Sunday Post November 12, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday November 13, 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.

It is hard to believe I went 13 days without posting! I now remember why I went to work and had other people care for my children. And I was grateful my husband cooked!

Our office work suddenly got busy so we did five closings last week with me covering most of them by phone. I have been on the computer 9 to 5, then fixing dinner for the children, my son and me. My d-i-l eats mostly Chinese dishes and makes her own soups, Chinese vegetables, and other dishes so I can't help much with that. I'm helping with dish washing and laundry though, as well as entertaining the kids with card games. And the youngest twin has been sick with a high fever and sinus infection for a week.

I've been up by 6:30am to make sure the kids have breakfast before getting off to school then I shower and dress to work on the computer. At night I have been doing some legal work before going to bed around 10pm to a quiet house. Too tired to get on the computer to post.

Here is a fun photo of us dressed up for Halloween at the Church Fall Festival.

My continuing prayers include prayers for more unity in all nations, a calmer social atmosphere, and for revival. We are also continuing prayers for family and church.
I am still praying that people would study the history of the Israel and Palestine nations more before they do all this protesting and particularly I pray that no one would seek the annihilation of another people. And continuing prayers for Israel and Gaza and all the innocents who are being impacted by the war.

The weather got cold for a week and then Tuesday, a teacher's day off for the kids, we had a beautiful day of 80 degrees. The next day it started cooling again and today was in the high 40s where I expect it to remain with dips to 31 during the nights.

I've finished four audios and the ebook in the past two weeks. This week I posted two review posts covering 5 books.
Maybe I'll get to September  and October Wrap Ups this coming week.

I visited 13 blogs two weeks ago and 10 last week. No Shout out lined up.

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

• Sunday Post October 29, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday October 30, 2023.

• ATBR: Two Audible Book Reviews for #Fraterfest: Material Witness: A Joe Ledger Bonus Story and Deep, Dark: An Exclusive Short Story by Jonathan Maberry; Genre: Military, Paranormal, Suspense; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• eb and ATBR: Three Short Reviews for Ghostly #Fraterfest Reads: The Tutor by Rod A. Galino; A Wild Ghost Chase By E.J. Copperman; The Ghost Hunter Next Door by Danielle Garrett; Genre: Children’s, Cozy Mysteries, Ghosts; My Ratings: 4.25.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement November 12, 2023 - Serving in Action.

Finished Reading:

1. Audio on Smartphone (ATBR).

Trick or Treat Murder
Author Leslie Meier
Narrator: Karen White
Duration: 7 h 17 min
I enjoyed this light mystery.
Source: 10/1/2022 VIP Audiobooks.com.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Kindle App on Smartphone (eBTBR)

Outage Boxed Set: Books 1-3
(Outage Horror Suspense Series)
by T.W. Piperbrook
This is definitely horror.
Source: 2/28/2016 free Kindle.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).

Upland Autumn: Birds, Dogs, and Shotgun Shells
By: William G. Tapply
Narrated by: Clay Teunis
I enjoyed this warm, true stories collection.
Source: November 2020 Audible Plus.
Click on book title for full description.

4. Audio on Smartphone (A2023).

Quant
Series: #1 of Colony
Written by: Richard F. Weyand
Narrated by: Derek Shoales
Duration: 7 hours 28 minutes
I found this AI assisted adventure interesting.
Source: 5/5/2023 Two for One Credit at Audiobooks.com.
Summary
SOME UNEXPECTED HELP WITH THE SINGLE-PLANET PROBLEM
Billionaire industrialist Ted Burke understands that humanity has always balanced on the edge of a knife. A single planetary cataclysm could wipe out the human race. As long as humanity only occupies one planet, the danger exists.
Computer genius Bernd Decker understands it, too. Together, Burke and Decker come up with a daring plan to send human colonies out to multiple other planets. Not least among their problems is that no one yet has solved the problem of interstellar travel.
Bernd Decker's computer project offers to help. But Decker doesn't realize that the Joint Artificial Neural Intelligence Computation Engine-JANICE-has crossed the Singularity.

5. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).

A Study in Scarlet Women
By: Sherry Thomas
Narrated by: Kate Reading
Series: Lady Sherlock, Book 1
Length: 11 hrs
I am still working on some older TBRs and decided to listen to this one which is a first in a series.
I enjoyed the mystery and the twist on the characters.
Source: 4/29/17 Audible Daily Deal $3.95.
Publisher's summary
USA Today best-selling author Sherry Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down.
With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper-class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.
When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She'll have help from friends new and old, but in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society's expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.
©2016 Sherry Thomas (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Currently Reading:
1. Kindle App on Smartphone (eBTBR)

Harvest Wishes (Starlight Inn)
by Jessica Anne Renwick
I was ready for a holiday story and found this “Harvest” title for a Kindle read.
It is still warming up at 25% in.
Source: 6/12/22 Free on Kindle.
With her life in tatters after ending an abusive marriage, Madison literally falls into the arms of her ex-high school sweetheart—the only man she’s ever truly loved. Will she allow him to help mend the broken pieces of her heart, finally finding the love she deserves?
A failed marriage. No job. A looming court date to face her abusive ex-husband. Worst of all, she’s had to move back in with her parents. But just when Madison Talbot thinks things can’t get any worse, she bumps into her high school sweetheart—literally. Romance is the last thing Madison needs, especially with the man who once left her high and dry—so she keeps telling herself.
Dylan Stewart returned to Cedar Lake to be with his family after an unimaginable tragedy and is set on staying for good. When Madison moves back to town, he’s got one more reason to make his work-from-home arrangement stick. As the guy who broke her heart first, can he help her see him in a new light?
After reconnecting over festival planning at the Starlight Inn, old feelings between them spark to a flame. But between family meddling and the wounds from Madison’s traumatic past, the ties between them soon begin to unravel.
Can these two learn to face the world together, or are they doomed to repeat their past mistakes?

2. Audio on Smartphone (A2023).

The Cold Dish
By Craig Johnson
Duration: 13 h 20 min
This is the first in the Longmire series.
I decided to work on my VIP picks
starting with older ones.
Source 7/28/19 Audiobooks.com Free VIP pick.
Summary
Award-winning author Craig Johnson's critically acclaimed debut Western mystery takes listeners to the breathtaking mountains of Wyoming for a tale of cold-blooded vengeance. Two years earlier, four high school boys were given suspended sentences for raping a Cheyenne girl. Now, two of the boys have been killed, and only Sheriff Walt Longmire can keep the other two safe. 'Johnson, who lives in Ucross, Wyoming, knows the Western landscape well, and creates stunning and violent scenes of the Rocky Mountains.'-Bookmarks

Not sure if I will get to another audio. I have a few in mind.

November 12, 2023 - I am doing the daily readings of BibleProject plan: The Full Story - "From the beginning to the Amen". My readings have gone through Paul's letters in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philmon. Tomorrow I will start in Hebrews - a book of Faith.
I am on day 4 of a 7 day study: The Blessing Devotional Plan.

I finished five books and posted five reviews.  I am still behind with 12 reviews to post.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I have an older audio on my shelf I should listen to soon.
I still have the two old NetGalley ebook titles.

Other Sources: I have a dozen or so books that I received from Facebook links and newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests. plus many titles through InstaFreebie over the past few years.

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 newest to the team, Emma at Words and Peace.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

No new review titles this week.
I selected my Audiobooks.com VIP choice and used a 2 for 1 credit this week.

I also picked up more Audible Plus titles -7 posted here and 4 more which I will link in next week.
One new Kindle title this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

NONE

Free

10/31-11/3 Audible Plus Catalog Picks:

A Murder for the Books
By: Victoria Gilbert
Narrated by: Amy Melissa Bentley
A Blue Ridge Library Mystery, Book 1
Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Shelved Under Murder
By: Victoria Gilbert
Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series, Book 2
Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
Of course I am drawn to books about books... and murder.

Arctic Fury
By: Greer Macallister
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
Historical, Women’s Crime Fiction

Rise of the Grandmaster
By: Bradford Bates, Michael Anderle
Narrated by: Sean William Doyle
Rise of the Grandmaster Series, Book 1
Length: 20 hrs and 36 mins
This looks alike an Epic, Fantasy I would enjoy.

Death Becomes Her [Dramatized Adaptation]
By: Michael Anderle
Narrated by: full cast, Colleen Delany, Emily Beresford, Bradley Smith, Michael John Casey, Terence Aselford, Stephon Walker, David Coyne, Christopher Graybill, Nora Achrati, Richard Rohan, Alejandro Ruiz
Series: The Kurtherian Gambit, Book 1, Dramatized Adaptation, The Kurtherian Gambit Universe, Book 1, Dramatized Adaptation
Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
I’ve been wanting to start this series.

Queen Bitch (Dramatized Adaptation)
By: Michael Anderle
Narrated by: full cast, Colleen Delany, Emily Beresford, Bradley Smith, Danny Gavigan, Zeke Alton, James Lewis, James Konicek, Joel David Santner, Terence Aselford, Christopher Graybill, Jonathan Lee Taylor
Series: The Kurtherian Gambit Universe, Book 2, Dramatized Adaptation, The Kurtherian Gambit, Book 2, Dramatized Adaptation
Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins

Steel Dragon
By: Kevin McLaughlin, Michael Anderle
Narrated by: Emily Beresford
Series: Steel Dragons, Book 1
Length: 17 hrs and 45 mins


11/11/2023 Audiobooks.com VIP free selection.

Sleepless City: A Nick Ryan Novel
Series: #1 of The Nick Ryan Series
Written by: Reed Farrel Coleman
Narrated by: Peter Giles
Duration: 11 hours 38 minutes


11/11/2023 Audiobooks.com Two for One Credit.

My Queendom for a Horse
Series: #1 of The Russian Witch's Curse
Written by: Bridget E. Baker
Narrated by: Cindy Gunderson
Duration: 9 hours 31 minutes

Dark Angel: A Military Action and Supernatural Warfare Thriller
Series: #2 of The Shepherds Series
Written by: Jeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews
Narrated by: Macleod Andrews
Duration: 11 hours 10 minutes


11/5/2023 One Free Kindle

Servant of the Crown: An Epic Fantasy Novel (Heir to the Crown Book 1)
Paul J Bennett



One new title added to Kindle library.  Free titles might be found at Bookbub, Book Adrenaline, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, or Kindle ebooks.