Sunday Post December 11, 2022/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 12, 2022

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 spent Monday in Panama City Beach taking Heather to the emergency room. She had fever spikes of 104 and 105 over the weekend and a sharp pain along her left arm. They tested her for Covid, Flu, and Strep and she was positive for Strep. They gave her a shot and sent us home with prescriptions. As of Wednesday she was no better and had broken out in hives. She got a telahealth visit with her doctor on Thursday who determined she may have reacted to the penicillin in the prescription. (My eldest brother and I are both allergic to penicillin so it seems to have a genetic reaction.) They ordered a different antibiotic and she was doing better by Saturday.

Needless to say, I had to pick up on her work for the closings and fundings during the week. That put my work behind another several days. *Sigh.*

Our Marianna Woman's Club (MWC)  Bids, Bows and Mistletoe Auction on Tuesday was great fun and a successful fund raiser! We were very pleased.

Here is the girls' (daughter and granddaughters) shopping picture
from Saturday a week ago.

My prayers include prayers for more unity in all nations. I am enjoying the advent season and keeping in mind the "reason for the season".

Most of the weather this past week was nice but we had a terrible blanket of fog on Thursday night. My distance contact eye was being blurry as well as the inside of the car being fogged. I could barely drive home and almost called my assistant to drive me.

This coming week our day temps will be a little cooler - 57 to 72 - with rain several days.

This week I enjoyed two (almost three) more audios. I posted three reviews and my regular Memes.

I visited 17 blogs last week.
Shout out this week to BOOK DEN. Interesting that Jennifer lists Horror first in her reading genres.  But she includes "fantasy, science fiction, and more"! Check out some of her choices.

Audible offerings for free children's titles ended June 30, 2021.
Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

These were the posts last week:

• Sunday Post December 4, 2022/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 5, 2022.

• Martha's BookShelf Friday Pick December 9, 2022 Giveaway. Open Worldwide. Ending 12/8/2022.
  

• ATBR: Audible Book Review: You Can Thank Me Later by Kelly Harms; Genre: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Grief; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

• ATBR: Audible Book Review: The Cowboys of Copper Mountain: A Christmas Collection by Katherine Garbera, Jane Porter, Melissa McClone; Genre: Anthology, Christmas, Contemporary, Holidays, Romance; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

• ATBR: Audible Book Review: Venus Plus X by Theodore Sturgeon; Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement December 11, 2022 -Glorious Joy!
  

Finished Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (A2022)

'Twas the Knife Before Christmas: A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery, Book 2
By: Jacqueline Frost
Narrated by: Allyson Ryan
Series: A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series, Book 2
Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
Although this is a nice cozy, I had some issues with the primary heroine.
Source: 11/7/22 Audible Plus.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible Smartphone (A2022)

Icequake
By: Crawford Kilian
Narrated by: Tim Campbell
Series: Icequake, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
This is a story of survival against the ice and cold.
I saw this was only available free through 12/20/2022 so I chose to read it.
Source: 11/5 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
A group of 27 scientists and explorers are stranded in Antarctica.
Residing in a station known as Shackleton, they are studying the seismic activity of the region. An eruption of the nearby volcano, Mount Erebus, soon sends quakes throughout the continent with devastating results.
All radio communication has been disabled by the breakdown of the magnetic field. Evacuation is unlikely. No one knows whether they survived the icequake, and their station is now moving two kilometres north each day with the strong aftershocks. They are on their own, with limited food and resources.
Do they stay put and risk being caught in the next series of icequakes and avalanches? Or do they pack up and trek over dangerous territories to the neighbouring station?
Icequake is a gripping prophetic sci-fi disaster novel, full of excitement and danger in every chapter.
©2017 Crawford Kilian (P)2018 Podium Publishing

Currently Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (A2022)

This Fallen World
By: Christopher Woods
Narrated by: Mark Boyett
Series: The Fallen World, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
I am liking the action in this story. I have finished the first two novellas and will likely finish on Monday.
This title also is only available free only through 12/20/2022.
Source: 11/5 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
The world has Fallen, but life goes on....
Matthew Kade was a corporate assassin - one of the best agents Obsidian Corporation had. But then the bombs began falling, and the old world ended. Now he must navigate the new world he finds himself in, a world where the strongest survive, and the weaker do their bidding...or die. 
Kade was always one of the strongest, though, so when a rich man’s daughter goes missing, he turns to Kade to find her and bring her back. But she has already been gone three days, and in the Fallen World, that is an eternity in which any number of things could have happened to her. 
Can Kade - a man with a price on his head - pick up the trail of the young woman and navigate the streets of the city to find her, or will the city’s denizens be the end of him? It will take all of Kade’s abilities to find her and save her life...if he doesn’t lose his first. 
This Fallen World includes three novellas in an exciting new universe by best-selling author Christopher Woods. You’ll want to get it - right now!
©2018 Blood Moon Press (P)2019 Podium Publishing.

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Don't Call Me Ishmael
By: Chris Kennedy
Narrated by: Mark Boyett
Series: The Fallen World, Book 2
Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
This is another story in The Fallen World series and it expires 12/20/22 so I am listening this week.
Source: 11/5 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
Don’t call him Ishmael. Or do; he really doesn’t care. Just don’t call him Fred.
No matter what you call him, though, he has a problem. Well, several of them. Ishmael - for want of a better name - woke up in a world that had changed. The Corporations - the wielders of power in a society not long from now - brought about the end of civilization as we know it, nuking each other to the point where it collapsed. 
Ishmael doesn’t know any of this, though; in fact, he doesn’t know anything about himself when he wakes up in this shattered world. All of his autobiographical and episodic memories are gone, and along with them, any knowledge of who he was or anything in his past. 
Worse, he has made enemies of some very important people, and they are after him. They are armed and he is alone and in...well, he doesn’t know where he is, either. 
Can Ishmael stay alive long enough to recover his memories - to find out who he is and how he fits - or will he be just another casualty of This Fallen World?
©2019 Blood Moon Press (P)2019 Podium Publishing.

I just found several other titles in my library (and not) that are only available until 12/20/22. They appear to be in the sci fi genres I like. I am likely to fit in another of those rather than a Christmas title this week.

December 11, 2022 -  I continue up to date and love that I learn new things each time I read/listen to the scriptures. I get excited watching the devotion videos. The Bible Reading Plan is: BibleProject | One Story that Leads to Jesus. It really soothes me to read/listen to the pieces each day.
I enjoyed and finished the study: 10 Days of Christmas Truths to Live All Year.

I read two audio titles and reviewed three. So I now have 3 (one book is a 4 book boxed set so it either counts for 4 or 1) books to review (plus 7 children's books). I keep working on these. :-)

NETGALLEY STATUS--
Back to the three old ebook titles. I will probably end up letting A Place Called Armageddon go as DNF.
I have one author review in my queue that I need to start reading on my computer.
(Plus a few that I received from Facebook links and 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: Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, me and new to the team, Velvet at vvb32reads. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I tend to fill up on titles in December so they will qualify for TBRs in 2023.
No new review titles this week although I plan to go look at NetGalley this week.
Two for one credit audios from Audiobooks.com.
I selected my December VIP pick at Audiobooks. com.
I found 7 more plus titles from Audible - 4 Christmas and 3 Season titles.
I also got three free Kindle titles this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

12/9/2022 I used a credit for 2 for 1 Holiday Romance titles at Audiobooks.com. They have a wonderful selection, and I may use another credit before the year is over. I chose these two as they are no available at Audible.

A Winter Wedding at Willow Tree Hall
Series: #3 of The Willow Tree Hall Series
Written by: Alison Sherlock
Narrated by: Penny Andrews
Duration: 9 hours 10 minutes

A Christmas Wish and a Cranberry Kiss at the Cosy Kettle
Series: #3 of The Cosy Kettle Series
Written by: Liz Eeles
Narrated by: Jessica Preddy
Duration: 8 hours 26 minutes

Free

12/7/2022 This was my December VIP pick at Audiobooks.com.

Wolf of Wessex
Written by: Matthew Harffy
Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
Duration: 10 hours 43 minutes



12/9/2022 These are more titles from Audible Plus Catalog. Some for Christmas and some for other seasons.

Bright Winter Lights
By: Liz Maverick
Narrated by: Andrew Eiden, Emily Lawrence
Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins

Once Upon a Christmas Carol
By: Karen Schaler
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley, Ryan Paevey, full cast
Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins

The Kidnapped Christmas Bride
By: Jane Porter
Narrated by: Loretta Rawlins
Series: The Taming of the Sheenans, Book 3
Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins

Snow Day
By: Julie Lipson
Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi, Victor Bevine, Fred Berman, Elizabeth Jasicki, Eliza Foss, Kevin Pariseau, Angelo Di Loreto, Clara Francesca, Fulvio Della Volta
Length: 1 hr and 11 mins

A Springtime to Remember
By: Lucy Coleman
Narrated by: Lucy Scott
Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Summer of Secrets
Seasons of the Heart, Book 1
By: Charlotte Hubbard
Narrated by: Susan Boyce
Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Autumn Winds
Seasons of the Heart, Book 2
By: Charlotte Hubbard
Narrated by: Susan Boyce
Series: Seasons of the Heart (Hubbard), Book 2
Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins


KINDLE TITLES:
12/5/2022 Three Kindle titles:

Last Chance Ranch (Last Chance Ranch Romance Book 1)
Liz Isaacson
(I have further books in this series on my Audio TBR.)

The Day He Drove By: Sweet Contemporary Romance (Hawthorne Harbor Romance Book 1)
Elana Johnson

Murder at the Snowed Inn: A Cozy Winter Murder Mystery
(Claire Andersen Murder for All Seasons Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)
Imogen Plimp
(I love the dog on this cover- he is so cute!)


Three new title added to Kindle library. Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Book Adrenaline, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.