Happy Christmas everyone. May your day be filled with good family and friends. And if there is a chance to spend a little time with a book…
all the better. 🙂
Merry Christmas.
Category: Book Stuff
Morning Meaderings… Book Reviewers, Do You Ever Forget To Review A Book?
Good morning fellow book lovers! I can’t tell you how good I feel. But – of course I will try…. 😀
After the craziness and business of life recently I have reached a week of four days in a row – YES! Four Days in a row that I have no commitments after work. A moment of silence please for my sanity 🙂 WOO HOO!!! This means that I can:
Christmas shop at my leisure
Go to the grocery store without feeling rushed
catch up on reviews, memes, things I wanted to check out
READ.
😛
So…. this morning I was putting the finishing touches on a review of Round House that I wrote for the her Voice Magazine. I also wanted to send in my review of Insurgent by Veronica Roth as it was placed in the best of 2012 by Goodreads. So I do a search for my Insurgent review. AND I search. I find it in my Monday What Are You Reading post as a “to be read”, I find it in another morning post on my deck while I was reading it. But alas – no review. 😯 Seriously, I forgot to review it.
Please, please tell me that has happened to you.
In other not so craziness, this morning I started listening to 14 by Peter Clines and I am thrilled. Sometimes audio takes a while for me to get in the rhythm of the read, but this one started out with a real good vibe, I liked the narration right away, and the story line and I literally had a smile on my face this morning as I listened.
So that’s my morning meandering. Hope all is going smoothly in this week before Christmas for you.
Oh, and if you are a reviewer – and you have forgotten to review a book… please share. I could use the “OOPS!” Company. 😀
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Welcome to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited. **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.
Last weeks winner: Lori from Escape With Dollycas (Woo hoo!!!)
Congratulations! Please choose a book or bookish item from the Reading Cafe!
Looking back over this past week I am thrilled to see I actually posted something. Here is what happened here this past week:
Forgotten Road by Randall Arthur (WOW!)
One Second After by William Forstchen (another WOW!)
Books To Movies… “Heck Yeah! or Hell’s No!!!” What do you think?
It has been a busy BUSY week but here it is Sunday evening (here) and I have a nice quiet week ahead. No commitments on any evenings this week until Friday when we have a Christmas party to go to. I can not even tell you how happy that makes me. When I get so overly busy I just DRAIN all my energy and I have felt drained.
Books of course, are on the agenda… and I am so excited about getting into BOOKS!
Hannah Smith, the latest in several generations of strong, no-nonsense Florida women who live life on their own terms. Hannah, who has inherited a PI agency from her uncle, feels her ancestors’ rugged individualism in her bones but has been unable to let it rise to the surface—until she agrees to help a fishing client by searching for his missing niece. The case gives her the chance she needs to find her game, tracking and ultimately confronting a sociopath who specializes in seducing rich, timid women and divesting them of their fortunes before tossing them aside, dead or barely living. Hannah, a perplexing mix of timidity and strength, must confront multiple personal demons in the course of the tale, and she does so with grace and savvy. With its Gulf Coast setting and watery landscape, this is less a new series for White than it is the introduction of a new character to Doc Ford’s world, but that’s all good for the author’s fans, who will welcome another seaworthy star, whether she works solo or in tandem with Ford.
When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to follow the wind that blows her back to Lansquenet, the beautiful French village in which eight years ago she opened a chocolate shop and first learned the meaning of home.
But returning to one’s past can be a dangerous pursuit. Vianne, with her daughters, Anouk and Rosette, finds Lansquenet changed in unexpected ways: women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea – and there, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church, a minaret. Most surprising of all, her old nemesis, Father Francis Reynaud, desperately needs her help.
Can Vianne work her magic once again?
Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.
There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends. Or the end of everything….
I am excited to get started on these stories. SO what are you reading this week between the hustle and bustle of the Holidays? I look forward to seeing what you are reading and what I will be adding to my reading in the upcoming weeks. 😀
Please add your What Are You Reading post below where it says “click here”. I think I actually have some to visit this week and I an sooooo excited!
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
For those of you who review mainly Middle Grade (MG) and/or Young Adult (YA) reads, please also add your link to this meme as well:
Morning Meanderings… A Prequel and a Sequel….what are your thoughts about THIS
Good morning. How ya’ all doing?
This morning while flipping through emails and Facebook and I don’t know where I was when I seen it, but somewhere out there lost in the Internet world I discovered that Disney has decided that Alice is going back to Wonderland and is indeed going to film a sequel.
*Pause here for dramatic effect*
Tim Burton put Wonderland back on the map in 2010 with his Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska combo and if I may add, an awesome Red Queen by Helena Bonham Carter.
BUT… while the film grossed in the 11th place of all time profitable movies, where would it go from where it left off? At this time there is no word of who will be starring – will it be the same cast, or all new? Or is Disney setting itself up for an epic fail? While I personally enjoyed the movie, I didn’t LOVE LOVE it.
And then… lets not forget that The Great And Powerful OZ is coming out in 2013, this one I am excited about! And while Oz and The Red Queen are two different characters and two different stories entirely, I have to wonder if Disney is hoping that the trip to Wonderland will be as powerful as the trip they are taking down the yellow brick road. …
Personally (my gosh I am chatty this morning!) I would like to see a prequel to Wonderland and by that I am thinking something along the lines of what author Gregory Maquire did for Wicked. Brilliant… really brilliant.
So what are your thoughts on the sequel/prequels? Do you enjoy them or do you prefer things left as is in their original written form?
As a Book Lover, Are Books On Your Christmas/Wish List?
It’s that time of year, even though Minnesota is just starting to get t the snow part which as much as I hate snow, it does make it feel more like the season. SO looking out the window at the lawn, it makes it a little hard to believe that in about two weeks it will be Christmas.
I think it is always funny when friends/family say “I know you love to read but you have so many books that I would never get you a book.”
What they are missing is I love getting books for any occasion.
A book from a friend to me means it is something they think I will enjoy. I love the meaning behind that. They are sharing an adventure within the pages and if they have already read it and want to share that adventure with me, even better. How many gifts out there really come in a nice square (EASY to wrap!) package that is not only lovely to hold… but to go inside, and meet …
people!
places!
things!
That is so exciting to me!
To let me friends and family know the books I hope to experience, I keep an Amazon wish list. I find it easy to use, quick to add new books to, and it makes an easy way for others to pick out something they know I would love.
My questions to you is that as fellow book lovers (HIGH FIVE!) Are books on your wish list? Do you receive books from friends and family as gifts? How do you communicate to them what you would enjoy reading?
Morning Meanderings… Gone For The Weekend
Good morning and happy weekend! *doing a little dance with Coffee Cup*! I am doing a quick check in here as I am leaving for the cabin in about ummmm….. 20 minutes here for the weekend. My friend Laura and I will be working on some craft projects before Christmas and hopefully a little reading too. 😀
Have an awesome weekend, I am putting up the WHERE Are You Reading Challenge today, I hope you consider signing up – it really is a lot of fun.
Morning Meanderings… Audio In Da House Baby!
Good morning! I am a little wired. (COFFEE!!!!) and a little tired… which in reality is probably stimulating the wired. Yesterday… two audio books came int o my home and I am so THRILLED! Mainly because my house was empty of all audio cds that I had not yet listened to. Sure, the IPOD is still full of good audio – but my kitchen cd player and my car… empty.
Trust me… that is so weird.
Yesterday arrived two audio books I had ordered from Amazons Black Friday sale, one of them was Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. I had read the books a few years ago and thought the audio might be fun. When I put it in the cd player yesterday I wondered if it was really wanted I wanted to listen to right now, a YA about wolves…. and then I heard the words that sold me.
The book is set in Minnesota. I seriously smiled when I remembered that.
“Why is that a big deal Sheila? Why? Why?” (Told you I was wired!)
Well, it is a big deal because I have been working the last couple weeks on updating my WHERE Are You Reading Challenge and I was saddened to see that I had not read anything in my home state of Minnesota this year.
Now – I have fixed that. Let the wolves rule the woods of Minnesota! 😛
So I can not present to you my updated and current WHERE Are You Reading Challenge. I will be posting the new 2013 sign up hopefully yet this week as I LOVE this challenge! You can see here the books I have read and where, and you can see my map here (which is super cool!)
I have to get moving this morning but hope your day is FAB! If you have been working on the WHERE Are You Reading Challenge with me this past year, I would love to hear how you have done! (If you have or havent, I would love for you to consider signing up for 2013) 😛
The Bremer Library and Literacy Leadership Institute (and me)
Last week I was thrilled to be a part of the initiative for this new program to build the strength and integrity of libraries and literacy programs throughout the state of Minnesota. 6 libraries and 6 Literacy partnership agencies were chosen to partake in this institute. 3 people were sent from each area, I represented the Brainerd Library along with the Librarian and another Library employee.
The institute was this past Thursday and Friday. It involves another weekend in November, an assessment in January, and a wrap up in May of 2013. To be a part of the Institute you have to be available each step of the way.
Our common goal?
“The foundation funding of $388,540 will support an initiative to strengthen the leadership of rural libraries and literacy organizations in order to enhance the service these organizations provide to their communities. The initiative will offer training sessions to small cohorts of library and literacy leaders on critical aspects of running a rural library or literacy organization, from budgeting and board development to strategic planning and cultural competency.”
Our first day we spent going over our strengths as individuals. We all had taken the Strength Finders test as past of this group (I reviewed this book a while back and if you have never took the test I highly recommend it – it is enlightening – the code to take the test is sealed in the back on of the book). They then explained the strengths and how they work together with those in our own groups, as well as with other in the Institute. I had taken this test over a year ago for work and it was fun to do it again and see how my strengths lined up this second time:
My current top 5 are:
Strategic: (Talent driven, these people are innovative, inventive, original, and resourceful.
Arranger: (someone who can take the role of team leader or team player as needed, arranging ideas in a creative way people with these strengths tend to come up with more ideas for brainstorming)
Maximizer: (someone who sees something good, and has the skills and ambition to make it even better. By nature these people enjoy taking full advantage of their talents, enjoy playing games for fun.)
Adaptability: (A free spirit who is seldom thrown off task by unexpected events and comments. Instead you react to things as they occur. You are quite comfortable at letting the future unfold at its own pace. You do better if you are free to respond to demands as they arise. Understandably you dislike being forced to follow someone else’s plan of action.
Empathy: (You are aware of the fluctuating moods of individuals. You can adjust your responses by how the persons mood is set. You may be known as a giver, not a taker. You sense when someone could use assistance.
It really is quite fun!
That evening we had a dinner where they sat us together by our top strengths. I was with a table of Strategic people and we had questions we would answer as table discussion. It was interesting to get to know the other participants.
On Friday we switched gears and had discussion on raising money which normally is not something I enjoy but a particular discussion had me taking notes like crazy, talking to people afterwards for more information, lining up a phone meeting and well… I dont want to say too much right now but I hopeful that I am on to something that could be rather exciting and raise funds next year for our Library and Literacy programs locally.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
😀
As Friday went on we had the lunch speaker, author Kao Kaila Yang who I wrote about on Saturday. Later in the day we spent time discussing goals with our assigned mentors who will be guiding up through this seven month process.
I really enjoyed my time working with this institute and learning more about our local Library and how it functions as well as the literacy obstacles we need to overcome as a state (funding cuts in schools, etc…) It really is an honor to be a part of this and I will keep you informed each step of the way.
Here is some more information on what we are doing.
Sunday Check List, MONSTER Dash, and A WHOLE LOT OF Fun Books!
Good Morning. 😀 For a while now I have been wanting to put my own twist on a Sunday post. I like the Sunday Salon, but wanted to implement another cool thing I have seen occasionally around the blogs and that is when people kind of check list what they have going on in different areas of their life. Today I am going to give it a test run and see how it goes.
Today….
I am reading The Late Homecomer by Kao Kalia Yang
I am listening to I, Steve Jobs (IPOD), Late Late at Night by Rick Springfield (kitchen CD player), Child 44 (car)
I am hoping today…. I can finish a book, write a couple of reviews, visit some blogs
I am working on… getting ready to go to Florida later this week
I am looking forward to… Florida and hanging out with both of my boys!
I need to… prep some books for mailing, laundry, return some items around town
I want to… watch a movie tonight with popcorn and a warm blanket
I am watching… a light snow fall
The books that entered the doors this week are:
All are review books except Lord Of The Flies is a win from Banned Book Week and fall to grace was a book I bought after a raving recommendation by a friend.
For those of you who know that I did the Monster Dash yesterday morning (and if you didn’t you do now! :razz:), it was cool out but wasn’t cold until I stopped running then I got COLD fast! My friend Amy (AKA Wonder Woman) was a trooper and waited for me when I had to make an unplanned bathroom stop at an Assisted Living Home on route as I was not sure I would make it the whole way. GAH. I will post more picks of this event next weekend for Saturday snapshot but for one of us in action:
So that’s my morning post. Hope your Sunday is wonderful. Are you doing anything fun?
Sometimes A Book Comes Along That Makes You Drop Everything Else You Are Reading
For the last two days I have been a part of a Rural Library and Literacy Leadership Institute that is embarking on a seven month journey together. This was our first meeting together and I was thrilled to be a part of it, representing along with two others, the Brainerd Minnesota Public Library. I will write more later about what we are doing as a group, but this morning I wanted to share one happening from yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon when we broke away for lunch our lunch time speaker was Kao Kalia Yang. She is a Minnesota author that not only overcame great hurdles to learn English, but wrote a book, The Late Homecomber that has won two awards. I am sad to say that prior to this encounter yesterday I was unfamiliar with Kao or her book.
When we walked to our seats where we would be dining I was excited to see that we each had a copy of the book waiting on our chair. I whispered to my teammates that I loved events where books were given out! As we started our salads, this petite 31-year-old woman took the microphone and I wish (WISH WISH WISH!) that I had recorded what she had to say, but wasn’t sure if that was the polite thing to do and she spoke so elegantly, so passionately that I am not sure I could have held my phone up anyway.
I found this speech of hers on You Tube, don’t be frightened by its length, if you can listen even to the first 4 minutes of it you will get why I was so impressed on.
When Kao spoke yesterday I was so impressed by the passions she carried for her book. I have heard other authors speak about hardships in their memoirs and it is like after talking about it so much they lose the power of the words they speak of – does that make sense? Its like when they talk, it is so longer themselves they are speaking of but some other person. This is not the case with Kao. When she read from her book with such genuine emotion I knew I had to read her book… and read it this weekend.
SO this morning I will be putting on a wedding dress and zombie make up and participating in the Crosslake Monster Dash, but this afternoon… I will be reading The Late Homecomber and if it is as good as I think it is going to be…. look out Bookies Book Club I will be plugging this to you as well. 😀
Book Journey 