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Dancing at the Rascal Fair
- By: Ivan Doig
- Narrated by: Robert Ian MacKenzie
- Length: 19 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Dancing at the Rascal Fair by National Book Award nominee Ivan Doig captures the passion and tenacity of turn-of-the-century immigrants struggling to build new lives amidst Montana’s windswept Rockies. The tale unfolds into a contest of the heart between Anna Ramsay and Angus McCaskill—kept apart by obligations—as they and their stormy kin vie to tame the brutal land.
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New Favorite
- By Dana C. Nicolay on 05-28-10
- Dancing at the Rascal Fair
- By: Ivan Doig
- Narrated by: Robert Ian MacKenzie
An absolute classic!!
Reviewed: 03-21-25
Ivan Doug has a knack for using words to make the reader SEE Montana in all its glory and its cruelty. And for creating characters that you’ll never forget. This is a true saga, of two Scots friends who emigrate to Montana and try to survive as sheep ranchers. There is love, betrayal, heartache, beauty. Their struggles against nature, and against each other, ring so true! It’s heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. It’s a story that sticks with you for years.
The narrator was pretty good, particularly with the Scottish accent, but he mispronounced multiple Montana names, such as Havre, Ekalaka, and especially Gros Ventre! Irked me every time!
Regardless, this is a book that I highly, highly recommend, though it’ll wring you out, emotionally.
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English Creek
- The Montana Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Ivan Doig
- Narrated by: Scott Sowers
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Part of Ivan Doig’s acclaimed Montana trilogy, English Creek revolves around Jick McCaskill, a 14-year-old growing up in 1930s Montana. This incandescent coming-of-age tale dramatizes the climatic events of one summer that inevitably mark Jick’s awakening from childhood to adulthood.
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Read this as book two and Dancing as book one
- By Blue on 05-21-13
- English Creek
- The Montana Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Ivan Doig
- Narrated by: Scott Sowers
A marvelous Montana tale!
Reviewed: 03-15-25
Ivan Doig captures Montana life like few others can. As a Montanan myself, I can absolutely see the kinds of people he writes about, and their attitudes and lifestyle. And he can definitely paint a verbal picture of all the varying Montana landscapes! Reading this makes me miss my home state even more!
This is a slow moving story, more about people and thoughts than events, though there were certainly enough events to keep the story moving. But it’s more like snapshots of a summer as told through the eyes and mind of a 14 year old boy. Doig captures the angst of a teen on the verge of adulthood, stuck between childhood and maturity. And the depiction of his family and all the people he encounters that summer is marvelous! It rings 100% true.
The narration was decent. No complaints. And he got the various Montana names right!
I definitely recommend this book! Especially if you want to know what Montana was like 90 years ago.
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Voyage of the Damned
- By: Frances White
- Narrated by: Nathan Foad
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain. Aboard are the twelve heirs of the provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing. All except one: Ganymedes Piscero—class clown, slacker and all-around disappointment.
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Twists and turns and I didn’t see that coming
- By C. Miranda on 09-02-24
- Voyage of the Damned
- By: Frances White
- Narrated by: Nathan Foad
Not what I expected but good!
Reviewed: 03-08-25
From the description and tags, I thought this would be much funnier and more lighthearted. And while Dee does have a wry sense of humor and often comes up with clever one-liners, I would not call this a humorous book. It actually has some very serious themes, relevant to our times, about the rich and privileged being willing to throw away the poor and the different to make their country “better”. It’s also a good love story, but there is a lot of struggle and death surrounding that. And, of course, all the murders. So this really isn’t lighthearted, if that’s what you want in a book.
It took about 1/3 of the book before I came to like Dee and care about what was going on. But once I reached that point the book was pretty much un-put-downable. The different provinces of Concordia and their “Blessed” heirs was an interesting concept, and I loved how different everyone was. And the murder mystery was extremely well done and had me guessing all the way.
The narrator did a good job with all the different voices. At first I was aghast at what I thought was his mispronunciation of “trachea”, but I checked online and that’s actually how the British pronounce it! So, no complaints in that area.
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The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love
- By: India Holton
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, stealing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that's beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.
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Best Narrator Ever
- By LinseyLoo on 07-30-24
- The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love
- By: India Holton
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
An absolute DELIGHT!
Reviewed: 02-28-25
It’s been a while since I laughed so much while reading a book. The laughs per page are equivalent to the best Discworld books. And like those books, the humor isn’t just in the situations, but in the prose. The author manages to write incredibly funny descriptions and dialogue.
The two main characters are almost too perfect, but in a book such as this, that doesn’t matter. Because they are perfect for each other, too. I loved how their relationship developed and was glad I didn’t have to wait too long for them to admit they loved each other and finally make love.
The entire book was just so much fun!
Plus, the narration was perfectly done by the BRILLIANT Elizabeth Knoweldon, who also does the Lady Hardcastle series. She has such a wide range of accents and voices, and she applied them well. Really wonderful work!!
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The Wicked Bargain
- By: Gabe Cole Novoa
- Narrated by: Vico Ortiz
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father, and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship. When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up their soul to save their father by the harvest moon, or never see him again. But Mar refuses to make a bargain, and there's no way their magic is a match for el Diablo.
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Queer Latine Pirate Bruje
- By StormMiguel Florez on 05-01-23
- The Wicked Bargain
- By: Gabe Cole Novoa
- Narrated by: Vico Ortiz
Pretty good but definitely YA
Reviewed: 01-29-25
I really enjoyed that the main character was trans masc. I felt the author did a good job with making them very real and it didn’t feel like a token character. The romance between Bas and Mer was very sweet, and also felt realistic for their ages. It was also nice to see other queer relationships among adults, and not having a big deal made about it. There were simply gay pirates and it was just normal.
The story was quite sweeping, with all the curses and magic and devils and demons. It got a little complicated, but it had a very satisfying ending, all around. It left me with a good feeling overall.
Though it definitely felt like a YA story. There wasn’t a lot of depth beyond the main plot, which though complicated, was actually pretty straightforward. And all the bad guys were bad, all the good guys were good, without much nuance. The only character that was more complex was Dami (not sure of spelling). I liked them a lot!
I thought the narrator was quite good, though I had to turn up the volume a bit more than normal. Also, not having had any Spanish lessons in decades, I didn’t understand a lot of the Spanish phrases being used, because they spoke them so fast. But that’s a minor quibble. I thought their choices for character voices was quite good.
All in all, it was a pretty good read, though probably not one I’ll reread again and again. But I’d definitely recommend it to young people!
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Night’s Master
- Tales from the Flat Earth, Book One
- By: Tanith Lee
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Long ago when the Earth was flat, beautiful, indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above; curious, passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below; and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle. Azhrarn, Lord of the Demons and the Darkness, was the one who ruled the night, and many mortal lives were changed because of his cruel whimsy. And yet, Azhrarn held inside his demon heart a profound mystery which would change the very fabric of the Flat Earth forever.
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A gothic fairytale
- By KH on 04-10-12
- Night’s Master
- Tales from the Flat Earth, Book One
- By: Tanith Lee
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
Fascinating world building, but grim. DNF
Reviewed: 01-23-25
First, the world building was brilliant! Very creative and original. Very well-constructed. But the stories are just grim. It’s all about greedy people being cruel to each other, and cruel demons being cruel to humans. It just went on and on and on in this vein. I finally quit with a little under 2 hours to go. Maybe you need your be in a different headspace to enjoy this, but I clearly wasn’t.
Second - the narrator!! Her voices and intonations for the characters were good. But when reading exposition her inflection at the end of each sentence was sort of flat or even in an upswing. Most people finish a sentence with a slight drop in inflection. Not her! And it really, really grated on me, the longer the book went on. Massively irritating, and I’m usually pretty easy going!
So, despite having high hopes for the book, it just wasn’t for me, I’m sad to say.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
- By: Scott O'Dell
- Narrated by: Christina Moore
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Karana, a Ghalas-at Indian, lives peacefully on the island with her tribe until the arrival of a Russian otter-hunting ship. In spite of the deal the Aleutian hunters make with her father, the Ghalas-at chief, in the end they prove treacherous, killing most of the tribe. Karana's younger brother, Ramo, is all that is left of her family. Fearful of the Aleuts' return, the remaining Indians decide to move to another island, and are offered safe passage by some friendly ships. But as Karana boards the ship to leave the island forever, she is unable to find Ramo.
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Childhood favorite
- By tray on 02-03-25
- Island of the Blue Dolphins
- By: Scott O'Dell
- Narrated by: Christina Moore
Beloved childhood book, still just as good!
Reviewed: 01-16-25
This was one of my favorite books when I was in grade school. I must have checked it out from the school library a dozen times over the years. Listening to it as an adult, I was just as captivated by the main character’s struggles to survive. I especially liked that she wasn’t portrayed with typical thoughts and motives for a white person. The author seemed to capture her youth and her strength and her ties to the animals and the land with great veracity.
The narrator was also quite good! Especially when she got to the part where the dog dies. She had me tearing up, too!
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Tress of the Emerald Sea
- A Cosmere Novel
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?
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Brilliant writing.
- By Taylor on 04-25-24
- Tress of the Emerald Sea
- A Cosmere Novel
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
Mildly entertaining
Reviewed: 01-14-25
This book wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t quite what I’d hoped. I felt it was awkward having the story about a woman being narrated by a male, one who is a character in the story himself. It wasn’t even clear from the start that that was what was happening, so I was somewhat lost at first. I also got tired of EVERYTHING Tress attempted succeeding. No matter what she did, it ended up working out, and this just felt inauthentic. Plus, the way the crew just immediately became 100% loyal to her and willing to die for her just didn’t feel realistic.
I realize that this is intended to be a lighthearted book, and there were some humorous interactions, but the whole thing just didn’t work for me. Perhaps it’s because I’ve not read any other books set in the Cosmere, so lots of references just went over my head.
This wasn’t a BAD book, by any means, but it just didn’t hit me in the feels. I never really connected with Tress as a character. I will say that the IDEAS in the book were great! The spores and how they work were really creative. And there were definitely a few plot twists I didn’t see coming. But overall, I was entertained, but only mildly.
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The Teller of Small Fortunes
- By: Julie Leong
- Narrated by: Phyllis Ho
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…
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Delightful
- By Emily turton on 12-13-24
- The Teller of Small Fortunes
- By: Julie Leong
- Narrated by: Phyllis Ho
Mildly enjoyable, but derivative
Reviewed: 01-07-25
This book tried SO HARD to be “cozy”, but it just felt too forced. Everything always worked out. Our plucky heroine always found a way. The characters and relationships just didn’t ring true. And the silly “side quest” with the phoenix felt like just something thrown in to make the book longer. It served no useful purpose in plot or character development. Also, the way the master mage and queen just fully supported Tao and decided to take war allocations to give to the peasants was just so unrealistic. I mean, I know this is a fantasy, but it should still FEEL real, and this book didn’t.
Also, there were many instances where this book directly ripped off Legends & Lattes (by Travis Baldree). There’s a mysterious black cat, there’s a baker who invents treats from our real world (fortune cookies in the case of this book, cinnamon rolls and biscotti in L&L), and the baker even gets a fancy “gnomish” oven like in L&L. Too many things that just happen to be exactly like L&L!
And the narrator. Sigh. She sounded very nasal, her vocal choices for male characters was unconvincing, and overall it felt like she was reading the story for children. I might have liked the story more if I had read it, and not listened to it.
Overall, I’m just disappointed! I really wanted to find another cozy fantasy to enjoy, but sadly, this isn’t it. Not for me, anyway. Bummer.
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Hogfather
- Discworld, Book 20
- By: Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Bill Nighy, Peter Serafinowicz, Sian Clifford
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The stockings are hanging ready, the sherry and pies are waiting by the fireplace - but where is the jolly fat man with his sack? It's not right to find Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say 'Ho ho ho'—but someone's got to bring the little kiddies their presents. Or else they might stop believing. Belief is important in Discworld, particularly on the last night of the year when the time is turning. If the real man in the red suit isn't found by morning, there won't be a morning. Ever again....
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Good story but poor narration
- By Kylie on 01-03-22
- Hogfather
- Discworld, Book 20
- By: Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Bill Nighy, Peter Serafinowicz, Sian Clifford
Very fun!
Reviewed: 01-01-25
This was very fun! Though I think you have to be in the right mood for all the silliness. But I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions. It’s not exactly what I’d call “Christmas-y”, though of course there are parallels between the Hogfather and Santa Claus. But it’s not a sugary sweet story. Definitely more cold-blooded murders than your usual Christmas story! But overall, the tone is light, and even wholesome at times. I definitely enjoyed it.
Major kudos to all the narrators! The main narrator was amazing with all her different voices, and it was very clever to have a male voice for Death. He was perfect! And I liked how they handled the footnotes - very nicely done! A+ all around!
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