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Title: The Slide: A Novel

Author: Kyle Beachy

Narrator: Tom Schiff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-30-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Potter Mays retreats immediately after college graduation to the safe house of his childhood home. Like clockwork each morning, his mother makes him eggs, lovingly fried into hollowed-out pieces of toast. His father, in the midst of a campaign to revitalize downtown St. Louis, promises to "poke around" for gainful employment for his son. Potter's best friend, Stuart - an "Independent Thought Contractor" working out of his parents' lavish pool house - is willing to serve as a kind of life coach, provided, of course, that Potter pays for his services all summer. However... Altogether elsewhere, Potter's (former? future?) girlfriend, Audrey, is backpacking around Europe with her beautiful bisexual traveling companion, Carmel. Potter was not invited, and getting a good night's sleep has recently become an issue for him. As enigmatic packages arrive from Audrey, the refuge of life at home soon proves illusory. Potter's parents are oddly never in the same room together, the neighbor girl is looking quite adult, and Stuart's much-needed counseling service is subcontracted to a third-party denizen of the pool house with an agenda all his own. And just what are those noises coming from the attic? Kyle Beachy has woven a uniquely affecting story of the long and hard, then quick and hard, struggle to grow up.

Members Reviews:

Long harsh boring

A long jaunt into the ennui of a pretentious liberal arts post grad. Very long winded, very painful to read.

Great book

I'm 22 years old and about to graduate college. This book initially caught my eye because of the similarities in age of the main character and myself. However, although Potter is much different than I am, I found that his character was extremely well developed, and that the both of us are thoroughly amused by sarcasm. I was seriously laughing out loud at certain parts of this book, and if you also have a dark sense of humor, you will too. You can bet yourself I'll be pre-ordering anything else that has been touched by the pen of Kyle Beachy.

A very solid debut!

The Slide is a really strong debut novel. I cared about Potter Mays and his sad parents. I found myself carving out odd chunks of time to get back to the book once I'd put it down. Kyle Beachy's a writer to watch.

Great Debut Novel

The Slide is a terrific debut novel. A middle American coming-of-age story with a dark sense of humor, not unlike The Graduate for the 21st century. Beachy is an incredible sentence-level writer and this is a fast-paced page-turner of a read.

Reversals

Read Kyle Beachy's debut novel, The Slide, on sunny days. Reflect too long on the many slides and reversals experienced by all the characters in this book and you're likely to join in their depression and loneliness. Protagonist Potter Mays has graduated college and moves back home uncertain of what's next. His parents seem to welcome him, but their marriage has been in a downward slide, perhaps ever since Potter's brother died years earlier as a child. Potter's girlfriend went from college to Europe on a weird quest with a bisexual friend. After some malaise that Beachy presents with fine descriptive language and wit, Potter gets a job delivering bottled water. Potter has insomnia, his dead brother appears to him as a ghost, he develops relationships with a sixteen year old neighbor and a lonely younger boy whom he met while delivering water.

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Título: Dos Cuentos Maravillosos [Two Marvelous Tales]

Autor: Carmen Martín Gaite

Narrador: Sonia Román

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 4 hrs and 34 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 12-29-11

Editor: Audiomol

Categorías: Fiction, Contemporary

Resumen del editor:

Estas dos pequeñas joyas, El castillo de las tres murallas y El pastel del diablo, son, efectivamente, dos cuentos maravillosos, por la calidad de su escritura y por la desbordante fantasía de su trama. Difícilmente podrá olvidar cualquier lector, joven de edad o de imaginación, las aventuras de las niñas que protagonizan cada uno de ellos, Altalé y Sorpresa, tan parecidas en sus cualidades, ambas valientes y rebeldes, pero tan diferentes en sus destinos; y muy difícilmente dejaremos de apasionarnos por los personajes que las rodean, verdaderas creaciones de la literatura fantástica, como Cambof Petapel, el sabio contador de historias, o el malvado Lucandro, avaricioso acumulador de bienes que esclavizan, Amor, el campesino transformado en caballero liberador, o el ingenuo Pizco, encantado oyente de los cuentos de Sorpresa; para finalizar con las inquietantes brundas, esas bestezuelas guardianas del castillo inexpugnable, cuyo nombre quedará para siempre asociado a nuestros terrores infantiles.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

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Title: The Book of Secrets

Author: Tom Harper

Narrator: Francis Greenslade

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-22-11

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In a snowbound village in the German mountains, a young woman discovers an extraordinary secret. Before she can reveal it, she disappears. All that survives is a picture of a mysterious medieval playing card that has perplexed scholars for centuries.

Nick Ash does research for the FBI in New York. Six months ago his girlfriend Gillian walked out and broke his heart. Now he's the only person who can save her - if it's not too late. Within hours of getting her message, Nick finds himself on the run, delving deep into the past before it catches up with him.

Hunted across Europe, Nick follows Gillian's trail into the heart of a 500-year-old mystery. But across the centuries, powerful forces are closing around him. There are men who have devoted their lives to keeping the secret, and they will stop at nothing to protect it.

Members Reviews:

I usually enjoy all of Tom Harper's novels

I usually enjoy all of Tom Harper's novels, and this was still a great book, but it bounces back to the 1400's too often. It's so slow in giving us information that it really bogs the novel down a bit. I bought the book because Tom Harper wrote it, and I do enjoy his books, but if I'd seen the book without the benefit of knowing who the author is, I probably would not have bought it.

One theme at a time is good

I lost interest after wading through most of this book when the author introduced yet another side theme. At least the copy of _War and Peace_ that I read as a teenager came complete with a bookmark detailing characters and themes -- a portable guide. Here it was just one too many. I love to get involved in a book, with the trials and tribulations of the main protagonists, but couldn't decide who stood out for my attention. I still haven't finished it, and doubt whether I will be able to pick it up and simply read on.

well done

Book consists of two nicely woven stories. First is situated to the medieval (15th century mostly Rhine region) and the second to the present time. The relation between both stories is not just books but also storing and reproducing of information in given age. I have liked the medieval story more. Especially for nicely curved characters, vividly described venues, and the dominant theme itself: activities related to invention of printing. The present story is bit time compressed and over combined. The narrative forms of both stories are very captivating.

It did meet my expectations up to a point. ...

It did meet my expectations up to a point. I just found the end a bit too predictable. But all in all it got me engaged for almost all the story.

Started off well

This story was great to start with but I lost interest before I finished it - in fact I still haven't finished reading this book. It was very clever to combine the ancient story with the game but I'm afraid too much time spent in the game later in the book lost me and I found myself skipping parts.

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Title: Stranger in the Place

Author: Anne Doughty

Narrator: Caroline Lennon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-21-11

Publisher: Soundings

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Elizabeth Stewart, a Belfast student and only daughter of Protestant parents, sets out on a study visit to the west coast of Ireland. Delighted as she is by the beauty of her new surroundings and the small community that welcomes her, she soon discovers that she has more to learn than the details of the old country way of life. Through her response to the people she meets, Elizabeth comes to reappraise much that had been slighted and dismissed by her family.

But it is her relationship with a much older, Catholic man that compels her to decide what kind of life she really wants.

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Title: What to Keep: A Novel

Author: Rachel Cline

Narrator: Piper Goodeve

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-20-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Denny Roman at 12: a Midwestern girl with a clueless family, a bit part in the school play, a crush on the drama teacher, and concerns about frontal development. Her mother and father, divorced neuroscientists, are raising her with benign neglect. The family is virtually run by an agoraphobe named Maureen, who has a taxi fleet and a superorganized and compassionate method of managing other people's lives, especially Denny's.

Denny Roman at 26: jets home from Hollywood for the weekend and lands in the marital minefield of her mother and stepfather's imminent relocation to New York. She has to pack up her childhood possessions in 48 hours before returning to L.A. for a big audition with Robert Altman. She's supposed to be deciding what to keep, but she's worried about what to wear. In a deranged moment, she kisses her stepfather. On the lips.

Denny Roman at 36: A playwrite on the eve of her first Off-Broadway production and once again living within sparring distance of her mother, she comes home from rehearsal one afternoon and finds a 13-year-old boy on her doorstep: Luke, the son of Maureen and a Mauritanian refugee cabdriver. Bewildered by his mother's recent death, Luke is looking for a place where he might fit. Will Denny keep him in New York? Will she get any help from Sean - an actor whose good looks may be all there is to him? Will she be reconciled with her mother at long last?

What to Keep looks into the lives of Denny Roman, her mother, her father, her stepfather, and her surrogate mother - all practicing variations on the theme "parent" but none of them quite done being children themselves. Bubbling with sly humor and psychological insight, their story holds out a refreshingly flexible and realistic model of what a good family - whether created by nature or chance or both - can consist of.

Critic Reviews:

"This study in emotional dislocation, held aloft by astute psychological insights and deadpan humor, moves to a satisfying denouement about connections that run deep and can surface when people try hard and are lucky." (Publishers Weekly)

"This is a wryly funny novel that feels completely fresh. It has an odd but effective structure; depicts offbeat, memorable characters; and offers a perceptive, nuanced take on familial relationships." (Booklist)

A smart, ruefully funny debut... perfectly observed details of ordinary life that coalesce to offer a realistically hopeful and genuinely touching finale. (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

One of the Best of the Year

Rachel Cline has captured the love and connections and frustrations inherent in family relationships so well. I loved Denny, especially as a child, and the book had me chuckling throughout and a little misty-eyed at the end. And, as mentioned before, as an added bonus, the cover is terrific.

Can't wait for Cline's next work.

Excellent story

This is a great first novel. Although the story spans 3 acts, over 25 years, I was instantly drawn into the characters and became a member of the extended, but surely disfunctional family. Rachel Cline has made her characters grow throughout the story; it was a pleasure to go with them.

Brava.

Enjoyable quick read

I read this book for my bookclub ~~ and while enjoyable, it's not my favorite book this year. It is written very well and I thought, personable.

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Title: A Winter Bride

Author: Isla Dewar

Narrator: Jane MacFarlane

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-15-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

While her mother regards the Locarno dancehall as a den of iniquity, for 17-year-old shop-girl, Nell McClusky, its the centre of the universe. Where else is she going to meet the man of her dreams wholl take her away from the humdrum realities of life on a council estate in 1950s Edinburgh? At first Alistair Rutherford doesnt look that promising. He dresses more like a student than Nells idol, Buddy Holly. Only Alistair comes from a wealthy family and is studying to be a lawyer.

But while Nell finds herself falling for the entire Rutherford clan, the reality of marriage will prove far different to her romantic notions

Members Reviews:

The Usual Formula...

I may just have read this too soon after my last Isla Dewar read, but I kept thinking "I feel like I've read this before" (I hadn't). The lead character was the same as all her other lead characters - a bit of a flake to start with, less than ideal relationship with her mother, making the best of things on her own and eventually getting into her groove and sorting her life out. A pleasant enough read, but just a bit 'samey'. Like I said, possibly just too soon after my previous Isla Dewar read. I'm usually a big fan.

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Title: The Bee-Loud Glade

Author: Steve Himmer

Narrator: Mark F. Smith

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-11

Publisher: Iambik Audio Inc

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Himmers debut novel, The Bee-Loud Glade, is the charming story of a decorative hermit who lives and works on a billionaires estate, and whose daily experience is shaped by his employers whims. The book combines a darkly comic commentary on modern work and wealth with a postmodern pastoral landscape. It brings a playfulness more commonly found in urban fiction to an outdoor setting.

Critic Reviews:

"An allegorical novel that seems eerily contemporary. Thoreau meets Ballard, meets Huysmans and many more. (Tom McCarthy, author of Remainder and C)

"With The Bee-Loud Glade, Steve Himmer has written a hypnotic and heartfelt debut novel, interweaving naturalistic beauty and postmodern complexity within this compulsively readable parable. Whether the storys hermit-for-hire is a man approaching some form of enlightenment or merely the whim of an eccentric billionaire remains up for debate, but the novel itself is unambiguously ingenious and very clearly announces a shining new talent. (Frederick Reiken, author of Day For Night, The Lost Legends of New Jersey, and The Odd Sea)

"Featuring a faceless drone from the world of corporate America and an eccentric millionaire whose whims change by the week, Steve Himmers The Bee-Loud Glade is a wonderful novel thats hard to describe, but thats a good thing. Just go where this stunning book takes you and enjoy the story, the characters, and the language. (Michael Kindness, host of Books on the Nightstand)

Members Reviews:

Original, fresh--a perfect fireside novel

I read this a while ago, but seeing this book pop up on a few year-end "best of" lists reminded me that I had yet to post a review here. This novel is a provocative and thoroughly enjoyable, the sort of read you to which you'll dedicate want to dedicate a snowy weekend. A wonderful example of the contemporary, pastoral (small f) fantasy.

Good writing, but too short

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the writing and the premise of the book, but parts of the story sort of annoyed me because they felt disjointed, and also because it seemed like things were left out that should have been included. I get that the author wanted the readers to use their imaginations and fill in some of the blanks, but the bottom line for me is that this book could have been so much better if it had been expanded a bit more in some places. I really wanted to give it four stars when I was reading it, but by the end, I felt let down.

Stunning

Himmer's fresh and intelligent novel is brave and funny. Truly original. I read it twice through in a single weekend! A gem.

Pastorialisms

read the Bee-Loud Glade in about three or four days. I'm a very slow reader. The book is a kind of high-concept book that falls right at the edge of naturalism and somethingess, much like Robert J. Lennon's novel The Castle. Both books are avery similar in that the bizarre concept in both books is plausible enough that I suspect some people might be confused about the intent of the book. Is this supposed to be real? In this book, an unemployed named named Finch, who works as kind of social media marketing blogger that becomes possessed by the simulation of other people's lives, is hired by a rich man (Mr. Crane) in the vein of the Randolph and Mortimer Duke in the movie Trading Places. Finch's job is to be a hermit in Crane's garden, and then to follow Crane's various whims.

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Title: Miracle on Regent Street

Author: Ali Harris

Narrator: Penelope Rawlins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-14-11

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Sink into the romance and sparkle of snowy London, in this charming début novel. For the past two years, Evie has lived an invisible life in London. Her neighbours think she's just moved in, and even Evie's manager at work can't remember her name. But all that is about to change ...this Christmas has brought a flurry of snow and unimaginable possibilities into town. And when an accidental encounter with the handsome, enigmatic Joel gives her the chance of a whole new identity, she takes it.

Members Reviews:

Lovely ending

I really enjoyed this , light listening and feel good factor , would be wonderful to read in the festive season with snow on the ground

Current Christmas story, with a dash of vintage...

Would you listen to Miracle on Regent Street again? Why?

I would - but from where I sit, probably not until next Christmas. It's a seasonal thing!

What other book might you compare Miracle on Regent Street to, and why?

Nothing specific - though it's an almost-fairy-tale-anchored-firmly-in-reality sort of book. Perhaps it wasn't a stretch to work out where it was going, but enjoyable finding out how it got there.

Have you listened to any of Penelope Rawlinss other performances? How does this one compare?

She's a pro - just seems to hit the right note and let's the writer do the work.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not particularly, but it was a sweet, Christmassy story, entirely appropriate for the time I listened to it.

Any additional comments?

Descriptions of fashion can be risky - one person's 'beautiful' is another's 'euugh!' - and date a title very quickly, but I think the author managed to pull it off in this case.

A delightful girly read.

Where does Miracle on Regent Street rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This book was a very easy listen, predictable in some places but a very sweet story - I wish I'd listen to it closer to Christmas! I wouldn't say it was a book that would stay with me forever but it was definitely a pleasant listen and and i would recommend it to any chick flick lovers.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Evie - she's naive and kindhearted and a little bit of a doormat and i enjoyed following her journey to her happy ending.

Miracle on Regent Street

A lovely book, great story, the american accent a bit funny but really enjoyed it.

Bending the truth

This was a nice wee story about a stock room girl, pretending to be someone she's not so she can grab the guy. It did get a bit annoying after a while as everybody was lying about everything and you knew it was going to end up hurting them in the end.

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Title: Kill All Enemies

Author: Melvin Burgess

Narrator: Alex Tregear, Dan Shaw, Daniel O'Flanagan, Maggie Ollerenshaw

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-14-11

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Everyone says 14-year-old Billie is nothing but trouble. A fighter. A danger to her family and friends. But her care worker sees someone different. Her classmate Rob is big, strong; he can take care of himself and his brother. But his violent stepdad sees someone to humiliate. And Chris is struggling at school; he just doesn't want to be there. But his dad sees a useless no-hoper. Billie, Rob and Chris each have a story to tell. But there are two sides to every story, and the question is... who do you believe?

Members Reviews:

Enjoyable - perspective writing

I normally listen to crime stories but as a change I went for Kill all enemies. How pleased I am I discovered this novel; interesting characters who evoke emotion and irritation in nicely balanced portions. The reading by character and narrator added significant value and depth. I loved the observations and the revelations discovered as the story progressed; I was only disappointed that the story finished. I want more!

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Title: To Light a Candle

Author: Connie Monk

Narrator: Willow Nash

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-04-11

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Cynny Barlow is just eighteen when she falls helplessly in love with the dashing Ralph Clinton, an ambitious and talented actor visiting her home town for the summer. However, when Ralph is talent-spotted by a film producer, he puts everything behind him and leaves for the big time, with no idea that Cynny is already pregnant. Whilst her daughter Suzie is a toddler, Cynny can see no way out of her life of drudgery, working at the grocer's during the day, and as a barmaid in the evenings to make ends meet. Her one friend in the village, the vicar's wife Kate Bainbridge, is sympathetic, but has her own problems. Although the face she shows the parishioners is one of contentment, Kate yearns for more passion in her life than her husband Richard seems able to give her. Lately, she has been charmed by Richard's old friend, Perry Sylvester, a famous jazz pianist. But so far, there is nothing in his behaviour to suggest that he feels the same way. But everything is set to change for all concerned, for when Perry makes Cynny's acquaintance, he recognises in her a rare singing talent, one that would perfectly match the jazz he plays in the nightclubs of London.