Audio Book Review: Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War by P.W. Singer, August Cole

This is an interesting, scary, 'future war' possibility.

Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War
Written By: P.W. Singer, August Cole
Narrated By: Rich Orlow

Duration: 14 hours 28 minutes
Publisher: Recorded Books
Genre: Military, Political Fiction, Technothrillers
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Summary:
The year is 2026. China has taken over as the world's largest economy, while the United States, mired in an oil shortage, struggles to adjust to its diminished role. Then, a surprise attack throws the U.S. into a chaos unseen since Pearl Harbor. As the enemy takes control, the survival of the nation will depend upon the most unlikely forces: the Navy's antiquated Ghost Fleet and a cadre of homegrown terrorists. Ghost Fleet is unique in that every piece of technology featured in the novel already exists or is in the works. Peter W. Singer is Senior Fellow and Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution and a consultant for the US Department of Defense and FBI. August Cole is a journalist and writer specializing in national security issues and is an Adjunct Fellow at the American Security Project.

Review:
China is taking over while the United States flounders. Then China’s specially trained hackers take control of the U.S. computers shutting down electronics locally and globally by taking control of the satellites. The U.S. has nothing to fight with except the Navy’s Ghost Fleet which is made up of antiquated ships that don’t rely on up-to-date technology.

The story follows specific characters which include a reluctant ship captain whose father, a former naval grunt (hands-on worker) gets assigned to the same ship, a female assassin (very slick!), a Chinese General struggling to get his strategies approved, a Russian officer who isn’t quite sure which side he should be supporting, and more. Some of the characters are rather extreme therefore unrealistic and several are too slightly developed. But a highlight of the story is all of the tech that is described and used as the author explains they are real and available. Some of these, especially the hackers VR type tools, and advanced gunnery, are rather scary. Apparently, the book is full of footnotes supporting tech and other details.

As the story started, there were many character threads that made it a little hard to follow on audio. I was able to settle in to catch most of the shifting scenes and characters. There are some pretty dry segments describing the tech in detail that slows the pacing. Still, I like the military strategy and action, and found the story entertaining. I recommend it to readers interested in modern tech with fictional military intrigue.

Audio Notes: Rich Orlow does a good job with the narration. He manages the different voices well and does a good effort to keep the pace moving. I tend to think Orlow is a good narrator for military or other thrillers. I will look forward to listening to other books by him.

Source: 1/24/2020 January Audiobooks.com Free VIP selection. This qualifies for 2021TBR and 2021Audiobook goals.

Sunday Post October 10, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday October 11, 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.

I just keep plugging away at work. Finished a couple of probates; moving a couple of litigation files to the next step. Meanwhile I am doing all the final policies for the title company and we are almost up to date (within 30 days). Staff declared Monday as an one of their official holidays but I will work.  

Our little Bear-dog got groomed this week. I asked Hubby to get a before pic but he forgot.
He is a cute dog - loves to give kisses.

Our mornings and evenings are both darker. Meanwhile the weather is finally cooling.
We had heavy rains last week and our office had minimal leaking -- mainly because our cleaning person put a trash can in the ceiling to catch the leaks - but even that had only a little. So I think our roof leaks are patched for now. The units on both sides are still having leaks.

I enjoyed my listening this week, finishing two audiobooks.  I posted two reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 18 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to WAVES OF FICTION. This blog is hosted by Rachel, Arlene and Crystal who read and share "New Adult, Adult, Contemporary Romance, Urban Fantasy and Adult Paranormal reads.”

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 October 3, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday October 4, 2021.

• NGA2021- #NetGalley Audio Book Review: Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt; Genre: Animals, Holidays, Legal Procedures, Mystery; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• A2021- Audio Book Review: Bunker (Book 1) by Jay Falconer; Genre: Action, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Thriller; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway October 8, 2021. Open Worldwide. Ending 10/14/2021.

• MBS September 2021 Reading List Wrap Up.

• MBS 2021 FRATERFEST READATHON #FraterfestRAT.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement October 10, 2021.

Finished Reading:

1. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War
Written By: P.W. Singer, August Cole
Narrated By: Rich Orlow
Duration: 14 hours 28 minutes
This is an interesting, scary, 'future war' possibility.
Source: 1/24/2020 January Audiobooks.com Free VIP selection.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Night of the Living Deed
By: E.J. Copperman
Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi
(Book 1 in the Haunted Guesthouse series)
Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
I started this Saturday and it is a fun listen. As of posting time I only have an hour left so I am counting it finished here.
Source: October 2020 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
Welcome to the first Haunted Guest House mystery - the getaway every reader can afford.
Newly divorced Alison Kerby wants a second chance for herself and her nine-year-old daughter. She's returned to her hometown on the Jersey Shore to transform a Victorian fixer-upper into a charming-and profitable guest house. One small problem: the house is haunted, and the two ghosts insist Alison must find out who killed them.
©2010 Jeffrey Cohen (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Currently Reading:

1. ebook/Kindle App on Phone (ebTBR)

The Duke and the Spoiled Wallflower
by Tessa Brookman
I am 50% in and honestly, I am struggling with the editing. None of the other reviews mention this so maybe it is a style thing for me but it is terribly distracting. (Dangling participles, cliched phrases, too many adjectives and adverbs, awkward sentences and mixed tenses.) What would you do? Keep reading or set aside?
Source: Received from author team for review.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

End Time: The End Time Saga, Book 1
By: Daniel Greene
Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
Series: The End Time Saga, Book 1
Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
I figured I should include at least one Zombie story for October.
Source: October 2020 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
The protests in front of the embassy aren't what they seem....
In the dark, primal jungles of the Congo Basin, something is ravaging the local population. When protests turn violent in front of the US embassy in Kinshasa, only the foreign policy experts paid attention. Civil war erupts, and people rip each other apart in the streets of the African capital.
To avert disaster and preserve its self-image, an overwhelmed State Department dispatches a team of elite counterterrorism agents to bring their besieged people back alive. Mark Steele, a young agent within the division, and his team of gritty operatives are used to trudging through the worst society has to offer, all while operating from the shadows. But Steele's team is plunging headlong into a maelstrom of death so much worse than rebels in the streets.
A highly contagious microbe is spreading unchecked, killing everyone in its wake only to bring them back again as the ravenous undead. Only a lone CDC virologist understands the extent of the outbreak at hand. He cowers among the embassy staff praying for extraction from the hands of death, fearing his part to play in the epidemic.
Follow this harrowing tale of survival, duty, love and horror as the living dead bring the world to its knees. The first installment of an epic series, End Time starts as a slow burn that turns into a breakneck-paced struggle for survival. Greene does an excellent job of depicting individual stories within the larger scope of the global epidemic. Enter the End Time.
©2018 Daniel Greene (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

October 10, 2021 - 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 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 yet.

I completed only one (two by Monday) book and will review both this week.
My NetGalley shelf remains at 1 new children's title and 3 old ebooks titles, one of which I plan to read this month. 
I have two author titles remaining in queue. I'm still working on reading these.
(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.

I requested/received no new review titles this week.
I picked up five free Audible Plus books.
I resisted purchasing audios this week.
Four free Kindle titles.
(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

Five Audible Plus Catalog titles:

Harper's Ten: Fractured Space, Book 0.5
By: J.G. Cressey
Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
Series: Fractured Space, Book 0.5
Length: 6h 29m

A Winter Haunting
By: Dan Simmons
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
Series: Summer of Night, Book 2
Length: 9h 49m

When the Morning Glory Blooms
By: Cynthia Ruchti
Narrated by: Melinda Sward
Length: 9h 27m

Mort(e): A Novel
By: Robert Repino
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
Series: The War with No Name, Book 1
Length: 11h 8m

Halloween
The Official Movie Novelization
By: John Passarella
Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
I searched Horror and found this in the Plus Catalog plus many more that I didn't add to my library yet.

Four Kindle Titles - from Facebook links.
Deadly Touch: A gripping Detective Crime Thriller Short Story (Robin Matthews Series)
Audrey Walker

Lavish Lies
Charlotte Byrd

The Buried Symbol: A Discovery of Magic (Runes of Issalia Book 1)
Jeffrey L. Kohanek

Mail Order Bride: The Bride's Bond: Clean and Wholesome Western Historical Romance (Mail Order Brides For ALL Seasons)
Faith Johnson

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

Sunday Words of Encouragement October 10, 2021

We enjoyed Sunday School again this morning with an excellent lesson I hope to share another day. In church we had moving worship that led to time with Spirit before Pastor shared his sermon. As Pastor noted, God is always moving but do we respond? We need to be willing to break through the ceiling or the walls of comfort and resistance. The believer should always be pushing to reach new levels in our relationship with God.

This comment fit in with Pastor’s conclusion to the series Walking With Jesus. Our ultimate companion and partner, is Jesus, and the Holy Spirit living in us. As stated in the earlier messages, our roots should grow into Him. Colossians 2: 6-7.

We are all familiar with company products and limited warranties that deliver failed promises. But we can always rely on the promises of God. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will dwell with the believer. He sends us the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, as His representative. John 14:15-29.

The Point: True intimacy with God is possible because the Holy Spirit lives in us.

Abraham was given a promise, before he ever had a child, that he would be the father of many nations. Jesus died for believers so we might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14.

Submitting to the Holy Spirit helps us become more like Jesus. It is more than WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). It is being more like Jesus. God has that goal for you. We are children in the family of God and share in sufferings so that we may share in God’s glory. Romans 8:15-17.

The Holy Spirit and our spirit long for connection and intimacy. The flesh pushes against the spiritual connection. As Francis Chan says, our job is to put our flesh to death.

“The Bible admonishes us in Romans 8:13 to put to death the deeds of the sinful flesh by the Holy Spirit so that we might truly live.” See Chan’s blog - The Ordinary Christian.

The Holy Spirit leads us to life with Christ, to accomplish God's purpose.

“When we are at our wits’ end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer. But how can He give us an answer when we are still well supplied with all sorts of answers of our own? -Karl Barth-” ― Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.

And why does it take us so long to get to God’s way?
A sure sign of the Holy Spirit's working in us is that Jesus is magnified through us.

“The Christian’s life in all its aspects—intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness—is supernatural; only the Spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, there will be no believers and no congregations at all. -J. I. Packer-”
― Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.

Today is the day to move and respond to the Holy Spirit. Now...and at all moments. You cannot be led and follow without worshiping and magnifying Him. We should worship the one God magnifies – Christ Jesus.

I chose this song for today “Yahweh”:

Verses for Today:
Romans 8:15-17 NIV
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.


Lord, keep me close to you through the Holy Spirit. Help me fight the flesh that leads me against Your Will.

MBS 2021 FRATERFEST READATHON #FraterfestRAT

This readathon is hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and lasts from 10/15-10/25/2021.

The rules are fairly easy (follow the link above):
Between Midnight October 15th and ending at 11:59 pm October 25th; read or listen to thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, horror, supernatural, witchy, ghostly or serial killer novels and novellas.

I estimate I might get in 25 hours listening time and a little bit of ebook time.

• 8 books (5TBR and 3 current) completed for FRATERFEST 2018
• 10 TBR titles for FRATERFEST 2019
• 6 books (2TBR and 4 current) for FRATERFEST 2020

I am going to try to stick to TBR books except for one of the NetGalley titles and the Bookfunnel ebook. Here are some of the titles I may pick from to read or listen to for 2021 Fraterfest:
eBooks:

NetGalley: The Secret Halloween Costume by Sophie Vaillancourt
Witches and Poppets by Melanie Karsak – Bookfunnel 10/3/2021
NetGalley TBR: My Dead Friend Sarah by Peter Rosch

Audio Books:

A2020 Countdown: A Prequel Story to Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry 19m
AA2018 The Horror of the Heights by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 0h 44m
A2020 Black Virus: Black Rust, Book 1 by Bobby Adair 2h 34m

A2020 Once Upon a Haunted Moor, The Tyack & Frayne Mysteries, Book 1 by Harper Fox 2h 57m
A2020 Dead Acre by Rhett C. Bruno , Jaime Castle 3h 24m

A2020 Murder by Other Means: The Dispatcher, Book 2 by John Scalzi 3h 33m
A2020 A Crazy Inheritance Series: Ghostsitter, Book 1 by Tommy Krappweis 4h 25m
A2020 Second Skin, Audible Original Novella by Christian White 2h 28m
AC2020 Gustav Gloom and the People Taker by Adam-Troy Castro 4h 42m Chirp

A2020 Monster, She Wrote The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger, Melanie R. Anderson Length: 7h 29m
A2020 Dusty's Diary by Bobby Adair 7h 44m
AC2019 Elemental Thief by Rachel Morgan 7h 47m Chirp
A2020 Monster Hunt NYC: The Monster Hunt NYC, Book 1 by Harmon Cooper 7h 53m

I have another list of longer books available for October reading -- this year or in the future. :-)

Image found at But Why Tho?

MBS September 2021 Reading List Wrap Up

MBS 2021 Reading List - SEPTEMBER

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 = None
4.75 Stars = None
4.5 Stars = A Worthy Pursuit, Killer Lawyer and Penny Preston and the King's Blade

1. ATBR- Audio Book Review: The Dauntless by Alex Kings; Genre: Military, Science Fiction, Space Opera; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.25.
2. ATBR- Audio Book Review: A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer; Genre: Historical Romance, Inspirational, Romance; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.
3. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Who in the World is Carmen Sandiego by Rebecca Tinker; Genre: Children's Audiobooks, Literature & Fiction; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
4. NGA2021- #NetGalley Audio Book Review: Striking Range (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #7) by Margaret Mizushima; Genre: Crime Thriller, Mystery, Police Procedures, Women Sleuths; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.0.
5. A2021- Audible Book Review: The Unwanted Heiress by Amy Corwin; Genre: Historical Romance, Regency; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.0.
6. eBTBR- Book Review: Killer Lawyer (Jake Wolfe Book 3) by Mark Nolan; Genre: Action, Crime Thriller, Mystery; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.
7. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Commune, Book Three by Joshua Gayou; Genre: Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.5.
8. A2021- Audible Book Review: Penny Preston and the King’s Blade, Misaligned Book III, by Armen Pogharian; Genre: Fantasy, Teen and YA, Time Travel; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.
9. Author2021- Poetry Book Review: Palm Lines by Jonathan Koven; Genre: Emotion, Nature, Poetry; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.
10. NGA2021- #NetGalley Audio Book Review: Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt; Genre: Animals, Holidays, Legal Procedures, Mystery; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Total read = 10
TBR = 5
New Authors = 5
Audio/Audible = 8 (4 TBRs)
NetGalley = 2 (2 audios) (0 TBRs)
Author Review books (other than NG) = 3
Nonfiction = 1
eBook = 1 (1 TBR)
Print = 0 (0 TBR)

Goal Progress (to Date meaning through the end of the given month):
Goodreads Goal Read to Date: 113 of 124
TBR to Date: 78 of 90 total
DONE - Audio to Date: 83 of 64
NetGalley to Date: 27 of 24
DONE - Author Reviews: 12 of 12
Nonfiction: 11 of 12
TBR ebooks or Print: 9 of 24

• Series: 71 (27 continuing, 44 new)
• New to me Series: 44 (17 Yes to continue; 12 likely to continue, 11 maybe, unlikely 4)
• Finished for me Series: 1

Special Goals
• Seasonal title: 3 of 4: Winter, Spring, Summer
• Color in title: 6 of 8: Red, Black, Gold, Blue, Blonde, Diamond
DONE • Alphabet letters covered: 26 Mixed media: 10 Jan + 6 Feb + 2 March + 1 April + 2 May + 2 June + 1 July + 2 August (26 of 26)
• Alphabet letters covered: 26 Audio only (not the same): 1 Jan + 4 Feb + 7 March + 5 April + 4 May + 1 June + 0 July + 1 August + 0 September (23 of 26) Remaining: N, V and X