By: Aleksandr I. SolzhenitsynNarrated by: Frederick DavidsonSeries: The Gulag Archipelago, Book 1Length: 25 hrs and 56 mins Reflecting on The Gulag Archipelago 51 years after its publication, 33 years after the fall of the Soviet Union and a century after some of the events it recounts, I find myself unexpectedly attuned to the world Solzhenitsyn…
Category: Optimi Libri
Dune
By: Frank HerbertNarrated by: Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, Simon Vance, Ilyana Kadushin, Byron Jennings, David R. Gordon, Jason Culp, Kent Broadhurst, Oliver Wyman, Patricia Kilgarriff, Scott SowersSeries: Dune, Book 1, Dune Saga, Book 12Length: 21 hrs and 2 mins Ah, Dune—this intricate desert world that delves deeply into both familiar and alien ideas, weaving…
Children of Memory
By: Adrian TchaikovskyNarrated by: Mel HudsonSeries: The Children of Time Novels, Book 3Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins Ahh, yet another masterful addition to Adrian Tchaikovsky’s oeuvre. Children of Memory is a compelling exploration of consciousness and meaning, deftly bending these concepts to provoke profound reflection. Compared to Children of Ruin, with its intricate depiction…
Crime and Punishment
By: Fyodor DostoevskyTranslated by: Constance GarnettNarrated by: George GuidallLength: 25 hrs and 1 minRelease date: 10-17-00 I have had Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” on my bookshelf for about a year and finally summoned the fortitude to engage with this monumental work. The opening chapters were relatively straightforward but also somewhat abrasive in their unflinching…
Heavier Than a Mountain
By: Olan ThorensenNarrated by: Jonathan DavisSeries: Destiny’s Crucible, Book 3Length: 21 hrs and 14 mins And this is a wonderful addition to the series. I really enjoyed the continuation of the industrialization of Caedelium and the organization of military units. This is a really fun read, partly because it’s so believable. I could see myself…
Children of Time
By: Adrian TchaikovskyNarrated by: Mel HudsonSeries: The Children of Time Novels, Book 1Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins This remains one of my favorite books, and rather than venture into something new, I found myself reaching for it once more. Although I can’t pinpoint exactly when I first read it—perhaps around 2018 or 2019 as…
The Pen and the Sword: Industrial Revolution
By: Olan ThorensenNarrated by: Jonathan DavisSeries: Destiny’s Crucible, Book 2Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins And here’s another adventure with Jozef. Unlike the first, this one had more character development, which I presume will be important later. The elements that I really enjoyed—the depiction of the industrial era in Keelan province on the island of…
Rousseau and Revolution: 1800 Century Hippies
The Story of Civilization, Book 10By: Will Durant, Ariel DurantNarrated by: Stefan RudnickiSeries: The Story of Civilization, Book 10Length: 57 hrs and 21 mins This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the 18th century, centering on the life of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the historical environment leading up to the French Revolution. As this is a…
Crucible of War: War Party
The Seven Years’ War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766By: Fred AndersonNarrated by: Paul WoodsonLength: 29 hrs and 4 mins As someone somewhat familiar with this period in American history, I’ll focus on the elements that were novel to me. The distances that Indian raiding parties would travel were considerable. They…
11-22-63: A lifetime to save a life
By: Stephen KingNarrated by: Craig WassonLength: 30 hrs and 40 minsRelease date: 11-08-11 Stephen King, an author I never imagined I’d pick up due to his typical writing genre that gives me the creeps. When I stumbled upon his departure into historical fiction, it felt like an unexpected yet enticing invitation. Unfamiliar with King’s writing…
Cast Under an Alien Sun: Alien 1800 Century
By: Olan ThorensenNarrated by: Jonathan DavisSeries: Destiny’s Crucible, Book 1Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins Before starting this book, I was searching for a modern version of Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.” After finishing “Cast Under an Alien Sun,” I can say that Thorensen wielded this plot device with gusto and…
Kill Shot: Mitch Rapp Prequel 02
By: Vince FlynnNarrated by: George GuidallSeries: A Mitch Rapp Novel, Book 2Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins Summary on the series: