Gary

Top 5%

The Ghostman, of course. He is flawed and criminal yet you can put yourself in his shoes and see things from his perspective.

I enjoyed breaking it up into my commutes to absorb and think about it as I went along.

Great first novel. The book weaves 2 stories involving the same character at different times in a way that slowly lets you understand why the Ghostman is the person he is and why he is in his current situation. Like any good book, he teaches you a lot about the subject and makes you feel a part of the action. I listen to dozens of books a year and this is one of the best. I usually don't write reviews, but wanted to share this one with people who like criminal thrillers.

I would have liked to have had the short stories more complete. It seems like the book is made up of story ideas the author started and never finished. And that is how some of the short stories end, right in the middle of the story as if she never finished it, but sent it in to be included in this book. I thought there was a problem with my audio player. Did it just skip to the next story in the middle of the current one? I also expected more about the early life of Kinsey: her childhood, time in the police force, etc., But there was little of that. Also, I agree with other reviewers that the second part of book with stories about a character based on Sue Grafton's life were probably cathartic to her, but not very interesting to the reader.

No, I still enjoy the whole Kinsey Millhone series and detective genre.

Yes. The first 14 Kinsey Millhone books were read by another narrator, Mary Peiffer, who I really enjoyed. Then it took me awhile to get used to Judy Kaye. Especially when a book series is written in the first person, you get to know a narrator as the character and don't like changes. But Judy Kaye has now become Kinsey Millhone. The narrator could only read what she had to work with.

It was an OK book to tide you over until the next full alphabet detective book by Sue Grafton.... W is for ???

You can't get the feeling that Jim Bouton puts into it with the printed edition. This is the best author read book I have ever listened to. It is like sitting around having a few beers with Jim Bouton and letting him tell you stories - about baseball, about his family and about his life. You will laugh out loud and cry along with Bouton, who does both as he reads his book. Nice to see someone who is not afraid to display real emotion. Only a Bowie Kuhn loving, myopic Yankee fan could still hate this book. The little editing miscues only add to the charm of the book. This is not a sterlie precise, English diction recording.... this is life at its rawest form.... real amd emotional. The people that complain about this would probably sit a ball game and sulk the whole time too.

Ken Stabler's "Snake"

No

I am delightfully surprised at the humor and writing that is as fresh and readable (listenable) today as it was 100 years ago. Often a book that old is difficult to read and the phrasing is very different than books today. But the Autobiography of Mark Twain is so funny in many parts that you will laugh out loud (it is a rare book that can make you do that). It is not all humor. Many of the stories are tragic or dramatic. But they all have that flair and lightness that make them a true part of Mark Twain. The jumping around of topics is not disjointed but really makes the book enjoyable as you are not forced through the long narratives necessary to tie together good stories in a chronological autobiogrpahy. This is all of the good stuff without all of the filler. I can't wait for the next 2 volumes.

If you are looking for a fast paced book about the world of finance... look elsewhere. If you are looking for a book that tries to show how shallow and unlikable the privledged are and then becomes that very goal itself, this is the book for you. Mergers and Acquisitions tries to be a cross between John Irving and Richard Heller, creating one "outrageous" character and scenario after another to try to entertain and shock the reader. Instead, you plow through a maze of forgettable and unlikable characters who you hope will become more interesting, but never do. If you feel like quitting on this book when you are about 1/2 through, but feel like you need to stick with it because it might all pull together in the end and be worth the time invested in listening to the book, go ahead and quit. It doesn't and it isn't.

I can now see how Bill Clinton was so successful as President. He has the ability to persuade and make you like him, no matter what he does. He had a tough childhood that put a resolve and strength in him that made him a survivor. He married a woman who would push him farther than we would think possible. He made political hay out of her and turned Hillary into an asset rather than a political liability. He was the governor or a small backwoods state with little other experience and catapulted it into the Presidency through his sheer charm and willpower. Whether you like Clinton or not, he will come out as a different character when you get done reading this book. His revelations about Monica and his reasons (excuses) do not give much new insight into a possibly disastrous situation and he puts it into the context it belongs - as a minor failure by a man with an ego a little too big for his own good. He expands on his personal flogging and begging for forgiveness far more than the episode itself. It would have been interesting to know if there were any political deals struck with Hillary to help her endure this embarrassment, but I'm sure we will never know that whole story. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you need to read this book. It will not only tell you about the man, but give you insight into the time we have all lived through.

When you order this book, don't get discouraged by the slow pace and tedious details the author uses in the first third of the book to set up the last 2/3 of the book. It will be worth your investment in time. The action picks up and keeps going strong. You won't believe how close we came to losing our whole revolution until one man, George Washington, took a desperate situation by the horns and changed the entire future of our country in this one week in our history. The interview with the author at the end is very interesting too, although you will be glad he didn't choose to read his own book. The narrator lays on the accents a little thick, but otherwise does a passable job. Invest a few hours in a story that is better than any fiction from around this time.

The 9th century is brought to life in this book. The story revolves around a young noblemen who switches his allegiance back and forth between his native England and the invading Danes. Although a short book, it is packed with action and characters. The ancient names are a little tough to keep straight in the beginning, but the author gives you enough clues when he brings them in and out to keep them sorted out. The book has strong male and female characters living in a tough time. You will feel like you have an understanding of what it was like to live then and that there aren't always black and white, good guys and bad guys. I only wish it was longer.

Forget about the fictional accounts of the expansion into the Western United States. The real story is much more fascinating and inspiring. You will not believe what it took to build a transcontinental railroad across the unsettled West. The Great Railroad Race of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific to lay the most track is one of the great engineering feats and contests of any century. Stephen Ambose again proves he is a master story teller and historian. He can combine the facts of the history with the stories of the people involved and weave it into a story that will keep you interested from beginnning to end. The reader is excellent as well, with a soothing voice that still displays the emotion and excitement of the situation. He also has the ability to perform several dialects without making them seem silly, as so often happpens with other readers. Explore some of the history of the United States in this epic American saga.

The author took what might have made a good short story (maybe 2 hours maximum) and turns it into a monotonous, gruelling 14 hours of overkill, read by a poor reader that only makes it that much more torturous. Most of his concepts are repeated so often you think you have rewound the book in error. If you are interterested in Jefferson, find a better biography than this one.