Sunday Post November 25, 2018/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday November 26, 2018

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 didn't get my office pics up yet. We are hoping to get the building tarpped this week but we have had rain again so more wet inside.
I had been trying to locate the new egg stash for the chickens and found it inside a potted plant on our porch. They had another spot but some bubblewrap had been pushed in the way so they stopped using that one. I hope they will continue to use the ones I know as there are so many places for them to run off and hide the eggs!
We had a nice Thanksgiving lunch with daughter, son-in-law and the three local grandchildren. Hubby bought a meal kit that worked out great. The visit seemed to go so quickly and we never turned on the TV for parades or football!
Hubby is struggling with inactivity and lots of joint pain that is keeping him from sleeping soundly. :-(

Oh - I forgot to mention I have completed my Goodreads Challenge with a month to spare!

My listening and reading was good this week. I am still managing with short reading times on my old kindle. I finished three audio books and two ebooks. I posted three reviews on blog, and four at Goodreads. I am back to posting my usual memes.

I got to visit 23 blogs again last week.
Shout Out this week to Under the Boardwalk. Nise' reads lots of titles I like and I like her short review summaries.
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post November 18, 2018/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday November 19, 2018.

• NG2018- #NetGalley Book Review: Unwritten by Tara Gilboy; Children's Books, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

• NG2018- #NetGalley Book Review: For Us Humans by Steve Rzasa; Aliens, Christian, Futuristic, Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

• Happy Thanksgiving 2018.

• NG2018- #NetGalley Book Review: Light’s Dawn: A Novella (Light in the Darkness) by Yvette Bostic; Alternate History, Fantasy; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

• A2018- Goodreads Audible Book Review: An Uncommon Protector (Lone Star Hero, #2) by Shelley Shepard Gray, Nan Gurley (Narrator); Historical Romance, Sweet; My Rating: Overall 4.25; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

• eTBR- Goodreads Book Review: Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts
  by Rayne Hall, Sera Hayes, Jonathan Broughto, Grayson Bray Morris, Kiersten Hartrim, Carole Ann Moleti, Douglas Kolacki, William Meikle, Tracie McBride; Ghosts, Paranormal, Short Stories; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway November 23, 2018.

• ATBR- Goodreads Audible Book Review: The Year of the Hare: A Novel by Arto Paasilinna, Herbert Lomas (Translator), Simon Vance (Narrator); Comedy, Fiction; My Rating: Overall 4.0; Story 3.5; Narration 5.0.

• A2018- Goodreads Audible Book Review: The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games, #1) by Genevieve Jack, Brittany Pressley (Narrator); Ghosts, Fantasy, Romance; My Rating: Overall: 4.0; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement November 25, 2018.

Finished Reading:

1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

29 Gifts
How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life
By: Cami Walker
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
This is very well done and inspiring. 
 Source: June 2017 Audible Daily Deal $1.95.
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle Fire (TBR)

Christmas at Draycott Abbey (Draycott Abbey Romance)
by Christina Skye
I enjoyed this suspenseful, ghost Christmas story.
Source: 2012 Free Kindle; "C" title.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Uncommon Protector
Living an Extraordinary Life One Day at a Time
By: Shelley Shepard Gray
Narrated by: Nan Gurley
Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
This is charming!
Source: October 2018 Credit Purchase for a "U" title for 2018.
My review is linked above.

4. eBook/Kindle and Smartphone (NG2018)

Somewhere The Bells Ring (Somewhere in Time Book 3)
by Beth Trissel
This is another engaging Ghost Christmas story.
Source: NetGalley 2018.
Click on book title for full description.

5. Audible Smartphone (AB2018)

Zoe's Tale
Old Man's War, Book 4
By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
Length: 10 hrs
I am enjoying continuing this series.
Source: 2018 October Credits; 2018 "Z" title.
Publisher's Summary
"How do you tell your part in the biggest tale in history?
"I ask because it's what I have to do. I'm Zoe Boutin Perry: A colonist stranded on a deadly pioneer world. Holy icon to a race of aliens. A player (and a pawn) in a interstellar chess match to save humanity, or to see it fall. Witness to history. Friend. Daughter. Human. Seventeen years old.
"Everyone on Earth knows the tale I am part of. But you don't know my tale: How I did what I did - how I did what I had to do - not just to stay alive but to keep you alive, too. All of you. I'm going to tell it to you now, the only way I know how: not straight but true, the whole thing, to try make you feel what I felt: the joy and terror and uncertainty, panic and wonder, despair and hope. Everything that happened, bringing us to Earth, and Earth out of its captivity. All through my eyes.
"It's a story you know. But you don't know it all."
©2008 John Scalzi (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Currently Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle and Smartphone (NG2018)

Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff
by Dana K. White
This has been on my NetGalley shelf since spring. 
I hope to start implementing the suggestions before the end of year.
Source: NetGalley 2018.
You don't have to live overwhelmed by stuff--you can get rid of clutter for good!
While the world seems to be in love with the idea of tiny houses and minimalism, many of us simply can't purge it all and start from nothing. Yet a home with too much stuff is a home that is difficult to maintain, so where do we begin? Add in paralyzing emotional attachments and constant life challenges, and it can feel almost impossible to make real decluttering progress.
In Decluttering at the Speed of Life, decluttering expert and author Dana White identifies the mind-sets and emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter. Then, in her signature humorous approach, she provides workable solutions to break through these struggles and get clutter out--for good!
But more than simply offering strategies, Dana dives deep into how to implement them, no matter the reader's clutter level or emotional resistance to decluttering. She helps identify procrasticlutter--the stuff that will get done eventually so it doesn't seem urgent--as well as how to make progress when there's no time to declutter.
Sections of the book include
Why You Need This Book (You Know Why)
Your Unique Home
Decluttering in the Midst of Real Life
Change Your Mind, Change Your Home
Breaking Through Your Decluttering Delusions
Working It Out Room by Room
Helping Others Declutter
Real Life Goes On (and On)
As long as we're living and breathing, new clutter will appear. The good news is that decluttering can get easier, become more natural, and require significantly fewer hours, less emotional bandwidth, and little to no sweat to keep going.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

We'll Always Have Christmas
By: Jenny Hale
Narrated by: Helene Maksoud
Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
I never got to this one last Christmas 
so I'll listen now.
Source: September 2017 Credit Purchase.
Publisher's Summary
An enchanting story about the magic of Christmas, the importance of family, and the joy of falling in love during the most romantic season of the year....
Christmas has always been a special time for Noelle Parker. Winter evenings spent with family and friends, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies at her family's cozy bakery have shaped her love for all things festive. But this year everything is changing....
The beloved bakery is facing closure and Noelle needs a miracle to save Christmas.
Determined to raise funds for the family business, Noelle sets about revamping the bakery while juggling a surprise new job, caring for the elderly and cantankerous William Harrington in his luxurious, sprawling mansion.
As Noelle melts the frostiness of the house with cake baking, snowball fights and glittering decorations, she helps William to reconnect with a romance that has spanned decades and unexpectedly finds herself falling for his grandson - the gorgeous but mysterious Alexander Harrington...
In the countdown to Christmas, can Noelle save the bakery, reunite a family and create some magical memories of her own along the way?
Unwrap the feeling of Christmas in this beautiful novel celebrating friendship, family and love that lasts a lifetime. We'll Always Have Christmas is the perfect treat for fans of Karen Swan, Susan Mallery, and Sue Moorcroft.
©2017 Jenny Hale (P)2017 Bookouture

3. eBook/Kindle and Smartphone (NG2018)

A Chance at Christmas
by Beppie Harrison
This is a Christmas book I picked up.
Source: 2018 NetGalley.
Christmas is coming, and Catherine Woodsleigh and her crippled brother John have no hope of celebration until an invitation to spend Christmas with an old friend and her family arrives. But after the holiday, worse misfortune looms before them. Living on the diminishing number of coins drawn from a jar left by their dead father and mother, a dire future seems inevitable. Will this chance to share a wondrous sparkling Christmas not only provide a glorious holiday but a new turn in their futures and the astonishing possibility of romance?

November 25, 2018 - I am up to date and enjoying the One Year Bible plan reading through You Version App. Although I am on track on my smartphone I haven' t been steady for each morning and find myself finishing the reading at the end of the day instead of beginning. I need to get back to starting my day with scripture.
I am up to date on the additional reading plan started 11/12: Names of God, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
[You can check out audio of the One Year Bible Plan on the companion commentary online.]

I completed five books and posted seven reviews. I still have 12 reviews to post but the list is getting smaller slowly.
I am slowly adding these reviews to Goodreads, Amazon and Audible.  I still have older ones to catch up on too.
My NetGalley shelf is now at 7 as I am reading 2 while working to get these completed. I may be requesting a few more before the end of year. I still have one author title in queue - I think. Still many 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 didn't add any new review titles.
I resisted the week's Daily Deals but picked up four titles on sale for total $23.80.
I didn't pick up any Kindle paid titles.
I only picked up 27 free kindle titles. (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

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

11/25/18 Four Books on Sale
Radiance $4.95
Wraith Kings, Volume 1
By: Grace Draven
Narrated by: Gabrielle Baker
Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
This was new to me but sounds like a fantasy romance I will like.

Grim $5.95
Tornians Book 1
By: M.K. Eidem
Narrated by: Commodore James, Laura Jennings
Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
This is another fantasy romance that took my fancy.

The Fifth Season $6.95
The Broken Earth, Book 1
By: N. K. Jemisin
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
This has been on my wish list for some time.

The Handmaid's Tale $5.95
By: Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Claire Danes
Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
I have been meaning to get this one for a while too.

Free

I added 27 free titles to my Kindle library over the past week. 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 November 25, 2018

We had a good morning at church with Sunday School and Service. SS covered 1 Corinthians Chapter 5. Paul was addressing the church leadership for failing to handle a local problem of sin. The church has to be careful that it doesn’t begin to reflect the world instead of being distinctly different.

We started service with lovely praise and worship. Our Youth Pastor gave the sermon message titled Unexpected Answers based on the prayers of Habakkuk. Habakkuk lamented and whined: “How long, Lord, must I call for help but you do not listen?” He was praying with complaints that the world around him was full of violence and wickedness. Habakkuk 1:2-4.
God replied: “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5.
God’s answer basically says: I am present. I know what is going on and I am in control.
We can be assured that God is Always in control, in every season of life.

We get so many blessings, provision, protection, healing, deliverance. And we get the awesome right to pray even though the answer isn't always what we expect. We think we know what we need but God sees a bigger picture.

Often we get focused on wanting an answer from God rather than focusing on God's presence. The scriptures tell us to ‘Seek Him’ and the reset will come. We need to pray for His presence and then recognize that He is in control.

Habakkuk's complaint turns into a song in Chapter 3:3-6.
Although these other verses were not mentioned specifically, I have four verses highlighted in my Bible: Habakkuk 1:5 (above); Habakkuk 2:4, 20 and 3:18 (shown below the video).

I had a couple songs on God is in Control and chose this video for today.

Verses for Today:
Habakkuk (NIV)
Habakkuk 2:4
“See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—”
Habakkuk 2:20
The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.
Habakkuk 3:18
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Lord, I pray that You would help me to seek Your Presence and allow that to be the right answer for me.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway November 23, 2018

Happy Friday and Welcome to a month of Thanksgiving and November Anniversary of Friday Pick! Every November I pick 4 random winners to celebrate the anniversary of Friday Pick.

The week turned out too disrupted to pull together another set of books at office. I thought I had a picture of some boxes that I had set aside but I didn't find the picture. I set together a box at home but the picture wouldn't email so it will have to wait. I have added titles to all existing lists though.

TO ENTER FRIDAY PICK

US Entrants: Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.

INTERNATIONAL: Leave a comment indicating "Gift Card" (see further comments near the end of the post.)

CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 9:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up too late to do the winner post! I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.

Thank you to all who entered the November 16 Pick. There were no automatic wins this week. Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times without other people asking for that book during those weeks. No titles were blocked.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from November 16 Pick:
ASHFA and MARYP each get a GC and
BN100 gets End Game and BECKY gets The Leopard's Woman/White Wolf

All winners please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me to confirm your win, send your snail mail address information and let me know if you would like bookmarks - sensual, sexy or sweet bookmarks. {The form is new because Google changed their forms and the old one wasn't letting me print out the responses.}

Of course this bulletin board fits for Thanksgiving week. :-).
Image found at Shopswell.

New Book Group #82 November 9, 2018

Pairs:
Stella Cameron: French Quarter and Key West
Jude Deveraux: Mulberry Tree and Wild Orchids
SINGLES:
Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Unmasked Anthology - Jennifer Blake, Janet Dailey and Elizabeth Gage
Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich
Killing Time by Linda Howard
The Finer Things by Brenda Joyce
Wicked Promise by Kat Martin
Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee
The Leopard's Woman by Linda Lael Miller and White Wolf by Lindsay McKenna
Eagle and the Dove by Victoria Morrow
To Love Again by Bertrice Small
The Wedding Night by Barbara Dawson Smith
Primal Obsession by Susan Vaughn

New Book Group #81 August 17, 2018

There are three audios at the top:

No One Left to Tell is MP3
Kisscut is Cassettes
Dark Summer is CDs
Pairs:
Kay Hooper and
Carla Neggers Red Clover Inn
SINGLES
Cold Pursuit by Carla Neggers
Best Laid Plans
Bound For Murder
Asking for Murder
Pretty Poison
Darkness Tell Us
Last Writes (A Jaine Austen Mystery Series Book 2) by Laura Levine
Don’t Tell a Soul by S. K. McClafferty - MSE has on Kindle 2013
Zombies of the Gene Pool
Cooking More Deadly


New Book Group #80 August 17, 2018

Note: The Final Judgment and
The Book of Fate are Audio Cassettes
PAIRS
Fern Michaels and James Patterson
SINGLES:
Summer’s Moon
The Green Trap
End Game
Night School
The Red Tent
The Final Judgment Audio Cassettes
Secrets of Paris
Linda Goodnight
Irish Charmers, the Mighty Quinns
Firebird
No Getting Over a Cowboy
The Book of Fate Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #79 July 13, 2018
I found this box of books buried under some other boxes.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lenox by Maggie O’Farrell
P.S. by Helen Schulman
Her Sexiest Surprise by Dawn Atkins (personally autographed)
The Maverick Preacher by Victoria Bylin (personally autographed)
The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver
The Doctor’s Forever Family by Marie Ferrarella
Dakota Child by Linda Ford
Branded by the Sheriff by Delores Fossen
The Italian’s Inexperienced Mistress
Calling the Shots by Ellen Hartman
Promises, Promises by Amber Miller
This Time for Keeps by Jenna Mills
Rhapsody in Time by Judith O’Brien
A Daughter’s Legacy by Virginia Smith
Another Man’s Baby by Kay Stockham
The Cowboy’s Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne


New Book Group #78 April 27, 2018

PAIRS
Johanna Lindsey Pair
Judith Krentz Pair
SINGLES
Midnight Rainbow
Blackberry Bush
Breaking Point
A Tangled Affair
To Wicked to Love
Betrayed
My Dark Prince
Roses are Red Audio Cassettes
Brothers of Gwynedd
Fatal Defect
Bones of the Sea and Other Stories
By a Spider's Thread



New Book Group #77 February 16, 2018- All gone

New Book Group #76 November 3, 2017
13 books remain of the original 37:

I finally Have them Listed!
Boots & Booties by Kristine Rolofson
Saucer the Conquest by Stephen Coonts
Echo Burning by Lee Child
The Scorpion Seducer by Bonnie Vanak
Hell On Earth by David L. Porter
Tempted All Night by Liz Carlyle
Day of the Dead by J.A. Jance
White Night by Jim Butcher
Five Gold Rings Anthology Constance O’Banyon and three others
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton
Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell
Crisscross by Harmon Henkin
Wizard’s Daughter by Catherine Coulter
Pearl Beyond Price by Claire Delacroix
Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
The Wicked Wyckerly by Patricia Rice
Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
Night Whispers by Judith McNaught
101 Commonsense Rules for the Office by John R. Brinkerhoff

This shelf of 35 books are what is left from Groups #1 (11/27/09) through Group #75 September 29, 2017

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 14 titles.)
Rehabilitation
Secret Blessing
Named of the Dragon
Daring
Aunt Erma's Cope Book
JoAnn Ross: Confessions
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
The New Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman
A Kiss Before Dawn by Kimberly Logan
The Fireman’s Fair by Josephine Humphreys (Hardcover)
Bound by Destiny by Rayka Mennen
Rainbow Mars by Larry Niven
There Was A Little Girl by Ed McBain (Audio Cassettes)
Love's Brazen Fire by Betina Krahn 

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 21 titles.)
Plan of Attack by Dan Brown
(*Three more very old books from my Gothics box.)
*The Man in the Garden by Paule Mason (1969 - yellowed)
Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
*Four books are very old; pulled from a box of gothic novels I found.
*Maggie – Her Marriage by Taylor Caldwell (1953 very old, yellowed pages, some stain damage doesn't effect reading)
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey- Audio Cassette
Trilogy Of Mysteries Audio Book Shadow Prey, There Was A Little Girl, Smokescreen Audio Cassettes (NOT CDs)
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)
The Shadowing by Joan Overfield
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty by Vickie Kennedy
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley -- NOTE This book has dog bite damage; it is missing half back cover and the edges of pages in the back third of the book... it does not effect the text but I will understand if no one wants this one
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
BOX #1 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 1- 23)
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

If you saw the pictures posted of my bookshelves and boxes you know I do have lots of books! And that doesn't include the other eight or so boxes at my office!! And more books as I find deals too good to pass up! I am sharing my book bounty by these Friday Pick Giveaways.

I started Friday Pick on November 27, 2009 and in almost EIGHT years I have posted 82 groups of 16 plus an additional 21 totaling 1,333 books to find new homes! (as of November 9, 2018).

I am happy to say that so far about 1,198+ books have found new homes through this feature! YAY. [A year or so ago I posted I had reached 2000 books given away. As I calculated the numbers 11/2/17 I realized that had to be an error. I realized I went from 1098 to 2001 instead of 1101. Guess I was tired; sorry for the error.] I have to update my print out to check the exact number sent out - a few were never claimed. I periodically update the lists - deleting those won. You can still go to the Friday Pick list link to see older posts and the older lists book pictures if you want!

Note rules here regarding international entries.

Because postage to overseas can be prohibitive I am willing to give a $5.00 book certificate to international winners - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, ARe, TWRP, ClassAct Books, eTreasures, Desert Breeze, etc....you tell me where and I'll set it up. So for my overseas visitors your comment may indicate a smaller book and I'll check postage or note your choice of gift card.

I learned that The Book Depository does not ship to everywhere. The postage for some of the books to far away places runs between $7.00 and $10.00 and up. Since I would award $5.00 for The Book Depository to an international winner, as an alternative you may choose a smaller book and we will hope the postage will not exceed $6.00. If the postage is more, or if you want to pick a larger book and you are willing to pay any extra postage beyond the $6.00 I will work with you on that. This may not make a difference to many but if it helps one or two of you to give one of my books a home that will make me happy too. :o)

Repeating this helpful blog tip: You can right click on a link and you will be given the choice to open the link in a new window or tab so you do not navigate away from the screen you are on!! I use this all the time!

#NetGalley Book Review: Light’s Dawn: A Novella (Light in the Darkness) by Yvette Bostic

This is an interesting alternate history, fantasy prequel that sets up the series.

Light’s Dawn: A Novella (Light in the Darkness)
by Yvette Bostic

File Size: 358 KB
Print Length: 107 pages
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07C1WNLJ8
Genre: Alternate History, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Mikel, a young merchant with the East India Trading Company, always considered fortune to be his mistress...until the Amboyan Massacre. The Dutch spare his life, but he’s forced into the deep jungles of South America to act as bait for a hidden menace picking off their scouts one by one. It works all too well: a demonic horde, drawn into the open, annihilates the entire Dutch battalion, leaving Mikel running for his life.
As he flees from the grisly battlefield, he falls in with the only other survivor of the demon attack, a Portuguese army scout named Raphael. Together, they scramble to escape the dangers of an impenetrable jungle, the pursuing demons, and their masters, a shadowy group of cultists intent on destroying the world.
Exhausted and disoriented, Mikel and Raphael are drawn to a mysterious stranger. But his gifts come with a choice: accept their destiny to fight against the darkness or allow it to consume humanity.
Light's Dawn is a stand-alone prequel to the Light in the Darkness historical fantasy series.

Review:
Mikel and a friend Harry are caught up in a massacre by the Dutch against the East India Trading Company and others on Ambon Island. Mikel and Harry are sent away as prisoners by ship then forced into military service in the jungles of South America. As a scout Mikel watches in total fear as demonic beasts wipe out the Dutch battalion.

Meanwhile, Raphael, an expert scout for the Portuguese army who were about to face off with the Dutch, witnesses the destruction of his army unit by the demons. Raphael and Mikel end up escaping together. The pair are reluctant to work together but a mysterious vision tells them that they must work together to survive and fight on a humanitarian mission.

The pair stumble into a village and a group of warriors fighting the demons. The Amazon leader of the warriors is drawn together on the ‘Godly’ mission and they all have to decide if they are willing to take the challenge to fight against an ancient evil cult.

There is plenty of action and interesting divine involvement in this historical fantasy. The story is presented in chapter scenes focused on the different characters. This was a little confusing at first but was an interesting technique once I understood what was happening. The characters are well developed, complete with strengths and weaknesses. I liked how the story climaxed, setting up the next books in the series. I recommend this to fantasy readers who enjoy good versus evil battles.

Source: NetGalley 2018. This qualifies for NetGalley Challenge.

Happy Thanksgiving 2018!

I have much to be Thankful for even after the storms!
Son and daughter and their families - all healthy. Our Daughter-in-law has received a clear diagnosis of the lung cancer spots after four months!
My Versa Note, which we liked, was totaled by the hurricane. The payment was enough to replace it with a almost the same financing on a 2015 Prius with 14,080 miles. The Prius is a Hybrid, 45+ miles to a gallon, and we love it!
We couldn't see sunsets because of the woods behind our house - we can now!

God is in control and He loves me.

I give thanks!

#NetGalley Book Review: For Us Humans by Steve Rzasa

I enjoyed this interesting and unique, Christian sci fi.
For Us Humans: A Tale of Alien Occupation 
by Steve Rzasa

File Size: 2888 KB
Print Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Enclave (August 14, 2018)
ASIN: B07DD52TMF
Genre: Aliens, Christian, Futuristic, Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Caz Fortel is a great liar. In fact, he's a professional.
It's his job to lie to people who steal works of art, and to get the goods back. But when Caz gets the big call from the FBI—a million bucks to recover a stolen statue of significant cultural value—it comes with a downside. His assigned partner has more of an interest in Jesus than Caz is comfortable with. Oh, and he’s an alien with four arms and a tremendous sense of smell.
When aliens showed up fifteen years ago, Earth cut a deal to join the Panstellar Consociation as a protectorate, allowing their new neighbors to set up a warp tunnel in orbit, in exchange for advanced tech secrets. Now Caz is caught up in the retrieval of their missing statue, and they want the mission kept quiet.
Or Earth could be in very, very big trouble.

Review:
Fifteen years ago aliens arrived on Earth and peaceably took over as ‘protectors’. They needed a special portion of space near earth and it was worth their while to buy their way into corporate authority. Many Christians abandoned their faith when they learned that aliens existed. Caz felt deserted by other believers and he took off, leaving behind his college sweetheart who stayed in faith.

Caz is a consummate liar as he has worked undercover for years recovering stolen art. This keeps him from developing and keeping close friends. He leans on his vices – drinking, swearing, womanizing and generally being rude -- but tends to feel that he isn’t living the life he should.

Caz has now been assigned a very rare art recovery. Caz isn’t a fan of the aliens and is distressed to learn that alien Ghiqasu Hounder Prime Nil is assigned to work with him as the authorities represented Caz as a Christian. Yes, Caz still holds himself out as a Christian although he knows he doesn’t live like one. Nil is on board to recover the missing statute whose loss could instigate an alien war. But he requested working with a Christian because Nil is seeking a closer relationship with Qas, the ‘One Who Died for All’ according to myths of his race.

The partners come together with reluctance but soon discover they have diverse skills that make them a good team. They are both observant and Caz arranges believable personas to meet with crooked dealers. Meanwhile, Nil tracks suspects through a unique ability of smell. The investigation is more dangerous than expected when certain aliens betray their race and have to be stopped before triggering that war they want to complicate alien political intricacies.

Caz and Nil are very unique and engaging characters. I found it awesome that the author created an alien race that has (scoffed at) myths about the One Who Died for All, including the details of a birth on Earth. I found it dismaying that many would abandon their faith when they learned that aliens were real. In my thoughts, God has created an awesome world on Earth and H is certainly capable of creating other awesome worlds and races. Caz does have one Christian friend whom he works with and he gets the chance to reconnect with his college flame with some surprising revelations.

There is good action and intrigue in the investigation as well as some interesting scenes in jump space. I liked how Caz reacted to his superior’s cryptic texts and how the agent came through with assistance. This added good humor to a story already moving with sharp banter. The vices are attributed but not displayed directly; i.e. no swearing and no sex which was fine by me. I very much enjoyed this unique sci fi and would like to try more works by Rzasa. I recommend this to readers who like sci fi intrigue and find the thought of aliens seeking the hope of salvation an intriguing idea.

Source: NetGalley 2018. This qualifies for NetGalley Challenge.

#NetGalley Book Review: Unwritten by Tara Gilboy

This is a creative, engaging story.

Unwritten
by Tara Gilboy

File Size: 2297 KB
Print Length: 162 pages
Publisher: North Star Editions (October 16, 2018)
ASIN: B07GZXH9PQ
Genre: Children's Books, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Twelve-year-old Gracie Freeman is living a normal life, but she is haunted by the fact that she is actually a character from a story, an unpublished fairy tale she's never read. When she was a baby, her parents learned that she was supposed to die in the story, and with the help of a magic book, took her out of the story, and into the outside world, where she could be safe.
But Gracie longs to know what the story says about her. Despite her mother's warnings, Gracie seeks out the story's author, setting in motion a chain of events that draw herself, her mother, and other former storybook characters back into the forgotten tale.
Inside the story, Gracie struggles to navigate the blurred boundary between who she really is and the surprising things the author wrote about her. As the story moves toward its deadly climax, Gracie realizes she'll have to face a dark truth and figure out her own fairy-tale ending.

Review:
Gracie tries to live her normal life with her loving mother, but she is troubled. Her mother has told her that they are characters from a story until her parents rescued her with the help of a magic book. Gracie wants to know the full story but her mother refuses to tell her. Gracie knows the name of the author and sneaks out to meet her at a book event. Gracie meets the author and challenges her to tell her about story. The author tries to appease Gracie but things go strangely amiss and the characters are drawn back into the book. Once in the book, the characters have to try to remember who they are in the real world. Gracie especially struggles to determine if she can change her character and the story as written.

This is a creative modern day fairy-tale. The characters are well developed, and I enjoyed the comradeship between Gracie and her geeky scientist friend, Walter. There is a wicked queen who controls the magic but she doesn’t control all of the characters. The story is appropriate for middle age girls but a nice, quick read for adults too. I recommend this engaging tale to those who love ‘book’ stories and fairy tales.

Source: NetGalley 2018. This qualifies for NetGalley and Alphabet Challenges.

Sunday Post November 18, 2018/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday November 19, 2018

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.

We are slowly getting set up in the new office so we don't have to wade through water when raining and work in mildewy conditions. I'll share a couple of pictures this week showing the problems.
My hubby is still chaffing at not being allowed to drive or do much. He seems to be feeling a bit better.

My listening and reading was good but seemed slow. I will soon have to start using the Fire Kindle as my old one dies way too often. I finished two audio books and one ebook again. I posted four reviews on blog, one with Giveaway. I didn't get any reviews up at Goodreads but I plan to do that this week. I am back to posting my usual memes.

I got to visit 23 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to The Tattooed Book Geek. Drew, another blogger from UK, reads some similar genres. If you are brave, check out his Fun and Inappropriate Covers and Titles links.
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post November 11, 2018/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday November 12, 2018.

• eTBR-LBC- Book Review: The Evidence (The Mars Hill Classified Series) by Austin W. Boyd; Christian, Fantasy, Sci Fi; My Rating: 3.5 of 5.0.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: The Extinction Cycle Boxed Set, Books 1 - 3, by Nicolas Sansbury Smith; Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Sci Fi, Zombies; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall and Audio.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway November 16, 2018.

• A2018- Audible Book Review: The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson; Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Fantasy; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall, Story and Audio.

• Sharing Beyond Books #356 Comment Giveaway November 17, 2018.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review with Print Giveaway: The Last Colony, Old Man's War, Book 3 by John Scalzi; Colonization, Genetic Engineering, Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement November 18, 2018.

Finished Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (AB2018)

Elite
Written By: Mercedes Lackey
Narrated By: Amy Landon
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Date: September 2016
Duration: 10 hours 12 minutes
I enjoyed continuing this series and will pick up book 3 soon. :-)Source: Audiobook.com Credit Purchase November 2018.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Cartwright's Cavaliers
The Revelations Cycle, Book 1
By: Mark Wandrey
Narrated by: Craig Good
Series: The Revelations Cycle, Book 1
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Source: May 2017 Audible Credit Purchase. 11/12-15.
Publisher's Summary
Heir to one of the leading "Four Horsemen" mercenary companies, Jim Cartwright is having a bad year. Having failed his high school VOWS tests, he's just learned his mother bankrupted the family company before disappearing, robbing him of his Cavalier birthright.
But the Horsemen of eras past were smart - they left a legacy of equipment Jim can use to complete the next contract and resurrect the company. It's up to Jim to find the people he needs to operate the machinery of war, train them, and lead them to victory. If he's good enough, the company can still be salvaged.
But then again, he's never been good enough.
©2016 Mark Wandrey (P)2017 Mark Wandrey.

3. eBook/Kindle and Smartphone (NG2018)

Kill Shot: A Novel (White Knights Book 2)
by Susan Sleeman
This Christian romantic suspense has all the elements I like.
Source: 2018 NetGalley. 11/7-18.
Click on book title for full description.

Currently Reading:

1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

29 Gifts
How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life
By: Cami Walker
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
I thought this was appropriate for the week going into Thanksgiving!
It is very well done. I am on day 27 so will finish it soon.
Source: June 2017 Audible Daily Deal $1.95. 11/16-___.
Publisher's Summary
At age 35, Cami Walker was burdened by a battle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological condition that made it difficult for her to walk, work, or enjoy her life. Seeking a remedy for her depression after being hospitalized, she received an uncommon prescription from an African medicine woman: give to others for 29 days.
29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author's life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving and receiving. Many of Walker's gifts were simple - a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By day 29, not only had Walker's health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement.
The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.
©2009 Brightside Communications, Inc. (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

2. eBook/Kindle Fire (TBR)

Christmas at Draycott Abbey (Draycott Abbey Romance)
by Christina Skye
I am starting this tonight.
Source: 2012 Free Kindle; "C" title.
As Christmas draws near and darkness veils the haunted English abbey, a tale of loss and love betrayed begins.
As cold closes in, old hatreds spring to life, bringing danger to a vulnerable woman betrayed by those she trusts most. Wounded and lost, Clair Haywood will seek haven within the abbey's ancient granite walls. But her enemies are closer than she knows.
Only one man can save her. And he has been dead for 200 years.

3. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Uncommon Protector
Living an Extraordinary Life One Day at a Time
By: Shelley Shepard Gray
Narrated by: Nan Gurley
Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
I picked this sweet romance to enjoy
as a "U" title for 2018.
Source: October 2018 Credit Purchase.
Publisher's Summary
Overwhelmed by the responsibilities of running a ranch on her own, Laurel Tracey decides to hire a convict - a man who's just scary enough to take care of squatters and just desperate enough to agree to a one-year post.
The years following the war have been hard on Laurel Tracey. Both her brother and her father died in battle, and her mother passed away shortly after receiving word of their demise. Laurel has been trying to run her 200-acre ranch as best she can.
When she discovers that squatters have settled in her north pasture and have no intention of leaving, Laurel decides to use the last of her money to free a prisoner from the local jail. If she agrees to offer him room and board for one year, he will have to work for her to pay off his debt.
Former soldier Thomas Baker knows he's in trouble when he finds himself jailed because he couldn't pay a few fines. Laurel's offer might be his only ticket out. Though she's everything he ever dreamed of in a woman - sweet and tender-hearted, yet strong - he's determined to remain detached, work hard on her behalf, and count the days until he's free again.
But when cattle start dying and Laurel's life is threatened, Thomas realizes more than just his freedom is on the line. Laurel needs someone to believe in her and protect her property. And it isn't long before Laurel realizes that Thomas Baker is far more than just a former soldier. He's a trustworthy hero, and he needs more than just his freedom - he needs her love and care, too.
©2017 Shelley Shepard Gray (P)2017 Zondervan

4. eBook/Kindle and Smartphone (NG2018)

Somewhere The Bells Ring (Somewhere in Time Book 3)
by Beth Trissel
I thought I'd get this NetGalley Christmas title in.
Source: NetGalley 2018.
Ghosts aren't real, are they?
December 1968: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative's ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn't so bad.
To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope--until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.
As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe--in Bailey and the ghost--before the Christmas bells ring?

November 18, 2018 - I am up to date and enjoying the One Year Bible plan reading through You Version App. Although I am on track on my smartphone I haven' t been steady for each morning and find myself finishing the reading at the end of the day instead of beginning. I need to get back to starting my day with scripture.
I am up tp date on the additional reading plan started 11/12: Names of God, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am looking forward to this reading too!
[You can check out audio of the One Year Bible Plan on the companion commentary online.]

I completed three books and posted four reviews. I still have 14 reviews to post!
Obviously I have all of these reviews to add to Goodreads, Amazon and Audible so I am way behind again. I still have older ones to catch up on too.
My NetGalley shelf is still at 9 as I am reading one and added 1 title. I still have one author title in queue - I think. Still many 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 added one new review title through NetGalley.
I picked up two Audible Credits, one Audible Daily Deals and my two free November Originals.
I didn't pick up any Kindle paid titles.
I only picked up seven free kindle titles as I was pretty busy just treading emails. (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

This is a Christmas book I picked through NetGalley.
A Chance at Christmas
by Beppie Harrison
"Will this chance to share a wondrous sparkling Christmas not only provide a glorious holiday but a new turn in their futures and the astonishing possibility of romance?"

Won

NONE

Purchased

11/14/18 Daily Deal $3.95
Dread Nation
By: Justina Ireland
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
I like alternate history stories and this was on my wish list.


11/17/18 Two Credits:
Uncommon Protector
Living an Extraordinary Life One Day at a Time
By: Shelley Shepard Gray
Narrated by: Nan Gurley
Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
This sounds good to me and it is a "U" title.


Zoe's Tale
Old Man's War, Book 4
By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
Length: 10 hrs
I want to continue this series and it's good for a "Z" title.

Free

These are the two Free Audible Originals I picked:
Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane
Words and Music
By: Patti Smith
Narrated by: Patti Smith
Length: 1 hr and 23 mins
I found her interesting as a poet and musician who became a hit in the 70's - during my college years.

Laurie Berkner's Song and Story Kitchen
By: Laurie Berkner, The Laurie Berkner Band
Narrated by: Laurie Berkner, Josiah Gaffney
Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
I picked this one to share with the Grandkids. It sounds cute. :-)

I added just 7 free titles to my Kindle library over the past week. 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 November 18, 2018

I am always refreshed by Sunday mornings! Our Sunday School teacher continued the lessons in 1 Corinthians 4:1-21. Paul continued to address the division among those ‘following’ Apollos and those ‘following’ Paul. His point is that all leaders are “servants of Christ” (v1.) who should not be evaluated and judged by others or even self, but whose work will be judged by God. (1 Corinthians 4:2-5.) Paul describes the role of the apostles particularly and notes that the proof of their leadership will be in shown by the power of their words, not just their charismatic speaking. 1 Corinthians 4:20-21.

Our Worship was moving, led by our youth. Our youth pastor noted that we have to step forward and put action to our faith so that if we believe in healing, we need to speak it over others. The last song in the set was a heartfelt hymn, “It Is Well”.

Pastor’s Sermon was titled “Risky Conversations”. He noted how often we avoid the hard discussions that might hurt others. Sometimes we pray that God will deal with the situation … or the other person. But that doesn’t usually resolve the issue. Then Pastor asked, “What if that ‘risky conversation’ we need to have is with God?”

Sometimes God has to rip off a bandage because sometimes we need a breakthrough. The scripture lesson came from 1 Samuel 1:1-19. Hannah was hurt by being barren and being taunted by her husband’s other wife. (Pastor noted that there is a lot of strife revealed in the Bible due to multiple wives.) Hannah prayed in desperation. 1 Samuel 1:10-19.

Point: If we want to be made whole by God, we must be willing to be broken.

We cannot rely own actions when we need more – we need to rely on God. Why do we struggle? Sometimes it is sin in our lives and other times it is circumstances. We may experience pain, physical or emotional, but there is a purpose in it that we don’t always recognize. Scripture tells us that God has a reason: The more we suffer, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. Once we have been brought through a difficult situation with the comfort of the Spirit, we have a comforter to share with others. A daring prayer, sometimes of deep anguish, can allow God to move us to a place he wants to use us.

Why are you avoiding the risky conversation? When you face that situation will you draw closer to God or run away? We can hope that we draw closer and then emulate Hannah's song of praise. 1 Samuel 2: 1-10.

This wasn’t the song I was looking for but it came up and it speaks to me:

Who Can Compare to You?

Verses for Today:
1 Samuel 2:1-3 (NIV)
1 Then Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
2 “There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

Lord, I give thanks that I can place my assurance in You as You have all things in control.

Audible Book Review with Print Giveaway: The Last Colony, Old Man's War, Book 3 by John Scalzi

I really enjoy the snark and action in this series.
The Last Colony, Old Man's War, Book 3
by John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris

Series: Old Man's War, Book 3
Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 10-13-08
Language: English
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Colonization, Genetic Engineering, Sci Fi
My rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Retired from his fighting days, John Perry is now village ombudsman for a human colony on distant Huckleberry. With his wife, former Special Forces warrior Jane Sagan, he farms several acres, adjudicates local disputes, and enjoys watching his adopted daughter grow up.
That is, until his and Jane's past reaches out to bring them back into the game - as leaders of a new human colony, to be peopled by settlers from all the major human worlds, for a deep political purpose that will put Perry and Sagan back in the thick of interstellar politics, betrayal, and war.
Listen to Old Man's War .
©2007 John Scalzi (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Review:
John Perry, his wife, Jane, and their adopted teenage daughter, Zoe, with her unique alien guards, Hickory and Dickory, are living quietly as farmers on a distant human colony planet. John is the local authority and has to deal with community issues including disputes over goat propagation between feuding brother.

Then a General from their CU (Colonial Union) past calls them to lead a group of colonists on a planet named Roanoke. The colony is to bring together races from many human peoples who are seeking new colonies. The races all wanted to be the only colonists, but the CU authorities decided there had to be a gathering. These means there are already hostilities and jealousies and not all the colonists are happy to have John and Jane take leadership.

When the ship takes its final time slip to reach its destination, they discover they are not at the planet they expected. The colonists learn that they are a target for attack by another galactic group, the Conclave, who issued a decree banning any new colonies that did not get permission from them. One of the groups of colonists are Mennonites who do not use modern technologies. There was a larger amount of old fashion tools in the supplies for a reason. The colony has to learn to build and farm using minimal technology so they won’t be detected by the Conclave.

The colony is actually being used as bait as the CU has set them up to draw out the Conclave. John and the new colonists are shocked at the betrayal but now they have to figure out how to avoid destruction by the Conclave. They also have to determine who is they can trust.

I enjoyed the snarky rapport that John has with other characters. It makes the story fun listening. Zoe is beginning to appear as a more important character and I enjoyed the nature of her guards. John is able to use their devotion to help protect not just Zoe but the other colonists too. There are tensions and battle scenes with good action that are well balance with the intrigue and personal stories.

This is the third book in the series and I am still enjoying the creative world and characters. I recommend this to readers who enjoy solid space opera with a good touch of humor.

Audio Notes: I enjoy the narration of William Dufris. He brings in the personalities of the characters with distinct voices. His narration makes the story more enjoyable for me.

Source: December 2017 Audible Credit. This qualifies for 2018TBR and Audiobook Challenge.

GIVEAWAY:

One winner.

Gently used Paperback Book (US or Canada Only)

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry!)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries

(a) comment on the review

or

(b) comment on the author's website

* This contest is open to US or Canada for the paperback book.
* This contest will close 5 PM (Central) December 1, 2018.
Winners are asked to respond on the winners form linked in the announcement or by email.

Sharing Beyond Books #356 Comment Giveaway November 17, 2018

Hello again and Welcome back to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
We had nine commenters who haven't started Christmas shopping yet and seven who have, with four who shop year round.

The Winner from SBB #355 comments is: #15 Elizabeth who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated (**Finally!) ARC/Review titles or (recently updated) Love and Christmas titles - all linked near the end of the post.

**NOTE: I did post an Updated ARC and Other books for Giveaways. I have to go back and list the titles -- someday.
Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #356

(One Question.)

This is a question from bn100: What's the longest you've waited for a book sequel?

This was hard to answer. I am always waiting for a Taylor Anderson sequel (The Destroyermen series), and a Mercy Thompson sequel (by Patricia Briggs). I think I have had to wait a year or so for some sequels. I'm sure there are more but I can't think of them right now. I'm pretty sure my son would say the Game of Thrones next book has been the longest wait.

Image found at Epic Reads.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify.
Elizabeth and bn100 provided the questions in November and get $2.50 Credit/half a book credit.

Your turn to share. bn100 asks: What's the longest you've waited for a book sequel?

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Updated ARC and Other books, including the "Love" and Christmas titles all in one post.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday December 1, 2018 at 5 PM central.

Audible Book Review: The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson

This is an engaging dystopian with a different twist.

The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson
Narrated by: Jayme Mattler
Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 01-02-18
Language: English
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Genre: Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
A captivating tale of humanity pushed beyond its breaking point, of family and bonds of love forged when everything is lost, and of a heroic young woman who crosses a frozen landscape to find her destiny, this debut novel is in a postapocalyptic tradition that spans The Hunger Games and Station Eleven but blazes its own distinctive path.
Forget the old days. Forget summer. Forget warmth. Forget anything that doesn't help you survive in the endless white wilderness beyond the edges of a fallen world.
Lynn McBride has learned much since society collapsed in the face of nuclear war and the relentless spread of disease. As the memories of her old life continue to haunt, she's been forced to forge ahead in the snow-drifted Canadian Yukon, learning how to hunt and trap and slaughter.
But her fragile existence is about to be shattered. Shadows of the world before have found her tiny community - most prominently in the enigmatic figure of Jax, who brings with him dark secrets of the past and sets in motion a chain of events that will call Lynn to a role she never imagined.
Simultaneously a heartbreakingly sympathetic portrait of a young woman searching for the answer of who she is meant to be and a frightening vision of a merciless new world in which desperation rules, The Wolves of Winter is enveloping, propulsive, and poignant.
©2017 Tyrell Johnson. All rights reserved. (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Review:
Lynn was sixteen when her family walked away from their home in Alaska society to live in the Yukon wilderness. Her father was dead and her mother, brother, uncle and a friend seek to escape the threat of nuclear war and the more present threat of a deadly flu virus. Lynn has had to learn to live off the land by honing her hunting and trapping skills. She also has to deal with unscrupulous neighbors who steal game and make unwanted advances. Rarely do strangers come near their small community (four cabins) so she is surprised to stumble upon an injured man with a dog.

Lynn is fascinated by Jax who brings excitement of tales from the world beyond. But he also brings danger as there are forces who are chasing him. And once they learn about Lynn, they will want to capture her too.

I enjoyed how this post-apocalyptic/dystopian story developed with a natural disaster which is different from zombie and . It is told from Lynn’s first person view so you have the struggles and memories of a young woman who has no real society other than her family. She struggles with being isolated and seeks to learn more about those who survived the pandemic. But she soon learns that she may not be safe…and she may be special.

The story is engaging and kept me interested until the end as I rooted for Lynn and Jax. The writing is lovely, clear and direct with strong descriptions. I also liked the chapter opening quotes from Walt Whitman. I recommend this to readers who enjoy young adult, natural dystopian.

Audio Notes: Jayme Mattler is a new to me narrator. She does a spot-on job with the narration, providing the appropriate aged voice for Lynn. She also does a good job on Jax and the other characters. She carries the energy of the book and the narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Source: 2018 Audible Sci Fi Sale $4.95. This qualifies for 2018 Audiobook Challenge.