Audiobook Review: My Inventions by Nikola Tesla

My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla

by Nikola Tesla

Narrated by Jason McCoy

Published by BN Publishing

2 hrs 34mins Unabridged

I am a fan of Nikola Tesla, a man who was a genius by any measure. Oh, and he was what most would consider a mad scientist. He was a very eccentric fellow and it shows in his autobiography. He discusses him unusual imaginations and visions which he insists were not hallucinations. He talks of his inventions in large part (good because that is the title) and what he hopes they will lead to in the future including computers, robotics, artificial intelligence, internet, cell phones, 

even things that sound an awful lot like iPods and WiFi. 

He also has some more wild ideas like a type of aircraft with no visible moving parts. 

Whether you believe everything he says or not it makes for a GREAT read and quick too.

Mr. McCoy is a fantastic narrator for this story, it sounds like you might be listening to Tesla talk about his life- 

except for the total lack of a Serbian accent, of course!

I liked the line where Tesla mentions that his US citizenship papers were kept in his safe where as the rest of his awards and certificates and such were stored in an old trunk. 

If you are already familiar with Tesla or not at all yet. This books is a great insight into the mind of a fascinating man-

Nikola Tesla

For a more in depth biography on Tesla:

Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius

by Marc J. Siefer

Biography of another innovator:

Steve Jobs

by Walter Isaacson

Audiobook Review: Lynch: A Gothik Western

Lynch: A Gothik Western

by Nancy A. Collins

Narrated by Lucas D. Smith

Length: 3 hrs 15 mins

Published by Nancy A. Collins

Lynch is about a man who has become an outlaw after losing his family while he served for the Confederate Army. He meets a young woman and becomes a settler in the west. This marriage is short lived when he watches his young bride trampled by cavalry with their unborn child and his house burned to the ground-

and then, himself lynched. 

he is revitalized from his "inconvenience" by a medicine man and seeks revenge on the men who "inconvenienced" him.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. It is a sort of western Frankenstein story. It was not the type of story I normally enjoy but the plot was interesting, the writing was well done for the most part, a couple of times I stopped and thought, "Wait, where did that come from?" or "How did that come about? Did I miss something?" but without making it an epic 20-40 hour audiobook I thought it was great. 

Lucas Smith's voice is- 

unique

to say the least. he has a deep, rich, and somewhat grough voice that is perfect for the main character, Johnny Pearl, and the more you got to know Pearl the better the voice fit him. Smith's voice does not lend it self to other voices, however. most of the time it worked out but I had to use my own imagination when he got to the 13 year old boy and female voices...those were however very rare.

There was also a part or two that could have been more suspenseful, more dramatic, if he had chosen to read it differently. It was partly the writing in a spot or two. 

If you like zombies, Frankenstein, or westerns, you will probably like this book.

Check out

Bitter Seeds
by Ian Tregillis

Princess of Mars
By Edgar Rice Burroughs

Audiobook Review: All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front

by  Erich Maria Remarque

Narrated by Frank Muller

This is a story about the horrors of war, plain and simple. It is gruesome and graphic with a purpose and a relevancy. One of the most striking things about the voice the author chose and Frank Muller performed with excellence is the detached indifference.  

At first I was disappointed by the passionless reading until I got into the story and realized that was part of the story. Paul, the main character and story-teller has been so affected by the Great War that he lies about the situation of his friends death to that friends mother and has no problem with it. At another point he reflexively stabs a man repeatedly with a small dagger and is obsessively distraught by it for hours while he sits in a bomb crater as the man dies slowly, unable to help him or end his misery.

I was not the biggest fan of the writing style (or maybe it was the translation, done by A. W. Wheen)  although it was effective being in first person journal style. To me it was a lot of pronouns and a little bit- jerky? disjointed? I'm not sure and thinking about it now it may have been intentional.

Anyway,  This book is non-the-less very well written to the effect of being thought provoking. 

And as the book was written-

so it was read.

I recommend this one for the vivid view of war it brings, to an American, from another side. 

You might also like:

 

Citizen Soldiers 

by Stephen Ambrose

The Grapes of Wrath 

by John Steinbeck  

 

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Audiobook Review: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan

by Scott Westerfeld

Narrated by Alan Cumming

Do you enjoy alternate history? This is a book for you. Westerfeld has woven a fascinating story featuring a fictional son of the duke and duchess of Austria  who were assassinated sparking the events that led to WWI. There is a wide variety of facts mixed with very creative fiction such as creatures bred for war to serve as airships, beasts of burden, and messengers.

I couldn't tell this was written as a young adult book other than shorter chapters and without swear words and sexual content. I appreciated that. 

This book has a love story, a war, social politics, and a fantastic narrator. Alan Cumming is a great narrator, using his acting experience to develop great character voices that will draw you into the story. 

Another great part of this book is the afterword, Scott talks about what is factual in his story and also part of why he made the changes that he did. 

One problem I have with this book is it was definitely written as a trilogy with the second two books being Behemoth  and Goliath. It does not give any conclusion at the end, you must read the next books to get any resolution...

but really that's okay because the next two are just as good.

You may want to read:

1632

by Eric Flint

Divergent

by Veronica Roth

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Audiobook Review: The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card

The Gate Thief

by Orson Scott Card

Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki and Emily Rankin
Published by Blackstone Audio, Inc.
12 hrs Unabridged

 Okay, yeah, I pre-ordered this book last fall...and waited anxiously...

and I was NOT disappointed!

Orson has written another fantastic fantasy, a world filled with mages who were once so powerful they became the gods of mythology. But since the Gate Thief began stealing the great gates which allowed the mithermages to travel back and forth between worlds, their power has been fading. 

A new Gate Mage has been born on earth and has defeated the Gate Thief only to discover a different, more powerful threat.

This book was exciting, full of tense precipices of decisions. Orson is a master storyteller, he is amazing at developing detailed three dimensional characters, worlds and, in the mithermages world, a system of magic and mages. 

Another thing I love about Card is that he started his career as a playwright, and LOVES audiobooks. This come out in his stories. With the idea of never using unnecessary words and expecting his stories to be read aloud. 

And Stefan Rudnicki is the man to read them. every time I pick up a book narrated by Stefan I cringe for the first minute or so. His voice is...unusual at first...but I quickly get caught up in it and for the rest of the book I am completely enveloped in a well narrated book. I've never heard Emily Rankin before this one but I must say she fit this story well.

I very much enjoyed The Lost Gate and was excited for this book and probably one of my favorite things about this one...I was captivated u[p until the satisfying conclusion...

BUT I was expertly set up already longing for the next book.

In short-

Read it, you'll love it.

You will also enjoy-

Stonefather

by Orson Scott Card

 Pathfinder

by Orson Scott Card

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New Audiobook Endorsement

So I have decided to advertise for Audible on my blog because I LOVE this company.

Almost every audiobook I listen to has been purchased through Audible.com, what is great about this company is the prices on subscriptions it is a good price (especially compared to iTunes what a horribly expenxive way to buy books) plus you get at least 30% off all books,

AND they often have great specials, Random pop up book sales, $4.95 sales on books, I got a free book for Christmas and free books for Valentines day, and lots of other free books, 

buy two get a third book free, and many other promotions.

According to my Audible app (now available on iPad also) in the past year 

I have logged around 1500 hours in Audible audiobooks.

When you buy the books they are yours to keep. If you cancel your subscription you still have full access on the website and the app to the books you've downloaded.

Try Audible Now and Get A Free Audiobook Download with a 30 Day Trial. Choose from over 100,000 Titles.

Audiobook Review: Captivating by Stasi and John Eldredge

Captivating

by Stasi and John Eldredge

Narrated by Stasi and John Eldredge

I figured that since I recommended  ladies should read Wild at Heart I should read its counterpart written for women. I am fairly certain that I felt about this book how women feel reading the other, it seemed to give me good and valuable insight into what the women in my life might be feeling, desiring, and needing. 

It did not, however, stir me into excitement and feel like it was the very thing that answered, well...any questions that I had. So maybe women will not get the answers they feel they might have about men's souls from Wild at Heart.

Or maybe the things I took away from Captivating ARE the things women might want their man to know. 

Things like:

All women have beauty and beauty gives peace, this is very prevalent in nature-

Beauty is peaceful.

Creation is not complete without the woman- she is the 'crown'

Women want to be PART of an adventure, not just the object of it.

This is not a "how to be a better woman" book- 

it is a "do you feel like something is broken in your life? this might be it!" book.

Which is good but just note there is not a lot of noted scriptural basis for the thoughts in this one.

It does deal a lot with the idea that we have all received some psychological wound from our parents and we need to deal with that wound. While it may or may not be true, I think the Eldredges put too strong of a focus on this one point both in this book and in Wild at Heart.

But maybe, just maybe, I will make my wife more happy and my daughter less psychologically damaged.

Books I'd relate to this one:

Wild at Heart

by John Eldredge

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters

by Meg Meeker

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