Joni J Mielke
- 76
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- 28
- helpful votes
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A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor]
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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A Tale of Two Cities is one of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, it tells the story of a family threatened by the terrible events of the past. Doctor Manette was wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years without trial by the aristocratic authorities.
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it's the singer not the song*
- By Maynard on 11-09-13
- A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor]
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
Intriguing story, excellent narration
Reviewed: 09-11-21
This is the third Charles Dickens book that I've read (so far) and it is my favourite. Whether it's because of the story, which brings the turbulent times surrounding the French Revolution to life with heart and humanity, or because of the audiobook's excellent narration - or a bit of both - I really found a gem with this book, which had been on my TBL list for the longest of times. I'm looking forward to more Charles Dickens books read by other excellent narrators now!
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Euphoria
- A Novel
- By: Lily King
- Narrated by: Simon Vance, Xe Sands
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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English anthropologist Andrew Bankson has been alone in the field for several years, studying the Kiona river tribe in the territory of New Guinea. Haunted by the memory of his brothers' deaths and increasingly frustrated and isolated by his research, Bankson is on the verge of suicide when a chance encounter with colleagues, the controversial Nell Stone and her wry and mercurial Australian husband, Fen, pulls him back from the brink. Nell and Fen have just fled the bloodthirsty Mumbanyo and, in spite of Nell's poor health, are hungry for a new discovery.
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Anthropologists in Love
- By David on 08-21-14
- Euphoria
- A Novel
- By: Lily King
- Narrated by: Simon Vance, Xe Sands
Very good performance
Reviewed: 05-06-21
This story provides a very interesting perspective on the people whose job it is to observe, learn from and engage with groups and individuals that are very different from themselves. At the forefront of the story are the anthropologists themselves, and the tangled web of passion, coveting and jealousy that binds three people inextricably. The story is interesting, the perspective quite unique, and the characters realistic. A word of praise to the narrators. Their performances did the book great credit as they captured the various characters near perfectly. A good listening experience, over all.
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The Good Samaritan
- By: John Marrs
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden, Charlotte Cole, Matthew Lloyd Davies, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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The people who call End of the Line need hope. They need reassurance that life is worth living. But some are unlucky enough to get through to Laura. Laura doesn’t want them to hope. She wants them to die. Laura hasn’t had it easy: she's survived sickness and a difficult marriage only to find herself heading for forty, unsettled and angry. She doesn't love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it. But now someone’s on to her - Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger.
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Laura is Amy Dunne on steroids!
- By Wayne on 07-10-18
- The Good Samaritan
- By: John Marrs
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden, Charlotte Cole, Matthew Lloyd Davies, Tim Campbell
Brilliant writing, narration was on point
Reviewed: 05-04-21
I absolutely loathed the main character of this book, which itself is a testament to how very well-written this book is. Once again John Marrs has woven a story together that is completely different from his other books - which are in turn very different from each other - but this is as compelling a read as any of them. The narration complemented the story perfectly, with each voice suiting their characters well. I look forward to reading more books by Marrs. A well-deserved 5 star listen.
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What Lies Between Us
- By: John Marrs
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave. They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past. Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there.
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Not For Me!
- By Jan M on 08-23-20
- What Lies Between Us
- By: John Marrs
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
Very cleverly written, excellent narration
Reviewed: 04-22-21
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The characters, in all their flaws, weaknesses and very human foibles, were as real and vivid as if they had just stepped off the pages into reality. This is an excellent example of what a psychological thriller should be, thanks to the clever writing which takes readers down paths that are seemingly simple and uncomplicated at first but gradually, ever so gradually, give away their secrets as Maggie and Nina's stories continue to unfold.
The narration was excellent, with the narrator capturing two distinct main characters of varying ages - as well as the secondary characters - with consistent attention to detail so that there was never any cause for confusion as to who was speaking - in case the named chapters weren't sufficient as clues.
Taken altogether, this is an excellent story and a worthy audiobook. I look forward to listening to more books by this author.
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The Steampunk Adventures of Harry Lampeter
- The Anarchic Urban Adventurer
- By: Roger Ley
- Narrated by: Craig Bowles
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Urban anarchist Harry Lampeter is employed by MI6 on a casual basis. Modern technology has collapsed, returning the world to the steam age. The war between Scotland and England, is on hold while the United States army of occupation keeps the peace. The Americans are in no hurry to leave, they plan to make Great Britain the 54th State of their Union. Scotland and England eye one another with mistrust and an arms race seems inevitable as the English plan building a fleet of Ironclad warships.
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Airships, conflict, satire and perfection!
- By Gigi on 10-10-24
- The Steampunk Adventures of Harry Lampeter
- The Anarchic Urban Adventurer
- By: Roger Ley
- Narrated by: Craig Bowles
A Rollicking Fun Listen
Reviewed: 03-18-21
Listening to this audiobook, I found it amazing how much the speculative future world resembled the past with its airships, spies, double agents and armadas. This was a fun listen, featuring renegade patriot Harry Lampeter and an ensemble of fiends and friends - and some who fell somewhere in between. Although I enjoy dystopian, SF books, Steampunk is a relatively new genre for me, which I will most probably revisit in the future.
Seeing Martin Riley in his cameo role at the beginning of the book was like briefly bumping into an old friend. Likewise for the mentions of Diana and James, the then Muslim king of England. A nice sense of continuity there.
The narration is very good - adjusting to the style of the book, staying a tune to the characters, and remaining consistent throughout.
Overall, this has been a worthy listen - but more than any other adjective, it was FUN!
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Chronoscape
- The Future Is Flexible We Can Change It
- By: Roger Ley
- Narrated by: Craig Bowles
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Will physicist Martin Riley get the rewards he feels he deserves? He's discovered a way to receive news stories from two weeks in the future but the Government has cloaked the technology in secrecy. Riley sees the danger in altering the Timestream but despite his warnings, politicians on both sides of the Atlantic make radical alterations to political events. The first temporal alteration saves Princess Diana, the next saves the Twin Towers, but ripples travel far ahead and disturb Earth's future civilisation. The Timestream must be realigned, but at what cost?
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Kept me engaged in the mystery the whole time!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-08-20
- Chronoscape
- The Future Is Flexible We Can Change It
- By: Roger Ley
- Narrated by: Craig Bowles
Thought-provoking and enjoyable
Reviewed: 03-15-21
Having listened to The Muslim Prince recently, which is a spin-off book from this one, it was richly satisfying experience to be introduced to the context and science of it all, with its complexities and ramifications all present and accounted for. That's not to say it reads like a textbook, because like any sci-fi book worth its salt, Chronoscape is strongly investired with complex individuals who grow on you despite - or perhaps because of - all their flaws and imperfections.
For me, at least for the duration of the first half of the book, Martin Riley was very much the main character of the novel. Ambitious, driven, and not a little frustrated with the lack of recognition he had received for his contributions, Riley remains a likeable and relatable character despite grating on one's nerves re his hypocritical attitude towards his wife's infidelities that make you want to punch his lights out. Unless that's just me? Moving on...
The second half of the book, which actually picked up from where the epilogue began, positively blew my socks off. Time travel and temporal adjustment always come with consequences, and it is no different here. On a character note, I liked learning more about Mary- who had also played a significant role in TMP- but I felt, for the most part, that she and her partner, Patrick's story could have filled another book on it's own without being hitched to Martin's adventure. Roger Ley does integrate their stories well enough, but I could easily have done with a novella or short novel about Mary. Her life and work is certainly interesting enough and I feel there's a lot of potential there.
As before, Craig Bowles does an excellent job narrating this audiobook. Switching between Martin's point of view and that of the narrator requires subtle changes in tone, accent and modulation, and the narrator nails it. The characters are well differentiated, the pace is steady but moves along quickly enough, and in the end I was happy to listen to this for hours at a time without getting bored or distractedly missing things.
A very good book, overall. I'd definitely recommend it.
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The Muslim Prince
- What if Diana Hadn't Died?
- By: Roger Ley
- Narrated by: Craig Bowles
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In this alternate reality, Prince William succeeds to the throne and his mother, Princess Diana, rejoins the Royal Family as a Muslim Queen Mother. Meanwhile, her grandson James, the next in line to the throne, is under the spell of a Saudi Arabian Princess who want him to convert and become the first Muslim King of England.
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Haunting “If Only” Mesmerizing!
- By Gigi on 10-24-24
- The Muslim Prince
- What if Diana Hadn't Died?
- By: Roger Ley
- Narrated by: Craig Bowles
Original premise, well-thought out follow through
Reviewed: 03-10-21
I haven't had much experience with books that deal in alternate accounts of history, but after listening to this I'm definitely going to look for more of this genre! While the present-day world unpicks and dissects the latest scandal surrounding the British royal family, it felt so good to be able to immerse myself in the fictional though completely plausible sounding world of what if.
What if Diana hadn't died? What if she had gone on to marry Dodi, finding happiness in a second union, and with time putting into motion a course of events that would fundamentally alter the system that has held England in its place for so many centuries?
What if we lived in a world that was more like this one? More colourful and inclusive in parts, accepting as a reality and norm the technological advances that come with futuristic settings, while never failing to remind us that will always be those who will object and plot in darkness when confronted with any kind of change from the status quo. All of these things are explored with attention to detail where research is clearly evident, with subtle-ish tongue-in-cheek pokes at establishments like monarchical reign without thought of retiring that many question to this day.
In the end, you are left with a not-unrealistic sounding story that very well *might* have happened had Diana not died. Lastly, but by no means least, the narration was excellent. Craig's solid, clear, measured tones keep the listener engaged as the story swings from character to character and between various settings. All of these changes are conveyed well and with the apparent ease that belies the hard work that goes into such endeavours.
Altogether a very good book that I would heartily recommend to those who seek a little lightness, a little other-ness from the current day drama and strife of the royal family. This 5 star listen will not disappoint!
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The Mountain and the Sea
- By: Kwame Dawes
- Narrated by: Paula-Anne Jones
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Esther, a painter living in Jamaica and recovering from the death of her husband, comes across a man on a mountain road with no memory of his past. As a hurricane rushes towards the island, she shelters the handsome stranger, names him “Monty”, and tries to uncover the mystery of his missing memory. She soon finds herself falling in love with a man she barely knows, and who doesn’t even know himself. The Mountain and the Sea is a romantic tale about letting go of the past and embracing the present.
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Pornography
- By Randall on 04-04-20
- The Mountain and the Sea
- By: Kwame Dawes
- Narrated by: Paula-Anne Jones
Great Narration
Reviewed: 12-22-20
Paula-Anne Jones really brings this audiobook to life with her Jamaican accent that is singularly apt in this story. The principal characters are enlivened by the voices they are given, and Esther stars in her own story with the effervescent brilliance that Paula-Anne's voice has given her. The story of a slow-burning love/passion between two unlikely candidates, and it drew me in ever deeper as I listened for developments and actions that took place at a slow but ever-building pace until the inevitable end. Although this is billed as a romance story, one of second chances at love, it is ultimately a picture of renewal and self-actualization. It succeeds at this admirably. Altogether, this was a pleasant listen and well worth the addition to my Library.
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A Breath of Snow and Ashes
- Outlander, Book 6
- By: Diana Gabaldon
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 57 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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A Breath of Snow and Ashes continues the saga of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his 20th-century, time-traveling wife, Claire. The year is 1772, and the rift between Britain and its American colonies has put a frightening word into the minds of all concerned: revolution. In the backwoods of North Carolina, violence has already reared its ugly head, as cabins have been burned to the ground. To preserve the colony for King George III, the governor pleads with Jamie to bring the people together and restore peace. But Jamie has the burden of knowing that war cannot be avoided.
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Unabridged!
- By JerryT on 05-20-11
- A Breath of Snow and Ashes
- Outlander, Book 6
- By: Diana Gabaldon
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
Absolutely loved it
Reviewed: 12-20-20
I say this every time I finish another book in this series, but that doesn't make this statement less true: this has been the best book of the Outlander series thus far. I love seeing more of Brianna and Roger, Jemmy, Ian, Fergus and Marsali and their brood, as well Lizzy and the other regulars who have joined Claire and Jamie in their epic journey of life. I hope to see more of all them, and more, as life leads some in new directions and future plots become less certain - but all the more interesting for the newness of it. This is an epic tale with unforgettable people that grow on you - and remain fast. After 57 hours and more of listening, this should feel more like the reading equivalent of running an ultra-marathon but I could as easily take my mark at the beginning of book 8 and dive back in. This has been really special. Definitely worth persevering with the series to get this far, and further.
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The Holy City Hustle
- A Duke Dempsey Mystery
- By: Ron Plante Jr.
- Narrated by: Gene Blake
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Super sleuth Duke Dempsey is at it again when he is drawn into a world of corruption, deception, and murder. An assassinated mayor, the mob, and corruption that reaches the highest levels of government takes Duke on a journey that brings him face to face with his past. All the answers he seeks are in an elusive ledger that he must bring to light.
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Noir at its best!
- By MolllyT on 12-05-20
- The Holy City Hustle
- A Duke Dempsey Mystery
- By: Ron Plante Jr.
- Narrated by: Gene Blake
Tough and gritty story with great narration
Reviewed: 11-25-20
I enjoyed listening to this a great deal. Duke Dempsey is as consistent as ever, with sharp instincts and endless perseverance that sees him through from the first gunshot fired to the unveiling of the last conspirator. And boy, do those conspirators pop up in the most interesting places; situations are not always what they seem and the same goes for characters.
Like book 1, there's a lot of action here and I'd expected nothing less, but as the title of this book suggests The Holy City Hustle is more focused on the vein of corruption that is found in Charleston's circles, though this is evenly balanced with the mob-like Cuban threat. The plot's trail is dark and twisted, aided and abetted by the efforts of Mr Blake's narration, which suits Ron Plante Jr's setting and characters perfectly. The dark grit of the story is mirrored in its portrayal, although lighter tones convey the loyalty, honour and courage that Duke personifies.
An excellent book and captivating mystery - I look forward to Book 3!
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