"Worth the wait!"
I was determined to listen to the Dresden series in order, so it was a pleasant surprise when books 6 & 7 became available months earlier than expected! Blood Rites features a fairly new and interesting character, Kincaid the bodyguard of the Archive. I'm looking forward to hearing more of his story in future books. Love the addition of Mouse!
James Marsters sounds more polished and "edited" than in the earlier books, but the books are becoming more complex and polished as well. It's still a fine matching of narrator and author.
"A delightful listen!"
Wil Wheaton is my new favorite narrator, and I'm definitely going to be downloading more John Scalzi audiobooks. Agent to the Stars is what I consider light reading; pure entertainment. Mr. Wheaton's narration adds color (and texture?) to the story, and the result was 100% fun. This audiobook would be perfect to listen to on a long drive.
"How did I miss this one?"
Don't know what I was doing back in 1998 that made me miss this Stephen King book, but I'm rather glad to have the chance to listen to it now in 2012. Hearing King read the book was both intimate and chilling. Although the plot is supernatural (which I can't quite believe in), the characters are credible and I thoroughly enjoyed the listen.
"Holy Crap, I listened to the whole thing!"
After all the hype, I was expecting some unique plot twists. Sadly, this isn't the case. Without the mature content, the plot wouldn't be strong enough to stand on its own. And the mature content ...well, let's just say it's been done better (Anne Rice's Beauty trilogy, anyone?). It does seem to be striking a chord with readers though - it remains one the top downloads, and everyone seems to be talking about it.
"Not what I expected - better!"
I downloaded this book on the basis of a recommendation on BoingBoing - knowing it would be interesting at the very least. Never did I expect it would be one of my top listens so far for the year! Wil Wheaton won me over as the narrator, and the story had me sitting the driveway long after I got home waiting for a stopping point. It will make a great movie!
"Exciting, fast paced and worth a credit!"
I was a little wary about this one, especially after reading all the comments about the narrator. What a surprise! This was one of the most enjoyable books I've listened to in awhile. The narrator does a fine job. I had no trouble differentiating between characters, in fact it seemed to me that a story written in the first person voice SHOULD be read by a single narrator. And I rather enjoy Mr Deaver's detours from his regular characters!
"Narrator was great!"
I loved Ed Asner's narration; it was like listening to a beloved grandpa tell a story. The story, on the other hand was mediocre. It was well-written and somewhat engaging, but I found my mind wandering. Also, I was constantly adjusting the volume on this book (something I don't need to do on other Audible downloads). All in all, it wasn't a terrible listen, but I sure wish I'd downloaded it from the library for free instead of using a credit.
"Too short"
Reading a Stephen King book is always a sure thing for me. I know I'm going to be absorbed by the story. UR was no exception, but it felt like the story hadn't been developed enough, that it should have been longer. The ending felt sudden and unexpected, as if Mr King only had an hour left to finish the book. Regardless, I enjoyed the listen and look forward to the next journey with Mr King.
"Sick and Amusing"
Chelsea Handler is not for everyone, but if you can get past her uninhibited frankness her books are hilarious. This narrator sounds very much like Ms Handler, and had no problem at all conveying her dry humor. For me, this fell into the category of light listening. It wouldn't have held my interest on a long drive, but it was perfect to listen to while painting the bedroom. I recommend listening with earbuds...you don't want kids (or your 80 year old mother) to hear this!