Parkerfu
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Cabinet of Curiosities
- A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre
- By: Aaron Mahnke, Harry Marks - contributor
- Narrated by: Aaron Mahnke
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
The podcast, Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, has delighted millions of listeners for years with tales of the wonderful, astounding, and downright bizarre people, places, and things throughout history. Now, in Cabinet of Curiosities the book, learn the fascinating story of the invention of the croissant in a country that was not France, and relive the adventures of a dog that stowed away and went to war, only to help capture a German spy.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Cool stories, annoying conversation
- By Margaret on 11-26-24
- Cabinet of Curiosities
- A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre
- By: Aaron Mahnke, Harry Marks - contributor
- Narrated by: Aaron Mahnke
Interesting
Reviewed: 03-05-25
If you are a fan of Lore, you'll love Cabinet of Curiosities. It's interesting...Aaron Mahnke's voice is grating, which takes away from the enjoyment of this varied collection of curiosities.
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Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell
- A True Story of Violence, Corruption, and the Soul of Surfing
- By: Chas Smith, Joan Jett - foreword
- Narrated by: Chas Smith
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 126
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 110
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 110
Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell is surfer and former war reporter Chas Smith's wild and unflinching look at the high-stakes world of surfing on Oahu's North Shore - a riveting, often humorous, account of beauty, greed, danger, and crime. For two months every winter, when Pacific storms make landfall, swarms of mainlanders, Brazilians, Australians, and Europeans flock to Oahu's paradisiacal North Shore for surfing's Triple Crown competition. Smith reveals how this influx transforms a sleepy strip of coast into a lawless, violent, drug-addled, and adrenaline-soaked mecca.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Chas Smith is a jerk, but he writes well
- By Kevin Degnan on 12-15-22
- Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell
- A True Story of Violence, Corruption, and the Soul of Surfing
- By: Chas Smith, Joan Jett - foreword
- Narrated by: Chas Smith
Love the history, hate the author…
Reviewed: 02-28-25
I loved the dark history and violence surrounding the North Shore, of which I was completely unaware. As such, this work is interesting and informative. Chas Smith, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. Self-absorbed, narcissistic, and shallow, he interweaves so much of his love story to himself into an otherwise interesting read as to make it grating.
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The Whole Death Catalog
- A Lively Guide to the Bitter End
- By: Harold Schechter
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4 out of 5 stars 18
In the tradition of Mary Roach's best-selling Stiff and Jessica Mitford's classic expose The American Way of Death comes this meticulously researched and refreshingly irreverent look at death from acclaimed author Harold Schechter. With his trademark fearlessness and bracing sense of humor, Schechter digs deep into a wealth of sources to unearth a treasure trove of surprising facts, amusing anecdotes, practical information, and timeless wisdom about that undiscovered country to which we will all one day travel.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Bathroom literature, not audible book material.
- By Evie M on 09-25-19
- The Whole Death Catalog
- A Lively Guide to the Bitter End
- By: Harold Schechter
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
Wanted to Like It…But
Reviewed: 02-19-25
Oh jeez. The descriptor indicated this was a work in the same vein as Mary Roach, which was the only reason that I got it. This is nothing like Mary roach. It is long winded, tedious, and just meh.
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Poisons
- From Hemlock to Botox and the Killer Bean Calabar
- By: Peter Macinnis
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 81
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 74
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Story4 out of 5 stars 73
A wide-ranging and provocative look - teeming with little-known facts and engaging stories - at a subject of the direst interest. Poisons permeate our world. They are in the environment, the workplace, the home. They are in food, our favorite whiskey, medicine, well water. They have been used to cure disease as well as incapacitate and kill. They smooth wrinkles, block pain, stimulate, and enhance athletic ability. In this entertaining and fact-filled audiobook, science writer Peter Macinnis considers poisons in all their aspects. He recounts stories of the celebrated poisoners in history and literature....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Poison, Americas past time
- By Sean’s tunes on 03-05-25
- Poisons
- From Hemlock to Botox and the Killer Bean Calabar
- By: Peter Macinnis
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
So Utterly Boring
Reviewed: 02-19-25
Everything about this book should have been interesting…instead it was utterly and completely boring. The prose is dry as dust and the narrator wasn’t much better. I guess I’m glad I got this as a free selection because if I hadn’t, that would’ve been one credit extremely poorly spent.
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Men Have Called Her Crazy
- A Memoir
- By: Anna Marie Tendler
- Narrated by: Anna Marie Tendler
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 444
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 420
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Story4 out of 5 stars 420
In early 2021, popular artist Anna Marie Tendler checked herself into a psychiatric hospital following a year of crippling anxiety, depression and self-harm. Over two weeks, she underwent myriad psychological tests, participated in numerous therapy sessions, connected with fellow patients and experienced profound breakthroughs, such as when a doctor noted, “There is a you inside that feels invisible to those looking at you from the outside.”
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3 out of 5 stars
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Felt incomplete
- By Anonymous User on 08-21-24
- Men Have Called Her Crazy
- A Memoir
- By: Anna Marie Tendler
- Narrated by: Anna Marie Tendler
Matter of Fact
Reviewed: 11-06-24
I really liked the way Ms. Tindler told her story. She has a voice which draws you in and I like her perspective. It was poignant and raw and emotional. There is a lot to her journey and there were some instances where I wished she would have delved deeper into her experiences and gone further into the myriad perceptions of her “mental issues,” as well as a deeper unpacking of her relationship with Dr. Carr, but it took a lot of courage to share what she has and I was intrigued and interested in her journey to health. It’s definitely a recommended listen.
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The Pale-Faced Lie
- A True Story
- By: David Crow
- Narrated by: Kaipo Schwab
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,272
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,884
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,878
Growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation, David Crow and his siblings idolized their dad. Tall, strong, smart, and brave, the self-taught Cherokee regaled his family with stories of his World War II feats. But as time passed, David discovered the other side of Thurston Crow, the ex-con with his own code of ethics that justified cruelty, violence, lies - even murder. A shrewd con artist with a genius IQ, Thurston intimidated David with beatings to coerce him into doing his criminal bidding. David's mom, too mentally ill to care for her children, couldn't protect him.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best new release I’ve read!
- By A. Deal on 02-17-20
- The Pale-Faced Lie
- A True Story
- By: David Crow
- Narrated by: Kaipo Schwab
Frustrating
Reviewed: 09-06-24
It was difficult to root for a protagonist who routinely engaged and reveled in perpetuating myriad cruelties labeled as “pranks.” Also, the main question of the lie is never really given its due in the form of an explanation or a reason for it. He explains what the lie is, but never addresses the way, which would’ve been the interesting question. He did break the cycle of violence and was able to move on, which is commendable. But overall between the poor narration, and the frustrations with the narrator, this was not a good read.
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Her Name in the Sky
- By: Kelly Quindlen
- Narrated by: Piper Goodeve
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 938
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 857
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 855
Seventeen-year-old Hannah wants to spend her senior year of high school going to football games and Mardi Gras parties. She wants to drive along the oak-lined streets of Louisiana's Garden District and lie on the hot sand of Florida's beaches. She wants to spend every night making memories with her tight-knit group of friends. The last thing she wants is to fall in love with a girl - especially when that girl is her best friend, Baker. Hannah knows she should like Wally, the kind, earnest boy who asks her to prom.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Such a good read
- By whoa! on 06-16-17
- Her Name in the Sky
- By: Kelly Quindlen
- Narrated by: Piper Goodeve
Enjoyable for a light coming of age story.
Reviewed: 04-26-24
Although the amount of drinking these high school kids was ridiculously overdone, this story captures some of the angst and questioning which comes from discovering one’s sexuality at a young age. It’s a nice first love story - perhaps a bit unrealistic in just how tidy it wraps up and how accepting everyone is about the two main character’s lesbianism, but an enjoyable listen nonetheless.
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For Her Consideration
- By: Amy Spalding
- Narrated by: Sophie Amoss
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 77
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 70
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
Since a crushing breakup three years ago, Nina Rice has written romance, friends, her dreams of scriptwriting for TV, and even LA proper out of her life. Instead, she’s safely out in the suburbs in her aunt’s condo working her talent agency job from home, managing celebrity email accounts, and certain that’s plenty of writing—and plot—for her life. But a surprise meeting called by Ari Fox, a young actress on everyone’s radar, stirs up all kinds of feelings Nina thought she’d deleted for good . . .
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3 out of 5 stars
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Annoying main character
- By Laurie on 11-18-23
- For Her Consideration
- By: Amy Spalding
- Narrated by: Sophie Amoss
Fun
Reviewed: 03-26-24
Overall, this was fun. The only frustrating part was the protagonist’ constant self-deprecation and her buying in to a false narrative which continued to potentially destroy relationships. It was a little too much. But…it was a fun read with a very body positive big girl, which was refreshing.
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Capote's Women
- A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era
- By: Laurence Leamer
- Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 962
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 844
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 843
New York Times bestselling author Laurence Leamer reveals the complex web of relationships and scandalous true stories behind Truman Capote's never-published final novel, Answered Prayers—the dark secrets, tragic glamour, and Capote's ultimate betrayal of the group of female friends he called his "swans."
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3 out of 5 stars
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You need to know a bit about the players
- By Etoile NEOhio on 12-30-21
- Capote's Women
- A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era
- By: Laurence Leamer
- Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie
 Truman was a petty, vindictive man
Reviewed: 03-18-24
I wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did. In a word, Truman Capote is an awful human being. The swans were interesting as a group, but ultimately, they led vacuous, empty lives, spent only in the pursuit of money and fame. Overall, this work was… meh.
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Exposed
- The Ashley Madison Hack
- By: Sophie Elmhirst, Maria Luisa Tucker
- Narrated by: Sophie Nélisse
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,016
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 982
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 982
Millions of people–looking to cheat on their partners–signed up for Ashley Madison in the early 2000s, seeking a private space to share their public desires. The promise of discretion was shattered in the summer of 2015, when anonymous hackers stole the company’s cache of user information and published it worldwide. The result? One of the most shocking data breaches of the internet age. Overnight, millions of unfaithful spouses had their real names, addresses and sexual preferences published online in a searchable database that anyone could browse.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Hard to feel sorry for the cheaters
- By Kim Kormylo on 02-21-24
- Exposed
- The Ashley Madison Hack
- By: Sophie Elmhirst, Maria Luisa Tucker
- Narrated by: Sophie Nélisse
Not Bad…
Reviewed: 02-27-24
This was a good, broad overview, but the story didn’t really live up to the promise of the title.
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1 person found this helpful