Candice Johnson
- 7
- reviews
- 21
- helpful votes
- 17
- ratings
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Tom Lake
- A Novel
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Meryl Streep
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.
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So incredibly boring
- By Rhonda Morrison on 08-05-23
- Tom Lake
- A Novel
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Meryl Streep
Our Parents Really Do Know Something!
Reviewed: 09-21-23
This book was a great warm hearted story! No one could have narrated it better than Meryl Streep - she was fantastic. You could picture in your mind, her in a movie, playing the main character. She clearly expressed the love and warmth the character felt for her daughters', her husband, Duke and her life. I could not stop listening to it. You could not help but laugh when the daughters were shocked their mother had a past - don't we all think that of our parents? When Emily discovered Duke was not the great man she put on a pedestal but instead she discovered it was her father who was her hero all along. You felt for Sebastian standing by his brother's side each time he had a mental lapse. Especially when Sebastian's own brother slept with Palace, his girlfriend. Your heart broke for Lara (Laura) and Sebastian when they found out they were cheated on. You felt like you were also recovering from heartbreak along with Lara. I have one word for this book - amazing! Thank you Meryl Streep for sharing your talents - you are a fantastic storyteller! I hope you will do more readings. Candice Johnson
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The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt
- By: Andrea Bobotis
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Judith Kratt inherited all the Kratt family had to offer - the pie safe, the copper clock, the murder that no one talks about - and she knows in her old bones that it's time to make an inventory of her household and its valuables. But she finds that cataloging the family belongings - as well as their misfortunes - won't contain her family's secrets, not when her wayward sister suddenly returns, determined to expose skeletons that the Kratts had hoped to take to their grave.
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Loved It!!
- By Matthew on 11-26-19
- The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt
- By: Andrea Bobotis
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
Captivating
Reviewed: 10-17-21
The book went by fast. The reader of the story made it veey enjoyable. Terrific!
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The Second Life of Mirielle West
- By: Amanda Skenandore
- Narrated by: Nicole Poole
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Los Angeles, 1920s: Socialite Mirielle West's days are crowded with shopping, luncheons, and prepping for the myriad glittering parties she attends with her actor husband, Charlie. She's been too busy to even notice the small patch of pale skin on the back of her hand. Other than an occasional overindulgence in gin and champagne, which helps to numb the pain of recent tragedy, Mirielle is the picture of health. But her doctor insists on more tests, and Mirielle reluctantly agrees. The diagnosis - leprosy - is devastating and unthinkable.
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Unique historical fiction not often told
- By TCS on 04-21-22
- The Second Life of Mirielle West
- By: Amanda Skenandore
- Narrated by: Nicole Poole
An Education
Reviewed: 10-04-21
This was an amazing book. I cannot imagine being torn apart from family and all I know for an indefinite period of time. Knowing my return either hinged on a cure or 12 consecutive clear tests. Amanda Skenandore showed that leprosy touched rich and poor lives, young, old - it did not discriminate. She made her characters very real and described the camp with much detail - made you feel you were right there. Thank you for sharing this wonderful book with everyone and I can't wait to read the next one.
The narrator, Nicole Poole, I'm not sure if it was her sound system, microphone, etc. but her voice sounds very mechanical and at times clipped. As if it was a computer doing the talking. I didn't notice it when she voiced the other characters but it was especially noticeable when she did Muriel's voice.
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18 people found this helpful
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Who Is Maud Dixon?
- A Novel
- By: Alexandra Andrews
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Florence Darrow has always felt she was destined for greatness, but after a disastrous affair with her married boss, she starts to doubt herself. All that changes when she sets off for Morocco with her new boss, the celebrated but reclusive author Maud Dixon. Amidst the colorful streets of Marrakesh, Florence begins to feel she’s leading the sort of interesting, cosmopolitan life she deserves. But when she wakes up in the hospital after a terrible car accident, with no memory of the previous night - and no sign of Maud - a dangerous idea begins to take form....
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Whoa! Buy this book!
- By Beth on 03-04-21
- Who Is Maud Dixon?
- A Novel
- By: Alexandra Andrews
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer
Crazy Ladies
Reviewed: 09-15-21
I love to listen to books on my way to work and home. This book is so good. I am almost finished with it and I don't want to stop listening to it. Florence Darrow is on the edge of being completely mentally unstable and her inflated idea of herself (generated by her mother) adds to her insanity. Only to be hired by Helen as an assistant who is almost as insane as Florence. The fact that she would assume Helen's identity when she thought Helen was dead. You go up and down the emotional rollercoaster along with the characters.
I would highly recommend this book to my family/friends or a book club..its a great read!
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Night of the Living Deed
- By: E.J. Copperman
- Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Newly divorced Alison Kerby wants a second chance for herself and her nine-year-old daughter. She's returned to her hometown on the Jersey Shore to transform a Victorian fixer-upper into a charming-and profitable guest house. One small problem: the house is haunted, and the two ghosts insist Alison must find out who killed them.
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Had a blast listening to this one!
- By Felicia The Geeky Blogger on 12-11-13
- Night of the Living Deed
- By: E.J. Copperman
- Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi
Very Awesome!
Reviewed: 02-10-20
This book was well written and entertaining. I absolutely love the character Maxie, Alison's mother and the female detective/cop. There have been many times I've been listening to the book and the phrases used crack me up.
Thank you so much E.J. Copperman for sharing your gift - I can't wait to listen to the other books. Will there be new stories about Alison, Melissa, Maxie and Paul??
Take care and thank you again!
Candice Johnson
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Bette Davis
- A Biography
- By: Barbara Leaming
- Narrated by: Grace Conlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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She was the tempestuous, strong-willed woman who ignited the movie screen with her legendary performances in Of Human Bondage, Jezebel, and All About Eve. Off-camera, Bette Davis survived four disastrous marriages and earned a larger-than-life professional reputation as an actress to be reckoned with.
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Love the subject, not so much the book
- By Troy on 08-01-16
- Bette Davis
- A Biography
- By: Barbara Leaming
- Narrated by: Grace Conlin
A Side Unknown
Reviewed: 05-12-16
If you could sum up Bette Davis in three words, what would they be?
A Lost Soul
What did you like best about this story?
That the book didn't just give history of Bette Davis but how she became Bette Davis the person. By providing history on her mother, sister, etc.
Which scene was your favorite?
I didn't have one specific part that was my favorite section. I think what I walked away with is that Bette Davis wasn't appreciate as much for being a pioneer, her independence, and standing up for herself.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It made me want to cry for Bette Davis. I think she was a very misunderstood person - people thought she was a villain or a mean spirited person. She suffered with mental illness in a time where you did not address the problem. At an early age she was encouraged to cover it up with alcohol. She wasn't given the best guidance from her mother or father so she carried on less suitable behaviors in other relationships. She alienated those who loved her, probably as a form of protection, and was somewhat alone at the end of her life. She was a talented woman ahead of her time. What she is remembered for are the negative aspects of her life. I suspected she loved those closest to her deeply and did not know the proper way to show it.
Any additional comments?
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan or looking for a good non-fiction book.
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3 people found this helpful
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When I Found You
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Nathan McCann thought he didn't want a family. But when he finds an abandoned newborn in the woods, he feels an inexplicable bond with the boy and starts to make plans to raise the child as his own - until the baby's grandmother steps forward to claim him. Nathan makes a request of her, though: to one day bring the boy to meet his rescuer.
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Love comes from many places
- By Zabie on 11-27-13
- When I Found You
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
An Amazing Story
Reviewed: 02-12-16
Would you listen to When I Found You again? Why?
Yes, I would. It brought back so many memories of my relationship with my grandfather. All the things he did for me, the time he put into me. I thought this book would make a great movie.
What was one of the most memorable moments of When I Found You?
When it came time for Nat to take care of Nathan and Nat realized the roles were being reversed. The fact that Nat had to learn how to interact with adults because he didn't really have anyone to guide him. Reminded me of my youngest brother - both my brother and Nat seemed to get lost in the shuffle. Nat was able to look outside himself and apologize to Carol.
What does Jeff Cummings bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He really made the characters come alive. From Nathan's second wife, to Carol. Nat and his struggles. You could really picture Mannie, Nathan, Nat, Nat's grandmother. Right down to the dogs. He gave them all character.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Finding Each Other
Any additional comments?
I thought the story was fabulous. Especially the ending where Nat takes Nathan's advice and calls his grandmother. It left you not wanting the book to end.
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