Carmen Gibson
- 95
- reviews
- 101
- helpful votes
- 307
- ratings
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The Lost Wife
- A Novel
- By: Alyson Richman
- Narrated by: George Guidall, Suzanne Toren
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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In pre-war Prague, the dreams of two young lovers are shattered when they are separated by the Nazi invasion. Then, decades later, thousands of miles away in New York, there's an inescapable glance of recognition between two strangers. Providence is giving Lenka and Josef one more chance. From the glamorous ease of life in Prague before the Occupation, to the horrors of Nazi Europe, The Lost Wife explores the power of first love, the resilience of the human spirit, and the strength of memory.
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Love, Strength & Survival
- By Sara on 01-27-14
- The Lost Wife
- A Novel
- By: Alyson Richman
- Narrated by: George Guidall, Suzanne Toren
looking back...
Reviewed: 03-27-25
Youthful first love with the dreams to fill a life awaiting. Sadly for many before WWII, your location, ethnicity, religion, or political views could derail the dream. The Terezin camp has an interesting artistic history. this author weaves many real people into this story.
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The Forgotten Cottage
- By: Courtney Ellis
- Narrated by: Lorna Bennett, Helen Laser
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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England, 2014: Audrey Collins knows only two things about her beloved grandmother's past: She was born into nobility and she immigrated to America at seventeen years old. So when Audrey inherits her gran's home in North Yorkshire, she arrives expecting a sprawling country estate fit for lords and ladies. Instead, she finds an abandoned stone cottage perfectly preserved as Gran left it when she fled in 1941—ration book and all—and begins to uncover what secrets her family has been keeping.
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Great book.
- By Kathy H. on 05-15-23
- The Forgotten Cottage
- By: Courtney Ellis
- Narrated by: Lorna Bennett, Helen Laser
Excellent Time Slip Genealogy mystery
Reviewed: 02-23-25
I love time slip novels linked to WWI or WWII, I also love trying to figure out who the parents will end up being. This book had the right mix of history, time slip, romantic possibilities, mystery and with the narrator that didn't distract it just worked. The only beef I have is that the author thinks knitting and crocheting are interchangeable.
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The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
- By: Gabrielle Zevin
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The irascible A. J. Fikry, owner of Island Books - the only bookstore on Alice Island - has already lost his wife. Now his most prized possession, a rare book, has been stolen from right under his nose in the most embarrassing of circumstances. The store itself, it seems, will be next to go. One night upon closing, he discovers a toddler in his children’s section with a note from her mother pinned to her Elmo doll: I want Maya to grow up in a place with books and among people who care about such kinds of things. I love her very much, but I can no longer take care of her.
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The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
- By teatime on 05-07-14
- The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
- By: Gabrielle Zevin
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
Love, Books, Words
Reviewed: 02-21-25
It was a good read. I picked this on the recommendation of a friend. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was easy to fall under the spell the author cast with words. I enjoyed traveling to this little island, the walk down main, into this little bookshop and watching these characters come to life. Cozy. joyful. devastating. comfortable. life.
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The Summer I Turned Pretty
- By: Jenny Han
- Narrated by: Lola Tung
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
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Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.
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FOR TEENS
- By Bradley Cooper on 06-23-22
- The Summer I Turned Pretty
- By: Jenny Han
- Narrated by: Lola Tung
Summers of our youth
Reviewed: 02-19-25
the author does a great job of transporting the reader to a simpler time when we didn't get have the weight of the world in our shoulders yet we thought we did. casual mentions of cellphone, types of music, or a movie title can help pinpoint a time period. but it's just as easy to ignore those and recall any youthful summer. I love the young adult story where teenage girls are still growing into women without full on sexual relationships. so it was good to read an overall wholesome book with very little cursing or obscenities.
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In an Instant
- By: Suzanne Redfearn
- Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Life is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive. Impossible choices are made, decisions that leave the survivors tormented with grief and regret. Unable to let go, Finn keeps vigil as they struggle to reclaim their shattered lives.
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It feels like my reality
- By Merirae Tackett on 03-07-20
- In an Instant
- By: Suzanne Redfearn
- Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky
completely different
Reviewed: 02-13-25
It was not what I expected. despite the sad overall story, the book is actually uplifting and filled with a different way to consider death. It is also a gentle reminder that everyone's grief is different. I enjoyed this book.
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Salt to the Sea
- By: Ruta Sepetys
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety. Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes.
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Haunting Historical YA Fiction
- By FanB14 on 02-19-16
- Salt to the Sea
- By: Ruta Sepetys
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, Michael Crouch
Ignites Curiosity
Reviewed: 01-29-25
This is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with no picture. You sort the outer edges, dark pieces, light pieces, etc. You may get carried away putting together any one of several sections. The great feeling of knowing you're figuring out the sky, or ocean, only to pull away and realize the beauty of the entire picture.
This was an interesting and unexpected surprise. It's the first book I've read by this author. The author quickly captures the reader by letting several characters share their own stories while a larger story is coming together.
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The Lioness of Boston
- A Novel
- By: Emily Franklin
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The Lioness of Boston is a portrait of what society expected a woman's life to be, shattered by a courageous soul who rebelled and was determined to live on her own terms.
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So Boring
- By Cathy S on 10-10-23
- The Lioness of Boston
- A Novel
- By: Emily Franklin
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
Her Own World
Reviewed: 01-17-25
Excellent book for anyone looking for motivation when you're in a period of feeling unaccepted, unusual, misfit. I wanted to read something about the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner. Sooner rather than later it is best to quit chasing the crowd that dismisses you, and create your own crowd. What is weird, unusual, unacceptable today, may not be so later. I found the book interesting, yet it did lack a flow to keep moving forward. Usually I'd have devoured this in a couple of days, but I hesitated getting back to it and ended up reading it over several months.
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Diva
- A Novel
- By: Daisy Goodwin
- Narrated by: Lorelei King
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas was known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she was the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. But her fame was hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her golden voice, she learned early in life to protect herself from those who would use her for their own ends.
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How I love a Great Diva!
- By Lianne Bremer on 04-01-24
- Diva
- A Novel
- By: Daisy Goodwin
- Narrated by: Lorelei King
overall summary of professional career
Reviewed: 01-16-25
the book was interesting. I wanted to read it because the movie Maria didn't really meet my expectations. the author states that she read extensively about Maria's life before hand. she also studied with a teacher to learn to sing Maria's music to know first hand the challenges she had. I very much enjoyed Maria by Callas so this was in line with much of that.
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Where the Light Enters
- The Gilded Hour, Book 2
- By: Sara Donati
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 26 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Obstetrician Dr. Sophie Savard returns home to the achingly familiar rhythms of Manhattan in the early spring of 1884 to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. With the help of Dr. Anna Savard, her dearest friend, cousin, and fellow physician she plans to continue her work aiding the disadvantaged women society would rather forget. As Sophie sets out to construct a new life for herself, Anna's husband, Detective Sergeant Jack Mezzanotte calls on them both to consult on two new cases.
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Why change narrators?
- By Emily Sadler on 09-10-19
- Where the Light Enters
- The Gilded Hour, Book 2
- By: Sara Donati
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
Book 2 just as good as book 1
Reviewed: 01-10-25
I'm sad to see this end. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this author, but thankful I did. The rich characters all bring something to the story. She makes the most of fleshing out every character with a role that adds to the Feast that is this story. it's about women and how they are making their way in 1800s New York. Several are doctors and all are independent yet find strength in each other. The battle for and against abortion is not new. This offers a view of how the issue was handled in this time period. But it's about so much more. I wish there was a book 3 because I long to know about the next generation.
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The Gilded Hour
- By: Sara Donati
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 31 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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The year is 1883, and in New York City it's a time of dizzying splendor, crushing poverty, and tremendous change. With the gravity-defying Brooklyn Bridge nearly complete and New York in the grips of antivice crusader Anthony Comstock, Anna Savard and her cousin, Sophie - both graduates of the Woman's Medical School - treat the city's most vulnerable, even if doing so may put everything they've strived for in jeopardy.
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Historical romance, surgical implements too!
- By Annie M. on 09-06-15
- The Gilded Hour
- By: Sara Donati
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Long Yet Quick
Reviewed: 12-29-24
I am not sure how I stumbled upon this book. But the length is great. It's looooong. The characters are interesting and the author fleshes them out at a pace that kept me interested. The story unfolds and each character gets a turn at revealing their past. The author ended it in a very satisfactory way. She managed to give an end to this story without a cliff hanger. A reader could choose not to read book two. I'm not making that choice. I'm excited to begin next book. I know these characters have more to reveal about they're pasts and I'm going we learn how the next phase in their lives goes.
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