MBS 2021 FRATERFEST READATHON #FraterfestRAT

This readathon is hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and lasts from 10/15-10/25/2021.

The rules are fairly easy (follow the link above):
Between Midnight October 15th and ending at 11:59 pm October 25th; read or listen to thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, horror, supernatural, witchy, ghostly or serial killer novels and novellas.

I estimate I might get in 25 hours listening time and a little bit of ebook time.

• 8 books (5TBR and 3 current) completed for FRATERFEST 2018
• 10 TBR titles for FRATERFEST 2019
• 6 books (2TBR and 4 current) for FRATERFEST 2020

I am going to try to stick to TBR books except for one of the NetGalley titles and the Bookfunnel ebook. Here are some of the titles I may pick from to read or listen to for 2021 Fraterfest:
eBooks:

NetGalley: The Secret Halloween Costume by Sophie Vaillancourt
Witches and Poppets by Melanie Karsak – Bookfunnel 10/3/2021
NetGalley TBR: My Dead Friend Sarah by Peter Rosch

Audio Books:

A2020 Countdown: A Prequel Story to Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry 19m
AA2018 The Horror of the Heights by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 0h 44m
A2020 Black Virus: Black Rust, Book 1 by Bobby Adair 2h 34m

A2020 Once Upon a Haunted Moor, The Tyack & Frayne Mysteries, Book 1 by Harper Fox 2h 57m
A2020 Dead Acre by Rhett C. Bruno , Jaime Castle 3h 24m

A2020 Murder by Other Means: The Dispatcher, Book 2 by John Scalzi 3h 33m
A2020 A Crazy Inheritance Series: Ghostsitter, Book 1 by Tommy Krappweis 4h 25m
A2020 Second Skin, Audible Original Novella by Christian White 2h 28m
AC2020 Gustav Gloom and the People Taker by Adam-Troy Castro 4h 42m Chirp

A2020 Monster, She Wrote The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger, Melanie R. Anderson Length: 7h 29m
A2020 Dusty's Diary by Bobby Adair 7h 44m
AC2019 Elemental Thief by Rachel Morgan 7h 47m Chirp
A2020 Monster Hunt NYC: The Monster Hunt NYC, Book 1 by Harmon Cooper 7h 53m

I have another list of longer books available for October reading -- this year or in the future. :-)

Image found at But Why Tho?

MBS September 2021 Reading List Wrap Up

MBS 2021 Reading List - SEPTEMBER

Code for the list is:
A = Audible; ABB = Audiobook Boom
e = eBook; eA = eBook from Author; eT = eBook from Tour
NG = NetGalley
P = Print; PT = Print from Tour
LBC = Ladies Book Club
TBR = From the TBR shelves prior to 2020
Favorites for the month:

5 Stars = None
4.75 Stars = None
4.5 Stars = A Worthy Pursuit, Killer Lawyer and Penny Preston and the King's Blade

1. ATBR- Audio Book Review: The Dauntless by Alex Kings; Genre: Military, Science Fiction, Space Opera; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.25.
2. ATBR- Audio Book Review: A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer; Genre: Historical Romance, Inspirational, Romance; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.
3. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Who in the World is Carmen Sandiego by Rebecca Tinker; Genre: Children's Audiobooks, Literature & Fiction; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
4. NGA2021- #NetGalley Audio Book Review: Striking Range (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #7) by Margaret Mizushima; Genre: Crime Thriller, Mystery, Police Procedures, Women Sleuths; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.0.
5. A2021- Audible Book Review: The Unwanted Heiress by Amy Corwin; Genre: Historical Romance, Regency; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.0.
6. eBTBR- Book Review: Killer Lawyer (Jake Wolfe Book 3) by Mark Nolan; Genre: Action, Crime Thriller, Mystery; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.
7. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Commune, Book Three by Joshua Gayou; Genre: Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.5.
8. A2021- Audible Book Review: Penny Preston and the King’s Blade, Misaligned Book III, by Armen Pogharian; Genre: Fantasy, Teen and YA, Time Travel; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.
9. Author2021- Poetry Book Review: Palm Lines by Jonathan Koven; Genre: Emotion, Nature, Poetry; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.
10. NGA2021- #NetGalley Audio Book Review: Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt; Genre: Animals, Holidays, Legal Procedures, Mystery; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Total read = 10
TBR = 5
New Authors = 5
Audio/Audible = 8 (4 TBRs)
NetGalley = 2 (2 audios) (0 TBRs)
Author Review books (other than NG) = 3
Nonfiction = 1
eBook = 1 (1 TBR)
Print = 0 (0 TBR)

Goal Progress (to Date meaning through the end of the given month):
Goodreads Goal Read to Date: 113 of 124
TBR to Date: 78 of 90 total
DONE - Audio to Date: 83 of 64
NetGalley to Date: 27 of 24
DONE - Author Reviews: 12 of 12
Nonfiction: 11 of 12
TBR ebooks or Print: 9 of 24

• Series: 71 (27 continuing, 44 new)
• New to me Series: 44 (17 Yes to continue; 12 likely to continue, 11 maybe, unlikely 4)
• Finished for me Series: 1

Special Goals
• Seasonal title: 3 of 4: Winter, Spring, Summer
• Color in title: 6 of 8: Red, Black, Gold, Blue, Blonde, Diamond
DONE • Alphabet letters covered: 26 Mixed media: 10 Jan + 6 Feb + 2 March + 1 April + 2 May + 2 June + 1 July + 2 August (26 of 26)
• Alphabet letters covered: 26 Audio only (not the same): 1 Jan + 4 Feb + 7 March + 5 April + 4 May + 1 June + 0 July + 1 August + 0 September (23 of 26) Remaining: N, V and X

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway October 8, 2021

Happy Friday!
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 October 1, 2021 Pick. There was no automatic win last 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 October 1, 2021 Pick:
LINDA gets a GC

AND
MARYP 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.}

Getting ready for Halloween!
Image found at Get Literary.

New Book Box #94 May 28, 2021 (10 books)

Three Audio CD Books:
Web of Evil by J.A. Jance
One Good Deed by David Baldacci
Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts
SINGLE TITLES
Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale
The Hidden Heart by Laura Kinsale
A Summer of Firsts by Susan Wiggs and Sarah Morgan
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
Christmas on 4th Street: An Anthology by Susan Mallery
The Stranger by Harlan Coben
Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson


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

A Most Unsuitable Man by Jo Beverley
The Tender Stranger by Carolyn Davidson
Her Wedding Wish by Jillian Hart
Heart's Desire by Ruth Ryan Hagan
The Deputy's Duty by Terri Reed
Summer by the Sea by Susan Wiggs

Box #93 (14 books)

Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready
There's Only Been You by Donna Marie Rogers (personally signed)
For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper
The Irish Bride by Alexa Harrington
When We Met by Susan Mallery
Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery
All of Me by Lori Wilde

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

SINGLES: Ten books in this box:
Fight or Flight by Natalie J. Damschroder
The Sinister Pig by Tony Hillerman Audiobook

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

Born in Fire Audiobook Cassettes
Montana Sky
Valley of Silence
Inner Harbor and
Chesapeake Blue


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

SINGLES:
Alias by Smy J. Fetzer
Hot Sex by Janet Evanovich (Audio cassettes)

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

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:
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

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 1,374 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, TWRP, 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!

Audio Book Review: Bunker (Book 1) Born to Fight by Jay J. Falconer

This is a quick post-apocalyptic listen with a hero that I like.
Bunker (Book 1) Born to Fight
Written by Jay J. Falconer
Narrated by Gary Tiedemann

Run Time 3h 46min
Release Date: March 31, 2017
Publisher: BookBreeze.com
Genre: Action, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Thriller
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher Description
Cyber-Attacks. EMPs. Invasion. War. When the end comes, few will have the ability to survive.
When a coordinated attack takes out the nation’s power grid, a small town finds itself at ground zero of an all-out invasion.
With limited options and no time to prepare, the citizens have no choice but to turn to a mysterious drifter, Jack Bunker, for help.
The former combat engineer has the skills to keep them alive, but he won’t be able to do it alone, not against an overwhelmingly superior force. Somehow he’ll have to find a way to transform the mild-mannered townsfolk into military-grade warriors and lead them into battle, despite his dark past that leads some to wonder whose side is he really on?
The Bunker series is a 5-part explosive, high-octane thriller. If you like pulse-pounding action, resourceful warriors, and deep political intrigue, then you’ll love this bestselling tale of true grit. It’s Rambo versus Red Dawn, only amped-up with one thrilling scene after another.

Review:
Jack Bunker is a soldier with a mysterious past. He was looking forward to ‘decompressing’ and finding a new beginning when events went haywire. Bunker was on a train traveling north when the power went out. At the same time, the cell phones and tablets of passengers went dead. Next a plane plunged from the sky. It is clear that Bunker suspects a greater problem – an EMP strike – that many others don’t recognize.

Sitting next to Bunker on the train is a young woman and her 10 year-old son. When Bunker chooses to exit the train and start walking, the woman, Stephanie, and her son, Jeffrey, are determined to go with him. Bunker doesn’t want to take any responsibility for them, but he can’t force them not to follow.

Before Bunker and his companions get to the town they set out for, they are pulled in to rescue a busload of children. Now Bunker is in town and facing a crowd with leaders who aren’t sure how to protect themselves from the disruptions that are quickly spreading.

The author has not yet revealed Bunker’s full background, so he is still a mystery, which adds interest to the story. The post-apocalyptic event has just occurred so there is still a lot to learn about what or who caused the event. I liked the action which I hope will increase in the next books. The writing could use more depth, but it has an easy flow in this series opener.

I didn’t necessarily find this ‘enthralling’, but I found it entertaining and want to continue. I was glad I could get audio books 2-5 for just under $10.00 at Chirp. I recommend this to fans of the post-apocalyptic genre.

Audio Notes: Gary Tiedemann does a fine job with the narration. The voices are distinct and the energy fit the story. I look forward to listening to more in the series.

Source: 9/5/2021 Chirp Purchase $.99. This qualifies for 2021Audiobook goal.

#NetGalley Audio Book Review: Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt

As usual with this series, I enjoyed the legal aspects and mystery... and dogs.

Best in Snow
(Andy Carpenter #24)
by David Rosenfelt
Narrated by Grover Gardner

Series: Andy Carpenter Series, Book 24
6 hours and 52 minutes
Release date: 10-19-21
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Animals, Holidays, Legal Procedures, Mystery
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
In this Christmas mystery, Best in Snow, lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are on the beat after a body turns up in the snow and a journalist is nowhere to be found.
Christmas has come early to the town of Paterson, New Jersey, in the form of a snowstorm that left over two feet of snow on the ground. Lawyer Andy Carpenter likes snow - to a point - but he misses the walks he takes his dogs on every day.
When the snow starts to melt, and a body is discovered, Andy ends up in the office of the local newspaper editor. The murder victim is that of crooked businessman Thomas Lansing, who had an infamous relationship with the newspaper. Last year a young reporter published an expose, and Lansing had him fired for libel. Now, the young reporter - and prime suspect - isn’t answering his phone...and everyone is worried.
Andy agrees to take the case, though it’s not looking good this holiday season. The snow is piling up - along with the evidence - in the next Christmas mystery in this best-selling series from David Rosenfelt.
A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books
©2021 David Rosenfelt (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Review:
Wealthy and want-to-be retired lawyer, Andy Carpenter, is out walking the dogs when his main dog, Tara, sniffs out a body under the snow. It turns out to be the local mayor and the police are quick to focus on a young reporter, Bobby Nash, who had reason to have a grudge. When they find blood in Bobby’s trunk, he is arrested for the murder. One of Andy’s drinking ‘buddies’, Vince, a newspaper editor and Bobby’s former boss, coerces Andy into taking on the defense representation.

Evidence builds against Bobby as his car and phone are placed at the scene and the mayor’s wife advises the police that Bobby made threatening phone calls a few days before the murder. Unfortunately, Bobby isn’t able to help much with the facts as he was in a car accident shortly after the murder and has no memory of the events. When a potential witness is killed, it seems to turn the search away from Bobby who was in the hospital. Until it is determined that the source of the second murder could have been set up before Bobby was arrested.

Still, Andy sees lots of holes in the evidence. He just needs more facts to lead the jury to a different conclusion – to reasonable doubt. Andy gathers his quirky crew of investigators, and they get busy searching out alternate suspects. Attempts to eliminate Bobby and Andy make it clear that there are other suspects to be found.

As usual in this fun series, the Carpenter Team is able to dig out good facts pointing to bad actors further afield. The necessary details don’t get to Andy until the eleventh hour and he and his client have to wait out the jury verdict.

I enjoy this series for its unique characters. Andy has a snarky personality but his crew dish right back at him. I also enjoy the legal proceedings, in preparation and presentation. The writing is concise and moves along at a good pace. I recommend this story to fans of legal procedure mysteries. Each book is a new murder or criminal event so they can be read as standalones. However, I do recommend reading the first several to get to know the characters… and that may lead to reading more in the series.

Audio Notes: Grover Gardner is the voice of Andy Carpenter and pulls me right into the story. I have read one or two of the books on Kindle and I still can hear Gardner’s voice. I have to smile as soon as I start listening. I love listening to this series.

Source: 9/9/2021 from NetGalley. This qualifies for 2021NetGalley and 2021Audiobook goals.