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Title: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Choir

Author: Sharon Kahn

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-23-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Agatha nominee Sharon Kahn's Rabbi's Wife,/i> mystery series is universally hailed for its cozy humor and kosher appeal. Widowed amateur sleuth Ruby Rothman uses her unique brand of chutzpa to solve perplexing mysteries.Ruby and her friends in the Temple Rita Choir are mighty distressed. Before performing at a hastily produced Chanukah concert, their star soprano Serena collapses and later dies of heart failure. Undaunted, the choir members press on with their planned trip to Banff and Lake Louise traveling through the Canadian Rockies. It isn't until Serena's best friend Rose reveals shocking secrets about Serena's personal life that Ruby's suspicions of foul play are aroused. And soon she learns the shocking truth - Serena was poisoned!

©2006 Sharon Kahn; (P)2008 Recorded Books

Critic Reviews:

"Expect some laugh-out-loud moments and plenty of red herrings ..." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

The main character does nothing. The "mystery" is solved ...

The main character does nothing. The "mystery" is solved when the villain reveals his/herself and tries to kill the central character.

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Title: Stray Dog Winter

Author: David Francis

Narrator: David Kirwan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-24-08

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Enthralling, atmospheric, and suspenseful, Stray Dog Winter is at once an unconventional Cold War thriller and an original, unforgettable love story set in 1980s Moscow.

Darcy, a restless young artist, travels to the Soviet Union to visit his elusive half-sister, Fin. Together only briefly during their youth, Darcy and Fin are estranged by the distance between them, yet inextricably bound by the secrets and betrayals of their childhood.

Upon his arrival in the depths of a bleak Moscow winter, Darcy is immediately embroiled in Fin's mysterious life there and also drawn to Moscow's forbidden underground, finding himself swept up in political and sexual intrigues of a nature he could never have imagined.

As the past resurfaces and the present closes in, the intricacies of their bond as brother and sister are revealed, and Darcy uncovers Fin's involvement in a dangerous game of her own. Their worlds threaten to collide with profound and deadly consequences.

With Stray Dog Winter, David Francis has entered Graham Greene territory, placing a naive hero in the center of political intrigue and betrayal at the end of the Cold War. Written with a stark, haunting beauty, this novel is pure Soviet noir, a remarkable tale of love, passion, politics, identity, and espionage.

Critic Reviews:

"Elegantly written and grippingly suspenseful, David Francis's Stray Dog Winter takes readers right into the heart of Graham Greene country." (Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander and Paint It Black)

"David Francis may not be a poet, but he sure writes like one. His prose is lean but dreamy, full of sensual detail - done with skill and elegance." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Stray Dog Winter contains the ingredients of a classic thriller, but Francis invests these elements with a resonance that ranges beyond social commentary and genre play." (Los Angeles Magazine)

"Australian narrator David Kirwan gives a performance that will generate feelings of sadness, shock, and joy in his listeners....Kirwan's characters are well rounded, and he uses no forced accents, just the simplicity of prose in its purest form." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Really dreadful

I can't tell you if it's the reader or the story, but this was a complete waste of money for me. I could not get past a few hours. It's torture.

The reader's voice is jarring. The book really wasn't written well for this format so there's so many "she said" and "he said" that it becomes distracting. Beyond that, I didn't care a bit what happened to the characters after listening for 2 or 3 hours. Perhaps the written version is terrific. I can tell you that the audible version is not.

Unlistenable

I agree that audible owes us a refund on this one. I don't care at all about the gay content, but the reader is the worst I've heard in my 3 years on audible. I have no idea if this is a good book. I find it unlistenable.

Awful reader ruined this book for me

I only could get through about 2 hours; the reader sounded like an elementary school student with his uplift at the end of nearly every sentence.

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Title: The Dinner Party

Author: Howard Fast

Narrator: full cast

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-12-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This dinner party sounds like a well-ordered and gracious affair, but as events unfold, there are things to be settled - some are political and ethical, some are emotional, and some are questions of life and death.

This is a profound and important novel with the dramatic intensity of first-class theater.

Members Reviews:

I'll probably read it again

This was a surprise novel - political, somewhat contemporary fiction with a few delightful (unexpected) twists and an ending that...

Dinner at eight

Rather dated, but interesting all the same. Topics covered include AIDS, homosexuality, race relations, America/Latin America relationship, class, history, the Bomb.

Oftentimes while reading the story I got the feeling of a play, and I see the description on here notes that it has been compared to one. I wonder if The Dinner Party was originally meant to be acted, and then was revised into a novel. The dialogue has a definite theatrical ring to it; the words, in my mind's eye, put the characters on a stage nearly every time.

The action takes place over the course of one day, culminating in a dinner party attended by Very Important Persons, politically speaking. Grandpa is planning to build a road and the bigshots don't want to see it happen. Daddy wants to ask for a case to be thrown out of court, considering it to be a disgrace that something of the sort could be happening in America. Sonny boy is dying of AIDS and has to come to terms with it. By the end of the night, nothing will be the same.

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Title: Being Elizabeth

Author: Barbara Taylor Bradford

Narrator: Katherine Kellgren

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-18-08

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Instead of England, the throne is the business empire of the Deravenels. And this Elizabeth is the most powerful managing director in its history.

Surrounded by rumors and betrayal, Elizabeth Deravenel must steer her company clear of takeovers, and at the same time keep her heart from being broken as scandal surrounds the one man she's ever loved.

It's Barbara Taylor Bradford at her very best.

Members Reviews:

So disappointed

I haven't read BTB for a good many years. I remember A Woman of Substance as a fierce battle of will power to not just put down and move on to something else when suddenly at about page 200, I finally got hooked. I read all the books in the Emma Harte saga. This time it didn't happen. I have finished all three books in the series but will not be looking for another book by this author. I am so disappointed.

wasn't sure I was going to like Elizabeth's story

At first, wasn't sure I was going to like Elizabeth's story. As it progressed and she became more confident, the story picked up and she really became strong-willed and agressive in her decisions regarding the company. Of course, Elizabeth had a very knowledgeable group helping her to manage the company. The only thing that bothered me was her reluctance to marry Robin. Now Ms. Bradford will have to write a continuation to tell us who is going to become the next heir. Or maybe, we are left wondering on purpose??!! Thank you for another great series.

Great Book

I loved this series from the very first book. This, the last one, pulls all the story lines together and held my interest to the very last page.

Five Stars

Excellent

Five Stars

love

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Title: Edges

Subtitle: O Israel O Palestine

Author: Leora Skolkin-Smith

Narrator: Tovah Feldshuh

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-20-08

Publisher: Big Happy Family

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Edges is the story of a young girl's dramatic coming-of-age in 1960s Israel and Palestine. A National Jewish Book Council Selection, a National Women's Studies Association Selection, and the recipient of a Pen / Faulkner Foundation stipend for the author, Edges was originally published by Glad Day Books, Grace Paley, editor, and was hailed as a "stunning and provocative debut...that has a lot to say about love, identity, history, and the meaning of nationality".

©2005 Leora Skolkin-Smith; (P)2007 Midsummer Sound Company, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"Perhaps above all, the novel, told with restraint and poetic precision, is about how we shoulder on (and wing it) under the weight of history, family and public." (Providence Journal)

"Edges is an elegantly written, quite moving novel....The book is worth reading alone for its superb language, but it is gripping and unforgettable as well in its storytelling and evocation of place and emotions." (Oscar Hijuelos, author of The Mambo Kings Sing Songs of Love)

Members Reviews:

Shallow

Confused thoughts of a 14 year old, told through the wiser (older) author. It falls short of the mark in many ways, from the shallowness of the characters (very one dimensional), to the cheap imagery which is meant to be sensual and comes out looking cheap. The worst shortcoming: It leaves you wondering what motivated any and all her characters to behave the way they did!

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Title: The Gathering

Author: Anne Enright

Narrator: Fiona Shaw

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-11-08

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Man Booker Prize, Fiction, 2007

The nine surviving children of the Hegarty clan gather together in Dublin for the wake of their wayward brother, Liam. It wasn't the drink that killed him -although that certainly helped - it was what happened to him as a boy in his grandmother's house, in the winter of 1968.

Tracing the line of hurt and redemption through three generations, this is a novel about love and disappointment, about thwarted lust and limitless desire, and how our fate is written in the body, not in the stars.

Critic Reviews:

"A fresh, sophisticated take on the ever-popular dysfunctional family saga." (The Irish Times)

"She beautifully describes the way hurt can be inherited....a daring writer-witty, original and inventive....Utterly compelling." ( Daily Mail)

Members Reviews:

Family funerals reveal families to themselves

If you could sum up The Gathering in three words, what would they be?

Death reveals Life

Would you recommend The Gathering to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes

Which scene was your favorite?

The funeral gathering

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

No

Any additional comments?

The Gathering by Ann Enright comes with considerable credentials. The novel won the Booker prize in 2007 and the Best Irish Novel in 2008. It is undoubtedly a novel of great distinction. The story concerns the gathering of all the family members to the funeral of their brother, an alcoholic who died by drowning. It touches on many themes which frequently recur in Ann Enright's novels of which this one was her fourth. The themes are family relationships, parenthood, the catholic faith and sexuality. It is quintessentially modern Ireland and the writing is given extraordinary vitality by the wonderful reading of Fiona Shaw. This combination is certainly one to watch for the future.

Not even worth 1/2 a star

(But the won't let you leave the stars empty)

This book is BORING, Veronica flits from character to character, slips in and out of reality, and is overall not very nice. The author has the main charcter constantly whining and then uses a whole lot or random vulgar language that DOESN"T FIT with the book. This was the first book by this author I have ever read, if she has anymore out there, as soon as I see her name I will walk away. Someone should have been honest with this author on how bad the book was and stopped her from ever writing it. Don't waste your money - if this was paper I would use it at the bottom of the litterbox!!!

superbly crafted novel

I am reading this book again after barely finishing it the first time as there was so much nuance and detail that I need to re-immerse myself immediately.

Superficially, it?s a story of a woman whose brother commits suicide and how she and her family cope, but so much more than that.

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Title: The Heroines

Author: Eileen Favorite

Narrator: Charlotte Parry

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-31-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Penny Entwhistle's mother runs a bed and breakfast frequented by literary heroines. Madame Bovary, Scarlett O'Hara, and Franny Glass all stayed for a temporary retreat before returning to their inevitable fates - which Penny and her mother must be careful not to interfere with. But when an unwelcome guest arrives, 13-year-old Penny must rely on the heroines she's always been jealous of to help her.

Critic Reviews:

"Favorite offers a fun take on the impact literature can have on our lives." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Who was the Heroine here?

I only ask because I couldn't really find one. As others have mentioned the literary heroines only make brief appearances and then it is only to highlight the angst of the narrator.

Honestly, the book wasn't bad, it was just messy. The ending was wrapped up way to quickly, though I do think the book 'ended.' The heroines all made dramatic appearances, but then sort of fizzled out.

The book wasn't long, only 230 pages, I would rather have seen a book even twice that long with some serious meat to it, and more defined storylines than this book. I just feel like it was only half written.

Great read

This was such a fun read. I enjoyed the plot line. Heroines from some of my favorite classics made an appearance. Ending was a little predictable.

Heroines live at B&B

I was disappointed.....this book was more about teenage love than the heroines. Such possibilities squandered! I expected more from this book.

Loved it!

Loved it! I want a sequel. Or five! The concept of literary Heroines dealing with "real life" was intriguing, and I enjoyed the reality of what would happen if someone tried to explain them to the public. I also like the fact that the author didn't try to metaphysically explain how the characters materialized, how they returned, or if their experiences altered the story lines. It's a fun, intelligent read!

Helps you get through the classics later on

I love this book -- bummed it's not AR though. Brings life to otherwise boring classics. I read this in middle school before reading Wuthering Heights in high school and it's the only reason I read Wuthering Heights. I hate WH but this book's pre-exposure to the characters really helped me understand it's twistedness

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Title: Alfie

Author: Bill Naughton

Narrator: Jason Flemyng

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-07

Publisher: CSA Word

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Alfie was originally a radio show, then a stage play, and finally a book by the talented writer Bill Naughton before the character was immortalised by Michael Caine and then Jude Law on the screen. With an overwhelming desire for the opposite sex, Alfie cannot resist as many as three "birds" on one night. But underneath the surface fun and humour, consequences unfurl, and Naughton paints Alfie as ultimately a sad figure, unable to find "peace of mind, and if you haven't got that, you've got nothing".

© and (P)1999 CSA Telltapes Ltd.

Members Reviews:

Bill Naughton's, Alfie.

I have read the book by Bill Naughton and seen both of the films and i think they are all very good. I thought the recent film starring Jude Law was unfairly criticised. Alfie is the story of a young womaniser who always thinks he has the best end of the deal, concerning his relationships with women. He loves his life, and he appears very happy and content. But what becomes apparent is that Alfie is quite a tragic and lonely character. He sums up the whole story himself when he says "without peace of mind, you have nothing, and i haven't" I think the story is really good, on the surface it appears this is just a story of a womaniser but as you read on you realize there is much more to it than it seems.

RACHAEL-ALFIE

Alfie

Imagine a handsome, sweet-talking, English accented gentleman that sparks your attention by his charming smile, and sexy laugh. That is Alfie to a tee. Every woman wants him, and every man wants to be him. Written by Bill Naughton, Alfie is a four star rated book, and maintains the readers curiosity. Naughton's goal for writing this novel was to show the impact of little things done by men to make women feel loved and worthy of themselves. This novel inspires romance, makes guys look like pigs, and teaches major life lessons within the context of the story.

Alfie has a unique way of being romantic; he loves all women, no matter what shape or size. Being polite and charming to women is second natured to Alfie. He enjoys cuddling with them, dancing with them, taking them out to breakfast in the morning, and out for coffee during their lunch break. Spontaneously stopping by his ladies' place, to shower them with compliments and flirtatious gestures, until the next moment the women are begging for a relationship, after he pleasures them with things that their husbands are not giving them, and that the other men in town will not take the time of day to do for these women. He is a listener, a supporter, a friend, and an intimate companion, which most women want. Reading about Alfie's life filled with many women, and beauty is inspiring to one to become more romantic in their own life, and encourage love and contentment for themselves and loved ones. While many of the situations with the each woman and Alfie is indeed interesting, some may feel that it may be too much material to cover in a novel that should be focused more on the message of the book.

Some have short attention spans, while others have very long attention spans. Reading Alfie, some people may, or may not become bored with the back and forth pattern of the stories and situations of each of his relationships. At the beginning of the book, the stories draw the reader in immediately, but by the middle towards the end of the book, the pace starts to slow down, and it seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

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Title: Tomorrow

Author: Graham Swift

Narrator: Kate Reading

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-24-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In an eloquent, emotion-filled narrative of Paula's life with Mike, she describes both the certain and the surprising ways that having children can mean "reconstructing the world". And Graham Swift gives us not only a quietly searing novel about the nature of family but also a dazzling meditation on how little it takes to transform the world.

Critic Reviews:

"Simply one of the most sure-handed, savvy, and remarkable writers now at work." (Washington Post)

"Swift is a virtuoso of narrative ventriloquism: he inhabits his characters through their voices....Swift manages [a] pattering of motifs with exquisite economy." (New York Times)

Members Reviews:

not what I expected

I thought this was going to be about the twins adjusting to the secret the parents had to tell them. Instead it was about the mother thinking about telling them. She never even got out of her bed for the whole story.

OMG awful!

This is just awful. I love Kate Reading as a narrator and I am so disappointed in this really pointless waste of time and money!

The reviews here are entirely too rough

What made the experience of listening to Tomorrow the most enjoyable?

This book is indeed in the minor key as it takes place inside the head of one woman over the course of one night, but that doesn't mean it's not grand in ambition and quite beautiful. The whole point is to delve deeply into one family, to see all their loves, fears, and worries. Its truly about people, and, if you find people interesting, then this book is for you. If you want pure plot or something like that, then maybe its not going to be for you. This is ALL character (and the narrator captures the emotional expression of the book quite well).

Really, this one is not meant to be large and epic but that does not mean it does not have heart and emotion and beauty. It's quiet symphony is a great accomplishment.

tomorrow

wish i had waited till tomorrow to read this

Not As Bad As All That

Kind of a meandering story about unexceptional people. Not plotty but the story of a life and some pieces from it. Narrator is clear and easy to understand.

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Title: Matter of Honour

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Narrator: Martin Jarvis

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-22-07

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Against his mother's advice, Adam opens the letter, and immediately realizes his life can never be the same again. The contents leave him with no choice but to follow a course his father would have described as a matter of honour.

Critic Reviews:

"An epic chase thriller tidily concluded with a series of neat twists. Highly recommended." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

A boys own yarn

What did you like best about Matter of Honour? What did you like least?

Best liked is being absorbed through Martin Jarvis consistent excellent characterizations.

There was nothing I did not like. It was verging on fanciful, a bit like John

Buchan's 39 Steps

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Nothing to be changed its good Mr Archer varies his stories so much.

Which scene was your favorite?

the cuts to the nazi jail scenes

Do you think Matter of Honour needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No follow up in my opinion. I think the character met and overcome the goal.

Enjoyable but dated

I found this book reasonably entertaining, but thought it suffered from too many clich?s of its era. It's set in the 1960s with a Cold War background of spies and hostility between the West and the Soviet Union. It's an imaginative story that, like many thrillers, depends on the hero doing stupid things and finding women easily bedable on short acquaintance. I imagine it was written quite a while ago and I think that Jeffrey Archer has raised his game in thriller writing to judge by more recent books, such as Prisoner of Birth: an excellent and very exciting story.

great read

Mr Archer is a master story teller, I was gripped fro start to finish highly recommend it