#thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook and the good accents

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads / storygraph

Provenance

Space opera standalone set in the world of the Imperial Radch trilogy

a young woman who wants to gain her foster-mother’s favour to have a chance at being named heir, frees a thief from a prison planet to get information about a priceless artifact

But things immediately go wrong and when she arrived home there’s a murder and an escalating political conflict

[kingarthurflourofficial]

april/may books

boy did i ever slow down this month it feels like! but here we go:

the goblin emperor 5/5 (a beloved re-read!!!!!!!!! i love this book so much and it's even better as a re-read tbh.)

proper scoundrels ? DNF (started off beautifully promising! gay magic systems and trauma! but it just started getting cloying)

slippery creatures 4/5 (re-read!)

the sugared game 4/5 (re-read :))) will darling! kim secretan! phoebe and maisie! TRAUMAAAAA)

subtle blood 5/5 (re-read. i cried multiple times! beautiful!)

the quiet gentlemen 4/5 (re-read. i love gentlemen walking arm in arm. i love petnames between men. i love a very common-sense heroine and most of all i love re-framing everything in a heyer novel to be t4t. get gervase st. erth PREGNANT!)

the witness for the dead 5/5 (re-read. my sweetest darling beautiful gorgeous love! thara celehar! i need him to be wrapped in a million blankets and fed soup and hot tea forever!)

the gentle art of fortune hunting 3.5/5 (re-read. i had a much better time this time around reading this - i trusted kjc not to drag out the betrayal and angst scenes too long and i wanted to re-read before the companion (!!!) book comes out in july!)

convenience store woman 4/5 (rec from my paramour @berlincorpography that i THOROUGHLY enjoyed. so many times when i just wanted to holler and scream and point emphatically and mutely at the page. i didn't tho bc kai was asleep next to me. hashtag bravery.)

lolly willowes 4/5 (another rec from my partner and very good! i love it when a middle aged woman goes buck-wild it's just glorious. and the personification of nature! yes please!)

band sinister 3.5/5 (re-read. not my favourite kjc but it was fun to re-visit since it was one of the first of hers that i read and was one of the only ones on audiobook. side note on that - WHAT is WRONG with cornell collins and why can he not do a normal accent for Black people/minorities in general. insane choices were made.)

buried deep and other stories 4/5 (collection of all naomi novik's short stories and very good! made me instantly go re-read:)

spinning silver 4.5/5 (re-read. say what you want but you have GOT to hand it to her. novik can write a PLOT. wish that were me dot img)

and that's it! i feel like i've missed at least one but in my defense it's been...a very full two months lol. lmk if you have any recs or want to talk about any of these! xoxo gossip girl

[chocsbookblog]

Book Review: The Witchstone

Title: The Witchstone

Author: Henry H. Neff

Narrator: Ramiz Monsef

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.

Laszlo the demon has spent the last 100 years of his 800-year existence avoiding his job as Curse Keeper to the Drakeford Curse. To the extent that the family no longer realises that the monstrosities all Drakefords grow into are a curse. With a new overseer breathing down his neck, Laszlo has just six days to remedy the situation or he will be destroyed. Thankfully, he has a plan—one that includes dragging the Drakeford kids, 19-year-old Maggie and 12-year-old Lump, along for the ride.

Ramiz Monsef performed wonderfully as the narrator; his sense of comedic timing was spot on. Some of the accents were a bit off, but as this was only evident with minor characters, it wasn’t a problem. The main characters were easy to differentiate between, which was much more important.

What I liked: This was such a well-woven tale, with plenty of heart and comedy. The main characters were all likeable, so much so that I had to keep my fingers crossed that they all came out on top. The plot twisted enough times that even though I had my suspicions on how it would work out, there were still plenty of surprises to keep me interested and nervous that I was wrong. The demon and creature mythology was well-crafted and believable.

What didn’t work for me: Only a small critique—likely due to my impatience to find out what was going on—some of the in-between portions (where little action occurred) could have been cut down to move the story along.

Final Thoughts: A thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy, with witty dialogue and a glorious cast of characters.

Who would enjoy this book: Fans of comedic fantasy, unwitting collaborations tropes, adult/kid team-up tropes, good vs evil, demons with jobs, and family curses.

[sassysnowperson]

Sass Talks Books: Thank You for Listening, by Julia Whelan

Basic Plot: An audiobook narrator, who doesn't record romance books (anymore - she needed to break into the industry somehow), is given the financial opportunity of a lifetime...recording a romance book. It's a dual narration book, too, which means working with another narrator. Her recording partner quickly becomes one of the best perks of the project, warm and funny and *real* feeling, despite the fact they've never met. (They've never met, right?)

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. The author IS an audiobook narrator, writing a book about two audiobooks narrators, and I listed to the audiobook...narrated by the author. I thoroughly recommend that reading experience, by the way. There's a lot of little moments with the two talented voice actor characters slipping into different accents, talking about tone and inflection, and it's an absolute delight to hear the narrator delivering on the script she wrote for herself. As for the story itself, I'm not far enough into the romance world to know if this book deviates from the romance novel beats enough that it's drifted out of the category, but I can say that it was absolutely charming and enjoyable. And, that the changes made dulled the edges of the parts of romance I bounce off of the most while absolutely being a very loving send-up of the genre. The connection between the two people was very real, but it wasn't the only (or even, I would argue, the most important) relationship developing and changing in the book.

Every character felt connected in a complicated web of love and relationships with other people - it was a joy. And it was used to explore some toothy things that I normally don't get in a book this fun - grief, regret, how you deal with the losses you can't get back, how you rebuild a life. It stayed warm-hearted and kind as a book, but it didn't shy away from real fights, insecurities, and pain.

A handful of warnings to go along with that: the MC has lost an eye, and deals with ableism, and some negative self-perception. There's some diet-culture-based disordered eating for the MC's best friend (not displayed as a good thing). The MC's relationship with her dad has some brutal fights where there's emotional manipulation happening. There's also a real look at the complications of dementia - discussed below.

The protagonist's relationship with her grandmother is a key point of the story, and the grandmother is dealing with encroachment of memory loss and personality change that comes along with dementia. This part surprised me - I work with older adults in long-term care and lol, was not expecting that my professional life would be relevant to the situation. The author made a few errors with the care system in California (where our grandma is based, and where I work). But frankly, only a few, and the way the dementia progressed wasn't one of them. It was good, and heartbreaking, and one of my favorite parts.

Wow...I wrote a lot about this. Suppose that makes sense, considering it was my experience of the book itself. I expected something light and fun, and while I got it, there was depth there too that was a very welcome surprise.

[nerdishfeels]

June Wrap Up!

Hey guys! As some of you know, I was planning to read 4 books in June. However, I managed to finish half of my tbr! And the books I read were AMAZING.

Radio Silence - 5*

This is the first book I read (and was recommended) from Alice Oseman and I was not disappointed!

I related to Frances instantly, from being a gifted child, who was boring/quiet to school mates, to secretly falling in love with a podcast and joining its fandom.

I really liked how this book handled a lot of issues, like emotional abuse, fandom hate/ lack of regard towards a creator's privacy and the pressures of being a gifted child and meeting high expectations.

I loved how the mystery of Carys unraveled throughout the story, which in turn, makes you discover more about Frances too.

I loved all the characters, i.e. Raine, Aled, Daniel, Carys, etc. I also loved Frances' relationship with her mum (her mum is so cool too, like she even has a unicorn onesie??).

I thoroughly enjoyed doing the liveblog of this book. I'm definitely planning on reading more of Alice Oseman's books (recommend me your favourites!).

Slay - 5*

This book was amazing and I honestly don't know why I haven't heard many people talking about this book!

First of all, this book is about a black girl called Kiera, who develops a video game called Slay. The dynamics of the game itself sounds amazing and I really wish it was a real thing!

This book is more than just about a video game. It's rich in black culture and deals with issues that black people go through, such as cultural appropriation, police brutality, lack of representation in video games etc.

I loved Kiera. She's such a vibrant and fun character. Her interactions with her sister makes me laugh. I also loved her Slay co-moderator, Cicada. She was amazing too.

I loved the angles the author gave us when it came to racism, discussions and exclusion of race (inside and outside black culture) and the influence of video games in terms of violence. It also dealt with toxic relationships, which I didn't expect, but appreciated.

I listened to the audiobook and the voice actors were so good. I loved listening to their voices and accents. It just added so much to the story.

It was interesting to have different perspectives throughout the book too, including a transgender character. I thought that some of the other characters would have spoken out in honour of Slay after reading their pov, but that didn't happen, which I understand, considering the circumstances.

I wish I could have experienced more battles from the game and the book did feel short. But regardless, I loved this book so much and would highly recommend!

So, the two other books on my tbr (Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince and Opposite of Always) will go towards my July tbr.

I'll also be deciding what book to liveblog next, so stay tuned! ❤️

[stmaryslibraryios]

Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison - Review

This book was mentioned in the Scilly Now and Then Magazine so I looked it up on Amazon. It’s currently only out in Hardback for £16.51, the paperback isn’t due out until May 25th 2021. I decided to listen to it on audiobook. I actually returned it for a refund as I found it so dire. Look at the cover picture on the book and that about sums it up. It’s a picture of a clump of rocks on which is perched a 3 storey monstrosity of a hotel with a glass tower. Allegedly in Scilly… 

So here is the official blurb:

Death at High Tide is the delightful first instalment in the Island Sisters series by Hannah Dennison, featuring two sisters who inherit an old hotel in the remote Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall and find it full of intrigue, danger, and romance.

When Evie Mead's husband, Robert, suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, a mysterious note is found among his possessions. It indicates that Evie may own the rights to an old hotel on Tregarrick Rock, one of the Isles of Scilly.

Still grieving, Evie is inclined to leave the matter to the accountant to sort out. Her sister Margot, however, flown in from her glamorous career in LA, has other plans. Envisioning a luxurious weekend getaway, she goes right ahead and buys two tickets--one way--to Tregarrick.

Once at the hotel--used in its heyday to house detective novelists, and more fixer-upper than spa resort, after all--Evie and Margot attempt to get to the bottom of things. But the foul-tempered hotel owner claims he's never met the late Robert, even after Evie finds framed photos of them--alongside Robert's first wife--in his office. The rest of the island inhabitants, ranging from an ex-con receptionist to a vicar who communicates with cats, aren't any easier to read.

But when a murder occurs at the hotel, and then another soon follows, frustration turns to desperation. There's no getting off the island at high tide. And Evie and Margot, the only current visitors to Tregarrick, are suspects one and two. It falls to them to unravel secrets spanning generations--and several of their own--if they want to make it back alive.

I didn’t enjoy it at all. The book starts with a lot of nasty dialogue involving much sniping and this is the tone throughout the book, The speech, characters and behaviour were all deeply unpleasant.

On Goodreads website there were 183 reviews and they were all American. One wrote: “Once at the island, they are met with a quirky cast of characters, most of whom are quite unpleasant.”

Actually one thing that particularly riled me was that all the Scillonian residents were portrayed as dysfunctional, rude and deliberately obstructive, unwelcoming and unhelpful. 

The sisters were generally greeted with suspicion and hostility. Even DS Patty Williamson was sarcastic and aggressive, and most of the time she seemed more interested in her latest date than in doing any sort of policing.

In fact every one of the characters in the novel who ranged from mildly annoying to completely obnoxious were unpleasant except Evie who was just naïve and some handsome hunk who no doubt will be the love interest in book number 2. Her sister Margot is a caricature of the Hollywood producer. Blonde, too skinny, loud and abrasive. She wears expensive clothing and name drops constantly, throwing her weight around. - extremely unlikable. 

The hotel turns out to be  an Art Deco building with 70s tacky garish décor and is located on an isolated island only accessible when the tide cooperates.

There was nothing I liked about this book. It was contrived and implausible to the point of being ridiculous. Nothing to uplift it, no feel good moments, just unremitting nastiness. It was described as a cozy murder mystery   - that was a misnomer - nothing cozy about it, It should have been called murder misery. 

And it was supposed to be light hearted and humorous - nope unless people being rude to each other passes as humour in America.  Big thumbs down. 

About the author: Apparently Hannah Dennison’s held crime writing workshops on Tresco, so she should know better than write such rot.  God forbid she releases hordes of other wannabe writers producing rubbish about Scilly where the only accuracy is the spelling of the name. 

British born, Hannah Dennison originally moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst.

Hannah continues to teach mystery writing workshops at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program in Los Angeles, California and wherever she is invited!

 After twenty-five years living on the West Coast, Hannah returned to the UK where she shares her life with Draco and Athena, two energetic Hungarian Vizslas. She enjoys all country pursuits, movies, and theatre, reading and seriously good chocolate.

On her website she actually wrote she likes to be as accurate as possible. My reaction to that was ‘Are you having a laugh?” For instance she had the murderer arriving in a private jet, stealing a boat and sailing it through treacherous seas and rocks to the island. Or the policewoman telling the sisters , “We do background checks on all the tourists who visit Scilly. We knew exactly who you were before you even arrived”  Also the book is set in November yet the Scillonian was still running. The whole book was riddled with similarly careless inaccuracies.

I was so incensed by her portrayal of the islands and its residents that I wrote a review for Audible after returning the book for a refund: 

I live on the Isles of Scilly and frankly found the book offensive. The narration was appalling, quay pronounced qway as an example! She made the islanders sound like half witted peasants and her accent was diabolical.  The novel's description of the islands was so inaccurate it could have been Alcatraz.  If it had been the actual Isles of Scilly the author was using as the location it would have made much of the plot completely unfeasible.  As for the  characters, a majority of them were  deeply unpleasant. The dialogue was mostly sarcastic, sneering sniping. The attempts at humour were contrived and the author was trying so very hard to be clever, it was painful. The whole thing was tedious. I do wish that if people are going to write novels about the Isles of Scilly and its residents they would at least take the time to research them thoroughly so it is an authentic, realistic  portrayal.   Write a novel with fantasy islands as a location by all means, but do us a favour, don't label them as the Isles of Scilly -or worse, and extremely insulting  - the Scilly Isles!  

One reviewer wrote: The heroine might be an utter fool, but the author clearly expects her readers to be stupider. I agree! 

Review by Ro

[bettydgunter90]

10 Incredible Audiobooks That Will Revolutionize Your Life

I’ve always enjoyed the inspiration and entertainment that comes from a great book.

The problem is, I rarely have time to sit down and devote hours of my undivided attention to reading books. My life is just too busy (or so I tell myself).

Fortunately, people in my predicament have another option: audiobooks.

Audiobooks are a great way to consume all the same content from a book while getting other stuff done.

Whether you listen while you exercise, drive to work or mow the lawn, audiobooks are the perfect substitute for people (like me) who would rather read through their ears instead of their eyes.

The Problem

Unfortunately, audiobooks have their own set of issues. They aren’t all created equal.

Some audiobooks have poor production quality.

Some are narrated by incredibly monotonous or annoying voices.

Some narrators have absurdly thick accents or speaking patterns that detract from the message.

Not to mention, some audiobooks are WAY too long (most likely because the original book is long). Not everyone has 100+ hours to listen to a single audiobook!

A few of my favorite books were nearly destroyed when I listened to a poorly executed audiobook rendition of the exact same material. It’s not easy to judge the quality of an audiobook when you only have a 30-second preview to go by.

The Best Audiobooks I’ve Heard

Since I’ve listened to A LOT of audiobooks in my time (it’s pretty much the only way I read anything these days), I wanted to let you know about some of my favorites.

I thought these audiobooks were extremely well done and actually enhanced the original text by adding emotion, inflection, emphasis and even music in some well thought out places.

Some of these audiobooks were so good, I’ve found myself listening to them again and again, just because they delivered such a rich, enjoyable experience.

Curious to know what they are? I’ll list them out for you below…

1. Crucial Conversations

Crucial Conversations is that several people have recommended to me over the past decade.

When I finally gave it a listen, I was blown away by how much value they crammed into 6 short hours. It was incredible!

There isn’t anything fancy about how this audiobook was recorded or produced… it’s pretty basic, actually.

What makes it so good? The narrator and co-author, Joseph Grenny, does a superb job of reading clearly, using good vocal tonality in his voice (an important part of explaining how to have a crucial conversation) and he’s just an overall easy person to listen to.

Aside from the delivery, this is one of the most intensely useful audiobooks I’ve ever listened to – I’m really not kidding. I actually found it cumbersome to listen while driving or working out, because I had to hit “pause” every 2 – 3 minutes so I could take notes.

At one point, I actually pulled my car to the side of the road so I could take notes. It was that good.

The advice in this book works and it’s not just theory. There was plenty of real-life application that made it directly useful in many aspects of my life. If you haven’t given this one a listen, I urge you to get it on your shortlist of audiobooks to hear!

2. Profit First

I’ve never met anyone who read Profit First and wasn’t impressed by it.

Aside from the simple-but-ingenious business budgeting concepts explained in this book (it’s sort of like Dave Ramsey’s envelope system, but for business owners), I thoroughly enjoyed how the narrator and author, Mike Michalowicz got through the content.

He doesn’t just read the original manuscript word-for-word, he goes “off script” many times throughout the book to add further clarification, give real-life examples and help flesh out the material in ways that are much more interesting and informative for the listener.

This is something 95% of audiobooks don’t do, which baffles me. I appreciated how this author took special care to package the content so it was more palatable to those who were listening rather than reading.

And I’ll mention again, the content of this book is amazing. Whether you’re an accounting professional or someone who rarely looks at the numbers, you will walk away with some great new insights from what this book has to share.

3. Can’t Hurt Me

David Goggins is well-acquainted with pain, suffering, trials, and challenges.

The difference is, he doesn’t run away from these things like most of us do. He leans into the pain and asks for more.

Some people might call it insanity, but I found it refreshing to hear about how he learned to revel in life’s difficulties and squeeze every last drop of strength and personal development out of it.

This audiobook for Can’t Hurt Me took a fascinating approach by splitting up the content into a mix of the original book, followed by a podcast-style interview between the author, David Goggins and the narrator, Adam Skolnick, at the end of each chapter.

It wasn’t just about hearing the story as it was originally written, but about getting a deeper insight into what went into the story and what lessons the listener should take away. I actually found the biggest lessons and takeaways came from the podcast interview portion (which wasn’t even part of the original book)!

This is one of those books you’ll actually get more out of by listening to it rather than reading it.

4. Building a Story Brand

If anyone knows how to write a good story, it’s Donald Miller.

One thing most good storytellers haven’t done is map out a clear framework by which anyone can tell a great story, and more importantly, how this framework can be used to vastly extend the reach of your business.

Another thing about Donald Miller is, he’s not just a great writer, he’s also a great speaker, and it shows in this audiobook. His delivery is clear, consistent and easy to listen to for all 4 hours and 56 minutes of this audiobook.

That’s another thing… I also appreciated how this entire book was delivered in less than 5 hours (even when playing at the normal, 1x speed). That’s an incredible amount of value that can be digested relatively quickly.

One of the first things I look at when considering an audiobook is how long it will take me to listen to it. When an audiobook is over 10 hours long… that’s a lot of time to commit to! Remember, a book isn’t just costing you money, it’s costing you time (and to some people, their time is worth a lot). When a book can deliver just as much value in a shorter time span, that’s a BIG plus in my book.

5. Thou Shall Prosper

This audiobook is one of the longer ones on this list, clocking in at nearly 18 hours, but believe me, this thing is PACKED with wisdom from beginning-to-end.

In Thou Shall Prosper (narrated by A.C. Fellner), Rabbi Daniel Lapin gives a very comprehensive overview on what he calls “The 10 Commandments of Making Money” and dispels a lot of the common assumptions and misconceptions modern-day people have about the how to make money, the value that businesses provide for the world and how to reframe the whole thought process behind financial prosperity.

For a lot of people, I think this book can provide a significant paradigm shift and a healthier understanding of what entrepreneurs and business owners play in the greater good of the world. I had several “Aha!” moments as I listened to this one and I found the whole audio presentation to be very easy to listen to, as it kept my attention from start to finish – and for an audiobook this long, that’s saying something!

6. Pitch Anything

This is some of the best information I’ve ever read on human psychology, motivation and negotiation all wrapped into one audiobook.

Pitch Anything, written and narrated by Oren Klaff lays out a formula that is highly effective when selling, which is something we all have to do, whether we like it or not.

But the lessons in this book apply to more than just the topic of “selling stuff” – it’s really a book on human psychology and how to be persuasive.

This book has helped me to be FAR more effective in my interactions with other people and it can help you too.

I thought the audiobook was executed very well and Oren does a good job of keeping the message entertaining and easy to listen to.

7. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

The title of this book is obviously intended to grab your attention, and whether you’re a fan of the approach, I think there’s a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from this one.

Mark Manson did a masterful job of using many different stories and examples to explain his underlying points.

One of my big takeaways moments from this book was the fact that not everyone shares the same values.

While this should be obvious, it’s not something I ever paid much attention to. Likewise, I don’t think most people recognize the fact that other people have different views and ideas about matters in life.

When I took time to let this sink in, it changed a lot about how I view the world and other people, particularly those who don’t care about the same things I do. It helped me make a lot more sense of people I never would’ve understood otherwise.

Considering how hilariously profane this book is (be ready for it), it gets pretty deep, and it does so without getting overly-philosophical to the point that the average person won’t be able to grasp the concepts.

I also thought the narrator, Roger Wayne did a great job of delivering the text in a way that was fun and easy-to-listen. Again, I also appreciated the relatively short listening time, coming in at just over 5 hours.

8. Thinking In Bets

This book covers some fascinating concepts that are incredibly relevant to everyone’s life, especially entrepreneurs.

In this audiobook (narrated superbly by the author), Annie Duke elaborates on the misconception that bad results always come from bad decisions. The truth is, there are plenty of examples where good results came from bad decisions, and bad results came from good decisions.

This was something I learned from my friend Billy Murphy years ago (also a professional poker player). In many of life’s biggest decisions, there are ways to mathematically quantify which decisions are most likely to lead to the desired outcome. Even if the results don’t turn out as desired, that doesn’t mean a decision was a bad one.

When I grasped this concept, it gave me a lot of comfort in making sound decisions without having all the information (something we all have to do every day) and realizing that when a path is thoroughly analyzed on the front end, there is no shame in results that are turn out to be wildly unlucky.

9. Linchpin

Linchpin is one of those perspective-changing pieces of work that makes you look at your life and career path in a whole new light. Sometimes the biggest revelations we have in life are actually pretty obvious, but we still need someone to spell it out for us, and that’s exactly what Seth Godin does in this book (narrated by the author).

I think this book is important because it touches on some of the core truths that all working professionals need to be well-aware of – the importance of being an indispensable and providing value on a level that makes you irreplaceable because of the unique qualities that only you can bring to the table.

When I started putting this mentality to work, my life changed forever (and yours can too).

10. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

This is one of those books that can alter your perspective on a lot of things (at least, it did for me).

Stephen Covey wrote (and narrated) this masterpiece over a quarter-century ago and it still leaves a lasting impression on just about everyone who reads it.

The subject matter of this book isn’t so much related to “real estate investing” as it is a solid guidebook for living.

If you ever have the chance, I would strongly encourage you to pick this one up and absorb what it has to say. You’ll be glad you did!

The post 10 Incredible Audiobooks That Will Revolutionize Your Life appeared first on REtipster.

from Real Estate Tips https://retipster.com/bestaudiobooks/

[fic-dreamin]

A bit disappointing Having a hard time getting into this book. The story jumps around a lot and I never seem to get that invested with any of the main characters because of that. And I'm listening to the MP3 audiobook edition and for whatever reason the narration is also turning me off. Christian Rummel has narrated a number of books that I've listened to before (most of the Lost Fleet series for example), but some of the accents he's doing in this book I find a bit annoying - especially all the Scottish accents (I'm assuming they are suppose to be Scottish - they are a bit cartoonish). Go to Amazon

Great Scifi, in the company of Heinlein & Asimov What can I say - I thoroughly enjoy Jack Campbell's stories. I am re-reading his Black Jack series for either the 3rd or 4th time, I like them that much. This is my goto author for scifi. The way he builds characters, and their interactions with their surroundings is phenomenal. I greatly appreciate this book as it goes into the ancestry of the main characters in the Lost Fleet. It looks there will be a whole new expansion of stories that lead up to the Lost fleet. I welcome this and look forward to many more exciting adventures from the Lost fleet universe. Good Job Mr. Hemry! Go to Amazon

May be his best yet A riveting story. Make sure you have time available before starting the last few chapters; it's hard to put down once the action starts. The characters are especially appealing. You find you care what happens to them and look forward to hearing more when the story is done. A fully self-contained novel but gently leaves the door open for sequels; you don't have to put it aside until the sequel is in hand like many others today. Go to Amazon

A great beginning of a new series A great beginning of a new series. It was full of almost non-stop action, The characters were well developed and a great story line. Especially after the 5th chapter, I was truly hooked and could not put the book down until finished. Bravo-Zulu to John for another well written book and the start of a new series. Am looking forward to the next book.. but first I am going to re-read this one.. Starting tonight Go to Amazon

Great start to the Prequel series This prequel to the author's other works begins to lay the groundwork of the stories we're more familiar with, specifically, the origins of the Alliance. Many familiar names pop up in the story as well, linking the series. Go to Amazon

Geary is back! Greatly enjoyed this prequel. It brought back Geary as a Lieutenant before he became Black Jack. I missed that character as the series had gotten too much into politics and was starting to drag. This is a refreshing restart of what I hope willbe an extended series. Go to Amazon

Jack Campbell scores again As a big fan of jack Campbell books I was eagerly looking foreword to his next book. This did not disappoint. As usual lots of dialogue and great action. Interesting characters . Very similar to his previous series. would not be surprised to see sequels. Go to Amazon

Loved The Lost Fleet saga in how Mr Loved The Lost Fleet saga in how Mr. Campbell gave us a look into what a hundred years of war can do to people. Then the way he wrote Beyond the Frontier in how governments and the people see military after a war. But I still find The Lost Stars to be the best in how two former Syndicate CEO's bring about such a change to worlds of a corrupt system that is truly for it's people. Go to Amazon

Before BlackJack... Five Stars Four Stars Brilliant The Start of the world of Admiral Geary Five Stars A bit clunky Space battles and strong characters -- an excellent read! The Beginning Jack Campbell has done it again....hard to put down

[bettydgunter90]

10 Incredible Audiobooks That Will Revolutionize Your Life

I’ve always enjoyed the inspiration and entertainment that comes from a great book.

The problem is, I rarely have time to sit down and devote hours of my undivided attention to reading books. My life is just too busy (or so I tell myself).

Fortunately, people in my predicament have another option: audiobooks.

Audiobooks are a great way to consume all the same content from a book while getting other stuff done.

Whether you listen while you exercise, drive to work or mow the lawn, audiobooks are the perfect substitute for people (like me) who would rather read through their ears instead of their eyes.

The Problem

Unfortunately, audiobooks have their own set of issues. They aren’t all created equal.

Some audiobooks have poor production quality.

Some are narrated by incredibly monotonous or annoying voices.

Some narrators have absurdly thick accents or speaking patterns that detract from the message.

Not to mention, some audiobooks are WAY too long (most likely because the original book is long). Not everyone has 100+ hours to listen to a single audiobook!

A few of my favorite books were nearly destroyed when I listened to a poorly executed audiobook rendition of the exact same material. It’s not easy to judge the quality of an audiobook when you only have a 30-second preview to go by.

The Best Audiobooks I’ve Heard

Since I’ve listened to A LOT of audiobooks in my time (it’s pretty much the only way I read anything these days), I wanted to let you know about some of my favorites.

I thought these audiobooks were extremely well done and actually enhanced the original text by adding emotion, inflection, emphasis and even music in some well thought out places.

Some of these audiobooks were so good, I’ve found myself listening to them again and again, just because they delivered such a rich, enjoyable experience.

Curious to know what they are? I’ll list them out for you below…

1. Crucial Conversations

Crucial Conversations is that several people have recommended to me over the past decade.

When I finally gave it a listen, I was blown away by how much value they crammed into 6 short hours. It was incredible!

There isn’t anything fancy about how this audiobook was recorded or produced… it’s pretty basic, actually.

What makes it so good? The narrator and co-author, Joseph Grenny, does a superb job of reading clearly, using good vocal tonality in his voice (an important part of explaining how to have a crucial conversation) and he’s just an overall easy person to listen to.

Aside from the delivery, this is one of the most intensely useful audiobooks I’ve ever listened to – I’m really not kidding. I actually found it cumbersome to listen while driving or working out, because I had to hit “pause” every 2 – 3 minutes so I could take notes.

At one point, I actually pulled my car to the side of the road so I could take notes. It was that good.

The advice in this book works and it’s not just theory. There was plenty of real-life application that made it directly useful in many aspects of my life. If you haven’t given this one a listen, I urge you to get it on your shortlist of audiobooks to hear!

2. Profit First

I’ve never met anyone who read Profit First and wasn’t impressed by it.

Aside from the simple-but-ingenious business budgeting concepts explained in this book (it’s sort of like Dave Ramsey’s envelope system, but for business owners), I thoroughly enjoyed how the narrator and author, Mike Michalowicz got through the content.

He doesn’t just read the original manuscript word-for-word, he goes “off script” many times throughout the book to add further clarification, give real-life examples and help flesh out the material in ways that are much more interesting and informative for the listener.

This is something 95% of audiobooks don’t do, which baffles me. I appreciated how this author took special care to package the content so it was more palatable to those who were listening rather than reading.

And I’ll mention again, the content of this book is amazing. Whether you’re an accounting professional or someone who rarely looks at the numbers, you will walk away with some great new insights from what this book has to share.

3. Can’t Hurt Me

David Goggins is well-acquainted with pain, suffering, trials, and challenges.

The difference is, he doesn’t run away from these things like most of us do. He leans into the pain and asks for more.

Some people might call it insanity, but I found it refreshing to hear about how he learned to revel in life’s difficulties and squeeze every last drop of strength and personal development out of it.

This audiobook for Can’t Hurt Me took a fascinating approach by splitting up the content into a mix of the original book, followed by a podcast-style interview between the author, David Goggins and the narrator, Adam Skolnick, at the end of each chapter.

It wasn’t just about hearing the story as it was originally written, but about getting a deeper insight into what went into the story and what lessons the listener should take away. I actually found the biggest lessons and takeaways came from the podcast interview portion (which wasn’t even part of the original book)!

This is one of those books you’ll actually get more out of by listening to it rather than reading it.

4. Building a Story Brand

If anyone knows how to write a good story, it’s Donald Miller.

One thing most good storytellers haven’t done is map out a clear framework by which anyone can tell a great story, and more importantly, how this framework can be used to vastly extend the reach of your business.

Another thing about Donald Miller is, he’s not just a great writer, he’s also a great speaker, and it shows in this audiobook. His delivery is clear, consistent and easy to listen to for all 4 hours and 56 minutes of this audiobook.

That’s another thing… I also appreciated how this entire book was delivered in less than 5 hours (even when playing at the normal, 1x speed). That’s an incredible amount of value that can be digested relatively quickly.

One of the first things I look at when considering an audiobook is how long it will take me to listen to it. When an audiobook is over 10 hours long… that’s a lot of time to commit to! Remember, a book isn’t just costing you money, it’s costing you time (and to some people, their time is worth a lot). When a book can deliver just as much value in a shorter time span, that’s a BIG plus in my book.

5. Thou Shall Prosper

This audiobook is one of the longer ones on this list, clocking in at nearly 18 hours, but believe me, this thing is PACKED with wisdom from beginning-to-end.

In Thou Shall Prosper (narrated by A.C. Fellner), Rabbi Daniel Lapin gives a very comprehensive overview on what he calls “The 10 Commandments of Making Money” and dispels a lot of the common assumptions and misconceptions modern-day people have about the how to make money, the value that businesses provide for the world and how to reframe the whole thought process behind financial prosperity.

For a lot of people, I think this book can provide a significant paradigm shift and a healthier understanding of what entrepreneurs and business owners play in the greater good of the world. I had several “Aha!” moments as I listened to this one and I found the whole audio presentation to be very easy to listen to, as it kept my attention from start to finish – and for an audiobook this long, that’s saying something!

6. Pitch Anything

This is some of the best information I’ve ever read on human psychology, motivation and negotiation all wrapped into one audiobook.

Pitch Anything, written and narrated by Oren Klaff lays out a formula that is highly effective when selling, which is something we all have to do, whether we like it or not.

But the lessons in this book apply to more than just the topic of “selling stuff” – it’s really a book on human psychology and how to be persuasive.

This book has helped me to be FAR more effective in my interactions with other people and it can help you too.

I thought the audiobook was executed very well and Oren does a good job of keeping the message entertaining and easy to listen to.

7. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

The title of this book is obviously intended to grab your attention, and whether you’re a fan of the approach, I think there’s a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from this one.

Mark Manson did a masterful job of using many different stories and examples to explain his underlying points.

One of my big takeaways moments from this book was the fact that not everyone shares the same values.

While this should be obvious, it’s not something I ever paid much attention to. Likewise, I don’t think most people recognize the fact that other people have different views and ideas about matters in life.

When I took time to let this sink in, it changed a lot about how I view the world and other people, particularly those who don’t care about the same things I do. It helped me make a lot more sense of people I never would’ve understood otherwise.

Considering how hilariously profane this book is (be ready for it), it gets pretty deep, and it does so without getting overly-philosophical to the point that the average person won’t be able to grasp the concepts.

I also thought the narrator, Roger Wayne did a great job of delivering the text in a way that was fun and easy-to-listen. Again, I also appreciated the relatively short listening time, coming in at just over 5 hours.

8. Thinking In Bets

This book covers some fascinating concepts that are incredibly relevant to everyone’s life, especially entrepreneurs.

In this audiobook (narrated superbly by the author), Annie Duke elaborates on the misconception that bad results always come from bad decisions. The truth is, there are plenty of examples where good results came from bad decisions, and bad results came from good decisions.

This was something I learned from my friend Billy Murphy years ago (also a professional poker player). In many of life’s biggest decisions, there are ways to mathematically quantify which decisions are most likely to lead to the desired outcome. Even if the results don’t turn out as desired, that doesn’t mean a decision was a bad one.

When I grasped this concept, it gave me a lot of comfort in making sound decisions without having all the information (something we all have to do every day) and realizing that when a path is thoroughly analyzed on the front end, there is no shame in results that are turn out to be wildly unlucky.

9. Linchpin

Linchpin is one of those perspective-changing pieces of work that makes you look at your life and career path in a whole new light. Sometimes the biggest revelations we have in life are actually pretty obvious, but we still need someone to spell it out for us, and that’s exactly what Seth Godin does in this book (narrated by the author).

I think this book is important because it touches on some of the core truths that all working professionals need to be well-aware of – the importance of being an indispensable and providing value on a level that makes you irreplaceable because of the unique qualities that only you can bring to the table.

When I started putting this mentality to work, my life changed forever (and yours can too).

10. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

This is one of those books that can alter your perspective on a lot of things (at least, it did for me).

Stephen Covey wrote (and narrated) this masterpiece over a quarter-century ago and it still leaves a lasting impression on just about everyone who reads it.

The subject matter of this book isn’t so much related to “real estate investing” as it is a solid guidebook for living.

If you ever have the chance, I would strongly encourage you to pick this one up and absorb what it has to say. You’ll be glad you did!

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