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Monday, September 4, 2017

Sunday Post September 3, 2017/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday September 4, 2017


I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date.
Thank you to Sheila for the years that she handled this meme.
Thank you to Kathryn for taking up the baton.
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 am away from office visiting family but have still been working 3-4 hours a day. I have only covered three files in my briefcase so still more to do. In between I am trying to enjoy time with the grandkids and sharing some reading with the 4 year old.

Reading was okay. I finished three books: two audio books and one ebook. I got three reviews posted to the blog and one to Goodreads. I also posted my usual memes.

I visited 26 blogs again last week.
Shout out this week is to The Bookworm. This is another new to me blog and had a lovely library featured last week.
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:
  • A-ABJ- Audio Book Review: The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson; Christian, Historical, Teen/Young Adult; my rating 4.0.
  • eNG- Book Review: Resurrection America by Jeff Gunhus; Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Thriller; My rating 4.0.
Finished Reading:
1. Audible/MP3 (TBR)


Until the End of the World
Written by: Sarah Lyons Fleming
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
I picked this from my TBR shelves for "U" in Alphabet Challenge.
This is an entertaining zombie tale with romance.
Click on book title for full description.



2. Audible/MP3 - Kid's Sale



Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies
Written by: Emma Walton Hamilton, Julie Andrews
Narrated by: Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton
Length: 1 hr and 56 mins
I was going to listen to this with the grandchildren but it was only background for them. I enjoyed it though.
My short review on Goodreads is linked above.
Publisher's Summary
A deluxe treasury of family favorites selected by the best-selling mother-daughter team.
Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton share a diverse mix of their most beloved poems, songs and lullabies in this timeless audio treasury. Brought to life with James McMullan's stunning watercolor paintings included in a bonus pdf, this anthology features nine themed sections, and nearly 100 poetry selections from a wide range of talent, including William Wordsworth, E. C. Wells, Emily Dickinson, and more, as well as some special poems written by Andrews and Hamilton themselves - read by the authors for all to enjoy. With personal stories and anecdotes from Andrews woven throughout, this rich collection is one that families will grow with and cherish throughout the years.
Julie and Emma's love for each other and the poetry is evident in their warm, heartfelt readings. It is easy to be swept up in the fun and beautiful scenes they create with their lovely voices.
One of the most iconic, renowned figures in entertainment, Julie Andrews is a high-profile author who has written more than a dozen books for young readers, including the best-selling Mandy, which has sold more than 150,000 copies since its first printing in 1971.
This audio anthology will be a timeless collector's item and the perfect gift for children of any age.
Download the accompanying reference guide.
©2009 Julie Andrews; (P)2009 Hachette



3. eBook/Kindle (Author)


Who'll Stop The Rain: (Book One Of The Miami Crime Trilogy)
by Don Donovan
This is gritty but entertaining. There are no 'good guys'; only degrees of corrupt characters.
I received this from the Author.
Click on book title for full description.



Currently Reading:
1. Audible/MP3 (TBR)


Pax
Written by: Sara Pennypacker
Narrated by: Michael Curran-Dorsano
Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
I am really enjoying this story - not sure it is so good for children.
Publisher's Summary
Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day the unimaginable happens: Peter's dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild.
At his grandfather's house 300 miles away from home, Peter knows he isn't where he should be - with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox.
Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own....
From best-selling and award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes a beautifully wrought, utterly compelling novel about the essential truths that define us and the devastating costs of war. Pax is destined to become a beloved classic.
©2016 Sara Pennypacker (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers



2. eBook/Kindle (Author)


ReWired
by S.R. Johannes
I was invited to read this by the author and
shared a spotlight for the launch.
16-year-old Ada Lovelace is never more alive and sure of herself than when she’s hacking into a “secure” network as her alter ego, the Dark Angel. In the real world, Ada is broken, reeling from her best friend Simone’s recent suicide. But online, the reclusive daughter of Senator Lovelace (champion of the new Technology Privacy Bill) is a daring white hat hacker and the only female member of the Orwellians, an elite group responsible for a string of high-profile hacks against major corporations, with a mission to protect the little guy.
Ada is swiftly proving she’s a force to be reckoned with, when a fellow Orwellian betrays her to the FBI. To protect her father’s career, Ada is sent to ReBoot, a technology rehab facility for teens…the same rehab Simone attended right before killing herself.
It’s bad enough that the ReBoot facility is creepy in an Overlook-Hotel-meets-Winchester-Mansion way, but when Ada realizes Simone’s suicide is just one in an increasingly suspicious string of “accidental” deaths and “suicides” occurring just after kids leave ReBoot, Ada knows she can’t leave without figuring out what really happened to her best friend. The massive cyber conspiracy she uncovers will threaten everything she cares about–her dad’s career, her new relationship with a wry, handsome, reformed hacker, Fisher, who gets under her skin, and most of all–the Dark Angel.
With a deliciously twisty plot, the topical bite of Cory Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER, ReWIRED delves into technology addiction, internet privacy, and corporate/government collection of data.
ReWIRED is about the daily choices we all make about who we want to be, how much of ourselves we choose to share with others, and the terrifying risks and exhilarating rewards of being ourselves, online and off.



3. Audible/MP3 (TBR)


Koban, Volume 1
Written by: Stephen W. Bennett
Narrated by: Patrick Freeman
I have just started this and the narration is not wonderful.
But it is my "K" TBR audible for Alphabet Challenge.
Publisher's Summary
All new narration adds sound effects and eliminates issues noted in reviews. To obtain new version, remove old one from device, download new copy at no charge.
We colonized seven hundred planets. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of expansion and the end of wars. We disbanded our military.
Then the Krall found us.
The Krall have used thousands of years of combat to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. They are a species determined to dominate the galaxy, through annihilation or enslavement of every opponent.
Koban is an uninhabited high gravity planet with impossibly fast savage animals, which employ organic superconducting nerves. This deadly world is where the Krall are testing humans for fighting capability. We are useful only if we can fight well. If not, they will destroy us swiftly, as they have other species. They have slaves, and we’re poor tasting meat animals, so we fight or die. The Krall will use us, if worthy, seeking physical perfection through attrition of war, one planet at a time.
Growing weary of our failures in testing, the ruthless Krall are on the verge of a decision to eliminate our species. A ship carrying bio-scientists is captured for combat testing. The choice for Captain Mirikami and the scientists is simple: Prove we can produce better, smarter fighters quickly, or humanity is doomed to rapid extermination.
But the Krall are only half the problem. We must survive Koban's gravity and superfast animals. The tiger-like rippers with skin contact telepathy are predators too fast and powerful for the Krall to face. Our solution is genetic: If you can't beat them as you are, become human rippers.
The Krall will learn another species can bypass natural selection.
©2012 Stephen W Bennett (P)2013 Stephen W Bennett



4. Print (LBC)


A Matter of Character,
Sisters of Bethlehem Springs Series #3
by Robin Lee Hatcher
I haven't gotten to this at all. I may have to download the Kindle version.
Print reading is slower for me these days.



August 27, 2017 - I am behind in the One Year Bible and will have to read double this week. I have been reading along with my husband and others from our church. I hope to take more time this year, staying on the day and listening to the companion commentary online.

I completed three books and posted four reviews. That puts me to two current reviews with another to post soon for September release.
I am now only three titles behind linking my reviews to Goodreads, Amazon and Audible.

I am back to 5 NetGalley titles (with a list of possible requests) and still 2 author titles in my queue, the others are instafreebies that I do want to get to but not the same commitment.


We're working on two fiction books soon to add to eTreasure's NetGalley page.


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 (yours truly).  
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
I picked up two NetGalley review titles this week and one from an author.
I won one audio book!
I picked up four Audibles on sale.
As usual, I picked up more free kindle titles as usual. (Note these are in my Amazon library, NOT on my Kindle until I download and transfer them.)

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles
I received two titles from NetGalley:
Twelve Slays of Christmas
by Jacqueline Frost
This cozy mystery cover drew me in - then the blurb.
Releasing 10/10/17.
Star Hero
by Susan Grant
I like "space marine" genre so was drawn to try this Star Series Novella.
Releasing 9/7/17.

I received this title from the author:
ReWired
by S.R. Johannes
See the description above under Currently Reading.



WON
Six of My Favorite Standalone ListensI was very glad to with The Garden of Small Beginnings from Penguin Random House through a Blogversary event at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 
THANK YOU Kimberly and PRH!
UNABRIDGED
By Abbi Waxman
Narrated By Emily Rankin

Purchased
I bought several titles from my wish list that were part of the last of summer sale at Audible ($4.95 each):

The Android's Dream         Sci Fi
By: John Scalzi
Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Duration: 10 hrs and 34 mins

You're Next         Suspense
By: Gregg Hurwitz
Narrator: Scott Brick
Duration: 14 hrs and 1 min

Gracie’s Touch         Sci Fi Romance
By: S.E. Smith
Narrator: David Brenin
Duration: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Trackers          Suspense/EOTW
By: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Narrator: Bronson Pinchot
Duration: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Free
I wasn't going to add the Free Kindle titles (being tired) but ended up linking six plus two without images. (All of these may still be free):
Lost and Found Series Box Set
by J.M. Madden




As Deep as the Ocean (Blue Penguin Bay Book 1)
by Serenity Woods


Hearts Under Fire
Antonio Scotto di Carlo
(Author request to review)


A Rancher's Surrender (A Frontier Montana series Book 1)
by Michelle Beattie




Two more that were still free Sunday night:
Winter Trees (Seasons of Marigold Manor Book 1) by Kim Stokely
Sunflower Street (Rose Hill Mystery Series Book 8) by Pamela Grandstaff

I added 67 free Kindle titles to my library this week. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Sunday Words of Encouragement September 3, 2017

We attended a church with our son’s neighbor this morning. The kids came too but just a little later. The church had done a survey in the spring asking congregants what questions that had that they wanted addressed. This mornings sermon was the first of their series, titled “You Asked for It”.
One of the most asked questions was “How do I determine God’s Will for me?” As the church’s pastor was away the sermon was shared by a visiting pastor. It is two parts so today we got the first part which was saying that when we seek to determine what God’s will is, we can first look to see what it is not.

The pastor noted that we communicate with God in a one to one relationship, so we need to determine what Prayer is not. He listed five items:
1. Prayer is not the lottery – expecting to win favor. (Matthew 6:7.) Rather, prayer is talking, and listening, to God, our heavenly Father.
2. Prayer is not a suggestion box. We should not be trying to tell God what to do or how He should handle things, through our prayers. The purpose of prayer is to bring me into alignment with plan of God by focusing on our relationship with Him.
3. Prayer is not a marriage certificate. Prayer time is important but it is not a substitute for relationship with spouse and family. It is not designed to meet personal needs. Family life must be attended to lest prayers be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7.
4. Prayer is not a Bible. God's Will is revealed in the Bible so prayer is not a substitute for reading the Word of God and the Rhema word (A rhema is a verse or portion of Scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to our attention with application to a current situation or need for direction.) Any utterance not consistent with the Biblical word is not of God. Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 4:4.
Prophecy may be given to help ‘fight the good fight’ (1 Timothy 1:18) but we are to live by full and truthful word in the Bible.
5. Prayer is not a church. The church is a gathering place for prayer; a “house of prayer”. Isaiah 56:7. But if we do not gather in fellowship with others, at a church or fellowship gathering, then we are missing out on that part of the relationship God has directed us to have with other believers. Prayer is the door that brings us into the presence of God but it is important to have prayers of agreement. Matthew 18:17-19. Prayer is the most powerful force on earth so shouldn’t we seek opportunity to share this power and draw on it by praying with others.

I appreciated these words and look forward to hearing Part Two of the message.

I found this song video a few weeks back and it fits for this message.
Verses for Today:
Matthew 18:17-19 (NIV)
17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

We are praying today for a friend facing surgery this week. Lord please provide wisdom and skill for the doctors and nurses, relief of pain, comfort, strength and healing!
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Saturday, September 2, 2017

Sharing Beyond Books #318 Comment Giveaway September 2, 2017

Hello again and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
Six commenters do not preorder (Fredamans had a bad experience with double charging); four rarely preorder but might for series they are reading. Eleven of us might order without a blurb ONLY if the books is in a series they are reading by favorite author or an "auto buy" author.

~~~~~

The Winner from SBB #317 comments is: #6 FREDAMANS who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated (**Finally!) ARC/Review titles or (recently updated) Love and Christmas titles - all linked near the end of the post.

**NOTE: I did post an Updated ARC and Other books for Giveaways. I have to go back and list the titles -- someday.
Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #318
(One Question.)

Fredamans asks: What is a book that you read in the last year that still resonates in you today??
This is hard to pick. I chose to interpret last year as the past twelve months rather than 2016. Using this time frame I choose the book From Afar by Roger Thomas. This is a beautiful imaging of the Wise Men seeking the baby Jesus. I still want to share this with my book club ladies.

Image result for resonating book
Image found at Rise Women.

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! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify.

Your turn to share. Fredamans asks: What is a book that you read in the last year that still resonates in you today??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Updated ARC and Other books, including the "Love" and Christmas titles all in one post.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question 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 September 9, 2017 at 5 PM central.

Book Review: Resurrection America by Jeff Gunhus

This is a tense, engaging post-apocalyptic thriller.
by Jeff Gunhus

File Size: 4240 KB
Print Length: 374 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0998217719
Publisher: Seven Guns Press (June 5, 2017)
ASIN: B06ZYTZYSC
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Thriller
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0


USA TODAY bestselling author Jeff Gunhus. 
In the near-future, the world order has deteriorated after America's exhaustion from endless foreign wars causes her to pull back within her borders. Her enemies and allies alike pursue their own interests, grabbing resources, erecting trade barriers, and launching opportunistic wars. The American Century is a distant memory.
Sheriff Rick Johnson thinks he's left behind the problems of the greater world, retiring from the Marines to become the sheriff of the little town of Resurrection, Colorado. His relationship with Dahlia, his childhood friend's widow, has given him new purpose, along with the responsibility of being a father-figure to her young son. Life isn't perfect, but it's better than he ever expected it would be after seeing the horrors of war. But when helicopters and armored vehicles filled with soldiers in hazmat suits unexpectedly quarantine the town, Sheriff Rick Johnson feels like the nightmares of the outside world have followed him home.
While the town follows martial law, Rick isn't buying the official version of events from the military that a virus has been released into the air. As he investigates, the cover story unravels and he discovers the military's presence and the salvation they offer isn't what it seems. Soon he and his ex-flame, scientist Cassie Baker, are entangled in a plot so evil that it could only be bourn from the absolute extremes of nationalism and madness.
There are men in Resurrection who are willing to do anything to see America restored to her former greatness, even if the rest of the world must be destroyed to make it happen. But Rick Johnson is a man willing to do anything to protect the people he loves. And he's a force to be reckoned with.


Review:
Rick is a former marine who has settled as Sheriff in the small town of Resurrection, Colorado. He suffered enough in war and his is glad to have an easy-going job and hopeful of building a relationship with an old friend’s widow, Dahlia, and her young son, Charlie. When Rick gets a strange radio call from his deputy which is cut off, he heads up the old mine road to check on him. Instead of finding his deputy, Rick finds a large fence closing off the mine and a man, Keffer, who offers him $10,000.00 to keep quiet for three days. Rick isn’t interested in the bribe but is willing to stay quiet for the extra millions the man assures will be forthcoming to the town from the secret entity that is reopening the mine with robotic assistance.

The town is hosting thousands of visitors to a festival that weekend when an alarm sounds, a helicopter hoovers overhead, tanks appear in the streets and snipers appear with guns aimed at the crowd. A warning issues from the loud speakers that the town has been exposed to radiation but that the men are there to issue a live-saving inoculation. No one understands what is happening and Rick really doesn’t believe the story, especially when he sees and hears actions inconsistent with Keefer’s explanation.

Rick tries to challenge Keefer, but even his friends think he has had a PTSD episode and is delusional. Getting locked in his own jail cells with his ex-wife, a biochemist from the company that previously worked the mine, is the only thing that might give them a chance to save Dahlia, Charlie, the community and visitors. Keefer’s proclaimed goals are to save America and restore her position as a superpower. Sadly, the extent of his plan moves into madness and extremism.

This is a rather scary scenario and gets more alarming as the secret lab and the expected use of the captured citizens is revealed. One can hope that the science is only fiction although somehow I think the possibility might exist in the future. A few scenes do stretch believability but that’s why they call it “fiction”. That didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the fast moving, suspenseful plot. The primary characters are well developed and I liked the relationship between Rick and those he loves. There is good action and an ironic twist at the end. I recommend this to readers who like apocalyptic tales that have a different storyline.

I received this through NetGalley for an honest review. It qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge.

Friday, September 1, 2017

Audible Book Review: No Easy Hope: Surviving the Dead, Volume 1 by James N. Cook

This is a solid EOTW, biochemical (zombie) story with a strong lead character and good action.
No Easy Hope: Surviving the Dead, Volume 1
Written by: James N. Cook
Narrated by: Guy Williams
Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
Series: Surviving the Dead, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:03-07-13
Publisher: James N. Cook
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller, Zombie
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0


Publisher's Summary
Eric Riordan was once a wealthy man leading a comfortable, easy life. Until one day Gabriel, his oldest friend, Marine Corps veteran, and a former mercenary, told him how the world was going to end.
He did his best to prepare. He thought he was ready for anything.
He was wrong.
As the dead rise up to devour the living, one man finds himself struggling to survive in the ruins of a shattered world. Alone, isolated, and facing starvation, his only chance is to flee to the Appalachians and join forces with Gabriel. But the journey will not be easy, and along the way his humanity, his will to live, and his very soul will be tested.
This is the beginning. This is his story.
©2011 James N Cook (P)2013 James N Cook


Review:
Eric is a wealthy man, not a military man. He and Gabriel, Gabe, became friends during the sale of land between them. Sometime later, Gabe warns Eric to prepare for a chaotic collapse of the world. Gabe is a former Marine and former mercenary who has reason to know of biological secrets that could endanger society.

Eric had the money to prepare a bunker and stock it with food and weapons. He thought he was ready – but who can really prepare for the bloody rising of the dead? After staying alone in his own bunker for a time, Eric sets to meet up with Gabe who is hunkered down in a cabin in the mountains.

Along the way Eric faces danger and rescues a young man from an attack of the undead and returns with him to a compound of survivors. Some of the survivors are thankful but some are resentful and untrusting. Eric remains and proves his good intent as he helps the group clearing local communities of infected so they can gather more supplies. Sadly, the undead are not the only enemy that the survivors must face. There are rival survivor groups who are lawless and brutal.

I really liked Eric’s strong, well developed character. The survivor group he works with is well developed also. Mr. Cook does a good job of creating an engaging story with a good balance of human elements and action. There is gore and bad language but it is not the focus of the story but rather part of the situation.

There are also grammatical errors which might be attributable to the nature of the characters… otherwise it is just inadequate editing. I let them slide. There are a few slower segments but for the most part the story pacing moves along well. I did not realize that this series is already up to 8 books. I will likely continue to read at some point, although not immediately. I recommend this to readers who like well written, catastrophic, end of the world (EOTW), scenarios.

Audio Notes: Guy Williams does a good job with the narration. I found it is easy to listen and follow the characters. There did not seem excessive emotion but adequate to convey the scenes of the story. The narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

I picked this from my Audible TBR shelves. It qualifies for Audio Challenge, Mount TBR and "N" in Alphabet Challenge.

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