Good morning 😀
If you stopped by yesterday for the 5 Year Blogiversary party, thank you, it was a blast as it is every year. If you missed it… well, you missed out on lots of fun foods, drinks, hot air balloons, trains, and elephants. Yes…. elephants. 😛 I LOVE everyone’s great comments… (some are amazing (Ryan- Wordsmithonia) if you have time… check them out. 😀
Holy smokes??? 5 Years! I never thought that when I started this “on-line book journal” (that’s what I thought I was doing in the beginning), that it would take me on this AMAZING adventure ride! This year I would like to list a few things that have changed in my life in the past 5 years mainly due to this little project website I call Book Journey:
Non of this would have happened without Book Journey. Sure, pre-Book Journey I was a reader, but nowhere near to this extent or involvement. I think those of you who have book blogged for a while can relate to what I mean. 🙂 For this… all of the above… I am so grateful.
Enough about me. This blogiversary is really my celebration of YOU! The readers! Because seriously… as much as I enjoy talking books… I LOVE LOVE LOVE talking about them with you. I love your comments, your questions, your occasional emails, and honestly… I love it when I see Book Journey on your sidebars (if you blog) – to this day it gives me a little “SQQQUUEEEE” inside that you enjoy reading my crazy ramblings here enough to add me so others may come visit too. You are what makes Book Journey a well…. Book Journey. You are why I get up in the morning with COFFEE CUP and turn on my laptop and share with you the inner workings of my day, life, work, wins and fails, and the books I am reading.
For today only, as in past years… I offer up a set of giveaways. A few of these books are duplicates from the expo, many are from my personal stash. I will add what is in each group shortly here – right now I just want to get this post up (I meant to write this last night but instead went with a friend to the movie Fault In Our Stars, then out for appetizers and to chat and got home after midnight. *oops* 😉 Winners will be announced tomorrow morning – Sunday June 8th.
As per tradition,
For those of you who have come to my party the last few years, the basics are pretty much the same… to be entered for the great giveaways (pictured above), simply leave me a comment here telling me how you traveled to the party, and what virtual gift or food item you brought with you: For example, you may have come by freight train to the party and brought with you Twinkies … (really be as crazy as you want… I love the fun imaginative comments!) For a little bonus if you would like to share how long we have known each other (blog or otherwise) and if you are brand new to the house of Book Journey – feel free to share that too! I love new friends!
I simply ADORE books about food… memoirs, non fiction, fiction…. and I have read everything that Ruth Reichl has written.. Delicious being her first fiction story I was THRILLED to dive in! Whatever this woman writes… turns into magic. ~Sheila
Billie Breslin is excited when she lands a job at Delicious, the cream of the crop magazine of New York. She is young and feels unqualified to be playing in the big league, but Billie has something that is rare, she has a refined palate that can identify even the toughest of ingredients within a dish. While Billie loves to be a part of the behind the scenes of the magazine, even with much prompting she has no desire to actually cook for reasons she chooses not to say. Then suddenly, while it looks as though all of Billie’s dreams are coming true, the magazine is shut down, leaving long term employees stunned and Billie in shock as her dreams seem to tumble broken to the ground.
When Billie is asked to stay on as the sole employee of Delicious to continue to respond to letters to uphold the Delicious guarantee (if any recipe is not to your satisfaction you will be refunded the cost of your ingredients), she reluctantly agrees as she has no other immediate plans. While exploring the abandoned Delicious library before it goes on the market, she discovers a series of letters hidden in a secret room off the buildings library. These letters dating back to WWII, written by Lucy Swan, an intelligent 12 year old open up a part of Billie that she did not know existed, and may finally help her to release the secret she has held on to tightly for way too long.
As Ruth Reichl’s first fiction book I do admit I was a little cautious. When I first seen the book title I figured she had written another wonderful non fiction read centered around her amazing life of food tastings, restaurants, and more… a fiction story gave me pause, but also… curiosity.
Let me just tell you, no need to pause. PLEASE readers of food memoirs, foodish themed books, and also those who enjoy a good fiction read centered around characters you want to go have dinner with – DO NOT PASS UP ON THIS BOOK.
I listened to this on audio and absolutely fell in love with Julie Whelan’s narration. She brought the characters to life and I so want Sammy to be a real person because I think he and I could talk for hours and hours. I enjoyed this book so much I do not want to give up these amazing people I met within the pages and would absolutely follow them down another path if another book ever just happened to continue on with them. Just saying… 😉
Audiobook listeners – treat yourself to this DELICIOUS book… and those of you who do not do audio, I am confident that this book will read just as engagingly.
Fun note: While in New York for the Book Expo I attended an Audio Book Tea and Ruth Reichl was speaking there (the draw for me). She mentioned that several things in this book actually happened to her – the loss of a magazine job due to the closing of its doors, and some of the amazing descriptions within the book. I wish I could have chatted with her about this as I am SO CURIOUS as to how much is fiction….
Just today while looking for Ruth Reichl’s website I discovered a recent article by The New York Times regarding this book. I have not read it yet as I try to avoid all reviews and articles on books I have plans to review, but as soon as I finish typing this out, I am off to read it. I am sure it is a GLOWING review.
I have added this post to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking.
The continuing Book Expo 2014 posts. If you missed any the others were: Blogger Con/BEA Bloggers, Harper Collins Gathering and Party
One of the little bonuses of the Book Expo is you have an opportunity to attend Author Breakfasts. These breakfasts are charged above the Expo fees, however if it is an author that you are really interested in, it is a fun time. You can pay a breakfast that includes seats that are closer to the front, or you can pay a smaller price to sit in the farther back seats without a breakfast. When I go, I sit in the farther back seats as to get good seats at the breakfast you need to wait in a line for an hour or more and I am just not that great at line waiting 😀
On Thursday Morning, the breakfast line up was Neil Patrick Harris (the draw for me), Angelica Huston, Tavis Smiley, and Lisa Scottoline. Neil. was incredibly funny and engaging. He was everything I felt he would be so really made this breakfast pop:
Really, take the time to listen to this clip – it is AWESOME.
When you attend these breakfasts, you usually get a copy of some of the speaking authors books and this breakfast included:
On Friday, I attended the Children’s Author Breakfast. I know right? Why would I attend the Children’s Author breakfast? I review few children’s books, I have no small children at home…. oh… I know why….
Jason Segel.
Do not judge me…. 😉
Another one worth watching. I will wait….
……….
Ok, awesome right?
The books included with this breakfast were:
And, I have to plug one more author, Jeff Kinney who is the author of The Wimpy Kid series. Now these are not books that I have read, but after listening to Jeff talk at the expo – delightful, funny, and a bonus surprise for me… I may need to start watching his books.
Grad another cup of coffee… this one is well worth the watch as well:
Do I recommend the breakfasts? I do. If you are interested in any of the authors who will be speaking, you get a great seat to hearing them chat about their books and you get to hear some great insights into their lives (seriously, listen to Jeff’s BEA talk above… at the end he has some pretty amazing plans that all stem around his love of books).
I interrupt the BEA posts for a quick update on a lot of great things coming up here, in life, and a bit of sadness too.
Let’s just get the sadness out of the way. Today is the 18th anniversary of the loss of my mom and my step dad to a car accident. Every year,I never know how it is going to hit me. There have been times, this day has been while I was at the EXPO, and busy is good. It’s the days like today where I am home, and planning what I will do today where it is a little harder.
Moving on.
What’s happening here?
The Book Expo books arrived yesterday. That’s a SSSQQQUUUEEEE. I have not opened the boxes yet. I have a tradition where a friend of mine comes over with her daughter Camryn (the YA reviewer) I have tabbed above, and we go through the boxes together. They help me sort and we chat books and the expo and I enjoy the experience with other book lovers. I will be posting highlighted books soon.
Camp Benedict. Camp starts on Monday. I am off next week from Monday afternoon on. This weekend I will be working on our “One Word” project which is our theme this year… positive thinking. I love the theme and I look forward to a pretty amazing week.
My 5 year Blogiversary. Now that is exciting! I am going to put the post up tomorrow – June 7th, and we (please come!) are going to have some fun as we have in the past years. I will be having BIG giveaways and an all day celebration here of book goodness. 5 years wow…. how did that happen?
Audiobook Month. YAY! Did you know that June is audiobook month? I am excited to kick off a lot of fun posts and giveaways next Tuesday thanks to a wonderful group of narrators who will be sharing some fun things here. There will be giveaways, gift certificates, and more. Audiobook lovers and those who are not there yet, this is going to be FUN. 😀
I actually have so many posts to write I have a list! Next up in book expo posts will be the Author Breakfasts, then a random picture post of the expo floor etc with wrap up thoughts.
Today while working on Camp Projects I will be listening to audio. I hope to get in a bike ride today and possibly tonight see the Fault In Our Stars Movie with Friends.
What will you be doing with your Friday?
Here is the second of my Book Expo Week posts. Yesterday I shared with you what the “BEA Bloggers” event was like, and today I want to talk with you about the amazing publishing company that is Harper Collins.
Harper Collins is one of the highlight events of the Book Expo. They do such an incredible job on sharing what the “hot titles” will be. I wish I had my notes from the Harper sneak peek of upcoming great reads but I am pretty sure I packed it into a box and the books… have not yet arrived. 🙂 I will have to share in more detail at a later date.
Basically what happens at this event is that the different divisions of Harper stand up in the front of the room and share 2-4 titles each of what they are excited about that is coming out. There is something about someone gushing about a book isn’t there? As I looked at the different titles and covers there may be one that does not really speak to me… but then when someone is sharing the excitement of the book… I pick it up again. How can you not react? 😀
One book that really caught my attention was The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton, releasing August 26th of this year.
The cover is GORGEOUS. And listening to the description of the book and the bidding war that went on to win this book (Harper won!) makes me sooooooo curious and EXCITED about this book.
And of course, at Harper is where I get a chance to see my BEA buddies! I am always thrilled to see Kathy from Bermuda Onion, Julie from Booking Mama, Swapna from S Kirshna’s Books, Gayle from Everyday I Write The Book, Nicole from Linus’ Blanket (who I was on the panel with), Candace from Beth Fish Reads (roommate) and of course, Alison from Alison’s Book Marks. (I could kick myself for not getting more group pics!)
If you know my Alison story, you know that we met at the Book Expo at the Harper Collins Party in 2010. We read a lot of the same books and on line, are always sharing audio book suggestions. After that first year and having a picture taken together it has become a standing joke with us that we must get our “Harper Collins picture!” And… we always do:
from left to right: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. I change….she does not 😀 Always a blast Alison!
And then of course there is the Harper Collins party… a combination of the publishers, authors, and bloggers. It is such a BLAST!
So that is my Harper Collins recap for now. More on the books coming up!
Have a super day everyone 😀
What book has your attention today?
Ever wonder what your favorite thriller authors are doing between books? They are imaging how their protagonists would stand up to the likes of other thriller writer protagonists… 😉 ~Sheila
Imagine if the protagonists from your favorite thriller writers teamed up to work together (or not). What level could you take a storyline?
What if Dennis Lehane’s Patrick Kenvie ran into Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch while apparently on a stake out for the same man?
Or John Sanford’s Lucas Davenport finds himself in the vicinity of Jeffrey Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme?
Or Lee Child’s Jack Reacher is hanging out with Joseph Finder’s Nick Heller?
And add-on a total of 22 characters facing off in 11 short stories, collaborated by the two authors to make each short story. And, (I think this is fun) each story starts out with a page or two blurb of how the authors worked together to create a short yet engaging thriller story in about 20 pages or less.
I have to say, I loved the idea of this book, and then actually reading it made me love it more. This is one of those remarkable ideas of bringing authors together with their protagonists for a big party! Always the fan of Dennis Lehane I rad his story that was created with Michael Connelly first and loved the quick paced thriller with a humorous edge to it.
Bosch looked over Patrick. “You like baseball Patrick?”
“Big time. Why?”
“You’re the first guy I have seen in this town not wearing a sox hat.”
Patrick pulled off his hat and considered the front of it as he ran a hand through his hair. “Imagine that. I didn’t even look when I left the house.”
“Is that a rule or something around here? You’ve all got to represent Red Sox Nation or something?”
“It’s not a rule per se, more like a guideline.”
Fans of thrillers this book is a must.
Each author has donated his or her story and all of the proceeds from the book go to fund ITW (International Thriller Writers), which charges no dues to its members.
Good morning! As promised, there will be Book Expo recaps and this is the first one.
Last Wednesday was the Blogger Convention Day of The Book Expo. This year they called it BEA Bloggers. The whole point of this day, which is actually a prequel to the expo, is a chance for book bloggers to educate themselves on topics that are relevant. Such topics this year were:
The panels were combinations of bloggers, publishers, media…. trying to get a good mix of opinion. The 101 sessions were designed for newer bloggers and the 201 more advanced. I spoke at the final session of the day, Engaging Your Readers.
First off the Keynote Speaker was author and Twitter gal, Maureen Johnson. If you are not familiar with Maureen’s work, she is a YA author who has written 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Name Of The Star, and Scarlett Fever just to name a few.
Maureen as always was funny, sharing some moments about writing, and engaging readers.
I then went into the The Design 201 group with Hafsah Faizal from Icey Designs. Apparently (new to me) this is a site that helps you design amazing blogs… and they are beautiful – I checked them out. I did not pick up a lot from this session.
Next up I went to Technology 201: Ad Networks. This is a subject I have been curious about and my pal Florinda from The 3 R’s Blog was the moderator. If you know Florinda, she is this sweet gal and I believe… is 4′ 8″. Yup…. she is short. 🙂 Before her panel she said to me, “I wonder what I will look like behind the podium?” I suggested we go find out before the people started coming in for the session. We went to the front and she stood behind the podium.
We had a quick laugh together, and Florinda decided to moderate from the table:
Swapna from S. Krishna’s Books was also on this panel. This panel discussed a few options out there for advertising on your blog – not that it will make you rich and you will leave your day job, but if you are considering bringing in a little money from your site. Swapna has sold ads herself on her website and said it is a lot of work to keep up on. Jason from Litbreaker was also on the panel (3rd one in) and he explained how Litbreaker works. Litbreaker is the only ad I currently have here at Book Journey. This panel did a wonderful job of answering questions and sharing insights.
I skipped out on the Vlogging session and the Blogging and The Law session. These were at the same time and I do not see myself vlogging any time soon, and I have in on a law session before, although I did pop my head in to see if there was anything new they were discussing.
Then, our group was up. We had a fun panel. Mandy Boles was our moderator, Nicole from Linus’ Blanket, myself and Jason from Mediander (which I need to look more into). Our task was to share what other posts we wrote besides book reviews, different ways to format your posts to be more eye appealing, and how to use social media to enhance your posts.
Some of the highlights that came out of our panel was:
I am certain I am not recalling everything from this session this is just my recollection. Everyone had such great input and I think we did ok. 🙂
So that was the blogger convention. Next BEA post will be about Harper Collins… the books, the excitement… the party! Stay tuned…. 😉
The Friends of The Brainerd Public Library sponsor each June and July our Brown Bag Author Series. This is a series of Minnesota authors who come and speak each Monday from noon to one at our library. This event is open to the public, and the authors are able to sell their books at the end of the hour.
Our first author for the 2014 line up was Nathan Jorngenson. Nathan is the author of three books, Waiting For White Horses, The Mulligan, and A Crooked Number. For Waiting For White Horses, Nathan was the winner of the 2004 Benjamin Franklin Award, Best New Voice 2005 Foreward Magazine Book of the Year Award Finalist 2005 Independent Publishers Book Award Finalist. The Mulligan was 2007 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award Finalist and 2007 Independent Publisher Book Award Finalist for Book of the Year.
Nathan is a delightful speaker. He was able to capture the attention of the 70 people who showed up to listen to him talk about his books. (An excellent count and kick off to this years events!) Each cover, has a story, and I was thrilled to find out that the cover of Waiting For White Horses is actually a picture of Nathan and his dog. The Mulligan, Nathan said was said to be “too dark a cover”. “Too brown” he was told, yet, “The cover won an award.” A Crooked Number, also has a story and the pictures on the back are actually some of Nathan’s own pictures. I LOVE the personal touch he has put in his covers!
Nathan read a little out of both Waiting For White Horses and A Crooked Number. He shared a funny story about book signings. He was encouraged once to take his dog with him to a signing. “Everyone loves dogs” he was told. Nathan said that every time someone came up to sign a book, they just reeked of a foul odor. He had no idea what was going on, finally his wife said, “You have to get the dog out of here, he is farting every time someone approaches”. Nathan said it was a sad day that he had to fire his dog from future signings. 😀
Writing, is like getting naked in public.
Nathan spoke on writing. You expose yourself to the world, for better of for worse. “You must write from the heart, that is all you can do.” He shared another funny instance where at a signing an elderly woman came up to him and said, “Why are your books so pornographic?” (For the record here – they are not… not even close!) A man standing behind the woman chimed in and said, “We love your books. In fact our Pastor has recommended two of them from the Pulpit.” It is all a matter of opinion.
Nathan enjoys reading Harlan Coben and Scott Turrow. He admits to writing his first two books with a #2 pencil. “I am pretty old school,” he chuckles.
I purchased copies of Waiting For White Horses and A Crooked Number. The first being a book I have been told time and again that I must read, and the second a book I have wanted to read for a while now. Nathan generously donated copies of all three of his books to our library, and another set to be auctioned off at our Fall event, Wine and Words.
Good morning! SO much going on here I am just going to get to it.
After I get my COFFEE.
*pads over to coffee pot. Returns*
Yea! I hope you have coffee too! Let’s have a cup together!
Did you know….
This is audio book month? Oh yeah…. get ready for it Laurel 😉 I have some fun things coming up AND some great giveaways, stay tuned! (lol… get it.. tuned… because you are listening…. 😉 )
ALSO – June 9th is my 5 year Blogiversary! I know right? And if you have been here in the past years... you know I LOVE to make a big fat hairy deal out of it with giveaways and more…. as long as my BEA boxes are here by Saturday, I plan to set up the big celebration probably then. Watch for it… it will be EPIC and worth your read. 😀
AND a shout out to my dear friend Belinda who has a birthday today! Yippy!!!! Can not wait to hang out with you! Cabin weekend plans need to be made!
And probably the big scary awesome news is that last night I went to .net. Yes, yes…. 5 years it takes me but I am not addressed here at bookjourney.net. SOOOOOO much easier to type! LOL
If you did not get a chance to see my super cool new office on Facebook, here is a quick pic of it:
SQQQQUUUEEEEEE!! This is where I will be working today. SWEET!
Yes I will still be writing BEA posts, probably tomorrow. Later today I have an author event coming up that I was at yesterday that I could not pass up writing about right away… but the posts are coming and they will be fun – pics, events, the expo, highlights, author pics, books… and more 😀
Have a super awesome Tuesday! Sunny in Minnesota today – what’s happening with your day?
Book Journey 
Lots to announce here – winners first of the 4 prize packages (using random.org) from yesterdays party:
Package #1: Barbara N – emailing her now!
Package #2: Jill from Rhapsody In Books!
Package #3: Steph The BookWorm!
Package #4: Laurel Rain Snow!
Thanks again everyone – I had a blast! Winners please email me addresses, I am out of town this week but will mail a week from Monday.
As far as books that came in this past week (not BEA books)here is what graced my doorstep:
The One and Only by Emily Griffin (audio)
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
The YOUNG World by Chris Weitz
Chasing The Milky Way by Erin Moulton
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Dreamworld by Heather Mackley
Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler
The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothy Benton Frank
And then… I usually do not receive too many children’s books but clearly I am on a mailing list as these little treasures came in last week as well. Cute little square children’s reads 😛
SO that is what came in. Yes, yes, the Book Expo books arrived and I will highlight that in future posts. 😀 Tomorrow I leave for Camp and on Tuesday I will kick off AudioBook Month so please pop in for those posts – they are going to be fun, informative, and there will be giveaways 😀