Mommyingtales
- 42
- reviews
- 8
- helpful votes
- 43
- ratings
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When Breath Becomes Air
- Written by: Paul Kalanithi
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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The New York Times number-one best seller. At the age of 36, on the verge of completing a decade's training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live.
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It is a great book with profound moments
- By Sandeep on 19-02-19
- When Breath Becomes Air
- Written by: Paul Kalanithi
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Sunil Malhotra
A story of resilience and courage
Reviewed: 31-03-21
Courage is not just doing heroic things, but also in facing your own fears and standing strong against them. The story of Paul shows how an aspiring, competent and genuine person faced with terminal cancer can still find meaning in life and go on to impact the life of others positively.
I liked how the story captured his journey and reason for getting into neuroscience and then his relentless efforts to make a positive mark in his field. When he is diagnosed with cancer, his resilience to fight it, to come back to surgery and to go on to create this book is truly infectious. The way Paul and Lucy struggle and support each other throught their relationship and events is also heartening aspect of the story. The fact that they bring KD into the world speaks volumes about their positivity.
A great book to lift your spirits up inspite of showing the fragility of life. Audible experience was good.
1 person found this helpful
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Norwegian Wood
- Written by: Haruki Murakami
- Narrated by: Adam Sims
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost 20 years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire - to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past.
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Awesome narrator
- By Kindle Customer on 30-11-20
- Norwegian Wood
- Written by: Haruki Murakami
- Narrated by: Adam Sims
Simple plot, intricate story, enchanting effect
Reviewed: 21-03-21
This is my second Haruki Murakami book and first one from his fiction range. I absolutely loved the way he narrates the story and builds his characters and their storylines. While the plot seems quite simple to start with, the way he gets into the details of the personalities in his story is commendable. The characters Watanabe, Midori, Naoko, Reiko, Nagasawa, Hatsumi can be envisioned vividly through his words and you start relating to them, feeling for them and thinking like them once you get into the story.
Two best things about this book:
a) It captures all the small little things that are unique to the country/ city/ time/ culture it is set in. It makes you live the 1969 Japan through the series of anecdotes around city, political situation back then, weather/ scenery and most importantly the people and their lives. The last time I got such lively description of the far eastern culture was in Pachinko - another masterpiece.
b) The musical notes weaved in the story makes it truly sing to you. I got introduced to Norwegian Wood song after I started reading this book and for me the song captured the entire melody of this story. I couldn't continue reading the book without humming the music in the back of my mind. Kudos to Murakami achieving this.
Lastly, the narrator, Adam Sims does complete justice to the story and characters. I'm sure the audible experience made the book stand out even more.
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Such a Fun Age
- Written by: Kiley Reid
- Narrated by: Nicole Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for ‘kidnapping’ the white child she’s actually babysitting, it sets off an explosive chain of events. Her employer Alix, a feminist blogger with the best of intentions, resolves to make things right. But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix’s desire to help. When a surprising connection emerges between the two women, it sends them on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know – about themselves, each other and the messy dynamics of privilege.
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Brilliant performance for a brilliant book
- By Rimjhim Roy on 01-04-20
- Such a Fun Age
- Written by: Kiley Reid
- Narrated by: Nicole Lewis
A true representation of racism
Reviewed: 04-03-21
This book unearths so many layers of racism and socio-economic divide within the characters of the plot. While such cases are happening all around us - intentionally or unknowingly, it is generally not noticed or outrightly ignored. The author has captured the essence of racism and discrimination in a great way - even affirmative action with being boastful about it is harmful and insensitive.
Absolutely loved how the author managed to show the emotions, thoughts and feelings of the characters. It's quite a detailed characterization for a debut novel - Alix, Emira, Kelley, Zara have been written quite memorably.
The audible version is brilliant too, with the narrator having done full justice to the story and characters.
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold
- Written by: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- Narrated by: Arina Ii
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
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A feel-good read , with substance.
- By Royal Sharma on 26-03-21
- Before the Coffee Gets Cold
- Written by: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- Narrated by: Arina Ii
An interesting take on time travel
Reviewed: 19-02-21
I picked up this book because of its intriguing plot around time travel and also hoping to read more on Japanese life - after being swayed by Pachinko. While the book didn't do justice to touching on Japanese culture or life, the time travel bit of the story was decent.
I liked the way the author simplified the rules of time travel and focused on how it might impact you rather than changing anything else. It touched upon how letting go or accepting things can lead to so much positivity to your future. The story dealt with loss, relationship, hope, anxiety and it packaged everything quite well especially using a twist of time travel. Some parts like repeated apparation for the time travel could have been avoided to make it more crisp, but all in all a decent one time read. The Audible experience was really good.
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With the Fire on High
- Written by: Elizabeth Acevedo
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Ever since she got pregnant, 17-year-old Emoni's life has been about making the tough decisions - doing what has to be done for her young daughter and her grandmother. Keeping her head down at school, trying not to get caught up with new boy Malachi. The one place she can let everything go is in the kitchen, where she has magical hands - whipping up extraordinary food beloved by everyone. Emoni wants to be a chef more than anything, but she knows it's pointless to pursue the impossible. There are rules she has to play by.
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A nice soul soothing story with great narration
- By Mommyingtales on 07-02-21
- With the Fire on High
- Written by: Elizabeth Acevedo
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
A nice soul soothing story with great narration
Reviewed: 07-02-21
Some stories just feel good and relatable, right from the get go. This book is one of them. It charts a high school final year journey of a young teen mother who is a life hardened girl, self-confident and curiously hopeful about her future inspite of all the twists and turns in her life. I really liked the way the characters are depicted and their lives intertwined. This plot can easily be turned into something to pity about. But the author has actually made effort to ooze in positivity in every character and relationship.
Also, being a foodies, I really liked how she has mixed the emotions with taste and ideas with recipes to highlight the beautiful side of culinary art. Few parts of the book sure did leave me craving for delicious soul soothing heart filling food. Hoping to go grab some artistic creations of eateries around. All in all a pleasant read with a great audible experience.
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Shuggie Bain
- Written by: Douglas Stuart
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life. She dreams of greater things: a house with its own front door and a life bought and paid for outright (like her perfect, but false, teeth). But Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and soon she and her three children find themselves trapped in a decimated mining town. As she descends deeper into drink, the children try their best to save her, yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves. It is her son Shuggie who holds out hope the longest.
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Narrator
- By Kindle Customer on 01-01-21
- Shuggie Bain
- Written by: Douglas Stuart
- Narrated by: Angus King
A long narrative of a sad childhood
Reviewed: 28-01-21
I picked up this book as it had won the Booker Prize 2020. As it happens, the Booker Prize winning entries are often too sad to enjoy. The last Booker Price winning entry I had read was 'God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy - another family story interwoven with grief.
This book captures the entire journey of the young boy Shuggie Bain from his age of 5 till he turns 15. The story travels through his interactions with society against the backdrop of his mother's struggle with drinks and men. The relationship between siblings - Leek and Shuggie, men and women - Shug/ Eugene and Agnus, as well as parents and kids - Agnes and her parents across multiple generations and times have been portrayed pretty realistically in this novel. But the highlight is Shuggie's relationship with his mom and his natural hope around her alcoholism. How can one give up hope when that is the only support one has in their life.
The author has penned down the emotions and characters with impeccable precision. Really makes you feel their hopelessness, small joys, big sorrows and the struggle to make it all work. Although a bit long, worth a read. The narrator on Audible has used multiple variations to depict different characters - a few of them aren't very legible, but otherwise a decent experience.
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Normal People
- Written by: Sally Rooney
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years. This is an exquisite love story about how a person can change another person's life - a simple yet profound realisation that unfolds beautifully over the course of the novel. It tells us how difficult it is to talk about how we feel and it tells us - blazingly - about cycles of domination, legitimacy and privilege.
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I suffered through this
- By Amazon Customer on 28-10-20
- Normal People
- Written by: Sally Rooney
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
Complex relationship captured well
Reviewed: 03-01-21
Normal People is a love story where the characters go in circles of misunderstandings. It is as complex as any relationship could be. The author emphasizes on the thoughts and background that leads to choices that the characters make. I liked the character building in the story - even side characters have enough depth to them. But I did feel that for some parts, the intent of actions was missing. Some things like Marriane's family behaviour were assumed and there didn't seem to be a legible background to it. All in all an ok read and a good Audible experience.
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What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
- Written by: Haruki Murakami
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1982 Murakami began running to keep fit. Here he reflects on his running experiences. Equal parts travelogue, training log, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, this is a must-listen for fans of this masterful author and for the increasing number of people who find a similar satisfaction in running.
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Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional
- By Apeksha Venkataraman on 18-07-20
- What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
- Written by: Haruki Murakami
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
My first encounter with Haruki Murakami
Reviewed: 25-12-20
This is a kind of book which leaves you introspective, thoughtful and blissful by the end of it. Coming across this book, during a phase of me trying to restart running was a great coincidence. This book doesn't give any tips on physical training for running but largely covers the most important aspect of it, the mind / will power. To have run for a quarter of a century and to participate in over 23 races is no small feat and Haruki Murakami makes it look a lot more easy, just like his life. A book worth going back to for tapping into an unrestrained source of energy pool. Audible version with Ray Porter's narration is brilliant.
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The Pull of the Stars
- Written by: Emma Donoghue
- Narrated by: Emma Lowe
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Dublin, 1918. In a country doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar flu are quarantined together. Into Julia's regimented world step two outsiders: Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney. In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over the course of three days, these women change each other’s lives in unexpected ways.
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A day in Pandemic 1918
- By Mommyingtales on 05-12-20
- The Pull of the Stars
- Written by: Emma Donoghue
- Narrated by: Emma Lowe
A day in Pandemic 1918
Reviewed: 05-12-20
Pandemic, uncertainty, despair, hope - The 2020 pandemic is just a sliver of what humankjnd has been through, over the past centuries of documented history. This book shows how impacting the 1918 influenza was, intertwined with the aftereffects of war, penned down from a lense of frontline medical worker - Nurse Julia Powers. The book takes you into the maternity ward of a small hospital in Dublin, Ireland of 1918 and puts you right in the middle of all the chaos and action. Absolutely loved the narrative and the audible version.
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The Last Emperox
- The Interdependency, Book 3
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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The collapse of The Flow, the interstellar pathway between the planets of the Interdependency, has accelerated. Entire star systems - and billions of people - are becoming cut off from the rest of human civilization. This collapse was foretold through scientific prediction...and yet, even as the evidence is obvious and insurmountable, many still try to rationalize, delay and profit from, these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.
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A perfect balance of content and entertainment
- By Mommyingtales on 21-11-20
- The Last Emperox
- The Interdependency, Book 3
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
A perfect balance of content and entertainment
Reviewed: 21-11-20
The characters - Kiva Lagos, Greyland, Nadashe, were always brilliant right from book 1. Also the style of the author to introduce mind boggling yet completely logical twists to the story, really accentuated this book. This series, in a strange way, can relate to the world of today where we need to find answers to limited and dwindling resources in the light of ever increasing population. Can't wait to see how the book 4 shapes up from here.