2Rivers
- 22
- reviews
- 18
- helpful votes
- 124
- ratings
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Hard by a Great Forest
- A Novel
- By: Leo Vardiashvili
- Narrated by: Luke Thompson
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
Saba is just a child when he flees the fighting in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia with his older brother, Sandro, and father, Irakli, for asylum in England. Two decades later, all three men are struggling to make peace with the past, haunted by the places and people they left behind.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Evocative and deeply moving
- By 2Rivers on 04-11-24
- Hard by a Great Forest
- A Novel
- By: Leo Vardiashvili
- Narrated by: Luke Thompson
Evocative and deeply moving
Reviewed: 04-11-24
This just might be the Great Georgian Novel. Beautifully written and perfectly paced, it brings to life the heart and history of this splendid small country. I’ve been to Georgia many times, and have dear friends there. This extraordinary place and culture deserve the attention, appreciation, and protection of the world. I hope this brilliant book helps make that happen. The narration, by the way, is superb. Highly recommended!
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1 person found this helpful
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Exiles
- A Novel
- By: Jane Harper
- Narrated by: Stephen Shanahan
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 606
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 510
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 509
Federal Investigator Aaron Falk is on his way to a small town deep in Southern Australian wine country for the christening of an old friend's baby. But mystery follows him, even on vacation.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A tiresome slog
- By Meg on 02-10-23
- Exiles
- A Novel
- By: Jane Harper
- Narrated by: Stephen Shanahan
Slow, slow, slow. Not worth it.
Reviewed: 11-28-23
I read in a review somewhere that there was suspense and great build up to this story. If so, I managed to miss it. This is way too long and needed heavy editing. The change in point of view toward the end is jarring and takes away the last shred of possibility that there might actually be some suspense in this story. Way too much dialogue. Little descriptive atmosphere. Cardboard characters. I wish I could retrieve the credits I wasted on this book, and, even more, the hours I blew on it.
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Westwind
- By: Ian Rankin
- Narrated by: Ian Rankin, Julian Rhind-Tutt
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 52
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 52
In Europe, the Americans are pulling out their troops in a tide of isolationism. Britain, torn between loyalties to America and the continent, is caught in the middle. Across the pond, a space shuttle crashes on landing, killing all but one of the crew on board: A British citizen named Mike Dreyfuss, who will become vilified by the US press and protesters. Halfway across the world, at English ground control headquarters, Martin Hepton watches with dismay as they lose contact with the most advanced satellite in Europe.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Ian Rankin does Moonraker
- By scott on 01-29-20
- Westwind
- By: Ian Rankin
- Narrated by: Ian Rankin, Julian Rhind-Tutt
Implausible plot, beautifully narrated
Reviewed: 04-25-23
And that about sums it up. Not worth a credit. But again, an excellent narration.
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The Couple at the Table
- A Novel
- By: Sophie Hannah
- Narrated by: Julie Maisey
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 63
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 57
Jane and William are enjoying their honeymoon at an exclusive couples-only resort…until Jane receives a chilling note warning her to “Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours.” At dinner that night, five other couples are present, and none of their tables is any nearer or farther away than any of the others. It’s almost as if someone has set the scene in order to make the warning note meaningless—but why would anyone do that?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Superb!
- By Violet on 11-05-22
- The Couple at the Table
- A Novel
- By: Sophie Hannah
- Narrated by: Julie Maisey
Too long, weak story, skip it
Reviewed: 01-26-23
I kept hoping this story would redeem itself, but no. I slogged through hours of shallow dialogue among unlikable people, and I regret it.
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The Magus
- By: John Fowles
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 26 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 927
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 817
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Story4 out of 5 stars 826
John Fowles’s The Magus was a literary landmark of the 1960s. Nicholas Urfe goes to a Greek island to teach at a private school and becomes enmeshed in curious happenings at the home of a mysterious Greek recluse, Maurice Conchis. Are these events, involving attractive young English sisters, just psychological games, or an elaborate joke, or more? Reality shifts as the story unfolds. The Magus reflected the issues of the 1960s perfectly, and it continues to create tension and concern today.
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4 out of 5 stars
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One of the best novels that I really think I hate.
- By Darwin8u on 01-29-14
- The Magus
- By: John Fowles
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
No. Just no.
Reviewed: 06-30-22
I slogged through the whole thing but concluded that it wasn’t worth it. Not even with a superb narrator, beautiful weather, and a gorgeous Greek Island. The protagonist is a self-indulgent narcissistic cad. He did not grow or change in the course of his saga, during which he is tormented by people whose own self-indulgent narcissistic pursuit seems to be the power trip of driving someone else crazy. It all takes place during the racist, sexist 1960s, which are as suffocating and abominable as I remember. I love the description given here by another disgruntled listener: this novel is “like wading through an azure pudding in a toxic chemical cloud.” To the person who wrote that perfect description: Bravo! And I’d love to know which audiobooks you rate highly. You sound like my kind of listener, and I need your recommended tonic to get this obnoxious, endless whine of a novel out of my system.
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The Oxford Brotherhood
- A Novel
- By: Guillermo Martínez
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 25
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 24
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 22
Mathematics student G is trying to resurrect his studies, which is proving difficult as he finds himself drawn into investigating a series of mysterious crimes. When Kristen, a researcher hired by the Lewis Carroll Brotherhood, makes a startling new discovery concerning pages torn from Carroll’s diary, she hesitates to reveal to her employers a hitherto unknown chapter in his life. Oxford would be rocked to its core if the truth about Lewis Carroll’s relationship with Alice Liddell—the real Alice—were brought to light.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Complex Murder Mystery
- By E G Neufeld on 01-01-24
- The Oxford Brotherhood
- A Novel
- By: Guillermo Martínez
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
Enjoyable literary mystery
Reviewed: 05-03-22
The plot is convoluted and in places the story is dense with academic minutiae, but that pretty much goes with the territory of a literary mystery. I gather that this is Martinez’s first novel, and I hope he writes more. I feel sure the next one will have a faster moving plot. But this one was fun and I’m glad I got it. The narration is excellent.
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Lessons in Chemistry
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Garmus
- Narrated by: Miranda Raison, Bonnie Garmus, Pandora Sykes
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36,714
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 32,108
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32,032
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Making my 3 adult daughters read this
- By Teresa H. on 04-07-22
- Lessons in Chemistry
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Garmus
- Narrated by: Miranda Raison, Bonnie Garmus, Pandora Sykes
Stop debating. Get this book.
Reviewed: 04-26-22
I feel so lucky to have stumbled across this magnificent novel. It is an original, affecting, engaging story, and narrated very well to boot. I would write more about the story itself, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. Just get it, and listen. You will be so glad you did. And note: This is not a book aimed at an all-female market. Please, if you are a guy, get it and listen to it. There is a lot in there for the reader, no matter who the reader may be. Which reminds me: Read it so you get to know Six Thirty.
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4 people found this helpful
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The Man Who Died Twice
- A Thursday Murder Club Mystery
- By: Richard Osman
- Narrated by: Lesley Manville
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 7,247
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6,503
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6,464
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim—the Thursday Murder Club—are still riding high off their recent real-life murder case and are looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet at Cooper’s Chase, their posh retirement village. But they are out of luck. An unexpected visitor—an old pal of Elizabeth’s (or perhaps more than just a pal?)—arrives, desperate for her help. He has been accused of stealing diamonds worth millions from the wrong men and he’s seriously on the lam.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Smart, Funny, Superbly Read
- By Patience on 10-03-21
- The Man Who Died Twice
- A Thursday Murder Club Mystery
- By: Richard Osman
- Narrated by: Lesley Manville
What a terrific listen!
Reviewed: 10-13-21
Funny, charming, and a thriller to boot! Narration is absolutely perfect, and brings every character to life. I can't wait for Osman to erote the next two of what he has called a four-book series.
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Murder in Old Bombay
- A Mystery
- By: Nev March
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 386
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 347
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 345
In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lays in Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild Northern frontier, with little to read but newspapers. The case that catches Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university’s clock tower in broad daylight. Moved by the widower of one of the victims - his certainty that his wife and sister did not commit suicide - Jim approaches the Framjis and is hired by the Parsee family to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Would make a great Indian Downton Abbey serial
- By puplhunt on 11-25-20
- Murder in Old Bombay
- A Mystery
- By: Nev March
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
Great story, well told
Reviewed: 09-23-21
.. and narrated. I thoroughly enjoyed this title, and learned a good deal along the way. Highly recommend!
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1 person found this helpful
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The Echo Wife
- By: Sarah Gailey
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 661
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 575
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Story4 out of 5 stars 575
Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research. She’s patient and gentle and obedient. She’s everything Evelyn swore she’d never be. And she’s having an affair with Evelyn’s husband. Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and both Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up. Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty.
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5 out of 5 stars
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So many levels
- By Rachelle on 02-18-21
- The Echo Wife
- By: Sarah Gailey
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
Gripping and thought-provoking
Reviewed: 08-02-21
This novel is unquestionably a thriller, but beyond that it defies description. In fact, don't let anyone describe it or label it, because you would be doing yourself and the author a disservice. Just get it and listen. It is taut, many layered, beautifully set out. And the narrator, Xe Sands, is exactly the right person to read it. She is magnificent and thoroughly convincing.
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1 person found this helpful