Greg
- 7
- reviews
- 8
- helpful votes
- 21
- ratings
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The Heart's Invisible Furies
- By: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
- Length: 21 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 264
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 246
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 244
Cyril Avery is not a real Avery, or at least that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he? Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Gripping story, but too much aganizing
- By Rachel Maritz on 11-13-19
- The Heart's Invisible Furies
- By: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
Growing up in a Prejudiced Irish Society
Reviewed: 09-08-24
A tale of growing up gay in repressive 1950s Ireland, following the protagonist through to the 2000s. A cast full of quirky characters, although the main character was a bit insipid.
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When Breath Becomes Air
- By: Paul Kalanithi
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 542
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 468
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 468
The New York Times number-one best seller. At the age of 36, on the verge of completing a decade's training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An incredible journey
- By Anonymous User on 11-01-17
- When Breath Becomes Air
- By: Paul Kalanithi
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Sunil Malhotra
Intelligent and Inspiring Story
Reviewed: 05-17-23
The author has written his memoir in a frank and philosophical way, with honesty and yet never with self-pity, but rather exploring his shattering diagnosis with curiosity and finally acceptance. His love and study of literature has served him well as his prose is succinct and beautiful to read.
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A Beginner's Guide to the End
- How to Live Life to the Full and Die a Good Death
- By: BJ Miller, Shoshana Berger
- Narrated by: BJ Miller, Shoshana Berger
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
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Story5 out of 5 stars 2
There are plenty of self-help books for mourners, but nothing in the way of a modern, approachable and above all useful field guide for the living. And all of us - young, old, sick and well - could use the help. After all, pregnant couples have ample resources available to them as they prepare to bring a new life into the world: Lamaze courses, elaborate birth plans, tons of manuals. Why don't we have a What to Expect When You're Expecting to Die book?
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Invaluable Resource for Anyone With a Terminally Ill Loved One or Elderly Parents
- By Greg on 02-21-23
- A Beginner's Guide to the End
- How to Live Life to the Full and Die a Good Death
- By: BJ Miller, Shoshana Berger
- Narrated by: BJ Miller, Shoshana Berger
An Invaluable Resource for Anyone With a Terminally Ill Loved One or Elderly Parents
Reviewed: 02-21-23
Why is death taboo in our society? It will happen to all of us at some point and yet it is never discussed, except as an after fact.
After watching and being inspired by BJ Miller’s Ted Talk, What Really Matters at the End of Life, I was intrigued to read this book as a carer for my terminally I’ll husband. It deals with the end of life in a thorough yet empathetic way, never skirting around the harder aspects of terminal illness and how to deal with it. When you are overwhelmed with a terminal diagnosis, this is a terrific book to read (or listen to) as the authors guide you through the process and what to expect, metaphorically holding your hand.
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Still Life
- By: Sarah Winman
- Narrated by: Sarah Winman
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 125
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 125
1944, in the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa, as bombs fall around them, two strangers meet and share an extraordinary evening. Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier; Evelyn Skinner is a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy. She has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the wreckage and relive memories of the time she encountered EM Forster and had her heart stolen by an Italian maid in a particular Florentine room with a view.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Hard to understand
- By Natalia on 03-03-23
- Still Life
- By: Sarah Winman
- Narrated by: Sarah Winman
The Book You’ve Been Waiting to Find
Reviewed: 10-13-22
Happily, I stumbled across this slightly whimsical book with its cast of unusual and lovable characters—including an insightful parrot. Spanning the Second World War through to the 1980s, we travel from the east end of London to the streets of Florence as the author draws us into this world of love, friendship food and art (this is Italy, after all). The prose is flawless and the references to paintings, movies and music had me reaching for my phone to Google for more details. I often plod through novels short listed for book awards but listening to Still Life was effortless. I highly commend the author for her brilliant narration that transported me in time and place.
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1 person found this helpful
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The End of October
- By: Lawrence Wright
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Story4 out of 5 stars 7
In this riveting thriller - from the Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author - Dr Henry Parsons, an unlikely but appealing hero, races to find the origins and cure of a mysterious new killer virus as it brings the world to its knees. At an internment camp in Indonesia, 47 people are pronounced dead with acute hemorrhagic fever. When Henry Parsons - microbiologist, epidemiologist - travels there on behalf of the World Health Organization to investigate, what he finds will soon have staggering repercussions across the globe.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Prescient Novel for Our Times
- By Greg on 05-16-20
- The End of October
- By: Lawrence Wright
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
A Prescient Novel for Our Times
Reviewed: 05-16-20
The End of October is a gripping read with a sympathetic protagonist. The author has certainly done his homework and it was chilling to see how ficticional events so accurately mirrored the real-life events presently unfolding during the Coronavirus pandemic. The author weaves some fascinating insights into the story about previous pandemics, diseases and plagues, and the scientists that worked to contain them. I did feel, however, that there were gaps in the narrative, so much so that I thought that I had missed some chapters. I wondered if this was due to some overzealous editing. I would be very surprised if the movie rights hadn’t already been snapped up and the book lends itself nicely to a sequel.
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Havana
- A Subtropical Delirium
- By: Mark Kurlansky
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 80
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 66
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Story4 out of 5 stars 67
Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky presents an insider's view of Havana: the elegant, tattered city he has come to know over more than 30 years. Part cultural history, part travelogue, with recipes throughout, Havana celebrates the city's singular music, literature, baseball and food; its five centuries of outstanding neglected architecture; and its extraordinary blend of cultures.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Tough to get past impersonation of Spanish accent
- By IF on 01-02-20
- Havana
- A Subtropical Delirium
- By: Mark Kurlansky
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
Brilliant condensed history of Cuba
Reviewed: 11-20-18
I was so sorry when the book ended as I enjoyed the informative and entertaining dialogue so much. The narrator is excellent; a wonderful voice and he was so passionate that I was surprised when I saw that it was not the author himself that was narrating.
This is a perfect read for those heading to Cuba who haven’t left much time to research the history and culture. It will enrich your visit and give you a better understanding of the country and its people. Loved the anecdotes and there were even a couple of recipes thrown in!
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1 person found this helpful
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In My Skin
- A Memoir of Addiction
- By: Kate Holden
- Narrated by: Christy Lynn
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 420
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 370
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Story4 out of 5 stars 365
A shy, bookish college graduate from a solid middle-class home, Kate Holden was uncertain of her way in life. When she decided to try her first hit of heroin, she did not anticipate that the drug would take over. Desperation drove her first to offer her body on the streets and then in high-class brothels, where she discovered hidden strengths as well as parts of herself that frightened her. With the acceptance and unyielding love of a family that never abandoned her, Kate Holden ultimately defeated the drug and left her netherworld behind.
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4 out of 5 stars
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NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING...
- By Margaret on 10-02-13
- In My Skin
- A Memoir of Addiction
- By: Kate Holden
- Narrated by: Christy Lynn
Appalling narrative voice
Reviewed: 08-13-16
Nearly gave up on listening to this audiobook due to the narrator's unintelligible accent; somewhere between a US southern drawl and a Kiwi accent. Very hard to understand. Shame, because the story was interesting.
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5 people found this helpful