Tag Archives: audiobook reviews

Oct 6 2026

Mel’s 5 Second Book Review: Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary
Written by: Andy Weir
Year: 2021
Audiobook performed by: Ray Porter

It was a long time coming, but I finally finished this book. I seem to have trouble finishing books (or shows, for that matter) that I start, even if I love them. It’s weird.

A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth’s sun, and realizes that an unexpected friendship may be the key.

I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard of it way back in 2021. The Martian had been one of the best books I’d read in a long time, so I knew I definitely wanted to read (or listen to) this one. And even though it took me forever, I finally got through it, and can finally watch the movie. I have to say, Project Hail Mary really is as good as The Martian. And the audiobook is performed beautifully by Ray Porter. He really captured the essence of all the characters, giving each their own distinctive voice without sounding silly.

Ryland Grace, our main character, was so well drawn, and we really feel for him. There’s bits of humour sprinkled in that made me grin like an idiot, even laugh out loud a few times. The science, at least to me, sounds all plausible, even though it relies on a substance that doesn’t exist to make it work. Weir is very good at making things sound scientific without being dry. I don’t want to say too much more in case there are people who haven’t read the book who want to, but needless to say, I absolutely loved it. The ending was a nice surprise as well. It was heading towards one thing, and I was rather upset, but then, surprise! Not surprisingly, I give it a 10/10.

AMAZE AMAZE AMAZE!!

M.

Jan 3 2016

Mel’s Books: December

Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs
Written by: Barbara Mertz
Read by: Lorna Raver
Notes: Super interesting, fun read.
Score: 10/10

The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
Written by: Robert Garland
Read by: Robert Garland
Notes: I’d always wanted to read a book about this, and I’m glad I finally did. The lives of the normal people back then is just as interesting as the lives of the leaders, and it’s time they got some love. The lecturer talks like Sid the Sloth from Ice Age, but it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it might at the beginning of the class.
Score: 9.5/10

Serial Killers Abridged
Written by: RJ Parker
Read by: Me
Notes: Short snippets on 100 different killers. The writing was very amateurish, but I still enjoyed it.
Score: 8/10

Masters of True Crime: Chilling Stories of Murder and the Macabre
Written by: Various, edited by R Barri Flowers
Read by: Tara Ochs
Notes: The narrator was a little meh, but the stories were very well written and interesting. Many cases I hadn’t heard of in this book.
Score: 8/10

Living History: Experiencing Great Events of the Ancient and Medieval World
Written by: Robert Garland
Read by: Robert Garland
Notes: 24 lectures about 24 different moments in history. Very cool approach to broad history. There were a few of the lectures that were kinda boring, but on the whole, a very interesting course.
Score: 8.5/10

The World’s Most Evil Psychopaths
Written by: John Marlowe
Read by: Eric Meyers
Notes: A good mix of famous killers and obscure ones, this book was well written, well read, and interesting.
Score: 9/10

M.

Jun 2 2015

Mel’s 5 Second Audiobook Review: Treasury of Egyptian Mythology

Treasury of Egyptian Mythology (2013)
Written by: Donna Jo Napoli
Read by: Christina Moore

Treasury

(Questions from Audible’s reviews form)

What other book might you compare Treasury of Egyptian Mythology to and why?
I’ve actually never read any other book about Egyptian myths, believe it or not, I’ve only watched stuff on tv, so I don’t really have anything to compare it to.

Which scene was your favorite?
I really couldn’t pick just one, I loved the whole book! But if I absolutely had to pick, it would likely be the story of Osiris, Isis and Set. Horrible and wonderful at the same time!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Made me laugh a time or two, but nothing really extreme.

Any additional comments?
This book was so good! The only thing bad I’d have to say was that it was nowhere near long enough! It was only 3.5 hours, barely enough to whet my appetite. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of books quite like this one on Audible. What a shame. So even though it’s only 3.5 hours long, I still give it a 10/10. Wonderful!

M.

May 9 2015

Mel’s 5 Second Audiobook Review: Classical Mythology

Classical Mythology
Written by: Elizabeth Vandiver
Read by: Elizabeth Vandiver

mythology

(questions from Audible’s reviews form)

What did you love best about Classical Mythology?
I seriously loved everything about this course. I’ve always been interested in the ancients’ myths, but I’ve never really read anything describing them in detail. They were much more bloody (and depressing) than I ever remember seeing on tv…

What was one of the most memorable moments of Classical Mythology?
I particularly loved the lectures that were about the specific gods, their origins and stories, and especially, from those, the stories of Heracles and Aphrodite.

Have you listened to any of Professor Elizabeth Vandiver’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Nope, this was the first of her courses that I’ve ever listened to. She’s a great lecturer, very clear and easy to listen to. She runs out of breath frequently, and at first I thought it might bother me in the long run, but it thankfully never did.

Any additional comments?
This course is an absoulte gem for anyone interested in classical myths. It mostly covers the Greeks, but Dr V put aside the last few lectures to talk about how the Romans basically took over the Greek’s myths wholesale and made them their own, changing names and not much else (so much for copyright infringement…) I’d definitely recommend this course to anyone interested in ancient myth. It gets a wonderful 9.5/10 from me.