Jill Justman
- 12
- reviews
- 1
- helpful vote
- 12
- ratings
-
Have You Seen Luis Velez?
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,408
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,912
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,881
Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn’t belong. Not with his mother’s new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father’s wife. Not at school, where he’s an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he’s tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who’s introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Disappointed
- By Mark on 01-31-20
- Have You Seen Luis Velez?
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
Thought provoking and heart wrenching
Reviewed: 05-01-23
The wisdom and feeling in this story is something I haven't experienced too often but am grateful for. This unassuming story takes you on quite the journey through loss, self-discovery, reflection and ultimately what great things have been gained during the process. To read the synopsis does nothing for the story's true delicate mastery of prose and enormity of subject matter. The narration was also wonderful, which made it that much better. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to think and feel something real.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Jane Eyre
- By: Charlotte Brontë
- Narrated by: Thandiwe Newton
- Length: 19 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 20,933
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19,163
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 19,084
Following Jane from her childhood as an orphan in Northern England through her experience as a governess at Thornfield Hall, Charlotte Brontë's Gothic classic is an early exploration of women's independence in the mid-19th century and the pervasive societal challenges women had to endure. At Thornfield, Jane meets the complex and mysterious Mr. Rochester, with whom she shares a complicated relationship that ultimately forces her to reconcile the conflicting passions of romantic love and religious piety.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect!!
- By Amazon Customer on 04-21-16
- Jane Eyre
- By: Charlotte Brontë
- Narrated by: Thandiwe Newton
My all time favorite book!
Reviewed: 01-22-23
It's a beloved classic for a reason! This book takes you on a journey you won't soon forget and it still brings me to tears every time. The narration of the gorgeous prose was wonderfully done and I will most certainly listen again.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Vibrant Years
- A Novel
- By: Sonali Dev, Mindy Kaling - introduction
- Narrated by: Deepti Gupta, Soneela Nankani, Anita Kalathara
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 645
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 568
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 569
When sixty-five-year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars, she’s astounded—and horrified. The windfall threatens to expose a shameful mistake from her youth. On an impulse, Bindu quickly spends it on something unexpected: a condo in a posh retirement community in Florida. The impulsive decision blindsides Bindu’s daughter-in-law, Aly. At forty-seven, Aly still shares a home with Bindu even after her divorce from Bindu’s son. But maybe this change is just the push Aly needs to fight for her own dreams.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Strong and loveable characters
- By Jeanne Wang on 12-11-22
- The Vibrant Years
- A Novel
- By: Sonali Dev, Mindy Kaling - introduction
- Narrated by: Deepti Gupta, Soneela Nankani, Anita Kalathara
Fun, compelling and vibrant!
Reviewed: 01-22-23
The women in this story find their way to a new chapter of their lives alongside each other in a beautiful, often hilarious, tale of new discovery about themselves and their pasts. The intertwining of the individual stories and yet the easy separation needed to tell their unique stories was well executed. Overall, it was fun to listen to and while a little predictable, was a joy to unfold with beautiful prose, genuine characters, and lovely narration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Bohemians
- A Novel
- By: Jasmin Darznik
- Narrated by: Dylan Moore
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 242
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 205
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 205
In this novel of the glittering and gritty Jazz Age, a young aspiring photographer named Dorothea Lange arrives in San Francisco in 1918. As a newcomer - and naïve one at that - Dorothea is grateful for the fast friendship of Caroline Lee, a vivacious, straight-talking Chinese American with a complicated past, who introduces Dorothea to Monkey Block, an artists’ colony and the bohemian heart of the city. Dazzled by Caroline and her friends, Dorothea is catapulted into a heady new world of freedom, art, and politics.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating time, people and place
- By Claudio Salusso on 10-01-21
- The Bohemians
- A Novel
- By: Jasmin Darznik
- Narrated by: Dylan Moore
Absolutely beautiful!
Reviewed: 06-15-22
Wonderful story and terrific narration! Would highly recommend - especially to those who enjoy historical fiction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Murmur of Bees
- By: Sofia Segovia, Simon Bruni - translator
- Narrated by: Xe Sands, Angelo Di Loreto
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17,396
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15,399
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15,330
From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can - visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the best books I listened to ever!
- By Vmcg on 05-11-19
- The Murmur of Bees
- By: Sofia Segovia, Simon Bruni - translator
- Narrated by: Xe Sands, Angelo Di Loreto
Fantastical, gorgeous & deeply moving
Reviewed: 06-15-22
You need to be willing to pay attention to this one because it moves in unpredictable patterns, but it is so worth it! Gorgeous prose and fantastic narration give you an almost spiritual connection to these characters. There is nothing typical about this book and the historical aspects woven into it were enough to keep it grounded. In the end I was in tears, but in a beautiful type of way. I would highly recommend this book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Dangerous Art of Blending In
- By: Angelo Surmelis
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 544
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 510
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 506
Seventeen-year-old Evan Panos doesn't know where he fits in. His strict immigrant Greek mother refuses to see him as anything but a disappointment. His quiet, workaholic father is a staunch believer in avoiding any kind of conflict. And his best friend, Henry, has somehow become distractingly attractive over the summer.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A touching story
- By Anna on 04-08-18
- The Dangerous Art of Blending In
- By: Angelo Surmelis
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
Simple but beautiful
Reviewed: 06-15-22
The coming of age story of a gay teen in a hyper religious, Greek family didn't sound like it would be all that interesting to read because it sounds like a story that has been told before. However, the author takes you into main character, Evan's, mind - sometimes even his soul - and lets you feel first hand what it might be like to be Evan. I felt nervous, scared, hopeless and thrilled right along with Evan and I'm not a teen, gay, Greek or a boy so I feel like the writer has a wonderful way of transcending a typical type of character connection. The narration certainly assisted in the character connections in this book - Michael Crouch did a fantastic job! Overall, I would definitely recommend this story!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Miranda Obsession
- By: Jen Silverman
- Narrated by: Rachel Brosnahan, Josh Groban, John Benjamin Hickey, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,125
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,492
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,456
Imagine a 1980s world of sumptuous hotel rooms, restaurants, New York City penthouses, and the powerful men who move easily between these pinnacles of luxury. They are music producers, rock stars, writers, and restaurateurs. They are household names like Billy Joel, Art Garfunkel, Eric Clapton, and Sting. And yet, each man has an entire aspect to his life that he doesn’t talk about publicly—his depression, his rocky marriage, his feelings of shame and failure, his private loss of faith. And now: The phone rings. Imagine the woman who has each of these men at her beck and call.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance art here
- By Donna Deal on 04-29-22
A really fun listen!
Reviewed: 06-15-22
This book was so fun - it mad me laugh quite a bit, and I myself became charmed by Miranda! The insight on the ideas of the main character was by far my favorite part and I absolutely loved the performances - especially Rachel Brosnahan & Milo Ventimiglia! Well worth the relatively quick listen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Cooking for Picasso
- A Novel
- By: C. A. Belmond
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 843
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 766
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 767
The French Riviera, spring 1936: It's off-season in the lovely seaside village of Juan-les-Pins, where 17-year-old Ondine cooks with her mother in the kitchen of their family-owned Café Paradis. A mysterious new patron who's slipped out of Paris and is traveling under a different name has made an unusual request - to have his lunch served to him at the nearby villa he's secretly rented, where he wishes to remain incognito.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book
- By Becci on 01-03-17
- Cooking for Picasso
- A Novel
- By: C. A. Belmond
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò
Fascinating tale told in illustrious detail!
Reviewed: 03-10-22
I could not stop listening to this beautiful story of the unparalleled Picasso and the happenstance of one special young woman who came into his life. This story is certainly more hers and those of the women who come after her, but Picasso plays an important roll in inevitably bringing them all together in the end. Gorgeously narrated with charm and sophistication, the charm of the prose was only enhanced by her reading. I absolutely loved the entire story which takes the reader effortlessly back and forth from past to present, developing beloved characters and a thrilling race to find the truth about a very special history.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
It's in His Kiss
- By: Julia Quinn
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4,937
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4,438
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,421
Gareth’s sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past...and the key to his future. The problem is - it’s written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word. To Hyacinth, Gareth’s every word seems a dare, and she offers to translate his diary, even though her Italian is slightly less than perfect. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other...and that there is nothing as simple - or as complicated - as a single, perfect kiss.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bridgerton + Cozy Mystery = Perfection!
- By Ashley M on 01-04-21
- It's in His Kiss
- By: Julia Quinn
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
Wonderfully entertaining
Reviewed: 06-25-21
This book is a fantastic read and will leave you smiling at the character's charm and wit! As always, Rosalyn Landor provides an exceptional performance and the story leaves us readers utterly in love with the characters and their pursuits. For anyone who is a fan of the Bridgertons, this book is a must read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Talking as Fast as I Can
- From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)
- By: Lauren Graham
- Narrated by: Lauren Graham
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14,512
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 13,122
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 13,043
In her first work of nonfiction, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood recounts her experiences on Gilmore Girls - the first and second times - and shares stories about life, love, and working in Hollywood. This collection of essays is written in the intimate, hilarious, and down-to-earth voice that made her novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe, a New York Times best seller.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I AM CRYING!!
- By Rebecca on 11-29-16
- Talking as Fast as I Can
- From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)
- By: Lauren Graham
- Narrated by: Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham is so Lorelei!
Reviewed: 06-25-21
Being a massive fan of Gilmore Girls and Lauren Graham I knew I'd enjoy this book, especially since she is also the narrator. I loved her little quirky stories and her touching big picture moments that she so graciously shares with us. I absolutely loved this book and would recommend to anyone - Gilmore Girl devotee or not!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!