Audible Book Review: Jukebox Joyride by Jacob Stein, Jason Rabinowitz, The Pop Ups

This is a very fun travel adventure with music as a plus.
Jukebox Joyride
By: Jacob Stein, Jason Rabinowitz, The Pop Ups
Narrated by: Jason Rabinowitz, Jacob Stein, Cara Samantha, Susan Bennett, Noel MacNeal, Carly Ciarrocchi

Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
Performance
Release date: 06-06-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Genre: Children, Kids, Ages 8-10
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

About This Audible Original
If you could go back in time to witness any concert from all of history, what would it be? Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock? Mozart in the Salzburg court? The Beatles’ rooftop farewell?
Jukebox Joyride follows 12-year-old twins, Jules and George, on a wild adventure through time. Their Uncle Bob, a renowned ethnomusicologist (he studies music!), has discovered the secret to time travel, and is having a ball joyriding through history checking out the best concerts ever...but something’s gone wrong! A sinister force has been unleased, someone is chasing after Uncle Bob, and the fate of all music hangs in the balance!
Now, it’s up to Jules and George to find their uncle before their new rival does! It’s a musical escapade that brings the twins from the birth of jazz in New Orleans, to a performance by an 11-year-old Mozart in Vienna, all while trying to make it back to the present day to pass their history test!
Featuring original songs and historical settings, this Audible Original is sure to captivate the entire household. Jukebox Joyride is a swashbuckling adventure that will get kids excited about history and making their own music.
©2018 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Jules and George are 12-year-old twins who had a close relationship with their Uncle Bob who shared his love of music with them. Uncle Bob travels to discover special music finds and one day he finds a special music box and disappears into thin air! While the twins are trying to find Uncle Bob they stumble upon the secret that sends them back in time. As they travel from one setting to another, they discover they are one step behind Uncle Bob. Fortunately, they find friends who help them by passing along messages. They follow the clues, from jazz in New Orleans to classical music with Mozart. Along the way they discover there is an enemy trying to chase down their Uncle. Can they find Bob before the enemy does?

I totally enjoyed the musical settings and songs. This is a rockin’ fun story I recommend for adults as well as children.

Audio Notes: The group of narrators, Jason Rabinowitz, Jacob Stein, Cara Samantha, Susan Bennett, Noel MacNeal, and Carly Ciarrocchi, contribute to making this a fun adventure. They share the story with appropriate voices and energy. I enjoyed the audio performance and am glad I picked this audiobook.

Source: June 2019 free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

This is an entertaining fantasy with a female protagonist.

Trail of Lightning
By: Rebecca Roanhorse
Narrated by: Tanis Parenteau

Series: The Sixth World, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 08-07-18
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Dystopian, Fantasy, Native American
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
The sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse have destroyed most of the planet…yet out of these waters, Dinétah, a former Navajo reservation, has been miraculously reborn. Listen along as Tanis Parenteau's impeccable narration, capturing the rhythms of Navajo speech, fully envelopes you into the Sixth World.
When Dinétah needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie - a monster hunter and supernatural killer - is its last, best hope. Trail of Lightning follows our heroine as she walks the land alongside gods, heroes of legend, and monsters alike. Reluctantly, she enlists the aid of an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel Dinétah, unraveling clues from ancient legends and trading favors with tricksters. As Maggie discovers the truth behind the killings, she will have to confront her past if she wants to survive - for what she uncovers about the monster she is sent to find is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
©2018 Rebecca Roanhorse (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Maggie lives in a post-apocalyptic world that is rebuilding after a massive wave wiped out much of earth. Maggie is a fringe outsider in a group known as Dinétah, a former Navajo reservation that has survived in the deserts of what used to be Southwestern US.

As a young girl, Maggie lost her grandmother to monsters. She was rescued by a man who is viewed as a supernatural, immortal monster hunter who appears with a thunderbolt. He helped Maggie to learn and develop her own supernatural clan powers as he trained her to be a monster hunter. She was enamored and believed he was her mate until one day he questions her motives and walks away. Months later Maggie continues to hope he will return.

In the meantime, Maggie takes jobs to hunt monsters and rescue people from monsters when she can. After failing to get anyone else to respond, a family calls in Maggie to rescue their daughter from an unknown monster.

Maggie discovers a monster unlike any she has seen. She seeks advice from one of her few friends in town. The grandfatherly man, Tah, encourages Maggie to accept his grandson, Kai, a training witch doctor, as a partner. Kai explains that the monster appears to be a creature created by a powerful witch doctor.

Maggie is soon visited by the trickster, Coyote, who directs Maggie to fulfill a quest for him which will deliver a tool to uncover the person who is creating the monsters. Reluctantly Maggie allows Kai to join her as they investigate the monsters. They seek out ancient legends and face danger and death before Maggie ends up lured into a deadly confrontation.

I liked the world-building which includes connections to Native American traditions and legends. Maggie is a very tough young woman, full of angst, and I did not find her to be a totally sympathetic character. I liked Kai but he is also hiding secrets. The ending of this book includes a climax that leaves a cliff hanger for the next book. The dystopian is heavier on fantasy and romantic conflict but is entertaining enough that I may look to pick up book 2 in the future.

Audio Notes: Tanis Parenteau does a very good job with the narration. I liked her natural accent and distinct voices for the characters. The audio production enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Source: 2/2/2019 Audible Daily Deal $2.95. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway February 28, 2020

Happy Friday! 

I think I'll work on pulling together a new group of books this week.

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 February 21, 2020 Pick. There was ONE automatic win this week. Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times without other people asking for that book during those weeks. There were no titles blocked.
CAROL L gets The Education of Mrs. Brimley.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from February 21, 2020 Pick:
LINDA gets a GC
and
FREDAMANS 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.}

I love to check out books.
Image shared by Crafty Morning Pinterest.

New Book Group #88 November 8, 2019

PAIRS:
Connie Brockway: My Pleasure and My Seduction
Stella Cameron: Body of Evidence and Fascination
Singles:
A Notorious Proposition by Adele Ashworth
My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne
A Lady Never Tells by Candace Camp
Dawn of Redemption by Starla Childs
Long, Lean and Lethal by Heather Graham
False Colours by Georgette Heyer
Chill of Fear by Kay Hooper
Treasures by Lisa Jackson (hardback)
No Limits by Alison Kent
The Education of Mrs. Brimley by Donna MacMeans
The Wedding Affair by Leigh Michaels
A Highlander's Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder


New Book Group #87 August 23, 2019

SINGLES:
Captain's Paradise by Kay Hooper
Open Season by Linda Howard AUDIO CASSETTES
The Perfect Gift by Christina Skye


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

SINGLES:
A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett
Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze

Show No Fear by Marliss Melton
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.

SINGLES:
Summer Skies by Judith Christenberry
Windfall (two stories) by JoAnn Ross
Daddy's Little Cowgirl (two stories) by Judith Bowen and Kimberly Raye
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.

SINGLES:
A Family for Thanksgiving
On this Holy Night
Christmas Haven
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
The Wedding Night by Barbara Dawson Smith

New Book Group #81 August 17, 2018

SINGLES
Best Laid Plans by Allison Brennan
Darkness Tell Us by Richard Laymon
Cooking Most Deadly by Joanne Pence


New Book Group #80 August 17, 2018

Note: The Final Judgment and
The Book of Fate are Audio Cassettes
SINGLES:
Summer’s Moon by Lacey Baker
The Final Judgment by Richard North PattersonAudio Cassettes
Firebird by Janice Graham
No Getting Over a Cowboy by Delores Fossen
The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer 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)
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
Too 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 by Jillian Hart
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 NINE years I have posted 88 groups of 16 plus an additional 21 totaling 1,429 books to find new homes! (as of November 8, 2019).

I am happy to say that so far about 1,301+ 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 faraway 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!

Book Review: Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four by Josh Venkataraman and Barbara Venkataraman

This reveals that working for a good cause may mean persevering through a frustrating process.
Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four
by Josh Venkataraman and Barbara Venkataraman

File Size: 1221 KB
Print Length: 101 pages
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07Z5TYNT7
Genre: Civics, Non-Fiction, Social Activist Biographies
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

This book will take you through my incredible four year quest for justice for The Groveland Four and teach you how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be. It is a primer for positive action, a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn: everything takes more time than you think, nothing ever goes according to plan, help can come from unexpected places, time is on your side, everyone is connected to everyone else, you can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it, your goals can change along the way, and flexibility is key. Let's get started, shall we?
***Proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to establish "The Charles Greenlee Memorial Scholarship" to benefit a child with an incarcerated parent.

Review:
The Groveland Four refers to a 1949 ‘notorious’ case of four young African-American men who were accused of raping a 17-year-old Caucasian woman in Lake County, Florida. One of the accused was shot while fleeing. Charles Greenlee was a 16-year-old who had just arrived in town seeking work. He and the others were taken into custody and beaten until two of them confessed. Evidence that supported their innocence was suppressed and they were found guilty by an all white jury. Greenlee was sentenced to life in prison and the other two were sentenced to death. Thurgood Marshall appealed the convictions which were overturned on the basis the men did not receive a fair trial. Before a new trial could take place two of the men were shot, one killed, by the county sheriff. Later investigations revealed the bigotry and lies that surrounded this travesty of justice.

Josh Venkataraman, as an energetic college student, read a story about the Groveland Four and became determined to do something about this injustice. His interest soon turned into a passionate effort to seek a pardon for these men. Josh learned that pursuing a cause takes a bit of luck getting support by the right people, sometimes hitting the right time, but most of all it takes perseverance. The book describes the long journey and shares the input of many other characters who were involved in the process including a Pulitzer prize-winning author, Greenlee’s daughter, and even two middle-grade students who started with a book report and expanded to active postcard campaigns.

This is a wonderfully inspiring work that shares a frustrating process. I had heard of the Groveland Four but didn’t really know the full story. The cause to seek posthumous pardon, and possible exoneration, was a worthy cause but still it struggled for support to get attention, to get through the bureaucracy of government and to succeed in the even more difficult task of getting on the agenda of the clemency board.

I liked the way the book was presented with concise sections focusing on specific stages of the process and adding the people and events that provided support and encouragement along the way. Josh shares the thoughts of the other participants during the events so the reader feels more engaged in the effort. I recommend this to readers who are interested in history and in learning about the process of promoting a specific cause.

Source: December 2019 received from the Authors. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Alphabet Author title goals.

#NetGalley Book Review: Reimagining Mr. Right by Wynter Daniels

This is a fun romance with a touch of magic.

Reimagining Mr. Right
by Wynter Daniels

File Size: 372 KB
Print Length: 234 pages
Publisher: CPC Publishing (January 7, 2020)
ASIN: B07YSQ6J3X
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

Former ugly duckling Sydney McCoy yearns to break into television. And the hottest guy she works with—TV sports personality, Chip Haggerty—could be her ticket to the airwaves. Too bad that Chip hardly knows Sydney is alive. Worse, she has no clue how to speak Chip’s sports-oriented language.
Up-and-coming real estate agent Levi Barnett is desperate to convince the owner of a hot downtown property to sell so the company Levi works for can redevelop the site into a multi-million-dollar complex. When he literally crashes into a woman he knew in high school who could champion his cause, he’ll do anything to get Sydney’s help. All she wants from him in return is help communicating with her office crush. No problem! But when Levi starts to fall for the beautiful Sydney, he wonders if he’s making the worst mistake of his life by being her would-be Cyrano de Bergerac.

Review:
Although Sydney is now trim and attractive, she tends to see herself as the overweight nerd she was in high school. She developed an unrequited crush on the popular football player, Levi, whom she tutored. Years later Sydney is a good reporter hoping to break into television. She is set on dating a co-worker, ex-baseball star, Chip, who is a popular TV sports personality. Chip often gets Sydney to fine-tune his reports but he hasn’t noticed her as a woman. Sydney thinks she could get his attention if she could only understand all the sports lingo he constantly throws out.

Levi is now a successful real estate agent who hopes to gain a partnership with his company. He is working hard to talk two downtown property owners into selling to his company so they can redevelop the site. Meanwhile, the boss’s daughter is pursuing Levi to renew their relationship that he ended several months back.

Levi literally crashes into Sydney outside a coffee shop. She recognizes him immediately but had to remind him of who she was. He is smitten and will do anything to renew a friendship with her. He is frustrated when she only wants his help to get Chip’s interest.

With Levi’s help, Sydney manages to start dating Chip. Her dad, a sports enthusiast, is excited to meet Chip and Chip is even able to help Sydney’s ailing mother. But Sydney is conflicted as she is enjoying her time with Levi and beginning to realize that Chip might not be the prize boyfriend she wants.

Levi wants to help Sydney and Sydney wants to help Levi realize his dreams. Along the way, they get crossed messages. Will they deny their attraction to each other thinking it is best for the other?

These are fun characters with vulnerabilities and conflicts that contribute to a star-crossed romance. The story is lighthearted even as it deals with emotional baggage. There is a touch of paranormal in the midst of the story which is fun and interesting but played only a small part. I am curious if it is a larger part of some of the other books and I would be glad to read more in the series. I recommend this as a fun “rom-com”.

Source: NetGalley 2019. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020NetGalley and 2020Audiobook goal.