Audible Book Review: Aesop's Fables by Aesop

Lots of wisdom in this collection!
Aesop's Fables
By: Aesop
Narrated by: Jonathan Kent

Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins
Release date: 08-23-05
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Children’s Classics, Classics, Teaching
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
By their nature, "fables" are "fabulous", larger than life, the characters often using wit and guile to save themselves from circumstances. Thus Brer Rabbit is more than a bunny in a briar patch, just as Mowgli is more than a wolf child.
Aesop, an ancient Greek poet who was sold into slavery in the early sixth century B.C, relied on animal stories to convey his key points to his masters in court. Aesop's Fables are now classic, memorable morality plays in which amusing animal characters drive home thought-provoking morals to generations of listeners and modern day readers. They illustrate what was fundamental to Greek culture yet their appeal lies in logic we still understand. Fables from different cultures frequently overlap in the lessons they teach. If we would only stop to listen, there is an important lesson for us to learn from these fables; mankind is one, not several. Public Domain (P)2005 Tantor Media, Inc.

Review:
I read Aesop’s Fables sometime in my youth. And, of course, many of the fables are so well known that we hear them now and again. I was very pleased to listen to this and hear so many bits of wisdom that I know well but also to hear many that I didn’t remember. I really appreciate the morals that are shared through animal interactions. I highly recommend that everyone listen to this or another version to remind yourself of these basic life truths.

Audio Notes: I loved the voice of Jonathan Kent reading this. He gives fitting emphasis that adds to the text. This is an older audio so it may not be as crisp as more modern audio but it is still a worthy audiobook.

Source: 1/27/18 Audible Sale for 2017 Daily Deals $.99. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Sunday Post October 2, 2022/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday October 3, 2022

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 had another crazy, late night week. I wasn't home before 9pm any night. I met with the moving men several nights to guide the move out of our rental office by 9/30. We now have to empty boxes and finish office decor in preparation of our Grand Re-Opening next week.

Heather got antibiotics for a sinus infection and is feeling better. Unfortunately she is going through marital stresses that don't help her health.

Thankfully Hurricane Ian had no impact on the Florida Panhandle but it devastated Southwest Florida and other areas of the state with flood waters.

I continue with my previous prayer lists. My prayers go out this week to the communities in Florida, Cuba and SC that were hit by the hurricane.

Still very little rain here. Evening temps are dropping into the 50s  with day temps in the mid 80s. One day there is a predicted a 34 degree difference in 24 hours.

This week I finished two audios by slipping in another short one. I didn't even bring my computer home three nights, it was that late. I posted Friday Pick late and two reviews on Saturday.

I visited 16 blogs again all on Wednesday night so I could make my Mailbox Monday picks.
No shout out again this week.

Audible offerings for free children's titles ended June 30, 2021.
Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

These were the posts last week:

• Sunday Post September 25, 2022/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday September 26, 2022.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway September 30, 2022 (A Day Late). Open Worldwide. Ending 10/6/2022.
  

• ATBR: Audio Book Review: A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl & April Henry; Genre: Crime Fiction, Legal Procedure, Mysteries; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

• ATBR: Audible Book Review: After the Ending by Lindsey Fairleigh, Lindsey Pogue; Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci Fi; My Rating: 3.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.5; Narration 3.75.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement October 2, 2022 - Recognize God!
  

Finished Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Lovelight Farms
By: B.K. Borison
Narrated by: Pippa Jayne
Series: Lovelight, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
I mostly enjoyed this, although the female lead got me annoyed.
Source: 2022 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

One-Eyed Jax: A Forgotten Realms Adventure
(Legend of Drizzt Series)
by R.A. Salvatore
Narrated by: Victor Bevine
I enjoyed this short story with drows, dwarves, and elves facing the mystery of a 'sea monster' that is attacking ships.
Source: 6/10/2021 Audible Plus Catalog.
Conflicts will be decided with fisticuffs, card games will be played for the highest of stakes, and swords will be flashed in this rollicking Dungeons & Dragons adventure from New York Times best-selling author R. A. Salvatore.
Maintaining stability in a city full of pirates is a delicate balancing act, particularly when one is motivated by making sure the common folk are taken care of instead of simple personal greed. Jarlaxle and his band of rogues known as Bregan D'aerthe are doing their best, stabilizing the city after warding off a terrible attack by demonic and gnoll forces.
But now three merchant ships have been destroyed and sent to the ocean floor - obliterated in such a quick and brutal manner that it makes little sense it’s pirates seeking plunder. Something is out there on or under the cold dark waters of the Sword Coast, and it threatens the trade Jarlaxle will need to bring prosperity to Luskan.
Fortunately, Jarlaxle has powerful and clever allies he can call upon to help him solve the riddle. But will they do it in time? And even if it's solved, can the perpetrator be defeated?

Currently Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Death Overdue: A Haunted Library Mystery
By: Allison Brook
Narrated by: Mia Gaskin
Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
I started my October reading with this cozy mystery, which I am enjoying.
Source: 1/23/2021 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
For fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay comes an enthralling series debut featuring a librarian who solves mysteries with the help of a ghost in the stacks.
Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she is offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death 15 years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies.
The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in, and Carrie feels responsible for having gone forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie is determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it's the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light, and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.
©2017 Allison Brook (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

2. Audio Smartphone (ATBR)

Manners and Monsters Collection: A Regency paranormal mystery series
by Tilly Wallace
Narrated By: Marian Hussey
Duration: 23 hours 46 minutes;
Book 2 Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
I enjoyed the first book, Manners and Monsters. Now I plan to listen to book 2, Galvanism and Ghouls.
Source: 11/1/2020 Audiobooks.com Credit Purchase.

Galvanism and Ghouls
Publisher's Summary
Time reveals all secrets....
A new unnatural horror is about to rattle Hannah Miles' quiet existence, and it's not the short-tempered viscount prowling the hallways. Someone is creating a monster by stitching together pieces of different people. When a limb makes an escape attempt, Viscount Wycliff is called to investigate. All of London knows there is one mad scientist among them capable of creating such an ungodly monster...Sir Warren Miles.
Hannah's father is suspected of a most heinous crime, and she is determined to clear his name, even as Wycliff works to see the murderer hang. Buried secrets that touch all their lives will be brought to the surface. One such secret belongs to Hannah and could tear her world apart.
With Hannah and Wycliff on opposing sides, can they find the real monster, and will it be the hand that wields the scalpel or the creature hiding in the dark?
©2019 Tilly Wallace (P)2019 Tilly Wallace

October 2, 2022 - I remain current and enjoying the reading. I get excited watching the devotion videos.  The Bible Reading Plan is: BibleProject | One Story that Leads to Jesus. It really soothes me to read/listen to the pieces each day.
No new study this past week.

I added two more titles and reviewed two so I still need to review: 8 10 books plus 7 children's books. I keep working on these. :-)

NETGALLEY STATUS-- One new audio title I'll be listening to soon.
My NG shelf still has three old ebook titles. I will probably end up letting A Place Called Armageddon go as DNF.
I don't have any author reviews in my queue right now but I may be getting one this week.
(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.

No new review titles this week.
I thought I had to pick the Audiobooks.com VIP for September but it ended up being an early pick for October.
I hit on a group of free Kindle books Saturday morning so snagged 36 in addition to one I already had from an author so I picked up 37 free Kindle titles this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

NONE

Free

10/1/2022 VIP Audiobooks.com
(I thought I was picking the VIP for September at the last hour but it was an early pick for October.)

Trick or Treat Murder
Author Leslie Meier
Narrator: Karen White
Duration: 7 h 17 min



I added 37 titles which is too many to list. I am listing the one I got through author invite:

A Battle Against Traitors: A Historical Western Adventure Book
Henry McConley


37 titles total added to Kindle library. Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Book Adrenaline, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement October 2, 2022 - Recognize God!

Our Sunday School teacher shared a message on The Marriage Supper (or Feast) of the Lamb based on Revelation 19. It is a beautiful analogy of God preparing the Church as the bride for Christ, as the groom. I will make up a post on this for another time.

Our church service enjoyed strong worship music before our guest speaker shared a message. The speaker has a long ministry of revival for many years in the United States and now worldwide, in Africa and Mexico. He will be leading services Monday through Wednesday evenings. He will lead a healing service, a spiritual outpouring for all ages and concluding with a service for generational blessings. I hope to get to go at least two nights.

The pastor noted that Jesus is the divine healer, but pastor’s initial message was based on the scripture message from God's word in Matthew 14:35-36. The passages ends with a statement that ‘those who touched Christ’s garment were healed [or made whole].’

The pastor reminded us that healing doesn't always happen in an instant. There may be years of study or hearing of the word that is preparation for the healing.
We believe that before we call, God knows and answers. Isaiah 65:24.
Before the world was formed God knew us and formed us. Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 49:15, Psalm 71:6, Jeremiah 1:5, Galatians 1:15-16.
We believe that God has been working on this community.
.
Look back at the first line of this morning’s scripture. The key is they “recognized” Him!! The greatest thing God has ever done for the believer is to reveal Himself to us. Salvation is a miracle. We respond to His call and our salvation is by Jesus alone. Jesus is the Centerpiece of All. He is not just the final word, He is all the words.

Pray that God manifest himself to you!

God revealed himself to Abraham as El Shaddai – the God who is ‘more than enough’. And God made covenant with Abraham. God said to Abraham: ‘Can you count the stars or the grains of sand? I will give you more.’ Learn to see God as the God of More!

We don’t see God by one encounter. Just as a photo image captures only a moment – it might be a moment of sadness, love, joy, or other emotion. We need multiple contacts to know God.
We are often taught that the believer’s goal is eternal life. But going to heaven is a benefit, not the goal. The real goal should be to be like him, to reflect his characteristics.
When a woman has a baby, after learning that the mother and child are safe and well, the next question is often “who does he look like?”

God is looking to see the characteristics of His son in us.

I chose this song which speaks to me for today’s message: Who Am I?

Verses for Today (two translations):
Matthew 14:35-36 NIV
35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.


Matthew 14:35-36 King James Version
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased.
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.


(Interestingly my Bible reading this morning before church included Luke 17:21. Although I am looking forward to God’s Kingdom to come, this reminded me that the Kingdom is here now if I have believed in Christ and allowed the Holy Spirit to dwell in me.)
God, please help me to recognize You and to become more like You.

Audible Book Review: After the Ending by Lindsey Fairleigh, Lindsey Pogue

 This is a bit on the teen angsty side for me but the post-apocalyptic story had some interest as survivors developed supernatural abilities.

After The Ending
The Ending Series, #1
By: Lindsey Fairleigh, Lindsey Pogue
Narrated by: Natalie Duke

Series: The Ending Series, Book 1
Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
Release date: 04-25-14 Publisher: L2 Books
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci Fi
My Rating: 3.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.5; Narration 3.75.

Publisher's Summary
The best-selling first audiobook in the emotionally charged post-apocalyptic romance series, The Ending Series.
The virus spread. Billions died. The ending began. We may have survived the apocalypse, but the virus changed us.
When people started getting sick, they thought it was just the flu. My roommate, my boyfriend, my family ...they're all gone now. I got sick too. I should have died with them - with the rest of the world - but I didn't. I thought witnessing the human population almost disappear off the face of the earth was the craziest thing I'd ever experience. I was so wrong. My name is Dani O'Connor, I'm twenty-six-years-old, and I survived the ending.
The virus changed everything. The world I knew is gone, and life is backwards. We've all had to start over. I've been stripped of my home, my dreams ...all that is me. I'm someone else now-broken and changed. Other survivors' memories and emotions haunt me. They invade my mind until I can no longer separate them from my own. I won't let them consume me. I can't. My name is Zoe Cartwright, I'm twenty-six-years-old, and I survived the ending.
We've been inseparable for most of our lives, and now our friendship is all we have left. The aftermath of the virus has stranded us on opposite sides of the United States. Trusting strangers, making sacrifices, killing - we'll do anything to reach one another. Fear and pain may be unavoidable, but we're strong ...we're survivors. But to continue surviving in this unfamiliar world plagued by crazies and strange new abilities, we have to adapt. We have to evolve.
And more than anything, we have to find each other.
This audiobook contains some adult content and language.

Review:
Dani and Zoe are in their mid-twenties and best of friends separated across the country when billions die from a rapid virus. They are able to determine they are both alive because they can communicate by email. Dani’s boyfriend died and she is devastated…at least until Zoe’s older brother, Jason, arrives to rescue her.

Zoe gathers a group of friends to head west to meet up with her brother while he has a handful of young men and women traveling to a place they believe will be safe. Along the way the separate groups run into hostile forces who want to control where they can go and what they can do.

The young people who have survived seem to be obsessed with sex. I struggled along in the teen angst because at mid-point it became clear that several of the survivors were developing unique powers. Although the abilities may be helpful, they soon are considered freaks who are a threat to others.

I felt the characters were shallow and not well developed, other than being whiney and on the weak side. I wasn’t particularly engaged by the survival because it is overwhelmed by the drama. Over the breadth of the story a romance develops for both Dani and Zoe. This is portrayed nicely without being graphic and at least gave some favorable elements to the story. I’m not planning on continuing the series. This is a post-apocalyptic story that would be good for a younger audience and for readers who enjoy supernatural elements.

Audio Notes: Natalie Duke precisely captures the young whiny female voices. I don’t think she managed the male voices as well. Still, the narration made this longish book move along for me.

Source: April 2014 Audible Credit. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Audio Book Review: A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl & April Henry

This is an okay crime mystery story.
A Matter of Trust
Written by Lis Wiehl & April Henry
Read by Eleni Pappageorge

Run Time 9h 6min
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Crime Fiction, Legal Procedure, Mysteries
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

Publisher Description
When life is murder, who can you trust? One minute Mia Quinn is in her basement, chatting on the phone with a colleague at the prosecutor’s office. The next minute she hears a gunshot over the line, and Mia listens in horror as her colleague and friend Colleen bleeds to death.
Mia’s a natural for heading up the murder investigation, but these days it’s all she can do to hold her life together. As a new widow with a pile of debts, a troubled teenaged son, and a four-year-old who wakes up screaming at night, she needs more time with her family, not less-and working Colleen’s case will be especially demanding. But Colleen was her friend, and she needs to keep her job. So Mia reluctantly teams up with detective Charlie Carlson to investigate. But the deeper they dig, the more complications unfold-even the unsettling possibility that someone may be coming after her.
Lis Wiehl’s signature plot twists and relatable characters shine in this absorbing series debut … with an intriguing cameo from her best-selling Triple Threat series. ôA stunning crime series debut … Smart, suspenseful, and full of twists that only an insider like Wiehl could pull off”. (Linda Fairstein, New York Times best-selling author).

Review:
Mia Quinn is a new widow juggling life with her teenage son and her return to the workforce as a prosecutor. She wants to pursue a case against high school students who bullied another student who then committed suicide. Her superiors want her to concentrate on other cases as the bullying is an iffy case to prove.

While Mia is on the phone with her partner, Colleen, suddenly she hears a shot over the phone and Colleen stops speaking. Mia asks her teen son to hold the phone while she rushes to the scene. There she meets up with police detective, Charlie Carlson, not one of her favorite officers. Charlie often goes outside of the rule book to accomplish his goals and Mia doesn’t find that acceptable.

Mia’s boss asks her to partner with Carlson to investigate the death of her friend. Although it is rough for Mia to take on another case, she reluctantly agrees. The two begin get assistance from a tech wizard to dig deeper into connections between Colleen’s ‘execution’ and a similar case that is years old. Their poking into details seems to be paying off when Mia is stalked, and threats are received. It appears that someone close to the legal system has extra information on the case.

To complicate Mia’s life, her four-year-old daughter is having traumatic night terrors, Mia is still working on the bully case, and to top things off, she is learning unsettling facts about her deceased husband. Mia is fortunate to receive some unexpected help from her father. With all the emotional upset and work to juggle, can Mia accept Carlson’s help and uncover the murderer?

I actually wasn’t aware that prosecutors were involved in investigating a case quite this much but it makes some sense, especially if the budget is tight for investigators. I’m not a big fan of messy drama which of course filled this story. However, I did enjoy the mystery and the process that Mia and Carlson used to pursue the clues. I would recommend this to fans of crime mystery and legal procedure (with a healthy side of drama).

Audio Notes: Eleni Pappageorge does a good job with the narration. She portrays the drama without going too far overboard. The story was easy to listen to and a good way for me to ‘read’ the book.

Source: August 2020 Chirp Purchase at $3.99. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.