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Title: The Taming of the Queen

Author: Philippa Gregory

Narrator: Bianca Amato

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-13-15

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Why would a woman marry a serial killer?

Because she cannot refuse....

Kateryn Parr, a 30-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father, who has buried four wives - King Henry VIII - commands her to marry him.

Kateryn has no doubt about the danger she faces: the previous queen lasted 16 months, the one before barely half a year. But Henry adores his new bride, and Kateryn's trust in him grows as she unites the royal family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and rules the kingdom as regent.

But is this enough to keep her safe? A leader of religious reform and the first woman to publish in English, Kateryn stands out as an independent woman with a mind of her own. But she cannot save the Protestants, under threat for their faith, and Henry's dangerous gaze turns on her. The traditional churchmen and rivals for power accuse her of heresy - the punishment is death by fire, and the king's name is on the warrant....

From an author who has described all of Henry's queens comes a deeply intimate portrayal of the last: a woman who longed for passion, power, and education at the court of a medieval killer.

Members Reviews:

Disappointing

Have read nearly everything by Phillipa Gregory but first one as an audio book. The whole book was spoiled by the voice of the reader. There were very odd pronunciations of certain words. The story itself was quite good in that it gave an insight into Katherine Parr, of which little is known. She has often been depicted as a nurse wife, married to tend an ailing King in his last years, so it was interesting to learn more of her thirst for knowledge.

Good plot, some niggles

Usual good plot and characterisation by the author. Let down by some annoying repetition, and strange pronunciation by the reader, for example, Latin, courtier and Hereward, the former two occurring so frequently as to become irritating.

Really njoyable read but finishes too early

I found this a fascinating take on the last Queen Kate & the religious backdrop of the final few years of Henry VIII reign. I particularly noted with interest the relationships Katherine had with Anne Askew & her inner circle. This part of her life was defined clearly along with the absolute terror she must have felt negotiating her safety with a tyrant such as Henry. What was less clear was the relationships with her stepchildren (particularly Elizabeth) & that with Thomas Seymour. For me, the book ended too early & I would loved to have seen Philippa Gregory's take on the final 18 months of Katherine's life (post marriage to Thomas Seymour) but I suppose that was a sign I was enjoying this story as it left me wanting more.

The voice

What did you like best about The Taming of the Queen? What did you like least?

The view of the 6th queen was an interesting portrayal, but the only way i could listen to the aufull voice of the narrator was to put the reading speed at 1.25 speed

How could the performance have been better?

A better reader

Was The Taming of the Queen worth the listening time?

No

survival

a really good story from the perspective of an often forgotten Queen, I do wish the book had continued to Katherine 's Death after finally giving birth to her daughter.

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Title: They Called Me Jo: A White Slave Girl

Author: Jacqi Fromauex

Narrator: Jacqi Fromauex

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-28-15

Publisher: Retired

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The child of an autocratic tyrant of a father, a slave girl grows up in the Delta swamps under perpetual oppression. However, she is inspired by the friendship of heroic figures in her early life. Bolstered by their memories but haunted by a murder, she tries to claw her way out of the darkness and experience a world she has never known.

Members Reviews:

While it is a good read it struggles in places and seems to lack ...

This is a very telling true account of a difficult childhood and early life. It is well told in a personal manner. While it is a good read it struggles in places and seems to lack coherence in some of the later chapters. All in all it is a compelling story of success in spite of all odds...

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Title: In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

Subtitle: Summary & Analysis

Author: Instaread

Narrator: Michael Gilboe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-15

Publisher: Instaread

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Preview:

In the Unlikely Event is a fictional account of a real series of plane crashes that took place between December 1951 and August 1952 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Miri Ammerman is a young Jewish girl. Her mother, Rusty, made the unusual choice, for the time period, to raise her daughter alone. They live with Rusty's mother, Irene, and brother, Henry, a reporter for the local paper. Miri's best friend, Natalie, is the daughter of a local dentist, Dr. Osner. Miri often fantasizes about Natalie's mother dying so that Rusty and Dr. Osner can get married. Then the girls could be sisters.

A young dancer named Ruby Granik boards a plane and, while helping a young mother with her two small children as the plane takes off, Ruby realizes that something is terribly wrong. At the same time, Miri and Rusty are on their way home from a movie when they see the plane coming down....

PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book.

Inside this Instaread Summary and Analysis of In the Unlikely Event

About the Author

With Instaread, you can get the summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, summarize and analyze it for your convenience.

Members Reviews:

Cultural Identity, Sexual Morality and Science Fiction are some of the themes discussed in this book!

Folks, this Instaread book is just a summary and analysis! HOWEVER it is well written and truly gives you a detailed look into what the story entails. "A fictional account of a real series of plane crashes" that took place in the early 1950's. Planes are crashing in Elizabeth, New Jersey and everyone has a theory.

Miri, the main character and antagonist, is 15 when the crashes occur. She is 50 when she returns for the 35th anniversary of the crashes. Natalie, Miri's best friend, is very disturbed over the crashes and believes she is hearing from Ruby, one of the crash victims. Due to this, Natalie becomes anorexic and eventually ends up becoming a medium.

The original book has quite a lot of characters so in this Instaread summary we are given 13 short bios on some of them. The 'Character Analysis' section focuses on Miri, her mother Rusty and Natalie. The 'Character Relationships' examines Miri and Rusty, Natalie and Ruby along with Miri and Mason, Miri's first boyfriend.

Being set in the 50's, a woman's place in society was very different than it is today. The 'Themes' section is VERY strong and informative taking on some very important points/thoughts relating to the themes running through this book.

If you are looking for a refresher on the original, a quick read to give you the basics of what Judy Blume's book is about or trying to decide whether or not you even want to read the original then this is for YOU! A quick read that should take you no more than 30 minutes, probably way less if you are a faster reader.

Book provided in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, Liz

I needed this for Blume's latest

I have been a Judy Blume fan for a very long time so am apt to grab anything that she writes based on her name being on the cover. However, when I read the description and some of the reviews for her latest book, "In the Unlikely Event", I knew that I would need help. It turns out that there are a ton of characters in this book and people have a hard time keeping them straight.

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Title: The Death's Head Chess Club

Author: John Donoghue

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-12-15

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Debut author John Donoghue presents a suspenseful new novel about the improbable friendship between a Nazi officer and a Jewish chess player in Auschwitz.

SS Obersturmführer Paul Meissner arrives in Auschwitz from the Russian front wounded and fit only for administrative duty. His most pressing task is to improve camp morale, so he establishes a chess club and allows officers and enlisted men to gamble on the games. Soon Meissner learns that chess is also played among the prisoners, and there are rumors of an unbeatable Jew known as "the Watchmaker". Meissner's superiors begin to demand that he demonstrate German superiority by pitting this undefeated Jew against the best Nazi players. Meissner finds Emil Clément, the Watchmaker, and a curious relationship arises between them. As more and more games are played, the stakes rise, and the two men find their fates deeply entwined.

Twenty years later, the two meet again in Amsterdam. Meissner has become a bishop, and Emil is playing in an international chess tournament. Having lost his family in the horrors of the death camps, Emil wants nothing to do with the ex-Nazi officer despite their history, but Meissner is persistent. "What I hope," he tells Emil, "is that I can help you to understand that the power of forgiveness will bring healing." As both men search for a modicum of peace, they recall a gripping tale of survival and trust.

A suspenseful meditation on understanding and guilt, John Donoghue's The Death's Head Chess Club is a bold debut and a rich portrait of a surprising friendship.

Members Reviews:

I started playing chess again!

This is one of my favorite books. I started playing chess again against my computer, learning how bad I am. So, I purchased a chess training course on CDs and plan to educate myself, play against my computer some more and enjoy chess again after many years of not playing. This wonderful book is only partly about chess. It's mainly about survival and forgiveness, about how we can all learn how wrong we've been about our past judgments. The well written narrative moves back and forth in time smoothly, adding enjoyment to the read. I find it hard to believe that any reader would assign less than five stars to this great book.

I read this for book club. Though I was ...

I read this for book club. Though I was reluctant to read a book yet another book about the war, especially with such a grim title, I must confess, I was surprised at how quickly the story gripped me. I am grateful I was encouraged to read this book and am looking forward to discussing it.

One who understands chess would enjoy some of the games details but as a non ...

A very interesting plot, totally speculative but posing many questions about forgiveness and guilt in the wartime concentration camps. One who understands chess would enjoy some of the games details but as a non chess player I took the moves as they came. An enjoyable read even though dark in its underlying tale.

Worth the read

I enjoyed this story. It had some interesting twists that spanned over a 20 year time period. The characters were well developed and offer a very human side to the holocaust. Chess provided a wonderful platform for this tale to unravel. Recommended

read it i dare you

I loved the book and the research done by the seller.

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Title: The Thunder of Giants

Author: Joel Fishbane

Narrator: Tandy Cronyn

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-15

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Mixing the eccentricity of the circus world and the heart of a love story, The Thunder of Giants is a warm and engaging debut about two exceptional women - both almost eight feet tall.

The year is 1937, and Andorra Kelsey - 7'11" and just under 320 pounds - is on her way to Hollywood to become a star. Hoping to escape both poverty and the ghost of her dead husband, she accepts an offer from the wily Rutherford Simone to star in a movie about the life of Anna Swan, the Nova Scotia giantess who toured the world in the 19th century. Thus Anna Swan's story unfurls. Where Andorra is seen as a disgrace by an embarrassed family, Anna Swan is quickly celebrated for her unique size. Drawn to New York, Anna becomes a famed attraction at P. T. Barnum's American Museum even as she falls in love with Gavin Clarke, a veteran of the Civil War. Quickly disenchanted with a life of fame, Anna struggles to prove to Gavin - and the world - that she is more than the sum of her measurements.

The Thunder of Giants blends fact and fiction in a sweeping narrative that spans nearly a hundred years. Against the backdrop of epic events, two extraordinary women become reluctant celebrities in the hopes of surviving a world too small to contain them.

Members Reviews:

Interesting but not great

Interesting story of two female giants ( one real, one fictional). The narration just didn't work for me, so I had difficulty staying engaged with the story.

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Title: The Jazz Palace

Author: Mary Morris

Narrator: Michael Early

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-15

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Acclaimed author Mary Morris returns to her Chicago roots in this sweeping novel that brilliantly captures the dynamic atmosphere and the dazzling music of the Jazz Age.

In the midst of boomtown Chicago, two Jewish families have suffered terrible blows. The Lehrmans, who run a small hat factory, lost their beloved son, Harold, in a blizzard. The Chimbrovas, who run a saloon, lost three of their boys on the SS Eastland when it sank in 1915. Each family holds out hope that one of their remaining children will rise to carry on the family business. But Benny Lehrman has no interest in making hats. His true passion is piano - especially jazz. At night he sneaks down to the South Side, slipping into predominantly black clubs to hear jazz groups play.

One night he is called out and asked to sit in on a group. His playing is first rate, and the other musicians are impressed. One of them, the trumpeter, a black man named Napoleon, becomes Benny's close friend and musical collaborator, and their adventures together take Benny far from the life he knew as a delivery boy. Pearl Chimbrova recognizes their talent and invites them to start playing at her family's saloon, which Napoleon dubs The Jazz Palace. But Napoleon's main gig is at a mob establishment, which doesn't take too kindly to freelancing. And as the '20s come to a close and the bubble of prosperity collapses, Benny, Napoleon, and Pearl must all make hard choices between financial survival and the music they love.

Members Reviews:

Growing up with a jazz soul as a Jewish boy in Chicago

Would you listen to The Jazz Palace again? Why?

Yes. It's heart-ful (but NOT sappy) and complete

Any additional comments?

Wow! I hadn't really expected to like this book too much; it's a book club book, and I hadn't particularly cared for the last three; I don't much care for jazz; I've gotten tired of history for my pleasure reading; it just wasn't my usual style. This book was so touching and complete. It ran pretty much the entire range of emotions, but it finally ended appropriately! And despite the fact that it wasn't a suspense or a mystery (:-)), there were gangsters and racism treated extremely correctly for the historical time! And in terms of it being "a book club book", it was totally appropriate: it introduced me to different styles of books that I may not by my own choice, and it definitely had the right heart and feel!

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Title: Flashman and the Mountain of Light

Subtitle: The Flashman Papers, Book 4

Author: George MacDonald Fraser

Narrator: Colin Mace

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-26-15

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Books four through six in George MacDonald Fraser's uproarious best-selling Flashman series, now available in one audiobook for the first time.

Flashman and the Mountain of Light: 1845-1846. Given the choice between defending Britannia's frontier against the mighty Sikh army and pleasuring a ravishing maharani in the Court of the Punjab, Flashman knew where he'd rather be. Of course, that was before he found out about the torture chambers or the malevolent influence of the Mountain of Light....

Flash for Freedom!: 1848-1849. Flashman seems destined for the House of Commons until his political ambitions are scuppered by a crooked game of pontoon with Disraeli (with someone else doing the cheating for a change!). Forced to flee London, he boards a vessel bound for the United States - via the African slave coast. Before the odyssey ends, Flashy will encounter an assortment of interesting Yanks, including a New Orleans madam and a young Mr Lincoln....

Flash and the Redskins: 1849-50/1875-76. With charges of slave stealing, slave trading, false pretenses and murder hanging over him, Flashman is desperate to leave New Orleans. So desperate that when a besotted brothel keeper invites him to lead a wagon train of whores bound for the California goldfields, he jumps at the chance.

Critic Reviews:

"In Flashman, George MacDonald Fraser has created one of the immortals." (Sunday Times)

"If ever there was a time when I felt that watcher-of-the-skies-when-a-new-planet-stuff, it was when I read the first Flashman." (P. G. Wodehouse)

"Flashman remains in a class of his own." (Guardian)

Members Reviews:

This version does not really work

If this book wasnt for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

To me, Flashman's voice is an older voice. The best versions of Flashman audio books I've ever heard are by Tomothy West. Colin Mace does his best but his voice is too young and not 'Victorian' enough.

Flash is back!

Where does Flashman and the Mountain of Light rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

One of the best

Who was your favorite character and why?

Flashy - of course!

What about Colin Maces performance did you like?

Fun, clear and just how you would expect Flashman to sound. Good accents for other characters too.

Any additional comments?

I've always been a big fan of the Flashman series. In the past there have been several narrators of the Flashman audiobooks but Timothy West was by far and away the best. However he only narrated 4 books (3 of which are still available on iTunes). I just couldn't get along with other narrators for the books I didn't have (Flash is not your conventional respectable hero but they read it like he was). Colin Mace is excellent. He gets across the character of the swaggering but likable bounder beautifully and the accents of the other characters are well drawn. This review also applies to the 2 other Flashman books Colin Mace narrates. Hope he will do the whole series.

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Title: The Red Baron: A World War I Novel

Author: Richard Fox

Narrator: William Dupuy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-17-15

Publisher: Richard Fox

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

At the dawn of the First World War, Manfred von Richthofen sought glory. What he found was misery. Sentenced to a meaningless staff position after losing his first battle, Richthofen joins the fledgling German air force and discovers his deadly talent for air to air combat.

In the air, victory and renown come at the expense of other men's lives and with a burden that grinds against his soul. To the soldiers and people of Germany, he was the pride of an empire. To his foes, he was the Red Baron. As wounds to his body and spirit mount, Richthofen learns that even heroes have limits. As the war enters the final stages, finding the strength to keep fighting will be his greatest battle.

Members Reviews:

Poor

Poor narration. Stiff. Lot's of cliches. I had higher hopes for this story. I'll avoid this narrator in other books.

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Title: The Tutor

Author: Andrea Chapin

Narrator: Elizabeth Knowelden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-15

Publisher: HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The year is 1590, and Queen Elizabeth's Spanish Armada victory has done nothing to quell her brutal persecution of the English Catholics. Katharine de L'Isle is living at Lufanwal Hall, the manor of her uncle, Sir Edward. Taught by her cherished uncle to read when a child, Katharine is now a 31-year-old widow. She has resigned herself to a life of reading and keeping company with her cousins and their children. But all that changes when the family's priest, who had been performing Catholic services in secret, is found murdered. Faced with threats of imprisonment and death, Sir Edward is forced to flee the country, leaving Katharine adrift in a household rife with turmoil.

At this time of unrest, a new schoolmaster arrives from Stratford, a man named William Shakespeare. Coarse, quick-witted, and brazenly flirtatious, Shakespeare swiftly disrupts what fragile peace there is left at Lufanwal. Katharine is at first appalled by the boldness of this new tutor, but when she learns he is a poet, and one of talent, things between them begin to shift, and soon Katharine finds herself drawn into Shakespeare's verse, and his life, in ways that will change her forever.

Inventive and absorbing, The Tutor is a masterful work of historical fiction, casting Shakespeare in a light we've never seen.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Courage, Marshal Ney

Subtitle: Last Stand of the Bravest of the Brave

Author: James Mace

Narrator: John Szura

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-31-14

Publisher: Legionary Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In June of 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte's attempts at reclaiming the French Empire are destroyed on the field of Waterloo. With the Bourbon monarchy restored to the throne of France, King Louis XVIII seeks his revenge against many of Napoleon's former generals. While many are sent into exile, the fanatical royalists demand that one in particular pay with his life. That man is Michel Ney, Marshal of France; called by both friend an enemy as "The Bravest of the Brave".

In December, he is tried by the Chamber of Peers, convicted and sentenced to death in direct violation of the Treaty of Paris that formally ended the war the month prior. This outrages both Ney's former soldiers, as well as his old enemy, the British Duke of Wellington. In a strange twist of fate, Ney finds the unlikeliest of allies in Wellington, his former arch nemesis. Just prior to being taken away to be shot by firing squad in the early hours before dawn on 7 December 1815, the Duke cryptically tells him, "Death is just the beginning". Three years later, a quiet and mysterious stranger arrives in South Carolina to take up position as headmaster of the local school. Though he is soon deeply respected by both students and the greater community, he is an extremely private person who divulges almost nothing about himself. A series of intriguing events in the coming years will only add to the mystery surrounding the enigmatic schoolteacher, who is clearly more than he appears.

Members Reviews:

Fascinating Historical Adventure

I really enjoyed this story. It is written very well and the change in narration (for different characters) is pretty cool. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone whether or not they know anything about Marshal Ney and/or this time period.

"It's a good book for anyone regardless of their background."