E.S.
- 12
- reviews
- 22
- helpful votes
- 22
- ratings
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Homeless Bird
- By: Gloria Whelan
- Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
Like many girls her age in India, thirteen-year-old Koly faces her arranged marriage with hope and courage. But Koly's story takes a terrible turn when in the wake of the ceremony, she discovers she's been horribly misled—her life has been sold for a dowry. Can she forge her own future, even in the face of time-worn tradition? Perfect for schools and classrooms, this universally acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning novel by master of historical fiction Gloria Whelan is a gripping tale of hope that will transport listeners of all ages.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Just like I remembered
- By E.S. on 03-18-25
- Homeless Bird
- By: Gloria Whelan
- Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi
Just like I remembered
Reviewed: 03-18-25
This was a favorite story when I was a young adult and hearing the audio version really gave it wings… Pun absolutely intended.
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All Hallows
- A Novel
- By: Christopher Golden
- Narrated by: Ron Butler, January LaVoy
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 395
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 348
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Story4 out of 5 stars 348
It’s Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and two families are unraveling. Up and down the street, horrifying secrets are being revealed, and all the while, mixed in with the trick-or-treaters of all ages, four children who do not belong are walking door to door, merging with the kids of Parmenter Road. Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup. They seem terrified, and beg the neighborhood kids to hide them away, to keep them safe from The Cunning Man.
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1 out of 5 stars
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very poor
- By Anthony on 07-30-23
- All Hallows
- A Novel
- By: Christopher Golden
- Narrated by: Ron Butler, January LaVoy
TRIGGER WARNING: Child Abuse/Assault
Reviewed: 01-22-24
I really loved the narrator, character development, imagery, and storylines but I couldn’t finish. I wanted to, but there it is. If you’re triggered by child SA, this may not be the book for you.
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1 person found this helpful
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Disembodied Voices
- True Accounts of Hidden Beings
- By: Tim Marczenko
- Narrated by: Tim Marczenko
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Famous reports from history as well as never-before-published reports of disembodied voices from the everyday lives of common people are discussed. But what about you? When the voices call, will you answer? Hair-raising conclusions found here will make you think twice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I was hooked
- By Trkmec on 11-07-21
- Disembodied Voices
- True Accounts of Hidden Beings
- By: Tim Marczenko
- Narrated by: Tim Marczenko
I review here infrequently, but…
Reviewed: 03-02-23
This was a very interesting book. It was stimulating, as it shared lore from different parts of the world. It taught me things I didn’t know about the paranormal and cryptozoology. The topic has always interested me and I thought of myself as well read, but this book was full a cool new information. Though I consider myself mostly a skeptic, I was fascinated by the theories the author had about his topic. It was a great mix of facts and speculation. I respected that he was open about that and let the reader do their own thinking. And I will close with the highest mark (for me) regarding this book; it absolutely scared the living daylights out of me. You will never look at the natural world the same again.
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The Night Parade of 100 Demons
- Legend of the Five Rings
- By: Marie Brennan
- Narrated by: Kaipo Schwab
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 25
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Chaos has broken out in the isolated Dragon Clan settlement of Seibo Mura. During the full moon, horrifying creatures rampage through the village, unleashing havoc and death. When the Dragon samurai Agasha no Isao Ryotora is sent to investigate, he faces even greater danger than expected. To save the village, he must confront his buried past - not to mention an unexpected Phoenix Clan visitor, Asako Sekken, who has his own secrets to hide.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Narrator painful to listen to.
- By E.S. on 11-28-22
- The Night Parade of 100 Demons
- Legend of the Five Rings
- By: Marie Brennan
- Narrated by: Kaipo Schwab
Narrator painful to listen to.
Reviewed: 11-28-22
Marie Brennan is one of my favorite authors and I was excited to read this book. The actual story was excellent, but I could not enjoy the narration. The reader did not give any life to the story, being sterile and emotionless. I struggled to differentiate the voices of the characters and had to rewind several times because I wasn’t sure which character was speaking/acting. A number og Japanese words were also mispronounced. I would love to hear this narrated by Brian Nishii. Overall I would recommend buying the physical book over the audio book.
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1 person found this helpful
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I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem! Reincarnated into the World of an Otome Game as a Cat-Loving Villainess, Vol.1
- I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem!, Book 1
- By: Kosuzu Kobato
- Narrated by: Jennifer Aquino
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
Meet Amy, the daughter of the Earl of Northland. Her entire family has been reincarnated as the aristocratic Northland family. In an attempt to amicably remove herself as a candidate for the Third Prince’s fiancée–which would certainly cement her position as the game’s villainess—Amy has taken drastic measures: eating tons of food and just enjoying life (at her mother’s suggestion). With this reincarnation, Amy has been given a precious second chance at life, and this time, nothing—not even an otome game—is going to stop her from fulfilling her dream: Amy wants a cat!
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3 out of 5 stars
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Cute for a while, but it's too uneventful for me
- By Mike K on 04-01-23
- I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem! Reincarnated into the World of an Otome Game as a Cat-Loving Villainess, Vol.1
- I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem!, Book 1
- By: Kosuzu Kobato
- Narrated by: Jennifer Aquino
Great performance, cringy storyline
Reviewed: 10-22-22
I made it two hours into the story before I couldn’t do it anymore. My two main issues were the constant harping on about skinny bodies being more favorable than plump ones, which can have negative effects on some readers, and the fact that the main character is a 10 year old girl in a harem novel. I’m sorry, it’s cringe and creepy. She is supposed to have the reincarnated mind of a teen, but it’s still not okay. I love manga, so I was excited to try a new story, but it was just too weird.
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1 person found this helpful
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How to Raise an Elephant
- No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 21
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 736
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Performance2.5 out of 5 stars 674
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Story4 out of 5 stars 669
The next book in the perennially adored No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series sees Precious Ramotswe calling upon all her maternal instincts when she's faced with a two-ton case. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but can Mma. Ramotswe and the rest of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency come together to raise a pipsqueak pachyderm? We may find out in this novel. We may not. Who can say?
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1 out of 5 stars
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Narrator Change Alert
- By D. Jackson on 11-24-20
- How to Raise an Elephant
- No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 21
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
New Narrator a Big Disappointment
Reviewed: 05-06-21
Harsh, grating, distracting, not consistent with pronunciation of names or words. Keep having to stop and think who she is talking about or talking as. PLEASE bring back the old narrator. Rating is ONLY for the narrator, who detracts considerably from the story.
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3 people found this helpful
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Japanese Ghost Stories
- Penguin Classics
- By: Lafcadio Hearn
- Narrated by: Eleanor Matsuura
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 73
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 64
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
In this collection of classic ghost stories from Japan, beautiful princesses turn out to be frogs, paintings come alive, deadly spectral brides haunt the living and a samurai delivers the baby of a Shinto goddess with mystical help. Here are all the phantoms and ghouls of Japanese folklore: 'rokuro-kubi', whose heads separate from their bodies at night; 'jikininki', or flesh-eating goblins; and terrifying faceless 'mujina' who haunt lonely neighbourhoods.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Japanese pronunciation a problem
- By CT on 01-20-21
- Japanese Ghost Stories
- Penguin Classics
- By: Lafcadio Hearn
- Narrated by: Eleanor Matsuura
Finally on Audible!
Reviewed: 11-16-19
I have a wishlist of books I want to see on Audible and this was one of them. I was so pleased to see this collection of stories available. The narrator does a fantastic job with pronunciations and has a very pleasant voice. I much appreciated the footnotes, as they explained Japanese words, terms, and ideals that may otherwise be unknown to the reader. It was like having a personal guide to Japanese culture/fairytales, which was a essentially what Lafcadio Hearn’s books were. I was very satisfied with this book!
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6 people found this helpful
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Bird Box
- A Novel
- By: Josh Malerman
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9,142
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8,333
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Story4 out of 5 stars 8,319
Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, Malorie has long dreamed of fleeing to a place where her family might be safe. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: 20 miles downriver in a rowboat blindfolded with nothing to rely on but Malorie's wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Don't look!
- By Lesley on 05-22-14
- Bird Box
- A Novel
- By: Josh Malerman
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
A Slow Burn
Reviewed: 03-25-18
When I finished this book my first thought was, “what is all the hype about?” It was good but not really what I expected. Then it squatted inside my head for a while. I kept revisiting it and turning it over in my mind. My perspective shifted focus from science fiction to a satire or commentary of our world today. From that point of view, this book spoke to me and now I want to read it again!
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A Square Meal
- A Culinary History of the Great Depression
- By: Jane Ziegelman, Andrew Coe
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 81
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 70
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Story4 out of 5 stars 67
The decade-long Great Depression, a period of shifts in the country's political and social landscape, forever changed the way America eats. Before 1929, America's relationship with food was defined by abundance. But the collapse of the economy, in both urban and rural America, left a quarter of all Americans out of work and undernourished - shattering long-held assumptions about the limitlessness of the national larder.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Not entirely accurate title
- By Robert on 06-07-17
- A Square Meal
- A Culinary History of the Great Depression
- By: Jane Ziegelman, Andrew Coe
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
Not a Niche Book-- Something for Everyone!
Reviewed: 12-24-16
Would you consider the audio edition of A Square Meal to be better than the print version?
For me, the audio version fit what my needs were best and it didn't hurt that one of my two favorite narrators was reading! I like to listen to books while doing daily work but sometimes struggle to pay attention, even if the content of the book is interesting. This book kept me thoroughly absorbed and part of that success rested with it being a well read audio book.
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Square Meal?
Like sneaking vegetables into meatloaf, I got a healthy dose of American food culture hidden in one of my favorite subjects-- history. I was particularly interested in the content covering the NYC bread lines, something I'd never heard of before. Bleak and compelling imagery, to be sure.
What about Susan Ericksen’s performance did you like?
Susan Ericksen has a knack for taking you right into the heart of whatever she is reading. You're not just listening to a story, you are THERE and what a difference it makes. In fact, seeing she was this book's narrator was a big motivator for me to try the sample of Square Meal. I often found myself wondering what she thought of this book, since I'd only ever heard her read the crime dramas of J.D. Robb. Wow! She just never disappoints!
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The songs and verses of yesteryear shared in this book really drew me in, sometimes choking me up, other times with a laugh. They painted a true picture of the personal hardships felt during the Great Depression and how different people decided to cope with it; some defiantly thumbed their noses while others were swallowed by it.
Any additional comments?
There is seriously something for everyone in this book. Foodies, history buffs, minority studies majors, feminists, health and medical professionals, military enthusiasts, sociologists, anthropologists, and probably a dozen other types of people I can't think of just now will all find something in this book to capture their interest. Square Meal is a really well crafted book and deserves a read at least once!
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1 person found this helpful
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An Old Beginning
- Zombie Fallout, Book 8
- By: Mark Tufo
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 5,138
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 4,736
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Story5 out of 5 stars 4,716
Mike and his family escaped a vast zombie horde to find themselves imprisoned by a clandestine group that seeks global domination by the most nefarious means possible. Help is coming, in the form of a 500-year-old PopTart loving vampire named Tommy. Will he be enough to get the Talbots to freedom or will he succumb to monsters new and old? On top of all this Mike discovers that he is in the crosshairs of an ancient enemy and it is only a matter of time until the final showdown.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Talbot at his best! Again!
- By Ray on 10-21-14
- An Old Beginning
- Zombie Fallout, Book 8
- By: Mark Tufo
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
Maze of Evil... And Poptarts!
Reviewed: 04-23-16
What made the experience of listening to Zombie Fallout 8 the most enjoyable?
Mark Tufo and Sean Runnette are my dream team. The writing is orchestrated by a master and is performed beautifully by the narrator.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Mrs. Deneaux. She is SO deliciously evil!
What about Sean Runnette’s performance did you like?
He switches seamlessly from male to female characters and does a bang up job!
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
"Burn or turn! The Zombies are coming!"
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