Wisconsin

By: Bill Stokes

Narrated by: Jon Reeder

Wisconsin had a big party in 1998. It was a roll-out-the-barrel, slice-the-cheese, strike-up-the-polka-band wing-ding that promised to roust every last badger out of state burrows and into the streets to dance with guests.

©2017 Bill Stokes (P)2017 Paul Stokes

A fun ode to Wisconsin

This is a fun ode to Wisconsin from a man who obviously loves the state. On May 29, 1998, Wisconsin turned 150 years old. It’s great that the author points out that the state had a birthday while the mountains and rocks and streams were far older and didn’t really care about state lines and such. That gave me a chuckle.

This little piece goes on to point out various bits about Wisconsin – the good and the questionable. I’m putting Bucky the Badger mascot in the Questionable category even as I find him charming. The author includes a little about his heritage and time on a dairy farm, which was a nice touch.

I wasn’t aware that there had once been cave paintings in Wisconsin (and perhaps there still are). The ones mentioned in this tale were sadly ruined. The quaint rambling takes us into the water ways, up to the glacier, down to the Cheesehead sports, and then back out to the water ways again. It’s a fun stroll through Wisconsin even if you’ve never been.

I received a free copy of this book.

Narration: Jon Reeder was a great pick for this book. He sounded engaged and interested the entire time. He imbued the story with emotion (wonder, sadness, frustration, humor, etc.) as needed. In short, he was a pleasure to listen to.

A quick, feel-good story.

I want Bill Stokes to write stories about my state! Seriously, my grandma had a panther in the woods story, and we complain about the GDMH (where the last two words are Mass Holes, and the first two words are a blasphemy). The narrator has an exciting and engaging voice, which would make me pay attention if he were reading the weather, much less this quirky, anecdotal description of Wisconsin . I've never been there, but I'd have liked to be there for the party of 1998. Sounds like every summer day, where I grew up.

Short But Packs A Fun Punch

I loved listening to Wisconsin. This was a fun story with some awesome facts about the state. I enjoyed the shindig and the part about the Illinoian glacier and the drivers were a hoot. I hope Bill Stokes keeps writing these awesome little gems. They're very pleasing to the ear and mind.

Jon Reeder's performance was excellent. I'd say he was half the fun of listening. His voice was perfect for the story. An overall awesome feel good story. Recommended.

I was provided this audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com.

Bucky isn't Stinky but Brett IS Retired!

Would you consider the audio edition of Wisconsin to be better than the print version?

I actually read along in the Kindle edition as I listened to this Audible Edition. Both are capable of entertaining. A light hearted homage to Wisconsin.

What other book might you compare Wisconsin to and why?

I mentioned before that Bill Stokes' work compares favorably with work by ... Bill Stokes! Folksy, Homey, observations about his lifelong home state, Wisconsin.

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

I like Jon Reeder! As a... ummm... senior citizen, I appreciate that he reads in an understandable voice, with a good, clear storytelling cadence. You can also hear his underlying amusement with the material. To me, its important that a voice talent enjoys the material he is presenting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is eleven minutes long ! I may be old but I'm capable of sticking with it for eleven minutes! roflmao! Yes I did listen to it in one sitting. I actually stood up for at least two minutes, I'll have you know.

Any additional comments?

Kidding aside, I enjoy the musings of Mr. Stokes. For a light brief listen, I suggest "Wisconsin" to listeners of any age. Whether a resident, or thinking of visiting, or just interested in knowing more of our 30th state, Wisconsin.

A review copy was gifted to me at no charge. In return, I am happy to provide an honest review. Also at no charge.

Cool story

This may be a short book, but I got some laughs and learned a little about Wisconsin. I learned about its badgers and why the early settlers and lead minors referred to themselves as badgers. I've heard of GDID before but never knew what it was until now. A "friendly" way of referring to Illinois drivers lol. Another great short story by Bill Stokes. Great narration by Jon Reeder.

Love Letter to Wisconsin

This is a truly enjoyable and humorous listen if you have fourteen minutes to kill. I cannot, however, call it a "story," since there really isn't a plot. Instead, it's an ode or a love letter to the state of Wisconsin and its idiosyncratic residents. It ended too soon, and I wanted to hear more.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher, author or narrator. This is my honest opinion.

Excellent read

This was an entertaining story and Jon Reeder was a pleasure to listen to. I highly recommend this book.

A solid short story.

This was a fun little look into Wisconsin and it's inhabitants. Since this is such a short story there isn't anything I can say about the book itself other than it's well written. What I will say is the this author can really write. He has a way with words that made for effortless reading! He is very descriptive in his use of language and always makes his stories feel longer.

The narrator had a voice that was easy to listen to and he seemed to enjoy telling the story!!