Audible Book Review: The Traveler Series, A Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian Adventure: Books 1-3 by Tom Abrahams

I liked this series that focuses on one man's survival and ‘battles’ with the enemy.
The Traveler Series
A Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian Adventure: Books 1-3
By: Tom Abrahams
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 21 hrs and 56 mins
Release date: 03-06-19
Publisher: Piton Press LLC
Genre: Adventure, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
The first three books in the Traveler series in one bundle!
Book One: Home
He thought he was prepared. He thought his family was safe. He was wrong.
Five years after a pneumonic plague killed two-thirds of the world’s population, army veteran Marcus Battle is isolated. He’s alone with his guns, his food, and the graves of his wife and child.
Unaware of the chaos that’s befallen everything outside of his central Texas ranch land, Marcus lives a Spartan life. If anyone steps onto his property he shoots first and never ask questions.
But when a woman in distress, chased by marauders, seeks asylum, Marcus has a decision to make.
Does he throw her to the wolves to protect himself, or does he help her and leave the shelter and protection of home?
Book Two: Canyon
He’s homeless. He’s on the run. and he wants revenge.
Marcus Battle has left behind his home.
Now he’s on a seemingly impossible mission to find a missing child. But can he balance that responsibility with his deep, primal desire to exact revenge on the men who destroyed his solitary existence?
The world he discovers on his journey isn’t the one he remembers before a pneumonic plague called the Scourge killed two-thirds of the world’s population. It is lawless, depraved, and far deadlier than the disease which created it.
Battle made a promise to find that child. It’s a promise he regrets more acutely with every step of the journey where he is as much the hunter as he is the hunted.
Book Three: Wall
He survived the scourge. He escaped the cartel. Now he faces the wall.
In the chaos of a global plague, evil took hold. Governments fell, the good became servants, and the Cartel rose to power.
A wall was built to contain the wasteland and keep the evil at bay. Now an organized resistance wants change. They're willing to fight for it and they've asked Marcus Battle to help.
The last thing Battle wants is another war. But if that's what it takes to gain freedom and safe passage to the other side of the wall, he'll take aim and fire.
©2019 Piton Press LLC (P)2019 Piton Press LLC

Review:
Marcus Battle, a retired army vet, thought he had prepared to protect his family. But he couldn’t save his wife and young son when the plague (the scourge) swept across the world and came to his door. Marcus has survived five years alone on his isolated ranch with his hoarded supplies of food and guns, his fences and special protections, and the ghosts of his family.

Then the outside world intrudes on his solitude. An apparently abused and frightened woman, Lola, works her way into his property but with her comes trouble. He eliminates most of the threats but one man escapes to go back to his cartel boss to reveal that a man is living outside the control of the bosses. Not only do they want to retrieve their property, Lola, they are targeting Marcus. They just have no clue what a Battle they will face. (Sorry – the name reference is just too hard to resist.)

This is a bundle of the first three books in the series. Home introduces Marcus and tells about his Home. Canyon follows Marcus as he and Lola escape to join a rebellion group, the Dwellers, living in the mountains. The third book, Wall, shares how Marcus helps in the fight between the Cartel and the Dwellers. Then Marcus and a few friends are escorted to the Wall to hopefully find a new start in the world to the north. I liked reading the first three books together.

The author does a good job blending personal issues with danger and violence. Abrahams uses alternating present events with flash back chapters to fill in the history, both of Battle at home with his family and Battle saving another soldier in Syria. I liked Marcus Battle’s character with his firmness and emotional struggles to reconnect with other people. His character pretty much overshadows everyone else although we do get to learn some of the history of a handful of the bad men. The story is sadly plausible in the aspect that a Cartel system could take over if government forces pull out.

I recently read a spin off story, Unprepared, The Scourge, about the beginning of the plague.. I think this series is a little stronger for entertainment. I do plan to continue with the next bundle, books 4 through 6. I recommend this to fans of post-apocalyptic, dystopian with lots of fight action.

Audio Notes: Kevin Pierce does his usual excellent job of narration. He provides distinct voices and fitting energy and emotion. The narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

Source: November 2019 Audible purchase $7.49. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook and 2021 Alphabet audio goals.

Sunday Post May 23, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 24, 2021

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.

We did have a good time at Disney last weekend but returned home to other problems. One staff member was not well all week and lost her taste on Saturday during our trip. She tested positive for Covid on Monday morning. Another staff tested positive that afternoon. My assistant tested negative on three quick tests but positive on the two day test. As for me -- I was fully vaccinated in January and February but I tested positive Tuesday morning. My symptoms have been mild - similar to a mild to medium cold. The three staff are all under 25 and had more symptoms but nothing threatening.

I worked through the week, quarantining in the office. My doctor ordered the therapeutics for me but by the time the hospital called to set up the infusion I was finishing up papers for the sixth closing this week and couldn't leave the office. Heather came in for two half days. She tested negative but was supposed to quarantine due to her respiratory issues. She's been on antibiotics and seems to be doing much better.

My hubby tested negative twice but has had cold like symptoms too. His breathing has been rough all week and he sees the doctor every three days to check his condition.

Here are my spring nails.

My staff have the trip pictures so I hope to be able to share some next week.

The weather is starting to get hot now with highs in the 90s all this coming week.

Listening was good. I finished four audio books. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 16 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to Pages by Cyndi. Her Goodreads page states: "Cynthia is a fiction book addict. I am also a running, biking and yoga enthusiast."

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 May 16, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 17, 2021.

• A2021- Audible Book Review: Zero Day Code by John Birmingham; Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Thriller, Military Science Fiction; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway May 21, 2021. Open Worldwide. Ending 5/27/2021.

• ATBR- Audio Book Review: One Hit Wonder by Kristi Rose; Genre: Mystery, Women’s Detective; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.

• Author2021- Book Review: Save Me (Broken Idols #2) by M.C. Frank; Genre: Billionaire, New Adult & College Romance; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement May 23, 2021.

Finished Reading:

1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Traveler Series
A Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian Adventure: Books 1-3
By: Tom Abrahams
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
Length: 21 hrs and 56 mins
Release date: 03-06-19
I liked this series that focuses on one man's survival and battles with the enemy.
Source: November 2019 Audible purchase $7.49.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (A2021)

An Enemy of the People
by Henrik Ibsen
Adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, performed by Richard Kind, Rosalind Ayres, Gregory Harrison, Josh Stamberg, and a full cast
(L.A. Theatre Works)
I was impressed by this story.
Source: SYNC June 2019.
L.A. Theatre Works' "radio theater" production of Ibsen's classic play about environmental contamination, science, dissent, and hypocrisy offers a well-rounded audio theater experience. Very little in Ibsen's original work requires theatrical action, and, when it does, the LATW cast--including Richard Kind, Rosalind Ayres, Gregory Harrison, and Josh Stamberg--and the production team do an excellent job of conveying it through sound. Like most dramatic works, the two-hour play is best enjoyed in one or two sittings. Ibsen's themes remain relevant, almost prescient, nearly a century and a half after he wrote this play. F.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2014]

3. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

You Dropped a Blonde On Me
Written By: Dakota Cassidy
Narrated By: Hollie Jackson
Publisher: Tantor Media
Date: June 2020
Duration: 11 hours 53 minutes
I wanted to pick something that wasn't historical and wasn't post-apocalyptic. This fit the bill and is a fun listen.
Source: 8/2020 Two for One Credit Deal at Audiobooks.com
Publisher's Summary
She was the perfect party-planning, haute-to-the max trophy wife. Now Maxine Cambridge is broke, unemployable, and living with her mother and teenage son in a retirement village, with her self-esteem kicked to the curb.
Until her geeky former classmate Campbell Barker returns, all grown-up and off-the-scale smokin' hot. Campbell refuses to believe Max isn't that smart, funny girl he's crushed on since high school. The more Max tries to show him he's wrong, the more she rediscovers her long-retired mojo. Now, she's ready to throw down some payback on her ex-life and fight for what she deserves....
Contains mature themes.
©2020 Dakota Cassidy (P)2020 Tantor

4. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Spring Clean
By: Dina Gregory
Narrated by: Nneka Okoye
Length: 4 mins
This is very short but a "Spring" title if I don't get to the other one I have in mind.
Found at Audible Plus Catalog - seen at Inside of a Dog.
Publisher's Summary
What is it like to be spring cleaned? Find out in this tragicomic tale about a self-absorbed Hair Spider, an anxious Fluff Ball, and a friendly Dust Bunny. The perilous journey of these three friends is sure to suck you in.
©2020 Audible Ltd (P)2020 Audible Ltd

Currently Reading:

1. NetGalley; Adobe Digital (NG2021)

The Madman's Library
The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History
by Edward Brooke-Hitching
I'm finally into this and it is fascinating!
Received 4/4/2021 from NetGalley Read Now.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

Jesus > Religion
by Jefferson Bethke
Run Time 4h 12min
Release Date: October 13, 2013
I am really appreciating this.
Source: 05/30/2020 Chirp $3.99.
Publisher Description
Abandon dead, dry, rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved.
Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation in 2012 with a passionate, provocative poem titled “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” The four-minute video of Bethke’s spoken-word performance literally became an overnight sensation, with seven million YouTube views in its first forty-eight hours (and 24+ million within a year). The message hit like a blizzard on social-media sites and in forwarded e-mails, triggering an avalanche.
In Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks the stark contrasts that he drew in the poem-contrasts between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior.
Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he’s not a pastor or theologian, but simply a regular, twenty-something, soul-starved searcher who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. Along his journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him beyond the props of false religion.

3. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

A History of the Future: A World Made by Hand Novel, Book 3
By: James Howard Kunstler
Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
I'm continuing this series to get to book four
which is a "Spring" title.
Source: 12/21/2020 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
A History of the Future is the third thrilling novel in Kunstler's World Made by Hand series, an exploration of family and morality as played out in the small town of Union Grove.
Following the catastrophes of the 21st century - the pandemics, the environmental disaster, the end of oil, the ensuing chaos - people are doing whatever they can to get by and pursuing a simpler and sometimes happier existence. In little Union Grove in upstate New York, the townspeople are preparing for Christmas. Without the consumerist shopping frenzy that dogged the holidays of the previous age, the season has become a time to focus on family and loved ones. It is a stormy Christmas Eve when Robert Earle's son Daniel arrives back from his two years of sojourning throughout what is left of the United States. He collapses from exhaustion and illness, but as he recovers, he tells the story of the break-up of the nation into three uneasy independent regions and his journey into the dark heart of the new Foxfire Republic centered in Tennessee and led by the female evangelical despot Loving Morrow. In the background, Union Grove has been shocked by the Christmas Eve double murder by a young mother of her husband and infant son. Town magistrate Stephen Bullock is in a hanging mood.
A History of the Future is attention-grabbing and provocative but also lyrical, tender, and comic - a vision of a future of America that is becoming more and more convincing, and perhaps even desirable, with each passing day.
©2014 James Kunstler (P)2014 Blackstone Audio

May 23, 2021 - I missed a day and lost my strike but that is okay. I am on track. I love seeing new things each time I read the Bible. I am glad to still be current with morning reading. (I got one day behind but and caught up again.)
I am reading/listening to the NLT Tyndale version of the Bible on You Version App so Hubby and I are reading the same passages each day.
No new study again this week.

I completed four books to review this week.
NetGalley shelf is still at 6.
Four author titles remain in queue. I'll be working on these next.
(Plus a few that I received from facebook links and newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests.)
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: Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and (yours truly). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

As for MM, we’re looking for someone to volunteer to take over some MM duties.. We’re unsure what is going on with Leslie, but we have not heard from her since November 2020. We need someone who is familiar with Mr. Linky and the WordPress platform. Sunday evenings are when we post MM for overseas participants and BTCOE posts go up on Friday afternoons. If you have interest please email: savvyverseandwit [at] gmail [dot] com.

No new author book this week. 
Oh boy - I added a lot of audios this week! 13 total!
I purchased three Audible titles and added five free titles from the Plus Catalog.
I selected my May VIP title at Audiobooks.com.
Finally, I purchased four titles at Chirp.
I added 14 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

May 18, 2021 Audible Daily Deal $2.95:

Wrong Alibi
An Alaskan Mystery
By: Christina Dodd
Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson
Length: 9 hrs
Release date: 12-29-20
I enjoy this author - both her historical romance and romantic suspense.

May 18 Purchase at $2.99 with Whispersync:

The Case for a Creator
By: Lee Strobel
Narrated by: Lee Strobel
Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
Release date: 10-05-04
This is a book I have wanted for a while. Now I can listen to it.

May 18 Purchase at $1.99 with Whispersync:

Dragonvein, Book One
By: Brian D. Anderson
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
Release date: 07-14-15
Sometimes I want to read about dragons.


5/23/2021 Four books at Chirp for $13.96

I remember this as a favorite historical romance so I couldn't resist at this price.
The Rake
Written by Mary Jo Putney
Read by Mark Meadows
Run Time 13h 55min

I picked out book one, then two and three were on sale also.
Apocalypse
Written by Kyle West
Read by Graham Halstead
Run Time 7h 32min

Origins
Written by Kyle West
Read by Graham Halstead
Run Time 5h 17min

Evolution
Written by Kyle West
Read by Graham Halstead
Run Time 5h 35min

Free

May 17, 2021 VIP at Audiobooks.com

Pivot
Written By: Rebecca Zanetti, Kat Martin, Alexandra Ivy
Narrated By: Lisa Wolpe
Duration: 9 h 23 min



May 17, 2021 Three free from Audible Catalog:

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast: The Steampunk Proper Romances, Book 1
By: Nancy Campbell Allen
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Series: The Steampunk Proper Romances, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins

Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-Changing Egg Farm - from Scratch
By: Lucie B. Amundsen
Narrated by: Kate Reading
Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

The War on History
The Conspiracy to Rewrite America’s Past
By: Jarrett Stepman
Narrated by: Chris Abell
Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins


5/20/21 Two more from Audible Plus Catalog - I was glad to see I can continue this series:

Fail State: An Audible Original: End of Days, Book 2
By: John Birmingham
Narrated by: Rupert Degas
Series: End of Days, Book 2

American Kill Switch: An Audible Original: End of Days, Book 3
By: John Birmingham
Narrated by: Rupert Degas
Series: End of Days, Book 3


I added 14 free Kindle titles this week - one led to another and so on.
Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement May 23, 2021

I attended Church online again due to my own quarantine. Pastor was continuing with week 7 of his “It Matters” series.

Doing the wrong things right won’t work.
Most of us have at some time been responsible for something that we didn’t own it. It might be watching other’s children; collecting payments that belong to your employer, not you; caring for someone else’s dogs; renting a house or car. Do you treat that item the same as if you owned it?

Stewardship goes beyond money and tithes. It is set out in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It is all about relationship. God initially placed Adam in Eden and directed him to tend and watch over the garden. Genesis 2:10-15. He was to care for it and enjoy all of it except he could not eat from one tree. Adam didn’t honor that directive.
All of our skills, gifts, emotions, talents, belongings – everything we are does not come from us but is on loan. What percentage ownership are you representing? Zero? One Hundred percent? Somewhere in between?

What percentage ownership does it appear you believe you are, or are acting as?

God gives us all that we have to use for HIS purposes. Jesus made us a new creation to serve Him. We surrendered everything to HIM.

If we aren’t seeing fruitfulness in our life, maybe there is something wrong with our stewardship. Are we treating our time and resources as ours instead of as belonging to God?
Who gets the best of our energy?

43% of Millennials don’t believe God exists. Our fruitfulness with the current generation isn’t showing up.

We need to sanctify our lives again to God. When we are faithful stewards, we will always be ready to answer His call.

The Point: We must manage every resource for God’s desires and purposes, not our own. Stewardship matters because it determines your fruitfulness.

Each day remind yourself why you are here, who you belong to, who and why you serve.

I chose this song this morning: “I Give Myself Away”

Verses for Today:
Acts 17:24-28
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

Lord, help me each day to remember to serve You!

Book Review: Save Me (Broken Idols #2) by M.C. Frank

This is full of intense YA emotional romance.

Save Me (Broken Idols #2)
by M.C. Frank

ASIN : B087YG3KCX
Publication date : April 20, 2021
File size : 2133 KB, 173 pages
Genre: Billionaire, New Adult & College Romance
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0.

"You saved my life."
"I did. Now I'm the one who's drowning."
I was playing Mr Darcy in a modern Pride and Prejudice film adaptation, shot on a Greek island. I was Hollywood's golden boy, Wes Spencer. A billionaire. One of the youngest Academy Award nominees. A prodigy.
She was just a stunt girl from Greece, surfing and diving into the azure waters of the Corfu beaches between my takes.
There was no reason for us to meet. The stunt girl and the actor. Our worlds should have never collided, but they did.
We went from a near-death experience to indifference, from indifference to hate and from hate to... to something I never would have imagined.
She changed my life and then she disappeared. I guess nearly dying in my arms scared her too much, and she couldn't come back from that. I was scared too. I still have nightmares about losing her, but this... this is worse than all my nightmares put together.
Losing her is breaking me. Without her I am constantly suffocating.
But how can I get her back, when she won't even talk to me? When she won't even tell me what I did?

Review:
This is a love story told from the perspective of a spoiled, famous and ridiculously wealthy actor. Wes is only 22 and known as “Hollywood’s golden boy”. Wes suddenly falls for a stunt girl who initially spurns him. He saves her from drowning and then his life begins to change. He begins to change for her and eventually realizes (maybe) that he has to change for himself. The story starts at his present sense of loss and then backtracks to tell the story of his dramatic romance with Ari.

Wes and several close friends hide emotional pain which he expresses with angst. I like the author’s ability to write intense emotional drama that is fitting to YA although perhaps it is a bit much for an elder reader like me. I appreciate the transition and growth that Wes experiences. There are a couple of mixed tenses that were momentarily distracting. My primary disappointment is, just as I was wrapped in the story and wanted to see what happened between them, this book ends -- to be continued in the next book. I do recommend this for fans of YA emotional love. Just be prepared to need the next book, Lose Me.

Source: Received from Author. This qualifies for 2021 Author goal.

Audio Book Review: One Hit Wonder by Kristi Rose

This is a quick, light, character focused mystery.
One Hit Wonder
by Kristi Rose
Narrated by Jennifer Stoneking

Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
Release date: 12-13-19
Publisher: Vintage Housewife Books
Genre: Mystery, Women’s Detective
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.

Publisher Description
Do your job or move along already. Trouble is, I’m in too deep to do either one.
A year into Samantha True’s forensic photography classes she knows three things:
1. Crime scenes are messy.
2. Especially when you throw up on them.
3. She may not be cut out for this.
When the police drag her to an investigation, she’s just as baffled by the scene. With clues like superhero masks, disco balls, and Bigfoot, are they ever going to find who did it?
As she digs deeper into the photographic evidence, she realizes her small town is full of secrets. And she might be happier staying in the dark.
A laugh-out-loud mystery that will keep you guessing and quickly turning the pages. One Hit Wonder offers the just right reader escape, but fair warning, this book leaves readers wanting more.

Review:
Samantha is trying to find a career for her future. Her current focus is on forensic photography and she finally has the opportunity to exercise her intern skills with a real crime scene … actually two crime scenes. Unfortunately, she had to face the scene while fighting through the flu and word boxing with one of the handsome detectives who always seems to dismiss her efforts. Throwing up on the scene doesn’t win her any respect. But she pushes on to the second scene, trying to pick up the important details the photographer has to preserve for the police.

Sam takes the work seriously and ponders the facts she has seen. She realizes that she has recognized details she needs to bring to the attention of the police, especially before someone realizes she has info that would make her a target.

This is a quick, easy listen. I totally enjoyed the banter and the forensic details. There is just a hint of a possible future romance which is nice. I would be willing to read more in the series and I recommend this to mystery fans who enjoy a quick read.

Audio Notes: Jennifer Stoneking does a nice job with the narration. She provides distinct voices for the various characters and she portrays good emotion. I enjoyed the listening experience and would like to hear more by this new-to-me narrator.

Source: October 2020 Purchase at Chirp $.99. This qualifies for 2021TBR and 2021Audiobook goals.