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Loyola

A former accountant and staff trainer. Now retired, I enjoy knitting and weaving. I enjoy intelligent, insightful books with lead characters I respect. I deplore novels fille with gratuitous violence and depraved sexual behavior written to shock the reader.

CAMDENTON, MO, United States | Member Since 2008

11
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 10 reviews
  • 67 ratings
  • 186 titles in library
  • 10 purchased in 2013
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  • Daemon

    • UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 57 mins)
    • By Daniel Suarez
    • Narrated By Jeff Gurner
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (5299)
    Performance
    (2411)
    Story
    (2425)

    Thousands of autonomous computer programs, or daemons, make our networked world possible, running constantly in the background of our lives, trafficking e-mail, transferring money, and monitoring power grids. For the most part, daemons are benign, but the same can't always be said for the people who design them.

    Erica says: "Possibly The Best Techno-thriller Ever"
    "Sordid and disgusting"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you try another book from Daniel Suarez and/or Jeff Gurner?

    Definitely no.


    What was most disappointing about Daniel Suarez’s story?

    Descriptions of cruelty, forced oral sex, depravity sprinkled throughout first few chapters. Despite the plot description which sounded like clever use of computer technology, the plot involving technology took second place to the disgusting narrative. I quit trying after a few chapters --- feeling that completing the book would be masochism. I don't consider this trash to be literature even if the technology plot is interesting. Why would people want to listen to this?


    What three words best describe Jeff Gurner’s performance?

    It was OK.


    What character would you cut from Daemon?

    Not applicable - did not finish the book.


    Any additional comments?

    I purchased this because of advertising from Audible lauding the plot and technical expertise of the author. There was nothing in the review information that suggested that there would be such explicit descriptions of depraved behavior. I am disappointed and this will make me extra cautious in choosing future purchases.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Diabetes without Drugs: The 5-Step Program to Control Blood Sugar Naturally and Prevent Diabetes Complications

    • UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 30 mins)
    • By Suzy Cohen
    • Narrated By Jo Anna Perrin
    Overall
    (18)
    Performance
    (17)
    Story
    (16)

    Based on breakthrough studies, Diabetes Without Drugs reveals how people with diabetes can reduce their need for prescription medication and minimize the disease's effect on the body.

    Barry says: "Thank you"
    "Good info, narrator drove me nuts"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    If you could sum up Diabetes without Drugs in three words, what would they be?

    Vital health information


    Who was your favorite character and why?

    n/a - this is a medical book without leading characters.


    What didn’t you like about Jo Anna Perrin’s performance?

    Narrator has a high pitched voice and speaks in an unnatural cadence. Her slow pacing and odd inflections make her narration sound like she is reading a book to kindergartners. I did not finish the book because the narration was too irritating.

    I regret not finishing it, because the author's content is valuable to me... I may end up buying it in book form instead. Perhaps Amazon would let me exchange the audiobook for the Kindle book.


    If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

    not applicable - it would be a documentary.


    Any additional comments?

    Sometimes I wonder why people choose the narrators that they do.

    0 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Undone

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 7 mins)
    • By Karin Slaughter
    • Narrated By Natalie Ross
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (330)
    Performance
    (226)
    Story
    (221)

    In her latest suspense masterpiece, Karin Slaughter weaves together moving, powerful human stories of characters as real as they are complex and unforgettable. At the same time she has crafted a work of dazzling storytelling and spine-tingling mystery - as three people, with their own wounds and their own secrets, are all that stand between a madman and his next crime.

    MickeyMarie says: "Very Well Done"
    "Too grisly and gory for me."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What did you like best about Undone? What did you like least?

    Narrator was quite good. Main characters were realistic people and not


    Would you ever listen to anything by Karin Slaughter again?

    Unlikely. The book description and other reviews did not allude to the sadistic, ugly narrative.


    7 of 9 people found this review helpful
  • My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By Ben Ryder Howe
    • Narrated By Bronson Pinchot
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (183)
    Performance
    (121)
    Story
    (124)

    This sweet and funny tale of a preppy editor buying a Brooklyn deli with his Korean in-laws is about family, culture clash, and the quest for authentic experiences. It starts with a gift. When Ben Ryder Howe’s wife, the daughter of Korean immigrants, decides to repay her parents’ self-sacrifice by buying them a store, Howe, an editor at the rarefied Paris Review, agrees to go along.

    lesley says: "Absolutely delightful!"
    "interesting story, excellent narration"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    For me, this was an interesting story and very good narration. I looked forward to each listening installment.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Starswarm

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs)
    • By Jerry Pournelle
    • Narrated By Lloyd James
    Overall
    (459)
    Performance
    (118)
    Story
    (119)

    Kip has a secret. A young boy who lives with his uncle at the Starswarm Station research outpost on planet Paradise, he has heard a voice in his head for as long as he can remember. The voice guides him in all his decisions, helping him through situations with useful information and helpful insight.

    L. says: "Genius"
    "good story, annoying narration"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This was a pretty good sci fi story - it kept my interest. However, the book seemed to take forever to finish. The narrator has lengthy pauses after every sentence and often, in the middle of a sentence. I would not choose a book by this narrator again. My disappointment with the listening experience caused me to lose interest frequently. I might read the actual book, though, especially if there were a sequel.

    0 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Kill Me Again

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 58 mins)
    • By Maggie Shayne
    • Narrated By Rachel Butera
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (21)
    Performance
    (5)
    Story
    (5)

    Reclusive novelist Aaron Westhaven, a man she's admired - and more - for years, has accepted Olivia Dupree's invitation to speak at a local fundraiser. But the day he's due to arrive, she gets a call summoning her to the bedside of a John Doe whose sole possession is her business card. Can this undeniably compelling man - survivor of an execution-style gunshot wound - really be the novelist the lonely Olivia has grown to think of as a near soul mate?

    Paula says: "Fast moving romantic thriller"
    "lame story, awful narrator"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The narrator tried to use different voices for the various characters in this book. Unforttunately she chose the most irritating "little girl" voice for the heroine who is supposed to be a university professor. It made it excruciating to finish the story. The book itself starts out fairly well, but the story line got lamer as it progressed.... with the events and behavior of the characters becoming more ludicrous. A very disappointing listen.

    0 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Think of a Number: A Novel

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 30 mins)
    • By John Verdon
    • Narrated By George Newbern
    Overall
    (185)
    Performance
    (86)
    Story
    (84)

    Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration: “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation.

    Kelley says: "Fresh and Frightening!"
    "spellbinding"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This was the most compelling "thriller" type of audiobook that I've enjoyed in a long while. I couldn't wait to listen further to find out what happens in the story. The narrator was excellent.

    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 48 mins)
    • By Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
    • Narrated By Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (159)
    Performance
    (52)
    Story
    (51)

    Like golfing, fishing, and gardening, knitting is an obsession. It's an activity fraught with guilt, frustration, over-optimism, sly deception, and compulsion, along with passionate moments of creative enlightenment - not to mention heaps of yarn you really think you'll knit someday. The first step toward recovery is getting help - and having a good laugh at your compulsion. At Knit's End is a wicked and wickedly funny fix for any knitter.

    S says: "Raise your needles and say "Yay!""
    "Reflective amusement for knitting lovers"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    First of all, I'm a voracious knitter. Second, I'm a fan of the author. I have two of her books in audible form, and they are my "keepers" -- ones I never delete, and go back to from time to time to sample excerpts when I need a relaxing chuckle.

    If you're not a knitter, you probably won't appreciate the humor. But if you ARE a knitster, don't miss this book!

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs)
    • By Anthony Bourdain
    • Narrated By Anthony Bourdain
    Overall
    (2877)
    Performance
    (824)
    Story
    (816)

    Last summer, The New Yorker published chef Anthony Bourdain's shocking, "Don't Eat Before Reading This." Now, the author uses the same "take-no-prisoners" attitude in his deliciously funny and shockingly delectable audiobook, sure to delight gourmands and philistines alike.

    Holly says: "Kitchen Confidential"
    "Interesting overview of the life of a chef"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I enjoyed this novel - never read previous books by Anthony Bourdain. Very interesting, never lost my attention. It would have been a better listened if narrated by a good professional narrator. At times, Bourdain rushed through sentences too quickly with too little intonations. However overall, glad I bought it.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Stitches in Time

    • ABRIDGED (3 hrs and 21 mins)
    • By Barbara Michaels
    • Narrated By Barbara Rosenblat
    Overall
    (37)
    Performance
    (11)
    Story
    (11)

    When an antique bridal quilt appears under mysterious circumstances at the vintage clothing shop where Rachel Grant works, she is fascinated. She has never been able to resist handmade textiles from the past, for she believes that through the ages, women wove protective magic into their fabrics in order to mark the important events of their lives: birth, marriage, and death.

    Sara says: "A neat knot of a mystery"
    "Lame story narrated like a tv soap opera"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I wish I hadn't spend extra $$ during a sale to download this disappointment. Choppy writing, rough scene changes, unbelievable changes in characters from chapter to chapter, the writing is bad. The narration was annoying - a phrase ion nearly every pareagraph uttered in dark sinister tones.

    0 of 2 people found this review helpful

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