Sherrie Dunford

Great big exhaustive books, this series is LONG. This one is number 5 in a series of, I think it's up to 8 by now. So why keep reading? Gabaldon is a fabulous author. She must be to hold anyone's attention that long. Yes, there are times that I feel like I have "read that already," but she has a way of creating twists in the plot that just keep you going. I am not a series kind of reader. Just don't want to commit to that much time. But I didn't know this was a series until I had read/listened to the first one, my favorite so far, btw (It was my first Audible book). I will finish the series, but not all at once. I probably won't get around to #6 until next summer. But I'll look forward to it then.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars as a story and overall is because it is just so long. And the repetitious nature of certain things, like the "love making." I mean, really, 5 times in a 36 hour period? And these people are nearing 50? My brain just can't handle that.

As always, Davina Porter's narration is as good as it gets. She is part of the magic in this series.

The ideas set forth in this book are great. Unfortunately, the writing did not match up to it. It was certainly worth reading and I got a lot out of it, but from a literary sense, it was tedious. These men were truly heroes. Maybe better said, they were true men. I wish there were a lot more of their ilk in this world.

This premise had the potential of being a blockbuster, but there was just too much junk to wade through. I totally understand that this woman had so many problems in her life that no one would aspire to, but I just thought it was overdone, and I just didn't love reading/listening to it. I kept expecting it to get better, and although the ending sort of redeemed much of the not-so-glorious parts of the book, it just wasn't enough for me to get all excited about. It seems that Ms. McFadden tried to follow along the lines of the marvelous "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neal Hurston, but in my opinion it did not even come close.

Such an insight into one of the most intelligent animals in the world. I loved learning about this misfit herd, and what Lawrence Anthony was able to do to save them. Just amazing.

Ever heard of Nancy Wake? Well, you probably should have. She was an incredible WWII heroine. What guts this woman had. She was a native Australian who became an undercover agent and explosives expert. She did not seem to flinch at facing the most terrifying of circumstances in order to do what needed to be done. She was responsible for helping countless people get out of France before they could be taken by the Germans. She herself was caught at one point, but she never gave up, and after regaining her freedom, went right back to putting it to the Germans.

I was amazed at the courage and determination of this woman, and wonder why I had never heard of her before.

I do not very often judge another human being, but in this case I can tell you that Warren Jeffs is one of the most evil men on the face of the earth. I pray he NEVER gets out of prison. Although he has never actually killed someone (that we know of), nevertheless, he has taken so many lives and destroyed their freedom that he should and must be held accountable.

The bottom line is Gun Control is less about guns and more about control. Get smart, America. Don't let them infringe our second amendment rights to keep and bear arms. It is unconstitutional, and if it happens, where do we stop as far as letting them take our freedoms away? It won't end well.

I LOVED this book. As she did in "Stiff," Mary Roach tackles a less than savory subject with intelligent and humor. I learned a lot of great info about the digestive track, and I laughed out loud at many of Roach's vignettes and explanations. Who knew that ingesting someone else's fecal material could restore your probiotic balance and help you heal, for example? If you have any interest in how the body really works, you will love this book. However, if you are a bit squeamish,you may want to pass. This is not nearly as, well, upsetting as "Stiff," but the subject matter is often inappropriate for "polite company." I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Emily Woo Zeller's narration was spot on. Such a fun listen!

The premise of this story is very creative and I was immediately engaged. These characters find themselves in a heck of a fix. My heart was broken for all of them.

I wanted a different ending, but I don't know what it would have been. Perhaps there was no way to end it in an equitable manner. It is a tough problem that these people had to deal with.

Although I liked the narrator, he was very hard to understand at times, especially when his voice went very soft. I know he was doing that for effect, but if you can't understand what he is saying, the effect is lost anyway.

All in all, I would recommend this book. I enjoyed reading/listening to it very much.

This is a beautifully crafted story. I think the thing I enjoyed most about it is how the author, Jess Walter, was able to tell several different but related stories at once, weaving them together into a unified whole. The stories crossed many years and many countries before being tied up so beautifully in the end. Each story has its heartbreaks and happiness, bitter and sweet. It is like a symphony that passes the melody around through various instruments, but at last brings it all together in a glorious recapitulation.

The characters are well developed and run the gamut from many that I loved, to many that I disliked, to some that I loathed. I recommend this book to most adult readers, those who can appreciate a good story without freaking at the yucky stuff. There is some swearing in it, but it is mostly by the bad guys, something that made me dislike them all the more. I just don't like to read a lot of swearing. It isn't classy.

This book made me want to look up information on Richard Burton. Did you know he was #12 of 13 children? His mother died giving birth to #13. He was raised by his sister Cecelia. Burton was not his real surname. He took that name from his mentor who adopted him, Phillip Burton. Phillip made him go up on the highlands in the wind and practice his diction. He had to make himself be heard and understood without shouting. He was very close friends with Dylan Thomas, and grieved a long time when Thomas died young.

Thought you might enjoy that bit of Richard Burton trivia. You'll appreciate it if you read this book.

Narration by Edoardo Ballerini was top notch. Obviously Italian himself, he seemed at ease in both English and Italian.

Ok, here's my problem. As soon as my eyes open, I only have one thing on my mind: Where's the food! So my pre-breakfast productivity is at a startling low. I am feeling guilty. I already get up at 5:30, but I don't get the exercise in. I need to start doing it, but then I need to start doing a lot of things. I enjoyed this book, but there wasn't a lot new in it. I love getting up early and getting a lot done, but then, I also love staying up late and sleeping in when I can. Which should I do? I guess I stay up too late too often because I am not that successful, at least not in monetary terms. (more guilt)

This author reads her own book. I have heard worse, but it would have been much better if she had hired a professional reader.