Bill
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Guide to Norse Pagan Holidays
- Unlock the Ancient Magic of Norse Pagan Holidays
- By: Emma Karlsson
- Narrated by: Jake Urry
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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This book is your portal into the magic of Norse Pagan holidays and festivals, and it’ll take you by the hand into a world that is deeply entwined with the power of nature, with countless blessings of Norse gods and goddesses.
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Perfect for pagans
- By Bill on 11-06-23
- Guide to Norse Pagan Holidays
- Unlock the Ancient Magic of Norse Pagan Holidays
- By: Emma Karlsson
- Narrated by: Jake Urry
Perfect for pagans
Reviewed: 11-06-23
As a Norse Pagan, this book was fantastic. It was a fun and informative venture into the wonderful holy holidays of the ancient religion, and it’s so nice that it’s so neatly presented in one volume.
Emma Karlsson is very passionate about Paganism and making it more accessible, and it shows in her writing. The prose are bursting with lyrical alliteration and the tone has an air of wonder and awe for the ancient culture. There are also precious few resources that bring gathered research on Old Norse holidays together like this, so it’s nice that Karlsson made this readable and accessible book for the modern-day Pagan.
Speaking of the research, I really appreciated that she included all the resources that she used at the end of the book. Most of them are articles or websites, but there seem to be multiple sources for each topic, which gives me the impression that this book is a more reliable than looking all this information up on the internet, even if only a bit in some cases. Because of this, it might not be a bad idea to take all the information here with a pinch of salt — doing your own research is never a bad idea, but the research presented here is very thorough regardless.
I wish there was a little more information about the author. Upon coming across Karlsson’s books, I was skeptical that it was an AI hoax, like some bulk books about mythology are (the Charles River books, for example). The author description and picture made it seem more legitimate, and actually reading the book dispelled those fears (mostly). If this was written by AI, or plagiarized from open-source websites, it would have needed a ton of human intervention and editing. So much so that I’m pretty sure it would be easier to just write it. There were a few weird editorial mistakes (the long and drawn-out title, interchanging “Freyr” and “Frey”, and the jumbled out-of-order summary in the afterward, for example) that keeps me just a bit skeptical, but those are likely just honest mistakes. But still, the author has no website or social media presence, and I would like to keep up with their work.
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Catching Fire
- The Hunger Games, Book 2
- By: Suzanne Collins
- Narrated by: Tatiana Maslany
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she’s afraid she cannot stop.
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Hard to listen to the narrator
- By sarah b on 10-25-19
- Catching Fire
- The Hunger Games, Book 2
- By: Suzanne Collins
- Narrated by: Tatiana Maslany
Perfect sequel
Reviewed: 01-21-23
Catching Fire is a near perfect middle trilogy book. The pacing slows down in the first half and we get to see our main cast of characters interact, how they have fared since the games, and how they plan to move forward. There’s a lot of essential character development, plot threads, and foreshadowing that goes on in the first half, and it’s very welcome. Although the pacing slowed, it was never boring; I enjoyed all the character moments.
The whole book sets up the last one incredibly well — throughout the entire novel, talk of rebellion against he capitol is a common theme. Many districts begin to rebel, Katniss finds out that District 13 might be active, and the capitol sends reinforcements to District 12. This culminates in the announcement of the quarter quell, which is the capitol’s response to the rebellion.
Rarely does a sequel that recycles the plot of the first book do it well, but Suzanne Collins does it perfectly — probably because the plot isn’t the same, and it makes sense. Katniss does have to fight in another hunger games, but only because President Snow wants her dead for inciting a rebellion. The time dedicated to the games in this book are much less compared to the first, which is a very welcome change. Although I do love the story, we don’t need to see the same type of thing rehashed again. Luckily, the third part of the book (which takes place in the games) focuses less on the games themselves and more on character moments between Katniss and Peeta, as well as the new victors introduced in this book.
This series continues to amaze me, and I am beyond excited to read the final book!
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An Unwelcome Quest
- Magic 2.0, Book 3
- By: Scott Meyer
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Ever since Martin Banks and his fellow computer geeks discovered that reality is just a computer program to be happily hacked, they've been jaunting back and forth through time, posing as medieval wizards and having the epic adventures that other nerds can only dream of having. But even in their wildest fantasies, they never expected to end up at the mercy of the former apprentice whom they sent to prison for gross misuse of magic and all-around evil behavior.
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I LIKED YOU TWO BETTER WHEN,
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 12-24-15
- An Unwelcome Quest
- Magic 2.0, Book 3
- By: Scott Meyer
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
Pretty freaking good
Reviewed: 10-28-22
It’s not the best book in the series, but it does a lot right; where the first two books focused heavily on plot and comedic scene setup, this installment focuses on character development. Various characters that otherwise wouldn’t interact with each other are paired up and put in precarious positions, making for a wacky and well-rounded story. Very good. The performance by Luke Daniels is absolutely wonderful as always, of course.
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The Vexed Generation
- Magic 2.0, Book 6
- By: Scott Meyer
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
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Mattie and Brewster are normal, typical 16-year-old twins who live with their normal, boring parents: Martin and Gwen Banks. Normal and boring, that is, until the day their father's best friend shows up at their house - dressed in what appears to be a bathrobe. The next thing Mattie and Brewster know, their parents are frozen like human statues in their living room, the guy in the bathrobe has vanished, and they need to find answers - fast.
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More insertion of political ideology in a novel
- By enrique on 06-11-19
- The Vexed Generation
- Magic 2.0, Book 6
- By: Scott Meyer
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
Fantastic addition to the series
Reviewed: 09-13-21
The Magic 2.0 series is one that has its ups and downs — but this book harkens back to the original and puts an interesting twist on the master-apprentice story of Off to be the Wizard. The characters are phenomenal, the humor is amazing, and the story is a lot of fun! Any fan of Magic 2.0 or Scott Meyer needs to read this.
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2 people found this helpful
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Essential Ásatrú
- Walking the Path of Norse Paganism
- By: Diana L. Paxson, Isaac Bonewits - foreword
- Narrated by: Ann Richardson
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers. Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its recognition as an official religion in the 1970s and its widespread acceptance today.
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A most excellent introduction
- By Steven Kok on 04-22-21
- Essential Ásatrú
- Walking the Path of Norse Paganism
- By: Diana L. Paxson, Isaac Bonewits - foreword
- Narrated by: Ann Richardson
Very Helpful and fun!
Reviewed: 07-13-21
If you are interested in norse paganism or Ásatrú, this book is a great starting point. It goes through all of the basics, including the history of the religion, descriptions of the gods and goddesses, magic, prayer, etc. If you are wanting to learn more about norse paganism, this is the book for you.
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3 people found this helpful
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Ready Player One
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days. When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune—and control of the OASIS itself.
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I’m sorry I waited so long to read this book.
- By Julie W. Capell on 05-27-14
- Ready Player One
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
One of the Best Modern Science Fiction Novels
Reviewed: 12-06-20
I could not put this book down. The story is compelling, the characters are relatable and engaging, and the performance is, usually, fantastic. There are some gratuitous sections that just list references, but those are few and far between. If you want a fun, amusing, and fast-paced science fiction story about virtual reality, this book is for you.
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Words and Rules
- The Ingredients of Language
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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First published in 2000, Words and Rules remains one of Pinker's most provocative and accessible books, illuminating the fascinating relationship between the brain, the mind, and how language makes us humans.
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Amazing how much irregular verbs can teach.
- By Tristan on 04-10-16
- Words and Rules
- The Ingredients of Language
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
Read it instead...
Reviewed: 12-10-19
I made it through, and it was OK. The problem is that there are too many tables and lists of words for an audiobook experience.
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5 people found this helpful
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Anansi Boys
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Lenny Henry
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Returning to the territory he so brilliantly explored in his masterful New York Times best seller American Gods, the incomparable Neil Gaiman offers up a work of dazzling ingenuity, a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth that is at once startling, terrifying, exhilarating, and fiercely funny, a true wonder of a novel that confirms Stephen King's glowing assessment of the author as "a treasure house of story, and we are lucky to have him."
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Beautifully narrated
- By A. Hawley on 11-23-07
- Anansi Boys
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Lenny Henry
Different but Every Bit as Good
Reviewed: 04-08-16
Don't expect a sequel to American God's - It is set in the same 'universe' but that's about where the similarly ends. It follows the life of an adult son of the African trickster god Anansi just after Anansi's death. His boring life is turned upside down by the appearance of a brother he didn't know he had.
It is quite British in tone and style. Though the story is much more than a comedy, the lead frequently reminded me of Arthur Dent from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - a rather boring but happy man thrown into rediculous circumstances that he's not pleased with. The only thing missing was a longing for good tea... ;)
Wonderful book that is filled with the fanciful and the real blended in perfect proportions!
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Time Pawn
- By: Philip K. Dick
- Narrated by: Jim Roberts
- Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Time Pawn first appeared in Thrilling Wonder Stories in June ,1954. Under pressure from his publishers, Dick expanded the story into a full length novel - Doctor Futurity. The original is an excellent story but most critics agree that the expanded version was not a success.
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Great book
- By cindilla on 10-06-13
- Time Pawn
- By: Philip K. Dick
- Narrated by: Jim Roberts
Worst "Professional" Narration Ever
Reviewed: 06-29-15
I can tolerate mediocre narration for a good story. And I wanted to listen to this one. Seemed as though there were at least some interesting ideas going on. (And I'm a huge PKD fan.) But I couldn't finish it. The narration was among the worst I've ever heard. It sounded like what a good narrator might use for a robotic voice. Not that it was entirely monotone, but even the vocal flares seemed to be programmed-in and not always at the most appropriate time. It's as if the narrator was voicing the story without actually paying any attention to the content.
Apparently some had a different view of the narration. Just be sure and listen to the sample before you buy, as I should have. It gives a representative sample.
Ignore my rating for the story. I couldn't get far enough into it (without going mad!) to make an evaluation there.
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I Will Fear No Evil
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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As startling and provocative as his famous Stranger in a Strange Land, here is Heinlein’s grand masterpiece about a man supremely talented, immensely old, and obscenely wealthy who discovers that money can buy everything.
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Disappointing Heinlein
- By Randall on 03-02-12
- I Will Fear No Evil
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
Did Heinlein Really Write This Tripe?
Reviewed: 05-03-13
I truly love Heinlein - which is why I was floored by this meandering stringing-together of male adolescent fantasies. I'm no prude and I've read racier scenes than these in much better novels. It's just that these were awkward, uncomfortable and unapologetically misogynistic.
Yes, Heinlein was a product of his times and I've forgiven him on numerous occasions for (mostly) mild misogynistic behavior in his characters. And I could even put up with a little of his sermonizing on the evils of Victorian ethics and the beauty of free love. (The book was originally published in 1970.) But in this novel, it never ends...
The biggest shame here is that the plot had all kinds of potential: brain transplant, being suddenly young and "doing it all over again" and especially the different ways men and women think about sex. Although I think Heinlein thought he was doing the latter, he simply projected his male fantasies into the mind of a woman and made her the two dimensional mirror image - a sex object that lives only to make men hot and happy.
It's truly staggering to me that the same mind that produced Stranger in a Strange Land (one his best) and dozens of other sophisticated, thoughtful novels wrote this. As others have said, if you're new to Heinlein please don't start here. In fact, fan or not, just skip this one entirely. Let's all just pretend he never wrote it!
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14 people found this helpful