Audio Book Discussion 2

How do You Choose Your Audiobooks?
How do you decide what you’ll listen to? Do you mostly listen, or split time between listening and reading? Particularly if you split time, how do you decide what you’ll consume in audio and what in print? 

Most of the time I decide what books to listen to depending on what I am in the mood for.  I have been doing quite a bit more audio books for review lately so I will admit I feel a need to listen to those books sooner than later but I have decided that I will listen to one of my personal books before I go to sleep at night.  I split time between print and audio but audio seems to have gotten alot more time this year.  I think this is because I can consume audio so much easier as I can multitask.  There are certain books that I prefer in audio like James Patterson books and The Outlander Series but I am also an equal opportunity reader/listener of other genres like Amish fiction (my husband enjoys these books too so I will get alot of them) .  Lately whenever I see a book that caught my eye on the blogosphere I will quite often check to see if it is on audio and see if I can get it for review or I will put it on my wishlist on Audible and use one of my credits for it the next time my credits are renewed. 

Audiobook Discussion Number 1

Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is your chance to introduce yourself and your general listening experience. 


I have been listening to audio books steadily since 2006 when my Husband bought me a MP3 player that came with a trial membership to Audible (because I had mentioned that I wanted to fill my 1/2 hour one way commute time more constructively) and I haven't turned back since (I actually wore that MP3 player out.  I use my phone most of the time for listening now).  I generally listen in the car but I do occasionally listen while I am doing stuff on the computer .  I also use my audible app to listen before bed as I can set the app to go off by itself.  I also listen while I am walking  for exercise.  I actually like to listen to longer books most of the time. I think I like to listen to longer books because that way I can read shorter books and get more read that way.  I have listened to most of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.  I listened to Under the Dome by Stephen King.  I have to the first  Game of Thrones book. and I need to schedule the next ones in the Outlander series and the Game of Thrones series.  It was a little difficult to listen to the Game of Thrones because so many of the names sound alike.   I almost exclusively listen to James Patterson books on audio, They make a good filler book as I will quite often take a break in the middle of the longer books and listen to a shorter book. I also like to listen to Ted Dekker  books on audio. I have noticed that I also like to listen to biographies and autobiographies on audio and it is usually a plus when the book is read by the person it is about (I listened to two books read by Carol Burnett and one read by Kristin Chenowith)  One series of books that did not work for me on audio was The Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke.  I didn't like the recipes read to me.  They are a more visual experience for me.

Where was I Last month

I cannot believe that I let the whole month of June go by which was Audio Book month without even mentioning it.  I usually participate in Audio Book Week which didn't seem to happen this year or I just missed it.  I have been listening to alot of audio books.  I consistently read books in this media more so than in any other media because it is just habit to turn on my audio book on the way to and from work.  I hope to post some audio book reviews in the remaining days of July.  I will also take some of the old questions from past audio book weeks and update my answer for my current situation.  My job has changed as I am now working third shift which has changed my whole life and the way that I do things.  Thus I have been finding it harder to write review posts but I will make an effort to do a better job in this area.

Mini Review and Book Spotlight of Child of Mine by David and Beverly Lewis

Child of Mine by David and Beverly Lewis

From Goodreads.com
Bestselling Author Duo Delivers Heart-Stirring Drama 
Jack Livingston has been raising his nine-year-old adopted niece, Natalie, since the accident that took her parents' lives. While he travels for work, Natalie is lovingly cared for by Laura, an Amish nanny who loves her as her own. 
Kelly Maines is nearing the end of her rope. Her baby was kidnapped, the apparent victim of a black market adoption ring, and for eight years, Kelly has tirelessly pursued every lead to its bitter end. Now, there's one last lead from a private investigator: Just a few miles away lives a girl who matches the profile. Could this, at long last, be her beloved child? 
Desperately, Kelly initiates a "chance" meeting with Jack Livingston. It goes really well. So well, in fact, that Jack asks her out. One date leads to another, and before she can come clean with her original motives, Kelly realizes Jack is falling for her--and she for him. 
Now how can she tell Jack why she's really here? And having gotten to know Natalie, what if she isn't her long-lost daughter, after all? This was all supposed to be so simple. 
But nothing in Natalie's world is simple.

My Mini Take:  I am calling this a mini review because I haven't finished reading this book yet.  I have been hooked on Beverly Lewis Books ever since I read her Abrams Daughters Series.  This book is turning into a great book just like those were.  I find myself turning the pages just to find out what happens next.  Although there is a picture of an Amish woman on the cover of the book this book is not really about the woman although she is an important character in the book.  So if Amish fiction isn't your cup of tea don't toss this book aside.  The book is very well written and you will find yourself caring about the characters.  This is a great story. 

I received a review copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Family, Community, and a Free Episode of Adventures in Odyssey

 

 For a limited time, you can listen to a new episode of Adventures in Odyssey for FREE! Album 58, The Ties that Bind, will be available this fall for digital download and CD purchase, but if you join the Odyssey Adventures Club, you can listen to the full album now! Guess what? The $5 special held last month was extended through the end of July, too, so you can join in the fun for only $5! Here's what part one is about (which you can listen to for free HERE):

It’s a time of surprises as Wooton becomes the celebrity guest at Comic-Connellsville and Whit finds himself in conflict over the upcoming “Let’s Get Together Festival” in Odyssey. Plus, hear an interview with writer-director Paul McCusker about the entire 14-part series.

Album 58 was inspired by Focus on the Family’s The Family Project, a 12-session small group experience that explores the theological, philosophical, and cultural underpinnings of the traditional family, and combines that information with inspiring stories and practical tools to help 21st-century families thrive. One way families can carry out God's design for families is by serving their community—right where God has planted them, being His hands and feet together. Want to serve your community with your family, maybe make a day of out it? Here are some fantastic ideas from some Adventures in Odyssey bloggers and club members:

• Make scarves through the year and deliver them to your local homeless shelter at the start of winter, or regularly donate food to your local food bank. —Shirley 
• Our family likes to help with Meals on Wheels. We also do reenactments of the Civil War and WWII to help educate people on history. I like to show my kids that we should be servers and givers by taking meals to people who need them (i.e. baby just born, someone died, someone had surgery, etc.). —Erin 
• We have been visiting a nursing home with friends once a month. The kids just sing and then we fellowship, but the ladies love it! —Lisa 
• We make lap blankets for nursing home residents and take the time to visit with them. We also collect food for the local food pantry. —Donna 
• We make blessing bags to give to the homeless when we encounter them. We also donate clothes and food to a local shelter. —Amy 
• Our MOPs (Mothers of Prechoolers) group supports our local Pregnancy Support Services with donations, gifts, and notes. We also supports the Durham Rescue Mission, which helps people break free from addictions and restore families. —Melissa 
• We live in a very rural area. Our church serves two of the poorest zip codes in the state, and about a decade ago, they started operating a food pantry out of a closet. It has expanded since then, so we now use the closet for storage, but the pantry is basically a classroom. The kids and I serve over there a lot. My 17-year-old and I go to Care & Share (50 miles away) to get food to bring back to the pantry. All of us help unload and stock shelves. On pantry days, everyone can get involved with helping people go through the line, playing with the kids, carrying boxes out to cars, etc. There are so many hungry folks, especially in the summer when school breakfasts and lunches aren't available, and helping a bit to put food on some tables is such a blessing for us all. —Debra 
• We pack food bags each month for the homeless and needy through a thrift store that offers an outreach to the community. We also help clean our church and our Sunday school. —Michele 
• We work through our AHG troop to do several service activities a year. My girls just recently made bracelets they are selling, which 100% of the profits goes to Hope House in Africa to help young girls. —Sarah 
• Our church works with a homeless shelter in downtown Atlanta. We cook food ahead of time, and when our schedules allow we ride down with the group to serve the food. My son always reminds me when we haven't been for awhile, so it's something he looks forward to. —Maria 
• We do lots of random acts of kindnesses within our community: pay for others' meals, leave change at a vending machine, hand out Gatorade/granola bars to people on the side of the road asking for food. We also love to support Mobile Loaves and Fishes. —Kathryn

Did that provide some ideas to give your family service activity the kick-start it needs? What other ideas do you have for serving your community? Share in the comments!

Seagrass Pier by Colleen Coble

About the book: 

In a secluded corner of Hope Beach, one woman must decipher a stranger's memories . . . before they cost her everything.

Elin Summerall was one of the lucky ones. Not only did she get a heart transplant, but the donor was a perfect fit. A miraculously perfect fit.

But when Elin begins having violent flashbacks---and vivid dreams of being strangled---she realizes that she has been the recipient of more than just a new heart . . . Elin is remembering her donor's murder.

Her strange affliction has attracted some unwanted attention: from the press, from the authorities . . . and from the killer himself. Now, living alone with her young daughter and aging mother, Elin is being stalked---by a man she's only met in her nightmares.

The police are dubious of her story, but one off-duty FBI agent is eager to help her: Agent Marc Everton, the father of Elin's daughter.

Of course, he doesn't know about that. Yet.

Now, in a remote cottage on Hope Island, Elin and Marc must probe the secrets buried in her borrowed heart. And there's no time to waste. One man is desperate to silence her---before she remembers too much.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/xAP8O

About the author: 

Colleen Coble has sold over 2 million novels worldwide. Seagrass Pier, the third installment in her acclaimed Hope Beach series, marks a new highpoint for emotion and complexity in Coble's addictive brand of romantic suspense.

Colleen can be found at: website,Twitter, 

My Take:  I liked this book but I did have some issues with it.  I am not sure how I feel about the whole main point of the book which is having the memories of someone else who you have gotten a donated organ from.  It did make for some very interesting reading and helped with the whole mystery of who killed the lady who Elin got her donated heart from.  I also became alittle uncomfortable with some of the romance elements.  I thought that for a Christian book that they were alittle on the border.  They didn't cross the line for me but they came close.  I read alot of non Christian books and I am exposed to alot worse than was in this book but like I said I thought it came awfully close to the line. 

All in all this was a good mystery.  I did not guess who did it until it was revealed at the end.  I felt that maybe alot was thrown at the reader at the very end of the book as that is where most of the action took place.  Even though this is the third in a series it stands alone.  

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion. 

All my belongings Webcast

Interview with Cynthia Ruchti author of All My Belongings

An interview with Cynthia Ruchti,

Author of All My Belongings

Some people are raised by doting parents in a loving home where they have a safe place to grow, to belong. Others come from homes broken by an absentee parent, hurtful words, regrets, promises not kept or a myriad of other sins. In All My Belongings (Abingdon Press/May 6, 2014/ISBN: 978-1426749728/$14.99), author Cynthia Ruchti tells the story of a young woman who feels out of place within her own family and must learn to live in the shadow of guilt and shame that haunts her as a result of her father’s crimes. A new life and a new identity can’t free her from a past that refuses to go away.

Q: Your books — both fiction and non-fiction — tend to have a strong personal tie to them. What from your own personal experiences do you bring to All My Belongings?

The heart of the author comes out in everything he or she writes. My books are a blend of emotions or experiences I’ve known and a heightened empathy for friends and family who’ve walked these paths. From those very real challenges, I draw on imagination to create stories that aren’t afraid to tackle tough subjects, but with what I hope is an embracing and bracing tenderness and compassion. That’s definitely true with All My Belongings. While I didn’t have the main character’s embarrassment about her parents and where/who she came from, I’ve known others whose families make their lives miserable.

Where I do connect deeply with the story is caregiving for someone in her final days of life. My mother was what we call “actively dying” for four years and entered a residence hospice for what we all assumed were the final two or three days of her life. She endured another nine months of the dying process before she went Home. All she craved was my time. Her need seemed so familiar. When I was a child, she worked nights and slept days. It took a toll on her, on all of us. Her devotion to nursing was strong, and she was good at it. I didn’t always understand or appreciate her exhaustion or why she couldn’t attend a school function or have the kind of time for me I hoped for. I knew she loved me, but I craved her presence. Then, in the end, that’s all she wanted from me. I know I’m not alone in having had to work through and set aside my past longings in order to give her what her heart needed. Celebrating the tender moments and loving through the ugliness of the natural processes of dying made an indelible impression on me. Dying is an inescapable part of living. Figuring out how to do it well, whether the person leaving the earth or the one left behind, is an intricate dance that is beautiful when mastered, but clumsy when the lessons are ignored.

Q: The lead character, Becca, struggles with feeling like she’s never really belonged anywhere. Isn’t that something we all deal with at some time or another? Is there anything that makes Becca’s situation different than most?

Women make up the majority of my readership. I have a theory that we women never completely leave junior high. We weave in and out of experiences that challenge our sense of belonging. Sometimes we feel disenfranchised, even in a marriage or with our nuclear family. Work situations can throw us into another cauldron of confusion about where we fit. As readers take Becca’s journey with her, they’ll find that our place to belong doesn’t always look like we thought it would. Our assumptions get trumped by the surprises into which we feel our soul settling. “Ahhh. This is it. This is where I belong.”

Sometimes as we gain from what we survive, we discover what we were seeking was ours all along, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Our life strips away the distractions so we see the One who created a belonging place for us that can’t be taken away by how we feel or what happens to us or where we came from.

We’re all misfits, in some way — at church, at home, in our neighborhood, among our friends, in our extended family. There’s something about us that creates a sense of restlessness on some level, even when life is perking along. We find ways to adjust around our “misfitness.” The word “achieve” is interesting applied to belonging. I think in many ways it isn’t a pursuit as much as it is a discovery. Discovering where we fit in God’s scheme makes the other puzzle pieces fit for all of us.

Q: Have you ever had to separate yourself from a family member or friend because of something that happened in the past?

I’ve known people who have had to, but I haven’t personally been in that position. I come from an exceptional family history. Throughout the years I’ve listened to the heartbreaking stories of others who were abandoned, ignored or neglected, and whose parents acted as if they had no children even though they did.

Q: There are a number of ways you could have written about a young woman trying to escape the sins of her father. What made you choose the crime of euthanasia?

The numbers of novels dealing with physical or sexual abuse are many. But sometimes what makes us ashamed of our past isn’t related to that kind of abuse or takes abuse to yet another despicable level. I wanted the story to explore what it‘s like to have a parent’s reputation taint not just a daughter’s life, but the community’s. I needed the character to wrestle with something different from other books on the market, and yet the emotions are in many ways the same as any kind of barrier between the heart of a child and the heart of a parent.

In this case, her father’s acts had a more far-reaching effect on others, not only in what he did, but the attention on the trial and the press, all of which made it more difficult to escape the spotlight. Her father’s choices went against her own convictions, but how would she respond when those convictions were put to the ultimate test?

Q: For most Christians euthanasia is a very black-and-white issue. Do you personally feel there is ever an area of gray?

We assume we have it all figured out. There’s criminal euthanasia — for personal gain, either financially or for some other twisted reason. There’s involuntary euthanasia — where the perpetrator believes he or she is doing the right thing in ending a tortured life, but against the wishes of the person killed. Then there’s voluntary euthanasia — when the patient is involved in the decision-making.

We may have our feet planted firmly on the side that none of the above is acceptable. I didn’t include this subplot to present an essay on the evils of euthanasia, but to spark conversation about why we believe the way we do. For me, it created a framework against which I could examine what else is involved in decisions like these. What kind of pain presses people to even consider euthanasia? And how can we condemn those who wrestle with the issue, especially those who have sat at the bedside of a terminal loved one in extreme, relentless distress?

Personally, I believe our default option has to be letting God decide the length of our days. I have witnessed such indescribable beauty, even in the hard days at the end of someone’s life, and I wouldn’t want to grieve over the tenderness missed in cutting that time short.

Q: Not only did Becca feel guilt by association due to her father’s actions, but bore the guilt of reporting his crimes to authorities. What are some ways we can deal with the various kinds of guilt we bear in our lives?

Guilt isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it serves as a warning to us that prevents bad choices in the future. Sometimes it presses us to ask forgiveness and re-establish a broken relationship, or make restitution for a wrong we’ve done. That’s a sorrow (or a guilt) that leads to repentance, as the Bible says.

But when guilt is unwarranted or we’re bearing guilt vicariously for someone else’s deeds, then we are carrying around a weight we weren’t meant to carry, and it threatens to bend our emotional spines into permanent disfigurement. Sorting through reasonable versus unreasonable guilt is a first step.

Guilt can become a label. Not only do we have to remove the label intentionally, we need to ensure it doesn’t become a tattoo. Guilt can serve a purpose, but after that purpose is served, there’s no option other than to discard it.

The words come easily. The process can be emotionally taxing.

Q: All My Belongings addresses caregiving and the responsibility of spouses and children. Do you believe caregiving is something inherent or something we learn? Does how we are parented as children affect how compassionate we are toward others?

Personality traits affect our caregiving abilities. Some seem gifted for it. Others are as awkward in caregiving as a kangaroo on stilts. No matter where we are on the spectrum, we can learn a more graceful and grace-filled caregiving. Insecurities can keep us from being a natural caregiver, but we can grow in the practice as we observe someone who is elegant at it. Even if our first attempts are clumsy, we can catch onto the rhythm of it, if our heart’s in the right place and we’re humble students of the process.

Q: In All My Belongings, the strongest victories came from situations that look completely bleak and hopeless, yet the characters press on. How is that a reflection of life outside the pages of a novel?

The most memorable moments and the seasons with the strongest impact on my own character have been the ones that challenged me and called for a depth of courage I didn’t know I had. Losing someone I loved. Dealing with a traumatic diagnosis. Knee-rattling concern over a loved one’s choices. Upheavals in routine.

Some of the characters in All My Belongings adopt the phrase “guacamole!” to underscore the truth that some things in life are even better after they’re pulverized. Tracing back through the years, we can probably all point to times when we discovered a depth of meaning behind that statement. Life can mash us or tenderize us, depending on our response to its challenges.

Q: How does forgiveness impact parent-child relationships even in adulthood?

Sometimes we outgrow or overcome the resentments, embarrassments, and hurts we experience in childhood . . . even those natural to the best of homes. But unforgiveness between parents and their children can utterly poison their adult relationships. What could be more heartbreaking than parents and grown kids unable to connect, harboring old grudges or vindictiveness over old sins? A friend of mine suffered at the hand of an abusive step-father. Because she determined to be generous with forgiveness, throughout the years his heart softened. Those in-between years weren't easy for her, but by God's grace, she kept a firm grip on her commitment to forgive and love whether he deserved it or not. The relationship they have now is the kind of step-father/step-daughter bond others wish they could know. It's almost become a comedy routine to think of holidays and other family gatherings and assume the dysfunctions will create the stories told after the fact. Forgiveness can change those stories to something soul-satisfying and God-pleasing.

Q: What is the one spiritual lesson you hope readers will walk away with after the last chapter of All My Belongings?

Finding where we belong is less about a place or a reputable heritage and more about a faith that forms the foundation of all other belonging.

Learn more about Cynthia Ruchti and her books at www.cynthiaruchti.com. Readers can also become a fan on Facebook (cynthiaruchtireaderpage) or follow her on Twitter (@cynthiaruchti).  

Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma

About the book:

Gisela must hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.

Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.

However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch's identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her "marriage."

Their journey to Gisela's mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella's daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.

In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/wAD3T 

About the author: 

New York Times best-selling author Liz Tolsma is the author of Daisies are Forever, Snow on the Tulips, and the contributing author of A Log Cabin Christmas. When not busy putting words to paper, Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children, all adopted internationally.

Connect with Liz: website, Faceobok,Twitter

My Take:  This book takes us to the last days of the World War II and takes us to a group of people that are trying to escape from Prussia into Germany.  This was interesting because you wouldn't think that Germany would be a place you would want to escape too during this war.  You follow along with this group as they learn to let God do the leading.  The story had some suspenseful spots as you wondered if everything would turn out ok.  This book was a great take on this time period.

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion.  

Love Finds You in Sugar Creek Ohio by Serena Miller

Guideposts Books is excited to announce the premiere of a new film based on the book Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio (Summerside Press) by Serena Miller. The movie, produced by Mission Pictures International and filmed last fall in the actual town of Sugarcreek, will premiere on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at 7:00 PM EDT on Up TV (formerly the Gospel Music Channel). Visit the movie website for more information.

 

The story: A mysterious outsider casts a long shadow on Ohio's Amish country. Policewoman Rachel Troyer has always looked after her three elderly Amish aunts, proprietors of a farmhouse inn near Sugarcreek, Ohio. The idyllic town is popular with tourists, who come to sample its famous Amish goods. But one thing is clear to Rachel --- Joe Matthews is no tourist. When the bearded stranger lands on her aunts' doorstep, begging shelter for himself and his young son, Rachel is suspicious.

Will she be able to uncover Joe's secrets despite her aunts' --- and her own --- growing affection for him?

Get the book: http://ow.ly/vBQwd

About the author: Prior to writing novels, Serena Miller wrote for many periodicals, including Woman's World, Guideposts, Billy Graham's Decision Magazine,Reader's Digest, Focus on the Family,Christian Woman, and The Detroit Free Press Magazine. She has spent many years partnering with her husband in full-time ministry and lives on a farm in southern Ohio near a thriving Amish community.

Learn more about Serena at: http://serenabmiller.com

My Take:  I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading this book.  It is a little bit suspense, romance, and Amish all rolled into one.  This is not a totally Amish book.  There are Amish characters and it is set in a town that has Amish but the story is really about the stranger who comes to town and the policewoman who just happens to be the niece to a trio of lovable Amish Women who run an Amish Inn.  The mystery revolves around the stranger who's truck breaks down and finds himself and his young son staying at the Amish Inn that the three Amish women said they would only use if they felt the need arise.  I will admit that I did have the identity of the stranger pretty much figured out before It was reveiled but I didn't have the murderer figured out till right before it was reveiled.  I found this book very intriguing and it kept my attention so much so that my family had to repeat my name several times to get my attention.    I would recommend this book for anyone who likes mystery, suspence and Amish books.  

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion.