Sharing Beyond Books #451 Comment Giveaway October 15, 2022

Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books. (Note - I am going to continue to post monthly now, probably through the end of the year. This one runs through November 19, 2022.)

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last question.
Last post SBB#450:  Marjorie asked: Do you still mask going shopping even though you do not have too??
Six commenters said "Yes" they are still wearing masks most of the time. Three of us said "no". We are only wearing in locations (like doctor offices) where required, or if we aren't feeling well.

The Winner from SBB#450 comments is #6 ASHFA 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. -- [9-18-2021 I have added a new box and crossed off books no longer available through August 2021.]

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

WEEK #451

(One Question.)

Elizabeth asks: Where do you keep track of books that you've read, as well as want to read? Any online suggestions??

I have tracked books on Goodreads for about 10 years (even though I joined in 2008). I have kept the lists on the blog since 2009 and I've had an annual spreadsheet for four years. I have a WORD document list from 2001 to 2005. After that I had a special booklist software program from 2006 to 2009 when I started the blog. I am not sure I can find the password to access that program so that is awkward. Fortunately, I have lists of favorite authors and the books checked off on the author lists showing those read in those years.

Image found at Memphis Library

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.
October question was provided by ELIZABETH who gets a GC credit.

Your turn to share. Elizabeth asks: Where do you keep track of books that you've read, as well as want to read? Any online suggestions??

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.
THE deadline is a month, until November 19.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday, November 19, 2022, at 5 PM central.

Audible Book Review: Voyage of the Defiance: Breaking Free, Book 1, by S.E. Smith

This teen coming of age story ended up more entertaining than I initially expected.
Voyage of the Defiance: Breaking Free, Book 1
By: S. E. Smith
Narrated by: Suzanne Elise Freeman

Series: Breaking Free, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
Release date: 12-15-15
Publisher: S.E. Smith
Genre: Action and Adventure, Family, Teen and Young Adult
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
From S. E. Smith, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, comes this emotionally charged coming-of-age story filled with action, adventure, and suspense for listeners of all ages.
An act of defiance will either kill her or change her life forever.
Sixteen-year-old Makayla Summerlin enjoyed one thing in her crazy, messed-up existence: hanging with her friends at school. But her life is uprooted when she suddenly finds herself forced to live with a grandfather she barely remembers. One act of defiance will change her life forever. Having trouble adjusting to her new home, she sets sail in her grandfather's old sailboat. On a journey that will challenge everything she has ever believed about herself, Makayla must overcome her fears if she, and a surprising stowaway, are to survive.
©2015 S. E. Smith (P)2015 S. E. Smith

Review:
Sixteen-year-old Makayla has had to deal with a mother who would rather escape with drugs and a new boyfriend. Makayla finds refuge with a handful of friends at school. But she doesn’t want to tell even them how difficult her home life is. When her mother is in an accident, Makayla is forced to go live with her grandfather.

Her grandfather explains that her mother is in rehab, but Makayla isn’t happy and continues to try to get home to her mother. Grandfather begins to show Makayla how to care for an handle his sailboat, the Defiance. Makayla tries to resist falling for a young man who helps her grandfather, but, in spite of her efforts, her heart becomes engaged. Then she learns that the boy is leaving for college and that he will return with the snobby girl who has become Makayla’s nemesis at her new school.

Makayla decides to run. She loads food and supplies on the boat and heads out to sail home, from one side of Florida to the other. Makayla finds a surprise stoyaway on the boat and then has to face nature, as well as herself, as they struggle to get home safely.

This is definitely a story for teens and young adults. Although her parental situation was sad, I had some difficulty accepting Makayla’s attitude and poor choices. However, as the story progressed and she receives help from an unexpected friend, I enjoyed the friendship and developments of the story. The story does a good job addressing bullying and racial issues.

The survival story was a bit far-fetched but it worked for the fiction. I also liked the Florida settings and the boating details. (I grew up in Florida with close connection to power boats and occasional forays on sailboats.) I recommend this to teens and young adults, and also to fans of family issues and boats.

Audio Notes: Suzanne Elise Freeman does a fine job with the narration. Her tone is clear and smooth and portrays the emotions appropriately. The narration enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

Source: 7/19/2021 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet (“V”) goal.

Sunday Post October 9, 2022/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday October 10, 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.

The week was busy with late nights again but I had dinner with a client friend in from out of town on Thursday. Then I went shopping with my assistant and took her to dinner on Friday. That gave me a break from late nights at the office.

Heather is still not feeling too good. She is stressed and feels like she isn't getting enough time with her kids.

We have all been clearing file boxes and decorating our offices a bit for our Grand Re-Opening on Tuesday. Below is our Coffee Bar in the Lobby and our closing room.
(I had a special closing table that everyone except Heather liked. We haven't found it in the storage pod and I think maybe it got ruined. I have to ask the work crew if they remember.)

I continue with my previous prayer lists.
We have still had very little rain here. Evening temps will drop to the 40s this week. Day temps will remain in the low to mid 80s.

This week I finished two audios I enjoyed. I posted four reviews and my regular Memes.

I visited only 14 blogs last week.
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 October 2, 2022/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday October 3, 2022.

• ATBR: Audible Book Review: Aesop's Fables by Aesop; Genre: Children’s Classics, Classics, Teaching; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

• NG2022: #NetGalley Audio Book Review: Until Someone Listens by Estela Juarez; Genre: Children’s Audiobook, Latin American; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway October 7, 2022 . Open Worldwide. Ending 10/13/2022.
  

• ATBR: Audible Book Review: Fear the Sky by Stephen Moss; Genre: Fantasy, Hard Science Fiction, Military; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

• ATBR: Audio Book Review: Act of Mercy by Mandy M. Roth; Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Shifter, Romance, Science Fiction; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement October 9, 2022 - The Servant and the Bride
  

Finished Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Death Overdue: A Haunted Library Mystery
By: Allison Brook
Narrated by: Mia Gaskin
Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
This is a nice, easy listen cozy mystery with just a hint of future romance.
Source: 1/23/2021 Audible Plus Catalog.
Click on book title for full description.

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 like these characters and the mystery of this book 2, Galvanism and Ghouls.
Source: 11/1/2020 Audiobooks.com Credit Purchase.

Galvanism and Ghouls
Click on book title for full description.

Currently Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

A Dirty Job
By: Christopher Moore
Narrated by: Fisher Stevens
Series: Grim Reaper, Book 1 (2 books)
Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
This is a bit rough with language and reasoning but it has some funny moments.  I have 3 hours left.
Source: 7/18/21 Audible $5.00 sale on Sci Fi and Fantasy titles.
Publisher's Summary
Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy. A little hapless, somewhat neurotic, sort of a hypochondriac. He's what's known as a Beta Male: the kind of fellow who makes his way through life by being careful and constant, you know, the one who's always there to pick up the pieces when the girl gets dumped by the bigger/taller/stronger Alpha Male.
But Charlie's been lucky. He owns a building in the heart of San Francisco, and runs a secondhand store with the help of a couple of loyal, if marginally insane, employees. He's married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. And she, Rachel, is about to have their first child.
Yes, Charlie's doing okay for a Beta. That is, until the day his daughter, Sophie, is born. Just as Charlie, exhausted from the birth, turns to go home, he sees a strange man in mint-green golf wear at Rachel's hospital bedside, a man who claims that no one should be able to see him. But see him Charlie does, and from here on out, things get really weird.
People start dropping dead around him, giant ravens perch on his building, and it seems that everywhere he goes, a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Strange names start appearing on his nightstand notepad, and before he knows it, those people end up dead, too. Yup, it seems that Charlie Asher has been recruited for a new job, an unpleasant but utterly necessary one: Death. It's a dirty job. But hey, somebody's gotta do it.
©2006 Christopher Moore (P)2006 HarperCollinsPublishers

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

An Uninvited Ghost
By: E.J. Copperman
Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi
Series: Haunted Guesthouse, Book 2 

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
I enjoyed the first book so thought I'd read the second as a lighter haunted story.
Source: October 2020 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
Alison and her resident gumshoe ghost are on their next case when the deceased Scott MacFarlane floats in worried that he accidentally killed a prominent local woman. Turns out she's still alive...that is, of course, until she's murdered - in Alison's house. Now, between the demands of her guests and the arrival of a reality television crew, Alison must find the killer before she sees reality from the other side.
©2011 Jeffrey Cohen (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

I suspect I will get to a third book but I haven't chosen yet.

October 9, 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 read two more titles and reviewed four so I made progress but still need to review: 8 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 have one author reviews in my queue that I need to start reading on my computer.
(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.

SLIM MAIL BOX FOR ME THIS WEEK.
No new review titles this week.
I found one Audible Plus.
No free Kindle titles this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

NONE

Free

10/6/2022 Audible Plus

Space: 1969
By: Bill Oakley
Narrated by: Natasha Lyonne, full cast
Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins



No titles 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 9, 2022 - The Servant and the Bride

Our Sunday School teacher shared a study on the Second Coming of Christ. He noted that Christ first came to die and pay the price for our sins. He is coming again to complete our salvation and restoration to God, and to establish His kingdom on earth. He will be bringing Heaven down to earth. Maranatha!

We enjoyed lovely worship starting our church service. We shared communion and the Pastor Appreciation Sunday. Pastor’s message was The Servant and the Bride based on Genesis 24:1-9 and 2 Corinthians 11:1-4. The Genesis scriptures shares the story of Abraham making his servant swear that he would go to Abraham’s home country to find a bride for Isaac. Paul tells the believers that they are promised to Christ as a pure virgin.

Isaiah prophesies that God loves us like a bride. Isaiah 62:4-5. John recognized Christ as the bridegroom. John 3:27-29. John tells us in Revelation that the angel said he would show him “the bride, the wife of the lamb.” Revelation 21:9. “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Revelation 22:17.

The servant’s job is to go get a bride The church pastor serves as an agent of God to present a pure bride. The pastor has a divinely called ministry. He will be a shepherd servant of God. The bride is to be a humble bride, not a mistress of the servant. This is God's plan. His church is betrothed to the lord – set apart as His loyal bride.

The job of the servant is to bring people to Christ. Pointing people to Jesus. To build up the body of Christ. Not to be greater than Christ. One of pastor’s mentors explained that accolades are just crumbs. The true reward is pleasing God.

Rebekah went with Abraham’s servant and, as soon as Rebekah saw Isaac across the field, she veiled herself, committing herself to the marriage. Betrothal was equivalent of marriage. We set our eyes (and plans) on the one who we are betrothed to. Believers need to fall in love with Jesus. It is an intimate relationship, greater than any love. God loved us first. John 3:16. When we submit to Christ, we should be all in.

Believers need to get to know God through His voice. Jesus is the revelation of God. Start with the Word of God. Build a relationship with worship and prayer time. Worship Him in spirit and in truth with integrity. Don't love the act of worship more than the one you worship.
The relationship should be comfortable and intimate. Genesis 24.

Believers should not neglect gathering together. We should meet together, encourage one another and inspire each other. Hebrews 10:25.
Draw near to God. Jesus reinstated Peter, telling him to “feed my lambs…take care of my sheep.” John 21:15-17.

I found and chose this song today: Falling in Love.

Verses for Today:
2 Corinthians 11:1-2 NIV
1 I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

Lord help me to stay in love with You!

Audio Book Review: Act of Mercy by Mandy M. Roth

This werewolf tale has a good story as well as high sexual level for those who enjoy that.

Act of Mercy
Written by Mandy M. Roth
Narrated by Mason Lloyd

Run Time 4h 53min
Release Date: May 8, 2014
Publisher: Raven Happy Hour, LLC
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Shifter, Romance, Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.0.

Publisher Description
From NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Mandy M. Roth
Book One in the Immortal Ops Series World spin-off the PSI-Ops series.
Paranormal Shifter Military Special Ops Romance
Paranormal Security and Intelligence Operative Duke Marlow has a new mission: find, interrogate and possibly eliminate the target—Mercy Deluca. He knows looks can be deceiving, but it’s hard to believe the beautifully quirky woman running around in a superhero t-shirt is a viable threat. The little biomedical engineer quickly proves she is more than he bargained for and Intel has it all wrong—she’s not the enemy. Far from it. Intel also forgot to mention one vital piece of information—she’s Duke’s mate. And this immortal alpha werewolf doesn’t take kindly to her being in danger.
When Mercy accepted a position within Donavon Dynamics Corporation, she thought it was to help cure disease and to make a difference for mankind. She had no idea what her new career path truly entailed—monsters masquerading under the guise of scientific research. Unable to stomach the atrocities she’s uncovered, she reaches out through what she hopes is the proper channels, asking for help. Mercy gets more than she bargained for when a team of paranormal hotties show up on her doorstep ready to take down the Corporation. One, in particular, is able to get under her skin, both aggravating and exciting her in ways she can’t explain.

Review:
Duke is an immortal werewolf shifter serving as a Paranormal Security and Intelligence (PSI) Operative. He and his team are called in when there are dangerous and or delicate situations involving paranormal beings. The idea is to keep the shifter community under control and out of the public eye. The team has become family to Duke who has had to go below the radar many times to hide his generations of age. During his long life he has never found a mate and isn’t sure that favor will ever be his.

Grumbly Duke is writing reports, (with his two-finger typing), when he takes a call to the office by a woman seeking help. The conversation goes sideways as his sexually slanted snark ends up not helping the desperate caller whom he believes to be a prank.

A day or so later Duke’s team is called on to investigate and secure a biomedical facility that is believed to be kidnapping and torturing shifters to learn their DNA secrets and to develop a virus to disable their abilities. In addition to suspecting that one of their own is being held in the facility, the team has been instructed to interrogate, and terminate, if necessary, a key person involved at the research facility, Mercy Deluca.

Mercy is a beauty who is also a geeky whiz at computers and technology. She had no idea what Donovan Dynamics (the Corporation) was up to when she accepted a job with them. Now she knows their work is murderous and she is trying to save one man’s life and get herself out safely too. Mercy was raised in the foster care system and isn’t quick to trust strangers.

Although the PSI men don’t want to think the attractive woman is the enemy, they will do what is necessary. That is until Duke comes face to face with the woman and know for sure she is not only innocent, but also she is his mate and in trouble.

I really did enjoy the intensity, danger, and chemistry of the story. The team is full of Alpha males who engage in fun, if dirty-minded and base banter. There is a good dose of foul language which I wasn’t thrilled with. I was glad that the sexual contact was nicely handled although I think it would be described as “hot sex”. Still, the situation is romance so that makes a difference. I might get more in the series when I feel like this form of story. I recommend this to fans of shifter characters and steamy sex.

Audio Notes: Mason Lloyd does a good job delivering the base snark of the male shifters. He also manages the female characters. I wasn’t exactly pulled into the voice at first but, as the book progressed, I think he carried it well. I am glad I had this in audio.

Source: 4/24/2021 Chirp Deal $.99. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.