Month: May 2010

Blog Chat: Episode 1

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

What I want to do with these posts and take time to share with you a blog I enjoy.  Maybe its just me but I love to hear peoples background stories.  I think my own journey from random reader to crazy blogger (and yes – I am speaking for myself) is interesting, so I believe that others have stories too.

And… I want to hear them.  And… I want to share them.

At this time I am not sure if this idea I am floating today will hold air or not.  The plan, if all goes well is to do this occasionally.  Interview a fellow blogger and encourage my readers to go and check them out because I think they are pretty cool.  I enjoy looking at blogs – style, layout, the whole works… and I am excited to have the debut of this feature come forward today with a new blogger buddy to me,

Bobbie from Til We Read Again

There are so many things I like about Bobbie’s blog.  One of the first things that caught my eye was the awesome layout.  It’s a clean, classy, blog layout.   And as I started to frequent her blog I noticed that she signs off every post with “Til we read again”… and I love how she ties this back to her blog name. Oh and have you seen the header? It’s fantastic:

So – enough of me…. let me introduce you to Bobbie.

Left to right: Alianna, Bobbie, and Dakotah

OK Bobbie, you know the theme around here.  How do you take your coffee?

Bobbie:  Cream and one sugar please.


Bobbie, do you remember how we first met?


Bobbie:  I met you during Dewey’s 24 Hour Read A Thon. You contacted me about doing a mini challenge. I remember I was so excited because you were one of my favorite blogger’s. After that we just kept in contact.  🙂


When did you start reading, if you can recall, and what were those books in your earliest memories?

Bobbie:  I was about 8. I started reading The Little House Books. Before that I wasn’t interested in reading. Our school was having a Little House tea. If you read all the books and could answer questions about them you got an invite to the tea. I did get to go to the tea but reading the books was the better prize. After that you couldn’t get a book out of my hands.


How did you discover book blogging and what made you start doing it yourself?

Bobbie: I actually had a book blog last year but I let it go because I was always so busy. I am the type of person that I am always doing something for someone else so my mom challenged me to do one thing for myself. I was still keeping up with book blogs I had found through my old blog so I decided to give it one more shot. I completely re-did my blog and made goals for myself. It is kinda funny that a challenge from my Mom turned out to be such a rewarding experience.


When did you first start blogging?

Bobbie:  I started blogging about 3 years ago. All the blogs I have had was geared to my hobby of making digital scrap kits. I offered kits for free and also let my readers know what I had new in stores.


I have never done digital scrap booking, but have always wanted to try it.  What were your early struggles with blogging?

Bobbie:  I think that all my blogs have had one major struggle for me. Followers. Even with my scrapping blogs I never had more than 40 to 50 followers. It doesn’t help that I am very shy and have a hard time going around to other blogs and commenting. Posting was easy for me because I would just put up freebies or store ads. With my book blog the followers have come easier but now I have a hard time with posts but I am getting better. The book blogging community is one of the best:)



How did you learn to correct these things?

Bobbie:  Well I never did with the Scrap Blogs. However, that is mainly because when you do those types of blogs most people are there to download the freebies. However, I knew with the book blog that a following was crucial to me.  I put myself out there and found that even though I am shy I had something to say and I have made so many bloggy friends in the process.


I agree, the book blogging community is filled with wonderful and helpful people.  Can you share any bloggers that really helped you along the way?

Bobbie:  Yes!  Kay from Pudgy Penguin Perusals. The way I met Kaye was very funny. She was an award free blog and leave it to me to give her an award. I didn’t have my contact info on my blog at the time so she had to track me down to tell me. After I got over the initial embarrassment I found a great bloggy friend)

Trish from Hey Lady Watcha Reading?

And you.


What Is your favorite part about blogging?

Bobbie:  Meeting new people and being able to talk about books. I love going to the blogs and seeing what everyone else is reading. I love adding a new book to my TBR list. My other favorite part is it gives me a purpose. It gives me a reason to do something for myself. I make sure to post at least 3 times a week even if things are busy or if I haven’t read that week. There is always something to say or a meme to do.


What advice would you give a new blogger?


Bobbie:  This is not an assignment nor is it your life’s work. Also, don’t give up if you don’t get followers right away. Give yourself a year at least. Post at least 3 times a week so your followers have something new to read when they come back. Surround yourself with other book blogger’s. If you have questions ask. I have yet to meet a book blogger that got mad because I asked them a question:) Join book blog communities to meet other book blogger’s. Some of my favorites are:

Great advice Bobbie!  Favorite books?

Bobbie:  I am an eclectic reader and like a lot of stuff, lol. I guess my favorites would be:

The Harry Potter Series ( I have read it 4 times, lol)
The Twilight Series
Anything by Stephen King but my favorite book by him is The Stand
The In Death Series by J.D. Robb

Time to spill the beans…. share something about yourself that is a little known fact.

Bobbie:  I am a closet foodie. I have to try every new restaurant that comes to our new area and I review them under an assumed name. I love the Food Network almost as much as I love books.


Thank you Bobbie for coming and hanging out with us today!  Readers – I encourage you to stop by and welcome Bobbie at Til We Read Again and while you are there – snoop around her blog!


Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments


So what is happening at the DeChantal household this morning?

Packing.  Working out.  Laundry.  Cooking.  Cleaning.  Call to Grandpa.  And maybe a bit of mowing too if the weather holds out for me.  🙂

I leave tonight at 5 pm for Minneapolis where I will meet up with Reagan from Miss Remmers Reviews.  We are staying overnight there to catch our 6 am flight to New York.  I may need to pause a moment to read that last sentence….

………………………………………………………….

Wow.  Three books are making the journey with me.  Yes, that is conservative of me.  😉

Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish.  This is our book club read for June and it sounds like the perfect plane/hotel read.  (click on picture if you want to read more about the book)

The Threadbare Heart by Jennie Nash arrived in the mail yesterday.  I have heard good things about this one!  (If you want to know more about the book click on the picture)

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen.  I won this authors NYC package giveaway and while I have seen the book around I have not read it yet.  As I am meeting Sarah in New York, I want to have read this.  I think it looks like a story line I really will enjoy! (Click on pic for more details on this book)

So that’s what is in my carry on.  I still am prepping reviews and a tour for next week that will continue to go on as planned.  I will also have Lap Top with me so I hope to give you morning updates of what is happening at BEA.

What are your weekend plans and what book is going with you?

Winners…. so many Winners

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

I am embarrassingly behind on drawing winners for the giveaways I have going.  There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day.  All week long my goal was to post winners to the giveaways so I could be current going into BEA, and night after night I drop exhausted into a chair around 9 pm and think, well…too late to do it tonight.

Well… tonight, I am home from running early, just spoke to hubby and he will not be home until around 8 pm…. and it is time…. to post the giveaways and winners 🙂

Note:  As the names are announced I have emailed these winners.  They in turn, must email me their shipping information so I may pass it on to the publishers who in most cases, mail you the books.  I have to wait until all winners have responded before I can email the info to the publishers so please respond in a timely manner.  If I have not heard from a winner within72 hours I will choose another winner.

All winners are drawn by using Random.org


“Ready?  Ok!!!  We’ve got winners yes we do – we’ve got winners so woo hoo hoo!”


I have three winners for Scott Turow’s book:  Presumed Innocent:

Gram

Elisha

JHS

I have three audio books of Vampire Hunter (Audio) to give to:

Cathie (oh and for the record, you were really mean to win Cathie because the random selection chose tou three times in a row!)

Library Pat

Terri Dell

Three of The Art of Choosing (Audio):

Jodi

Mad Woman Doing Cartwheels

Felicia

Three of Green Like God:

Kadybug

Maid Marawyn

Library Pat

Three of Eat The Cookies, Buy The Shoes by Joyce Meyer:

Julie H

Beth C

Jill

Three copies of The Cradle:

Marilu

Mad Woman Doing Cartwheels

Terri Dell

Three of The Slip Of The Knife:

Sheila

Ellie

Margaret

Three of This One Is Mine:

Reagan

Penny

Colleen Turner

Three of God Never Blinks:

Karen K

Ruth

Julie H

Three of Admission:

Patty

Cindi

Karin

One copy of Here Burns My Candle:

Wendy

Thats all the giveaways and woo hoo I am now current!!!  Please watch the Giveaway link for current giveways always happening here 🙂

Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)52 Comments



Oh wow – I can’t wait to share some news with you!  Go refill your coffee cups this may take a couple of minutes to get out of my between the “Squeee’s” and the cartwheels…. and possible another squeee….

Ok.  Ready?  Let me set the scene for you….

I am in my office yesterday afternoon.  We are doing a total office inventory so by mid afternoon my eyes are bugging out of my head.  I click on my personal G Mail link to see if anything new and exciting is going on in the world and I see this email titled:  You Are Going TO NYC For Free!!!

I figured it was some sort of scam advertising but clicked to open the email anyway.  (Oh come on, you would have opened it too!)  Turns out it is from author Sarah Pekkanen (Opposite Of Me) and I won her blogger giveaway for NYC!  I still can’t believe it so I find her website, and start reading the details.  I remember signing up for this much like if you are at a grocery store and they are doing a giveaway for a freezer full of food… you don’t think you will win, but you fill out the form anyway.

So by now (and remember I am still in my office), I am trying not to scream, I read through her email again and she asks me to either email her back or to call her for details.  I start the email – telling her I am so excited, then decide I want to call her too, think I send the email but forget to hit send and dial….

She answers.

I tell her who I am and we have this wonderful conversation where I am excited and bouncing and I think she may be too.  She tells me how they used random.org (I LOVE Random.Org!!!) and explains the package to me.  Since I have paid for most of what she is offering already, all I had to do was email her my flight info and hotel and she is going to give me a check to reimburse me.


I can’t even tell you how high I am flying off the ground right now!  The last couple of days I have been trying to plan how to do BEA and not spend a lot of money.  I was making little deals with myself like “well, if I take from savings I can put it back in with next months check….” and then knowing full well that wont happen as youngest son is getting an apartment when he goes back to college in the fall and he and I are going to look next month to start to furnish that apartment and I want to help where I can..

This is such a gift!

Be sure to look at Sarah’s website – it gives a lot of details of what the package consists of.

So bouncy girl, I mean I, am working out this morning, using a spa gift card this afternoon that my hubby gave me for Christmas for a manicure and pedicure – (I usually do not bother with a manicure because I am always doing stuff that would ruin it, but decided to use the Gift Card for BEA).

I have books to mail today.  Contests to end that I have been trying to get to all week.  Start to pack.  Date night with hubby.  And – in a few hours I have a post where I want to introduce you to a blogger that if you have not already met, you should.

Have a super fantastic day!  If you are going to BEA I would love to meet you so connect with me on Twitter (bookjourney) or email me at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com.

Hannah’s List by Debbie Macomber

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)76 Comments


In the year since his wife, Hannah, passed away, Dr. Michael Everett has been inconsolable.  Unable to carry on living any semblance of a normal life without her, Michael has avoided contact with friends and family and filled his empty days with work.  So he’s shocked when his brother-in-law, Ritchie, hands him a letter Hannah had written before she died; apparently she’d instructed Ritchie to deliver it to Michael on the first anniversary of her death.

In it she reminds him of her love and makes one final request: she asks Michael to marry again and become the father he was meant to be.  Knowing his reaction, Hannah gives him a gentle push by suggesting three women—each of whom, she says, would make an excellent wife and companion.

♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

Book Journey Traveled to:  Seattle Washington

Need coffee?  Voted the best coffee is Seatle:  94 Stewart Restaurant

412 pages

Cover Story: The cover is ideal for the story – the white picket fence and an open gate really speak of what the book has in store.

I am a jumble of genres am I not?  Recently having read a true crime, a dark mystery, a non fiction, a children’s book, and now I sit this book down on my coffee table with content.

Debbie Macomber came on my radar many years ago with her Cedar Cove Series that was a wonderful series of books centered around a town called Cedar Cove.  Each book title was an address and the story line came from the opinion of who lived at that address.  The first one was called 16 Lighthouse Road.  I thought it was a brilliant series!

Flash forward to 2010 and here I cross paths with Debbie Macomber again.  As this book opens we are immediately brought into the story.  Debbie Macomber does not mess around – it is the anniversary date of Hannah’s death and Michael, her devoted husband, is still grieving and buried among the “what ifs”.

When Hannah’s brother delivers the letter to Michael from Hannah, as you can expect there is not only shock but anger.  Hannah has not only boldly told Michael to move up, but also make suggestions of who may make a good wife for him.  (I kind of liked that part, sounded like something I would do!)

What follows is Michael’s journey as he meets with each of these women and learns a little more about his wife and learns it is ok to let go in the process.  The characters are delightful and colorful, Macomber always did impress me with the way she could put the scenes of the book clearly in my mind.

This book is a cozy (envision hot cocoa by a camp fire kind of night) and comforting read.  The book is wonderful for sipping on an ice tea in the sunshine, as from my experience with this author, the book was a feel good to the last page kind of read and I closed the final page with a sense of well-being.


I received my copy for review from Big Honcho Media


Did I mention there was a giveaway?

Hannah’s List

BOOK RELEASE + GIVEAWAY

Prizing for your website:

**One (1) Grand Prize winner from your site receives:

  • Enjoy additional titles by Debbie Macomber with a $25 VISA gift card

  • Copy of Hannah’s List

Two (2) additional winners will receive a copy of the book!

So what to do to get in on this deal

As this book opens, Michael is at a Seattle Mariners baseball game.  Leave a comment here if you could go and see any sport – any where – where would it be? (This must be answered to be entered in this giveaway)


Want more chances to win?

For two extra chances to win, become a subscriber  (or be a current subscriber) of this blog (do this in the upper right side bar) and let me know in a separate comment here

Blog about this giveaway and let me know in a separate comment and receive two more entries

Twitter about this giveaway or link tot his giveaway on Facebook and let me know here for another entry

This giveaway will end on June 3  and publisher says:

This book giveaway is open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prizes by mail.)

Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments


Oh I can just tell it is going to be a BE-A- UTIFUL day today.  The sun is already shining this early and I cant wait to be in it!

I have touched base with all BEA roommates and I am getting seriously excited. (Here is a little background music while you read this post).


Ok… LOL.  I had to do that.

I biked yesterday 18 miles instead of rollerblading.  Wendy has strep throat so had to cancel on me.  Thats ok, I havent had the bike out for a while now and it felt good to do the ride on a sunny day.  The big 150 mile is in June and I am seriously praying on nice weather for that two day ride!

I have so many reviews to write and such a busy schedule.  My plan was to be all caught up before I left for BEA and I hope I can still do that.  Books are read, I just got behind on the reviews.

On another bookish note I am ready for a new audio book on my IPOD.  I received my monthly credit from Audible yesterday and I have chosen The Eyes Of Darkness by Dean Koontz.  I loved Koontz in my early 20’s and read everything he had written.  I havent read him now for a while and I am excited about this new one!

I also think I am going to pick up Kiss by Ted Dekker.  Audible is having a 48 hour sale and this one is one of the sale audio that I would like to have.

We will talk more about audio one of these days!  I know many of you do not listen to them but I love them and I want to do a pro con post….  when I have time.  (Insert smile here).

Have an awesome day – as I type I am already late for the gym and I will have to catch up with Jennifer.

Forbidden Fruit by Pearce J Carefoote

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

128 pages

Cover Story:  Love it!  So appropriate and love how the authors name goes over Anne Frank’s mouth.  That is censorship!


From the New Testament to The Diary of Anne Frank to current objections to the Harry Potter series–dubbed the most frequently challenged books of the 21st century by the American Library Association–the tradition of banning, censoring, and challenging books has been remarkably enduring.


Seriously… what is it about the word “forbidden” that makes you want to put a toe over the line? I almost have a sort of sick fascination with the books that are labeled as such. I have visions of women covered from head to toe in long shapeless black dresses and a bonnet and suit clad “bow tie too tight” men standing around a bonfire clucking away as as they toss the book in….

ok…

maybe that’s not fair.

The point being I get a little riled up when I see books in here that are near and dear to my heart.  I see Harry Potter once again being tossed to the wolves and I stand on the sidelines looking amazed as these are the very books that made my sons readers.  The series that kept my kids up past curfew… not because they were playing war video games, not because they were in awe of late night crappy TV shows….  no.  I had to ask them to shut their books and go to sleep.  (The equivalent of a Norman Rockwell moment.

And why?  Because the books are set in the supernatural world and therefore must be satanic.   Because kids who fly brooms and wave wands at teachers are surely going to cause our own kids to become broom riding thugs.

Seriously.  If that is the reasoning then for the life of me I don’t know why I am not running  for my car in the dead of night  at top speed and screaming like a banshee in fear of the flying monkeys that are present in the ever popular Wizard Of Oz.

And sure I have a certain soft spot for the Potter series so of course I will defend – but there are others.

Authors the likes of D.H. Lawrence, Margaret Atwood,  James Joyce, John Steinbeck, Anne Frank, Mark Twain…. oh and did I mention the New Testament?  Pearce Carefoote sticks to books that we are familiar with and leaves a good amount of information as to why the books have been challenged.

While the book is small and doesn’t even tap anywhere near into all the books that have been challenged, censored, and banned, what it does share is quite informative.

Pearce Carefoote even starts the book with a Primer On Censorship.


“Oh Harry, don’t you see”, Hermione breathed.  “If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person  in the school will read your interview, it was banning it.”

J K Rowling

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And while book censorship continues to rear its ugly head… it also continues to be defeated… time and time again.  Page after page.

I borrowed this book from our local library




Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments


Good morning everyone 😀  I am back from my group power class this morning.  It was what I hope to be a strategic plan – get the class that I normally take on Wednesdays at 4:15 (after work)  in the afternoon and instead do the 5:45 am (pre-work) class.  The plan being that now the afternoon is freed up and I can rollerblade with my friend Wendy this afternoon.  These gorgeous days in Minnesota you just don’t want to be stuck in a building on.

Now back from class I have a few moments to type out this post over my morning oatmeal and of course COFFEE.  Feel free to grab a cup and join me.  I will wait.  🙂

………………………………………………….

Ok!  Now that we are properly caffeinated lets see whats got me going today.  BEA – yes…. heading to Minneapolis Saturday evening to catch my early Sunday plane.  A little anxious, but a lot excited.  😀

Biggest Loser.  Do you watch this?  I am so addicted to this show and I am so Team Daris.  (he is the one left from the orange team.  Watching what this group goes through…. wow.  And daris had me from the first time he stepped on that scale in episode one.

Makeover week was a couple weeks back and it is one of my favorites!

Ok obviously I am rambling this morning and pushing my luck on getting to work on time.  GAH!  Have a super fab day and check in later for the review of Forbidden Fruit – Banned Books.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)46 Comments


Warning:  This review is about the Columbine School Massacre.  This is not a fiction story.  It is a sensitive subject matter and this book has touched me deeply.


Columbine.  It is one word that brings forth 1,000 memories.  Do you remember it?  Do you remember where you were when you first heard?  The Columbine shooting is one of those things you remember – much like when there was an assassination attempt on a president, or Princess Diana’s death.   This is an event that will stay with us forever.

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dlyan Klebold, students of Columbine High school, came to school like any other day.  Except, this wasn’t any other day.  Dressed in black trench coats, carrying sawed of shotguns and carrying bombs, they had a plan.  The plan was to take out as many students as possible, the bombs were suppose to take out entire floors of the school and by doing so eliminate most of the student body.  When this horrible event concluded, 12 students were left dead, one teacher, and 24 other students were injured.


Dave Cullen’s book takes us as the reader behind the scenes.   We learn about the two boys, Dylan and Eric.  Their lives, their friendships, their families, and the planning of the event long before it took place, the signs – on-line, in journals, in their rooms, on their computers… all missed.

And…

my heart ached as I read this book.  I wept several times during this read.  At times I was angry, and I hurt for the families, the students, and the parents of Dylan and Eric.   There are parts of this book where tears streamed down my face.  I can only imagine…

It’s hard to describe this book.  There are no spoilers to reveal… we all know what happened.  The right words…. escape me.  I think I can say that I appreciated this read.  Knowing more about what happened that day was and is, of interest to me .  I am thankful that I read this.  My heart breaks again for each and every victim and their families.  Dave Cullen writes with a compassionate pen and this is a book that will stay with me for a long time.


I borrowed this book from our local library

Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)41 Comments

Good morning!  😀

My blog cards came in the mail yesterday and I have to say woo hoo – I like them!  I was a bit nervous as I had picked a random company off line and designed my own, but Overnight Prints did a wonderful job on them.  I ordered them on May 12th, used standard shipping and they came in today’s mail.  I will use this company again.  If you did not get a look at them last week when I posted the pics – here they are:

↑ front ↑

↑ back ↑

I am off to an early gym time this morning before work and hopefully after work I am going rollerblading with my friend Wendy.  Last week was extremely rainy and cold so I want to take advantage of these sunny days!