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Sunday, January 28, 2024

Sunday Post January 28, 2024/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 29, 2024

Sunday Post #318 Chairs, Compliance, and Storms
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 am feeling much better although I seem to be taking a nap after dinner in the evenings. 
I am without water again as my well pump suffered when we had a power outage Saturday. The well man said it will be a day or two to fix it.

I have to have another ultrasound and biopsy for the doctors to decide how to treat my situation. I am confident the tests will show negative and all will be well. I expect to schedule the testing in the next week or so.

I took two pictures after the storm on the 9th and Google Photos made a panorama that shows the downed trees on both sides of my driveway.

I continue to play catch up on work and it feels good to accomplish each task. 

I am still enjoying my chair yoga and have lost a few pounds.
I will continue to pray for the Advent messages all year: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

Our weather did warm up into the 70s for a couple of days. Today it is back to the 50s and I need to turn the heat back on. 

I finished four audios and made progress in the ebook. I posted one NetGalley review.

I visited only 11 blogs again last week. No shout Out this week.

Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.
Finished Reading:
1. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).


Zone War
By: John Conroe
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
Series: Zone War Series, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
My Rating 4.25. This tells the story of a Post-Apocalyptic reality show with a young hero helping the military, and vice a versa.
I like the protagonist and will probably pick up the next in the series.
Source: December 2023 Audible Plus Catalog.
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.

Click on link to see full description.



2. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).



Winter World
By: A. G. Riddle
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Amanda Leigh Cobb
Series: The Long Winter, Book 1
Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
My Rating 4.25. The earth is facing global freezing and it turns out there is an external cause. The story is told from the view of two characters, a disgraced roboticist scientist, and an astronaut who may be trapped in space.
I liked the characters, the science, and the story. I am glad I have the next book, Solar World.

 Source: October 2023 Audible Plus
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, 2024Audiobook, and 2024Season Goals.

Click on link to see full description.



3. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).


Always Faithful
By: Sherry A. Burton
Narrated by: Bethanne Reid
Series: Jerry McNeal, Book 1
Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins
Genre: Supernatural, Ghosts

My Rating 4.5. Jerry McNeal has a "gift" that tells him when there is danger or death. Sometimes he gets there in time and sometimes he doesn't. But he has learned to listen to his feelings. In this introductory story, we meet Jerry, and he gets a bit of ghostly K-9 help. I liked the characters, the story and the narration. I wish the short stories in this series weren't priced higher than I'd like to pay for under $4.00.
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Source: 12/2/2023 Audible $3.47.

Publisher's summary
Call it a premonition. Call it intuition. Call it anything you like, but Pennsylvania State Trooper Jerry McNeal simply thinks of it as “that feeling.”
That feeling may come on without warning, so intense he can’t breathe.
Or, it may be a gentle nag that pulls at him until he decides to do something about it. He never quite knows what “it” is until he gets there, but when he arrives, he always knows he’s found what he is looking for.
During one of the biggest snowstorms of the year, Trooper McNeal feels that familiar stir. An unease that grows with each flake that falls. Its intensity pulls at him until Jerry has no choice but to venture out onto the treacherous roads, following an invisible pull that grips at his very soul.
Tonight, that feeling is going to take Trooper McNeal into a blizzard when the streets are supposed to be empty to save a life that would have otherwise been lost.
Only tonight, Trooper McNeal is not going alone….
©2019 Sherry A. Jones (P)2022 Sherry A. Jones



4. Audio on Smartphone (ATBR).



Cut
Written by Annelie Wendeberg
Narrated by Emma Galvin
Run Time 6h 4min
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian.
My Rating 3.75. I had a lot of trouble with the protagonist in this dystopia. She is a troubled young girl who chose to abuse herself after suffering abuse. She is a 'late bloomer' who struggles against the 'status quo'. Her ability to push through her abuse, humiliations, and depression is, to her surprise, what results in her being chosen for a verly select position in society. Her mentor, Runner, is a man of secrets. The dystopian world is harsh and was interesting but I'm not really sure the story fits the reference to The Hunger Games. The narration was well done for the story. It is doubtful I will continue with the series but others might like this.
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Source: July 2021 Chirp Purchase $16.95 $2.99

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
I’ve reached my expiration date. Not that it matters. We’re all going to die. To sixteen-year-old Micka, all words have flavours. Her emotions come with such force that she can’t help but carve them into her skin. The night she decides to kill herself, she meets Runner, a mysterious stranger who makes her question everything she’s learned about the end of the world. His message is terrifying: it wasn’t some mysterious disease that killed ten billion people. We did this. Humanity sleepwalked into climate disaster and ecocide, just to butcher and rape until blood stained the seas. Micka is sure Runner is lying. Her instincts urge her to stay far away from him. But he makes her an offer she finds hard to resist. There are only two rules she must follow: Kill. Survive. Because the final wars were never meant to end.



Currently Reading:
1. Kindle (/NetGalley )App on Smartphone (NGeB2023)


The Altered Moon 2: The Tyrant of Unity
By James McGettigan, Jingjing Huntley (Photographer), Fabiana Granado, Kyle Davis, Jason Frank, Serena Lucatero, Jacqui Corn-Uys (Editor), Anthony McGettigan (Editor), Judy McGettigan (Editor)
This is still reading slowly. I have reached 45%.
I'm going to give it one more week. Then I may put this on hold to read one of my other NetGalley ebooks.
Source: December 27, 2023 NetGalley.
Archive date 1/11/24 I have it downloaded so I am able to continue to read it.

2024TBR, 2024NetGalley, 2024Alphabet, and 2024ebook Goals.
Click on link to see full description.



2. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).


EMP: Equipping Modern Patriots

By: Jonathan Hollerman
Narrated by: Kent Clark
Series: EMP: Equipping Modern Patriots, Book 1 (4 books)
Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins Genre: EMP,
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
This is a rather typical post-apocalyptic story of family survival. It is entertaining and I have less than 3 hours left.
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Source: 7/18/2021 Audible Sale $5.00.

Publisher's summary
EMP: Equipping Modern Patriots is a harrowing story of survival after the destruction of the electric grid and nearly every electronic device in the country. Jonathan Hollerman paints a vivid and disturbing picture of society falling apart after an Electromagnetic Pulse attack against our nation.
Can you imagine a world with no phones, no TV, no internet, and no way to access your bank account? Without the electric grid, there would be no lights, no heating or air conditioning in your home, no public water, and the sewer could back up into your home. Without modern vehicles or interstate trucking, the supermarkets would quickly run out of food. Since the majority of the military is not hardened against an EMP, they would be unable to come to the aid of its citizens and maintain order. Our humanity is questioned when survival of the fittest becomes reality.
This is not only a thrilling story but offers practical, life-saving advice for an imminent threat. If you enjoyed Patriots by James Wesley Rawles or One Second After by William Forstchen, then you will enjoy this story of survival.
©2013 Jonathan Hollerman (P)2014 Jonathan Hollerman



3. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).


The Valley
A Lee Harden Novel
By: D.J. Molles
Narrated by: Christian Rummel
Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins
Genre: Action, Adventure, Post-Apocalyptic
I loved the series and the character, Lee Harden, so I want to continue in this new stage of his life.
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Source 6/16/2023 May Audible Credit.

Publisher's summary
It has been six years since plague, famine, and war ravaged the planet. World powers have collapsed. The human population has been reduced by 90 percent, and those who survived must always contend with a novel apex predator: human beings whose very DNA has been radically altered by the plague.
In a quiet valley in Northern California, a settlement of survivors called the Redoubt is threatened by Colin Horner, a savagely pragmatic ranch boss, whose land they’ve been squatting on for years. With barely any ability to defend themselves, all they can do is try to forestall Horner’s demands for a quantity of food they’re incapable of growing. But as the clock runs out for the Redoubt, a small group of heavily armed individuals shows up out of the blue, led by a man with a scarred face and a missing eye.
Lee Harden might be scarred and battered, but he is a professional warfighter, with years of near-constant combat experience and one mission: find settlements beyond the current reach of the Interim Government, give them hope, and keep them alive. Backed by his longtime team of operators, Lee aims to resolve the conflict between the Redoubt and Horner. But something strange is going on in this seemingly quiet valley. Someone is breeding hybrids—part human and part mutated apex predator—and using them as a weapon.
When peace talks between the Redoubt and Horner go bad, Lee finds himself stuck in the middle of a seething conflict that’s about more than just land. As the valley unravels into chaos, Lee and his team gamble with their lives to unravel a convoluted network of lies, secret obsessions, and ties that bind, in order to learn just who it is they’re protecting, and what exactly they’re protecting them from.
In his first-ever stand-alone Lee Harden novel, DJ Molles immerses you in a world of gritty realism and slippery morality, filled with characters that just want to do the right thing—if they can figure out what that is.
©2023 D.J. Molles (P)2023 Audible, Inc.


I expect to get to one or two more audios this coming week.
I am looking at the letters G, H and U for my next picks. 

January 28, 2024 - I am enjoying the YouVersion App called The Bible Recap with Tara Leigh Cobble. (The link is to the plan online.) We are still reading in Genesis.
I am also enjoying a 21 day Fast, Read, Pray, Acts Challenge.


I finished four books, rated with mini reviews/comments above.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I continue on an ebook. I now have two more ebooks. I still have an older audio on my shelf I need to listen to.
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, and Me. Emma has retired so we are looking for another person willing to assist.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
No new review titles.
I bought four audios on Chirp. 
I still have Audible Plus titles to be listed when I get time.
Two new Kindle title this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles
NONE

Won
NONE

Purchased
January 24th, 2024 Four titles at Chirp
The After Cilmeri Series Boxed Set
Written by Sarah Woodbury
Narrated by Laurel Schroeder

$19.99 $0.99

White Haven Hunters: Books 1 - 3
Written by TJ Green
Narrated by Diana Croft

$14.99 $1.99

Poison and Party Hats
Written by Madelyn Scott
Narrated by Caroline Turner Cole

$9.99 $0.99

Fortress of the Lost Amulet
Written by Michael Webb
Narrated by Tim Campbell

$9.99 $0.99

Free
January 25, 2024 Two Free Kindles – directed by a Newsletter.
Skating the Blue Line: A Hockey Romance (Chicago Dark Knights Series Book 1)
By Jocelyne Soto



Betting on Cinderella (The Cinderella Romances Book 2)
By Petie McCarty





I still have audible plus titles to list.


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

Sunday Words of Encouragement January 28, 2024 - What is Your Condition?

I don’t have water this weekend as my well pump went out Saturday afternoon when we had another storm and power outage. Fortunately, my well man checked it today and will fix it in a day or two.

I pulled these notes from our Sunday School Teacher’s message in June. During that month we were focusing on movement of youth around the world. Some SS members noted how the OU women's softball team gave thanks and testimony. We need to recognize our joy comes from the Lord. Lift our eyes up to Christ and give Glory to God.  We pray that the Lord raise up a standard!

Our teacher’s message was “I just dropped in to see what condition my condition is” (Song by Kenny Rogers.)
Our condition is beyond just physical. It is emotional, political, and Spiritual, tied up in our personal, family, social, and work settings . What is “conditioning”? Think of things we connect to condition: hair, air, wood. The purpose of conditioning is reinforcement. We adapt, modify, or mold to be conformed.

Our world is being conformed. Christ followers need the precaution to watch, check up on our condition. Determining illness is not always simple. It takes more than self-examination. Many people act with wrong, secret motives. Jeremiah 17:9-10.

Paul recognized that he had feelings that drew him to this life and other feelings that drew him to eternal life with God. He couldn’t trust his own feelings. Philippians 1:20-26. The heart can deceive but Spirit can reveal. We are told to be careful of judging others when we have our own blind visions. Matthew 7:1-5.

Too much propaganda in this world is directed to turn us against each other. Jeremiah 13:10-11.  What we allow in our eyes and ears is processed in the soul. We need to discipline ourselves to run the race God has set for us. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

Check for weaknesses: Superman’s kryptonite, Samson’s hair. Judges 16. Popeye needed spinach, not extra hamburgers.

Have we clothed ourselves with our Spiritual tights and capes? God's armor. Ephesians 6:10-18.
Revelation speaks to seven churches and five get a bad diagnosis. They don't see their true condition.

Be diligent and turn away from your indifference. Find others, like a small group, to keep you accountable. Do not be conformed to this World.

I like this song for this message: All the Pretty Things. 
Verses for Today:
Jeremiah 13:10-11  NIV
10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’


Lord, help me to focus on You and Your Will. Help me remember that the things of this world are fading in the light of eternity.

https://scripture-images.us-east-1.linodeobjects.com/images/kjv/layout_04/Jeremiah-13-10-KJV-This-evil-people-which-refuse-to-hear-my-words--I24013010-L04.jpg

Jeremiah 13:11 KJV - For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man,


Saturday, January 27, 2024

MarthaE Cooking #4

I am still enjoying cooking my HelloFresh dishes each week.
These were the first two weeks of January:


HelloFresh Sweet Thai Chili Burger and Sweet Potato Fries

HelloFresh Sweet and Spicy Avocado Toast with Feta - Yummy!

HelloFresh Monterey Jack Un-fried Chicken (panko coating with cheese)

Hello Fresh Jammy Bacon & Gouda Melt 
with caramelized onion & potato wedges.
This is another one I really liked since I am a bacon and cheese lover. 

I am enjoying the cooking and learning seasonings and add ons. 
I am also enjoying the fact that all the ingredients (other than oil and butter and basics like sugar, salt and pepper) are provided in the package. Also, I don't have to go shopping and I am not wasting food. 

#Netgalley Audio Review: The Fish of Small Wishes by Elana K. Arnold

This is a charming story.
The Fish of Small Wishes
by Elana K. Arnold
Narrated by Erin Ruth Walker

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CQHLR68J
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Roaring Brook Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 30, 2024
Print length ‏ : ‎ 41 pages
Reading Age:4-8 years
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0.


Description
Fall in love with a modern fairy tale inspired by a Jewish family memory in this magical picture book by award-winning picture book creators Elana K. Arnold and Magdalena Mora.
Once, there was a girl named Kiki, who found a fish on the asphalt.
The fish was very hot and very dry.
But when Kiki put it in the bathtub, it started swimming, and growing, and . . . speaking?
"I want to grant you a wish for saving me," it said.
A wish-granting fish!
Alas, this fish was only a fish of small wishes, and Kiki’s wish was too big.
Unless . . . there was a way for both their dreams to come true.
Follow Kiki and the wish-granting fish in this contemporary fairy-tale perfect for fans of A Big Mooncake for Little Star and Carmela Full of Wishes.


Review:
Kiki was too shy to play with the other children. One afternoon she found a giant fish on the hot sidewalk. She knew this wasn’t good and brought the fish to her bathtub. The fish started to swim and spoke to her through bubbly, watery words! The fish offered to grant a wish, but he said he could only grant small wishes.

Even though the fish grew, Kiki’s wishes were still too big. Can Kiki find a wish that the fish of small wishes could grant? Kiki decided to get help to dig a pond for the fish. Kiki’s efforts had a surprising result.

This is a very sweet story. It provides a message showing taking our focus off ourselves to help others might just help us too. I would be glad to share the audio or print with my grandchildren.

Audio Notes: Erin Ruth Walker does a beautiful job on the narration. Her performance matches the sweet story and I totally enjoyed the audio.

Source: 12/11/2023 received at NetGalley. This qualifies for 2024NetGalley, 2024Alphabet, and 2024AudioBook goals.

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Sunday Post January 21, 2024/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 22, 2024

Sunday Post #318 Chairs, Compliance, and Storms
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 was glad Monday was a holiday as I slept most of the day due to my head cold. I was still pretty foggy on Tuesday but then it started to clear up. I have gone to bed early every night and I am almost over all symptoms by now.

I had my first night out since coming home early December. A friend from my woman's group picked me up (I don't drive at night) and six of us went to play Purse Bingo at the woman's club in the next county. None of us won but we had fun. And I was surprised to see my daughter there with realtor friends!



I will continue to play catch up on work. We'll see if I get any any blog posts done this week.

I have still enjoying my chair yoga and have lost a few pounds.
I will continue to pray for the Advent messages all year: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

We had three nights of "hard freeze" warnings last week. We are expecting the weather to warm up into the 70s this week. (I hope.)

I finished only two audios and made progress in the ebook. No reviews completed.

I visited only 11 blogs again last week. No shout Out this week.

Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.
Finished Reading:
1. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).
The Body Reader  By  cover art


The Body Reader
Detective Jude Fontaine Mysteries, Book 1
By: Anne Frasier
Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
4. This was a satisfactory thriller.
Source: 3-3-2022 Audible Sale $3.04.

2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Click on link to see full description.



2. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).



Lady Helena Investigates
Written by Jane Steen
Narrated by Elizabeth Klett
Run Time: 11h 30min
4.0. This was more historical family life and the place of women and aristocracy than mystery. There were several family secrets/mysteries revealed and it is enjoyable for what it is.
Source: 2/19/2023 Chirp Purchase, $1.99
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
A reluctant lady sleuth finds she’s investigating her own family.
1881, Sussex. With a drowned husband—the second love lost—an overbearing family, no longed-for child, and the responsibility of a huge baroque mansion, it’s not surprising Lady Helena Whitcombe is overwhelmed. When attractive, mysterious, French physician Armand Fortier disturbs her first weeks of mourning with his theory of murder, Helena’s reluctant and ineffective attempts at investigation are hardly life-changing—until the resulting revival in her long-abandoned herbalist studies bring her into confrontation with her past and her family’s.
Can Lady Helena survive bereavement the second time around? Can she stand up to her six siblings’ assumption of the right to control her new life as a widow? And what role will Fortier—who, as a physician, is a most unsuitable companion for an earl’s daughter—play in her investigations?
Every family has its secrets. The Scott-De Quincy family has more than most.



Currently Reading:
1. Kindle (/NetGalley )App on Smartphone (NGeB2023)


The Altered Moon 2: The Tyrant of Unity
By James McGettigan, Jingjing Huntley (Photographer), Fabiana Granado, Kyle Davis, Jason Frank, Serena Lucatero, Jacqui Corn-Uys (Editor), Anthony McGettigan (Editor), Judy McGettigan (Editor)
This is still reading slowly and made some progress to 33% and I'll give it a bit more.
Source: December 27, 2023 NetGalley.
Archive date 1/11/24 I have it downloaded so I am able to continue to read it.

2024TBR, 2024NetGalley, 2024Alphabet, and 2024ebook Goals.
Click on link to see full description.



2. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).


Zone War
By: John Conroe
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
Series: Zone War Series, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
I picked this as a Post-Apocalyptic, Military Adventure, and a “Z” title.
I'm enjoying the story; 3 hours left.
Source: December 2023 Audible Plus Catalog.
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.

Publisher's summary
A few short years from now, eco-terrorists unleash the worst attack the world has ever seen. Over 25,000 autonomous combat drones are released in Manhattan from the hold of a ship. Hundreds of thousands are dead, and the entire island is evacuated and quarantined in just a few days' time.
Ten years later, Manhattan is still empty of humans, with the exception of the salvage specialists of the most watched reality show in history: Zone War. Produced live and unedited, the show follows five teams of armored vehicle specialists who brave the active drones to recover lost riches and collect bounties on dead ones. Ram it, slam it, grab the goods, and bull your way back out. And don't break down, because no one will be coming to your aid. Armored entry is the way to go.... Unless...
Meet Ajaya "AJ" Gurung, sniper's son, drone technician, and Zone infiltrator. Following his father's footsteps while forging ahead in ways all his own, AJ has the potential to be the most successful recovery specialist of all time. The drones are changing, the rules have been thrown out, and nothing about the Zone is what it seems. Adapt or die.
©2018 John Conroe (P)2019 Tantor



3. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).


Winter World
By: A. G. Riddle
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Amanda Leigh Cobb
Series: The Long Winter, Book 1
Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
This is a “Winter” title, sci fi.
Source: October 2023 Audible Plus
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, 2024Audiobook, and 2024Season Goals.

Publisher's summary
The ice is coming. It was the last thing we expected, but the world is freezing. A new ice age has dawned and humanity has been forced to confront its own extinction. Billions have fled the glaciers, crowding out the world’s last habitable zones. They can run from the ice, but they can’t escape human nature: a cataclysmic war is coming.
In orbit, a group of scientists are running the Winter Experiments, a last-ditch attempt to understand why the planet is cooling. None of the climate models they build make sense. But then they discover an anomaly, an unexplained variation in solar radiation...and something else. Close to the burning edge of the sun, they catch a fleeting glimpse of something that shouldn’t be there....
Suddenly humanity must face the possibility it is not alone in the universe. And the terrifying possibility that whatever is out there may be trying to exterminate us.
©2019 A.G. Riddle (P)2018 Recorded Books


I expect to get to one or two more audios but haven't chosen yet.

January 21, 2024 - I am enjoying a new Bible in a year study on the YouVersion App called The Bible Recap with Tara Leigh Cobble. (The link is to the plan online.) We are now reading in Genesis.
I am also enjoying a 21 day Fast, Read, Pray, Acts Challenge.


I finished two books, no reviews done.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I continue on an ebook. I now have two more ebooks. I still have an older audio on my shelf I need to listen to.
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, and Me. Emma has retired so we are looking for another person willing to assist.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
No new review titles.
I found another 10 or so Audible Plus titles - to be listed when I get time.
No new Kindle title this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles
NONE

Won
NONE

Purchased
NONE

Free
I did find another 10 audible plus titles but I still have a backlog from December that I hope to list before the month is over.

No new free title added to Kindle library.  Free titles might be found at Bookbub, Book Adrenaline, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement January 21, 2024 - Take Your Place At the Wall!

I enjoyed our worship praise the morning and a wonderful sermon by our Pastor. Before the service he noted: “When we give and serve it is an act of worship. Be thankful in giving.”

Today Pastor taught on Nehemiah 3. I developed the title from my notes: Take Your Place At the Wall!

Nehemiah 3 starts by naming families working side by side all along the walls of the City. We all know that genealogies can be boring as we read the Bible. But they are part of inspired Scripture. Why is this important? The scripture here shows us that God notices everyone doing the work.

Nehemiah tells the story of rebuilding and reviving… restoration. Both the northern and southern kingdoms sinned and went into exile. Now God is having them return. God is in the business of restoration. Jerusalem has to be rebuilt to be part of the prophecy of Jesus riding into city.

Luke 2:19 tells believers to occupy until He returns. We are to be about His business which is important to remember as we go about whatever business He has called and prepared us to do in life. God wants a gorgeous, radiant church upon His return. Ephesians 5:27, Ephesians 3:20.

We - the local church and The Global Church - need rebuilding. We need to be a life growing church. Philippians 2:14-16. Christians are to be salt and light which are agents of change. The Church needs good seasoning. Peace and presence should be with the Christ followers and noticeable to those around them.

Serve as the Church, not just in the Church. We need to be getting the Church ready for the return of Christ, working towards Kingdom expansion. Make a list of those you want to find Jesus and pray for them.

Nehemiah had a mind and burden to rise up and build. The Church is stronger when each is doing their part of the work. Each person has a place to work. Each of us needs to take our place on the wall. Even at the Dung Gate. The body needs each part, including armpits. We each have unique gifts and placement.

God notices. He noticed the families working on the wall. He noticed the widow who gave her last two coins. He noticed the sacrificial gift of perfume by Mary Magellan.

The modern world today’s focus on consumerism is an obstacle to God’s work. We are to be servants and we need to “improve our serve” (Chuck Swindoll).

We serve by:

 Giving. The Church needs leaders and supplies.
 Encouraging; lifting up each other from the leaders to the janitor and the person who arranges the flowers – all tasks.
 Praying. Become an intercessor praying for each other.
 Prioritize your sacrifice. The Sheep Gate where sacrifice and worship occurred was the first area to be worked on. We are living sacrifice to be giving to God. Do it unto God.

God Notices. Serve. Build the Kingdom.

In Haggai 1:2 The Lord questions why the people rebuilt their homes first instead of the house of the Lord. The people were called to repair throughout Nehemiah 3. Sooner rebuild, sooner repair. Repair is to necessarily to restore but to fix and make strong.

The rebuilding will be greater than it was before. The glory of the latter house will v exceed the glory of the former. Haggai 2:9.

Our churches need to be about “presence” not presentation.

Do we want Him, His Kingdom, His glorious presence? Start with revival at home and beyond.

I like this video song for today: These Days by Jeremy Camp

 
Verses for Today
Nehemiah 3:4-5 NIV
4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. 5 The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.


Lord, guide me and help me take my place at the wall!






Sunday, January 14, 2024

Sunday Post January 14, 2024/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 15, 2024

Sunday Post #318 Chairs, Compliance, and Storms
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.

Last week was rather difficult for me. My house is within a mile and a half of the worst of the tornado that hit here in my town. I could hear the roar and the wind blew my bedroom balcony door open at 6:15 in the morning. I got the door shut and took the dogs out to sit in the stairwell away from any windows. My damage was fairly minimal compared to those whose homes were ravished. I lost two awnings, a window in the garage door, and had trees down on both ends of the driveway. Neighbors came by and helped clear the drive. Then church members cut the trees. Another neighbor helped me get the generator going to operate the refrigerators and the downstairs water. We were without power from Tuesday until Thursday night.

My next challenge was medical testing on Thursday morning. (I went to the local Pilot Travel Center to shower Wednesday night.) The hospital is an hour away and I started my first test at 8am with an MRI set for 9am. In between they added an ultrasound for more detail. This was the first MRI I have had and I managed the first 20 minutes fine. The second stage of 10 minutes with intravenous contrast was more difficult. I felt itchy right away and felt nauseous. I pushed on through but as soon as they brought me out they realized I had a bad reaction to the contrast medicine. My face was bright red, my eyes glassy, and I started getting hives. They took me over to the emergency room as my face was swelling, my eyes weeping, and I started whizzing. They gave me intravenous medications and watched me for a couple of hours. So I didn't leave the hospital until after 2pm. The good news is that the radiologist didn't see any malignant masses. I see the surgeon in two weeks for further review. 

So my week was pretty shot. I had no computer Tuesday through Thursday. I did get to the office on Friday but by mid afternoon the girls told me to go home as the rash and flush were returning and I didn't have any Benadryl with me. I had follow-up medicine for three days and the symptoms did continue into Saturday morning. Later in the day I developed a cold. Blah!

Needless to say, I am feeling behind in work and blog things. I will be working on Monday even though it is a holiday.

I have been enjoying my yoga which are easy enough even when not feeling so good.

I will continue to pray for the Advent messages all year: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

I think we are all expecting some colder weather this coming week but ours won't be nearly as cold as others.
I've finished three audios and one ebook this week. No reviews completed.

I visited only 11 blogs last week. No shout Out this week.

Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.
Finished Reading:
1. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).


Armageddon
Expeditionary Force, Book 8
By: Craig Alanson
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Length: 17 hrs and 51 mins
4.25. I enjoy the humor and action in this series.
Source: 11/16/22 October Audible Credit.
2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Click on link to see full description.



2. NetGalley App on Smartphone (NGA2023)


Deep Freeze
by Michael C. Grumley
Narrated by Scott Brick
Pub Date: 09 Jan 2024
Archive Date: 16 Jan 2024
4.0. I did like the sci fi irony in this story.
Source: 12/11/2023 received at NetGalley.
2024TBR, 2024NetGalley, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audibook Goals.

Click on link to see full description.



3. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).


The Forever, Books 1-2
By: Craig Robertson
Narrated by: Scott Aiello
Series: The Forever Series, Book 1-2
Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
I had finished book 1 in November. Book 2 went off track to a lot of silliness.
Source: April 2022 Audible Plus Catalog.

2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Click on link to see full description.



4. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR.
28389540


A Symphony of Echoes: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 2
By: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Zara Ramm
Series: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 2
Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
I wanted to read in a continuing series and this one called to me. It was a quirk listen which I enjoyed.
Source: 9/6/19 Kindle Purchase $3.99 Whispersync Audible Purchase $1.99 = total price $5.98 for a book on my Audible wish list. :-)

2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Publisher's summary
The second book in the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary's series which follows a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets as they hurtle their way around History. If you love Jasper Fforde or Ben Aaronovitch, you won't be able to resist Jodi Taylor.
Wherever the historians go, chaos is sure to follow....
Dispatched to Victorian London to seek out Jack the Ripper, things go badly wrong when he finds the St Mary's historians first. Stalked through the fog-shrouded streets of Whitechapel, Max is soon running for her life. Again.
And that's just the start. Max finds herself in a race against time when an old enemy is intent on destroying St Mary's. An enemy willing, if necessary, to destroy History itself.
From the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh to the murder of Thomas a Becket, via an unscheduled dodo rescue mission, join the historians of St Mary's as they hurtle around History on more hilarious, hair-raising escapades.
©2013 Jodi Taylor (P)2014 Audible Studios



Currently Reading:
1. Kindle (/NetGalley )App on Smartphone (NGeB2023)


The Altered Moon 2: The Tyrant of Unity
By James McGettigan, Jingjing Huntley (Photographer), Fabiana Granado, Kyle Davis, Jason Frank, Serena Lucatero, Jacqui Corn-Uys (Editor), Anthony McGettigan (Editor), Judy McGettigan (Editor)
This is still reading slowly and I am tempted to drop it because I am not loving it. I'm at 27% and I'll give it a bit more.
Source: December 27, 2023 NetGalley.
Archive date 1/11/24 I have it downloaded so I am able to continue to read it.

2024TBR, 2024NetGalley, 2024Alphabet, and 2024ebook Goals.
Click on link to see full description.



2. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR).
The Body Reader  By  cover art


The Body Reader
Detective Jude Fontaine Mysteries, Book 1
By: Anne Frasier
Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
I was in the mood for a thriller and
like the look of this one.
Source: 3-3-2022 Audible Sale $3.04.

2024TBR, 2024Alphabet, and 2024Audiobook Goals.
Publisher's summary
A Thriller Award winner, Best Paperback Original Novel.
For three years, Detective Jude Fontaine was kept from the outside world. Held in an underground cell, her only contact was with her sadistic captor, and reading his face was her entire existence. Learning his every line, every movement, and every flicker of thought is what kept her alive.
After her experience with isolation and torture, she is left with a fierce desire for justice—and a heightened ability to interpret the body language of both the living and the dead. Despite colleagues’ doubts about her mental state, she resumes her role at Homicide. Her new partner, Detective Uriah Ashby, doesn’t trust her sanity, and he has a story of his own he’d rather keep hidden. But a killer is on the loose, murdering young women, so the detectives have no choice: they must work together to catch the madman before he strikes again. And no one knows madmen like Jude Fontaine.
©2016 Theresa Weir (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.


I expect to get to one or two more audios but haven't chosen yet.

January 14, 2024 - I am enjoying a new Bible in a year study on the YouVersion App called The Bible Recap with Tara Leigh Cobble. (The link is to the plan online.)
I am also enjoying a 21 day Fast, Read, Pray, Acts Challenge.


I finished four books, no reviews done.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I have finished an audio and continue on an ebook. I now have two more ebooks. I still have an older audio on my shelf I need to listen to.
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, and Me. Emma has retired so we are looking for another person willing to assist.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
One new review title from NetGalley again.
I didn't get to pick any audios this past week.
One new Kindle title this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles
1/12/2024 ebook from NetGalley
If the Boot Fits
By Karen Witemeyer
Pub Date 12 Mar 2024 | Archive Date 21 Apr 2024
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers
Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance



Won
NONE

Purchased
NONE

Free
I didn't get any new audios but I still have a backlog from December that I hope to list before the month is over.
1/14/2024 Free Kindle through Author Newsletter:
Return to Sanibel Island (Florida Secrets Book 1)
by June Woods



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