Maria
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Peony in Love
- A Novel
- By: Lisa See
- Narrated by: Janet Song
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 667
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 407
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Story4 out of 5 stars 405
For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Eloquently written and read
- By D on 07-21-07
- Peony in Love
- A Novel
- By: Lisa See
- Narrated by: Janet Song
A long road to mediocre
Reviewed: 06-22-09
This was a bookclub pick...so I had to stick with it. I'll start by saying that the narration was superb! The story was interesting enough...easy to predict some of the events, but I was really ambivalent about the main character. Can't say I was eager to keep listening. When I got to the end I was really underwhelmed. Would I recommend?...probably not. There is however, a pretty graphic foot-binding description. Curiosity got me to look up Chinese footbinding on Google Images... put it all in perspective.
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3 people found this helpful
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The Confessions of Max Tivoli
- By: Andrew Sean Greer
- Narrated by: Brian Keeler
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 257
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 68
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Story4 out of 5 stars 67
Max Tivoli is uniquely cursed. His mind ages normally, but he is born with the withered body of a 70-year-old man, and his body ages in reverse. Despite this torment, Max manages three times to cross paths with Alice, the woman who captures his heart. Because he appears to be a different person each time they meet, Max has three chances for true love.
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5 out of 5 stars
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odd premise, but it works!
- By Sean Dunnahoo on 03-03-04
- The Confessions of Max Tivoli
- By: Andrew Sean Greer
- Narrated by: Brian Keeler
Very engaging....great narration
Reviewed: 05-31-09
I really enjoyed this book. The story kept me wanting more and the narration kept me listening. Excellent! Max's story is heartbreaking...but I highly recommend. BTW...this is not the story of Brad Pitt's movie Benjamin Buttons, it's 10Xs better... similar circumstance but entirely different storyline.
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Same Kind of Different as Me
- By: Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent
- Narrated by: Dan Butler, Barry Scott
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Abridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,016
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 707
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 713
Meet Denver, raised under plantation-style slavery in Louisiana until he escaped the "Man" (in the 1960s - by hopping a train. Non-trusting, uneducated, and violent, he spent another 18 years on the streets of Dallas and Fort Worth. Meet Ron Hall, a self-made millionaire in the world of high priced art deals - concerned with fast cars, beautiful women, and fancy clothes. And the woman who changed their lives - Miss Debbie: "The skinniest, nosiest, pushiest, woman I ever met, black or white."
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1 out of 5 stars
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WARNING- THIS IS A CHRISTIAN BOOK
- By Varin on 12-01-08
- Same Kind of Different as Me
- By: Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent
- Narrated by: Dan Butler, Barry Scott
Buy the printed book on this one...
Reviewed: 05-31-09
I try to stay away from abridged editions and should have with this one. This book was a selection by my bookclub...it's an easy listen, mostly because there is A LOT cut out of this abridged version. There were references to people that were never mentioned earlier and had me asking "who are they referring to?" I had to go out and actually buy the print edition and skimmed through to catch up on what I missed...which was quite a bit. Inspirational story (enjoyed even more by the religious members of our group.)
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17 people found this helpful
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Lamb
- The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
- By: Christopher Moore
- Narrated by: Fisher Stevens
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9,459
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,386
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,395
Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more (except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdalan) and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Blasphemus or righteous?
- By Timothy on 08-19-08
- Lamb
- The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
- By: Christopher Moore
- Narrated by: Fisher Stevens
Listen if you want a good chuckle
Reviewed: 01-26-08
I really didn't know what to expect of this based on the mixed reviews. I found myself laughing out loud for most of the book. There were some spots that dragged on a little, but overall the book was fun and left me wanting more. Fisher Stevens was great as narrator. I do agree with previous reviews that the author seemed to want to hurry up and end the book...so the last few chapters were disappointing (hence the 4 stars). However the journey is not always about the destination and the ride to get to the end was enjoyable.
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1 person found this helpful
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March
- By: Geraldine Brooks
- Narrated by: Richard Easton
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,467
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,084
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,082
From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story "filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man" (Sue Monk Kidd). With "pitch-perfect writing" (USA Today), Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book, greatly narrated
- By Paula on 07-30-06
- March
- By: Geraldine Brooks
- Narrated by: Richard Easton
Great Listen
Reviewed: 01-26-08
Based on previous mixed reviews, I was not overly excited to download this book but it was this month's pick for my bookclub so the decision was made. I was very glad it was chosen, it would have been a shame if I had passed on this. One of my favorite reads was Brooks' "A Year of Wonders" and I think this was even better. The story and writing style were superb. The narrator was easy to listen to...a very appropriate voice for the characters. I was always excited to get back to listen as the story moved forward (not always the case for all audio books). I am now looking forward to our next bookclub meeting because the book will most definitely stimulate a lot of conversation about who we are behind closed doors, how we shape conversation to protect ourselves and others, as well as the dynamics of our true beliefs. I highly recommend.
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10 people found this helpful