[audio book]. As to the quality of the book o won’t say, but in terms of engaging and hard to stop listening, five stars. I basically knew the outcome[audio book]. As to the quality of the book o won’t say, but in terms of engaging and hard to stop listening, five stars. I basically knew the outcome from news reports, so I was tense for the whole listen waiting for Elizabeth’s house of cards to fall. Great story. ...more
**spoiler alert** [audio book]. The action continues, this time centered on Cassie who goes undercover to live with some college students suspected of**spoiler alert** [audio book]. The action continues, this time centered on Cassie who goes undercover to live with some college students suspected of the murder of a fellow student who is Cassie’s apparent doppelgänger. Maybe the book could use some editing, but I was well into the lives of these students and kind of sorry (I think of it weeks after I finished) to see their lives together come to a catastrophic end. I was listening to this book for so long and so intently it was part of my life and the end left a deafening silence and a big hole. ...more
**spoiler alert** [Audio Book] Compelling, engaging but ultimately depressing as the real brains behind the murder, sociopathic sister Rosalind, gets **spoiler alert** [Audio Book] Compelling, engaging but ultimately depressing as the real brains behind the murder, sociopathic sister Rosalind, gets off on a technicality. The protagonist Rob/Adam survivor of a double child murder (he would have been the third), is not especially likeable. He has no memory of the incident although during the story he recovers just enough to complicate the case though not enough to really resolve anything. His withholding of this information damns him and ruins his career and in a way his relationship with his partner Cassie who ends up not speaking to him forever. She’s messed up too, the victim of another sociopath. The story is drawn out and in my opinion in need of some editing, yet when it moves past this it builds into great suspense and an interesting turn of events. But as I say it’s depressing. The protagonist’s life is a smoking ruin, and his partner Cassie ends up with someone eminently unlikable, a douche judgmental of Ryan/Adam in spite of letting his scumbag uncle off corruption charges. The sociopath sister skates, and the actual murderer, another unlikable nebish, gets prison. Every story can’t have a happy ending but man....more
I love the moon (who doesn’t) especially watching it’s phases and seeing it move across the sky and seeing it setting at four in the morning into the I love the moon (who doesn’t) especially watching it’s phases and seeing it move across the sky and seeing it setting at four in the morning into the Miami skyline - so a book sharing my awe and explaining its formation and importance to evolution and central role in life on Earth really resonated.
I listed to the audio book very ably read (don’t recall the narrator’s name). The problem is that this book is so completely compelling (perhaps overly so) that it’s difficult to focus and a straight read or listen through. Maybe better to buy it (I got it as I do many books from the local library) and read and digest it in smaller bits. Some regression around the author’s personal anecdotes that possibly could have been edited - but as I say - better consumed in smaller and more focused sessions. ...more
I thought some pop pablum thriller would at least distract me from knee replacement surgery but I thought wrong with this. This “thriller� dragged aloI thought some pop pablum thriller would at least distract me from knee replacement surgery but I thought wrong with this. This “thriller� dragged along with slow plot movement surrounded by rambling filler about everything imaginable in a small southern town that sounded like a horrific place. No empathy, sympathy or any connection with the protagonist. The last juror had some interest as a character but really, for being in the title role, wasn’t around enough or developed enough to be the title character. ...more
**spoiler alert** I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t that crazy about Annihilation, but I did like this - a reason I stick with books I don’t like tha**spoiler alert** I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t that crazy about Annihilation, but I did like this - a reason I stick with books I don’t like that well. With each chapter this grew on me until by the end I was in to it. I empathized with Control - the story seemed more suspenseful and intriguing as Area X broke through its boundary and Control figured out a bit more of the mystery. Also NK Jamison’s (will check spelling and come back) intro relating the story to our current political situation helped me see the story differently and really, more satisfyingly. ...more
**spoiler alert** I guess with Sparver dead and Dreyfus on a light hugger with his wife on their way to find the Pattern Jugglers, this trilogy marks **spoiler alert** I guess with Sparver dead and Dreyfus on a light hugger with his wife on their way to find the Pattern Jugglers, this trilogy marks the end of stories about Panoply. I hope I’m wrong - Thalia Ng must have some adventures to relate. Otherwise I will miss these characters, Panoply, life in the Glitter Band pre-melding plague, Jane Aumonier, et al. Also, with Reynolds� world building and character development that I find so completely compelling and satisfying-I’m a little bereft at having finished. Hopefully he’s at work on something else. Meanwhile there are a few things I can re-read while I wait. ...more
**spoiler alert** Slow in spots but generally compelling but there seemed to be a few things a bit far-fetched and unbelievable-how did Anna/Diana imp**spoiler alert** Slow in spots but generally compelling but there seemed to be a few things a bit far-fetched and unbelievable-how did Anna/Diana improbably engineer this whole thing. I guess sociopaths can be charming and seductive but it seems a bit much.
I’m a little slow so while I did suspect Anna early on (for me), I wasn’t certain until she didn’t have any soup. Then it just seemed so irritatingly cliche that she confesses the whole plot as he succumbs to the drugs she fed him. I’m pretty sure I saw that on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents�. I was hoping he would solve the case like a murder mystery or even he would get rescued at the last minute somehow.
And I’m just not big on the evil villain winning - and again, that drug/confess bit just was a groaner. ...more
Fascinating history of Eastern European Jews who came tongue then to the United States. Equally interesting the techniques of preservation and restoraFascinating history of Eastern European Jews who came tongue then to the United States. Equally interesting the techniques of preservation and restoration of art and architecture. On a trip to France, walking through a cathedral I looked at everything in terms of the restoration and preservation all the artifacts needed - the book really permeated my thinking in that regard.
Still, I didn’t care much for the author as a person - she is narcissistic and borderline - understandable considering her family background of exile and psychological pathology. (Boy her mother sounds like a doozy). Some of her personal stuff was annoying, some uninteresting.
But-given the insight re: life in Cuba especially the a Jewish community-and the author’s expertise on restoration etc happy to have read it. ...more
Honestly I picked this book because it was read by Edgardo Ballerini, whom I would gladly listen to reading the phone book - plus it was a “thriller� Honestly I picked this book because it was read by Edgardo Ballerini, whom I would gladly listen to reading the phone book - plus it was a “thriller� about space satellites so why not. It wasn’t that exciting - no thriller- it was slow moving but engaging enough and I did enjoy most of it - but then suddenly the end. What? That was it after all that? There was virtually no point to the Edith Ryan character-after extensive back story her character had little enough impact on the story. Maybe I’m an idiot but unlike the synopsis says I didn’t get that the Kepler mystery was central to the story (although certainly part - but what did it have to do directly with the kill switch threat? I’ll take responsibility since with audio books there is always the threat of me dissociating or getting distracted by the dogs or traffic so there’s that. Really for that ending it deserves two stars but it did have its moments-they just didn’t lead anywhere. ...more
Sorry - I had a few problems with this audio book. The good however was that I liked the author (mostly). It was engaging in the middle as she tried tSorry - I had a few problems with this audio book. The good however was that I liked the author (mostly). It was engaging in the middle as she tried to work out what was going on, and it was. Rey thought provoking as I tried to work out what wasn’t working for me - but it droned on. As I commented on another post:
“I had many impressions about this book (I listened to the audio) and one also was that it lacked introspection-in the end it seemed more about righteous indignation and punishment than about getting through the trauma emotionally and internally. And how does someone get sucked in to an abusive on-line relationship with someone you never met and who continues to stand you up and make excuses? I’m sure it can happen but I’m not sure just how or why from this. I’m an example though - I kept listening all the way to the end increasingly eager for the end - you on the other had had the fortitude to DNF. I envy that.�
I emphasize, I’ve gotten sucked into things before so I know it can happen - but this didn’t give much insight, and it didn’t generate a whole lot of sympathy - and large swathes of it were mind numbingly unengaging. ...more
Definitely read The Searcher first to understand the dynamics going on in this second book and fuller enjoyment. I’m not big oncoming of age stories aDefinitely read The Searcher first to understand the dynamics going on in this second book and fuller enjoyment. I’m not big oncoming of age stories and this was a bit melodramatic for me. Cal is not my favorite-at least as portrayed by the narrator, but this is a good murder mystery with all the sordid, complex, hidden psychosocial dynamics of an Irish village all richly described and laid out. Good enough to entice me to aforementioned Searcher. ...more
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