Sunday Post May 14, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 15, 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.

I had another good and consistent work week. I still have future decisions to make but I am not feeling stress over it.

I got to have my Florida granddaughters attend church with me before I drove them back to Panama City where we met my daughter for lunch.
Sadly my grandson works nights so he didn't make it out to lunch.

Both dogs will visit the vet in two weeks.

My continuing prayers include prayers for more unity in all nations, a calmer social atmosphere, and for revival. We are also praying for family and church.


We are having sunny days with thunderstorms. Several days, including today the day temp was over 90. This week's forecast is more rain but the temps will be just under 90.

I finished three audios this past week and posted three reviews and two memes.

I visited only 14 blogs last week. (I wasn't on the computer too long in the evenings.)
Shout out this week: RAIN CITY READS. M loves to read and has wide-ranging tastes. Stop by and take a peek at her well organized blog.

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

• Sunday Post May 7, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 8, 2023.

• ATBR: Audio Book Review: Silver Dollar Duke by Sally Britton; Genre: Historical Romance, Religious & Inspirational, Romance, Western Romance; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• ATBR: Audio Book Review: Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Voghts; Genre: Christian Romance, Country Romance, Small Town Romance; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.
  

• P2023: Book Review: Get Up & Grow, 21 Habits of Successful People by Duke Matlock; Genre: Christian Growth, Christian Self Help, Non-Fiction; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement May 14, 2023 - Contentment.

Finished Reading:

1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Broken
By: S.J. West
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Series: The Watcher Chronicles, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
I found this engaging and will continue the series.
Source: 9/27/2022 Audible Plus
Click on book title for full description.

2. NetGalley App Smartphone (NG2023)

Titanium Noir
by Nick Harkaway
This is a different mystery, sci fi mix, which I enjoyed.
Source 3/4/2023 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Nine Lives: A Lily Dale Mystery
By: Wendy Corsi Staub
Narrated by: Melanie Ewbank
Series: Lily Dale Mysteries, Book 1
I enjoyed this lighter mystery set in a psychics community.
Source: May 2021 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
After the death of her husband, Bella Jordan and her son need a fresh start. But on their way to stay with family in Chicago, they stop in Lily Dale, New York, and a storm forces them to spend the night.
Brimming with kooky psychics and mediums, Lily Dale is just the kind of quirky little town Bella's late husband always talked about settling down in. So when the local hotelier, Leona, passes away, Bella agrees to step in and help temporarily. The longer she and Max stay there, the more Lily Dale starts to feel like home.
But for Bella, finding a home means finding danger, too. Leona was murdered, and it's up to Bella to track down the killer before her sanctuary comes crashing down in Staub's warm and witty new series debut.
©2015 Wendi Corsi Staub (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Currently Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Dare to Lead
Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
By: Brené Brown
Narrated by: Brené Brown
Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
My son recommended this and I am find it it inspirational.
Source: May 15, 2022 Audible 2 April Credit picks.
Publisher's Summary
Number-one New York Times best seller.
Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead.
Don’t miss the hour-long Netflix special Brené Brown: The Call to Courage!
Named one of the best books of the year by Bloomberg.
Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas and has the courage to develop that potential.
When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it's necessary to do good work.
But daring leadership in a culture that’s defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and AI can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start.
Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question:
How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?
In this new audiobook, Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BS style that millions have come to expect and love. Brown writes, “One of the most important findings of my career is that daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable. It’s learning and unlearning that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with your whole heart. Easy? No. Because choosing courage over comfort is not always our default. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and our work. It’s why we’re here.”
Whether you’ve read Daring Greatly and Rising Strong or you’re new to Brené Brown’s work, this audiobook is for anyone who wants to step up and into brave leadership.
©2018 Brené Brown (P)2018 Random House Audio

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Kindred
By: S.J. West
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Series: The Watcher Chronicles, Book 2
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
This continues the Watcher series and is also set to expire 5/23. I'm half way through and hoping for a little more story and a little less romance.
Source: May 2023 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
In the second book of The Watcher Chronicles series, Jess finally learns where her father has been since the Tear first opened. While Mason tries to keep his distance from her, Jess continues to search for the other vessels with Chandler by her side.
This series is intended for a mature audience. Recommended for ages 17 and older due to sexual situations and adult themes.
If I were to use the movie rating system, I would rate this series an R.
©2013 S.J. West (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

I do expect to get to a third book (an audio). I'm leaning toward post-apocalyptic, maybe in a series I like.

May 14, 2023 - I am doing the daily readings of BibleProject plan: The Full Story - "From the beginning to the Amen".
I don't know whether I will do a YOU Bible App or a print book.

I finished two audio titles and a NetGalley ebook.  I still have four reviews to post this coming week.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I still have two more audios on my NetGalley shelf.
I still have the two old NetGalley ebook titles.

I have one author review in my queue that I need to start reading on my computer. (I need to look back and see which one this is.)
(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 newest to the team, Emma at Words and Peace.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

A mailbox of freebies this week.
No review titles last week.
I have credits to use this week for Audible.
I picked six books from Audible Plus.
I got one free Kindle title last week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

NONE

Free

Week of May 7-May 14, 2023 Audible Plus Catalog:

Kindred
By: S.J. West
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Series: The Watcher Chronicles, Book 2
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
(Expires 5/23/23.)

The World Over
By: Cassiopeia Fletcher
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
Series: Stone World Saga, Book 1
Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins

No Kindness Too Soon
By: Sylvain Neuvel
Narrated by: Melanie Nicholls-King, Deepti Gupta, Neil Hellegers, Gabriel Vaughan, Kathy Searle, Imani Jade Powers, Nicolette Chin, Gopal Divan, Garrett Michael Brown
Series: Audible Original Stories
Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins

Oblivion
By: S.J. West
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Series: The Watcher Chronicles, Book 3
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
(Expires 5/23/23.)

Shadows of a Lost Age
Dustfall, Book 1
By: Glynn James, J. Thorn
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
Series: Dustfall, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

The Fall
Burning Skies Series, Book 1
By: Devon C. Ford
Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
Series: Burning Skies Series, Book 1
Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins


ONE NEW KINDLE TITLE: May 11, 2023 Author Newsletter:

The Sparkly Bun: A children's book about confidence, self-esteem, individuality, and creativity.
by Keith Stoeckeler (Author), Lana Lee (Illustrator)



One new title added to Kindle library. 
Free titles might be found at Bookbub, Book Adrenaline, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement May 14, 2023 -- Contentment

We shared prayers in our Sunday School. Then our substitute teacher shared a powerful video on prayer and a personal testimony of God’s favor. We were reminded not to focus on our laundry list of prayer requests but to Praise God and trust he knows our needs and the desires of our hearts. Psalm 37:4

Our Pastor gave a wonderful sermon. It wasn’t focused on Mothers or Mother’s Day but on Contentment, sufficiency, and great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6-8.

Pastor noted that he had been observing a young mother at a store and the thought came to him: Does she believe she is sufficient? Or does her husband? Or teens?

God's plan is for us to be content. We might question why we are like we are. But we are chosen by God because He created each of us. We are each fearfully and wonderfully made; unique and special.

Like a stone mason or a carpenter, God uses the chisel or grinder to fit stone or wood to build His Church. God created us with a plan and then He works on us, like the potter works the clay, to use us as He wants. Jeremiah 18:1-6; Romans 9:19-21.

God's plan is for each person to live Godly life. We are to have a saving relationship with Him; to surrender to Him. We are to be a living sacrifice, focusing on God, rather than the world. Romans 12:1-2. We are to desire the things of God.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

God transforms as we pursue Him. We need to come to God with the attitudes: “Create in me a clean heart…” (Psalm 51:10-12) and make me the person you want me to be. We need to pray for God to change our view from the world view where we are self-focused, to an eternal view of God..

Spiritual exercise should be a priority. It is nice to look good but it is the character that matters most. As we seek treasure in the kingdom we will also see fruits of the spirit.

Godliness with contentment is great gain. We get there by:
1. Daily prayer time.
2. Daily time reading the word of God.
3. Pursuing a relationship with God

These efforts will lead to contentment. God will provide what we need. We don't have to do anything to impress another because we please God and will be find our worth in Him.

Great gain comes with blessings. Our lives can be sufficient serving Him. He provides the resources we need.
We brought nothing in our lives and can take nothing. 1 Timothy 6:7.
If we have food and clothing we can be content. 1 Timothy 6:8.
Our lives should be driven by eternity! God provides our needs when we are living to please Him.

I think this is a good song for today: Jireh.

Verses for Today:
1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.


Lord, I pray that you continue to allow me to draw closer to You and to find my sufficiency in You. Thank you for reminding me to be Content in You.

Book Review: Get Up & Grow, 21 Habits of Successful People by Duke Matlock

I plan to incorporate several recommendations from this inspiring book.
Get Up and Grow: 21 Habits of Successful People
By Duke Matlock

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 130 pages
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Morgan James Publishing (March 13, 2018)
Genre: Christian Growth, Christian Self Help, Non-Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

Get Up and Grow is about developing habits that foster personal and professional growth in four critical areas: spirituality, success, health, and margin. In six chapters, Get Up and Grow will enable you to shift your paradigm and create a culture of growth and investment in your life. By utilizing your mornings as opportunities for development, Get Up and Grow will change the way you view success and will create the space to see exponential growth.

Review:
This is an easy read and full of good recommendations. A glimpse at the Table of Contents shows the good topics that are covered. I can understand that these are all good habits to encourage for morning routine. Unfortunately, not everyone is a morning person, including me.

Over the past year particularly, I have been taking an extra half hour to an hour in the morning to start my day with Bible reading and prayer. This does start my days off well. I may add reading a chapter in an inspirational book which I would find doable.

The Chapters on Health Habits and Habits on Margin suggest actions that are not necessary to do in the morning time. I could do better at planning meals, preparing a to do task list, reviewing the list at end of day, and planning for rest. I’m not as likely to add the exercise in the morning even though I surely should!

Our Pastor gave this to Board members in March. I started to read it daily but then set it aside. I finished reading it in the week before our May meeting so it would be fresh in my mind. I enjoyed the learning process. This is a book that can be read a bite at a time, over 21 days, or during several days. I am glad to have the paperback as I did place some markers. Having read it once, I plan to go back and re-read. I also am ordering copies for my children and a couple of friends. I recommend this as a good development tool.

Source: March 2023 gift from Pastor. This qualifies for 2023Print goal.

Audio Book Review: Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Voghts

This sweet romance, with a vet, football player, and an injured horse, was not as strong as I had hoped.

Snow Melts in Spring
By Deborah Vogts
Narrated By: Emily Durante

Duration: 8 h 19 min
Release date: 05-01-10
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Christian Romance, Country Romance, Small Town Romance.
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

Summary
She loves the land. Mattie Evans grew up in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Although her family has lost their ranch, she still calls this land home. A skilled young veterinarian, she struggles to gain the confidence of the local ranchers. Fortunately, her best friend and staunchest supporter is John McCray, owner of the Lightning M Ranch. They both love the ranch, and can’t imagine living anywhere but in the Flint Hills. He’s haunted by it.Gil McCray, John’s estranged son, is a pro football player living in California. The ranch is where his mother died and where every aspect of the tallgrass prairie stirs unwanted memories of his older brother’s fatal accident. Gil decides leaving the ranch is the best solution for his ailing father and his own ailing heart. But he doesn’t count on falling in love.Falling in love isn’t an option. Or is it?When Mattie is called in to save a horse injured in a terrible accident, she finds herself unwillingly tossed into the middle of a family conflict. Secret pain, secret passions, and secret agendas play out against the beautiful landscapes as love leads to some unexpected conclusions about forgiveness and renewal.

Review:
Mattie is a vet whose heart is to remain in the community of Flint Hills of Kansas, near lands that she loves. Her father lost the ranch where she grew up and they moved to the City. Mattie was fortunate to take over the local business of an aging vet. As a young woman, she is still struggling to gain the confidence of the local ranchers especially since some of the patients she has treated have died in spite of her best efforts.

John McCray, the aging owner of the Lightning M. Ranch, is a strong supporter and friend to Mattie. They both love his ranch and his animals. But John’s health and the condition of the ranch are deteriorating. He longs to have his estranged son, Gil, return to revive the ranch.

Gil is a pro football player who is ready to retire from football. He has a dream to purchase a ranch in California and built a horse breeding stable. When Gil gets a call that his beloved cow horse, Dusty, has been injured in a car accident, he comes home to check on Dusty and maybe make amends with his father. But Gil isn’t looking to move back to the family ranch. He lost his mother and his brother there and his memories are painful.

Gil finds young vet Mattie striving to safe the life of Dusty. She seems sincere but can he trust her to do the best job? Gil also questions Mattie’s relationship with his father. Mattie doesn’t like Gil’s condescending attitude, but she is determined to treat Dusty as best she can and to remain a caring friend to John.

As Mattie and Gil work together, they are drawn to each other. But it is clear they have different dreams – Gil wants to go to California and Mattie wants to stay in Kansas. Is there any way they can find a future together?

The story is sweet and it has a nice ending, but it didn’t bring me a total sense of joy. I had trouble accepting Mattie’s character because she is full of self-doubt, fear, and gloom. This is not a sound Christian position, but rather a self-centered, self-focused perspective. Gil’s character also has some self-condemnation, bitterness, arrogance and stubbornness. There are glimpses of a charitable foundation that could have been better developed. I did like the forgiveness, rehabilitation, and surrender messages that come late in the book. Sadly, I felt distracted by the weakness of the characters, particularly Mattie.

The story plot is adequate with nice descriptions, interesting vet procedures, and some character conflict to keep the reader engaged. The writing has some cliches but the pacing was solid. There are more positive reviews so not all readers reacted to the characters as I did. It is certainly a clean romance with some nice finishing messages that could be enjoyed by fans of sweet romance.

Audio Notes: Emily Durante does a fine job with the narration. Each character has a distinct voice and energy. I am glad that I had the book in audio format.

Source: 5/8/2021 Two for One Credit Deal at Audiobooks.com. This qualifies for2023TBR, 2023Audiobook, and 2023Season goals.

Audio Book Review: Silver Dollar Duke by Sally Britton

I enjoyed this story and gentle romance.
Silver Dollar Duke
Written by Sally Britton
Narrated by Marian Hussey

Run Time 9h 37min
Release Date: April 17, 2021
Publisher: Pink Citrus Books
Genre: Historical Romance, Religious & Inspirational, Romance, Western Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher Description
The last thing Dannie needs is a Victorian gentleman on her ranch, playing cowboy while she’s trying to save her family’s livelihood. Will high stakes and high emotions lead to heartbreak?
Evan Rounsevell, second son to the Marquess of Rothwell, is running as far from his family and responsibilities as he can. His fascination with cowboys takes him from English shores to the Arizona desert, but the days of showdowns are over, and Tombstone, Arizona, is a respectable town. With no funds left, and no desire to call on his affluent family for rescue, Evan seeks a position as a cowboy at a ranch on its last leg.
Daniella Bolton’s fiancé left when the drought of 1893 crippled the KB ranch, but that’s just fine by her. She doesn’t need a man to help her save her family’s land. Especially not an Englishman who looks down on her style of living, like Evan does. She loves her life on the ranch, and no outsider could ever understand what it means to be loyal to the land and her family’s way of life.
Being a cowboy is harder than Evan thought, but as he works to earn his place on the ranch, his heart opens up to the beauty of the desert… as well as that of Dannie Bolton. Watching Evan fight for the ranch she loves makes Dannie realize that not all men are afraid of hard work and troubled times, and loving Evan might be just the salve her wounded heart needs. But when Evan’s family summons him home right when Dannie needs him most, the feelings of betrayal from her former fiancé’s flight return tenfold.
Does Evan dare risk his tenuous relationship with Dannie to fulfill his family responsibilities? Or will leaving Arizona be the worst mistake of his life?

Review:
Dannie is determined to help her father and brothers keep their ranch which has struggled through several years of drought and increasing transport costs. Dannie had a year or two of education back East and has good reason not to trust the polished men of the East. When a Victorian nobleman from England accepts her brothers’ invitation to the ranch, Dannie isn’t ready to welcome him.

Evan Rounsevell, second son to the Marquess of Rothwell, has always dreamed of learning the Cowboy way. He’s read the ‘Penny Dreadful’ stories and even met Buffalo Bill. When faced with the limited role of managing his father’s and brother’s estates, Evan chose to travel to America and go West. He made his way to Tombstone, Arizona but has run out of money. That’s okay, he is willing to work on a real ranch if he can just get a chance. He is set on going on a trail drive before he has to return to England.

Evan gets that chance with Dannie’s father. The other cowhands are quick to call him “Duke”. Most find that he is a hard worker and willing to learn. At least one is jealous that Duke seems to be getting close to Dannie. Evan finds overcoming Dannie’s attitude is a challenge that he is ready to face.

Dannie and Evan slowly become friends. But Dannie is particularly reluctant to let her heart get involved since she doesn’t trust the charmer and she knows he will be returning to England. But as their relationship grows, can they walk away from their chance to find love and family?

This is a lovely and engaging story. I wanted to push Dannie to get past her former heartbreak as I found her continued struggle frustrating. Duke/Evan is a wonderful character, and I liked the perspective he brings to the second son situation and his desire for a life of his own dreams. Still, he is honorable enough to realize he is supposed to return to help his family.

The religious aspect is a gentle development and not preachy. I will look to read more by Ms Britton and I recommend this to fans of clean romance set in the historic West.

Audio Notes: Marian Hussey does a very nice job with the narration. She provides clear, distinct voices and emotional energy that fit the story. I am glad I had this in audio to enjoy.

Source: 3/14/2022 Purchases from Chirp $1.99. This qualifies for 2023TB, 2023Audiobook, and 2023Color goals.