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Title: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 7 (Dramatised)

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrator: Claire Benedict, Nadine Marshall

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-01-10

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

There is no Such Thing as Free Food & The Best Profession for a Blackmailer

Here are two stand-alone BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas adapted by Alexander McCall Smith from his much-loved series. Warm, humorous, and uplifting, Alexander McCall Smiths hugely popular novels featuring Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of Botswanas only female private detective agency, have become international best sellers, sold over 15 million copies, and been translated into 42 languages. These acclaimed productions, complete with vibrant music, bring the exotic world of the books vividly to life.

There is No Such Thing as Free Food finds Precious Ramotswe, owner and founder of The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, preoccupied both professionally and personally by the subject of food.

The Best Profession for a Blackmailer sees Mr Polopetsi, part-time mechanic and would-be assistant detective, taking on a case of his own; while Mma Makutsi finds out if blue shoes are the key to happiness.

Starring Claire Benedict as Mma Ramotswe and Nadine Marshall as Mma Makutsi, these dramatisations are guaranteed to appeal to all fans of the engaging lady detective.

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Title: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 2: The Maid & Tears of the Giraffe (Dramatised)

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrator: Claire Benedict, Joseph Marcell

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-01-10

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Warm, humorous and uplifting, Alexander McCall Smiths hugely popular novels featuring Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of Botswanas only female private detective agency, have become international bestsellers, sold over seven million copies, and been translated into 26 languages. These acclaimed productions, complete with vibrant music, bring the exotic world of the books vividly to life.

'The Maid' sees Mma Ramotswe visiting the house of the mechanic she has agreed to marry, Mr J. L. B. Matekoni. But there is a shock in store for her... Back at the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, there is the mystery of the erratic doctor to look into, and a cold case involving an American who went missing from a communal farm.

'Tears of the Giraffe' finds Mma Ramotswe happy with her flourishing detective agency and gentlemanly fiancé. She thinks she has everything she could possibly want - but in fact she has rather more than she had bargained for! Meanwhile, the case of the American man who disappeared ten years ago has still to be solved, and Grace Makutsi is promoted from secretary to Assistant Detective.

Starring Claire Benedict as Mma Ramotswe and Joseph Marcell as Mr J. L. B. Matekoni, these dramatisations are guaranteed to appeal to all fans of the engaging lady detective.

Members Reviews:

As wonderful as I thought it would be!

What made the experience of listening to The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 2: The Maid & Tears of the Giraffe (Dramatised) the most enjoyable?

The voices were exactly as I had imagined them to be! It was amazing, quaint and brought this beautiful series very cleverly to life.

What does Claire Benedict and Joseph Marcell bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you had only read the book?

The dramaticised versions are like icing on the cake. They brought the realistic touches to the story.

Any additional comments?

I have read all the books, and the Audible versions did not disappoint. Well worth it!

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Title: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 1: The Daddy & The Bone (Dramatised)

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrator: Claire Benedict, Nadine Marshall

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-27-10

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Warm, humorous and uplifting, Alexander McCall Smiths hugely popular novels featuring Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of Botswanas only female private detective agency, have become international bestsellers, sold over seven million copies, and been translated into 26 languages. These acclaimed productions, complete with vibrant music, bring the exotic world of the books vividly to life.

The Daddy introduces us to Mma Ramotswe as she embarks on her first case and takes on a new secretary, the resourceful and talented Mma Makutsi. Together, they must find the truth about a Daddy who appears to have returned from the dead - as well as investigating a wayward teenage girl and attempting to find a vanished child.

The Bone sees the determined duo following Mr Patels daughter to find out whether she has a boyfriend. They must also solve the darker and more frightening case of the finger bone found in a car - does it belong to a missing boy snatched by a witch doctor?

Starring Claire Benedict as Mma Ramotswe and Nadine Marshall as Mma Makutsi, these dramatisations are guaranteed to appeal to all fans of the engaging lady detective.

Members Reviews:

Unique

These books dramatised on radio and now on audiobooks are a joy.The unique style, language and humour make them easy to listen to and made me laugh out loud in parts. Simple pleasure for easy listening.

Slow paced and predictable

I was looking for a mystery that would be good to listen to in the car and imagined that a dramatised audiobook would be suitable. However, I found the narration distracting and struggled to concentrate on the story. The novel as a whole is slow paced and I wasn't drawn into the plot and didn't care about the resolution. I'll be avoiding this series in the future.

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Title: Affairs at Thrush Green

Author: Miss Read

Narrator: Gwen Watford

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-08-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When Charles Henstock, rector of Thrush Green, moves a mile downhill to the parish of Lulling, his many friends rejoice in his promotion, but an unfortunate skirmish with one of his wealthy parishioners over the Lady Chapel kneelers saddens him...

©2009 Mrs D J Saint;

Members Reviews:

Affairs at Thrush Green

This book is so gripping, yet gentle and inspiring. Stories of village life, detailed insights with humour into people and events. I loved it.

Lovely Stories

These Miss Read books really are quaint and interesting, I really enjoy going into times past. The only downside is (I have quite a few of these now) they don't give any indication what order they run in so I find myself at times getting a back story!!

Gorgeous stories...

Wonderfully simple yet moving stories, read by Gwen Watford.

Quite powerful and full of emotion. A time gone by.

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Title: A Dangerous Woman

Author: Mary McGarry Morris

Narrator: Kimberly Schraf

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-05-10

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Martha Horgan is different. She stares at people. She can't stop telling the truth. She is prone to crushes so violent that she will call someone she likes dozens of times in a single night. The genius of Mary McGarry Morris's latest novel lies in its uncannily felt portrait of a woman who teeters on the edge of madness.

©1997 Mary McGarry Morris; (P)2010 Random House

Members Reviews:

A Dangerous Woman

This book is as skilfully written as the other reviews say, and I'll be delving into Morris's other books.

Characterization was spot on, for a troubled, sensitive person who is out of touch with the expectations and sensitivities of others. The reader lives the story from Martha's perspective. She is prone to misunderstandings, misreading signals and intentions of the people around her, she's obsessive, and it's painful to be in her shoes. (I can relate personally to the social anxiety, though thank God, not to the level Martha has it.) The constant anxiety is conveyed so well that I had to take frequent breaks from this book--and I typically enjoy bleak, difficult stories.

At the start, I did feel for Martha, but it's such an endless series of uncomfortable situations, that I eventually just wanted to shake her, or lock her up, somewhere, because she's such a hopeless case.

She Can't Fit In Anywhere

I love this author's works. This book has incredible characterization and the same element of the bizarre in the seemingly ordinary that characterizedVanished.

Martha Horgan just never fits in. All of life's simple amenities and social interactive skills are beyond her comprehension. She is tormented by others in her youth and teased throughout her adulthood. Life appears before her in black and white. She is blind to gray.

"How was it, she wondered, stirred by the woman's hand capping her young son's skull, that

some people, this woman, this man, had found love and she never had? What charm did they

possess, what knowledge? As a girl, she had thought that the missing element was simply

someone who would love her, someone time would provide. But now it seemed more and

more that there were people in this world who were the Unloved, and she was one of them.

That it might be just that simple, that immutable, was, in a strange way, almost a relief." (p.74)

The following quote from the book gives a good sense of Martha's inner struggles.

"Did she have a blankness where other possessed the code of information necessary to

guide them through dinner conversation and the proper way to comb their hair or simply

say hello to a stranger without having to thump their chest and cough and clear their

throat - until she would be not only choking, but starting to veer so much off course

that the sudden realization that she'd never belong, that there'd never be a place for her,

could either enrage or paralyze her." (p.30)

How she is driven to her final act of desperation is this book's theme. Because the book is so very, very good, I was a little disappointed by the end. However, I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes good literature and a good read.

An alarmingly dark story

A dangerous woman is the fictional story of 32yr old Martha Horgan, a woman with mental disability which lends itself to social awkwardness.

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Title: Legacy

Author: Tamara McKinley

Narrator: Nicolette McKenzie

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-21-09

Publisher: ISIS Audio Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Following in the pioneering footsteps of the women who have gone before her, Ruby and her new husband, James, brave a long and treacherous journey to start their new life together. However, they soon discover that there are many more dangers than just those that meet the eye. When James is tempted away by the gold rush, Ruby must join forces with the Aborigine girl Kumali and learn to adapt.

Meanwhile there are other new arrivals to Australian shores: a mysterious Tahitian, a naïve young schoolmistress, and an English aristocrat, all unaware that their destinies are irrevocably intertwined. But those torn apart by feuds, greed, hatred, and circumstance will ultimately find they have to unite under the same flag.

Members Reviews:

Another great read

A great read. Well researched, particularly the storyline surrounding the Eureka Stockade. Hard to put this one down!

Enjoyed this book

Enjoyed this book, however I did not know there was one before this! You do have to read on order (helps) to gather the information on the families involved. Loved the history being a kiwi it is relative to NZ history as well. The families in the story are of different heritage and class but end up being intertwined. Read the three well worth it.

keeps you going

keeps you going to the end , very good . her writing fachion is good and i loved the too books i read, looking forward to the third.

This is my first Tamara McKinley novel and I loved it! I wish I had read the novels ...

This is my first Tamara McKinley novel and I loved it! I wish I had read the novels in the correct order though. But this is still a brilliant novel in its own right. :-)

Legacywas so good

I so enjoyed this trilogy of books and didn't really want it to end. A series that held you enthralled throughout. Following the different families and learning Aussie history at the same time made for a great read.

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Title: The Others

Author: Seba al-Herz

Narrator: Lameece Issaq

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 11-02-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A best-selling book when it appeared in Arabic, The Others is a literary tour de force, offering a window into one of the most repressive societies in the world. Seba al-Herz tells the story of a nameless teenager at a girls' school in the heavily Shi'ite Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Like her classmates, she has no contact with men outside her family. When the glamorous Dai tries to seduce her, her feelings of guilt are overcome by an overwhelming desire for sexual and emotional intimacy. Dai introduces her to a secret world of lesbian parties, online flirtations, and hotel liaisons - a world in which the thrill of infatuation and the shame of obsession are deeply intertwined. Al-Herz's erotic, dereamlike story of looming personal crisis is a remarkable portrait of hidden lives.

©2009 Seba al-Herz; (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Editorial Reviews:

The Others is an uncommon first-person account of a young woman in Saudi Arabia exploring politics and sexuality for the first time in her life. At a girls school, our nameless protagonist encounters few men, and her liaisons with a female classmate, Dai, take place behind closed doors, through clandestine text messages and secret rendezvous. Dai is powerful and attractive; at once infuriating and seductive in her attempts to control every situation.

Seba Al-Herzs prose reads more like a diary or inner monologue, rather than a traditional narrative. And within this cascade of events, in a society where religion, politics, and sexuality are intertwined, our main character struggles with her deviant acts, her confusion festering. Increasingly alienated from the people who surround her, soon everyone seems to be an other. Ashamed and surprised by her ability to feel pleasure at Dais hand, she feels that even her body is betraying in its desire. We soon learn that its not only her engagement in a lesbian affair that makes her feel strange in her own skin and mind, but a medical condition that she denies to even herself.

Lameece Issaq narrates this unlikely coming-of-age story, lending a delicacy and cautiousness to al-Herzs already tentative voice. At once emotive and subdued, Issaq portrays a coldness that hints at our characters disconnect from herself and the events that unfold around her. This book is more description than story, with references to an absent father and brother springing up sparingly. Issaq does a great job of moving through the novel at a consistent pace, without letting the allusions to a bleaker situation creep in until al-Herzs character is ready to let them. Issaqs patience pays off as the story slowly unwinds, revealing a young woman exploring who she may or may not be.

Members Reviews:

Great book, terrible narrator

I was so impressed by this book, I am going to buy the paper book, and read it while I am listening to the audio book, so I can understand what she is saying.

However my friends, including my lesbian friends, wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. This is one subject they stay away from as far as possible. For them it is too serious, too intellectual, says too much about the ambiguities of love - and the human condition in general.

It seems to me we are all alike - whether we like it or not.

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Title: Significant Others

Author: Armistead Maupin

Narrator: Armistead Maupin

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-09

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Significant Others is Armistead Maupin's cunningly observed meditation on marriage, friendship, and sexual nostalgia.

Members Reviews:

More Barbary Lane hijinks, but a little dour...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I think this book is good for anyone who is hooked on the goings on of the inhabitants of 28 Barbary Lane, but it has a different more somber tone to it that the last three books. I get the sense that Maupin is trying to move the story forward in a semi realistic fashion, and attempting to reflect some of the uncertainty of that post 70's fallout. Sadly though this removes it from the wide eyed optimism that allowed the earlier books to cover so many dark themes without coming across as heavy or dour before.

If youve listened to books by Armistead Maupin before, how does this one compare?

In general this book is still enjoyable, and readers or listeners of Maupin's earlier books will enjoy the wit and banter of many of the characters they have come to know on a first name basis. There are also still the kind of unexpected plot twists and interconnected story arcs from the earlier works that are a hallmark of the Maupin's writing.

Have you listened to any of Armistead Maupins other performances before? How does this one compare?

Still solid, not the best, but it's always cool to hear the author read their own writing, and discover their pacing and tempo for the characters' patter.

Could you see Significant Others being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Well the other books *were* made into several successful t.v. miniseries, but I thing they stopped at a good point in the timeline for most people.

Good book!

The writing's very modern, very well done, and very very gay.

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Title: Amigoland

Author: Oscar Casares

Narrator: Luis Moreno

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-05-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Stubborn brothers Don Fidencio and Don Celestino are getting old and have let a family argument divide them for too long. So with the help of his good-natured housekeeper, Don Celestino liberates his brother from a nursing home, and they hit the road to solve the mystery at the heart of their dispute.

Critic Reviews:

"A winning novel...It's plain to see how love, borders, death - and most of all, willful ignorance - are part of everyday reawakenings. With Casares' blessing, you can laugh at them all." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Every guy should read this, especially if you have a brother.

This is a book about two elderly brothers, one ancient, and one almost so. Even though they grew up in the same family, the distance in age between the two of them is great. Given the time between them, they grew up in two different cultures and have different values. They go on a quest to find where their fatherâs family had once come.

I found the book to be very funny at times especially the âfightsâ between the older brother and the nursing home staff â where he points out that he is 91 and wonât live forever. The story had several poignant moments where the brothers bonded, as kids they were so far apart in age they never really bonded. It was also rich in descriptions of the situations they were in when they took their quest into Mexico.

This book is not for everyone, but it should be.

In a small town on the Mexican border live two brothers, Don Fidencio and Don Celestino. Stubborn and independent, they now must face the facts: they are old, and they have let a family argument stand between them for too long. Don Celestino's good-natured housekeeper encourages him to make amends--while he still can. They secretly liberate Don Fidencio from his nursing home and travel into Mexico to solve the mystery at the heart of their dispute: the family legend of their grandfather's kidnapping. As the unlikely trio travels, the brothers learn it's never too late for a new beginning. With winsome prose and heartfelt humor, Oscar Casares's debut novel of family lost and found radiates with generosity and grace and confirms the arrival of a uniquely talented new writer.

Worth reading

Good story, with a twist at the end.

It's fine

It was a weird but interesting book that teaches you to what a senior feels like, it truly helps you to empathize with their situation. Although aside from that, I didn't really like the book mainly because the drama wasn't all that interesting or amusing to want to continue reading.

Entertaining.

This was entertaining and funny in places. And I think the book rang true about nursing homes . It also gave a good picture of Valley life in South Texas.

at times funny, and ultimately hopeful rendering of family tensions and ...

A moving, at times funny, and ultimately hopeful rendering of family tensions and reluctantly expressed loves, with a particularly respectful and realistic detailing of the trials of old-age.

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Title: John the Revelator

Author: Peter Murphy

Narrator: Gerard Doyle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-23-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When Jamey Corboy, a self-styled Rimbaudian boy wonder, arrives in town, John's life suddenly seems full of possibility. His loneliness dissipates. He is taken up by mischief and discovery, hiding in the world beyond as Lily's mysterious illness worsens. But Jamey and John's nose for trouble may be their undoing, and soon John will be faced with a terrible moral dilemma.

Joining the ranks of the great novels of friendship and betrayal - A Separate Peace, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - John the Revelator grapples with the pull of the world and the hold of those we love. Suffused with family secrets, uncanny imagery, black humor, and hypnotic prose, this is a novel to fall in love with and an astounding debut.

Critic Reviews:

"This work establishes Murphy as an author of tremendous imaginative and linguistic power who has mastered Flann O'Brien's supernatural whimsy, Beckett's grim irony, and McCabe's unsparing brutality." (

Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Not exactly what I was expecting.

Where does John the Revelator rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Probably in the bottom 25%

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

There were a lot of potentially interesting things about this book that in my opinion were never fully developed.

I suppose among the more interesting in the book Quick B John's relationship with Jamie.

Also, John's mothers life which I wish we would have learned a little more about.

Least interesting would be the very inappropriate teacher.

Have you listened to any of Gerard Doyles other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes! That is one of the reasons that I chose this book.

If anyone has read some of my reviews, I have stated that Mr. Doyle is one of my favorite narrators.

His performance was wonderful as always!

It is the main reason that I stuck with the book.

Who was the most memorable character of John the Revelator and why?

John because he was the main character of the book.

Any additional comments?

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I did not.

I usually enjoy Irish literature, and always enjoyed Gerard Doyles narration.

This book had so much potential but fell short in many areas.

At least that is my opinion.

It started out very slow, I finally started to really care about the characters about halfway through the book.

There were a lot of questions that did not get answered, many things to me just did not make a lot of sense.

The neighbor was a big part of the book, yet we never learned exactly why she was the way that she was.

It hinted at the fact that she may have been engaging in black magic or something that contributed to the illness of John's mother, but after hinting at that, the author did not elaborate.

There were other things there were other potentially interesting things that seem to have just been thrown in to take up space in the book.

I was left feeling unsatisfied at the end of the book.

Did not seem that there was closure or clarification on many of the things in this particular book.