Audible Book Review: Rocky River Bridge, A Grower's War Prequel by D. J. Molles

This is a quick listen and teaser to a new series.

Rocky River Bridge
A Grower's War Prequel
By: D. J. Molles
Narrated by: Christian Rummel

Length: 29 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 02-07-17
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
Two young boys set off for the Rocky River Bridge through their war-torn North Carolina hometown, both with something to prove - an adventure that will quickly teach them the realities of the raging world around them, in this prequel to DJ Molles' newest novel: The Purge of District 89.
©2017 D. J. Molles (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Review:
This story introduces two young brothers, 9-year-old Roy and 8-year-old Walt, who live in a war zone in North Carolina. Roy is leading his brother on a boyish summer antic although their adventure is taking them into areas patrolled by mixed troops. In this post-apocalyptic world, the Americans have teamed with Chinese and Russian soldiers in an authority known as the Coalition. The authority controls the lands and directs the growers in the community.

I didn’t get a clear picture of the events that resulted in the nuclear fallout and this new order. However, this quick read provides a teaser to pull interest into the Grower’s War series. I am already a fan of DJ Molles so I might not need this teaser, but I enjoyed the free, quick entertainment.

Audio Notes: Christian Rummel is a regular narrator for D. J. Molles and they are a really good match. Rummel captures the voices and the atmosphere. The narration enhanced the story for me.

Source: Free Plus Catalog from Audible. This qualifies for my 2020Audiobook goal.

Audio Book Review: Woof by Spencer Quinn

This is a fun listen suitable for kids and adults.
Woof
Written By: Spencer Quinn
Narrated By: James Frangione

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Date: May 2015
Duration: 7 hours 5 minutes
Genre: Animals, Kids, Middle Grade, Mystery
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Summary:
"Spencer Quinn speaks two languages--suspense and dog--fluently."--Stephen King
Bowser is a dog detective on the loose, paired with an eleven-year-old girl, Birdie. Bowser and Birdie live on the Louisiana coast with Birdie's Grammy. When a prize stuffed marlin is stolen from Grammy's bait and tackle shop, Birdie and Bowser decide to take on the case. But what looks like a straightforward break-in soon becomes as tangled as a tourist's fishing line. Was Grammy hiding a treasure map in the marlin? What's up with Old Man Straker, owner of a rival tackle shop, and his juvenile delinquent son? And most sinister of all, why does it suddenly look as if someone wants to harm Birdie? Told entirely from Bowser's hilarious dog point of view, WOOF launches a brand-new, slightly slobbery, but utterly winning detective duo.

Review:
Bowser is a dog of mixed heritage and he is thrilled when a young girl named Birdie picks him for adoption. Birdie's Granny isn’t so thrilled but Birdie and Bowser quickly become best buds. Bowser does his best to understand how to please his new friend although there are times when his natural urges just take over.

The first day Bowser goes home with Birdie they discover that a prized stuffed marlin, Black Jack, has been stolen from Granny’s bait shop. Bowser is quick to pick up on the scents of strangers (why can’t the humans do that?) in the shop and leads Birdie to find a cigar as a clue. Birdie wants to recover Black Jack and her determination to solve the mystery only increases when Birdie learns that there may be a hidden treasure involved. Fortunately for Birdie, Bowser is along to help her with smells and protection although he also adds to the risks on occasion. But the thief apparently is willing to try to kidnap Birdie and even kill if need be to get to the treasure.

The story is told from Bowser point of view and it is delightful. He is pretty much a normal dog, thrilled with food, all sorts of scents, and new experiences like riding in the truck or boat. He is also territorial and doesn’t like the fact that some other dog has been visiting the yard of his humans, which is now Bowser’s yard. The story is fun and suitable for middle graders and adults who love dogs. I will be glad to get more of these books in the future.

Audio Notes: James Frangione does a very nice job with the narration. He portrays the nature of the dog and manages the human voices too. The audio helped make this a fun ‘read’.

Source: 10/29/2019 Audiobooks.com 2 for 1 Deal. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Sunday Post August 30, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday August 31, 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.

I had another busy week.  My two large commercial closings got pushed to this week but one is fully ready and will close with the help of Zoom oversight. The other is waiting for final approvals.

This week I decided to share some simple flower pictures I took
when the colors caught my eye.

We did get rain from Hurricane Marco earlier in the week. Our community feels for Cameron and surrounding communities in Louisiana for the destruction by Hurricane Laura.
This morning we had a surprise storm. I had just finished filling the bird feeders when fierce wind and rain struck.

I have been enjoying reading/listening. I finished three audiobooks. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 15 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to Because Reading is Better Than Real Life. Michelle and Berl share "chat books, blogging and family". Michelle hosts challeges and also has a design site Limabean Design.

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 August 23, 2020/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday August 24, 2020.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Catalyst Downward Cycle by J K Franks; Genre: Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Dodge & Twist by Tony Lee; Genre: Literature & Fiction, Classics; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway August 28, 2020. Open Worldwide. Ending 9/3/2020.

• Author2020- Book Review: The Lane Betrayal (Time Box Book 1) by John A. Heldt; Genre: Historical Fiction, Time Travel Romance; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement August 30, 2020.

Finished Reading:
1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Woof
Written By: Spencer Quinn
Narrated By: James Frangione
Duration: 7 h 5 min
I have been looking at this series for a while.
This is a fun listen.
Source: 10/29/2019 Audiobooks.com 2 for 1 Deal.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (A2020)

Rocky River Bridge
A Grower's War Prequel
By: D. J. Molles
Narrated by: Christian Rummel
Series: A Grower's War, Book 0.5
Length: 29 mins
Release date: 02-07-17
Plus Catalog free titles were a great surprise from Audible this week.
I wanted a quick listen so I downloaded this to listen right away.
Source: Free Plus Catalog from Audible.
Publisher's Summary
Two young boys set off for the Rocky River Bridge through their war-torn North Carolina hometown, both with something to prove - an adventure that will quickly teach them the realities of the raging world around them, in this prequel to DJ Molles' newest novel: The Purge of District 89.
©2017 D. J. Molles (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

3. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Prominence
By: A.C. Hadfield
Narrated by: Marc Vietor
Series: Blackstar Command, Book 1
Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
Release date: 10-09-18
This was my Space Sci Fi for the week. :-)
Source: 4/2/19 Audible Daily Deal $2.95
Publisher's Summary
They tried to destroy our planets. Our way of life. They tried to send us into extinction. But we, the Coalition, fought them and won. That was a decade ago. We had assumed they were beaten for good.
We were wrong.
They’re known as the Host: a cabal of aliens seeking to dominate our sector of space. And they’re back - with help from a powerful new enemy.
Against their wrath, we must stand. We’re outnumbered and unprepared. If we lose, we lose everything.
But there is hope. An ancient race of long-dead but technologically advanced aliens called the Navigators have a ship called the Blackstar that could potentially turn the tide. That is if I, Kai Locke, a humble ship racer, can find it and learn how to harness its power in time.
If I fail, the Coalition will fall, and the Host will consign us to a distant memory. I refuse to let that happen. I will fight to my last breath for the Coalition’s survival.
For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, Battlestar, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
©2017 A.C. Hadfield & Colin F. Barnes (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Currently Reading:

1. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

Honor in an Age of Metal and Men
by Anthony W. Eichenlaub
This is engaging although
a little slower reading on my phone.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Agent 355
By: Marie Benedict
Narrated by: Emily Rankin
Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
Release date: 07-02-20
I am enjoying this historical short.
Source: July 2020 Free Audible Original.
About This Audible Original
From Marie Benedict, best-selling author of The Only Woman in the Room and Lady Clementine, comes a captivating work of historical fiction about a young female spy who may have changed the course of American History.
The tide is turning against the colonists in the Revolutionary War, and 18-year-old Elizabeth Morris cannot sit by idly. Quietly disdainful of her Tory parents, who drag her along to society events and welcome a British soldier into their home during their occupation of New York City, Elizabeth decides to take matters into her own hands. She realizes that, as a young woman, no one around her believes that she can comprehend the profound implications of being a nation at war - she is, effectively, invisible. And she can use this invisibility to her advantage. Her unique access to British society leads her to a role with General George Washington's own network of spies: the Culper Ring.
Based on true events, Agent 355 combines adventure, romance, and espionage to bring to life this little-known story of a hero who risked her life to fight for freedom against all odds.
©2020 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

3. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Machine World
Undying Mercenaries, Book 4
By: B. V. Larson
Narrated by: Mark Boyett
Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
Release date: 05-12-15
I am ready to continue this military sci fi series.
Source: 5/12/19 Audible April Credits.
Publisher's Summary
The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell burners, Earth joined a vast empire that spanned the Milky Way. Our only worthwhile trade goods are our infamous mercenary legions, elite troops we sell to the highest alien bidder.
In the fourth book of the series, James McGill is up for promotion. Not everyone is happy about that, and McGill must prove he's worth his stripes. Deployed to a strange, alien planet outside the boundaries of the Galactic Empire, he's caught up in warfare and political intrigue. Earth expands, the Cephalopod Kingdom launches ships to stop us, and a grand conspiracy emerges among the upper ranks of the Hegemony military.
In Machine World McGill faces an entirely new kind of alien life, Galactic prosecution, and thousands of relentless squid troopers. He lives and dies in the falling ashes of the empire, a man of unique honor at the dawn of humanity's resurgence.
Machine World is a military science fiction novel by best-selling author B. V. Larson. (To find the first book in the series, search for Steel World by B. V. Larson.)
©2015 B. V. Larson (P)2015 Audible Inc.

I hope to get to another NetGalley title by the end of the week.

I'm keeping track of my Alphabet here as I finish the books. These are the letters that remain:
NETGALLEY:  H  M  U X  Y and Z
AUDIO:             X  and  Z

August 30, 2020 - I remain caught up on daily reading. I need to be in the word every day. 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 still haven't picked a new study yet.

I completed three books and posted three reviews, remaining up to date.
My NetGalley shelf is now at 7, three current and the four titles from 2012-13 which I still hope to read this year.
I have added no new author review titles this week. I still have one carry over author ebook left. I have two audiobooks from authors. I feel good getting caught up on these books.
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.
One new review book this week from NetGalley.
I still have to check the email requests I have been receiving. {Sigh.}
I purchased three Chirp titles for $11.97. I added the August Free download from ChristianAudio.
Then I had a spree for free Audible Plus titles - 10 titles!
I found a free children's book and it led me to 31 more free Kindle titles this week.
(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

Received from Publisher and NetGalley.
I always enjoy the Andy Carpenter Series and I have been hoping to get one of the Christmas stories!
Silent Bite: An Andy Carpenter Mystery (An Andy Carpenter Novel Book 22)
by David Rosenfelt

Won

NONE

Purchased

8/30/2020 Chirp Purchases - Maybe I should try not to check into this site!
$4.99 I've had my eyes on this one for a long time.
The Gone World
by Tom Sweterlitsch




$2.99 This looks like one I will like.
Unforgettable
by Eric James Stone



$3.99 I like a good fairy tale retelling and I like this author.
The Golden Braid
by Melanie Dickerson

Free

I picked up the free ChristianAudio book for August:
God Is Able
Author Priscilla Shirer
Narrator Lisa Renee Pitts


I was notified of Plus Catalog Free Selections. It felt like Christmas or my Birthday downloading these free books, some prequels and some full length. Thank you Audible. Being a faithful subscriber for 19 years sure has paid off! There are more but I decided this was enough for one sitting!
8/29/2020
Rocky River Bridge: A Grower's War Prequel
By: D. J. Molles
Narrated by: Christian Rummel
Series: A Grower's War, Book 0.5
Length: 29 mins

The Gun: The End Time Saga Origin Short Story
By: Daniel Greene
Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
Series: The End Time Saga
Length: 1 hr and 33 mins


Firefly: Big Damn Hero: Firefly, Book 1
By: James Lovegrove
Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
Series: Firefly, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Monster Hunt NYC
The Monster Hunt NYC, Book 1
By: Harmon Cooper
Narrated by: Jeff Hays, Annie Ellicott
Series: Monster Hunt NYC, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Hell Divers II: Ghosts
The Hell Divers Series, Book 2
By: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Series: The Hell Divers Series, Book 2
Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Out of the Silent Planet
Ransom Trilogy, Book 1
By: C.S. Lewis
Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
Series: Ransom Trilogy, Book 1
Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Murder on the Orient Elite
A Tale of the Grimnoir Chronicles
By: Larry Correia
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
Series: Grimnoir Chronicles
Length: 1 hr and 14 mins

Tokyo Raider
A Tale of the Grimnoir Chronicles
By: Larry Correia
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
Series: Grimnoir Chronicles
Length: 1 hr and 8 mins

Dragon Planet
By: Dan Wells
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Steve Rimpici, full cast
Series: The Zero Chronicles, Book 2
Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins


Detroit Christmas
A Grimnoir Chronicles Audio Drama
By: Larry Correia
Narrated by: full cast
Series: Grimnoir Chronicles
Length: 1 hr and 12 mins

32 FREE KINDLE children books including:
Pomodoro Penguin Makes a Friend

My grandkids love Penguins.



Henrietta Hen In Trouble Again

They like hens and so do I.



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 Encouragement August 30, 2020

We shared in services this morning - online still for us.
Pastor continued his series on God's Promises.
Last week we learned that God’s promise of eternal life gives us something greater to live for.
God will always see His promises through. He will finish what He started. Philippians 1:6. One of His best projects is you.

Christ-followers all have a ‘rags to riches’ story. We are destined for loss; heading to hell. Unless we accept Christ’s offer of salvation. Then we become children of the King! Ephesians 1:4-10.

The Point: Whatever we go through in this life, God chose you and is working out His plan in His time.

Too often – most often - we try to run our own plan asking God to bless our plan instead of following His plan. You can’t preempt God’s Plan which was made before you came into existence.. We need to come to a point when we surrender to God's plan.

God has wonderful things in store for His children. New Jerusalem comes from God. River of life flows from God. Revelation 21.

Surrender your plans to God.
Trust God to see you through the things you have to endure.
He is faithful to finish what He started!

I had one song picked (When God Has Another Plan) but hen I found this one and thought it fit too.
Didn't I Walk on the Water.

A Verse for Today:
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.


I know I have not stayed within God's plan for me over the years but I am thankful He has still blessed me.

Book Review: The Lane Betrayal (Time Box Book 1) by John A. Heldt

The suspense in this time travel continues until the last pages.

The Lane Betrayal (Time Box Book 1)
by John A. Heldt

File Size: 517 KB
ASIN: B085B7MDLH
Publication Date: February 29, 2020
Print Length: 299 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction, Time Travel Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

From the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage, American Journey, and Carson Chronicles series comes the first book in the Time Box saga.
Virginia physicist Mark Lane has a problem. Weeks after privately creating two time machines, he learns his corporate partner wants to use the portable devices for nefarious purposes. Rather than give him the chance to do so, Mark takes the time boxes and escapes to the relative safety of 1865.
For Mark, wife Mary, and their children, the adventure is a chance to grow. Mary runs a business. Jeremy, 19, and Ashley, 12, befriend escaped slaves. Laura, 22, finds her place as a nurse. Jordan, 25, falls for a beautiful widow. All hope to find peace in the past.
Billionaire Robert Devereaux has other ideas. Shortly after Mark's betrayal, he sends an assassin to 1865 to retrieve his property and set matters straight.
Filled with romance, suspense, and history, THE LANE BETRAYAL follows a modern American family as it tries to find security and contentment in the final weeks of the Civil War.

Review:
Mark is a physicist who developed a time machine they call a Time Box. Mark learns that his business partner, Robert, is planning to use the device to change history and benefit from financial matters. Mark makes plans to disclose Robert’s nefarious intent and to destroy the company. But the only way Mark can escape the consequences is to take his family into the past. Mark, his wife Mary, and their four children aged 12 to 25, agree to the adventure that will take them to 1865 and the world of Abraham Lincoln.

Mary, a businesswoman, has pulled together products that she can take into the past to sell. Jordan has military intelligence to help the family and they all have studied up on the times to be ready. They gathered the clothing, guns, and coins that should be suitable for the time and place.

Robert, having forgotten his own promise to never use the time machine for harm or change to the past, is furious at the betrayal by Mark. Robert manages to deflect the immediate press on the situation and to turn the attention towards Mark who disappeared. Robert tasks his team with recreating the Time Box and studying the timeline to find a clue to where Mark took his family. Robert is ready to send a skilled assassin to go back to retrieve the original two Time Boxes and to ‘deal with’ Mark and his family.

Mark tried to plan everything ahead to cover his tracks, but he didn’t catch all the details. This mistake leaves an opening for the relentless anger of Robert and gets Mark taken into custody. Although this results in interesting meetings with Secretary of War, Edward Stanton, and President Lincoln, the family is placed at risk because one of the boxes has been confiscated.

While Mark struggles in Washington, Jordan has to make a risky return to where they first arrived in 1865. Injured while trying to escape danger, Jordan ends up on the doorstep of a young woman whom he met briefly. Their relationship leaves behind another clue that creates more suspense.

There is some similarity to the author’s Carson Chronicles which also involves young family members traveling in time. This book had more foibles as the Lane family leaves a trail of clues and are prepared to interfere in historical events that would reveal the Lane’s location, as well as risk changing history.

I do enjoy Heldt’s time travel novels. There is interesting historical detail, an engaging story, and suspense that runs right to the end. I did suspect and was right, that this story would end at a place that will leave much open for a sequel. I recommend this to fans of family stories, history, and particularly to time travel.

Source: Book supplied by Author for an honest review. This qualifies for my 2020 Author review goal.