loveitallabove

Macbeth by William Shakespeare My rating: 4 of 5 stars Four and a half stars, with one major flaw: the producers chose to do this funny little trick of overlaying Cumming's voices when he was multiple characters, namely three weird sisters when they spoke at once. The result was echo-y and distracting. Otherwise, the whole thing felt like the smartest guy in the neighborhood inviting you over to listen to him read, and you cared: knew the story and really wanted to hear how he delivered. It was intimate and rewarding. It also made me think about how it is a story of Scots and English. View all my reviews

The Stranger by Albert Camus My rating: 4 of 5 stars ...kinda can't overlook how groundbreaking it all feels; very cinematic, too. The version I listened to was translated by Matthew Ward, and read by Jonathan Davis, which was not exceptional, but nor was it a hindrance to my appreciation. View all my reviews

Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan My rating: 4 of 5 stars Really, this is a five-star book, but i have a tough time doing that for historical writing to often; and, as an audiobook, Barbara Caruso makes for a terrific reader. I am preparing for a trip to China in 2016 and this is a terrific way to think about how we got to where we are - summarizing the 20th century's great historical arcs and whats changed since 1972. I must now certainly also reconsider how I think about Nixon, who I think I'd known more through Dan Aykroyd's impersonation than anything else. View all my reviews