Joyce

It is difficult to review this book without ruining the experience. I thought I knew where Clines was going, then BAM--he changed directions and utterly surprised me. I did not see where he was going with 14 and was questioning Audible placing it in the Sci-Fi category..I was sooo naive! I believe I can make some comparisons without giving the plot away:

It is part Stephen King and part Frank Peretti (I think I should stop there as you are probably completely baffled...as you should be! This is utterly unique!). 14 is bizarre and wonderful.

Ray Porter did a fantastic job. I put him in the same category as Scott Brick and Kate Reading (2 of my favorites). He gave each of the characters their own personality. The evil characters made my skin crawl and I cheered for the heroes.

Recommended, I just cant tell you why without spoiling it~

This is the kind of story that you don't want to out down. It grabs you and does not let you go. The characters are flawed in unusual ways. Its difficult to determine who is good and who is bad as they all seem to have qualities of both. In other words they are very human. It is not a typical story line that the author dusted spider webs off and put a new spin on. It was a nice surprise.

For full disclosure I must admit the production quality is a bit off. Emily Bauer is an excellent narrator. Loved the life as she knew it books she narrated. This production has some weird background noises that are distracting. It sounds a bit like someone is chewing gum in the background. I was listening on a good quality blue tooth and it might be a bit more sensitive than the headphones I usually use.

It did not ruin the story, just distracted from it a bit.

Into the Darkest Corner was suspenseful...a little difficult to follow to being with...think it would have been easier in print format...I did not pay attention at first to the dates and years too closely, until I figured out half the story was told in flashback. (only took a couple dates to figure this out--) It jumps around a lot and once you get that it makes sense.

...my biggest gripe is that it just ends...not like a normal audible book..."Audible hopes you have enjoyed this book"....it seems like we are missing a line or two...I actually went back to make sure there was not a part three...and checked to make sure my device loaded everything correctly. After 14 hours of listening the end just fell flat--nothing was left unsaid or unresolved within the story line mind you... I was just expecting a conclusion--there is narration thru the last second and then nothing.

I was very engaged in the beginning and could not wait to listen to more. By the end I thought that it just kept replaying the same thing over and over and it started to fall flat.

I would not have a problem recommending this book to mystery and thriller fans, I run more along the scifi genre and I would not recommend it to someone who favors that flavor of novel.

I enjoyed Wither from the very beginning. It is light listening that does not require a lot of thought. I generally listen to sci-fi and fantasy and was looking for something just like this. I intend to listen to the entire series. It is a bit predictable but that did not take away from my enjoyment one bit. The protagonist is reminiscent of president Snow from the Hunger Games--evil to the core! It has a solid place in the teen dystopian genre.

Age of Miracles is a thoughtful novel.

I was dissappointed as I was hoping for something like 'One Second After' or 'Life as We Knew It' and it is not. It is told from the perspective of an 11 year old and is an innocent yet poignant coming of age (a bit early in my opinion~) story.

The changes occurring on earth are merely a back story. I believe if I had different expectations I would have become more engaged.

This is a good book but the synopsis is misleading. I suggest it would be a wonderful read for middle school child. (probably best for a girl as it deals with crushes and first bras!!!!)

I cannot fully express how much fun this book is.

I love the fact that Wil Wheaton reads this, and that he sounds like he is impersonating Captin Kirk in his rendition-This makes it even more fun.

It is outlandish and requires a complete suspension of disbelief. And, yes, I enjoyed Star Trek and its spin-offs (with the exception of Deep Space Nine) and there are lots of tongue-in-cheek references to the original series. I found myself smiling regularly as I listened and laughing out loud frequently. I highly recommend this book if you enjoyed Star Trek. Redshirts is a book I will bring out if I am feeling blue or nostalgic and need a dose of laughter.

I am relatively new to Scalzi, but I love his dry humor and ramapant sarcasm. He is a man after my own heart!

Highly recommended by a Trekkie (Ok, I never actually attended a convention so I might only be an honorary Trekkie~)

172 Hours did not live up to my expectations. It never seemed to fully develop and I felt like part of the story was missing. It jumped around and ended, just like that! It left me unsatisfied.

I keep wondering if something was lost in the translation or if it was a culture thing. The premise is great but the execution fell flat. I never identified nor cared about the characters even when things go awry. I could not have cared less when people started dying.

I have listened to other books narrated by Casey Holloway and I enjoyed her performance. This time her narration grated on me. I chalk it up to the material she had to work with.

I forced myself to finish the book so I could understand where it was leading and am utterly dissapointed. I just don't get it. There is no story within its pages.

Generally I dont write reviews like this, I wait until a book really moves me and I share my enthusiam for it. This time I just cant help myself. This truely is a book about nothing.

Oh wait, there was one good thing. I actually did an internet search on a historical figure that was discussed--only to find out that what was in the book was almost verbatim to what I found on line. And I do mean that literally.

I wish I had my credit back

Factoring Humanity gets complex at times (those were my favorite parts!!) and the listener has to pay close attention-if he/she is not a theoretical physicist!

This book brings to mind several things--Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, Dr Seuss (dont want to spoil it--if you listen you will probably see where I am going with this!) and Greg Bear--along with themes that permeate all of Sawyers books. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish.

I am sharing my serious geekie-ness with this next part...which is why I am changing my name once I submit this review (grin)...Robert Sawyer quotes the original Star Trek and the movie Wrath of Khan within the pages...and I had to dust off my copy and fast forward to the scene they discussed and see for myself what the author pointed out...which means to me that I was relating to this book on a personal (if seriously nerdy!) level...

My only complaint is that I have only one more Robert Sawyer novel to go...then I have to wait for him to publish something new next year...Would love if another reader who is a Sawyer fan could recommend another author who is similar. I have looked for ages and have been dissappointed in the choices I made.

I give Factoring Humanity 5 geeky stars and an honorable mention in Nerdy! Will definitely listen to this again and recommend it to my pocket protector adorned, duct-taped glass wearing, nerdy friends!!

I completed Hollowland and Hollowmen in a weekend of housework and errands that would have felt like a wasted weekend without them. I can see why Amanda Hocking has been described as an online phenomenon. Since listening to Hollowland I have searched for everything she has written and she is quite prolific. My wish list looks like her bibiography...and I have yet to be disappointed. I am not her target audience, it's been a long time since I could claim young adulthood but the genre is producing so many excellent books that I just can't resist. I also have a tween who loves to read (and listen!) and I like to know what she is reading and offer suggestions. Every once in awhile I find an author like Hocking and I get to feel like a superhero in my daughters eyes! Thanks to Amanda Hocking I am metaphorically wearing a giant 'S' on my shirt!

I am a big fan of Michael Scott's Alchemist series...when I saw this book I was very excited. But...it is as if I were reading a work by a completely different author.

His alchemist books are witty and well thought out and developed--This book is dull and lifeless in comparison. I chose not to write a review when I originally rated this book because I thought I might have had unreasonable expectations because of his YA novels--The alchemist series has vegetarian vampires, historical figures like Shakespeare as elders who are hundreds of years old and still going strong, and the pivotal characters travel from Europe to Alcatraz in search of elders who can teach 'elemental magic' ...

This book has graphic scenes that I was not expecting, lifeless characters I did not like nor dislike, and I never got lost in the story. I did like the final conclusion and recall thinking at the end--if the entire book had been this good I would have given it 5 stars.

If you have started this and put it down...it is worth seeing it thru as the end of the book is by far the best part. The end leaves room for a sequel but I will have to think long and hard before I purchase the next installment.