Debra

The author writes about her long-standing love affair with Paris and how Paris helped her heal after the death of her husband. I could really relate to the widowhood aspect of the book and I so want to visit Paris someday myself. I would be nice to have the money to buy myself a little apartment in Paris and relocate there but, alas, that doesn't seem to be in the cards. Enjoyed the book, in spite of the name-dropping.

When Charlie and his sister inherit their aunt's run-down estate in rural England, Ashenden Park, they disagree over what they should do with it. Charlie, who now resides in New York City, knows they can't afford to keep such an enormous estate and his sister Ros wants to keep it and live there. As they are contemplating the decisions they need to make, the reader is transported back to different periods in the history of Ashenden Park, from it's design and contruction, to a later owner who had the money to make it a great estate, to its becoming a hospital for soldiers during WWI and on to Charlie's aunt purchasing the estate and restoring it in the 1950s. The book was reviewed as Downton Abbey-ish, but I did not feel that it was. It was a good book, but not a great one. Recommended, with that caveat.

Author Cheryl Strayed details the walk she took on the Pacific Coast Trail one summer, hiking over 1100 miles in the process. Still grieving over the loss of her mother, her solitary hike gave her the time she needed to learn about herself and accept her mother's death. Along the way, she met a variety of characters, most friendly and helpful to her. Underestimating the amount of cash she would need on her journey and buying boots one size too small were but two of her challenges. I enjoyed the book very much, but would have enjoyed more descriptions of the trail and surrounding landscape and a little less of the author's drug use and sex life. Still, recommended.

When you have read as many books on the Titanic disaster as I have, it is really difficult for me to find a new slant on the shipwreck. This author has done just that for me, he has found a new way to tell the story, from the viewpoint of the people who participated. Instead of focusing on how the ship reacts to the iceberg, he focuses on how the people react to the disaster. You feel as though you get to know the people who planned the ship, those who built the ship, those who sailed on the ship and those who survived the ship and went on to live out the rest of their lives. I was deeply inthralled to learn so much about the people. A fantasic read for the true Titanic buff. The reader for this title was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed my audio experience.

Not unless Hollywood did a better job than they did on "One for the Money".

Typical Stephanie Plum fare. Cars explode, Stephanie survives, but can't decide between Ranger and Morelli. A nice formula for Janet Evanovich, but nothing outstanding.

In this fictional work, a committee has been chosen to select the 9/11 memorial to be erected on ground zero in New York City. When the committee reaches consensus on the design to be chosen, everyone is stunned to discover that the artist responsible for the design is a Muslim. An American. And also a Muslim. What follows is outrage, hurt feelings, betrayals and fighting to determine if they are to go forward with a design by a Muslim, or a different design. It was a good book, very topical, and written before the controvery with the Mosque being built near ground zero. I did not like how it ended and was disappointed in how the author wrapped up the story. I won't tell you the ending; you'll have to read that for yourself!

It was good to download something as a test to make sure the service worked on my old iPhone that I've converted to use as an iPod.

No.

Of course, I've read this many times in the past, but this was my first time in audio. Recorded Books has done a fantastic job on this book; narrator Linda Stephens does a wonderful job conveying the voices of the characters. A must-buy to GWTW fans!

Everything wraps up (finally) in this third book of Stieg Larsson's trilogy. As Lisbeth awaits trial for her actions against her father, she is cleared of the murders from book two. Mikael works tirelessly to clear everything up and is the hero of the day. In the end, Lisbeth once again accepts Mikael's friendship. Loved it.

After two of Mikael Bloomkvist's friends are murdered, Mikael is sure it has to do with the book they were about to publish on the sex-trade operation in Sweden. When the police decide to focus on Lisbeth Salander for the murders, Mikael must get involved to track dow the real murderer and clear Lisbeth. What a ride these books take you on. Fast-paced action tempered with real details that put the reader right in the middle of the action. Recommended for those readers who don't mind the gritty details.