Book Stuff – Page 31 – Book Journey

The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich

Published on March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Tyson Palmer has the world by the tail. He has a winning arm, a promising football career, and is on track for that Super Bowl ring. And then, with an addiction to alcohol and pain killers and a night that throws his marriage and career away…

Tyson is at rock bottom.

Then, the owner of the Austin Mavericks makes Tyson an offer he can not refuse, he will be sent to a private rehab, get cleaned up of all his addictions, then go to a personal trainer to get him back on his game and make the come back of a lifetime as a Maverick player bringing them to the Super Bowl. Tyson has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

When Tyson Palmer emerges back on his game, he is in the best shape of his life both mentally and physically. He is determined to make the best of what he has been given. Yet a blast from the past has the potential of derailing everything. Dani Carr is a top reporter and working her way into playing with the big boys. She also knows Tyson a little too well from a night of passion back in College where he left her without so much as a word before daybreak the next morning. Now forced to work together, Tyson has to admit Dani looks better than ever, and Dani has to keep her guard up and keep her eye on her journalistic goals.

I do enjoy a good Stephanie Evanovich read so I jumped at the chance to read this one. When I read the synopsis I was at first thinking it all sounded a little predictable, of course I thought, Tyson and Dani will wind up together and this book is just about the how. I was thrilled to discover there was more meat to this read than I had initially anticipated.

The Total Package, really was just that, the total package. Tyson is an interesting protagonist and I enjoyed the detailed process of his come back. I even may have learned a little about football. Dani was a bit back and forth and confused me when one thing was said and then it changed but honestly, Tyson was written so well that I can overlook that – and in the end…

well. You are just going to have to read it. Let me just say….. Winner Winner – chicken and brown rice dinner!

UPDATE: A little update to my post as I see comments are thinking that this author is the author of the Stephanie Plum books…. one for the money, etc…. Stephanie Evanovich is being mistaken for Janet Evanovich (the more well known of the Evanovich’s). Janet is actually Stephanie’s Aunt — as Janet is married to Stephanie’s father’s brother.

Hope that helps 🙂 While I have read both authors, I have not read Janet Evanovich’s books for years and Stephanie has a different writing style which I found that I personally prefer.

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (March 15, 2016)

Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author Links: Website and Facebook

I enjoyed going through rehab with Tyson thanks to TLC Book Tours!

The Opposite Of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson

Published on March 7, 2016March 8, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Paula Voss was born in Alabama to a free-spirited woman, Kai, who had a love for Hindu Mythology to point of extreme. Paula’s birth name, Kali Jai had deep meaning in Hindu legend, but this was a name that Paula gave up when she put her mother in jail. A move that put Paula in foster care.

Now, years later, with a messy trail of life wrongs behind her, Paula is a divorce Lawyer to be reckoned with. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in ingenuity and on again off again help from an easy on the eyes man called Birdwine. Paula has not seen or heard from her mother in 15 years and in many ways, Paula thinks that is for the best.

Until one day a letter comes…

“I am going on a journey, Kali. I am going back to my beginning; death is not the end. You will be the end. We will meet again, and there will be new stories. You know how Karma works.”

Shortly after the letter, another surprise shows up at Paula’s door. Perhaps, Kai’s largest secret of all and all that Paula thought she knew, thought was true, starts to crumble away.

Paula’s past of dealing with wrecked families has helped her become who she is today, but now – with new information, she steps back to where it all began to figure out what brought her to here and not that she was here, what to do about it.

Note: While I was sent the book for review, due to time restraints I finished this book on audio. This review reflects both book and audio

Joshilyn Jackson pulls another one out the park. Wow. I have enjoyed her southern fiction with a twist in the past, but Joshilyn pulls out a little something extra here. The mix of Hindu mythology was a unique way to go and one that at first puzzled me and then I got into.

The story line of Paula’s past is deeply real feeling, a look into the foster care system and what it takes for someone to hold their own, especially when you do not look like everyone else.

I did listen to part of this book on audio which is narrated by Joshilyn Jackson impressively. Who better to capture the quirky characters of such a read than the author herself? My only teeny bump in the road with her narration was the voive of Paula’s brother who was 23. The voice came off much younger to me, sounding more like a curious 15-16 year old. Having boys in their 20’s, this didn’t come off as sounding right to me. The narration in all other instances of its southern glory is spot on. Kudos multi-talented Joshilyn Jackson!

I enjoyed this book so much. Joshilyn has a way of bringing a story to life that leaves you in the end, wanting more.

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (February 16, 2016)
Listening Length: 11 hours and 34 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: HarperAudio
Audible.com Release Date: February 16, 2016

Thank you to TLC for allowing me to spend a little time with Paula (and Birdwine!) in Alabama.

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Published on February 8, 2016February 7, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

Joe Talbert is a College student with an assignment. He must interview a stranger and write a biography of that person’s life. Having procrastinated on getting started mainly due to his college work load, a mother with a lack of parenting skills, and an older brother at home 2 1/2 hours from Joe’s college who is autistic, Joe decides to go to a local nursing home to see if he can talk to someone who has led an interesting life. What Joe discovers is more than he could have planned.

Carl Iverson has been given only a few months to live as he is losing the battle of prostate cancer. He is a Vietnam Vet with the Purple Heart award. He is also a convicted murdered. He has been medically paroled to the nursing home to spend his last days under constant care that the prison can not provide.

As Joe digs into Carl’s story, he struggles with the hero Carl was in the war and the cold-blooded killer of a 14-year-old girl that he is convicted for. Carl eludes to his innocence, but with no real passion after all his life is practically over and what is done is done. Joe feels there is something missing in Carl’s conviction, vital evidence that was overlooked that could possibly clear Carl’s name before he dies. Yet the clock is running against Joe as he juggles his school work load, his job, and his mother’s inability to take proper care of his brother. Thank goodness for the female College student who has the apartment next to Joe’s and her interest in helping to uncover the truth.

But at what cost?

Funny background story to this book. It was first put on my radar last fall after Wine and Words when my co-chair suggested this author for Wine and Words 2016. Neither of us had read the book or heard much about it so that thought was back-burnered. In the last few months I looked for the book in my personal library, swore I had a copy but could not find it so again…. I moved on. Then last month a girl in our book club brought the title up for nomination out of the blue. The book won the vote and I was thrilled to finally have my hand forced to move forward on reading the book. I bought the book…

and there it sat.

Last week a friend of mine in another local book club text me and asked if I had a copy of The Life We Buried because that is what their book club was reading for February. I called her and told her I had to know how they picked that title. She said the lady hosting in February had found it and thought it sounded good. I laughed and told her that our book club was also reading this same title.

A couple of days ago I was feeling tired and went early to my room with this book. I planned to read only a few chapters to get a feel for it. Once I opened the book the story line clicked for me. The reading was easy to get into and I found myself liking it right from the very start. I read for hours, slept, opened the book again the next morning and finished it.

In a word.

WOW.

Allen Eskens had a way of capturing Joe’s voice in this book. The addition of what his family/home life was like was brilliant. It was an excellent way to see how Joe struggled trying to move forward with his own life and at the same time carrying around the guilt of what his brother had to deal with back in his home town 2 1/2 hours away.

There are not many books in the last year that I can say I fell in love with right from the start, but this one earned that statement. I highly encourage you give this title a try. My Co-Chair of Wine and Words is listening to it on audio now. My book club will review it this coming Tuesday evening and on Wednesday I will pass the book to my friend in the other book club so she may read it as well.

Now that…

is a fun story.

Paperback: 303 pages
Publisher: Seventh Street Books; First Paperback Edition edition (October 14, 2014)

Morning Meanderings… We Need A Little Gatsby.

Published on January 5, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Anyone else feel like the days are moving too quickly? I mean, it is the 5th already. Seems like I was just trying to make my way through the land mines of Christmas and now we are in a whole new year. I have such mixed feelings about that and the worst part of it is, there is not a thing I can do about how I feel.

Yesterday was 9 months. That is beyond crazy. I didn’t say it out loud to anyone. I didn’t need one more pitying look of “oh, she still counts the days,” I imagine those who have walked this path before me get to that same point…. people do not necessarily want to know that you are still at an enormous level of pain. People want you to “get better” “move on” “be who you once were” and I am not sure if any of those things are in my near future.

Anyway…

Gatsby.

Last February my friend Amy and I went to a Library fundraiser in St Paul Minnesota. It was a Gatsby event and I was beside myself with excitement to see how they would pull this event off. I already was having visions of how I could have such an event in my area. We were going to be early to the event so we decided to go and surprise my son Justin who was working less than 5 minutes away from where we needed to be. This is another one of those crazy things I am so thankful for… I had bonus time with my son that I did not plan for but it just happened. We hung out with him for about an hour, shared an appetizer and were on our way.

This year, I am happy to announce that Gatsby will be happening in my home town. The Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library will be sponsoring this event on March 18th. Justin and I had talked about this. I have tried for two years to make this happen. Initially the plan was to do it last spring and things did not work out that way and now knowing how everything went down last spring I am so thankful for that. If we had been planning Gatsby, I may not have been with my son on April 1st and 2nd. I may have been too busy to get away. Crazy how things work out but there it is.

Here is a link to our Gatsby event. We have a live jazz band, a local dance studio providing swing lessons, an EXPERIENCE auction and a costume contest. I wish with all my heart that Justin was here because I know he would attend and he would bring friends… but I do know he is proud of me for doing what I said I hoped to do. So Gatsby…. it is.

In other news my first book, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone is coming along nicely. At first I struggled a bit and was unsure if I had made the right choice. This copy of the book is Justin’s and I was hoping to find comfort in touching each page as he had. It took a while to pick up the flow but a couple of nights ago while Al watched the football game I curled up in bed with this book and it started to come together for me. I am so glad I chose this book to start 2016.

How is your first book coming along?

The First Books Of 2016

Published on January 1, 2016January 2, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)151 Comments

Here it is. January 1 2016. Thank you to everyone who sent in a picture of the first book they will be reading in this New Year. This is my third year hosting this event and I love seeing all the pictures and books come in from around the world! Thank you to the fellow bloggers, readers of Book Journey, my book club, and friends who sent in pictures. Here are your reads of the New Year:

PicMonkey Collage 6

PicMonkey Collage 8

PicMonkey Collage 7

Look at all of you!!!! If traditions hold, a few of you will still send pictures in today and that is ok. Send them to my email: journeythroughbooks@gmail.com and I will either update here or add another block in tomorrows post.

For myself, you will find me in the 5th block down, second row. Yes that is me holding a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – but not just an any copy. This is my son Justin’s book, off his book shelf. This is the copy he grew up with and loved so much that his Harry Potter books followed him to college and to his apartment after. My son and I both love all things Harry Potter and after his accident in April I have been unable to watch any of the movies or look at any of the books that we loved so much together. In fact, last Christmas he bought me the whole set with the new covers. Today I am reading this book, the one he so lovingly took care of all of these years. ♥ I think it is a great book to start off my new year and honor him.

The link below is where you can link your own posts about your first book choice and why. Be sure to link back here as well so others can see all of us around the world reading in 2016. A question I really need to add to the form next year is where everyone is from… I know for sure Australia is represented and Hawaii.

When commenting below please share where you live and what are you reading for your first book in 2016. Happy New Year.

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The Books of 2015

Published on December 30, 2015December 30, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

2015. what a year.

One of my favorite anal-bookish things I love to do each year is keep track of my reading. I love to see the page count, the book count… I am a total dork when it comes to charts and all the bells and whistles. I love keeping track on Goodreads each year and setting goals… however I lost track of everything this year. I recall a big reading phase in late May and all of June just to keep my mind occupied… they were books with covers of cupcakes, and buildings, about friendships and businesses – safe books for me…. nothing deep but mind occupying. I can recall bits of plot lines, but can not remember titles or authors – I am almost sure I did not review them and have no idea where to begin so they are among the missing.

In all honesty I probably would not have even tried to see where I landed on Goodreads for this year if I had not popped on there a few days ago and seen a super cool page to all the books I had remembered to record this year. That love for lists and tracking sparked and I started to go through the ones I had not reviewed yet that I could recall. And managed to come up with somewhat of a worthy year of reading :

goodreads 2015 — click on image to go to report

I did not reach my goal that I set last year about this time, but I am surprised I was anywhere near it. I like to see the books that I rated high. I am not going to chat about them because honestly looking back they are all kind of blank to me (thank goodness for reviews!)

I do look forward to setting a goal for 2016. And on that subject, have you picked your first book of the new year yet? You can still join in the 2016 First Book Of The Year. Come on… you know your going to read a book….. 😉

Do you use Goodreads to track your books? Do you set reading goals?

Morning Meanderings…. Christmas After

Published on December 26, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

It is so crazy what sort of negative anticipation a day can bring.

I was not at all looking forward to this Christmas… the first one without my son Justin. We did not put up a tree. I did not cook. I did not purchase any gifts until December 24th when my husband and I went up town to find things for our son Brad who would be joining us for Christmas Day. Until that point I had avoided retail stores as I did not want to see the decorations or the happy people eagerly choosing the gift that would make their persons day.

I had been told, from those who has gone before me on this painful path that the anticipation of the “day/holiday” is usually much worse than the actual day. It is kind of hard to tell because I think by the time I reached Christmas Day I was numb. I did what I had to do because my son was here and we tried to carry on with a little normalcy. We watched TV and I gave Brad Justin’s IPAD knowing that I would never be able to use it myself and it would sit in storage until it was obsolete. We had to guess at Justin’s password and by using his password hints we were able to figure it out, clean out his personal notes and register it to Brad. We also logged him off of his Facebook which 8 months ago was unthinkable. As you can imagine it was a hard thing to do… but I know it was the right thing to do and Justin would have approved.

Al and Brad played cribbage on Justin’s cribbage board. Justin LOVED cribbage and Al and he would play for hours. It was sort of symbolic to use his board for the game. I felt as though he were including him.

In the late afternoon we drove to the Casino which honestly Justin would have thought was an awesome way to spend Christmas. We came up with that idea a few weeks ago as they have a seafood buffet. At the time of decision I kept saying “Oh, we are those people you feel bad for because they have no traditions on Christmas…” Once there, I seen my opinion on this was incorrect. The casino was packed but not filled with sad and lonely lost people as I had imagined but couples and friends hanging out and having a good time. Families were at the buffet and exchanging gifts and I had to change my attitude to maybe this was a nice way for families to enjoy a delicious meal and be together just as much as sitting at home around a tree.

Family traditions can be wherever you land.

I was wiped out by the time we came home around 8 pm. Being “on” all day and the constant knowing what is missing while you try to keep going forward is exhausting. I sat down and had a glass of wine out of a glass that Justin had made and hated that he was not here… and so glad I had climbed another milestone of firsts and made it through. Justin wanted me to be happy. I am trying kid… I am trying.

Thank you to those of you who sent me a Christmas card. That is so nice and I so appreciate your kind and encouraging words.

For those of you signed up to participate in 1st Book of the year, don’t forget to send me your picture! Looking forward to the post!

One Word….What Can A New Year Bring?

Published on December 17, 2015December 17, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)36 Comments

In 2013 I found a site that spoke of instead of having resolutions each year – choose a word. A life long lover of words… I LOVED this. I studied the list of words diligently trying to find the one that I wanted to represent me going into the new year and I came up with:

Embrace can have several meaning but the one I liked and wanted to follow was:

As I read that original post again this morning and this meaning that I just posted above, the tears run down my face. I could not have had any idea of what choosing this word would mean two years later… but there it is and I am thankful.

Last year, going into 2015 was a hectic time for me and I was ready for change. I did not even make a full post about my word but tossed it into a Looking Back/Looking Ahead post that also is difficult to read now. I had so much ambition… I was going to take 2015 by the horns and OWN it. My word, for 2015 was:

The meaning of this word is…

1. to rise or come forth from or as if from water or other liquid.

2. to come up or arise

3. to come into existence; develop

4. to rise, as from an inferior or unfortunate state or condition.

For me, this was my fresh start word… and by April. I thought I hated it.

When life changed for me forever, I looked at this word, which up until that point I wore on a necklace around my neck and thought “NO. This is not what I meant. I will never wear this again.”

And…

I took the word off of me.

In later April, I was given something that has a lot of meaning to me. It needed to go on a chain and as I looked through my choices of necklace chains my eyes stumbled on the chain that held my 2015 word… Emerge. The chain looked to be the right length and style. And quietly I knew…

Even in this. EVEN in this….

I must emerge.

I put the necklace back on. It has new meaning. A harder meaning. Not the energetic “Run with the bulls” attitude I came into 2015 with… but a more humbling one. I emerge. Daily. I rise… again. I put my head up, I wipe away my tears and I do this every day for my son. I emerge.

The necklace has gathered a few things this year. A couple of tags made for me by my friend Barb. The key I found when I was in Arizona, taking the trip over the dates that I would have been on with my son. The cross is from Honduras.

And so that is a L O N G introduction into the word for 2016. Here is the list but of course you can choose any word. I studied the list and looked up definitions and believe I am going with:

Definition….

Strength in the face of pain and grief

the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

moral strength to venture, persevere

I would love to have you do this with me. What is your word for 2016? How will you own it and why?

Dont Forget To Sign Up For First Book Of The Year!

Published on December 5, 2015January 1, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Yes it is that time of year to start thinking what you will be reading into the New Year! Click on the image to go to the sign up post. I hope you will join me.

This is a sticky post until December 30th. All new posts are below.

Morning Meanderings…and then there were four

Published on November 25, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

A week ago I posted about a book club sort of thing that my aunt and I have connected over. Basically it started as visiting and coffee but our conversation led to books and I have been feeding her books I think she will enjoy and I so enjoy talking with her about the books once she has read them.

I am so excited about this common connection over books. It made me realize that there are a lot of dormant readers out there that just need the right book and the right person to connect them to the book to awaken that love of reading. A few months ago I did not know my aunt used to be a reader. Now, she is one again.

Last Friday my Aunt invited me over for lunch. I knew she was also inviting a couple of the neighborhood ladies, one who was a very good friend of my mom’s (Helen),and an older lady (Jan) I had not met yet even though she is my neighbor and has lived in that house for almost two years.

While preparing for the lunch I grabbed a few books to share with my Aunt. We had recently talked on the phone and I had told her my love for the book Delancey. I also talked to her about the book ROOM and how it was about to become a movie. I had two copies of ROOM so I grabbed them both in case Helen would like to read it as well.

After lunch I pulled out the books that I brought and much to my surprise, both Helen and Jan were chatting books as well. Helen took the additional copy of ROOM as well as Gone Girl which my Aunt had just finished. Jan showed an interest in the book Winter Street and I talked to her about what she liked to read.

I told them all about the post I had written about the book club of two and how exciting it was to have people in our neighborhood to talk books with. We joked about how the book club had now become four.

I believe the biggest kick I am getting out of this is that how easy it was to connect to others through books. I guess I should not be surprised- isn’t that what we all do here?

I mentioned before as I process through this I have something in the planning that I am still thinking through bit for now, I extend a small challenge to you. As you go about the holiday weekend, where ever you go – or whoever you see… I challenge you to bring along a book that you love and share with someone that book. Even if (especially if) they are not big readers. I would love to hear what happens.