Audio Book Review: 25 Perfect Days by Mark Tullius

I recommend this for dystopian fans, but try the text for more clarity. 
25 Perfect Days
Written by: Mark Tullius
Narrated by: Dave Thompson


Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:06-25-14
Publisher: Vincere Press, LLC
Genre: Dystopian, Sci Fi
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Will you follow The Way or be crushed by the Controllers?
A totalitarian state doesn't just happen overnight. It's a slow, dangerous slide. 25 Perfect Days chronicles the path into a hellish future of food shortages, contaminated water, sweeping incarceration, an ultra-radical religion, and the extreme measures taken to reduce the population. Through 25 interlinked stories, each written from a different character's point of view, 25 Perfect Days captures the sacrifice, courage, and love needed to survive and eventually overcome this dystopian nightmare.
©2013 Mark Tullius (P)2014 Mark Tullius

Review:
The society this story describes is not one I would want to live in. This portrays a scary dystopian world. A religious group called The Way has slowly joined with government to control all aspects of work and life. Overpopulation and contamination of resources has resulted in food shortages, limited licencing, quick and unjust incarceration and controlled population growth. Instead of being allowed freedom to have children the privilege must be paid for. Some young women are used as selective breeders. As the years pass the society becomes more dark and hopeless. Those who don’t comply, don’t survive, one way or another.

I found the story interesting but very difficult to follow on audio. There are a handful of characters whose lives are followed over 25 days through a period of 40 years. Some of the scenarios are brutal; some are appalling to 'normal' society; and a few are heart warming and heart wrenching. It was difficult for me to connect all the vignettes.

I recommend this be added to any dystopian reading list. However, for this book, I would recommend the text and not the audio. I think it would be easier to track the characters and the changes in the society with the written version, especially if you are a listener who does other things (chores, driving, etc) while listening. If you sit quietly and listen, this might work.

Audio Notes: I think the narrator, Dave Thompson, did a good job with a difficult project. It might have been better with this work to have different narrators for the different character lines.

I received this audio through Audiobook Jukebox. (2015 Audiobook Challenge.)

Book Review: Only Enchanting, A Survivors' Club Novel by Mary Balogh

I loved the conflicted characters in this enchanting historical romance!

Only Enchanting, A Survivors' Club Novel
by Mary Balogh

• File Size: 1932 KB
• Print Length: 394 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0451469666
• Publisher: Signet (October 28, 2014)
• Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
• ASIN: B00JJXUZMM

Genre: Historical Romance
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: October 28, 2014
The Survivors' Club: Six men and one woman, all wounded in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendship forged during their recovery at Penderris Hall in Cornwall. Now, in the fourth novel of the Survivors' Club series, Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, has left this refuge to find his own salvation—in the love of a most unsuspecting woman.…

Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, was devastated by his fiancée’s desertion after his return home. Now the woman who broke his heart is back—and everyone is eager to revive their engagement. Except Flavian, who, in a panic, runs straight into the arms of a most sensible yet enchanting young woman.

Agnes Keeping has never been in love—and never wishes to be. But then she meets the charismatic Flavian, and suddenly Agnes falls so foolishly and so deeply that she agrees to his impetuous proposal of marriage.

When Agnes discovers that the proposal is only to avenge his former love, she’s determined to flee. But Flavian has no intention of letting his new bride go, especially now that he too has fallen so passionately and so unexpectedly in love.

Review:
Agnes was content with her first marriage which was a practical arrangement with an older neighbor. Now she is content as a widow living in the country with her unmarried, older sister. She attends a dance at the home of her friend and is delighted to dance, not once but twice, with the gorgeous, charismatic, and rather enigmatic Viscount Ponsonby. Agnes is completely smitten but accepts that she will never see him again. Flavian returns to the community six months later and, to Agnes’ consternation, he not only flirts with her but proposes to her. She is confused and afraid to risk the passion she fears may be involved in their relationship.

Flavian is one of the Survivor’s Club. His head wounds left him with memory lapses and rages. He had to relearn even how to speak and he still stutters a bit. That doesn’t stop the ladies from flocking after him. Yet he struggles with memories of his childhood sweetheart, Velma, who broke their engagement when he was injured and married his good friend instead. His friend has died and Flavian's mother, sister and others are clearly planning on bringing him back together with Velma. Instead, Flavian finds Agnes to be ‘enchanting”, sensible and "safe"...promising a place of peace amid his tumultuous mind.

Agnes accepts Flavian’s rather sudden and not so romantic proposal. They are married quickly with their Survivor’s Club friends as witnesses. But they will still have to face the daunting task of meeting their parents and introducing Agnes to the ton.  Rumors threaten some scandal which makes it even more difficult for the pair to reluctantly share their secrets, learn to trust and accept their own growing feelings.

I always enjoy the warm characters that Mary Balogh creates. There is a charming range of natural emotions from fear and sorrow, to joy...and of course, love. The conflict in the human drama is appropriate to the time period and setting and allows for an engaging romance that grows from only enchanting to something much richer. The writing flows beautifully for a lovely reading experience. I highly recommend this series to readers who love historical romance. Ms. Balogh is a favorite author for me and a ‘must read’ author in this genre.

I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley. This will qualify for my NetGalley Challenge, TBR Double Dare and Alphabet Soup Challenge.

Book Review: Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed by Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Mahaney Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore, Janelle Bradshaw

This is a wonderful time management book focusing on Biblical principles.
Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed
Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Mahaney Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore, Janelle Bradshaw

• File Size: 277 KB
• Print Length: 99 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1581349130
• Publisher: Crossway Books (June 26, 2007)
• ASIN: B00283PQDS

Genre: Nonfiction
My Rating: 5.0 content but 4.5 due to editing errors.

Book Description
Publication Date: June 26, 2007
Overwhelmed. Miserable. Exhausted. These are often the words that women use to describe their high-demand lifestyles. How are women who are always on the go expected to cope with the demands of work, family, and ministry?
Carolyn Mahaney and her three daughters, Nicole Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore, and Janelle Bradshaw, recognize the needs of Christian women today. Shopping for Time offers the solution to women who truly desire to glorify God with every use of their time.
These authors offer five tips to help ladies do it all without becoming overwhelmed: rise early, sit down, sit longer (occasionally), choose friends wisely, and take fifteen minutes. By weaving biblical principles of God's Word into these keys, these authors give women practical advice on how to fulfill-and excel in-their daily responsibilities.

Review:
This is a lovely time management guide based on biblical principles. It is direct and on point while being very quick and easy to read. The authors relate to personal, everyday life experiences. Most people can relate to planning a shopping trip, as when you go to the market or outlet mall. Even those, like me, who do not shop a lot, usually make a list or have a purpose when heading to the store. This book compares our purposeful intent in shopping to ‘shopping’ for time with the intent of doing what God wants to do in our lives.

The focus of the book is to PLAN to make time for God and the most important priorities in our lives: family, relationships and service. The arguments are extrapolated from Ephesians 5:15-16 which states: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. The goal is to “assist you to bring glory to the Savior through every season” of your life. The authors list and discuss five tips to manage our time to be fruitful in our service to God.

Not all of the tips or tools suggested are new but, for me, they are given with new insight and with the best purpose of all. The underlying message confirmed to me is the biblical foundation of Matthew 6:33: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (NIV)  I don’t feel I can describe too much detail without giving spoilers. However, consider that I marked 45 notes out of 99 pages! Also I have instituted a new method to add to my Bible study with two questions the authors suggest.

The only reason I did not rate this book as 5.0 is due to the errors in the kindle version.  There were repeats in phrases and the letter “u” came out as “v” throughout. It is still easily read but the errors are distracting and off putting. I would encourage the authors and publisher to go back and clean up the text.

I really enjoyed the tips and the great nuggets in this little gem. It was a perfect book for me as the first book of 2015. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to spend more time serving God.

This is the book I chose for my First Book 2015.
It is from my 2009 TBR Kindle list and qualifies for: 2015 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge; Full House Reading Challenge 2015; The 2014-15 Winter COYER challenge; The Official 2015 TBR Pile Challenge, The TBR Double Dog Dare

It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 5, 2015

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 another good week with a couple of days off. I am excited for good things in 2015. How about you? 
This coming week is supposed to be cold so we are laying in the firewood and getting ready to hunker down. I hope everyone else stays snug and warm.

Reading was good. I really enjoyed my first two reads of 2015.  I finished five books and posted three reviews. I also posted my usual memes along with several challenge posts. 

I enjoyed visiting on Monday and Wednesday. I hope to keep it up.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 29, 2014.

• Book Review: The Advent Bride by Mary Connealy; Historical Romance; my rating 4.5.

• Winners For December Giveaways!

• Audible Book Review: Dreamer's Pool: Blackthorn & Grim, Book 1 by Juliet Marillier; Fantasy; my rating 5.0.

• The Official 2015 TBR Pile Challenge

• The TBR Double Dog Dare

• First Book of the Year 2015

• MBS 2014 Reading List

• 2015 Audiobook Challenge

• Full House Reading Challenge 2015

• 2015 Netgalley Reading Challenge

• 2015 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

• MBS Best of 2014 Reading List

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 2, 2015. Open Worldwide. Ends 1/8/14.

• Book Review: A Most Inconvenient Marriage (Ozark Mountain Romance Book #1) by Regina Jennings Historical Romance, Christian my rating 4.25.

• Sharing Beyond Books #184 Comment Giveaway 1/3/15. Open Worldwide. Ends 1/10/14.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement January 4, 2015.
  

Finished Reading:

1. eBook/Kindle LAST READ OF 2014.

A Most Inconvenient Marriage
(Ozark Mountain Romance Book #1)
by Regina Jennings
This was a fun read and the last for 2014. 
The review is linked above.
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle FIRST READ OF 2015

Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed
Carolyn Mahaney (Author), Nicole Mahaney Whitacre (Author), Kristin Chesemore (Author), Janelle Bradshaw
I really enjoyed this as my first read for 2015.
I will post a review this week.
Click on book title for full description.

3. eBook/Kindle

Only Enchanting, A Survivors' Club Novel
by Mary Balogh
This is another enjoyable romance by a fav author.
I will post a review this week.
Click on book title for full description.

4. Audible/MP4

25 Perfect Days
Written by: Mark Tullius
Narrated by: Dave Thompson
This is definitely a Dystopian world you don't want to live in.
I will post the review this week.
Click on book title for full description.

5. Audible/MP4

FREE: The Jester (A Riyria Chronicles Tale)
Written by: Michael J. Sullivan
Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
This is a very quick story from my own TBR. 
I listened before downloading my next Audio review book.
Publisher's Summary
WHO WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A thief, a candlemaker, an ex-mercenary, and a pig farmer walk into a trap…and what happens to them is no joke. When Riyria is hired to retrieve a jester’s treasure, Royce and Hadrian must match wits with a dwarf who proves to be anything but a fool. Difficult choices will need to be made, and in the end those who laugh last do so because they are the only ones to survive.
This is a standalone short story of 7,200 words. No prior knowledge of The Riyria Revelations or The Riyria Chronicles is required to enjoy it to its fullest, making this a perfect introduction for new readers or a chance for Riyria veterans to spend a little more time with old friends. The Jester is a story of adventure, bonds of friendship, and a recognition that the choices we make dictates the future we find.
©2014 Michael J. Sullivan (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle

Amish White Christmas Pie
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
I am at 40% and this is reading quickly. 
This is our Ladies' Book Club book for discussion 1/10/15.
Book Description
Publication Date: September 1, 2012
Step into Amish country for this bittersweet holiday romance. Here you’ll meet Will Henderson, a young man tortured by his past, and Karen Yoder, a young woman looking for answers. Add a desperate father searching for his son, and you have all the ingredients for a first-class romance that will inspire and enthrall.

2. Audio

The Eighth Day
Written by: Michael O'Neal
Narrated by: Robert Martinez
I like how this has started.
I received this audio through Audiobook Jukebox.
Publisher's Summary
Yesterday they were five ordinary friends. Today they are all that stand between us and extinction...
Havenbrook, Iowa. Typical small town America, nestled in the rolling plains of the Midwest. Life is simple here. But for high school senior Jay Anderson, it's about to get a whole lot more complicated. Accused of a crime he didn't commit, he is shocked to become an outcast throughout this small community, and becomes suspicious of the townspeople's suddenly strange behavior. Only his friends believe in his innocence, and set out to prove it...
...only to find out there is something far more sinister going on here. Who are the mysterious men who have suddenly appeared around town? What is the government hiding at the town's reservoir? Pursued by shadowy forces that would kill to keep the secrets they discover - and the secret Jay holds unknowingly within himself - he and his friends embark on an epic adventure. From the steps of Capitol Hill to the walls of the Kremlin; from the unfriendly skies over Eastern Europe to the treacherous waters of the Caribbean; danger lurks around every corner as these five teenagers seek to uncover what was created on...
©2011 Bluewater Press LLC (P)2014 Michael O'Neal

3. eBook/Kindle

Exodus 2022
by Kenneth G. Bennett
This is interesting even though I am only a couple of chapters in. 
(I switched to finish book club book first.)
I received this title through NetGalley
Book Description
Publication Date: May 20, 2014 
Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of his mind over the death of his young daughter.
Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming his daughter’s name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State.
Thing is, Joe Stanton doesn’t have a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year-old’s outburst on drugs.
 What they don’t yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coast—from the Bering Sea to the Puget Sound—are suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns.
 With the help of his girlfriend—the woman he loves and dreams of marrying—Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe’s role in a looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joe’s newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joe’s brain.

I will probably start another title before the week ends but I haven't decided which one yet. :-)

I am reading The One Year Bible again along with my husband and others from our church. I am also listening to the companion commentary online.
To go a step beyond the Bible reading I am also reading Jesus Daily 365 Interactive Devotions.

January Schedule:
January 10 - Amish White Christmas Pie
January 16 - 26 I'm Dreaming Giveaway Hop
I am focusing on reading NetGalley titles and TBR titles this month.

I have three reviews to complete from this week so I am still up to date.
I am carrying forward five NetGalley review titles I need/would like to read in January.  
I also have three ebooks from publicist to get to, two more audiobooks and one  author title.

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 Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I received two review titles, one from AudioBook Jukebox and one from NetGalley.
I purchased three kindle titles before the end of the year. I have determined (well - I'm going to try) not to make any more ebook purchases until April after completion of the TBR Dare event.
I added more free kindle titles to my library.
(Although I have gotten to a couple, I still have many author requests to consider and reply to.)

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I saw this title at NetGalley and grabbed it before 1/1/15.
I really like the Study series and am anxious to see how Yelena and Valek are faring.

Shadow Study 

by Maria V. Snyder

I also received an audiobook through Audiobook Jukebox that I had requested in December:

Time and Again: Book 1 in the History Mystery Series
Written by: Deborah Heal
Narrated by: Michelle Babb
"An old house + A new computer program = The travel opportunity of a lifetime...to another century."

Won

None

Purchased

I have the second (oops) third in this series in my Audible library. I picked up this one for $1.99 on Kindle in case I wanted to start the series.  All books had to be purchased before 1/1/15 to qualify for the TBR Dare event.

The Remaining
D.J. Molles
The first volume in D.J. Molles's bestselling series, now in a special edition with the bonus novella The Remaining: Faith.



I purchased these two kindle titles for $.99 each before the end or 2014. 

Christmas in Camelot (Medieval Christmas Romance Book 1)
Brenda Jernigan
"The Greatest Gifts . . . Are Always Unexpected ... "
This is the last Christmas title I purchased in 2014.
Camelot is hard to resist on a highly rated story. :-)

Celtic Cross
Tammy Doherty
"Sometimes you have to forget who you are to become who you're meant to be."
This is a historical Christian romance that looked good to me.

Free

Over the past week I added 54 free Kindle titles to my library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement January 4, 2015

This morning we celebrated Epiphany which is to symbolize the “revealing of Christ” by the wise men following the star to worship the Christ Child.  Our Pastor’s Sermon was titled: Living a Significant Life. The wise men were overjoyed when they saw the star. They traveled from far off, bringing expensive gifts on a long, perilous journey to worship a king. Matthew 2:9-12. Were they disappointed when they came upon a baby in a humble house setting? No. They bowed down and worshiped. It was because they knew the prophecies and they were looking with expectation...anticipation. The wise men were successful in completing their mission. They were the first of the gentiles to worship the savior.

As a new year begins we tend to make plans for what we want to happen during the year. But we have to realize that we only see a part of the big picture or plan that God has in mind. We must be mindful first to set our plans after seeking God’s guidance. Even so, things do not always go as we plan and we must be willing to adjust to His leading as days unfold.  The important thing is to live with significant intent: love God, love your neighbors, be a witness of the good news and God's faithfulness. And expect and anticipate good things being assured that God 'works all things to good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.' Romans 8:28.

I had a couple of songs in mind today.

I choose the traditional "We Three Kings"

after reviewing the words and enjoying this version.

A Verse for Today:
Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Lord, I submit my plans for 2015 to Your guidance. I pray: "God, use me any way you like. I am waiting."