#NetGalley Book Review: A Chance at Christmas by Beppie Harrison

This is a sweet, light historical romance that includes an element of a handicapped sibling.
A Chance at Christmas
by Beppie Harrison

File Size: 5438 KB
Print Length: 118 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0986240893
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Camden Hill Press (self) (September 30, 2017)
ASIN: B0763CQY29
Genre: Christmas, Historical Romance, Holiday Romance, Regency
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Christmas is coming, and Catherine Woodsleigh and her crippled brother John have no hope of celebration until an invitation to spend Christmas with an old friend and her family arrives. But after the holiday, worse misfortune looms before them. Living on the diminishing number of coins drawn from a jar left by their dead father and mother, a dire future seems inevitable. Will this chance to share a wondrous sparkling Christmas not only provide a glorious holiday but a new turn in their futures and the astonishing possibility of romance?

Review:
Catherine has been working as a seamstress and pinching pennies to take care of herself and her crippled brother, John. Most families would hide John or put him in a home. But Catherine knows that John is smart and would be able to work as a clerk or similar position if people didn’t look and see only his disability.

Catherine is excited when she receives an invitation from a school friend, Katie, for John and her to visit for Christmas. Catherine knows that she will have trouble meeting bills, even rent, after Christmas. But Christmas is the time for miracles and maybe this is a chance to change her circumstances.

Catherine and John are met at the station by Katie’s older brother, the Viscount de Montjoy. Montjoy is attractive and charming although Katie claims he is a big flirt. Catherine enjoys his company and watches for a chance to ask him to help her brother. When she finally finds the courage, things don’t go quite as expected.

Ms. Harrison does a nice job handling John’s injury and the callous way that many families and society treat someone with disability and disfigurement. Catherine is a lovely example of a caring sister who sees the strengths in her brother and wants to encourage him. The author manages to allow Montjoy to remain a bit mysterious, creating conflict until well into the story.

The story is quick and sweet; a nice, light Christmas read. I recommend this to fans of Christmas and sweet historical romance.

Source: 2018 NetGalley. This qualifies for NetGalley Challenge.

Audible Book Review: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

How self-aware should a robot be?

All Systems Red
By: Martha Wells
Narrated by: Kevin R. Free

Series: Murderbot Diaries, Book 1
Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 10-30-17
Language: English
Publisher: Recorded Books
Genre: AI, Sci Fi, Short Story
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; 5.0 Narration

Publisher's Summary
All Systems Red is the tense first science fiction adventure novella in Martha Wells' series The Murderbot Diaries. For fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels.
All Systems Red tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self-discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans.
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.
But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid - a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot."
Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
©2017 Martha Wells (P)2017 Recorded Books

Review:
“Murderbot” is a company droid assigned as the security unit (SecUnit) for an exploratory scientist team on a distant planet. Murderbot has spare time on its hands/circuits. It has already hacked its own company module and spends time streaming old movie/TV series while trying to decide who it really is. It hasn’t allowed the humans to know it can override their commands if it wants to.

A nearby mission camp goes silent so the scientists and Murderbot take a trip to discover what happened. Murderbot realizes that there is danger as it discovers murdered humans and destroyed droid units.

Normally Murderbot doesn’t care so much about humans but he finds himself liking the scientist group who seem to care for each other. Now Murderbot has to discover a way to protect its people. Maybe it really can become part of a team.

I do like sentient robots, even though that could be scary. Murderbot is a likeable character and I enjoyed how it strategized and worked with the head of the team, Dr. Mensa, to protect the humans and uncover, and out wit, those behind the murders. This story has good world building and a full plot for just a short story. The author presents prejudices from the humans and the robot and allows them to grow beyond those initial stereotypes. This is my first read by Ms. Wells but I have an older story in my Audible TBR that I plan to listen to soon.

I recommend this to those who enjoy AI sci fi stories. My only concern is that the three additional stories are under 4 hours at a price of $11.99 each so the 12 hours ends up costing a healthy $36.00.

Audio Notes: Kevin R. Free does a good job with the narration. There is an appropriate robotic tone that fits Murderbot as the narrator of the story. Free gives the other characters their own voices that helped to bring the story alive. I am glad I listened to this on audio.

Source: Audible Daily Deal $1.95 April 2018. This qualifies for Audiobook Challenge.

#NetGalley Book Review: Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff by Dana K. White

I was/am encouraged as I started slowly implementing decluttering rules.
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff
by Dana K. White

File Size: 873 KB
Print Length: 240 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 27, 2018)
ASIN: B072TMNCBH
Genre: Cleaning, Hoarding, How To
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

You don't have to live overwhelmed by stuff--you can get rid of clutter for good!
While the world seems to be in love with the idea of tiny houses and minimalism, many of us simply can't purge it all and start from nothing. Yet a home with too much stuff is a home that is difficult to maintain, so where do we begin? Add in paralyzing emotional attachments and constant life challenges, and it can feel almost impossible to make real decluttering progress.
In Decluttering at the Speed of Life, decluttering expert and author Dana White identifies the mind-sets and emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter. Then, in her signature humorous approach, she provides workable solutions to break through these struggles and get clutter out--for good!
But more than simply offering strategies, Dana dives deep into how to implement them, no matter the reader's clutter level or emotional resistance to decluttering. She helps identify procrasticlutter--the stuff that will get done eventually so it doesn't seem urgent--as well as how to make progress when there's no time to declutter.
Sections of the book include
Why You Need This Book (You Know Why)
Your Unique Home
Decluttering in the Midst of Real Life
Change Your Mind, Change Your Home
Breaking Through Your Decluttering Delusions
Working It Out Room by Room
Helping Others Declutter
Real Life Goes On (and On)
As long as we're living and breathing, new clutter will appear. The good news is that decluttering can get easier, become more natural, and require significantly fewer hours, less emotional bandwidth, and little to no sweat to keep going.

Review:
I really enjoyed this helpful work on decluttering. Ms. White shares great tips and specific rules that help in the process. I’d love to share the questions but then others might decide they don’t need to get the book. The book read easily and the method of questioning makes great sense.The suggestions/guides are shared with experience and humor.

The first weekend I got my husband to help me clean a room that was a real mess. We filled a large bag with trash and two boxes of giveaway items. That was just the visibility level so there is still more to do but it was a big improvement.

I am guilty of buying items I like but not using them...because I like them. An example is candles. Now I have boxes and cabinets with lovely candles that I don’t use. So I have to decide to use them up or donate them if I want to clear that space.

I have also been implementing the tips during my Christmas gift organizing. I have pulled gifts that I won’t ever give to anyone (either expired or outgrown) and put many in a donate box. Some I have put in a box for future giving but I made a list so I won’t forget what I have.

My husband and I want to downsize our house but first we need to declutter our belongings! This book will help. It is nice that the implementation can be small as that is all the time I have had… but it has helped. Even five minutes a day can make a difference. I recommend this to people who want to declutter their places and lives.

Source: NetGalley 2018. This qualifies for NetGalley Challenge.

Sunday Post December 16, 2018/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 17, 2018

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date (at Wordpress).

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.

Work is steady: a few real estate closings for the title office and still with catch up in the law office. We are hoping to be closed the week of Christmas but are on standby for at least two closings that might occur.
The Contractor finally got the bricks from the office roof and the tarp on. Next we move on to drying out the insides while I meet with the structural engineer and the architect to redesign the front where the cracks need securing.
Hubby is muddling along with some new medicine for pain and staying on oxygen in hopes of gaining a little more stamina. We probably won't decorate around the house too much.
I have to start wrapping gifts tonight. I only have a few more things to get and then I should be set.

My listening and reading seemed slow this week. I finished one audio books and one ebook. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I got to visit 24 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to True Book Addict. Michelle and I have been blog related friends for a number of  years. She hosts True Book Talk at Goodreads (which I rarely get to participate in any more) and a separate year long blog (that is especially fitting now): The Christmas Spirit.
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post December 9, 2018/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday December 10, 2018.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: We'll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale; Holiday Romance, Inspirational; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0, Overall, Story, and Narration.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennet; Ghosts, Inspirational; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall, 4.5 Story and 5.0 Narration.

• 2018 Audiobook Challenge Completion.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 14, 2018. Open Worldwide. Ending 12/20/2018.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Villains Rule (The Shadow Master Book 1) by M. K. Gibson; Fantasy, Humor, Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall, 4.25 Story and 5.0 Narration.

• Sharing Beyond Books #358 Comment Giveaway December 15, 2018. Open Worldwide. Ending 12/29/2018.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement December 16, 2018.

Finished Reading:
1. Audible/Smartphone (A2018)

All Systems Red
By: Martha Wells
Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
Series: Murderbot Diaries, Book 1
This is a short audio that is engaging - good start to a series.
Source: Audible 4/20 Daily Deal Purchase $1.95.
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle and Smartphone (NG2018)

A Chance at Christmas
by Beppie Harrison
This is a sweet, light romance.
Source: 2018 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

Currently Reading:
1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Autobiography of Santa Claus
By: Jeff Guinn
Narrated by: John H. Mayer
Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
I thought this would be appropriate to listen to at Christmas. I'm enjoying it slowly (7 hours to go).
Source: Audible 12/24/17 Daily Deal Purchase $2.95.
Publisher's Summary
Jump on Santa's sleigh for a journey through 17 centuries of Christmas magic!
This enchanting holiday treasure combines historical fact with glorious legend as Saint Nicholas himself reveals the definitive story of Santa Claus. From his birth in Lycia to meeting Mrs. Claus and all of his helpers, Santa relates the tale of how he spread his message of generosity and the goodness of giving across the world.
Families will delight in every entertaining chapter of this holiday classic, one for each cold December night leading up to Christmas!
©2004 Jeff Guinn (P)2004 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

2. eBook/Kindle and Smartphone (NG2018)

Someone to Trust (A Westcott Novel Book 5)
by Mary Balogh
This is an interesting historical where the female character is older than the male.
I am midway.
Source: 2018 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audio CD in Car (ATBR)

'Tis the Season (Main Street #3)
by Ann M. Martin
Read by Ariadne Meyers
I thought I would listen to this and then include in a giveaway box. It is a sweet MG story.
Source: Purchased used at Library Book Sale.
An unforgettable holiday story in Ann M. Martin's timeless new series
Format: 4 CDs, Unabridged
It's looking to be a hard holiday season for the girls of Main Street. For Flora and Ruby, it's the first Christmas without their parents around. For Olivia, gift giving and tree decorating must be balanced with the fact that both of her parents need jobs. And for Nikki, there's the presence of her mean, angry father to reckon with. Luckily, the girls have each other--and the community around them. As Camden Falls prepares for its annual festivities, Flora, Ruby, Olivia, and Nikki all find that the hard things become easier when there are family, friends, and neighbors to share things with.

4. eBook/Kindle and Smartphone (NG2018)

Patience for Christmas: A Holiday Novella
by Grace Burrowes
This is another historical Christmas novella by an author I really like.
Source: NetGalley 2018.
A friendly holiday competition turns steamy in this Regency romance novella from the New York Times bestselling author of My One and Only Duke.
Previously published in Virtues of Christmas.
Advice columnist Patience Friendly's relationship with her stubborn, overbearing publisher, Dougal MacHugh, is anything but cordial. Dougal challenges Patience to take on a rival columnist in a holiday advice-a-thon, and sparks fly clear up to the mistletoe hanging from every rafter. Will Patience follow the practical guidance of her head or the passionate advice of her heart?

December 16, 2018 - I am up to date and enjoying the One Year Bible plan reading through You Version App. Although I am on track on my smartphone I haven' t been steady for each morning and find myself finishing the reading at the end of the day instead of beginning. I need to get back to starting my day with scripture.
I completed the additional reading plan started 11/12: Names of God, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I started and finished a 5 day reading plan for Advent: The Promised One.
Today I started a 10 day reading plan for Christmas: Our Daily Bread Christmas: Gift of Grace.
[You can check out audio of the One Year Bible Plan on the companion commentary online.]

I completed two books and posted three reviews. That makes headway so I have only 3 reviews to post now.
I am slowly adding these reviews to Goodreads, Amazon and Audible. I still have older ones to catch up on too.
My NetGalley shelf is now at 9 as I picked up two more. I am hoping to read six more before the end of the month. I now have two author titles in queue. Still many through InstaFreebie and many new author requests I haven't replied to.

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 added on author review and two NetGalley titles.
I picked up one Audible credit choice and purchased two Audibles.
I didn't pick up any Kindle paid titles.
I only picked up 2 free kindle titles again. (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

Author Review title to read in January:
Indian Paintbrush (Carson Chronicles Book 3)
by John A. Heldt
Carson Chronicles (3 Book Series) I have enjoyed this series and look forward to the third book.
(Thanks to Laura at Library of Clean Reads for reminding me to get this.)



I selected two more NetGalley titles; one to read this month and one for next year.
Slay Bells: A Christmas Village Mystery
by T.C. Wescott
I saw this at a couple other Mailbox Monday posts (Carol's Notebook and not sure).
I thought it looked so cute - I didn't resist.

and


An Unexpected Redemption
by Emily Hamsher
I liked the description for this medieval romance.

Won

NONE

Purchased

I had actually selected 9 titles on sale for just under $50.00 but forgot to go back to complete the purchase on Wednesday night. So I will wait to get them another day.
12/16/18 November Credit pick:
An Easy Death
By: Charlaine Harris
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
Release date: 10-02-18
This is alternate history which I like.

Two Purchases - these both looked like fun listens for small price.
$3.95
Escape From the Overworld
Overworld Adventures, Book 1
By: Danica Davidson
Narrated by: Dan Woren
Length: 2 hrs
Release date: 03-16-15

$.82
The Monster Men
By: Edgar Rice Burroughs
Narrated by: Sean Murphy
Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
Release date: 09-05-18

Free

I still have one more Audible Original but I wasn't ready to pick yet.

I only added 2 free titles to my Kindle library over the past week. No breaks for adding free books 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 Words of Encouragement December 12, 2018

Our Sunday School teacher led an interesting discussion on 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 concerning married life. This was a good lesson. We had a nice worship service and then pastor continued his sermon series, Celebrate Christmas.

Last week the focus was on Wonder. Today the message focused on Waiting. There is always a time of build up to Christmas. There is Anticipation. Something exciting is coming. There is hopeful expectation.

When we are waiting do we fill our time with distractions or patient waiting? We should have a building expectation.

Luke 2:22-35 tells the story of two people who had waited patiently, anticipating and expecting a wonderful thing. Simeon was waiting to see the Messiah before he died, and the Holy Spirit urged him to go to the Temple that day. When he held the baby Jesus he proclaimed: ‘I have seen your salvation, prepared for all Nations’. Anna, the Prophetess, was eighty-four years old spending each day at the temple. She came to the child and parents; she gave thanks to God and “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Point: Waiting on God will lead us to the place God wants us at the time He wants us there.

Waiting will lead to the right time and place, just like Simeon. When we are following the Holy Spirit, God is speaking to us. If we will listen.

How well do you wait? Do you wait with a building grudge or do you wait with growing expectation?

God more often says “wait” for Him rather than “hurry”. Although He might say ‘hurry’ to accept the gift of Christ.

Isaiah 40:31 tells what will happen for those who wait upon the Lord...

We need to train ourselves to wait and enjoy the wait; allow our expectancy to grow.
Negative attitude toward waiting creates cynicism. A positive anticipation develops excitement.
Practice waiting on God. Pair your waiting with a growing expectancy.

What are you waiting for?
Don’t put the emphasis on the time of the wait but focus on the what.

Believers are waiting for salvation.
God is waiting for You to accept His precious gift.

This is a song we sang this morning.
We Wait for God and We Adore Him!

Verses for Today
Luke 2:29:32 NIV
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”