My Shoes And I by Rene Colato Lainez w/ Giveaway!

Published on March 19, 2010March 19, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Written by René Colato Laínez
Illustrated by Fabricio Vanden Broeck
Boyds Mills Press

*ISBN-10: 1590783859

Mario is leaving his home in El Salvador. With his father by his side, he is going north to join his mother, who lives in the United States. She has sent Mario a new pair of shoes, and he is thrilled. He will need good shoes because the trip will be long and hard. He and his father will cross the borders of three countries. They will walk for miles, ride buses, climb mountains and wade a river.   Mario has faith in his shoes. He believes they will take him anywhere. On this day, he wants to go to the United States, where his family will be reunited.  René Colato Laínez’s inspiring story, dramatically illustrated by Fabricio Vanden Broeck, vividly portrays a boy who strives to reach a new land and a new life.

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This was a wonderful read about a boy, his travels, and of course his shoes. His shoes take him everywhere… Throughout the book Mario goes through many travels and trials. Each page shares Mario’s story along with beautifully illustrated pictures of course, including the shoes.

I feel that sharing this lovely book with a young child would be fun as we turn page after page. I imagine the child would be excited to hear the story and follow the pictures. I cant wait for the chance to so just that!

I had the opportunity to ask Author Rene Colato Lainez about his journey through publishing. The topic always interests me and here is what Rene had to say:

Hello Sheila,

I am René Colato Laínez, the Salvadoran award winning author of I Am René, the Boy, Waiting for Papá, Playing Lotería, René Has Two Last Names and The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez. My picture books have been honored by the Latino Book Award, the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, the California Collection for Elementary Readers, the Tejas Star Book Award Selection and the New Mexico Book Award. I was named “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com. I am a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults.

My goal as a writer is to produce good multicultural children’s literature; stories where minority children are portrayed in a positive way, where they can see themselves as heroes, and where they can dream and have hopes for the future. I want to write authentic stories of Latin American children living in the United States

In 1985, my father and I left El Salvador to come to the United States. This journey of crossing three countries has always been present in my writing. When I was in college, I started to write about my journey. I titled the story “Hacia el Norte” (Going North). It was written in a series of journal entries and I was practically retelling my journey step by step.

In 2004, I was doing my MFA in writing for children at Vermont College. I realized that “Hacia el Norte” could become a great young adult book. I reread my original story and it was all over the place. My new goal was to fictionalize the story and to concentrate on my main character. I was ready to start my manuscript when Phyllis Root became my new writing advisor.

I was born in a tropical country. In El Salvador it is summer almost all year long. I live in California and here I can only see some snow on the top of the mountains. I experienced my first snowy day in Montpellier, Vermont. Oh my! It was hard to walk in the snow. I was trying to walk to the cafeteria in my baby’s steps when I heard Phyllis Root’s voice, “Hello René, we are almost there.” During lunch, I told Phyllis that walking on snow was similar like crossing the mountains in Tijuana, Mexico. Soon, I was telling her about my journey and my special shoes that my mother sent me from the United States. Phyllis was fascinating listening to my story and she told me, “René this can be a powerful picture book.”

Later that week I found out that Phyllis was my new writing advisor for my second semester. I was so happy to write my stories and have feed back from this talented amazing author. When we met to discuss the plans for the semester, she told me that she want to read my manuscript about my shoes. But something in my mind, was telling me “No, I think this is my young adult novel and not a picture book.”

I sent my first packet of work and Phyllis told me, “Great work! Are you working on your shoes story?” It was time for the second packet and I wrote new stories. Phyllis reminded me, “How is your shoes story coming along.” For the third packet, I felt that I needed to write something about my shoes to Phyllis. So I wrote my first line, “I love my shoes. They can take me anywhere.” I really liked this line and kept writing for two hours.

Yeah! I had a story MY SHOES AND I. It came directly from my heart and it was an authentic story about immigration. At this point, I agreed with Phyllis, “This could be a powerful picture book”. I revised the story in the next months. Soon it was summer, time to come back to Vermont.

For the second semester reading night, I chose to read MY SHOES AND I. At the end of my reading, I had a standing ovation from everyone in the room. Author Jane Resh Tomas whispered in my ear, “Great Story, René!”

The following day, Author Carolyn Coman told me that she had heard great comments about my story and asked me if she can read it. But the end of the residence, Carolyn told me that she had an editor friend that might be interested in my manuscript. She acted like my agent and submitted the story for me.

The Gospel According To LOST by Chris Seay

Published on March 18, 2010March 21, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Lost is NOT just a television show. It has become larger than that-a massive story filled with mystery that has garnered over twenty million participants. Some might call them viewers, but one does not just watch Lost, one participates in it. It demands that you dialogue with the story, seeking theories and comparing yourself to characters. Lost breaks all the formulas for television, and in doing so has drawn together millions of people on a shared journey that explores life, faith, history, science, philosophy, hope, and the basic questions of what it means to be human. It is the seemingly infinite ideas, philosophies, and biblical metaphors that make this story so engaging.

The focus on faith and truth is never more clearly explained than in the words of John Locke as he questions Jack Shepherd asking “Why do you find it so hard to believe?” Jack responds quickly “Why do you find it so easy?” But Locke declares “It’s never been easy.” This tension between Faith and Reason drives every episode and story line. Locke summed this up as he explained to Jack “That’s why you and I don’t see eye-to-eye sometimes, because you’re a man of science—Me, well, I’m a man of faith.”

I think we have all seen books like this around – they are based on a popular TV show or movie and then a book comes out about the faith story behind the show – or more often, the lack of faith and Christian theme in a particular show and suddenly there is a book telling why we should not be watching it… and certainly save your friends and family from the evils of said show as well.

For these reasons I usually avoid these type of books. I enjoy movies and tv shows for the entertainment value in them and no more. I do not want to be told why or why I shouldn’t watch a show. But this one called to me…. for one it is written by Chris Seay and while I may not be familiar with his writing, I know he keeps good company with the likes of Don Miller (Blue Like Jazz) and secondly – and at the time, more importantly – this is about LOST. And if you have had the opportunity pleasure of experiencing this phenomenon from season one…. you truly have to know that this show has something special going on….

But enough about the show. This is about the book. And I have to tell you…. while I went in skeptical…. I came out the other side raving. Right from the start Chris Seay’s layed back way of writing made me feel very comfortable going forward in the book.

Chris brings each character to their own chapter and pulls out very real, very biblical traits. Every character in lost is broken in their own way – damaged people – with their own story line. As the seasons go on you see differences in the characters, whatever their baggage once was – they start to grow from it.

In almost a faith like way we see Sawyer start out as a hardened unlikable and annoying character who keeps to himself. As the show progresses Sawyer learns that sometimes we need others in our life and turns out that being in community with others, is not so bad.

Jack is a man of science and John Locke is a man of faith….. While jack has to have an explanation for everything… John Locke immediately senses there is something about the island and whatever it is, by faith he is going to believe in it. (*Information on John Locke of LOST and John Locke the philosopher was fascinating!)

Kate comes off the plane as a criminal being tried for murder. As she grows, she comes to terms that everyone can seek forgiveness and begin with a clean slate.

Filled with plenty of Biblical references I found myself reading this book every chance I had. Chris pulls the gospel out of a secular show and I found this to make for good reading. I feel now I will be watching this last season of LOST with new eyes.

After all Lost is all about the moving of an island…. is that so different from moving mountains?

If you are a fan of LOST and enjoy a good faith-based read – I recommend this book highly.

About Chris Seay:

Chris Seay is a leader in the emerging church discussion, church planter, author, and third generation baptist pastor. Currently, Chris is the President of Ecclesia Bible Society where he is orchestrating a Scripture project that seeks to retell the biblical narrative with the literary beauty of great poetry and story as well as historical truth. As Pastor of Ecclesia Houston, Chris leads a unique congregation that is living out the gospel faithfully in an urban environment. He is also the author of seven books, including The Gospel According to Tony Soprano, The Gospel Reloaded, and The Last Eyewitness.

My Amazon Rating

I received my review copy from Thomas Nelson Reviews

I Hadn’t Meant To Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson

Published on March 16, 2010March 21, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

Twelve-year-old Marie is one of the popular girls in the prosperous black suburb. She’s not looking for a friend when Lena Bright, a white girl, appears in school. But the two girls are drawn to each other. You see, both Lena and Marie have lost their mothers. On top of that, Marie soon learns that Lena has a terrifying secret. Marie wants to help, but is it better to keep Lena’s secret, or to tell it? Their friendship—and Lena’s survival— may depend on her decision.

I read this book as part of the March Social Justice Challenge. I have heard wonderful things about Jacqueline Woodson and I was glad to have the opportunity to read one of her books.

I Hadn’t Meant To Tell You This is the story of Lena, a new white girl in a school that’s population is mostly black. Marie, who is an upper class African-American becomes the unlikely friend to Lena, who usually looks dirty and unkempt next to the fashionable and popular Marie.

Right here – right with this friendship I was already liking the book. With both families frowning on their daughters friendship with someone who is “another color” . I appreciated that this book was in contrast to many others I have read, and it is Marie’s family that had the money and the nice home was the African-American family, and it is Lena’s home that is in the bad neighborhood.

This book gets deep when Lena confides in her friend Marie that her father is touching her inappropriately. Marie, who has never been around such a think has a hard time wrapping her mind around this, even accusing Lena of lying for attention. This subject in the book, as well as Marie’s reaction to it, seems very well written…. I can picture it happening.

Lena makes Marie promise not to tell anyone and this is another part of the book where you watch Marie try to help without being able to. All she can do is look out for Lena when she can.

I don’t want to give too much away about this book, however I did find that when it ended I was left with many questions. I didn’t feel the closure this book needed and was concerned where this left younger readers who may be searching for answers within this book. I was pleased to go on-line and find out a sequel to the book had been written called Lena – and it continues the story from where this one left off.

This book touches on sexual abuse by a parent. It is a quick read and the book is very clean, never explicit in details.

While the cover above is the one on the book that I read, I really prefer this cover here:

Jacqueline Woodson is the recipient of the 2006 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens. Woodson’s sensitive and lyrical books reveal and give a voice to outsiders often invisible to mainstream America. The award was announced January 23 at the 2006 Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association (ALA) in San Antonio

“I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This,” and its sequel, “Lena,” (reprint available in fall 2006), both from G. P. Putnam Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, tell a story of interracial friendship with no pat solutions to the problems of race, class, abandonment and abuse, while a compassionate community offers hope and support. A young boy records his fears that his mother’s new lesbian relationship will change their family bond in “From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun,” published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic.

My Amazon Rating

I received my copy of this book from our local Library

Moonlight Falls by Vincent Zandri

Published on March 14, 2010March 15, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)16 Comments

Moonlight Falls is the Albany, New York-based paranoid tale (in the Hitchcock tradition) of former APD Detective turned Private Investigator/Massage Therapist, Richard “Dick” Moonlight, who believes he might be responsible for the brutal slaying by knife of his illicit lover, the beautiful Scarlet Montana. The situation is made all the worse since Scarlet is the wife of Moonlight’s boss, Chief of Detectives Jake Montana.

Why does Moonlight believe he might be responsible?

He’s got a small fragment of a .22 hollow point round buried inside his brain, lodge directly up against his cerebral cortex. The result of a botched suicide attempt four years prior to the novel’s start, an operation to remove the bullt frag would be too dangerous.

But the bullet causes Moonlight lots of problems, the least of which are the occasional memory loss and his rational ability to tell right from wrong. The bullet frag also might shift at any moment, making coma and/or sudden death, a very real possibility.

Still, Moonlight has been trying to get his life together as of late.

But when Scarlet begs him to make the trip over to her house late one rainy Sunday night to issue one of his “massages,” he makes a big mistake by sleeping with her. Later, having passed out in her bed, he will be rudely awakened by a garage door opening and Jake’s unexpected and very drunken homecoming. Making his impromptu escape out a top floor window, Moonlight will seek the safety of his home.

Two hours later however, he will receive another unexpected visit from Jake Montana. This time the big Captain has sobering news to report. He’s discovered his wife’s mutilated body in her own bed. She’s been murdered and now he needs the P.I. to investigate it in association with Albany ’s “overtaxed” Special Independent Unit before I.A. pokes their nose into the affair. Moonlight takes a big step back. Is it possible he made a second trip to the Montana home-sweet-home and just has no recollection of it? Once there, did he perform a heinous crime on his part-time lover? Or is this some kind of set up by his former boss? Is it really Jake who is responsible for Scarlet’s death? Does he wish for Moonlight to cover up his involvement, seal the case before Internal Affairs starts poking their nose into the situation?

There’s another problem too.

Covering Moonlight’s palms and the pads of his fingers are numerous scratches and cuts. Are these defensive wounds? Wounds he received when Scarlet put up a struggle? Or are they offensive wounds? Wounds he couldn’t avoid when making his attack on Scarlet with a blade? The answer is not so simple since Moonlight has no idea where he acquired the wounds.

Having no choice but to take on the mission, Moonlight can only hope the answers to his many questions point to his former boss and not himself.

I grew up with mysteries being my book flavor of choice. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys may as well have been by neighborhood playmates, after all I spent a lot of time with them and they usually caused me to be late to such things as dinner.

Even as my tastes in literature grew and I branched out into other genres and explored the larger world of books, I still have always had a spot in my heart for a good “hunker-down- blanket and cocoa-curled in a big soft chair- mystery”. Enter stage left…. Moonlight Falls.

Moonlight is an unlikely main character…. he has faults…. big ones. Yet for some reason I really liked this guy. Through a storyline of not only trying to solve a crime, that he may or may not have been involved in…. but also clearing his name. Moonlight truly has his work cut out for him.

I have always liked the feeling a good mystery gives me….. the type before there were vampires and werewolves, and the occasional zombie thrown in for good measure. Moonlight Falls gave me that feeling.

I had picked this book up in the mood for a good thriller and Vincent Zandri did not disappoint. My advice to anyone considering reading this book is to allow yourself plenty of time to read the book and surround yourself with the basic necessity’s (food and water) because once you hop on this thrill ride of a book you are not going to want to let go until it screeches to a halt at the satisfying end of the ride.

About Vince Zandri

Vincent Zandri is an award-winning novelist, essayist and freelance photojournalist. His novel As Catch CanGodchild (Bantam/Dell) and Permanence (NPI). Translated into several languages including Japanese and the Dutch, Zandri’s novels have also been sought out by numerous major movie producers, including Heyday Productions and DreamWorks. Moonlight Falls is his fourth novel. He is the author of the blogs, Dangerous Dispatches and Embedded in Africa for RT ( Russia Today TV) which have been syndicated and translated in several different languages throughout the world. He also writes for other global publications, including Culture 11, Globalia, Globalspec and more. Zandri’s nonfiction has appeared in New York Newsday, Hudson Valley Magazine, Game and Fish Magazine and others, while his essays and short fiction have been featured in many journals including Fugue, Maryland Review and Orange Coast Magazine. He holds an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College and is a 2010 International Thrillerl. Writer’s Awards panel judge. Zandri currently divides his time between New York and Europe. He is the drummer for the Albany-based punk band to Blisterz. You can visit his website at www.vincentzandri.com or his blog at www.vincentzandri.blogspot.com.

I received my copy of this book for review from Pump Up You Blog Tour

Cold Streak by Lewis Aleman

Published on March 11, 2010March 11, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Enter Laura’s world…

Her family is brutally murdered, and she finds herself on her knees praying for things she never could have imagined. Her dark journey of revenge takes off as she hunts her family’s killers, while being chased down by a troubled detective, his lovelorn partner, and an inner voice that grants her no peace. Her quest lures her through an explosive music scene, down unlit alleyways, to the edge of a towering church rooftop, and into the nightmarish landscape of her own mind. Will she get her justice before time runs out? Will her own lust for vengeance consume all that is left of her in the process.

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Lewis Aleman has written a book that by looks, I thought I would breeze through this 268 page book in a few sittings. Once inside the mind of Lewis – I discovered I was wrong and I would be here awhile basking in deep intelligent writing and a read that was a wild – frightening ride into the mind of Lewis’s created character, Laura.

I don’t read much of this genre. It is a stretch for me but it is one I embrace as I like to try new styles of reads and see how they fit. What drew me to this book was the fact that Laura was a mother. She had a family – and that family was taken away. And through this knowledge you enter the mind of a desperate woman.

Detective Anduras and his partner Irene’s arguments provided a lighter side to this read that cold easily have become heavy if not for the inner working of this duo.

A suspenseful read, I found myself caught up in the grief that was Laura – having lost her husband and children to a horrible murder she seeks revenge on those who did it. While a bit graphic at times, I felt Lauras’ heavy grief and maybe part of that is the reason I did not fly through this book. It took time to settle into that grief and follow Laura through a journey that only she could take.

At times the scenes were a bit gory for my taste, but other than that I found the book to be impressively engrossing and intelligently written.

Lewis Aleman is the author of the time travel thriller, Faces in Time, and the dark literary thriller, Cold Streak, which became an Amazon Bestseller, a Kindle Bestseller, and #1 in Myspace Books. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Creative Writing. He grew up and still resides just outside of New Orleans. Currently, he is fast at work on the first book in a realistic fantasy series, entitled A Brother, A Drunkard, and Something Odd.

Besides writing, Lewis Aleman also enjoys playing guitar, restoring/hot rodding cars, working out, reading, website design, and recording music.

** You may have seen this post at Book Chick City’s Blog where I guest posted for her last week 🙂

I received my copy of this book from author Lewis Aleman

The Next Thing On My List by Jill Smolinski

Published on March 10, 2010March 10, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

After a car accident in which her passenger, Marissa, dies, June Parker finds herself in possession of a list Marissa has written: “20 Things to Do by My 25th Birthday.” The tasks range from inspiring (run a 5K) to daring (go braless) to near-impossible (change someone’s life).

To assuage her guilt, June races to achieve each goal herself before the deadline, learning more about her own life than she ever bargained for.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

So what do you do with a story line like this? Well, if you are me you wonder what causes the accident and what is on that list?????

This book was one of those books that you pick up and get into right from the start. The character of June is funny and strong willed. She carries with her this burden of the accident being her fault (after all, Marissa’s seat belt was off only because June had to have that Taco Soup recipe! (Which by the way I highly recommend making!) And June had just met Marissa that night at the meeting when she got up to receive her lifetime achievement award for losing 100 pounds!

As June goes through the list, working to complete Marissa’s dreams, we see that it is June who grows as a person. She becomes more confident in herself as she puts herself out there “for the list” and on a grand scale, the list isnt anything unachievable with things on it like:

Lose 100 pounds

Throw away the bathroom scale

Try Boogie Boarding

Eat Ice Cream In Public

Make Buddy Fitch Pay

There are more things on the list and each one just adds to the fun of this book. After all who is Buddy Fitch and what did he do that he has to pay?

A wonderful book club read – we reviewed it last night and we had a lot of fun discussing Marissa’s list and making our own as well. We each pulled one thing from our list and put it in an envelope. We mixed them up and passed them out again. Each of us read what the paper said on our envelope and tried to guess who’s list that as on. This was a lot of fun and we learned about each others dreams.

We now know that many us have dreams of traveling, one of us wants their pilots license, one hopes to be a master chef, see all 50 states, slow dance in the rain with their husband, learn spanish, ride a mechanical horse, 2 wish to become published authors….

These discussions make for the best book club reviews!

Charming and fun – I would recommend this book as quick read that will make you really think about your own life goals. I would also highly recommend this for those of you in book clubs. This is a wonderful discussion book and there is a reading group guide in the back of the book.

Stop in and see Angie from By Book Or By Crook and read her review of this book. Angie is part of our book Club!

I purchased my copy from Amazon

Bookies overall rating on a scale of 1 – 5 (5 being the best)

4

Waking Up In The Land Of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Published on March 9, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

With glue guns, glitter, twigs, or yarn, the ordinary can become extraordinary . . . especially at La Pachanga. Owned by Estrella “Star” Esteban’s family, the restaurant has a rep for two things: good food and great art. La Pachanga brings people together-even when it looks like they couldn’t be further apart.

One ill-fated evening, Star jeopardizes her family’s business, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her future career. To redeem herself, she agrees to participate in a national craft competition, teaming up with her best friend, Ofelia-a secretly troubled mother whose love for crafting borders on obsession-and local celebrity Chloe Chavez-a determined television personality with more than one skeleton in her professional closet. If these unlikely allies can set aside their differences, they’ll find strength they never knew they had, and learn that friendship, like crafting, is truly an art form.

ο ο ο ο ο ο ο ο

On occasion, I really enjoy a book that gives me a sort of comic relief and that is that is what I found in the pages of In The Land Of Glitter. In this delightful laugh out loud setting, I found out very quickly that the old saying that all that glitters is not gold as the characters of this book are soon to find out!

The main character Estrella (or Star as we come to thankfully know her in this book!) can cause more damage to her relationships in short time than a F-5 twister! At 28 Star really hasn’t really done anything with her life. She still lives at home and floats about aimlessly through day-to-day life never really accomplishing (or finishing) anything. As her father decided enough is enough, Star seeks redemption in the above mentioned craft competition, and drags along a couple of her friends, Ofy and Chloe. This is where the book really takes off in a flurry of glitter (about 350 pounds of it) and several laugh out loud events that follow.

The book characters are Hispanic and with that Spanish words are occasionally tossed into the book just adding to its unique craftiness. I found the glossary in the back of the book for the meaning of these Spanish word to be a wonderful idea.

Let me introduce author Kathy Cano-Murillo who would like to share about this book:

The book is a fun ” just enjoy the rollercoaster ride ” style of read. I do enjoy books about women’s friendships and that was what I found in this book. Star, Ofy, and Chloe are characters that make me smile. And I do like to smile.

Reading Group Guide

I received my copy of this books from Hachette Book Group

Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire

Published on March 7, 2010March 7, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)29 Comments

Something strange is happening in Ellerton High. Phoenix is the fourth teenager to die within a year. His street fight stabbing follows the deaths of Jonas, Summer and Arizona in equally strange and sudden circumstances. Rumours of ghosts and strange happenings rip through the small community as it comes to terms with shock and loss. Darina, Phoenix’s grief-stricken girlfriend, is on the verge. She can’t escape her intense heartache, or the impossible apparitions of those that are meant to be dead. And all the while the sound of beating wings echo inside her head…And then one day Phoenix appears to Darina. Ecstatic to be reunited, he tells her about the Beautiful Dead. Souls in limbo, they have been chosen to return to the world to set right a wrong linked to their deaths and bring about justice. Beautiful, superhuman and powerful, they are marked by a ‘death mark’ — a small tattoo of angel’s wings. Phoenix tells her that the sound of invisible wings beating are the millions of souls in limbo, desperate to return to earth. Darina’s mission is clear: she must help Jonas, Summer, Arizona, and impossibly, her beloved Phoenix, right the wrong linked to their deaths to set them free from limbo so that they can finally rest in peace. Will love conquer death? And if it does, can Darina set it free?

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

I loved the cover of this book and I love the synopsis. This was one of those books that for me, I had trouble sticking to my reading plan and leaving it on the shelf…. I wanted to know what was in the pages. Had to know. Must know.

Darina is our main character and her boyfriend, Phoenix has been the latest teen to die. What Darina soon discovers in an old farm-house is about to turn her world upside down and cause her to question whatever she has known in the past to be true.

I guess in an odd “zombie like” way – this is a love story. You can tell Darina and Phoenix’s love for one another and this also makes it – in a way – a sad story too. I liked the “angel” type feel to the dead teens (I cant believe I just said that – it sounds creepy!). This made the book more likable for me to see them in this light. I also liked the tattoo of the wings that each of the “undead” characters received. I thought that was unique.

Once I was able to familiarize myself with the characters and the plot I found the book to progress nicely leaving a sense of mystery and intrigue to make people want to read the next book to continue the story.

The Author

Eden Maguire lives in both Colorado and the UK. Her admiration for Emily Bronte’s classic, Wuthering Heights, ties in with her fascination for the dark side of life and informs her portrayal of the restless, romantic souls in The Beautiful Dead.

I received my review copy from Sourcebooks

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (book and movie Review)

Published on March 6, 2010March 6, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school . . . again. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he’s not even sure he believes himself.

Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.

Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he’s coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he’s angered a few of them: Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends–one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena–will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

ψ ψ ψ ψ ψ ψ ψ

Before I begin my review… I would like to share with you why I read this book. Two words really: Harry Potter. I had heard that this could be compared to the likes of the phenomenon that is Harry Potter.

(Pause for dramatic effect)

Now I know it is not safe for me (not even in the comforts of my own home) to say that I am the biggest Harry Potter fan that ever lived. No doubt as soon as those words would leave my fingertips, you would hear later that I was found dead next to my lap top having been strangled with a gryffindor scarf. Or, OR – I may find myself suffering from one of the three unforgivable curses. So instead I will just say that I am a real admirer of JK Rowling’s work and find the whole Harry Potter world fascinating.

THE BOOK

That being said, a book that is to be in the likes of the former mentioned was one that had to be read. I picked up this book, The Lightning Thief and was prepared for the adventure.

In the first part of the book I was surprised to find it written in such a young way. The wording was kiddish and while this is a book written for 9 – 12 year olds, I immediately felt that this was not going to be anywhere near the quick delightful wit of the Rowling Books.

My hope was to read the book and then see the movie but as I struggled through the first pages on the book I felt that maybe seeing the movie would help to jump-start the book for me. So, I went and did something I would usually never do, before finishing the book, I went to the movie. (more on that later)

The movie did what I had hoped it would – it made me want to complete the book version and along with comments I heard through my blog here and on Twitter that it was worth it to keep reading, that is would pick up…. I read on.

As the book turns toward the quest of Percy Jackson and his two unlikely friends, a daughter of a god and a satyr (half man half donkey), the book indeed took on a stronger appeal to me. I found myself doing what I always do when I am really enjoying a book – it is with me everywhere I can hope to squeeze in a few minutes to read (the bathroom while I blow dry my hair, at the table while I eat breakfast, in the car for long stop lights and trains, and next to when I watch tv to pick up during commercials or during low-interest in what I am watching.

Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief has won the 2008 Young Adult Sequoyah Book Award.

Book recommended? Yes…. just hang on through the slow start and kiddish language…. it gets better.

Will I continue with the series? Jury is still out but I think if I can find the books I probably will just to see where they go. I will not be reading them with the urgency I did the Harry Potter books, but I do admit I am curious to read what happens next. (My nineteen year old son is on the fifth and last book of the series and loved them).

THE MOVIE

The movie was likable right from the start and didn’t have the slow uptake I felt the book had. Incredible scenes led to my interest in finishing the book. I thought the scenes at the Lotus Casino and the magic cookie were brilliant. I like movies (and books) that are just smart in how they put things together.

I thought how it all came together at the end was a bit too neat…. I can’t give anything away here but it really was a quick act of putting everything in its proper place and kind of left me with a bit of “come on….”

Book VS MOVIE

I have to believe the internet is shouting about the huge differences between the movie and the book. As I completed the book I was actually shocked on how different the two were in how the story unfolds, even the fact that the movie left out key characters and changed the outcome in so much I thought on the spoiler page I would list them out. I would love for anyone who have read the book and seen the movie to join me there for a “rant” about the differences and a chance to discuss in more depth what that was all about.

I purchased my copy of the book in Illinois at Borders

STILL A Winters Journey by Greg Budig

Published on March 3, 2010March 3, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Shhh….

Imagine….

you are being guided through a winter wonderland. The snow is falling. Gently. Beautifully. Each flake unique in its own way as you walk through this world of quiet snowfall.

As I sank into the book and viewed the pictures they gave me the impression it was dawn – but no, author Greg Budig whispers his words into the pages:

What seemed like early morning, was really afternoon,

as the ever lowering, powder grey sky covered me in a world of half light.

The words fall on to the pages in a rhythm that reminds me of the snow fall itself. There is something about reading this book…. I can feel the quiet of what is being written. It is a Minnesota snow globe day – where the sky hangs low and dark and all is peaceful.

A beautifully written book. I am Minnesotan and have been all my life and this well written book leaps from the pages into my own world, into my own memories, of walking through the quiet of a snowy, snowy day.

Greg Budig was born and raised on the windswept prairie of western Minnesota in the community of Morris. He grew up with his mom, dad, and four sisters in the spacious house that was attached to the small grocery store that his parents owned and operated for over 30 years. He is the middle child with two older and two younger sisters…needless to say, he never knew the joys of having to share clothes or a room. It was in the privacy of his own room that he spent hours writing, painting, and dreaming.

For over twenty years now, Greg has lived and worked in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota where he and his lovely wife Cindy are raising three wonderful and imaginative children named Matthew, Emily and Anna. Both their cozy little northside house, as well as their three children, are featured throughout his current book which is entitled “I Hear the Wind”. The book is dedicated to his wife and children, as well as to the memory of his editor Craig Thorn IV who lost his courageous battle with cancer shortly before the book was released.

“Sometimes who we are and what we do are two different things.” Greg has said. He has spent a lifetime working at jobs that have nothing to do with writing or art, but he has always kept the hope alive that his talents will someday be recognized.

I received my copy of this book from Author Greg Budig