It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 22, 2014

This meme starts at Book Journey!

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I had another good, semi-busy week at work. There were three nice parties, including lunch for my office. Weather looks like it will be wet this week so it will be nice to stay home, close to the fire after a few half days at the office.

Reading was good and the ones I am currently reading are really engaging! I finished three books and posted four reviews, one with a giveaway. I also posted a "help me pick giveaway" and all the usual memes. 

I visited a good group of sites again early in the week. I hope to do so again and more this week since I should have some extra time.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 15, 2014.

• Book Review: Dust World: Undying Mercenaries, Book 2, by B.V. Larson; Sci Fi; my rating 4.5.

• Audible Book Review: Yesterday's Gone: Season 1- Episode 1 by Sean Platt and David Wright; Sci Fi; my rating 3.75.

• Book Review: The Heir by Lynne Stringer; YA, Sci Fi; my rating 4.25.

• Book Review and Tour Giveaway: Hope Rising (Of Love and War) by Stacy Henrie, Christian, Historical Romance; my rating 4.5. Tour Giveaway 10 copies ends 12/18/14.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 19, 2014. Open Worldwide. Ends 12/25/14.

• Help Me Pick eBooks to Read - Comment Giveaway! ends 12/27/14.

• Sharing Beyond Books #182 Comment Giveaway 12/20/14. Open Worldwide. Ends 12/27/14.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement December 21, 2014.
  

Finished Reading:

1. Audible/MP3

Seventh Grave and No Body
Written by: Darynda Jones
Narrated by: Lorelei King
This is another fun episode for Charley and gang.
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle

Hope Rising (Of Love and War)
by Stacy Henrie
This is a lovely, inspirational Historical Romance.
The review is linked above.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audible/MP4

A Yellowstone Christmas: Yellowstone Romance Series
Written by: Peggy L. Henderson
Narrated by: Alexandra Haag
This was a nice story and the history is great.
I will review this week.
I have the first book in this series in my Kindle Library.
I picked this up with another title
on sale with an Audible $10.00 bonus credit.
Publisher's Summary
Aimee Osborne has always looked forward to the Christmas holidays in the 21st century, where she grew up. Now that she lives in the primitive wilderness of 19th-century Yellowstone, she is determined to hold on to some of her traditions.
Daniel Osborne is unfamiliar with many of the customs and beliefs his wife grew up with. Although he doesn't understand her enthusiasm for the holiday, he shares in her joy of the season, and plans to make each Christmas with her memorable.
For Aimee and Daniel, this holiday season might not be the joyous event they hoped for. When an unexpected package arrives at their doorstep, Aimee's plans for the festivities this year might not go off as she envisioned.
When danger threatens his family, Daniel will do what it takes to protect them, and perhaps bring some peace and joy to more than just his wife and children.
©2012 Peggy L Henderson (P)2014 Peggy L Henderson

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle

A Christmas Hope (Of Love and War)
by Stacy Henrie
I am enjoying this easy, charming read. (60% complete.)
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle

The Genome: A Novel
by Sergei Lukyanenko
This is Awesome so far! 
(30% in and I can't wait to get back into it.) 
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audio/MP4

Dreamer's Pool: Blackthorn & Grim, Book 1
Written by: Juliet Marillier
Narrated by: Scott Aiello, Natalie Gold, Nick Sullivan
This is also starting out really well!
I received this title through Audiobook Jukebox.
Publisher's Summary
Award-winning author Juliet Marillier "weaves magic, mythology, and folklore into every sentence on the page" (The Book Smugglers). Now she begins an all-new and enchanting series that will transport readers to a magical vision of ancient Ireland...
In exchange for help escaping her long and wrongful imprisonment, embittered magical healer Blackthorn has vowed to set aside her bid for vengeance against the man who destroyed all that she once held dear. Followed by a former prison mate, a silent hulk of a man named Grim, she travels north to Dalriada. There she'll live on the fringe of a mysterious forest, duty bound for seven years to assist anyone who asks for her help. Oran, crown prince of Dalriada, has waited anxiously for the arrival of his future bride, Lady Flidais. He knows her only from a portrait and sweetly poetic correspondence that have convinced him Flidais is his destined true love. But Oran discovers letters can lie. For although his intended exactly resembles her portrait, her brutality upon arrival proves she is nothing like the sensitive woman of the letters.
With the strategic marriage imminent, Oran sees no way out of his dilemma. Word has spread that Blackthorn possesses a remarkable gift for solving knotty problems, so the prince asks her for help. To save Oran from his treacherous nuptials, Blackthorn and Grim will need all their resources: courage, ingenuity, leaps of deduction, and more than a little magic.
©2014 Juliet Marillier (P)2014 Audible Inc.

I am up to date on my daily Bible reading.
I have disciplined myself each morning to read my Bible passage before I pick up print, Kindle or mp3. I am really enjoying the reading.

I still have Sci Fi  and Christmas titles that will run into January at the rate I am reading. :-) 
I have two reviews to complete so I am pretty much up to date.

Decenber Scheduled:
Completed.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday.
Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I received four audio review titles.
I purchased three audible books - total cost to me $6.33.
I purchased four $.99 kindle titles again this week.
I received one free book from Audible and I added more free kindle titles to my library.

(Although I have gotten to a couple, I still have many author requests to consider and reply to.)

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I received four audio books from Audiobook Jukebox.

Dreamer's Pool: Blackthorn & Grim, Book 1
Written by: Juliet Marillier
Narrated by: Scott Aiello, Natalie Gold, Nick Sullivan
Fantasy- see description above.

Immortality
Written by: Kevin Bohacz
Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
Sci Fi - End of the World Thriller.

The Eighth Day
Written by: Michael O'Neal
Narrated by: Robert Martinez
Thriller - teenagers saving the world.

25 Perfect Days
Written by: Mark Tullius
Narrated by: Dave Thompson
Dystopian Sci-Fi

Won

None

Purchased

I had a $10.00 credit from Audible so I purchased three books on sale at a cost to me of $6.33.

A Yellowstone Christmas: Yellowstone Romance Series
Written by: Peggy L. Henderson
Narrated by: Alexandra Haag
See more info above.

Petticoat Detective

Written by: Margaret Brownley

Narrated by: Jaimee Draperx

Historical from a Christian author.

Silent Night, Holy Night: A Colleen Coble Christmas Collection
Written by: Colleen Coble
Narrated by: Devon O'Day
Two Christmas titles from a Christian author.



I purchased four kindle titles for $.99 each.

The Moth Saga: Books 1 - 3
Daniel Arenson
Sci Fi, Fantasy

A Timeswept Christmas Box Set
Eugenia Riley
Time Travel Christmas stories.

Lovers' Lane: Christmas Romance Boxed Set

Sandra Edwards, Regina Duke, Debra Elizabeth
Six Christmas Romances

Mail-Order Christmas Brides Boxed Set:
Mail-Order Mistletoe Brides\Mail-Order Holiday Brides
Jillian Hart, Janet Tronstad
I like mail-order bride stories and they are for Christmas too.

Free

I received this audiobook free from Audible:

The Snow Queen
Written by: Hans Christian Andersen
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
The Snow Queen will be free until January 31, 2015.


Over the past week I downloaded** (**Note this means I have added them to my library to read "someday") another 51 free Kindle titles. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.