The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise: A Novel Audiobook

" I picked up this book to reminisce of my time in London and to learn more about the Tower of London. It is a delightful read, with a few surprises along the way. Beware that sudden language comes from nowhere. All the characters form a complicated plot and their relationships are delicious. My favorite character is Valerie Jennings. She works in the Lost and Found off of the Tube and finds herself in very strange but very funny circumstances. "

" Yeah, I don't think I am Bristish enough to have found this book funny. It was an interesting setting, the Tower of London, and the protagonist and his wife each hold quirky positions and there is an element of whimsey to it all, just not "funny". "

" I was perplexed by this book. I guess I tend to rely far too much on the cover to gauge the tone of the book inside. The whimsical cartoon on the front made me think the story inside would be light and whimsical--and parts of it WERE--but a lot of it was jarringly dark (can't really go into it without spoilers). Strange. There were parts I liked--the two women who worked in the Lost and Found were great--but I was left not entirely satisfied by it. "

" Such a sweet book, loved it. Great background on the Tower of London and bittersweet story of love and forgiveness. "

" The writing's so good, the story almost doesn't matter...BUT there's lots of fun, crestive stuff here and very fun history! "

" Not bad - a bit slow - historical tidbits interesting but the story was only so-so. "

" Really, really wanted to like this one after all of the ranting and raving I heard about it. My expectations of it being a laugh-out-loud quirky read fell short and I felt more saddened by the loneliness of the characters. The lost and found shop though, who wouldn't want that job? Maybe I'll try to read it again when I can invest more time to try and understand the whole of all of the stories. "

" Interesting things about the tower of London and a funny story. "

" The Beefeater. If you can read that and not giggle - especially when it's used in reference to a person - then perhaps this is not the book for you. It's kinda goofy, kinda clever, and kinda 4-star worthy, in a 3.5 star way. "

" I found this one a bit slow. I just wanted to find out if Hebe comes back. "

" Simple sweet book but could have gone further in exploring the plots. "

" Loved this quirky tale of life within the Tower walls. I alternately would laugh out loud and feel myself tearing up. Unique and truly enjoyable! "

" The setting of the Tower of London was original -- as well as the Beefeaters characters that lived there. Sometimes I found the complex sentences distracting, but enjoyed the attention to detail. The tone was a little gloomy, but she tied it up with a satisfying ending. "

" A surprisingly good book! "

" I enjoyed the quirky characters & each of their stories. The English humor sprinkled throughout the book added to the charm! "

" Smart and funny. Curiously full of historical anecdotes specifically about the London Tower. Great for anglophiles of which I am not, but the laugh out loud wit is what pulled me in and kept me rapt throughout. "

" I gave the book two stars instead of one only because of the bearded pig and the albatross that I was rooting for to have a happy ending. "

" Meh. I can see how others would enjoy it. I thought the big secret about Milo would be something way more scandalous. A little disappointed but oh well. "

" Pour yourself a nice glass of wine, curl up in a comfortable chair and just enjoy. This book was lovely. Characters wonderful and story hard to put down. "

" Quirky and sweet story about a Beefeater named Balthazar and the sorrow he and his wife are learning to share. "

" Sweet and true in every important way. A bit mannered and too clever in points, but so worth sticking with. "

" I would give this 3.5 stars. "

" This book was a little too whimsical for me. "

" I am completely in love with this book. It was adorable and still serious. It made me want to go visit the Tower of London and to leave something on the Tube so that I could go visit the office for missing items. Overall a great, easy read. "

" What a delightful book. What a cast of strange, sad, and amusing characters and situations. I laughed. I sighed. I may read it again one day. "

" A charming little book that will make you hope you loose something on the tube. "

" Just loved this so much! Laughed and cried. Wonderful characters. "

" I enjoyed the story, the different plot lines and the eventual conclusion. "

" When I finished reading this one, I handed it to my wife and actually said, "Here's a gentle, humorous book you'll really enjoy." So not a guy thing to say. But true. "

" I can't write much cause Its part of a book club. But I will say that I did not like it and it was boring. It had no point. "

" Light, quick, dry, funny, fun. Worth a read! "

" One of my favorite all time. "

" Eh. I should stick with my instinct and NOT pick 30 something female authors...they lack imagination to finish something great that they have started! "

" Great, quirky British read. And it's on the 2011 Lariat List! "

" Whimsical, touching and hilarious with a very satisfying ending. This is the best book I've read so far this year which surprises me, given my recent taste for gritty thrillers. "

" Perhaps I was just too grumpy after the horrible weather this weekend, but I found the quirkiness of this book rather forced and I ended up irritated rather than amused. "

" I do like how it is written, always with full names and repeated phrases. The characters are likable, but most of the book is depressing and it could be longer! "

" Sometimes very funny and other times very strange. "