Listen to Most Popular Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: A Little Life

Author: Hanya Yanagihara

Narrator: Oliver Wyman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 32 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-29-15

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 79 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A novel of extraordinary intelligence and heart, a masterful depiction of heartbreak and a dark and haunting examination of the tyranny of experience and memory. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2015.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is an immensely powerful and heartbreaking novel of brotherly love and the limits of human endurance. When four graduates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he'll not only be unable to overcome - but that will define his life forever.

Critic Reviews:

"In person Yanagihara is breezily intellectual; all bright red lipstick, sparkly jewellery and cobalt-blue heels. And yet A Little Life has at its heart a darkness so profound you wonder both where it came from and how she mustered the courage to confront itShe is, she says, very much the sort of person who walks past strangely located doors or evocatively seedy windows and immediately wonders what lives exist behind them. For Yanagihara, you feel, theyre more likely to be damaged than not." (Alison Roberts, Evening Standard)

Members Reviews:

Heartbreakingly excellent.

This is by some distance the best book I've heard in 2017. Performance and story.

compelling

heartbreaking and thought-provoking. the reader was excellent. sorry to see it end. anyrhing else is a spoiler

A modern masterpiece

Best book of 2016. Very well presented. I recommend it without reservation. A beautifully crafted story that will stay with me for a long time

Recommend you take Zoloft with this

Any additional comments?

Clearly a well written novel but if you're not clinically depressed before you start you will be by the end of it........ or even a third of the way through.

If you like a victim

Awe inspiring recount of a horrific child abuse by the Catholic Church, their unaccountability, pedophilia and grooming. The reader really feels for this poor child who grows up to be very successful except in coming to terms with his past, the injuries and confused somewhat misplaced attachments formed in later life.

Went on for a bit too long, perhaps a case of having too many enablers

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: After You

Author: Jojo Moyes

Narrator: Anna Acton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-24-15

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 201 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of After You by Jojo Moyes, the stunning sequel to the worldwide phenomenon Me Before You.

Jojo Moyes says: "I hadn't planned to write a sequel to Me Before You. But working on the movie script, and reading the sheer volume of tweets and emails every day asking what Lou did with her life, meant that the characters never left me. It has been such a pleasure revisiting Lou and her family, and the Traynors, and confronting them with a whole new set of issues. As ever, they have made me laugh, and cry. I hope readers feel the same way at meeting them again."

Members Reviews:

Easy to listen to

Its not as good as Me before you and the narrators accents are sometimes a bit offensive but overall an easy listen.

Not as good as the first.

Didn't like the narrator on this one. Was disappointed. Liked Me Before You should have left it there.

very nice

it was really nice book, but why it was so quiet sometimes? I couldnt really hear anything while travelling in public transport, which is usually my favourite time ti listen to audiobooks

Enjoy the unexpected?

Me Before You is a hard act to follow, but After You deals sensitively and realistically with the lives and emotions of people left behind.

The storyline could under normal circumstances be rather dark and depressing, dealing as it does with the main character's struggle to climb out of her grief. But I found it compelling with unexpected snatches of humour that had me laughing out loud. The characters- particularly Louisa's family - are delightful and believable.

I could do without some of the bad language, but the atmosphere of the story stayed with me long after I finished the book. The author paints vivid pictures with her words - she somehow evokes all the senses.

Anna Acton's performance was outstanding and contributed hugely to my enjoyment of the book. What an actress!

Good but should have been better

It's a good book but since its a sequel of " me before you" I had lot of expectations and its not as good as "Me before you" . Overall a decent story but wish it was as good as its pre sequel .

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Did You Ever Have A Family

Author: Bill Clegg

Narrator: Bill Clegg

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-15

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 417 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The stunning debut novel from best-selling author Bill Clegg is a magnificently powerful story about a circle of people who find solace in the least likely of places as they cope with a horrific tragedy.

On the eve of her daughter's wedding, June Reid's life is completely devastated when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughter's fiancé, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Luke - her entire family, all gone in a moment. And June is the only survivor.

Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak.

From the couple running a motel on the Pacific Ocean where June eventually settles into a quiet half life to the wedding's caterer whose bill has been forgotten to Luke's mother, the shattered outcast of the town - everyone touched by the tragedy is changed as truths about their near and far histories finally come to light.

Elegant and heartrending, and one of the most accomplished fiction debuts of the year, Did You Ever Have a Family is an absorbing, unforgettable tale that reveals humanity at its best through forgiveness and hope. At its core it is a celebration of family - the ones we are born with and the ones we create.

Members Reviews:

One of my favorite books, but sadly, read by author

Amazing debut novel. One of my favorite books of 2015 and worthy of the award bestowed on it. This is a sad but beautiful story surrounding a catastrophic event. Many lives experience indescribable grief. Perfect tone. Beautiful words. Just the right length.

When I read the book summary, I thought I could not read a book so full of loss, so full of pain. I am so glad I made the right choice. This powerful story will stay with me for a long time. I will keep my family even closer.

However, as is often the case, authors usually should not narrate their books. Such an amazing story and they couldn't use a a professional? Mr Clegg narrates in a monotone voice as if he is doing a book reading at a library. There are many voices in this story and it was difficult to think of females speaking when he never changes tone. If I had the option of reading rather than listening, I would have returned the audio and bought the book. So I made the most of it and tried to picture him reading the book and enjoyed the story very much. Just listen to the narration first.

Writers don't always make the best readers

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I was really enjoying the book but found the narration was so bad I had to buy the written book to finish it. Please consider re-releasing with a different reader.

Read don't listen to!!!

Great story! The worst story I've ever listened!! Authors should not read their books. Get a professional. No tone change the entire time. Flat mono tone.

Tragedy and grief written incredibly well

Did You Ever Have a Family may possibly be one of the best books I've read this year. If they're done well, I'm a big fan of stories told through the eyes, hearts, and feelings of different characters and multiple perspectives, and Bill Clegg does this incredibly well.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Message in a Bottle

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Narrator: Kimberly Schraf

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-25-15

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 138 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Divorced and disillusioned about relationships, Theresa Osborne is jogging when she finds a bottle on the beach. Inside is a letter of love and longing to "Catherine", signed simply "Garrett". Challenged by the mystery and pulled by emotions she doesn't fully understand, Theresa begins a search for this man that will change her life. What happens to her is unexpected, perhaps miraculous - an encounter that embraces all our hopes for finding someone special, for having a love that is timeless and everlasting.

Nicholas Sparks exquisitely chronicles the human heart. In his first best-selling novel, The Notebook, he created a testament to romantic love that touched listeners around the world. Now in this New York Times best-seller, he renews our faith in destiny, in the ability of lovers to find each other no matter where, no matter when.

Members Reviews:

Awesome book! Totally surprised by the ending.

Well written kept our interest to the end. The ending is too close to home for me.

Message in a Bottle

Love story with a different ending than most love stories. Two people who should have been together, but never will.

Sentimental and sweet

Nicholas Sparks has gained popularity because his books are sentimental and sweet. This is no exception. If it were any sweeter the listener would have to start taking insulin.

It was just a little too saccharine for my taste.

eh.. predictable

This had good narration, but I never felt that I was really drawn into the story.

Predictable, corny ... narrator did a good job

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

The story started very well, got my interest specially for the narrator nice voice and pace. The male character was so boring ... and very unbelievable ... from mourning his dead wife till desperate in love with the main character. He was fickle... In a way there are plenty of people like that in real life. But for the sake being a good book story ... i just didn't like. At least the end to me made the story redeemable.

What could Nicholas Sparks have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Again ... I don't like love first sight romances. I read plenty of that in YA books and I hate it ... however many of those books I can ignore the romance. But this is a romance book. To me wasn't for the narrator I'd have stopped right ... I hate fickle and desperate characters. I must confess I do like the movie versions of many of his books.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Kimberly Schraf?

Yes I would. She did a great job and she sort of reminds me a little of Marguerite Gavin, which I like very much.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Message in a Bottle?

I'd have kept most of the book apart from the fickle moments of the male character... maybe let their story go a little longer and time to built their relationship the way the author did on The Notebook and Dear John

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Wind/Pinball

Subtitle: Two Novels

Author: Haruki Murakami, Ted Goossen - translator

Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-04-15

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 180 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In the spring of 1978, a young Haruki Murakami sat down at his kitchen table and began to write. The result: two remarkable short novels - Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973 - that launched the career of one of the most acclaimed authors of our time.

These powerful, at times surreal, works about two young men coming of age - the unnamed narrator and his friend the Rat - are stories of loneliness, obsession, and eroticism. They bear all the hallmarks of Murakami's later books and form the first two-thirds, with A Wild Sheep Chase, of the Trilogy of the Rat.

Widely available in English for the first time ever, newly translated, and featuring a new introduction by Murakami himself, Wind/Pinball gives us a fascinating insight into a great writer's beginnings.

Members Reviews:

A Must For Murakami Fans

The promise of the writer he was to become are evident in these two novellas. It's fun to see that the elements of a Murakami story -- loneliness, sudden death, mysterious women, etc. -- were present from the beginning. These are his first works, and it shows There's an uneven quality to the stories. That said, Heyborne does a brilliant job and this was a very entertaining listen.

If you've read one of Murakami's more celebrated novels and weren't that impressed, I think you should probably pass on this. If you're a fan, though, it's a must listen.

FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY: Extra Ball at 600,000 points

My first exposure to Murakami was in my early college years. I checked out A Wild Sheep Chase (Boku #3) one summer from a military library and after I read it, but before I returned it, the library had mysteriously burned down. I'm not sure if I still owe the library a late fee or not. I had no way to return the book, and after reading it, I didn't ever want to. I saved it from the fire. I saved it from oblivion. It was now mine.

Both 'Hear the Wind Sing' and 'Pinball, 1973' are novellas best left to Murakami completists. There are better novels to start with and unless you are going to read more than ten Murakami novels, I wouldn't begin here. Start with 'Wild Sheep Chase' or 'Dance Dance Dance', or 'Norwegian Wood'.

\ * / Hear the Wind Sing/Boku #1 \ * /

"How can those who live in the light of day possibly comprehend the depth of night?"

Nietzche

A nice first novel(la) with most all the known Murakami tropes already stirred in. There is music (pop, jazz, classical) with specific references to actual pressings. There are: cats, bars, whiskey, birds, alienation and needy women. Murakami ventures into existential philosophy and Western literature (both real and fake). It is all there. Things that would later pop up again and again in his later, stronger novels.

It isn't a river that flows very fast.

This isn't a page turner.

It is Gyokuro tea-steeping slowly. It is watching the stray leaves spiral to the center in a cracked, stoneware cup. It is the light and shadows dancing on you, while you sit in the shade watching people walk in and out of view. It is relaxing, interesting, and soon all you have left is the tasseography of a cold cup.

\ * / Pinball, 1973/Boku #2 \ * /

So many dreams, so many disappointments, so many promises.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Mathematician's Shiva

Author: Stuart Rojstaczer

Narrator: Angela Brazil, Stephen R. Thorne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-14-15

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 56 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When the greatest female mathematician in history passes away, her son, Alexander "Sasha" Karnokovitch, just wants to mourn his mother in peace. But rumor has it the notoriously eccentric Polish émigré has solved one of the most difficult problems in all of mathematics and has spitefully taken the solution to her grave. As a ragtag group of mathematicians from around the world descends upon Rachela's shiva, determined to find the proof or solve it for themselves - even if it means prying up the floorboards for notes or desperately scrutinizing the mutterings of her African Grey parrot - Sasha must come to terms with his mother's outsized influence on his life.

Spanning decades and continents, from a crowded living room in Madison, Wisconsin, to the windswept beach on the Barents Sea where a young Rachela had her first mathematical breakthrough, The Mathematician's Shiva is an unexpectedly moving and uproariously funny novel that captures humanity's drive not just to survive but to achieve the impossible.

Critic Reviews:

"An enjoyable debut, the book is distinguished by a fluid, lyrical style that is equally at home with serious and comic matters." (Kirkus)

Members Reviews:

Great read

I truly enjoyed this novel- humorous and engaging- it held my attention.

The narrator was fantastic.

Enjoyable listening despite several mispronunciations!

Having been a "Mathlete" in high school, and growing up with Yiddish-speaking grandparents and parents, the book had special appeal to me. The accents were "close", however, the pronunciation of several of the Yiddish words was inaccurate, and, as a result, somewhat distracting. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the readers very much.

Terrific debut. Reads as if it ought to be true.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I imagine that it is not for everyone, and maybe one must be an academic to appreciate just how close to the truth the satire is and to appreciate the humor in these characters. The story features Rachela Karnokovitch, a great female mathematician, and her mashugana family and colleagues, as told by her son. She is of Russian-Polish, Jewish origin. A family mostly of unbelievers, she is paradoxically observant.

Listeners who are not scientists might benefit from reading a little about the Navier-Stokes equations on wikipedia, not that one must understand the mathematics, but in order to place the problem in context. It is a basic equation for incompressible fluid flow and apparently can describe all observed behaviors, including turbulence, but the existence of solutions with the properties expected has never been demonstrated. Also, there really is a million dollar Millenium Prize awaiting the person or group who is able to characterize solutions to this equation. The reader, Stephen Thorne, does a good job with the characters, but I found Angela Brazil's portrayal of Rachela reading from her diary a bit off-putting, especially toward the end of the book. To me, she doesn't sound at all like the woman described.

Brilliant and Original

What made the experience of listening to The Mathematician's Shiva the most enjoyable?

I don't usually write reviews, but this is the exception, I guess partly because, like the characters in this book, I am a Jewish mathematician whose forbears came to the US from Russia.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Someday Home

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Lauraine Snelling

Narrator: Kristin Kalbli

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-07-15

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 44 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A heartwarming story that celebrates how life-changing friendships can be found in all seasons of life.

The sprawling lake home Lynn Lundberg built with her husband has been an epicenter of joyful family life, from summer holidays spent around the water to cookies baked in the kitchen with grandchildren in the fall. But since her husband's sudden passing two years ago, Lynn has been lost in the grief and solitude she feels without him at home. She doesn't want to sell the big family place, but she can't exist there on her own much longer.

After hearing of a new way of living - where single women share responsibilities as housemates - Lynn thinks she's found the answer to her prayers. Soon she meets two ladies with whom she could begin this journey. Angela Bishop, a successful real estate agent accustomed to the finer things in life, has just been jilted by her husband of 25 years. Judith Rutherford, who has devoted her adulthood to caring for her ailing father, must leave the only home she's known now that he has passed.

These three women seek a place to grieve, to laugh, and to be renewed. But coming from such differing circumstances, will the new challenges they face undo their plans? Or will they begin a friendship to see them through the years to come in this Someday Home?

Editorial Reviews:

"The three women are dynamic, realistic and fun; readers feel like they truly know them by the end of the book. The story is inspiring and hopeful. Snelling tells a wonderful tale...in this perfect summer read." (RT Book Reviews)

Critic Reviews:

"Snelling writes about the foibles of human nature with keen insight and sweet honesty." (National Church Library Association)

Members Reviews:

Seemed strangely short...

It seemed like it was just getting started and you were finally getting to know the characters better and then it was over. Narrator was pretty good.

Excellent as expected and as always

Lauraine Snelling is as always a poignant writer whose books do not mirror each other just using different names and places, has put together another timely novel that addresses current issues of life through her characters. Though her characters have a deep faith and acknowledgement of God they seem to encounter struggles of faith in a very realistic manner .....

great christian book

story of 3 women deciding to live together as roommates in more mature years... the backgrounds of each, and learning give and take, the importance of forgiveness...inclusion of grandkids, families...etc. narrator ok. a different type of book that made me think of what it would be like in a situation like this.

Sweet Story

If you could sum up Someday Home in three words, what would they be?

I had just listened to a violent and disturbing mystery. This story was all good, very sweet story, had some spirituality included. It made me feel peaceful, spiritual and calm.....

What about Kristin Kalblis performance did you like?

I liked her soft spoken voice.

If you could rename Someday Home, what would you call it?

Leap of faith

Lauraine does it again!

Where does Someday Home rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

In the middle

Who was your favorite character and why?

I didn't really have a favorite. They were all well developed which is on of Ms.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Secret Brother

Author: V. C. Andrews

Narrator: Charlotte Penfield

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-26-15

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 67 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The new novel from the author of Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind - both now major Lifetime movie events.

A young boy suffers amnesia from a trauma he suffered in what feels like must have been another life. He's adopted into a wealthy family - but what will happen when he learns the truth about his past?

Members Reviews:

That was a Whole Lotta Nothin!!!!

Based on the fact that Books 1 and 2 were some of the WORST Ive ever read, I had extremely low expectations for Book 3 but I persevered anyway because I wanted to know the story of how Cory survived. The good news is: if thats your goal too, you can completely skip Books 1 & 2 trust me, they are NOT worth your time and really have no connection to Book 3. It makes me wonder: how is this really even a series??

Less than 1% of this book was good and I think thats generous! I was genuinely interested in Corys storyline What would happen to him? Would he talk about his experiences? Would he recover? Would there be an investigation into where he came from? I wanted to know all about it but thats IT! NOTHING ELSE WAS GOOD NOR INTERESTING!

The story of the angry petulant teenager mourning her brother who died in an accident was pointless and uninteresting. Her budding teenage romance, her life in high school, her Grandpa wanting to turn Cory into Willy 2.0 all skippable. It was boring, tedious, dumb and completely mind-numbing. Is all Young Adult fiction this bad? It was pure drivel.

My biggest question: Why even bother creating a pretext to frame Corys storyline? Why not expand THAT story and make it the main plot? As it was, I think the entire rest of the book aside from Corys storyline could have been cut out and the story left over could have been interesting even if it would only be 3 paragraphs long!

In the end, nothing is really resolved or concluded; it was a HUGE waste of time!

Now we have come full circle...

This is book 3 of the Christopher Diaries of Foxworth Hall. In Books 1 and 2 of this series, we get Christopher's point of view as to what really happened up in that attic all from a diary he wrote and left in the attic. Now in book 3, we get many answers to what Corrine and Grandmother really did with Cory on that fatal night when they took him to the hospital and he died. At least that is what they told the kids when they came back.

This series has been really exciting, specially since I don't care for "point of view" books, but they books are written very well. Book 3 isn't as exciting as 1 & 2 are, but it is filled with so many answers - almost like we are there watching everything unfold.

The author, VC Andrews did a good job writing this book. I feel this book brought the story around full circle. The narrator did a great job delivering this book. I felt the voices are very smooth, realistic and easy on the ears - very believable!

it was neat and interesting

need followup book of this. does Corry ever reunite with his siblings? know of his mother after Cathy, Chris and Carrie escape?

Glad to know Cory is alive........

I have read or listened to all V.C. Andrew's books. This book was one of the best written books since V.C. died, however, the reader sucked- The Narrated sounds like she is on drugs or drunk.... Slow and draggy through out the story... I did not like her voice at all. It was hard to follow so I read the book instead...

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Timequake

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Narrator: Arthur Bishop

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-28-15

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 79 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

According to Kurt Vonnegut's alter ego, the old science fiction writer Kilgore Trout, a global timequake will occur on February 13, 2001, at 2:27 p.m. It will be the moment when the universe suffers a crisis of conscience: Should it go on expanding indefinitely or collapse and make another great big BANG? For its own cosmic reasons, it decides to back up a decade to 1991, giving the world a 10-year case of deja vu, making everybody and everything do exactly what they'd done during the past decade - for good or ill - a second time.

As a character in and a brilliant chronicler of this bizarre event, Kurt Vonnegut casts his wicked wit and his unique perspective on life as he's lived it and observed it for more than 70 years.

Members Reviews:

Arias only make hopeless situations worse

Timequake was one of the first books my wife ever gave me. I don't know why it took me so long to read. I WAS a huge fan of Vonnegut 20 years ago when we first got married and I loved my wife. Clearly, I at age 23 I wasn't a fan of Vonnegut enough or trusted my wife's taste in books enough. I think I was just fearful Vonnegut was just mailing a final novel in. This was one of the last things he published, and I think it was his last novel (I might check this and find out I was wrong, it happens).

Anyway, I think all three of us were right. My wife was beautifully right in buying me Kurt Vonnegut. Kurt Vonnegut was right in writing it. I was right in waiting. I wasn't ready for this book. I'm now 20 years closer to death. I am now a father to two pimply teenagers who are sleeping tonight waiting for their parents to pretend still they are Santa and bring them goodies on Christmas morning. We are all pretending the best we can. We are all making the best of this short spin on Earth. I am now in a place where I can functionally GET the older Vonnegut better. I can get better his take on free will, money, morality, and art.

Timequake isn't a great novel, but it has absolutely brilliant parts. I love its lines and sentences better than I liked the book. It has a fantastic message about extended family and friends and community that I absolutely adored. It has so many good lines (yes, I said that before, but now I'm going to pull back the curtain):

"Only when free will kicked in again could they stop running obstacle courses of their own construction."

"Let us be perfectly frank for a change. For practically everybody, the end of the world cant come soon enough."

"I define a saint as a person who behaves decently in an indecent society."

"...when things were really going well we should be sure to notice it."

"Pictures are famous for their humanness, and not for their pictureness."

* Fantastic *

This book was SUCH a joy to listen to. The narrator did a great job of bringing Vonnegut's words come to life.

Kurt Vonnegut is easily one of my all-time favorite authors. This book is a perfect example of his genius. The book expertly wavers between a work of fiction and an autobiography.

I don't actually have much to say about this book aside from the fact that it was absolutely fantastic. It REALLY is a must-own for any fan of Vonnegut. Actually, even if you're not familiar with Vonnegut, it is still a must-own.

Although I give this book an EASY five stars, I still enjoyed Breakfast of Champions, (another book by Vonnegut), just a tad more.

Ascolta questo libro audio completo gratuitamente su https://hotaudiobook.com

Titolo: L'amica geniale

Sottotitolo: volume primo

Autore: Elena Ferrante

Narratore: Anna Bonaiuto

Formato: Unabridged

Durata: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Lingua: Italiano

Data di pubblicazione: 04-27-15

Editore: Emons Edizioni

Valutazioni: 4.5 su 5 su 131 voti

Categoria: Fiction, Contemporary

Riepilogo Editore:

Lila è scomparsa. Esagerata, come sempre, ha cancellato ogni traccia. Ed Elena, l'amica di tutta la vita, inizia a raccontare la storia del legame viscerale che le ha unite per sei decenni. Tra inconfessata rivalità e profondo affidamento, la ragazzina geniale e ribelle e l'amica studiosa attraversano gli anni dell'adolescenza, sullo sfondo di un rione della Napoli anni Cinquanta ritratta nella sua cruda epicità.

Prima parte della tetralogia "L'amica geniale".

©2011 Edizioni e/o (P)2015 Emons Italia srl

Recensioni dei membri:

Mi ha convinto. Appassionante.

La bravissima Anna Bonaiuto ci prende per mano e conduce nel mondo vischioso e un po' magico del rione. Personaggi vivi e sgargianti, ricreati dal ricordo della protagonista che rivede la sua infanzia ed adolescenza con gli occhi del presente. Ben scritto e benissimo raccontato.

La sua voce mi ha trasportata nella storia

Any additional comments?

Sono un'assidua lettrice, ma non riuscivo ad andare avanti con il libro cartaceo.

Allora ho comprato il mio primo audiolibro. E la voce di Anna Bonaiuto mi ha trasportata nella storia. Ne sono rimasta assuefatta. Adesso ho appena comprato il secondo libro.

Pleasant but overrated

The story did not grab me nor surprise me. The style was not particularly original. The performance was really good, including the neapolitan accent.

Il meglio dell'Italia letteraria di oggi

What about Anna Bonaiutos performance did you like?

Anna Bonaiuto, da veterana del teatro qual è, legge il romanzo con intelligenza e sensibilità, recuperando quel piccolo mondo della bassa borghesia napoletana degli anni Cinquanta senza renderlo una macchietta. Dizione impeccabile, espressioni in dialetto napoletano perfettamente comprensibili, grande capacità di far immergere l'ascoltatore nelle parole, talvolta dure, della Ferrante.

Who was the most memorable character of L'amica geniale and why?

Benché contrariamente a quanto si pensi l'amica geniale del titolo non è Lila bensì la protagonista, Elena, non si può non restare affascinati dall'amica "cattiva" che sembra sempre un passo avanti e in realtà è un passo indietro, forte e allo stesso tempo debole nelle sue scelte assolutamente banali come nel suo restare nel mondo patriarcale tra padre e fratello quando da piccola ha invece osato sfidare il "boss" del rione. Davvero un personaggio memorabile Raffaella Cerullo, detta Lila, uno di quei personaggi che fanno la storia della letteratura.

Any additional comments?

L'amica geniale è quanto di meglio possa offrire l'Italia letteraria di oggi. Il mistero che avvolge la vera identità della scrittrice non offusca le qualità indiscutibili del romanzo che prende senza difficoltà il suo posto tra le opere letterarie più prestigiose di inizio secolo. La Ferrante ci aveva già abituato a romanzi "forti", ma a questo livello nemmeno lei era ancora arrivata. A questo punto non resta che proseguire la storia con il prossimo audiolibro, felicemente letto sempre da Anna Bonaiuto.