Celebrating Audiobook Week 2013

I am late in joining Audio Book Week but my blog readers know I love audio and I want to participate so I am hopping in the middle of the week. (I'll be posting several audio reviews shortly and an audiobook giveaway too.)

Today we answer the questions provided by Jen, host of Audioweek, at Devourer Of Books:



Current/most recent audiobook:

I am currently listening to:

Hearts of Shadow
Author: Kira Brady
Narrator: Xe Sands

Impressions:
I am enjoying the plotline of the dragon shifters in a post apocalyptic struggle of ‘races.”  The narration is clear with a good portrayal of mystery and intensity.


Current/most recent favorite audiobook:
 
 Ohhh- it is so hard to pick a favorite. I guess for recent favorite I will pick And They Called Her Spider:.  I will be posting a review for this title tomorrow or Friday. I pick it as a favorite because it has so much that I liked: Steampunk elements; Mystery (along the lines of Sherlock Holmes); a short quick listen to enjoy; British accent narration; and all around fun to listen to. .




Favorite narrator you’ve discovered recently:
There are so many good narrators that I enjoy. I am listing two more recent favorites and two older favorites.
Luke Daniels does a super job narrating the Iron Druid Chronicles. He really nails the characters through voices and expression. The narration enhances the danger and fun of an already good story.

Marguerite Gavin, who reads the Hollows Series and many more, also does a great job with the different voices and the emotional inflections. I have noted in previous reviews that “It surprises me how seamlessly Ms. Gavin makes the shifts from one voice to another. I get caught up and love listening.”

One all time favorite narrator is sadly no longer with us. Anna Fields always was a fun narrator particularly for light romantic stories such as those by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Another 'older' favorite is Rene Auberjonois who did the later Pendergast Series. My husband, who is not a reader or regular listener, loves listening to Rene narrate Pendergast.



One title from your TBL (to be listened) stack, or your audio wishlist:
Just ONE? Are you kidding???

I will say that I am interested in getting to listen to The 5th Wave that I recently got through my Audible subscription
The 5th Wave
    UNABRIDGED
    by Rick Yancey
    Narrated by Brandon Espinoza, Phoebe Strol
Epic Fantasy

  and

The Raven Boys that I got through  SYNC YA last week.

The Raven Boys
By Maggie Stiefvater
Read by Will Patton
Published by Scholastic Audiobooks

Audible Review: With Morning Comes Mistfall by George R. R. Martin

With Morning Comes Mistfall by George R. R. Martin

Published December 16th 2011 by Random House Audio (first published May 1973)

ASIN  B006M4OU36

original title: With Morning Comes Mistfall

literary awards

Hugo Award Nominee for Best Short Story (1974), Nebula Award Nominee for Best Short Story (1973)

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

This was a free download I picked up in 2011. I finished it at the end or May but failed to include it in my Monday Reading list and remembered when I saw it in my calendar for review.
A science fiction short story, first published by Analog magazine in May 1973. It was the first story by George R. R. Martin to be nominated for Hugo Award and Nebula Award.
Recently it was included in published in 2003 GRRM anthology
Dreamsongs collection: A RRetrospective (Volume I).

Review:
This is a really a lovely, dreamy, ethereal story - rather unexpected. I have not read George R. R. Martin's better known stories and I thought this might be a way to get a feel for the author.

The story is set by in the future where space travel is every day. There is a misty world on the planet of Wraithworld complete with a mysterious uncovered ancient civilization to explore, a resort castle and unexplained deaths. The story is told from the view of a female photo-journalist. She is following the scientific investigations of a man and his team who are intent on disproving the rumor of wraiths killing explorers.   Several visiting groups have suffered deaths leading to the rumors of wraiths. The resort owner is angry at the scientist. If the wraiths are proven then tourists may stay away due to danger and if they are dis-proven then the planet might become a destination for greedy investors. The scientist doesn't even realize that mistfall occurs in the morning and mistrise occurs at night but the photo-journalists is able to catch the ethereal beauty of the place.

This was only about 45 minutes long and the narration fits the ethereal mystery of the tale. I enjoyed both the beauty, mystery and political arguments presented from the impartial but sensitive view of the journalist. I do need to put the Song of Ice and Fire series on my TBR list.

Mailbox Monday June 17, 2013

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
For JUNE: the Mailbox Monday Tour host is Bellezza @ Dolce Bellezza.
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) but is now hosted at Mailbox Monday and through various blog hosts.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

It was a big week for audios. I received one Audio review title this past week and got two through my monthly subscription.
I also picked up two free audios through Sync YA summer program.
I made one Kindle purchase from author announcement ($.99)
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles:

AUDIO received through AudioBook Jukebox :

And They Called Her Spider:
A Bartleby and James Adventure, Book 1
    UNABRIDGED
    by Michael Coorlim
    Narrated by Wayne Farrell
        Series: Galvanic Century, Book 1
Steampunk Mystery.

Won

I've haven't been entering any contests that I recall. :-)

Purchased

These were my May-June Audible Subscription book selections:

The Giver
    UNABRIDGED
    by Lois Lowry
    Narrated by Ron Rifkin
        Series: Giver Quartet, Book 1
Dystopia Science Fiction

The 5th Wave
    UNABRIDGED
    by Rick Yancey
    Narrated by Brandon Espinoza, Phoebe Strol
Epic Fantasy

I bought: Deathtrap (Broslin Creek)
by Dana Marton
Romantic Suspense

Free

Audios:
Available to download free from SYNC YA June 13 – June 19, 2013



The Raven Boys
By Maggie Stiefvater
Read by Will Patton
Published by Scholastic Audiobooks

 
Bless Me, Ultima
By Rudolfo Anaya
Read by Robert Ramirez
Published by Recorded Books

I didn't get to download any free Kindle Titles linked through Free Par-tay, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink and Kindle Review.

It's Monday What are You Reading? June 17, 2013.

This meme starts at Book Journey!

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 had a very nice reading week although I probably should have done at least one additional review. This week will be full as  I finished five books. I did post four reviews, one author interview and Two Giveaways. I also posted the weekly Mailbox Monday meme, Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Snapshot, Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.

I'm pleased I got to visit a bit at the beginning and end of the week. I still need to do more.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday What are You Reading? June 10, 2013.

• Mailbox Monday June 10, 2013.

• Book Review: Somewhere in Time, Book 1 of the Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy, by Barbara Bretton, Time Travel Romance; my rating 4.25.

• Author Interview with Barbara Bretton and Giveaway. Ends 6/21.

• Book Review: Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy by Abagail Sharpe, Contemporary Romance; my rating 4.25. 

• Book Review and Giveaway: It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis, Contemporary Romance; my rating 4.5. Ends 6/21.
  

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway June 14, 2013. Open Worldwide. Ends 6/20.

• Audible Book Review: A Royal Pain: A Royal Spyness Mystery by Rhys Bowen, Historical Cozy Mystery; my rating 4.25. 

• Saturday Snapshot (6/15/13) Mystery Bloom Revealed
  

• Sharing Beyond Books #104 Comment Giveaway 6/15/13. Open Worldwide. Ends 6/21.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement June 16, 2013 - Happy Father's Day!.
  

Finished Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle

Anonymous Sources
By Mary Louise Kelly
I really liked this thriller!
I'll post the review this week.
Click on Title for full Book Description

2. Print

The Magic of I Do
by Tammy Falkner
This leans heavy on the sexual side.
I'll post a review and ARC Giveaway this week.
Click on Title for full Book Description.

3. eBook Kindle
 

Paper Roses (Texas Dreams Book #1): A Novel
by Amanda Cabot
This was our Ladies' Book Club choice and very nice!
I'll do a review and giveaway this week.
Book Description
Publication Date: January 1, 2009
The future stretches out in front of Sarah Dobbs like the pure blue Texas sky. Leaving the past behind in Philadelphia, mail-order bride Sarah arrives in San Antonio ready to greet her groom, Austin Canfield, a man she has never met but whose letters have won her heart from afar. But there is one problem--he has died. And Sarah cannot go back East.

As Sarah tries to reconcile herself to a future that is drastically changed, Austin's brother, Clay, struggles with his own muddled plans. Though he dislikes working on the family ranch and longs for a different life, Clay is driven to avenge his brother's death. But something between them is growing and neither Clay nor Sarah is ready to admit it.

Book 1 of the Texas Dreams series, Paper Roses will sweep readers into the Hill Country with a tale of love and loss, closed doors and beautiful possibilities that will leave them wanting more.

4. Audio

The Wolf Path
Author: Judith Van Gieson
Narrator: Meredith Mitchell
Good mystery with lots of factual info too.
I'll post my review later this week.
I received this MP3 download from AudioGo through AudioBook Jukebox.
Publisher/Date: AudioGO, 04/01/13
Click on Title for full Book Description.

5. Audio/MP3

And They Called Her Spider:
A Bartleby and James Adventure, Book 1
    UNABRIDGED
    by Michael Coorlim
    Narrated by Wayne Farrell
        Series: Galvanic Century, Book 1
A fun, quick listen! 
I'll be posting the review this week.
I received this MP3 download at Audible through AudioBook Jukebox.
Publisher's Summary
The Bartleby and James Adventures steampunk mystery series follows the cases of consulting detectives Anton Bartleby and James Wainwright through an alternate Victorian history.
In their debut adventure, London is in the grip of an unstoppable assassin known only as the Spider, and consulting detectives James Wainwright and Alton Bartleby have been commissioned to catch her.

Can the surly inventor and savvy gentleman track her down and stop her string of murders, or will Queen Victoria be her next victim?

Who Are Bartleby and James?
Alton Bartleby is a social savant, the scion of a once proud and noble bloodline, working to restore his family's name. James Wainwright is a brilliant engineer and inventor. Together they take on the cases that Scotland Yard cannot or will not handle.
©2011, 2012 Michael Coorlim (P)2012 Michael Coorlim

Line Edits/Releases:
We have more titles getting ready to release.

Currently reading:

1. Print

One Day on Apple Grove 
by C.H. Admirand
I started this and so far it is sweet, home town enjoyment.
I am reviewing, with ARC Giveaway, for Sourcebooks.
Book Description
Release date: June 4, 2013
Welcome to Apple Grove, Ohio (pop. 597), a small town with a big heart.
Caitlin Mulcahy loves her family. She really does. But sometimes they can drive her to her last shred of sanity—from her dad ("I'm not meddling, I just want what's best for you") to her eight-months-pregnant older sister to her younger sister, who will do just about anything to avoid real work. Cait just needs to get away, even if for only an hour.

When she sees someone in need of help on the side of the road, of course she's going to pull over. She might even be able to fix his engine—after all, the Mulcahy family is a handy bunch. She's not expecting that former Navy medic Jack Gannon and a little black puppy named Jameson will be the ones who end up rescuing in her.

2. eBook/Kindle

Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy: The Templar Chronicles: Book 2
by Jeff Gunhus
This is fun action. 
My review will be June 24 as part of Book Blast Tour.
Book Description
Publication Date: March 30, 2013
After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.

3. Audio/MP3

Hearts of Shadow
Author: Kira Brady
Narrator: Xe Sands
I have just started this and like the excitement.
I received this MP3 download from Blackstone Audio through AudioBook Jukebox.
Publisher/Date: Blackstone Audio, 05/07/13
In this brilliant new novel in the Deadglass series, a fierce young woman’s quest entangles her in an apocalyptic endgame—and unexpected desire.

Grace Mercer’s unmatched wraith-killing ability made her the unofficial defender of a city shattered by supernatural catastrophe. So there’s no way she’ll allow the new regent of Seattle’s most powerful dragon-shifter clan to “protect” her from a vicious evil stalking the ruined streets or keep her from the freedom she’s risked everything to earn.

Leif’s science-honed instincts tell him Grace is the key to keeping shifters and humans safe, but helping this wary fighter channel her untapped power is burning away the dragon’s sensual self-control and putting a crucial alliance at risk. Soon the only chance Leif and Grace will have to save their world will be a dangerously fragile link that could forever unite their souls—or consume everything in a storm of destruction.
© 2013 by Kira Brady

I continue to listen to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. [Reading and listening on MP3.] I am studying with the Tyndall One Year Bible this year, hoping to read daily along with my DH.

Line Edits: Several more releases being prepared for the next few weeks. I am still doing more Smashword conversions in between print formatting.

I had three print books move from May to June. Plus I have five additional print books, two tour books and three NetGalley titles. Plus Audios. I'm not sure what happened to my relaxing plan for June. Guess that goes into July. Sigh.

June Scheduled:
6/24 Review: Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy by Jeff Gunhus for Book Blast Tour

SOURCEBOOKS
     One Day on Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand - reading
 
Hachette - Forever
    Haven Creek (A Cavanaugh Island Novel) by Rochelle Alers
    Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Molly Cannon
    The Woman He Loved Before by Dorothy Koomson 
    A House Divided by Kimberly Lawson Roby

NetGalley:
     The Bane (The Eden Trilogy) (Volume 1) by Keary Taylor
     Silent Warrior by Lindsey Piper

AudioBook Jukebox
  Hearts of Shadow - listening

Author Books received at March EPICon
     Convict Dad by P. Ryan Hembree

From TBR Collection - TBD
Won Book - TBD
Free Kindle/Nook or Smashwords: TBD

Sunday Words of Encouragement June 16, 2013 - Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to fathers everywhere-

including mine in heaven.

We had a nice service and our associate pastor gave a nice sermon for Father's Day.
We came home and soon our daughter and family came over to fix her Dad a great dinner! Thank You!
After fun swimming time we spent about an hour on Skype with our son in Hawaii. His birthday was yesterday. He was born on Father's Day 27 years ago.
So today's words are said by family pictures!

 Starting to cook -

I got to play with the little ones. :-)

P-Pop and Zane pick in the garden!

Fun collection!

Middle child toss...

  

Youngest toss - she goes high then says "done"

We all watch as Zane flips.

P-Pop and the Princess sit in the shade!

A Verse for Today:
Proverbs 23:24 (NIV)  
The father of a righteous man has great joy;
he who has a wise son delights in him.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for earthly fathers who set a foundation in the home and teach us to love you.