Its Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on August 12, 2012August 13, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)39 Comments

Welcome to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited. **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

Mardel from Rabid Reader!!!

Congratulations! Please email me your book choice out of the Reading Cafe at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com.

Last week was busy (no surprise there…) and fun. I had something going on every night except Tuesday but Thursdays double booking on dinner with one group and a movie with another made up for my little Tuesday break. 😛 I left on Friday for Wisconsin (Dress, WI.) for the Muckruckus on Saturday which was a blast but kicked my butt (literally)… it was a 10K through mud and I certainly was not ready for it… but will be next year. 😛

So here is what I posted this past week:

The Confession by John Grisham ( a fiction read that I kept feeling it must be non fiction it read so true!)

The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney

Hope Springs (My thoughts on the movie)

Here’s The Story by Maureen McCormick (the true story behind Marcie from the Brady Bunch)

Pictures from last weekends 173 mile bike ride!

Yes CHEF by Marcus Samuelsson (food memoir at its best – do not miss this great read!)

Not too bad a week and I think now my reading will start to pick up. This is the first Sunday I have been home in a long time and it was nice to actually read, nap, and I emptied the book room (no small task!) for the new shelves coming this week. SSSQQQUUUEEE!!!!
Here is what I plan to be reading this week:

The summer before entering sixth grade, Sammy, a bright and charming boy who lived on the coast of Maine, suddenly began to exhibit disturbing behavior. He walked and ate with his eyes shut, refused to bathe, burst into fits of rage, slithered against walls, and used his limbs instead of his hands to touch light switches, doorknobs, and faucets.

Sammy’s mother, Beth, already coping with the overwhelming responsibility of raising three sons alone, watched helplessly as her middle child descended into madness. Sammy was soon diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and later with Tourette syndrome. Unwilling to accept the doctors’ prognoses for lifelong mental illness and repeated hospitalizations, Beth fought to uncover what was causing this decline. Racing against time as Sammy slipped further from reality, Beth’s quest took her to the center of the medical community’s raging debate about whether mental illness can be caused by infection. With the battle lines firmly drawn, Beth searched until she found two cutting-edge doctors who answered that question with a definitive yes. Together, they cured Sammy. Five years later, he remains symptom free.

This was the only new audio I had downloaded on my IPOD this week when I was mowing the lawn. When I started listening to it I became so intrigued I couldn’t stop listening!

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun – but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Yes, it is time for another John Green….. I miss him 😛

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details–proof they hope may free Ben–Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club . . . and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.

As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members–including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started–on the run from a killer.

I just recently read Gillian Flynn with Gone Girl which was so fantastic. My friend Heidi reminded me that she had given me a copy of Dark Places by her and that I should read it. This will be my pleasure red this week after I finish the book club read for Tuesdays meeting.

That should be good for this week. What have you been reading What do you plan to read? Please share your Its Monday What Are You Reading by linking below. Oh and don’t forget to chat us up on Twitter by using the hashtag #IMWAYR

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Yes, CHEF by Marcus Samuelsson

Published on August 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

Born in Ethiopia, Samuelsson was three years old when his mother walked him and his sister 75 miles to be treated for Tuberculosis. Once they arrived at the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Adapa, Marcus’ mom died on the disease, but Marcus and his sister were treated and recovered. Now orphans, they were both adopted by a middle class family that lived in Sweden.

And this is where Marcus started to learn about food. His new Grandmother Mormor took Marcus under her wing and showed him how to cook and to use everything. She made everything herself and taught Marcus that nothing went to waste. Fresh baked bread was served the first day with lunch and dinner, on the second day it was good for toast, and then after that it was good for croutons and breading for battered fish.

As a teen Marcus first applied to work at a McDonald’s but was turned down for employment due to his color. (How funny to think that now one of the most famous chefs in the world was once denied to flip burgers and shake salt in fries…)

As years went on Marcus worked in restaurant after restaurant learning the kitchen as well as the back of his hand. He loved to try new things together and soon Head Chefs were looking to his for new menu ideas and new flavors. Eventually Marcus was given opportunities to travel back to Ethiopia to learn the flavors of his home land.

When he was Head Chef at Aquavit he earned a coveted three star rating for his cooking in the New York Times that sent him forward in huge strides, including being on several Top Chef TV shows, and cooking for the White House.

Marcus’s story is not all up hill, there are times of career crisis, emotional happenings, law suits, and eventually he is led to opening his current Restaurant the Red Rooster in Harlem.

Marcus first hand lets the reader know the price of ambition, the cost of wanting perfection, the battle to be respected by his peers, and ultimately his road to finding the restaurant of his dreams.

Why did I want to read this book? I first seen this book in a Shelf Awareness email. Oddly, although I do not have the patience to cook, I love reading about those who do and succeed. Marcus’ story from Ethiopia as a lost boy to the Big Apple as a household name was one I wanted to know more about.

Yes Chef delivered everything I hoped it would. Marcus tells his story in an honest and humble tone from beginning to end. My copy of this book is covered in little post it arrows where I marked how he prepared truffles (you add them to the sauce at the very end so as not to cook all the flavor out), and his Spanish breakfast (ripe tomatoes peeled and then crushed on toast adding a grind or two of black pepper), and how to make a lobster lasagna. When curing duck breasts Marcus would soak then in a large pan of salted water with a plate weighing them down for 6 hours.

Mouth watering yet?

And in between pages of mixing seasonings and different flavors is Marcus’ story. Growing up and moving out… restaurant experiences that are detailed from where he got it right, and from when he should have been fired and by grace he was not. And then into Marcus’ life as the one doing the firing and trying to find kitchen held that understood the demands of a kitchen, one employee even telling him,

“You can ask me to be on time, iron my shirt, shave or not to wear sneakers, but you can’t ask them all of me… it’s too much.”

~Page 309 Yes CHEF

Yes Chef was interesting and a fun book to read that I will refer to again and again. Marcus is a true story of battling against the odds, fighting prejudices and coming out on top. His tips on food throughout the book are things I want to try, things I would have never considered, but when I read Yes CHEF, I felt inspired.

Highly recommended to lovers of memoirs, cooking related books and success stories… I loved this book.

Marcus’ fried chicken served at Red Rooster

marinate chicken in coconut milk (I would use chicken breasts not whole chicken, but that’s me)

cure in lemon

steam it and bone it

fry in day old oil

serve with greens, sweet potato fries, buttermilk dressing and hot sauce and pickled watermelon rind

This review is part of Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads

Purchased from Amazon

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

Morning Meanderings…. Late,but posting anyway

Published on August 12, 2012August 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

Good morning! I am currently in Wisconsin getting ready for the Muckruckus which we will do at 11:30 this morning. Funny enough, where we went to eat last night had a poster on the wall advertising a book sale in Hammond Wisconsin so……. we are going to stop by there before we go to the Muckruckus…. yup, that is how we roll. 😀

Ok… the above paragraph is no longer true. I STARTED to write this post YESTERDAY morning in Wisconsin and it was taking SO long to upload pictures I could walk away from my computer, have some coffee and come back and still wait. 😯 With two other girls waiting for me so we could get moving… I had to give up… however, since I did have something I wanted to say for Alyce’s Saturday Snapshots, I still am posting…. as well as ending with a little Sunday Salon.

For ~~this mornings~~ Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Alyce from AT Home With Books, I wanted to post some pics from last weekends (August 4 and 5) Camp Benedict Bike ride…. I biked 104 miles day one (My first 100 (Century) in a day)… and I biked 75 the next day. It was wonderful weather and wonderful people to hang out with!

20120804_121856 — **LUNCH TIME – day one!**

**After day one… riding 104 miles (the most miles I have EVER rode in one day)… we thought this would be a funny picture 😉**

20120805_161539 — **The shirt I wore day two….**

**At the end of day two, Me, Connie, Belinda, and Sheila**

Two gorgeous riding days, 173 miles combined…. I wish this ride was more than once a year! LOVE this ride. LOVE the people who ride it.

Ok, now for the Sunday Salon…
Yesterday, as I mentioned above, I was in Wisconsin for the Mudruckus (which,I am pretty sore from but that is a different story….) We drove there on Friday and went out to dinner Friday evening. AT the restaurant we ate at they advertised a book sale in Hammond Wisconsin on Saturday… about 24 miles away from where we were staying… AND in the opposite direction from where we needed to go.

Did I mention the two girls I was with are both from my book club?

SO yup, we traveled the 24 miles in the wrong direction for our event early Saturday morning so we could check out there book sale. While not an overly impressive one (mainly older titles), they were still 50 cents a book and I walked out with these treasures:

Turns out they were 12 for $3.00 (top two are movies, and the right side one is audio. ) I paid $4.00 for the stack.

Later this week, I am getting new books shelves in the book room. It will be a huge project to empty that room out, but I think the ending results will be wonderful and give me a home for all my books as well as help me get organized. When all is said and done I am pretty sure I will have a nice pile to donate to the library. I will be documenting the “before, during, and after as well.

Today, I will be laying low. After a slide into mud yesterday during the Mudruckus I landed so hard on a rock it took my breath away and I am still hurting. I think I am just bruised with a capital “B”. At least I am able to sit a little more comfortably today. 😛

Here’s The Story by Maureen McCormick

Published on August 10, 2012August 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Maureen McCormick was the eldest daughter on the hit TV show, the Brady Bunch (aired 1969 – 1974). Most of us know her as Marcia Brady, or as the famous line goes, “Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!” Maureen, a pretty blond, comes from the generation of “teen idols” and all the girls her age wanted to be her and the boys wanted to be her boyfriend.

But all was not as it would seem on the hit show. Maureen’s home life was hard, at best. Her mother hid many insecurities that later would transfer to Maureen, her father once the man who took classes on how to be a better father to Maureen’s mentally handicapped brother, later puts him in a home. Her brother Kevin, is a mess of emotional highs and lows, involved in drugs and alcohol abuse….

Maureen McCormick reveals in this tell all that was also not the sweet girl she portrayed on TV, all innocent and naive, instead Maureen dabbled with cocaine addiction, troubled relationships, depression and more.

Here is the story.

Why did I want to read this book? While Maureen McCormick’s role as Marcia Brady was a little before my time, (I was more the Little House On The Prairie tv era) I knew enough about her through Brady Bunch reruns and later movies to know who she was. I had watched the Celebrity Fit Club that aired a while back where she admitted battling with depression and subsequently weight gain and was interested in her story then. And really… who wouldn’t want the inside scoop on the Brady who had a little fling with her on tv brother, Greg? 😛

Here’s The Story was a memoir I wanted to read, but in reality I was not prepared for. I had no idea the level of pain and issues that Maureen faced at a young age. I think often we watch people on TV and we forget that they are real people outside of their performance and they have real lives and real battles just like the rest of us. While many people envied the on tv persona of Marcia Brady, no one would have envied the child hood of Maureen McCormick.

I have to admit, at times, this audiobook made me angry. Maureen’s decisions at time are so bad that I wanted to shake her. I also took a little issue with her referring to her handicapped brother as ‘retarded’ which seems like such a cruel word. I know that is not a fair assessment, and I apologize for that. I have not walked in her shoes and on the flip of that, kudos, really, for her willingness to share such personal truths.

Overall, I did enjoy learning about Maureen’s life behind the mask of Marcia. She admits it took a long time to shake off Marcia, she was like the alter ego, always mocking Maureen into believing she was not good enough. I thought that she would talk more about her time on Celebrity Fit Club, which if you seen that season, Maureen was on with Dustin Diamond (the guy who played Screech in Saved By The Bell) and he was a real jerk. For me, it was a show I loved to hate because of his awfulness. Maureen however touches on this period of her life only briefly towards the end of her book.

The heart of this book is really the time Maureen spent on TV as a Brady, the years afterwards trying to find work as she met up with poor relationship after poor relationship, her battle with drugs, eventually becoming a Christian, and finding her way to happy and healthy.

An interesting listen, narrated by the author.

Morning Meanderings… Hope Springs With Friends

Published on August 10, 2012August 10, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Good morning! 😀

Friday! Don’t you just love weekends? 😀 I am sitting here this morning with the back door to the deck open feeling that lovely warm breeze come in and brush across my shoulder. If I could bottle today and repeat it 365 days a year I would. This is a day that holds adventures and promises and I can not wait!

Last night, after a lovely dinner with a group of friends, I then went to the movie Hope Springs with Wendy, Heidi, and Susan. I had two free tickets from hosting the House Party for Hope Springs last week. It was a cute movie about a couple Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones who have been married for 31 years and Meryl’s character, Kay, wants to put some sort of the spark back into their marriage….. Tommy Lee Jones character, Arnold, feels that their marriage is fine even though he has barely touched her in 5 years and they sleep in separate bedrooms. Enter Steve Carell as Dr Felt, book writer and marriage therapist, and you have a bitter sweet comedy that at times is honestly sad how far they have drifted apart.

People watching at the theater was a bonus to the movie, we were pretty close to the youngest ones there and it was fun to watch these older couples reactions to different parts of the movie. Laughing and jabbing each other in the ribs. There was also a woman up front who had a boisterous laugh and when something struck her funny – well, we all had to laugh too.

A fun movie to see with friends, only one scene a little “risky” when Meryl and Tommy are in a move theater, but nothing over the top – the movie is rated PG13.

It was my first time in our new theater, and I LOVE the changes…. we have finally entered the world of stadium seating and nice comfy chairs that rock. A real improvement from what we had before where you did not dare sit your purse on the floor next to your chair for fear you would never be able to release it from the gooey substance that would hold it as tight as super glue… subsequently, it was amazing you could walk out of the theater with your shoes intact as they suction cupped to the gooey floor and you “plungered” your way to the safety of the outside.

Today, I leave for Wisconsin at 2:00 Pm with my friend Amy and Wendy. We are doing the Muckruckus tomorrow morning for MS. We are all first time “Muckruckusers” and I am both excited and apprehensive. From those who have done this before me that I know, they say it is a LOT OF MUD. This is not like the Warrior Dash where we get a little mud at the end. Nope – this is solid mud and if I recall, it is a 10K (holy cats…..) and a lot of obstacles. So….. another adventure for this small town Brainerd girl.

I think I will bring Laptop with me today – then I can post in the morning and I have reviews (believe it or not!) for both today and tomorrow! Slowly I am finding my way back to the mix of books and activity combined.

As for now… I need to plan what I am going to wear tomorrow. They suggest pants because the rocks in the mud hurt your knees. I may get a bandana but I suspect it will be sucked off my head in the mud, tennis shoes that will never be the same again, and a tank top. I think… I don’t know. 😀

Morning Meanderings… Children and YA categories continue to grow in book sales!

Published on August 9, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Morning all! Thursday already? Why oh why is my summer flying by? The days are full and fast…. before I know it, Friday will be here and I leave for Wisconsin for the Mudruckus with two awesome daring friends. BUT – more on that tomorrow.

I slept well last night and while that may not seem like a big deal, it is. Mater (new dog) is like that having a baby in the house – sometimes at night he cries, and like a new mom – even if he does not cry from his space in the entryway… I listen for it. This morning I woke up surprised to see it was 6:30 am and I had woke up on my own – without noise or distraction. Usually I have been getting up between 5 and 5:30 am.

Now with coffee cup – I am eager to share that I just read on Shelf Awareness that Childrens/Middle Grade YA reads have continues to grow in sales all year…. some months in triple digits. That excites me so much. The future of books and reading will be in the next generations hands and I am always excited to see kids with books. YAY to our authors who are writing the books that are keeping these kids engaged and wanting to read. 😀

This morning I have work- I am biking in for the third day this week. Later I have dinner with friends and then a group of us are going to the movie Hope Springs! I am excited about a full day and a fun evening. 😀

My reading is still slow since July… so much going on in life and in my weekends but it is good stuff and I know once life slows down again my nose will again be in a book daily.

I hope your Thursday is wonderful! Any fun plans for the weekend?

The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney

Published on August 8, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Change is good.

Right?

32 year old Caddie Winger had been raised by her grandmother since she was 9 years old, after her mother had died. Now, Nana is no longer as strong as she used to be, and Caddie finds that the roles has reversed, and now she is the caretaker. When Nana falls and breaks her leg she insists on going to an assisted living home, much to Caddie’s objections. Now, suddenly Caddie finds herself living alone for the first time since college.

When visiting the home to see her Nana, Caddie meets a whole cast of interesting characters, that not only occupy some of her lonely time, but also teach her life lessons that are priceless.

Why did I want to listen to this audio? Title. I love summer. If the title is going to have the word “summer” in it, I am going to take a closer look… 😀

*sigh* This is going to be hard review, mainly because I just really never connected with Caddie at all. The story was basic, nothing profound or original that spoke to me. While a sweet story, and funny at points (I did really enjoy my time in the assisted living home with that crack group of characters!), there were no big “ah ha” moments for me…

and maybe, that is not important.

But….

in this case, the book needed something to glue it together… and either I missed it or it wasn’t there (both… are possible.) Goodbye Summer is a fine story and as long as you are looking for just a good read that passes a beautiful summer time with a marginal main character but a cast of fun background characters who even in an assisted living home are working on their bucket lists (I do admit.. I like their style) then Goodbye Summer can fit the bill.

The Confession by John Grisham

Published on August 7, 2012August 7, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

In 1998 a young cheerleader is presumably murdered after she disappears one night never to be seen again. Donte’ Drumm, a college football star is jailed and then after much prodding by the police, confesses that he indeed killed the pretty cheerleader, Nicole.

Flash forward to 2007, mere days before Donte’ Drumm’s execution. Kansas Minister Keith Schroeder is working in his office when a man by the name of Travis Bronte enters with a story that is shocking and frightening. Bovette, is a multi sex offender who has been in and out of jail his entire life. Now dieing from a brain tumor, he shares that he is Nicole’s true killer and can prove it as he knows exactly where her body is. Boyette wants to end his life by doing something right for a chance.

Keith suddenly finds himself on a mission he never intended to be on. With his wife telling him he was crazy to get involved, Keith drives Boyette to the scene of the crime, far away from where they are now. With the clock ticking on Drumm’s execution, and Boyette refusing to confess tot he public until he sees Nicole’s remains one more time so he can say he is sorry… it really is a race against time and the truth.

Why did I want to listen to this book? I have enjoyed Grisham for many years. He was probably one of my very first go to authors (along with Dean Koontz, and Harlan Coben). Going into this one, for some reason I was thinking this was more of a YA read… yeah, that is not true….

The Confession is a book that surprised me time and again. This fictional book reads like non-fiction. Several times throughout listening to this book I went on-line to check to make sure I was not reading a true story. As far as I am aware, John Grisham’s only non fiction book is Innocent Man which was pretty amazing. The details of police action (or lack there of) in this one felt so real, the layout of the crime, and the trek cross-country to find the body and see if Boyette was telling the truth or just messing with people’s lives felt genuine. After checking and rechecking, The Confession is just a very well written fiction read.

The book had just the right level of creep factor for me. Never gory, but as I mentioned above, shockingly real. All throughout this read I was wondering if they really would find Nicole’s body. Boyette’s back and forth wanting to confess and then backtracking and wondering why should he after all this time was mind boggling. I wanted to read through the speakers and choke him. Meanwhile, Donte Drumm sits in jail as the clock ticks down, wondering if a miracle will come in time…. it has been 9 years of jail for Drumm…. what do you think 9 years of jail can do to a person’s state of mind?

In the end, I enjoyed The Confession much like I would if I had read a true crime book. I wanted to know the truth, I wanted justice to be served… I questioned who was telling the truth… and when all was done… while it was not everything I had hoped for, it was most likely the way it should have been

Fans of true crime and Grisham’s knack for detail when it comes to crimes and the law will enjoy this one. This would make a fantastic movie.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

Audible.com (listen in to a sample here)

Morning Meanderings… What Does 173 Miles on a bike feel like?

Published on August 7, 2012August 7, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Good morning everyone! Once again, I have not been around the blogesphere much due to a busy summer schedule. This past weekend I was for the 4th year in a row a part of the Camp Benedict Cyclists riding for a camp that is for people, children, and families with AIDS. This is one of my favorite rides of the year because everyone that does this ride is amazing.

This year the weather was perfect and myself, along with the two girls I ride much of the ride with Sheila and Belinda, decided we would do the Century route which is 100 miles in one day. I am so glad I did. This is something I have been wanting to do for the past two years and it was the plan for last years MS ride, the one I was hurt on.

I don’t want to post too many pics because I am pretty sure this will be my topic for the Saturday snapshots as well.. but here is a sample:

**The whole gang – Camp Benedict Riders 2012**

**The shirt I wore day two of the ride**

Over the two day ride I biked 173 miles and feel… yeah, a little like a rock star…LOL.

Thats it for now… I still have to get ready for work and yes, my reading is still suffering…. GAH! 😛

More pics on Saturday of this event.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on August 5, 2012August 6, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)42 Comments

This past weeks winner:

Shannon from I Run Teach Read!!!

Congratulations! Please email me your book choice out of the Reading Cafe at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com.

If you read this post last night (Sunday here in Central MN), you know I just got home Sunday evening from a weekend 173 mile bike ride… I am sun burned but oh so happy. Great ride… We raised money for a camp for families, and children with AIDS. This is one of my favorite rides of the year and I feel like a rock start having done my first Century in one day (100+ miles!!!!) I am now updating this post to add in my past week and plans for this week. Last night I was just too tired to do it. 😀

My reading has suffered greatly this Summer from all the activities, however I would not trade it for anything… I have had a great summer.. and still have many busy weeks ahead filled with fun adventures. This past week, here is what I put on the blog:

The Bel Canto Read-A-Long Party (are you ready to read another great books and maybe win some cool things? Join in this read-a-long!)

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson (a book I listened to on audio, but would recommend reading the book instead)

House Party Overview (I had a house party for the upcoming movie Hope Springs… ) here are the pics – we had so much fun!

Northern Minnesota Weekend (two weekends ago I spent some time with friends up North)

Paper Towns by John Green (LOVE John Green – if you have not indulged.. .you must!)

As for this week, I am still not expecting anything fantastic on my reading… I think I have been reading the same books for three weeks now, just no time to pick it up! 😀 I do however have some audio yet to review and hopefully another one or two this week. That said, my reading goals for this week are small”ish”:

Irene and Nate Stanley are living a quiet and contented life with their two children, Bliss and Shep, on their family farm in southern Illinois when Nate suddenly announces he’s been offered a job as a deputy sheriff in Oregon. Irene fights her husband. She does not want to uproot her family and has deep misgivings about the move. Nevertheless, the family leaves, and they are just settling into their life in Oregon’s high desert when the unthinkable happens. Fifteen-year-old Shep is shot and killed during an apparent robbery in their home. The murderer, a young mechanic with a history of assault, robbery, and drug-related offenses, is caught and sentenced to death.

Shep’s murder sends the Stanley family into a tailspin, with each member attempting to cope with the tragedy in his or her own way. Irene’s approach is to live, week after week, waiting for Daniel Robbin’s execution and the justice she feels she and her family deserve. Those weeks turn into months and then years. Ultimately, faced with a growing sense that Robbin’s death will not stop her pain, Irene takes the extraordinary and clandestine step of reaching out to her son’s killer. The two forge an unlikely connection that remains a secret from her family and friends.

Years later, Irene receives the notice that she had craved for so long—Daniel Robbin has stopped his appeals and will be executed within a month. This announcement shakes the very core of the Stanley family. Irene, it turns out, isn’t the only one with a shocking secret to hide. As the execution date nears, the Stanley’s must face difficult truths and find a way to come to terms with the past.

This has been on to read list for two months now. Currently it is my Book Club choice for August so it goes up next 🙂

One more note – if you use Twitter, please post about what you are reading there under the hashtag #IMWAYR

Please link up your Monday What Are You Reading below… and please stop back tomorrow when my head is clearer and see what I am reading too 😀