Sunday Post January 1, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 2, 2023

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.

Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a lovely two weeks while I was away from computer visiting family. I only opened the computer to assist Heather with a couple of work related files.

I drove to Illinois to visit my son and his family since my d-i-l is having surgery for the returned cancer on January 3. It was too much for the five of them to drive down.
My eldest granddaughter here in Florida went up with me. She just had her 15th birthday so doesn't have her learners driving permit yet but maybe next visit she can help drive the 787 miles.
I took three days up and back instead of the usual two. Going up I was worried about driving in snow and ice. Fortunately, the highways were cleared and I had only a short time driving through light snow flurries. Coming home was not so nice as we drove several hours through rain. 

The only bad snow was at our hotel the second night. This made it hard to walk the dogs!
Long haired and fluffy Bear almost played in the snow, but short haired Princess could barely keep her feet down.

My Illinois grandchildren each gave me a special gift - a "beautiful Grandma" cup for my daily coffee or tea, a make-up sponge to help me look better, and a fluffy pen because "Grandma writes a lot".

Have you made any New Year Resolutions? Mine is: more decluttering, which may include less computering. I'll be setting up some goals for reading but may do less blogging.

My prayers include prayers for more unity in all nations and a calmer atmosphere in 2023.

I am so glad to be home. I drove a short two hours the storm day (Thursday 12/22) but that meant I set out to face 5 and 1 degree weather (-9 wind chill) and snow - brrrr.
It warmed up after Christmas and I returned home to temps in the 60s with a range this week from low of 37 to  high of 76.

I wish everyone a Year full of health, peace, and love - which are the best features of prosperity!

I finished five audios plus my 2022 Bible plan. I barely turned on the computer this trip so I could spend more time with the family and less online.

I did no visiting over the past two weeks.
No Shout outs until I get settled in to computing again. I hope you continue to enjoy visiting blog friends.

Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

• Sunday Post December 18, 2022/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 19, 2022.

• No Friday Post - Traveling.
  

• First Book of the Year 2023: The Return of the Gods by Jonathan Cahn.
  

• Sunday Words of Encouragement January 1, 2023 - God's Expectations.
  

Finished Reading:

1. Audible Smartphone (A2022)

Joy to the Wolves
By Terry Spear
Narrated By: Mackenzie Cartwright
Duration: 10 h 28 min
I enjoyed the mystery and the distrust turning to romance elements.

Source: 9/26/2021 Audiobooks.com Two for One Credit.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Crisis Shot: The Line of Duty, Book 1
By: Janice Cantore
Narrated by: Alice Anne English
Series: The Line of Duty, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
I enjoyed this Christian police procedure thriller and will want to get more in the series.
Source: 1/2021 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
Tess O'Rourke dreams of becoming the first female chief of police in Long Beach, California. As commander of the East Division, she is well on her way...until the night she responds to an officer-needs-assistance call and fatally shoots an unarmed teenager. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury, Tess is so hounded by the public that she takes a job in Oregon to escape the bad press.
Winning over the residents of Rogue's Hollow might be more difficult than adjusting to her new role as police chief in the small backwater town - especially when her closest friend, the pastor's wife, goes missing and the woman's cousin is found shot. Tess finds an ally in sheriff's deputy Steve Logan, but as they track down Rogue's Hollow's first murderer, she worries that she's breaking one of her rules and getting too close to him.
©2017 Janice Cantore (P)2017 Two Words Publishing LLC

3. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

North! Or Be Eaten
The Wingfeather Saga, Book 2
By: Andrew Peterson
Narrated by: Andrew Peterson
Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
Release date: 01-05-21
This was good adventure and I was able to watch the earlier book (now a series on Angel Studios) with my grandchildren.
Source: 4/8/2021 March Audible Credit.
Click on book title for full description.

4. YouVersion Bible App on Smartphone (2022)

BibleProject | One Story that Leads to Jesus
358 Days
I started this in January 2022 and continued to complete it.
Source: YouVersion Bible Plan.
One Story that Leads to Jesus is a plan designed by BibleProject to inspire and equip you to read through the entire Bible in one year. This plan incorporates over 150 animated videos to engage you in the Bible’s brilliant literary design and flow of thought. Choose this one-year reading plan for an epic learning journey that helps you experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus.
Publisher
We would like to thank BibleProject for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://bibleproject.com

5. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

The Secret, Book & Scone Society
By: Ellery Adams
Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
Series: The Secret, Book & Scone Society, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
I had seen mixed reviews but I enjoyed this easy listen mystery.
Source: 5/6/18 Audible Daily Deal $2.95.
Publisher's Summary
Miracle Springs is a place of healing. Strangers flock there hoping that the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. And, if none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That's Nora's special talent: prescribing the perfect novel to ease a person's deepest pain and lighten their heaviest burden.
But when a visiting businessman reaches out to Nora for guidance, he's found dead on the train tracks before he can keep their appointment. Determined to uncover the truth behind the businessman's demise, Nora forms the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, and, as the society works to untangle the web of corruption surrounding the murder, they also discover their own courage, purpose, and a sisterhood that will carry them through every challenge.
©2017 Ellery Adams (P)2017 Dreamscape Media, LLC

6. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Navigating the Stars
Sentinels of the Galaxy, Book 1
By: Maria V. Snyder
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
Release date: 01-17-19
I loved other series by this author. I don’t know why it took me so long to enjoy this well written start to another series.
Source: 1/15/2020 December Audible Credit.
Publisher's Summary
“The answer is no, Lyra”, my mother utters her favorite - I swear - phrase.
No means I have to travel with them to another planet - again.
No means leaving all my friends 50 years in the past. Thanks, Einstein.
Seventeen-year-old Lyra Daniels can’t truly blame Einstein or her parents for their impending move across the Milky Way Galaxy. It’s all due to the invention of the Q-net, which made traveling the vast distances in space possible - with one big caveat: the time dilation. But that never stopped Lyra's ancestors from exploring the Milky Way, searching for resources and exoplanets to colonize. What they didn’t expect to find is life-sized terracotta warriors buried on 21 different exoplanets...Make that 22.
As the Galaxy’s leading experts on the warriors, Lyra's parents are thrilled by the new discovery, sending them - and her - 50 years into the future. Her social life in ruins, she fills her lonely days by illegally worming into the Q-net. The only person close to her age is the annoyingly irresistible security officer who threatens to throw her into the brig.
After the planet they just left goes silent - meaning no communications from them at all - security has bigger problems to deal with than Lyra, especially when vital data files go missing. But that's just the beginning, because they’re not as alone as they thought on their new planet...and suddenly time isn't the only thing working against them.
©2018 Maria V. Snyder (P)2019 Maria V. Snyder

Currently Reading:

1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

The Return of the Gods
By: Jonathan Cahn
Narrated by: Lawrence Richardson
Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
I chose this for my First Book of 2023.
Source: 12/3122 Audible Credit.
Publisher's Summary
In The Return of the Gods, Cahn takes the listener on a journey from an ancient parable, the ancient inscriptions in Sumer, Assyria, and Babylonia that become the puzzle pieces behind what is taking place in our world to this day, specifically in America.
The mystery involves the gods. Who are they? What are they? And is it possible that these beings, whose origins are from ancient times, are the unseen catalysts of modern culture?
Is it possible that these gods lie behind the most pivotal events, forces, and movements taking place in our nation and around the world at this very moment? Are the gods at this very moment transforming our culture, our children, our lives, and America itself?
Could this mystery have even determined the exact days on which Supreme Court decisions had to be handed down?
What is the Dark Trinity?
Is it possible that what we in the modern world take as nothing more than ancient mythology could actually possess a reality beyond our fathoming?
Who is the Possessor? The Enchanter? The Destroyer? And the Sorceress?
Could a sign that has appeared all over America and the world be linked to the gods of Mesopotamia? And if so, what does it actually mean?
Could the gods have returned to New York City and an ancient mythology played out on the streets in real time?
Is it possible that the gods lie behind everything from what appears on our computer monitors, our televisions and movie screens; to the lessons given in our classrooms; to the breakdown of the family; to wokism; to the occult; to our addictions; to the Supreme Court; to cancel culture; to children's cartoons; to every force and factor that has transformed the parameters of gender; to that which appears in our stores, on our T-shirts, and on our coffee mugs—to that which is, at this very moment, transforming America and much of the world? Is it possible that behind all these things are ancient mysteries that go back to the Middle East and ancient Mesopotamia? This and so much more, most of which we can't even reveal in this description, will be uncovered.
Is it possible that the gods are even affecting your life right now? How can you recognize it? And what can you do about it?
The Return of the Gods is not only one of the most explosive books you'll ever listen to but also one of the most profound. It will reveal the most stunning secrets and truths behind what is happening before your eyes in America and the nations. You will see things, even in your world, in a whole new light. With such chapters as “The House of Spirits,” “The Avatar,” “The Masters,” “The Deep Magic,” and “The Day of the Goddess,” The Return of the Gods will take listeners on a fascinating, unforgettable, and mind-blowing journey that will leave them stunned and with the ability to see the world as they never have before.
Be prepared to be blown away as you open up Jonathan Cahn's most explosive book ever, The Return of the Gods!
©2022 Jonathan Cahn (P)2022 Frontline

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

At Love's Command
By: Karen Witemeyer
Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
Release date: 06-09-20
I am enjoying this Historical Romance.
I started this on the drive home but set it aside to listen to First Book.
12/18/2021 November Audible Credit.
Publisher's Summary
Haunted by the horrors of war, ex-cavalry officer Matthew Hanger leads a band of mercenaries known as Hanger's Horsemen who have become legends in 1890s Texas. 
They defend the innocent and obtain justice for the oppressed. But when a rustler's bullet leaves one of them at death's door, they're the ones in need of saving. Dr. Josephine Burkett is used to men taking one look at her skirts and discounting her medical skills. What she's not used to is having a man change his mind in a heartbeat and offer to assist her in surgery. Matthew Hanger's dedication to his friend during recovery earns Josephine's respect, and when she hears of her brother's abduction, he becomes her only hope for rescue. 
Matt has stared down ruthless outlaws, betrayal, and injury, but when a bossy lady doctor crawls under his skin, his heart is tempted to surrender. And when she is caught in the crossfire, he may have to sacrifice everything - even his team - to save her.
©2020 Karen Witemeyer (P)2020 Recorded Books

I am still trying to decide if I want to read older TBR, pick from alphabet or go with all the favorites in series I have waiting! I have to start organizing my 2023 reading lists. 


January 1, 2023 -  I have started a new plan in YouVersion.  I totally enjoyed watching the devotion videos so I am doing another BibleProject plan: The Full Story - "From the beginning to the Amen" .  I have never done a Chronological reading before. I think I will enjoy it.

I finished five audio titles and reviewed none. I am now behind 10 reviews (not likely to get to the 7 children's books any time soon). I plan to work on year end posts and maybe a review in between.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I have five titles from NetGalley.
I still have 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.
I picked three new (listen now) review titles this week through NetGalley.
I selected my two December credit books at Audible.
I found two titles at Chirp that I purchased at $.99 each.
I got two free Kindle title this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

Three books from NetGalley:

Iconoclasm
A Survival Guide in the Post-Pandemic Economy
by Tony Zorc
Narrated by Tony Zorc
Listening Length: 3 hours and 41 minutes
This business/leadership book sounded interesting to me.

The Prayer Warrior
by Traci Wooden-Carlisle, D. Tina Batten
Narrated by Anita Faye Thomas
Listening Length: 5 hours and 33 minutes
I enjoy Christian spiritual intrigue.

Coup de Grâce
by Paul L. Centeno
Narrated by Rob Jones UK
Listening Length: 10 hours and 40 minutes
This is steampunk adventure and I’ve enjoyed this author before.

Won

NONE

Purchased

12/31/2022 Two Year end purchases at Chirp for $.99 each.

Christmas at Cozy Holly Inn
Written by Meredith Summers
Narrated by Hollis McCarthy
Run Time: 7h 9min
This is my last Christmas title pick for 2022.

Saltwater Cove
Written by Amelia Addler
Narrated by Amy Dannenmueller
Run Time: 4h 36min
I liked the sound of this contemporary, second chance romance.


12/31/2022 Two December Audible Credit picks:

The Return of the Gods
By: Jonathan Cahn
Narrated by: Lawrence Richardson
Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
See above - I chose this for my First Book of 2023.

The Great Reset
Joe Biden and the Rise of Twenty-First-Century Fascism
By: Glenn Beck, Justin Trask Haskins
Narrated by: Glenn Beck
Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
I’ve been meaning to read this so I picked it up to be a TBR going into 2023.


KINDLE TITLES: I honestly can't recall where I saw these.
12/19/22

Cold Star: The Carina Series (The Carina Reality Book 1)
by R C Ducantlin




12/27/22

The Meaning in Mistletoe: A Heartwarming, Holiday Romance (Book #4) (A Poppy Creek Novel)
by Rachael Bloome



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