Saturday Snapshot (March 23, 2013) Early Spring

I forgot to add one last picture related to our Hawaii trip. I always bring the 'home' family a little something.  Here are my Florida Grandchildren modeling their Hawaiian clothing gifts. :-)

Our weather has been strange, warming up then getting cold again.
Here are our little Hyacinth on January 30th

Below are some of the finches that we feed during in winter.
The shots were taken in early February. 
They aren't too good as they are all taken through screened windows.

This is one I call Woody The Woodpecker for obvious reasons!

The cardinals are out now but I haven't gotten their picture yet.

Thanks again to all the nice people who have commented on my Saturday pictures. I am so sorry I have not been getting to return the visits. :-(

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway March 22, 2013

[** If you are new to Friday Pick Giveaway - Welcome!  Scroll down a bit (below book group #19) for instructions on how to enter.]

Hello all. I'm back home with a week of playing "catch-up" behind me. It's been a pretty good and productive week for me. How has the week been for everyone else? Are you happy it is Spring? I am. :-)

[***I'm sorry I have bad news for the international entrants -- I have to ask you to stick with GCs as the new postage rates have almost doubled. What might have been a $6.25 mail out is now close to $12.00.]

Thank you to all who entered the March 15 Pick. WHOOPEE! There were SIX automatic winners this week! (Automatic winners are those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks). There were three titles blocked this week.
Carol M selected The Thunder Keeper
Bookishqueen selected Chance Adventure
Carol NW selected Echoes
Anita selected Across a Thousand Miles
Di selected Secrets of the Outback
Texas Booklover selected the Evanovich Pair

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from March 15 Pick:

Mary P gets a GC

Janhvi also gets a GC 

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 or sexy and I have a new supply of sweet bookmarks.

It's Spring and books are blooming!
Poster Image by Rebecca Cobb

New Book Group #37 March 22, 2013

As I am linking these titles it is clear to me why they were in my TBR boxes and it is really hard to let them go but I have soooo many. Better that they find good reader homes than sit on my shelves, or in a box, and collect dust. 
Pairs:
Linda Howard:
     While Lies and A Game of Chance
Carly Phillips
     The Heartbreaker and Simply Sinful
Singles:
Anthology: Something Borrowed, Something Blue - this book has spine creases and minor water damage...I thought I had read it and liked it but now I realize it was another anthology I read with Elaine Barbier.
Bride by Command by Linda Winstead Jones
To Tame a Rebel by Georgina Gentry
While Passion Sleeps by Shirlee Busbee
Lord Liar by Laurie Grant
Silk and Steel by Theresa Michaels
Lady in Red by Karen Hawkins
The Admiral's Bride by Suzanne Brockmann
Marry Me, Maddie by Rita Herron
Lady Ice by Joan Hohl
Dark Roots & Cowboy Boots by LuAnn McLane
Only My Dreams by Anna Blundy



New Book Group #36 February 15, 2013

Pairs:
Laurell K. Hamilton
     Cravings (actually an Anthology) and A Kiss of Shadows
Tara Taylor Quinn
     Father: Unknown and McGillus v.Wright
Tom Clancy
     Power Play: Cold War (paperback) and Power Play: Ruthless.com (audio cassette tapes)
Singles:
Deadline by Fern Michaels
Timeline by Michael Crichton
And Then You Die by Iris Johansen
Bride of Shadow Canyon by Stacey Kayne
Echoes by Maeve Binchy (worn spine)
One Dead Under the Cukoo's Nest by Lori Avocato
The Thunder Keeper by Margaret Coel
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
Always a Lady by Sharon Sala
Her Wedding Wish by Jillian Hart


New Book Group #35 January 11, 2013
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing 

Pairs
Beverly Barton:
    Downright Dangerous and What She Doesn't Know
Heather Graham Pozzessere
    Renegades (Western Anthology) and Everytime I Love You (The spine is creased.)
Mary Baxter
    His Touch and One Summer Evening

Singles-- I found a couple of boxes of romances (a lot of Harlequins) that I haven't gotten to read over the past 8 years so... I will send them off to others to read!
Flashpoint by Linda Barnes
Across a Thousand Miles by Nadia Nichols
Lady Beware by Fayrene Preston
Secrets of the Outback by Margaret Way
Never Say Never Again by Tori Carrington
*Merger of Fortunes by Peggy Moreland
*Married to His Business by Elizabeth Bevarly 
*The Banker's Convenient Wife by Lynne Graham
*Chance Adventure by Kelly Eileen Hake
* The Millionaire's Daughter by Sophie Weston


New Book Group #34 December 7, 2012--- (All gone)

New Book Group #33 October 27, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

SINGLES - CHRISTMAS TITLES (Better sizes for international) 
*Deck the Halls by Arlene James (slight spine creasing)
*A Holiday Prayer by Deb Kastner  (slight spine creasing)


New Book Group #32 October 5, 2012

- Oops upside down book! 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 - A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley
The Gift by Constance O'Day-Flannery
Please Remember This by Katleen Giles Seidel
Twice Upon Time by Nina Beaumont
Heart of the Hawk by Justine Dare
The Boy's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) by Margaret Frazer
Calculated Revenge by Jill Elizabeth Nelson


New Book Group #31 August 31, 2012
I pulled some more books from several of my boxes.

An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
Beautiful Dreamer by Elizabeth Lowell

New Book Group #30 July 27, 2012
This time I pulled some books from one of my older boxes.
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Wild Escapade by Lisa Bingham
Dancing on Snowflakes by Jane Bonander (postage too much - replaced with GC)
Mistress by Amanda Quick - Audio Cassettes
*Long Time Coming by Sandra Brown

New Book Group #29 June 29, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology
*One is the Lonliest Number - Tom Clancey's Net Force

New Book Group #28 May 18, 2012 (All gone)

New book Group #27 April 13, 2012 (All gone)

New book Group #26 March 2, 2012--- (All gone)

New Group #25 January 12, 2012---(All gone)

New Group #24 Pick Books November 25, 2011---(All gone)

New Group #23 Pick Books October 14, 2011
I tried to pick some books that would be good for October -
Halloween or dark minded.
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Emily's Good Nightmare by Cosmic Debris Cosmic

New Group #22 Pick Books September 2, 2011---(All gone)

New Group #21 of Pick Books July 29, 2011
Mallory's Oracle (Kathleen Mallory Novels) by Carol O'Connell

May, 2011 New Group of Pick books Group #20
Luciano's Luck by Jack Higgins - Audio Cassettes

3/25/11 I did get to set up a new group of books: Group #19
Primary Colors - audio tapes
*Note of Peril (black strip on cover)

2/19/11 Book Group #18- Pairs!---(All gone).

I have finally updated the intro and Entry paragraphs here:

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 in November 27, 2009 and in three years I have posted 33 groups of 16 (528) books to find new homes! (November 2012)

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! I am happy to say that so far about 490 books have found new homes! YAY. I have to update my print out to check the exact number sent out - a few were never claimed.

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 $5.00 and $6.00 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)

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.
CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 10:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up past midnight to do the winner post!
I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.
Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks.
WINNERS PLEASE CHECK THE WIN POST ON FRIDAYS AND fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads@gmail.com. [I will confirm receipt of the addresses- well I realize I haven't always done this. But if you filled out the form and don't get the book within two weeks nudge me with an email please!] If I have the winners e-mail I will send a reminder in a week or so....

Thanks for helping these books find new homes!!

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!

1/14/11 New List #17--- (All gone)

12/3/10 Book Set: #16
Sleight of Hand by Robin Hathaway
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown  (postage too much - replaced with GC)

List #15---(All gone)

List #14---(All gone)

Here is set #13 of Used books! ---(All gone)
Pearl Beyond Price by Claire Delacroix

Group #12---(All gone)

Group #11
Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester
Looking Back by Belva Plain

List #1
Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2---(All gone)

Pick #3---(All gone)

Pick #4
Talking God by Tony Kellerman
Everything to Gain by Barbara Taylor Bradford
The Shadow by Shelley Munro (PA)

Pick #5
See Jane Lead by Lois P. Frankel
Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein - Audio Tapes

Pick #6---(All gone)

Pick #7
Prey by Michael Crichton - Audio Tape
Princess Charming by Jane Heller (slightly creased)

Pick #8
(sc) = slightly creased on binding otherwise all in good shape
The Jury by Steve Martini - Audio Tapes
No Safe Place by Richard North Patterson - Audio Tapes

Pick #9
On Treacherous Ground by Earl Murray
Guardian by Dee Henderson - Audio Tapes
Time to Hunt by Stephen Hunter - Audio Tapes

Pick #10---(All Gone)

Audio Book Review: Silver by Steven Savile

This is a thriller with a complex plot and flawed heroes.
Silver (An OgmiosTeam Adventure)


Author: Steven Savile
Narrator: Dick Hill
Publisher/Date: Crossroad Press, 05/08/12
Formats Available: Audible Download
LENGTH:  16 hrs and 16 mins
Genre: Mysteries, Thrillers
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary

"There is a plague coming....For forty days and forty nights fear shall savage the streets. Those steeped in sin shall burn. The dying begins now"

With this chilling message a wave of terror unlike anything the world has ever seen sweeps the streets of Europe. Thirteen martyrs burn themselves alive in thirteen major cities simultaneously.

And this is just the beginning.

A religious cult calling itself the Disciples of Judas has risen in the Middle East. They twist the words of ancient prophecies to drive home the fear. Everything you believe in will be proved wrong. Everything you hold true will fail.

Day by day the West wakes to increasingly harrowing acts of terror. As fear cripples the capitals of Europe, the only question is where will be the next to fall? London? Rome? Berlin?

In a race against time - believing the terrorists intend to assassinate the Pope - Sir Charles Wyndham's unique Special Ops team, codename Ogmios, track a labyrinthine course through truth, shades of truth and outright lies that takes them from the backstreets of London to the shadow of Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin and all the way into the heart of the Holy See itself.

Review:
The story begins with a version of a Biblical event that is different than normally believed. Judas has been overcome by guilt for his betrayal of Jesus but instead of committing suicide he is apparently stoned and hung by fellow apostles. Today a religious cult, the Disciples of Judas, believe that Judas was the real Messiah who made the true sacrifice. The cult has sent messages to 13 cities in Europe promising a reign of terror - forty days and nights - to devastate the faith of the Christian believers. There are bio-chemical suicides in Berlin killing many innocents; then poisoned water in Rome killing more. Fear is wide spread as no one knows where or what evil will strike next as the forty days continues.

A covert government group, Ogmios, is racing in at least four directions to uncover the leaders of the cult and try to stop a believed plot to assassinate the Pope. Lethe is the computer data master who remains at home base pulling up data and talking the other team members through their field dangers. The story follows the other four operatives in their separate efforts. The rough Irish team member, Ronan Frost, chases an intruder into the subway and faces an oncoming train. Later he uncovers a murder scene, escapes the police and rescues innocent hostages only to face the police again. He returns back to home base to discover an attack on their intrepid leader, Sir Charles.

The volatile, female operative, Orla, returns to Italy where she is betrayed and tortured. Konstantin, a Russian defector, is sent to Germany with the intent to kill the assassin before the Pope is killed but he stumbles into a real mess. The crisp Englishman, Noah, tries to convince authorities in Rome of the threats; encounters a helpful priest who may be more than he appears; then races to the Vatican to a surprisingly twisted end of this story.

The story was a bit convoluted - maybe due to the audio. Chapters of history flashbacks popped in among the current day action without being identified by date so it caused some confusion.  I really was impressed though by a very complex plot that the author tied together by the end.

There was plenty of action and yet there were moments of slowness so I think the pacing could have been improved. There were some philosophical discussions included that might not interest readers who just want flash and bang. Although that slowed the story in parts I found it interesting especially in the full scheme of the plotline. I enjoyed learning the characters’ backgrounds, demons and vulnerabilities. This made them very real in their actions.

Audio Notes: I have always enjoyed Dick Hill as a narrator and he is part of the reason I chose this audio to review. He does a wonderful job with accents on the different character voices. The reading didn’t seem totally consistent as there were areas of heart stopping anticipation but other spots in the discussion portions and even some points of action where dry in the narration.

Overall this was a good reading performance and a positive listening experience of a very interesting story. I recommend it for readers who enjoy action thrillers and who don't mind a bit of philosophical, religious pondering mixed in with the action.

I selected this Audiobook to review for Crossroad Press through Audiobook Jukebox.

Winners of Starting Now and The Midwife's Revolt

Congratulations to Winners

Giveaways Ended March 15, 2013

Random at Romance Book Offerings AND a Giveaway (Debbie Macomber's new release - Starting Now)! Open US Only. 

Rubynreba

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

eBook Giveaway: The Midwife's Revolt  

my rating 5.0. Open Worldwide. 

Tammy

Rubynreba, and Tammy  Please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I will arrange the mailing, and/or advise the publisher.  Please reply within 72 hours!

MBS - 2nd Annual Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop 3/20 to 3/25

It is Spring and time for Spring Cleaning! This is a great way to clear out some books!
Thank you to Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for hosting!
*Canadian and International Information is below the Spring Flower and Butterfly Divider*

US ENTRIES - Winner gets pick of package #1 - #5:
I forgot to get up-to-date photos so I will add them later in the day. All books are gently used, ARCs or review copies.
Here are the choices (choice to be made after winner announced):

Package #1:

Historical Romance - gently used copies
by Amanda Scott
Abducted Heiress (Secret Clan)

Highland Bride (Secret Clan)

  

Package #2:

Contemporary Romance - gently used copies
by Susan Wiggs

Snowfall at Willow Lake (The Lakeshore Chronicles #4)
Fireside (The Lakeshore Chronicles #5)

Package #3:

(I'll add a picture later Wednesday)

Mysteries - Used Copies - PICK 3 of the 6 titles
A Murderous Yarn (Needlecraft Mystery) by Monica Ferris
 Miss Aggie's Gone Missing (The Misadventures of Miss Aggie) by Frances Devine
Deadly Advice (An Advice Column Mystery) by Roberta Isleib
Dial Emmy For Murder: A Soap Opera Mystery by Eileen Davidson
Female Intelligence by Jane Heller
On Deadly Ground (Love Inspired Suspense) by Lauren Nichols

Package #4:

Christian Fiction - New (extra) Books
(These are extras from my Book Club)

Everybody's Suspect in Georgia by Cecil Murphey

Calico Canyon - Lassoed In Texas by Mary Connealy 

Romance Rides the Range by Colleen L. Reece

Package #5

Surprise Three Books :-)
Winner can choose genre:  Historical Romance one author, Historical Romance mixed authors, James Patterson (YAs, Cross or other), Romantic Suspense or mixed titles.

US ONLY ENTER THIS RAFFLECOPTER

a Rafflecopter giveaway

INTERNATIONAL AND CANADIAN ENTRIES:

I wish I could do more but we all know how expensive postage is for international shipping.

Winner will get to Pick ONE of these SEVEN choices:

1. Historical Romance: The Saxon (The Viking Series, Book 2) (Harlequin Historical #268) by Margaret Mallory (gently used)

2. Contemporary Romance:  Maverick (Silhouette Desire) by Joan Hohl (gently used copy)

3. Paranormal: Burning Alive: The Sentinel Wars by Shannon K. Butcher (gently used copy)

4. Romantic Suspense: Caitlin's Guardian Angel (Dangerous to Love USA / Safe Haven / Silhouette Intimate, No. 661) by Marie Ferrarella (free book - as new)

5. Fiction: Saint Nick by Fred Tribuzzo (review copy)

6. Audio: Step on a Crack by James Patterson and Micahel Ledwidge (Audio CDs- used)

7. Southern Charm:  Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle

by Olivia deBelle Byrd (review copy)

CANADIAN AND INTERNATIONAL ONLY ENTER THIS RAFFLECOPTER

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There are lots of awesome giveaways to check out: