Amanda Andert

Cool concept great action, kind of annoying descriptions of female characters

Reviewed: 01-30-25

So if you’ve ever read anything by Crichton before you already know what to expect. Cool concept that is driven by action and slightly sexist characterizations and philosophies. If you can set that aside or just take it for what it is, this book is a fun read. If you’ve ever can’t skip it because it comes up frequently and will annoy you lots.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 year old LOVES this book

Reviewed: 11-27-24

The stories are short and funny and just a little the right amount of silly! These books have aged well and are just as good as I remember when I read them as a kid myself.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Funny, beautiful, and smart

Reviewed: 09-11-21

I find myself coming back to this book/play a lot. It has everything, the ideas are big and wonderful, the characters are rich and funny, and the writing is deeply poetic. This particular cast is top tier and a pleasure to listen to.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Should be called advanced tidying for tidy people

Reviewed: 01-29-19

If you are already a fairly neat person and you are looking to up your game to annoyingly neat, this is the book for you. If however your life is pretty busy and/or your space is genuinely out of control her methods are both impractical and overwhelming. I couldn't make it to the end so maybe it turns around but I doubt it. Her advice about not acquiring stuff for the sake of it and about the way you should think about the stuff you do have is helpful. I would say start with something like Unf*ck Your Habitat or How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind. If you can implement those strategies maybe graduate to this one for the advanced class.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Great world building with very little plot

Reviewed: 12-01-16

The writer is very talented but had I known so little would actually happen in this book I would have gone with something else. Also the full cast performance is actually distracting at times. The constant vocal switches in heavy dialogue scenes made it really hard to focus

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Should really be called the theology of art

Reviewed: 11-03-16

I read this because it was recommended by a designer who was talking about overcoming the tendency to procrastinate and make excuses. I was like cool I'm down for that. I did not quite expect a manifesto style essay on how art is a Devine spark and our diligence is our offering in exchange for inspiration. Some interesting points but mostly a very narrow view of the creative process and experience.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

My new favorite among the classics

Reviewed: 05-15-14

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would absolutely recommend this to a friend. Firstly Oscar Wilde is always a good decision. Secondly it's just a great story. So many films have tried to adapt this but until you read the scene where Dorian mentally justifies his involvement in a major tragedy you will never truly understand why this qualifies as a horror story.

Which character – as performed by Simon Prebble – was your favorite?

I liked the performance of Lord Henry. He's an interesting character because you never really get a bead on what his motivations are. Is he being serious when he says horrible things? Is he just goading people? The way he's played you are never really sure if he's being genuine when he encourages Dorian to be a terrible person or if he's running some kind of personal social experiment.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was genuinely horrified when reading the passage where Dorian convinces himself that Sibyl was just dumb and that he didn't really have anything to be sorry about concerning her. Following the thread of his logic is just tragic.

Any additional comments?

It's an easy listen as classics go as it's relatively short. It's also interesting to decipher the real motivations of a lot of the characters.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

A really fun sci-fi adventure story

Reviewed: 05-15-14

Would you listen to Ready Player One again? Why?

I would absolutely listen to this book again. The characters are endearing and the humor is really fun.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well Perzeval is the obvious choice but I really liked seeing his development as a character. His insecurities and mistakes made him very relatable and genuine.

What does Wil Wheaton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was nervous about Will Wheaton as a narrator because while I generally appreciate his content he doesn't have the kind of voice that I normally want to listen to for hours at a time. However he's perfect for this character. His inflection, enthusiasm, and general nerd cred come in handy, especially the part where he references himself in the text. Also a great job differentiating his character voices. Made it really easy to follow the story and keep characters straight.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There's a point where Perzival totally withdraws from the outside world and this part really got to me because I found it so incredibly sad.

Any additional comments?

This is just a really fun book, great for nerds of any denomination. Awesome characters and a virtual world that you will frequently wish you could log into yourself (think Caprica, meets Sims, meets Warcraft). Great characters and an awesome adventure narrative make this a lot of fun. That said there was a lot of not so subtle social policy preaching, more at the beginning of the book than anything else. That could have been handled a little less overtly. Also I wish there had been a little more development of the main bad guy in the book. Why was he such a dick? Why was he working for such a dick corporation that is clearly totally cool with casting him aside? I have questions.

I will absolutely be adding this to my go to book list. A really fun listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Loved the start, hated the end.

Reviewed: 09-15-13

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The end was a major let down. I had two really juicy theories about how it was going to go, and they were both better than the non event that was the actual ending

What could Gillian Flynn have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

There are at least 2 ways to end this novel that are appropriately poetic, inevitable, and character defining. and frankly those are just what I could come up with, I figured the author would have something even better up her sleeve. not so apparently.

Which character – as performed by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne – was your favorite?

Amy was very well performed. The narrator captured her many sides very well.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Any additional comments?

The beginning was so intriguing I loved the dual perspectives and the emphasis that it's the little things that drive a wedge between people. Small acts and how they are perceived are what make up every single day and every single interaction.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Incredibly Scary

Reviewed: 07-21-12

What made the experience of listening to 1984 the most enjoyable?

Incredibly thoughtful and masterfully written

What other book might you compare 1984 to and why?

Orwell is kind of his own style.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

it actually made me really sad and kind of depressed but in a way that's really important.

Any additional comments?

amazing book that is important for a lot of reasons.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!