Kate’s 2¢:  “Winter World : The Long Winter”, The Solar War”, The lost colony” by A. G. Riddle

“Winter World : The Long Winter”, The Solar War”, The lost colony” by A. G. Riddle

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Winter world

   Well, the latest theory is that there is global warming, however, this sci-fi story has the globe in another ice age. This time it is caused by aliens sucking up the suns energy, keeping the world in a cool-down.

“The solar war”

   3-D printers come in very handy when they’re needed to make the items that will save the human race from extinction.

   Don’t you just hate it when the epilogue ends with a huge cliff hanger?

The lost colony: Book 3 / Long winter.

–If 3-D were any other number, the universe would be a radically different place.

–The grid we created, isn’t the first one ever created.

–Space time is the ultimate substance of the universe.

–The Big bang that created our universe will occur again, creating stars and begin all over again. A process with no beginning and no end; a loop.

–There is a dark side to the hunger of ambition.

–I want to go to bed every night knowing I helped someone overcome their darkest hour.

   These three books were read by Edoardo Ballerini as James and Amanda Lee Camm as Emma. By alternating the view points through the readers voices, I enjoyed listening to the three books,  one right after the other  in a marathon session.

From his website:

–A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion: writing fiction.

   His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in a trilogy (The Origin Mystery) that has sold over three million copies worldwide, has been translated into twenty-four languages, and is in development to be a major motion picture.

   His fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in 2015 and crash-lands in a changed world. HarperCollins published the novel in hardcover in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing it for a feature film.

   Released in 2017, his fifth novel, Pandemic, focuses on a team of researchers investigating an outbreak that could alter the human race. The sequel, Genome, concludes the two-book series.

   Released in 2019, his seventh novel, Winter World, depicts a group of scientists racing to stop a global ice age. It is the first book in The Long Winter Trilogy, which is now complete.

   Riddle grew up in Boiling Springs, North Carolina and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year in college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, daughter, and an eccentric dog.

   No matter where he is, or what’s going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: ag@agriddle.com

https://edoardoballerini.comActions for this site

“Meet Edoardo Ballerini, Rock Star of the Audiobook World”: Edoardo talks to host Brent Brambury USA Today and Audible asked Edoardo to read “The Night Before Christmas” Ballerini was born to an Italian father, the poet Luigi Ballerini, and an American mother, the photo historian and writer Julia Ballerini. He grew up between New York City and Milan, Italy. He is a dual citizen, and bilingual. His early schooling took place in New York, at P.S. 41 and later Friends Seminary, before he left home at age 14 after his parents’ divorce for boarding school at Deerfield Academy. From there, he attended Wesleyan University, graduating a Bachelor of Arts degree English after studying under Paul Horgan. The summer following his graduation, Ballerini was given a scholarship to study Latin in Rome with Father Reginald Foster, a Vatican priest. While in Italy, Ballerini discovered a group of international actors who were forming a theater company. He quit his studies and joined the troupe.[2] The following fall, he attended regular acting classes in New York at HB Studio and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. He was then invited to became an observer at the Actors Studio.[3

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Winter world DB103426

Riddle, A. G; Ballerini, Edoardo Reading time: 11 hours, 6 minutes.

Edoardo Ballerini

Science Fiction

As a new ice age begins on Earth, humanity faces possible extinction. When a space probe discovers a mysterious object that might be the cause, NASA launches a mission to make contact. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Download Winter world DB103426

The solar war DB103316

Riddle, A. G; Ballerini, Edoardo Reading time: 12 hours, 23 minutes.

Edoardo Ballerini

Science Fiction

The grid has returned after already decimating Earth’s human population. Now they have a new ultimatum for humanity–evacuate Earth or face total destruction. Sequel to Winter World (DB 103426). Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

The lost colony: Book 3 / Long winter. DB103345

Riddle, A. G; Ballerini, Edoardo. Reading time: 9 hours, 23 minutes.

Read by Edoardo Ballerini.

Science Fiction

Fantasy Fiction

The final survivors of humanity face challenges on a new home world. When the first colony of settlers disappears, James discovers a series of buried spheres he suspects might be connected. Meanwhile, Emma struggles to lead her people to safety. Sequel to The Solar War (DB 103316). Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Download The lost colony: Book 3 / Long winter.

Kate’s 2¢: “Head Over Wheels” by Lee Kingman

“Head Over Wheels”  by Lee Kingman

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

–Family is a circle of people, who love each other enough to hold hands lightly, until they need to hold on tightly.

–To be as understanding of Terry and what he was going through as he could be. He couldn’t really understand what it felt like  to be paralyzed, because, he wasn’t.

–Sensitivity training: After Carry simulated what it was like to be paralyzed from the armpits down, he had a better understanding of what is twin, Terry, was going through as a quadriplegic.

–When one person in the family is seriously injured, everyone is injured and all need to adjust.

   I thought this story was well fleshed out with each family member’s perspective receiving due attention.

From the WEB:

Mary Lee Kingman Natti, who published under the name Lee Kingman, was a writer of children’s and young adult books usually set in New England, many specifically in Cape Ann, where she lived most of her life.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Head over wheels DB13747

Kingman, Lee Reading time: 5 hours, 27 minutes.

John Richardson National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Family

Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old brothers, identical twins, and their close-knit family find their lives disastrously changed by a traffic accident that paralyzes one of the twins from the neck down. For junior and senior high readers. Some strong language.

Download Head over wheels DB13747

Kate’s 2¢: “A private cathedral” by James Lee Burke

“A private cathedral” by James Lee Burke

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

–Who ever thought we’d die.

–What about those moments when you strip your gears, whether you’re chemically loaded or not, get lost inside the immensity of creation and see too deeply into our ephemerality and our penchant for greed and war and willingness to destroy the big blue marble; and for a brief moment, you scare yourself so badly you wonder why you didn’t park your porridge on the ceiling a long, long time ago.

   The many voices of the reader, Will Patton, added much drama to this story. Even when he whispered, the volume wasn’t too soft to hear and the loud yells, didn’t blister my eardrums. He really has the voice of ‘the God-father’ down pat.

   I enjoyed this para-normal dective mystery story, although, I didn’t read it a bed-time.

From: Wikipedia

James Lee Burke (born December 5, 1936) is an American author, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series. He has won Edgar Awards for Black Cherry Blues.

Will Patton, audio version for 22 books written by best-selling mystery writer James Lee Burke.

From:  https://24.fandom.com/wiki/Will_Patton:

Will Patton was born in Charleston, South Carolina. His father was Bill Patton, a playwright and acting/directing instructor, who was also a Lutheran minister and served as chaplain at Duke University. Patton attended the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and The Actors’ Studio in New York City, New York.

Patton began his career in 1979, appearing in the film Minus Zero. Other films in which he has appeared are No Way Out (with Eugene Robert Glazer), Romeo Is Bleeding (with Michael Wincott and James Cromwell), Copycat (with Kelvin Han Yee), The Postman (with Dylan Haggerty), Entrapment (with Kevin McNally and David Yip), Gone In Sixty Seconds (with Lombardo Boyar), and The Mothman Prophecies (with Lucinda Jenney).

On television, Patton has had recurring roles in shows like VR.5, The Agency (with Kathleen Gati), and Numb3rs (with Navi Rawat). Most recently, he has been known for his role of Colonel Weaver in TNT’s sci-fi series Falling Skies.

From NLS/BARD/LOC                      :

A private cathedral DB100489

Burke, James Lee Reading time: 11 hours, 32 minutes.

Will Patton

Mystery and Detective Stories

After finding himself caught up in one of Louisiana’s oldest and bloodiest family rivalries, Detective Dave Robicheaux must battle the most terrifying adversary he has ever encountered: a time-traveling superhuman assassin. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

Download A private cathedral DB100489

Kate’s 2¢: “Merder In the Dark” by Margaret Atwood

“Murder in the dark short fictions and prose poems” by Margaret Atwood

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Well, we are entitled to our opinions. I agree with some of what Atwood wrote in several of her mental meanderings.

From the WEB:

   Margaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa, and grew up in northern Ontario and Quebec, and in Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master’s degree from Radcliffe College.

   Atwood is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Her latest book of short stories is Stone Mattress: Nine Tales (2014). Her MaddAddam trilogy the Giller and Booker prize-nominated Oryx and Crake (2003), The Year of the Flood (2009), and MaddAddam (2013) is currently being adapted for HBO. The Door is her latest volume of poetry (2007). Her most recent non-fiction books are Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth (2008) and In Other Worlds: SF and th…

From NLSBARD/LOC           :/

 Murder in the dark: short fictions and prose poems DBG00452

Atwood, Margaret Reading time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Murder in the dark: short fictions and prose poems DBG00452

Atwood, Margaret Reading time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

AILEEN SEATON. A production of CNIB.

Short Stories

General

This book contains the writer’s thoughts, fears, giggles, precise conclusions, and impressions–an intelligent interview with an intelligent person done by that person herself. Some strong language. 1983. Unrated. Marrakesh title.

Download Murder in the dark: short fictions and prose poems DBG00452

Kate’s 2¢: “Death In Cold Water” by Patricia Skalka

“Death In Cold Water” by Patricia Skalka

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   I liked the narrative arc of this story. It moved right along, adding new characters to keep up the pace, but the Sherriff was steady as she goes, and, of course, gets the job done.

   With so many male characters, I think I’d like to hear a male reader.

www.patriciaskalka.com

About the Author. Patricia Skalka is the author of the award-winning Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries. Currently there are six books in the series: Death Stalks Door County, Death at Gills Rock, Death in Cold Water, Death Rides the Ferry, Death by the Bay, and Death Washes Ashore. Skalka turned to fiction following a successful career in nonfiction

   Hailing from Chicago, the world renowned American writer Patricia Skalka is highly regarded for her mystery novels. Weaving character and suspense together with the greatest of ease, she manages to create mysteries that are at once enticing and compelling in equal measure.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Death in cold water DBC15443

Skalka, Patricia. Reading time: 6 hours, 56 minutes.

Read by Megan Hindman. A production of Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Gerald Sneider, a self-made man, has gone missing after leaving a Packer game. Ransoms, greedy relatives, and the FBI, Sheriff Cubiak has to rely on his instincts to solve the case. Book 3 in the Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery series. Adult. Unrated.

Downloaded: September 27, 2021

Download Death in cold water

Kate’s 2¢: “You’ll never know, dear: a novel of suspense” by Hallie Ephron

“You’ll never know, dear: a novel of suspense” by Hallie Ephron

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   I enjoyed this light mystery and knew the perp early on, but that didn’t deter my interest in finishing the story, which got more exciting toward the end.

From the web:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DOMESTIC SUSPENSE Edgar Award finalist and five-time finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, writes books she hopes readers can’t put down.

Her newest suspense novel, Careful What You Wish For (August, 2019),

FROM NLS/BARD/LOC:

You’ll never know, dear: a novel of suspense DB92952

Ephron, Hallie. Reading time: 8 hours, 40 minutes.

Read by Amy McFadden. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Suspense Fiction

Psychological Fiction

Seven-year-old Lissie and her four-year-old sister Janey were playing dolls in the yard when Lissie chased after a puppy–but when she returned, Janey and her doll were gone. Every year their mother offers a reward for the one-of-a-kind porcelain doll, and now–forty years later–she gets a response. Some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2017.

Download You’ll never know, dear: a novel of suspense

Kate’s 2¢: “A Cup of Joe” by Sandra Balzo

“A Cup of Joe” by Sandra Balzo

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   I enjoyed the narrative arc, the introduction and development of each character, but, perhaps the way Tom Littelmann read could have been smoother. I found the stilted oration distracting.

   I liked the subtle humor and loved the ending lines.

From: sandrabalzo.com

  Balzo has managed publicity for three Bouchercons (World Mystery Conventions), as well as the International Association of Crime Writers, and has served as a national board member of Mystery Writers of America. A native of southeastern Wisconsin.

   Sandra Balzo is an award-winning author of crime fiction, including fourteen books in two mystery series–one set outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the other in the High Country of North Carolina. MURDER a la Mocha, the eleventh Maggy Thorsen Wisconsin coffeehouse mystery, will be released in January, and the series has been optioned for development as a TV series/film.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A cup of Jo DBC15434

Balzo, Sandra. Reading time: 9 hours, 44 minutes.

Read by Tom Littelmann. A production of Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Maggy Thorsen seeks to reopen her coffeehouse Uncommon Grounds with new business partner Sarah Kingston in Brookhills, Wisconsin. However, trouble ensues when the event manager turns up dead. Book 6 in the Maggy Thorsen Mystery series. Adult. Unrated.

Downloaded: September 27, 2021

Download A cup of Jo

Kate’s 2¢: “We All Fall Down” by Robert Cormier

“We All Fall Down” by Robert Cormier

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Cormier high-lights teen alcoholism and the devastation it can wreak. It also shows a comparison between a dysfunctional family to a family that is bonded to survive the rigors of life’s complications.

   I read “The Chocolate War” and “Beyond the Chocolate War” before I read “We All Fall Down”. I was so turned off by the first two, I wasn’t looking forward to reading the other book; however, I’d already down-loaded it.  My policy is the read for half-an-hour, then decide to read on or delete it. I read on and found it a much better story than the first two stories. It was less offensive, leass potty mouth language, and posed interesting aspects of teenage life.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

We all fall down: a novel DB37011

Cormier, Robert Reading time: 6 hours, 59 minutes.

Don Emmick A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Young Adult

Jane Jerome and her family come home to find that vandals have destroyed their possessions, urinated on their walls, and left fourteen-year-old Karen in a coma at the bottom of the stairs. A deranged neighbor, who styles himself The Avenger, has witnessed the trashing and secretly vows to track down the four teens. Jane meets and falls in love with Buddy Walker, one of the vandals. Violence. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1991.

Kate’s 2¢: “Shelter Mountain: A Virgin River Novel” by Robyn Carr

“Shelter Mountain: A Virgin River Novel” by Robyn Carr

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   I like finding nuggets of wisdom in the stories I read. For example, Mel says to Jack, “It’s not your bone to chew. I’ll try to remember that whenever I feel the urge to interfere in someone else’s business.

   Since the author has a nursing background, it is understandable that there are many details of a mid-wife’s experiences dealing with a still-born baby  of a very young teenager,  a miscarriage due to spousal abuse, and the delivery of her own baby.

   One of the scenes I like is where the mid-wife, Mel, is home alone in the cabin, the storm has cut off the electric and telephone. She realizes she’s in advanced labor and gets towels and other things ready. At nearly the last minute, her husband, Jack, runs in to find her ‘in a mood’. He tries to tell her to wait for the doctor, but she snaps at him:  There are only two people in this cabin. One of us is going to push. The other one is going to catch the baby. Which job do you want?

www.robyncarr.com/biography/

Robyn Carr was a young mother of two in the mid-1970s when she started writing fiction, an Air Force wife, educated as a nurse, whose husband’s frequent assignment changes made it difficult for her to work in her profession. Originally from Minnesota, they lived in all four corners of Texas, Alabama, Florida, California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada.

   Born July 25, 1951, in St. Paul, MN; daughter of Ronald E. and Bette Henrichs; married James R. Carr; children: Brian, Jamie.

   Robyn Carr is a writer and producer, known for Virgin River (2019) and Love Between the Covers (2015).

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Shelter Mountain DB70281

Carr, Robyn. Reading time: 11 hours, 50 minutes.

Read by Jill Fox. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Romance

John “Preacher” Middleton, ex-marine-turned-cook at Jack Sheridan’s Virgin River tavern, assists a battered woman and her son. On the run from her abusive spouse, Paige remains in town to work and gradually falls in love with Preacher–but her husband finds them. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2007.

Kate’s 2¢: “A dog’s courage: a dog’s way home novel” by W. Bruce Cameron

“A dog’s courage: a dog’s way home novel” by W. Bruce Cameron

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   In the beginning, it was a bit disconcerting to realize it was a dog that was speaking with such a great vocabulary. After a while, though, I relaxed and really enjoyed what this loyal pit bull terrier experienced.  I can only imagine the fear and horror of getting trapped on all sides by a rampaging forest fire, being stalked by a bear, having to adopt cub mountain lions (cougars) when all I wanted to do was to go home. A well written animal story without anthropomorphizing the dog qualities.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Bruce Cameron (born February 2, 1960) is an American author, columnist, and humorist. Cameron is most famous for his novel A Dog’s Purpose,[1] which spent 19 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The book is the basis for the movie version[2] starring Dennis Quaid, Britt Robertson, Peggy Lipton, K.J. Apa, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby, John Ortiz, and Pooch Hall, and released in theaters on January 27, 2017.[3] A Dog’s Purpose is followed by a sequel called A Dog’s Journey,[4] which Cameron, along with Cathryn Michon, adapted into a film of the same name.

His books have been translated into over 60 languages.

Cameron was born in Petoskey, Michigan. He is also the author of the best-selling self-improvement book which was later adapted into the ABC sitcom of the same name that aired between 2002 and 2005. His book, 8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter, was released in 2008, and already had a Hollywood movie deal before its publication, with 89 Films and Wendy Finerman, producer of The Devil Wears Prada.

Cameron is also the author of How to Remodel a Man, which was excerpted in the August 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, and was the subject of the November 1, 2005 Oprah Show. His novel, A Dog’s Purpose, was published July 2010 by Tom Doherty Associates.[5] It was 19 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list in its hardcover release. The softcover version was released May 24, 2011.[citation needed] In total, A Dog’s Purpose has spent a year on The New York Times Bestseller list (hardcover and paperback combined).

He wrote a weekly column for Creators Syndicate[6] from 2001 until 2015 that appeared in around 50 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada, including Hawaii’s MidWeek; “8 Simple Rules” told his humorous cautionary tales and memories of his life and was named after his bestselling book. In 2012, overwhelmed with other work, Cameron put it on hold after 689 editions.[7]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A dog’s courage: a dog’s way home novel DB103252

Cameron, W. Bruce. Reading time: 10 hours, 20 minutes.

Read by Ann Marie Lee.

General

Animals and Wildlife

Bella was once a lost dog, but now she lives happily with her people, Lucas and Olivia, only occasionally recalling the hardships in her past. A weekend camping trip turns into a struggle for survival when the Rocky Mountains are engulfed by wildfire. Sequel to A Dog’s Way Home (DB 88104). Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

Downloaded: June 13, 2021

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