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Episode 189; Star Wars: Resistance Reborn, Review

21/11/2019

 

Bridging the gap between Episodes 8 and 9 of the main Star Wars Saga, Resistance Reborn looks to unite the failing Rebellion with the main tool at their disposal, Hope! (and a Princess/General/Senator/Force Sensitive Bad-ass).

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Audiobook Details

By: Rebecca Roanhorse
Narrated by: Marc Thompson
Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
Publisher: Penguin Audio
If you would like to connect with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​

Episode 136; Forever and a Day, Review

29/6/2018

 

Anthony Horowitz takes 007 back to basics in this prequel that seamlessly slots into the canon of James Bond.
​ 

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Audiobook Details

By: Anthony Horowitz
Narrated by: Matthew Goode
Series: James Bond: The Collection, Book 0
Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Episode 95; Uncommon Type, Review

30/1/2018

 
Tom Hanks has one of the most recognisable faces in the world, as well as one of the best known voices a fact that this audiobook of his short stories takes advantage of in the best way possible.

Uncommon Type 'Some Stories' is a book of 17 short stories penned by Hanks himself. The stories themselves look at characters as they explore themselves and the world around them. This makes for an interesting listen as we get to glimpse at the wonders of normality.

My biggest disappointment with the book is not getting a profanity message directed at me ala Graham Norton. Otherwise I enjoyed my time with Uncommon Type.
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Audiobook Details

Some Stories
By: Tom Hanks
Narrated by: Tom Hanks
Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
Unabridged
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
​If you would like to connect with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 81; The Unexpected Truth About Animals, Review

9/1/2018

 
Forget what you thought you know as Lucy Cooke becomes a zoological Morpheus and takes us on an unexpected journey through into the world of 13 animals ranging from Penguins to Hippos.

​The book does an excellent job in explaining how our beliefs have become established and why they are fundamentally ridiculous. Expect to take a new look at the "sex shy" Panda and the feminist Hyena.

The narration by Lucy Cooke gives the book a perfect finish as she is vibrant and her obvious knowledge flows through her performance.
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Audiobook Details

​Written by: Lucy Cooke
Narrated by: Lucy Cooke
Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:30/11/2017
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
​If you would like to connect with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 75; The Midnight Line, Review

6/12/2017

 
Jack Reacher is something of a colossus both in a physical sense and as a publishing entity. In 22 books Lee Child has found ways to make his six foot five former MP traverse the United States helping a variety of people. Most importantly each interaction has been created in an organic fashion where you can honestly believe that is something Reacher would do.

Whether you are dropping into Reacher for the first time or are a series vet then this book should cater for you. One of Lee Child's best aspects is his way of catching up new consumers of this stories without alienating or boring the older devotees.
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​Audiobook Details

​Written by: Lee Child
Narrated by: Jeff Harding
Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins 
Series: Jack Reacher, Book 22
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:07/11/2017
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
​If you would like to connect with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Epsiode 58; La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust, Volume 1, Review

3/11/2017

 
Acting as a prequel to the hugely successful His Dark Materials saga, La Belle Sauvage is a perfect entry point for new listeners. I know this because I am one. 

The narrative helps to teach readers old and new about the complex world Pullman has created and hints at the richness that has yet to be discovered.

We follow the tale with its young protagonist Malcolm and his relationship with the baby Lyra.

This is a fantastically well crafted story and the narration by Michael Sheen is a huge dollop of Icing on an already tasty treat.
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Audiobook Details

​Written by: Philip Pullman
Narrated by: Michael Sheen
Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins 
Series: His Dark Materials, Book 0
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:19/10/2017
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
​If you would like to connect with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 54; Ready Player One, Review (with Guest)

25/10/2017

 
This is a slightly longer review as I invite Alex from the Tangents Entertained Podcast to chat about Ernest Cline's Ready Player One.

RPO is one of those titles that seems to have infested the consciousness of a vast number of people with its references and subject matter. We look at these points as well as talk about the themes of book and the performance of Will Wheaton in what we hope will be an enjoyable format.

​As always thank you very much for listening
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Audiobook Details

​Written by: Ernest Cline
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:05/04/2012
Publisher: Random House AudioBooks
​​If you would like to connect with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 53; Live Lagom: Balanced Living, the Swedish Way, Review

24/10/2017

 
The world is full of different customs and ways to live. One of these is Lagom a Swedish way of life described by the author as ​'just the right amount'.

Anna Brones goes about giving the listener a course in this system from it's history to the implications for her life and practicals to bring a little bit of Lagom into your life.

It's well narrated by Becky Moult and the book acts as a nice introduction to the subject.
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Audiobook Details

​Written by: Anna Brones
Narrated by: Becky Moult
Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:27/07/2017
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
​If you would like to connect with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 50; Two top five Audiobook choices.

17/10/2017

 
For our fiftieth episode I thought it would be fun to do something a little different. So I invited Alex from the Tangents Entertained Podcast on to chat about his top five choices in audiobooks.

​So sit back as we both try to highlight some of the titles we think are worthy of your time.  

​We apologise for the slight audio issues are the end of the show.
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Episode 42; Mayhem: A Memoir, Review

22/9/2017

 
Writer and publisher Sigrid Rausing opens up her familial relationship with addiction for all to bare. In this impactful memoir of her relationship with her brother and his now deceased wife.

Spanning the decades she gives you a basis of understanding of her family and the trials and tribulations of their lives. Mostly though this is powerful look at the way addiction can influence lives of not only the addicted but the ones around them
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Audiobook Details

Written by: Sigrid Rausing
Narrated by: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:07/09/2017
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
​
​​If you fancy connecting with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 39; Phasma: Star Wars: Star Wars, The Last Jedi, Review

8/9/2017

 
Deliah S. Dawson does the job I wish The Force Awakens was able to do and give the First Order a level of menace that you have to pay attention to.

Within the 12 hour running time of Phasma we get a glimpse at the person underneath the chrome armour and it certainly leaves an impact that I did not feel watching the film.

The story is narrated by January LaVoy and helps to give me greater hope that the Last Jedi will give us the villains we deserve.
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Audiobook Details

​Written by: Delilah S. Dawson
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins 
Series: Star Wars, Book 30
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:01/09/2017
Publisher: Random House Audio
​If you fancy connecting with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 35; Science in the Soul: Selected Writings of a Passionate Rationalist, Review

29/8/2017

 
A collection of 40 works by Richard covering a large scope of his interests is hard to resist and within Science in the Soul that's what we get.

Expertly narrated by the by now familiar narrating couple of Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward this anthology opens up the world of science in a different way to most books by helping the listener to understand a little bit of the way writers sees the world.

An excellent jumping on point to Dawkins work and a great companion to those already versed in his excellent body of work.
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​Written by: Richard Dawkins
Narrated by: Richard Dawkins , Lalla Ward , Gillian Somerscales
Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:04/08/2017
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
​​If you fancy connecting with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 30; Happy, Review

2/8/2017

 
A non-self help book that really can help change your ideas on happiness.

Derren Brown puts his vast talents to work on trying to uncover that most elusive of states Happiness. Throughout this book he explores the philosophical basis of Happiness with the end goal of getting the listener to change their mindset on what they believe the state of "Happy" to be.

It's an intriguing listen and one well worth your time to explore as thoroughly as you can.
happy_review.mp3
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​Audiobook Details

​Written by: Derren Brown
Narrated by: Jot Davies
Length: 18 hrs 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:10/11/2016
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
​​​If you fancy connecting with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 23; The Princess Diarist, Review

4/7/2017

 
Carrie Fisher takes us back to 1977 in this sort of Memoir of the filming of Star Wars. Instead of being a number of anecdotes from the time Fisher looks at who she was in these years thanks to diaries she created at the time and lost until she started writing the book.

With the time we spend with her we will get a glimpse into a complex and enigmatic character filled with hopes, dreams and nerves. However for me the book really comes to life when Fisher talks about her later life in a very candid and self deprecating look into he life of everyone's favourite Space Princess.
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​Release Date:24/11/2016
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
Written by: Carrie Fisher
Narrated by: Carrie Fisher , Billie Lourd
Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins 

Unabridged Audiobook
​​If you fancy connecting with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​

Episode 17; The Girl On The Train, Review

26/6/2017

 
Paula Hawkins came out of nowhere to set rather a big light on the book world in 2015. Her debut novel was one of the biggest selling Hardcovers at the time and has since become a film.

The story revolves around the idea of three women whose lives become entangled in a believable way. The real key to the story however are the characters and their development.

​This is not an easy listen with some rather dark turns but with the help of a trio of talented narrators the experience is certainly worth it.
episode_17__the_girl_on_the_train_review.mp3
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​Audiobook Details

​Written by: Paula Hawkins
Narrated by: Clare Corbett , India Fisher , Louise Brealey
Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:15/01/2015
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
​If you fancy connecting with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​
​
Theme Music - 'Superhero' (Fractal System Remix) by Rabbit Killer, Farleon (reproduced by kind permission)

Link to Into The Water Review

Episode 14; No Middle Name: The Complete Collected Jack Reacher Stories, Review

19/6/2017

 
The world of Jack Reacher is given an extra layer of storytelling with this collected works. Compromising 12 stories spanning the life of the intriguing creation of Lee Child.

If like me you are new to the work of Lee Child then this is a great place to start as you get an in-depth look at the Life of Jack Reacher.
​
episode_14_no_middle_name_review.mp3
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​Audiobook Details

​​Written by: Lee Child
Narrated by: Kerry Shale
Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:18/05/2017
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks​
​If you fancy connecting with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​

​Theme Music - 'Superhero' (Fractal System Remix) by Rabbit Killer, Farleon (reproduced by kind permission)

Episode 5; Into The Water, Review

22/5/2017

 
Paul jumps head first into this new ttile from acclaimed writer Paula Hawkins. This inspite of the fact he has yet to be entertained by The Girl on the Train in any of its forms.

Into The Water is presented as a cast narration of a POV story and has all the trappings of a British crime drama with odd locals, a big city invader as well as a local mystery that has many questions hanging over it.

The true greatness of this book is its complex yet believable cast of characters and the intricacies that hold family life together.
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Audiobook Details

​Release Date:02/05/2017
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
Written by: Paula Hawkins
Narrated by: Imogen Church, Sophie Aldred, Daniel Weyman, Rachel Bavidge, Laura Aikman
Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
​If you fancy connecting with Paul please don't hesitate to reach out on twitter on the following handles

Paul - @wellbeingosteo
Site - @BackwardsCom ​​
​
Theme Music - 'Superhero' (Fractal System Remix) by Rabbit Killer, Farleon (reproduced by kind permission)
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