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Title: Slade's Glacier

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Robert F. Jones

Narrator: Brian Holsopple

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-06-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Slades Glacier is a tale of discovery and destruction, betrayal and revenge, set in the rugged "Great Land" of Alaska. Jack Slade and Sam Healey, flying partners during World War II, establish a bush pilot business in Alaska after the war. When their C-47 Dakota is forced down on a glacier by a wolverine in the cargo deck that breaks out of its cage, they discover a valley that offers the realization each man's dreams. To Jack Slade, its the ideal place to homestead, raise a family, and live simply as a professional hunting and fishing guide; to Healey, the pool of crude oil he locates under the glacial ice promises the wealth he always wanted.

In scenes that range from Alaskas coastal fishing ports to the high, fierce wastelands of the interior, we watch each man lay the plans for their individual goals - and ultimately come into fatal conflict. Along the way, they meet a wide, colorful variety of Alaskan types, including Charlie Blue, a Tlingit Indian, shaman, and seer; Norman Ormandy, the tough saloonkeeper of Gurry Bay; and Malec Mummad-Afi, a wealthy exiled Iranian oil king and sheep hunter.

Members Reviews:

Alaska and the soul.

Great storybook. Can identify with the country, the people, and thevstory.

Will find more like it.

Predictable and crude

Would you try another book from Robert F. Jones and/or Brian Holsopple?

No.

The author is crude and demeaning of women.

The author does not generate any emotional connection with the characters.

Any additional comments?

I was hoping for an adventure of Alaska bush-pilots. But got a story of crude language and shallow characters. This is one of the few books where I wasn't rooting for any of the characters. The story was pretty predictable so there was no "edge of the seat" moments and at times it got preachy about the environment, but not in a inspirational way.

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Title: The Day Before Happiness

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Erri De Luca, Michael Moore (translator)

Narrator: P.J. Ochlan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Just after World War II, a young orphan living in Naples comes under the protection of Don Gaetano, the superintendent of an apartment building. He is a generous man and is very attached to the boy, telling him about the war and the liberation of the city by the Neapolitans. He teaches him to play cards, shows him how to do odd jobs for the tenants, and even initiates him into the world of sex by sending him one evening to a widow who lives in the building. But Don Gaetano possesses another gift as well: he knows how to read peoples thoughts and guesses correctly that his young friend is haunted by the image of a girl he noticed by chance behind a window during a soccer match. Years later, when the girl returns, the orphan will need Don Gaetanos help more than ever.

Members Reviews:

My rating of The Day Before Happiness

I read the book as a member of a book club. I enjoyed the writing style of the translation. The translator carefully chose his words to tell the story in the fewest words possible. Very compact, yet descriptive. As I was reading the book I wondered if the original language was as rich and beautiful as the translation. I also enjoyed the first person narrative from a young boy's perspective. The main characters were rich, beautifully described; I was able to identify with the boy and his mentor. I appreciate that the author uses the same translator-it is alomost as if they are co-writing the novel. I will definately read another book by this author.

A Wonderful Reading Experience

"The Day Before Happiness" is a delightful read about a throwaway boy just after WW II and how he grows up with the insightful help of a local 'fix-it' man. The translation does not obscure the regional nature of Naples with all of its charm and tradgedy shortly after the liberation by the Americans. It is streaked throughout with hopefulness and an expectation of happiness just on the horizon. I donated this book to the local Library to help them expand in this time of severe budget constraints.I bought this book from Amazon and am pleased I did !

Three Stars

Beginning is good, but somehow doesn't take off later.

"Man is a basin that collects stories - the lower he is, the more he receives."

(4.5 stars) Described by Milan's daily newspaper Corriere della Serra as "the only true first-rate writer that the new millennium has given us for now," Erri De Luca writes a story of Naples, filling it with well-developed characters who live through three different time periods - 1943, as Naples has its popular uprising against their German occupiers; the early 1950s, when the unnamed narrator, a young orphan of about seven, is growing up; and the early 1960s, when the young man is now finishing school and about to set out on his own. The novel moves back and forth in time, as the author writes an often lyrical novel full of noble sentiments and wise observations, at the same time that it is packed with details about life and behavior.

The young orphan grows up in the early 1950s without any real supervision, living in a back room belonging to Don Gaetano, the doorman of an apartment building. As a child soccer player famous for his monkey-like ability to retrieve the ball when it goes awry, he discovers a secret passageway into a grotto behind a statue.

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Title: Wild Ginger

Author: Anchee Min

Narrator: Emily Zeller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

At once a coming-of-age tale and a heart-rending love story, Wild Ginger explores the devastating experience of the Cultural Revolution, which defined Anchee Mins youth. The beautiful, iron-willed Wild Ginger is only in elementary school when she is singled out by the Red Guards for her "foreign-colored eyes". Her classmate Maple is also a target of persecution. The novel chronicles the two girls maturing in Shanghai in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Chairman Mao ruled absolutely and his followers took up arms in his name. Wild Ginger grows up to become a model Maoist, but her love for a man soon places her in an untenable position and ultimately in mortal danger. This slim and powerful novel examines the "fragile sensibilities and emotions of an entire generation of Chinese youth (Washington Post) and brilliantly delineates the psychological and sexual perversion of those times.

Members Reviews:

Compared to other novels by the same author, this one disappointed

Anchee Minâs Wild Ginger relates a love story in the midst of turmoil told from the point of view of a teenage girl, Maple, who suffers at the hands of a bully, Hot Pepper, because Mapleâs father was in a forced labor camp at the beginning of Maoâs Cultural Revolution. She meets the title character, Wild Ginger, when the latter joins her school class. Because Wild Ginger has âforeignâ eyes and her father is half-French, she becomes another target for Hot Pepper, but Wild Ginger fights back and the bond between the two outcasts is forged.

Mapleâs father is missing from her life because of his political crimes; Wild Gingerâs father is dead. Maple has siblings. Wild Ginger is an only child. Their mothers are left with responsibility to hold their two families together. Together they fight the injustice, but when Wild Gingerâs mother hangs herself, she loses hope.

In spite of the hopelessness of her situation, fortunes change when she is declared a heroine for discovering a group of unscrupulous men as they tried to divide up profits from thefts from a factory. As a result, she meets Mao after the newspaper headlines proclaimed that she acted based on following the teachings of the Chairman.

The story involves love of all types: best-friends-forever love between teenage girls, love of country, love of family, and first love. It also touches on the negative reactions to love: embarrassment, jealousy, envy, anger, betrayal, revenge. The bookâs nearly storybook ending is satisfying on one level, but felt just a bit too tidy for a book aimed at an adult audience.

And that touches on what the biggest problem was for me. Because of the age of the central characters, initially I considered the book aimed at a young adult audience. The themes of bullying, friendship, and loyalty all seemed appropriate for YA readers. But as the love story that pitted Wild Ginger and Maple against one another for the love of Evergreen, the details were too graphic for a YA audience. Yet the story line, though complicated and touching on real political and psychological issues, offered too simple a path to satisfy most adults.

I have read other books by Anchee Min, more successful books based on historical characters, fleshed out using fiction techniques.

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Title: Wish Upon a Star

Author: Trisha Ashley

Narrator: Julia Barrie

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-11-13

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A wonderful warm festive treat from Sunday Times bestseller Trisha Ashley.

The perfect gift isn't always under the tree...

Single mum Cally's life is all about her little girl Stella. She's resigned to the fact that the only romance she's going to get is from the rom-coms she watches, and with her busy job and her daughter, she doesn't have time to even think about love.

But life gets very tough when Stella gets sick. Balancing her job as a recipe writer and looking after Stella is all consuming, so when Cally meets handsome baker Jago the last thing she wants to do is fall in love, especially when she's been badly burned by a Prince Charming from her past.

Can laid-back, charming Jago unlock Cally's frozen heart and help her find true love and magic under the mistletoe?

Come home for Christmas with this gorgeous festive treat, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Jill Mansell.

Critic Reviews:

"A warm-hearted and comforting read. Trisha at her best" (Carole Matthews)

"Full of down-to-earth humour." (Sophie Kinsella)

"One of the best writers around!" (Katie Fforde)

Members Reviews:

A Delicious Treat

Would you listen to Wish Upon a Star again? Why?

Yes. Because it's heartwarming but it also feels true to life.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the honesty of all the characters. None of them seemed to be stereotypical.

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

She brings the characters to life in a lovely, soft non intrusive way.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A book that could rise to any occasion.

A relaxing, pleasant listen.

Fairly predictable, but in a comfortable, not irritating way.

Very well read. Although male characters read by female readers always tend to sound a bit odd (as is often the case vice versa).

Lovely story and well told

Proper Tricia Ashley style book and loved that it actually links to the last one I read :)

Comforting as a slice of cake...

You know it's definitely a good book if it's one you actually take the time to listen to again and so I've listened to it twice now, left it a couple of years in between and then it was lovely to meet the characters all over again and to discover bits of the story I had forgotten, these were nice surprises to come across. Trisha Ashley knows how to tell a good story and the narrator does fine. With all the many references to cake, recipes and baking in this book I can't resist saying that Wish Upon a Star is truly as comforting as a slice of cake. Suitable as a festive listen but works well at any other time too.

A little magic

What did you like most about Wish Upon a Star?

The whole story. its excellent.

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

Julia Barie is believable. She takes on the characterisation you hear her story. Excellent

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Worrying about a sick child is pretty moving.

Any additional comments?

Trisha Ashley writes excellent books

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Title: Hold Tight

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Christopher Bram

Narrator: Robert Black

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A World War II sailor works in a New York City brothel - for his country. After being arrested in a gay brothel in New York during a raid, Seaman Second Class Hank Fayette doesn't understand why his homosexual activities are grounds for imprisonment. The brothel is rumored to be a hangout for Nazi spies and the Navy forces Hank to go undercover as a prostitute.

They hope to use clandestine sexuality to retrieve clandestine intelligence. However, after Hank becomes friendly with a black teenager named Juke, nothing seems to go as planned. Hold Tight is a World War II thriller set in the Big Band era, a world where sexuality and race can be equally dangerous.

Members Reviews:

Much better than most gay novels

I have read a few Christopher Bram novels and have enjoyed all of them immensely. Hold Tight was no exception. It is very well written, very suspenseful, with just enough eroticism thrown in to create a good balance. It is well preformed and a pleasure to listen to.

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Title: An Angel's Touch

Author: Heather Graham

Narrator: Bailey Carr

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

For six suffering strangers, an astonishing change of fate is just around the corner. Thirty-something Cathy and Don Angel seem to have it all. But tragedy strikes when, while driving from New York to New England on Christmas Eve, they are involved in a catastrophic accident - with no survivors. Halfway to heaven, they are visited by the angel Gabriel, who tells them both that they must perform three miracles by midnight in order to complete their journey. To do so, Cathy and Don must get inextricably involved with the lives of several desperate strangers, all afflicted with unique miseries, and all in need of divine intervention. On this dark and silent night, these six individuals will discover that as long as miracles can happen, hope will never die.

Members Reviews:

Angels

Great story about Angels blessing and faith also saving lives and adopting children to stay together than splitting siblings to love

Great easy read

Good read, only took a day to finish. Wonderful Christmas story and I would recommend it to anyone. Great story line, and a wonderful ending. The book kept me interested from the start.

I loved this story even though it was sad

I loved this story even though it was sad, the ending made up for the trials the couple went through. The end was the best possible ending for the couple.

Another Great Read. Perfect for a clod winter night.

I love Heather Graham. I have never found one of her books that I didn't love.I can't wait for her next book to come on the market.

Great

Heather Graham is one of my favorite authors. Her books always have a great story with a twist. I would recommend any of her books

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Title: In Such Dark Places

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Joseph Caldwell

Narrator: Sean Crisden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When a photographer witnesses a violent crime in New York's Lower East Side, he hunts down the missing camera that may hold answers

Eugene is a midwesterner living in New York, an erstwhile Catholic and not-quite-openly-gay photographer. When a Holy Week pageant in the gritty Lower East Side erupts into a riot, he is sucked into the city's shadowy depths. While photographing the parade, Eugene has his eye on a handsome teen, but when things turn violent the youth is stabbed and Eugene's camera is stolen. To find the camera and its precious film, which may provide evidence, Eugene has to become acquainted with a seedy, unfamiliar world, and hold on to his sanity in the process. In Such Dark Places is a thrilling debut novel of awakening and obsession.

Members Reviews:

an excellent, although depressing novel

I knew nothing about this novel except that, as an Alyson publication, it had to have a gay theme. It is excellent. It involves some lower-class losers in the squalid tenements of Manhattan. Eugene is an underemployed photographer trying to survive the rough life of the streets.

The writing is crisp, clear, and often brilliantly poetic, especially the unexpected similes that sparkle like diamonds among all the surrounding grayness. The novel is very cinematic, including a twist ending that I really didn't see coming. This is the type of novel that the French existentials would praise for both its realistic subject and its themes of the poor doomed individuals who don't stand a chance in this vicious world. There are some well-delineated characters: an abandoned street kid, a priest, a woman who briefly shares Eugene's apartment, a neighborhood stud who has a rat-killing obsession. If you want light gay froth, this is not for you. But if you want a really serious, heavy look at conflicted gays in the lower depths, this one is worth a look.

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Title: Looking Back

Author: Belva Plain

Narrator: Kate Forbes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-22-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Belva Plain's many New York Times best-selling novels, including Promises, are beloved by her fans for their ability to convey bittersweet tales of the heart. Looking Back follows the intertwined lives of three bright young women. Cecile is a beautiful child of privilege; Amanda is ambitious but poor; Norma is the academic star, yet the least self-assured. They are inseparable at college. And when the three classmates graduate and move into careers and marriage, they remain close. But, secretly, one of them will begin a relationship that undermines their trust and alters the course of each life it touches.

As Looking Back explores the limits of friendship and loyalty, it moves from youthful optimism to the more complex realities of adulthood. This poignant novel is classic Belva Plain, and narrator Kate Forbes' performance captures each emotional scene.

Members Reviews:

Unexpected twists

Where does Looking Back rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I love Belva Plain and this is one of her really good stories.

Any additional comments?

Look forward to listening to more of her books.

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Title: Cruise Killer

Subtitle: Marsha & Danny Jones Thrillers

Author: Ken Rossignol

Narrator: George Ridgeway

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-13

Publisher: Kenneth C. Rossignol

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Eleven deadly days in the Caribbean.

Join Marsha and Danny Jones as they face the greatest threat yet to the Sea Empress and her passengers on a wonderful cruise to the Caribbean - with a serial killer on board! A fascinating group of people have joined the cruise to the warm and sunny islands, from famous authors to stalking reviewers, a country music legend and a top FBI agent sent to help track down a killer. Danger lurks every day as the body count begins. When will it all end? Only The Shadow knows for sure!

Members Reviews:

Anotther fun mystery

I enjoyed this story. I liked the characters and having the surprise of Gussie onboard was additionally fun. I really enjoy Danny and Marsha Jones. They are so cute together. I like the way they interact and think.

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Title: The Son-In-Law

Author: Charity Norman

Narrator: Anna Bentinck, Harriet Carmichael, Steven Crossley, David Nellist

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-13

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From the author of the Richard & Judy Book Club pick After the Fall comes another enthralling novel.

On a sharp winter's morning, a man turns his back on prison. This is the story of Joseph, who killed his wife, Zoe. Of their three children who witnessed the event. Of Zoe's parents, Hannah and Frederick, who are bringing up the children and can't forgive or understand Joseph. They slowly adjust to life without Zoe, until the day Joseph is released from prison...

Critic Reviews:

"Will appeal to devotees of Joanna Trollope and Jodi Picoult... [Norman] is hot on their heels." (Daily Mail)

Members Reviews:

One of my favourite books of the year

I listened to this book over 2 days and really did not want it to end. It is certainly one of my favourite listens of the year. It's the kind of book that I want to share with all my friends and then feel envious that they still have it to look forward to! I found it absolutely compulsive and believable. It is well researched, excellently written and narrated and I empathised with all of the characters and felt that they became a part of my life. Highly recommended.

Expected more... somehow

The best thing about this audio book for me was the narration which is absolutely superb.

The story itself was ok and I expected more somehow from it's reviews... I found it mostly predictable and just a bit too tidy... an ok enough listen but nothing about it made me wow.

Wow, just wow!

Would you listen to The Son-In-Law again? Why?

No, I wouldn't listen to The Son-In-Law again as I generally don't listen to a book that I've already read as I know the ending but I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Scarlet and Joseph. It is hard to choose between these 2 as they were so different yet both so compelling.

What about the narratorss performance did you like?

They were so real. The narration in this book was the best narration I've ever heard in a book, they brought the characters to life, I felt like I was listening to a play rather than a book and felt as if I knew the characters personally, I could almost see them, they brought each scene to life and I could visualise the scene and situation that they were in and feel their anger, sadness, guilt...

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

Yes, to use a cliché - it was hard to put down!

Any additional comments?

I don't write reviews in general. I am an avid reader and read (or listen) to 2 or 3 books per month. I have written 1 or 2 reviews in my life but only for books that have really moved me. This book moved me beyond belief...I laughed out loud, I cried, I had goose bumps! The story is moving and real. It is a sad story of family breakdown, a dilemma that, no matter which way you look at it, is really hard to solve. One minute I was on Joseph's side, the next on Hannah and Freddie's and always on the side of the children. Some reviewers have said that the ending is predictable, I don't agree. Some have said that the romance element was unnecessary, I don't agree.