In Defense of Food By Michael Pollan Narrated By Scott Brick

In Defense of Food
By Michael PollanNarrated By Scott Brick

Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
Penguin Audio

Scott Brick Narrator

I just love Scott Brick's narration of In Defense of Food. His voice is strong, crystal clear, and
ripe with insinuation and incredulity of what he's reading. I felt that some of time he sounds not
outraged by the trickery or deception of the food industry but scandalized. He has completely taken over and succinctly drawn out everything Michael Pollan has written. I've enjoyed other books Mr. Brick has narrated but In Defense of Food is his most superb. I don't believe another narrator would have done this book as much justice as Scott Brick has done. There are other great narrators no doubt, but Scott Brick seems to bring something special and meaningful to this particular book.

Author Michael Pollan

In Defense of Food,  is an in depth examination of processed food, the new food scientist, advertising firms, and how they and the politicians, FDA, and industrialized farms have stealthily over taken every aspect of the way and what we eat.   Mother's no longer cook, few schools cook their own meals but have it trucked in, the majority of institutions do the same. Gone are the cafeteria's with humans preparing and serving up real food. Vending machines also reside in places they were never seen before. We no longer eat much real food, processed foods are not foods at all. The list of chemicals on most labels is appalling, not only are the words unpronounceable, we don't even know what they are, or why they are in food. Simply put, it's chemicals that we are eating called food products. If there is any trace evidence of real food it is at best just that, a trace amount.

Industrial farms do not rotate crops as a farmer would do, they rely more and more on spraying chemicals against insects. The soil is depleted of its nutrients and crops grow faster. Faster growing crops do not have time to absorb nutrients or sink their roots down deep. The larger percentage of farming today has given over to corn and soy and thirdly rice. The major amount of the produce in the grocery store has been shipped from countries as far away as China. As food is stored and shipped it loses some of it nutritional value. Something we can hardly afford to have happen.

Pollan, discusses in depth about meat and the results to our health from eating animals fed on soy and corn, injected with a variety of antibiotics and hormones. The phrase he uses, "You are what you eat, and what you eat, eats."

Virginia Brown, Divas Do Tell, Narrated by Karen Commins

Divas Do Tell Dixie Diva Mysteries, Book 5
by: Virginia Brown
Narrated by: Karen Commins
Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins

Karen Commins Narrator

Virginia Brown author of The Dixie Divas

Karen Commins,  presentation of Divas Do Tell, was outstanding. Her rendition of the movie star was perfection. From beginning to end we are artfully drawn into the story with fine Southern renditions and representing more than one Southern accent. Bitty is so well done you can almost get to resent and dislike her because of the way Ms. Commins plays her. Trinkets annoyance and forbearance with Bittys' schemes and over bearing ways is also extremely well done. The excitement level is intense at times and well read. Divas Do Tell is Ms.Commins most splendid of the series. I also enjoyed the story the best of the five in the series. I really don't know how Ms. Commins prevented herself from laughing while reading about items in the 'blue room' of the the lingerie shop Trinket works in part time. I know I had to laugh out loud. I was thoroughly charmed with Karen Commins wonderful reading of this fun, fun, fun, book.

Once again Bitty bullies and cajoles Trinket into one scheme after another that Trinket just knows is going to end badly, and things almost always do. Dixie Lee Forsythe who once lived in Holly Springs Mississippi, wrote a blockbuster book  Dark Secrets Under the Holly, based on people and events that happened over the years in Holly Springs. Only problem is nearly every person, with the names changed of course, is in the book and it divulges things they would rather forget about. Dixie Lee Forsythe happens to be a Dixie Diva and naturally knows what goes on at the Divas meetings, and the Divas motto is what happens with the Divas stays with the Divas. The Divas are not pleased with Dixie Lee's revealing Diva secrets. No one in Holly Springs is happy with what they are reading and nearly everyone wants to strangle Dixie Lee.

Hollywood comes to Holly Springs to make a movie based on Dark Secrets Under the Holly. For Hollywood its a natural for movie material, sizzling sex, hot romances, secret liaisons and a kidnapping. Every dirty little secret is in the book and everyone recognizes themselves and they all know who each person is. Bitty is ready to kill Dixie Lee herself. When Dixie Lee starts getting death threats she implores the Divas find out who is writing them and if they should be taken seriously. This is no easy task even for the Divas, when everyone in town has a motive including the Divas. Everyone including the police put it all down to Hollywood sensationalism just seeking publicity.

Drop Dead Divas: A Dixie Divas Mysteries, by Virginia Brown Narrated by: Karen Commins

Drop Dead Divas: Dixie Divas Mysteries, Book 2
Written by: Virginia Brown
Narrated by: Karen Commins
Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
Bell Bridge Books

Drop Dead Divas by Virginia Brown

Virginia Brown Author

Narrator Karen Commins

Karen Commins, has a clear and precise voice. I like her rendition of Bitty, I think her Southern voice for Bitty is excellent. The Southern accent is going to be heard differently by different people. It's really not an easy accent to accomplish. I've been in the South many times and heard a variety of Southern accents from different people. Ms. Commons has a good balance between Southern and understandable which it has to be distinct for a variety of listeners. The Southern accent between Bitty and Naomi is unique and identifiable. I also like Ms. Commins' rendering of the text parts of the book, definitely clearly and well spoken. Karen Commins does a charming and praisable narration and maintains the character voices from beginning to end.

Drop Dead Divas is the second in the Dixie Diva series, and is as funny with the quips as it is great for content. Bitty and Trinket manage to get involved in a murder again, this time two murders. Naomi Spencer floozy of Holly Springs, Mississippi, is accused of killing her fiancee Race Champion, with a name like that of course he is the local Champion Drag Racer as well as a trainer at Golds Gym. Not much is said about Naomi that's good. Women despise her and men can't wait to know her better. Truth is Race Champion doesn't have that good a reputation, know as a womanizer already when he asked Naomi to marry him. Perhaps this could have been a good match between to lusty people, if murder hadn't intervened.

Bitty and Trinket are terrible gossips, and dig deep into each persons story of Race Champions murder. The consensus is that Naomi killed him. It just might be people are quick to judge Naomi based on their own dislike of her more than any genuine evidence. Even the police arrest her on flimsy evidence. Suspect number one flies out the window when Bitty and Trinket find Naomi murdered. It does start to seem suspicious that Naomi is strangled in Bittys' mountain cabin, a hideaway she had built and the only person who even knew about it was Bitty's ex-husband, now dead. This does not bode well for Bitty as police look at her with renewed interest.

Don't be deceived that Bitty is an air head, she can be very cunning and devious as revealed when she wants information. With Naomi dead they have to review their list of suspects and start examining motives and opportunity. As usual Trinket would prefer to let the police do their job, but Bitty has such curiosity and well is just flat out nosy that she with little effort persuades Trinket to go along with all her schemes and machinations. This is a long book and we get to know more about the residents of Holly Springs and about the Divas, "What happens with the Divas, stays with the Divas" which is handy when this fun duo need sworn to silence help.

Jesse Craignou, Keeping Me Company Narrated by Helen Lloyd

Keeping Me Company
By Jesse Craignou
Narrated By Helen Lloyd
Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins

Jesse Craignou Author

Keeping Me Company by Jesse Craignou

Narrator Helen Lloyd

Helen Lloyd is a British Voice Artist, with a rich, and very cultured voice, her narration of Jesse Craignou's Keeping Me Company is lovely and she makes the words flow like magic. Clear, concise, everything is well timed making each word extremely momentous. She has sometimes a rather soft  breathy exhalation that is most appealing. Her characterizations are exceptional whether doing an older person, or a more middle age upper class person. She gives lots of emphasis on adjectives, giving depth and dramatic portrayals. Helen Lloyd is definitely is a rare talent that promises perfection to whatever she performs.


Jesse Craignou gives women credit for their many contributions to life and society as a whole. He expresses his appreciation of the fairer sex in these shorts, extolling some of the emotional content and complexity of women. If you enjoy a type of circular poetry you will enjoy Keeping Me Company, and in Mr. Craignou's own words about this lovely work,

"Women have always played a key role in my life and I more than long wanted to pay them a fair tribute… and what better could I do than tell their story ? Women bring us into this world and often see us go before them…They can be together and are often alone… whether by choice chance or design… how they fend for their living through love family and business… is often tribute to the reason of their passion…As soon as I put pen to paper the first word is followed by another and another and another and words tag on together… and the words become my words for my greatest pleasure…
Words and I are words of a feather…I look at my writing in more of an oral approach… spoken word’s the written word here… our lips are not sealed…My writing evolves around not only words and ideas but also reason rhymes… sounds like poetry… imagine you’re listening… and let yourself be carried away
My words depict the surreal side of everyday life… with all its eerie magic… riding the crest of the' jagged edge between fact and fiction…The music of my words is my melody…My writing is concentric spirals of introspective narrative..." Dare I say ohh la, la, to such lovely words for womanhood. Those French men do know the way to a woman's heart.

Nobody's Child: Georgia Davis Series: author Libby Hellmann Narrated by: Beth Richmond

Nobody's Child
Georgia Davis Series, Book 4
Written by: Libby Fischer Hellmann 
Narrated by: Beth Richmond
Producer: Red Herring Press
Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Nobody's Child by Libby Hellmann

Author Libby Fischer Hellmann

Narrator Beth Richmond

You have to appreciate the sensational way that Beth Richmond's narrations always suit the characters of whatever book she is reading. Her renditions are always fresh and superbly done. Characterizations as well as text that's read are works of art. Ms. Richmonds' readings are dynamic and with fabulous pitch, whilst always maintaining a feminine melodious tone. She always does a consistent, and engaging presentation. You are guaranteed a pleasurable time when you to listen to this remarkable narrator.

Nobody's Child, Written by: Libby Fischer Hellmann

Georgia Davis, P.I. seems to scrape along doing mundane cases, insurance claims, and the like. Until  Reggie Fields is hit by Flash Mob Robbers at his designer discount store. Reggie ends up in the ER needing stitches and his wife calls Georgia to find the person behind this flash mob attack. Reggie is sure he knows who orchestrated it. The police are backing off it and Reggie knows why. They show Georgia the surveillance tape and give her all the information they have. Georgia isn't sure she can really help as it looks to her like the police have done all they could with the scant amount of information they have. Yet, Georgia agrees to at least see what she can find out, which turns out to be much more than she anticipated.

Georgia is led through a terrifying series of events when she receives a note scribbled on a food wrapper. Stunned when she reads a plea for help from her half sister. Georgia didn't even know she had a half sister. The note tells her to find her, with so little to go on Georgia wonders if it's a joke, but intrigued with the idea of having a half sister. With few clues to go on, Georgia does locate Savannah but is she too late to save her. Savannah is pregnant and a drug addict held a virtual prisoner and sex slave by foreign mobsters. If she saves her can she save her from a drug addiction and protect her. Before she finds out a body that fits the description of her sister is found dead in a ditch.

Nobody's Child is a very fast paced story, taking Georgia into the under-belly of society, danger and vice swiftly pull her into threats and opens her to her own vulnerabilities. She uses clever and unusual ways to uncover the truth and launch a rescue for Savannah and her unborn baby. Everything is going to upset the balance of her simple and uncomplicated life. Can she embrace so drastic a change in her own life and does she want to. These are questions she searches her inner self for and she is the only one that can answer those questions.