Audible Book Review: October Mourning: a Song for Matthew Shepard, by Lesléa Newman

This is a beautiful and evocative work.
OCTOBER MOURNING:
A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD
by Lesléa Newman, Narrated by Emily Beresford, Luke Daniels, Tom Parks, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd, Christina Traister (Brilliance Audio)

• 1.25 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2012
Genre: LGBT issues, Poetry; Teen & YA
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

On October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was viciously beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die. Author Newman’s intimate reaction to this tragedy, a heartrending collection of 68 poems, is narrated by an outstanding cast. The narrators expertly carry the weight of the poems, excelling on verses that combine more than one voice. The poems present unique perspectives, including those of the fence, the moon, the road, even Matthew’s cat. Beautifully articulated, the quiet spaces in each poem add to the emotion, evoking a vast starry sky of memory and loss not soon to be forgotten. Intense, moving, and haunting—a must-listen for ages 14+. E.A.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2013 Audies Finalist, SYNC 2014 © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2012]

Review:
I am sorry I had not listened to this sooner. The author, Lesléa Newman, is a feminist and activist for gay rights. She was in Wyoming to speak on campus the night that Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and left to die. Although she was a stranger to the campus and to Shepard, her compassionate heart shared the trauma and loss that impacted the community. After reflection, she voiced her feelings in this collection of poems. The poems range in perspectives from the victim to the assailants, the fence, the rope, the moon, and the sky. The poems evoke sorrow, anger, and disbelief. The works are beautiful and evocative, and I was greatly impressed, especially when you add the narration.

Audio Notes: These six narrators, Emily Beresford, Luke Daniels, Tom Parks, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd, Christina Traister, did an awesome job with the poems. They read the poems separately and occasionally jointly or in sequence. The presentation adds to the haunting and sometimes breathtaking prose. I highly recommend this audio work.

Source: 2014 SYNC Free Audio. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

Audio Book Review: The End of America?: Bible Prophecy and a Country in Crisis by Jeff Kinley

I really liked the information shared in this.
The End of America?: Bible Prophecy and a Country in Crisis
by Jeff Kinley
Tom Parks (Narrator)

Audio CD
Publisher: christianaudio; Unabridged edition (August 1, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1683667913
Genre: Christian Prophecies, Inspirational, NonFiction
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Will God’s Wrath Fall on America?
What happens when a country glories in its immorality, turning away from faith in God and obedience to Him?
Jeff Kinley, author of As It Was in the Days of Noah, explores historical and biblical precedents for the demise of a nation and addresses pressing questions such as…
How did we get to this point?
Is America in Bible prophecy?
Will Christians face widespread persecution here?
What effect will the rapture have on America?
How should I respond to the moral decline?
This forthright survey of current events and trends offers valuable perspective on the future of America—along with powerful motivation to embrace the only source of lasting hope.

Review:
Often we wonder how, and if, America fits in End Times. To answer the question Mr. Kinley begins with history. He establishes the importance of prophecy in the Bible. Much of the prophecy has already come true, supporting the reliability of the source. But there is more to come.

The author explores the current state of America by sharing historical detail of Christian roots in its founding. Mr. Kinley then addresses America’s long-time relationship with Israel by discussing the Biblical principle of blessings falling on those who support God’s chosen people, Israel.

There is more historical detail showing the progressive moral decline in especially since God was removed from schools in 1962. Step by step our society has moved away from revering God, to a point of ignoring Him and more recently outright rebellion and rejection of His laws. Soon we can expect to see increased persecution against Christians.

The author spent a long chapter discussing the horrible impact of abortion. The Bible supports the position that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16, Isaiah 44:24, Jeremiah 1:5, Galatians 1:15 and more). So does science. God punished His most beloved chosen people, Israel, for worshipping idols and killing children. Do we really think He will let any other nation get away without punishment for the same sins?

The next question is how close to the end are we? Many people speculate and some (always falsely) set dates. There are some clear signs and seasons, but no one knows the date. This is more reason to be ready and to feel the compulsion to share the gospel with others. The final message is that it doesn’t really matter what role America plays in the end times. What matters is if we are ready and if we are sharing the message of salvation with others.

At times the book seemed to go on and on with a couple of the points. Still, I was impressed by the thoroughness of the arguments and information shared. I highly recommend this to readers who are interested in Biblical prophecy, not just America’s place.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the narration by Tom Parks. I appreciated that his presentation of the facts and arguments is made with directness and genuine feeling. I am glad that I listened but I ended up buying an extra copy of the book for myself.

Interestingly, my first review draft was 718 words; the second was still 576. It took four drafts to get it under 400.
Source: Print books at discount for book club and I picked up the Audio CD. This qualifies for 2019Audiobook goal.