Katherine

I enjoyed Philip Pullman's 'Dark Materials' trilogy, and wanted to hear more of his work. I was very pleased to see that Anton Lesser - one of my favorite actors - was the narrator for this work. Lesser's reading is amazing, as he convincingly voices everyone from a terrified female child to a pickpocket-turned-honest to an old crone. The story is gripping, and the presentation is superb. This is suitable for teens and adults, although the material is probably too strong for kids under 13.

My daughter and I heard a portion of the second book in this series on Sirius Book Radio, and we were completely intrigued. So I bought the audiobooks of both Book 1 and 2, and thoroughly enjoyed both.

The descriptions may make it sound like this is some 'Twilight' rip-off, but it is not. The story is about adults trying to make their relationship work, and trying to learn more about how their species' came to be. The stories and characters are far richer than so much of the vampire YA literature out there! These books are for people who think, for people who have an interest in history and science and education.

The reader is quite good, although she occasionally (very rarely) mispronounces words. Can't wait for the third book!

This was recorded shortly before Mitch Hedberg died of an overdose. Mitch was a master of the surreal non-sequiter. He's my favorite comedian on the Sirius XM Laugh USA station. But the monologues played on Laugh USA are 'family friendly' with no language stronger than an occasional 'damn'. So it was a bit of a shock to hear Mitch using the F word repeatedly on this recording. Mitch is still very funny on this recording, just not something I can share with my young kids.

Enjoyed this very much. I'd heard these programs on BBC Radio 4Extra and thoroughly enjoyed the series. Unfortunately, this contains only 4 of the 6 programs in the series, and the program I enjoyed the most isn't here. But that's okay - Dawn French, Lenny Henry, Hugh Laurie, John Sessions, and of course the incomparable Stephen Fry (even if he can't rap to save his soul), are all there to enjoy.

I'm not sure why I bought this, because I'm not the target audience (I'm in my 50's, but this book is clearly for young adults). That being said, I enjoyed the story quite a bit. The two-narrator presentation was good, although Blas Kisic sounded a little old for the part. The story has some intense scenes that are better for young adults over the age of 16 or 17 - but I also don't think this book would interest kids much younger than that, since it doesn't feature wizards or mythical creatures.

I've never cared for the movie 'My Fair Lady.' But Anton Lesser is one of my favorite actors, so I thought I'd give this a try. The story is quite different - and much, much better - than the movie. Anton Lesser portrays Henry Higgins as a younger man - perhaps in his 30's - so there is not the icky 'dirty old man' aspect that Rex Harrison conveyed. The ending is more satisfactory, as well. Very funny, well acted by the cast, and much better than the movie adaptation!

I enjoyed this story and the performance very much. The story was a bit racier than I would have expected, though. There is fair amount of drunkeness and even a suggestion of adultery! Nothing surprising today, perhaps, but this was written in the 1920's, and made into a movie as well. It's not that I'm a prude, it was just unexpected. The story is charming, though, and the characters well drawn.

It takes awhile for this story to get going, but it becomes gripping later. Anton Lesser's reading is, as always, magnificent. This is a classic thriller - no gory stuff, and more of a mental cat-and-mouse game than an action adventure. There is a lot of sailing terminology, but it is not essential to understand the jargon (I didn't understand most of it) to enjoy the book.

I couldn't stop listening to this audiobook, even as the night hours passed. A fascinating and illuminating take on the famous play, fleshing out the characters and explaining their motives. Alan Cumming is fantastic. Strongly recommended to anyone who loves the play, or anyone who loves a thrilling story.

I love listening to the 'News Quiz' on the BBC. Since I am an American, I don't always understand the references to various British public figures, but the interactions between Sandi Toksvig and her guests are always funny. The humor is timeless, which is saying a lot for a program devoted to then-current events!

Steve Martin is the best. This is a hilarious short story, delivered in his low-key manner.