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Kimberly

Pinole, CA, United States | Member Since 2005

194

HELPFUL VOTES

43 reviews
240 ratings
348 titles in library
11 purchased in 2013

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The Kitchen House: A Novel

UNABRIDGED
- by Kathleen Grissom
- Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy , Bahni Turpin
The Kitchen House: A Novel

UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 55 mins)

By Kathleen Grissom

Narrated By Orlagh Cassidy, Bahni Turpin

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(5234)
Performance
(3345)
Story
(3328)

Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin. Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction.
Margaret says: "For the love of all things Holy, READ THIS!!!"
"Some mighty happy slaves"

Overall
Performance
Story

Yowza. The black characters walked right out of "Gone With The Wind." There's a Mammy and an old Uncle Tom and even a Prissy. These are some awfully happy slaves, who laugh at their work and talk back to the master, etc. Just hit my ear wrong. If you want to read excellent books about relations between slaves and their white masters read "The Confession of Nat Turner" or "The Known World" (that one is great, and is about a black master and his slaves). Skip this melodramatic, poorly conceived potboiler.

25 of 32 people found this review helpful
The Moonstone

UNABRIDGED
- by Wilkie Collins
- Narrated by Patrick Tull
The Moonstone

UNABRIDGED (20 hrs and 32 mins)

By Wilkie Collins

Narrated By Patrick Tull

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(460)
Performance
(213)
Story
(216)

No, the "Moonstone" isn't a celestial relic, it's a gigantic yellow diamond of unearthly beauty that was given to Rachel Verinder as a present on her 18th birthday - and stolen that very night! Betteredge, one of the most beloved butlers in English literature, is the focus of this seminal detective novel, which examines how one family's life is turned upside-down by the theft. And find out why the answers to all of life's problems can be found in the pages of Robinson Crusoe.
Catherine says: "One of the best readings ever"
"Patrick Tull makes this book!"

Overall
Performance
Story

I had always been curious about this book, which I understand is the first mystery novel. It was very good, though marred a bit by time, especially in the way the women characters are drawn. But what made this a great listen was the way the several narrators brought the characters to life. The best by far was Patrick Tull's reading of the butler obsessed with "Robinson Crusoe." Definitely worth listening to if you are a fan of British lit - just let yourself get lost in the performances and don't worry about the silly women or the improbable plot.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Brideshead Revisited

UNABRIDGED
- by Evelyn Waugh
- Narrated by Jeremy Irons
Brideshead Revisited

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 33 mins)

By Evelyn Waugh

Narrated By Jeremy Irons

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(70)
Performance
(64)
Story
(62)

Evelyn Waugh's most celebrated work is a memory drama about the intense entanglement of the narrator, Charles Ryder, with a great Anglo-Catholic family. Written during World War II, the story mourns the passing of the aristocratic world Waugh knew in his youth and vividly recalls the sensuous pleasures denied him by wartime austerities; in so doing it also provides a profound study of the conflict between the demands of religion and the desires of the flesh.
Renee says: "Extraordinary"
"Better than reading the book"

Overall
Performance
Story

I am a huge fan of Masterpiece Theater's "Brideshead Revisited" and have tried to read the book at least twice. Just could not get through it. But this Audible version is the next best thing to the television production. In it, Jeremy Irons channels all his co-stars from the BBC series - my favorite is his John Geilgud impression - bringing the whole series alive again. He brings Waugh excellent prose to life in a way the physical book just couldn't for me.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sarah Thornhill

UNABRIDGED
- by Kate Grenville
- Narrated by Emma Fielding
Sarah Thornhill

UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 22 mins)

By Kate Grenville

Narrated By Emma Fielding

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(24)
Performance
(22)
Story
(21)

Sarah Thornhill is the youngest child of William Thornhill, convict-turned-landowner on the Hawkesbury River. Her stepmother calls her wilful, but handsome Jack Langland loves her and she loves him. 'Me and Jack', she thinks. 'How could it go wrong?' But there's an ugly secret in Sarah's family. That secret takes her into the darkness of the past, and across the ocean to the wild coasts of New Zealand.
Kimberly says: "Absorbing, first-rate historical novel"
"Absorbing, first-rate historical novel"

Overall
Performance
Story

What a great book! Read a glowing review of it in the NYTimes and the audio book did not disappoint. The story is a continuation of Grenville's "The Secret River" - also a great listen - and I really recommend reading/listening to that first to get the full impact of this story. What a compelling character Grenville has crafted in Sarah - I rooted for her, my heart broke for her and I was uplifted when she was uplifted. Emma Fielding does a top-notch job of capturing Sarah's unique voice and making it her own - no play-acting here, just real feeling. Excellent all around.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Secret River

UNABRIDGED
- by Kate Grenville
- Narrated by Simon Vance
The Secret River

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 5 mins)

By Kate Grenville

Narrated By Simon Vance

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(105)
Performance
(26)
Story
(27)

After a childhood of poverty and petty crime in the slums of London, William Thornhill is sentenced in 1806 to be transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. With his wife, Sal, and children in tow, he arrives in a harsh land that feels at first like a death sentence. But among the convicts there is a whisper that freedom can be bought, an opportunity to start afresh. Away from the infant township of Sydney, up the Hawkesbury River, are white men who have tried to do just that.
Denise says: "great!!!"
"Deeper than the usual historical fiction"

Overall
Performance
Story

This was really a wonderful listen. The book plays with the idea of class and what people will do to rise. In this case, the main character, William Thornhill, is London's lowest of the low. But when he is sent as a convict to Australia, he discovers a class of people even lower than he is - "blacks," the aboriginal people. Through really complex characters and a well-developed story line, Grenville looks at what one man is willing to sacrifice to climb the social ladder - a question she is asking of Australia as a whole. In Thornhill's case, the price is high - very high - and the payoff not as sweet as he thought. I loved this book, especially Simon Vance's narration - he is just excellent and really brings to life every story he reads. Now, on to download "Sarah Thornhill," a continuation of the Thornhill family's story.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The Hummingbird's Daughter: A Novel

UNABRIDGED
- by Luis Alberto Urrea
- Narrated by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Hummingbird's Daughter: A Novel

UNABRIDGED (18 hrs and 28 mins)

By Luis Alberto Urrea

Narrated By Luis Alberto Urrea

Overall
(228)
Performance
(77)
Story
(79)

It is 1889, and civil war is brewing in Mexico. A 16-year-old girl, Teresita, illegitimate but beloved daughter of the wealthy and powerful rancher Don Tomas Urrea, wakes from the strangest dream, a dream that she has died. Only it was not a dream. This passionate and rebellious young woman has arisen from death with the power to heal, but it will take all her faith to endure the trials that await her and her family now that she has become the "Saint of Cabora".
Steph says: "My New Favorite Book"
"I had to stop listening"

Overall
Performance
Story

This was another of those books rich in atmospherics and poor in plot. I made it well into the 9th hour before I gave up. Why are so many books like this? Who praises them in the first place? Is it enough that an author is of a certain background or ethnicity? Should not he or she also know that a story needs A STORY. Conflict! Characters who WANT SOMETHING AND CHANGE!!! Ugh.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful
This Side of Brightness

UNABRIDGED
- by Colum McCann
- Narrated by Joe Barrett
This Side of Brightness

UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 1 min)

By Colum McCann

Narrated By Joe Barrett

Overall
(20)
Performance
(13)
Story
(13)

From the author of Songdogs, a magnificent work of imagination and history set in the tunnels of New York City. In the early years of the century, Nathan Walker leaves his native Georgia for New York City and the most dangerous job in America. A sandhog, he burrows beneath the East River, digging the tunnel that will carry trains from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Above ground, the sandhogs - black, white, Irish, Italian - keep their distance from each other until a spectacular accident welds a bond between them.
Kimberly says: "Prelude to "Let the Great World Spin""
"Prelude to "Let the Great World Spin""

Overall
Performance
Story

If you loved "Let the Great World Spin," as I did, this is an interesting read because you can see McCann work out some of the themes of that book here. I did not love it, but it held my attention and got me thinking and I was completely wrapped up in the characters and their story. The narrator was really excellent - acted the parts without seeming fake or forced. A good listen - but go for "Let the Great World Spin" first.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The Potato Factory: The Australian Trilogy, Book 1

UNABRIDGED
- by Bryce Courtenay
- Narrated by Humphrey Bower
The Potato Factory: The Australian Trilogy, Book 1

UNABRIDGED (23 hrs and 27 mins)

By Bryce Courtenay

Narrated By Humphrey Bower

Overall
(1982)
Performance
(1135)
Story
(1127)

Always leave a little salt on the bread. Ikey Solomon's favorite saying is also his way of doing business, and in the business of thieving he's very successful indeed. Ikey's partner in crime is his mistress, the forthright Mary Abacus, until misfortune befalls them. They are parted and each must make the harsh journey from thriving nineteenth century London to the convict settlement of Van Diemen's Land.
Yocheved says: "Best audiobook of the year!"
"Disappointingly Mediocre"

Overall
Performance
Story

I had very high hopes for this listen, as it seemed to promise what I love most in a summer read - historical fiction rendering a place I have traveled to. Alas, I had to stop listening after the first five hours. Bryce Courtenay really needs an editor. He has apparently never learned one of the first rules of fiction - show, don't tell. And for God's sake, how many times do I need you to tell me the same thing - the main character is cheap, we know already! He's a coward - yes, you told us that about 40 times rather than showed us once. Mostly, this was just one long narration of the actions of characters whose brains you never got into. And when they did speak, it was like some bad parody of Dickens. Courtenay says in the beginning that he wrote this over a long period of time, and it has the feel of some amateur author's book pulled out of a drawer and worked on at odd moments. I thought the narrator did as good a job as he could possibly have done with such mundane junk.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Shutter Island

UNABRIDGED
- by Dennis Lehane
- Narrated by Tom Stechschulte
Shutter Island

UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 38 mins)

By Dennis Lehane

Narrated By Tom Stechschulte

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(918)
Performance
(207)
Story
(207)

Summer, 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane. Along with his partner, Chuck Aule, he sets out to find an escaped patient, a murderess named Rachel Solando, as a hurricane bears down upon them.
But nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is what it seems. Is he there to find a missing patient? Or has he been sent to look into rumors of Ashecliffe's radical approach to psychiatry?
Barry says: "Outstanding psychological thriller set in the 50s"
"Great Atmosphere and Story"

Overall
Performance
Story

I was drawn to this book by two things - the tremendous enjoyment I got from "The Given Day," also by Lehane, and the very intriguing, spooky trailers for the movie of "Shutter Island" which I did not see. I was caught by the gloomy and suspenseful atmosphere Lehane paints from the get-go, and very quickly got consumed by the plot - what's really going on on this island? Who is the creepy German doctor? Where did Delores go? The plot very rapidly picks up speed at the same time the writing becomes deeper and richer and more full of images that stick to your brain like tar. I was hanging on the narrator's every word, right up until the last sentence - only then do you really know the full story. Lehane very skillfully plays with our sense of what's real and what's not, leaving us guessing right up until the end. I think I may become a Dennis LeHane addict.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Gates of Rome

UNABRIDGED
- by Conn Iggulden
- Narrated by Robert Glenister
The Gates of Rome

UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 10 mins)

By Conn Iggulden

Narrated By Robert Glenister

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(102)
Performance
(56)
Story
(58)

From the spectacle of gladiatorial combat to the intrigue of the Senate, from the foreign wars that created an empire to the betrayals that almost tore it apart, the Emperor novels tell the remarkable story of the man who would become the greatest Roman of them all: Julius Caesar. The Gates of Romeintroduces an ambitious young man facing his first great test. In the city of Rome, a titanic power struggle is about to shake the Republic to its core.
Kimberly says: "Best of Genre"
"Best of Genre"

Overall
Performance
Story

This audio is one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read or listened to. It has the best of what the historical fiction genre should be - a great point of view, well-imagined historical figures who are fleshed out to become real people, thorough research that doesn't get in the way of the story, broad sweep that also narrows down to individual stories. The narrator was excellent - his female characters were good, too - and the story was gripping, causing me to gasp aloud a few times, even though I thought I knew the story of Julius Caesar quite well. If you liked HBO's "Rome," you'll love this - it's like getting the backstory. Just a great example of historical fiction - I'm on to the rest of the series and looking forward to reading more Conn Iggulden.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful
The Winds of War

UNABRIDGED
- by Herman Wouk
- Narrated by Kevin Pariseau
The Winds of War

UNABRIDGED (45 hrs and 53 mins)

By Herman Wouk

Narrated By Kevin Pariseau

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(1810)
Performance
(1481)
Story
(1486)

Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II stands as the crowning achievement of one of America's most celebrated storytellers. Like no other books about the war, Wouk's spellbinding narrative captures the tide of global events - and all the drama, romance, heroism, and tragedy of World War II - as it immerses us in the lives of a single American family drawn into the very center of the war's maelstrom.
Joseph says: "Great storytelling"
"Vintage Saga"

Overall
Performance
Story

I really enjoyed this listen - great performance by the narrator and a great yarn. It travels all across the globe, is filled with characters I cared about and told a story I became wrapped up in. One warning - you have to adapt yourself to the mind frame of 1939-1941, especially where women are concerned. Particularly hard to swallow is Rhoda, the main character's wife and mother of the other main characters. She is shallow, vain and does nothing but complain about how bored she is. It is the men who have all the fun here, and the women who wait in the wings for them. One other piece of advice - if you are familiar with the major players and acts of WWII, you can skip the "book within the book" chapters called "World Empire Lost." I just got vaguely annoyed with them because I was always anxious to get back to the story of the characters.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful