highly charged eroticism." (Francine Prose, Elle)

Members Reviews:

Dysfunctional

When I was finished this book I felt empty. I couldn't decide if I liked it or not, however, it continues to pop into my thoughts and haunt me, and that is a sure sign that the book affected me.

Being a second generation holocaust survivor from both of my parents, I was raised with the holocaust in my veins, always learning and feeling the emotion of what my parents, their families and friends went through, one horror story after the other. I never took the time to understand what the second generation German people went through, a completely different perspective.

This dysfunctional "kid" (as he is referred to in the book), who even as an adult could not come to terms with his relationship with Hannah, was full of unresolved feelings and emotion too. Hannah herself could not admit and own up to what she had done. Also dysfunctional. A very dramatic book, which more than once, sent chills through me.

I am not sure if I would recommend this book to everyone. It is different. I can't quite put my finger on why. The narrator was fine, nothing special, but not a hindrance either.

What I will say is for a 4 hour book it certainly packs a punch. Will definitely see the movie.

The Reader, whew

I had no idea that this book was already in theaters. I can't imagine how it will be on the big screen, but as for the book, the writer and the reader, all I can say is that I could not put the book down. How courageous this book is! I cannot say that it answers the questions posed, but I very rarely have heard or read the questions asked. I read a lot, I totally recommend this book. Warning, it is heavy.

Not for everyone

The Yahoo group for Audible users highly praised this book, and since it was short and inexpensive, I bought it and listened to it right away. I was not as impressed as some. It's a tenderly told coming-of-age story about some very damaged individuals in Germany, in the decades following WW2. Campbell Scott reads beautifully, without resorting to any dialects, which is refreshing, and the narrative is plaintive but fulfilling. In many ways an autopsy of a society, the novel excuses no one and gives a rare glimpse into the souls of a hapless persons in circumstances beyond their control and understanding.

Incredible.

My audio library is 900 books. This is the first time I have felt so compelled to comment that I can't not do so.

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Title: An Irish Country Christmas

Author: Patrick Taylor

Narrator: John Keating

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-08

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 844 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Along with his senior partner, Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, Barry has his hands full dealing with seasonal coughs and colds, as well as the occasional medical emergency.

To add to the doctors' worries, competition arrives in the form of a patient-poaching new physician whose quackery threatens the health and well-being of the good people of Ballybucklebo. Can one territory support three hungry doctors? Barry has his doubts.

But the wintry days and nights are not without a few tidings of comfort and joy. Between their hectic medical practice, Rugby Club parties, and the kiddies' Christmas pageant, the two doctors still find time to play Santa Claus to a struggling single mother with a sick child and not enough money in the bank. Snow is rare in Ulster, and so are miracles, but that doesn't mean they never happen....

Critic Reviews:

"Full of stories and vivid characters, the novel recalls a good night in a pub. Its greatest charm lies in homey Ulster idioms....Good, light entertainment." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

A wonderful christmas listen

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book as my month of December listening from Audible. It was a great warm up for the holiday season. The quirky stories are jumble of funny silliness and difficulties of every day life. The reader gets the feeling and mood of Ireland from the past. Much like a James Herriot book but with human patients. Highly recommended.

Perfect holiday listening

The setting: holidaying on the tropical beaches of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Wanted: the ideal holiday book: engaging characters who are in caring, construction relationships (that is, not maiming and killing) and who live in an interesting community.

The narrator: sympathetic reader with convincing characterisation

.

Solution: Patrick Taylors An Irish Country Christmas and An Irish Country Courtship.

Id already read and thoroughly enjoyed An Irish Country Doctor and my holiday decision to continue the series did not disappoint.

John Keatings gentle Irish accented narration comfortably changes to create voices that become intrinsic to each character.

Taylor, himself an eminent doctor, clearly enjoys writing these books. He devises a wonderful little village in Ireland, fascinating medical scenarios, interesting relationships and gentle humour. We are drawn into a delightful world fuelled by people the author clearly admires or dislikes. It is enriched with medical knowledge and nostalgia for world of the 1960s where intuition and care played key roles -- and doctors made home visits.

Simply marvelous!

I stumbled upon this marvelous series by Patrick Taylor who depicts life in Ballybuckleboo a village in County Down in the 1960's. The two main likable characters are Dr. Barry Laverty, a recent graduate who is spending his first real job as an assistant to the sightly irascible but genuinely kind-hearted Dr. Fingal O'Reilly. They share the office practice in this rural setting and as they serve as country doctors they also nurture a budding friendship. Both men live in the same residence which also acts as their surgery and they are "looked after" by a delightful, witty middle age housekeeper, "Kinky" Kincaid.

If you want to get in the Christmas spirit, this is a dependable way of doing it - reading "An Irish Country Christmas".

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Title: Look Homeward, Angel

Author: Thomas Wolfe

Narrator: Scott Sowers

Format: Unabridged

Length: 26 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-24-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 214 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The works of Thomas Wolfe cemented his legacy as one of the very best of the American Southern writers. Wolfe's largely autobiographical novel features Eugene Gant, who pines for a more expansive life after being born to a father whose bouts of maniacal raving are fueled by a prodigious appetite for drink.

©1957 Edward C. Aswell (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

One Of The Gret Novels Of The 20th Century

My purpose in writing this review is to provide a balance. It would be unfortunate if someone in the new Century, coming upon Thomas Wolfe for the first time, and unaware that they held within their hands one of the masterworks of the Twentieth Century, were deterred, and thus denied themselves a significant reading pleasure. If in reading it some 80 years after Wolfe wrote it, you feel it is too wordy, has too much description, or could have been edited more, remember this: Wolfe was in his mid twenties when he wrote it. Max Perkins, who is universally acknowledged as the greatest Editor of the Twentieth Century (he discovered/first published Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings etc.) was his Editor. Perkins, after much struggle, got him to cut 90,000 words from the original manuscript.

If you love the language; if you value wordcraft and the evocation of imagery in a sublime form; if you appreciate Steinbeck, Pat Conroy, Waltari and Shirley Haggard for these reasons, if you are a writer or want to be; if you hunger for a book that has masterful characterisation that will imprint the characters indellibly on your mind, then listen to and enjoy "Look Homeward, Angel". You will then know the Gants and the Pentlands like your own family and you will know why, as someone who averages reading / listening to 137 books per year (over 1200 since January 2000), I count this as one of my ten favourites, and why is has been for over 35 years. In addition, Scott Sowers has done a Masterful job of narration. It is worth the credit!

A Classic for a reason

This is not the easiest listen/read but to me, well worth the time and money. A voice from another time, The tone of Wolfe's writing adds to the story, giving a sense of the time period. Narration is #1 with any audio book for me and Scott Sowers is great.

A classsic read

I saw that this book was one of Pat Conroy's favorites, and since he is my favorite author and I need to read some classics, I listened to this one. Thomas Wolfe's language is amazing and I see why they study this in school. Wow.

Marvelous

I don't know which I loved more, Wolfe's poetic flourishes and a Woolfian ability to inject philosophical wonder into the mundane, or Sowers's flawless voicings and performance. I played this at a more comfortable 1.20x speed. I got hopelessly sucked into the world of the Gants, audibly gasping in wonder at some of Wolfe's most beautiful lines. A favorite from minute 1. I wish Sowers would record the sequel and the more recent uncut, unedited release.

The smallest of complaints - the chapters didn't line up with the Audible chapter breaks. Very minor issue that I could live with.

the king of the adjective

what a painting of life lived out, if not wrung out, of such a diverse set of characters

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Title: Outcast of Redwall

Author: Brian Jacques

Narrator: Brian Jacques, full cast

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-24-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 169 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In this stirring, sword-rattling chapter in New York Times best-selling author Brian Jacques' beloved series, questions of right and wrong do not have simple answers. Abandoned by his evil warlord father Swartt Sixclaw, the ferret Veil is raised at Redwall. But when he commits an unforgivable crime, he is banished forever. So when Swartt goes on a rampage, Veil must make a choice. He can either fight for the father who orphaned him, or for those who turned him away.

©1995 The Redwall Abbey Compar; (P)2006 Reorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

Uneven, but still enjoyable

Like the its source material, the audiobook of "Outcast of Redwall" is very uneven. The original book suffers from being so drawn out, overcrowded (even by RW standards) and literally all over the place.But it's still a fun, exciting story with likable, memorable characters and actions scenes that feel like Lord of the Rings with animals.

Some performers are better to listen to than others. For example, Bryony & Sunflash sound real good while while Swartt varies from scene to scene and Veil is clearly voiced by someone too old (trying too hard to sound young) who misses the mark a lot, sounding better as a bad guy than when he's supposed to be good/sympathetic.

But the real fun is in the songs. Adapting the verses from the book could've been a drag, but having them fully orchestrated and sung often made them a hoot, especially when there's a chorus. First time I ever experienced a musical audiobook!

So while not the exactly the best audiobook in the Tales of Redwall, it can certainly be quite entertaining.

adult Redwalll addiction in Vermont

My favorite Redwall book. Full cast great songs I love it. I am from Verrmont which is basically southern Quebec. Before cable we got only Canadian cbc. Redwall! GUOSIM!

Great one

This is one of the better Redwall books. It breaks from the traditional, puzzel being solved at redwall, while a hero goes on a quest way to young and co.es back a hero that Brian did for several others. Great book overall.

A Spectacular Must Read Adventure!!

What made the experience of listening to Outcast of Redwall the most enjoyable?

The fact that the story is narrated by the Author and his associates makes this audiobook one of the most enjoyable I've ever heard! Tie that in with a fantastic story and acting along with songs and poems makes this audiobook a must for any reader!

What did you like best about this story?

This story is the one that got me to enjoy reading in the first place! Until I read this book, I hated reading, the normal predictable plots of children's books left a sour taste in my mouth. When I was assigned this book by a teacher, I looked at how thick it was and absolutely dreaded reading it; however, once I actually started reading it I was swept into an epic of daring adventure, endearing characters, great battles, great humor, and sorrowful events, making it the first book that made my heart cheer and cry and laugh and leap. The tale of Sunflash the Mace and his faithful kestrel companion Skarlath is one that I would ever wish to share with those around me, both young and old alike!

disappointing story line

I liked the performers, they brought the story to life. I thought the music was a bit annoying, but that's a personal opinion base on how I like my book, not because the music it's self was bad.

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Title: Red Phoenix

Author: Larry Bond

Narrator: J. Charles

Format: Unabridged

Length: 23 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 463 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From the author who collaborated with Tom Clancy on Red Storm Rising, this is the book that dares to show us the military hardware, global upheavals, and raw combat a second Korean War would unleash. How F-16s would blast across the 38th Parallel. How ultra-modern submarines would vie for the seas. And how two armies would turn the snowfields of Asia red with blood. A thundering geopolitical thriller of vast scope, this is Red Phoenix - and a new standard for military/political suspense fiction.

©1990 Larry Bond; (P)2006 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"Gripping...masterfully accurate...Mr. Bond is in complete command." (Baltimore Sun)

"Harrowingly real and persuasive." (Newsday)

"A direct hit! The techno-thriller has a new ace, and his name is Larry Bond." (Tom Clancy)

Members Reviews:

A Second Korean War, as Fought in 1989

One of my favorite books growing up was Red Storm Rising. The silent partner behind that Cold War classic went on to produce this what if exercise of a novel. Because of the inherent limitations of the genre, the story quickly became outdated, notice that it was copyrighted in 1990, meaning that it came out the same year Iraq invaded Kuwait, making it something of a time capsule of military thinking. At the same time, this necessary anachronism does not in and of itself render the book irrelevant. As the critical acclaim quoted above notes, it was considered at the time a thoroughly credible hypothetical scenario for a Second Korean War.

Another reviewer criticized the plausibility of the politics and military technology depicted in the conflict. It is important to remember though that at the time, strategic focus was centered squarely on Europe, meaning political calculations and allocation of modern hardware flowed accordingly. Thus, the stage is set for a sort of worst case scenario, where US and South Korean forces standing alone without the benefit of the 1980s modernization face the best Soviet armor employed with the sufficient numbers and ruthless disregard for losses that made the American military modernization at the end of the Cold War such a priority for so many, or so it seems to an armchair quarterback looking back over two decades.

At any rate, like he did with Clancy, Bond asks a number of interesting questions, and enlists a number of unfortunate characters to act as observers in his thought experiments. This includes anti-submarine warfare officers trying to get convoys into Pusan with North Korean and Russian subs prowling the shallow approaches, navy and air force pilots trying to outmatch MIG-29s while not being drowned by a tide of MIG-21s, carrier crews trying to sustain combat operations against built up air defenses, infantry officers leading what was meant to be a tripwire force asked to hold against an unending stream of heavy armor, and even logisticians trying to manage the flow of needed supplies from the states while trying to avoid being blown up.

So long as one heeds another reviewer's warning to be mindful of the time in which this book originates and is nominally set, there's quite a bit to chew on here. Unfortunately, the narration leaves something to be desired. I actually have a copy of this book in what I believe to be its original form, eight cassettes with a different track on the left and right stereo channels.

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Title: The Silver Linings Playbook

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Matthew Quick

Narrator: Ray Porter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-09-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3382 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When Pat goes to live with his parents, everything seems changed: no one will talk to him about Nikki, and his new therapist seems to be recommending adultery as a form of therapy. Then, Pat meets clinically depressed widow Tiffany, who offers to act as a liaison between him and his wife - provided he agrees to a secret contract that includes giving up football and performing in the next Dance Away Depression competition.

Critic Reviews:

"This offbeat story has all the markings of a crowd-pleaser." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

A remarkable achievement.

Matthew Quick has accomplished several amazing things here, and it's really hard to list them all. First, he has documented the nature of mental illness in general and bipolar disorder in fine detail, the first book (in my experience) to do this in novel form. Second, he has drawn a terrific, touching love story between two people who are both fragile and suffering from loss. They are both determined, nonetheless, to find the "silver linings" in life. Three, he has depicted a suffering family which is trying to cope with a deeply disturbed, isolated and enraged father. Fourth, he has portrayed the love story between a community and its football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. The passion that the fans have for their team is almost unimaginable in its ferocity, a love that many men understand and many women cannot. If you are a woman, just think of sports as male emotionality. Fifth (I am counting) he has depicted a very unusual relationship between a therapist and his patient. Cliff, the psychiatrist who follows Pat after his four-year involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital, is also a raving Eagles fan, who delights in jumping out of his chair and doing the Eagles chant. When Pat is puzzled by this (as who wouldn't be), Cliff says, "When I sit in this chair, I am your therapist. When I get out of this chair, I am your friend and fellow Eagles fan." Can you imagine any psychiatrist, if you know any, who could do such a thing?

I have lost track of all that Mr. Quick has done here, but, trust me, it is an awe-inspiring thing. For one in the profession (I am a psychologist), it is all the more astounding. That the book works so well on all of these levels, and more, is just a pleasure. I think Mr. Quick is a young author, and I hope we will hear more from him.

Mr. Porter does a great job with this challenging material. Serious mental illness is frightening, and both these men have done a wonderful job of conveying the torment that these patients suffer. Even so, the book is uplifting. If you have seen the movie, you know that it is wonderful as well, but it is quite different.. A movie has much different rules than a book, and it just can't convey the richness of this work of fiction. The book may be hard to listen to at times, as Mr. Quick does not pull any punches, so just put it down for a while and then come back to it. The book and the movie combined have contributed to the process of destigmatizing mental illness, which is all very much to the good. I am preaching here, so I will stop. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

Eagles Victory

Pat has returned home after spending time in a "bad place" with no recollection of the last 4 years. His mother, brother, best friend, and new therapist provide support and are all avid Eagles fans.

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Title: A Thousand Acres

Author: Jane Smiley

Narrator: C. J. Critt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-23-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 299 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Three daughters and their husbands are pulled into a tangle of love, jealousy, and fear when their father, Larry Cook, grows too old to manage the family's fertile thousand-acre farm. As each couple struggles with their own tragedies and challenges, they know their father is judging them in light of the weighty inheritance that hovers within their reach.

The Cook family, and the farm community around them, are part of a mosaic that is as enduring as the fences and fields of the broad midwestern landscape. But this endurance exacts an immense price from them in return.

You will find that this nationally-acclaimed, breathtaking story, in a stirring narration by C. J. Critt, is an unforgettable listening experience.

Critic Reviews:

"[A] magnificent, haunting family drama, an American retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear set on a contemporary Iowa farm....a favorite choice of reading groups everywhere (it would be a natural for Oprah)." (Entertainment Weekly)

Members Reviews:

good book bad reader

I stopped listening and will buy this book to read. The narrator was awful--she read as if the book were as simple as the characters are "supposed" to be--as if she did not have a clue about what is really inside the book she was reading. This recording is a reminder to me of how I can sometimes take the important contributions of good readers for granted!

A great read.

What did you love best about A Thousand Acres?

There were so many good things about this book...the characters and their development, the details that made you feel like you were right there, the unveiling of relationships, the contrast points to King Lear...and the narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ginny was my favorite, although I liked her more in the beginning than the end. Her self discovery was surprising and amazing. It made me like the characters with their flaws.

What does C. J. Critt bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

This was read so well, I don't know how she accomplished it! With so many different people to play, her voice managed to give faces to them all. She gave weight to small things, didn't overdramatize the heavy moments. When playing Larry, she made him so mean and threatening, it was visual. She is an amazing reader.

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

No, not all at once.

Brilliant modern re-telling of King Lear!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Thousand Acres to be better than the print version?

Patience is a virtue and it pays off in the telling of this story. Allow the story to lull you into its magnificent plot. I did both audio and book when it first came out--enjoyed both for different reasons. Both are superb!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Loved all--each finely drawn and well-developed!

Have you listened to any of C. J. Critts other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, a first for me...but, beautifully done!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Everyone is a favorite child...rigjht?

Any additional comments?

Love. Love. Love.

King Lear set on an Iowa farm.

I picked up this book as part of a challenge I am participating in this year. I had not heard anything about it previously. I am grateful for the challenge because this is a wonderful book.

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Title: No One Belongs Here More Than You

Subtitle: Stories

Author: Miranda July

Narrator: Miranda July

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-07-07

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 265 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In the brilliant opening story, "The Shared Patio", a woman longs to share her neighbor's life, but learns that her fantasy of him has no resemblance to reality. In "The Swim Team", a young woman teaches three elderly citizens in a town with no water how to swim. A man who works at a leather factory gets set-up by his co-worker for a date that never arrives in "The Sister". In "Something That Needs Nothing", a young woman's job at a peep show changes her identity in the eyes of her friend, allowing their relationship to take a different course.

In these stories, Miranda July shows a remarkable skill for inhabiting the hearts and minds of a varied cast of characters, imbuing them with a tenderness and humanity that is the mark of a great writer.

Members Reviews:

One of the best

Having listened to audiobooks for over twenty years, this is one of the best. Wanted to re-start it after it was finished. The author paints unbelievable secnarios, that stretch the imagination. Ordinary thoughts suddenly have extraordinary outcomes. Characters are complex, disturbing and likeable. It has been a along time since I have been so in awe of sheer writing.

Brilliant.

A wonderful collection of stories that could only have been written by Miranda July. The entire audiobook is filled with her unique brand of awkward comedy. As strange as it may be, it almost feels organic, as if these were real stories, filled with details.

No one else could have read it as well as she did. Must have for any Miranda July fan.

Reads your mind

No one compares to Miranda when it comes to describing the many many strange feelings and parts of human nature previously unattended by other writers.

You'll never get what you expect

Where does No One Belongs Here More Than You rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This is a great audiobook

What did you like best about this story?

She has the capacity of twisting the stories in a way you never know what to expect. Her characters are deeply complex.

What about Miranda Julys performance did you like?

One of the best things of the book is the fact the author is reading her stories.

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

It is a book you can listen story by story, but you need to listen to the complete story before pausing it.

yes

Awesome book. Great narration by the author. There were a few things I disliked, but these minor things didn't take away from the overall audiobook. The author should quit writing and narrate audio full time.

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Title: The Witch of Portobello

Author: Paulo Coelho

Narrator: Rita Wolf

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-16-07

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 329 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The Witch of Portobello is the story of a mysterious woman named Athena, told by the many who knew her well - or hardly at all.

"People create a reality and then become the victims of that reality. Athena rebelled against that - and paid a high price."

-Heron Ryan, journalist

"Athena's great problem was that she was a woman of the 22nd century living in the 21st. Did she pay a price? She certainly did. But she would have paid a still higher price if she had repressed her natural exuberance. She would have been bitter, frustrated, always saying, 'I'll just sort these things out, then I'll devote myself to my dream,' always complaining 'that the conditions are never quite right.'"

-Deirdre O'Neil, known as Edda

Like The Alchemist, The Witch of Portobello is the kind of story that will transform the way listeners think about love, passion, joy, and sacrifice.

Critic Reviews:

"Best-selling fabulist Coelho continues to transform his trademark combination of mysticism and storytelling into spellbinding examinations of the human soul....Narrated from multiple points of view, the portrait of Athena that emerges is as provocative and spiritually complex." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

the toughest kind of book to write....

Although I admire the intent behind "The Witch of Portobello," I was disappointed that a writer as significant as Paulo Coelho was not able to create what I suspect he intended. I have to acknowledge how hard this kind of book is to write: a "message" book that assumes this kind of narrative structure is just asking for trouble from the get-go unless much more developed. Coelho has an initially unnamed "reporter" collect narratives from several people whose lives touch "The Witch's" and we readers are to believe that Athena (how is that for cliche name!) profoundly impacts life after life when she is depicted as a two-dimensional character whose new age style pronouncements and teachings are meant to stir the reader and those who come into contact with her with soul-moving prophecy and rapture. I think it's possible to write such a book, but it's extraordinarily difficult, and it doesn't work here. The New Age pronouncements come across as thinly-disguised authorial preaching. Messianic characters only work if you believe in them -- okay to dislike them-- but in this case, the entire atmosphere feels so very false. I think Coelho could have taken a more mythic approach and this novel could have worked, he could have made of this novel a much deeper sort of fable or parable, or he could have fully developed a gritty, more fully realized novel. But he didn't take this book in any of those directions. He mixes too much of the mundane with cliche and platitude so that the book becomes to me, a muddle. I wish he would have pushed the book further in one direction or another, but as it stands now it's a raw sketch that doesn't work.

Think and Rejoice

A tale spun in a way that gets you thinking and then rejoicing. A necessary "hearing" quite revealing, amazing, thrilling and well done! Paulo writes with a passion to transform. This tale uncovers the feminine side of God. A MYTH = A dance with a thought that never was.

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Title: It Had to Be You

Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Narrator: Anna Fields

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-02-07

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1713 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

It's Dan Calebow's worst nightmare: Phoebe Somerville, a trendy New York knockout, inherits the Chicago Stars, the football team he coaches. And she wants to help him run it. Phoebe's sure he needs her. He's a sexist good-ol'-boy jock with a one-track mind. Surely she can straighten him out....So why should each find the other attractive? Call it the competitive urge, but these two stubborn people play the game for keeps.

©1994 Susan Elizabeth Phillips; (P)1996 Books on Tape

Critic Reviews:

"A sleek, romantic comedy." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Classic Susan Elizabeth Philips

What I love about Susan Elizabeth Phillips is that you are guaranteed a story that is charming, funny and sexy. She has a great way of making the reader feel like they are in the story. This book was entertaining and great to listen to. This book is the first in the "Chicago Stars" series. I listened to them out of order but each story can stand on its own. It was good however, to where it all started. Phoebe is such full of life yet lacks confidence due to her bad history with men. I think many women can relate in one way or another with her story. This was a heartwarming enchanting story and I would list it as one of my favorites by this author.

Romance & Football - Somehow it works...

The plot is predictable, but the narration is excellent (Anna Field never disappoints) and the romance is quite...um, effective. A fun, frolicking story about a dysfunctional family, an evil cousin, a woman battling childhood abuse to come into her own in the middle of the most unlikely environment: the locker room of a football team fighting their way to the Superbowl. The romance is well written and well read. Not high literary material, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

One of SEP' top two books ever!

I have listened to this book a number of times, and it never disappoints. I adore the main characters, and this is a fantastic start to Phillips Chicago Stars series. I hope she continues it!

Wonderful, delightful, chuckle out loud

Loved this book from the very beginning. Shortly after "meeting" Dan Calebow, I never could seem to get the picture of Matthew Mcconnaughey out of my mind, so there he stayed, as Dan, for the entire time I listened to Anna Fields' excellent narration. It was a fun romp (and there were several descriptive "romps") and, as usual, great character development.

Refreshingly Different...

Even though it was written over a decade ago, this is still a refreshingly different kind of romance novel. Phoebe is unlike any heroine I've read about before or since and she taught me a lot about how we categorize people based on very limited information. Kudos to Susan Elizabeth Phillips for creating a character and a situation that was so wholly unexpected and a lot of fun to read.