#NetGalley Book Review: The Boy Who Moved Christmas by Eric Walters, Nicole Wellwood

This brought tears to my eyes - so sweet.
The Boy Who Moved Christmas
by Eric Walters, Nicole Wellwood, illustrator Carloe Liu

Grade level : 1 - 2 Item Weight : 5.6 ounces
Paperback : 32 pages
Reading level : 3 - 7 years
ISBN-13 : 978-1771089111
Publisher : Nimbus Publishing Limited (October 1, 2020)
Genre: Children, Death, Illness
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

Based on a true story, this is a touching reminder of the power of Christmas and community spirit, no matter what the time of year.
It's October, but in seven-year-old Evan's town, every house is decorated for Christmas and a giant holiday parade is about to begin. The bump in Evan's head means he might not make it to December, so all his friends, family, neighbours, and thousands of strangers have moved Christmas just for him.
Evan is delighted to see the trees, the lights, and even snow, but he's a little worried that the parade might not be complete. How will Santa know he needs to visit so early? Will it even feel like Christmas without Santa there?
Based on the true story of Evan Leversage and featuring an afterword by his mother, Nicole Wellwood, The Boy who Moved Christmas is a loving tribute from the duo behind Always With You, and a touching reminder of the power of the Christmas spirit―no matter what time of year.

Review:
As the blurb explains, this is based on a true story of a ten-year old, Evan, who is dying of a brain tumor. The simple story and illustrations share how the entire community, police, firemen, shop owners and neighbors, join the family in moving Christmas to October to celebrate with Evan. They even arrange to provide a ride with Santa.

The story isn’t brilliant, and the illustrations aren’t polished, but the package is beautiful in its caring and sentiment. It would certainly be lovely if all communities could share such a giving and caring attitude all year long. The story creates a nice opportunity to share with children, healthy or ill, the caring spirit that is focused around Christmas. I would recommend this as a nice addition for families.

Source: NetGalley 2020. This qualifies for 2020NetGaley goal.

Audible Book Review: The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

This is good vintage sci fi. but strange.

The Stars My Destination
By: Alfred Bester
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
Release date: 12-05-17
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Hard Sci Fi, Vintage
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
Marooned in outer space after an attack on his ship, Nomad, Gulliver Foyle lives to obsessively pursue the crew of a rescue vessel that had intended to leave him to die.
When it comes to pop culture, Alfred Bester (1913-1987) is something of an unsung hero. He wrote radio scripts, screenplays, and comic books (in which capacity he created the original Green Lantern Oath). But Bester is best known for his science fiction novels, and The Stars My Destination may be his finest creation. With its sly potshotting at corporate skullduggery, The Stars My Destination seems utterly contemporary, and has maintained its status as an underground classic for over 50 years.
©1956 Alfred Bester; copyright renewed 1984 by Alfred Bester; special restored text of this edition copyright 1996 by the Estate of Alfred Bester; Introduction copyright 1996 by Neil Gaiman (P)2017 Tantor.

Review:
Gulliver Foyle is a simple crew member on the ship SS Nomad. The ship becomes marooned in space and Foyle is the only survivor. Struggling to use the remaining oxygen sparingly, Foyle is excited when he sees a rescue ship, the Vulgar, stop when they see his distress signal. But instead of coming to save him, they move on, leaving him to die.

Miraculously Foyle awakens in a space colony where the unique community has tattooed his face with stripes that look like a grotesque tiger. When Foyle realizes there is a chance to escape the asteroid and return to earth (Terra), he rushes forward with an overwhelming obsession to hunt down the crew that left him behind.

Foyle lives in a time when many have learned to jaunte or teleport themselves to locations they can picture in their minds. But no one has successfully jaunted in space and it is believed to be impossible. Foyle turns out to be a talented juanter, using the skill in many of his escapes.

The story follows Foyle as his obsession pushes him to use aliases while he gathers finances, resources and information seeking the crew of the Vulgar. Along the way he makes friends and enemies who assist his efforts, sometimes under threat. At one point Foyle gets very close to the owner of the Vulgar and Foyle finds himself drawn to the man’s unusual daughter who is blind but sees in wavelength spectrum. She ends up having a strange role in Foyle’s story.

The story is a little strange and Foyle isn’t necessarily a likeable protagonist. However, I did enjoy the creative steps and means of escape that Foyle comes up with in his desperate situations. The story was written in the 1950s and shows a wonderful sense of imagination. The story is what I consider ‘hard’ science fiction and it does have some surprises and ironies especially as it nears the ending. I think I may prefer military sci fi with action and characters I can cheer on. Still, I am glad that I read/listened to this classic. I do recommend it to readers who want to share in the history of science fiction.

Audio Notes: Gerard Doyle is an Irish narrator who does a very good job with this piece. He captures Foyle’s normal gutter language and the changes he makes as he pursues his revenge. Doyle also delivers on the intensity of the emotions and his narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

November Vintage Sci Fi title. Source: 6/12/18 Audible Daily Deal $2.95. This qualifies for 2020 TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 4, 2020

Happy Friday! Thank you to everyone for sharing in my November month of giving! Now welcome to December and the winding down of 2020!

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 November 27, 2020 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 no title blocked.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from November 27, 2020 Pick:
RITA gets Thief of Hearts
ALINA and MARJORIE each get a GC

BN100 gets  No Ordinary Man

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.}

The Christmas Season reminds us we can give books as well as hoping to get some!
Image found at Independent.

New Book Groups #92 and #93 November 13, 2020.
#92 (15 books):

The Promise by TJ Bennett
A Most Unsuitable Man by Jo Beverley
Alaskan Renegade by Kate Bridges
Killing Floor by Lee Child
The Tender Stranger by Carolyn Davidson
Her Wedding Wish by Jillian Hart
Heart's Desire by Ruth Ryan Hagan
Snowflakes on the Sea by Linda Lael Miller
Murder in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
One Perfect Rose by Mary Jo Putney
The Deputy's Duty by Terri Reed
No Ordinary Man by Suzanne Simmons
The Scot by Lyn Stone
The Abducted Heiress by Claire Thornton
Summer by the Sea by Susan Wiggs

Box #93 (14 books)

Three Complete Novels by Sandra Brown (Best Kept Secrets, Mirror Image, and Slow Heat to Heaven)
Select Editions Four Novels: Safe Harbor, The Analyst, Fallen Angel and Open Season
Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready
There's Only Been You by Donna Marie Rogers (personally signed)
The Celtic Riddle by Lyn Hamilton
For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper
The Irish Bride by Alexa Harrington
The Best Man by Kristan Higgins
Castles in the Mist by Jose Litton
When We Met by Susan Mallery
Thief of Hearts by Teresa Medeiros
Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery
Familiar Stranger by Sharon Sala
All of Me by Lori Wilde

New Book Group #91 October 2, 2020 - Suspense themed

SINGLES: Ten books in this box:
Senseless by Mary Burton
Indefensible by Pamela Callow
Fight or Flight by Natalie J. Damschroder
Final Appeal by Joanne Fluke
The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman
The Sinister Pig by Tony Hillerman Audiobook
Capital Crimes by Jonathan & Faye Kellerman
Deadly Promises (Black Ops) Anthology, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Diane Love, Cindy Gerard, Laura Griffin
Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman
Justice by Dan Mahoney
PAIRS:
Janet Evanovich: Plum Spooky and Foul Play
Sharon Sala (aka Dinah McCall): Out of the Dark and Bloodlines

PICK TWO  your choice (listed below the picture) Nora Roberts:

Born in Fire Audiobook Cassettes
Montana Sky
A Little Magic (Sorry - I initially listed this as Dark Magic)
Valley of Silence
Inner Harbor and
Chesapeake Blue


New Book Group #90 June 19, 2020
Quite a few mysteries in this box.

SINGLES:
Siren's Song by Trish Albright (personally autographed)
Alias by Smy J. Fetzer
Angel Face by Suzanne Forster
Stalking the Puzzle Lady by Parnell Hall
Hot Sex by Janet Evanovich (Audio cassettes)
The Warrior by Frances Richey (poetry  hardcover)


New Book Group #89 March 6, 2020

Singles:
My Surrender by Connie Brockway
How to Tame a Modern Rogue by Diana Holoquist
Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere

New Book Group #88 November 8, 2019

PAIRS:
Stella Cameron: Body of Evidence and Fascination
Singles:
A Lady Never Tells by Candace Camp
Dawn of Redemption by Starla Childs


New Book Group #87 August 23, 2019

SINGLES:
Captain's Paradise by Kay Hooper
Open Season by Linda Howard AUDIO CASSETTES


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

SINGLES:
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
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
Aunt Erma's Cope Book
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Bound by Destiny by Rayka Mennen

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 21 titles.)
Plan of Attack by Dan Brown
(*Three One more very old books from my Gothics box.)
*The Man in the Garden by Paule Mason (1969 - yellowed)
Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
*Four One 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 TEN years I have posted 91 groups of 16 books plus an additional 21 totaling 1,477 books available to find new homes! (As of November 6, 2020).

I am happy to say that so far about 1,344+ 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: The Prepared Investor: How to Prevent the Next Crisis from Affecting Your Financial Independence by Christopher Manske

This shares some good advice to help any investor prepare for inevitable market drops.
The Prepared Investor: How to Prevent the Next Crisis from Affecting Your Financial Independence
by Christopher Manske

Hardcover : 240 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-0990439660
Publisher : Changing Lives Press (October 20, 2020)
Genre: Investment, Nonfiction
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

Why do some crises affect the stock market far more than others? When faced with disaster, why do investment advisors keep telling clients to just be patient? Christopher Manske reveals that investing through crisis is very different from the standard dogma accepted today. Like Outliers showed a different way to look at success and Nine Lies About Work turned the establishment upside down on leadership and teams, The Prepared Investor demonstrates how readers can protect and grow their net worth in the face of calamity. By offering a new lens to examine major catastrophe, Manske gives a compelling and instructive approach to maximizing one’s portfolio despite tomorrow’s uncertainty. Using twenty specific action steps that highlight how different crises affect investors, readers will see how a few National Guardsmen sank the entire stock market, how the secret Napoleon knew explains investors’ selling behavior, and why a simple statement from particular leaders can be just as much a crisis as an airplane flying into the World Trade Center. Manske shows readers how foolish it is for Wall Street to approach all types of calamity with the same “just hold on” solution.

Review:
Mr. Manske shares specific examples of crises in the past with graphs showing how the market reacted in each case. He also provides hypothetical cases of prepared investors and how they might react when a crisis hits. I really appreciate how the author lays out specific action steps to take to prepare for a variety of crises. I particularly liked how Manske suggests keeping a journal of important leaders and news events to develop a pattern of cause and effect. This is to allow the investor to be ready (or at the very least less surprised) when a perceived catastrophe impacts the market. A prepared investor can move to use a crisis as an opportunity to gain instead of just submitting to sudden loss.

In addition to preparing for major market fluctuation, Manske provides some fascinating historical details which enhanced the financial aspects of the book for me. I learned that issues that might seem important to smaller investors might not cause the same response by the large investors. The author explains the factors that impact market flow and this helped me to see a broader picture and to better understand how foreign and domestic news might trigger reactions particularly from the large institutional investors who are really the entities that have the ability to move the market up and down.

I have been investing in the stock market since the market drop in March of this year so I am still new to the field. I can say from my limited experience that it is important to study before risking any funds in market investing.

The book is laid out in a fashion that builds on twenty action steps. The author provides graphs and history which helps the information flow more easily so it is not overwhelming. It is written at a level and in a format that can be understood by less experienced investors. I would recommend The Prepared Investor as an important help to a new investor like me, but I think it would have good insight and information for longer term investors too, even if just to reinforce and remind them of actions that they may have already learned but are not implementing as well as they might.

Source: My thanks to Mr. Manske for offering this book for my review. This qualifies for my 2020 Author Review goals.

Audio Book Review: Christmas in Sugarcreek: A Christmas Seasons of Sugarcreek Novel by Shelley Shepard Gray

This was sweet, Christian Christmas romance.

Christmas in Sugarcreek: A Christmas Seasons of Sugarcreek Novel
Written By: Shelley Shepard Gray
Narrated By: Robynn Rodriguez

Date: October 2011
Duration: 5 hours 53 minutes
Genre: Amish, Christian, Christmas, Romance
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Summary:
The beloved characters Shelley Shepard Gray created for her bestselling Seasons of Sugarcreek series are back in Christmas in Sugarcreek—a heartwarming story of the magic of Christmastime and the blossoming of an unlikely love in a close-knit Amish community. Obedient daughter Judith Graber finds herself becoming uncomfortably enamored of the help her father has hired to assist in the store during the holidays: Ben Knox, as scandalous a bad boy as they come in staid and quiet Sugarcreek. Author of the immensely popular Sisters of the Heart novels, Shelley Shepard Gray is one of the true masters of Amish inspirational fiction, and Christmas in Sugarcreek is a delightful holiday treat for all lovers of Christian romance—especially fans of Beverly Lewis, Wanda Brunstetter, and Cindy Woodsmall.

Review:
Judith is a little surprised that her father has hired a young man who had a reputation as a ‘bad boy’ in their school days. She had wanted to be his friend but was too concerned about getting close to his unsavory reputation.

Ben finds Judith attractive and remembers her shy kindness in school. He has come back to town to sell his family’s home and then return to the city. He is glad to have work during his visit and finds himself enjoying the community life and especially the welcome he receives from Judith’s family. She is a little standoffish, but he is willing to try to cajole her to share more time with him.

As the young couple work and spend time together, they begin to share their history. Particularly Ben tries to explain his rough childhood that contributed to his acting out and never feeling accepted. Judith is drawn to Ben, but she is afraid to let her heart care for a man who will be leaving town as soon as his house sells.

The author also shares the stories of two other couples during the season. A young wife who wasn’t raised in the Amish community struggles to find the right gift to show her husband how much she cares and that she wants to be a proper wife. Another young man woos a young woman who is trying to hide her family troubles. These two stories added to the enjoyment of the seasonal cheer.

I have enjoyed this author before and enjoyed this story too. The characters have conflict and self doubt which I found annoying in light of what should be their faith foundations. Still, it provides a quick listen that is easy, light and fits the Christmas season of redemption, acceptance, sacrifice, and love. I recommend this to readers who enjoy clean, light romance.

Audio Notes: Robynn Rodriguez does a nice job with the narration. I didn’t get confused by the voices and the presentation was mostly smooth. There were a few moments where the sound seemed to fade but that may have been my earbuds failing. I did enjoy reading this by audio.

Source: 2019 Audiobooks.com sale $3.99. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.