saarahnina's reviews
539 reviews

Confusing

I'm not sure: was the killer actually the husband, John or was it Jessica? Both I'm sure were equally happy with the death, and Jessica's line "music to my ears" sounded quite sinister.

It was all too fast...not worth it.

Educational and Hopeful

A book that encourages us to think and gather our resources together, to give Paul a better end. As difficult as the language was, it wasn't difficult to grasp the hopeful message: indeed, we can make the alternative situation a reality. We just need to fund the projects involved and progress will come.

A Must-read

This book is a helpful guide to dealing with life, even in the worst of times. We all hit a wall at some point in our lives, the wall could be your partner leaving you. And we forget that this wall was once supportive. We fail to recognise this, and as a result we fail to move on. The wall disappears and we just stand there, staring, in denial. I've faced a dozen different walls, and life will keep building them up, but the reality is: that we need to keep on moving, find another route.

Like the author, I am no optimist- with life the way it is, I have a hard time believing anyone can be-therefore this book resonated well with me. A book which condenses all the wisdom this writer has accumulated during the course of his life. And of course there are so many questions left unanswered, or subjects unmentioned, but this is a short book after all!

Indeed, as you can imagine, there were aspects I disagreed with: it's all well and good to laugh when you make a mistake, but how does one laugh when faced with an insurmountable issue? And I disagreed with his philosophy- some walls are hard to accept, but can't be ignored. The wall analogy was my own, but the philosophy may be attributed to him.

Whilst it doesn't really inspire you to transform your life, it does give you some words of encouragement, and in some ways it resembled the words in my head.

I recommend....

I recently brought this book and I was really grateful for there being no unexpected delays in its delivery. The product, itself, is just as good. I prefer the layout and format of the pages within this book, compared to other books which tend to be lengthier, crowded and possess an overwhelming amount of information.

The book even features images, which are always good. Who doesn't love a picture book?

The book is suitable more for adults and those who want to really enhance their knowledge regarding Islam.

Format: Audio Download

This book was based on a truly insightful idea
Where does The Coma Monologues rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This book is different in its own way, thus rendering it impossible to answer this question. So instead, I'd write of how different this story was. A story of a man trapped in a coma, who is spoken to by a selected bunch of people (by his own conjuring, and in some cases by his wife's design). The originality of the tale struck me, and I commend Mario on his intelligent way of developing a character. We even learn that the victim of the coma is murderer. This was most surprising.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Coma Monologues?
I adored the romantic sentimentality within the monologues, when we hear his wife, Melanie, as well as Mother Nature and Death.

Have you listened to any of Michelle Babb’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Not yet, but I do plan on it. More so, after hearing her with this. Her performance was impressive, I'd have rated it 5 were it not for the robotic voice attributed to some of the characters. Also, with all the different voices this was quite a feat. I commend her for that.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, but only because after hearing some of the characters I felt that it became a little dragging, and slightly repetitive with all the characters beginning their monologues in a similar way.

Any additional comments?
I felt compelled to write how this novel was absorbing, I kept thinking if that were me - in that state- what would I do? Who would I conjure up, who would be willing to speak to me? Or if I were Melanie, would I have her patience?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

Edda laughed. "That's life you mean, Kitty. Bittersweet."

New York Times writes 'McCullough is terrific...Her characters quiver with life.'

And I agree, I express the very same sentiment. I feel like this novel could have gone on forever, I never wanted it to end. But, I felt the ending was appropriate: the Latimer sisters all start off together, and now they are moving forward, as individuals.

In the beginning, I had my mind set on Edda as a beautiful aspiration for any young woman but then she made awful choices, particularly her treatment of Jack Thurlow. Though, later I began to appreciate her and her love for medicine and education - I can sympathise with her on that. And then, her willingness to sacrifice a romantic marriage for the sake of pursuing a career was admirable.

The novel is set in Australia in the early 1920s and then, up to the early 1930s. The period of the Depression. History has always fascinated me, but it doesn't escape my notice that women are so often ignored. Their trials and victories are so often overshadowed by those of men. This book is different, it's entertaining, beautifully crafted, and explores the lives of such heroic, unique, respectable women and how they cope in turbulent times. Edda, the older sister, wishes to delve further into the field of medicine, but of course-at the time- Corunda's society does not allow this. She makes do with what little she can, but that isn't to say that she gives up. She doesn't, instead she looks to advance her career, searching for opportunities. How inspirational! And she's only one of the four delightfully charming heroines, McCullough has created.

I recommend this book, every one of the girls provides an example for the young girls of today. The novel and the lives of the women provoke an intense discussion of what we'd do if we were faced with their somewhat dire situation. I am reminded of Grace's remarkable aplomb, when faced with such unbearable loss.

But it is also a tale that I feel will prove helpful for men, no woman wishes to be a man's possession. I'm sure. and I can guarantee, that most women wish to be seen as a man's equal. And this is a lesson taught through the character Charles and Kitty's marriage. I know that I wrote of this novel as a historical time piece, a classic, but we all know that it is very relevant to today. Since, we can successfully argue that not much has changed, people now have begun to see feminism as an evil, with terms like "feminazi" But that is a discussion for another time. I digress.

There are no "drawbacks" as such, but the language, as sophisticated as it is, may be off putting for some readers and it may take some time for one to get used to it. Though, in my experience it wasn't a great hindrance and so I have not regarded it as a reason to give this novel four stars.

I am grateful that I purchased this book when I did, and at such a bargain too! And a physical copy no less. I plan to read more of McCullough's work.

Funny

The essays reminded me of similar projects I had completed, years ago now, but still relevant. The writing was witty and engaging, I felt like i could converse with Barbara, everything she wrote, I had my own anecdotal response.

If you are a fan of BBC's Room 101, I have an inkling that you may just enjoy this. And I would say that these essays are targeted at a wide audience base, I'm sure anyone would feel they can relate, even to just an aspect of each essay.

Is it worth purchasing?
I would have to admit that I would not buy this were it more than 80p, and that is because in this day and age, you can easily find blogs with such conversational essays.

Captivating and moving

I read this novel quite quickly-by that, I mean it took me under three hours. I found that this was a novel suited for a Sunday morning. It made me feel such intense appreciation for what we have today, in comparison to the uncertainty that wars bring. As I wrote that last sentence I came upon the realisation that it's actually a lot like today's wars.

Anyway, I will recommend this novel: it follows the life of Sam a modern day teenager, who has, what we begin to discover, a gift. She, like most children, had imaginary friends. And as she gets older, she begins to see their lives, their journeys, whilst she lives through her own.

The story flows smoothly from both their lives and Jess, Sam's imaginary friend, is a remarkably well developed character. I sympathised with Jess during her experience of love, her short period of motherhood and her willingness to let go.

The writer wrote in such a sophisticated prose that I understood what was happening despite the complex interlinking of the stories, this was a novel style I have come across before. In spite of this, this novel was better, if not unique, it incorporated the story and the unwinding events so subtly that one wouldn't even begin to think they were linked.

The outcome of Jess' life was bitterly akin to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. They become United later, and I suppose it becomes bittersweet. I loved this.

I received this novel through NetGalley and I thank the author, publisher or editor for the opportunity.

A stunning tale.

This was another of those books where two stories are beautifully intertwined. The character Maude, is a rightfully bitter old woman who has lost everything, or at least her life's purpose. She is introduced to a younger woman- Joan- a woman who is only beginning to discover her own purpose, or rather act on it. Maude shares trade secrets and old tales with Joan, and they develop a rather sweet friendship: as is expected when one shares buried secrets, cruel tragedies, tales of betrayal, bitter heartache with another individual.

So there they sit, sharing priceless gems of their lives' tales while continuing to live their lives: Maude with her servant, Abdullah and Joan with her fiancé, Rory. And throughout Maude tasks Joan with dangerous errands, which leads to secrets in her own family. But, also lead to self-discovery, she begins to seek a different path from what is expected of her. And Maude, meanwhile, seeks an opportunity to accept her past, as much as she is able.

Both women are fond of travelling but Maude is no longer able and no longer has the motivation to; for Joan, her trip to Arabia may very well have been her first trip away from England. But Maude pushes Joan to live her life, to challenge rules, to test boundaries and most importantly, to do that which no one else has dared to do. This is what Maude, herself did and this is what she relays to Joan. Joan makes this her purpose and there is much deceit, loss and pain in her journey towards achieving her goal. Just as there had been when Maude had made the same journey towards achieving her own goals.

This is an inspirational story, written in the context of Arabia's deserts, mountains and war climate. The odds are stacked against Joan, she is caught in the war, in the battles, which side will she fight for? The rebels (against the Sultan) she has met on her journey, or the side of her brother, Daniel, and her nation? The uncertainty of the present moment is perhaps, the most terrifying element of the book.

I believe it was the historical element that I couldn't fully appreciate. A lot of the historical background flew right over my head. This meant that, I found the story was incredibly slow to start and I quickly became quite impatient- to the point that I was about to give up. Hence the four stars. Though, I am very glad I continued reading it, for the most part because of the unexpected revelations especially those regarding the relations between Joan's brother and her fiancé, then her parents and then Maude's own personal life - these made it all worthwhile.

I received this title through NetGalley.

"I believe this is worth listening to..." Or, of course, reading...

Initially, I had found the story convoluted and slow in getting anywhere, in reaching a climax. But then once it began getting started, it really got started almost like an unpredictable engine. You just couldn't see where it was going, or even if it would start, at all. This is quite a talent, Clayton's ability to create an unforseen plot, yet one which was subtly forshadowed was a thrill (to see unfold.)

And the drama significantly thickens, through the characters when they make their own speculations. I rather liked the foreshadowing element, where the characters say something along the lines of 'looking back, after experiencing the consequence of this very decision, I would wish I had fully considered my options.' Maybe it's just me, but I wished I could shake them and demand they tell me what the consequence- the end-was. And what an end it was! Let us just say: a thriller is not a thriller without bloodshed, death and corruption. And what an exceptional thriller this was, whoever said 'one is innocent, until proven guilty' should rethink their words, the proof speaks for itself, and always comes out, it's not for a judge's verdict to decide.

The narrator, who has since become a favourite, was suited well for this book. Her voice, alone, built up tension. A wise, reflective and mature voice: suited very well for every character. It was how you imagine a story being told, particularly a horrific story, it always sounds more terrifying if the voice creates the ominous atmosphere. Michelle Babb's voice created just that: an older voice always signifies regrets, tragedy and experience, far better than a joyful (which is barely disguised) youthful voice.

What I most enjoyed was the bitter back stories of the twins and their mother. Hell, I even enjoyed Veronica and Ben's lively love story it distracted from the darker undertones. In the same way, I liked that Veronica and Tabby's strong friendship, could survive all problems. That, and the way that nothing is what it seems: for one thing, who would've thought a reunion between a mother and her long-lost son would have ended the way it did?

I received this through Audio book Blast.