#NetGalley Book Review: Kit and Elizabeth by Karen Tuft

I totally enjoyed this delightful, easy Regency romance.
Kit and Elizabeth
by Karen Tuft

Print Length : 296 pages
File Size : 1438 KB
Publisher : Covenant Communications (December 1, 2019)
ASIN : B07YF4PBBW
Genre: Historical, Regency Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

Lady Elizabeth Spaulding’s world has fallen apart. Despite living her entire life to please her demanding parents, the Duke and Duchess of Marwood, she has little to show for it. After Elizabeth’s second failed betrothal, her father’s debts and appalling acts of retaliation force him to flee the country, consigning Elizabeth and her bitter mother to a life of poverty and exile. But Elizabeth’s fortunes change one day when an elderly acquaintance makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
Lady Walmsley, widowed and childless, is in need of a lady’s companion—and who better than the lovely Lady Elizabeth? Determined to rescue Elizabeth from her dreary life in the country, Lady Walmsley secures the help of Kit, the dashing Earl of Cantwell, in her quest. But the young woman they find is a ghost of the charming girl they once knew. Taken in by Lady Walmsley, and with Kit’s enthusiastic encouragement, Elizabeth finds herself pushed further and further from her empty solitude as she discovers the joy of truly living. Now, for the first time in her life, she must decide for herself who she is and if she deserves to be loved.

Review:
Elizabeth is deeply aware that she was a disappointment for not being born a male and heir for her father. She has spent her life trying to be a properly behaved Duke’s daughter in hopes of gaining the affection of her parents. She was aware as a teen that marriage arrangements had been made for her with Alex. Although Elizabeth was infatuated with the handsome Earl, it became clear after a season or two that he was avoiding the marriage. Then he died unexpectedly leaving Elizabeth and her family in an awkward circumstance.

When Alex’s brother, Anthony, who was believed to be dead, returns home, Elizabeth’s father makes it clear that the marriage contract is shifted to him. But Elizabeth knows that Anthony’s interest is engaged elsewhere. Elizabeth releases him from the commitment raising the extreme anger and disgust of her father. Her father creates a scandal and then abandons Elizabeth and her mother with destroyed finances.

Elizabeth has spent the last year in seclusion with her angry mother at the family country manor. An elderly friend, Lady Walmsley, coerces Kit, an Earl and friend of Alex, to help retrieve Elizabeth to become her companion. They arrive just in time as news arrives that the Duke has died and the new Duke and Duchess are ready to move into the family home. Lady Walmsley and Kit are dismayed to find a dispirited young woman instead of the charming and assured young woman of the year before.

Kit sets out to push Elizabeth out of her complacent self-deprivation and to realize that she is more than the disappointment her parents belittled. Slowly Elizabeth begins to break out of her shell and a surprising event makes Elizabeth even more aware of the lack of approval in her childhood. 

 I enjoyed this historical romance that was focused on the characters. Elizabeth is emotionally injured but she is kind and determined. Kit is a lovely light-hearted hero, seeking to help Lizzie find a place of joy. There is tension in the light and growing attraction all supplemented by family drama. I often like a little mystery in my romance but this book shows that the right author can deliver an engaging romance even without mystery. I will look forward to reading more by this author. I recommend this to readers who enjoy clean, Regency romance.

Source: NetGalley (2019 request received 2020). This qualifies for my 2020NetGalley goal.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway September 25, 2020

Happy Friday! It's strange to think this is the last Friday in September!

I will be looking to gather another box of books. It didn't happen this past week but maybe this coming week I can get it done. :-)

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 winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.

Thank you to all who entered the September 18, 2020 Pick. There were no 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 was no title blocked.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from September 18, 2020 Pick:
NATALIJA gets a GC
and
MARJORIE 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.}

Are you reading a banned book this week?
Image found at American Booksellers Association.

New Book Group #90 June 19, 2020
Quite a few mysteries in this box. 

SINGLES:
Siren's Song by Trish Albright (personally autographed)
Alias by Smy J. Fetzer
Angel Face by Suzanne Forster
Stalking the Puzzle Landy by Parnell Hall
Hot Sex by Janet Evanovich (Audio cassettes)
The Warrior by Frances Richey (poetry - hardcover)


New Book Group #89 March 6, 2020

Singles:
My Surrender by Connie Brockway
How to Tame a Modern Rogue by Diana Holoquist
Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere
New Book Group #88 November 8, 2019

PAIRS:
Stella Cameron: Body of Evidence and Fascination
Singles:
A Lady Never Tells by Candace Camp
Dawn of Redemption by Starla Childs


New Book Group #87 August 23, 2019

SINGLES:
Captain's Paradise by Kay Hooper
Open Season by Linda Howard AUDIO CASSETTES


New Book Group #86 June 7, 2019
Another group of variety from my shelves.

SINGLES:
Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze
Show No Fear by Marliss Melton
A Question of God's Balance (Vol 1) by Joseph Thek
King by Right of Blood and Might by Anna L. Walls


New Book Group #85 March 22, 2019
A variety from my shelves.

SINGLES:
Summer Skies by Judith Christenberry
Windfall (two stories) by JoAnn Ross
Daddy's Little Cowgirl (two stories) by Judith Bowen and Kimberly Raye
The Forever Year, Cold Pursuit, Lover's Lane and Temporary Sanity (Reader's Condensed)
ToxiCity by Libby Fischer Hillmann

New Book Group #84 December 15, 2018
Here are some Christmas titles to pick from.

SINGLES:
A Family for Thanksgiving
On this Holy Night
Christmas Haven
King Harold's Snow Job


New Book Group #83 November 30, 2018

(Starting bottom left and continuing up then down)
SINGLE
Seductive Secrets by Lynne Connolly
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich - Audio Cassettes
A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein Audio Cassettes
Three Reader's Digest Condensed Books - each hardback:

Cold Harbour and The Courtship of Peggy McCoy
The Things We Do for Love, Three Weeks With My Brother, The Murder Artist and Night Train to Lisbon
Follow the Stars Home, Hunting Badger, The Quiet Game and Second Wind

New Book Group #82 November 9, 2018

Stella Cameron: Key West
SINGLES:
Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Killing Time by Linda Howard
The Wedding Night by Barbara Dawson Smith

New Book Group #81 August 17, 2018

SINGLES
Best Laid Plans by Allison Brennan
Darkness Tell Us by Richard Laymon
Cooking Most Deadly by Joanne Pence


New Book Group #80 August 17, 2018

Note: The Final Judgment and
The Book of Fate are Audio Cassettes
SINGLES:
Summer’s Moon by Lacey Baker
The Final Judgment by Richard North PattersonAudio Cassettes
Firebird by Janice Graham
No Getting Over a Cowboy by Delores Fossen
The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #79 July 13, 2018
I found this box of books buried under some other boxes.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lenox by Maggie O’Farrell
P.S. by Helen Schulman
Her Sexiest Surprise by Dawn Atkins (personally autographed)
Dakota Child by Linda Ford
Calling the Shots by Ellen Hartman
Promises, Promises by Amber Miller
This Time for Keeps by Jenna Mills
A Daughter’s Legacy by Virginia Smith
Another Man’s Baby by Kay Stockham


New Book Group #78 April 27, 2018

SINGLES
Blackberry Bush
Breaking Point
A Tangled Affair
Too Wicked to Love
Roses are Red Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #77 February 16, 2018- All gone

New Book Group #76 November 3, 2017
13 books remain of the original 37:

I finally Have them Listed!
Boots & Booties by Kristine Rolofson
Saucer the Conquest by Stephen Coonts
The Scorpion Seducer by Bonnie Vanak
Hell On Earth by David L. Porter
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton
Crisscross by Harmon Henkin
Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey
Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
101 Commonsense Rules for the Office by John R. Brinkerhoff


This shelf of 35 books are what is left from Groups #1 (11/27/09) through Group #75 September 29, 2017

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 14 titles.)
Rehabilitation
Secret Blessing
Named of the Dragon
Aunt Erma's Cope Book
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Bound by Destiny by Rayka Mennen

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 21 titles.)
Plan of Attack by Dan Brown
(*Three One more very old books from my Gothics box.)
*The Man in the Garden by Paule Mason (1969 - yellowed)
Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
*Four One books are very old; pulled from a box of gothic novels I found.
*Maggie – Her Marriage by Taylor Caldwell (1953 very old, yellowed pages, some stain damage doesn't effect reading)
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey- Audio Cassette
Trilogy Of Mysteries Audio Book Shadow Prey, There Was A Little Girl, Smokescreen Audio Cassettes (NOT CDs)
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)
The Shadowing by Joan Overfield
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty by Vickie Kennedy
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
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
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
BOX #1 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 1- 23)
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

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 NINE years I have posted 88 groups of 16 plus an additional 21 totaling 1,429 books to find new homes! (as of November 8, 2019).

I am happy to say that so far about 1,328+ books have found new homes through this feature! YAY. [A year or so ago I posted I had reached 2000 books given away. As I calculated the numbers 11/2/17 I realized that had to be an error. I realized I went from 1098 to 2001 instead of 1101. Guess I was tired; sorry for the error.] 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 faraway 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!

Audible Book Review: Dungeon Born by Dakota Krout

This is an interesting view of LitRPG as it is from the view of the dungeon!

Dungeon Born
By: Dakota Krout
Narrator: Vikas Adam

Series: Divine Dungeon Series, Book 1
Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
Release date: 03-28-17
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Fantasy, LitRPG, Teen & YA, Sci Fi 

My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
A powerful dungeon. A sheep-herder turned Noble. Their path to ascendance through cultivation.
Conquering dungeons and using them to grow has long been the most efficient way to become a powerful adventurer. The only thing keeping the process from being easy is the Beasts that inhabit these places. Questions plague those entering this particular place of power: Where do the "rewards" of weapons, armor, and heavy gold coins come from? Why is a fluffy bunny charging at me? For abyss-sake, why are there so many monsters?
Cal has all of the answers to these age-old questions for a very simple reason. He is a Dungeon Core, a soul forced against his will into a magical stone. With the help of an energetic friend, Cal grows a dungeon around himself to bring in new sources of power.
When a threat he doesn't fully comprehend bares its many teeth, Cal is determined to survive the attempt on his life. Unfortunately for adventurers, the only way for him to achieve his goal is to eat anyone that enters his depths. ©2016 Dakota Krout (P)2017 Tantor

Review:
“Cal” was human before his soul was forced into a magical stone by a necromancer. When Cal wakes up, he doesn’t remember his former life except to know that he hates necromancers. Cal begins to stretch with his magic when he is able to ‘eat’ surrounding stones and moss, but he has no idea of the extent of his abilities. A senior magical source assigns a Wisp to help the young dungeon grow and level up. Wisp Dani names Cal for the calcium that surrounds his pretty gem.

Dani then begins to instruct Cal on how to eat and share the essence of his surroundings and how to build and expand the dungeon. Dani also helps Cal develop monsters, even if the first set are created from fluffy bunnies. The dungeon monsters are modified to have skills and even poisons to fight intruders. Cal learns how to pattern items of the intruders to create ‘loot’ of trinkets, coins or weapons to reward those who survive their visit in the dungeon. Occasionally Cal makes mistakes threatening his own existence, including earthquakes and uncontrolled monsters.

Dale is the sole survivor of the first treasure hunters to investigate the dungeon. Realizing the importance of this find, Dale manages to purchase the surrounding lands. Thus, begins Dale’s journey of growth towards a dungeon warrior and mage who will face Cal several times.

In LitRPGs you usually become, or follow, a hunter into the dungeon to face monsters, seek rewards and progress in levels. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that this was a story describing how the dungeon was developed. Cal grows in ability and in strategic planning to entice hunters with enough adventure and loot to keep them coming back. I found this clever and fun. Most of the story is told of Cal and his sidekick, Dani, but bits also follow Dale and his growth. I appreciated that the battles are active but not overly graphic. The tone is light and contributes to making this entertaining. I may not rush to get the next book right now, but I have it saved to my wish list as a future choice. I do recommend this to fans of LitRPGs and Dungeon fantasy.

Audio Notes: Vikas Adam does a fine job with the narration. He is able to express the naïve wonder and eagerness of Cal and the playfulness of Dani. Adam also captures the various human characters. I enjoyed the audio and will look forward to listening to more in the series.

Source: 1/27/18 Sale for 2017 Audible Daily Deals $3.95. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Interview with the Robot by Lee Bacon

I enjoyed this quick, fun story.
Interview with the Robot
By: Lee Bacon
Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins, Ellen Archer, Josh Hurley, Eileen Stevens, Erin Mallon, Jonathan Davis, Stephen Bel Davies

Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
Release date: 01-02-20
Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Children's Audiobooks, Science Fiction & Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

About This Audible Original
Ages 10+
Fugitive. Criminal. Robot.
A sci-fi adventure for young listeners, Interview with the Robot introduces a unique heroine who seeks the truth about herself.
Eve looks like an ordinary 12-year-old girl, but there’s nothing ordinary about her. She has no last name. No parents or guardian. She’s on the run from a dangerous and secretive organization that will stop at nothing to track her down.
And most astonishing of all: she’s a robot, a product of Eden Laboratories. When Eve discovers the truth, she realizes everything she thought she knew about herself is a lie. Eve manages to escape, fleeing the lab, the only home she’s ever known.
After being arrested for shoplifting, Eve is interviewed by Petra Amis from Child Welfare Services. Her incredible story unfolds during the interrogation, with flashbacks to her life inside Eden Laboratories, which has a dark secret. Listeners follow Eve from her first consciousness to her evolution as a nearly-human companion to Emory, the son of the founder of Eden Laboratories.
Exploring a range of topics that drive our society and our lives—topics such as artificial intelligence and human nature—Interview with the Robot is a story told by a startlingly original protagonist, a story that explores the vast potential of technology and the deep complexities of humanity.
Interview with the Robot comes to life with a multicast performance including Eileen Stevens as Eve, Ellen Archer as Petra Amis, Jonathan Davis as David Sharp, Kevin T. Collins as Emory Sharp, Josh Hurley as a Boswell employee, Erin Mallon as a device/robot and female barista, and Steven Bel Davies as a store clerk, hotel employee, and office clerk.
©2019 Lee Bacon (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC

Review:
Eve looks like a regular 12-year-old girl, but she is far from it. She is a unique humanoid robot who was caught shoplifting. Eve is in a police interrogation room being interviewed by Petra, an advocate from Child Welfare Services. How and why Eve ended up in the police station is revealed as the interview proceeds. At first her story seems outrageous, but soon visible facts begin to prove what she is saying.

When strangers begin to show up at the station expressing concern for their ‘cousin’, Petra realizes that she has a dilemma on her hands. Does Petra treat Eve as the property of a wealthy corporation with secrets to protect or should Petra try to help Eve in her efforts to escape? 

In the true nature of science fiction, this short story is full of irony and human dilemma. The author does a wonderful job of developing Eve from AI cube to near human girl. Her friendship with awkward, rather geeky Emory is rather endearing especially as it leads to one of the twists in the story. This is a quick, engaging story and can be enjoyed by adults as well as young people. 

Audio Notes: The narration is a god team effort by Kevin T. Collins, Ellen Archer, Josh Hurley, Eileen Stevens, Erin Mallon, Jonathan Davis and Stephen Bel Davies. I have no idea who played which characters but they all did a good job delivering an entertaining and seamless presentation. I am glad that I was able to listen to this quick story.

1/24/2020 Second January Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2020Audiobook goal.

Sunday Post September 20, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday September 21, 2020

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 was busy again with the big closing that will take place this week.
We lost a day of work thanks to Hurricane Sally. We had no direct damage but I didn't want my staff driving in the bad rain and wind.
I'm getting better with the new blogger editor, but I don't know why sometimes when I go to a line it selects have the text. That is annoying.

Hubby pointed out that we will be getting grapefruit in two months. Here is a picture of some of the growing fruit.

Our weather cooled to the 60s over the weekend. Very nice; even a little cool for mornings on the porch.

I enjoyed my reading and listening this week but if it is going to take me two weeks to read each NetGalley ebook I will have a hard time finishing my NetGalley goal. I finished two audiobooks and one ebook. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 18 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to Life in the Book Lane. Louise is an "Avid reader, reviewer and blogger of all romance tropes and sub-genres."

Don't forget- Audible is offering free children's titles during these days at home.
Audiobooks.com is also offering free listens for children.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post September 13, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday September 14, 2020.

• NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: Honor in an Age of Metal and Men by Anthony W. Eichenlaub; Genre: Cyberpunk, Futuristic,Sci-Fi, Western; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Open Season by C. J. Box; Ecology, Mystery, Suspense My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.
  

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway September 18, 2020. Open Worldwide. Ending 9/24/2020.

• ATBR- Audio Book Review: Dead Rising (The Templar Book 1) by Debra Dunbar; Genre: Necromancy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Vampires; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

• Sharing Beyond Books #404 Comment Giveaway September 19, 2020. Open Worldwide. Ending 10/3/2020.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement September 20, 2020.

Finished Reading:
1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Interview with the Robot
By: Lee Bacon
Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins, Ellen Archer, Josh Hurley, Eileen Stevens, Erin Mallon, Jonathan Davis, Stephen Bel Davies
Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
I did enjoy this quick, fun story.
1/24/2020 Second January Free Audible Original.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Dungeon Born
By: Dakota Krout
Narrator: Vikas Adam
Duration: 12 hrs and 32 mins
This is an interesting view of LitRPG as it is from the view of the dungeon!
Source: 1/27/18 Sale for 2017 Audible Daily Deals $3.95.
Publisher's Summary
A powerful dungeon. A sheep-herder turned Noble. Their path to ascendance through cultivation.
Conquering dungeons and using them to grow has long been the most efficient way to become a powerful adventurer. The only thing keeping the process from being easy is the Beasts that inhabit these places. Questions plague those entering this particular place of power: Where do the "rewards" of weapons, armor, and heavy gold coins come from? Why is a fluffy bunny charging at me? For abyss-sake, why are there so many monsters?
Cal has all of the answers to these age-old questions for a very simple reason. He is a Dungeon Core, a soul forced against his will into a magical stone. With the help of an energetic friend, Cal grows a dungeon around himself to bring in new sources of power.
When a threat he doesn't fully comprehend bares its many teeth, Cal is determined to survive the attempt on his life. Unfortunately for adventurers, the only way for him to achieve his goal is to eat anyone that enters his depths. ©2016 Dakota Krout (P)2017 Tantor

3. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Kit and Elizabeth
by Karen Tuft
I totally enjoyed this delightful, easy Regency romance.
Source: NetGalley (2019 request received 2020).
Click on book title for full description.

Currently Reading:

1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Righteous Mind
Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
By: Jonathan Haidt
Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt
Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
Release date: 07-23-12
This is my nonfiction for September. Already in two chapters it is helping me understand our divides.
Source: 10/16/19 September 2019 Audible Credit.
Publisher's Summary
Why can’t our political leaders work together as threats loom and problems mount? Why do people so readily assume the worst about the motives of their fellow citizens?
In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding. His starting point is moral intuition - the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong.
Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right. He blends his own research findings with those of anthropologists, historians, and other psychologists to draw a map of the moral domain, and he explains why conservatives can navigate that map more skillfully than can liberals. He then examines the origins of morality, overturning the view that evolution made us fundamentally selfish creatures.
But rather than arguing that we are innately altruistic, he makes a more subtle claim - that we are fundamentally groupish. It is our groupishness, he explains, that leads to our greatest joys, our religious divisions, and our political affiliations. In a stunning final chapter on ideology and civility, Haidt shows what each side is right about, and why we need the insights of liberals, conservatives, and libertarians to flourish as a nation. Download the accompanying reference guide.
©2012 Jonathan Haidt (P)2012 Gildan Media LLC

2. eBook/Kindle (NG2020)

Silent Bite: An Andy Carpenter Mystery (An Andy Carpenter Novel Book 22)
by David Rosenfelt
I always enjoy the Andy Carpenter Series and I am glad to get to read one of the Christmas stories!
Source: 8/25/2020 Received from Publisher and NetGalley.
Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are finding that all is not calm or bright in Silent Bite, the latest Christmas mystery in this heartwarming series from bestselling author David Rosenfelt.
Lawyer Andy Carpenter can finally take a breath; he’s back on dry land after a family Caribbean cruise forced on him by his wife, Laurie, to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course the family’s first stop is to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that has always been Andy’s true passion.
But when Andy arrives, his partner, Willie Miller, needs his help. Willie’s old cellmate, Tony Birch, has been arrested for murder. Andy doesn’t necessarily believe in Tony, but Willie does. And Andy believes in Willie, which is why Andy decides to take the case.
Once again David Rosenfelt puts readers in the Christmas spirit in a tale that is equal parts mystery and holiday cheer.

3. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Tracker
Sam Callahan, Book 1
By: Chad Zunker
Narrated by: Noah Berman
Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
I hadn't planned on this one but it started downloading so I started listening and I like the suspense.
Source: 1/14/2018 Audible Daily Deal $1.95.
Publisher's Summary
Trust no one. Sam Callahan learned this lesson from a childhood spent in abusive foster care, on the streets, and locked in juvie. With the past behind him and his future staked on law school, he is moonlighting as a political tracker, paid to hide in crowds and shadow candidates, recording their missteps for use by their opponents. One night, after an anonymous text tip, Sam witnesses a congressional candidate and a mysterious blonde in a motel indiscretion that ends in murder, recording it all on his phone.
Now Sam is a target. Set up to take the fall and pursued by both assassins and the FBI, he is forced to go on the run. Using the street skills forged during his troubled youth - as well as his heightened mental abilities - Sam goes underground until he can uncover who is behind the conspiracy and how far up it goes. A taut thriller with an unforgettable young hero, The Tracker is a heart-stopping debut from an exciting new voice.
Revised edition: This edition of The Tracker includes editorial revisions.
©2017 Chad Zunker (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

I'm keeping track of my Alphabet here as I finish the books. These are the letters that remain:
NETGALLEY:  H  M  U X  Y and Z
AUDIO:             X  and  Z

September 20, 2020 - I am caught up and commited again to reading first thing each morning.
I am still enjoying the devotions and readings with the One Year Bible plan through You Version App. I considered changing but this is the reading group that is closest to my husband's reading so we can sometimes discuss the same passages.
I do plan this week to do the 3-day study: Even Now From Life.Church Worship.

I completed three books and posted three reviews which keeps me up to date.
My NetGalley shelf is now 5, one current and the four titles from 2012-13 which I still hope to read this year. Two are good for October.
I have added no new author review titles this week. I still have one carry over author ebook left. I have two audiobooks from authors. At lease one of these will be for October.
Still many titles 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.
No new review titles this week.
Someday I'll check the email requests I have been receiving. {Sigh.}
I picked my second August Audible Credit and I added another 5 Audible Plus titles and one free.
I still get to pick my September VIP at Audiobooks.com and use a credit at Audiobooks.com before 10/3.
I am still eyeing their Audiobook Clubs which allows you to use a credit for a club grouping and you can listen to any of the books in that group for that month. I am just not sure I can fit in enough books so I may wait until the first day or two of October to make that buy.
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

Second August 2020 Audible Credit

Full Share
A Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, Book 3
By: Nathan Lowell
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
Release date: 08-16-16

Free

This one was free at Audible.

Jonathan StroudAudible Sessions: FREE Exclusive Interview 
By: Jonathan Stroud, Robin Morgan 
Narrated by: Jonathan Stroud, Robin Morgan
Length: 13 mins
Release date: 11-16-16


   Audible Plus Free Downloads:

Hate Crime Hoax: How the Left Is Selling a Fake Race War
By: Wilfred Reilly
Narrated by: Mirron Willis

The Disaster Diaries: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Apocalypse
By: Sam Sheridan
Narrated by: Donald Corren

Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction
By: Lisa Kröger , Melanie R. Anderson
Narrated by: Erin Bennett

The Plot Against America
By: Philip Roth
Narrated by: Ron Silver

Convenience Store Woman
By: Sayaka Murata , Ginny Tapley Takemori - translator
Narrated by: Nancy Wu




No free Kindle titles this week. Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.