Jami

I thought that this would be just a memoir about the author and her dog; while that was certainly a lot of the story, I was happily surprised to hear the psychological aspects of the human and dog relationship. Her life is woven in, as well as her fears and emotions about her dog and others. I could relate to her feelings about her dog, particularly her fear of being left alone once the dog was gone. I had (and still have) similar fears about my dog, so I can definitely relate to that. It was especially poignant hearing the author talking about how she knows the dog will go before her, yet knowing that she died at a young age (early 40s). I don't know if the dog actually survivied her or not, but this part struck an emotional chord with me. I also loved the part where she was examining her life and realized that while it may not be what she or others expected, she realizes that the question to as is: "does it feel right for you?" How true! After reading this book, I intend to read her book about her battle with drinking as well as her friend's book about their friendship and her untimely death. Hilary Swank did an outstanding job with the narration. You can tell that she loves dogs, as there were times in the book where you could tell the emotion was coming through.

This was a very chilling book. When you read it, your initial reaction is that this could never happen. Until you realize that it has happened in other countries, where women's rights have been totally stripped away. I had to keep reminding myself that this was written in the mid 1980s, which make it even more chilling. The religious right taking over this country and wanting to limit women's reproductive freedom? Nah, could never happen? Could it?!?! Just look at what is occurring around us today.

It was interesting to think about the context of this story. There was concern by the government of the dropping Caucasian birth rate, which is why they created the handmaid role in that society. Racism was at the core of this, although you don't really learn this until the end. And if you think about it, the fact that they use the Aunts, who are women, to control other women makes sense. How many times do the people who oppress others turn out to be the same group of the people that they oppress?

There were parts of the story that I found slow moving, but overall, it was a solid read. I listened to this as part of Audible's A-list collection and Clair Danes did an excellent job narrating the story.

This was just okay for me. I liked it enough to finish it and it was not difficult to get through. My problem was that I had expected it to be a lot funnier than it was. There were parts that made me laugh out loud, but unfortunately, there were few of those moments. I had never heard of him before I listened to this, so maybe that had something to do with my feelings towards the book; I also didn't find anything extraordinary about the story itself.

Thanks for the freebie, Audible! This was a cute reminder of having read this as a child. That Peter, always in trouble!!!!!!!

I decided to read this book after having read the author's The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which I absolutely loved. This is the author's debut book; while I also enjoyed this one, I did not like it as much as The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

I listened to this through Audible, and once again, the narration was outstanding.

I was confused at first as to what was happening, but once I learned who the characters were and figured out what was going on, I enjoyed the mystery; luckily, it didn't take too long to figure things out. We know at the outset that Daru is in prison, but not the reason why; we also do not know anything about him. The story is told through the perspectives of various characters, which I found to be enjoyable. The book details how Daru's decline occurred and what happens when he continues to be drawn to a certain course of action. Daru was not always likeable, which I saw had turned many readers off of the story. I did not find that to be the case, however. Sure, he was not always likeable, but I think that just added to the human element of the story and added legitimacy to his deteriorating circumstances.

As with The Reluctant Fundamentalist, I felt like I was learning about Pakistan and the Pakistani culture, which was very educational and informative. Pakistan is integral to the story line and this book could not have been written as effectively in any other setting.

The title drew my curiousity as I could not fathom how it related to the story. When the author describes the moth going in smaller, rotating circles around a flame and getting closer even though it knows its dangerous, I could see the similarities with Daru's situation. Like the moth, he was going in a downward spiral but was powerless to stop it, even though he know on some level it was destroying him.

This was a very good memoir. It is chilling to think that you can be at work one day and then have your brain attack you so that you are no longer yourself. How scary for her and her family. Wow! I'm familiar with autoimmune diseases through first-hand experience, and its amazing at the wide range of ways the body can turn against itself.

I thought that there was a good mix of her struggle with the disease and scientific data about the disease. Some of the books I read are way too heavy on the research, but I found that all of the information provided in this book was useful to get a better understanding of the illness. I also enjoyed the part of memories being manufactured and how you can spread incorrect information so that others also believe they remember the same thing.

The narrator was very good; at times, I forgot it wasn't the author herself speaking. I imagine this would be hard to do, given the fact that some of the author's terror and moods have to be portrayed. In this case, the narrator was an asset to the story.

I am glad that she took the time to write about this disease so that others can be educated and can learn the signs of this disease. Like the author, I cringe to think of how many people have received a psychiatric diagnosis, when in reality, there is a physical cause for their behavior.

First, I want to say that I appreciate Audible giving this for free. Although I did not care for the story, I certainly appreciate the gift! I tried to read a DD Warren book before, but didn't get very far into the story. I figured this would give me another chance to explore the series. Unfortunately, I found the story to be boring. I did finish it, but if it had been a full-length book, I probably would have put it down. I never engaged in the mystery or with the characters, and the alternating chapters of planning a murder didn't move the story along. The narration was fine; I had not problems with that.

I enjoyed this young adult book. I found myself engaged in the agility tests and rooting for Cromwell and Kevin. The author did a nice job portraying and developing the family relationships. And come on, who can't like a book about a formerly lazy beagle!?!??!? Although I do have to admit, I don't think I can ever imagine my beagle deciding that he preferred excercise to food!!!!

This is a cute children's book that I found entertaining as an adult. A short, quick listen, and I was thoroughly entertained the entire time. I loved the character of J.J. - he was a perfect mix of funny, sarcastic and a "softie."

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the pace of the story was fast. I found that I was engaged with the mystery throughout the entire book; I had no idea what was coming next and this book kept me guessing. I felt at times that I was right there in the building with the characters, many of whom I would have loved to live next door to when I lived in apartment buildings! I am glad that I listened to this on audio, as it added to the atmosphere. The narrator did an excellent job with the different voices.

This is the second book in this series I read and I enjoyed this one even more than The Devotion of Suspenct X. I found that since I now knew the recurring characters, it was more interesting. Also, the plot was fascinating. As with the other books in the series, you know immediately who the killer is. The fun is unraveling the intricacies of the plot - the how and the whys and the logic applied to solve the riddle. The narration is very good and I thought he did an excellent job with all of the characters. I am so happy that I listened to another Audbile member's recommendation and started with this series - otherwise, this is one I may have easily overlooked. I'm ready for the next installment!!!!!