Audible Book Review: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

This is a rather dark story which resolves with bravery and forgiveness.
The Tale of Despereaux
Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
By: Kate DiCamillo
Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm

Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 02-05-04
Language: English
Publisher: Listening Library
Genre: Children's Fairytales & Folklore, Kids Ages 8-10
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
This is the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in darkness but covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl with a simple, impossible wish. These characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and ultimately, into each other's lives.
And what happens then?
Listener, it is your destiny to find out.
Click here to see a full list of Newbery Medal Winners and Newbery Honor Books.
©2003 Kate DiCamillo (P)2003 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Review:
Despereaux Tilling is the smallest of the mice, but he is brave and daring. He manages to slip into the upper floors of the castle where he falls in love the young Princess Pea. When the mouse community discover his transgression, he is sentence to death in the dungeons. He escapes the immediate execution but is left to rot in the dungeon where the rats rule (and kill).

Roscuro, is a shrewd rat living in the darkness of the dungeons. He longs to go above to the world with light. There is little he won’t do to gain his desire.

Miggery Sow, is young girl who was sold into servitude by her father. The ‘uncle’ who raised her continually boxed her ears to a point that she has been damaged. She has one wish and it is surprising how she comes close to her wish.

When Roscuro and Miggery manage to kidnap Pea, Despereaux is determined to rescue the girl he loves. He will become the knight from the stories he has heard, to rescue the damsel, facing all the obstacles: humans, mice and rats.

To find out what happens when the characters’ paths cross: “Listener, it is your destiny to find out.” This sentence pulled me in to the story… I wanted to find out what happened to each of the identified characters.

The author weaves a wonderful fairy tale which sounds like a story told when the audience is curled up in front of a fireplace. The storyteller addresses the audience and asks provoking questions.

There is darkness, death and sadness in the story. I was listening with my six-year-old granddaughter and she paid good attention. I paused the audio to make sure she was comfortable with the dark areas and betrayals. If my son hasn’t listened to the ending with her, then I will the next time we visit. The ending reveals bravery, kindness and forgiveness. I do recommend this as an unusual and charming story to be shared by an adult with younger children or for mature children to read on their own.

Audio Notes: Graeme Malcolm does a masterful job with the narration. He portrays the storyteller of the story and gives life and voice to each of the characters. He is able to convey the light and tense moments of the story. I'm glad I picked up the audible book and I definitely enjoyed the audio experience.

Source: May 2019 Audible Sale purchase $5.24. This qualifies for 2019Audiobook goal.

Sunday Post June 23, 2019/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday June 24, 2019

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.

I got back to work on Tuesday. It felt like a productive week without being hectic. Sadly my staff are passing around a bug with several days absent.
The architect and engineer are meeting with me at the office on Tuesday. Yay!

I'll share some more photos from our Illinois visit.

The children were patient opening Dad's BD cards while waiting for cake.

I have missed the chickens since coming home. :-(
Hubby is struggling with a lot of pain. He will see the doctor tomorrow.
Our weather here is very hot, in the 90s. I am glad I work in air-conditioning all day.

I enjoyed my reading/listening and finished four books (probably 5 by the end of the night). 3(4) audiobooks and 1 ebook.  I posted four reviews on the blog and posted my usual memes.

I was back to visiting 20 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to Carol's Notebook. I thought I highlighted this before but it wasn't in my list. Carol reads a variety and the link shows Carol's audiobooks for 2019.
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post June 16, 2019/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday June 17, 2019.

• NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: Forever in a Moment by Charlotte O'Shay; Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday Fiction, Holiday Romance; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Rath's Deception by Piers Platt; Genre: Assassins, Military Thriller, Military Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway June 21, 2019. Open Worldwide. Ending 6/27/2019.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs; Genre: Paranormal, Werewolves; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

• NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: The Time Collector by Gwendolyn Womack; Genre: Metaphysical Fiction, Romantic Suspense; My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement June 23, 2019 and Happy Father's Day.

Finished Reading:

1. Audible/Smartphone (A2019)

The Tale of Despereaux
Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
By: Kate DiCamillo
Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
This is a rather dark story of 
forgiveness and redemption.
Source: May 2019 Audible Sale purchase $5.24.
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

The Time Collector
by Gwendolyn Womack
I really liked the history and uniqueness of this story.
Source: NetGalley 2019.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audible/Smartphone (A2019)

Changeling: A Novel of Sorcery and Society
by Molly Harper
Narrated by Amanda Ronconi
Series: Sorcery and Society, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
This was a fun, easy listen.
Source: 2/20/19 Audible Daily Deal $2.95
Click on book title for full description.

4. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Harden
Lee Harden, Book 1
By: D.J. Molles
Narrated by: Christian Rummel
Series: Lee Harden, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
This is gritty but I was glued to listening.
Source: November 2018 Audible Credit.
Publisher's Summary
Harden is the highly-anticipated return to the NYT best-selling series, The Remaining.
It’s been three years since Lee Harden emerged from his bunker into a world gone mad. Governments have fallen. And new ones have taken their place. In the United Eastern States, Lee and his team of battle-hardened operatives walk a tightrope of survival, keeping their fledgling society safe from the creatures beyond their gates - and from the enemies within.
Then, an ambush in hostile territory reveals a traitor in their midst - and leaves Lee barely clinging to life. Wounded and on the run, Lee and his team race to uncover the leak before it’s too late. Through a background of destruction, betrayal, and newly-evolved apex predators, they must stay one step ahead of a ruthless organization spreading out of the south - an organization that has allied with someone who wants Lee dead, and the United Eastern States demolished. But how do you stay ahead of an enemy that knows every move you make?
Reintroducing one of the most beloved heroes in post-apocalyptic fiction, Harden immerses you in a reality of desperate gambits, where wrong moves could cost the lives of thousands, but saving them could cost your humanity. The only rule is NEVER STOP FIGHTING.
©2018 D.J. Molles (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Currently Reading:

1. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

The Governess of Penwythe Hall
by Sarah E. Ladd
The Governess of Penwythe Hall (Cornwall #1)
This is gently lovely, with mystery and danger. 
Source: NetGalley 2019.
Cornwall was in her blood, and Delia feared she’d never escape its hold.
Cornwall, England, 1811
Blamed for her husband’s death, Cordelia Greythorne fled Cornwall and accepted a governess position to begin a new life. Years later her employer’s unexpected death and his last request for her to watch over his five children force her to reevaluate. She can’t abandon the children now that they’ve lost both parents, but their new guardian lives at the timeworn Penwythe Hall . . . back on the Cornish coast she’s tried desperately to forget.
Jac Twethewey is determined to revive Penwythe Hall’s once-flourishing apple orchards, and he’ll stop at nothing to see his struggling estate profitable again. He hasn’t heard from his brother in years, so when his nieces, nephews, and their governess arrive unannounced, he battles both grief at his brother’s death and bewilderment over this sudden responsibility. Jac’s priorities shift as the children take up residence in the ancient halls, but their secretive governess—and the mystery shrouding her past—proves to be a disruption to his carefully laid plans.
Rich with family secrets, lingering danger, and the captivating allure of new love, this first book in the Cornwall series introduces us to the Twethewey family and their search for peace, justice, and love on the Cornish coast.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Justice Redeemed
By: Scott Pratt
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
Release date: 11-17-15
Oh - corruption in the law can be so scary!
I am almost finished with this.
May 2019 Sale Audible Sale $5.24.
Publisher's Summary
Two years ago, Darren Street made a name for himself as the man who rooted out corruption in the district attorney's office. Now the hotheaded young lawyer is in the public eye yet again - this time, accused of murder.
Jalen Jordan retained Street for what seemed to be a minor traffic violation, but when evidence turned up linking Jordan to the death of two boys, Street wanted out of the case. To ensure his lawyer's cooperation and silence, Jordan threatened to make Street's son the next victim. Shortly after, Jordan's own body turned up with a bullet hole in his chest.
Now Street is on trial for his life, and the enemy he made in the DA's office is clearly out for blood. It's one lawyer out to frame another. Can a desperate father escape punishment for a crime he didn't commit?
©2015 Scott Pratt (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

3. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Every Last Breath
by Juno Rushdan
This sounds like a good Terrorism Thriller.
Source: NetGalley 2019.
48 hours, 2 covert operatives, 1 chance to get it right
Maddox Kinkade is an expert at managing the impossible. Tasked with neutralizing a lethal bioweapon, she turns to the one person capable of helping her stop the threat of pandemic in time: the love of her life, back from the dead and mad as hell at her supposed betrayal. Recruiting Cole to save millions of lives may be harder than resisting the attraction still burning between them, but Maddox will do whatever it takes...even if it destroys her.
When Maddox crashes back into Cole Matthews' life, he wants to fight back. He wants to hate her. But the crisis is too strong to ignore, and soon the two former lovers find themselves working side-by-side in a breakneck race to stop a world-class killer with a secret that could end everything.
The clock is ticking.
A race-against-time romantic thriller, perfect for fans of JD Robb and Mary Burton!

4. Audio/Smartphone (CAB2019)

Liturgy of the Ordinary
Sacred Practices in Everyday Life
Author Tish Harrison Warren
Narrator Sarah Zimmerman
Runtime 4.63 Hrs. - Unabridged
Publisher christianaudio
I need a nonfiction book for June and I decided I wanted something of faith.
Source: 6/3/19 Christianaudio.com June free download.
In the overlooked moments and routines of our day, we can become aware of God's presence in surprising ways. How do we embrace the sacred in the ordinary and the ordinary in the sacred? Framed around one ordinary day, this book explores daily life through the lens of liturgy, small practices, and habits that form us. Each chapter looks at something―making the bed, brushing her teeth, losing her keys―that the author does every day. Drawing from the diversity of her life as a campus minister, Anglican priest, friend, wife, and mother, Tish Harrison Warren opens up a practical theology of the everyday. Each activity is related to a spiritual practice as well as an aspect of our Sunday worship. Come and discover the holiness of your every day.

There will be another audio but I am still trying to choose which one.


June 23, 2019 - I am still enjoying the devotions and readings with the One Year Bible plan through You Version App. I started a six day devotional titled AIM. [You can check out audio of the One Year Bible Plan on the companion commentary online.]

I completed four books and posted four reviews. That keeps me current on reviews to post.
I have been adding newer reviews to NetGalley, Goodreads, Amazon and Audible. (Eventually I will add older reviews.)
My NetGalley shelf is at 13 unread. The April titles are down to 2 not counting the current reads. [Plus I have 4 old titles (2012-13!)]
I still have four author ebook 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 didn't pick up any new review titles this week.
I have really been resisting the daily deals.
I downloaded week 9 titles from SYNC.
No free kindle titles this week. (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

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

NONE

Free

SYNC Audio 2019
Week 9: June 21 – June 27
ASTRAY by Emma Donoghue, narrated by Khristine Hvam, James Langton, Robert Petkoff, Suzanne Toren, Dion Graham (Hachette Audio)
OLIVIA TWIST by Lorie Langdon, narrated by Pearl Hewitt (Black Hills Audiobooks)

I added no titles this week to my Kindle library. 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 June 23, 2019

It was nice to be back to the home church this morning. Our substitute Sunday School teacher showed a video of geologist and scientists discussing a young earth as proof of creation rather than evolution.

We had nice praise and worship before Pastor’s sermon. The sermon titled Resolution was based on Hebrews 7, 8 and 9. The author of Hebrews was addressing confused believers. Those accustomed to Jewish practices or other religions have to reconcile their mixed cultures and traditions with the new faith in Christ.

People try to find the perfect house, spouse, job, church. It is hard to find the ‘perfect’ fit because it doesn’t really exist. Most often we have to adjust to circumstances; we have to fit or learn to do without. We learn to settle or make allowance. The author tried to explain four areas that were fundamental issues to Christ followers.
Issue 1: The Priesthood. The Priest used to have to make the sacrifices for the people but now the people can go the one true priest by faith in the cross. Hebrews 7:9-12, 18.
Issue 2: The Law. Hebrews7:19. The law made nothing perfect. There was no righteousness to be found in the law. Hebrews 8:7, 13. The law reveals our need for salvation.
Issue 3: The System. Only the High Priest could enter the first room and make blood sacrifices for atonement of sins. Hebrews 9:7-13.
Issue 4: The Tabernacle (copies of things in heaven Hebrews 9:23).
Hebrews 10:1-3. The law was only a shadow of what was to come. The law provided for repeated sacrifices while Christ died once and for all.

The Point: We all need resolution with God, and it comes through Jesus.

Hebrews 7:23-26, 19 – Nothing was made perfect through the law but a better Hope draws us closer to God.
Hebrews 8:6 Jesus brings a better covenant than the system of the laws.
Hebrews 8:1 Jesus is not in a tabernacle that was made by human hands.
Hebrews 8:11-12 Jesus provides redemption forever.

God made the perfect way. The only thing in the way, is us. Do we/ will we surrender to Christ?
Are we going to choose to worship Him? Can it really be that simple?
Our resolution gives us a free relationship with God... No carry-on luggage is needed.

This song fits this morning if you listen to the words.

Verse for Today:
Hebrews 7:18-19
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

Heavenly Father I thank your for providing a better way, a better hope through the sacrificial blood of Jesus.

#NetGalley Book Review: The Time Collector by Gwendolyn Womack

This has a great blend of history and mystery.

The Time Collector
by Gwendolyn Womack

File Size: 4010 KB
Print Length: 332 pages
Publisher: Picador (April 16, 2019)
ASIN: B07H25HM63
Genre: Metaphysical Fiction, Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

A thrilling page-turner from Gwendolyn Womack, the USA Today bestselling author of The Fortune Teller
Travel through time with the touch of a hand.
Roan West was born with an extraordinary gift: he can perceive the past of any object he touches. A highly skilled psychometrist, he uses his talents to find and sell valuable antiques, but his quiet life in New Orleans is about to change. Stuart, a fellow pyschometrist and Roan’s close friend, has used his own abilities to unearth several out-of-place-artifacts or “ooparts”—like a ring that once belonged to the seventeenth-century mathematician and philosopher René Descartes, but was found buried in prehistoric bedrock.
The relics challenge recorded history, but soon after the discovery, Stuart disappears, making him one of several psychometrists who have recently died or vanished without a trace. When Roan comes across a viral video of a young woman who has discovered a priceless pocket watch just by “sensing” it, he knows he has to warn her—but will Melicent Tilpin listen? And can Roan find Stuart before it’s too late?
The quest for answers will lead Roan and Melicent around the world—before it brings them closer to each other and a startling truth—in the latest romantic thriller from Gwendolyn Womack, the bestselling, PRISM Award-winning author of The Memory Painter and The Fortune Teller.

Review:
Roan West has an unusual, if difficult, gift. When he touches an object, he sees the history of its origins in vivid detail. Sometimes this is an experience of joy but other times it is a horror. Those with the abilities of Psychometry are rare and the skill levels vary. One man, Stuart, has become close friends with Roan and he has repeatedly invited Roan to join their small group of psychometrist archeologists. Stuart is excited about finding objects that are out of place and time. Stuart called Roan for an important meeting but failed to show up. Roan becomes concerned when he learns that two of the psychometrist group have recently died and Stuart has gone missing.

Melicent is a young woman who for years suppressed the strange sensations she feels when she touches objects. When her mother dies from illness, Melicent is desperate to find funds to secure the future for herself and her teen-aged brother. She picks up a Tiffany lamp and a priceless watch at antique shops. She takes them to an Auction Roadshow and finds out they have surprising value. Inadvertently, in an interview that goes viral, she mentions that she ‘senses with her hands’.

Roan’s assistant sends him Melicent’s interview. Worried that she may be a target due to her newly revealed psychometrist skills, Roan flies in to meet her. Events end up pulling Melicent into Roan’s world and investigations. Their search takes them to London, France and other locations. They combine their skills to find a pattern in the material that Stuart was gathering on his computer. Roan then sets off to Mexico but Melicent realizes he may be walking into a trap. Can she get to him in time?

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the psychometry issues. There are wonderful, historical stories shared including a meeting between Mozart and violinist Regina Strinasacchi. The stories may be fictionalized but they added lovely depth. I enjoyed Melicent and Roan’s reserved characters and the romance that blossoms between them. The suspense kept me reading till the end. I recommend this to readers who enjoy historical detail and mystery suspense.

Source: NetGalley 2019. This qualifies for my 2019NetGalley goal.

Audible Book Review: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

This is reliable Briggs: strong writing and entertainment.
Cry Wolf
by Patricia Briggs
Narrated by: Holter Graham

Series: Alpha and Omega, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 01-15-09
Language: English
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Genre: Paranormal, Werewolves
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
Anna never knew werewolves existed until the night she survived a violent attack...and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But Anna is that rarest kind of werewolf: an Omega. And one of the most powerful werewolves in the country will recognize her value as a pack member - and as his mate.
©2008 Patricia Briggs (P)2008 Penguin

Review:
Anna suffered pack abuse after first being attacked and turned to a werewolf three years ago. Her pack Alpha, Leo, in an attempt to control her, had given the pack members permission to assault and abuse her. She learned to hide her feelings along with her distrust of the dominant males.

Bran Cornick, the Marrok, (leader of all werewolves), sent his ‘enforcer’ son, Charles, to address problems and to challenge Leo and other leaders of the Chicago pack. Surprising them both, Charles’ wolf claimed Anna’s wolf as mate even as he battled the corrupt werewolves, suffering major injuries.

Bran arrives to take care of the injured Charles and to help move Anna to his home territory. Anna is still intimidated by Bran and Charles as she tries to believe they mean her no harm. Anna is confused when she is told she is a rare werewolf, an Omega. An Omega has unusual strengths and powers if only she can gain confidence to discover them.

Charles is still recovering from his injuries when he is called upon to investigate some suspicious attacks in the nearby mountains. The latest survivor has described the attacker as a ‘wolf monster’. It may be a rogue werewolf or, more dangerously, it may be a purposeful attack.

Bran directs Charles to take Anna with him for the investigation, hoping to give them a chance to get to know each other. They are supposed to just determine the situation, but instead they face a powerful attack with an obsessed character. Not only are their lives threatened but Bran and his entire pack are at risk.

I have read and enjoyed the Mercy Thompson series by Briggs. I was pleased that this book is set in the same world. Anna’s character is allowed to grow into her true strengths which was a nice process to watch. I liked getting a deeper picture of Bran and especially of Charles and the features he inherited from his Native American mother.

There is danger, suspense and shrewd battle situations. I appreciated the fact that the romance is tentative and allowed to mature with sweet rapport rather than sexual heat. I was engaged with the characters and the story. I recommend this to Briggs’ fans and to readers who like strong, but sweet, werewolf stories.

Audio Notes: Holter Graham succeeds in providing wonderful narration. It was a little surprising to hear a male narrator for this, but his performance was spot on. He was able to give appropriate voices and emotions to the characters. The narration enhanced this book experience for me.

Source: Feb 2018 Audible January Credit. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goal.