Audible Book Review: Southlands, Lee Harden, Book 2 by D.J. Molles

This episode gripped me and had me listening hoping for better luck for the primary characters.
Southlands
Lee Harden, Book 2
By: D.J. Molles
Narrated by: Christian Rummel

Series: Lee Harden, Book 2
Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 05-28-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Action & Adventure, Military Sci Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.75; Narration 5.0.

Publisher's Summary
After being sequestered to a bunker to recover from his wounds, Lee Harden is finally going topside with his fellow Project Hometown Coordinator, Terrence "Tex" Lehy. Lee wants to ally the UES with Texas, in order to combat the threat of a powerful oil cartel to the south. But Tex's methods raise serious questions, and Lee quickly discovers that Texas has its own set of problems.
In the Fort Bragg Safe Zone, the conflict with the Lincolnists is rapidly escalating. Master Sergeant Carl Gilliard has just returned, and he’s intent on destroying the Lincolnists, using whatever means are necessary.
Angela is caught in the middle, unable to reconcile her sense of civil morality with her desire for justice. One thing remains certain: before there is peace, there will be blood.
©2019 D.J. Molles (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Lee Harden continues to struggle for freedom each day. He is off in Texas with Julia and Abe to pursue their current mission. They are meeting with fellow Project Hometown Coordinator, “Tex”, in the hopes of gaining the Texas military elements as allies to fight the threat of a powerful cartel to the south. Lee realizes that Texas has its own issues and struggles to take into consideration.

Meanwhile, the Lincolnists in the Fort Bragg Safe Zone are becoming more of a threat to the community. The elected president, Angela, is caught in the middle of military pressures and the rights being demanded by the rising group of rebels. She is leaning toward restraining the military as she tries to uphold ‘constitutional’ and civil rights.

Molles manages to provide strong characters and intense plot situation which keep me up too late listening. I was intensely invested in the events of this continuing story which were likely to lead to battle, blood, and loss. There were moments when I was shaking my head and clenching my fists suspecting a trap or betrayal and suspecting decision errors would lead to disaster. Now I am wondering how the characters I care about will continue to survive.

I initially thought book 3 wasn’t out yet but in checking, I am glad to see it is available. It is on my purchase list for series to continue. I recommend this series, starting with the Remaining series, to readers who like intense action with characters you become invested in. After all – who wouldn’t be concerned about whether the uninfected humans can survive and rebuild society while facing corrupt and power-hungry politicians, infighting rebel groups and external threats from evolving zombies?

Audio Notes: Christian Rummel continues to do a stellar job with the narration of the series. He provides unique voices that fit each of the characters. I totally enjoy listening to this series.

Here is a Link to my reviews of other books in the series. 

Source: December 2019 Audible Sale $5.98. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Mission Pack 1: Black Ocean Mission Pack, Missions 1-4 by J.S. Morin

This is entertaining but not gripping.

Mission Pack 1: Black Ocean Mission Pack, Missions 1-4
By: J.S. Morin
Narrated by: Mikael Naramore

Series: Black Ocean, Book 1-4
Length: 20 hrs and 50 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 05-23-16
Language: English
Publisher: Magical Scrivener Press
Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci Fi, Space Fleet
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.5; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
Science to build a starship. Wizardry to take it past light speed. A crew to give it a soul.
The Mobius is a cobbled-together ship with a matching crew. Captain Carl Ramsey is an ex-Earth Navy pilot whose crew won't let him fly his own ship. The pilot is his ex-wife, the mechanic is a drunk, and the chief of security is from a predatory species. Instead of a star-drive to travel through the astral space between worlds, the ship's wizard does it by hand.
Mission 1: Salvage Trouble
A salvage mission turns into a rescue, and no good deed goes unpunished. With two refugees onboard, the Mobius crew is hounded by bounty hunters, border patrols, and corporate enforcers.
Mission 2: A Smuggler's Conscience
"Don't open the package." It's the smuggler's credo for good reason. When the Mobius crew takes a peek at their illicit cargo, the entire job takes an about-face.
Mission 3: Poets and Piracy
The Mobius crew gets caught in a turf war between a pirate fleet and a galactic criminal syndicate. The trick is getting everyone out alive (and maybe getting paid in the process).
Mission 4: To Err is Azrin
Sometimes, you can't go home again. When a job takes the crew to their security chief's homeworld, she gets dragged into a familial power struggle. Can the rest of the crew bail her out of an old feud gone horribly wrong?
©2015 J.S. Morin (P)2016 J.S. Morin

Review:
The Mission Pack follows the not totally scrupulous adventures of the crew of the Mobius starship, whose members all have history and secrets. Captain Carl is the charismatic spokesman – and close to a con artist. Tanny, the pilot, is Carl’s ex-wife…several times. They apparently can’t live together but still have a strong connection. Mort is the ship’s wizard who runs the stardrive like no one else and comes to the rescue when circumstances become drastic. Roddy is a Laaku, close to humans but closer to “chimp-like primates”, and a wiz mechanic. And finally, there is security chief Mriy, an Azrin, “a humanoid house cat” – furry, large, clawed, fanged and always hungry.

The focus of each of the four stories is shared in the blurb. As the story proceeds an additional crew member is added giving another quirky person to add to the crew dilemmas. I was pulled in by the Firefly tease as I like varied alien characters and crafty space adventure. I was also pulled in by the picture of a dinosaur which plays a part in Mission 2. Although I enjoyed the crew members, I wasn’t gripped by them nor by the plots. The writing was fine, there is some humor and the magic is fun, it is just not overly exciting. For me it was an entertaining, light listen, but nothing compelling. Readers who like lighter space escapades might give this a try.

Audio Notes: Mikael Naramore does a good job with the narration. I felt he fittingly presented each character with appropriate voices and personalities. I’m glad that I listened to the audio.

Source: April 2017 $1.99 Audible Purchase. This qualifies for 2020 TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.

Sunday Post January 19, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 20, 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.

Hubby is glad to be home but still in much pain.
I brought Hubby home on Tuesday. We saw our local care physician on Wednesday as he was still in much pain and worried there was another problem. She explained that he would have pain and a week of recovery for each day in hospital, so five weeks. That means an anticipated cruise will be postponed.

My hubby is our shopper (normally) and

he loves to go to Schuncks when we visit Illinois.

I get tickled by this is a picture of two of our grandchildren
following him down the aisle. (Hubby is wearing the plaid jacket.)

Our temperatures were fine last week but dropping 20 degrees to head into low 30s and mid-20s at night this week.

I've been enjoying my reading and listening. I finished three audiobooks and am working on ebooks. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I only visited 16 blogs last week - I still need to branch out and pick up the pace!
Shout Out this week to A Web of Stories. Melinda hosts Saturday Snapshot so if you enjoy sharing pictures check out that meme!
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post January 12, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 13, 2020.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: The Oracle by Jonathan Cahn; Genre: Christian Prophecies, Religion & Spirituality; My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.75; Narration 4.75.

• NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: Someone to Honor by Mary Balogh; Genre: Historical Romance, Regency; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 17, 2019. Open Worldwide. Ending 1/23/2020.

• eBookTBR- Book Review: An Endless Christmas: A Novella by Cynthia Ruchti; Genre: Christian Romance, Holiday; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement January 19, 2020.

Finished Reading:

1. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

Mission Pack 1: Black Ocean Mission Pack, Missions 1-4
By: J.S. Morin
Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
Series: Black Ocean, Book 1-4
Length: 20 hrs and 50 mins
This is mildly entertaining.
Source: April 2017 $1.99 Audible Purchase.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

Southlands
Lee Harden, Book 2
By: D.J. Molles
Narrated by: Christian Rummel
Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
Release date: 05-28-19
This series gripped me and had me listening hoping for better luck for the primary characters.
Source: December 2019 Audible Sale $5.98.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

A Mind of Her Own
By: Paula McLain
Narrated by: Hillary Huber
Length: 1 hr and 15 mins
Release date: 02-28-19
This was a quick, nice listen.
Source: March 2019 Audible Original Free pick.
About This Audible Original
From Paula McLain, the best-selling author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin, comes a breathtakingly intimate story of the brilliant, willful Marie Curie—a young woman in Paris on the verge of her greatest discovery yet: herself.
Marie Sklodowska, 25, is studying science at the Sorbonne—one of the only universities in the world that has begun to admit women. A thousand miles from her native Poland, with no money and the odds stacked against any woman daring to pursue a career in such a rigorous field, Marie throws herself into her studies. She’s certain that to succeed in a man’s world, she will have to go it alone.
Her meticulous plans get thrown slightly off-course when Marie attracts the attention of an accomplished physicist, himself on the precipice of greatness. Pierre Curie, famous for his work on symmetry, believes he has found in Marie an equal who shares his devotion to scientific discovery. He offers to help with her work, and soon begins to court her. But to Marie, men have always been an obstacle, love a distraction from her goals. She hasn’t come this far to let either stand in the way of her dreams—dreams Pierre insists they can share.
In A Mind of Her Own, McLain taps into the luminous mind and complex heart of a singular woman caught between order and chaos, science and love in the period just before the world would learn her name.
©2019 Paula McLain (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Currently Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Deep State
by Chris Hauty
This is very good thriller and getting very tense for the heroine at 60% in.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/Smartphone (A2019)

Wish
By Barbara O'Connor
Narrated By: Suzy Jackson
Publisher: Recorded Books
Date: August 2016
Duration: 4 hours 41 minutes
I picked a shorter book before I do another very long one. I am liking how this starts.
Source: July 2019 Audiobooks.com two for one credit pick.
Summary:
From award-winning author Barbara O'Connor comes a middle-grade novel about a girl who, with the help of the dog of her dreams, discovers the true meaning of family. Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same silent wish since fourth grade, hoping that some day it will come true. When her irresponsible parents send her to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family members she doesn't know, she needs that wish to come true more than ever. A stray dog, a great friend, and the love of a big-hearted aunt and uncle just might make it happen.

3. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Enforcing the Paw
by Diane Kelly
I have been eyeing this series thanks to the K-9 dogs.
Source: NetGalley 2019 (This is the last of my NetGalley picks before December that has already released.)
When a case of he-said/she-said turns criminal, it’s up to Megan Luz and her devoted K-9 to dig for the truth. . .
A TAIL OF TWO LOVERS
When relationships go south, some people just can’t—or won’t—let go. When Fort Worth Police Officer Megan Luz and her pawed partner Brigit investigate a series of stalking incidents involving a couple who recently broke up, their detective powers are put to the test. Is this a case of a controlling creep who refuses to accept rejection—or one about a woman scorned whose fury has been unleashed?
WHO END UP IN THE DOGHOUSE. . .
As hostilities escalate between the former lovers, the situation goes from romantically dysfunctional to downright dangerous. He insists his former flame has become a crazy ex-girlfriend intent on vengeance. She alleges that he is a master of manipulation and lays blame entirely at his feet. Who’s the culprit and who’s the victim? Can Megan and Brigit sniff out the truth. . .before somebody ends up dead?
Enforcing the Paw is part of Diane Kelly's fun and smart Paw Enforcement series.

4. Audio/Smartphone (A2019)

Commune
Commune, Book 1
By: Joshua Gayou
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Series: Commune, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
I was eyeing a very long audio then decided I needed to get ahead a few before I listen to another one over 20 hours.
I chose this as a new to me author/series.
Source: 9/1/18 Audible Sale $5.95
Publisher's Summary
For dinosaurs, it was a big rock. For humans: Coronal Mass Ejection (CME).
When the Earth is hit by the greatest CME in recorded history (several times larger than the Carrington Event of 1859), the combined societies of the planet's most developed nations struggle to adapt to a life thrust back into the Dark Ages.
In the United States, the military scrambles to speed the nation's recovery on multiple fronts including putting down riots, establishing relief camps, delivering medical aid, and bringing communication and travel back on line.
Just as a real foothold is established in retaking the skies (utilizing existing commercial aircraft supplemented by military resources and ground control systems), a mysterious virus takes hold of the population, spreading globally over the very flight routes that the survivors fought so hard to rebuild. The communicability and mortality rates are devastating, leaving only small pockets of survivors scattered throughout the countryside.
Commune: Book One is the story of one small group of survivors who must adapt to a primitive, hostile world or die. As they learn the rules of this new era, they must decide how far they're willing to go to continue living, continually asking themselves the same question daily: is survival worth the loss of humanity?
©2017 Joshua Gayou (P)2017 Joshua Gayou

I'm going to keep track of my Alphabet here. The cross-outs aren't easy to see, so I made the completed letters unbold and blue.
NETGALLEY: A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W X  Y  Z
AUDIO: A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W X  Y  Z

January 19, 2020 - I have started another year of devotions and readings with the One Year Bible plan through You Version App. I considered changing but this is the reading group that is closest to my husband's reading so we can sometimes discuss the same passages.
I really enjoyed the 15-day plan New Year, New Mercies to start the New Year! I will pick another study this week.

I completed three books and posted three reviews so I am up to date.
My NetGalley shelf is still at 20, plus the four titles from 2012-13 which are now planned for 2020.
(I now have 22 toward Alphabet letters.)
I have two author titles carried into January 2020.
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 received one NetGalley review title.
I chose two Audible December credit titles and found a massively long "classics" title for $.82. Then I picked up a deal at Chirp at the last minute.
I added only 2 free kindle titles again 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

NetGalley selection another title requested 2019 but received 2020.
The Gift of Gerbert's Feathers
by Meaghann Weaver, Lori Wiener 
Releasing 04 Feb 2020
This sounds like a sweet story.

Won

NONE

Purchased

1/15/2020 Two December Audible Credits
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
This is a new series by an author I really like.


Call to Arms
Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 2
By: Joshua Dalzelle
Narrated by: Mark Boyett
Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
Release date: 01-19-16
I enjoyed book 1 so I am going to continue this series.

1/15/2020 Audible Purchase $.82
10 Masterpieces You Have to Read Before You Die 1
By: Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Homer, Marcus Aurelius
Narrated by: Charles Hubbell, James Ellis, Stephen Scalon, Beth Kesler, Lee Howard, Charles Purkey
Length: 102 hrs and 19 mins
Release date: 11-06-19

1/19/202 Chirp Purchase $1.99
Plum Rains
by Andromeda Romano-Lax
Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
Run time: 13 hours and 23 minutes
This looks like a good sci fi at a good price.

Free

I added only 2 free Kindle titles to my Kindle library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement January 19, 2020

Our Sunday School teacher continued his lesson on “Why did God create man?” which he has given the subtitle: From Genesis to Revelation. He reminded us from last week’s lesson that God originally gave man the authority to rule over the earth but that position was taken by Satan. Satan knows the Word of God but twists it to his own purposes. That is how he entrapped Eve and Adam and how he tempted Jesus. Matthew 4:1-10 shows that Satan tempting Jesus to satisfy the three areas of sin we all face: physical cravings (food); pride of life (survival); and the lust of the eye (power over kingdoms).

Jesus faced temptation but did not sin. Hebrews 4:14-15. He was God in man, we are God with the power of the Holy Spirit in us. Still, we sin and are grateful that God gives us Grace. We have choices. Each of us is sinful. Hereditary influences impact who we are. Scientists claim that ancestral memory can carry through the DNA. Our cultural upbringing (Godly home v sinful home) impacts the choices that we make. We have no right to judge anyone else thinking they are more sinful than us. Sin is sin and we are all sinners. The Bible tells us that sins pass from generation to generation. Numbers 14:18 and Exodus 20:5. Later the Lord declares that each man shall bear his own sin. Ezekiel 18:20. We can break the chains through pray and Godly driven choices. Each man must work out his own salvation. Philippians 2:12.

Since Satan gained the position of ruler of this world we must recognize that we live in a corrupted world system. We must not love the things of this world. 1 John 2:15-17. Jesus prayed to God for his disciples “ not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” John 17:13-21.

We need to remember that we need the full armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11-12. Prayer is crucial to our battle against the strategies of the devil and most of us are weak in prayer. What schemes does Satan use? Discontent, distractions, health, and much more. The Devil knows your mind and uses it against you. Therefore, it is imperative that we control our thoughts! 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. This is not passive but requires action. We must not allow ourselves to be conformed to this world. Romans 12:2. We must learn to say “No” with the help of the Holy Spirit. Titus 2:11-13.

We sang this new (to us) song at worship time and I think it works with
 the Sunday School message today.

Verses for Today:
Titus 2:11-13 (NIV)
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

God: I pray that You reign sovereign in my life.

Book Review: An Endless Christmas: A Novella by Cynthia Ruchti

This is lovely!

An Endless Christmas: A Novella
by Cynthia Ruchti

File Size: 1122 KB
Print Length: 183 pages
Publisher: Worthy Inspired (October 13, 2015)
ASIN: B07NVHR7HS
Genre: Christian Romance, Holiday
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

Award-winning novelist's heartwarming story about family and love lost, found, and finally truly revealed at Christmas.