chrispark

Wise and Reassuring!

Reviewed: 07-14-23

This book truly added to my spiritual growth. I felt like teddy was a mother to all of us speaking from the other side. Unlike many channeled messages, these teachings sounded so natural. I felt like I was being clued in to helpful secrets about how it all works.

Sometimes the teachings were laden with too many drawn out, hackneyed analogies, which could have been edited for brevity.
I can’t believe the other four books are not offered in audible form. Since I am not into reading Kindle books, I probably will never read the more advanced teachings.

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The Deep End of the Pool of Human Relations, Navigated with Wisdom and Compassion

Reviewed: 02-04-18

She always seems to have the wisest perspective on complicated personal and family dynamics. Apologies and forgiveness are truly the deep end of the pool of human relations, navigated with wisdom and compassion by one of the most skillful and sensitive psychiatrist authors of our time. So helpful!

Narrator was great too, although I love Harriet Lerner's voice and prefer when she does her own narration.

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Only "Wise" for Those Who Haven't Experienced Much

Reviewed: 04-01-17

What disappointed you about The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck?

The young author does not have the life experience to give him a broad frame of reference for giving wise life advice to people beyond adolescents a few years younger than himself. Although he started a business and traveled a lot, his advice centers on surviving the 2008 recession, lacking universal relevance. He's married but hasn't raised kids, hasn't experienced illness, death or loss, or any adversity beyond temporary post-college unemployment. Yet, he presents his book with a callow, "know-it-all" arrogance.

At first, I did not mind his 4-letter-words, but they became tiresome; I presume I am not in his target audience of young adults immature enough to be fascinated by constant repetition of the F word.

Has The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck turned you off from other books in this genre?

I love books on self-development, whether they lean toward business, psychological growth, relationships, or spirituality. I will continue to love books in this genre, but I may stay away from books with the F word in the title.

What does Roger Wayne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Roger Wayne was a delightful, enthusiastic narrator. I never would have read the whole book without his narration.

What character would you cut from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck?

NA

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6 people found this helpful

JOURNEY THAT BUILT A SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP

Reviewed: 04-01-17

Where does News of the World rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best.

What did you like best about this story?

The beautiful character development and the evolution of the friendship between the old grandfather soldier and a ten-year-old girl who was captured by Native Americans in post-Civil War Texas, whom he is returning to her German-American community. Their long, dangerous journey by horse wagon from Wichita Falls in North Texas to near San Antonio is suspenseful and exciting, but the best part is how their friendship develops

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Grover Gardner is a wonderful narrator. He is a folksy storyteller, and his voices makes each character truly come alive.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

I could really picture myself on this journey. Paulette Jiles did a great job of painting visual pictures and Grover Gardner made the characters come alive. Did not want it to end.

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Great Story Telling, Characters and Powerful Understanding of Mediumistic Gifts

Reviewed: 04-26-16

I loved the integration of an exciting murder mystery with a story of a woman getting in touch with her Mediumistic gifts. I am glad this book accepted the reality of people who can connect with the dead, rather than perpetuating skeptical stereotypes. I liked the interplay between detective and investigative journalism and the intervention of spirits. The love story was genuine and refreshing, and the characters rang true with authentic humanity and imperfection.

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4 people found this helpful

Creepy Mystery-Thriller Psychodrama

Reviewed: 03-05-15

What made the experience of listening to Close to Home the most enjoyable?

The mystery hung together well and everything made sense in the end. Although it was a little too creepy for me, there was the satisfaction that the puzzle ultimately made sense.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Close to Home?

There was a satisfying love story that was a great counterbalance to the creepy, scary parts of the story.

Have you listened to any of Joyce Bean’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Joyce Bean was a great reader and did a wonderful job with different voices, both male and female.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Would be a spoiler to say.

Any additional comments?

"Close to Home" was a lame title and did not give enough of a hint of what the story was about. I was not prepared for it to be as creepy as it was.

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16 people found this helpful

Ms. Captain Obvious Gives Psychobabble Advice

Reviewed: 01-29-15

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Amy Morin should not have narrated her own book. First, she sounds so young (like she's about fifteen) she does not communicate the gravitas required to be a credible shrink. Second, her pronunciations sound unsophisticated, undermining her shrink credentials. For example she pronounces "often" OF-TEN. I know that both the silent and pronounced "t" are both accepted, but for centuries it was silent, and most educated people use the silent t; many cringe when people pronounce the t (I do).

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Same as above.

Would you be willing to try another one of Amy Morin’s performances?

No.

Did 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do inspire you to do anything?

I can't even remember any of the 13 things, and I only finished reading it a few weeks ago.

Any additional comments?

Another average self-help book.

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6 people found this helpful

Audio "Page" Turner!

Reviewed: 01-29-15

Where does The Silent Sister rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Up there with the best.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Silent Sister?

Spoiler alert but reunion of separated characters.

Which scene was your favorite?

Same as above.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Same as above.

Any additional comments?

This story had colorful characters and a fun mystery with many plot twists and turns. In retrospect, it was a little far-fetched, with a soap opera flavor of who-turns-out-to-be-who. Still, it was a lot of fun, and made some car trips whiz by, because it was so entertaining.

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1 person found this helpful

Incredible True Story, Not Optimally Presented

Reviewed: 01-29-15

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend any version of this story, because it is an incredible true story that is so thought-provoking and may change the way a person looks at life and death.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The true story itself.

What aspect of Paul Boehmer’s performance would you have changed?

I did not care for Boehmer's performance. I especially did not like his irritating vocal characterization of female voices (I realize that is hard for a male narrator to do). His expression of humor when narrating a supposedly funny anecdote was also annoying.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Evidence of reincarnation and a new perspective on life and death.

Any additional comments?

The story is incredible, but the book's writing style is somewhat irritating. Too much detail about the family's daily lives, which was not that interesting, compared to the mystery of their son's nightmares and "past life," which was intriguing.

The recording is low quality, sounding like it was done on an old cassette machine. I would love to see a new recording (with a different narrator)>

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A Novel That Felt Like a True Story.

Reviewed: 01-18-15

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This gripping historical novel felt genuine and true. Although there were some "gee whiz" plot twists, they were not too far-fetched. The historical situation was something I did not know much about, so it carried its own rich, fascinating novelty.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters were vivid and colorful, brought to life not only by the skillful writer, but by the audio performance. My favorite character was Vivian, the 91-year-old woman who shares with us the story of her life as a young immigrant from Ireland on the orphan train to the Midwest. She had so much grit and inner strength, but was a "real person" who was easy to relate to. She inspired me.

Which scene was your favorite?

Don't want to be a spoiler, but I like the scene where two characters are reunited.

Who was the most memorable character of Orphan Train and why?

Vivian, the Irish immigrant who rides the orphan train from NYC to Minnesota and is placed in several different family situations, bravely enduring hardships but also finding good people along the way.

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