Audible Book Review: Detroit Christmas, A Grimnoir Chronicles Audio Drama, by Larry Correia

This is a fun, quick listen, although not quite what I hoped for. I was filling time before starting a long book for travel. This Christmas title by an author I enjoy seemed like a fit.

Detroit Christmas
A Grimnoir Chronicles Audio Drama
By: Larry Correia
Narrated by: full cast


Series: Grimnoir Chronicles
Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
Release date: 02-11-16
Publisher: Baen Books
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
Private eye Jake Sullivan is a war hero - and an ex-con. He's free because he has a magical talent, and the Feds need his help in apprehending criminals with their own magical abilities. Jake's talent is gravity spiking. He can vary the force of gravity however he wishes in an area. When it comes to spiking, Jake is the best.
Now a rich beauty walks into his office to hire Jake to find her missing husband, a magical healer who has ties to the Detroit mob. Jake takes the case, but little does he know that there are plots within plots waiting to ensnare him, and solving the case may require fighting for his life with the odds stacked against him. But Jake is used to that. And now it's Christmas. Time to deck the walls with splattered bodies!
Detroit Christmas is a richly imagined, fully produced audio play, with original music, film-quality sound effects, and an amazing cast.

Review:
Jake Sullivan is a tough guy – a former war hero and an ex-con. Now he is a private eye who works with the Feds to help capture criminals with magical abilities. Jake is needed as he has a unique magical talent – he can gravity spike increasing or decreasing the gravity around him to escape quickly or put a lot of pressure on others.

Jake is engaged by a rich beauty to find her missing husband, a magical healer. The man is sought by several groups prone to injuries, including a mob gang. Jake has to follow the clues to find the man, even if the clues draw him into pretty apparent traps. That’s okay, Jake is accustomed to leaving a trail of bodies behind him.

I totally enjoy the Monster Hunter International Series written by Correia. I have also listened to one of his stories in The Adventures of Tom Stranger, Interdimensional Insurance Agent. This story, in the Grimnoir Chronicles, is more of along the line of the Tom Stranger variety. Jack is a hard nosed-detective hired by a distressed female and that reminds me of old time private eye stories.

This is a very fast paced story, full of action which supersedes the mystery element. Of course, it is a short book so things move along quickly. I have book one and a couple more of the short novels to listen to in this series. I recommend this to fans of private eye stories and characters with supernatural abilities. Don’t expect it to be a sweet Christmas book.

Audio Notes: This is a performance by a full cast. There are 13 character voices and plenty of background sounds like gun shots, sirens, body slamming, and more. The background level noise was busy and sometimes made it hard to catch the dialog. Still, overall, I enjoyed the production.

(By the way, if you like old time detectives check out: The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio.)

Source: August 2020 Audible Plus Catalog Free Selections. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Sunday Post January 15, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 16, 2023

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 don't have a full report on my DIL surgery and cancer yet. However, the doctor did have to take a slice of cheek bone right under her eye so that is not good. He advised that he might not have gotten clear margins based on that location.

We continue to stay busy at work while catching up slowly.

I decided to try a vegetable casserole today. Not precisely like the recipe but close and yummy.

My continuing prayers include prayers for more unity in all nations and a calmer atmosphere in 2023. Praying for friends and families dealing with grief.

This week the weather was mostly nice until later in the week as it got cold and damp.  The week ended with very cold weather on Saturday with no higher than 50 during the day and down to 29 during the night.  Brrrr for me and my puppies.

I finished two audios and posted three reviews with my memes.

I visited 18 blogs again last week.
Shout out this week to GIRL PLUS BOOKS. I really like Tanya's profile comments which includes: "Lover of Fictional Characters." Check out the rest.

Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

• Sunday Post January 8, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 9, 2023.

• A2022: Audible Book Review: The Legion Awakes, The Sleeping Legion, Book 1, by J.R. Handley; Genre: Military, Space Opera; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.
  

• A2022: Audible Book Review: TFS Ingenuity, The Terran Fleet Command Saga, Book 1, by Tori L. Harris; Genre: Alien, First Contact, Sci Fi, Space Opera, Technothriller; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.
  

• ATBR: Audible Book Review: Sheryl Crow, Words + Music Vol 6, by Sheryl Crow; Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.
  

• Sharing Beyond Books #454 Comment Giveaway January 14, 2023. Open Worldwide. Ending 2/11/2023.
  

• Sunday Words of Encouragment January 15, 2023 - Anchored in the Shaking Waves by Johnathan Cahn.
  

Finished Reading:
1. NetGalley App on Smartphone (NG2022)

Coup de Grâce
By: Paul Centeno
Narrated by: Rob Jones UK
Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
I like SteamPunk and this was a good adventure.
Source: December 2022 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

2. NetGalley App on Smartphone (NG2022)

The Prayer Warrior
By: Traci Wooden-Carlisle, D. Tina Batten
Narrated by: Anita Faye Thomas
Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
This is a positive Christian novel.
Source: December 2022 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

Currently Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Forging Zero: The Legend of ZERO
By: Sara King
Narrated by: Liam Owen
Series: Legend of ZERO, Book 1
Length: 21 hours and 54 minutes
This is an older TBR and my first Number pick. I am engaged by the sci fi story and already 3/4 done.
Source: 11/28/2016 Audible Sale.
The Legend of Zero begins the epic journey of 14-year-old Joe Dobbs in a post-apocalyptic universe following a massive alien invasion of Earth. The oldest of the children drafted from humanity's devastated planet, Joe is impressed into service by the alien Congressional Ground Force - and becomes the unwitting centerpiece in a millennia-long alien struggle for independence.
Once his training begins, one of the elusive and prophetic Trith appears to give Joe a spine-chilling prophecy that the universe has been anticipating for millions of years: Joe will be the one to finally shatter the vast alien government known as Congress. And the Trith cannot lie. But first Joe has to make it through bootcamp.

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

The Last Tribe By: Brad Manuel
Narrated by: Scott Brick
Length: 22 hrs and 42 mins
Release date: 06-14-16
I wanted another long book and a post-apocalyptic.
This fits and is also a new to me author.
Source: 05/17/2020 Audible Credit pick.
Publisher's Summary
Imagine being alone in the world, one of only a handful to survive a global pandemic. Not only do you struggle to find food, water, and shelter but you also deal with the sadness and losing everyone you know and everything you have.
Fourteen-year-old Greg Dixon is living that nightmare. Attending boarding school outside of Boston, he is separated from his family when a pandemic strikes. His classmates and teachers are dead, rotting in a dormitory-turned-morgue steps from his room. The nights are getting colder, and his food has run out. The last message from his father is to get away from the city and to meet at his grandparents' town in remote New Hampshire. Knowing the impending New England winter could be the final nail in his coffin, Greg packs what little food he can find and sets off on his 100-mile walk north with the unwavering belief that his family is alive and will join him.
As the fast-moving and deadly disease strips away family and friends, Greg's father, John, is trapped in South Carolina. Roadblocks, a panic-stricken population, and winter make it impossible for him to get to his son. John and his three brothers appear to be immune, but they are scattered across a locked-down United States, forced to wait for the end of humanity before travelling to the mountains of New Hampshire.
Spring arrives, and the Dixons make their way north to find young Greg. They meet others along the way, slowly forming the last tribe of humanity from the few people still alive in the Northeast.
©2015 Brad Manuel (P)2016 Podium Publishing.

Again, I will decide on the next book when I get there. :-)  I'm thinking maybe the next book in an ongoing series.

January 15, 2023 -  I am enjoying this new plan on YouVersion. I totally enjoyed watching the devotion videos so I am doing another BibleProject plan: The Full Story - "From the beginning to the Amen" .  I have never done a Chronological reading before. I think I will enjoy it.
I added a three day study during the week that was good: STILL: A 3-Day Devotional by Michael W. Smith.

I finished two audio titles and reviewed three so I am making slow progress. I am now behind 10 reviews (I missed two in my list the last two weeks).  I continue to work on these.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I still have three current titles from NetGalley, two audio and one ebook.
I still have the two old ebook titles. I went ahead and said "no feedback" for A Place Called Armageddon as a DNF.
I have one author review 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.

I didn't hold out too long on not buying new books since there was a good Audible sale where I picked up 3 audios, and then a daily deal I liked.
I also added ten free sci fi titles through Audible Plus Catalog.
I will pick my VIP selection before the end of the month at Audiobooks.
I won't have new credits at Audible until the 19th so I won't select those until after that.
Unless I find something at NetGalley or free on kindle, I might go three weeks with nothing new!
I got no free Kindle titles again this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

1/12/2023 Three books at $3.95 each from Audible’s First in Series sale.

The Mayflower Bride
Daughters of the Mayflower Series, Book 1
By: Kimberley Woodhouse
Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
I have had my eye on this series for a long time.

Love's Unfading Light
An Eagle Harbor Novel Series, Book 1
By: Naomi Rawlings
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
This looks like a series I will like.

Mr. Gardiner and the Governess
A Regency Romance (Clairvoir Castle Romances, Book 1)
By: Sally Britton
Narrated by: Jessica Elisa Boyd
Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
I have always liked stories about Governesses.

1/14/2023 Audible Daily Deal:

The Librarian of Crooked Lane
The Glass Library, Book 1
By: C.J. Archer
Narrated by: Marian Hussey
Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
Put a library with magic and I'm interested in this series by an author I have enjoyed.

Free

1/14/2023 These TEN Audible Plus titles showed up while I was preparing my sci fi review on TFS Integrity. These military and space opera series include book 2 in the Terran Fleet, three sets that include Books 1 and 2, two books in other ‘new-to-me’ series, and then the 1st book of two more sci fi series. Four of the authors are ‘new to me’ as I have not read titles from them yet.

TFS Theseus: The Terran Fleet Command Saga, Book 2
By: Tori L. Harris
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
Series: The Terran Fleet Command Saga, Book 2
Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

The System States Rebellion Omnibus: Books 1-2
By: Dietmar Wehr
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
Series: The System States Rebellion, Book 1-2
Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins

Bounty Hunter: Publisher's Pack (Book 1-2)
By: Rachel Aukes (New to Me Author)
Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
Series: Bounty Hunter, Book 1-2
Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins

Time Wars Last Forever: Publisher's Pack
Books 1-2
By: Craig Robertson (New to Me Author)
Narrated by: Scott Aiello
Series: Time Wars Last Forever, Book 1-2
Length: 14 hrs and 42 mins
(This is also in the Time Travel genre.)

Genesis: The Holy War Series, Book 1
By: Rick Partlow (New to Me Author)
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
Series: Holy War, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Judgment Day: The Holy War Series, Book 2
By: Rick Partlow
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
Series: Holy War, Book 2
Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins

Sky Hunter: A Targon Tales Prequel
By: Chris Reher (New to Me Author)
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Series: Targon Tales, Book 0
Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins

(Book 1 acquired through Audible Plus in March 2022.)

Only Human: Targon Tales, Book 2
By: Chris Reher
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Series: Targon Tales, Book 2
Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins

Forerunner: AI Fleet, Book 1
By: Isaac Hooke
Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
Series: AI Fleet Series, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Starship Eternal: War Eternal, Book 1
By: M. R. Forbes
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
Series: War Eternal, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins



No new 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 Encouragment January 15, 2023 - Anchored in the Shaking Waves by Johnathan Cahn

I didn't get to church this morning and apparently they didn't get to have the service online.
So I am sharing a video from Jonathan Cahn on being Anchored in the Shaking Waves.
I hope someone who needs to hear this message will get to listen.
Anchor yourself through the storm.

A Verse for Today:
Hebrews 6:19 NIV
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. …

Lord, help me to stay anchored in You.

Sharing Beyond Books #454 Comment Giveaway January 17, 2023

Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books.  I want to stay in touch with others so for now, I will continue this post monthly.

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last question.
Last post SBB #453: Ashfa asked: Do you enjoy reading books from villain’s POV? Who is your favorite villain??
Two commenters mentioned Maleficent. Two had no favs and the others mentioned: Vicious (V.E. Schwab), Shadow Jack from Villains Rule (M.K. Gibson) and Hades.

The Winner from SBB #453 comments is #1 FREDAMANS 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 #454

(One Question.)

Natalia asks: What would you do if you had more free time??

I get in a lot of reading (listening). I've added a little more time with my Bible reading and prayer time. I've been spending more time in the kitchen since I am cooking for myself. And of course I spend much time on the computer - work and blog.

If I had more free time I would like to think I would use that time to relax a little more. Right now though, I could use time decluttering.

Image found at Quizony.

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.
November question was provided by NATALIA who gets a GC credit.

Your turn to share. Natalia asks: What would you do if you had more free time??

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 February 11, 2023.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 5 PM central.

Audible Book Review: Sheryl Crow, Words + Music Vol 6, by Sheryl Crow

I enjoyed this quick, revealing memoir.
Sheryl Crow
Words + Music | Vol. 6
By: Sheryl Crow
Narrated by: Sheryl Crow

Series: Words + Music
Length: 1 hr and 37 mins
Original Recording Audiobook
Release date: 09-10-20
Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

About This Audible Original
"My music has been a great resource and cathartic tool, but also something I’ve hid behind."

Revealing, intimate, and exhilaratingly raw, celebrated songwriter and acclaimed singer Sheryl Crow’s Words + Music provides the perfect canvas for the nine-time Grammy Award-winning artist to showcase her potent talent, articulate her complex inner workings, and breathe new life into a sizable stack of her most beloved tracks. Part of Audible’s rapidly expanding Words + Music series, blending storytelling, music, and performance to create exceptional listening experiences, Crow’s session is marked by gorgeously stripped-down versions of the songs that made her a household name (exclusively recorded for these sessions). The tunes punctuate rich storytelling, as she dives deep into the history of her career, re-examining the personal experiences and relationships that impacted her artistic journey.

"My journey is my own," Crow says. "I mean, it's definitely not without some detours and definitely not without some hard lessons." True to form, Crow leads us through her winding road to success—maybe more accurately defined as a series of jolting rollercoaster rides, as she recounts all the fits and starts, the feverish highs and lows, that have come to define a career now in its fourth decade. Featuring stunningly crisp, yet lo-fi renditions of eight songs including, "If It Makes You Happy," "All I Wanna Do," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Strong Enough," "My Favorite Mistake," and George Harrison’s soulful "Beware of Darkness," Sheryl Crow lays herself bare. From her early days in small-town Missouri where she sought salvation from her melancholy by turning to mystical rockers (Stevie Nicks and Zeppelin, most notably); to pursuing her dreams, and in quick fashion landing the spectacular gig as one of Michael Jackson’s featured solo vocalists on tour. (A career catapult that quickly became a cautionary tale.)

From the crushing weight of perfectionism and loneliness, to the joys of finally finding kindred musical spirits—only to have it all crumble, just as the music was skyrocketing, the toll of her volatile ascent to stardom comes into focus. In a particularly fascinating section, she revisits the total sense of peer disconnect during the height of her records’ success as her style was painfully incongruent with the greater musical landscape at the time. This, subsequently leading to an "adoption" of sorts by an older, more simpatico class of musicians—luckily for her, they doubled as her heroes: Nicks, Keith Richards, and Dylan, among them. In another poignant moment, Sheryl lets listeners in on the dysfunction and emotional reckoning that came after her well-publicized romances with Eric Clapton, and a few years later, Lance Armstrong.

In just an hour and a half, Sheryl Crow manages to transform before our ears: from a well-known artist to human being we now know pretty damn well. That’s not easy to accomplish. And perhaps most extraordinarily, we are left with a lasting gift: beautiful songs we entered knowing become beautiful songs we now understand.

Review:
Ms. Crow does a lovely job sharing her love of music and the true struggles of trying to get ‘into the business’. It isn’t a pretty picture. She shares openly about her relationships and heartbreaks. It took a while for her to find a comfortable place that didn’t require her to compromise herself.

I listened to this as a filler while I was up late wrapping presents as I had a plan to start a new book on my car ride up north for Christmas. I am not a huge fan of her songs although I do like her voice. This was a charming memoir and personal glimpse of the artist. I appreciated her forthrightness.

Audio Notes: Sheryl Crow does a good job sharing her own words and touches of music. I always wish for more of the music in these short biographies/memoirs. The nice thing of listening is that there is a good sense of the artist’s voice and you can go listen to more online. I appreciate this was a free audible.

Source: August 2020 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goal.