Bethann

Lahiri's Pulitzer prize winner only gets better the more often in is read.

Jenna Lamia is one of my absolute favourite audiobook narrators. Her voice is so natural and soothing, and she is able to lend depth to her characters, without being over the top melodramatic. Ceecee, however, really got on my nerves. I felt that she was essentially a selfish, whiny child that we are supposed to feel bad for because she's had a tough life. I didn't find any of the characters especially well developed or likeable. People have said it's The Help meets The Secret Life of Bees. I won't say anything about the latter, but honestly, Hoffman doesn't even come close to Kathryn Stockett. Stockett understands the South and happens to be a talented writer. Hoffman to me seems like a Northerner talking about something she knows nothing about. It's not helped by the fact that I think she's a rather weak writer. There are way too many flowery, painfully poetic sentences. It's okay if your not Shakespeare, but please don't try to be. Overall, she's not very original and she's not even very good at what she is trying to be. I wish she had created her own, unique voice that worked for her. I feel this whole book doesn't really work.

Rushdie is undeniably a good writer. His style and prose is excellent, and his characters and plot exceedingly well crafted. I have a great deal of respect for him as an author. But for some reason, this novel just doesn't do it for me. It certainly picked up in the last quarter, but I had to slog through for ages before reaching the point where I wanted to keep reading. I want to read another of his books, perhaps Midnight's Children or The Satanic Verses, seeing this was my first Rushdie, but after reading this one, I just can't bring myself to dive into another Rushdie just yet.

I was so disappointed by this story. I confess, I bought it because of the title and the cover, which just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover. The writing was bland, and the narrator, Orlagh Cassidy, was even blander. The story was painfully unoriginal and the characters rather irritating and poorly constructed. The random, gratuitous sex scenes were rather unnecessary and cheesy. They read much like a Harlequin romance might, if it were posing as literature. I struggled to finish this book.

In Maggi-Meg Reed's defence, Home was an incredibly boring book all on its own, so perhaps her painfully monotonous rendition had more to do with the lifelessness of the book itself than with her bland rendition of it.

I have always adored the heartwarming story of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Every little girl and ever woman should read this beautiful tale. That said, Sandra Burr is not my favourite narrator. Her voice can be a little grating. I realize it is difficult to do children's voices, but her rendition of both Beth and Amy left me wanting to slap both!

I won't comment on the novel Gone With the Wind, because nothing I can say would do this great classic justice. I will say that Linda Stephens is perhaps the best audiobook narrator I have ever had the pleasure of listening to! She is utterly fantastic.

This is both a fantastic book in and of itself, but it is also a thoroughly well-done audiobook. The narrator's voice is so rich and melodious! I would marry a 67 year old too, if he spoke like Tim Jerome! Robinson's story is slow, but wonderful. The characters, especially the central one, are very vivid and so very human. Highly recommended!

Hosseini's beautiful, poignant and passionate novel is perfectly interpreted by Atossa Leoni's brilliant reading. Her voice is soothing, genuine and powerful. This is one of the best books I have read in years, and Leoni is definitely the best audiobook narrator I have ever heard.

A Little Princess is one of my favourite children's stories. However, quite frankly,
Vanessa Maroney was a rather irritating narrator. Her "children's voice" was grating!