Audiobook Books

Excellent Service.
The product is in excellent condition. I am sure that I will
enjoy it much. Delivery was in a very timely manner.
Thank you so much,
Dee

didn't read listing and thought was a book and not a cd. no cd in car

bought this one in audio book form and truly enjoy listening to it as I drive to work but I won't listen to it when I'm driving alone at night :-)

Stephen King's `The Man in the Black Suit' is a collection of 4 short stories from his book `Everything`s Eventual`. As with all Stephen King audio books, these stories are unabridged.

The first story, `The Man in the Black Suit`, tells the tale from an elder man's perspective of his encounter with the devil when he was a young child. The story is well told. At 9 years of age, he sets out on a fishing trip by himself, John Cullum does wonderful voice work in this audio book.

The second story, `All That You Love Will Be Carried Away`, is about a traveling salesman by the name of Alfie. Alfie is a man obsessed with the graffiti he reads in rest area bathroom stalls. Much of the story is poems you would find there. At times it seems as if this work may be Stephen King's excuse to show off his prowess in these toilet poems. The story premise is of a man's world as he contemplates his final thoughts on his upcoming motel room suicide and how it will reflect on him and his loved ones.

The third story, and perhaps the most engaging one, is about John Dillinger and his friend, Jack Hamilton. In `The Death of Jack Hamilton', Dillinger and his gang are on the run from the FBI, when Jack Hamilton is shot and wounded. What follows is the continued adventure of their attempted escape and nurturing of Dillinger's close friend, Jack, in his final days. I am not sure how historically accurate the story is, or whether the author intended it to be, but the story does a good job with it's entertaining details.

The fourth story was one I had trouble with. While the story telling was good, it still disappointed. Carol and Bill are on their way to their second honeymoon. Carol encounters an incredible amount of déjà vu's. It builds up well, and has promise, but it never really goes anywhere.

Overall, these short stories are simply OK. They are well written, and well read, but they lack some of the meat of the story I expect from Stephen King.

First, a few words about each of the four different stories.


"The Man in the Black Suit" - 3 stars

This is a story about a 9-year-old boy who meets the Devil himself. It's a very scary experience for the boy, especially because his older brother died the year before and now the Devil tells him that his mother has just died in the same way.

This is the weakest of the four stories because the Devil, although being scary, doesn't really come across as a serious threat. What kind of second-rate Devil is it that can't even catch a boy who decides to run away from him?

In "Everything's Eventual" Stephen King writes that this story won a prestigious "best short story" award in 1996, much to his surprise. That surprises me too, because in my opinion this story is not that great.


"All That You Love Will Be Carried Away" - 5 stars

This is the shortest story (only 35 minutes) and one of the two best ones in this collection. Alfie Zimmer is a traveling salesman in the American Midwest. He has an amazing hobby and he's tired of life. But if he commits suicide, what will everyone think of his hobby?

What makes this story so good are the very detailed and evocative descriptions of the conditions under which a traveling salesman lives. Alfie's strange hobby is also captivating, as are the descriptions of the landscape and isolated towns in the bleak and barren Midwest.

In "Everything's Eventual" Stephen King admits that Alfie's strange hobby was actually something he did himself!


"The Death of Jack Hamilton" - 4 stars

This is a very unusual story for Stephen King. It tells a "mythical" story about the 1934 death of Jack Hamilton, member of the John Dillinger gang. Homer Van Meter, another gang member, purportedly tells the story.

John Dillinger, Jack Hamilton and Homer Van Meter were all real people. You can find a lot of interesting background information about them by doing an Internet search for John Dillinger.

Despite the fact that these were all ruthless gangsters we find ourselves sympathizing with them. Stephen King's approach to the story is that gangsters are also human beings. The slow death of Jack Hamilton and the efforts of John Dillinger to get him medical help and Dillinger's distress as Jack Hamilton's condition worsens are powerful images.


"That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French" - 5 stars

This is the best story in the collection. Carol was brought up as a strict Catholic, but then, during the first years of her marriage to Bill, she had an abortion. Now she and Bill are supposed to be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and Carol is being subjected to a horrendous punishment for what she did.

What makes the story fascinating is that it is not God who is punishing Carol. No, it is Carol, under the influence of her Catholic upbringing, who has prescribed her own punishment. And this punishment Carol is inflicting on herself is much worse than a benevolent God would come up with, even assuming that God considers what Carol did to be wrong.


In summary, two very good stories, one good one, and one that's just OK.

The four stories are read by four different professional readers. The total running time is approx. 3 hours 40 minutes, not 4 hours as specified on the packaging.

All four of these stories are included in the book "Everything's Eventual", along with 10 other short stories by Stephen King. If you want to save money or if you dislike audio books then "Everything's Eventual" is a better deal.

Rennie Petersen

I bought all 3 Miss Nelson titles for my four year old grandson for
christmas. He loves them as much as his now 20 year old uncle did at that age. The are funny, well illustrated and clever. We haven't listened to the CD yet, but I'm sure it ill be enjoyed on car trips.

This has become a very famous book and it deserves to be. It is certainly the type that has you lending it to all your friends and telling them about which pieces are your favorites. I love reading about his family and am a big fan of sister Amy so whenever there's a mention of her I get excited. So many of these stories are hilarious but there are also others that are incredibly sad. Ashes is an unforgettable read. The last selection, Naked, also has some very memorable moments, but the collection as a whole is extremely satisfying. Lots of reviewers make it seem as though reading the book is one marathon of comedy, but I find that a lot of his writing also has really interesting things to say about society and the way people treat others. A lot of the pieces seem to have pain in them but are presented in a generally light and humorous way. A wonderful book from a very talented writer.

Hey hey, this book is fantastic. I'm only a few chapters in but I am definitely laughing the whole way. Good suggestion for sure. And I think I need to go try some of those cupcakes too. I love a good cupcake. I had a fun trip with you a couple weeks ago, and I'll have to take a look at that other book you mentioned. In the meantime I'm laughing at this one pretty hard. Definitely a winner.

Ok Fran - email me if you want. I'd love to hangout sometime and quote movies and song lyrics and eat chicken nuggets.

(Oh, and for everyone else who's name isn't Francine... I'm not a big reader but I definitely like this book. I say give it a go!)

Naked is a collection of short stories and essays about David Sedaris' own life. He is so funny, and clever. You can really identify with his writing and it is the kind of funny that makes you seriously laugh out loud and have people turn to look at you weird. If you enjoy gay men, quirkiness, feel uncomfortable in crowds, ever felt your family was infested with aliens, had siblings, went to camp, went to college, didn't go to college. This is the book for you. It will also interest people above current trends and trival things like fashion.

This book on audio download is wonderful because the stories are hilarious and insightful, and so very honest. It's amazing how David looks at the most serious of subjects through a lens of humor and it works!

The audio book is read by David Sedaris and that makes it much more personal and effective. I couldn't stop listening!

This was my first Sedaris book and I loved it. Laugh-out-loud funny and a down to earth style. I'm not on my 3rd book from this author. Love him!

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing is an unabridged audiobook rendition of Mignon Fogarty's excellent guide to improving one's grammar. Well-known for her award-winning podcast explaining some of the most common grammatical mistakes people make, Mignon Fogarty delivers the straight scoop on style, business writing examples, advice for crafting smooth prose, and even e-mail tips. Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing is enthusiastically recommended for professional writers of all walks of life, from high school students crafting essays to college students working on Ph.Ds to prospective novel writers, nonfiction writers, journalists, newspaper columnists and much more. 5 CDs, 7 hours.

i love shiva rea's work and this is a good cd for relaxation, yoga nidra and shavasana, good to use before going to sleep at night.

I am amazed by the tranquility and relaxation I enjoyed after following the Yoga nidra instructions. Believe me, the background music, the soft voice of Shiva and the soothing instructions will put you in a totally relaxing mood and the entire body, mind and spirit gets rejuvenated. It is worth buying the CD for this track alone.

This CD set is a must for anyone handling stress in their life. And who among us is not? There is only so much room in anyone's budget for therapists, massages, etc. At some point we have to use our own devices to deal with stress on a regular daily basis, or succumb to the ills it causes.

Shiva Rea comes to the rescue with this jewel of a CD set. It has been adequately described, I'll just add that the Chandra Namaskar (moon salutations) on Disc 1 are gentle and accessible to most people. There is a booklet included that describes the asanas (positions). Most of the material offered involves the motion of your mind rather than body. Light a candle, unplug the phone, make a nest with some blankets rolled under your knees and over you, and indulge in Disc 2 with its invocation, assortment of guided Savasanas, and healing Yoga Nidra. Then head straight to bed for a lovely night's sleep without the aid of pharmaceuticals. Highly recommended.

I'm new to whole world of yoga and decided to purchase this CD collection based on amazon reviews. I use this CD everyday for meditation and relaxation. Shiva Rea has a very soothing voice with beautiful music in the back ground to accompany her. If you are looking for a very well rounded collection, this is a good bet. Once again, I'm always so pleased with Amazon - they're so helpful in making an informed decision on new purchases!

I can't put into words how truly wonderful this c.d. is.
So much to inspire,relax, and rejuvenate.
The moon salutation is too beautiful for words. Just a really
good c.d.
I would recommend this to anyone. Buy this c.d. set. You won't be sorry.

I like this tape very much. I think they should leave a little more space for repetition even when it isn't an "ecoutez et repitez" part. Otherwise very good and fun.

The first section of this course was fantastic -- they pronounced each French phrase very slowly, had you repeat each syllable, and then sped it up to full speed. However, after the first few lessons the slow, careful pronunciation ceased, and the French came flying at me too quickly to hear clearly. This is supposed to be an audio-based course, so the book is not very inclusive and offered little help in deciphering the speakers. I'm very dissapointed.

I like that the native speakers are reading material on CDs. I can catch the pronunciation of french words. I do not like that some of the word pronounced on CD can not be found in the book that accompany the disks.

Born an animal lover, I read James Herriot's first four books in the 70's from middle through high school in Taiwan. Yes, Those books were translated into Chinese and James Herriot was quite popular among book lovers there. I came to the United States in 1987 and since then, I bought and re-read all his books in English. I discovered so many aspects of his writing could not be precisely translated into another language, nevertheless his love and affection for all living thing are universal. Later, I watched and collected some of the BBC adaptation and had to admit that even though they were fine production, they left you with little imagination. I still prefer the books and the audio CD's narrated by Christopher Timothy. Christopher Timothy's interpretation was very good on film, but even better on CD's.
When the book "James Herriot's Treasury for children" came out, I could not think of a better way to introduce my nieces and my daughter to James Herriot's writing and the animals around him. The children love the stories and illustrations. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never be good at imitating the Yorkshire farmer's accent.
When I found that an audio version of this book was available through Amazon, I was very excited the thought this would complete my James Herriot collection. However, I was puzzled that Christopher Timothy did not narrate this book. Not knowing Jim Dale's previous work, I was skeptical about the quality of his narration. Now I am glad that I was wrong.
Christopher Timothy has been wonderful with all his work, but I think Jim Dale is more suitable for this book whose target audience are mostly children. There is so much feeling and emotion in his voice that makes the stories even more captivating than they already were. While listening to "The Christmas Day Kitten", I found myself sobbing at the end of story as if I had lost my own pet.
James Herriot's books combine good story-telling, passion and kindness to every living thing. This book will do just that for your children. The audio CD will simply add more magic to his stories.

In case you don't know, the Woman's Murder Club is made up of San Francisco Detective Lindsay Boxer, Assistant D.A. Yuki Castellano, Medical Examiner Claire Washburn and Reporter Cindy Thomas. In this one we have three story lines going at once, all interesting.

The book opens with wacko Fred Brinkley firing six shots at passengers on a ferry. Four people die and Murder Club Member Claire Washburn is wounded. Brinkley is quickly arrested, but is he sane, Yuki is going to try awfully darned hard to prove he is.

Meanwhile person or persons unknown are kidnapping rich kids and their nannies. The nannies turn up without a pulse, but the children are kept by the nefarious bad guys, who warn the families that their darlings will remain alive and unharmed as long as they don't go to the cops.

And meanwhile again, there are problems a brewing in Cindy's new apartment building. Some one dispatches a dog there, sending him off to doggie heaven. Of course, a dead dog isn't enough to satisfy the killer, so he moves on up to killing the tenants. Think Cindy will find a story here?

Okay, so there you have it, three mysteries to wrap your mind around. Is it too much for one book? Not on your life. Mr. Patterson and Ms. Paetro pulled me right on in, held my interest, kept my finger turning those pages. This is a good book. I'm a big fan of Patterson's earlier work and it seems Maxine Paetro has put him right back on track. You won't go wrong with this one.

Albeit the stories in the book are good and they'll keep you reading and maybe you'll've a good time, the way Lindsay found the killers is almost preposterous.

P.S. In the very last page says in Spanish:

"Ay, ay, ay, ay, canta y no llores / porque cantando se alegran / cielito lindo."

The real translation is:

"Ay, ay, ay, ay, Sing, don't cry/ because by singing will cheer / my darling

I wasn't excited to pick this one up, but I am glad I did. It keep my attention and actually I like listening to Patterson's books....They flow, are fast paced and easy to follow.....this one didn't disappoint.

as usual James Patterson has given us a spell binding adventure in law and order with the Womens Club. I am looking forward to the TV series.

I miss Alex Cross and would love to read more of his adventures.

Dianne

I find James Patterson a guilty pleasure, but the entertainment value of his books have been slipping dramatically over the past several years. THE 6TH TARGET is the sixth book in his Womens' Murder Club series, and it's easily the worst.

This book isn't really a novel as much as it's a collection of three underdeveloped crime subplots (plus a severely underdeveloped romantic subplot). None of these storylines is particularly interesting, since Patterson devotes so little space to fleshing them out. Just when one subplot gets going, Patterson abruptly shifts gears and heads to the next one. The result is jarring, and deprives the book of any momentum. The characterization in this book is also quite negligible, which is almost a given in any Patterson book these days.

The first four novels in this series were light fun, but the last two were pretty much a waste of time. 6TH TARGET may be the last in this series that I will spend time with; there are much better books out there.

Prefer "How to Develop Self-Confidence And Influence People By Public Speaking" book much much better. Sound more Dale Carnegie Way. Hope there can be an Audiobook version of it just like "How To Win Friends and Influence People". This "Stand and Deliver" Audiobook is not outstanding. It does not preach enough Dale Carnegie way in public speaking. Far from it. Too common sensical and not insightful enough. The narrator's voice is stiff and unnatural. There are nothing wow or exciting new from this Audiobook. Many theories and practices were well told in other public speaking literature or audiobooks. Try "You Are the Message", "10 Days ..Confidence in Public Speaking" and "Articulate Executive". Far better and stimulating. A bit disappointed, and this Audiobook claims itself to be the best "Science of Public Speaking", the most comprehensive audio program. An overstatement, especially to veteran public speaking masters and audiobooks listeners.