Sylvia

Practical Wisdom

Reviewed: 06-21-24

I love the way this book avoids easy solutions yet still manages to be inspiring.

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So fun. Felt like a friend telling me her stories. A

Reviewed: 04-03-24

I love Leslie Jones and now even more after hearing her story. So funny and sad and real. I laughed and cried right along with her.

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Eek! Creepy page turner!

Reviewed: 03-21-15

This was definitely a page turner, as they say. Definitely made my hour long commute much more interesting. Good read!

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She's crazy and funny

Reviewed: 03-14-15

I was never a fan of Tori Spelling before I started listening to her audiobooks. Now I've listened to all of them and I just keep thinking about how crazy and funny and wacky and self-deprecating she is. I'm looking forward to the next book whenever it does come out.

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Santaland diaries are the best part

Reviewed: 02-25-15

I bought this audiobook because of the Santaland diaries which I really liked but after that he just has a lot of stories that are just made up rather than personal accounts from his history or about his family etc. which are my favorites. The extra stories on the end are already available on other audiobooks so those weren't special either. I love David Sedaris but I'm not sure if the Santaland diaries were worth $15 in an audiobook.

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1 person found this helpful

Penny Marshall cracks me up!

Reviewed: 02-26-13

What did you love best about My Mother Was Nuts?

Her narration is hilarious because her accent and her voice are so unique. But also, whenever an actor narrates their OWN story there are elements that come to life that just aren't there when somebody else tells it. Her description of her parents and siblings are really great and insightful, and her childhood and experiences through college and in Hollywood of course are all really interesting to hear about. She's known so many famous people over the years, you can't help but love hearing about her interactions with them all and her perspective on everyone.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The book is about her, so of course I like her the best.

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

No.

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

No. Typically I look for longer books since I have a long commute to work and need something to pass the time.

Any additional comments?

If you don't know who Penny Marshall is, this probably is not the book for you.

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Great story telling even if you aren't a Durannie!

Reviewed: 02-26-13

What did you love best about In the Pleasure Groove?

It's John Taylor's voice narrating his own story, what's not to love? Yes, yes, I am a Durannie who has loved JT since 1983 when I was 13, but when I first read that he would be narrating his own story I was hesitant to buy it. He is, after all, a musician not an actor, so it could be stilted and dry. BUT JT is funny and does some great voices/parodies of various people, so it really brings the whole story to life. He's got such great perspective on his life too, but also walks you through his youth and early days in Duran in such detail you are reliving it all right there with him. I definitely was sad when the story came to a close. It was a lot of fun listening to him talk to me for so many hours. :)

What was one of the most memorable moments of In the Pleasure Groove?

So many: His memories of walking to church every day with his mom when he was a small child. His descriptions of how important fashion was to him waaay back in Birmingham and his rebellious teenage years. His interactions with his father.

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

The voices he mimics of all the people he talks about in his book. His humor. His lovely voice in general.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When his parents died.

Any additional comments?

I think you definitely get so much more with this audiobook than you would just reading his story. Definitely worth purchasing, even if you already owned the book.

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2 people found this helpful

So THAT is why Arnold is a success.

Reviewed: 02-26-13

Would you listen to Total Recall again? Why?

Yes, probably, but not for a while since it was pretty long. Arnold's story is really fascinating. This is definitely a guy who worked very very very hard to be a success. Planning every step of the way and striving to meet every goal he set for himself. You would never walk away from this story and think, "What a lazy ungrateful guy." The forsight and drive he had from the time he was 14 is just amazing. Did you know he made millions on real estate before he ever became an actor? I also thought it really showed a great balance of his conservative and liberal views. He himself describes himself as a series of contradictions-- an environmentalist who drives a hummer, a fitness freak who smokes cigars-- and it was really refreshing hearing somebody who was open to a multitiude of ideas, even if they contradict his own. It also made clear what Maria Shriver saw in him. He tells his life story with such enthusiasm and humor, you are never left thinking "yeah yeah, shut up" or "I've heard it all before."

What did you like best about this story?

His humor and reasoning behind each of his views. It makes sense that he's a republican when you hear this story. How could he not be?

Which character – as performed by Stephen Lang and Arnold Schwarzenegger – was your favorite?

It's about Arnold, so of course he's my favorite character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of his family members was sad. Also, this is a great immigrant story, which is always moving.

Any additional comments?

Some slightly annoying things are that Arnold only reads the first and last chapter. I found the main narrator's voice to be fine, but the switch from Arnold to this other guy was distracting (which is why I gave performance just 4 stars). Also, this book doesn't explain why he cheats on Maria or anything like that. He definitely brushes past the personal/emotional bits dealing with that, although throughout his book he talks about how detached he is from emotions and how he has had to learn how to connect with that part of himself throughout his life. Really interesting.

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Love Carol Burnett!

Reviewed: 12-05-11

Would you consider the audio edition of This Time Together to be better than the print version?

I have never read the print version so I don't know.

What other book might you compare This Time Together to and why?

I listened to Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch just after Burnett's audiobook and they were similar in that they were sharing some personal stories from their life (happy and sad), although Jane's was more comprehensive as Carol's often had vignettes spliced in from moments of her life but not necessarily a full autobiography per se. It covered a lot though and was very interesting.

Which character – as performed by Carol Burnett – was your favorite?

It's an audiobook so there weren't really many characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I laughed at some of her stories and cried at others. I guess the saddest part was when she described the death of her daughter. So so sad.

Any additional comments?

If you love Carol Burnett, then definitely this is the book for you. If you don't know who Burnett is then it wouldn't be very interesting. I love her and loved her variety show when I was little. It was fun hearing the backstory for her life.

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