Briar Patch Books

Tag: Audio Books

  • Travels with Tooly

    Some books are just made to be read aloud. This one is a great story, and I’m sure it’s enjoyable when read in print. But in its audio form, it’s utterly captivating. I quickly felt that the reader, Penelope Rawlins, was a dear friend, telling me a fascinating story – one that I didn’t want…

  • Before Paris Hilton, there was Zsa Zsa

    Our roving correspondent, Paul O’Connor, whiled away some driving time by listening to a true story that could provide ample fodder for a prime-time TV soap. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor THE HILTONS: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMERICAN DYNASTY. By J. Randy Taraborrelli. Hachette Audio. 16 CDs. 19.5 hours. $35. Read by Robert Petkoff.…

  • Beware the “undid”

    Victorian London, with its veneer of manners and morals and its dark realities of poverty and crime, is often depicted in fiction. In this first novel by a young English woman, the dark side of Victorian London is even darker – and more terrifying – than usual. THE QUICK. By Lauren Owen. Read by Simon…

  • Adventures with the Amazons

    Often when reviewing an audio book, I consider whether I would have enjoyed the book more or less had I read the print version. Some books are so good I savor them both ways. Although I was entertained, for the most part, by the audio presentation of Anne Fortier’s The Sisterhood, I doubt that I…

  • What an amazing life she led

    Some books are entertaining but unapologetically superficial, a good read or listen but nothing more. That’s fine, and sometimes, that’s exactly what we want. Other books are richer and more complex, telling a good story, to be sure, but also offering layers of memorable information and insight. Such is the new novel by Elizabeth Gilbert.…

  • Stephanie Plum, in hot pursuit of a giraffe in New Jersey?

    If you want to listen to a thoroughly entertaining audio book, it’s hard to beat the combination of a Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum tale read by Lorelei King. Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson TAKEDOWN TWENTY. By Janet Evanovich. Read by Lorelei King. Random House Audio. 6 hours, 5 CDs. $32. Also available in print from…

  • Who’s smart now?

    I grew up in a family in which good grades and high test scores were highly prized, and where sibling rivalries could be heated. So the title of Jennifer Close’s second novel caught my eye. The book proved to be what I expected in some ways, and quite different in others. By Linda C. Brinson…

  • All you can read: delicious and satisfying

    Want to laugh, cry, shake your head and smile? Need a reminder about the good things in life, the things that help us rise above the setbacks? Then Edward Kelsey Moore’s debut novel is a book for you. By Linda C. Brinson THE SUPREMES AT EARL’S ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT. By Edward Kelsey Moore. Read by Adenrele Ojo…

  • For your listening pleasure – Stephanie Plum

    I listen to audio books for a lot of reasons. Listening to someone read a book is convenient and entertaining, because I spend a lot of time in the car, driving alone. I find that I’ll listen to serious nonfiction and other heavy-duty books that I might not tackle if I had to sit down…

  • Plum good, again

    My growing fondness for (OK, addiction to) audio books has been educational in more ways than one. I had been aware of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novel series for years. How could I not? Her new books regularly land on The New York Times best-seller list. But did I read them? Oh, no. Not me.…