Valerie
- 19
- reviews
- 3
- helpful votes
- 21
- ratings
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The Last Queen
- A Novel of Courage and Resistance
- By: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Narrated by: Sneha Mathan
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Sharp-eyed, stubborn, and passionate, Jindan was known for her beauty. When she caught the eye of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, she was elevated to royalty, becoming his youngest and last queen—and his favorite. And when her son, barely six years old, unexpectedly inherited the throne, Jindan assumed the regency. She transformed herself from pampered wife to warrior ruler, determined to protect her people and her son’s birthright from the encroaching British Empire.
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One of the best books on Rani Jinda
- By Kamal Singh on 12-08-22
- The Last Queen
- A Novel of Courage and Resistance
- By: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Narrated by: Sneha Mathan
Real life stories often have a disappointing ending
Reviewed: 02-10-24
And such was the case here. Her life was a fairy tale for a while, but then everything disintegrated. Also, she became not as nice of a person, focused on exacting revenge. Also, for a Western reader, I could really have used that list of characters read at the beginning in a printed format to refer to frequently. Midway through the story, it was increasingly hard for me to keep track of who all the characters were. But, all in all, I enjoy stories from a different culture, the opportunity to learn a bit about a different way of life than my own. Plus, her life really was amazing.
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Anxious People
- A Novel
- By: Fredrik Backman
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything.
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Read. This. Now.
- By DIY Sammy on 09-09-20
- Anxious People
- A Novel
- By: Fredrik Backman
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
Took a turn for the better
Reviewed: 01-27-24
At first, I was a bit turned off by the stupid, uncooperative way the witnesses to the crime were responding to the police. But I liked the narration part and appreciated the writing, the interesting way the author had of letting you realize something just before it was revealed. And as more was revealed throughout the story, I was drawn in and no longer was irritated by the characters. Well, the real estate agent was still a bit annoying, but not nearly as much.
The narrator did a good job of reading the narrative potions in an even, reasonable, companionable tone, talking directly to the reader, while distinguishing very clearly between all the different characters and giving them a pitch perfect voice unique to each.
Was this translated to English? If so, an excellent job.
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Husband and Wife
- By: K. L. Slater
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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My husband and I are fighting for our lives in hospital after a terrible car accident. But despite my pain, all I can think about is what our families will find behind our front door. The scarf that has been all over the news, belonging to a dead young woman with honey-coloured hair. I have to speak to the police before my husband can. I’m drifting in and out of consciousness, but when I hear my wife talking to the police, accusing me of the murder of an innocent woman, a cold fear grips me. I know I’ve got a temper.
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Good twists
- By Susan Wiegert on 12-25-23
- Husband and Wife
- By: K. L. Slater
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
Awful
Reviewed: 12-16-23
All the characters were such caricatures. All very whiny. I felt no connection to any of them. Waste of time.
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Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 31 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Middlemarch is a recognized masterpiece that explores the complex social world of 19th century England. It is concerned with the lives of several ordinary people, albeit ones with high social standing. The novel explores the very fabric of Victorian society in the 1800s, showing how various human passions, heroism, egotism, love, and lust, interrelate within this society.
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Engrossing, non-stuffy entertainment!
- By Jennifer on 06-21-06
- Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
Glad I listened to this
Reviewed: 12-14-23
It’s really long and from an era past, so I was intimidated to start Middlemarch. And it was initially a little hard to get into with so many characters and story lines and lofty conversations about art and politics of another age and (for me) country. But Eliot has a wry wit that I enjoyed with little comments about human nature, which, of course, hasn’t changed much at all over time. And gradually all the story lines started intercepting and it felt like a fun soap opera. In the end, quite a satisfying read. Also, the narrator did an excellent with all the different voices, imbuing each with character of his or her own. Quite a feat for such a long narration and so many prominent characters.
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Lady Jayne Disappears
- By: Joanna Davidson Politano
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company. When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidden while searching for the truth about her mother's disappearance - and perhaps even her father's death.
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One of the best books I have heard lately
- By Ponderbunny on 03-09-20
- Lady Jayne Disappears
- By: Joanna Davidson Politano
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
Interesting premise but weak development
Reviewed: 11-04-23
I found the mysterious notes from Nathaniel Droll to be incongruous. There aren’t other supernatural elements in the story, so why that one? I mean I get how it furthered the plot, but it seems a weird plot device. Also, while a lot of things tracked, there was a last minute disclosure that just seemed unnecessary to the story and some side situations that were tied up without explanation.
A lot of reviews mention the Christian aspects of this book. I was surprised the first time the main character quoted a verse from a Psalm in the Bible. Like others, I wasn’t expecting that. But then it just seemed like part of her character when she would do so. Sort of the opposite of a character who curses all the time. Anyway, it fits with the time period. It didn’t bother me, but I can see how it might antagonize those with strong feelings against such things. Just as strong language might antagonize others.
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I Came to Say Goodbye
- By: Caroline Overington
- Narrated by: Tai Hara, Jennifer Rani
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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It was four o'clock in the morning. A young woman pushed through the hospital doors. Staff would later say they thought the woman was a new mother, returning to her child - and in a way, she was. She walked into the nursery, where a baby girl lay sleeping. The infant didn't wake when the woman placed her gently in the shopping bag she had brought with her. There is CCTV footage of what happened next, and most Australians would have seen it, either on the internet or the news.
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Free and Fantastic!
- By Marilyn Welch on 02-07-22
- I Came to Say Goodbye
- By: Caroline Overington
- Narrated by: Tai Hara, Jennifer Rani
Heavy
Reviewed: 09-16-23
This story tackled several different weighty issues: abuse/controlling behavior, foster care/control by the system, even refugee immigration and more. It overall was a really sad situation. No neat answers, true to life. But an interesting listen nonetheless. The male narrator had a delightful Aussie accent and his story drew me in from the beginning. The female narrator wasn’t as good and I guess her accent was supposed to be more posh, but I couldn’t identify it. Fortunately, her portion was much shorter.
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Plain Jane
- By: Fern Michaels
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Back in college, Jane Lewis would have given anything to be like homecoming queen Connie Bryan. Instead she was just Plain Jane - overweight, frumpy, and painfully shy. That was then. Today, a lovely and confident Dr. Jane Lewis has a thriving psychotherapy practice, her own radio talk show, a beautiful old Louisiana mansion, and her affectionate, nutty dog, Olive, to keep her company. The only thing missing is someone to share her life.
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This gave me the courage…
- By LNMB on 06-18-23
- Plain Jane
- By: Fern Michaels
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
Ok for a freebie
Reviewed: 09-02-23
I don’t think I’d like the protagonist if I met her. She’s whiny and vindictive.
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Cutting for Stone
- A Novel
- By: Abraham Verghese
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 23 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.
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An Epic Medical Novel
- By Audiophile on 07-11-09
- Cutting for Stone
- A Novel
- By: Abraham Verghese
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
Mesmerizing
Reviewed: 08-30-23
This is the kind of book I love. Nothing formulaic about it. I wouldn’t have thought I’d enjoy a book so much that delves into medical and surgical details, but it’s truly a part of the story. Nothing is wasted in the telling. It all plays into the greater tale. And the narrator was fantastic. He did a wonderful job switching between male/female characters and accents from different countries and continents. This is a story that will stick with me.
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Bridge to Haven
- By: Francine Rivers
- Narrated by: Kate Forbes
- Length: 17 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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To those who matter in 1950s Hollywood, Lena Scott is the hottest rising star to hit the silver screen since Marilyn Monroe. Few know her real name is Abra. Even fewer know the price she' s paid to finally feel like she' s somebody. To Pastor Ezekiel Freeman, Abra will always be the little girl who stole his heart the night he found her, a wailing newborn abandoned under a bridge on the outskirts of Haven.
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Francine Rivers is the best for a reason.
- By Candace on 05-06-14
- Bridge to Haven
- By: Francine Rivers
- Narrated by: Kate Forbes
Flat
Reviewed: 07-20-23
Redeeming Love has long been one of my favorite books. So, I was expecting to like this one. But the main character, Abra, just felt flat to me, so passive. Maybe that’s realistic for women in abusive relationships. But i was expecting her to be a bit more feisty. Maybe it was how the narrator read everything so calmly without too much inflection. And the good guys of the story were just too good, too perfect. Finally, the storyline was pretty predictable. Even the final “twist” was obvious from the get go.
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Desiree: The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First Love
- By: Annemarie Selinko
- Narrated by: Nicole Quinn
- Length: 25 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Fourteen year old Desiree can't believe her good fortune. Her fiance, a dashing and ambitious Napoleon Bonaparte, is poised for battlefield success, and no longer will she be just a French merchant's daughter. She could not have known the twisting path her role in history would take, nearly breaking her vibrant heart but sweeping her to a life rich in passion and desire. A love story, but so much more, Desiree explores the landscape of a young heart torn in two.
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A fascinating story
- By Elisabeth on 04-09-13
Loooong
Reviewed: 07-15-23
I like a long book that captivates me, but this one was a bit of a chore to get through. I was interested to learn (per Wikipedia anyway) that, by and large, the historical elements of Desiree’s life were all true. The author gives our protagonist a somewhat childlike persona and the narrator certainly read her that way. And gave a distinct whine to some other characters, such as her sister, Julie. I don’t particularly recommend the story, but I don’t recommend against it either.
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