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IrishB17

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Should be on Everyone’a List

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-18-25

I love reading this man’s works. This may be my favorite. It covers so much of where we are today. I cannot even begin to go into all the things that are special about this book. Nor can I begin to share all of the things in this book that are so important to me at this time in our lives. There is so very much in here that continues to reflect where so many of us are in today’s world. I don’t know how he does it, but this man touches so many things about our world, our thoughts, and our lives. And it’s not just for a few months. These are things that have touched all of us in one way or another. I only wish I could manage to visit the places of which he writes. But I shall settle for reading with my handy-dandy computer with me searching the web for pictures of the places he describes. I believe that there is one more book of Mr. Brown’s that I have not read. At least that I can find. He has enriched my world and my life. Most importantly, he always provides a positive outlook for me to carry with me when I have finished. And, of course, I always will have my precious books with me.Thank you Mr. Brown, for allowing me to travel and experience some of the very best of the world and the people in it. And to learn about those who I’d best avoid!

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The communication between human and beast

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-14-25

The communication between the people and the animals. The feelings between humans and animals. How people can communicate with the animals. Helping another being achieve some peace and happiness regardless of what may happen to us. This was such a feel-good book to me. It gave me peace and happiness and the promise of believing that good can be done for anyone or any other living being. It made my heart happy. The relationship that grew between the characters - especially between the octopus and the old woman. The peace she got from her communication with the souls in her charge.

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One In A Must Read Series

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-21-25

This is one of a group of books in this series. Really doesn’t do any good to read unless you get the whole series, but the whole series is worth every penny. This is a wonderfully told story throughout the set of books and even if you don’t want “racy” get them and just skip the romantic scenes. They’re good, but I know some people just don’t like that. This is an EXCELLENT series. EXCELLENNT story told of a family through several generations.

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Most Heartwarming In A Long Time

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-21-25

I have enjoyed this whole series. I’ve rated but only the stars. While each of the books in this series was so good, I didn’t take the time to write reviews for each. I’m sorry about that. I will try to make up for that now. I just finished this last book of the series and I am still crying tears of sadness and of joy. The last book of the series just ripped my heart out. And made my heart so full of joy and happiness. I have enjoyed each of these books in the series twice through. I haven’t listened to the last book again because my face is still wet from the first reading. I just don’t know if I can get all of it together for just one overall. I will tell anybody this: While these books may be a bit too rowdy for some folks, my suggestion would be to skip the steamy parts and just enjoy the balance of them for the story they tell. The stories are just so very good and well written. Each of these books provided such wonderfully descscribed characters and stories and personal traumas and joys. I’m not doing very well here trying to put this experience in worlds. Characters are great. Descriptions of the places where these stories take place and the characters in them is wonderful. They are will connected while still provided individual stories of individual characters. They provide some really good insight into situations that could provide just about anybody with thoughts about what people live through in their lives, be they royals or commoners. It portrays the lives of the royals and the commoners and how things may not be as great as we think they would be if only we had lots of money. I’m rambling. I have just been overwhelmed by this series. The last book which is where this will run sent me on a ride of tears of happiness and sorrow and insight - I’m rambling. Should have waited to do this after a day or so. Bottom line: you need to read the whole series, you probably should have a box of tissues, a good listening spot, an open mind and be prepared to laugh as well. Descriptions of the places involved were fantastic. Get two boxes of tissues for the last book. But don’t ever think you can read the last book and not the others. You need the whole set. Everything is entertained. The narrators were s pot on as they have been in many of the books I’ve listened to. Short and sweet -for me this was a winning set. Cudos to this author.

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Women Have No Self Respect

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-25-24

I am so tired of these books that portray so many of the female character as having no self esteem, no pride and/or no self worth. These women submit to their male partners who require them to be man-handled, degraded and any other submission as lesser humans. If most women today are that submissive and have no more self esteem than is being portrayed in this book, then I am sorry to say that today’s woman needs to just put a bullet through their heads. I don’t mind that they like to have the same sexual freedoms as men, but please allow them to also have some self respect. Women have worked damn hard to become equal to men in earnings, work recognition, and to be respected in the workplace, and we are still not there. If they continue to be portrayed like they are in this book, we shall never attain equal rights as men in the workplace or anywhere else, I cannot imagine that these authors (who are mostly women by the way) continue to portray women as being okay with being abused and treated so incredibly poorly by their male counterparts in the sexual world. We have worked too damn hard to be portrayed in these books as having no personal pride, no self esteem and appear to be okay to be mistreated in the ways portrayed in some of these books. And, again, by female authors! Please! Let your characters show a bit of personal pride and represent them as the intelligent and competitive people they are, and show them as the strong females they are. They are portrayed as intelligent, self assured and creative people in the workplace, and then totally submissive and helpless and weak-willed in the bedroom. How dare some of you authors degrade so many successful hard-working women the way you have in so many books. Shame on you!

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The Love and Trust of a Man and His Dog

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-02-24

I love Dean Koontz. I think I say that on every review I have done on the books I’ve read that he has written.. This particular one again involves a lost and lonely dog that happens to run into a man in the forested area around a Southern California town. They bond, and the man decides there is a reason to live. This dog has given him a companion. He meets a scared, lost and lonely woman, and he brings her out of a life long miserable life she has lived. Together the three of them come together and the two humans discover an incredible secret about the dog he saved in the wilderness. They learn of a scientific study in which the dog was involved, and unearth a secret testing site of animals. The dog was part of this, but managed to escape. As always a simple storyline, but the description of the bond that the dog and the humans develop is amazing. The bond is shared by the woman that comes into their lives. The secret that the dog knows is a dangerous one, and somehow they must learn to communicate with the dog in order to save the people and creatures of the town where they live. I do’t do justice to the story or the writing or the book. I can tell you that it is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time - since the last Dean Koontz book! Mr. Koontz never fails to leave me with such wonderful feelings about people and the pets that have. There are things that happen as they happen in life. Some sad things, but there is joy, compassion, love between humans and dogs, compassion for animals and the joy they bring to our lives. Thank you again and again and again, Mr.Koontz, for making my life all the better because of your wonderful writing.

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Good Story

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-31-24

The Story was pretty good, but was just too long. I got a bit irritated with the constant date reference, especially when it was the same day. There was just too much that felt like things were put in to make it long enough to be a book. The characters were really good. I liked the very end of the story. I liked the characters for the most part. The narrator was spot on. Very good. It just seemed to be longer than it needed to be.

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Not what I Thought

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-19-24

This book was not what I expected. I wanted to read this before I saw the movie and now I’m pretty sure I won’t spend the money on the movie. I may give it a shot simply because there are some really good actors in it. But I was extremely disappointed. It just seemed to go on and on and on with the same scenarios happening over and over. And it was pretty obvious to me who the next pope was going to be. The writing was not engaging enough to keep me awake long enough to get through the book in my normal time; as a matter of fact, I read two and a half other books while reading this one. It just seemed to repeat the same scenarios with different people. I was really excited to see this book and glad to have a chance to read it before the movie came out. I’m glad I did. I probably saved $20.00 or more just by reading the book first. Who knows? I may go to the movie just to see if I am as disappointed as I was with the book.I’m so sorry I did not like this book. I was so looking forward to reading a book about a subject about which I am extremely interested.

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Absolutely Beautiful

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-18-24

My face is still wet. This is such a beautiful book. There are such touching times and how wonderful is the journey that this woman takes. I don’t know what more I wanted, but I wanted more. The touch of humanity, love of small creature and the people who can find their way for the love of a tiny mouse. This brings up a lot for me. The loss of family and the lifelong friendship - and loss - of so very many four-legged companions of every kind. This one hit home deep in my heart. This book was, and is, very close to my heart. I would like to thank the author so very much for sharing this book with us. It will be a keeper forever in my library. So much to learn here..

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I Love This Woman!!!!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-07-24

I have always been a fan of Whoopi Goldberg.. Now I am a super fan!!! I know I will be finding other of her books and bring them home to have for good reference, good and wise information to store away in my head and heart, and always have a better way to look at various situations in my life that could help me understand just how I got where I am. Also it is a good book to have around when I am feeling like I’m not measuring up to other people’s standards. I am beginning to believe I may not be as bad a person as I thought! Love the thought provoking tidbits all through the book. Wish I had had this valuable insight 60 hears ago; might have made a big difference in my life. Thank you, Ms. Whoopi, for sharing such wonderful insights with all of us. While I know not everyone is a sharp as you (Just because we haven’t go the terrific insight with which you were blessed!) thank goodness there are those, like yourself, who are willing to share your wisdom and life lessons to help us on our journey. But even if I’m at a place where it’d be a bit difficult to “go back and fix some stuff”, at least I have a good perspective on the things I did accomplish and be proud of them. And to remember every day how much my mom taught me so quietly that has made my life much better than it could have been. I shall sleep much better tonight!!!

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