RED MOUNTAIN in eastern Washington is home to a community of eccentrics. Otis Till, the area’s visionary winemaker, has been known to howl at the moon–fully nude. Single mother Margot Pierce moved across the country to build an inn, but so far all she does is binge on gelato, the Hallmark Channel, and fantasies of […]
Some interesting new non-fiction this month includes WAYNE & FORD: THE FILMS, THE FRIENDSHIPS, AND THE FORGING OF AN AMERICAN HERO by Nancy Schoenberger, read by the author. (John Wayne and his director John Ford.) WHY WE DON’T SUCK by comic actor Denis Leary, read by him. THE PENTAGON’S WARS by Mark Perry, read by […]
PHOTO: Jonathan Lowe at the Tucson CFS in 1996. Lowe later worked as a processing clerk on Tour 3, and as a window clerk before retiring from the Postal Service. PostalMag.com audiobooks reviewer Jonathan Lowe is an award winning writer who has published articles and stories in over 40 magazines, with both drama and fiction […]
ANNIHILATION by Jeff Vandermeer. Plot: Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as […]
New this month are many new and riveting audiobook titles, including A COLUMN OF FIRE by Ken Follett, THE GOLDEN HOUSE by Salman Rushdie, and LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng, but my personal favorite listen was MOVING THE PALACE by Charif Majdalani. Set at the dawn of the twentieth century, it’s about a young […]
TINKER DABBLE DOODLE TRY is about unfocusing your mind to achieve goals, certainly a contrarian approach. Culture tells us to be razor focused, “Linked In,” and concentrated on our busy schedules. But the mind is not a muscle, and doesn’t need endless reps at the gym. It needs down time, day dreaming, and awareness of […]
A heartfelt comedy of manners, Diksha Basu’s debut novel THE WINDFALL unfolds the story of a family discovering what it means to “make it” in modern India. For the past thirty years, Mr. and Mrs. Jha’s lives have been defined by cramped spaces, cut corners, gossipy neighbors, and the small dramas of stolen yoga pants […]
The Earth is mostly covered by water, and while driving the weather the ocean is the staging area for geopolitical disputes over borders, climate change, fishing, pollution, and nuclear weapons. As former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, Admiral James Stavridis looks at the history of the oceans from the point of view of the military, […]
January 2008 – Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe Every year, it seems, we feel the need to make New Year’s resolutions. Whether we succeed in sticking to them is a matter of motivation and tenacity. To aid such attempts at self improvement I’ve chosen several new releases for their unique perspectives and/or scientific rigor. They […]
January 2007 – Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe Nelson DeMille is a funny man. That’s an odd thing to say, considering that the author is known for his military suspense novels, like “The General’s Daughter” and “Up Country.” In fact, narrator Scott Brick says that he had to pause in recording DeMille’s latest, WILD FIRE, […]
January 2006 – Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe For this first month of the New Year, I’m joined by Audiofile magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten, who contributed the first two reviews below. You may pick up Audiofile at newstands like Barnes & Noble. While there, be sure to ask for my new medical thriller […]
January 2005 – Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe American Idol finalist Clay Aiken reads his new book LEARNING TO SING for Random House Audio. No, Clay doesn’t sing on this 2-CD abridgment of his inspirational memoir, but rather tells his fans the whole story of his life so far, starting from when he was a […]
July 2004 – Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe THE BREATHTAKER by Alice Blanchard is a suspense novel about a serial killer who chases tornados in Oklahoma and Texas because it provides him with the perfect cover to commit murder. Unafraid of the horrific chaos, the killer is tracked by a police chief who soon has […]
