Benjamin Russell
- 15
- reviews
- 13
- helpful votes
- 28
- ratings
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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- By: Becky Albertalli
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, read by Michael Crouch. Straight people should have to come out too. And the more awkward it is, the better. Simon Spier is 16 and trying to work out who he is - and what he's looking for. But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated. Because for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal.... It's a holy freaking huge awesome deal.
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Amazing
- By nemanja on 01-05-2018
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- By: Becky Albertalli
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
Incredibly Entertaining and Relatable
Reviewed: 04-07-2018
This book was a joy to listen to. The narration was perfection and the whole coming out journey was incredibly similar to my own. For such a small story, it was done perfectly. A great read for everyone, particularly teenagers.
1 person found this helpful

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Sticks and Stones
- By: Madeleine Urban, Abigail Roux
- Narrated by: Sawyer Allerde
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Six months after nearly losing their lives to a serial killer in New York City, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are suffering through something almost as frightening: the monotony of desk duty. When they're ordered to take a vacation for the good of everyone's sanity, Ty bites the bullet and takes Zane home with him to West Virginia, hoping the peace and quiet of the mountains will give them the chance to explore the explosive attraction they’ve so far been unable to reconcile with their professional partnership.
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Wholesome and Heartwarming Sequel
- By Benjamin Russell on 27-06-2018
- Sticks and Stones
- By: Madeleine Urban, Abigail Roux
- Narrated by: Sawyer Allerde
Wholesome and Heartwarming Sequel
Reviewed: 27-06-2018
Now this was an interesting formula for a sequel. It peeled back all of the chaos from the first book and injected the story with more stability and romance.
It was a treat to read and had me engrossed. I finished it in 3 days.
If you enjoyed the first book then you’ll love this one.

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Cut and Run
- By: Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban
- Narrated by: Sawyer Allerde
- Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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An erotic gay romance, a suspenseful thriller.... A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case. Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work. He's cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does.
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Entertaining, Thrilling, but Flawed
- By Benjamin Russell on 23-06-2018
- Cut and Run
- By: Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban
- Narrated by: Sawyer Allerde
Entertaining, Thrilling, but Flawed
Reviewed: 23-06-2018
I really enjoyed the characters of Zayne and Tye. Their banter was fun and heartwarming.
The murderer plot wasn’t executed very well, though at times it was a thrill ride. The murderer was obvious which left me disappointed in the climax.
The narrator was hard to listen to at first with his monotone voice and questionable female impressions, but once I got used to it I really came to like his style. It just takes some time.
Overall this is a book worth reading if you love LGBT romance novels. I’d say this is one of the better novels I’ve read in that category. 3.5/5.
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Dead Ever After
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Sookie Stackhouse has one last adventure in store. Life has taken her from a waitress in Merlotte's Bar, Bon Temps, to part owner; from social outcast to the heart of her community; from a vampire's girlfriend to the wife of one of the most powerful vampires in the state. She has survived explosions, revolutions and attempts on her life. Sookie has endured betrayal, heartbreak and grief...and she has emerged a little stronger, and little wiser, every time. But with life comes new trials...
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I loath to say it, but I was glad when it ended
- By Casey Lovelock on 15-04-2019
- Dead Ever After
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
A Nice Ending to a Terrific Series
Reviewed: 30-05-2018
The book was marvellous throughout, but the ending didn’t tie up all the loose ends for characters we care about. This series could have gone on from here. I’m sad it’s ended.
This book was more thrilling and mysterious than many of the others. I would have given it 5 stars if only more time was taken to flesh the final chapter out and end the story properly.
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Deadlocked
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery, Book 12
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Sookie has a murder investigation on her hands. A young girl has died at a vampire party - and it looks as though her lover, Eric, might be responsible. Eric swears he didn't do it, the police don't believe him, and even Sookie isn't so sure. Nor is she inclined to take his word for it, having caught him enjoying the victim's blood minutes before she was killed.But something strange is going on. Why had Sookie been asked to come to the fateful party a few minutes early - just to catch Eric in the act?
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Another Good Entry In the Series
- By Benjamin Russell on 27-05-2018
- Deadlocked
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery, Book 12
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
Another Good Entry In the Series
Reviewed: 27-05-2018
While unremarkable, I still thoroughly enjoyed Deadlocked. I dread reading the next book. It’ll hurt to finish this wonderful series.
This was another book for tying up characters for the series to end, but I found the mysteries interesting anyway. I don’t know where they’ll go from here.
Narration was phenomenal as always. It’s definitely worth buying!
1 person found this helpful
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Dead Reckoning
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #11
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Now the vampires and the shapeshifters are 'out', you'd think the supernaturals would get on with each other. But nothing is that simple in Bon Temps!
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A Big Step Up from the previous Two Books!
- By Benjamin Russell on 22-05-2018
- Dead Reckoning
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #11
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
A Big Step Up from the previous Two Books!
Reviewed: 22-05-2018
After seeing the series get progressively worse, I found Dead Reckoning to be a truly pleasant surprise. The new information it offered was fascinating, the conflicts were incredibly thrilling, and the story progressed to new and interesting heights. It has left me dying for more and not knowing what will happen next. It’s not one of the best books, but still a great read!
1 person found this helpful
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Dead in the Family
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #10
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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If you think your family relationships are complicated, think again: you haven't seen anything like the ones in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being who arrives with Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment.
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Boring Story, But Comforting
- By Benjamin Russell on 20-05-2018
- Dead in the Family
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #10
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
Boring Story, But Comforting
Reviewed: 20-05-2018
I’ve reached a point with this series where simply listening to the characters existing in this world is comforting and entertaining. That’s the only reason I rate this 4 stars overall. I still enjoyed the book.
However, this story felt lacklustre. Eric’s maker storyline was boring, the mysteries had no real development and the stakes were incredibly low. I’ve no idea where they’ll go from here.
Basically, Dead in the Family lacked anything extraordinary. That’s what separates it from the other books, and that’s what makes it the weakest so far.
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Dead and Gone
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #9
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Now it's the turn of the weres and shifters to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world.Sookie Stackhouse already knows about them, of course - her brother turns into a panther at the full moon, she's friend to the local Were pack, and Sam, her boss at Merlotte's bar, is a shifter. At first the great Were revelation seems to go well - then the horribly mutilated body of a were-panther is found outside Merlotte's.
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The Worst of the Series so far, but still worth buying.
- By Benjamin Russell on 16-05-2018
- Dead and Gone
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #9
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
The Worst of the Series so far, but still worth buying.
Reviewed: 16-05-2018
Dead and Gone was utterly painful to get through during the first couple of hours. It felt like nothing was happening and it was going nowhere.
Thankfully the story eventually picks up and it becomes more suspenseful than any of the other books in the series. My heart was racing terribly sometimes. There were some great moments.
While I enjoyed most of the book, it’s never a good sign when you feel like it’s a chore to get through huge chunks of a story. I’d give it a 7/10.
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From Dead to Worse
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #8
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana, is reeling from two hard blows: the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade horror of the explosion at the vampire summit in the up-north city of Rhodes. Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, and she's yearning for things to get back to normal. But that's just not happening. Too many vampires - some friends, some not - were killed or injured, and her were-tiger boyfriend Quinn is among the missing.
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the ending blew my mind
- By Anonymous User on 05-05-2020
- From Dead to Worse
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #8
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
The worst of 8 books, but still Entertaining
Reviewed: 12-05-2018
From Dead to Worse strayed from the formula of the other books in a huge way. Usually there is one big storyline we follow and a few interesting sub plots along the way.
This book was nothing but sub plots that seemed to do nothing but push characters along in their development whilst rapping up some loose ends before moving onto a hopefully bigger story.
These sub plots were interesting and entertaining though. Although this is the weakest entry in the series thus far, I still think it was a fun and worthy addition. I’d give it a 7.5/10.
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All Together Dead
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #7
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Sookie's beginning to get used to being surrounded by all varieties of supernatural beings - but even she has her limits. She'd really like to take a while to get over being betrayed by Bill, her long-time vampire lover, and get used to her new relationship with the sexy shapeshifter Quinn - but instead, she finds herself attending the long-planned vampire summit, the destination of choice for every undead power player around, as a sort-of human 'Geiger counter' for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, vampire queen of Louisiana.
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Another Exciting Entry In the Series
- By Benjamin Russell on 08-05-2018
- All Together Dead
- Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #7
- By: Charlaine Harris
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker
Another Exciting Entry In the Series
Reviewed: 08-05-2018
All Together Dead currently holds the award for most exciting sequence of events in a Sookie Stackhouse book. The last few chapters thrilled me to the core!
Of course, as with some of the other books, it’s a bit slow to start. I also found Quinn as a romance to be rather boring and safe too. But once the story moves along to The Vampire Summit, it becomes rather outstanding.
Arguably one of the best, but definitely not the best.
1 person found this helpful