Gotta Tellya

😴 Boring.

Reviewed: 06-21-24

Maybe there’s a point to this story, buried in its very wordy, rambling prose and obscured by flow-rupturing flashbacks. If so, I gave up listening about halfway through. Life is too short for sticking with a big disappointment.

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Well done!

Reviewed: 04-06-24

I found this audio book entirely refreshing and well paced. Not that I could resist an expansion on the character Elim Garak from Deep Space 9, my favorite character of that show. The best part for me was that Andrew J. Robinson, the actor who played Garak, was this book’s author and narrator! I loved his insightful description of Garak in his youth, then as a young Obsidian Order operative, followed by his experiences on Deep Space 9 and later on Cardassia after the brief Dominion era. Mr. Johnson elegantly elaborated on many intriguing aspects of Garak’s life and also brought forth new elements. I always felt that Garak’s character should have had more than a supporting role in Deep Space 9. I can’t turn back time to make it so. But this book satisfies my need for more when it comes to Garak. I’m grateful that Mr. Johnson created this book and shared it with all of us.

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Worth the listen.

Reviewed: 04-01-24

A very thought provoking read! Liz Cheney’s politics may not be the same as mine, but we agree on this important conclusion—that Donald Trump does not have the best interests of our country in mind, and that he bears great responsibility in the tragic and traitorous events of January 6, 2021. Also, Liz’s narration is well done. That is not always true of author-narrated books, but it is in this case.

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Great fun and also moving story. Lots of humor!

Reviewed: 04-01-24

It’s a quickie, but a good one. I very much enjoyed this book and learning about the author. I’m glad he’s doing well in the field of comedy, and I hope there are more books in his future! Great author narration, too, something that seldom is the case.

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Not for me, I’m sorry to say.

Reviewed: 04-01-24

The writing itself is decent, excellent at times, but the storyline itself starts out mediocre and goes downhill about halfway through. Two many coincidences pop up which keep the main character involved in the center of the action. That aspect was more difficult to accept than the unlikely premise of the story itself. Narration was decent, though occasionally so shrill and loud that I had to adjust the volume. I gave up listening just past the halfway point of the book. I don’t care what happens after that.

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Loved it!

Reviewed: 04-01-24

This is a well written, fascinating book about some of the more memorable medical cases and events involving the author during his many years as a physician. I only wish the book was longer! I think this book would appeal equally to medical and non-medical readers. Plus the narration was excellent.

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Fascinating story!

Reviewed: 04-01-24

I liked this book, even though I was chilled by the story of the spy for Cuba. I think the woman must have a mental malfunction, possibly borderline personality, maybe as bad as being a sociopath. She certainly was a narcissistic traitor, completely lacking in remorse for the deaths and damage she helped cause. It was interesting learning about her particular spy activities on behalf of Cuba. I also enjoyed some of the details of the life and thought processes of the author, an agent who participated in revealing the Queen of Cuba’s long time spy activities. The chilling aspect is how long this woman got away with sending critical US secret info to her Cuban handlers, before she was finally detected and stopped.

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Unlikely to finish this one.

Reviewed: 03-22-24

I’m several chapters into the story and…it’s not holding my interest. Scalzi’s writing is good, as always. He knows how to turn a phrase and build intriguing characters. To me, this protagonist just doesn’t seem worth following. He lacks appeal. The narration is a bit overacted. I’ll set this book aside and maybe revisit it in the future.

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Great book lacking an engaging narration.

Reviewed: 11-16-23

I’m an avid reader/listener of naval submarine history. I was looking forward to this particular account of the heroic WWII adventures of the captain and crew of the Tang, one of the most remarkable submarines engaged in that war. The story itself did not disappoint. The narration, however, wasn’t in sync with the first person excellence and drama of the story. The narrator sounded either depressed or disinterested most of the time. His narration would have suited the reading of a manual or a legal document, but it didn’t reflect much enthusiasm for a real life, unique wartime experience. This must be one of those instances when a printed copy would be the better choice.

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Not for me.

Reviewed: 07-16-23

I liked the idea of this story as gleaned from its description and reviews, and I was excited to start reading. I am all for protection of the environment. Doug Tompkins sounded like quite a guy, giving up his successful business drive for the greater ambition of preserving what is good and natural in our world. The author of the book clearly thought Mr. Tompkins was fabulous. Unfortunately, in the first several chapters, the author’s praise of his subject was laid on so heavily and repetitively that I lost interest, far before the pertinent personal transformation of Mr. Tompkins occurred, Or maybe it was the author’s writing style that turned me off. Either way, I decided to set this story aside.

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3 people found this helpful