Sunday Words of Encouragement October 26, 2014

It is another Sunday. We didn't attend church but I read my Bible reading first thing, then had lunch time visit with the family. Now I am listening to praise and worship while looking out at a beautiful scene of fall leaves where we have seen squirrels, deer and even a woodchuck!

Here is a wonderful praise song to go along with part of the readings for today:
The Splendor of The King/How Great is Our God.

Verses for Today (Selection 10/25/14 Psalm reading in The One Year Bible):

Psalm 98  (NLT)
7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
    Let the earth and all living things join in.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
    Let the hills sing out their songs of joy.

Thank you Lord for safe travel, for loving families, for freedoms, for beautiful creation and for Your Grace and Salvation.

Sharing Beyond Books #174 Comment Giveaway October 25, 2014

Hello again on Saturday night and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!
We have traveled through seven states this week (Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania) and  have arrived safely at Maryland where we will be visiting our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. The weather has been very nice so far with the lowest temperature being 41F.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
We did not make the detour to Punxsutawney, PA and as scottsgal pointed out that is not where Groundhog Day was filmed anyway!
None of us have specifically traveled to a place because we have read about it in a book. Two would like to visit the Highlands (thanks to Historical Romances), several would like to visit England (thanks to Regencies) and another group would like to visit New Orleans. I am like Di and Elizabeth because we have been more aware of places when we do visit cities we have read about.

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #173 comments is: #3 Miki who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the ARC/Review titles, Christmas titles or Love titles - all linked near the end of the post.  Please let me know your choice by completing the (new) WINNER FORM.

WEEK #174 (One Question.)

Q1. This week Becky asks: 1. When reading a book can you predict how the story will end?and if so Were your predictions correct??

A: I certainly try to predict or guess endings. I would say that I am only correct half the time. That is good because there is almost always fun being surprised either at the ending or how the story got there. :-)

Image found at Aubenoire's Blog.

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! We still have a supply of questions but from the same people so hopefully others will send more in -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use.

October Question Contributors: Nikki, Elizabeth, Miki and Becky. Random.org chose #1: NIKKI

Your turn to share:

Q1. Becky asks: 1. When reading a book can you predict how the story will end?and if so Were your predictions correct??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Valentine and "Love" books, the Christmas Giveaway Books (this is the new link), or the June 2013 Newly Updated ARC/Review List.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on either of the two 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 through Saturday November 1, 2014 at 5 PM  central.

Audible Book Review: 10th Anniversary: The Women's Murder Club by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

I was quickly re-engaged after not listening to a book in this series for several years.

10th Anniversary: The Women's Murder Club

Written by: James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins 

Series: Women's Murder Club, Book 10

Release Date:05-02-11

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Genre: Mystery, Crime Thriller

My Rating 4.0 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
For every secret....
Detective Lindsay Boxer's long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a badly injured teenage girl is left for dead, and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Lindsay discovers that not only is there no trace of the criminals - but that the victim may be keeping secrets as well.
For every lie....
At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life - a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of her two young children. Yuki's career rests on a guilty verdict, so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct?
There's a different way to die....
Lindsay's every move is watched by her new boss, Lieutenant Jackson Brady, and when the pressure to find the baby begins interfering with her new marriage to Joe, she wonders if she'll ever be able to start a family.
With James Patterson's white-hot speed and unquenchable action, 10th Anniversary is the most deliciously chilling Women's Murder Club book ever.
Crack another case with the Women's Murder Club.
©2011 James Patterson, Maxine Paetro (P)2011 Hachette

Review:
This installment covers three separate subplots. Lindsey is assigned to try to find the missing baby of a mixed-up, rebellious fifteen year old girl. Lindsey doesn’t have time for the teen’s careless attitude and changing story if she wants to find the baby alive.

Meanwhile Yuki is facing another major criminal case as she tries to prove a well-respected doctor of murdering her openly, philandering husband. All the evidence seems to be in order until the defense attorney pulls Lindsey into a meeting with the accused who insists on her innocence. There are a few investigative details to raise reasonable doubt in Lindsey’s mind and have her looking at the case in spite of her new boss’s orders to leave it alone.

The third story plot involves Cindy as she pushes to keep on top of the crime beat while another journalist and cut backs threaten her position. Cindy has stumbled upon a story of a woman who has awakened after losing a night of memory. Then two more women come to the hospital with similar stories. It appears the women have been snatched from their lives, drugged, raped, and then dumped back near their homes or nearby alleyways. Cindy has followed the one clue to make inquiries for a particular marked taxi-cab. Late and caught in the rain a few days later she doesn’t think of the danger when she calls that cab company for help.

It has been a couple of years since I last read or listened to a book in this series. This was like coming back to old friends. There was an easier tone in this story than some of the more suspenseful ones but it was good. I liked the three different plotlines that kept interest and connection between the women. I won’t let so much time pass before listening to the next in line as I enjoyed the easy camaraderie of the ladies and their love interests as well as the mysteries that were pursued.

Audio Notes: The narration by Carolyn McCormick was familiar, comfortable and engaging. I enjoying listening to this series on audio as the books flow well and the characters are easy to distinguish.

I selected this from my Audible Library as my TBR book for October.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway October 24, 2014

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

Sorry to be late this morning. DH commandeered the computer at the end of the evening and I went to bed. We have been enjoying our week of travel - mostly. We had some trouble first with the jeep not starting after a visit to a friend in Kentucky and then a blown tire on the motorhome as we traveled across Ohio. But we arrived safely yesterday to a campgound not far from Gettysburg, PA. We will do some tourist visits today and then tomorrow head down to Maryland to spend the week with our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
Internet has been on and off at the campgrounds. I have been trying to reserve time on our mobile hotspot as I have been reviewing email and documents from the office for upcoming closings for a couple hours each day. 

[UPDATED NOTE - US entrants I prefer, please, that you pick a book as that is the first purpose of this giveaway - to find new homes for books. The GCs are for the international entrants because postage has jumped up.]

Thank you to all who entered the October 17 Pick. There were two automatic wins again 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 was one title blocked.
Carol M gets Darkness Take My Hand
and
bn100 gets Trey's Secret

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from October 17 Pick:
Rita gets Destiny's Daughter

Janhvi 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, 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.}

There is plenty of evidence of people preparing for Halloween next week.

Some might say it is 'spooky' how much book lovers LOVE books! What do you think? 

I'm glad to be in this 'spooky' group. :-)

Image found at Boston.com

New Book Group #52 October 10, 2014
(Links to be added.)

PAIRS:
Richard Paul Evans, The Looking Glass and The Carousel
Mary Higgins Clark, A Cry In the Night and You Belong to Me
SINGLES
Duo Book: Yesterday's Memories by Tara Taylor Quinn and Amanda Stevens
Range of Motion by Elizabeth Berg
Destiny's Daughter by Rebecca Brandewyne
At The Stroke of Madness by Alex Kava
She's Got the Look by Leslie Kelly
Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Behind a Mask by May Alcott
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman

New Book Group #51 September 12, 2014
10/10 - I just realized I never posted the image for this group.

PAIRS:
Elysa Hendricks, Star Crash (personally autographed copy) and The Sword and the Pen
Anne Stuart, Hidden Honor and The Devil’s Waltz
SINGLES:

Intrepid Encounter by Rebecca Ashley

The Reckoning by Jeanette Baker

Out of This Furnace: A Novel of Immigrant Labor in America by Thomas Bell Reprint Edition

Taylor's Temptation by Suzanne Brockmann

A Painted House A Novel by John Grisham 

Scandalous Virtue Mass by Brenda Hiatt 

Viking Heat by Sandra Hill 

Darkness, Take My Hand (Kenzie and Gennaro Book 2) by Dennis Lehane

Missing Susan by Sharyn Mccrumb

Pandora's Clock by John J. Nance - AUDIO CASSETTES

A Stranger's Wife by Maggie Osborne

The Short Forever (Stone Barrington Novels Book 8) by Stuart Woods - AUDIO CASSETTES

New Book Group #50! August 8, 2014

PAIRS:
William J. Coughlin: The Court and The Judgment
Phyllis J. Whitney: The Ebony Swan and Woman Without a Past
SINGLES:
Maybe This Time by Victoria Barrett
The Commander by Kate Bridges
So Hard to Forget by Evelyn Crowe
The Cinderella Plan by Margaret Daley
Whirlwind Affair by Jacquie D'Allessandro
Let Darkness Come by Angela Hunt
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione 
ChiefTain by Nan Ryan
A Place Called Home by Lori Wick
The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook by Steve Doocy
True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
A Garden of Friends by Penny Pierce Rose

New Book Group #49 June 27, 2014

PAIRS:
Sandra Brown:  The Thrill of Victory and Temperatures Rising
Beverly Barton: The Last to Die and Raintree: Sanctuary
SINGLES:
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
Down by the Water by Caroline Upcher
Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton
Savage Thunder by Cassie Edwards
Miracle by Deborah Smith
Desperate Alliances by Cory Daniells
Never Walk Alone by Paula Detmer Riggs
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin
Running Blind by Lee Child


New Book Group #48 May 30, 2014

SINGLES:
Dangerous by Debra Dier
First to Fight Anthology

New Book Group #47 April 25, 2014

SINGLES:
Trey's Secret by Lois Faye Dayer
Once Upon a Honeymoon by Julie Kistler
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty by Vickie Kennedy

New Book Group #46 March 15, 2014

SINGLES:
Sweet Talking Man by Betina Krain
The Last Heiress by Bertrice Small (spine creases)

New Book Group #45 January 31, 2014

SINGLES:
Out of Darkness by Lynn Erickson

New Book Group #44 December 14, 2013---(All gone)

New Book Group #43 November 1, 2013 ---(All gone)

New Book Group #42 September 27, 2013 ---(All gone)

New Book Group #41 August 2, 2013

Singles:
Cattle Rancher, Secret Son by Margaret Way

New Book Group #40 June 28, 2013

Singles:
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)

New Book Group #39 May 31, 2013 - Plenty of "summer" titles!
Singles:
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford

New Book Group #38 April 20, 2013
Awaken the Senses by Nalini Singh

New Book Group #37 March 22, 2013
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.

New Book Group #36 February 15, 2013

The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe

New Book Group #35 January 11, 2013 (All gone)
New Book Group #34 December 7, 2012--- (All gone)
New Book Group #33 October 27, 2012---(All gone)

New Book Group #32 October 5, 2012
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

New Book Group #31 August 31, 2012
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)

New Book Group #30 July 27, 2012
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Dancing on Snowflakes by Jane Bonander

New Book Group #29 June 29, 2012
Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology

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
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser

New Group #22 Pick Books September 2, 2011---(All gone)
New Group #21 of Pick Books July 29, 2011---(All gone)
May, 2011 New Group of Pick books Group #20---(All gone)
3/25/11 Group #19---(All gone)
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 on November 27, 2009 and in four years I have posted 43 groups of 16 (688) books to find new homes! (as of November 2013).

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 723+ 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 $7.00 and $6.00 $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)

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
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 

List #15---(All gone)
List #14---(All gone)
List #13 of Used books! ---(All gone)
Group #12---(All gone)

Group #11
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

List #1
Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2---(All gone)
Pick #3---(All gone)
Pick #4---(All gone)
Pick #5---(All gone)
Pick #6---(All gone)

Pick #7
Prey by Michael Crichton - Audio Tape

Pick #8
The Jury by Steve Martini - Audio Tapes

Pick #9
On Treacherous Ground by Earl Murray

Pick #10---(All Gone)

Book Review: Castle Blues Quake by Linda Covella

A fun read with some good lessons on friendships and death suitable for young teens.
The Castle Blues Quake
by Linda Covella

• File Size: 2258 KB
• Print Length: 192 pages
• Publisher: Beau Coup Publishing LLC (July 20, 2014)
• ASIN: B00LZBI7QC

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: July 20, 2014
12-year-old Pepper Connelly leaves her best friend, Chrissie, behind when her family moves from New York City to Santa Cruz, CA. Pepper discovers a boy, Corey, hiding in her backyard shed. Unknown to Pepper, Corey is a ghost trying to contact his grandfather, Boppie, before he crosses over. He tells Pepper he must locate Boppie before Social Services finds him. Pepper agrees to help.

While Pepper’s communication with Chrissie dwindles, her friendship with Corey grows. She tells Corey about her passion for writing songs, and throughout the story, she composes a song about Corey. Corey teaches Pepper to play the harmonica. Soon, she’s torn between finding Boppie and knowing when she does, Corey will certainly go back on the road with his traveling-musician grandfather.

Other characters help her on her quest: new classmate Ally Cressman, who dresses in an odd-ball, non-mall style; Sawtooth Sam, the mysterious saw-playing street musician; and Madame Mchumba, who performs her psychic readings at the Boardwalk amusement park. Earthquakes, haunted house rides, poltergeists, and crystal ball readings propel Pepper toward the end of her search as she learns about the give and take, the heartache and joy, of true friendship.

Review:
Pepper is a bright 12 year-old who is typically mourning leaving her best friend across country in New York when her family moves to Santa Cruz, CA. Not only did she they move her across country, they have moved into a dilapidated house that looks like something in a horror movie. Pepper braves the spiders and spooky noises and soon meets a boy named Corey. She realizes he is alone and needs help when she sees his bruises and the sunken eyes in his white face. She doesn’t realize he is a ghost and he decides not to tell her.

Corey is a young boy who lived in the house with friends while waiting for the return of his grandfather, Boppie, a blues musician who has sheltered the boy since the death of his parents. Boppie has taken Corey on tour with him but this time he’d been left behind. Corey is insistent on getting word to Boppie that he was killed in the quake that took down the Castle Blue music theatre. Corey wants to reassure Boppie that he is ‘okay’ before he moves to ‘the other side’ where he knows his parents are waiting.

At first Corey tried to scare the new family away but then he decided to seek help after sensing that the brave, young girl could see him. Corey and Pepper quickly become friends as she helps to hide him from social workers while also helping to hunt down Boppie. Corey at first thought she wouldn’t help if she knew he was a ghost. Soon he starts to feel bad because he knows it will hurt when he leaves her behind.

I enjoyed the simple friendship that developed between the primary characters. There are other fun characters including a new friend who shops at thrift stores and an old saw musician. The author uses the story to share feelings of loneliness, loss of old friends and finding new ones that are often experienced by young people when they move away from established schools and friends to new territory. I didn't care for the extent of lying to parents but there are other good lessons on acceptance, sharing friends, facing bullies, and thinking of others, not just one’s self.

The story is shared in alternating chapters from the views/voices of Corey and Pepper. I enjoyed the music aspect as Corey taught Pepper how to play the harmonica and she shared the song she was writing with him. Corey has a bit of an unschooled vocabulary and style of speech which fit a young teen who had shared life on the streets with Boppie. The writing style is very clear and crisp, with nice descriptions, making it an easy read. It would certainly be suitable for middle grades as well as young teens and it is nice, easy entertainment for adults too.

I received this from Mythbehaving for Blog Tour Feature. Please see prior post for Blog Tour Giveaway!.