Book Giveaways – Page 2

Spring Book Sale and A Chance To Win One Of These Books!

Published on March 25, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)47 Comments

Good morning. Sorry about the funky size of the top pic here… I woke up this morning and apparently WordPress has made a few changes and my ability to resize pics the way I want from within WordPress is no more. Hmmmmm….

Anyhoo –

This past weekend was the spring book sale at our library and we had a BLAST not only working the sale but shopping the sale. Here is what I came home with:

I am pretty excited with my haul – there are some fun reads in here. So as always, my book sale gets to be your book sale too. In the comments put the title on one of these books that you would love to have. I will choose at the end of this week one random winner (using random.org). Then I will read that winners choice in April and then send it to them to keep.

I hope you can see the titles ok – this was a great sale and I am still drooling over these pretties 🙂

Have a super day!

We Interupt This Winter for A Summer Beach Break Event With Prizes!

Published on March 1, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Everywhere I look in Minnesota there is SNOW SNOW SNOW. We are having wind chill warnings weekly, snow storms, and more school closings this year then I remember in my entire life. 😯 Then I go on-line and read other book reviewers in the same boat – unusual cold temperatures, winds, snow in states that normally do not get snow…

And then here are two things that pushed me over the proverbial edge that came to my attention in the last 24 hours:

1. Our Local Water and Light Company has advised that to prevent pipes from freezing we run a pencil width stream of water in our home faucets from now until (wait for it……) April 15th. APRIL 15th???

2. Minnesota lakes are reporting having 30 – 36 inches of thick ice on them. At this rate we will be ice fishing in June.

Due to all of that… I am calling an emergency Summer-Cation. We need to talk sunshine people!!!! This event will take place next weekend, March 7-9th. I am looking for people to write posts of a great summer experience (sun is not optional… I repeat sun is not optional! 😀 ) While not mandatory, I hope that most of the participants will offer a summery type giveaway…something beach or vacation worthy, preferably bookish as well but doesn’t have to be.

A few ideas to get you thinking of your giveaway would be:

A great summer read

A Beach bag to bring your books along with you

sunglasses, tanning lotion, beach towel….

You get the idea. 😀

If you want to participate please fill out the form below.

Morning Meanderings…. A Couple Of Winners :)

Published on February 14, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

Good morning… late morning but morning all the same. Honestly… I just want to read today but have a pretty full afternoon and possibly a dinner and movie thing with the hubby tonight.

Which reminds me…

♥Happy Valentines Day!♥

I have a winner to draw for the Literary Blog Hop that I participated in this past weekend. Using random.org the winner is:

Helen from My Novel Opinion

Woo hoo! Give it up for Helen!!!! YAY! She already mentioned in her comment she would love a copy or Orphan Train so that is what will be sent to her 🙂

I also had a bonus give away for my birthday, a $10 Amazon gift card. This one was for the awesome people who searched out my Easter Egg on the blogs and found it at Always With A Book (thank you Kristin for keeping the egg for me 😀 )

Earl Dizon!!!!

Way to go Earl – I will email that card out to you hopefully some time today.

There it is… I have a review coming up later… hope you will stop by and see what I have to say.

Literary Blog Hop and Birthday Weekend Giveaway!

Published on February 7, 2014February 13, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)138 Comments

Note: This is a sticky post – all new posts are below this one 🙂

I am super excited to be a part of this blog hop! When Judith announced the dates I was thrilled as for once I did not have anything going on that would take me away from putting up my post PLUS it is my birthday this coming Sunday and I do like to celebrate (well… I like to celebrate just about anything really) with giveaways!

As this is a literary giveaway… I wanted to pick some delicious looking Literary reads… plus, a personal favorite of mine, The Book Club Cook Book – which is filled with delicious recipes and menus that go well with the literary books we love. ♥

The winner at Book Journey will have their choice of one of the above books mailed directly to them from Amazon.

How to enter?

In the comment area below tell me the title of the book you are reading currently, and what sort of food would go well with your book. (IE. if you are reading about Italy maybe you would be serving up steaming bowls of pasta and a nice wine, If you are reading Labor Day you most definitely must be having the peach pie 😉 )

One bonus entry if you follow Book Journey by email (see link to do that in the upper right side bar) – and of course let me know in a comment.

And there is a Birthday bonus. Being a HUGE fan of Ready Player One and the hidden Easter egg within that books story…. I have hidden an Easter Egg in one of the other participating blogs posts. Yes, just like that pretty gold one you see above. If you find the blog that has the egg, simply email me at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com with the correct blogs name and I will enter you into a bonus drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card. Oh and Shhhhhh! Don’t mention where you found it, and dont bring attention to it on the blog in which it sits. Just email me. Quietly… tiptoe away, of course after you enter that blogs amazing giveaway 😉

I will email both winners on February 13th. I do like to celebrate 😀

You can find the other blogs participating in this fun blog hop at our host site Leeswamme’s Blog or you can see them right here:

Happy Hopping to you!

Blogiversary! Year 4 – and Gifts Galore!!!

Published on June 8, 2013June 8, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)229 Comments

Hi everyone! Welcome to my 4 years of blogging blogiversary – this is the actual day, June 9th, when I officially became a blogger.

I never dreamed when I started writing reviews on line in 2009 that 4 years later I would still be doing it. Blogging has really changed my life in positive ways that I would never have expected :

Writing reviews for a local magazine
being on a Twin Cities Panel
Going to the Book Expo for the past 4 years
Becoming President of The Friends Of The Library
Being on the city board for the library

Now you might think that some of these things I would have done without the blog but I dot think that is true. Through this community of bloggers I have learned the value of reading and sharing what we read. I have also read post after post of libraries and book stores closing, so I have become an even stronger advocate for the written word. All that I owe to this little space on the internet that I call Book Journey.

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 below), 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 rollerbladed to the party and brought with you foot long licorice vines … (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!

My party will go for 24 hours so this post will go up at 12:01 am on June 9 (central time) and stay up until midnight. Every comment will be entered into the random drawings and winners (using random.org)will be announced here on Monday morning on Its Monday What Are You Reading Post.

See last years party here

Your comment will go into a drawing (using random.org) for one of the following packages:

**Package #1: 4 books, a sample chapter, swag and book bag**

**Package 2: YA pack – 3 books, swag items and book bag**

**Package #3: 4 books, swag and book bag**

**Package #4: 4 books, swag and book bag**

♥Thank you readers, you make this blog a whole lot of fun! I am so excited to celebrate with you. I have cleaned the house and set out the “red solo cups” and have the punch on ice…. just waiting to see who will be knocking on my door…

wait! There’s a knock! Who could it be?

*opens door and looking surprised!*

PARTY TIME!!!

Blogiversary Year 4 Invite and Save The Date!

Published on June 7, 2013June 8, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)

Hi everyone, This coming Sunday June 9th is my 4 Year Blogiversary and I am asking each of you to please save the date and stop on by this Sunday. Each year I have a lot of fun with the blogiversary post and each year there are BIG FUN giveaways here to celebrate. Mark your calendar and be sure to stop by and see one of the biggest posts on the blog each year. Its going to be AWESOME and I want you to be a part of that awesomeness 😀

See you there!(see my 2012 Blogiversary here to get an idea of what will be happening 😀 )

Morning Meanderings! Book Sale!!! YOU Choose which one you want!

Published on March 24, 2013March 24, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)99 Comments

Good morning.

It’s snowing.

😯

Ok, I just had to get the “S” word out-of-the-way so I could move on to better things. You have not heard a peep out of my on this site in days. From Thursday afternoon (after work) on, I have been at The Brainerd Library sale helping with the sale. I was there 5 hours on Thursday, 12.5 hours on Friday, and 9.5 on Saturday. 27 hours surrounded by books, helping people with books, talking books, looks for certain books, hauling books out to cars, straightening books, toting empty boxes to the basement…. if it was bookish… I probably did it in the last 3 days.

Let me start with Thursday morning when the sale opened…

My friend Wendy (you will see here waving in the pictures) and I were in the Library parking lot by 6:15 am Thursday morning. (TRADITION!!!!) Yes, the library sale does not open up until 9:00 am and yes, it is true that it was 8 below zero on Thursday morning but it is a book dorky thing I like to do so whatever. 😛

We sat out the chairs and then we ran (yes ran!) to sit in Wendy’s vehicle sipping coffee, catching up, and enjoying the heated seats. 😀 It was about 7:00 am when the next car pulled into the parking lot – a guy who is always at the sale and I know as Tom showed up in full “ready to sit outside in 8 below zero weather gear”. Wendy groaned “oh no, now we have to go sit in those chairs to hold our place in line!” I told her, “No, wait – I know this guy, let me talk to him.” So out into the FREEZING air I went to talk with Tom. Once he heard my wheezy voice (yup, still battling that sinus infection) he said he would hold our spots and I scurried back to the car ever grateful. Not only did Tom hold our spots… but he gave numbers to those who came after him so they too could go back to their cars and stay warm too.

At about 30 minutes before “GO TIME!” Wendy and I went to stand in line and chat it up with the other books lovers (really one of my favorite things to do at the sales). Everyone, despite the cold, was in such good spirits.

The awesome Library then let us form our line inside due to the cold (I can’t remember exactly but I think someone said it was the coldest day in March in like 60 years…. I believe it!) SO inside this jolly little crew went, and at that time – thanks to Tom’s numbers, we knew we had 48 people in the line.

At 9 am the doors opened to the sale and in we went. I had to get to work and I did not feel well enough to get down and crawl through boxes like I usually do but at 50 cents a book I still spent $20. Over the next two days of working the sale I would spend another $16. (Do not judge…. 😛 )

So – on to the books…. Here is what I brought home:

and then a few special ones –

Two old Nancy Drews (I collect her) and yes, I do own The Help…. but, (and this is a book geek thing)…. not with this cover. 😛

Oh come on, have you not ever bought a good book just to own it in with a different cover? No? Just me? Too much? 😛

So that is where I have been and what I have been doing. I feel wiped out today but not as tired as I was yesterday. Yesterday was the $2 a bag of books sale and it was soooooo busy and by the time we closed up I was merely fumes of my former self. BUT – I have to tell you, what a blast and what a fun group of volunteers I spent time with this week. 😀

SO in honor of the book sale, put below in the comments one of the books that you see here that you would like (*not including the last picture). On Tuesday I will use random.org to choose a winner and I will send you that book.

Have a great start to your day everyone – I am off to get ready for church and then think I will lay low most of today re-energizing to start another busy week tomorrow. 😀

Birthday Giveaway and A Little Update

Published on February 9, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

I didn’t mean to be “non postal” today and actually had a great post planned but my day turned out busier (in a good way!) when I thought and between phone calls and hanging out with Justin I have putzed the morning away and well, finally writing a little something. 😀

As you can see by the title of this post, it is my birthday…. and as you can see in the picture, I received a wonderful book on my birthday from the amazing Beth Hoffman, her newest title and so SSSSQQQUUUUEEEEEE worthy I had to show you. I cant wait to get into it and thank your Beth!

And since I love to do giveaways to celebrate anything.. today I am doing a giveaway for the book SHRED Revolutionary Diet which I really enjoyed reading through. I wrote that review on the Team Kickin It site and to enter the giveaway please leave a comment on the review, and for a bonus chance, leave one here as well.

As for me, I think I will be off mostly all day. Justin and I are going to a late dinner and a movie and I may join up with friends later tonight. It will be a great day 😀

CELEBRATE Banned Book Week Day 7 (and a couple of annoying pictures…)

Published on October 6, 2012October 6, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)46 Comments

Good morning! It is Saturday and I feel like I am recovering from some extreme event. In truth, although I was gone all day yesterday it was nothing that extensive. I got up at 5 am yesterday to drive my friend Connie to the cities for her doctors appointments. We did not get back into town until 8 pm last night and all the way home traffic (on a Friday after 5) AND construction knocking it down to one lane… made our 2 hour and 15 minute drive almost 4 hours. After arriving home, I was wiped out and was in bed by 9:30 pm.

Before I get into the awesomeness of banned book week – I want to take a brief moment and add a couple pictures for Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot which I love to participate in when I have some pictures I want to share and this morning…I do. 😀

Here is what I woke up to this morning:

20121006_070823 — **Front deck this morning**

20121006_070901 — **Back deck this morning**

Yes. SNOW. 😯 Now you can fall into one of two camps here:

Camp 1. Yeah Sheila, its just a little snow , it will be gone by noon! Suck it up – its pretty.

Camp 2. Oh no, that’s horrible don’t you have a bike ride tomorrow? Snow SUCKS!!!!

Ok, Camp one… you may exit the blog now… nothing here for you to see, obviously you do not know how I feel about snow. 😀

Camp two, you are my people. Thanks you for feeling my pain and yes, I do have a bike ride tomorrow with friends in Mankato on my ROAD BIKE. The snow… must go away.

Alright – that is it for the pitty party because it is the final day of Banned Books week and I am a little bummed about that. This week I had the opportunity to read some great books that are on that list: PREP, Perks Of Being A Wallflower, The Giver, The Chocolate War, The LORAX and watched the last Harry Potter movie. All of what I just mentioned has been banned or challenged somewhere in the world. AND there have been a whole ENORMOUS team of awesome bloggers who have helped out this week by also reading and reviewing banned books and posting about them and offering giveaways and seriously – a good good time. 😀

Here is today’s posts by these bloggers. I hope you can check out what they have to say, many of them are having giveaways to go with their posts:

Laurel from Rainy Days And Mondays fantastic post on The Catcher In The Rye was linked wrong yesterday so I am bringing it back today.. She is also having a book giveaway. Please check it out!

Will from Henderson’s House Of Cards shares a brilliant post called “If I Were A Banned Book”

Erin from Quixotic Magpie wrote a review of The Awakening and is offering a book giveaway!

Julie from My Book Retreat shares about the banned/challenges books of the Junie B Jones series. Julie is also having a book giveaway!

Liza from Reading With ABC is talking about Forever by Judy Blume and offering up a book giveaway!

Marie from The Boston Bibliophile is discussing The Handmaids Tale (one I need to read!) and giving a book giveaway!

Rachel from Resistance Is Futile has posted some interesting titles this week and today she talks about Roll Of Thunder, Hear Me Cry by Mildred D Taylor

Kristin from My Little Heart Melodies wrote about The Things They Carried, a book that has graced my shelf a long time and I still need to get to.

Marj from In Library Paradise shares about The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and has a book giveaway!

Priya from The Faceless Author shares her thoughts on child sacrifices in the Hunger Games – she is giving away one of her custom made comic strips!

Sue from Great Books for Kids and Teens shares a YA review of The Chocolate War

Sue also posts at Book By Book and shared about Brave New World Today. A book I am still hoping to read this year!

That is today’s line! I hope you can visit them – if your Saturday is cold and damp like mine why not grab a second (or third cup of coffee or cocoa) and check out some of these posts. You may be surprised what you learned about why these books were challenged. AND for that matter, dont forget the posts from earlier this week as well – many of them have giveaways that will end after today so get in on those deals – some of the giveaways are truly “drool-worthy” and I have been checking them out and tweeting about them all week. 😀

Here are easy quick links to get to those posts:

The Chocolate Wars and chocolate giveaway

The Giver and a copy to give away!

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

PREP and a giveaway!

Day 6

Day 5

Day 4

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

I am refilling my coffee now and going to check out these links and posts. Later today I will pack up the jeep for my trek to Mankato where I will stay with friends tonight, tomorrow ride my bike in the Mankato Ramble and then I am hanging out with College Son all day Sunday and staying at his place and coming home Monday morning. I will be posting throughout the weekend as Laptop will be making the journey with me.

Thank you to everyone who posted about banned books this week. Thank you to everyone who read these posts and learned something new about banned books and thank you for a great week. I have had a blast and really wish it was two weeks long… I have two more banned books checked out from the library I have not even started yet! 😀

Any plans this weekend for you?

Banned Books Week Day SIX! Posts and giveaways!!!

Published on October 5, 2012October 5, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Here we are on day 6! It has been a really exciting week.

Belle from Book Belle is going to talk about banned YA books and offer up a $20 gift card!

Mandy from Well Read Wife is reviewing Go Ask Alice with a cool banned book T shirt giveaway!

Rebecca from The Key To The Gate is discussing The Grapes Of Wrath and offering a new book giveaway!

Jenna from Lost Generation Reader is going to host a banned book giveaway!

Will from Henderson’s House Of Cards talks about Characters he wants to meet.

Julie from Diary Of A Word Nerd is going to talk about The Kite Runner (AMAZING READ!) and BOOK GIVEAWAY!

The AWESOME Laurel from An Interior Journey is chatting up The Catcher In The Rye and offering up a book giveaway!

Erin from In Real Life is going to talk about how banned books have impacted her life with a bookmark giveaway!

Rachel from Resistance Is Futile is going with a FAVORITE of mine, Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone (SSQQUUEEE!!!)

I am out of town today, doing a little research in the cities but as I get time I will be popping in throughout the day 😀

In a quick recap – here are the past weeks posts and giveaways that you will not want to miss…. each comment on one of these posts (including mine) enters you into the grand prize banned book drawing!