Month: August 2009

Its Monday – What are you Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)29 Comments

Well… this morning I am still on Alvor…. loving it but with busy commitments I just havent had the time to really sit Monday what are you readingdown and read it through…. hopefully today is the day and I have a bit of time blocked off this afternoon for just this book!

I have a few others waiting for me that I can not wait to dig into!  The Sign For Drowning is one I have been looking forward to…

When she was a child, Anna stood at the water’s edge beside her mother, both of them helplessly frozen as they watched an ocean wave capsize the boat carrying Anna’s younger sister, Megan. In that singular, life-changing instant, Anna envisioned Megan fighting off “monsoon rains with every turn of her neck. Earthquakes broke fault lines with each kick of her leg. Every thrashing of her arms brought forest fires somewhere. Opening her mouth caused volcanoes to erupt. In this way, she left us.”

Sounds great huh?

When The Sun Goes Down came in quite a while ago and I really need to get this one read.  This book is a bit different and is actually about planning your funeral – and no, I am not in a  hurry that I know of -LOL.  I believe I have many good years left.  I think I chose this in my early book blog days when I was still at that “let me review all books!” stage!  Well -we will see… it may surprise me.

Stray Affections is on for a blog tour next week that I would love to get read this week.

The last thing that Cassand002ra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors convention by a snowglobe. Shes enjoying some mommy time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when shes utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She cant resist taking the unique globe home even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

We (Al and I) are on track this weekend to head to our cabin up North and I will be taking Bran Hambric with me for the drive.  I have no internet reception there and a weekend “unplugged” means more reading time! 🙂


It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?  (This meme comes from J Kayes Blog – be sure to pop over and see what she is reading as well as what many others are reading this week.  You can add your list to her Mr Linky!)

In My Mailbox

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

This is my favorite post of the week.  I get to hang out with all of you and share not only what the highlights of the past week were… but the treasures I found in my mailbox as well!

Thank you as always to Story Siren for this wonderful Meme that encourages us book bloggers to share what came out of our mailbox this week.  Be sure to check out Kristie’s site and see what she had in her mailbox as well as many other book bloggers who participate in this weekly.

here is the mailbox:

  • Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran is an ARC that came from Book Browse through First Impressions
  • That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake is a review copy from Bethany House
  • A Surrendered Heart by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller is a review copy from Bethany House
  • You Were Born For This by Bruce Wilkenson is for a Sept 14 – 18 Blog Tour with Giveaway from Randomhouse
  • Love Has A Face by Michele Perry is a review copy from Bethany House
  • Book Lust is a fun Reading Journal I received from my wonderful friend Wendy who I had loaned a few books to earlier this year.  This was her thank you to me and I LOVE IT!!!  Seriously Wendy, come get books any time!

  • My Life in France by Julia Child w/ book bag, apron, and book light!  (I am horribly embarassed to say that I do not remember where I won this from.  If it was you, or you do know who this came from please let me know so i may the correction here)

So you may be looking at this weeks mail box loot and be thinking” how did she win all of those books”? Well, I visit a lot of blogs.  A lot. If they have contests with books I would like to read I sign up to win.  Easy as that.  I obviously sign up for way more than I win, but as long as I am visiting a blog and they are offering a give away of a good read, I like to sign up.  Here are the current giveaways I am offering and here are a few great giveaways from around the blogesphere.

The final thing I like to do as I wrap up my week is go back and point out some of the posts I have done in the last week.  As I tend to post so frequently, I like to review what has happened this past week in the event you are just stopping in.

Review of Pike Point by Greg Suhonen

Blog Tour:  Knit For Love

Blog Tour: Rose House

Blog Tour:  The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper

Freebie Friday Giveaway:  Mona Lisa Craving!  Sign up now!

Morning Meanderings… yet another confession

Review:  King of Torts by John Grisham w/ giveaway!

Word verification Balderdash (The Thursday Thing)

Living Your Five (So cool!!!)

Wednesdays featured Book Club

Just Food giveaway

Thanks everyone – be sure to say hi when you come over by leaving a comment.  I try to respond to comments left here as well as visit you who have blogs.  🙂



Here is… me

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

I just over visiting Jamie at Revenge of The book Nerds and she is requesting that we book bloggers offer up a picture of what we look like.  Since I am currently working on my In My Mailbox post (which usually takes me a bit of time) and I am a bit bummed that I have not yet posted today due to life craziness that seems to surround me… I thought – why not?

So here is me….  If you want to help Jamie with her quest, check out her blog, Revenge of The Book Nerds and link to her post.

me and AlThis is actually me and my super hero (non fiction) Al.  This was taken at my cousins home yesterday afternoon in their photo booth.  They had a photo booth at their wedding last year and thought it was so cool they bought it and now it sits in their home.

the fanastic fourThis is last month, the end of July in Duluth Minnesota.  From left to right:  Sara, Heidi, me, and Cindy

Pike Point by Greg Suhonen

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

Its a whole different read when you have traveled the roads  described in a book… seen the sights and smelled the air of the beautiful northern country of Minnesota ~  Sheila


pike pointNortheastern Minnesota – home to what may well be America’s most unique national park – the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Over one million acres of unparalleled, primitive beauty that, to this day, remains unspoiled. A great roadless area where hundreds of years ago, Native People and French Voyageur alike, navigated over the innumerable lakes and rivers, using the sky-blue waters as their free-spirited highways.

It is in this remarkable place where Ray Maki has lived his entire life. For thirty-three years, Ray has been surrounded by old friends, strong family ties, and uncommon natural beauty. Ray feels blessed, and his life is a happy one…until one spring morning when Ray’s easy-going existence is jeopardized by a series of unexpected events…events that will test the limits of his character, and possibly bring an end to his rare way of life.

Author Greg Suhonen, as did every one of his paternal ancestors, eventually went on to work in the

Pike Point at Mink Lake
Pike Point at Mink Lake

iron ore mines of Northern Minnesota’s world famous Mesabi Iron Range. Thirty years later, after accepting an offer for early retirement, Greg went forward with his idea of writing a book. A book based on a cherished piece of lake property that has been owned by his family for more than eighty-five years – Pike Point.

He continues to live and work in the North Country, together with his daughter Vianna, and best friend Joan, wife of thirty-six years.

I spent some time this past weekend in one of my favorite spots in Minnesota, at a camp 15 miles up the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais.  Along for the ride, came this book that was sent to me by author Greg Suhonen, Pike Point and The Good Lord’s Earth.

During a little down time in my day, I had the opportunity to sit on a dock on a sunny afternoon, overlooking Mink Lake and crack open this book.  It was interesting to read about areas that I had been to and I chuckled at the Finnish Immigrant character.

A great story about the boundary waters, great characters with lots of zip and a little bit of Minnesota history tied in makes for a book I will refer to again.

I received this book from the author Greg Suhonen

I rate this book PG

Bran Hambric by Kaleb Nation: Blog Tour Coming Soon!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

I am so excited to be a part of this blog tour! This book has such a Harry Potter vibe to it (I haven’t read it yet, but I feel it!) that I can not wait to dive in! I am up for review of this book and the author, Kaleb Nation, on September 10. Mark your calendars – I have a feeling this is going to be good!

Bran Hambric was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind — until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him.

Bran finds that he is at the center of a plot which started years before he was even born: the plot of a deadly curse his mother created…and one that her former masters are hunting for him to complete.

Haunted by the spirit of his mother’s master and living in a city where magic is illegal, Bran must undo the crimes of his past…before it is too late.

Forsaken by Vanessa Miller: Blog Tour coming soon!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

I recently signed up to be a part of this upcoming Blog Tour.  Look for my review the first part of October 2009

Pastor Jerome Tyler “JT” Thomas is charismatic behind the pulpit, charming to all he comes in contact with, and lethal to those who linger too long. Since the age of twenty-two, when he prayed for God to keep him out of prison, JT knew he would preach the gospel. Bishop Turner makes it possible; but there are strings attached, and now JT isn’t sure he can stay tied down.

Cutting loose causes more problems than JT anticipated. When an old friend from his days on the streets resurfaces and his extra curricular activity comes knocking on his front door, JT’s life and the lives of those close to him spiral out of control. Now he will need divine intervention to make things right. But how much help can a man hope to receive when he feels he’s been forsaken by God?

Blog Tour: The SweetGum Ladies Knit For Love by Beth Pattillo

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Back-to-School Fiction Blog Tour

Summary for The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love

sweet

Blog Tour
Blog Tour

Once a month, the six women of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society gather to discuss books and share their knitting projects. Inspired by her recently-wedded bliss, group leader Eugenie chooses “Great Love Stories in Literature” as the theme for the year’s reading list–a risky selection for a group whose members span the spectrum of age and relationship status.

As the Knit Lit ladies read and discus classic romances like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice, each member is confronted with her own perception about love. Camille’s unexpected reunion with an old crush forces her to confront conflicting desires. Newly widowed Esther finds her role in Sweetgum changing and is surprised by two unlikely friends. Hannah isn’t sure she’s ready for the trials of first love. Newcomer Maria finds her life turned upside-down by increasing family obligations and a handsome, arrogant lawyer, and Eugenie and Merry are both asked to make sacrifices for their husbands that challenge their principles.

Even in a sleepy, southern town like Sweetgum, Tennessee, love isn’t easy. The Knit Lit ladies learn they can find strength and guidance in the novels they read, the love of their family, their community–and especially in each other.

I love books about books.  About reading groups, about book discussions…. I am a bookie through and through.  Beth Pattillo did not disappoint with a group of women who gathered to knit and share their love of books.  I enjoyed the books personalities from the “judges” to the laid back… the personalities popped and I was pleased with Beth Pattillo’s character development.  I liked them.  I wanted to hang out with them, and I dont even knit! With an easy flow to this read it was just fun to meet the likeable women of Sweetgum, Tennessee.

Author Info: RITA Award-winning Beth Patillo combines her love of knitting and books in her engaging Sweetgum series. Pattillo served churches in Missouri and Tennessee before founding Faith Leader, a spiritual leadership development program.

** Watch for this book as well as other delightful reads come up for giveaway during BBAW, September 14 – 18**

This book was a review copy sent to me by Ashley Boyer of Multnomah Books, Random House

This book is rated G

Rose House by Tina Ann Forkner

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

Back-to-School Fiction Blog Tour

rose

Blog Tour
Blog Tour

A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope.

Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the

Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.
She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.
What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.
A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.

Rose House is about grief and loss.  Lillian finds herself at Rose House grieving a loss of family to a tragic car accident.  While staying close to Rose House as detectives have requested, she feels as though she is being watched.  Years later upon her return to Rose House she wanders into a shop and finds a picture of Rose House with a woman in the picture who is undoubtedly her.  Who took the picture?  What did they want?

Rose House is the type of book I really want to say more about, but find that anything I say feels like I am giving too much away.  A gentle read on grief and beyond….

Tina Ann Forkner is the author of Ruby Among Us. Originally from Oklahoma, she now lives with her husband and three children in Wyoming, where she serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation’s board of directors.

** Watch for this book as well as other delightful reads come up for giveaway during BBAW, September 14 – 18**

This book was a review copy sent to me by Ashley Boyer of Multnomah Books, Random House

This book is rated G



Blog Tour: The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y’ Barbo

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Back-to-School Fiction Blog Tour


confidential lifeSummary for The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper

Blog Tour
Blog Tour

The future is clearly mapper out for New York socialit Eugeinia “Genie” Cooper, but she secretly longs to slip into the boots of her favorite dime-novel heroine and experience just one adventure before settling down. When the opportunity arises, Gennie jumps at the chance to experience the Wild West, but her plans go awry when she is drawn into the lives of silver baron Daniel Beck and his daughter and finds herself caring for them more than is prudent–especially as she’s supposed to go back to New York and marry another man.

As Gennie adapts to the rough-and-tumble world of 1880s Colorado, she must decide whether her future lies with the enigmatic Daniel Beck or back home with the life planned for her since birth. The question is whether Daniel’s past–and disgruntled miners bent on revenge–will take that choice away from her.

I have always enjoyed books (and movies)where people switch places, “trade lives” so to speak…  and that is what happens with Eugunia “Gennie”.  Leaving her socialite lifestyle Genie trades places with her maid and the fun really begins!

A fun lite read that had a few laugh out loud moments.  I enjoyed how this fun loving character found herself in a western themed life. As a lover of dime novel books, she finds herself almost in the same situations as the characters in the books she has so enjoyed to read!

Author:  Kathleen Y’Barbo is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than thirty novels, novellas, and young adult books, with more than a half-million in print. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she is currently a publicist with Books & Such literary agency.

** Watch for this book as well as other delightful reads come up for giveaway during BBAW, September 14 – 18**

This book was a review copy sent to me by Ashley Boyer of Multnomah Books, Random House

This book is rated G


Freebie Friday: Mona Lisa Craving by Sunny

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)37 Comments

**This giveaway is closed…  winner is announced afternoon of Sept. 4.  Thanks you to all who entered.  🙂  Please watch each Friday for the next Freebie Friday Giveaway!

I received this book from Amazon a little over a year ago by mistake.  What I had ordered was a book called Tough Choices: A Memoir, what I received was this book.  The sticky label over the UPC on the back is the Tough Choices one and therefore the mix up.  Upon contacting Amazon they sent me the correction and let me keep this book.

monalisacraving200x300From the time she was an orphan child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different. As daughter of the Mixed-Blood of the Monère, she has arrived to rule a new domain in the Louisiana Bayou. Now, under the full moon, she’s feeling a new and uncontrollable surge—and an instinctive new craving…

Dante, the warrior son of a healer, was cursed by the high priestess to endure a never-ending cycle of life and death, born and reborn into an ever-diminishing bloodline. Someone shares one of his past lives. Her name was Mona Lyria. Back then, on the moon in another world, she was his victim. Today, she is Mona Lisa. This time, she is his savior. Dante’s wish is to die by her hands to end his cursed existence. But she feels fate has given them both a second chance. For even stronger than her craving for blood is her craving for what every Monère female desires, and needs…to bear life. Now she has found her mate. But with this blessing could come a new curse under the shadow of a new moon.

This book is brand new.  Here is how to enter this giveaway!

1)  Leave a comment here if you had your choice to be a vampire, werewolf, zombie, or sea monster… what would you be and why?

2) Earn an extra entry by tweeting or blogging about this giveaway and on a separate comment leave the link here

3) For a third entry… make a guess on what you think my middle name is 😉

That’s it!  This giveaway is open to USA and Canada.  No po box numbers.

Giveaway ends next Friday, September 4

Have fun my friendly vampires,werewolves, zombies, and sea monsters!