It's Monday! What are you Reading January 24, 2011?

This meme starts at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

It was a good reading week! I finished five books; posted four reviews with Giveaways; one Help Me Pick Audio Giveaway; an Enquiring meme post and my Sunday post.

I didn't get to reply to posts last week which really frustrates me. I did visit a little all week long but not as much as I would like.
These were last week's posts plus Winner posts not listed.

•  It's Monday What are You Reading? January 17, 2011.  

• Book Review and Giveaway: The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou by Susan Higginbotham; Historical Fiction; my rating 4.25.

•  Book Review and Giveaway -3 Copies: Sins of a Highland Devil (Highland Warriors) by  Sue-Ellen Welfonder; Historical Romance; my rating 3.75.

• Book Review and Giveaway -2 Copies Audiobook:  Hell's Corner (The Camel Club) by David Baldacci; Mystery Thriller; my rating 4.0.

•  Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 21, 2011.

• Quick Help Me Pick Audio Books Giveaway (ends Monday at noon).

•  Book Review and Giveaway: - Old copy of Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank; Sci Fi; my rating 4.25.

•  Enquiring Minds Meme Week #21 with Comment Giveaway.

•  Sunday Words of Encouragement January 23, 2011.

Finished Reading:
 
Print: Sins of a Highland Devil (Highland Warriors) by Sue-Ellen Welfonder.   Review and Hachette Giveaway linked above.

 

Print:  Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha. I really like the hero and the story was interesting. I will post a full review on Tuesday. Read for Hachette Mystery/Fiction division.

Print/Kindle

My Immortal Assassin

by Carolyn Jewel

This is an intense parnormal 
and read very quickly.
I will be posting the Review and 
Hachette Giveaway on Wednesday. 

Audio: Hell's Corner (The Camel Club) by David Baldacci.  Review and Hachette Giveaway is linked above.

Audible:  Alas, Babylon 

by Pat Frank.  

A Classic. 

Review and Book Giveaway 

linked above.

Line Edits/Releases: I think the two books Really are Finally ready. It is surprising all the final details that have to be completed.

Currently reading:

Print/Kindle: Kiss at Your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe;  Just started this and it jumps into action. I'm liking the different "black widow" paranormal aspect. I am reading this for Sourcebooks.

Audible: I started listening to First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera) because I wanted to read a book by Jim Butcher. But after an hour or so I was lost with characters and then looked it up to find that it is the sixth book in a series. So I have set that aside.


Instead I am listening to Destroyermen: Into the Storm by Taylor Anderson as this sounded like an interesting sci fi.

Product Description

In this first novel in the Destroyermen series---an imaginative alternate history saga---the crew of a World War II destroyer find themselves in the midst of an altogether different war.

Audio:
Based on the votes so far it looks like I will start my trip listening to The Taste of Innocence CD (Cynster Novels) by Stephanie Laurens.

Then on the way back I will probably listen to

Step on a Crack 

by James Patterson.

Line Edits: I still have to finalizing two more releases  and go to edits. However I will be spending time this week formatting five short stories for a CUPID GONE WILD Anthology group special for Februsay!

January 2011 books coming up:  
Print:
Review Books from Sourcebooks:
Last January book is I Dream of Genies by Judi Fennell. I hope to get it done by the end of the week.

February beginning Schedule:
2/1 Deadly Heat and Deadly Lies by Cynthia Eden - Hachette Giveaway (Only - no review)
2/2  How Sweet It is by Sophie Gunn. Hachette Review, Giveaway and Author Guest Post.
2/3 Notorious Pleasures (Maiden Lane) by Elizabeth Hoyt. Hachette Review and Giveaway.
2/9 To Tempt A Rake (Circle of Sin) by Cara Elliott. Hachetter Review and Giveaway.

I have three more scheduled later in the month and one tentative scheduled. I'll list more next week and will probably do one Pick the Next Read post for another four that aren't set on specific dates.

Sunday Words of Encouragement January 23, 2011

I am not happy this is so late but we did not have internet until 8pm today. :-(
Other than my frustration with no internet, I had a nice day at church and did some other computer tasks.
This morning our Pastor preached about The Intermediate Heaven. I never thought about it that way but that makes sense since ultimately there will be a new heaven and new earth. Plus our spirits return to God, even though our bodies return to dust - Eccl 12:7. We do not get resurrected bodies until Christ's return to earth.
Consider this interesting perspective: Heaven has substance and is the source realm while Earth is shadow. Heb 8:5. The heavenly temple is filled with smoke, there are scrolls, horses, musical instruments an ultimately a world of purity and beauty.

I thought of this video in light of the sermon on Heaven.

I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me

A Verse for today:

Revelation 21:1 (NIV)

 ¹ Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

I pray tonight for an anticipation of heaven to influence how I live my daily life.

Enquiring Minds - Meme Week 21 PLUS Comment Giveaway

I didn't get to participate in week #20... which maybe was good since it was political.

This meme is hosted by Dollycas Thoughts for Thursdays - which are hard for me to make.  The goal is to get to know our fellow bloggers and visitors better. Each week Dolly asks some questions for us to answer and then link up. I am late doing the post but I am trying to to participate as I would like to learn more about blogger and follower friends.

WEEK 21 QUESTIONS

I like this weeks questions!

1. What is the outside temperature where you are today?

I was able to find the graphic below.  Our temperature is 34 outside - even in north Florida!  Inside we keep the temps closer to 68 so its a bit cold.  I am happy to go to work were I do set the temp at 73!

2. Do participate in any special winter sports or hobbies like skiing or snowmobiling, etc?
Sitting in front of the fireplace is my sort of winter sport... This is our Christmas morning fireplace. :-)

3. If you had to choose between a week long stay in a mountain lodge with lots of snow, activities, friends, food and beverages or a week alone on a deserted white sand island with just a bag of books and food and water which would you choose?

That is a really hard choice! Or not - I could do the lodge with everyone for a day or two but for a week... I'd rather the deserted beach and bag of books!

Your turn to share.  This week we will do the last Christmas book from the Christmas Books for Giveaway. Next week I have some Valentine and "Love" books planned to choose from.
Rules: a) Must be a follower; b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the three questions 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 by Friday, January 28 at 10PM central

Book Review and Giveaway (older book): Alas Babylon by Pat Frank

How well would you survive and what would you contribute to a community isolated by nuclear war?

• Audible Audio Edition
• Listening Length: 11 hour(s) and 14 min.
• Program Type: Audiobook
• Version: Unabridged
• Publisher: Audible, Inc. (December 21, 2010)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004GX2FQO

Price: Audible $20.95; Bargain Paperback $5.20
Genre:  Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Product Description
This true modern masterpiece is built around the two fateful words that make up the title and herald the end - "Alas, Babylon." When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly.
But for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness. Will Patton's narration paints this classic tale as an ominous picture of the terrible possibilites of the nuclear age.

Review: This book is definitely an enjoyable classic.
I read this book initially when I was in high school or college.  I never forgot about it and a few years ago when I saw the book at a second hand shop I picked it up so it has been sitting on my shelf waiting for a re-read.  Earlier this month I saw the book on Audible so I got it with my monthly subscription.

This was particularly interesting because it was written and published in 1959 so keep in mind the impact on daily life would be even less than now with so many of our lives tied up with computers and other technologies that were not in use in the 1950s.  The story is set in a small river town in Central/North Florida and the protagonist is a lawyer (right up my alley).  Randy Bragg doesn’t have a lot of ambition and seems to be skating on his family’s reputation.  Randy’s ancestor was a prominent founder of Fort Repose. His older brother, Matt is a Colonel with the Strategic Air Command Base in Omaha.  As children the brothers developed a code for disaster: the phrase “Alas Babylon.”

Matt sends a telegram to Randy with the code phrase and tells Randy that he is sending his wife, Helen, and their two children to live with Randy because Matt has inside information and fears a nuclear attack by Russia. Shortly after Helen and the children arrive in Florida the fear because reality.  The bombs start in Miami and then continue to wipe out Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando.

Although Fort Repose suffers only a little direct damage from the bombs, they suffer the lose of electricity, clean water, communication and food shortages.  Medical issues are addressed with difficulty but they are lucky to have Randy’s friend, Dan, the local small town doctor as part of their community. They also have to face looters and murdering highwaymen.

The story follows Randy’s conversion from no direction in his life before “The Day”, to taking charge of his neighbors as they pull together after “The Day”.  The story addresses issues of segregation and class strife in a small town in the '50s as well as the bigger problems of survival and isolation.

There are wonderful characters including the dedicated Doctor, a retired Naval Admiral who is an amateur Ham radio operator and Randy’s current love interest, Lib, who has to cope with Helen’s jealousy.

Will Patton is the narrator and does a very good job. The book moves along at a fast pace and held my interest well even though it is more than fifty years old.  I am looking forward to reading a more recent apocalyptic story to see how it compares to this classic Cold War story. I did enjoy listening to The Road by Comac McCarthy. 

--I am pretty sure this is the cover I remember from my youth.

 This is the cover for the book I have to giveaway:

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY for this 1993 used book:

1.   Comment telling me what book you read when you were younger that you would like to read again.  Please leave your email address.

2.  For an extra entry tell me of an Apocalyptic story you DO or DO NOT recommend.

3.  For another entry tell me if you have seen the movie THE ROAD and what you think of that.

4.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

5. For three entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Seven total entries possible.) MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL!

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on February 6, 2011.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.

Quick! Help Me Pick Which Audio to Listen to on Monday!

Work requires that I drive eight hours Monday and eight hours home on Tuesday.  I don't have any review audio books but I do have four audiobooks available.  I'll be heading out at about 1pm on Monday afternoon so I will need a decision by 12:30 pm Central.  That gives about 42 hours for you to help by letting your vote be known.  Here are my choices:

  The Collectors            The Innocent Man    The Taste of Innocence  

Step on a Crack

Since all of these are 5-6 hours I will probably get to listen to two and still have time left for Audible or Kindle listening!
As incentive to help me pick - I will draw two winners from the votes.  Both winners will get the audiobook they choose unless they choose the same.  Then the first random winner drawn gets that audiobook and the second will have to pick another choice ... (and wait till I listen to it which I will do next if it wasn't the second one on the trip.)

Since audiobooks are lighter than print books I am willing to let international friends vote and win too so this is open internationally if you are interested in winning an used audiobook.  Thanks listening friends!