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Title: Summer Crossing

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Truman Capote

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-12-05

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 48 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Set in New York just after World War II, Summer Crossing is the story of a young carefree socialite, Grady McNeil, whose parents leave her alone in their Fifth Avenue penthouse for the summer. Left to her own devices, Grady turns up the heat on the secret affair she's been having with a Brooklyn-born Jewish war veteran. As the season passes, the romance turns more serious and morally ambiguous, and Grady must eventually make a series of decisions that will forever affect her life and the lives of everyone around her.

Summer Crossing is a precocious, confident first novel that displays the flawless narrative sense of one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. Its immaculate turns of phrase, hard irony, and insight into the subtleties of class distinction will point to Capote's future triumphs. Worthy of a spot on any reader's Capote bookshelf, this is, in every sense, a lost treasure found.

Members Reviews:

Summer doldrums

I found this book to be a bit tedious. The writing is good with very nice descriptions of setting, but it never seemed to be going anywhere. I found myself wishing that I had used my precious credit for something better.

quality writing

i would have to say Capote is a nice writer. though this is perhaps not his top form, it was very good and there is a quality to his writing that i can't quite define other than to say a smoothness. somewhat a coming of age type story i guess, or young love or rebellion. and i'm always interested to see what items were current culturally at the time, little things you don't think about. I would have to say that, of course it's a completely different type of "novel", but In Cold Blood was a masterpiece and totally riveting. i would go on to more Capote.

Beautifully written

Just wish it hadn't ended so soon, it felt a bit unfinished

Early Capote

A coming of age story for a rich New York girl. Excellent descriptions. Short and sad. Published after Truman Capote's death.

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Title: A Wedding in December

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Anita Shreve

Narrator: Linda Emond

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-05-05

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 120 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, seven former schoolmates gather for a wedding. Nora, the owner of the inn, has recently had to reinvent her life following the death of her husband. Avery, who still hears echoes from a horrific event at Kidd Academy 26 years ago, has made a life for himself in Toronto with his wife and two sons. Agnes, now a history teacher at Kidd is a still-single woman who longs to tell a secret she cannot reveal to the others, a secret that would stun them all. Bridget, the mother of a 15-year-old boy, has agreed to marry Bill, an old high school lover whom she has recently re-met, despite uncertainties about her health and future. Indeed, it is Bill who passionately wants this wedding and who has brought everyone together for an astonishing weekend of revelation and recrimination, forgiveness and redemption. This is Anita Shreve's most ambitious and moving novel to date, probing into human motivation with grace and skill.

©2005 Anita Shreve; (P)2005 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic Reviews:

"One of the finest novelists of her time." (Boston Herald)

Members Reviews:

A Story Without Substance

I have enjoyed others of Anita Shreve's books, but A Wedding in December is boring and trite. The reader is totally uninspiring and adds nothing to a dull and predictable story line. Shreve seems to have taken her plot line from Danielle Steele, not from her own good inventions! A basic waste of time!

One of Shreve's Best!

The characters really come alive in this wonderful novel. The historical scenes of the Halifax disaster--a novel within a novel--are particularly vivid.

Very Pleasant

This was my first experience with this author. As much as I agree with some of the other reviewer's about some of the deficits of this story, I found it enjoyable to listen to.

The characters were interesting. I did not see their connection easily. It almost seemed like they would each have made good separate short stories but there wasn't enough reason or information to bring them all together.

The issue of Josh's homosexuality was dealt with nicely enough, but the real issues would have been too much to have been covered in this book. Agnes had two issues going on: the other book weaving in and out (that was really overdone and distracting although very interesting) and her "secret." She got much attention where Josh got so little.

Jerry was loud and brash, while I couldn't tell whether we were to be sympathetic about his wife or not. And then their ending just left me hanging.

Harrison and Nora were wonderful as a central theme as were Bill and Bridgette. But what was the need or sense of bringing Judy into the story line? And for Nora to have made her a partner seems a bit far stretched for me.

All in all, I did enjoy the listen. And even though it was not perfect, it has whetted my appetite to hear more of her work.

Lukewarm at best

I was disappointed in this latest book from Shreve, an author whose earlier books I have loved. As an earlier reviewers said, it's The Big Chill all over. I am sure there are moral lessons here, including the redeeming grace of love, but this is not a book for cynics or for anyone wanting more than a trite romance novel disguised as literature.

The Big Chill All Over Again

This didn't live up to expectations. Shreve is capable of much better.

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Title: Prague

Author: Arthur Phillips

Narrator: Andy Paris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 35 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In the 1990s, five young American expatriates meet in Budapest. As they seeks fortune and success, their lives reflect various facets of a city that is shaped by its history, culture, and the aftermath of Communism.

©2002 Arthur Phillips

Critic Reviews:

"Everything about this dazzling first novel is utterly original." (Publishers Weekly) "Ingenious...Phillips presents his characters with a wry generosity and haunting poignancy to rival his wonderfully subversive wit." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

What did this book have to do with Prague?

I just finished this book. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did make it through it. I basically understood what passed for a plot. It was even interesting, given its setting. However, the characters weren't people I liked. As I got farther and farther into the story I couldn't wait for them all to just go away, which they did. So, my recommendation would be to read it if you are interested in the era of history after the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. Hungry does have some interesting history, and I did feel like the author had a healthy respect for this. But what did any of it have to do with Prague? I believe that city was mentioned only a few times in the whole book.

Don't waste your time

Some of the language used here is fantastic. Unfortunately, the book needs to be edited, and radically abridged. With a printed book, one can skim paragraphs and pages quickly. With an audiobook, the need for better editing is painlfully obvious.

uggg.

I'm sorry, but this is one of the worst books I have ever read. I couldn't get through it. The characters all blended together, and there didn't seem to be much plot. Obviously someone thinks highly of it, based on the published reviews- perhaps I am missing something. In my defense, though, I've seen this novel on 2 of my friends' bookshelves, and (both times) when I asked about it, we both stared at each other suspiciously, then blurted out "I hated it!" I would love to hear a positive review so I can learn what the big fuss is about!

required reading for school

not something I would choose for myself, but by the end the pace finally picked up.

The story is mundane.

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

No. The story lacked excitement.

What was most disappointing about Arthur Phillipss story?

The story line had potential but lacked feeling. It followed several narcissistic Americans living in Budapest. There was no great revelation or climax to the story.

Have you listened to any of Andy Pariss other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any other performances by Andy Paris. This was a good performance and I would listen to the reader again.

Could you see Prague being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Possibly an Indie film that skipped the theaters. I would not go out of my to watch it.

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Title: Force Recon Collection I

Author: James V. Smith

Narrator: Thomas Penny

Format: Abridged

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-28-05

Publisher: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This collection includes the first three Force Recon books: Force Recon, Death Wind, and The Butcher's Bill.

Members Reviews:

Heard one, you've heard them all

One of these short stories is a quick entertaining listen, but after two, they become predictable and at times contrived. Rich in detail but short in character development, this audiobook didn't hold my interest past the first 15 minutes.

Action!!!

Great realistic action. A fun to listen to book that you want to stay in the car to finish listening.

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Title: Time and Again

Author: Jack Finney

Narrator: Campbell Scott

Format: Abridged

Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-29-00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 133 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Science fiction, mystery, a passionate love story, and a detailed history of old New York blend together in this spellbinding story of a young man embroiled in a secret government experiment. Transported from the mid-1900s to the New York of 1882, Si Morley solves a mystery of the 20th century by discovering its 19th-century roots, and falls desperately in love with a beautiful young woman in the process. He ultimately finds himself forced to choose between his lives in the present and the past. This is the classic novel that has captivated an entire generation since its original publication in 1970.

Critic Reviews:

"Go back to a wonderful world and have a wonderful time doing it." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

Seriously over abridged

Get the unabridged version: this attempt to condense about 16 hours of text into less than 5 hours totally guts this fine story.

A 'Cliff Notes' version would include more of the plot and character development than this over truncated attempt.

Time and Again by Jack Finney

Mr. Finney has written an enthralling, imaginative novel. I have read the printed version at least 4, perhaps 6, times. Each time I read it I must choose the proper time as this book will capture you and transport you to Old New York for the duration and you will be able to accomplish little else until its conclusion.

I count this book among my most prized possessions. After a hiatus of seven years, I have again started "folding back the gold foil".

What a tranporting book!

I've never read this book before, and listening makes me want to go get the printed copy and add it to my library! This was very imaginative and caught my attention until the end. I had a hard time putting it down! I loved the characters and how they interacted with each other. I also really enjoyed the fact that there wasn't alot of bad language interspersed in the book. This is an all around magical book, that will transport you to another time! Enjoy!

I've always enjoyed Time Travel books...

I've always really enjoyed Time Travel premises for books and really enjoyed this whole book! I was quite surprised to find out what the promise at the end was, and how the main character carried it out. I also enjoyed the ending...

Needed better development.

I love time travel novels. As an avid reader of the genre, this book was just under the mediocre ones. Here is why. The novel starts out with a hook that immediately gets you interested, a secret government experiment that you will not qualify for, but are encouraged to try. So, early on, curiosity gets your thoughts racing and you want to turn the page...but I found myself being distracted and the book losing my attention because the character development was on the weak side compared to some of today's top sellers. A. The protagonist was a generic person with nothing that really defined him. B. I didn't care what happened to him or feel any of his personal struggles. To me, this can make or break a novel. I want to read (listen) to a book where I want complete silence around me so I don't miss a second of what happens! Also, the story line had a decent foundation, but was hard to follow because of the lack of time spent explaining the other characters. They didn't need as much detail, but I found myself reading the Wikipedia entry just to find out what was going on! Not good.

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Title: Nina Is Not OK

Author: Shappi Khorsandi

Narrator: Shappi Khorsandi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-28-16

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Nina does not have a drinking problem. She likes a drink, sure. But what 17-year-old doesn't?

Nina's mum isn't so sure. But she's busy with her new husband and five-year-old Katie. Nina's almost an adult, after all. And if Nina sometimes wakes up with little memory of what happened the night before, then her friends are all too happy to fill in the blanks.

Nina's drunken exploits are the stuff of college legend. But then one dark Sunday morning, even her friends can't help piece together Saturday night. All Nina feels is a deep sense of shame, that something very bad has happened to her....

A dark, funny, sometimes shocking coming-of-age novel from one of the UK's leading comedians. Nina Is Not OK will appeal to fans of Caitlin Moran and Lena Dunham.

Members Reviews:

Amazing and harrowing

such a good book raw yet funny at times, it is narrated in such some parts would make me physically uneasy.

Fantastic!

Loved the book and the reader. Very engaging, listened even when I only had a few minutes time. Highly recommend!

nina is not okay is an importamt read

Nina is not okay is one of the most difficult books ive ever read (well listened to). It is an unapologetic well performed telling of a Ninas traumatic 18th year. Severe subjects include; sexual assult, family problems, alcoholism and cyber bullying, not to mention all the things every other average teen has to deal with. More than anything this book is hard to read because it is so true. The way author tackles rape is so very difficult to endure because it is so accurate. It therefore also happens to be a very triggering story. However, the performance is superb and the content almost educational in its telling, making this a great book to spread awareness about more sensitive topics. This book will not make you happy, but i could not recommend it more.

Really great listen

Loved this book, really thought provoking, definitely recommend but couldn't stand the accents the narrator put on! Got through this on my commute in just a few days and couldn't wait to continue it.

Just loved it.

A story of pain of loss. Of hitting the bottom and climbing up. Of realising that to call someone boring is to in the end a compliment.

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Title: Heart of the Matter

Author: Emily Giffin

Narrator: Cynthia Nixon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-16-10

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned paediatric surgeon. Despite her own mother's warnings, Tessa has recently given up her career to focus on her family and the pursuit of domestic happiness. From the outside, she seems destined to live a charmed life.

Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie a boy who has never known his father. After too many disappointments, she has given up on romance and even to some degree, friendships believing that it is always safer not to expect too much.

Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common aside from a fierce love for their children. But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.

Members Reviews:

Cynthia Nixon is a fantastic narrator!

I listen to about 1 audio book a week and I did make it through this book ok, but it did drag on for a very long time. I never buy Abridged versions, but maybe I would have enjoyed this more if it were half the length. I was VERY pleasantly suprised at how wonderful Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) is as a Narrator! More please!!!!

Fantastic story

This is a fantastic story, free from the usual cliches that accompany such tales. Brilliant narration by Cyntia Nixon. Highly recommended!

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Title: The Unnamed

Author: Joshua Ferris

Narrator: Joshua Ferris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-23-09

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 115 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Joshua Ferris' debut novel Then We Came to the End was both heralded by critics and a New York Times best seller, and marked the arrival of a startlingly talented young writer. With The Unnamed, Ferris imagines the collision between one man's free will and the forces of nature that are bigger than any of us.

Tim Farnsworth walks. He walks out of meetings and out of bed. He walks in sweltering heat and numbing cold. He will walk without stopping until he falls asleep, wherever he is. This curious affliction has baffled medical experts around the globe - and comes perilously close to ruining what should be a happy life. Tim has a loving family, a successful law career and a beautiful suburban home, all of which he maintains spectacularly well until his feet start moving again.

What drives a man to stay in a marriage, in a job? What forces him away? Is love or conscience enough to overcome the darker, stronger urges of the natural world? The Unnamed is a deeply felt, luminous novel about modern life, ancient yearnings, and the power of human understanding.

Critic Reviews:

"Arresting, ground-shifting, beautiful and tragic. This is the book a new generation of writers will answer to. No one in America writes like this." (Gary Shteyngart)

"Ferris imbues his story with a sense of foreboding, both for the physical world, in the grip of record-breaking temperatures, and for the vulnerable nuclear family and its slow unraveling. With its devastating metaphoric take on the yearning for connection and the struggles of commitment, Ferris brilliantly channels the suburban angst of Yates and Cheever for the new millennium." (Booklist, Starred Review)

"An unnerving portrait of a man stripped of civilization's defenses. Ferris's prose is brash, extravagant, and, near the end, chillingly beautiful." (The New Yorker)

Members Reviews:

Sad, tender, brilliantly clever

Exemplary contemporary American fiction, the best book I've read in a long time. Heartbreakingly sad. Brilliant characterisation. I was fascinated by the idea of walking across America. Kept recalling something for me I couldn't quite catch. Kept being reminded of Walt Whitman, and the contemporary description of madness + homelessness is straight out of King Lear. An exquisite appropriation, complete with Shakespearian poetry. Pleased to hear at the end he did have Lear in mind. I must say I prefer this kind of delicate textual appropriation to that of, say, Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres.

I haven't read And Then We Came to the End but since audible has only an abridged version, I'll be reading that through my eyes.

Lyrical and Thoughtful

The author is an apt narrator for this novel, and his voice seemed perfectly suited to describe the experience of the main character. There is an easy flow to the narration that is nice to listen to. This novel explores illness and its effects on the arc of the characters' lives. While the actual illness suffered by the main character is a fictional, improbable one, the way in which his work, family and self must adapt is thought-provoking. Anyone who has dealt with chronic illness will find threads to identify with here, but there is much in this book about the human condition in general.

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Title: A Risk Worth Taking

Author: Robin Pilcher

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-04

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 54 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A Risk Worth Taking is an insightful, thought-provoking novel of a man who has to discover what he really values in his work, marriage, and life. Robin Pilcher writes fluidly and well, and he is unerringly adept at capturing the details of his characters' lives. He has written a poignant and engrossing story about the real choices many adults face when they start taking stock of their lives.

Critic Reviews:

"[Robin] Pilcher crafts another engaging, happy-ending tale." (Publishers WEekly) "Pilcher offers a charming story about life in the new millennium and one man's pursuit of happiness, a tale that will appeal to both men and women." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Great Story

I completely disagree with the first reviewer. I thought this was a very well written book. Dan Porter began as a typical father, uninvolved and self absorbed, and evolved into a caring, loving and involved father. His journey is well described and entertaining.

Terrible Book, Self-absorbed Ass

This book sounded so promising. But the main character, Dan Porter, was such a rat, I couldn't stand it. First he gets laid off & loses all the family money in a bad investment. Then, he refuses to accept any job offers so he can "be there" for his kids, even though he doesn't listen to a word they say, much less have any meaningful communication with them or his wife. And he sends money he doesn't have to help a friend in NY. Then, while his wife is struggling as sole bread-winner, instead of supporting her, he runs off to Scotland to help another family he just met. Yes, Dan Porter such a "great guy", he's there for everyone except his own family. Sadly, the author writes the character of the wife so badly you don't care about her either.

Not Mr Lee's best

John Lee is almost my favorite reader, and I have heard perhaps 50 of his renditions of sea captains, Chinese cut-throats, Indian common folk, and the list goes on until now with plane, ordinary British people who's conversations are far too dramatically portrayed.

I saw no need for over-acting, and even with this distraction I liked the story very much. I also liked the development of Dan Porter's character.

Delightful!

This story is very well written, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is certainly well qualified to carry the Pilcher name, and I am sure that Rosamunde must be very delighted with it too! Much in the family genre!

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Title: Fear of Dying

Author: Erica Jong

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-08-15

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 61 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The iconic, bestselling author delivers her first book in ten years - and the sequel to the groundbreaking novel, Fear of Flying.

Fear of Dying is a hilarious, heart wrenching, and beautifully told story about what happens when one woman steps reluctantly into the afternoon of life. Vanessa Wonderman is a gorgeous former actress in her 60's who finds herself balancing between her dying parents, her aging husband and her beloved, pregnant daughter. Although Vanessa considers herself "a happily married woman," the lack of sex in her life makes her feel as if she's losing something too valuable to ignore. So she places an ad for sex on a site called Zipless.com and the life she knew begins to unravel. With the help and counsel of her best friend, Isadora Wing, Vanessa navigates the phishers and pishers, and starts to question if what she's looking for might be close at hand after all.

Fear of Dying is a daring and delightful look at what it really takes to be human and female in the 21st century. Wildly funny and searingly honest, this is a book for everyone who has ever been shaken and changed by love.

Members Reviews:

Unafraid in Middle Class America

I was committed to finishing this book because I loved Fear of Flying in my own years of sexual revolution. I kept waiting for some real redemption.. There were hints of it and the language was certainly poetic and compelling at times. on the whole I found it to be a tedious account of the entitlement of the very privileged who cannot see the preciousness of life and the inevitability of death that comes when needing to embrace the daily realities that accompany service to others as a way of being in this world..For us middle class working folk, healthy old age. gray hair, wrinkles and all, is itself a privilege..Many of us figured out decades ago that sex and love are not the same and never even got to India

HOW TO BORE SOMEONE WHILE REALLY TRYING

This is one of those audiobooks that I was compelled to give up on, even though I lasted to the middle I kept falling asleep with this poor excuse of a novel. Yadda, yadda, yadda; saying nothing we didn't know already.

Don't read the first chapter

I absolutely hated the first chapter of this book. It is raw and unnecessarily rough. It almost scared me off. The final chapter, by contrast, was exhilarating! I think you will love the journey from the first to the last as much as I did. This book deals with sex over 60 and the death of aging parents and other loved ones. It's not for everyone but it certainly was for me.

Where is the STORY???

Ugh. this book rambles down every weed-covered overgrown path in the freaking forest.. Just when I think there is a hint of story, we stumble into a ditch full of rambling about one topic or another or the character walks me though another boring dream sequence. Funny enough, she actually says at one point that she doesn't want to share a dream with someone because "they are boring to everyone [but the dreamer]. I listen to books while I walk my dog, and I find that my mind has wandered off to make my grocery list.

Not quite what I was expecting

I love audiobooks. I loved the narrator and the way she tells the story. I'm afraid that the story itself didn't convince me. The online affair that the promotional material for the book speaks about is not that relevant in the story.