You no longer follow menary

You will no longer see updates from this user when they write new reviews, or suggestions based on their library or recommendations.

You can re-follow a user if you change your mind.

You now follow menary

You will receive updates from this user when they write new reviews, or suggestions based on their library or recommendations.

You can unfollow a user if you change your mind.

menary

mesa, AZ, United States | Member Since 2009

HELPFUL VOTES

47 reviews
151 ratings
225 titles in library
16 purchased in 2013

FOLLOWING

FOLLOWERS

Water for Elephants

UNABRIDGED
- by Sara Gruen
- Narrated by David LeDoux , John Randolph Jones
Water for Elephants

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 26 mins)

By Sara Gruen

Narrated By David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(11423)
Performance
(3966)
Story
(4009)

Why we think it’s a great listen: Some books are meant to be read; others are meant to be heard – Water for Elephants falls into the second group, and is one of the best examples we have of how a powerful performance enhances a great story. Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It's the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.
Teddy says: "This is what Audiobook should be..."
"never wanted to stop listening"

Overall
Performance
Story

I enjoyed every bit of this story and it was very well read

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West

UNABRIDGED
- by Cormac McCarthy
- Narrated by Richard Poe
Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West

UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 4 mins)

By Cormac McCarthy

Narrated By Richard Poe

Overall
(835)
Performance
(328)
Story
(329)

Author of the National Book Award-winning All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy is one of the most provocative American stylists to emerge in the last century. The striking novel Blood Meridian offers an unflinching narrative of the brutality that accompanied the push west on the 1850s Texas frontier.
Chris says: "Bleak but Fascinating"
"could listen to it again and again"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you listen to Blood Meridian again? Why?

yes, so much that my wandering mind possibly missed

What did you like best about this story?

historical fiction is my favorite. the setting in the southwest is familiar

Which scene was your favorite?

not sure that there is a favorite. will listen again. and again. and again...

Who was the most memorable character of Blood Meridian and why?

the judge at the end and the kids friend that is missing ears

Any additional comments?

cormac mccarthy has an interesting technique. both books that ive listened to have had the same effect regardless of the difference of the narrators. both narrators did an excellent job.. both stories moved quickly. enough that i know that i would find plenty in a second and even third listen.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Chasing Fireflies

UNABRIDGED
- by Charles Martin
- Narrated by Andrew Peterson
Chasing Fireflies

UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 15 mins)

By Charles Martin

Narrated By Andrew Peterson

Overall
(295)
Performance
(157)
Story
(159)

When paramedics find a malnourished 6-year-old boy near a burning car that holds a dead woman, they wonder who he is - and why he won't talk. Seth, a small-town journalist who was raised by foster parents, is assigned to cover the story and investigate the boy's identity. But will his search unearth long-buried emotions - and answers to his own history?
Deborah A Reardon says: "Meaningful"
"hard to put away"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you listen to Chasing Fireflies again? Why?

maybe. it is definitely one of my favorites but with so many possibilities out there, it might be a while before i got around to it

What other book might you compare Chasing Fireflies to and why?

not sure that i can make a comparison

What does Andrew Peterson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

the character development of "unc" more than anything, but nothing lacked

Who was the most memorable character of Chasing Fireflies and why?

"unc", READ/LISTEN TO the book

Any additional comments?

top of my list!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
14

UNABRIDGED
- by Peter Clines
- Narrated by Ray Porter
14

UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 38 mins)

By Peter Clines

Narrated By Ray Porter

Overall
(6227)
Performance
(5634)
Story
(5614)

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.
Magpie says: "Super solid listen!!"
"worth the listen"

Overall
Performance
Story

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

probably not. it starts out good but gets crazy. the narrator definitely made the story. he drew all the characters very well

What could Peter Clines have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

some less time warping or whatever it was, with more explanation

Which character – as performed by Ray Porter – was your favorite?

veek

Was 14 worth the listening time?

yes

Any additional comments?

once again, the narrator made it good and i would choose additional books with him

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Everything That Rises Must Converge

UNABRIDGED
- by Flannery O’Connor
- Narrated by Bronson Pinchot , Karen White , Mark Bramhall , Lorna Raver
Everything That Rises Must Converge

UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 5 mins)

By Flannery O’Connor

Narrated By Bronson Pinchot, Karen White, Mark Bramhall, and others

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(170)
Performance
(114)
Story
(118)

This collection of nine short stories by Flannery O'Connor was published posthumously in 1965. The flawed characters of each story are fully revealed in apocalyptic moments of conflict and violence that are presented with comic detachment.
Darwin8u says: "A Painful Grace, A Search for the Holy"
"mixed review"

Overall
Performance
Story

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

yes. i enjoyed most of the listens

Would you recommend Everything That Rises Must Converge to your friends? Why or why not?

maybe. if in converstion

What aspect of the narrators’s performance would you have changed?

two narrators kept the interest and two did not

Was Everything That Rises Must Converge worth the listening time?

yes. the stories were entertaining lessons. i felt bored by some

2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Moloka’i

UNABRIDGED
- by Alan Brennert
- Narrated by Anne Noelani Miyamoto
Moloka’i

UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 27 mins)

By Alan Brennert

Narrated By Anne Noelani Miyamoto

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(512)
Performance
(356)
Story
(352)

The powerful debut novel from Alan Brennert, Moloka’i tells the story of Rachel Kalama, a seven-year-old Hawaiian girl who contracts leprosy and is quarantined on the island of Moloka’i during the 1890s. Separated from her family and forced to grow up in the leper colony of Kalaupapa, Rachel experiences intense isolation. But she remains strong, finding moments of joy, and even love. Rich in Hawaiian history, this novel proves itself a stellar piece of historical fiction.
Blaine says: "Unexpected Jewel"
"i was amazed that i had never heard of this book"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you listen to Moloka’i again? Why?

yes. i am sure that i missed a lot in the read. it was an enjoyable listen

What other book might you compare Moloka’i to and why?

"cutting for stone". because it is the story of a treacherous life that could have been depressing but isnt

Which scene was your favorite?

yes

If you could take any character from Moloka’i out to dinner, who would it be and why?

rachel was humorous and positive and talented and ambitious and loveable and ...etc

Any additional comments?

i am surprised that i had never heard of this story before. it was very well written and obviously researched. not only did i enjoy the story extremely, but feel well enlightened on our nations history

0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Angela's Ashes

UNABRIDGED
- by Frank McCourt
- Narrated by Frank McCourt
Angela's Ashes

UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 57 mins)

By Frank McCourt

Narrated By Frank McCourt

Overall
(1925)
Performance
(762)
Story
(765)

Why we think it’s a great listen: There’s no gentle way to put this – Frank McCourt’s performance of Angela’s Ashes is just better than the Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Frank McCourt shares his sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking story of growing up poor, Irish, and Catholic in the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela's Ashes.
Karen says: "A classic book *and* a classic audiobook"
"sounds sad but the reader didnt make it so"

Overall
Performance
Story

What made the experience of listening to Angela's Ashes the most enjoyable?

the reader did an excellent job. i wouldve taken it as a sad story but somehow he made it fun and very interesting

What did you like best about this story?

the versions of current words that were used. i had to look up terms on the internet

What about Frank McCourt’s performance did you like?

the dialect help depict the story

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

i wouldnt have minded

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Dancing at the Rascal Fair

UNABRIDGED
- by Ivan Doig
- Narrated by Robert Ian MacKenzie
Dancing at the Rascal Fair

UNABRIDGED (19 hrs and 58 mins)

By Ivan Doig

Narrated By Robert Ian MacKenzie

Overall
(469)
Performance
(173)
Story
(171)

Dancing at the Rascal Fair by National Book Award nominee Ivan Doig captures the passion and tenacity of turn-of-the-century immigrants struggling to build new lives amidst Montana’s windswept Rockies. The tale unfolds into a contest of the heart between Anna Ramsay and Angus McCaskill—kept apart by obligations—as they and their stormy kin vie to tame the brutal land.
Dana C. Nicolay says: "New Favorite"
"hard to put away"

Overall
Performance
Story

Where does Dancing at the Rascal Fair rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

ive listend to a lot. it is in the top ten of my list

Which character – as performed by Robert Ian MacKenzie – was your favorite?

i liked all performances. he even did an excellent job with the females

Any additional comments?

i found this in the discount list under BOGO. surprised to find it there after listening. it is such an outstanding story and very well read

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Not Taco Bell Material

ABRIDGED
- by Adam Carolla
- Narrated by Adam Carolla
Not Taco Bell Material

ABRIDGED (7 hrs and 59 mins)

By Adam Carolla

Narrated By Adam Carolla

Overall
(625)
Performance
(575)
Story
(568)

Funnyman Adam Carolla is known for two things: hilarious rants about things that drive him crazy and personal stories about everything from his hardscrabble childhood to his slacker friends to the hypocrisy of Hollywood. He tackled rants in his first book, and now he tells his best stories and debuts some never-before-heard tales as well. Adam Carolla started broke and blue collar and has now been on the Hollywood scene for over 15 years. Yet he never lost his underdog demeanor.
Ron says: "Must have for any Adam Carolla Fan!"
"dissapointed"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you try another book from Adam Carolla and/or Adam Carolla?

yes because he, in the past with his radio show, was very humorous and creative

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

it seemed that the ace was reaching for material. to the point, that he was contradicting the past stories. he always has a good voice. his material lacked

Any additional comments?

i have always been an avid fan of the ace. this time, i am dissapointed

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Chaperone

UNABRIDGED
- by Laura Moriarty
- Narrated by Elizabeth McGovern
The Chaperone

UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 18 mins)

By Laura Moriarty

Narrated By Elizabeth McGovern

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(1535)
Performance
(1337)
Story
(1327)

>The Chaperone is a captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both. Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a 15-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip.
Amanda says: "Perfection."
"kept the interest but seemed to lack something"

Overall
Performance
Story

Where does The Chaperone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

better than half way

What other book might you compare The Chaperone to and why?

none so far. its own special story and characters

Did Elizabeth McGovern do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

yes she did. she changed her voice. i think that she could have read a touch quicker

If you could take any character from The Chaperone out to dinner, who would it be and why?

NA. this is a dumb question

Any additional comments?

i would say this book was well written. some historical research must have been done and it had enough forbidden detail to make it interesting. i enjoyed it very much. my criticism would be that it could have been condensed at the end and read faster. i recommend this book

0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Cutting for Stone: A Novel

UNABRIDGED
- by Abraham Verghese
- Narrated by Sunil Malhotra
Cutting for Stone: A Novel

UNABRIDGED (23 hrs and 58 mins)

By Abraham Verghese

Narrated By Sunil Malhotra

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(4013)
Performance
(1455)
Story
(1460)

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother's death in childbirth and their father's disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics - their passion for the same woman - that will tear them apart.
Robert says: "An Epic Medical Novel"
"brilliant and amazing"

Overall
Performance
Story

What made the experience of listening to Cutting for Stone the most enjoyable?

this story kept me hooked through the whole thing. the characters are well written and read. the story is nothing less than spellbinding. i rarely write a review but this one, i felt deserved special acknowledgement

What does Sunil Malhotra bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

being able to fulfill the characters dialects helps

0 of 0 people found this review helpful