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Ruy

Wolfenbuettel, Germany | Member Since 2006

HELPFUL VOTES

22 reviews
124 ratings
229 titles in library
14 purchased in 2013

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FOLLOWERS

The Girl Who Played with Fire: The Millennium Trilogy, Book 2

UNABRIDGED
- by Stieg Larsson
- Narrated by Simon Vance
The Girl Who Played with Fire: The Millennium Trilogy, Book 2

UNABRIDGED (18 hrs and 38 mins)

By Stieg Larsson

Narrated By Simon Vance

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(16337)
Performance
(6314)
Story
(6315)

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to publish a story exposing an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government. On the eve of publication, the two reporters responsible for the story are brutally murdered.
David says: "irritatingly engrossing"
"excellent thriller"

Overall
Performance
Story

I am rather new in this genre, but I find that Larsson is a master storyteller. Indeed, the story starts a bit slow, with background info and descriptions of the people involved without nothing really striking happening, but this works well to build the scaffold of the story, and once this is ready it shoots out like a rocket. I could not stop listening to the third part and heard it in one single sit (into an untimely hour). Kudos for Larsson.
Simon Vance delivers a decent job, he is not my favourite reader, but he never bothered me or distracted my attention from the story, so I take him as successful.
The very end of the book is one of the best closures I have read.
All in all, full marks for this audiobook.

32 of 36 people found this review helpful
Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships

UNABRIDGED
- by Christopher Ryan , Cacilda Jetha
- Narrated by Allyson Johnson , Jonathan Davis , Christopher Ryan
Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships

UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 57 mins)

By Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jetha

Narrated By Allyson Johnson, Jonathan Davis, Christopher Ryan

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(1190)
Performance
(728)
Story
(724)

Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. Mainstream science - as well as religious and cultural institutions - has maintained that men and women evolved in families in which a man's possessions and protection were exchanged for a woman's fertility and fidelity. But this narrative is collapsing....
Mark says: "too much focus on academic in-fighting"
"amazing"

Overall
Performance
Story

This is a well researched book, that while focuses on sexual human behavior, touches many other human traits during evolution, such as war and agression, cooperation and the overal impact that our culture might have in the research of our own selves. For an example I liked, they discuss how the victorian values and traditions biased the way Darwin reported his findings, and how his writings were censored to remove ideas offending the common beliefs of that time. The authors clearly name many controversial themes that are deeply ingrained in our cultural behavior and challenge their pertinence to what being human really means.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Rogue Island

UNABRIDGED
- by Bruce DeSilva
- Narrated by Jeff Woodman , Bruce DeSilva
Rogue Island

UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 59 mins)

By Bruce DeSilva

Narrated By Jeff Woodman, Bruce DeSilva

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(393)
Performance
(264)
Story
(264)

Liam Mulligan is as old school as a newspaper man gets. His beat is Providence, Rhode Island, and he knows every street and alley. He knows the priests and prostitutes, the cops and street thugs. He knows the mobsters and politicians--who are pretty much one and the same. Someone is systematically burning down the neighborhood Mulligan grew up in, people he knows and loves are perishing in the flames, and the public is on the verge of panic.
Michael says: "Classic Whodunnit"
"great title"

Overall
Performance
Story

I loved this book. The narrative is really fluid and the narrator does such a great job that it was like listening to a friend telling a real story, the book part became completely transparent. An amazing first novel, I look forward to read more from this author. Definitively recommended.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Beautiful Bird Songs from Around the World

UNABRIDGED
- by The British Library
Beautiful Bird Songs from Around the World

UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 3 mins)

By The British Library

Overall
(2)
Performance
(0)
Story
(0)

This download showcases some of the most exquisite sounds that can be heard in the natural world, from the rich, melodious songs of the Blackbird, Pied Butcherbird and Nightingale that are full of complexity, ingenuity and perfectly arranged phrases, to the breathtaking compositions of the Skylark, Albert's Lyrebird and White-rumped Shama, and the rhythmical variations on a theme from the Chiming Wedgebill and White-browed Robin-chat.
Ruy says: "Really beautiful"
"Really beautiful"

Overall
Performance
Story

I had been searching for some good bird song recording for quite a while. This is exactly what I had in mind. The tracks are between 2 and 5 minutes, no voice over comment, just the bird singing in a high quality recording. There are 40 different bird songs showcased from all over the world. The record is truly great.

You will hear some amazing sounds in this compilation.

Thank you, Audible, for making available this wonderful material.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Sandworms of Dune

UNABRIDGED
- by Brian Herbert , Kevin J. Anderson
- Narrated by Scott Brick
Sandworms of Dune

UNABRIDGED (19 hrs and 43 mins)

By Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson

Narrated By Scott Brick

Overall
(534)
Performance
(168)
Story
(168)

Based directly on Frank Herbert's final outline, which lay hidden in two safe-deposit boxes for a decade, Sandworms of Dune will answer the urgent questions Dune fans have been debating for two decades: the origin of the Honored Matres, the tantalizing future of the planet Arrakis, the final revelation of the Kwisatz Haderach, and the resolution to the war between Man and Machine.
Anodyne says: "You'll buy it anyway"
"Not for me"

Overall
Performance
Story

I am a great fan of Frank Herbert, but my first try of his son's and Anderson's work failed absolutely to impress me. I had avowed myself not to try again to read the books of these guys, but learning that this one was based on a script by Frank Herbert himself, and that it gave a sort of closure to the series, I decided to give it a chance, against my previous impression.

Wrong. Wasted credit. I really wanted to like this, but I could not stand more than a few chapters before my attention faded and I just dropped it. Maybe these guys are not bad, but the quality standard set by the father makes for an abysmal difference in the storytelling.

On the sideline, Scott Brick is a great reader, and I have greatly enjoyed other books by him.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

UNABRIDGED
- by Susanna Clarke
- Narrated by Simon Prebble
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

UNABRIDGED (32 hrs and 36 mins)

By Susanna Clarke

Narrated By Simon Prebble

Overall
(197)
Performance
(46)
Story
(44)

English magicians were once the wonder of the known world, with fairy servants at their beck and call; they could command winds, mountains, and woods. But by the early 1800s they have long since lost the ability to perform magic. They can only write long, dull papers about it, while fairy servants are nothing but a fading memory.
Tim says: "An awesome masterpiece"
"boring"

Overall
Performance
Story

This book was a failure for me. The pace is just too slow, hours go by and nothing happens, I abandoned after a serious attempt, and considering that the whole thing runs for about 20 hours. The main idea behind seemed interesting, centering on english magic, and a couple of magicians in an age where magic has almost disappeared. But the narrative is convoluted and full of unnecessary turns and flourishes and as fluid as molasses. I am an obstinate reader/listener but this one put me off for good.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Messages from Your Animal Spirit Guide: A Meditation Journey

ABRIDGED
- by Steven Farmer
Messages from Your Animal Spirit Guide: A Meditation Journey

ABRIDGED (29 mins)

By Steven Farmer

Overall
(27)
Performance
(13)
Story
(13)

Based on his book Animal Spirit Guides, this audiobook by Steven D. Farmer takes you on a meditation journey where you'll contact the animal spirit guide that will best help you find answers to your questions and concerns. In this fascinating program, you'll also find a description of what animal spirit guides, totem animals, and power animals are; how they assist you as oracles in everyday life; and other ways you can connect with them for support and advice.
Ruy says: "great introspection tool"
"great introspection tool"

Overall
Performance
Story

This audio was a nice surprise, as I got is without knowing what to expect from it. The message is very direct, the explanations very clear and straight forward, and the results immediate. The book provides a guided meditation to contact animal spirits and ask for advice. I had already been through some regressions to past lives, which are a bit similar in technique, so it was somehow familiar for me. Definitively interesting and worth the dime.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Bringers of the Dawn: Teachings from the Pleiadians

ABRIDGED
- by Barbara Marciniak
- Narrated by Barbara Marciniak
Bringers of the Dawn: Teachings from the Pleiadians

ABRIDGED (2 hrs and 42 mins)

By Barbara Marciniak

Narrated By Barbara Marciniak

Overall
(61)
Performance
(18)
Story
(19)
Ruy says: "interesting, but a bit spacey"
"interesting, but a bit spacey"

Overall
Performance
Story

This "channeling" book is my first experience in such a kind of material. While the main message is interesting, and it touches many relevant points about mankind, the emotional stages of the human, and inner development, sometimes it rather misses the target, especially with the "scientific" explanations given. A mixing of DNA with the chakras is still unpalatable for me (well I'm a molecular biologist), and the idea of a 12-stranded DNA chain, while interesting, is mashed up with electromagnetic vibrations and energy descriptions that sound badly cooked up, I would have expected these aliens to be more thorough on their science, or more cautious on their use of it. I would have not minded if this were presented as an analogy, but some depictions of our DNA are just ludicrous. Still I enjoyed the book, and it touched some interesting points worth being meditated upon.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful
The Hound of Rowan: Book One of the Tapestry

UNABRIDGED
- by Henry H. Neff
- Narrated by Jeff Woodman
The Hound of Rowan: Book One of the Tapestry

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 42 mins)

By Henry H. Neff

Narrated By Jeff Woodman

Overall
(63)
Performance
(25)
Story
(25)

With The Hound of Rowan, Henry H. Neff launches a scintillating series featuring ancient lore and a young boy thrust into a world of unimaginable possibility. Max McDaniels is visiting an art museum with his dad when he spies a mysterious Celtic tapestry - and is soon visited by a Recruiter who wants to whisk Max away to the fantastical Rowan Academy.
Ruy says: "great story, with an annoying audio detail"
"great story, with an annoying audio detail"

Overall
Performance
Story

Even tough I am only halfway through, I can already say that I enjoy this book a lot, the story flows well, and the plot line is very interesting. The main theme is magic, somehow akin to the Harry Potter world, but yet completely different. Recommended.

The only drawback that I have about this audio version is that at the end of each audio chapter there is a sound like a loud bang followed by 7 seconds of something like static or white noise hiss. Unnerving. This puts me off every time it happens, I have to remove my headphones and curse a couple of times before continuing.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful
The Art of Presence

ORIGINAL
- by Eckhart Tolle
The Art of Presence

ORIGINAL (7 hrs and 14 mins)

By Eckhart Tolle

Overall
(368)
Performance
(77)
Story
(70)

In The Art of Presence, Eckhart guides you through seven hours of transformational insights that allow "presence to naturally arise" in you. With his one-of-a-kind instruction, you will learn how to ground yourself in the vibrancy of your "inner body" while simultaneously breaking free from the illusion of separation from the outside world.
Lawrence says: "A Mature Piece"
"thoght provoking"

Overall
Performance
Story

This is a very easy to listen seminar that offers a modern and practical approach to the most basic precepts of Buddhism. I particularly enjoyed the fact that several ideas that I had on an intuitive level were here clearly exposed.
I found no problem with the audio quality, and was indeed happy with the relevance of the text.
Recommended.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful