K.

I'm a "Hilter Germany" junkie so I had to listen to this one, but if I had been reading it, I don't think I would have finished it. Although really interesting in some places, I would not call it "gripping". At times it reminded me of the line from Amadeus, when Emporer Joseph said to Mozart..."too many notes."
I had the same problem with The Devil in the White City, (which I couldn't finish), so I guess I'm just not a big Erik Larson fan, if you are, please disregard my comments.

Sarah Vowell just speaks to me. We read this for my book club and some members found her "arrogant" or "flippant"-- like those were BAD things??? OK, maybe she is a bit flippant, but that's her charm. I read this book and listened to it TWICE, so maybe I just "got it" and they didn't.

Aside from her irreverant style (which is why love her writing), her books are filled with wonderful historical facts--things you just did not learn in History class! If you find history dry and boring, give one of Sarah Vowell's books a try.

Let me admit that I think Sarah Vowell is one of the funniest, wittiest, most intelligent writers around today. This book of short vignettes is an absolute gem. The Swiss (who are very reserved on trains or busses) give me funny looks as I laugh out loud while savoring Sarah Vowell's clever turn-of-phrase. Unfamiliar Fishes is my favorite Vowell book, but this one may usurp Assassination Vacation as my second favorite.

The two main characters in this book, Amy and Nick Dunne, are pretty unlikeable (Amy's parents aren't much better), BUT don't let that stop you from listening to this riveting story. The "mystery" wasn't that hard to figure out, but I couldn't stop listening--I just had to know waht terrible thing was going to happen next! This isn't a pyshical who-done-it, but a psychological thriller of the best kind. Excellent, edge of your seat writing.

The two narrators also did an excellent job. I think this was one of those books that is better listened to than read.

I heard this book reviewed on a BBC program. Everyone on that show just loved it, so I thought, even though I'm over my (long ago) teenage obsession with vampires, I would give it a try. It did not live up to my expectations.

I liked the premise, your basic middle-class vampires trying to live "normal" lives, but I just didn't care about anyone in this story. If I had been reading it, I would not have finished.

Do not expect "Interview with the Vampire" which is, in my humble opinion, still the best vampire book ever written.

I'm a sucker for Gabriel Allon. I cannot get enough of these books. If you feel the same way, this one won't disappoint. (I also like Vivaldi even though he wrote the same concerto a hundred times.) It's not his most "believeable" work, but then are any of them? Isn't that why we love them?

I prefer the books with ex-Nazi or Russian crime lords as antagonists, as opposed to middle eastern terrorists (too close for comfort?) but if you are hooked on this series like I am, this one will satisify.

I'm not sure how long this series can go on, though. Gabriel and gang are getting a little old for this line of work--he must be at least 60 so, how old must chain-smoking Shamron be by now?

If you are just beginning to read Daniel Silva, this is not the best one to start with... I'd recommend "The English Assasin" which is still my all-time favorite.

Another "page turner" (so to speak) in The Lincoln Lawyer series. The Fifth Witness continues the Mickey Haller saga and delivers another excellent courtroom drama complete with Michael Connelly's signature surprise ending.

I laughed out loud when the Hollywood director asked Haller what he thought of Matthew McConaughey playing him in the movie. Nice one, Mr Connelly.

Good for long drives because otherwise you'll have too many "driveway moments"!

This is my first book by Michael Connelly, but it won't be my last. It started out a little slowly, but by the second half, we were glued to our seats. When we got home from our 7 hour drive, we had to bring the MP3 player into the house so we could finish the story RIGHT NOW. Adam Grupper is one of the best readers I've listened to. He really nailed the essence of each character. If you like a story that will keep you guessing, this is the one. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

If you are trying to decide which of the many version to buy, look no futher, this one cannot be beat. Next to P&P, Persuasion is my favorite Austen book and I've always loved it, but Juliette Stevenson's narration made it even better--she's the audiobook equivalent of Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in the BBC production of P&P! Her voice is just a joy to listen to. As soon as the book is over, you'll want to listen to it all over again. What are you waiting for? Download this one!

This is a fabulous book. A wonderful thread of history from 15th-16th century North Africa, Spain, and Italy to 19th century Vienna to 20th century Bosnia and Australia. The story is intricate, and bounces around between time frames, but it is written well enough that you don't get lost (unless you don't listen for a week or two, then you may have to rewind). The characters are all interesting--almost too interesting, I wanted to hear more of each of their stories.
I would have given this book 5 stars, but the narration sometimes distracted from the story. I guess if you don't speak any Hebrew or German, the fact that she can't EVER get the accent on the right syllable, wouldn't bother you, but it drove me crazy. (BTW, it's HagGADdah, not HAGgaddag and it's the SheMA, not the SHEma--I mean, paleeze! Also, Liebchen is pronounced leeb-SHIN, not leeb-KIN.) I don't speak Serbo-Croatian, Spanish or Arabic, so if there were mistakes there I didn't notice them.
However, that caveat should not keep you from listening to this book. Overall, the narration is fine, just some minor things that had me correcting her mistakes out loud!