Amanda Dettrick

Unexpected Fun

Reviewed: 05-04-2021

Whilst this is not the Netflix series - with its colour, story additions and heightened visual drama - the original story is still fun. This is not in any way historically accurate, or a biography, so I think if you are happy to just listen for a bit of light-hearted entertainment, you will enjoy this.

A Journey to Truth

Reviewed: 05-04-2021

Many novels about the atrocities of war leave me feeling a little overwhelmed - so much destruction and outrage, courage and death-defying lives - that it becomes too much and my senses deaden in self preservation. All those beautiful words start to loose their meaning. This novel allows you to see the aftermath of war, and how life can prevail. It was well read, with good characterisation. Well worth a listen.

Choice

Reviewed: 26-12-2020

The premise of this story is that our choices in life can sometimes feel less than other people’s expectations. The protagonist gets given the opportunity to experience other lives only to find they are not the answer to happiness. Beautifully read, this book attempts to answer the question: what if?

Okay

Reviewed: 08-10-2020

The premise is good - the interloper wheedling her way into the heart of an old man for the purpose of theft - the cuckoo in the nest. Nice. However, whilst the reader did an adequate job, the story started to fall over about midway. A covid influenced story, this one is a short story, suitable for a lazy day listen.

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A Poisoned Chalice

Reviewed: 31-08-2020

My interest in this one was sparked because a close relation is a Pathologist. They are the ones who get sent the blood and bits cut out of you and make a diagnosis as to what is wrong with you. They then liaise with your specialist as to your treatment. You have to be a doctor first and then do 5 years of specialty training to become a Pathologist in Australia. So finding out how an over-hyped, privileged young woman managed to scam industries - medical, technology and financial - I was intrigued. This book was mindblowing. It works well as an audiobook because sometimes you just need to pause and rewind and go - 'she said, what!' In the end, for my two cents worth, I think this is a good book for anyone who thinks that those in charge always know what they are doing. Because, sometimes, they just don't.

Beem me up!

Reviewed: 30-08-2020

Well, this one was a great read. But having a long car journey ahead of me, I decided that a second perusal was in order. So I downloaded it - and was blown away. Even when the technical jargon was a little heavy-handed in the hardcopy, I found that listening to the book allowed the distance between science and understanding bridged by the spoken word. A great audiobook for anyone who wants their science in small grabs.

I Became

Reviewed: 30-08-2020

I'm not overly fond of the politics across the way, but I was impressed by Michelle Obama's ability to remain calm and focussed whilst she was the First Lady - and her husband was winning kudos from near and far. I was impressed at how well this book works as an audiobook - spoken by the writer, we get a true sense of her laughter, irony and, on occasion, sarcasm. If you would like to know how to support your partner in allowing them to become their best, whilst not losing yourself, this book is for you.