Listen to Most Popular Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary

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Title: Secrets She Left Behind

Author: Diane Chamberlain

Narrator: Kris Koscheski, Abby Craden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-27-14

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 531 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The sudden disappearance of Sara Weston is a mystery to her seventeen-year-old son, Keith. A survivor of an arson fire, Keith is still healing, and in Sara's absence, he must face a challenging situation alone: the release of his half-sister, Maggie, from prison. Maggie, who was partially responsible for the fire, is the handiest target for Keith's rage. Reintegration into the outside world proves difficult for Maggie, even beyond dealing with Keith and her guilt. Somehow the two must find a way to overcome the past because Maggie and her family may be all Keith has left.

Critic Reviews:

"A fast-paced read that . . . Explores the psychological complexity of a family pushed to its limits." (

Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Good read

I couldn't stop with this one. I thought it was put together nicely with the four narratives and told a good story. All four characters kept me interested. Definitely would recommend it. My only issue was that the female narrator did an excellent job with the female characters but her grown male impersonations made me nuts. I'm glad she didn't have many male lines!

Good story. Narration not so much.

While I did appreciate the storyline, I found this audiobook difficult to listen to, particularly due to the adult male characters' narration. The voices for Jamie, the psychiatrist, and several others were so low and gravelly it was painful to listen to.

The female voice did a decent job but the breathy ingenue quality did get tiresome.

I may have enjoyed the story more if not for the narration, but that was difficult to get past. I almost didn't listen past the 30 minutes or so, but eventually finished the book simply to find out what happened.

Chamberlain's characters are always thoughtfully written with many layers and realistic nuances, and this book was no exception. Just when I think I've identified a villain or saint, she throws in curves that make the character so much more lifelike and sympathetic.

This was not my favorite Diane Chamberlain novel, but it's hard to say how much the irritating performances influence that perception.

Not my favorite

I hated the narrators - it was so hard to get past the painfully gravelly male voices and the whiny female voices. The story eventually sucked me enough for me to be able to ignore the irritating voices.

Horrible narration, boring story - not typical for author

I like almost all of her books but this one was pretty boring. Narration killed me... Really bothersome.

The male was painful to listen to. Felt forced. The two male characters kept sounding like the same person. The female's voice was constantly on the verge of tears.

Out of 5 book, this is the only one I dislike, so overall I do like this author and her other narrators.

A really great book!

First of all, this is a great story about the highs and lows of life, the complexities of human relationships and the many subtle shades the human soul. The story kept you engaged all the way through. The characters were well developed and relatable. The narration was great too. This is definitely one of this author's best book.

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Title: Chaos: A New World

Subtitle: Book 1

Author: John O'Brien

Narrator: Mark Gagliardi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-14

Publisher: Cherry Hill Publishing

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 645 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Jack, a sometimes humorous, sometimes philosophical ex-special operations pilot and soldier is one of the few left to struggle through the desolation left in the aftermath; seeking to survive as a new ferocious species emerges from the rubble, hungry and unrelenting. Will his special forces training be enough? Will he be able to keep his children safe and guide the few survivors through perils that now roam the world they once knew? Or will the hordes that now own the night prevail, forever removing the last of mankind from existence? Humankind was once at the top of the food chain. But that has now changed.

Members Reviews:

THIS IS MAKING MY BRAIN HURT

Well, numb at least

Reaching down with my right hand, I grasped the tab on the zipper pocket of my Bass Pro duffle bag. I dragged the zipper to my right, opening the pocket. Reaching into the pocket (side remark), I pulled out the Zip Lock Container with the four tabs. (semi-funny side remark to myself) Putting the container in my lap with both hands I undid the four tabs. My mp3 SanDisk player was laying on top of the black co-axel cable with the brass fittings. Taking the player out, I hit the blue button with my right thumb, (side remark). etc...

If you were enthralled with that rendition, than you will love this book. I bought this book, thinking it was about Zombies, even though Audible has not included it among their 15 books in the Zombie section which you have to sneak your way into since, you can't get their through browsing Science Fiction/Fantasy. In the first four hours, I heard two Zombies shuffling around. One was upstairs and another outside a house. I never got to actually see a Zombie. I did get to see some of the carnage, but not the actual taking place of such disasters. After four hours I started skipping through the book and evidently skipped over a horde of Zombies, which I don't think ever reappeared.

I did like the main character. He seems to be a good father and it is cool to have that evident in a Zombie book, if you can call this a zombie book. Most of the story takes place in the United States with this father and his kids. Some of the story takes place in Kuwait, where the mother is stationed with the army.

Sammy Davis Jr. once said, the when he gave a concert, he had to sing Candy Man fairly early, since it was his only hit. It is the same when you write a Zombie book. If you write a book about Zombies, you need to have some zombies fairly early, it is why the reader bought the book. If you want to write a book about a father and his kids, great, but don't call it Chaos, A New World and don't have a macho gravely narrator.

My lowest rating ever

I think this book would have received much better rating if it weren't for the narrator Oh My Giggles! He sounds like The Macho Man Randy Savage meets Hulk Hogan every time a character has an internal monologue. It drove me crazy! Id rather receive a figure-four-leg-lock than listen to another one of these books OH YEAH!!!.

Good story, terribad narration

I decided to try this book after listening to A shrouded world. I love Mark Tufo and enjoyed the collaboration. Let me start by saying that the story is good, it has potential to be a good audiobook. Unfortunately, the narration ruined it for me. The narrator emphasized every other word, it sounded like a professional wrestler was reading.

Not bad!

Worth a listen if your into the whole z genre.

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Title: Cowgirls Dont Cry

Subtitle: Rough Riders, Book 10

Author: Lorelei James

Narrator: Rebecca Estrella

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-24-14

Publisher: Insatiable Press

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 184 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Good girls can play rough too

Jessie McKay has accepted her marriage to Luke McKay wasnt perfect. After two years of widowhood, shes ready to kick up her bootheels - until Lukes younger brother shows up to spoil her fun. But if Brandt thinks shell ever take orders from another McKay male, hes got manure for brains. Brandt McKay has avoided his sweet, sexy sister-in-law ever since the night he confessed his feelings for her werent the brotherly type. Unexpectedly faced with proof of Lukes infidelity, Brandt is forced to ask for Jessies help in taking care of Lukes young son. Jessie agrees on one condition - she wants Brandts boots exclusively under her bed for the duration. The sexual heat thats always simmered between them ignites. Brandt is determined to make the temporary situation permanent, proving to Jessie hes a one-woman man. And Jessie is shaken by feelings shes sworn never to have again for any manespecially not a McKay.

Members Reviews:

Great Series!!

Each book gets better and better!!! The stories are never the same but revolve around the same family. And the love scenes are always HOT!!!!!Rebecca Estrella did an excellent job!!!

One of the best in the series

Love the series, and the McKay families! This one has a strong plot and much more character interaction than some of the others!

THIS ONES A TEAR JERKER!

Break out your Kleenex for this one, it's got all the makings of an ugly cry before you make it halfway through the story. I can't get enough of this series; there's love, lust, betrayal, secrets, lies and bitter blood to name of few of the dirty details of the McKay crew. Don't listen out of order if you can help it. The tension just keeps building with this family, and I'm totally addicted!

Loving Your Brother's Wife

Brandt Mckay will do anything to protect Jessie, the widow of his cheating brother Luke. The book starts with a raw scene where Jessie is drunk and desperate for physical affection. It was disturbing but important to understanding the characters.

Brandt is probably the best of the McKay men, although he and his brothers take too much crap from their over bearing father. Brandt and Jessie get stuck taking care of Luke's love child for a few months and become closer friends & eventually lovers.

Jessie was an strong, engaging character who drew me into the story; Brandt was caring, likable and loyal while needing to grow a backbone. I was torn over who should raise the child, yet satisfied with the conclusion. Happily Brandt seems to be the only McKay man who didn't get his rocks off dominating & bullying women.

Jessie and Brandt

Jessie was married to Brandts older brother Luke who was unfaithful. Brandt had been in love with Jessie since he had first seen her. Luke basically beat Brandt to her. Luke died in a car accident leaving behind an illegitimate son. The boys mother calls Brandt for help when she is being sent to jail for DUIs. She asks if Brandt could arrange for guardianship to care for his nephew while she is in jail. Luke agrees and talks Jessie into helping him. She agrees, but is angry to be caring for her dead husband's illegitimate son. Brandt and Jessie begin to enjoy helping the boy and become romantically entangled. Really rewarding ending.

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Title: The Unwelcomed Child

Author: V. C. Andrews

Narrator: Elizabeth Cottle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-23-14

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 91 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Elle Edwards, who has been told she's a product of her mother's sinful mistake, has never gone to school, never met a teenager her own age, never even been allowed off her grandparents' property. Convinced that their granddaughter is infected with evil, Myra and Prescott Edwards believe that only the harshest child-rearing methods will prevent Elle from becoming an instrument of the devil. When Elle's mother finally returns home and tells a different story of her daughter's conception, Elle worries her grandparents are right. But with the help of a handsome boy vacationing nearby, Elle is finally about to discover the truth about her past....

Members Reviews:

Loved the narrator

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

Energetic voice but did not sound as if she was on speed. Also did not try to fake a male voice

If you could rename The Unwelcomed Child, what would you call it?

The Hidden Child

terrific story, it was a pleasure to read

twister have been more to this story it was very interesting there could have been a lot more action a lot more drama lot more situations but I enjoyed it anyway

Great story!

story starts off a but slow, but really turns into a fantastic story. loved it

loved it

loved the book and the narrator!! this was my first time, and not the last. *searches for new book*

Not much here...

What would have made The Unwelcomed Child better?

200 less pages!

Has The Unwelcomed Child turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all. There is something very gothic and old fashioned about the way V. C. Andrews's books play out, even if it isn't really her anymore. It's a modern-ish story with a 100 year old feel if that makes sense. It's quite charming!

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

There was not much I cared for in the performance. Ms. Cottle sounded like a high schooler being asked to read aloud in English class. There was very little inflection and everything seemed to run together in a monotone. The voices, while uninteresting, were at least infused with some decent acting, which saved things somewhat, but over all, I'd have to say, boring, boring, boring. I'd probably not listen to anything narrated by her again. However, the material could also have been the problem. Perhaps she didn't really have writing that would let her stretch her wings.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Unwelcomed Child?

Everything written under the V. C. Andrews name in the last 15 years seems full of boring details that don't advance the story. Series could be condensed into half their length and this book alone should have been a novella. I couldn't care less about the long conversations about nothing that Elle has with Mason and Claudine. The prologue and first chapter are nearly interchangeable and cover the same information over and over and over. Perhaps physically reading the book would have helped, but the narrator just made me extra bored. Nothing picked up and got interesting until the last handful of chapters. I don't feel the payoff really made the whole book worth listening to. The older books are MUCH better!!

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Title: The Forgotten Seamstress

Author: Liz Trenow

Narrator: Anne Flosnik

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-09-14

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 164 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A shy girl with no family, Maria knows she's lucky to have landed in the sewing room of the royal household. Before World War I casts its shadow, she catches the eye of the Prince of Wales, a glamorous and intense gentleman. But her life takes a far darker turn, and soon all she has left is a fantastical story about her time at Buckingham Palace.

Decades later, Caroline Meadows discovers a beautiful quilt in her mother's attic. When she can't figure out the meaning of the message embroidered into its lining, she embarks on a quest to reveal its mystery, a puzzle that only seems to grow more important to her own heart. As Caroline pieces together the secret history of the quilt, she comes closer and closer to the truth about Maria.

Pause-resistant and heartbreaking, The Forgotten Seamstress weaves together past and present in an unforgettable journey.

Critic Reviews:

"The two narratives are seamlessly woven together, forming a heartrending tapestry of tragedy and resilience." (

Booklist)

Members Reviews:

I enjoyed listening to this book

I found the story captivating (and unfortunately, entirely plausible). The writer wove many time periods into the tale without creating a convoluted mess. I also appreciated how the narrator gave distinct personalities to the 3 primary characters.

Enchanting work of art!

This was a beautifully written story spanning several generations, exploring cultural differences and obstacles. It imposed upon me the reality surrounding the affairs of the heart and all of those affected by decisions and actions made by powerful, influential people.

When I started it I found it a little difficult to get into because of the language difference with the strong English accents. After awhile I really enjoyed the variety of voice interpretations for the different characters.

I was immensely intrigued by the storyline relating to the patchwork quilt and totally captivated by the historical research and the steps that were taken to discover truths hidden in the fabric and stitches. I was convinced more than ever of the importance of labeling quilts and other works of art for accurate provenance. I was sad when the story ended.

A wonderful, touching, riveting story.

What did you love best about The Forgotten Seamstress?

This book has everything - romance, mystery, action and was very nicely delivered by the narrator.

What did you like best about this story?

The story takes you along without a hitch - going effortlessly from one character to the other. If you like sewing, fabrics, quilting, etc. this is the book for you. The fabric descriptions are graphic and pleasant - historically interesting.

Which scene was your favorite?

I especially like the scene where she recovers the quilt from the vagrant.

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

I would have listened in one sitting if it had been possible - but taking it in several segments worked fine.

Any additional comments?

This is a lovely story which is greatly enhanced by the wonderful reader - I enjoyed it more than I can describe.

Enjoyed the book

This was really good. Didn't expect the ending. Enjoyed the narrator. Wanted the story to continue

Life without F

The story itself is awesome! However, I thought at first that my ears were playing tricks, but no, the narrator really does pronounce the letter "f" as a p. Life is Lipe, coffee is coppee, of is op.

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Title: Keep Quiet

Author: Lisa Scottoline

Narrator: Ron Livingston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-08-14

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1071 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award winning author Lisa Scottoline is loved by millions of readers for her suspenseful novels about family and justice. Scottoline delivers once again with Keep Quiet, an emotionally gripping and complex story about one mans split-second decision to protect his son - and the devastating consequences that follow.

Jake Buckmans relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater. On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection. However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryans entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies. Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all.

Powerful and dramatic, Keep Quiet will have listeners and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.

Members Reviews:

Could've been so good. Could've.

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

Not unless she had nothing else to listen to.

Would you ever listen to anything by Lisa Scottoline again?

Yes - I've read other books by her, & really liked them - just not this one.

Any additional comments?

This book was very, very well-written, as are all of Scottoline's books, & I really, truly, absolutely wanted to love it. Instead, I hated the way it hung me up on tenterhooks from almost page one, without relief. Hour after hour, no reprieve in sight, one can become mentally & emotionally exhausted. I did something I just don't do, & loaded other books to listen to during the same time period, giving myself a break from this book at least every hour. I finished it only because that is what I do, unless a book is VERY poorly written.

As to the characters, I hated the mother, unequivocally. She's a b***h to end all b***hes, & one of the most obdurate, implacable, self-righteous characters I've ever had the displeasure of reading. As well, there are multiple situations where she, as a judge (of all people), should have known about/been aware of dangers, issues, & topics, yet she was clueless, & thus the book's credibility was lost. A judge who is held in such high esteem by her peers would surely know SPOILER ALERT! that since she had motive for wanting to kill someone, & since she had been seen arguing w/that someone the night he was killed, that these actions just might make her a suspect. Instead, she continued to do things that made her look even more suspicious/guilty, & was flabbergasted that her actions might be thought dubious, or that anyone would think this of her. Give me a break. I mean, really?! A judge, who deals with the criminal justice system every day? Snort.

I'm having a difficult time rating this story; like I said, it's extremely well-written, but it still left me feeling resentful towards the author; I wasted too much time & expended too much emotional energy on this. SPOILER ALERT!! The "tied up in a bow", bland, feeble, & vapid ending was just the last straw.

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Title: This Dark Road to Mercy

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Wiley Cash

Narrator: Jenna Lamia, Erik Bergmann, Scott Sowers

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-28-14

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 218 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Hailed as "mesmerizing" (New York Times Book Review) and "as if Cormac McCarthy decided to rewrite Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird" (Richmond Times-Dispatch), A Land More Kind Than Home made Wiley Cash an instant literary sensation. His resonant new novel, This Dark Road to Mercy, is a tale of love and atonement, blood and vengeance, a story that involves two young sisters, a wayward father, and an enemy determined to see him pay for his sins.

When their mother dies unexpectedly, twelve-year-old Easter Quillby and her six-year-old sister, Ruby, are shuffled into the foster care system in Gastonia, North Carolina, a little town not far from the Appalachian Mountains. But just as they settle into their new life, their errant father, Wade, an ex-minor-league baseball player whom they haven't seen in years, suddenly reappears and steals them away in the middle of the night.

Brady Weller, the girls' court-appointed guardian, begins looking for Wade, and quickly turns up unsettling information linking him to a multimillion-dollar robbery. But Brady isn't the only one hunting him. Also on the trail is Robert Pruitt, a mercurial man nursing a years-old vendetta, a man determined to find Wade and claim what he believes he is owed.

The combination of Cash's evocative and intimate Southern voice and those of the alternating narrators, Easter, Brady, and Pruitt, brings this soulful story vividly to life. At once captivating and heartbreaking, This Dark Road to Mercy is a testament to the unbreakable bonds of family and the primal desire to outrun a past that refuses to let go.

Critic Reviews:

"Jenna Lamia's remarkable performance makes her the star of this ensemble audiobook. Her impeccable North Carolina accent and pitch-perfect expression enliven Easter's mixed emotions.... Erik Bergman's slow, gentle voice is a match for Brady's kindness, while Scott Sowers makes listeners shiver with his rendering of Pruitt, a sociopathic hit man." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Easter offers chance at redemption; but no spark

Set around the 1998 HR record chase by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa (now stained by steroids) and traveling from the foothills of NC to St. Louis, this short novel is enjoyable but not nearly as deep a character study, with as complex a texture or as dark as what I consider the best novel to come out of the South in 20 years, "A Land More Kind Than Home," by the author, Wiley Cash.

The story keeps you interested, though it lags toward the end. The protagonist, Easter, is well-developed and realistic as a 12-year-old whose mom died of a drug overdose and whose father "Wade" is a ne'er-do-well former baseball minor leaguer. Repairing his relationship with Easter offers Wade a chance at redemption. One thing that was not explained enough was the antagonistic relationship between Wade and his pursuer Pruitt and the relationship between the other character Brady (the 2 girls' guardian ad litem) and his daughter could have been more developed and tied into the story.

The novel is worthy of a read/listen, particularly if you enjoyed "More Kind than Home," but I can't highly recommend it.

I must say though that it may be worth the purchase if for nothing more than to hear Jenna Lamia's spectacular rendition of the 12-year-old Easter, the novel's protagonist. Ms.

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Title: Legends of the Fall

Author: Jim Harrison

Narrator: Mark Bramhall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 196 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From one of America's most versatile and celebrated writers, Legends of the Fall is Jim Harrison's classic trilogy of epic novellas.

The publication of this magnificent trilogy of short novels - Legends of the Fall, Revenge, and The Man Who Gave Up His Name - confirmed Jim Harrison's reputation as one of the finest American writers of his generation. These absorbing novellas explore the theme of revenge and the actions to which people resort when their lives or goals are threatened, adding up to an extraordinary vision of the twentieth-century man.

Set in the Rocky Mountains, Legends of the Fall is the epic tale of three brothers and their lives of passion, madness, exploration, and danger at the beginning of World War I. In Revenge, love causes the course of a man's life to be savagely and irrevocably altered. And in The Man Who Gave Up His Name, a man named Nordstrom is unable to relinquish his consuming obsessions with women, dancing, and food.

Members Reviews:

So much more then a movie could ever hope to capture

This is a post midlife MASTERPIECE!

3 embraceable stories that will fill you with contemplation and rip at your soul.

Few books have I ever read that I felt I would return to over and over for the rest of my life

Cello music

I chose this book because I have watched Legends of the Fall movie countless times, and because Mark Bramhall is one of my favorite narrators. Ranking the three novellas, I thought Legends was the best overall story, Revenge the one that affected me the deepest, and The Man Who Gave Up His Name the least relatable (making it 4 stars instead of 5). If you are already familiar with Legends and Revenge from their movies, know that the source stories told here are not straight repeats, but still wonderfully written. Revenge in particular provided strong characters in Cochran and Tibby.

Strongly masculine tales, there is a common thread of midlife self-doubt and sense of loss that could become depressing if Harrisons writing was less masterful. If the stories had a soundtrack, it would be the beautiful but melancholy music of the cello expressing a soulful yearning that communicates to the reader. Bramhall's reading ensures the cello is pitch perfect. I loved the stories, admired the writing, and will likely look for more of Harrisons offerings.

Read legends of the fall for legends of the fall

The first story was okay, the second one was not great, but it was all worth it for the third novella that bears the name of the this trilogy, the legends of the fall.

Not as good as I hoped.

For me the dust story was the best. Then it was down hill from there. Other reviews say the opposite. But at the end of book, I felt nothing.

Beautiful. Descriptive. Raw. Real.

Would you consider the audio edition of Legends of the Fall to be better than the print version?

Different. Not better. Each medium has its own beauty.

What other book might you compare Legends of the Fall to and why?

"A River Runs Through it". Masculine. Outdoors. Wilderness. Hunting & fishing in nature and love of being IN nature and how it's so closely related to our human survival. Jim Harrison's "True North" is another one that comes to mind. Other ones are "All the Pretty Horses" and "Lonesome Dove". Loved these books.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Tristan saw Decker again, they "lifted" each other. Guys bear hugs.

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Title: Sputnik Sweetheart

Author: Haruki Murakami

Narrator: Adam Sims

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-15-13

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 185 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Haruki Murakami, the internationally best-selling author of Norwegian Wood and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, plunges us into an urbane Japan of jazz bars, coffee shops, Jack Kerouac, and the Beatles to tell this story of a tangled triangle of uniquely unrequited loves.

>A college student, identified only as "K" falls in love with his classmate, Sumire. But devotion to an untidy writerly life precludes her from any personal commitments until she meets Miu, an older and much more sophisticated businesswoman.

A love story combined with a detective story, Sputnik Sweetheart ultimately lingers in the mind as a profound meditation on human longing.

Members Reviews:

Satellites of Love

A disappearing woman. Classical music. Cats. Dreams. Yup, I just finished another Murakami novel. I'm going to sleep and dream on this one tonight and write the review tomorrow. No really. I fully intend to write a real review, I'm just uncertain how I feel. Half of me wants to write a review, but the other half just wants to look longingly out the window, go to the beach, or sit in a restaurant and eat some nice Greek food. That should pass after a good night's sleep and I should be able to decide where Sputnik Sweetheart belongs in my catalog of Murakami. Until then, I will go outside check out the stars and look for lonely satellites of love.

Lonely?

This is a delicious book, wonderfully read and performed. Why do we think and feel we are lonely? If you ever wonder, read or listen. You won't regret it.

Existential Angst...

as usual, but not as good as Norwegian Wood. Senseless lulls (life is monotonous--we get it) and sometimes he tells rather than shows, an amateur error. That said, it's still pretty good

Any Other Author

Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite authors and I jumped for excitement when Audible had new titles from his extensive catalog. "Sputnik Sweetheart" is not as good as some of his other books like "Hard-boiled Wonderland" or "After the Quake", but it's definitely worth the read if you like this author. While reading this book, I started asking myself if I am bias to Murakami's work, just because I'm a super fan of his and almost obsessed at reading everything that he writes.

If "Sputnik Sweetheart" was by any other author, would I still like this book as much as I do? Would I even bother at writing this review? Would I even give this book 3 stars because it seems like Haruki Murakami writes the same genre over and over, about an love affair with some abstract symbolism.

I'm a reader that doesn't really like to follow a particular author. I read whatever that interest me at the time with a wide range of subjects. If I like a series, I will keep on getting those books or drop it because of having no interest. I'm not a fan of Grisham's or Nora Roberts' novels. I have a few of there popular books, but they are all one word writers, where they can't write more than they know.

As for my thoughts on Murakami, each of his books are so different from each other that you don't know what to expect until you get deep into the story.

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Title: Actors Anonymous

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: James Franco

Narrator: James Franco

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-15-13

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 147 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album

The actors in James Franco's brilliant debut novel include a McDonald's drive-thru operator who spends his shift trying on accents; an ex-child star recalling a massive beachside bacchanal; hospital volunteers and Midwestern transplants; a vampire flick starlet who discovers a cryptic book written by a famous actor gone AWOL; and the ghost of River Phoenix. Then there's Franco himself, who prowls backstage, peering out between the linesbefore taking the stage with fascinating meditations on his art, along with nightmarish tales of excess. "Hollywood has always been a private club," he writes. "I open the gates. I say welcome. I say, Look inside."

Told in a dizzying array of stylesfrom lyric essays and disarming testimonials to hilariously rambling text messages and ghostly footnotesand loosely modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous's Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Actors Anonymous is an intense, wild ride into the dark heart of celebrity.

Critic Reviews:

In Actors Anonymous, Franco performs an auto-celebrity roast that is at once mordantly funny, maddening and provocative...a kind of intellectual companion piece to his role in This is the End. (USA Today)

"Subversively funny and provocatively honest, is ostensibly about acting but it's really about a society where everyone's reduced to Actors Anonymous the roles they play. The novel's many narrators fight back against these roles in truly original, often hilarious, and deeply affecting ways. So should we all." (Gary Shteyngart)

Compellingentertaining and insightfulgenuinely funny. (The Daily Beast)

Members Reviews:

Yikes!!!

Would you try another book from James Franco and/or James Franco?

Of course. Even Shakespeare wrote a few clangers.

Has Actors Anonymous turned you off from other books in this genre?

Nope. There might be a gem in there somewhere, I just haven't encountered one yet.

Did James Franco do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Were there other characters? It was all too monodull altogether.

PS: In my opinion, James Franco is an excellent actor but it would take the Holy Spirit to bring this book to life.

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I respect James Franco for trying. He's very handsome.

Any additional comments?

Perhaps James Franco should take his audience more into account the next time he writes a book. Junky films are one thing - they're easy to watch and wash off, but junky books are another. They're not as forgivable. I don't like discovering that I have wasted time,effort, imagination, and understanding into worthless, self-absorbed crap that ultimately takes me for a fool. No, thank you.

Anonymous

Where does Actors Anonymous rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Really explores darker themes then I'm used to hearing, bold too.

Who was your favorite character and why?

James franco really spoke from the heart with emotion and charisma. I really respect him as an actor and a filmmaker

Have you listened to any of James Francos other performances before? How does this one compare?

this one was a first aside from his film

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

yes

I couldn't even finish.

What disappointed you about Actors Anonymous?

It was boring, actually.