Audible Book Review: Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile by J. L. Bourne

This continuing story tells of entertaining zombie battles. 

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile

Written by: J. L. Bourne

Narrated by: Jay Snyder

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Series: Day by Day Armageddon, Book 2

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:07-13-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genre: Thriller, Sci Fi

My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

The first book of Day by Day Armageddon took us deep into the mind of a military officer and survivor as he made a New Year's resolution to start keeping a journal. The man kept his resolution and brought to us the fall of humanity, day by day. We see the man transition from the life that you and I live to the prospect of fighting for his very survival against the overwhelming hordes of the dead. We see him bleed, we see him make mistakes, we witness him evolve. The highly anticipated sequel to the best-selling underground cult classic, Day by Day Armageddon, begins where the first novel left off.

BEGIN INTERCEPT

Armies of undead have risen up across the U.S. and around the globe; there is no safe haven from the diseased corpses hungering for human flesh. But in the heat of a Texas wasteland, a small band of survivors attempt to counter the millions closing in around them.

INTERCEPT COMPLETED

Day by day, the handwritten journal entries of one man caught in a worldwide cataclysm capture the desperation--and the will to survive--as he joins forces with a handful of refugees to battle soulless enemies both human and inhuman from inside an abandoned strategic missile facility. But in the world of the undead, is mere survival enough?

©2010 J.L. Bourne (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Review:

As I began to write this review I realized I do not have a name for the protagonist. He is listed in Book 1 as “the Unknown Survivor (the TUS). We know that he was an officer who found himself the soul survivor of the plague that turned his squadron into the living dead. Now he is a man struggling to survive with a small group of other survivors. TUS journals each day to keep track of the epidemic and the brave efforts to fight off the undead and find other survivors.

TUS is doing well with a group at their compound at “Hotel 23”, an abandoned, underground, strategic missile facility in Texas. The Hotel has proved to be a secure haven from the world of the undead although it still suffers threats from human raiders.

The journaling continues as TUS and his friends forage for food, fuel and (noncombatant) survivors. The Hotel 23 crew hear a distress call from a Marine squadron whose vehicle broke down. TUS and others run a rescue mission to save the Marines from the undead. They don’t want the Marines to know where the compound is so the men are blindfolded for the travel before they are returned to their own unit. Of course the Marines then try to find Hotel 23 and when they finally arrive they threaten to break in until TUS realizes he has a way to control the situation.

TUS also finds a note at a Texas airport indicating there are other survivors at another airport. Of course, he sets off on another rescue mission and encounters more hordes of undead.

Another ‘adventure’ ends with TUS surviving a helicopter flight that strands him far from home. He is struggling along the way home when he gets unexpected help in the form of supplies dropped from the sky. The supplies give him an advantage that just might allow him to work his way back to Hotel 23. TUS runs into difficult situations and is lucky to find another military specialist, Saien, who joins him along the trek.

Even in a time when 90% of the population are undead, TUS discovers he still has to deal with authority and manipulation. He will have to make some political decisions when opposing sides command his actions.

The story is full of gritty action and intrigue. The journaling approach works to present TUS’ view of action and military input. However the journal (and story) have a limited emotional presentation. There is little depth and background development among most of the secondary characters. Still the story is entertaining. I recommend this to readers who enjoy the zombie genre.

Audio Notes: Jay Snyder does a good job with the narration. He manages to convey the intensity in the action even though he is reading a journal. I enjoy this in audio

I listened to the first book some time ago and decided to listen to this one which has been on my Audible shelf since 2011. This qualifies for my Audio Challenge and as a TBR shelf read.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway November 20, 2015

Happy Friday.
Our weather was wet this week. Busy at work and looking forward to Thanksgiving with family next week!  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone - even if you don't celebrate like the US you can still GIVE THANKS!
As I noted last week I celebrate Friday Pick's anniversary (year 6) during the month of November. I like to award extra wins in November so this week and the next three weeks will have some extra winners. I have now posted 62 groups of 16 books so the total books up for grabs has come to 992! Happy Picking!

TO ENTER FRIDAY PICK

US Entrants: Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.
INTERNATIONAL: Leave a comment indicating "Gift Card" (see further comments near the end of the post.)

CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 9:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up too late to do the winner post! I will randomly pick two + TWO winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.

Thank you to all who entered the November 13 Pick. There was one automatic wins this week. Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times without other people asking for that book during those weeks. There were no blocked titles.
AUTO: bn100 gets Hot Pursuit

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from November 13 Pick:
Elizabeth gets An Unwilling Bride

Sue F gets Silver Bells
CarolNW gets Sleeping Doll CD Audiobook
Linda 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.}

Here is a tree where you can leaf Thankful notes!

Image found at Marinette County Libraries..

New Book Group #62 November 6, 2015
(I was getting ready to leave the office and realized I hadn't taken the photo of the books yet.
I took this very quickly. I may try to get another next week but this will have to do for now.)

PAIRS
Joan Johnston – Colter’s Wife and The Rivals
Nora Roberts – Born in Ice and Carnal Innocence
SINGLES
The Wedding Night by Jane Ann Krentz
The Marriage Prize by Virginia Henley
In Shelter Cove by Barbara Freethy
Into the Valley by Rosanne Bittner
Never Look Back by Linda Lael Miller
The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver – CD Audiobook
Touch Me by Beverly Rae (personally autographed)
Driven by Desire by LuAnn McLane (personally autographed)
To Marry a British Lord by Judith Obrien
A Highlander For Christmas by Sandy Blair
A Midnight Clear by Katherine Stone (slight seam creasing)
Silver Bells by JoAnn Ross, Fern Michaels, Mary Burton, Judy Duarte


New Book Group #61 October 30, 2015
After I noticed the trend I went on a hunt for “bride” titles. I even pulled a couple from some of my long time collections(*). (But they are not getting read on my shelves.)

PAIRS:
Leigh Greenwood –  The Reluctant Bride and The Independent Bride
Jane Feather(*) – The Hostage Bride and The Accidental Bride
SINGLES:
The de Burgh Bride by Deborah Simmons
The Forever Bride by Evelyn Rogers (Seam creasing)
Short Straw Bride by Dallas Schultz
The Bride Thief by Susan Spencer Paul
Bride by Stella Cameron (Seam creasing) (*)
An Unwilling Bride by Jo Beverley (*)
Bride Enchanted by Edith Layton
The Maiden Bride by Linda Needham (hardback)
Bride of Lochbarr by Margaret Moore (*)
The Ideal Bride by Stephanie Laurens (*)
Honor’s Bride by Galye Wilson
A Necessary Bride by Debra Mullins
Border Bride by Deborah Hale


New Book Group #60 September 18, 2015
A set of "haunting" tales and a few mysteries for October!

PAIRS:
Shannon Drake – When Darkness Falls (Alliance Vampires #2)  and Realm of Shadows (Alliance Vampires#4) 
Charlaine Harris – Club Dead and Grave Sight
SINGLES:
A Darker Dream (Love Spell romance) by Amanda Ashley
Bloody Good by Georgia Evans
Cat of Nine Tales by Deborah Macgillivray
Fated (Dark Protectors Book 1) by Rebecca Zanetti
Grave Sins by Jenna Maclaine
Primitive by Mark Nykanen (ARC copy)
The Accidental Human (Accidentally Paranormal Novel Book 3) by Dakota Cassidy
The Demon in Me by Michelle Rowen
The Shadowing by Joan Overfield
The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands
Silent Night, Haunted Night (A Nicki Styx Mystery) by Terri Garey
Tombs of Endearment (Pepper Martin Mysteries, No. 3) by Casey Daniels
Trilogy Of Mysteries Audio Book Shadow Prey, There Was A Little Girl, Smokescreen Audio Cassettes (NOT CDs)


New Book Group #59 July 31, 2015
A few more summer titles, historicals and mysteries!

ANTHOLOGIES:
Broken Vows, Mended Hearts by Lynn Stone, Gail Ranstrom and Anne O'Brien
3,2,1 Married! by Sharon Sala, Marie Ferrarella and Beverly Barton
SINGLES:
Only by Your Touch by Catherine Anderson
Cruise to a Wedding by Betty Neels
Little Girl Lost by Shirlee McCoy
Beloved Enemy by Terri Reed
You Don't Know Jack by Erin McCarthy

New Book Group #58 June 26, 2015
-- A few summer titles, a few mysteries, a few historicals...

SINGLES:
Hot Pursuit - Karen Rose, Annie Solomon and Carla Cassidy
Love Me Tomorrow by Rosanne Bittner (spine creasing)
Sevant, The Awakening by L.L. Foster

New Book Group #57 May 1, 2015

SINGLES:
A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl
The Ruthless Greek's Virgin Princess by Trish Morey
Rally Fever by Crea Jones

New Book Group #56 March 20, 2015
(I'll try to get the rest linked another day.)

SINGLES:
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)

New Book Group #55 February 5, 2015
(I'll try to get the rest linked another day.)

SINGLES:
If I Had You by Deborah Bedford
The Man Who Ate the 747 by Ben Sherwood

New Book Group #54 December 26, 2014

SINGLES:
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card - Tape Cassettes


BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty byVickie Kennedy
First to Fight Anthology
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Commander by Kate Bridges
The Cinderella Plan by Margaret Daley
The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook by Steve Doocy
A Garden of Friends by Penny Pierce Rose
Richard Paul Evans PAIR: The Looking Glass and The Carousel
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Sleeping with Ward Cleaver by Jenny Gardiner


BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)

Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
Cattle Rancher, Secret Son by Margaret Way
Whisper on the Wind by Joan Smith
Remember Me by Mary Higgins Clark
A Lady of Consequence by Mary Nichols
Sweet Talking Man by Betina Krain


BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)

Thinner by Stephen King
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Dancing on Snowflakes by Jane Bonander
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley -- 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
Tara Taylor Quinn: Father: Unknown and McGillus v.Wright
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
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.


BOX #1 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 1- 23)

Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Death Angel by Linda Howard

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 almost six years I have posted 62 groups of 16 (992) books to find new homes! (as of November 6, 2015).

I am happy to say that so far about 891+ 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. 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!

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 $7.00 and $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)

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!

Book Review and Feature: What's In My Pocket and Who Stole My Homework by Todd Key, Illustrated by Steve Ryder

This is a review and feature resulting from a gift by a talented entertainer and author.
Last month we spent a fun weekend at DeSoto Caverns Family Fun Park. Friday and Saturday nights during October they have a special event called Tomb of the Risen Dead. The event included a haunted cavern tour, a haunted maze, costumed characters and a juggling act. The juggler, Todd Key, did a great job and incorporated children, including our grandson, into the act. We got to visit with Todd and after the second night he surprised our granddaughters and grandson by giving them a copy of his books. (And that was before I told him I was a reviewer!)

Our grandchildren with Todd the Juggler.

Our older granddaughter, who is 7,  rushed back to the RV to read her book. She read it to her mother and me. When she finished she read it again... and again. And then asked me to read it to her.
Clearly she loved the book and we found it entertaining too.
What's in My Pocket?
by Todd Key and illustrator Steve Ryder

Paperback
Publisher: Toddkeybooks; 1st edition (2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0615360799
"What's in My Pocket" is the delightful, creative, and funny tale about the simple, strange, and completely BIZARRE items that Darius McDougal McDirty McBean pulls from his pocket before giving his pants to his Mom for washing. It's not a big deal when some coins, a rock, and a magnet come out of his pocket, but when Darius digs deeper he starts impossibly pulling out animals, people, and finally a dinosaur. How will Darius explain all of this to his Mom? Find out by reading this book.


Who Stole My Homework?
by Todd Key and illustrator Steve Ryder
Paperback

Who Stole My Homework? tells a new tale in Darius' life.
The BIG school project is due - the one that counts for half of the semester grade. Darius is riding to school on the bus and discovers his "finished" project is missing! "Someone must have STOLEN IT." But who....?

Review:
These books are written in rhyme which captivates young minds... and older ones too. Darius McDougal McDirty McBean is a young, active boy with an active imagination. His mother wants to wash his jeans and reminds him to empty his pockets. He starts with little things, like coins, a rock and a magnet. But then he progresses to larger and larger items that certainly would not fit in a pocket but make for great fun, giggles and smiles. The wording is perfect level reading for young readers or for parents to read to the younger crowd who haven't started reading yet. And the illustrations are perfectly loud and full of details to discover on  multiple readings.

Book two finds Darius panicking when he can't find his special homework project. He knows he did the work but can't remember where it is.

"My homework was MISSING!
It's gone! It's been took!
But how do I find it?
Where do I look?"
....

"Perhaps it was MOLE-MEN
Digging up through the ground.
They snatched up my work
Without making a sound.

Then they burrowed back down
To the core of the planet,
Engraving my writings
On great walls of granite."

I wish I had the books in front of me so I could share a verse from the first book. Still, you get a flavor from the verses above. If you have young ones at home I recommend these books for fun family reading entertainment.

Thank you Todd for making a special weekend even more fun and memorable. I believe that my grand kids will think of you and the fun time they had whenever they enjoy your fun books.

Todd spins a ball with our two older grandchildren.

Book Review: Power of the Matchmaker by Karey White, Rachael Anderson, Kelly Oram, & 9 more

This is a charming introduction to what looks to be a lovely series!

Power of the Matchmaker
by Karey White, Rachael Anderson, 
Kelly Oram, & 9 more

• File Size: 3402 KB
• Print Length: 60 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Mirror Press (November 3, 2015)
• ASIN: B013FIOAE0
• Genre: Romance
• My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0
• 
  

A prequel novella to the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER Series
Mystical . . . Beautiful . . . Romantic . . .
Read the matchmaker’s story to find out where it all starts . . .
Mae Li has been in love with Chen Zhu for years, and he with her. But when the matchmaker arrives at the Zhu family home, she recommends another village girl for Chen.
Heartbroken, Mae Li watches as Chen does his duty by marrying another. Mae flees her village with the clothes on her back and her only possession—a pearl embedded comb, given to her as a goodbye gift from Chen Zhu.
Upon Mae’s arrival in Shanghai, she quickly learns that she’ll starve within days unless she sells her prized comb or joins a courtesan house. She goes to the Huangpu River and promises the River God that she’ll always be selfless if he will save her from becoming a prostitute . . . Her wish is granted when Ms. Tan, the matchmaker of Shanghai, finds Mae. But Mae must completely change her future and her name if she is to become the next matchmaker.
**Join us for the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER SERIES**
12 novels by 12 bestselling authors

Review:
Mae Li is heartbroken when the matchmaker comes in town and doesn’t match her with the man she loves, Chen Zhu. Mae Li refuses to marry her match and tries to get Chen Zhu to run away with her. He refuses but gives her a family comb embedded with pearls. Mae Li flees her village with only her clothes and the precious comb.

Mae Li struggles in Shanghai where she almost gets trapped in a courtesan house. Starving and in desperation, she finds her way to the river and falls on her knees to pray to the River God and her ancestors. By morning, Mae Li is rescued by the Shanghai matchmaker, Ms. Tan. Ms. Tan has been a matchmaker for many years and it’s time to train a replacement. Ms. Tan asks Mae Li to be an intern for one year before deciding if she will take over. Mae Li watches Ms. Tan work and learns a very different approach that reveals, as Ms. Tan says, “the power of the matchmaker”.

This is a charming and delightful read. Mae Li is a relatable character – young and in love. She doesn’t want to be disrespectful to her traditions but she won’t marry a man she doesn’t like and she hurts too much to stay and watch her love marry another young woman. Late in the story there is a surprise, sweet reunion.

The power of the matchmaker is beautifully portrayed. This is a great lead that pulled me in and makes me want to read more in the series. I recommend this to readers who like sweet, beautiful romance with the magic of love.

I received this eBook through I am a Reader, Not a Writer ebooks for review, for an honest review.

**Join us for the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER SERIES**

12 novels by 12 bestselling authors
Released once a month in 2016:

Broken Things to Mend by Karey White (Jan 2016)
Not Always Happenstance by Rachael Anderson (Feb 2016)
If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram (March 2016)
Love is Come by Heather B. Moore (April 2016)
Four Chambers by Julie Wright (May 2016)
O'er the River Liffey by Heidi Ashworth (June 2016)
Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean (July 2016)
Between Earth and Heaven by Michele Paige Holmes (Aug 2016)
How I Met Your Brother by Janette Rallison (Sept 2016)
To Move the World by Regina Sirois (Oct 2016)
King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt (Nov 2016)
The Reformer by Jaima Fixsen (Dec 2016)

Book Review: Dead Girl Running (The New Order Book 1) by Ann M. Noser

I liked the well-developed characters and plot in this solidly engaging dystopian story.
Dead Girl Running (The New Order Book 1)
by Ann M. Noser

• File Size: 1551 KB
• Print Length: 225 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press (October 26, 2015)
• ASIN: B014L9Z51Y
• Genre: Sci Fi, Dystopian
• My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Eight years ago, SILVIA WOOD's father died in an industrial accident. After suffering through years of Psychotherapy Services and Mandated Medications for depression and multiple suicide attempts, she longs to work in Botanical Sciences. When the Occupation Exam determines she must work in Mortuary Sciences instead, she wonders if the New Order assigned her to the morgue to push her over the edge.
To appease her disappointed mother, Silvia enters the Race for Citizen Glory, in an attempt to stand out in the crowd of Equals. After she begins training with "golden boy" LIAM HARMAN, she discovers he also lost his father in the same accident that ruined her childhood. Then Silvia meets and falls for Liam's older cousin, whose paranoid intensity makes her question what really happened to her father.
As the race nears, Silvia realizes that she's not only running for glory, she's running for her life.

Review:
Silvia lives in a world where the New Order keeps citizens safe by walling them in, controlling their career paths and parenting rights, providing health care, allocating housing and rationing food. Cameras are everywhere to monitor the citizens and make sure no one is disruptive so living can be free of conflict and stress.

Sylvia lost her father to an accidental fire when she was 10 years old. She was initially devastated and didn’t find any support from her grieving mother. She was trying to cope until the therapists and the ‘men in dark suits’ kept hounding her with questions. She finally found a way to push through the heartache with her own routines, gaining strength in running and yoga. However the damage to her records was done and her occupational testing sent her to the unpopular office of Mortuary Sciences instead of the gardens of Botanical Sciences where she had longed to work.

Over the past eight years she has become close friends with her boss, Gus, who finds her to be a smart and dedicated assistant. Her mother wishes she would meet friends her own age and is glad when Silvia meets Liam at the gym.

Liam is a popular guy who wants Silvia to help him to train for the prestigious Race for Citizen Glory. Her initial reluctance changes to eagerness when she learns they can actually train by running outside instead of inside on the treadmill. That alone makes it worth her while. Then she meets Liam’s older cousin, Franco, who works in the Botanical Sciences. Silvia tries to resist her growing attraction to the paranoid Franco who is intriguing one minute and bizarre the next.

Silvia has to visit the medical office to register as an 18 year old, then during the training she is annoyed that she has to make repeated return visits. First they give her a birth control implant and then they continually check her for pregnancy.

Bit by bit, Silvia sees strange happenings as she learns secrets surrounding her father and her new friends. She and Liam have a good chance of winning the race which will give them extra rations and special treatment. But Silvia begins to suspect that the extra attention is not necessarily a good thing.

I found this dystopian very engaging. I liked the different, well-developed characters and their interactions. The society is a creepy and chilling, especially as more of the political ambitions and disparities are uncovered. The author uses the mortuary setting to include interesting medical knowledge. The ending clearly leaves the world open for another dangerous adventure but it gives this book a natural place of closure.

I recommend this to readers who like dystopian stories, mystery and strong characters. I would like to read more by Ms. Noser and will watch for the next book in this series.

I received this sci fi dystopian from the author, for an honest review, after seeing it at Caffeinated Book Review. (Thanks for sharing this Kimberly.)