Katy

Well explained, but a bit rushed

Reviewed: 06-10-17

It seemed to me that chapter 1 was exceedingly long & then I got confused by chapter 3 in particular. The "pauses" were so short, I almost missed them & wasn't sure which words they wanted me to repeat exactly. I think if I slowed it down some, that might help but I don't want to affect the "normal" rate of speech. I did already know all of these phrases though so it wasn't a huge problem.
The only other *tiny* problem I had (I likely mostly my own problem) but I had a little trouble understanding the Chapter 1 narrator.

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Darynda & Lorelei Have Done it , Yet Again!

Reviewed: 08-04-16

I waited quite some time to start this because I didn't want to have to wait a SUPER long time for the next book but it was so good, I listened to it in a fairly short time! Oops...There were SO many great parts I can't choose a favorite.
I found the main mystery with Emery a bit predictable, but still fun, hilarious, & some sexiness (named Reyes).
I always enjoy Lorelei's narration. Can't wait for #11 in January!

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Pinocchio Reimagined

Reviewed: 07-09-16

What did you love best about Strings?

Estes' fantastic reimagining of a classic story.

What other book might you compare Strings to and why?

Pinocchio because that's the book redone here.

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

I don't believe I've listened to Kate Rudd before but I'm not certain. She did a good job with this and pronounced an astonishing number of worded correctly. There were a few places that sounded "flat" to me (almost bored or sardonic) and while men and women sounded different, I often couldn't tell one woman or man from another. (Pia sounded a lot like Sofia, Marco sounded like Gio, etc.) Overall though, I enjoyed it!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I'll Tell You No Lies

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1 person found this helpful

Different but Still Good!

Reviewed: 01-26-16

Would you consider the audio edition of The Dirt on Ninth Grave to be better than the print version?

I've only ever gotten Audible versions and I love them! I don't think that makes them "better" than print versions though. I tend to read faster than narrators talks so I like print, but I also tend to get migraines so I like Audible books to give my eyes a rest. I DON'T like when narrators mispronounce words but it's just a pet peeve.

What other book might you compare The Dirt on Ninth Grave to and why?

I can't think of one right now.

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

Yes, I've listened to this whole series and I believe she also narrated some Janet Evanovich books I have. She is always very good but pronounces some words differently than I would.

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

Yes!!! I was devouring it, just waiting for Charley to get her memory back!

Any additional comments?

This was different from the first eight books since Charley didn't know who she was for THE WHOLE BOOK but it was still full of hilarity and hijinks. Luckily, everyone (with the exceptions of Amber and Quentin) were there to keep an eye - or 12 - on her. I'm quite nervous about book ten. Not about the content so much as what's going to happen. Are Charley, Reyes and B.E.P. (why can't I remember her name?! It starts with an E and her middle name's Alexandra, right? Well, anyway...) Are they the 3 gods Michael wants Reyes to kill? That seems like it could get REALLY awkward...

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Unsurprisingly Filled with Inspiration!

Reviewed: 01-26-16

What made the experience of listening to Ren the most enjoyable?

So many things. I greatly enjoy Noffke' s writing. I find so many little pearls of wisdom tucked into her books that I've often said if I'd highlighted hard copies as much as I highlight my ebooks, they would disintegrate! There is actually a quite lengthy quote which I loved. I don't want to plagarize the whole thing so I'll only include my FAVORITE parts, such as:

"What I didn't realize before is that it's not about the whole, it's about the individual."

all the way through

"It's a fortune from a Chinese cookie. It reads:"You cannot run from who you are."

and of course, there's:

"Nothing last forever. Everything is fleeting. And yet, that's the very reason life has meaning. When things cost effort to gain and are finite they are of value."

Those first 3 sentences in particular are very lyrical, don't you think?I find Ren to be an exceptionally interesting character but Mr. Campbell's narration was really the cherry on top!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ren, of course! He isn't always perfect but neither am I. Ren's mother was a close second and I think I might like Jane if I got to know her better. I think both Ren and Jane remind me just a little bit of myself, which is probably why I like them so much. Ren's mother reminds me a lot of my mother & also my grandmother, somehow. I think it was her sweet demeanor no matter what happened.

What about Tim Campbell’s performance did you like?

He is perfectly suited to Ren & performed a myriad of not only voices, but accents with apparent ease. I most often prefer female narrators but I greatly enjoyed Mr. Campbell's voice and overall timbre. Especially as Ren - I actually found it quite soothing. Most of the time. Sometimes the story didn't call for soothing, obviously.

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

Honestly, no. I wanted to drag it out as long as I could! I know there's a second book forming in the author's head right now, but I'm nothing if not impatient...

Any additional comments?

I sure hope Tim Campbell will narrate the second book! I can't wait to read it...until then I'll be reading more of Noffke's YA works.

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2 people found this helpful

It's All About Reyes!

Reviewed: 10-29-15

When Darynda warned us that this short story was going to be darker than her previous books she wasn't kidding! Of course, anyone who's read any of the series knows about Reyes's abuse at the hands of Earl Walker but this brings it all into disturbing, horrifying focus. On the other hand, there WERE funny parts (it's still Darynda Jones after all!) and it was really interesting to hear about his life, interactions with Charley or "Dutch" and, his time in prison.

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An Intriguing Enough Story...

Reviewed: 10-26-15

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Probably not. The book itself was pretty standard fare as Y.A. goes although I have to admit that it was on the more interesting end of the spectrum in my opinion and considering I don't tend to go for "zombie" books, I think that's a good thing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Alice in Zombieland?

There were actually quite a few. I suppose Alice's dad fighting to try to save her was the MOST memorable though.

How could the performance have been better?

Natalie Gold needed to at least pretend to try to use different voices for various characters. As it was, I stopped listening to the Audible and just finished by reading the book on my Kindle.

Did Alice in Zombieland inspire you to do anything?

Not especially.

Any additional comments?

This certainly had a lot of good themes in it and while I imagine the rest of the series is equally funny & good, I don't know that I'll read the following books.

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A Fabulous Continuation....

Reviewed: 10-23-15

Would you listen to Eighth Grave After Dark again? Why?

I would listen to this again, as I would ALL the Charley Davidson novels because they're just so darn good! The writing is superb and Lorelei King does amazing job of bringing each of the characters to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of them, really! Of course I love Charley & Reyes but I have an affinity for Osh too. And obviously you have to love Artemis and B.E.P.!

Which character – as performed by Lorelei King – was your favorite?

I suppose Charley sounds the most natural but Lorelei is so talented and can really differentiate among many characters using her voice. It's really quite amazing. That said, I really like the voice she uses for Osh. I think it's sort of, part British but mostly non-chalance and it just works wonderfully.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Not-So-Grim-Reaper & the son of Satan are having a baby! On holy grounds. While surrounded by 12 hounds from Hell. What could possibly go wrong?!

Any additional comments?

I have to admit that I burst out crying a few times during this book. SPOILER ALERT!!! E.g.: B.E.P.'s birth, Mo's (Mau?) story & crossing, the trip to Hell, and OF COURSE giving up B.E.P.!!! (O.M.G.) That ending...='( Thank God for Reyes's parents by but still...ow - my heart...

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Better and Better!

Reviewed: 08-20-15

Where does Seventh Grave and No Body rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very High!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I can't pick only one! I do favor Artemis because she's a dog. And of course Charley, Reyes, Cookie, U.B., Amber, Quentin, Garrett, Osh and last but certainly not least, B.E.P.! Funny, 2 demons are in there and I left out Charley's sister, dad and the captain. I don't dislike them but they're not favorites. I also like Rocket, of course.

Which character – as performed by Lorelei King – was your favorite?

Probably Charley. I love the sarcasm she conveys through the main character in particular.

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

Heck yeah! Sadly, I didn't have that many hours free.

Any additional comments?

I LOVE the chapter headings!! I don't know exactly where Darynda comes up with them all (though I have an inkling) but they crack me up!

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Explains A Lot...

Reviewed: 08-20-15

Where does Fairest rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The higher end of the mid-range.

What did you like best about this story?

It explains quite a lot about WHY Levana is the way she is. It was so heartbreaking, I actually found myself rooting for her; hoping against hope that she would find her way & make the right/good decisions. Sadly, in the end, she was always destined to be Queen Levana, of course. Only now we have a somewhat better understanding of what (or who) it was that made her the way she is.

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

I'd probably mispronounce half the names without Ms. Soler. She is also fabulous at assigning different voices to different characters so there's no mistaking who's speaking. She is obviously one of my favorite narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"You only know her as 'The Evil Lunar Queen'. Now, learn Levana's whole story..."

Any additional comments?

It was great & I LOVE this series! That being said, this was my least favorite of the series thus far. Nevertheless, it was still exceptional!

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