Audible Book Review: After It Happened by Devon C. Ford

I enjoyed this post-apocalyptic (plague) story.

After It Happened
Publisher's Pack, Books 1 & 2
By: Devon C. Ford
Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Series: After It Happened, Book 1-2
Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 09-05-17
Language: English
Publisher: Podium Audio
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.75.

Publisher's Summary
This omnibus edition contains Survival (book 1) and Humanity (book 2) of the After It Happened series.
Survival, book 1:
Set in the UK in the immediate aftermath of a mysterious illness which swept the country and left millions dead, the series follows the trials facing a reluctant hero, Dan, and the group he forms around him. They must battle the elements, find sufficient supplies and equipment to survive, and protect themselves against the most destructive force on the planet: other people.
Banding together those he found along the way, he has to fight to keep them safe.
To keep them alive. To survive.
Humanity, book 2:
The survivors have established a home, but they still have to face the brutality of human nature.
Not only do they have to survive, they must keep their humanity.
©2017 Devon C. Ford (P)2017 Podium Publishing

Review:
Dan is a man with a military and/or law enforcement background. He tends to be a loner but when society is decimated by a plague, Dan finds it hard not to try to help the rare people he finds wandering the streets or stores. The first person he meets is Neil who is unimpressive in size and fitness but has his own set of survivalist skills. One becomes two and they travel along until two become four and more.

As the small group builds they realize they need to find a place they can defend and rebuild. Each new member is assigned to a task group: gardening, cooking, cleaning, scavenging, military, etc. Not every person is prepared to contribute their share of work and some might become disgruntled. Can Dan and the other leaders keep the group safe and provide for all needs?

There are other groups forming who are more interested in taking then building. And somewhere underground is a bunker of politicians expecting to emerge to take control. It is a dangerous time for survival.

I liked how this opened, capturing my interest, and holding it all the way through. I like Dan as a taciturn loner who becomes the quiet fierce protector of the slowly growing community. Another primary and interesting character is a ten-year-old Leah who becomes Dan’s shadow protégé. This has a good combination of survival and society rebuilding issues, defensive actions (with weapons explained), and a touch of romance. I will definitely be getting the next bundle (books 3 and 4) in the series soon. I recommend this to readers who enjoy the post-apocalyptic genre.

Audio Notes: R.C. Bray is an excellent narrator in this and other sci-fi genres. He brings the various characters to life and helps the listener become immersed in the story. I love listening to Bray and he adds to this story.

Source: 2017 Audible Credit. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Sunday Post May 24, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 25, 2020

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.

Trial went well but it may be a week or two before the Judge rules on the case law submitted. Heather was out sick on Friday and Monday is a day off for Memorial Day. 
Hubby was told this week to get a COVID19 test but two days later the doctor called and said not to go as he didn't have the matching symptons. Hubby is managing but really dislikes his "new normal".
Our gardenias have been blooming the past two weeks. They smell so good.

Our weather continues to warm up with fairly regular afternoon showers.
I wasn't happy to see so many celebrations without social distancing and masks. It is hard to understand why people can't be resonable.
Enjoy a safe Memorial Day and eveyone stay safe!

I enjoyed my reading and listening even though I finished only two books again: two audiobooks. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 16 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to My Reader's Block. Bev says "Mystery Lover...but overall a very eclectic reader. Will read everything from the classics to historical fiction. Biography to essays. Not into horror or much into YA."

Don't forget- Audible is offering free children's titles during these days at home.
Audiobooks.com is also offering free listens for children.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post May 17, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 18, 2020.

• NG20- #NetGalley Book Review: The K Team by David Rosenfelt; Genre: Canine, Cozy, Mystery, Private Investigator; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway May 22, 2020. Open Worldwide. Ending 5/28/2020.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Promises to Keep: After the EMP (Disruption Trilogy) by R.E. McDermott; Genre: Alternate History, Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi; My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.75.

• NG20- #NetGalley Book Review: Quack by Anna Humphrey; Genre: Children, Emotional Support, Middle Grade; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement May 24, 2020.

Finished Reading:
1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

After It Happened
Publisher's Pack, Books 1 & 2
By: Devon C. Ford
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Series: After It Happened, Book 1-2
Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
I enjoyed this post-apocalyptic  (plague) story.
Source: 2017 Audible Credit.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Memory Man
By: David Baldacci
Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy
Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
Release date: 04-21-15
I thought it was time for a detective with a twist. 
Plus I haven't read Baldacci for several years.
Source: December 2018 Audible Daily Deal $4.95.
Publisher's Summary
With over 110 million copies of his novels in print, David Baldacci is one of the most widely read storytellers in the world. Now he introduces a startling, original new character: a man with perfect memory who must solve his own family's murder.
MEMORY MAN
Amos Decker's life changed forever - twice.
The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good and left him with an improbable side effect - he can never forget anything.
The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare - his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered.
His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when he can.
But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. He must endure the memories he would much rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Memory Man will stay with you long after the turn of the final tick.
©2015 David Baldacci (P)2015 Hachette Audio.

Currently Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle (NG2020)

Deal with the Devil: A Mercenary Librarians Novel
by Kit Rocha
This is an interesting sci-fi biotech plus, I am thinking, a strong romance.
Source: NetGalley 2020.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Ayiti
By: Roxane Gay
Narrated by: Roxane Gay
Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins
I'm picking a shorter book to help meet my goal for May.
I was interested in this since we support a church and school in Haiti and are aware of the struggles and dangers of that country.
Source: 05/25/2019 Audible Daily Deal $.99
Publisher's Summary
From New York Times best-selling powerhouse Roxane Gay, Ayiti is a powerful collection exploring the Haitian diaspora experience. Originally published by a small press, this edition will make Gay’s debut widely available for the first time, including several new stories.
In Ayiti, a married couple seeking boat passage to America prepares to leave their homeland. A young woman procures a voodoo love potion to ensnare a childhood classmate. A mother takes a foreign soldier into her home as a boarder, and into her bed. And a woman conceives a daughter on the bank of a river while fleeing a horrific massacre, a daughter who later moves to America for a new life but is perpetually haunted by the mysterious scent of blood.
These early stories showcase Gay’s prowess as "one of the voices of our age” (National Post, Canada).
©2011, 2018 Roxane Gay. Recorded by arrangement with Grove Atlantic, Inc. (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

3. eBook/Kindle (NG2020)

Vanishing Girls: A totally heart-stopping crime thriller (Detective Josie Quinn Book 1)
by Lisa Regan
This is a "V" titled thriller that sounds good.
Source: NetGalley 2020.
When Isabelle Coleman, a blonde, beautiful young girl goes missing, everyone from the small town of Denton joins the search. They can find no trace of the town’s darling, but Detective Josie Quinn finds another girl they didn’t even know was missing.
Mute and unresponsive, it’s clear this mysterious girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Josie can get from her is the name of a third girl and a flash of a neon tongue piercing that matches Isabelle’s.
The race is on to find Isabelle alive, and Josie fears there may be other girls in terrible danger. When the trail leads her to a cold case labelled a hoax by authorities, Josie begins to wonder is there anyone left she can trust?
Someone in this close-knit town is committing unspeakable crimes. Can Josie catch the killer before another victim loses their life?
Utterly gripping crime for readers who adored Angela Marsons, Helen Fields and Robert Dugoni. You will be sleeping with the lights on once you discover the first in this unputdownable new crime thriller series.

4. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Paradise
Expeditionary Force, Book 3
By: Craig Alanson
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
I am ready to continue some of my series books.
Source: March 2019 Audible Credit.
Publisher's Summary
While the crew of the starship Flying Dutchman have been trying to assure people that hostile aliens do not have access to Earth, the UN Expeditionary Force has been stranded on the planet they nicknamed "Paradise". The Flying Dutchman is headed back out on another mission, and the UN wants the ship to find out the status of the humans on Paradise. But Colonel Joe Bishop warns that they might not like what they find, and they can't do anything about it without endangering Earth.
©2016 Craig Alanson (P)2017 Podium Publishing

I'm keeping track of my Alphabet here as I finish the books. The cross-outs aren't easy to see, so I made the completed letters blue.
NETGALLEY: A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W X  Y  Z
AUDIO:            A  B  C  D  E  F G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W X  Y  Z

May 24, 2020 - I am again enjoying the devotions and readings with the One Year Bible plan through You Version App. I considered changing but this is the reading group that is closest to my husband's reading so we can sometimes discuss the same passages.
I am just finishing the six-day study in James: Practical Instructions For Your Daily Life Journey. 

I completed two books and posted three reviews. That gets me up to date.
My NetGalley shelf is down to 8, plus the four titles from 2012-13 which I still hope to read this year.
I still have one carry over author ebook and two new author ebooks. I expect to pull one of these soon. I have one audiobook from an author and now I have 1 other new audiobook left of four (third done this week).
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: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and (yours truly). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
No review books this week.
I still have to check the email requests I have been receiving. {Sigh.}
I picked out my May Audiobooks.com VIP title; one Chirp title and one $.99 double I found at Audiobooks.com.
I added one free kindle titles this week. I haven't taken time to view the free offerings due to work and limited energy at night.
(Note these are in my Amazon library, NOT on my Kindle until I download and transfer them.) Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

05/20/2020 Chirp $.99
Oblivion Threshold
Written by J.R. Mabry & B.J. West
Narrated by Kevin Theis
Release Date: December 1, 2019
Publisher: Apocryphile Press


05/23/2020 I have one of these in Kindle so thought Audibooks.com $.99 was a bargain to try both.
Quest of Heroes, A & Slave, Warrior, Queen Bundle
By Morgan Rice
Publisher: Findaway Voices
Date: April 2019
Duration: 16 hours 28 minutes

Free

05/23/2020 Audiobooks.com May VIP selection.
The Masterpiece
By Francine Rivers
Publisher: Recorded Books
Date: February 2018
Duration: 15 h 45 min


I Borrowed the two Audiobook SYNC files from Week 3.
May 21 – May 27
SISTERS MATSUMOTO by Philip Kan Gotanda, narrated by Keiko Agena, June Angela, Ron Bottitta, Kurt Kanazawa, Suzy Nakamura, Greg Watanabe, Ryun Yu (L.A. Theatre Works)
DISAPPEARED by Francisco X. Stork, narrated by Roxana Ortega and Christian Barillas (Scholastic Audio)
I added one/b> free Kindle title to my Kindle library this week. Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragment May 24, 2020

Our church met again online. The plan is to have church in person next week to celebrate with a Pentecost service. My husband and I will probably continue to attend online since his health is so precarious.

After lovely worship (Nothing Else Will Do) Pastor shared his message titled “Better Together”, still based on Romans 3.  Pastor noted that some people don’t like the food on their plate to touch, others don’t mind and some like to mix their food together. Mixed up can be good, like chocolate chip cookie dough.

Many things are Better Together. A team needs to work together to be truly successful. On Memorial Day we remember those who worked together to keep our country safe. People have a need for each other. During this time of separation the statistics are indicating a high level of depression (four months equal the numbers for all of last year), and domestic violence has increased by nearly 30% during the past few months.

The Church is essential, not because any politician says it is or isn’t, but because God said it and created it to be essential. The church is needed. It is always safe in a true church family. Believers have Assurance. “Thy rod and staff comfort me.” Psalm 23.

This world needs what the healthy church has. All people are made right by accepting Christ. We need to put Christ as the head of our lives; put our faith in Him. We cannot succeed in God’s plan with a watered-down faith. Faith is more than just a basic belief. It should be more: in every moment, every breath, every heartbeat. Our faith, and assurance give us the freedom to live as God wants us to - with abundance. Romans 3:24.

It is time to come back together and be better together. The world cannot afford for the church to function at less than full capacity. We need peak capacity of the church to share the light and love of Christ. Every person in the body serves a purpose.

We need to put our faith in Christ. Live for the one and true God.

This is an older hymn that popped up in my searching today and I think it fits our current situation.

A Verse for Today:
Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

My Father God, and Lord Jesus Christ, I give You praise and thank You that my life is in Your faithful hands.

#NetGalley Book Review: Quack by Anna Humphrey

This is a good story about children with mutism (a form of autism) and bullying.
Quack
by Anna Humphrey

File Size: 3544 KB
Print Length: 240 pages
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (April 1, 2020)
Genre: Children, Emotional Support, Middle Grade
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

"...Shady, Pouya, and their diaper-wearing duck are working to help all of the underdogs (or is it underducks?) at their school--and there are many."
Ten-year-old Shady Cook struggles with selective mutism caused by anxiety. His best friend, Pouya, gets it—despite being the class clown, he has his own hang-ups lurking just below the surface. Shady's parents, however, are eager to find a way to help their son start talking more, so when a live duck waddles into their lives and Shady starts to respond, they reluctantly decide to give Svenrietta the emotional support duck a chance. Before long, Shady, Pouya, and their diaper-wearing duck are working to help all of the underdogs (or is it underducks?) at their school—and there are many.

Review:
Shady is a ten-year-old who struggles with selective mutism. He rarely speaks even with his sister and parents and almost never outside his home. His teachers and classmates have become accustomed to his behavior although it does leave him with limited friends. Shady’s only true friend is Pouya, the class clown and another classmate on the fringe, with mothers who have immigrated from a country where their relationship was outlawed.

One day as they are returning from school, Shady and Pouya stumble upon some ducklings who have been separated from their mother who has crossed the road. The pair make a daring, messy rescue to deliver the babies to their mother. But in the excitement of the reunion, one duckling is forgotten and not discovered until the boys arrive home.

Shady quickly becomes attached, turning Quack into a true emotional support pet. There is hope in the strengths that the duck brings but not all of the students are understanding. Some of his classmates resent that Svenrietta is allowed in class as a therapy duck. When Sven goes missing during a Christmas play rehearsal, it is a crisis for Shady. That trauma spills over to his sister and parents, his friend Pouya, and even his classmates.

I totally loved Sven and the support she brings to Shady. The author uses this story to great effect to share the difficulties and struggles of Shady’s condition. The story shows how a support pet, even an unusual one, can help the child and the family. The story also shows the impact on classmates and how important it is to help children be sensitive to the struggles of others. I supposed it will be difficult to convince children they can’t each have their own therapy duck, like Svenreitta.

My 8-year-old granddaughter read part of this one day while visiting the office. She really liked it too. I recommend this to middle-grade students and to parents for sharing the lessons with their children.

Source: NetGalley 2020. This qualifies for 2020NetGalley and 2020Alphabet Goals.

Audio Book Review: Promises to Keep: After the EMP (Disruption Trilogy) by R.E. McDermott

Plenty of action made this an intense, engaging conclusion.
Promises to Keep: After the EMP
Disruption Trilogy Book 3
By: R.E. McDermott
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Series: Disruption, Book 3
Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 10-05-17
Language: English
Publisher: R. E. McDermott
Genre: Alternate History, Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.75.

Publisher's Summary
In this thrilling final chapter of The Disruption Trilogy, R. E. McDermott once again transports us to a frighteningly realistic post-apocalyptic world of chaos and uncommon courage, and of both hope and despair.
When a massive solar storm takes down the power grid, all order collapses with civilization kept alive only by scattered pockets of survivors who find themselves not only short of critical resources, but facing an unexpected enemy - what's left of their own government.
Survivor resistance stiffens as an increasingly corrupt and tyrannical president clamps down on dissent and seeks to eliminate anyone who might expose his perfidy. With both the defenders of Fort Box in what's left of Wilmington, North Carolina, and the people of the ship Pecos Trader in southeast Texas facing uncertain futures, a resourceful and elusive George Anderson leads government forces on a wild goose chase along the Appalachian Trail, but the future looks grim. Only one man has the credibility and the stature to turn the situation around and fulfill a promise to himself - and the nation.
Simon Tremble, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the last lawmaker not under control of the corrupt president, climbs out of his hidden hollow and starts south along the Appalachian Trail. He has promises to keep.
©2017 R.E. McDermott (P)2017 R.E. McDermott

Review:
Simon Tremble, the presumptive successor to the President, is trying to get to a safe haven, away from the corrupt powers who want to kill him because he knows too much. Simon and his son are on the path through the Appalachian Trail dodging all the checkpoints set up to find him. Along the way he stumbles upon some unexpected allies.

Meanwhile there are two locations trying to rebuild but they are under siege. Colonel Hunnicut and Levy Jenkins are leading the fight at Fort Box in Wilmington. With a band of Coasties (former Coast Guards members) and a National Guard unit they seek to organize and protect a growing gathering of refugee families. The fort occupants are fighting the corrupt government forces who are misleading desperate refugees to be front line fodder for the attacks.

Captain Jordan Hughes has guided his crew and their tanker of fuel, the Pecos Trader, towards home. Near Beaumont, Texas, his crew has created a floating ‘station’ which is under siege by a large group of ex-cons who have been masquerading as law enforcement.

The book is full of tense action while sharing the struggles of the many characters, some caring leaders and other power-hungry despots. I was pulled in from the opening lines and kept glued through the battles until the difficult but hopeful end. I liked the hint of possible future stories to revisit the rebuilding communities. I do recommend reading the trilogy in order. This is a set for those who enjoy alternative history, post-apocalyptic struggles.

Audio Notes: Kevin Pierce is a wonderful narrator. As soon as I began listening, I was caught up in the world of troubled America. I totally enjoyed the audio listen.

Source: November 2019 Audible Credit. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Book 1: Under a Tell-Tale Sky: After the EMP (Disruption Trilogy Book 1) 4.5
Book 2: Push Back: After the EMP (Disruption Trilogy Book 2) 4.5