Audible Book Review: Monster Hunter Memoirs:Sinners by Larry Correia, John Ringo

This is an easy, fun listen.
Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners
By: Larry Correia, John Ringo
Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Series: Monster Hunter Memoirs, Book 2, Monster Hunter , Book 2
Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 12-06-16
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.75

Publisher's Summary
A new novel in the Monster Hunter Memoirs series. Two authors, who combined have over four million books in print and 10 New York Times best sellers, team up to expand Larry Correia's Monster Hunter universe!
Nightmare in the Big Easy
With New Orleans out of control, Chad Oliver Gardenier, one of Monster Hunter International's premier hunters, has been dispatched from Seattle to reinforce the beleaguered members of MHI'S Hoodoo Squad in their fight against the darkness.
Chad had once taken a werewolf while wearing only jogging gear. With half a dozen or more loup garou appearing every full moon, mysterious shadow demons, houdoun necromancers, 50-foot bipedal crocodiles showing up every couple of months, and more vampires than a Goth concert, New Orleans in the '80s gives a whole new perspective to the term hell on earth. In fact more monsters are popping up than crawfish at a fais do do! Chad may be able to collect enormous bounties for the monsters he kills. But there's one catch: He has to stay alive to do it!
©2016 Larry Correia and John Ringo (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Chad Oliver Gardenier took the chance to get out of Seattle where he had a target on his back for messing with a young (40 year old) elf. Chad doesn’t like the heat of Louisiana but soon realizes that he likes the food, the women and the busy hunting action, not necessarily in that order.

New Orleans is experiencing an increase of supernatural creatures and it is important for the forces who fight the monsters to get control of the infestations before the issues leak to the pubic at large. The local communities aren’t such a problem since they are inclined to believe in the paranormal and magic and most of the people love the HooDoo squad.

I liked the more relaxed relationship between the Monster Hunter International (MHI) team and the local authorities including the local officers in the Federal Monster Control Bureau (MCB). The MCB is tasked with keeping supernatural from the public eye. When an incident occurs the MCB have a clean up crew and a mostly reasonable accidental explanation for the damage and deaths.

I was glad to listen to this cheeky monster hunting journal in the MHI universe. This series is full of action and humor. Chad is fun although on the wild side as a Casanova aka Player. He feels his exuberance in life is justified since he expects to die soon considering the nature of his business fighting werewolves (loup garou), vampires, zombies, strange squid, giant (elephant size) mole rats and eventually giant land scrambling, people eating lobsters (or similar crustacean). Chad actually does have a soft side for his friends and teammates and he tries to save the innocent bystanders whenever he can. This comes out even with some bad language and lots of ‘battle’ action.

It was nice to have some regular MHI characters join the New Orleans battle including, Earl, Ray, Milo and even MCB Agent Franks. This story is presented as a journal of Chad’s early days in New Orleans. The journal includes fun and serious tips for younger hunters and fun details regarding the Puff bounties which were numerous. I recommend this to those who already love the MHI series and as a fun listen to someone who might want to try the series.

Audio Notes: Oliver Wyman does a wonderful job narrating this series. I love his emotional energy as well as his multiple voices. Listening is a wonderfully entertaining experience.

Source: July 2017 Audible Sale $4.95. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goal.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway July 12, 2019

Happy Friday! Busy work week this week. Working to get caught up --- still.

TO ENTER FRIDAY PICK

US Entrants: Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.

INTERNATIONAL: Leave a comment indicating "Gift Card" (see further comments near the end of the post.)

CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 9:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up too late to do the winner post! I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.

Thank you to all who entered the July 5, 2019 Pick. There were no automatic wins this week. Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times without other people asking for that book during those weeks. There was one title blocked this week.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from July 5 2019 Pick:
ALINA gets a GC
and
Life's Simple Pleasures gets a GC.

All winners please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me to confirm your win, send your snail mail address information and let me know if you would like bookmarks - sensual, sexy or sweet bookmarks. {The form is new because Google changed their forms and the old one wasn't letting me print out the responses.}

This is another nice beach scene!
Image found at World Magazine.

New Book Group #86 June 7, 2019
Another group of variety from my shelves.

SINGLES:
Forged in Steel by Maya Banks
The Scam by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett
Eco-Sisters: The Car by P. Ryan Hembree and Mary Ann Gustin
Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze
Preaching to the Corpse by Roberta Isleib
Show No Fear by Marliss Melton
Pursuit by Karen Robards
Murder at Granite Falls by Roxanne Rustand
A Question of God's Balance (Vol 1) by Joseph Thek
King by Right of Blood and Might by Anna L. Walls


New Book Group #85 March 22, 2019
A variety from my shelves.

Roxanne Becknel: When Lightning Strikes
SINGLES:
Summer Skies by Judith Christenberry
Windfall (two stories) by JoAnn Ross
Daddy's Little Cowgirl (two stories) by Judith Bowen and Kimberly Raye
Almost Forever by Linda Howard
The Forever Year, Cold Pursuit, Lover's Lane and Temporary Sanity (Reader's Condensed)
ToxiCity by Libby Fischer Hillmann

New Book Group #84 December 15, 2018
Here are some Christmas titles to pick from.

One PAIR:
Susan Wiggs: Snowfall and Fireside
SINGLES:
A Family for Thanksgiving
On this Holy Night
A Rancher for Christmas
Christmas Haven
Christmas Homecoming
King Harold's Snow Job


New Book Group #83 November 30, 2018

(Starting bottom left and continuing up then down)
SINGLE
Seductive Secrets by Lynne Connolly
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich - Audio Cassettes
A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein Audio Cassettes
Three Reader's Digest Condensed Books - each hardback:

Cold Harbour and The Courtship of Peggy McCoy
The Things We Do for Love, Three Weeks With My Brother, The Murder Artist and Night Train to Lisbon
Follow the Stars Home, Hunting Badger, The Quiet Game and Second Wind

New Book Group #82 November 9, 2018

Stella Cameron: Key West
SINGLES:
Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Killing Time by Linda Howard
Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee
The Wedding Night by Barbara Dawson Smith

New Book Group #81 August 17, 2018

There are three audios at the top:
Kisscut is Cassettes
SINGLES
Best Laid Plans
Darkness Tell Us
Cooking More Deadly


New Book Group #80 August 17, 2018

Note: The Final Judgment and
The Book of Fate are Audio Cassettes
PAIRS
James Patterson
SINGLES:
Summer’s Moon
The Final Judgment Audio Cassettes
Firebird
No Getting Over a Cowboy
The Book of Fate Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #79 July 13, 2018
I found this box of books buried under some other boxes.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lenox by Maggie O’Farrell
P.S. by Helen Schulman
Her Sexiest Surprise by Dawn Atkins (personally autographed)
The Maverick Preacher by Victoria Bylin (personally autographed)
Dakota Child by Linda Ford
Calling the Shots by Ellen Hartman
Promises, Promises by Amber Miller
This Time for Keeps by Jenna Mills
A Daughter’s Legacy by Virginia Smith
Another Man’s Baby by Kay Stockham


New Book Group #78 April 27, 2018

SINGLES
Blackberry Bush
Breaking Point
A Tangled Affair
To Wicked to Love
Roses are Red Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #77 February 16, 2018- All gone

New Book Group #76 November 3, 2017
13 books remain of the original 37:

I finally Have them Listed!
Boots & Booties by Kristine Rolofson
Saucer the Conquest by Stephen Coonts
The Scorpion Seducer by Bonnie Vanak
Hell On Earth by David L. Porter
White Night by Jim Butcher
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton
Crisscross by Harmon Henkin
Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey
Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
101 Commonsense Rules for the Office by John R. Brinkerhoff


This shelf of 35 books are what is left from Groups #1 (11/27/09) through Group #75 September 29, 2017

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 14 titles.)
Rehabilitation
Secret Blessing
Named of the Dragon
Daring
Aunt Erma's Cope Book
JoAnn Ross: Confessions
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Bound by Destiny by Rayka Mennen
Rainbow Mars by Larry Niven

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 21 titles.)
Plan of Attack by Dan Brown
(*Three more very old books from my Gothics box.)
*The Man in the Garden by Paule Mason (1969 - yellowed)
Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
*Four books are very old; pulled from a box of gothic novels I found.
*Maggie – Her Marriage by Taylor Caldwell (1953 very old, yellowed pages, some stain damage doesn't effect reading)
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey- Audio Cassette
Trilogy Of Mysteries Audio Book Shadow Prey, There Was A Little Girl, Smokescreen Audio Cassettes (NOT CDs)
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)
The Shadowing by Joan Overfield
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty by Vickie Kennedy
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley -- NOTE This book has dog bite damage; it is missing half back cover and the edges of pages in the back third of the book... it does not effect the text but I will understand if no one wants this one
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
BOX #1 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 1- 23)
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

If you saw the pictures posted of my bookshelves and boxes you know I do have lots of books! And that doesn't include the other eight or so boxes at my office!! And more books as I find deals too good to pass up! I am sharing my book bounty by these Friday Pick Giveaways.

I started Friday Pick on November 27, 2009 and in almost EIGHT years I have posted 82 groups of 16 plus an additional 21 totaling 1,333 books to find new homes! (as of November 9, 2018).

I am happy to say that so far about 1,257+ books have found new homes through this feature! YAY. [A year or so ago I posted I had reached 2000 books given away. As I calculated the numbers 11/2/17 I realized that had to be an error. I realized I went from 1098 to 2001 instead of 1101. Guess I was tired; sorry for the error.] I have to update my print out to check the exact number sent out - a few were never claimed. I periodically update the lists - deleting those won. You can still go to the Friday Pick list link to see older posts and the older lists book pictures if you want!

Note rules here regarding international entries.

Because postage to overseas can be prohibitive I am willing to give a $5.00 book certificate to international winners - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, ARe, TWRP, ClassAct Books, eTreasures, Desert Breeze, etc....you tell me where and I'll set it up. So for my overseas visitors your comment may indicate a smaller book and I'll check postage or note your choice of gift card.

I learned that The Book Depository does not ship to everywhere. The postage for some of the books to far away places runs between $7.00 and $10.00 and up. Since I would award $5.00 for The Book Depository to an international winner, as an alternative you may choose a smaller book and we will hope the postage will not exceed $6.00. If the postage is more, or if you want to pick a larger book and you are willing to pay any extra postage beyond the $6.00 I will work with you on that. This may not make a difference to many but if it helps one or two of you to give one of my books a home that will make me happy too. :o)

Repeating this helpful blog tip: You can right click on a link and you will be given the choice to open the link in a new window or tab so you do not navigate away from the screen you are on!! I use this all the time!

#NetGalley Book Review: Every Last Breath by Juno Rushdan

This is fast-paced romantic suspense with intense situations and characters.

Every Last Breath
by Juno Rushdan

File Size: 1898 KB
Print Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 30, 2019)
ASIN: B07L434K5L
Genre: Action Adventure, Romantic Suspense, Terrorism Thriller
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

48 hours, 2 covert operatives, 1 chance to get it right
Maddox Kinkade is an expert at managing the impossible. Tasked with neutralizing a lethal bioweapon, she turns to the one person capable of helping her stop the threat of pandemic in time: the love of her life, back from the dead and mad as hell at her supposed betrayal. Recruiting Cole to save millions of lives may be harder than resisting the attraction still burning between them, but Maddox will do whatever it takes...even if it destroys her.
When Maddox crashes back into Cole Matthews' life, he wants to fight back. He wants to hate her. But the crisis is too strong to ignore, and soon the two former lovers find themselves working side-by-side in a breakneck race to stop a world-class killer with a secret that could end everything.
The clock is ticking.
A race-against-time romantic thriller, perfect for fans of JD Robb and Mary Burton!

Review:
Maddox is a specialized CIA agent whose Gray Box team has been tasked with tracking, capturing the terrorists and recovering a stolen bioweapon. Maddox and her team have just returned from a mission and aren’t at 100% but they are ready to roll. Her superiors know that she could use extra help so they send the team to retrieve a non-CIA ‘asset’, Cole Matthews. The team shows up just in time to rescue Cole from a kidnapping by Russians. That is a bit of surprise but even more shocking to Maddox is the moment she sees Cole’s face.

Maddox knows this man as her almost fiancé who supposedly died nine years ago. She knows she made a mistake in betraying his family, but she went through extreme pain when she thought he was dead and has never moved on to another love. To cope with her losses, Maddox immersed herself in CIA training ending up in a covert organization. Maddox can’t understand how her first love could have allowed her to go through that pain of loss and she is livid. The only reason she would be willing to work with ‘Cole’ is the threat to innocent lives.

Cole created a new persona after Maddox’s betrayal devastated his family. He became a security specialist with the added background of assassin training. He never expected to see Maddox again and isn’t thrilled with the idea the agency he has always hated wants to use him. But once they pull him into the mission, there is no way he is going to let Maddox fight the danger without his protection.

The team knows the extreme risk of the bioweapon but they don’t realize the depth of the focused revenge intended by the enemy. Added to the dangerous mission is the discovery by the team that there is a mole in the base and they don’t know who they can trust.

This book in one word is “Intense”. The characters, Maddox and Cole, are intense ‘warriors’ aka operatives, who have personal history. The plot is suspenseful, tension-filled and intense. The same is true of the relationship between Maddox and Cole, plus there is a good dose of passion – both in anger and in chemistry. Their time together sizzles and sometimes they have to step back and remember the mission they have to complete before they can address all of their own issues. The story resolves the mission but leaves open the identity of the mole. I will be glad to read the next book in the series.

This has an excellent blend of tension, action and romance; Romantic Suspense just the way I like it. I highly recommend this to readers who like intense romantic suspense.

Source: NetGalley 2019. This qualifies for 2019NetGalley goal.

Audible Book Review: The Highwayman A Longmire Story by Craig Johnson

This is a nice little mystery with great narrator accents.
The Highwayman
A Longmire Story
By: Craig Johnson
Narrated by: George Guidall

Series: Walt Longmire, Book 11.5
Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 05-17-16
Language: English
Publisher: Recorded Books
Genre: Ghost, Mystery, Western
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 5.0.

Publisher's Summary
Sheriff Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear embark on their latest adventure in this novella set in the world of Craig Johnson's New York Times best-selling Longmire series - the basis for the hit drama Longmire, now on Netflix.
When Wyoming highway patrolman Rosey Wayman is transferred to the beautiful and imposing landscape of the Wind River Canyon, an area the troopers refer to as no-man's-land because of the lack of radio communication, she starts receiving "officer needs assistance" calls. The problem? They're coming from Bobby Womack, a legendary Arapaho patrolman who met a fiery death in the canyon almost a half century ago.
With an investigation that spans this world and the next, Sheriff Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear take on a case that pits them against a legend: The Highwayman.
©2016 Craig Johnson (P)2016 Recorded Books

Review:
One of the local Wyoming highway patrol officers, Rosey, has recently been assigned to the road in Wind River Canyon. This is a fairly remote area with tunnels that have seen tragedy causing it to be called no-man’s-land. Even the radios and cell phones have intermittent operation. Nighttime should be mostly quiet but Rosey has been getting strange “officer needs assistance” calls. The calls come at the same time on the nights they come and there seems to be an accident that follows. But the strangest feature is that they are coming from Bobby Womack, an Arapaho patrolman who died almost half a century ago. Womack’s death was shrouded in mystery and occurred leaving some question whether he was involved in a legendary bank heist.

Sheriff Walt Longmire and his friend, Henry Standing Bear, have been asked to talk with Rosey and get her to speak to a professional about her confused claims. Henry is the Chief of the Cheyenne Reservation Tribal Police and often helps Walt with investigations.

Walt and Henry meet with Rosey, listen to her description and see the tokens she has picked up. Although Henry Standing Bear acknowledges that spirits and supernatural elements may be at play, Walt is intent on finding a factual, scientific explanation for the events.

I was pulled into this story not just by the opening lines but also by the character accents. I loved the quick mystery with its haunting aspects that are blended with distinct clues. There are several suspenseful scenes and the tension and supernatural mystery build until there is a surprising resolution. This was my first story/listen in this series but won’t be my last. We don’t get Netflix so I don’t know if we will be able to view the TV series. That’s okay – I can always pick up more books in the series. I recommend this to readers who enjoy western mystery and Native American characters. This novella is a good way to meet the primary characters.

Audio Notes: George Guidall provides wonderful narration. I was enthralled with the accents and the Native American character voices. I thoroughly enjoyed the will be glad to listen to more in this series.

Source: January 2019 Audible Sale $.99. This qualifies for 2019Audiobook goal.

MBS June 2019 Reading List Wrap Up

MBS 2019 Reading List - JUNE

Code for the list is:
A = Audible; ABJ = Audiobook Jukebox; ABB = Audiobook Boom
e = eBook; eA = eBook from Author; eT = eBook from Tour
NG = NetGalley
P = Print; PT = Print from Tour
LBC = Ladies Book Club
TBR = From the TBR shelves prior to 2019
Favorites for JUNE:
5.0: The Liturgy of the Ordinary
4.75: The Time Collector
4.5: Finder; Forever in a Moment; The Tale of Despereaux; and Harden: Lee Harden Book 1

1. ATBR- Audible Book Review: The Event By Nathan Hystad; Genre: First Contact, Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.25.
2. NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: Finder by Suzanne Palmer; Genre: Action Adventure, Sci Fi, Space Colonization; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.
3. A2019- Audible Book Review: Mirror Gate, The Harbinger Series, Book 2 by Jeff Wheeler; Genre: Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.
4. NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: Forever in a Moment by Charlotte O'Shay; Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday Fiction, Holiday Romance; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.
5. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Rath's Deception by Piers Platt; Genre: Assassins, Military Thriller, Military Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.
6. NG2019- Goodreads #NetGalley Book Review: Feel Better, Mommy by Risa Kirschner; Genre: Children; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.
7. NG2019- Goodreads #NetGalley Book Review: Don't Let the Beasties Escape This Book! by Julie Berry (Author), April Lee (Illustrator); Genre: Children; My Rating: 3.5 of 5.0.
8. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs; Genre: Paranormal, Werewolves; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.
9. NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: The Time Collector by Gwendolyn Womack; Genre: Metaphysical Fiction, Romantic Suspense; My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0.
10. A2019- Audible Book Review: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo; Genre: Children's Fairytales & Folklore, Kids Ages 8-10; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.
11. A2019- Audible Book Review: Changeling: A Novel of Sorcery and Society by Molly Harper; Genre: Action & Adventure, Children, Fantasy; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.
12. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Harden, Lee Harden, Book 1 by D.J. Molles; Genre: Sci Fi, Post Apocalyptic; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.
13. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Justice Redeemed by Scott Pratt; Genre: Legal Thriller; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.
14. NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah E. Ladd; Genre: Christian, Historical Romance; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.
15. A2019- Audio Book Review: Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren; Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Religion and Spirituality; My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0.
16. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Star Nomad by Lindsay Buroker; Genre: Military Sci Fi, Science Fiction, Space Opera; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.
17. NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: Princess Arebeena and the Crystal Fairies by Fiona Boyd; Genre: Children, 5-7; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0.

Total read = 17; TBR = 5; New Authors = 13
Audio/Audible = 10 (5 TBRs)
eBook = 0 (0 TBRs)
NetGalley = 7 (0 TBRs)
Print = 0
Review books (other than NG)= 0

Goal Progress:
10 ahead on Goodreads Goal of 150
Total Read to Date: 84 of 150
TBR to Date: 38 of 100 total
TBR ebooks: 8 of 24
Audio to Date: 46 of 75
NetGalley to Date: 28 of 40
Author Reviews: 5 of 12
Nonfiction: 6 of 12

• ebTBRs: 1 +2 +2 +2 +1 +0 = 8
• Author titles: 1 +0 +3 +0 +1 +0 = 5
• New to me Series: 5 +5 +8 +10 +8 +8 = 44
• Continuing for me Series: 3 +1 +2 +2 +2 +2 = 12
• Title with Month in it: 1 +1 +1 +1 +1 + 0 = 5
• Seasonal title: Winter 1; Spring 2;
• Alphabet letters covered: 12 Jan + 3 Feb + 5 March + 2 April + 0 May + 1 June
  (23 of 26)