HIGH SUMMER READ-A-THON: WRAP UP of JULY 20 - 26TH 27.7.15

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~ HIGH SUMMER Read-a-Thon Wrap Up ~
3 audios at 6 hrs + 5 hrs + 1 hr = 12 hrs total 7 books read = 1097 pages read total HapPy Dancing !  Thanks for joining the FuN of focused Reading.
Thanks to Michelle of Seasons of Reading for hosting these annual events! ~*~ 

~ Mid Week High Summer Readathon Updates ~ The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz = 3 hrs audio July 20th                                                           completed 3 hrs audio July 26th Emma by Alexander McCall Smith = 43 pgs July 20th
                                                            107 pgs July 21st                                                                21 pgs July 23rd                                                                71 pgs July 24th                                                                22 pgs July 26th To Capture Her Heart by Rebecca DeMarino = 34 pgs July 20th A Heart So True by Dorothy Love = 96 pgs completed July 21 An Outlaw's Heart by Shelley Gray = 96 pgs completed July 22 Full Circle by Mona Ingram = 170 pgs completed July 22 The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton = 1 hr audio July 22 Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser = 96 pgs  July 24 The CuriosityKeeper by Sarah E. Ladd = 341 pgs July 25 The Art of Mentoring by Darlene Zschech Narrated by Anna-Lisa Horton
                                                                   = completed 5 hrs audio July 26
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JUNE: AUDIOBOOK MONTH + SUMMER READING CHALLENGES BEGIN 1.6.15

JUNE !
and JUNE is . . . AUDIOBOOK MONTH!

~ Celebrating this month of June with Recorded Books who have a LOT of good to say about AudioBooks. With a catalogue of 22,000 choices, that's probably not hard to do. [other than finding time to say it!] 'Like' Recorded Books at FB for great AudioBook Contest News! ~ On NOW is the 6th annual SYNC audiobook program offering
2 Free downloads per week
- a YA title paired with a Classic - now thru Aug 13th Signup to get reminders of weekly download offer change. ~ I have a healthy list of audiobooks awaiting this new month devoted to listening and a few new Summer Reading Challenges into which they will fit nicely. #20booksofsummer ,  #bookishsideoflife, and #collaboreads See Sidebar for links and be sure to join me! ~ Find more at audiobookssync ~
How are you with audios?  Old familiar or New to you? A venture you want to take?  or Already well down the road?
Which, of course, brings road trips to mind. Something else I love to do in Summer! Especially with an audiobook in play. ~ Sooooo.... I've got my stack of Agatha Christie, both Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, another stack of Sherlock Holmes at the ready, plus some author variety options I've collected which I may or may not get to. ~ I have spent a good time online at the library choosing new options and placing holds for my favs for this month's audiobook choices. Those favs include 2 British authors' works : Death of a Chimney Sweep an MC Beaton mystery ~ ~ The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn ~ ~
June 7-8 completed with Review  ~ After the War is Over by Canadian author Jennifer Robson ~
~ and one I've just found available - Jessica Dotta's final of her trilogy - The Price of Privilege by Oasis audio via hoopla with perfection of a narrator in Amanda McKnight -
the most authentic British accents that bring Jessica's stories to life! Definitely anticipation... ~

~ That's it for starters!  Can.Not.Wait.   Yay June AUDIOBOOK Month!
What's up for your 'listening' this JUNE ?
~*~

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IT'S MONDAY READING {Plus GIVEAWAYS} ! 30.3.15

It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?

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Haven't joined the Book Journey party for 2 weeks now, but the reading hasn't let up !
I've been reading, listening, tracking and reviewing for the
TakeControl TBR Challenge for March at Caffeinated Reader.

* Here's the LINK for my MARCH book Tally  + reviews and all the updates.
*
Classic Collection of EASTER STORIES GIVEAWAY OPEN til 11 pm tonight  for your last minute entries
*

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**Monday March 30th is Book Release Day Party for the final of Stacy Henrie's  Of Love and War Trilogy Much interest in earlier posts and reviews  So tomorrow is your chance to check out an excerpt of ~A HOPE REMEMBERED ~ *

along with a GIVEAWAY right here !
~ Drop in to have your say and be sure to Enter ~
*
  Reminder for a couple upcoming events

SIGNUPS OPEN HERE *

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Thanks for checking in to my MARCH tally for  Monday Reading HERE

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: ANNE OF AVONLEA ~ LM MONTGOMERY author ~ COLLEEN WINTON narrator 28.6.14

ANNE OF AVONLEA ANNE OF GREEN GABLES  Series #2  by LM Montgomery Narrator Colleen Winton At sixteen, Anne is grown up...almost. Her gray eyes shine like evening stars, but her red hair is still as peppery as her temper. In the years since she arrived at Green Gables as a freckle-faced orphan, she has earned the love of the people of Avonlea and a reputation for getting into scrapes. But when Anne begins her job as the new schoolteacher, the real test of her character begins. Along with teaching the three Rs, she is learning how complicated life can be when she meddles in someone else's romance, finds two new orphans at Green Gables, and wonders about the strange behaviour of the very handsome Gilbert Blythe. As Anne enters womanhood, her adventures touch the heart and the funny bone.  -goodreads *

Series: Anne of Green Gables #2

Audiobook Edition

Author:  Lucy Montgomery
Narrator:  Colleen Winton

Published: May 30, 2013

Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press
Audio Book Length:  9 Hrs 25 Min

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My Thoughts?

Reading this was like visiting an old friend!

The warmth and delight of discovering impetuous red-aired Anne as a child in
"Anne of Green Gables,"
{click for review}now developed charmingly through two years of her teen life,as her adventures are enlarged to include the rural Prince Edward Island community of Avonlea...

*

" an August afternoon with blue hazes scarfing the harvest slopes, little winds whispering elfishly in the poplars and a dancing slendour of red poppies outflaming against the dark coppice of young firs in a corner of the cherry orchard was fitter for dreams than dead languages."

*

Postponing her 17th birthday from the vagaries of March in favour of a spring picnic with her friends, the walk through vales and lanes spanning bridges and brooks describes picturesque settings for their talk that soon takes a 'heavenly' turn ~
*

"Minnie May asked me the other day if we would wear our best dresses every day in heaven," laughed Diana.
"And didn't you tell her we would?" asked Anne.
"Mercy, no!   "And didn't you tell her we would?" asked Anne. "Mercy, no!  I told her we wouldn't be thinkng of dresses at all there." "oh, I think we will ... a little," said Anne earnestly.
"There'll be plenty of time in all eternity for it without neglecting more important things.  I believe we'll all wear beautiful dresses... or I suppose "There'll be plenty of time in all eternity for it without neglecting more important things.  I believe we'll all wear beautiful dresses... or I suppose raiment would be a more suitable way of speaking.   I shall want to wear pink for a few centuries at first... it would take me that long to get tired of it, I feel sure.   I do love pink so and I can never wear it in this world."
  *

Anne's role as local school teacher providing vivid depictions of student and parent personalities, scrapes of all kinds, and disciplinary reactions, had me rolling with laughter!  the unexpected arrival of 6 year old twins into her life when their mother dies, introduces comedic routine on a daily basis.

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"If I'm as good as good can be all day tomorrow  will you let me be just as bad as I like all the next day?" asked Davy.

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Little Davy's propensity for trouble is matched only by Anne's own. Her wit and creativity in responding to their predicaments is unmatched!
Beautifully descriptive of rural life of another century Anne books offer great reading satisfaction~
especially in light of having lived in Anne's land of Prince Edward Island and experiencing first hand L.M. Montgomery's  accurate depictions of islanders' 'thought' regarding outsiders!

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  Lovely opportunities for numerous mouthwatering tea and garden parties, proponents of conflicting theologies within the same households, well developed charactersand plentiful humour, kept me enjoyably occupiedto the final moment.

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The variety of love stories included would satisfy the most romantically inclined reader amongst us!

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"Gilbert wisely said nothing more;but in his silence he read the history of the next four years in the light of Anne's remembered blush..."

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Tissues at hand, definitely recommended!

* Having the opportunity to review an audiobook version published by  Post Hypnotic Press and
narrated by Canadian, Colleen Winton, added new enjoyment to the classic story.
Hearing the characters come to life in conversation and description is a pleasure.
I was part of the story as Anne leads us on her merry adventures.
 Each character is individually personalized by tone, inflection and expression of Ms Winton's narration.
* I appreciate the quality of Post Hypnotic Press audio  of Anne's escapades and new directions.   Whilst Ms Winton's straightforward portrayals of  Rachel Lynde and Marilla Cuthbert are filled with character respective for their ages, my choice for a series focused on Anne would have tended to a more age accurate narrator's voice.  Anne's lilting vivacity hasn't been captured, for my ear.
*   I've included the sampler, kindly provided by the publisher, for your convenience in having a listen.
We all hear and relate individually to narrators of our personal story favourites, so I'll leave the response open to you.
* A seamless recording of uninterrupted listening entertainment, I thank Post Hypnotic Press for the pleasurable opportunity of hearing and reviewing their audio of Anne of Avonlea . * * Author Bio: Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942), called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success. The central character, Anne, an orphaned girl, made Montgomery famous in her lifetime and gave her an international following. The first novel was followed by a series of sequels with Anne as the central character. Montgomery went on to publish 20 novels as well as 500 short stories and poems. Many of the novels were set on Prince Edward Island, Canada and places in the Canadian province became literary landmarks. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.

LM Montgomery, was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, in 1911 after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911 in Prince Edward Island. Her three children were born at Leaskdale, and she wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the Macdonald family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. 

"Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts."
~ Lucy Maud Montgomery 

Maud died in Toronto April 24, 1942
and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia...more

* Narrator: Colleen is a Vancouver actor, singer, dancer, director and choreographer...and now a narrator. Her career has taken her all over the country and  includes the Stratford, Shaw and Charlottetown Festivals, the original Canadian companies of CATS and Show Boat, extensive film/TV credits, and numerous directing/choreographing credits. Her stage work has been honoured with numerous nominations and a Jessie and Ovation award and she received a cultural award given by her local Chamber of Commerce. She recently played Marilla Cuthbert in a production of the musical Anne of Green Gables at Theatre Calgary (Spring 2013). * Post Hypnotic Press audio of the Anne series is available  for your listening enjoyment online HERE.  * * Appreciation to Post Hypnotic Press and Audiojukebox for providing an mp3 for listening and reviewing without cost or compensation.

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REVIEW: DAMSEL IN DISTRESS [audiobook] by Carola Dunn

A further entry for our Women's History Month.  Carola Dunn has created a unique series featuring a young woman of 1920's upper class England who rather chooses a career of journalism over her position of privilege.  Her creative bent lends itself well when she falls into curious and criminal situations...

In spring a young man’s fancy will turn to love, and the Honorable Phillip Petrie is no exception. Daisy’s chum is totally smitten with Miss Gloria Arbuckle, daughter of a millionaire Yank. But before the enthusiastic suitor can pop the question, his beloved is abducted. As a distraught Mr. Arbuckle begins assembling the ransom, Phillip enlists Daisy to help him recover his missing sweetheart.

Strictly forbidden to contact Scotland Yard, Daisy must resist the temptation to bring dashing Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher on to the case. But as she closes in on the abductors’ rural hideaway, she begins to suspect that Gloria isn’t the only fair damsel whose life hangs in the balance.

The fifth whodunit in Carola Dunn’s stylish cozy mystery series set in 1923 England once again features British heiress and Town and County writer Daisy Dalrymple.  © 1997, 2010 by Carola Dunn

Narrator: Mia Chiaromonte
Length: 7.6 hours  Unabridged Published: Jan. 15.14
Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc.

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My Thoughts?

Perfect release timing for this Daisy Dalrymple mystery set in an English spring setting.
Daisy's former suitor, aristocratic Philip Petrie, has been fully enamored with another, 

much to Daisy's relief.  The American Arbuckle father and daughter, visiting England

in search of investment opportunities, are soon targeted for their wealth

and Philip's new love interest held for ransom.  Ms Dunn provides an excellent expose

of the ever present class distinctions of the era which

play into this kidnapping and give listeners a greater understanding of the times and

changes between wars. Axioms and vernacular of the day add to the authenticity.

Our sleuth, the intrepid likeable Daisy,
must keep her wits about her in a continuous sequence of events,

involving her own safety and that of her own love, Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher.
The blossoming of their relationship is treated as an aside without dominating,

but keeps our interest piqued with every new development.  Including Alec's first

meeting with Daisy's domineering, class conscious mother.

A definite enjoyment listening to this audio story unfold.

Critical thinking skills of our main characters , their ability to out-think the crooks,

unexpected plotting, and vivid action, increase the fun.
*

Blackstone audio's quality recording kept the story flowing without technical

interruptions or disruptive voice fluctuations by narrator, Mia Chiaromonte, who provides

good variety in character personalizations, considering the size of cast involved. 
An adept narrator, Ms Chiaromonte, adds to the novel's authenticity via admirable
differentiation of various English and American accents.  

I look forward to Carola Dunn's 6th in the series, Dead in the Water.

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AUTHOR BIO:  Carola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.

*Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning.Find Carola online : CAROLA DUNN  and at the writing / editing blog Blood Red Pencil

                                                                                  

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Narrator BIO :  Mia Chiaromonte is a Southern California native with a BA in theater from the University of California, San Diego. She has worked extensively as an actor, singer, and audiobook narrator, and her voice has been heard across the country on various radio commercials for clients including BMW and Time Warner Cable. She currently lives in southern Oregon.

*Appreciation to Blackstone Audio for providing an audiobook via downpour  for listening and AudioJukebox review without obligation or compensation.

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REVIEW: LOVE'S REFUGE [audiobook] by Sandra Leesmith

Skye Larsen loves her peaceful life on Leeza Island in Puget Sound – the tranquility, the friendly neighbors, and especially the safety from big-city dangers. So when cruel pranks start to escalate and changes threaten to overtake the island, Skye is determined to fight for her haven. The presence of a handsome vacationer and the unexpected feelings he awakens can’t distract her from her goal.

Danny Fraser doesn’t realize how desperately he needs a rest until he meets Skye. By allowing him to glimpse her simple way of life, she helps him reorient his priorities – and steals his heart in the process. But his work and home in Seattle keep Skye at bay. 

An isolated island girl with painful memories. A dedicated city boy with a wild past. 

What will it cost for them both to find a refuge from their storms?                                      

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Kindle Edition: 321 pages Published: November 9th 2013
PB Edition: 300 pages
Published: December 10th 2013

Audible Audio Edition: 9 hrs 10 min Unabridged
Narrator: Rachel Fulginiti

Published:  January 20th 2014
Publisher: Amber Press

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My Thoughts? A unique story on many levels. Island life, reclusive living, living without conveniences, all intriguing approaches to life in our contemporary society of full on convenience. Leesmith gives us a taste of a different world.   Add living with loss in the aftermath of violence and you have the full picture of our main character's reasons for choosing this unconventional life.
A fascinating tale of two worlds colliding with the arrival of an outsider come to take a rest at the insistence of his employer at the same time a development company sets its sights on the value of this pristine environment. Add the suspense of intrusive actions by parties unknown and you have more than a few mysteries to solve. This was my favourite part of the story as it challenged me.  I appreciated the romantic relational development between our main characters that didn't overpower the story neither  push the boundaries of appropriate physical attraction. Yet whilst enjoying the story I never did develop enough of a personal connection with Skye. She remained aloof to me as did the romance between her and Danny.  Skye's sister was annoying and I never did reconcile her spiritual talk with her reality as a person. The airstrip manager and his wife were the most authentic characters,
exhibiting care and concern in both speech and action. Definitely good variety in characterization that will meet different readers and listeners at different levels of involvement.
Leesmith builds tension with the concluding scene of each chapter, keeping attention and increasing curiosity of the listener.
The narrator, Rachel Fulginiti, has a unique voice and I'm not sure if she was chosen specifically for a west coast personalization of characters or other story based reason.   The narration was steady and well paced. Personalization of characters was achieved by emphasis on words, tone, and tempo. The difficulty for me in listening to this narrator was the perceived age difference with the more youthful main characters.  In my opinion, Fulginiti, though professionally adept, would have been better suited for older characters than  the cast of Love's Refuge. The story itself would  have benefited from a lighter voice more appropriate for  listener age and novel content. Production was clear providing technically uninterrupted listening without flaws keeping listener interest in Love's Refuge .
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Author Bio: Retired from teaching, Sandra Leesmith is pursuing a career in writing.  Sandra began writing in the eighties and was multi-published in category romance, contemporary fiction, and teenage self-help books.  She adores a good romantic tale and strives to tell them as well.  During the hot summers, she and her husband travel throughout the United States in their motorhome. Her favorite travel experiences are to see and enjoy God's beautiful creation. She loves the national parks and monuments where nature is preserved for all to see and enjoy.

Find Sandra online at Sandra Leesmith and on twitter @SLeesmithAuthor 




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