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Title: The Boy He Left Behind

Subtitle: A Man's Search for His Lost Father

Author: Mark Matousek

Narrator: Mark Matousek

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-18-14

Publisher: Open Book Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

"I was four years old when my father came back to kidnap me," begins this gripping memoir about Matousek's search for James Matousek, the drifter father he never knew. Described by the New York Times as "part reminiscence, part detective story, part spiritual musing," this memoir is more than the story of one man's search for his father; it is also a look at the meaning of life and how fathers contribute to that meaning.

Growing up in a family of troubled women (Matousek's sister committed suicide when the author was 29), he describes the turmoil of growing up "fatherless in America" - an experience shared by millions of children in what sociologists have called the Age of the Absent Father - and the difficult, ultimately successful, struggle to figure out what being a man really means in an age of shifting definitions, evolving sexuality, and "breaking out the man box" of stereotyping and patriarchy. With the tension of a mystery story, the climax occurs when Matousek meets a man he believes to be his father. But is he? And does Matousek, who has reconciled with his mother as she lay dying, really care? These are just two questions leading to this memoir's surprising conclusion.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful

My second book by the author. It didn't disappoint. Great read, didn't want it to end.

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Title: Breathless

Subtitle: An American Girl in Paris

Author: Nancy K. Miller

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-17-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

In the early 1960s, most middle-class American women in their twenties had their lives laid out for them: Marriage, children, and life in the suburbs. Most, but not all.

Breathless is the story of a girl who represents those who rebelled against conventional expectations. Paris was a magnet for those eager to resist domesticity, and like many young women of the decade, Nancy K. Miller was enamored of everything French - from perfume and Herms scarves to the writing of Simone de Beauvoir and the New Wave films of Jeanne Moreau. After graduating from Barnard College in 1961, Miller set out for a year in Paris, with a plan to take classes at the Sorbonne and live out a great romantic life inspired by the movies.

After a string of sexual misadventures, she gave up her short-lived freedom and married an American expatriate who promised her a lifetime of three-star meals and five-star hotels. But her husband wasn't who he said he was, and she eventually had to leave Paris and her dreams behind.

This stunning memoir chronicles a young womans coming-of-age tale, and offers a glimpse into the intimate lives of girls before feminism.

Members Reviews:

FOR EVERY GIRL WHO DREAMS OF--OR GOES TO--PARIS

What did you love best about Breathless?

The story of an American college graduate who think that Paris will fulfill all her dreams resonates with me and so many others. What she begins to understand--about the French, the culture, America and herself--is a classic coming of age story with all the bumps in the road. Nancy Miller doesn't hold back but she also writes with wit, depth and intelligence.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Breathless?

The opening chapter pulls the reader right into a girl's first encounter in Paris. Trying to be sophisticated yet still so naive, Miller's affair with her parents' pal is a page-turner and sets up the rest of the book beautifully.

What does Cassandra Campbell bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Campbell has the right cultured tone to bring out the pseudo-sophistication and wit of Miller's tale.

so shallow

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

Women who find their value in sleeping with men.

Any additional comments?

This book is old fashioned in it's values. I don't think anyone under the age of 60 would enjoy this women's adventures in France. I couldn't make it through the book it's story after story of her sleeping with men just because she's too afraid to say no, I got disgusted and had to stop.

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Title: Plenty of Time When We Get Home

Subtitle: Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War

Author: Kayla Williams

Narrator: Kayla Williams

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-10-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When SPC Kayla Williams and SGT Brian McGough met at a mountain outpost in Iraq in 2003, only their verbal sparring could have betrayed a hint of attraction. Neither could have predicted the sequence of events that would shape their lives.

Brian, on his way back to base after mid-tour leave, was wounded by a roadside bomb that sent shrapnel through his brain. Kayla waited anxiously for news and, on returning home, sought out Brian. The two began a tentative romance and later married, but neither anticipated the consequences of Brians injury on their lives. Lacking essential support for returning veterans from the military and the VA, Kayla and Brian suffered through posttraumatic stress, amplified by his violent mood swings, her struggles to reintegrate into a country still oblivious to women veterans, and what seemed the callous, consumerist indifference of civilian society at large.

Kayla persevered. So did Brian. They fought for their marriage, drawing on remarkable reservoirs of courage and commitment. They confronted their demons head-on, impatient with phoniness of any sort. Inspired by an unwavering ethos of service, they continued to stand on common ground. Finally, they found their own paths to healing and wholeness, both as individuals and as a family, in dedication to a larger community.

Members Reviews:

A Powerful Book

Strong!! A follow-up to "Love My Rifle More Than You". Anyone doubting the effects of war on our warriors should read this book by one such female warrior. In growing love with a man who barely survived a critical shrapnel wound to the skull, with severe brain damage, Plenty of Time... describes their often rocky relationship and the problems the couple had with society and officialdom in the period after discharge. There were good times also, and these, along with Brian's gradual improvement over time and intermittent treatment, are why Kayla stayed with him. But it was tough, and many veterans don't make it; succumbing to the stress of PTSD, even without such serious wounds. Kayla seems a true warrior, and we should all be proud of our women of war - and doubtful of those who send them to war.

Good for a leasure read

It was a good read as far as being intellectually stimulating. However, the author seems to like to remind the me over and over of her veteran status. She actually seemed to be somewhat condiscending and belittling towards military spouses who are not in the military or a veteran. Also, it seemed to boast a lot about her and her husbands career acomplishments. I read the book as a suggestion to help understand PTSD from a spouse's point of view. This book didn't really seem to be very informative in regards to the disorder. I am sure if it is just read as a leasure book it would have been fine, but I was reading for more reasearch and informational purposes.

An honest story about making a life after returning from war.

Plenty of Time When We Get Home is a moving and insightful memoire describing Williams' romance with her future husband following their return from Iraq, where he suffered a traumatic brain injury due to an IED. Like her previous book (which I would also recommend), Williams strives to honestly portray not only a chronology of events but her mental state at the time without the benefit of hindsight.

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Title: Farm Hands

Subtitle: Hard Work and Hard Lessons from Western New York Fields

Author: Tom Rivers

Narrator: Douglas R. Pratt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-14

Publisher: Thomas Rivers

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Tom Rivers, a reporter for The Daily News in Batavia, wrote a first-person series about farm work in 2008 that won state and national awards. Now the series, with more background and other information, has been compiled in a newly released audiobook, Farm Hands: Hard Work and Hard Lessons from Western New York Fields.

Rivers worked at a dozen farms in Orleans and Genesee counties, trying to find out why so few local residents are willing to work on farms. He discovered the work requires many skills, enormous willpower and physical strength. Rivers knew the jobs would be hard, but he didnt realize just how grueling. He also didnt expect the workers to help him get through the difficult work days.

Rivers, 35, lost 40 pounds in 2008, and whipped himself into good enough shape to run a marathon. He compared that 26.2-mile run with cabbage cutting, and declared the farm work far more exhausting.

Members Reviews:

Splendid writing, great stories

Tom Rivers loves the land, the people who live on it, and the animals they care for. That love shines through this book. He sincerely admires the workers who plant and bring in the crops, especially after trying to keep up with them in the fields. Farming is more than a business, it is an honorable profession, whether you are the guy who owns the farm or the man covered with cow poop who is marching Holsteins through the milking parlor at 2 am. This book isn't a polemic for immigration reform; immigration is just another problem that a farmer has to solve, like bad weather or bugs. Tom went out into the fields and got to know the folks who come from Mexico and Jamaica to do the work that a farm requires. They are proud people, and they have a right to be. What a pleasure to get to meet the people who are responsible for the amazing array of fresh, clean food in our stores.

Well-written, hands on and personal

Tom Rivers goes firsthand and all in to tell the story of the Western NY farms and the foreign and local laborers who harvest the produce we consume. His willingness to get into the field and forego dabbling in the work not only opens the door for him to interact with the workers but gives the reader a truer picture of just how hard then work is. His portraits of the workers move them from caricatures of "illegals" or "job stealers" to real men and women working long hours in extreme conditions to provide for their families.

I love Tom's writing style and dedication to toughing it out and telling it right instead of serving an agenda. His willingness to go in to listen and learn changes not only his but the readers perspective on what working the farm really means.

enlightening

This book will give you an appreciation of the hard work that goes into producing the food we eat. It gives some names and faces to some of the farm workers and describes some of the jobs they do. After reading it, you will understand why these good people deserve our respect.

Really great read!

No matter what your opinion is of immigration, this book will give you a great perspective of migrant farmers. I really enjoyed the stories of the workers and how difficult farmwork really is. Very impressed with the insight in this book. Rivers writes from an honest perspective with real heart. I would recommend it to friends and give it as a gift.

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Title: On the Outside Looking In

Subtitle: Surviving the Blind Side of Addiction

Author: Kathy Carniero

Narrator: Cindy Telisak

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-04-14

Publisher: Kathy Carniero

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Have you ever felt alone, lost and defeated while you watched your loved one slowly kill themselves with drugs or alcohol?

This audiobook is the story of one such experience.

You will learn about addiction, alcohol and crystal meth. You will journey through with the author as she is blindsided by her fathers alcohol addiction. You will feel the pain of discovery, the joy of recovery, the heartbreak of loss and in doing so you will find the courage to go on.

Interwoven with Kathy Carnieros personal journey are distressing stories from addicts, inspiring stories of recovery, and life changing advice and resources from licensed professionals.

On the Outside Looking In: Surviving the Blind Side of Addiction is a must have for every person affected by addiction.

Members Reviews:

Very helpful look on addiction. Insightful

Would you consider the audio edition of On the Outside Looking In to be better than the print version?

I really enjoyed being able to listen to the voices on the other end rather than just reading the words. Somehow hearing the stories told was that much stronger rather than reading although it would make a great read as well.

What did you like best about this story?

The emotion real life stories that were shared. It was touching and moving and realistic. I appreciated that the author was open enough to share her story with her dad. That moved me.

Which scene was your favorite?

There was one guy who told his story a bit different than everyone else. His story really grabbed my attention about how no one ever said no to him.

There were so many touching moments but this one story stood out for me.

If you could give On the Outside Looking In a new subtitle, what would it be?

And on the Inside looking Out.

Any additional comments?

"Being on The Outside Looking In: Surviving the Blindside of Addiction" is an eye-opening book for anyone who has struggled with addiction or has anyone in their life that has. This book builds awareness and is inspirational. Real, raw, and open. There is so much pain and ongoing guilt that comes along with this disease. It takes a lot of strength to be this honest. I believe this book will be helpful and therapeutic. There is so much constructive advice and real-life stories. Its so good for people to feel that it is okay to share this part of their lives. We all need support and acceptance to overcome hardships. People who do not struggle in this way they can learn that addiction should not be considered a dirty word. We all need to be more understanding. This is a devastating disease and so many people suffer along with their families. We need to learn compassion and understand this disease more so we can help friends and family members to find recovery which will lead to a better life.

The author shares her personal journey of her fathers alcohol addiction and other people share their unique stories. All these true life stories were so honest and open that I felt I knew these people. It really made this story come to life. All these personal struggles are different but there are so many similarities. I was emotionally pulled in and touched. These stories really drew me in and helped me to better understand their situations. Everyone can gain something from this in-depth educational book.

The reality of addiction is it can happen to anyone. If not stopped it can lead to death. This is not a subject to take lightly.

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Title: Warrior Ways

Subtitle: Explorations in Modern Military Folklore

Author: Eric A. Eliason, Tad Tuleja

Narrator: John Alexander Brancy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-14

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Warrior Ways is one of the first book-length explorations of military folklife, and focuses on the lore produced by modern American warriors, illuminating the ways in which members of the armed services creatively express the complex experience of military life. In short, lively essays, contributors to the volume, all of whom have close personal or professional relationships to the military, examine battlefield talismans, personal narrative (storytelling), Jody calls (marching and running cadences), slang, homophobia and transgressive humor, music, and photography, among other cultural expressions.

Military folklore does not remain in an isolated subculture; it reveals our common humanity by delighting, disturbing, infuriating, and inspiring both those deeply invested in and those peripherally touched by military life. Highlighting the contemporary and historical importance of the military in American life, Warrior Ways will be of interest to scholars and students of folklore, anthropology, and popular culture; those involved in veteran services and education; and general readers interested in military culture.

Members Reviews:

Three Stars

Very academically oriented - interesting but rather slow

It seemed to be a very good study, but it wasn't what I needed for ...

This isn't what I was looking for. I needed examples of military folk lore and this didn't really provide that. It seemed to be a very good study, but it wasn't what I needed for my thesis.

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Title: Lost Souls: Found! Inspiring Stories About Golden Retrievers

Author: Kyla Duffy, Lowrey Mumford

Narrator: Kelly Libatique

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-14

Publisher: Happy Tails Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Golden Retrievers love balls, swimming, and make great therapy pets. But did you know that some also hunt for Easter Eggs? Lost Souls: Found! Inspiring Stories About Golden Retrievers is a heartwarming, thought-provoking compilation of true stories that answer questions like What is dog rescue? and Do all adopted dogs come with baggage? It addresses the cruelty of animal neglect and abuse, and the joy that rescued dogs bring to their new homes. This book is a must-read for Golden Retriever lovers and for people who are considering adopting dogs. A portion of proceeds from every sale is donated back to golden retriever rescue groups.

Excerpt: As I stepped through the door and onto the cold concrete floor, I was practically bowled over by a huge Golden, barreling towards me at full-speed! As he humped my leg and chewed on my forearm I looked around the sterile room, bare except for a dog crate, food bowl, and water bowl. Through the sliding glass doors I could see that the Scotties had a wonderful yard to play in, so why was this Golden stuck in the basement like this? There was no way I was leaving him there. -Shereen Raucci, regarding Pierce

Members Reviews:

Golden Lovers -- A Must Have

I ordered this book because I wanted to support my favorite Golden Retriever Rescue organization -- Golden Treasures -- and also because I love any stories having to do with dogs; especially Golden Retrievers. You won't be disappointed when you read this amazing compilation of stories. Thanks to Kyla Duffy for putting them all together -- and thanks to all authors involved. I loved your stories and I loved your dogs. I just purchased Volume II. I recently adopted a Golden from Golden Treasures and am planning on fostering in the future.

Golden Retriever

I am a foster for the Golden Retriever Rescue and loved reading these stories of what it is like to become a part of finding forever homes for these beautiful dogs. It explains what these organizations do to make people aware of the benefits of fostering and adopting and the need for volunteers to help with the process. These stories can't help but warm your heart.

Great Book for Dog Lovers

I loved this book. The stories are heartwarming and tell the stores of lots of dogs (and some people) who needed help and found it. Each story is written by the dog owners, so you get a real taste for how it feels to bring a dog like this into your life. I recommend this book to anyone who's rescued a dog, considers rescuing a dog, or just loves dogs and dog stories! I bought 6 for my friends and family!

Good read.

The stories are short and sweet. Any dog person would love them, even if they did not own Golden Retrievers.

Enjoyed the stories

This is a quick read...I love Golden Retrievers & loved reading the stories about them...so glad people rescue!! They are the perfect breed if you want a larger dog...great with kids, smart, easy to train..

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Title: The Awakening of the Desert

Author: Julius C. Birge

Narrator: Barbara Birge

Format: Abridged

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-18-13

Publisher: Barbara Birge, PLLC

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Vivid, lyrical and often humorous, this respected, first-hand account of a journey across the Great American Desert now comes to life as an audiobook. Written in 1912 by Julius Birge, the memoir describes an 1866 wagon train trip taken during "the bloody years on the plains."

Recounting the risks of traveling the Oregon Trail, the author faithfully depicts the virgin environment, Native American people and abundant wildlife in words that now seem more timely than ever. From Red Cloud going on the warpath, to Mormon services where Brigham Young preached, to the legendary Buffalo Bill, Birge happened upon events, places and people whose significance was revealed with time. Late in his life, understanding the importance of what he had witnessed, he wrote The Awakening of the Desert.

Lovers of nature, students of history, listeners fascinated by the early West, and especially those traveling through its landscape today, will appreciate this recollection, abridged and narrated by the author's great-granddaughter 100 years after its first publication.

Members Reviews:

First hand account of wagon train era

Written by a western pioneer just following the civil war, we travel to and through the west, hearing first-hand accounts of cowboys, Native Americans, Mormons, boom towns and best of all gain a true sense of the authentic flavor.

The writer avoids some of the hard-to-access arcane language of the era and makes some wonderful phrasing and word choices.

The tale of discovery and adventure read by the actual great-granddaughter of the author. At first it felt a bit curious for a female voice to depict such a masculine story but over time it felt just right, especially when Julius is painting wonderful word pictures of the real west.

A great listen for history fans who want to get an authentic sense of what is often an over- (or under-) romanticized era.

Interesting writing. Monotonous narration.

While I understand the sentimentality of using the writer's great grand daughter to narrate the book, I'm afraid her reading is very monotonous. I kept drifting away and rewinding constantly.

This is unfortunate, as the story is very interesting and the added production of sound and music is well done.

A great journey!

What did you love best about The Awakening of the Desert?

This is a fascinating book. Read by the authors great granddaughter, its a first person account of an 1866 wagon train journey, told in the language of the day, which greatly enriches the tale. Subtle music and sound effects further flavor the yarn, until we feel we are trekking along with the brave souls on their great adventure. I recommend this to anyone interested in the history of the Old West.

Beautifully written, enjoyable, fascinating

Would you listen to The Awakening of the Desert again? Why?

This firsthand and first person account of Juliuss four-month trip across the West in 1866 is not only an important historical document, but a beautifully written chronicle that I enjoyed tremendously. Barbara Birge narrates The Awakening of the Desert, written by her great-grandfather Julius C. Birge and published over 100 years ago.The prose of this book is poetic. The rich details of life on a wagon train are fascinating (how does a new cowhand identify his own oxen from among dozens?) and often humorous.

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Titre: Un long chemin vers la liberté

Auteur: Nelson Mandela

Narrateur: Féodor Atkine

Format: Abridged

Durée: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Langue: Français

Date de publication: 12-11-13

Éditeur: Audiolib

Evaluation: 5 sur 5 sur 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Résumé de l'éditeur:

Nelson Mandela commence la rédaction de ses souvenirs en 1974 au pénitencier de Robben Island et les achève après sa libération, en 1990, à l'issue de vingt-sept années de détention. Né et élevé dans la famille royale des Thembus, Mandela gagne Johannesburg où il ouvre le premier cabinet d'avocats noirs. Il devient un des leaders de l'ANC (Congrès national africain).

Dès lors, à travers la clandestinité, la lutte armée, la prison, sa vie se confond avec son combat pour la liberté, faisant de lui l'homme clef pour sortir l'Afrique du Sud de l'impasse où l'ont enfermée quarante ans d'apartheid.

Un document majeur sur un des grands bouleversements politiques de la fin du XXe siècle, et un homme d'exception, Prix Nobel de la paix. Le film tiré de cette autobiographie est sorti en décembre 2013.

Le texte présenté est une version abrégée de l'œuvre originale.

©1995 Librairie Arthème Fayard pour la traduction française (P)2013 Audiolib

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Title: The Secret of the Blue Trunk

Author: Lise Dion

Narrator: Brittany Pressley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-12-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

In this true story, Armande Martel, a young nun from Quebec, is arrested by the Germans in 1940 during a stay at her religious order's mother house in Brittany. She spends the war years in a German concentration camp. After her return to Canada, she leaves the Church, finds the love of her life in Montreal, and adopts Lise Dion.

Growing up, Lise is familiar with only a few facts of her mother's past. It's when she clears her mother's small apartment after her death that Lise Dion discovers the key to the blue trunk, which was always locked. This key unlocks the mystery of Armande's early life, and Lise decides to write The Secret of the Blue Trunk.

Editorial Reviews:

Narrator Brittany Pressley's young voice contains a core of fullness and maturity, and her performance of this true story about a young nun from Quebec who runs afoul of Nazis will enrapture listeners. Quebecois humorist Lise Dion recounts the experiences of her mother, Armande Martel, a former nun who spent most of World War II in German concentration camps. Pressley artfully evokes Armande's naivety, which slowly morphs into a terrible comprehension of evil and suffering. However, Pressley makes sure to maintain the sense of hope that Armande carries with her throughout her ordeals.