Emeraldile

Better than expected FUN

Reviewed: 10-24-16

Not a fan of horror movies, I didn't expect this to resonate. But I think it was written for someone just like me, the kind who gets too spooked and wigged out to trust the screen not to become part of my real world. This clever and hysterical, laugh-out-loud so many times book, was such a delightful surprise.

I listen to and from work in LA and any time I am able to laugh while driving on long stretches of white concrete is a huge bonus. And the narrator clearly loved giving the reader all the rich nuances the author would have wanted.

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What are our priorities in the end?

Reviewed: 03-28-16

What did you love best about Being Mortal?

Dr. Gawande's willingness to share with the reader his very personal experiences with his own father and the way he took the time with his patients and his father to determine what was important to them at the end of their lives. Also touching, his daughter's piano teacher had so much courage and passion. We have great difficulty in our culture expressing our fears and emotions about the death of someone we love, and even more so about our own impending death. The author gives us the tools and the questions to ask that would guide our partnerships with our family and team of healthcare providers the guidance they need to assist us.We really shouldn't assume that the best we can hope for is to die in our sleep. There is a lot of life to be lived on the short side of the hill but we have to be willing to ask for assistance to come up with the best path to take. Dr. Gawande does not make that assumption for the reader, but gives us things to consider so we can make the best choices. I enjoyed an article about five or six years ago that appeared in the NYT on this same topic. His articles are listed on his website. Some are better than this book. His work to create a checklist that is now used in every operating room to ensure safety is legendary and has been modified for lots of industries. I know whenever I am working in any hospital that I can walk in and expect the exact same level of competency and procedures.

What other book might you compare Being Mortal to and why?

I don't know if I want to separate these two books because each gives the other great hope. The book I would consider to be a godsend for anyone trying to make sense of their own death would be "Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife" by Eben Alexander. I highly recommend this book for anyone and have given it to a group of nuns recently who enjoyed it very much. In fact, they kept it for their own library.

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

Nothing specific about Mr. Petkoff that I haven't felt about an audible version in general. There are so many reasons to love this platform. Mr. Petkoff just makes it possible. He is a fine reader with a good solid clear voice.

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

At the very end I almost ran off the road cheering! Dr. Gawande said that his very best days as a doctor have been when he assisted people in determining the best way to live what time they have left. As a nurse educator and hospital administrator, I have said this many times.

Any additional comments?

Hospice can provide options that most people have never considered. In most cases, hospice can allow the patient to stay at home, in as little or no pain as is possible, right up through the end of life. Palliative treatments include removing as much of a tumor as possible to decrease pain and symptoms associated with it, while providing a much higher quality of life. Hospice will provide a wealth of resources for the patient as well as the families. Often a person is even able to live longer, sometimes months longer with only palliative care. It is my dream that more of us learn to ask the questions, find a physician who will help us do what is right for ourselves and the people we leave behind.

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Heartachingly Poignant

Reviewed: 12-28-15

If you could sum up The Danish Girl in three words, what would they be?

Rest In Peace...Had she lived 100 years in the future, she would have struggled yet would have found solace and commaraderie among others. She would have known that she is not alone.

What other book might you compare The Danish Girl to and why?

I have never read anything close to this biography.

Which scene was your favorite?

Perhaps the moment at the end when you know her spirit soars and she breaks away from the pain.

If you could rename The Danish Girl, what would you call it?

Becoming Yourself

Any additional comments?

I really loved this book. It was so beautifully and sensitively written. Sadly, the movie does not portray the complexity of this tragic woman's life and unfulfilled being. I know that I am much more sympathetic and empathetic toward those among us who struggle to live their own identities. For me, the narration was excellent. The characters' integrity was present throughout. I think she would be very happy with this book. I hope to find the time to read her diaries if they are available in English.

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A love story

Reviewed: 10-29-15

If ever you loved your parents, for the way they loved you in spite of their flaws...this is your book.

The narration is wonderful and only the second narration that I felt was perfect (the other being Middlesex).

Warm as a blanket from the dryer.

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Changed everything!

Reviewed: 09-19-15

This books is so full of important information about how we choose and prepare our produce that I will definitely purchase the print version for reference. I will always seek out the most nutritious of the things I look for and it reinforces the need to shop at your local farmers market.

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2 people found this helpful

Something Missing...and not just the diamond.

Reviewed: 03-05-15

Any additional comments?

Admittedly, I have only used Audible for about 55 books since joining a year or so ago. And I love the format for the ability to lend that extra dimension through the spoken voice. I know that it's far more enjoyable to pick up on a character's voice and distinguish it from another character. The narrator's voice was beautiful and quiet, but clear. I was yearning to hear some passion from his characters. I never did. There were lives lost and children in harm's way. Why did the listener never get to experience this other than the flatness of Zach Appelman's voice? I kept missing the important bits, over and over again, as there was no difference between one event and a non-event. As for the story, I listened to the ending probably five times just to see if I could figure it out. I will keep searching for clues and hints that were dropped that I might have missed. In spite of my one disappointment, I thought the story was terrific and I'd love to see it in a film.

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Left with questions --- and that's not a bad thing

Reviewed: 02-05-15

Would you listen to Fingersmith again? Why?

Not sure. It's such a long book and there are still so many more to read. Besides, I re-listened to many of the chapters along the way.

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

She is probably the very best at her perfect proper English and her Cockney'ed (or other working class) accent I've ever heard. I adore being able to listen to a book, it brings the characters to life.

Who was the most memorable character of Fingersmith and why?

Mr. Rivers (Gentleman) caught my attention for his ability to move in and out of situations, but never being able to capitalize on any of them. I also wonder how much this character knew and willingly participated in, perhaps for altruistic reasons, with regards to the two girls. It's caused me to think about it quite a bit since finishing yesterday.

Any additional comments?

I take exception to anyone pigeonholing this as a lesbian novel. As a straight woman, I cannot find anything offensive in the one passage that was so brief and "polite" that it really didn't cause me to think about it at all. I do see that the author specializes in these kinds of relationships, but the story was so big and full that it didn't add or detract at all, except to bond the two girls in a way that made the ending worth the journey.

One more comment: I have never read a book with so many wonderful twists and surprises. Every night at dinner I would recount to my husband what happened in the book that day. Thank you for the ride. I hate to get off.

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Ethel Mertz is alive and well...

Reviewed: 01-24-15

What did you like best about China Dolls? What did you like least?

The story was okay and I have no doubt it could have been a better listen had they chosen a different narrator. I felt like I was listening to Ethel Mertz every time Ruby spoke.

What could Lisa See have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I personally would have liked more historical account of the camps woven in with their relationships.

How could the performance have been better?

A narrator with some depth. The narrator made them all sound insincere and as if they were acting in a play.

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3 people found this helpful