Monday Meanderings - May 4, 2015

First Meandering ...

Today is reveal day for the trailer of a book I loved.

Here's my review of the audiobook:

WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.

But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision and worries about her upcoming Remake Day -- her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.

When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

MY TAKE
I've been wanting to read this book since it first came out earlier this year, but it wasn't until I was able to get my hands on a copy of the audiobook that I was able to. The narrator did a fabulous job and really added to the experience.

As for the story, it resonated with me on a number of different levels. My heart was totally engaged in the characters--the friendship Nine has with Theron (I hope I spelled it right since I only had the audiobook and not the paper one), the family who takes her in after she's shipwrecked, and Kai. 

I loved these people.

Todd totally pulled me into the little island society. I've lived in the tropics, and I have a daughter who lives in Hawaii. Todd's writing made me feel so much like I was there with Nine; I could taste and feel it all so vividly.

***Spoiler Alert*** (you'll need to highlight the text to read it)

I may not be giving much away, and I will be careful not to say too much, but I did want to give the warning.

The thing that struck me the most was one of the themes of this story. Yes, it's another dystopian society that's just gotta be brought down (I'm so glad this is the first of a trilogy). There was a feel for me of Logan's Run and even one of Anne McCaffrey's Killashandra books. But most of all, I loved it because it made me think. There's one point where Kai is talking about the problems of the society in Freedom, that the people are offered a "false freedom".

It struck me that too often anymore people are offered "freedoms" that lack authenticity. They are shallow substitutes for more substantial things. One of those is the other theme: family. And the power of a loving one. I loved this about Remake. 

And I loved the satisfying ending. While it was obvious there's more to come in the story, I wasn't left hanging. I'll be in a hurry to pick up the next book.

And I have some hopes for a certain best friend of Nine's and a sister of Kai's ...

To celebrate the release of the trailer, the author is having a giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Second Meandering ...

I've been so busy with other things that I've forgotten or been unable to talk about the books I'm reading. I'd been trying to keep track of them by month. Yeah. That didn't work. Here's what I'm currently reading:

What do I think?

Daughter is YA fantasy about the daughter of a king who was forced to abdicate so he could marry her mother (a mage). The daughter is placed in a similar position (choosing position/love or the magic inside her). I love Mansfield's books.

Match is a prequel novella to Miss Match which comes out later this month. Armstrong is fabulous with voice, and her characters are so real.

Dragon is one I'm reading to hubby. Alex has grown so much as a writer; this is his best yet. The story is a wonderful mix of character growth and action. We're loving it.

Shadows is a collection of short stories from the Mercy Thompson world. I'm listening to the audiobook. This first story is how Samuel Cornick (a very old werewolf) and Ariana (a fae) fell in love a very long time ago. They meet again in Brigg's Silverborne, so I know this does not end well. Briggs said she only wrote because her fans asked for it so much.

For the Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge, I've read 29 of my 75 books. Here's what I've read so far this year:

What have you been reading?

Anyone see the new Avenger's movie this weekend? We're hoping to go in the next week or two, when the crowds thin out a bit.

My Audiobook Journey - Getting Started

Part 1

Torn Canvas (Safe Harbors #2) came out last June. My publisher had arranged for the audiobook production of A Change of Plans, but I had to do this one myself.

 I read 83 books last year, most of them audiobooks. Anyone who knows me understands how much I love them and why it was important to me to find a good narrator.

I'm kind of picky about narrators of any book because they can enhance the story or they can detract from it. You don't want your listener irritated by the reader.

And so the search began.

I logged into the ACX site, and listed my book, including posting a manuscript sample that potential narrators would use to audition. You can have potential producers (also called narrators or readers) apply, or you can go searching and invite someone to audition--or both.

One thing you'll need to consider is how to handle royalties. There are a variety of ways to negotiate the royalty shares (meaning you and your producer split royalties). If you're interested, you can check them out here. Or you can pay your producer outright.

Next week I'll talk about which path I chose and the search for my producer.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yes, the above means there's an audiobook for Torn Canvas. I'm going to be having a blog tour for the release of the EPICALLY AWESOME ...

*takes a deep breath and lowers the volume* 

... audiobook for Torn Canvas. If you think you could help by hosting me for the tour, please sign up here. I will be forever grateful!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Aren't you proud of me? I didn't forget to share about the books I've been reading.

The first is an audiobook by Patricia Briggs. It's the fourth in the Alpha and Omega series, an offshoot of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series.

I'll admit I started this book with some trepidation. In book 3, Briggs threw in a (nongraphic) completely inappropriate-for-the-story sex scene.

Because of the circumstances, it lowered my opinion of the characters. Because it did absolutely did nothing for the story, it also lowered my opinion of Briggs's writing. And I love her books! It was like her publisher told her she had to put in a sex scene, so this was what she threw in. Ugh.

Dead Heat? So far, so good. I'm really enjoying it. Briggs is a great storyteller. Now, is she just doesn't screw that up ...

What's it about?

It's Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings meets Stargate.

What do I think so far? It's intriguing. There are two main groups that haven't come together yet, adults and high school kids. I'm sure there's a connection and they will eventually. Could be soon too.

It kind of has a Michael Crichton feel to the story.

What about you?

Have you ever thought of listening to an audiobook? 

Ever been disappointed by something an author does in a book? 

Do anything fun this weekend?

What I've Been Reading

Don't forget to check out the

Banned Book Giveaway Hop here.

As much as I complain about not having enough time to read, I have been getting through some books.I'm usually listening to an audiobook, so I can have something going while I'm doing mindless things at home like laundry, cleaning, or yard work. My hubby likes me to read to him, so we've frequently got a book going together, though those take us a while since he tends to fall asleep rather easily (he's got Fibromyalgia). Then I'm usually reading a book myself, either before I go to sleep (when I'm not critiquing) or when I'm on my treadmill or exercise bike.

So, here's what I've been reading (or listening to):

Seeking Persephone is a prequel to Courting Miss Lancaster which I reviewed here. These are Regency Romances by Sarah M. Eden, whose writing I love dearly. She's got a wonderful way of creating conflict riddled with humor. And her characters! I was crushing on Adam after reading CML, but we get to learn so much more about him in SP, that I just love him even more. Sarah hinted there might be another book in the series. I can't wait to visit these characters again. 

I had an opportunity to read the ARC for Everneath by Brodi Ashton, which I LOVED! You can read what I said about it here. It comes out in January 2012.











And another ARC I got to read was Shifting by Bethany Wiggins. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It comes out on September 27th. You can read about it here.

I've read the first two books in this trilogy, and the final book comes out in October. I hesitated to start it since I heard about the first book right after the first Hunger Games book came out. I didn't want to start a new trilogy. But then I was so disappointed with Mockingjay, I wasn't sure I wanted to risk be disappointed again. But Dan Wells did such a fabulous job with his I Am Not a Serial Killer series, that I decided to give this series a chance. We'll see in October. 


I enjoyed Watched by Cindy M. Hogan. I'd definitely want to keep track of any children I sent on summer field trips after reading this book!










I loved Laura Josephsen's book Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School). You can read my thoughts on it here.                    

Hubby and I have been reading this series together (we're on the third book). It involves the brother of one of the characters we meet in The Saint Squad Series--see below (love these books about Navy Seals).

 Hubby and I have one more book to go in this series after we finish The Deep End.

 This book is the first in the Runelord series by David Farland. I really enjoyed it. David is the "father", so to speak, of the online critique group forum I'm a member of.

I recently listened to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (who died before the book came out) and her niece Annie Barrows again. I just love this story and the way it's written using letters or notes. The unique voice of each character is so well done. Some of the characters I wish I could meet in real life and just hug!

This books provides one of those places I wish I could go to and live.

I hate getting old. I was thinking I hadn't read this one. Guess what? I have. Oh, well. I liked it the second time, too. It's the sequel to her book Masques, which I read earlier in the year. What can I say? I love Patricia Briggs's books. 

Entwined by Heather Dixon is a charming retelling of the fairytale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

A Night of Blacker Darkness by Dan Wells is a really interesting book, very different from his I Am Not a Serial Killer series. Because of that, it took me a few pages to get into it just because it was so different from what I'd expected. It's a farce and has some very silly moments. Talk about a comedy of errors!

From the product description on Amazon:
Wrongly imprisoned, Frederick Whithers is desperate to commit the crime he's already being punished for: defrauding the bank out of a vast inheritance. He fakes his death to escape, but when he's seen climbing out of a coffin everyone assumes he's a vampire; when he shows none of the traditional vampire weaknesses, they decide he must be the most powerful vampire in the history of the world.

Half horror and half farce, Frederick's tale is an ever-growing avalanche of bankers, constables, graverobbers, poets, ghouls, morticians, vampires, vampire hunters, not to mention some very unfortunate rabbits. With a string of allies even more unlikely than his enemies, can Frederick stay alive long enough to claim his (well, somebody's) money? And if he can't, which of his innumerable enemies will get to him first? 

I think this book would make a hilarious play.

Okay. I really need to quit complaining that I'm not getting any reading time. 
Obviously I'm doing better than I thought!


So what have you been reading?

Anything I should add to my Goodreads list?
I haven't reached 100 books to read yet.