More After the Break is 'a grand book'. The premise is really interesting - a journalist revisits ten of the stories she covered over her twenty years in the business - but the book doesn't live up to the promises of the premises. The writer's own ego gets too much in the way of the stories she is revisiting, and (re)introducing her audience to.

I was more than slightly amused when, in the conclusion, Maxfield tells her listener/reader that, when she was writing the book, her editor gently suggested she 'occasionally include' herself. I fear the writer took this too much to heart: One of the elements of the book that grated most on my nerves was how Maxfield - in every essay - reminds us that she has a Master's Degree from Columbia, and manages to centre herself in every story. I know the difference between introspection and self-examination, and virtue-signaling - and 'More After the Break' is more of the former that the latter.

The first chapter - the tale of Paul Esposito, whose legs were sheared off in the Staten Island Ferry Disaster of 2003 - held my attention, as I learned of this survivor, and how his life had been saved by an English nurse who was on the same ferry. Sadly, none of the other eight chapters had the same effect.

All told, this is the kind of book worth reading only if there is no other reading material close to hand.

This listens like a podcast being read by a news reporter. It recaps ten prominent stories that were covered in the career of local News Reporter Jen Maxfield. I tend to shy away from the news as it makes me sad about the state of the world. This was an interesting take on hearing the news from the person who reported it. Jen revisited 10 of the stories that impacted her most and retells them with updates. I think that is usually what is missing in the news, the conclusion, the update, and the "good" news after a tragedy. I enjoyed hearing the conclusions of these horrible tragedies that Jen sought out many years or decades after the fact.

I thought this would be an interesting listen while cleaning around the house and I was curious to learn how people faired years later after their stories were aired. Although this was well written and I appreciated the recap before the "after", it just wasn't for me. It had interesting stories that I enjoyed listening to but honestly, the newscaster voice turned me off listening to it for hours. If she would have spoken in a regular voice I think I would have liked it much better.

Being one who loves to hear “whatever happened to that story” I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From stories I hadn’t heard of to ones that I had forgotten. The fact that these stories affected the author so much that she felt the need to write an out come book gives me some hope in journalism.

I liked it and since I'm working on something similar (going back to stories and their subjects after a gap), I found it educational as well. The chosen stories and the interview subjects are compelling, thought-provoking and optimistic in tone. Even though I believe one has to be personally invested in the aftermath of each subject to be interested in knowing where and how the subject is now, still casual readers can find many amusing details and anecdotes here, even if they simply like non-fiction and general curiosity about journalistic schedules and careers.

Maxfield has a cozy authoritative voice. She ended up following up on the stories given below, after some other former interview subjects refused outright and she was unable to locate the current whereabouts of others:

2003 Staten Island ferry disaster (Paul Esposito, Kerry Griffiths)
2005 Hurricane Katrina survivors
2011 (Alleged) Drunk Driving incident victim Tiffany Jantelle
2011 Cancer Survivors
2012 Domestic Violence attempted homicide (Tamika Holland)
2017: Sayfullo Saipov's terror truck attack in Lower Manhattan (Darren Drake)
2018: East Brook Middle School bus crash
1999: Prisoners incarcerated in Green Haven Prison on drug charges (Penn Univ. student Chris Clemente’ and muscular dystrophy sufferer Terence Stevens) arrest, conviction and incarceration on drug charges.

Some people's predicament will make you cry, the choices of others will infuriate and baffle you. I don't know whether some of Maxfield's opinions are based on her working for liberal TV networks or if she's a Democrat but she is professional in her retellings. The book benefits from the advice from her editor who told her to include her personal life and feelings, juggling a comfortable career and home while reporting on misery, adversity and hope and faith. It made Maxfield sound human than a hound.

She wonders about what happened to Lee Parker — the homeless guy who was given the key to Elizabeth, New Jersey after his action (and that of his friend Ivan White) to handover a trashcan backpack to police averted the bombing of a train station in 2016. Ivan White has since died and Maxfield was unable to find Parker and leaves you wondering how he's doing (if he's still alive and not in trouble).

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All the best to the author.

This book gave a behind-the-scenes perspective of what reporting on major events looks like. The author gave an in depth report on the event and an update to those stories. This was a great book concept, and the author wrote it well, keeping me engaged.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I absolutely loved this book! As somebody who worked a very brief stint in news reporting over a decade ago, I still often think about the people I interviewed and wonder what happened to them after the interview. This book was a great concept with excellent execution. The audiobook added another layer that I enjoyed and that was being able to hear the narrator talk of her memories in her own voice. Most of the stories in this book I don’t remember hearing about even when they initially occurred, but the author did a great job of summarizing the initial news event before going into the “where are they now” portion. I also really respect the author’s transparency in telling these stories, even when they do not show her (and her industry) in the most flattering of ways! Very well done!

This was a fascinating book. I really enjoy "true life" stories - podcasts, books etc. The idea of the journalist going back to some of her stories years later to see what happened to those involved was very interesting. Sometimes people were happy to see her again and others were not at all. Sometimes there are times in our lives that we just never want to go back to ever again. The emotions were deep. I also learnt a lot from this book about events that took place and I had never heard about living on the other side of the world. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC Audiobook.

Audiobook provided by NetGalley.

Audiobook narration - 5 stars
Book - 4 stars

Jen Maxfield, a seasoned television news reporter, delves into the depths of her journalistic career to share ten of the most impactful stories she has covered. Through her recollections, readers are given an intimate look at the human experience and the resilience of the human spirit. The book is a testament to the power of storytelling and the ways in which it can shape our understanding of the world around us.

Maxfield's writing is both raw and authentic, providing readers with a window into the emotions and thoughts of those she has interviewed. The book is divided into two parts, with the first half comprising of stories that left a deep impression on Maxfield and the second half focusing on stories that were particularly difficult to let go of.

One of the most striking aspects of the book is the diversity of stories that Maxfield shares. From heart-wrenching accounts of loss and grief to uplifting tales of triumph and perseverance, the book covers a wide range of human experiences. The author's writing style is also noteworthy, as it is both engaging and easy to read.

One critique of the book is that the audiobook narration is quite "news anchor" like, which is understandable given the author's background as a reporter. However, it would have been nice to hear the stories in a more narrative style, as they are the stories of some truly remarkable individuals. Overall, Jen Maxfield's "More after the break" is an insightful and thought-provoking read that will stay with readers long after they have finished the last chapter.

An excellent audiobook from a subject matter expert in daily and local news.

The stories that Jen featured were so interesting, so thought provoking, and really showed the effort and intimacy Jen puts into her stories and her connections with the people / victims at the center of the stories.

This book was a real glimpse that there are some great people out there, amongst others that do not have good intentions, and our news anchors have the important job of connecting with the good and the bad on the scene to truly get that deeper understanding of what these situations were and will become.

A great collection of news stories beyond what we see on cable.

We don't usually follow up to see what happens to victims, criminals, and perpetrators after the program ends, or after we shut off the TV, or after news about them has been broadcasted. The author, Jen Maxfield, takes us to discover what she does as a reporter behind the scenes and shows us how she connects to some of the people she's reported about.

I was able to listen to this audiobook in around three sittings. I find the subjects and their stories interesting and definitely worth writing about. There are some TMI parts that I feel could be left out... ? Like the part where Jen struggles to get a two bedroom hotel room. Overall I could say I was engaged throughout the audiobook. If you're interested in crime podcasts or would like to see the more humane side of news reporting I think you'd like this.

I listened to the audiobook of this which I loved because it was narrated by the author who obviously has a voice for the media. I found it interesting hearing her side of the stories as I remember growing up seeing these airing on television as I’m from the area that she broadcasted. I love how she revisited the stories instead of just recounting the past. Great quick read. Thank you NetGalley for this one!

More After The Break is such an interesting listen. Narrated by author Jen Maxfield, you can picture the news broadcast as she is sharing the story. I was so intrigued to learn how she was able to get in contact with some of the subjects of her news stories from the past. I’m not sure how reporters do this job, it can be so emotional. Just listening to these stories, I had tears in my eyes multiple times. It is truly heartbreaking the amount of tragedies that exist in our world. Jen did an amazing job at retelling & sharing life updates for the people she reported on many years ago.

Okay. This book is a mixed bag, entirely. I did the audio version of this one and at first I really liked it but by the end I deeply regretted my choice. I "read" this over a 4 day span, breaking it up into a couple chapters the first 3 days and the final 50% the last day. The first 3.5 days everything was fine but because this is a nonfiction book read by a reporter it's read entirely in a "news anchor" voice and that's it. By the end I was completely zoned out and wasn't paying attention to a word of it. Luckily that was only the VERY tail end of it, maybe the last 7% or so, so I may go back and re-listen later. Up until then it was a very good book - I just wish she had used a "normal person" voice and not a "telling the news" voice. 3 stars.

This is a fascinating series of news stories from a journalist who revisits them years after they happened. These were about people she cared enough about to want to follow up on them, to see how their lives had changed after an event brought them in front of broadcast news cameras.

Author Jen Maxfield was a reporter who sought people out for interviews in the immediate aftermath of tragedies. She does express some regret for having used her skills to intrude on the lives of some people who would rather have been left alone. Other people were happy to have someone to talk to, and yet others wanted desperately to get their stories into the news to warn people not to do as they had done.

I enjoyed hearing about Jen Maxfield's experiences and perspectives on her job, and am grateful to have read the book. I was blessed with this as an audiobook offered by Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own, sincerely given.

I really enjoyed this book.

I highly recommend it for news junkies -- especially in you're from the NY/NJ area.
I loved getting a peak behind the curtain and the stories behind the stories.

The narration was well done and compelling.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5212216485

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/af2eb4d6-d166-47a5-be79-a55aa7b80d07

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was so interesting getting to follow up to some big news stories and hearing how things have moved on or changed.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

This was a unique change from most of the books I read or listen to.

“In More After the Break, Jen Maxfield revisits ten memorable stories from her career as a TV news reporter, describing in heart-pounding detail how the events unfolded and revealing what happened after the cameras went away.”

The various stories kept me engaged, but at the same time left me with conflicting emotions regarding media and the news. On one hand, I resent them throwing a mic in front of someone’s face and too often asking ridiculous questions like, “How did you feel when you watched your house burn to the ground?” Yet, if done properly, we all need to know what’s happening in the world.

The follow-up on events that happened in the past was interesting but as much as the follow-up, I liked the author’s self-reflection on her earlier interactions. It helped me understand sensitive journalism.

I definitely recommend this if news and follow-up interviews are something you find interesting. I did, for sure.

My thanks to Greenleaf Audiobooks and Netgalley for this audiobook ARC.

This is quite the recap of stories a reporter remembers and was able to return to during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of them were very emotional both at the time and during the revisiting done for this book. We look into many different circumstances from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to criminal sentencing and even a school bus crash that included fatalities.

I’m happy that these stories were revisited through the author getting into contact with the subjects of the initial stories again. Many of these stories have someone that is still outspoken about the original event which means that hopefully revisiting the stories didn’t cause any unnecessary emotional distress - especially since so many of these stories involved death or severe bodily injuries.

Because this is leaning toward a memoir (at least the way it read to me) I’m going to leave this with no rating as usual for these types of books.

I received this through NetGalley and I will say that there are some pretty heavy triggers involved in this book so look out for that before reading. I was granted an audio copy and it is read by the author which is my preference when it comes to nonfiction books. The emotion is clear in her voice and it’s apparent that she legitimately cares about these people and their families.

Such an interesting look at the lives of the glamorous people we see on tv. Jen Maxfield takes us on a journey through the stories that changed her life and stuck with her throughout her career, and resheds light on cases that may have been overlooked by other media. I thoroughly enjoyed Jen’s stories, hearing some that sounded familiar, while others it was the first time I had heard the story, but every story touched me with Jen’s amazing storytelling