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Michelle

  • 19
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  • 18
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  • 34
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A love letter to working moms

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-14-24

C. S. Lewis said something like, “Homemaking is the one vocation for which all other vocations exist.” It’s a shame we don’t place more social value on it. This book is a wake-up call for moms who want to be homemakers but feel like that would be “failing” somehow.

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A delight for this Janeite!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-02-23

Light, funny, sweet, romantic! The writing totally exceeded my expectations, and the content was clean.

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Wow! Should be required reading

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-27-22

I want to give this book a million stars. I loved that Abbie speaks the truth of God’s words straight to the heart of a mom in a way that’s inspiring and uplifting and not condemning. This book is so wonderful and will be my go-to mama gift from now on.

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Most Satisfying Series-Ender Ever

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-20-19

Everything a Potter fan could possibly want in a finale. Jim Dale makes it sound like a fairy tale.

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A Classic Well Read

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-11-19

There is nothing to not like about this book! Mr. York's performance was lovely, although quite buttoned-up, so it might intimidate kids who are used to reading or listening to books with a more casual feel. I feel like there might've been some background noise in the recording that made York's voice sound a tad muffled, so be aware.

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Charming! Can spark lots of great kid discussions

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-11-19

If you've got any animal lovers among your kids, this is a beautiful little book that deserves the hooplah it gets. It's the story of a fictional gorilla who lives in a fictional zoo-themed shopping mall. There are a lot of cool questions that you can discuss with your kids as you read through this book. For example:

What are the differences between the zoo-themed mall and a real zoo? What's the difference between these human-made places and the wild where Ivan was born?

What are the pros of living at the mall for Ivan? What are the cons?

How do you think Ivan feels toward his caretaker? In what ways does he like him? Why does he dislike him? How can he feel both like and dislike at the same time?

How does protecting the little elephant make Ivan grow and do things he'd never done before?

Why can't the humans just place Ivan in the zoo with the other gorillas? Why do they ease him in slowly?

Overall, this was a very sweet and charming listen. (Disclosure: I got it on sale for $2 as a Daily Deal.)

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The bells and whistles make it fun for kids

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-11-19

The premise of the story sounds like a lot of fun — thousands of people boarding a spacecraft headed on a 105-year journey to colonize another planet. The sound effects and music and full cast make this an entertaining listen, even for a grownup like me, and I'm sure all those bells and whistles will capture kids' attention. You can put it on in the background and if you miss a few words here or there, no prob. But the story and characters are definitely on the flat side. The main character demonstrates bravery and intelligence, but he doesn't learn any complex moral lessons that ring the clear bells of truth. This is just good, clean entertainment. Nothing really terrible or scary or off-color that I can remember. There are some brainy, science elements that will appeal to children who have a bent toward STEM topics. (FYI: I nabbed this one for free with my Originals benefit.) #KidProtagonist #OuterSpace #Science #Adventure #Futuristic

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Will you like it if you're not an animal person?

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-11-19

That's what I was asking myself as I was listening to the first third of the book. I am decidedly not an animal person. I think animals are wonderful. I've just never made a personal connection with one — I tend to do that with people (haha) — so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get through nearly eight hours with wolfdog. If you're looking for a lightweight read, this isn't it. If you like a lot of dialogue and interaction between human characters, this doesn't have either.

I came to the book blind. I had no idea of the plot or the point or anything, so I found myself thinking, "Where is this story going?" and "Why should I care about White Fang?" more than once in the early chapters.

But ...

There's a reason why Jack London's work didn't fall into obscurity. The language is just beautiful, and the imagery makes you want to strap on your hiking boots and go camping in the woods. That kind of kept me going, plus the desire to check this one off my list of classics waiting to be read. It was interesting to view humans from an outsider's perspective. The book makes many interesting distinctions between humans and animals, but it also humanizes animals and animalizes humans, so there's a lot of food for thought.

All in all, this wasn't exactly my cup of tea — so I'm glad I snagged this one for free during a promo — but I definitely wouldn't say it was a waste of my time. It gives you a lot to chew on (besides all the live meat) and it has a happy ending. If it hadn't concluded on a positive note, I may have written a totally different review. #Animals #Nature #Classic #UnlikelyHero

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Sweet Tale of Forgiveness

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-22-18

This was such a pleasant listen around Christmas. Thank you, Audible for the freebie. It’s not riveting or addicting, but it’s simple and heartwarming. Like “A Christmas Carol,” it’s a story about a crotchety old man and a plot to open his heart. It’s also got an element of family wounds and their healing, which is especially touching at the Christmas season. Beautiful language of the period as well as Mr. Armitidge’s always awesome cast of voices make it a pretty treat for listeners who like this type of story.

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My 3-year-old Is Loving It

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-12-18

Have you ever heard a 3-year-old trying to say, "Thelonius"? It's really cute. My little boy has been asking to listen to this while we eat lunch. We know a lot of Laurie Berkner's songs already, and it's fun to listen to them woven through stories. I like that each chapter is self-contained with the same opening and closing cues. It's nice to be able to have a logical stopping point, and the repetition of each open and close is actually fun for my child to hear again and again (rather than boring). Super happy to snag this among the November Originals. #KidFriendly #Carefree #Magical #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

UPDATE: The kids and I made it to the end, and the last track on the audiobook is around 1.5 hours long, and it's all the songs from each of the previous chapters. And it's not just the abbreviated versions that are woven into the stories. It's the full songs. So, this is basically like getting a free music CD (plus) with purchase. So cool!

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14 people found this helpful