Morning Meandering

Published on March 26, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)33 Comments

I am working the home show for the Mid Minnesota Builders Association. I run the concession stand which raises money for scholarships.

Home show edition…. day one.

This is what my morning was like today: We are at the home show in the civic center and I am starting the coffee and setting up the concessions. A girl (we will call her “Girl” for this post) I work with every year at the show is helping me with this set up.

Girl: Ok…. where is it?

Me (brewing the BIG pots of coffee): Where is what?

Girl: Where is the book or two you have every year?

Me: I don’t know what you are talking about. I am in 100% Home Show mode.

Girl (spinning around looking about the area): No…. It has to be here.

Me: I seriously think you must be on something. Help me get the price lists up.

Girl: Is it in your purse?

Me: I am concerned for your well being. I am book free.

Girl: Impossible. It is here. I know. You have one every year and every chance you get you are up in the kitchen with your nose in a book.

Me: You are thinking of someone else. That girl that helped last year, she was a reader. You may be thinking of her. Yeah. I bet it was her. What was her name… Laura, Lori…. something like that.

Girl (gleefully has her hand in my purse and pulls out the evidence): Aha! I knew it! You ARE reading this weekend! You can’t fool me!

Me (so busted…) : What are you, CSI?

I will be smelling like a grilled brat in no time.

What are your plans for the weekend? 😀

The Power Of Half by Kevin Salwen and Hannah Salwen

Published on March 25, 2010March 25, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

It all started when 14-year old Hannah Salwen, idealistic but troubled by a growing sense of injustice in the world, had a eureka moment when a homeless man in her neighborhood was juxtaposed against a glistening Mercedes coupe. “You know, Dad,” she said, pointing, “If that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.”

This glaring disparity led the Salwen family of four, caught up like so many other Americans in this age of consumption and waste, to follow Hannah’s urge to do something, to finally just do something. And so they embarked on an incredible journey together from which there would be no turning back. They decided to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of their profits to a worthy charity. At first it was an outlandish scheme. “What, are you crazy? No way!” Then it was a challenge. “We are TOTALLY doing this.” Each week they met over dinner to discuss their plan. It would transport them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. Along the way they would inspire so many others wrestling with the same questions: Do I give enough? How much is enough? How can I make an impact in the world? In the end the Salwens’ journey would bring them closer as a family, as they discovered, together, that half could be so much more.

Ξ Ξ Ξ Ξ Ξ Ξ Ξ Ξ Ξ

This is a story that makes you think of all the excess we have around us. The Salwen’s made a decision to work together to downsize their home and their lives and in doing so – they gave much to others.

You may read this book and about the Salwen’s life and think, “well, they had a lot to begin with. A great home, vehicles, not really wanting for anything….” I will admit as I started this story that is what I was thinking… yet as I read on I came to realize that what this book is really about is not so much about the Salwen family – as is it about the changes we can make in our own lives big or small that can help others. The Salwens story is an example of what one family can do.

I love how this was not a one persons vision – but an effort that not only brought great joy to those with less, but also brought the Salwen’s closer as a family. While there are some parts of this books that felt a little to “look what I did”, I felt overall the book gives a good message of how we can all make changes.

This book was an inspiration and in light of reading this I plan to offer a challenge starting April 1 where I encourage each of us to think about something we can give up (or cut back on) for a month and instead put that money that we would be spending (on that cup of coffee, ice cream, movie nights, out to dinners…) and put it away to be given to a cause dear to your heart at the end of April.

More details to come.

For every book sold $1 will be donated to Rebuilding Together, serving American’s low-income home-owners. In addition, the Salwen family is investing in the Hunger Project.

I received my review copy from FSB Associates

This book reminded me a little of a book I read quite a while ago and RAVED about. It was called the Kingdom Assignment and it will be part of what I am planning for April 1.

Morning Meanderings….

Published on March 25, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

It is Thursday and I have a hankering to do a little of Word Verification Balderdash which is featured every Thursday over at Ryan from Wordsmithonia’s blog. I have stopped participating in many memes mainly because it creates so many posts and I do not wish for my subscribers to groan at the sheer weight of their in box when I pop up yet again with something else to say. 😉

So….

I am going to place my words within this post so as not to create another post… and i simply have to play because some word verification is truly, too good to pass up: (these are actual word verifications that I have had when commenting over the past week):

sucktart: I imagine this is what the Red Queen from Alice In Wonderland would say when she is extremely angry. (I also imagine her large bulbous head would be quite crimson at the time this word is uttered).

Raxes: “What’s that Scooby? Oh yeah…. you are right… it is that time again”.

You want to see the master word verification balderdash player – go check out Ryan at Wordsmithonia blog words… he cracks me up weekly.

Feddie Girl by Nona David

Published on March 24, 2010March 24, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Carlotta Ikedi (A.k.a Feddie Girl) has never liked school. Not in California. Not in Oklahoma. When her exasperated parents ship her off to boarding school–in West Africa–Carlotta faces a life, culture, and existence unlike anything she’s ever known.

School rules and regulations, rising bell, lights-out, manual labor, inspections, dining time, prefects, punishments, mean bunkmates, and visiting days–it’s all here. But author Nona David takes Carlotta’s story a step further when her adventure’s lead to unfortunate incidents that threaten to drive her American family into the clutches of infidelity and organized crime.

Boarding school doesn’t get any better than this…

For those who have experienced the boarding school life, the adventures of Feddie Girl will bring those memories crashing back… For anyone else, get ready to see the world as Feddie Girl.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

I am hearing wonderful things about this book which has sat on my TBR shelf way too long. With time commitments pressing in on me I called in a little help from a friend of mine to assist in reviewing a few books. Camryn is the daughter of my good friend Heidi, and Camryn, like her mother – loves to read.

Camryn, at ten years old, excels in her class in reading and writing. She truly has a way with words and I am hoping one of these days she will let me help her get started with a little blogging world of her own. 🙂 So, I would like to now welcome Camryn, and her wonderful raving review of Feddie Girl.

I personally enjoyed Feddie Girl by Nona David. This book was full of twists, turns, and unexpected moments!

The story is about a teenager going to a private all-girls school in Nigeria. She meets new people and discovers that this boarding school is quite strict, including chores and a lot of homework.

As the story continues, she learns that life is not a fairy tale and it takes work to keep it going steady. When something totally horrible happens, she is determined to make the person that caused it suffer.

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys suspense and stories of hardships that make people see things in a new way.

Nona David currently lives with her husband in Cincinatti, Ohio. She has a passions for foreign cultures and zeal to visit new places, learn new languages, and experience new things. Her background, friends, and experiences in Nigeria, West AFrica is the major influence of her debut novel, Feddie Girl.

Nona loves to read and believes every reading experience should be fun and exciting. Her target audience is mainly females between the ages of 13-55; and anyone who simply enjoys reading quality fiction.

With FEDDIE GIRL, Nona wants to offer readers a different kind of reading experience by introducing them to foreign adventures and cultures. FEDDIE GIRL offers a unique and toe-curling story that is exciting, witty, adventurous, and humor-filled. FEDDIE GIRL is a sizzle, a keep-sake, an info pack, and a memory nudge that will transport readers into the foreign cultures of Nigeria and keep them turning the pages and yearning for more.

SOLD OUT!!! And The Feddie Gist Continues…

For those of you who couldn’t grab copies before it sold out, you may still be able to get the emergency copies kept on reserve by the Publisher for situations such as these. (Price $19.99; Only at the publisher’s website. Not available anywhere else! https://bernardbooks.com)

Personally, I think the book sounds fantastic! Thank you to Camryn for taking the time to read and love this book!

UPDATE: The wonderful bloggers at My Book Buds have a copy of this book available to the first person who emails them (within the US) with their address. Email is: info(at)mybookbuds.com

This book was offered for review by Bernard Books

Morning Meanderings….

Published on March 24, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

Happy Wednesday! This morning I am meeting our new office person in the office to get her started and then off to do my job at the church.

As I sit here drinking in my coffee this morning and trying to think of what is new and exciting over here – I was reminded that I really haven’t talked about the April 10th Readathon. That’s right, mark your calendars, grab your books, shut off your phones, and lock your doors!

I have experienced the last two readathons and really found them to be fun. If you have time stop over at the Dewey’s readathon site and nose around. You will see last falls challenges and get a good taste of what happens during the 24 hours.

Is it all reading? No- there are Mini Challenges throughout the day.

Whats a Mini Challenges? It is a small task that you pop over to a designated blog and perform if you want to.

The mini challenges could be a book trivia game, or name that cover, or tasking you to write a post on a book that really meant a lot to you and why, etc…

You choose the ones you wish to do, pass on those you do not. Every challenge has a winner! Woo hoo! Last year I won the new (at the time) Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.

Currently we are looking for challenge hosts. Stop over to the Dewey’s Readathon and see what we are looking for. If you have an idea, be sure to fill out the form.

Ok I am off to do what I do! Have a super great day! I would love to hear if yo have participated in a readathon before or are planning to do this one. If so – do you have any books in mind for the event?

Updated: 9:51 PM CDT on March 23, 2010

49° | 25°

36° | 23°

49° | 34°

45° | 29°

Sunday

45° | 25°

Here’s my weather in Brainerd, MN

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs w/ Giveaway!

Published on March 23, 2010May 2, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)60 Comments

A mother who cannot face her future.
A daughter who cannot escape her past.

Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she turns to the auld ways, desperate to conceal a generations-old scandal that taints her family’s name.

Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips. Elisabeth cannot–must

His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her.

One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown. not–discover the truth, or all will be ruined.

There is nothing like the feeling of reading a book that makes you feel like you dropped into the pages to explore the world it proved for yourself. That is the best way I can describe the feeling of this book.

I do enjoy historical fiction and this read and this one hit home with me. I found that Liz Curtis Higgs has taken a page out of Francine Rivers book and wrote in the likes on Naomi and Ruth out of the Bible, making the story come to light in new ways. The Scottish setting was interesting, yet some of the language distracted me from the read.

While many characters are not appealing to me because it is too many story lines to keep track of, I appreciated that the book mainly focuses on two of the characters, Elizabeth and Marjory. While the book was a little long, I did enjoy it and was glad to welcome back author Liz Curtis Higgs to my reading room.

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS is the author of twenty-seven books with three million copies in print, including: her best-selling historical novels, Thorn in My Heart, Fair Is the Rose, Christy Award-winner Whence Came a Prince, and Grace in Thine Eyes, a Christy Award finalist; My Heart’s in the Lowlands: Ten Days in Bonny Scotland, an armchair travel guide to Galloway; and her contemporary novels, Mixed Signals, a Rita Award finalist, and Bookends, a Christy Award finalist. Visit the author’s extensive website at www.lizcurtishiggs.com

AND – there is a giveaway! To enter this giveaway leave a comment here telling me what book by Liz Curtis Higgs would you be interested in reading (besides this one) or what other book have you read by her.

For additional entries:

Be a subscriber of this blog and let me know in a separate comment here for 2 extra entries (subscribe in upper right sidebar)

Tweet or blog about this giveaway and let me know in a separate comment for another entry

Giveaway will end on April 6 – USA and Canada only please

My review copy came from Waterbrook Multnomah

Morning Meanderings…

Published on March 23, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)24 Comments

Ok…. this is what my mornings are really like….

LOL… If you seen my Saturday post you would have read that I picked up the Flip Video Recorder. Now you poor readers are subject to not only my sad attempts at video blog (VLOG) but also my odd sense of humor….

Today I am at work all afternoon and then tonight is “tantalizing Tuesday”. My hubby and I decided to give different days themes and Tuesdays are his one day a week that he gets to choose whats for dinner. I always pick the meals. This is kind of fun except me chose Tatar tot hot dish…. ok, that’s not hard….. when he added a spinach salad with a raspberry glaze and chocolate mousse with banana slices for dessert.

Good grief….LOL

He says he has been thinking about it for two days so I guess that is cool and he works hard so I am going to create this. Just wait until bike ride Saturday which means we bike ride for as long as I choose 🙂

For now – off to the gym before work (have to squeeze that in when I can!)

It’s Tuesday – whats on your agenda?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on March 22, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)116 Comments

Monday again? Yup…. I guess that’s right. Last week was a lot of fun getting around seeing what you were all reading. It is also fun to see you connect with the other Monday memers and leaving comments as most of really love comments!

And speaking of comments, as always I offer up again the book or item of choice out of the prize box to one commenter for commenting on the other Monday What Are You Reading posts and then letting me know here how many you have commented on, one entry per every ten comments.

So who was the comment this past week? Thanks for asking! 🙂 I cranked up random.org and we pulled out this winner:

Tammy Dahle

Woo Hoo Tammy! Please pick your item of choice out of the prize box and them email me your address at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

Here is my last week in Review

I Hadn’t meant To Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson (book review)

I was the Scene Of The Blog feature over at Kittling Books (Squeee!!!!!)

The Gospel According To Lost (book review)

My Shoes And I by Rene Colato Lainez (book review)

Social Justice Challenge post for March: Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (It’s not too late to participate in this wonderful monthly challenge!)

The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch (ooh – it was everything I hoped it would be!)

God Never Blinks by Regina Brett (3 to give away to lucky commenters!)

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (book review)

This Weeks Plan

(Note – that from last weeks plan I am finishing up The Power Of Half today and The Fiddler’s Gun is in the process of…. I am also still working my way through the Michael Sullivan trio and am excited to soon give you the full review, interview, and maybe even a giveaway!)

X2…. yes along with my review of this book I will be offering an additional copy to one lucky reader of my blog! I know right?

I have read and loved Adriana Triginai’s writing in the past…. I am hoping lightning will strike twice and this one will be wonderful too!

I have been a long time fan of all things Titanic. I have read several books both fiction and non fiction as well as seen many movies on the subject and toured the Titanic exhibit in Florida.

Please use the MckLinky below to add your Monday, What Are You Reading link so we can go and see what you have going on this week as well!

Powered by MckLinky

Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

I look forward to seeing what you are reading!

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

Published on March 21, 2010March 21, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)43 Comments

Psychiatrist Andrew Marlowe, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Kostova’s masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, history’s losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

The Swan Thieves is a 17 CD set audio. Beautifully titled, elegantly covered, I was drawn to the sound and the look of this audio much as an artist is drawn to an art gallery.

The story of Robert Oliver, a man not handsome, but has a presence, a way that he carries himself that reeks of self-assurance and that is a powerful tool of attraction as you will find out within this work of words. As I began to listen, I was quickly brought into the heart of the story, this man, Robert, known for his talents and his teachings has done the unthinkable. Robert in a rage, has attacked a painting. A painting? And now, it is up to psychiatric doctor, Andrew Marlow, to attempt to see beyond the surface of anger and get to the canvas of the man who was, and is, Robert.

The reading of this audio is top-notch. The gentle almost rhythmic voice of Treat Williams is fitting for the role of a patient person such as Dr. Marlow. Anne Heche, who us the voice of Robert’s ex-wife Kate, is perfectly cautious yet strong, and Erin Cottrell who is Mary, Roberts one time lover and mistress, is the voice of young, prideful, and the self assured student to the great teacher.

There are other voices as well, Sarah Zimmerman and John Rafter Lee, who are the voices from the letters of the past… spoken in engaging strong accents that add to the timelessness of their story they tell through the writings. I found myself engaged in their story as it seemed unbeknown to the present day characters that history truly was repeating itself in small ways within Dr. Marlow and Mary.

Honestly, as engaging as this reading was, I am not sure if I had read the book if I would have made it all the way through. While extremely detailed, the audio is long and drawn out. Towards the end I have to admit I started to skim the last few CDs chapters of the accented voices and cling to the story of Marlow, Mary, and Robert. I think the book would have buried me in all of the words, and while I truly enjoyed the story, I think it could have been just as wonderful if not even more so if some of the great details had been taken out.

I have not read Elizabeth Kostova’s Historian. I would like too. However, I do hear that it is also long and that may require me to search out this book as well in audio format.

My Amazon Rating

I received my audio for review from Hachette Book Group

In My Mailbox

Published on March 21, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)37 Comments

Thank you as always to the wonderful Kristi at Story Siren who hosts this weekly meme that I just adore! Kristi inspires me so much! 🙂

Yesterday my hubby and I went to Best Buy to pick up a computer for our front office. The store was extremely short-handed on help and while we knew what we wanted it took over an hour to get help with it. While we waited I was looking around at the Flip Video cameras. A couple friends of mine have them and I think they are super cool and I really wanted to have one before BEA this year.

Well….. I guess I spent too much time looking at the Flip Video Cam because today I went back in their and purchased their package deal which was the camcorder, tripod, a carrying case and a cord that I have no idea what it does yet. 🙂

AND I am telling you all of this because what I am offering up for my mailbox post tonight, my debut video on the flip video cam. It’s pretty amateur as I do not know how to use my I Tunes music for background music choices so had to use what came with the cam. (I had a much better song in mind….). Hopefully as time goes by I will become better at this – but for now I present to you, My Mailbox:

Ok…..LOL.. It is pretty cheesy but I decided to leave it so when I improve (ha ha) I will be able to look at this original one and laugh until pop comes out my nose. Seriously. 🙂

Here is what you seen in the above video:

From Ye Ol’ Library

I have really learned to appreciate my library these past few months!

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson Purely blog love…. I seen it on a blog, I plugged it into my library wish list

Life Sentences by Laura Lippman I seen this book reviewed at Hannah’s blog, Word Lily and knew I wanted to read it.

Sent for Reviews

It is amazing to see all the different directions that review books come from…

God Never Blinks by Regina Brett with 3 to copies to giveaway! YES! That’s right – enter here for a chance to win! (Thank you to Hachette books for this one!)

Hush by Kate White was sent my way by HarperCollins

Read, Remember, Recommend, A Reading Journal For Book Lovers and Read, Remember, Recommend, For Teens are two exciting journals I can not wait to look more closely at! I love to journal! (Go figure, right?) 🙂 Thank you to author Rachelle Knight and Sourcebooks for this opportunity!