Sunday Post August 9, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday August 10 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.

Heather has continued under doctor supervision with minimal driving and work.
I worked on a third commercial closing which has been extended a week. I sorted my desk and have a full, up to date "To Do" list 

We are in Amelia Island today through Tuesday for an industry conference.
It was time for August nails and I picked blue for beachy look!
The design is palm trees.

We had heavy rain on Monday so learned the next day that we still  have leaks but they are minimal compared to before.
Our temps are in mid to high 90s. More storms predicted this week although we didn't have that many last week as predicted.

I enjoyed my audio listening again this week. I finished three audiobooks and finally finished my print book.  I posted two reviews, July Wrap-up and my usual memes.

I visited 18 blogs again last week.
Shout Out this week to CAPTURED ON FILM - MrsBeee Blog. Jo seems to have a steady chain of reviews to check out.

Audible offerings for free children's titles ended June 30.
Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post August 1, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday August 2, 2021.

• ATBR-Audible Book Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling; Categories: Children's Audiobooks, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Content 3.5; Narration 4.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway August 6, 2021. Open Worldwide. Ending 8/12/2021.

• ATBR- Audio Book Review: Cloak Games: Thief Trap by Jonathan Moeller; Genre: Alternate History, Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Urban Fantasy; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.

• MBS July 2021 Reading List Wrap Up.

• Sharing Beyond Books #427 Comment Giveaway August 7, 2021. Open Worldwide. Ending 8/21/2021.
  

• Sunday Words of Encouragement August 8, 2021.

Finished Reading:
1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Winds of Wrath
Destroyermen Series, Book 15
By: Taylor Anderson
Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
Length: 24 hrs and 48 mins
Release date: 06-09-20
This has been a great series. I will miss these characters but do plan to get into the spin off set in the same universe.
Source: May 2020 Audible Credit.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

Hour of Need
Scarlet Falls, Book 1
By: Melinda Leigh
Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
Release date: 12-09-14
This is an easy listen mystery with romance.
Source: 12/13/2019 Audible Member Sale $5.24
Click on book title for full description.

3. Print (2021)

The Iron Triangle: Inside the Liberal Democrat Plan to Use Race to Divide Christians and America in their Quest for Power and How We Can Defeat Them
by Vince Everett Ellison
I could have highlighted almost every page of this book!
Source: Purchased in March 2021.
Click on book title for full description.

4. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Lost Valley
By: Walt Browning
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
Series: Extinction Survival, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
I thought this was post apocalyptic (which it is) but it is zombie type horror.
Source: September 2020 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
War has a way of following some people....
John Eric Carver and Shrek are a retired Navy SEAL war dog team, now living in the mountains outside of San Diego. Both man and dog thought their life was now settled, finding peace on the 40-acre ranch they had moved to. But life, and a mutated virus, changed all that.
Now, they have to survive a worldwide pandemic. Taking refuge in a nearby Boy Scout camp, he leads a group of teens and their parents as they are forced to deal with infected creatures that are rapidly consuming the world. Will John and Shrek survive another war, or will this be the end of the line for the SEAL team?
©2019 Walt Browning (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Currently Reading:
1. ebook/NetGalley App on Phone (NG2021)

The Keepers
by Jeffrey B. Burton
Still enjoying this but not too far along.
(Seen at Inside of a Dog.)
Source: NetGalley 7/11/2021.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Zero Hour
Expeditionary Force, Book 5
By: Craig Alanson
Narrated by: R. C. Bray
Length: 17 hrs and 20 mins
Release date: 02-06-18
I like this series and decided to get my "Z" title.
It had me smiling during my four hour drive today.
Source: 3/14/2020 Two For One Credit Sale at Audible.
Publisher's Summary
United Nations Special Operations Command sent an elite expeditionary force of soldiers and pilots out on a simple recon mission, and somehow along the way they sparked an alien civil war. Now the not-at-all-merry band of pirates is in desperate trouble, again. Their stolen alien starship is falling apart, thousands of light years from home. The ancient alien AI they nicknamed Skippy is apparently dead, and even if they can by some miracle revive him, he might never be the same.
©2017 Craig Alanson; 2018 Podium Publishing

August 8, 2021 - I remain on track. I love seeing new things each time I read the Bible. I am glad to still be current with morning reading. 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.
I finished the nine day study: What If Christianity Isn't What You Think?

I completed four books to review this week.
NetGalley shelf is still at four - 3 old and one new.  And I forgot to post a couple of weeks ago that I had reached 95% feedback on the NetGalley shelf!
Now five author titles are in queue. I'll be working on these next soon.
(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, me and new to the team, Velvet at vvb32reads. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Shocking - No Audios for me this week.
No new review book again this week.
I am eyeing the new deals at Audiobooks.com but haven't made a choice yet.
Two free ebooks and one Kindle title 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

8/4/2021 Two Regency titles from authors' online downloads:
Honorable Rosalind's Heart
by Bridget Barton

The Price to Pay for a Duke's Love
By Aria Norton

8/5 One title free at Amazon.

See No Evil Love No Evil: Delsin Chronicles The Prequel
by Bella Benz


Other Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement August 8, 2021

Pastor returned energized from a Pastors Conference. He started a new series titled “Rising”.
He noted that the world events distract our focus on God and our mission. We are to love God and love People – all people. We do not distinguish by birth, skin color, gender, status, achievements or anything else. We love all people and seek to bring all lost people to God.

Pastor mentioned that there are many books and movies that involve characters or societies that are shown rising up. He particularly described the movies of Rocky – Sylvester Stallone as a struggling boxer who rises to become a champion.

Often athletes swagger with their confidence. Is the church acting like a winner? The church is not in competition with other Christian churches but there is a competition against the enemy, Satan.

We go through storms like Hurricane Michael. We go through times of unrest like Covid19. Much of the turmoil is from the “seedy world of politics”. We have to be careful not to let that seep into our lives and relationships.

Churches loos people to four “D”s. We lose people to death, divorce, disagreement, dislocation, and Pastor added a 5th D: dumb stuff – that leads to disagreement. When the church is knocked down, it has to get back up, just like Rocky! We have the Champion of all!

Acts 27:13-44 and Acts 28:1-10 tells when Paul was a prisoner on a ship that was caught in a storm. The ship eventually wrecked but all the sailors and prisoners reached the shore safely. Paul was bitten by a snake and everyone thought he would die. But he survived. Then they believed he was a God.

Paul never stopped encouraging them to trust God. Their circumstances got worst but Paul’s confidence in God never changed. Paul knew he was going to appear before Caesar so he knew that he would not die on this trip. He used every opportunity to witness to God’s Grace! Paul was shipwrecked but he was never wrecked.

Like Paul, the church is the Championship team! The church is rising, not falling. We know that we WIN with God. The church is growing around the world, if not in America. We have to think and live like a champion.

The Point: We are a rising champion. That is who we are!

No matter what we face – hurricanes or pandemic – we are the body of Christ who is our risen champion. Pastor feels we have a damaged self-esteem. We don’t see our value as God sees it.

Our power comes for God. Authority to storm the gates of hell! It doesn’t matter how beat up you have been. Maybe we have forgotten how to win. Or actually – that we have already WON!
Believers will not be wrecked. Together we can take this territory for God.

Where is your work? Where are your 72 steps to train on? Goal to impact families! Time to get out of refuge, out of rehab and live like a Champion for God! It doesn't matter if we ran aground, lost the cargo or struggled. What matters is that we are rising champions!
God: Bind the enemy and loose the believers to share your word!

I found this new-to-me song while looking for a different song.

Verses for Today
Acts 27:21-26 NIV
21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

I pray, God, that you always remind me that I have authority in You and I am a champion with You!

Sharing Beyond Books #427 Comment Giveaway August 7, 2021

Hello again, Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
Last post SBB#426 Becky asksed Which form of public transport do you prefer??
It is interesting that many of the thirteen who commented have no public transportation in their communities. Most walk or use cars. But when we travel many of us use trains or buses. Mystica and Ashfa are familiar with tuks, which I have not seen in the US.

For US participants: I need to update and refill the books available to US winners. I have used "Love" and "Christmas" titles as well as ARC titles. Since the supply is lower, I have author collections I could choose from, mostly romance - historical, suspense and some contemporary. What books/authors would you like me to include?

The Winner from SBB#426 comments is #8 DENISE who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated (**Finally!) ARC/Review titles or (recently updated) Love and Christmas titles - all linked near the end of the post. -- [11/16/19 I plan to add some review books this week and maybe some new Christmas and Love titles as soon as I locate the box I put them in. 11/28/20 I have added a box of new books for SBB and will list them in the next week or so. I have to try to cross off books that have already been awarded.]

Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #427

(One Question.)

Bn100 asks: What do you think about authors that decide to offer free ebooks on Amazon Kindle for a very limited time and during hours where readers are usually asleep (1-3 AM)?

I have not seen any at 1-3am so I haven't been offended by the poor timing. Over the past couple of months I have picked up several author free titles through Facebook offerings. Often they are available through BookFunnel rather than Amazon Kindle.

Image found at Tara Sparling Writes.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month, I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a 1/2 book choice or $2.50 towards GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify them.

Your turn to share. Bn100 asks: What do you think about authors that decide to offer free ebooks on Amazon Kindle for a very limited time and during hours where readers are usually asleep (1-3 AM)?

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

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday, August 21, 2021, at 5 PM central.

MBS July 2021 Reading List Wrap Up

MBS 2021 Reading List - JULY

Code for the list is:
A = Audible; ABB = Audiobook Boom
e = eBook; eA = eBook from Author; eT = eBook from Tour
NG = NetGalley
P = Print; PT = Print from Tour
LBC = Ladies Book Club
TBR = From the TBR shelves prior to 2020
Favorites for the month:

5 Stars =
4.75 Stars =
4.5 Stars = Aftershocks, Vision in Silver, The Monster Hunter Files Anthology

1. NGA2021- #NetGalley Audio Book Review: Dog Eat Dog, An Andy Carpenter Mystery (Book 23) by David Rosenfelt; Genre: Cozy Mystery, Dogs, Legal Thriller; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
2. NG2020- #NetGalley Book Review: Aftershocks: Christians Entering a New Era of Global Crisis by Jeff Kinley; Genre: Christian Prophecy, Social Issues & Christianity, Theological Eschatology; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.
3. NGA2021- #NetGalley Book Review: A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones; Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction, Women Sleuth Mysteries; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
4. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop; Genre: Alternate History, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 5.0.
5. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Baron Steele by Rhett C. Bruno, Jaime Castle; Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.5.
6. ATBR- Audio Book Review: The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch; Genre: Alternate History, Police Procedure, Post-Apocalyptic, Time Travel; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
7. ATBR- Audible Book Review: The Monster Hunter Files Anthology by Larry Correia, Jim Butcher, Faith Hunter and more; Genre: Anthologies & Short Stories, Contemporary, Paranormal, Urban; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 5.0.
8. A2021- Audible Book Review: A Change of Plans: A Short Story by Dennis E. Taylor; Genre: Adventure, Colonization, Short Story, Space Opera; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Content 3.5; Narration 3.75.
9. A2021- Audible Book Review: A Long Time Until Now by Michael Z. Williamson; Genre: Adventure, Alternate History, Military, Time Travel; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.0.
10. Author2021- Book Review: The Alchemy Thief by R.A. Denny; Genre: 17th Century History, Morocco History, Suspense, Time Travel; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.
11. ATBR-Audible Book Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling; Categories: Children's Audiobooks, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Content 3.5; Narration 4.0.
12. ATBR- Audio Book Review: Cloak Games: Thief Trap by Jonathan Moeller; Genre: Alternate History, Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Urban Fantasy; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Total read = 12
TBR = 7
New Authors = 5
Audio/Audible = 10 (6 TBRs)
NetGalley = 3 (includes 2 audios) (1 TBRs)
Author Review books (other than NG) = 1
Nonfiction = 1
eBook = 1 (0 TBR)
Print = 0 (0 TBR)

Goal Progress (to Date meaning through the end of the given month):
Goodreads Goal Read to Date: 88 of 124
TBR to Date: 67 of 90 total
Audio to Date: 64 of 64
NetGalley to Date: 23 of 24
Author Reviews: 8 of 12
Nonfiction: 8 of 12
TBR ebooks or Print: 7 of 24
• Series: 52 (18 continuing, 34 new)
• New to me Series: 34 (12 Yes to continue; 8 likely to continue, 10 maybe, unlikely 4)
• Finished for me Series: 0

Special Goals
• Seasonal title: 2 of 4: Winter, Spring
• Color in title: 6 of 8: Red, Black, Gold, Blue, Blonde, Diamond
• Alphabet letters covered: 26 Mixed media: 10 Jan + 6 Feb + 2 March + 1 April + 2 May + 2 June + 1 July (24 of 26) Remaining: K, and Z
• Alphabet letters covered: 26 Audio only (not the same): 1 Jan + 4 Feb + 7 March + 5 April + 4 May + 1 June (22 of 26) Remaining: I, N, V and X

Audio Book Review: Cloak Games: Thief Trap by Jonathan Moeller

This is a good mix of mystery and magic.

Cloak Games: Thief Trap
Written by Jonathan Moeller
Narrated by Meghan Kelly

Series: Cloak Games, Book 1
Release Date: May 13, 2019
Publisher: Azure Flame Media, LLC
Genre: Alternate History, Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher Description
In 2013, a gate to another world opened, and Elves used their magic to conquer Earth, crushing all resistance before them.
Three hundred years after the Conquest, the exiled Elven High Queen rules an orderly but stagnant Earth, with humanity forced to fight in the High Queen’s war against the traitors on the Elven homeworld.
Nadia Moran doesn’t care about that. She doesn’t care about the High Queen, or the Rebels seeking to overthrow her. All she cares about is getting her baby brother the treatments he needs to recover from his potentially fatal disease…and those treatments have a steep price.
Fortunately, Nadia has magic of her own, and she’s a very, very good thief.
Unfortunately, the powerful Elven lord Morvilind has a hold on Nadia. If she doesn’t follow his commands, her brother is going to die.
Of course, given how dangerous Morvilind’s missions are, Nadia might not live long enough to see her brother’s death…

Review:
In the world Nadia Moran has grown up in, Earth is governed by the Elves. Nadia’s father was an elemental wizard in the Queen’s Wizards’ Legions. While only a child, Nadia lost her parents to a deadly virus which also struck her infant brother. A powerful Elven lord appeared at the hospital indicating he could save the child but only if Nadia went with him and trained to do his bidding for twenty years. Nadia has trained and attained skills, including some simpler magic spells. She has become a valuable thief, but the missions might not allow her to live the full twenty years.

Nadia’s current ‘job’ is to steal a highly important, ancient book for the Elven Lord. The man who supposedly has the book is a wealthy human who has the protection of another Elven Lord. He lives in a secure mansion which will pose challenges. Nadia has planned her ‘break-in’ but her plans are interrupted by a strange man. Is he an enemy or a temporary ally?

I liked Nadia’s sharp tongue, skills, intuition, and perseverance. There is good intrigue in the plot and engaging adventure and action in stealth and battles against unnatural creatures. I appreciated Nadia’s reluctance to align with an unknown force and I enjoyed how the author handled the situation. The story is set 300 hundred years beyond 2013 so it is a bit out of sync that the technology of the world is the same as today. However, this is explained due to impact of magic. This isn’t a big issue, I recommend this urban fantasy, and I look forward to reading or listening to more in the series.

Audio Notes: Meghan Kelly does a good job with the narration. She provides distinct voices and energy that maintains the pace of the story. I would like to listen to more in the series.

Source: 4/18/2020 Free at Chirp. This qualifies for 2021TBR and 2021Audiobook goals.