Listen Legally to Best Full Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Popular Authors

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Title: Cranford

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

Narrator: Harriet Stevens

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-26-15

Publisher: A.R.N. Publications

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Owing to the prowess of author Elizabeth Gaskell and the editing help of Charles Dickens, Cranford became one of the most popular novels to emerge from the 1800s. Like many well-known classics, Gaskell's book gained attention through publication as a series, featured in the magazine Household Words. The novel provides insight and a bit of satire regarding the everyday humdrum in small towns. Cranford is separated into 16 chapters, opening with a snapshot of Captain Brown and his two daughters who live in the book's namesake town: Cranford. The gossipy women of the town are slow to accept Brown socially, but they eventually welcome him into their circles. Captain Brown is later injured, and the responsibility of the house falls on his younger daughter.

The successive chapters detail elements of lost loves and prior relationships, as there are women who reunite with their former suitors only to find out that their unions were never meant to be. It is important to note that Gaskell portrays Cranford as a town of the women, in that they are the ones who gossip, socialize, and to much extent, dictate the etiquette and the norms that everyone should follow. Gaskell also weaves herself into one of the characters, Miss Matty, who delivers to the book a strong emphasis on the importance of community and having a kind heart.

Members Reviews:

I'd rather listen to to lady on my GPS

Narration is wooden and ill considered. Does not do justice to Gaskell's dialogue. I had to give it up.

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Title: The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge

Author: Charlie Lovett

Narrator: Tim Gerard Reynolds

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-15

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

On a hot summer day some 20 years after he was famously converted to kindness, Ebenezer Scrooge still roams the streets of London, spreading Christmas cheer, much to the annoyance of his creditors, his nephew, and his employee, Bob Cratchit. However, when Scrooge decides to help his old friend and former partner, Jacob Marley, as well as other inhabitants of the city, he will need the assistance of the very people he's annoyed. He'll also have to call on the three ghosts that visited him two decades earlier. By the time they're done, they've convinced everyone to celebrate Christmas all year long by opening their wallets, arms, and hearts to those around them.

Members Reviews:

A Very, Very Good Read

I 've reread A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens every year for the past thirty years. I can recite much of it by heart. Dickens story of Scrooge's redemption is among my all time favorite novels. I still well up every time I read, "and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he became a second father."

So when I first saw this book I passed it off completely. How could anyone write a sequel to A Christmas Carol? I finally downloaded a sample, and was pleasantly surprised. I bought it five minutes later, and highly recommend it.

It's more of a homage to Dickens and Scrooge than a sequel. Written in the same prose as the original, and borrowing heavily from Dickens other works, (as admitted by the author), it becomes a joyful continuation of Scrooge paying it forward to all those he cares most about. If you enjoy the original story, then by all means, read this book.

Bravo Mr. Lovett, Bravo........

Wasn't my cup of tea.

"A Christmas Carol" is one of my favorite holiday stories. My daughter and I try to see a live rendition of this story of redemption every December. The "sequel", however, left me cold, because it made Scrooge seem foolish. Why would he be wishing people "Merry Christmas" in the heat of August? Why not just wish them a blessed day? I wanted to see what his transformation did to him going forward, but this caricature left me disappointed. I didn't finish the book

I'd highly recommend it!

I actually purchased this after Christmas 2015, but just took the time to read it this year... while I was waiting for my husband's back surgery to be over a few days before Christmas! It was just the right length and very enjoyable, so took my mind off my worries. (Surgery was very successful, by the way.) The author captured the spirit of the original and put a more contemporary twist on how parents/grandparents can overlook the really important things while trying to provide for their families. I'd highly recommend it!

A New, Easy Christmas Tradition

I read this a few months ago in Kindle format. The first couple of chapters were strange because Ebenezer's new self was exuberant, and required some adjustment from me. Once the plot got started, it was more enjoyable.

Marley's ghost needed some help. Time had passed, and a new group of folks needed the treatment that cured Ebenezer.

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Title: Oprr (Oprr trilogi 2)

Author: Robyn Young

Narrator: Bent Otto Hansen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 23 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-14-15

Publisher: AV Forlaget

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

ret er 1286, og Skotland er ramt af en af de hrdeste vintre i mands minde. Alligevel rider kongen en sen aften ud i det isnende mrke, fordi hans dronning har sendt bud efter ham. Han ved ikke, at det i virkeligheden er et baghold, og p vejen bliver han myrdet af en af sine egne mnd.

Kongens dd efterlader Skotland uden tronarving, og stridighederne ulmer mellem forskellige skotske familier, som alle mener at have et krav p tronen. Samtidig har den engelske konge ambitioner om at inddrage landet under England, og snart bryder borgerkrigen ud i lys lue.

Men en ung mand fra en af de skotske slgter kommer til at spille en afgrende rolle i kampen. Hans navn er Robert Bruce.

©2014 People's Press / Robyn Young (P)2014 AV Forlaget

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Title: A Woman of Note

Author: Carol M. Cram

Narrator: Susan Duerden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-08-15

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Virtuoso pianist Isabette Grüber captivates audiences in the salons and concert halls of early nineteenth-century Vienna. Yet in a profession dominated by men, Isabette longs to compose and play her own music - a secret she keeps from both her lascivious manager and her resentful mother. She meets and loves Amelia Mason, a dazzling American singer with her own secrets, and Josef Hauser, an ambitious young composer. But even they cannot fully comprehend the depths of Isabette's talent.

Her ambitions come with a price when Isabette embarks on a journey that delicately balances the line between duty and passion. Amid heartbreak and sacrifice, music remains her one constant. With cameos from classical music figures such as Chopin, Schubert, and Berlioz, A Woman of Note is an intricately crafted and fascinating tale about one woman's struggle to find her soul's song in a dissonant world.

Members Reviews:

Annoying narration...

I suspect this is a good book, but I found the narration to be so annoying that I couldn't stick with it. While the protagonist is very musically talented and accomplished, the narrator seems to have only one breathy tune, so to speak. She changes when speaking as a character, but then it's back to the same old breathy pattern. She has the potential to be a top notch narrator, but doesn't manage it here.

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Title: The Tea Planter's Wife

Author: Dinah Jefferies

Narrator: Avita Jay

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-03-15

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies, read by Avita Jay.

Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper is newly married to a rich and charming widower, eager to join him on his tea plantation, determined to be the perfect wife and mother. But life in Ceylon is not what Gwen expected.

The plantation workers are resentful, the neighbours treacherous, and there are clues to the past - a dusty trunk of dresses, an overgrown gravestone in the grounds - that her husband refuses to discuss.

Just as Gwen finds her feet, disaster strikes. She faces a terrible choice, hiding the truth from almost everyone, but a secret this big can't stay buried forever....

Members Reviews:

sorrow fear anxiety lieing confusion secrets

weak book, sad and so terribly frustrating, shallow dialogue, only last ten minutes satisfying, alas!!

Talk About MENTAL!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Tea Planter's Wife to be better than the print version?

This book is worth the listen. It will give you historical insight and intrigue you with the psychology of the protagonist. I would listen to this book again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tea Planter's Wife?

I can't tell you - you have to listen to it!

Have you listened to any of Avita Jays other performances before? How does this one compare?

I ADORE HER VOICE!!!!

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

yes - it was very long, but I finished it in 3 days

Any additional comments?

LOVE LOVE

A Fantastic story!!!!!

This story was full of intense family secrets that had fatal consequences. The narrator was excellent and brought this fabulous story to life. You won't regret spending your time listening to The Tea Planters Wife!

Angony reading ...

It was from the start hard to read ... As the story processed it was even difficult to read .. I would not recommend any one to buy this book this The ending even when I try to finish this book was a disappointment..

Overall, an entertaining book

The story is very interesting, as is the exotic setting. Sometimes, especially towards the end, it gets a little over sentimental. Also, the main character seems at times irritatingly weak. As a woman she is a bit of a ninny and not too interesting. Still, a good plot that holds your attention.

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Title: al-Amin wa al-Ma'mun [al-Amin and al-Ma'mun]

Author: Jurgi Zydan

Narrator: Nour Mounajed

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-15

Publisher: Project Read For Me

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In this historical novel, Jurgi Zydan recounts events from the Abbasid period focusing on the dispute between Al-Amin and Al-Ma'mun following the death of their father, Caliph Harun Al Rashid. The author paints the alliances and loyalties, the intrigues and conspiracies, that led to the fall of Baghdad and the killing of one of the brothers.

Please note: This audiobook is in Arabic.

Members Reviews:

, . .

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Title: Sea Skimmer

Subtitle: The Untold Story of the Falklands War

Author: Larry Jeram-Croft

Narrator: Larry Jeram-Croft

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-26-15

Publisher: L M Jeram-Croft

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

How do you counter your own weapon system when it's turned against you? The Falklands War posed just this problem. January 1982 and the Exocet sea skimming missile is a killer. The British should know, they co-developed it with the French. However, the Argentinians have them as well.

Marcel Bertrand, a French missile expert, is recruited to help them. On April 2, 1982, Argentina invades the Falklands. Soon after, Lieutenant Jon Hunt flies his Lynx helicopter from HMS Prometheus with a Special Forces team to covertly infiltrate the Argentinian Air base at Rio Grande. His mission is to persuade Marcel, who has been kept in the dark about the invasion, to agree to work for them. Once Jon explains the truth about the invasion, Marcel and his girlfriend Maria agree to help and manage to modify the missiles warheads with a software update so that they won't explode.

As the war heats up, Argentina desperately tries to make their missiles more effective, and the British try just as desperately to develop countermeasures. While down south, Jon Hunt discovers what it's really like to fly in combat. Eventually, Marcel and Maria find themselves in the Islands just as the British are closing in. A rescue attempt to get them out is led by Jon which culminates in a desperate encounter in the mountains surrounding Port Stanley, just as the final fight for the Islands takes place around them.

This novel is based on the personal experiences of the author and many true stories that have never been fully told before. This is the first in a series of modern naval adventures, following the career of Lieutenant Jonathon Hunt through the turbulent modern military times of the last three decades.

Members Reviews:

Good story, but not completely real..?!

Any additional comments?

The story is very attractive but it is hard to distinguish the novel from the true facts. At the end the author details which events were true but it is not clear if the main characters existed or not. So it is a little dissapointing since this is a theory that existed and it is not clearly defined here. but once you start listening, can not stop,

Decent Military Fiction

I'm was only going to give this book 3 stars, but decided on 4 at the last minute.

This was a decent audiobook, if a little outside what I usually listen to. The story itself was decent with an average unremarkable narration.

This book is based on events during the Falklands war. It actually inspired me to do my own research into the events of the war and how it came about. All-in-all, I thought the book was very accurate to true events. I think that fans of military fiction will really enjoy the listen.

Narration was only ok. I can't say it was great, but it was decent and did the job.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

Decent plot, awful narration and dialogue

What did you like best about Sea Skimmer? What did you like least?

Oh dear I hate writing negative reviews but I do feel motivated for this one. Let's start with things I like. The plot and technical stuff is pretty decent.

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Title: Calling Crow: Book One of the Southeast Series

Author: Paul Clayton

Narrator: Kevin Arthur Harper

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-26-15

Publisher: Paul Clayton

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It's 1555. Calling Crow is haunted by his recurring dream of the Destroyer who will one day lay waste to his village. Then Spanish colonial slavers from the island of Hispaniola arrive on the shores of the Southeast, lands that have been home to the Muskogee people for generations. Calling Crow and another brave are taken and bound into slavery. Life in the gold pits and slave camps is humiliating and brutal, but Calling Crow refuses to let them break his spirit. Aided by a kindly priest, Calling Crow vows to learn the language and ways of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy in order to eventually save his own people. But first he must regain his own freedom.

Members Reviews:

Good Read

Would you listen to Calling Crow: Book One of the Southeast Series again? Why?

No but would like to listen to the next book in the series.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Calling Crow was my favorite character. He has such endurance.

What does Kevin Arthur Harper bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Listening is like watching a play to me. It brings in a different dimension.

If you could take any character from Calling Crow: Book One of the Southeast Series out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The good priest. He had his place with God and was right with the world.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.

Engrossing story once I got into it

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Great story

Who was your favorite character and why?

Calling Crow was my favorite character. He has such endurance

Which character as performed by Kevin Arthur Harper was your favorite?

Kevin Arthur Harper had a great voice for Calling Crow. He has a nice tone and quality and speaks clearly at a good pace

Any additional comments?

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

Calling Crow 1

Calling crow is a Native American person.This story is sad and maybe true.We live ,through this book ,the saga of the people through invasion by the Spanish and then the Europeans. Calling crow loses his family and ends up living as a Spaniard with a wife in a different land.When he returns to his people he is deemed the devil,he brings a foriegn sickness with him.He is being chased by his own people as the book ends.Kevin Arthur Harper does a wonderful job with the voices in this book.

I was given a free copy for an honest review.

Sucked me in!!!

I don't typically read historical fiction, however this book was suggested by a friend of mine so I gave it a try. It took a few chapters in the story line but then it had my complete attention!!! This is a great story full of twists and turns. The Narrater is right up there with the best of them. His ability to change from one characters voice to another was so smooth! I tried to find some thing I didn't like about this book and found it impossible. I am now listening to the second book in this series by the same Narrater and again he's nailing it!!

Calling Crow: A Good Start in the Series

"Calling Crow" was a nice listen. It had good characters and good world-building which will be great for the Southeast Series. It started out with a lot of oomph but a few times it was a little slow and that being said, I think this was a great start to a lively new series.

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Title: Empire Rising

Author: Thomas Kelly

Narrator: Michael Deehy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-14-15

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It is 1930 - the Depression - and ground has just been broken for the Empire State Building. One of the thousands of men erecting the building high above the city is Michael Briody, an Irish immigrant torn between his desire to make a new life in America and his pledge to gather money and arms for the Irish republican cause. When he meets Grace Masterson, an alluring artist who is depicting the great skyscraper's ascent from her houseboat on the East River, Briody's life turns exhilarating - and dangerous, for Grace is also a paramour of Johnny Farrell, Mayor Jimmy Walker's liaison with Tammany Hall and the underworld. Their heartbreaking love story is also a chronicle of the city's rough passage from a working-class enclave to a world-class metropolis.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

Excellent

A must read book

I had to read this for college class but truly fell for the novel. It is beautifully written and captures the readers imagination. It is a book I have recommended many times. I even got my boyfriend who hates to read interested in this novel. He has read half if it. Mr. Kelly is a gifted author.

Empire With Consequences

Thomas Kelly builds a fantastic story in Empire Rising. From the start, let me say Kelly is on par with Steinbeck when it comes to capturing not only the essence but also the sweep of an era.

This is a story that takes place in the shadow of the construction of the Emprie State Building. The main characters are recent Irish immigrants. One, Michael Briody, has a terrorist past and he struggles to put that behind him as he works as an ironworker. Grace Masterson has her own crooked dealings, including her relationship with a Tammany Hall boss. Then there are the other characters, from Mayor Jimmy Walker to union bosses and thugs galore, including the hint that the Italian mafia may be growing more powerful than the Irish gangs.

The pot boils as these people claw their way through the depression and the struggles of a corrupted political system that may work better than anyone realizes. The best part about this book is Kelly's ability to put the reader into the City, into the jobs these people do, and into the mood of the time. You're right there, praying it works out. Like reality, Kelly gives the good with the bad, something I always enjoy about great fiction.

Great read!

Mr Kelly is a great story teller. Reminds me of Dashiell Hammett and early Harold Robbins (Stone for Danny Fisher). Well paced story and well developed players will keep you turning pages. I am looking forward to Mr. Kelly's next novel.

This is one will stay with you.

Vivid detail alone makes this a worthwhile read. Strong charcters and plotting that relect the frailties and strengths of our nature are the bonus.

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Title: She Flew Bombers

Subtitle: From the Factories to the Bases During WWII

Author: Jeane Slone

Narrator: Jeane Slone

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-13-15

Publisher: Jeane Slone

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A funny, sad, and heroic historical fiction about heroine Violet Willey and her colleagues who join the experimental civil service organization, the Women Air Force Service Pilots. All the escapades from meeting the Soviet Night Witches to brushes with death and sabotage are based on fact. These daring young women fight against gender discrimination as they portray a vital role for a nation in crisis.

Members Reviews:

Enjoyable tale of history

Would you consider the audio edition of She Flew Bombers to be better than the print version?

I read "She Flew Bombers" when it was released in 2012. I learned so much about the WASPS and their role in WW2. When I learned it was released on audio, I thought it would be great to relive the trials and tribulations of Violet. I felt the cadence of the audio was slow at the start but then I got in to the rhythm and liked the pace. Ms. Sloane does a great job changing her voice to match the characters. Thoroughly enjoyable.

What did you like best about this story?

It's important to share the important roles women have had in history. I found the story of the WASPS fascinating.

What three words best describe Jeane Slones performance?

Enunciation, voices = great!

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

The silent heroes of World War II

Story was ok.

The story could have been enjoyable but the narration was excruciating to listen to. Audible should screen the performances.

EXCELANT BOOK!

Would you listen to She Flew Bombers again? Why?

You can tell the author did the research. Very informative and the style of reading makes you feel like you are really there!

Fascinating true events weaved into story telling

Where does She Flew Bombers rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This audio book is a perfect travel companion. While I first had a fleeting concern that the slightly slower-paced than usual diction would interfere, it was quite a relief to understand everything said the first time and to do no re-listening to catch the conversation and events. The voice varied for the different characters, and moved along smoothly. The content was both informative and interesting, and left me feeling I understood what a woman had to go through in a man's world to have a skill in high demand, but to be held in such lower regard only because of one's sex. A must read for those who love historical fiction and who wish a deeper comprehension of what is was and still is to be a woman with a deep passion to live life fully under the not so invisible glass ceiling. I give it an excellent ranking.

What did you like best about this story?

I truly enjoyed how real the characters felt...normal people doing exceptional things to meet the demands of the times.

What about Jeane Slones performance did you like?

Clear enunciation with voice variation allows one to easily follow the story and know who is the speaker.

If you could rename She Flew Bombers, what would you call it?

She Flew in Combat, but of course that was not allowed for U.S. aviatrices.

Any additional comments?

This story doesn't begin to soar for a few chapters, as the author is meticulously laying down the groundwork of the characters, so hang in there...it will take off.

Waste of Time and Money

What would have made She Flew Bombers better?

The narrator (author) is SO BAD at reading the story I could not listen to it.