You don't have to be a Southern boy to love a terrible dawg, but it don't hurt. There's something in the commodiousness of a rich Southern voice that makes bad luck, bad judgment, and suffering sound bearable--if not outright triumphant. Spec is short for The Speckled Beauty, a stray with a mangled eye and an ear sewed on crooked. In a voice powered by grits and molasses, Bragg somehow manages to lionize old Spec, and we're delighted to set a spell and listen. It's hard not to admire a dog that loses so many fights but still has the heart to herd a mule, an empty water jug, a flock of birds, and a one-ton truck. "Seventy-six pounds of wet hair and poor decisions."
Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2021
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593454879
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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