BOOK REVIEW: Listening Is an Act of Love by Dave Isay

"Fantastic makes me want to be involved"

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Would you listen to Listening Is an Act of Love again? Why?

This is touching. I loved hearing other people's life stories. You laugh and could cry with this book. It's short and I just want to hear more. It's fantastic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The in love couple where great but there was an old man from a war that was touching also. How fabulous if our parents or great great grandparents had left us audio. It would leave you wanting more.

Book Review: Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart

Entertaining and Educational Botany

Learn All About the History of Poisonous Plants

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Wicked Plants is an educational book about poisonous and insidious plants. It's written more like the story or life of a plant, how it's been mis-used, and as a cautionary tale. The audio version is interesting but fast passed and hard to take notes. I have a large garden and am always afraid I will run into something and not know it's side effect on myself or my puppy.

Highly recommend this book for any gardener, horticulturist, botanist, essential oils fanatic, or just someone curious about poisonous plants.

BOOK REVIEW: An Unlikely Duchess by Nadine Millard Narrated By Beverley A. Crick

"Irish Scoundrel Vs. Handsome British Duke"

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This historical romance starts off with a twist when two best friends make plans to wed their future children. Little did the two men know what twists and turns fate would make for their future children. In a lot of ways this story plays by the typical historical love story template, but luckily it has a deeper plot than most of these types of books.

An Unlikely Duchess has a few antagonists plotting against the happiness of the main characters. Overall this is a happy story with light hearted characters who are at the whimsy of their hearts and notions. The story makes 18th century London society sound like child's play. It's an enjoyable book to pass the time with very little reference to day-to-day life.

BOOK REVIEW: Echo: Soul Seekers, Book 2 UNABRIDGED by Alyson Noël

Echo

Book 2 of Soul Seekers

by Alyson Noël

"Enchanting and Sad"

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This book has some very lovable and hate-able characters. I love the native american influences and magical intrigue. This book doesn't seem to end the series, just wish I'd know that first, so I could have waited before starting a series with no ending. I'm a little shocked and confused by it. The is a teenage magic love mystery.

BOOK REVIEW: The Jennifer Nicole Lee Fitness Model Diet: JNL's Super Fitness Model Diet: Secrets To A Sexy, Strong, Sleek Physique UNABRIDGED by Jennifer Nicole Lee

• "She's Yelling at Where You Could or Will Be"

  
  

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  PODCAST REVIEW : Listen
  Jennifer Nicole Lee means well and is a very inspirational athlete, but this is a book that is hard to listen to (narrated). I had a few very inspirational moments from this book, which I mention in the podcast, but overall this is not a good audible book. It is probably a better read. Jennifer Nicole Lee is a motivational speaker, and an inspiration to many women. Watch her videos.Her voice never changes pitch, she yells at you the WHOLE TIME! She basically says she cares, believes in you and that you need to believe in yourself and be focused over and over and over and... OVER. I don't need her to motivate me, I want recipes, real tips, thoughts and feedback about training daily. Stuff I could of got for free off bodybuilding dot com, but thought would be good to listen to in a book. I'm glad she loves her job but she is a bit negative and condescending despite saying shes not.
  
  

BOOK REVIEW: Passion, Betrayal, and Killer Highlights UNABRIDGED by Kyra Davis

"Not My TYPICAL PURCHASE.. But still.. Not Bad"

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I originally got this book because I adore Gabra Zackman. She is an amazing narrator. In this book she gives herself an east coast accent that I was not expecting since I got the book without listening to a sample. Plus I'm not normally into murder mysteries but Gabra made this book for me.

BOOK REVIEW: Emotional Awareness: Overcoming the Obstacles to Emotional Balance and Compassion by Paul Ekman, Dalai Lama

Emotional Awareness

"Educationally Interested but a tough Listen"

Paul Ekman

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Would you try another book from Paul Ekman and Dalai Lama and/or Richard Gere?

I adore Richard Gere and enjoy studying Paul Ekman's work but this was rather hard to listen to. It's very solitary not funny and remnant of sitting in a monotone college lecture.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

More antidotes, a story line that can bring you in to make an analogy of the science behind the work. It just needs something to pull you in. It's very hard to understand the Dalai Lama and Paul Ekman talking but interesting to hear their world views. I was hoping to learn more about Paul Ekman's work and how it works.

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists ABRIDGED by Neil Strauss

Book Review: The Game

"I'm glad I'm not him but all women should listen"

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What made the experience of listening to The Game the most enjoyable?

The story of a pick up artist is sad in its own away. Since I'm not a man, it's hard to tell if this is a really a good judge of how men think or not. Seems like it might be a good judge, but I say that because it offers multiple perspectives. It seems obvious that some people like to use other people, or act like 'players'. This book is about men studying women. Most of the men featured in the book start off socially inept and wind up acting a bit scammy. In a way I'm glad for them, that they are improving themselves and being relatively honest, but really most of them seem to be taking advantage of other people's naivety.

BOOK REVIEW: Playing with Fire: Silver Dragons, Book 1 UNABRIDGED by Katie MacAlister

Playing with Fire

"Interesting start caught me enough to read the 2nd"

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  If you could sum up Playing with Fire in three words, what would they be?

  Dragons, Fantasy, and Drama. (Technically that is 4 words, but it reads better that way)

  
  

  Who was your favorite character and why?

  The main character was intriguing. She falls in love with Gabriel Tauhou, a wyvern or type of dragon, that takes her on quite the adventure. She has special abilities and he's been waiting for her forever it seems. They get pretty steamy in the book, get it, steamy, you know because he is a wyvern. Anyway she's beautiful, smart, and a strong female lead.

  

  
  

BOOK REVIEW: Firelight UNABRIDGED by Sophie Jordan

"This book caught me & kept me interested"

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What made the experience of listening to Firelight the most enjoyable?

This book kept me interested all the way to the end. The story has a terrible ending and probably deserves a follow up book. It is just cut off. The book however is imaginative and held my attention and made me want to keep going.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Very imaginative. Loved it.

Have you listened to any of Therese Plummer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

BOOK REVIEW: Fresh Air NONE by Terry Gross

"Educational book...Judging Facial Expressions"

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What did you love best about Fresh Air?

I enjoyed Fresh Air as an education about how people judge each other and use facial expressions.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Don't know.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be? This would have a hard time being a film, unless it was a documentary but I'd tag it research on human expressions.

BOOK REVIEW: The Son of Neptune: The Heroes of Olympus, Book Two UNABRIDGED by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune

"One heck of an addictive adventure!"

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Where does The Son of Neptune rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's in the top few over the past few months. Every last minute of it has been addictive. I chose this book for its fantasy genre and length originally. I continued onto the second book in the series (this one) because the first one was so fantastic.

Now I'm going to have to just keep going. I adore this series. It's had me enthralled with interest, adventure and upbeat spirits. The reader of the book can do all kinds of voices which make you really feel like you are listening to and befriending each character one at a time, which is good because this book has as many characters as your real life has day-to-day friends.

Every moment I can't wait to hear what is happening next, makes me wish the books where longer. Even better is that this book mixes fantasy with mystical and religious history. So you are literally getting to old world religion, history and war tactics step by step as the book moves forward. You can hear and imagine seeing, tasting and smelling what the monsters and Gods would have been like.

If I haven't convinced you, I don't know what will. If you love fantasy adventure like lord of the rings or love stories like fifty shades of gray or history fantasy like the Michael Scott series or the adventures of Terry Goodkind in the Wizards first rule then this book is for you (obviously start with book one)

BOOK REVIEW: The Heroes of Olympus: The Demigod Diaries UNABRIDGED by Rick Riordan

The Heroes of Olympus

"Unlike the rest of the series... Not the next book"

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Would you try another book from Rick Riordan and/or the narrators?

Yes, absolutely just not one like this. This isn't like the normal 1st person book. It reads like a mixed diary on the ledge of being close to the other story. It's not as interesting, powerful or adventurous. It gives you insights to the characters though but the narrator jump isn't nearly as smooth. It's confusing and the book seems to jump around a lot.

What could Rick Riordan have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Write the book as a follow up story or adventure the same way the other books are written. This one seems like a hodge podge throw together of scenes cut out from the other books.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It just doesn't have a familiar feel to the other books. I didn't enjoy it. It didn't grab me the same way the other two did.