Sunday Post December 27, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 28, 2020

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.

We closed the office mid afternoon on Wednesday and I actually have not worked for the past three days! (But I am ready to get back on Monday morning.

Hubby was expecting to have a quiet Christmas Day to ourselves but a friend offered to bring dinner and I didn't want him to have to cook. Heather and our three grands from Panama City Beach joined the lunch/dinner and we ended with a group of ten. I did minimal decorating.

That is a picture of the dishes our friend brought. None of us got a picture after they were opened but there was ham, chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, stuffing, and sweet potato casserole. In the kitchen there were greens and black eyed peas.
And on the counter are cookies, pecan pie and cheesecake in the fridge. All homemade!

We had two cold days and for an hour or so Christmas morning we thought the heater wasn't working.

WISHING YOU A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I enjoyed my reading and listening last week. I had three Christmas books and one thriller: two audios and two ebooks. I posted three reviews, my usual memes and two Christmas posts.
Countdown to finish challenges:
TBR and Goodreads Goals Completed this week!
Audio Alphabet Goal finished with a title with X in it.

I visited 16 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to Books and Livres. IzaBzh works in a Paris library and gets to read a lot on trains. She has already posted her 2021 reading goals.

Don't forget- Audible is offering free children's titles during these days at home.
Audiobooks.com is also offering free listens for children.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post December 20, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 21, 2020.

• ebTBR- Book Review: Cold Feet: A Short Story for Christmas (Hand-Me-Downs Book 2) by Meggan Haller; Genre: Christmas, Young Adult, Short Story; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

• ATBR- Audio Book Review: Pupcakes: A Christmas Novel by Annie England Noblin; Genre: Animals, Women's Divorce, Romance; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 3.75.

• Notice of Delay for Friday Pick.

• Blessings for Christmas Eve 2020.

• Merry Christmas 2020.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 25, 2020- Posted December 26, 2020. Open Worldwide. Ending 12/31/2020.

• ebTBR- Book Review: Thomas & the Christmas Orange: Storybook Advent Calendar Singles by Lewis Brech; Genre: Children, Christmas, Classic; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0.

• Sharing Beyond Books #411 Comment Giveaway December 27, 2020. Open Worldwide. Ending 1/9/2020.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement December 27, 2020.

Finished Reading:
1. Kindle App on Phone (ebTBR)

Message in a Bauble (Big Honey Dog Mysteries #3)
by H.Y. Hanna
This was a fun little Christmas mystery with dogs as the stars!
Source: Free Kindle November 2014.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

You're Next
By: Gregg Hurwitz
Narrator: Scott Brick
Duration: 14 hrs and 1 min
This is a gripping suspense thriller.
Source: Audible 8/31/2017 sale $4.95.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Kindle App on Phone (ebTBR)

Miss Kane's Christmas
(Christmas Central #1)
by Caroline Mickelson
This is a cute, light romance with Christmas magic.
Source: Free Kindle December 2012.
With Christmas only three days away, Carol Claus agrees to her father's request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book 'Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea'.
Posing as Miss Kane, the children's new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa's only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists?

4. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

Snowbound at Christmas, (Montana Men #5.5)
by Jennifer Ryan, Maisey Yates, Lia Riley
Narrators: Lillian Thayer, Coleen Marlo and Carly Robins
Duration: 7 hours 56 minutes
The first story was fine but the other two were a little too sexy for my tastes.
Source: Sale Audiobooks.com December 2019.
When a snowstorm pummels the western half of the country, three couples find once off-limits love just in time for Christmas. An unforgettable holiday anthology from bestselling authors Jennifer Ryan, Maisey Yates, and Lia Riley.
Close to Perfect: A Montana Men Novella by Jennifer Ryan
At sixteen, Abigail gave Dex the gift of a lifetime, but the cost of it was more than he ever knew. Now she's back in town with a secret that has been ten years in the making and this time it's Dex's turn to make the ultimate sacrifice or risk losing her forever.
Snowed in at Copper Ridge: A Copper Ridge Novella by Maisey Yates
Mia Landry has always had it bad for brooding cowboy Devlin Grayson. Too bad he's her best friend's older brother. But when they find themselves snowed in at Copper Ridge Lodge, Mia finally has the chance to tell the man of her dreams exactly what she wants... him.
Hot Winter's Night: A Brightwater Novella by Lia Riley
While Brightwater is being covered in snow, Goldie Flint is stuck in her flower shop. She never expected her hero to be Kit Kane, the former love of her life. Kit knows that what he had with Goldie isn't just in the past and with the help of a little bet, an ornery grandmother, and a lot of snow, he's ready to show her that what he really wants for Christmas is a second chance.

Currently Reading:
1. Paperback/TBR

Coming Home for Christmas
(Haven Point #10)
by RaeAnne Thayne
This may take a bit of time to read but it is interesting.
Source: Won from Bookfan in 2019.
Hearts are lighter and wishes burn a little brighter at Christmas…
Elizabeth Hamilton has been lost. Trapped in a tangle of postpartum depression and grief, she couldn’t quite see the way back to her husband and their two beautiful kids…then a car accident stole away her memories. When she finally remembered the sound of little Cassie’s laugh, Bridger’s baby-powder smell and the feel of her husband’s hand in hers, Elizabeth reasoned that they’d moved on without her. That perhaps she wasn’t the right mother for her kids or wife for Luke, no matter how much she loved them.

But now, seven years later, Luke discovers her in a nearby town and brings Elizabeth back home to the family she loves, just in time for Christmas. Being reunited with Luke and her children is better than anything Elizabeth could have imagined. As they all make new holiday memories, Elizabeth and Luke are drawn ever closer. Can the hurt of the past seven years be healed over the course of one Christmas season and bring the Hamiltons the gift of a new beginning?

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Solitude
Dimension Space, Book One
By: Dean M. Cole
Narrated by: R.C. Bray, Julia Whelan
Series: Dimension Space, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

I was ready for a sci fi hit and this is moving quickly!
Source: 4/9/19 Audible Daily Deal $2.95.
From the Bestselling Author of the Sector 64 Series!
I Am Legend meets Gravity and The Martian when Earth's last man discovers that the last woman is stranded alone aboard the International Space Station. If you like action-packed, page-turning novels, you'll love the electrifying action in this apocalyptic thriller.
Can Humanity's Last Two Unite?
Separated by the gulf of space, the last man and woman of the human race struggle against astronomical odds to survive and unite.
Army Aviator Vaughn Singleton is a highly intelligent, lazy man. After a last-ditch effort to reignite his failing military career ends horribly, Vaughn becomes the only human left on Earth.
Stranded alone on the International Space Station, Commander Angela Brown watches an odd wave of light sweep across the planet. Over the next weeks and then months, Angela struggles to contact someone on the surface, but as she fights to survive aboard a deteriorating space station, the commander glimpses the dark underpinnings of humanity's demise.
After months alone, Vaughn discovers there is another. Racing against time, he must cross a land ravaged by the consequences of humankind's sudden departure.
Can Vaughn find a path to space and back? Can Angela—the only person with clues to the mystery behind humanity's disappearance—survive until he does?

3. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Murder on New Year's Eve
A Ridgeway Rescue Mystery, Book 1
By: P. Creeden
Narrated by: Shaniese Reyes
Length: 1 hr and 11 mins
Release date: 08-15-19
I saved this quick listen for this week. :-)
Source: Sale at Audible November 2019 $5.99.
Publisher's Summary
Ridgeway Rescue Mysteries can be enjoyed in one to two hours. Perfect for when you're waiting for an appointment or just want a fast listen. Don't miss out on this quick, clean, cozy mystery that will keep you guessing until the end!
It's New Year’s Eve, and 20-year-old Emma Wright has a date with her crush - well, not a real date, but she can dream! Colby Davidson, the K9 search and rescue deputy, is allowing her to accompany him while he’s on patrol at the Ridgeway Illumination Festival. Though they are just friends, she’s still hoping for a possible kiss at the end of the festivities.
When a stranger asks them to help take some pictures at the event, Emma and Colby are happy to oblige. But their assistance turns them into alibis for the man’s whereabouts while his girlfriend was killed. Most of the clues point to a robbery gone bad, but Emma doesn’t believe all of them point that way. Was it really a robbery, or was it murder?
©2018 Pauline Creeden (P)2019 Pauline Creeden

AND I have my book picked out for First Book 2021!

December 27, 2020 - I will finish the Bible again this week. Wonderful how it is new every morning even when it is familiar. There is always a new thing to learn.
I have enjoyed the devotions and readings with the One Year Bible plan through You Version App. Hubby still wants me to read the same version he follows but it is not on You Version so we are slightly off in the reading plans.
I will likely pick a New Year's study this week.

I completed four books, posted three reviews and I continue to be up to date.
I added eight more NetGalley titles so that gives me 14 plus the three remaining titles from 2012-13.
I tried to space these to two a month through April and included children's books as well.
I have two author titles in queue which will carry over to 2021. (Plus a few that I received from newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests.)
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 picked up eight new NetGalley titles this week preparing for 2021.

I got two audios through Audible two for one credit sale and I got two daily deals. I still have one more credit which I expect to pick before the end of the month.
I also got one audio from Audiobooks.com and three free from Audible Plus.
One free Kindle title 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 four NetGalley titles that I requested:

Day Zero
by C. Robert Cargill
(Dystopian with humans and robots.)

The Quokkas, the Snails, and the Land of Happiness
Eric Geiger, Evie Geiger
(Children's Christian values book.)

Rescuing Harmony Ranch
Jennie Marts
(Clean Romance.)

A Cowboy for Keeps
Jody Hedlund
(Christian, Historical Romance.)

And I picked these four up through READ NOW:

Time of the Rose
by Bonita Clifton
(The genres hit all the right buttons: Historical Fiction | Romance | Sci Fi & Fantasy. It's time travel romance.)

Came A Horseman, A Hard Ride In A Fierce World
by Paul McHugh
(Dystopian Sci Fi and Mystery.)

LOVE
by Corrinne Averiss
(A picture book that sounds good.)

Evolving Elizah: Initiatum
by C.J. Hall
(Post-apocalyptic/dystopian.)

Won

NONE

Purchased

12/27/2020 Audible Two for One Credit Sale:

Ruins of the Galaxy
Ruins of the Galaxy, Book 1
By: J.N. Chaney, Christopher Hopper
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
Release date: 04-28-20

Black Sheep
A Space Opera Adventure (Flight of the Javelin, Book 1)
By: Rachel Aukes
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
Release date: 06-16-20

12/21/2020 Audible Daily Deal $3.95.

The Summer House
By: James Patterson, Brendan DuBois
Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins


12/24/2020 Audible Daily Deal $2.95.

The Messenger: The Messenger, Book 1
J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Free

This was a different pick from Audiobooks.com December VIP.

The Hotel Where We Met
Written By: Belinda Jones
Narrated By: Jessica Preddy
Date: November 2019
Duration: 6 hours 59 minutes
(A romantic Comedy - time travel.)

12/21/2020 Titles from Audible Plus Downloads:

What Happens Next? Conversations from MARS
By: Adam Savage
Narrated by: Adam Savage
Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins

Spring Clean
By: Dina Gregory
Narrated by: Nneka Okoye
Length: 4 mins


Found at Audible Plus Catalog - seen at Inside of a Dog.
The first three books in Vorkosigan Saga
By: Lois McMaster Bujold
Narrated by: Grover Gardner

One Free Kindle Title (through the author newsletter)

Mall I Want for Christmas is You: A Mall Santa Holiday Standalone Romance
Sarah Robinson



One free Kindle title this week. Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.