All Ears Audiobooks discussion

Hi everyone!

I'm starting a new folder for audiobooks you've listened to this year. I'd love to see what's playing on your earbuds...

2012 has been a great year for audiobooks for me personally. I have found several that I have given a 5 star rating - pretty rare for me. Here are just a few of my favorites for the year:

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Every once in awhile you find a book that has the rare combination of a good plot, complex and believable characters with complex and believable relationships. The Art of Fielding is one of those stories. Set in a small liberal arts college, the story revolves around 5 people. Henry Skrimshander is a farm boy who is amazingly talented at short stop - so talented that he is being pursued by scouts from many of the pro teams. Mike Schwartz, the captain of the baseball team, has been Henry's mentor throughout his college career. Owen Dunne (my favorite character), Henry's roommate is an amazing ball player, but unlike the other members of his team, enjoys reading Greek classics in the dugout during the game. The final two characters are Guert Affenlight, the college president, and his daughter Pella, who has returned home after a failed marriage. The story is compelling and very readable - definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A heart-wrenching story of a Korean family whose elderly mother goes missing on a subway train. The life and characteristics of this old amazing woman, Park Sgyuen, gradually unfolds as each member of the family tells in his or her words of his relationship with Mom. We learn about the sacrifices that the woman made for every member of her family. Although Park Sgyuen was a simple illiterate woman, she made a huge impact on her family (and many other people) and her absence leaves an enormous void. The stories are filled with sadness and regret. Listening to this book, I definitely felt and could relate to the feelings of remorse of not spending time and attention with the people we love. Beautiful story that made me miss my mom.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The year is 2044 and the world is pretty bleak. Why? The world economy never recovered from today's recession (yikes - could that really happen?) and poverty is everywhere. People escape their miserable lives by hooking into the OASIS, a virtual reality where everything is possible and is much more pleasant than real life. But upon his death, the creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, has inserted into his virtual world a series of clues that will give the solver an amazing inheritance. But after 5 years of searching by geeks, corporations and every day people, no one has uncovered even the first clue. All that changes when teenager Wade Watts solves the riddle and wins the key to the first gate. Ready players? The game is on!

Life is not nearly as awful as the setting of this book, but if you feel like you want an escape into a world of fun, 1980's video game nostalgia, or pure adventure, then pick up this story. This book is a thrill from beginning to end. Ready Reader One...

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I don't know how John Green does it. Every time he writes a book, I find that I can't put it down. It makes me laugh out loud. I run around telling people about parts that I found especially moving or funny. And for his latest book, which I finished sitting in the doctor's office while my son was getting allergy shots, it made me weep.

Like all John Green stories, The Fault in Our Stars is about teenagers. But what is different about this book is the challenge isn't the usual difficulties of growing up, but about living and surviving when you have a terminal illness. Hazel was diagnosed with stage IV thyroid cancer when she was 12. She was on the brink of death when a miracle drug came along and shrunk her tumors - but her cancer is still terminal and at some point in time, her cancer will kill her. Now 16, Hazel and her family are trying to live a "normal life," which Hazel spends going to cancer support meetings and watching America's Top Model. All this changes when Hazel meets Augustus Waters, another cancer survivor, and together they try to have a teenage romance.

As I write this review, my summary of the plot almost seems trite or even a bit like a soap opera. But the story and characters of this book are well written and complex. Green is so adept at capturing the quirky behaviors and deep emotions of all the players in this story, from the adolescent boy suffering from the angst of his girl friend, to to the heartbreak of adult parents who know their child is going to die.

Like all John Green stories, this one will stay with me for a long time.



Defending Jacob by William Landay

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


No better way to start off a year than finish a book that reads well, has a great plot, and leaves you thinking about what you would do in the same situation. Andy Barber is the assistant DA in Newton, MA, and is at the peak of his career. But all this changes when he takes on the case of the murder of a teenage boy, and his 14-year old son, Jacob is accused of committing the crime. The story was suspenseful and had a great cast of real, multi-faceted characters. This book releases in February and I predict it's going to hit the best sellers list - fantastic story!

Frozen Charlotte by Priscilla Masters

My rating 4 0f 5 stars

This was a very very good listen. Of late I have convinced myself that I prefer books read by men. However the actress Patricia Gallimore has made me reconsider. She enacted a wide range of voices from teenagers to distressed adults with total conviction. The book is quite slow-moving with seeming random stories and characters but it all serves to make up parts of a good story. The conclusion is appropriate, but I was sad to reach it because I had come to the end of a really good story.

Minnie wrote: "Frozen Charlotte by Priscilla Masters

My rating 4 0f 5 stars

This was a very very good listen. Of late I have convinced myself that I prefer books read by men. However the actress Patricia Gallim..."

Thanks for sharing Minnie. I love your teaser about the ending - now I just have to give it a shot. I haven't heard of the author or the narrator - something to check out!

Minnie, I just finished listening to Robinson Crusoe (which was surprisingly good!) and I saw that South African author J.M Coetzee had written a book Foe, which is the same story but from a different perspective. Have you read it by any chance?

Julie at All Ears wrote: "Minnie wrote: "Frozen Charlotte by Priscilla Masters

My rating 4 0f 5 stars

This was a very very good listen. Of late I have convinced myself that I prefer books read by men. However the actress ..."

Julie, I have to confess, I have not read any of JM Coetzee's books. I did start "Disgrace" but stopped after a few pages because I did not enjoy it. He is however generally very highly regarded so I believe I am the exception rather than the rule.

Minnie wrote: "Julie at All Ears wrote: "Minnie wrote: "Frozen Charlotte by Priscilla Masters

My rating 4 0f 5 stars

This was a very very good listen. Of late I have convinced myself that I prefer books read by..."

I did not care for Disgrace either.

I'm almost finished with . Wickedly wonderful. Simon Vance is brilliant.

Hunger Games 2 (4 stars)and 3 (5 stars)
This is a review of Hunger games 2. If you wish to read my review on Hunger Games 3 go to my profile. The review is hidden because of spoilers
Once again i was riveted. I was somewhat nervous as to how the new Hunger games would come about but the author deftly managed to give a excellent spin on an old idea. It however remains a transitional book, between the first and final book, hence a little less satisfying on its own. It does set the scene for the third and final book extremely well in that some threads are left dangling and others are neatly tucked away.

Gone Girl. 5 stars
Good Heavens! what an excellent listen. My particular copy is read by Julia Wheelan and Kirby... can't for the life of me call up his name!. They are both excellent and create believable characters and as I think is intended, manipulate you to their point of view because they both sound SO sincere. Just as well it's an audio book otherwise I'd have paged to the final page to find out what had who done to whom and for what reason! Now alas I have to listen and listen and listen....
I closed my Kindle, after listening to this book, devastated. Gentle Reader/Listener this is a must read but beware it has more twists than the Helshoogte pas.It shows the darkness of the heart with precision and a believability that beggars belief. I am still shocked and in awe of the writer's courage and skill in laying bare the multi-layered relationship between two people who married, for better or for worse.

Minnie wrote: "Gone Girl. 5 stars
Good Heavens! what an excellent listen. My particular copy is read by Julia Wheelan and Kirby... can't for the life of me call up his name!. They are both excellent and create be..."
Kirby Heyborne!

Karen wrote: "Minnie wrote: "Gone Girl. 5 stars
Good Heavens! what an excellent listen. My particular copy is read by Julia Wheelan and Kirby... can't for the life of me call up his name!. They are both excellen..."
Thanks Karen, he's excellent in "Gone Girl".

I got hooked on the author Dick Francis. I have been listening to any book of his available on CD. His stories are easy to listen to. They are mysteries in the world of horse-racing in U.K. After reading these stories, I feel that I am part of this experience and maybe I will check out a horse race some day!

MountainShelby wrote: "I'm almost finished with . Wickedly wonderful. Simon Vance is brilliant."
I am just starting it and after the tiny little listen that I've had I already like the reader. I've just finished reading "Wolf Hall". I couldn't get it in audio, copyright and all that. It was a great read and I'm so looking forward to continuing the Tudor/Cromwell story.

The Age of Miracles. by Karen Thompson Walker, narrated by Laurence Bouvard. Five stars

I have just finished listening to a book that has left me speechless. I do not possess the superlatives to adequately praise this book. The reader was perfect. I think she was the same young voice in "The elegance of hedgehogs" and her voice is as mellifluous as ever. She was an excellent narrator of a thought provoking but not preachy story dealing with an eschatological theme. I sit here stunned and awed by the boldness and surefootedness of a truly masterful author spinning an engaging tale. A MUST listen.

So, i'm stuck here with a broken down car waiting to be rescued, so i'll see how far i get with some catch up!

Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters, Grace Collin narrator
4 stars - Jacqueline Kirby is a wonderful invention and her adventures in the world of romance writers is quite funny. Grace does good job narrating - in all a wonderfully pleasant way to spend a few hours.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, Stephen Hoyle narrator
5 stars
I listened to this book and it was amazing in audio! Wow! Stephen Hoyle does a great job of multiple voices and accents. For obvious reasons there's lots of characters (various generals, majors, etc) and he manages to come up with a unique voice for all.

Beyond the great narration, the book is a wonderful peek into the minds and actions of these men, both union and rebel and the crucial decisions they made at Gettysburg.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, Hope Davis narrator
4 stars An often cynical look at the interplay between field research and the corporations that control the money, especially pharmaceutical companies. Beyond that there is the personal journey of the main character that deals with questions about the medical community. If you're a science buff this is one not to miss.

more...

Krakatoa by Simon Winchester, narrated by Simon Winchester
4 stars An interesting look at the culture of the time of the explosion, how the islanders were effected, how the word was relayed to the rest of the world and what has happened in that part of the world since then.

Will in the World, How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt
4 stars - a wild and entertaining romp through the world that Shakespeare grew up and worked in. Greenblatt takes on all kinds of theories about Shakespeare and his culture and weaves a scenario of his life that is interesting and more likely than most of the others I've heard.

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh, Jennifer Van Dyck narrator 3.5 stars
This was a book club book for me and I would never have picked it up otherwise. I'm glad I did though, because was much in this multi-layered story that I enjoyed. My biggest complaint was that the characters were almost a bit too defined by their roles and I kept wanting someone to break out more. Still not a bad listen.

more...

Making the Rounds with Oscar by David Dosa, Ray Porter narrator
3.5 stars
The premise of the book is that Oscar, a seemingly ordinary kitty, has the ability to know when a person is about to die. From the leadup to this, I was expecting much more about Oscar. What I ended up with was a lot about David Dosa and his relationships with some of the patients. This was interesting but not what I was expecting.

Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts. 5 stars - Lest you have the idea that our founding mothers were stuffy boring old biddies you must listen to this book. Shoes, hats, dresses, parties, husbands, breast cancer and child birth... this is a wonderfully sparkling telling of an era where being a woman was challenging and exciting.

Bring up the Bodies. Narrated by Simon Vance. 5 Stars

I have read Hilary Mantels first book Wolf Hall and thoroughly enjoyed it. In that book there was some uncertainty about the nature of Cromwell but in this book Thomas Cromwell becomes more clearly defined, a man who learns from others' mistakes and above all a man who serves his king. "Bring up the Bodies" deals with the fall of Anne Boleyn and it is seen from the perspective of Cromwell. Although Cromwell emerges more clearly, there is still a hidden aspect of him that is only hinted at. Simon Vance, with his carefully nuanced reading sometimes helps to stress the ambivalence within Cromwell. I just wonder if a reader would still have the positive image of Cromwell that lingers with me, an image bolstered by Simon Vance's excellent reading of a gripping novel.

Vance delivers one of the best audio book performances IMO.

Divergent. By Veronica Roth. Narrated by Emma Galvin

This book was such a pleasure to listen to. Emma Galvin is an excellent voice actor and she makes the story come alive and flow from one incident to another.
I also liked the concept of the book, the Factions and how they worked. The author however neatly used a typical teenage dichotomy as the basis of the novel; on one hand the need to belong and on the other the need to be different. At the onset of the novel this struggle is clearly at the heart of the heroine's dilemma, she wants to belong yet she doesn't quite know where and she also wants to be independent.
Veronica Roth captures teenage angst with a breathtaking deftness. Sometimes I wanted to smack Tris and tell her to get OVER it which is a typical adult reaction to the vagaries of a teenage mind.
A most worthwhile listen.

Insurgent. By Veronica Roth. Narrated by Emma Galvin. 5 Stars

I think Audio books were invented for people like me, people who rush through books, needing to know the end, needing to know who ends up matched or dispatched. And in an Audio book I am truly engaged in the story, how it unfolds, how a character develops, above all I am forced to slow down and that Gentle Listener is very very good.
I'm listening to Insurgent, the second book in (I believe) the "Divergent" Trilogy and I'm listening slowly because I do not want this book to end. Yes I still want to know who betrayed who to whom etc but The experience of listening is such a joy I want to savour it as long as possible.

Eve. By Anna Carey Narrated by Tavia Gilbert. 2 Stars.
Not my favorite listen. As a matter of fact I don't recommend this book at all. Eve is not an attractive heroine, she seems whiney and above all destructive and when she says, "it's my fault!" She is speaking the truth!! She is eighteen years old, in a seriously dangerous world yet she is as thoughtless as a hurricane! The stars are for the narrator, she is very good but not even she could instill any liking on my part for Eve. I see now it is the first of a trilogy and although part of me is somewhat inquisitive as to what might hapen to her, I'm not inquisitive enough to buy the books. So goodbye Eve and good luck to your fellow travelers... they need it!