June 2014 – Page 3 – Book Journey

Things To Look For When Picking YOUR Next Audiobook by Narrator Xe Sands

Published on June 18, 2014June 18, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)38 Comments

I admit, there are not a lot of narrators that I recognize by name on the audiobooks I listen to. Xe Sands is the exception. Xe Sands is also (so far) the only narrator that I have looked up and picked audio not by book title or author… but because she narrated it. Please welcome to Book Journey, Xe Sands. ~Sheila

Hello! My name is Xe Sands. I started narrating in 2010 and just passed the 100 audio books I have narrated mark. Oh gracious! Let’s cull that a bit. LOL!

Most recently I have worked on literacy and historical fiction including Wonderland, by Stacey d’Erasmo, Euphoria (with Simon Vance) by Lily King, The Transcriptionist by Amy Rowland, and The Witch of Truro (from Blackbird House) by Alice Hoffman. I have also just completed Vision in Velvet (6th in the Witchcraft Mystery Series) by Juliet Blackwell, Motherless Child by Glen Hirsberg, Something Sweeter by Candis Terry, Forged by Jacqueline Frank, and Never Marry a Viscount by Anne Stuart.

I do also enjoy listening to audio. I spent years listening to them with my daughter during our morning/afternoon commute. These days I find them especially wonderful to listen to while I am doing something I *really* don’t want to do, such as dishes, exercise, folding laundry… well, CHORES of any type actually. 🙂 I find them incredibly distracting in the very best of ways. There have even been times that I’ve dragged a chore out just so I could finish a particularity well-delivered scene.

I find audiobooks incredibly distracting in the very best of ways. ~Xe Sand

My topic today – is to tell you what I think a listener should pay attention to when choosing audiobooks.

First, I think a listener should figure out what type of storytelling they enjoy. Do they enjoy a full storytelling experience, with differentiated characters and appropriate rise and fall in emotion, or an “audio theater” type of experience with sound effects and different voice actors, or perhaps a more straight forward read, naturally delivered, but with little variation of voice?

Then, within that preferred type of experience, they might think about how enunciation is to them vs. a very natural delivery, whether or not they can tolerate shifts in volume, etc. For example, Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite authors and narrators, tends to be a fairly quiet and intimate narrator, and that suits his books perfectly. So although I might fiddle with my volume control while listening, I wouldn’t have him deliver it any other way – it’s perfect for the material. However, having to tweak the volume can prove frustrating for some listeners and adversely affect their experience. Good to know what you can tolerate going in.

Sometimes it is also helpful to consider whether the material is going to be appropriately served in audio. There are books that simply work better in print, or that lose something in the translation to audio… books with extensive charts, graphs, etc., or those with very clever or entertaining illustrations or maps. Those types of books are excellent candidates for a tandem read – having the print version handy for reference as you move through the audio.

Next, listen to the first chapter (or at the very least the full sample available – better yet, several) to get a feel for the delivery style and cadence of the narrator. Are you able to sink into the story and essentially forget the narrator, as a separate entity? Do you find their voice pleasing (you’ll be spending a good number of hours with it!). If yes, then it is a good sign that you’re in for an enjoyable ride. Basically you are listening for a delivery that melts away and leaves just you and the story.

Basically you are listening for a delivery that melts away and leaves just you and the story.

If you have a few narrators who have led you into amazing journey’s in the past, you can always start to look for books based on the narrator.

Sheila asked me what makes for good (and great) listening. That’s such a tough question to answer in a broad sense because each listener brings their own preferences to the listening experience. So I’ll just offer what makes a listen compelling to me. Here’s what I’m looking for: a natural delivery. I want narration that makes me believe that if I closed my eyes, it would be just me and the narrator, sitting somewhere, them telling me this really odd/cool/weird/amazing series of events that happened. Just that. I don’t give a fig about their enunciation – I just want them to sound like they do when they’re talking to me in person, telling me a story, with dialog that sounds as if I was in the room when it was originally exchanged, and with emotion that feels real to me, as if I was witnessing the scene myself. That’s what makes great listening for me – natural, connected to the emotion, PRESENT. The rest, such as enunciation or consistent volume, etc? That can all go by the wayside if the storytelling is solid and they are truly present with it.

Please watch this site for June audio book related posts, like this one. For every post you comment on in June that has this audio book symbol:

I will put you into a drawing for a $25 book certificate for each comment (Barnes and Noble or Amazon – your choice). Winner will be drawn in July.

Look Ma! No Hands! Audiobooks My Way!

Published on June 18, 2014June 18, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)66 Comments

So…. you probably know that this is audiobook month. I am having a blast sharing with you audio reviews, narrators thoughts, and now – I will let you know how I do like to do audio.

In my car…

Some people think that you do not listen to audio in the car unless you have LONG commutes or on road trips… not true. Audiobooks actually work on short commutes as well… it’s true. They don’t blow up in your cars CD player or anything if they play for less than 30 minutes. Urban legend people… its not true.

I listen to audio in my car almost everywhere I drive to. Work may be only ten minutes away – but round trip that is 20 minutes more into a book than I was before. I love turning on the car and getting into the story. When choosing car audio, I like the book length to be around the 7 -9 hour mark. I reserve longer audio books for longer road trips so I can listen to it in large chucks of time.

In my CD player in the house…

This is probably the “old school” version of audio listening but when you have many delicious audio’s on CD around and you want to listen to them, you do what you have to do. I have trouble downloading audio onto my computer, so instead I listen to the DVD’s. This is great for when I am working on a craft project, cooking, folding clothes, painting.. I love listening to audio in the house while I am doing other things that require use of my hands.

On my Phone…

What has turned out by fr to be my favorite way to listen to audio, is my phone. I use Audible.com which I LOVE LOVE LOVE for downloading great audio directly to my phone. I have used Audible for three years now and yes I am kind of a living breathing walking advertisement for them. The audiobooks are reasonably priced, they have great sales a few times a year, and your first one is free. If you try an audio and don’t like it you can exchange it. No kidding.

When mowing the lawn or gardening, or even biking – I pop my ear buds in and can listen to my Audible audiobooks. My phone is easier to move through the house then the CD player so I use it when I am on the move from one area to another. I even use it at work when I am alone and working on filing. I sit it on my desk and listen as I work.

My brilliant purchase that I made about 6 months ago to go with my listening to books on my phone was:

An external speaker. This, when turned on will pick up the Bluetooth in your phone and amplify the audiobook. This makes it easier to move around an area and say, leave the phone on the counter and still be able to hear it.

These cute little external speakers come in all shapes and sizes and start around $9.96 and can go up to $99. Don’t knock yourself out. Mine was $14.96 and works wonderfully. It’s cute, shaped like a clam shell and its orange. What’s not to love?

I usually have three audiobooks going at once and that works for me. For you – If you are new to audio I recommend audible’s free trial. You have seen many posts on great audio here this month – choose wisely and enjoy. I absolutely want to hear about your experience.

For those of you who do do audio (yes… I said do do), please share here what ways you like to listen. Remember, this is an audiobook post so comments qualify for the giveaway for this month.

Please watch this site for June audio book related posts, like this one. For every post you comment on in June that has this audio book symbol:

I will put you into a drawing for a $25 book certificate for each comment (Barnes and Noble or Amazon – your choice). Winner will be drawn in July.

That Night by Chevy Stevens

Published on June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)29 Comments

Toni Murphy was your typical 18 year old teenage girl. She quarreled with her parents, had drama at school, and had the boy the in turn had her heart; Ryan. By far the worst of it – were the group of girls at school who were set on making Toni’s life a living hell. (Think mean girls on steroids). As the girls became meaner, and bolder, Toni’s life begins to unravel, and when they become friends with her younger, innocent sister Nicole… the battle really begins.

One night at a party that Toni, Ryan, and Nicole are attending, Nicole turns up dead. Her body found in a nearby lake with appearances of a struggle. As Toni and Ryan were the last to see Nicole, the two teens are pinned for the murder.

Now at 34, Toni is released on parole with the knowledge that she in never to be in contact with Ryan again who also should be released around that same time. As Toni makes her way back to her home town to try to piece together what is left of her life, clues start coming together to what really happened…

That Night.

It is no secret that I adore Chevy Stevens. When I listened to Still Missing on audio I was floored at how engaged I became with her well written story of a missing girl. Since then I have eagerly awaited each release of her books.

That Night was a twisted read that hits hard on the hot topic of bullying. The girls in the book made Toni’s life unbearable and I could not imagine being in her shoes. As you will find out if read the book, things are not much easier for her in prison; it’s just a different level of mean girls.

There were aspects of this book I really enjoyed – and some not so much. Toni is not an easy protagonist to like, but you will find yourself rooting for her anyway. In the end author Chevy Stevens breaks through with another “WHOA.” from me. Just when you think you have it all figured out.. you will discover that you know nothing… NOTHING, about That Night.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press Publicity for sending me a

copy of this book for an honest review.

Morning Meanderings… Two Book Events Missed (Poo!)

Published on June 17, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Since June began, every Monday we have had a Minnesota Author at the Library sponsored by our Friends Of The Library. I love these events as it is an author event that takes place three miles from my house, and it is a wonderful way to be able to listen to an author and hear about their writing and their books.

Two Mondays ago, June 9th, I missed Rhonda Foch’s, author of Minnesota Lost Town’s Northern Addition because I was at Camp. This Monday I missed Peter Geye, author of The Lighthouse Road because I was speaking instead at the same time for a local volunteer group about the Friends Of The Library, an opportunity I could not pass up… but really wanted to hear Peter. On the bright side, I was able to meet both authors before I ran to my other commitments.

Peter Geye, Rhonda Fochs, Lighthouse Road, Book Journey, Sheila DeChantal — I did manage to pick up both of their books at these events.

Next week we have Jess Lourey with her book January Thaw. Should be fun and YAY, I can be there 😉

SO…. audio book month. I am having a BLAST and I hope you are too! I appreciate all the comments on the audio related posts and I really appreciate those of you who are dabbling in audio for the first time, or trying it again after perhaps unsuccessful attempts previously.

Please remember that all the audio book related posts this months have a giveaway for a $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. To enter – just comment on the audio posts… one entry per comment. Here is a recap of all the audio book related posts so far:

Intro to Audiobook Month

The Acting Of Narration with Johnny Heller

Delicious by Ruth Reichl

A Day In The Life Of Narrating by Narrator Therese Plummer

The Beginning of Narration by Narrator Allyson Johnson

The BEST audiobooks according to the listeners

If I Can’t Have You by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris

Top 5 audiobooks according to narrator Tavia Gilbert

Please watch this site for June audio book related posts. For every post you comment on in June that has this audio book symbol:

I will put you into a drawing for a $25 book certificate for each comment (Barnes and Noble or Amazon – your choice). Winner will be drawn in July.

Top 5 Audio Books… according to Narrator Tavia Gilbert

Published on June 16, 2014June 16, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)37 Comments

I began narrating in the fall of 2007, so I’ve been a full-time narrator for almost seven years and have recorded close to 300 books. I have so many beloved projects, including Let Me Stand Alone — the journals of Rachel Corrie, many books of non-fiction by the brilliant Annie Dillard, several wonderful Carlotta Carlyle mysteries, Kate Christensen’s memoir, thrillers by Allison Leotta, science fiction by John Scalzi, young adult fiction by Katherine Paterson, children’s stories like The Wizard of Oz and the Velveteen Rabbit...and more. If you visit TaviaGilbert.com/full-audiography, you’ll see my complete audiobook listing, with my personal favorites highlighted in blue. I’m fortunate to have been given great books to voice throughout my career the years, and have some more fantastic book projects on the horizon.

Five amazing audiobooks? It’s very hard to choose just five, but here’s a list of a few favorite audiobooks!

The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green, narrated by Kate Rudd (young adult)

Kate inhabits this story, which has been such a smash hit in the last couple of years. I couldn’t stop listening to this book, and at the same time I couldn’t bear for it to end. I’ve never listened to an audiobook twice, but this might be the first multiple-listen experience. Kate was exceptional in her performance, fully bringing the characters to life, capturing every bit of wry humor, creating such a nuanced reading that I was absolutely captivated.

Rise & Shine, by Anna Quindlen, narrated by Carol Monda (contemporary fiction)

I love listening to Carol Monda’s narration, and this is a great performance of a compelling story. I’ve told Carol how I feel when she begins a story — I totally and completely trust her. I relax in her masterful presence, because I know that she will not make a wrong turn anywhere along the path. Her pacing is perfect, her characterizations spot on, her dialogue true to life, her heart completely open and her work completely in the moment. I’m a better narrator because I’ve listened to her work.

The Sunday Philosophy Club Series, by Alexander McCall Smith, narrated by Davina Porter (literary fiction/philosophy)

I adore Davina Porter’s narration of Isabel Dalhousie’s stories. Alexander McCall Smith is a captivating, charming, contemplative writer, and this series is just fantastic. Davina creates soulful, heart-felt, fiercely intelligent voice performances — she’s the perfect medium for the compassionate and thoughtful characters Smith writes. This team of writer and voice actor is unparalleled, and I luxuriate in the listening experience.

Call the Midwife, by Jennifer Worth, narrated by Nicola Barber (memoir)

I fell in love with the British television series, Call the Midwife, and later equally delighted in Nicola Barber’s narration of the memoir by Jennifer Worth. Nicola’s characterizations and accents are spot on, and I was riveted by the story. Call the Midwife fans will be pleased to hear story lines that they recognize from the TV show, but those unfamiliar with the series will quickly become devotees of the young British midwives and Catholic sisters whose lives make this a wonderful listen.

The Millennium Trilogy, by Stieg Larsson, narrated by Simon Vance (thriller)

You cannot go wrong with a performance by Simon Vance, and the dark, terrifying, thrilling Swedish series is excellent. Simon is a master story-teller, and he was perfectly cast for this series. His characterizations are never over the top but always differentiated, the suspense horrifying with his subtlety and nuance, the timing and delivery impeccable. These books are not for the faint of heart, but they’re even better with Simon’s performance.

And a bonus question….

And this isn’t a funny narration story, but a sweet one:

Years ago, years after I graduated from Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts, one of my most beloved college voice and speech teachers, Stephanie Kallos, left full-time acting and teaching to concentrate on her writing.

Her first novel, Broken For You, was beautifully narrated by Anna Fields, one of the best narrators in the history of audiobooks.

Anna died tragically when she was trapped in her Seattle recording studio during a flood; the loss to the audiobook community was enormous.

When Stevie’s second novel, Sing Them Home, was published, I was very new to the narration art-form, but because it was the novel of a dear friend, I wanted the opportunity to do the project, and I campaigned for it.

Being told that the novel was mine to voice came with a feeling of great responsibility, because I so wanted to make Stevie proud, I wanted to reach the bar that Anna Fields had set, and the story was long and complex and crazy challenging — multiple dialects, Welsh language, and singing, as well as several distinct main characters and about 100 characters in total, including a very young child, and a 100-year-old man — who sang in Welsh!

It was a daunting project then, and it would be a daunting project now, six years and hundreds of books later.

But I had a fantastic director, and we worked very slowly and carefully on the performance, and it won my first Earphones Award.

Most importantly, Stevie loved the work, and I felt that I had, in fact, honored Anna Fields by taking everything I’d learned from listening to countless books she’d narrated, and doing the very best work I was capable of.

Stevie is publishing her third novel next year, and we are both so hopeful that I will be invited to narrate the project. Her writing is extraordinary, and it’s so special voicing a story that someone I love carefully crafted, so I’d be thrilled to work with her again. Our fingers are crossed!

Please watch this site for June audio book related posts. For every post you comment on in June that has this audio book symbol:

I will put you into a drawing for a $25 book certificate for each comment (Barnes and Noble or Amazon – your choice). Winner will be drawn in July.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on June 16, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Hey there! Welcome to It’s Monday, What Are You Reading!

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. Fair warning… this meme tends to add to your reading list!

Oh my gosh I am late posting! Remember that procrastination I spoke of earlier today? Well… I just finished up the last of it about 5 minutes ago. With church, Fathers Day lunch with our son, company, cleaning, writing the bee article, chatting with hubby over dinner, and then works out the Friends application for the award…. it literally took ALL DAY.

So let’s get this post going -here is a review of the past week:

Intro to Audio Book Month: Narrators Reviews, and Giveaways

The acting of narration by narrator Johnny Heller

The Day In The Life of a Narrator w/ narrator Therese Plummer

The beginning of narration by narrator Allyson Johnson

the BEST audio books according to the listeners

My week at Camp Benedict

Her – The Movie…. my thoughts on relationships with electronics 😛

If I Can’t Have You by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris

I am going to skip what I have going on this week mainly because it is late – and I want to get this posted. There will be more narrator reviews, more audio book reviews and more chances to be entered into the giveaway 🙂

How about you? How was your reading this past week? What is on deck for this week? Please share your Monday What Are You Reading posts below where it says click here:

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If I Can’t Have You by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris

Published on June 15, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)24 Comments

Susan Powell, A pretty blond young mother in Utah disappeared in December of 2009. Friends and family were baffled with the sudden and complete disappearance of Susan who would never have abandoned her two sons.

The only one who did not seem distressed with her disappearance, was her husband, Josh Powell.

As details unfold those who have not followed this event will be shocked at the level of dysfunction involved within a family that carried beyond the first generation.

Over the next three years, the police and investigators would uncover disturbing evidence involving a loveless marriage, and a father-in-laws obsession with his beautiful daughter in law. Most disturbing of all was Josh’s decision that when his boys were no longer allowed to stay with him, then no one would be allowed to have his sons.

If I Can’t Have You is a powerful and disturbing true retelling of the disappearance of Susan Powell and the eventual murder of her two young sons. It is always hard to put into words what I think of a true crime read. Bizarre, engaging, the human psyche occasionally blows my mind.

True Crime authors Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris did an amazing recollection of the details of this sad senseless occurrence of not that many years ago. I listened to this on audio and narrator Kevin Pierce handles this difficult subject matter with a professional and appropriate tone.

Readers/listeners of true crime will find If I Can’t Have You to be an accurate retelling of a heartbreaking event of modern time.

Please watch this site for June audio book related posts. For every post you comment on in June that has this audio book symbol:

I will put you into a drawing for a $25 book certificate for each comment (Barnes and Noble or Amazon – your choice). Winner will be drawn in July.

Morning Meanderings… Books and DEADLINES! EEP!

Published on June 15, 2014June 15, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

Sunday! Remember that coffee drinking chick above? Well, she is back! BEA is over and the books are put away, the office move is complete, and Friday afternoon I returned from camp. It has been a full 4 weeks of MAJOR ACTIVITY, and now it will be nice to settle into more of a normal routine.

Ahhhhh….

Here are the books that made their way to my door this past week:

Delancey by Molly Wizenberg (A foody book!!! I am so excited!)

Dreamboy by Madelyn Rosenberg (I LOVE the look of this one!)

The Girl From The Well by Rin Chupeco (creepy title… why is she in the well? I will find out!)

Evergreen by Rebecca Rasmussen (author of the Bird Sisters!)

Run Less Run Faster (always a goal to move forward on this fascination I have with running)

James Madison by Lynne Cheney (did you know Dick Cheney’s wife writes books?)

Deadlines. I have always been a bit of a procrastinator at heart. I always think things will take less time then they actually do. In my defense (look how defensive I am! 😀 ), many times I am right. I do not plan things out for months in advance and because of that here is where I am today. Literally TODAY.

My deadline for my bee article for Her Voice magazine is today. I have all my notes, I just need to write my 1200 word piece this afternoon. I meant to do this last weekend before camp… it never happened. Instead, as a true procrastinator would… I was working on camp paperwork and print out for camp in the last 48 hours prior to camp. 😳

Also… my deadline to put in for the Grant award from the Minnesota Library Association for best Friends of the Library project in 2013 is… you guessed it…. TODAY. This is where the EEP comes in. I am submitting Wine and Words as our “Yea we kicked book butt!” project. 🙂

Ok that is all. Right now I am procrastinating on getting ready for church. Gotta go… celebrating Fathers Day with our older son coming over for lunch today, and sadly this evening we have a wake to attend for a young man who worked for our company occasionally who was killed on a motorcycle this past week.

What is your Sunday looking like?

Her – The Movie (my thoughts on loving your phone ;) )

Published on June 14, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

Futuristic 2025:

Theodore Twombly is a relationships nightmare. He spends his days at his job where he write letters for those who have the inability to write beautiful things to give to their loved ones – ie… anniversary, birthday, romance, break ups, etc… As Theodore is going through a divorce, his evenings are then spent with fast food and a virtual game that he is fully engaged in. Everywhere he goes, everyone is engrossed in themselves through their own conversations with their phones. Talking to other people seems to be a thing of the past.

One day he sees an ad for an artificial intelligence “assistant” who will manage your appointments through your phone and basically make your life easier. Theodore signs up and then goes through a series on prompts including choosing the voice of his new assistant….

Meet Samantha (voice by Scarlett Johansson). Theodore is impressed that Samantha will become more intelligent as she learns what he is like… she picks up on his habits, reads his emails to him and responds to them if he asks, she cleans up old computer files in a snap, reminds him of appointments, and becomes a companion when he is alone or just wants to talk. The more they talk… the more Samantha’s intelligence grows.

As Samantha starts to take over Theodore’s world, they seem to fall in love. Samantha is always there for him, engaging him, prompting him to be better…. what more could Theodore want? As their fondness for each other continues, Samantha finds it harder to accept that she can not be a physical presence in Theodore’s life, wishing she had a body that he could physically touch and that of course, she would be able to touch him as well.

Of course – a relationship with a piece of software is…

complicated.

Theodore’s soon to be ex-wife finds out about Samantha and accuses Theodore of being someone who can not handle real human emotion so of course he would date his computer. Theodore is left conflicted, wanting a physical relationship, yet wanting it to be with Samantha.

My thoughts….

I was never really interested in the movie Her. The previews seemed weird…. yet I have to admit a bit of intrigue mainly because I could actually imagine this really happening. In today’s world of electronic assistants, on-line calendars, and reminders, talking to our phones for information on restaurants, directions, what a word means, etc… really – how far off from this “companionship” could we be?

It was friends telling me the movie was actually good, that brought to renting this movie on a cool evening where I did not want to sit on my deck with my coffee and a book… and so, I watched it.

So….

first up…

what is with the men’s pants?

Seriously? They all had these high wasted “comfy pants” like stretch material. And none of the guys in 2025 are good-looking…NOPE. in fact it looks as though the style has gone backwards and it almost has a seventies feel to it. If this was the choice of men in 2025 my relationship status would be SINGLE.

I am off topic.

The movie held my attention but I by no means loved it. I never “bought” the romance between Theodore and Samantha, and even through what was considered the emotional parts… I never connected with the love for ones phone.

In fact, as the movie ended… I felt that I had more emotions when Tom Hanks lost Wilson in the movie Castaway…

Wilson!!!! Yup…still makes me tear up.

So overall… I am glad I rented this one from Redbox and paid a buck and change to see it rather that an $8.50 movie ticket plus soda and popcorn.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Did you see Her? What did you think?

Is it freaky crazy to think that this could really be in our future?

Is it freakier still to think that this could happen in present time?

Don’t we already connect to artificial intelligence through video games, and our computers and phones now?

How far off are we from thinking these created voices and people are real to us?

Saturday Snapshot – Why Am I At A Camp For Those Infected and Affected By AIDS?

Published on June 14, 2014June 14, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)41 Comments

For today’s Saturday Snapshot I thought I would share with you where I have been this past week. I am on a Camp Board for a Camp called Camp Benedict. This camp is an educational camp for those infected and affected by AIDS. The camp is a family camp, which means we have men, women, and children at camp, and we have people who have obtained AIDS through many different ways:

Sex

Needles

Blood transfusions (before they tested blood back in the 80’s)

and yes, children born with AIDS

My connection to this camp and cause stems back 5 years, and you can read about it here. During the year we have a large event and a bike ride to raise money to provide camp for free to those who attend. The camp is the only one like it in a 6 state range.

Anyhoo… here are some of the pics from this past week:

Cap Benedict, Book Journey — This year was the 20th year of Camp Benedict!

Camp Benedict is an education camp and throughout the week there will be different speakers covering topics like- stigma, health, medications, laws, men’s groups and women’s groups.

We bring in experts on different topics and from different agencies to help answer questions.

While the adults are in classes, the kids have their own things going on with Camp K staff. They also have their own classes where they learn about AIDS and about how to be supportive of their parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc…

Camp Benedict — The camp provided meals and snacks.

Camp Benedict, Book Journey — Of course camp is not all work and study – it is after all… camp. 🙂 From lunch time (noon) to 5:30 (dinner time) is free time and the camp provides water sports, horse back riding, massage, Reiki, pontoon rides, and a trip to the Dairy Queen. Or – you can do as I did… sit in the warm sun read a bit and take a nap 🙂

Our DJ this year was fantastic and she really provided fun things that involved all ages

Jason Hatton, Book Journey, Camp Benedict — Friendships are built in that week of camp. Jason has been to camp three times. It’s always great to see old friends and make new ones too!

It is tradition at camp that on the last day as the bus leaves the camp K staff builds a pyramid to wave off the campers.

So why am I a part of this camp? I LOVE what it is doing. I love Connie Statz, the woman who bravely 20 years ago had an idea for a way to support others with AIDS and she ran with her vision and this that I just showed you – is the AMAZING result. I love working with this board of people all striving to encourage, support, and teach. And I love the campers, I enjoy getting to know people throughout the week, listening to their stories and knowing that I am helping to provide a good take-away from them hanging out at this beautiful camp.

Thanks everyone who serves on the Camp Benedict Board and Friends of Camp Benedict. Thanks to the camp staff, and of course to all the campers who travel from all over to have a week at a beautiful camp and hopefully leave with a great experience.

If you would like to support Camp Benedict, here is a link to my support page where I raise funds for the bike ride in August which goes directly to the camp.

Be sure to check out other Saturday Snaphot posts ans see what everyone else is taking pictures of this week 😀