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Title: Corroboree

Author: Graham Masterton

Narrator: Tim Bentinck

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-31-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When Englishman Eyre Walker, newly arrived in Australia, meets the beautiful Charlotte Lindsay, romance quickly blossoms. But theirs is a relationship with fatal consequences. When a late-night tryst is interrupted by Charlotte's irate father, Walker's young Aborigine servant is brutally killed by guard dogs. A man with a conscience, Walker is anxious to atone for the boy's death by giving him a proper Aboriginal burial. And so he begins a marathon journey into the outback to search for Corroboree, the gathering of nomadic tribes for the age-old ritual.

The expedition that he mounts is sponsored by Captain Sturt, a celebrated explorer who believes a huge ocean lies in the middle of Australia. But Walker finds something else in the middle of that vast continent, and the price he must pay for surviving it will scar him for life....

Members Reviews:

Disappointing, nothing comes to life.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Less dialogue between characters, and less repetition.

Has Corroboree put you off other books in this genre?

Yes.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Corroboree?

I would have edited the dialogue and internal " soliloquies".

Any additional comments?

Good narrator for an over-ambitious dull story. Deeper and better novels about the exploration of Australia already exist.

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Title: A Mother's Promise

Author: Dilly Court

Narrator: Annie Aldington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-12

Publisher: Random House Audio Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When Hetty Huggins made a promise to her dying mother that she would look after her younger sister and brothers, little did she know how difficult this would be. But despite the threat of being turned out onto the streets by the unscrupulous tallyman and the never-ending struggle just to exist, Hetty is determined her family will never starve or want for a roof over their heads.

Longing for something better out of life than the daily grind of making matchboxes for a pittance, she dreams of setting up her own business. With the help of friends she sells hot potatoes on the streets and things begin to look up for them all. But when the tallyman comes calling, they are faced once more with a future full of hardship and despair.

Members Reviews:

A Good Story,Well Told To The End.

What made the experience of listening to A Mother's Promise the most enjoyable?

I wanted to keep listening to the story to the very end. Felt sorry when I did reach the end of the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character Hetty. A lady with guts and determination to succeed in her life.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The last chapter when Hetty realized just what and who was really important in her life.

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

Yes, I found it very hard to turn off the book.

Any additional comments?

I like this Author and will read more of her stories

brilliant

lived it listened to it about 4 times now. lovely narrating and lovely story I love the happy endings

Another fascinating book by Dilly Court

Annie Aldington brings the characters to life and adds to the pleasure of this book. the last 6 books I have purchased have been by this winning duo and I am now in search of my next.

Heart warming story,

Loved this story, lovely ending. Worth a listen. Will buy more of dilly courts books.

mother's promise

I have read and listened to this story and enjoyed it both times , good old fashion Ed story.

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Title: Roswell Redemption

Author: Cindi Crane

Narrator: Sandy Weaver Carman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-12

Publisher: Cindi Crane

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Two remarkable women bound by history... Jade Hawkins, the 13-year-old daughter of a prominent Cherokee family, is content with her life. Her family is successful, and she has a proud heritage to support and guide her. But this is Georgia in 1838, and Jade cannot guess how the actions of the government will tear her life apart. The Hawkins plantation is lost to David Greyson, who wins the property in the Georgia Land Lottery. Jade's family is destroyed, and she is forced to stay with the new white owner. But although Jade is at the mercy of forces she cannot control, her extraordinary inner resources drive her to accomplishments she wouldn't have thought possible, and sacrifices she is honored to make for the sake of her children. Her strength and determination change the histories of several families. In 2010, Jade's legacy intertwines with the destiny of Carolyn Kane, who is looking for a property where she can open an event facility in Roswell, Georgia. Carolyn finds Greyson Manor, Jade's ancestral home, which is one of the few original plantations in the area. However, she finds that the owners are unwilling to renovate or sell.

As Carolyn tries to persuade the Greysons to sell the property to her, she uncovers a secret that will change the citizens of Roswell forever. Vividly characterized and meticulously researched, Roswell Redemption takes the reader on a journey to the sorrows of the Cherokee Nation, and celebrates the triumphs of two women who act with integrity and passion to transcend injustice.

Members Reviews:

Poorly written

I wanted to like this book since I live in Roswell, Ga...but that was not to be. The book was light on history and full of elementary style writing about the lifestyles of the current residents of Roswell. It was like reading the "Real Housewives of Roswell" a completely false reality.

Loved it!

I liked this book because the author took historical facts to weave a current story around. The story flip flopped between generations, but was easy to follow. I enjoyed learning more the "trail of tears" of which I knew very little about beforehand. I hope this author will write more books.

Roswell, Ga. history

I enjoyed this book mainly because I lived in Roswell, Ga. for 42 years. Many recognizable and familiar places mentioned. Sometimes the writing style seemed to reflect a new writer but I feel she will develop into a strong writer.

Four Stars

Good read

Four Stars

Fun to read about Roswell and learn more about the Cherokees

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Title: Blood of Honour

Author: James Holland

Narrator: Michael Tudor Barnes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-18-12

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Crete, May 1941. In the face of a German invasion, Sergeant Jack Tanner is embroiled in a deadly game of survival that will test his resolve more than ever before. Not only has he fallen out with his commander but he has mortally offended Alopex, a powerful local chieftain. As if that wasn't enough, Tanner and the rest of his battalion are caught in vicious close-quarter fighting against crack German paratroopers. Before long, they find themselves in bitter retreat to the mountainous interior where only one man can help them - Alopex. Although whether he will come to their rescue or not remains to be seen...

Members Reviews:

A book that fails to deliver

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I could not recommend this book

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

The ending was rather silly, but in keeping with the image of an invincible CSM Tanner that we are presented all through the book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

This was not the narrators finest hour I am afraid

Any additional comments?

Tanner, the unluckiest solider in the British Army finds himself in the middle of the Battle for Crete.

After retreating in France and Norway Tanners mood is not conducive to making friends and allies but getting into a bar fight with a powerful Cretan partisan leader might be considered silly. Its difficult to take Tanner seriously though because the narrators Wilshire accent makes Tanner sound like an angry and dispirited Postman Pat.

Well CSM Tanner does it again managing to be discredited and misunderstood by Officers and other allies. While being the only capable soldier on the island, he has to deal with them as well as the Germans. If it sounds similar to the last two Tanner books, its because it is.

The book is basically a repeat of the last one; we have the German Fallschirmjäger Officer as the generic nasty German in the place of the SS officer, the Cretan Partisan in the place of CSM Blackstaff and the new Lieutenant in the role of bumbling idiot who has it in for him.

The new Lieutenant even knows Tanner from Wilshire, the same tired stick that we had in the second book.

Why Tanner fighting with the Germans is not the primary purpose of these books I dont know. The story would be much stronger if the focus was on fighting the Germans rather than petty bickering with his Lieutenant and the Cretans

The main problem in this book is that nearly all the characters in this book are two dimensional and the story shallow. We have the same plot in a different book with Tanner's sidekick gleefully finding loads of Nobels Gelignite and the battles are all generic and could have taken place anywhere

In reviews the Jack Tanner Books are sometimes referred to as Richard Sharpe in WW2 but Tanner lacks the depth of Cornwalls Sharpe. Postman Tanner does not deliver in this book I am afraid

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Title: Royal Flash

Author: George MacDonald Fraser, Kati Nicholl (abridgement)

Narrator: Rupert Penry-Jones

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-27-12

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In Volume II of the Flashman Papers, Flashman tangles with femme fatale Lola Montez and the dastardly Otto Von Bismarck in a battle of wits which will decide the destiny of a continent. In this volume of The Flashman Papers, Flashman, the arch-cad and toady, matches his wits, his talents for deceit and malice, and above all his speed in evasion against the most brilliant European statesman and against the most beauiful and unscrupulous adventuress of the era. From London gaming-halls and English hunting-fields to European dungeons and throne-rooms, he is involved in a desperate succession of escapes, disguises, amours and (when he cannot avoid them) hand-to-hand combats. All the while, the destiny of a continent rests on his broad and failing shoulders.

Critic Reviews:

"Sparkling one-liners adorn every chapter. It is the verve of the story-telling, together with the verbal inventiveness, that lingers in the memory." (Sunday Telegraph)

Members Reviews:

quality!

What did you love best about Royal Flash?

what a persona. great fun, gallops along.

What other book might you compare Royal Flash to and why?

all the flashman books are so well paced.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Rupert Penry-Jones?

am didnt feel he got the persona as well as the late great david case but the abridgment does take from a very detailed book. why is it abridged? and the footnotes appeared to be ignored altogether.

Any additional comments?

great fun, we need more!

Great Story - pity it is only available abridged!

Would you try another book written by George MacDonald Fraser and Kati Nicholl (abridgement) or narrated by Rupert Penry-Jones?

Not if I can help it !

What will your next listen be?

something that hasn't been gutted of detail

What character would you cut from Royal Flash?

none - what needs adding is all the stuff MacDonald Fraser put in and Kati Nicholl took out!

Any additional comments?

Why bother with abridged books?

Flashy's back!

Where does Royal Flash rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

In the top 50 but I've listen to a lot!

What other book might you compare Royal Flash to, and why?

The other Flashman papers but lets be honest there is nothing quite like Harry Flashman.

What about Rupert Penry-Joness performance did you like?

He does a very good job at the voices and generally the delivery of the tale.

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

Yes

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Title: The Teleportation Accident

Author: Ned Beauman

Narrator: Dudley Hinton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-12

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Longlisted for the 2012 Man Booker Prize. The fantastically inventive, ingenious and hilarious new novel from Ned Beauman.

History happened while you were hungover.

When you haven't had sex in a long time, it feels like the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone. If you're living in Germany in the 1930s, it probably isn't. But that's no consolation to Egon Loeser, whose carnal misfortunes will push him from the experimental theatres of Berlin to the absinthe bars of Paris to the physics laboratories of Los Angeles, trying all the while to solve two mysteries: whether it was really a deal with Satan that claimed the life of his hero, the great Renaissance stage designer Adriano Lavicini; and why a handsome, clever, charming, modest guy like him can't, just once in a while, get himself laid.

From the author of the acclaimed Boxer, Beetle comes a historical novel that doesn't know what year it is; a noir novel that turns all the lights on; a romance novel that arrives drunk to dinner; a science fiction novel that can't remember what 'isotope' means; a stunningly inventive, exceptionally funny, dangerously unsteady and (largely) coherent novel about sex, violence, space, time, and how the best way to deal with history is to ignore it.

Let's hope the party was worth it.

Members Reviews:

The Accident

So - it was not that bad - pretty pointless, but I can see that some would like the disconnected storyline and unpleasant characters. I stuck through it because I was trying to work out what the hell it was about. Still not sure - ah well - I listened to it on planes, drains and automobiles so did not waste too much time on it.

Stick with it, it gets funnier and funnier

I found this book quite hard going at the beginning, It seemed to be about about a pretentious self obsessed idiot who cared for no one, but that of course was the point. Completely blind to everything going on around him, obsessed with a girl who had slept with everyone but him, he sets of on an adventure that gets more and more surreal. Very refreshing and a fun and easy listen. Loved it.

Awful in every aspect

I wish I could not give this any stars. I regret every minute of my life I gave to this dull book. Its slow, very little happens and the main character are incredibly dislikable. Narration only added to the torture this book created, read in such a condescending tone that really grated.

Horrid

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Title: Depression Carpenter

Author: Java Davis

Narrator: Justin D. Torres

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-19-12

Publisher: Java Davis

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A young man, born into a privileged New York family, loses them in a car accident. Young and wealthy, he needs to justify his existence during The Great Depression. Skilled in carpentry, he drives to the Gulf of Mexico, working on building projects all around the gulf with his peculiar friend and partner from Florida. Together, they travel, helping poor folks along the way, repairing their homes and their lives.

Eventually, he lands in Galveston, where he stays to help rebuild the island after their first Great Flood, building an inter-racial school for the island's orphans.

The chautauqua continues as an older and wiser man wends his way back to New York City.

Members Reviews:

Too short!

What did you love best about Depression Carpenter?

I most enjoyed the development of the main character's journey from aimless to focused.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Mrs. Loretta Bell, the pastor's wife. Her character brings a sense of peace, harmony and love to the main character, Jake. He meets the mother he never had and never knew he wanted.

What does Justin D. Torres bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Justin D. Torres brings a positive energy to the characters, an extra dimension that helps to "hear them in the flesh.".

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

Yes and no. The chapters are distinct enough that it's easy to stop and start. There's often a great deal to chew on after listening to a chapter or two. After hearing it once, I listened to it again from the beginning.

Any additional comments?

I've recommended it to others.

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Title: John Saturnall's Feast

Author: Lawrence Norfolk

Narrator: John Telfer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-17-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From the best-selling author of Lemprière's Dictionary, Lawrence Norfolk is back with an astounding novel of 17th-century life, love and war; the story of an orphan who becomes the greatest cook of his age.

The village of Buckland, 1625. A boy and his mother run for their lives. Behind them a mob chants of witchcraft. Taking refuge among the trees of Buccla's Wood, the mother opens her book and tells her son of an ancient Feast kept in secret down the generations. But as exquisite dishes rise from the page, the ground beneath them freezes. That winter, the boy's mother dies. Taken to Buckland Manor, John is put to work in the house's vast subterranean kitchens where his talent raises him from the scullery to the great house above.

A complex dish served to King Charles brings him before Lady Lucretia Fremantle, the headstrong daughter of the house. He must tempt her from her fast. But both encounters will imperil him....

Members Reviews:

Easy Listening

Would you try another book from Lawrence Norfolk and/or John Telfer?

The story was interesting, if a little unexciting. John Telfer made the story very listenable.

Have you listened to any of John Telfers other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first John Telfer narration and he does an excellent job.

Was John Saturnall's Feast worth the listening time?

Yes.

Interesting, but not compelling listening

I enjoyed this, but it doesn't make me want to rave about it. My attention wandered at points and I found I didn't really care a great deal about the characters in it. But I did find it interesting in terms of food as theatre, the Civil War and accompanying religious mania/persecution, and the workings of the kitchen in a big house in this period.

A good read - with perhaps a bit too much food?

If you could sum up John Saturnall's Feast in three words, what would they be?

Engaging. Sumptuous. Slow.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the sections where the story advanced, and where the historical setting was brought to life.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The early days in the house and kitchen were most interesting

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

Not really

Any additional comments?

It might not be a surprise - but there's an awful lot of food in this book. I confess to skimming a lot of the descriptions, as they just seemed to hold up the plot.

Captures the feel of the period

It took me a while to get into this as it starts quite slowly and then speeds to it's resolution at the end. The details of kitchen life were interesting and felt authentic. I also liked the descriptions of life in the country during Civil War and Interregnum. The story reaches a satisfying conclusion and all questions are ultimately answered. I enjoyed the conceit of the pagan Eden and the Feast.

Downsides - the villains are all very black and behave villainously throughout.

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Title: Escape from Egypt

Author: Sonia Levitin

Narrator: Grace Conlin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-05-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Jesse, a Hebrew slave, and Jennat, a half-Egyptian, half-Syrian servant girl, both serve the Egyptians, but they live in vastly different worlds. Though Jennat serves a wealthy mistress, Memnet, she is content to share in the glitter of Egyptian life and idol worship. But Jesses life is filled with cruelty inflicted upon him by Egyptian task-masters. Jesses father believes only in survival and will stop at nothing to gain favors from the rich and powerful. His mother, however, believes that God will someday rescue His people and guide them to their own land.

When Jesse and Jennat work together in Memnets household, their worlds collide, and they are attracted to each other despite their differences. Soon both of them are embroiled in one of historys greatest adventures: the Israelites exodus from Egypt and their subsequent wanderings in the wilderness.

Critic Reviews:

As usual, Levitins characterizations are superb; here she draws particularly complex, believable portraitsLevitins exploration of questions of conscience and faith is startling and searching. Nobody in her novel mouths pieties; religious convictions are the fruits of hard and dramatic struggle. Her rigorous approachwill spur her audience to fresh appraisals of sacred history. (Publishers Weekly)

Conlin conveys the tension of the days in the desert and the adjustment to the new ways of freedom and belief through her ever-changing reading voice and the pacing of the story. Together, Levitin and Conlin bring this timeless tale to life. (AudioFile)

Levitin is certainly courageous. At a time when authors are steered away from writing controversial books and when stories are presifted to make them palatable to the lowest common denominator, she has written a book that is troubling, moving, and sensual--and that forces its readers to think. (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

GOOD STORY

Romance,Bible-Style

Escape from Egypt is a brilliant, enthralling book by Sonia Levetin. Set in Egypt during the Biblical story of the Hebrew's enslavement, Escape from Egypt is the story of a teenage Hebrew slave-boy named Jesse. Jesse has fallen head over heels in love with Jennat, a young Egyptian girl, but is betrothed to his cousin, Talia. Jennat loves Jesse, but she has been promised to an Egyptian noble as a concubine. When the Hebrews flee Egypt, Jesse and Jennat have to find a way to be together. Escape from Egypt's best attributes are its pace and the amount of detail. The book moves at a good pace: it does not go so slowly that the reader becomes bored, yet it does not move so quickly that the reader becomes confused. It also gives a nice amount of detail, so the events are easy to follow without being vague. Though I truly enjoyed reading this book, it did have one fault that I found stopped it from being the ideal novel. The plot was somewhat unoriginal. The setting and characters were entertaining, but the "Romeo and Juliet" story of two people who fall in love and can not get married because of race, blood, or station in life has been used too many times to still be considered original. Nonetheless, the setting and characters were outstanding, making the book captivating. In total, Escape from Egypt was a first-rate novel for teens.

Love and Danger

A Review by Nena

This book takes place when Hebrew's were in slavery. Jesse, a young Hebrew, is in love with an Egyptian girl, named Jennat. He is to be married to his cousin, Talia. He does what he can to see Jennat.

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Title: Slammerkin

Author: Emma Donoghue

Narrator: Charlotte Stevens

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-30-12

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Strangers might remember a trip to see a girl hang, but who would spare a thought for the whos and hows and whys? 'At thirteen, Mary, the daughter of a poor seamstress, longs for fine clothes as her neighbours hunger for food and warmth. For the love of a gorgeous red ribbon she finds herself seduced into a life on the cold, dangerous streets of late 1700s London. Her saviour is Doll, a gaudy young woman who takes her under her wing. But Mary soon discovers that she can't escape her past and that people like her pay must pay dearly for yearnings not fitting to their class

Critic Reviews:

"Utterly gripping" (The Times)

Members Reviews:

Beautifully written but deeply harrowing

Set in London and Monmouth in the eighteenth century, Slammerkin is the story of Mary, a fourteen year old girl abandoned by her family and forced to resort to prostitution in order to survive. Be warned - it is often deeply harrowing. However, Emma Donoghue's eye for detail, coupled with her delight in language made even the darkest moments pulse with energy.

"The old man's tongue pushed past her lips as if looking for something, buried treasure. It tasted like a burnt thing. It thrashed like a dying fish and bruised the roof of her mouth. She thought she might choke."

This is an unflinching portrait of life at the bottom of a brutal society and from the first page, it's clear that things will not end well for Mary. Yet I kept on hoping until the very end, because despite all the squalor, there is so much that is life-affirming in these pages, and because the characters are so recognisably human. You feel you know them all so well and you desperately want their plans to prosper. Sadly, very few of them do.

The narration by Charlotte Stevens was first class: beautifully clear and fully engaged.

Slammerkin

Slammerkin is the name for a loose fitted garment worn by women in the 1700,s.The title hints at the loose morals of this century,the story itself tells of the corruption of an innocent child who makes one crucial mistake and ends up paying for it with her life.

Mary's story is told by the author in such a way that

it is easy to conjure up the vivid images of the dirt and filth of the London streets,the lewd talk and behaviour of the characters.

In contrast to this bleakness is the introduction of the rural Wales,which gives the reader a glimmer of hope for Mary's character but alas her short life will not let her shake off her past sins.

I originally read this book about five years ago and at the time it left me feeling sad for the people of that time,but nothing really changes .life is easy for some and hard for others depending mostly on which bed you are born in. Looking around the world today there are young people living equally miserable existences,we havent eradicated the horror of not having the choice to live the life we really want .

The audio version somehow adds to the atmosphere of the time ,we have the sense of hearing to add another dimension.

Well worth reading or listening to ,Emma Donoghue has done an excellent job here .

Superb

I absolutely loved this book. Set in the late 1700s; it's a story of a young girl's tragic life with lots of twists, turns and shocks. You really get a feel of what life would have been like at this time if you were out on your luck.