Sunday Post August 4, 2019/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday August 5, 2019

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date (at Wordpress).

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 ended up with three and a half days out of work after suffering a scratch and bacterial infection in my right eye.
I am very near sighted and wear mono vision lenses: left for close up and right for distance. The first two days it was hard to keep my eye open. I saw the doctor Thursday and he was pleased with the healing. He still recommended that I not wear contacts for several days. My glasses are only intended for morning and night before I put my contacts in and when I take them out. It was difficult to adjust to the straight correction (non mono vision). The doctor suggested that I could use magnifying glasses clipped inside (or sitting inside) my glasses. It's not pretty but it has helped so I could do some computer work.
I spent half of Saturday listening to my books while cleaning closets and drawers, removing clothing that no longer fits, and sewing on missing buttons.

Hubby was nice to drive me around to doctor's visits and stopping at office to sign payroll.
This week we have had weather in the 90s again plus several thunder storms passing through.We are expecting a week of 95+ days. Welcome to August!

I had a good week of reading/listening, finishing four titles: 1 audiobook, 2 ebook and 1 pdf report. I posted three reviews on the blog and posted my usual memes.

I visited 17 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to Whatever I Think Of! Jamie shares book challenges, writing tips and thoughts and other things.
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post July 28, 2019/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday July 29, 2019.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (Dramatized) by Douglas Adams; Genre: Humor, Plays, Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.5.

• NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym Martineau; Genre: Action and Adventure, Romantic Fantasy; My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway August 2, 2019. Open Worldwide. Ending 8/1/2019.

• NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: Birds of a Feather by Vanita Oelschlager, Robin Hegan (Illustrator); Genre: Children, Illustrated, Kindergarten - 3; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement August 4, 2019.

Finished Reading:
1. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Curse of the Pharaohs
The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 2
By: Elizabeth Peters
Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
Series: Amelia Peabody, Book 2
Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
This is a nice, easy listen.
Source: July 2007 Audible Purchase.
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Space Dragons
by Robin Bennett
This is fun and good for the target audience.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

3. eBook/Computer (NG2019)

The Mueller Report
The Findings of the Special Counsel Investigation
By: Robert S. Mueller III, Special Counsel's Office U.S. Department of Justice
Narrated by: Marc Vietor, Mark Boyett, Victor Bevine
Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins.
Definitely a slog, but informative.  
Source: Free Audible June 2019. I had downloaded the pdf from justice.gov but the same pdf comes with the audiobook.
Click on book title for full description.

4. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle:(Bluebell Castle, Book 1)
by Sarah Bennett
This is delightful.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

Currently Reading:
1. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

No Other Will Do (Ladies of Harper's Station Series, Book #1)
by Karen Witemeyer
Narrator Johanna Parker
Runtime 11 Hrs. - Unabridged
Release Date October 13, 2016
I chose a book without bad language and was pulled right into this one. I am almost done!
Source: Sale at ChristianAudio.com July 2017.
Description:
Men are optional. That's the credo Emma Chandler's suffragette aunts preached and why she started a successful women's colony in Harper's Station, Texas. But when an unknown assailant tries repeatedly to drive them out, Emma admits they might need a man after all. A man who can fight--and she knows just the one. Malachi Shaw finally earned the respect he craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma's plea arrives, he bolts to Harper's Station to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she's not a girl any longer. She's a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn't deserve. As the danger intensifies, old feelings grow and deepen, but Emma and Mal will need more than love to survive.

2. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

The Girl in Red
by Christina Henry
I like fairy tale retellings and Post Apocalyptic so this drew my interest.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a postapocalyptic take on the perennial classic "Little Red Riding Hood"...about a woman who isn't as defenseless as she seems.
It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.
There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.
Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods....

3. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

You Don't Belong Here
by Sean O'Toole
This is a NetGalley title starting with "Y" for Alphabet goal. Also, I like the idea of the story.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
Two muskrat brothers become displaced due to a storm and end up in a lady’s backyard. They make a big mess back there, and the lady decides it’s time for them to go. She calls a pest control company who comes and sets traps to catch them. He catches one of the muskrats and relocates him in a forest near a pond. He and his brother had never been apart before, and now he was all alone in an unfamiliar place. Some other animals approached him while he was drinking from the pond. They had never seen a muskrat before and were not as welcoming as he would have liked—until the muskrat proved himself worthy of living there by helping the animals defeat a dangerous foe. The other animals realized that he had some unique qualities and skills and did in fact belong at the pond, and they became friends. And someone special may have rejoined the muskrat to make for a happy ending.

4. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Ember War
Publisher's Pack, Books 1-2
By: Richard Fox
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
Series: The Ember War, Book 1-2
Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
This is another pulled from my TBR.
Source: November 2016 Audible Sale.
Publisher's Summary
The Ember War, book 1: The Earth is doomed. Humanity has a chance.
In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission: to determine if humanity has what it takes to survive the impending invasion by a merciless armada. The probe discovers Marc Ibarra, a young inventor who holds the key to a daring gambit that could save a fraction of Earth's population. Humanity's only chance lies with Ibarra's ability to keep a terrible secret and engineer the planet down the narrow path to survival. Earth will need a fleet. One with a hidden purpose. One strong enough to fight a battle against annihilation.
The Ember War is the first installment in an epic military sci-fi series. If you enjoyed A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo and The Last Starship by Vaughn Heppner, then you'll love this explosive adventure with constant thrills and high stakes from beginning to end.
The Ruins of Anthalas, book 2: An ancient holocaust holds the key to humanity's survival.
Only a sliver of mankind survived the Xaros invasion. With Earth's defenses in ashes, nothing can stop the aliens' inevitable return. Hope arrives through a cryptic message from a long-lost alien race, promising the means to rebuild the shattered space fleet. Captain Valdar takes one of the last strike carriers, the Breitenfeld, and his shell-shocked crew on a desperate mission to the dead world. Unfortunately humans aren't the only power that received the ancient message....
The Ruins of Anthalas is the second book in The Ember War Saga, a military sci-fi space opera. If you like David Weber and John Ringo with a touch of Isaac Asimov, then you'll love this fast-paced and captivating adventure where humanity survives at the edge of a knife.
©2015 Richard Fox (P)2016 Podium Publishing

Audio/Smartphone (ATBR) -- Set Aside

A Hymn Before Battle
Legacy of the Aldenata
By: John Ringo
Narrated by: Marc Vietor
Series: Legacy of the Aldenata, Book 1
Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
I stopped at 31% as I wasn't particularly engaged. Maybe I'll get back to it another time.
Source: July 2011 Audible Purchase.
Publisher's Summary
With Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the Galactic Federation offers help to the backward humans - for a price. You can protect yourself from your enemies, but God save you from your allies!
©2001 John Ringo (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

August 4, 2019 - I am still enjoying the devotions and readings with the One Year Bible plan through You Version App. I finished a 3 day study, Serve One Another. I plan to pick out a new study this week. [You can check out audio of the One Year Bible Plan on the companion commentary online.]

I completed four books and posted three reviews. I am up to date with the four reviews to post this week.
I have been adding newer reviews to NetGalley, Goodreads, Amazon and Audible. (Eventually I will add older reviews.)
My NetGalley shelf is at 13 unread. I am now reading titles released in June and I still have one older. [Plus I have 4 old titles (2012-13.)]
I still have four author ebook titles in queue. I didn't read one in July so I have to pull one or two in August.
Still many titles through InstaFreebie and many new author requests I haven't replied to.

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 (yours truly). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
I received three new review titles this week through NetGalley.
I picked up seven audiobooks - two free from Christianaudio.com; one Audible with Kindle book and four at Audible Sale.
I selected 10 free kindle titles this week. (Note these are in my Amazon library, NOT on my Kindle until I download and transfer them.) Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I received three more titles from NetGalley:
7/29/19
Someone to Honor
by Mary Balogh
"First appearances deceive in the newest charming and heartwarming Regency romance in the Westcott series..."
I have read several in this series and really enjoy Mary Balogh's works.

7/30/19

The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice

by Donna Kauffman; Kate Angell; Allyson Charles
"Every autumn, Moonbright, Maine, is the picture of charm with its piles of crisp leaves, flickering jack-o’-lanterns … and a touch of the sweetest kind of enchantment. "
I saw this at Bookfan and was pulled in.

8/01/19

 

Nothing to Fear
by Juno Rushdan
"Every move they make counts. And the real traitor is always watching..."
I really enjoyed book 1 and am glad to continue.

Won

NONE

Purchased

8/3/2019 I have been eyeing this series for some time. My son texted that the Kindle was on sale for free. I picked up the Kindle book for free and Audible Book for $1.99.
The Black Star of Kingston
By: S. D. Smith
Narrated by: Eric Fritzius
Series: Tales of Old Natalia , Book 1, The Green Ember, Book 0.5
Length: 2 hrs and 8 mins


8/4/19 Audible Sale $5.00 each. (I determined I would spend up to $20.00 and I found these four picks.)


Journey to the Center of the Earth: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry
By: Jules Verne
Narrated by: Tim Curry
Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
Release date: 03-01-11




Fuzzy Nation
By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, John Scalzi - introduction
Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
Release date: 05-10-11




Redshirts
A Novel with Three Codas
By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
Release date: 06-05-12

The Space Between
An Outlander Novella
By: Diana Gabaldon
Narrated by: Davina Porter
Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
Release date: 05-30-14

Free

8/02/19 ChristianAudio.com August Free title.
Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World
by Emily P. Freeman



7/28/19 ChristianAudio.com July Free title.
Grace Abounding To The Chief Of Sinners
by John Bunyan


I added 10 free titles this week to my Kindle library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.