Listen to Popular Titles Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Popular Titles

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Title: The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack

Subtitle: Burton & Swinburne, Book 1

Author: Mark Hodder

Narrator: Gerard Doyle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-04-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Sir Richard Francis Burton is an explorer, linguist, scholar, and swordsman. His reputation has been tarnished, his career is in tatters, and his former partner is missing and probably dead. Algernon Charles Swinburne is an unsuccessful poet and follower of de Sade, for whom pain is pleasure and brandy is ruin. They stand at a crossroads in their lives, and are caught in the epicentre of an empire torn by conflicting forces: Engineers transform the landscape with bigger, faster, noisier, and dirtier technological wonders; Eugenicists develop specialist animals to provide unpaid labour; and Libertines oppose repressive laws and demand a society based on beauty and creativity, while the Rakes push the boundaries of human behaviour to the limits with magic, drugs, and anarchy.

The two men are sucked into the perilous depths of this moral and ethical vacuum, when Lord Palmerston commissions Burton to investigate assaults on young women committed by a weird apparition known as Spring Heeled Jack, and to find out why werewolves are terrorizing London's East End. Their investigations lead them to one of the defining events of the age, and the terrifying possibility that the world they inhabit shouldnt exist at all.

Members Reviews:

bloody brilliant

Wow. What a story, what a series!!

Mark Hodder spins a brilliant yarn. He winds real historical characters into a complex evolving steampunk tale of time and fantastic technology in a world where Victoria doesnt survive an assassins bullet. This is the first book in a series of three and its a ride all the way to the finish. Nothing here is obvious and the twists kept me on the edge of my Galaxy S3 until the last paragraph. Get the series and shut yourself away for the weekend.

Great world, dumb characters

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not so much.

The world is greatly conceived, the idea of using real-life characters (Victorian explorers, engineers etc.) is fine, the plot is none too shabby (though time travel? again?)... and yet...

Here is the problem.

The characters -- all of them -- are dumb. Stupid. As in, behaving stupidly, making idiotic decisions, not thinking for themselves, playing roles assigned to them by the author.

OK for a teenager fantasy.

For an adult? Not so much.

Who was your favorite character and why?

None of them. See above.

Which character as performed by Gerard Doyle was your favorite?

Doyle is OK - not *the* best, but certainly deserves a strong "B".

Do you think The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No.

It needs a rewriting.

Any additional comments?

HPMoR. Look it up.

{Spoiler} Good story but somewhat obvious at times

Great setting and very well described. The time-travel idea was pretty obvious from the start. Loved the fact that the bad guys were well known personalities from science.

Steam Punked and Loving it

I stumbled across this book after doing some research on Spring Heeled Jack. I fell in love with it and could not stop listening. The characters are wonderful and brought to life by Gerard Doyle's fantastic narration. The plot weaves in and out of time and it all comes together beautifully, leaving you wanting more.

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Title: Jackson's Dilemma

Author: Iris Murdoch

Narrator: Juliet Mills

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-24-12

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Iris Murdoch's 26th novel is a romp as well as an homage to that master of convoluted comedy, Shakespeare. She has adopted a syncopated, slightly mocking tone, and many scenes have a distinctly theatrical air. She has also achieved a disarming sense of timelessness, due in part to the fact that her eccentric characters, a close-knit circle of friends, are extremely well-off and spend their days and nights dashing between their country estates and their London houses.

The tale begins on the eve of a wedding. Edward is to marry the lovely Marian. Benet, his rather fussy friend and neighbor, is in charge of the proceedings. Marian's note leaves everyone in a tizzy.

Who is Jackson? Where is Marian? The darkness of mystery mingles with the lightness of comedy for something completely different.

Critic Reviews:

"Brilliant and charming." (Booklist)

"[A] psychologically rich tale of romances thwarted and revived." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Murdoch works with an intellectual daring most writers only dream of." (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Members Reviews:

Profound in depicting complex human interactions, but sometimes melodramatic

Fascinating and mystical and philosophical, and interested in what is moral although she descends into mellodrama in several places. She is quite profound when depicting human interactions, though not as refined or subtle as Henry James.

Five Stars

Great condition!

Great

She was ill when she wrote it. So few could get anywhere near it even in the best of health. All her books are astonishing. Rather like Shakespeare, one can only ask, "how is it done"? A great artist.

The Awful End to a Great Career

Never read Murdoch before, and unfortunately this awful book doesn't seem like the place to have started either. After finishing it, I discovered she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's right after completing the manuscript-which goes a long way toward explaining how such an acclaimed author could produce such a monumentally uninteresting book. Another somewhat telling thing I discovered is that the reviewers of this book seem fairly evenly split between describing it as a comedy and describing it as a mystery, of which it is neither.

The rough gist of the book is that there is a circle of upper-class Brits who have become friends over the years, plus an enigmatic butler/manservant Jackson. One of the circle is to wed another, when complications arise, sending the whole group into a tizzy. Secret longings are revealed, secret pain and guilt expounded on, endless pontificating and empty philosophizing ensure. I suppose it's vaguely reminiscent of Austen, with various upper-class, and poor hanger-on's all repressing themselves until, in an orgy of Shakespearean homage, everyone gets duly paired off with the behind the scenes assistance of Jackson (can you say "Puck"?).

It sounds vaguely enjoyable, but it isn't. First of all, it's not funny in the slightest. Ever. Secondly, as a satire of the upper class it's halfhearted. Yes, they're all self-absorbed idiots in one way or another, requiring the practical blue-collar help of Jackson to put anything right. But it's a very gentle and loving satire, with no teeth whatsoever, and therefore fails to leave an impression. Thirdly, it's not suspenseful in the slightest.

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Título: La Tierra del Tiempo Perdido [The Land of Lost Time]

Autor: José María Merino

Narrador: Luis Carlos

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 5 hrs and 28 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 04-20-12

Editor: Recorded Books

Calificaciones: 3 de 5 de 2 votos

Categorías: Fiction, Historical

Resumen del editor:

Populares novelista español José María Merino un relato apasionante plumas histórica en La Tierra del Tiempo Perdido. Miguel se emocionó cuando su padrino, don Santiago, dice que está tomando un viaje a Perú. Pero en su camino, su viaje a la península de Yucatán, donde se encuentran los conquistadores del siglo 16 sin ella la esclavitud de los mayas.

Please note: this audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

Easy reading in spanish and thrilling adventure

I've read only one other level 4 book in this series, (Leer en Espanol, which was Arena y Sangre) and this book is an easy read. I finished in less than half the time of the other book. Apparently the second of a three book trilogy, I will need to acquire the other two. The adventure of a half blood mestizo with his sister and godfather through the atlantic ocean through the Yucatan peninsula encountering the conquistadors and their maltreatment of the Mayan indians. It would appeal to those who has visited Cancun, Tulum, and Chichen Itza and actually touched and seen the great cities, pyramids, and deep cenotes (giant wells) where human sacrifices were made. If the style and ease of reading is similar, my guess is that the other two books in the series will be worth reading also.

Adventure!

This is a fast paced, fun, adventure story set in the time of the conquistadores.

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Title: A Gay and Melancholy Sound

Subtitle: Book Lust Rediscoveries

Author: Merle Miller

Narrator: Jeff Cummings

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-03-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Child prodigy Joshua Blands life has been anything but bland. Joshuas father abandons him and his mentally imbalanced mother when he is a young boy, leaving him to be raised by a cynical, hostile, and self-doubting stepfather. When Joshua loses a national knowledge competition, his familys reaction puts him on the path to becoming a World War II veteran, best-selling author, successful producer, and absentee father.

A Gay and Melancholy Sound is a stark, witty portrait of a man who has had a lifetime of extraordinary experiences, yet no emotional connection to any of it.

Book Lust Rediscoveries is a series devoted to reprinting and recording some of the best (and now out of print) novels originally published from 1960 to 2000. Each book is personally selected by NPR commentator and Book Lust author Nancy Pearl and includes an introduction by her, as well as discussion questions for book groups and a list of recommended further reading.

Members Reviews:

deeply flawed but magnificent

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

Yes. A stunning psychological portrait. Nuanced and moving.

What three words best describe Jeff Cummingss performance?

Okay on the voice of the main character, but terrible on secondary characters, especially those with accents.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Deeply memorable.

Any additional comments?

Merle Miller is deceased: I'm sorry I can't write to him to tell him how much I liked this book.

More of a collection of vignettes

Any additional comments?

It was difficult to get into this book because I kept expecting an overall, clearly evident story. Then I relaxed and just started enjoying the wonderful language and descriptions and observations of people and events as a collection of vignettes of Joshua Bland's life. It made all the difference.

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Title: The Gladiator

Subtitle: Eagles of the Empire, Book 9

Author: Simon Scarrow

Narrator: Steven Pacey

Format: Abridged

Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-12-12

Publisher: Headline Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

While centurions Macro and Cato are returning to Rome from a harrowing campaign against the Parthians, their transport ship is almost capsized by a tidal wave. They barely make it to the port of Matala in Crete, where they are stunned to find a devastated town. An earthquake has struck the island, destroying its cities and killing thousands. In the chaotic aftermath, large bands of the island's slaves begin to revolt and the local bandits, taking advantage of the slave rebellion, urge the Cretans to overthrow the Roman administration.

When the local governor of the province hears that Macro and Cato have arrived on the island, he summons them at once. With many of the island's troops either killed or wounded during the earthquake, the governor calls on these experienced Roman officers for help. Can Macro and Cato move swiftly enough to counter the rebellion before it sweeps the Romans from the island?

Members Reviews:

Great Performance and Story

Would you listen to The Gladiator: Cato, Book 9 again? Why?

I am a big fan of Simon Scarrow's Macro & Cato series of books, I have read all of his books and listening to the books again as a way of refreshing my memory. I found the audio version of the book to be very good.

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Title: Sophie and the Rising Sun

Author: Augusta Trobaugh

Narrator: Rue McClanahan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-28-11

Publisher: BelleBooks, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In sleepy Salty Creek, Georgia, strangers are rare. When a quiet, unassuming stranger arrives - a Japanese man with a secret history of his own - he becomes the talk of the town and a new beginning for lonely Sophie, who lost her first love during World War I.

Middle-aged Sophie had resigned herself to a passionless existence. That all begins to change as she finds herself drawn to the mysterious Mr. Oto. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Mr. Oto's newfound life comes under siege; his safety, even in Salty Creek, is no longer certain. Sophie must decide how much she is willing to risk for a future with the man who has brought such joy into her life. Visit the author at: www.AugustaTrobaugh.com

Critic Reviews:

"Trobaugh depicts in aching detail the isolation that racism occasions, and once again suggests the small but heartwarming triumphs made possible by human dignity and courage." (Publishers Weekly)

"Trobaugh (Resting in the Bosom of the Lamb) has written another Southern novel featuring a beautiful and unusual love story. Recommended for all public libraries." (Library Journal)

"An unforgettable story of an extraordinary love and a towns prejudice during World War II. Sophie and the Rising Sun suggests the small but heartwarming triumphs made possible by human dignity and courage. (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

very good story

This was narrated by Rue McClanahan of Golden Girls fame and she did a good job but sometimes with someone so recognizable her voice almost gets in the way of the story because you are picturing her as all the characters instead of the characters speaking for themselves.

I am not sure what I was expecting when I started this book but what I got was a beautiful chaste love story between southern belle Sophie and Japanese American Mr. Oto. This was a beautifully written look at the south during the time of Pearl Harbor and everything changed for Mr. Oto and the women in his life his boss Miss Ann and his friend (and woman he loves) Miss Sophie. But this was so much more than a love story; its a friendship story and also a historical look at a very tough time especially for Japanese Americans and the people who cared about them, and the people who blamed them for everything.

This was a sweet story and even the bad guy/woman was redeemable she wasnt so much a bad guy just an old busybody. My favorite character was Big Sally, or Queen Sally as shed rather be called, she took such good care of everyone. I liked the friendships in this book between Sally, Sophie and Miss Ann.

This is a short, but good story , if you are a fan southern fiction and/or friendship stories I would recommend this one.

Southern to the Bone, Yet Beautifully So

Oh, my gracious, what a lovely southern tale of a middle aged woman in Georgia before and during WWII . . . beautiful Sophie, painting along the creek, secluded . . . and admired by Mr. Oto . . . having already lost her first love in WWI . . . Sophie's childhood friendship with little Sally, that ended because her mama said that the little black girl was "dirty", broke my heart . . . and mean old Ruth who was in everybody's business, yet she was in the church pew every Sunday . . . Miss Anne, Sophie's friend who is telling the story, and who eventually breaks every rule of polite society . . . Mr.

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Title: Tremolo: Cry of the Loon

Author: Aaron Paul Lazar

Narrator: Erik Synnestvedt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-21-11

Publisher: Aaron Paul Lazar

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Summer 1964: Beatlemania hits the States, and the world mourns the loss of JFK. For 11-year-old Gus LeGarde, the powerful events that rocked the nation serve as a backdrop for the most challenging summer of his life.

Gus is spending another glorious summer at his grandparents' lakeside camp with his best friends, Elsbeth and Siegfried Marggrander. When their boat capsizes, Gus and the twins witness a drunk chasing a girl through the foggy Maine woods. She's scared. She's hurt. And she disappears.

On horseback and on foot, Gus, Elsbeth, and Siegfried search for Sharon Adamski, worried her brutal father will find her before they do. During the hunt, Gus is faced with a number of personal dilemmas. He must keep secret his new friendship with "Mrs. Jones" (Rose Kennedy), a woman in mourning who resides incognito. Gus also glimpses a slice of the twins' life through their mother,who lost her family in a Nazi concentration camp. In a cruel coincidence, Gus faces the imminent loss of his own mother.

The camp is thrown into turmoil as the frantic search for Sharon continues. Reports of stolen religious relics arise. New England churches are ransacked, and missing is the church bell cast by Paul Revere, stolen from St. Stephen's church in Boston's North End. When Gus stumbles on a scepter that may be part of the spoils, he becomes a target for the evil lurking around the lake. Will he find Sharon before the villain does? And how can Gus - armed only with a big heart, a motorboat, and a nosy beagle - survive the menacing attacks on his life?

The author's alternate suggested listening order for the LeGarde Mysteries series:

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2.

3.

4.

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11.

Critic Reviews:

"Beautifully written, with the perfect touch of nostalgia and suspense, the pages of this book tremble with a strong emotional appeal. Set in Maine, during the summer of 1964, there is a vivid sense of traveling back in time, as memorable moments of this era provide the framework for the story. The author has captured both the coziness as well as the craziness of the sixties, thereby making the plot realistic and riveting." (In the Library Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Wraps Around You Like Warm Blanket

Using a deceptively simple presentation, Aaron Paul Lazar serves this story of a young Gus LeGarde 11, like a refreshing savory meal. He brings us back to the 60's, a time before the prevalence of electronics and fast food and crazy schedules. The children in this story play and explore and feel their power. They are free in ways our culture has since forgotten.

The plot centers around Gus' coming of age, his crush on a 15 year old girl, watching "To Kill a Mockingbird" with his parents and his subsequent emotions and questions (he asks his parents what rape is), his friendship with German-raised 10 year old twins, the children's adventures in trying to find a terrified young girl they had seen fleeing from a drunken man, mysteries around valuable missing religious artifacts and life at his grandfather's camp.

Aaron's gentle spirit comes through in his writing even with the complex subject matter. It's like he's serving a good meal on a tray and wants to be sure that we will like it.

I read the other reviews and wonder if some of the more critical ones don't miss the point a bit.

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Title: Murderous Mystery Collection

Author: L. Ron Hubbard

Narrator: R. F. Daley, Jennifer Aspen, Lori Jablons, John Mariano, Matt Scott, Jim Meskimen, Jason Faunt, Christina Huntington, Tait Ruppert

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-27-11

Publisher: Galaxy Audio

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Chilling tales in this new audio collection by L. Ron Hubbard. Included are: Dead Men Kill, The Carnival of Death, Spy Killer, The Chee-Chalker and The Iron Duke.

Dead Men Kill

When several of the city's most respected citizens are inexplicably killed by what appear to be zombies, all Detective Terry Lane has to go on is a blue-grey glove, a Haitian pharmacy bill for some very unusual drugs, and a death threat from a mysterious stranger. Matters are soon complicated when a beautiful nightclub singer shows up, claiming to have information that could solve the case.

The Carnival of Death

Join Bob Clark, an undercover U.S. Treasury agent who, in the course of an investigation at a carnival, stumbles upon a series of headless corpses and now must solve the murders. But a local drug ring and four escaped headhunters have other plans.

Spy Killer

Kurt Reid may be innocent of the murder he's charged with (and of grand larceny, for that matter), but he's got no time to be thrown in jail and defend himself. Instead, Reid flees to pre-Communist China and Shanghai, the exotic city of mystery and death.

The Chee-Chalker

FBI agent Bill Norton has been sent to Ketchikan, Alaska to track down his former boss, who's vanished while investigating a heroin smuggling ring. Norton instantly suspects the smugglers are operating from inside the local fishing fleet. But six months and a string of declared "accidental" drownings have failed to turn up any clues.

The Iron Duke

American arms merchant Blacky Lee is wanted by nearly every government in 1930s Europe - especially the Nazis. They want Blacky's head for selling them dud weapons, prompting his rapid (and illegal) escape across the Balkans to the kingdom of Aldoria with his business partner in tow.

Critic Reviews:

"A master of adventure." (Anne McCaffrey)

"A master of the fast-action short story." (Robert A. Heinlein)

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Título: La visigoda [The Visigoth]

Autor: Isabel San Sebastián

Narrador: Pilar Laguna

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 11 hrs and 51 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 01-13-11

Editor: Audiomol

Calificaciones: 3.5 de 5 de 11 votos

Categorías: Fiction, Historical

Resumen del editor:

Corre el año 787 y los musulmanes dominan todos los territorios hispánicos. La joven Alana, hija de una jefa del clan astur y un guerrero godo, es arrebatada de su castro para formar parte del Tributo de las Cien Doncellas: un racimo de muchachas que cada año entrega el príncipe Mauregato al emir cordobés, en señal de sumisión, para que formen parte de su harén. Culmina el siglo VIII y los musulmanes dominan la península.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

Muy mal leído

Would you try another book from Isabel San Sebastián and/or Pilar Laguna?

No

Would you be willing to try another one of Pilar Lagunas performances?

Por supuesto que no. La lectura es monótona, la cadencia es demasiado rápida, la pronunciación es mala (incluso hay alguna parte imposible de entender).

Good story, flat reading

The story draws you into the aura and worries of life in the early 9th century. It slows down towards the end of book, starting to resemble more a historical chronicle rather than adventure novel, but is still enjoyable.

The performance is unfortunately among the poorest I've heard on audible, with flat intonation and awkward pauses, reminding you every moment that this is someone reading, rather than performing.

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Title: The Book of Scandal

Author: Julia London

Narrator: Anne Flosnik

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-01-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 137 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Nathan Grey, the Earl of Lindsey, is infamously known as the Libertine of Lindsey for his scandalous ways with women. But when he hears gossip that his estranged wife, Evelyn, is about to be named in The Book of Scandal, he has no choice but to remove her from London to protect her and himself from charges of treason even if it calls for abduction! While Evelyn has no legal recourse against the man who broke her heart years ago but is still considered her lord and master, she is no longer the immature girl Nathan married. Her enforced homecoming quickly turns into a battle of wills that tears down her husbands defenses and lays bare the passion that still burns between them. Before it is too late, Nathan must confront powerful adversaries as he convinces Evelyn that she is not only his wife, but the one woman he will love for all time.

Critic Reviews:

"SINGULAR, OUTSTANDING . . . Londons masterful ability to bring characters to life makes this romance entirely absorbing. (Publishers Weekly on The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount)

Members Reviews:

Couldn't connect with the characters or the story

I just finished listening to Lisa Kleypas' "Dreaming of You," which I loved, and then went onto this book by Julia London. For me, this book suffers by comparison - I just could not get into the story and I didn't care about the characters.

silliest book I ever downloaded

I will try try almost anything Audible features on a sale. I have often been pleasantly surprised and widened my listening sphere. This book was an exception---poorly constructed, modern chic lit angst thinly gowned in Regency regalia. In fact, even the gowns were often missing in the very frequent and repetitive sex scenes. There was little historical setting detail, and the dialogue, character and storyline were anachronistic.

Perhaps books should have ratings for the unwary? (and the near sighted - I ought to have looked more closely at the cover detail!)

Twist & Tiurns

I love how there were so many surprises. I enjoyed the travel to this time period too.

not my favorite

What made the experience of listening to The Book of Scandal the most enjoyable?

The reading was great.

Would you recommend The Book of Scandal to your friends? Why or why not?

no I just couldn't like Evelyn. I won't say more as it might give away the story line.