R. A. Frederick

This selection offers a wide variety of interesting, smart stories, perfect for listening to on a road trip and discussing later in a diner.

This book literally blew me away. I listened to an interview between Lee and Terry Gross and was impressed by Lee's nuanced answers. History buffs, alternative medicine seekers, law makers, civilians, pot heads, the sick, Republicans and Democrats, old and young alike will find so much to love about this book. I gave the hard copy to not one, not two, but three family members this holidays season, all of whom are as diverse as they come.
The history behind marijuana is well researched and the most complete I've ever come across, in terms of time and geography. The footnoted research done with medical journals is unlike any I've come across in the past and the reverence for the sacred use is refreshingly un-sappy.
I've learned so much from this book and hope you will too.

Katherine Kellgren's narration is so compelling, it makes up for the simplistic ending to this mystery. I am not one to listen to books that are a part of a series; I feel there are generally better, more unique books to be had that don't require a substantial time commitment. That said, this book stands well on its own and is a nice diversion for listeners looking for something easy for the holidays.

The story is disappointingly short (the second half of the book is the original), but delightful all the same. Wheaton is delicious as the narrator.

This story deserves all the accolades it has received. The story moves back and forth in time, using diary entries and different narrators to convey the two main characters. Flynn used a similar technique in Dark Places, but here, it is even better. The story is mysterious and exciting, and keeps the reader engaged throughout. The ending is extremely satisfying. I cannot wait for Flynn's next work.

Flynn's second novel is top notch; the characters are well described, the action is plausible and the plot will keep you up trying to finish the book. Though not as eloquent as Gone Girl, Dark Places doesn't disappoint.

If you can get over the narrator's horrible impression of the female's voices, this book has a lot to offer. The author is clearly Republican leaning, though moderate in his take of the new world that is created by an EMP blast. The story is realistic, with quite a bit of history of war thrown in. The characters are more or less believable, the action scenes credible and the cautionary tips about being prepared for anything are useful. Plus, the forward by Newt Gingrich is solid (this coming from a bleeding heart liberal).

Spy the Lie starts out a bit slow, with quite a bit of background and sports analogies. After Chapter Two, once you fully believe the authors are bright and well meaning, the fun begins. Listening to such a book made me want to take notes, so that I could better retain the information. Spy the Lie is basically a how-to on "The Method" for detecting deception. It won't make you a human lie detector, but it certainly can help you get to the truth. Plus, the analysis of OJ Simpson, Jerry Sandusky, and Christine O'Donnell are fascinating. The appendix includes sample questions for your child if you suspect he/she is doing drugs, and another sample list in case you think your significant other is cheating. I used "The Method" to uncover why a family member was behaving so strangely and it worked unbelievably well. Both party left the conversation feeling good because the truth had come out.

The reader speaks slow enough that it is preferable to listen to the book at 2x speed. I bought it on a whim and realize now that I should have listened to the preview. It is nearly impossible to get to the meat of the story as the narration is so slow (and even at 2x speed, the pauses between sentences are excruciating).

Sandra Burr does a fantastic job of reading Roach's story. Reading the book without Burr makes it feel like something is missing. The writing is smart and informative. I've remained riveted throughout the book.