Category: Book Stuff

Ever have one of those mornings that you meander no further than your email box?  I just did….  woke up and prepped for my day out the door 30 minutes later with Chance to school and now I am in the office using the 15 minutes I have before I officially “go to work”.

So with Coffee Cup now in hand… I have opened my email to discover this list of the current New York Times top 10 List.  What a great list!  I really want to read The Lost Symbol (currently #1!),

The Last Song by Sparks (#2) I would like to read – but it is not a must read for me.

#3 I am really excited about – The Help is going to be our first online book club read and is currently waiting on my shelf!  (Still time to join in on this group read!)

#4… I actually prefer the movies in this case to the actual Alex Cross books by Patterson….

#5- I have never read Pat Conroy or #6 Clive Cussler

#7… I covet.  It’s true.  I have entered contests for this book and have not won…. I will have this book!  🙂  I must read this book!

#8  Charlaine Harris is an author I want to read as I have heard so much about these books – but as of this date, I have not read her.

#9 I have heard a bit about by reading blogs… not sure if it is a fit for me or not

and #10… I don’t think I have heard of this one.

How about you?  Any must reads or have read on this list?  Any other books that should be on this list?

	“The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown Read more “The Last Song” by Nicholas Sparks Read more “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett Read more “Alex Cross’s TRIAL” by James Patterson Read more “South of Broad” by Pat Conroy Read more “Spartan Gold” by Clive Cussler Read more “The White Queen” by Philippa Gregory Read more “Dead and Gone” by Charlaine Harris Read more “The Girl Who Played with Fire” by Stieg Larsson Read more “A Gate at the Stairs” by Lorrie Moore Read more

We are back and I think I am rested and ready to get back on track.  Sunday morning we left to join my cousin and his wife and baby at the Vikings Game.  Al, Chance, and I had never been to a Vikings game before so jumped to say “yes” when it was offered.  I am not a football fan but it is always different when you are actually there and I thought maybe... just maybe… this could be the event that changes my heart.

I loved the atmosphere – we had great seats to a sold out event.  Over 60,300 people is what they announced. If you are a football fan you may have already heard about this game.  12 seconds left and the Vikings are down by by 4 points.  Vikings fans are walking out of the game and I am thinking what that must feel like to the players…  the fans already taking a defeat that has not been been established yet.  Then….  Favre throws the winning touchdown that is complete with 2 seconds on the clock!  2 seconds!  The crowd goes wild and I am thinking about those people who left early who are now half way to their cars…  and their friends who knew they went to the game calling them and saying “WOW!!!!  So cool that you were there for that amazing play!  I am so jealous!”

and they didn’t even see it….

Oh…. my…. I sound like a football fan.  🙂

My pics:

I’ll be back later today….  have to get in my Its Monday… what am I Reading post and a review.  🙂

Saturday!

I am actually blogging from bed!  No huge commitments today and as I look out the window it is a dreary fall day here in central Minnesota.  I am having visions of making sloppy jo’s for lunch for Al and Chance and in a weird fall mood that I think includes baking pumpkin bars or some fall treat like that.  I am anticipating that delicious scent in the house.

This morning, Coffee Cup and I have been on Book Blogs on the forums which I hardly ever have time to do any more – yet hope I can get back on there.  I love to help new bloggers with their questions and have been assisting one with her blog.

The BIG plan today is to finish up the housekeeping project which mainly now is the giveaways.  I have some to close up – and a couple new ones to add.  Oh, and I am helping Chance today start a blog and write his first review.  That should be fun too!

Tomorrow Al, I, and Chance have been invited to go to the Vikings Game by my cousin.  We will leave here around 7:30 am to get there by 11 am to hopefully get field tickets for Chance.  This should be a blast and you know there will be pictures!

I have mentioned before how while morning blog hopping a blog can lead to a blog that leads to yet another blog….  (don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean…LOL)

A few days ago I was popping in to see a few of my favs and I was over at a A Few Minutes With Michael catching up on what is going on in his life when I linked to another blog from a post on his.  The blog is called Serendipity.  I think it was partly the  layout…. part header (what a great header)… and most definitely the book review that popped up on top…. but I was suddenly amazed that I had not seen this blog before.

The review that I seen was for a book I had never heard of, Flyte by Angie Sage.  It has YA Fantasy all over it and while this is a pretty new genre for me… I seen to have recently embraced a few books that have come my way that have fallen in this category (Bran Hambric for one…) .  I red her review to discover this wasnt even the first book in this series.  It is actually book two and she links to the review of the first one which again… I suddenly felt that all to familiar feeling that this was a must read for me.

I highly encourage you to take a minute or two today to go see Vivienne’s blog Serendipity.  I have been back to her blog several times over the past few days and see other book and reviews that I have enjoyed.

I was so excited to get this post up this morning before I took off for my new morning routine of “delivery person” to the school that I totally left Coffee Cup out of this post today…. in fact – even out of my hand as I am up and typing and then off to get ready – all pre coffee.  Amazing!  I am totally caffeine free and typing…..  it is a miracle!  LOL

Morning all.  I have Coffee Cup in hand so this is a safe zone for all to enter.  The crabbiness has passed.  🙂  Justin (college son) is coming back for the weekend so we are doing dinner tonight!  YAY!!!  I don’t know if I am cooking or if we are going out – but it is just great to have him here for a bit!

I should be finished with The Sister Pact today and I was up late last night as it was driving right into a huge last 40 pages or so climax and ….

I just couldn’t keep my eyes open.

How sad is that?  The book is great and it had nothing to do with the book – I was just so tired.

So – review should be up this afternoon or tonight as well as the Carpet Boy review.

Chance is reading The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein and has shown an interest in reviewing it  (pause for huge smile on my face here!).

I will help him with that when he is done with the book – either a review here or I will help him start him own review spot on wordpress.

Have to run and get Chance to school and me to work…. Lots more to say… even a great new blog I discovered – but I will have to save the suspense for later…

Oh and yes, there will be Word verification Balderdash…. oh yes, my friends – there will be balderdash later.  🙂

Seven school days now since Chance has been with us and still no school bus option.

“Hrumph” (or whatever Grumpy from Snow White would say in this situation…)

It is not that it is so bad – except the delivery of said 14 year old to school each day by 8 am seriously cuts into the meandering time…. especially since said 14 year old loves to chat at night when it is usually my reading alone time.  I sound like a spoiled blogger…. LOL

So this morning I am whipping out a quick message and even Coffee Cup is a bit annoyed with me as I hurry to get ready for my day – drop Chance at School, get to the office, work on payroll, hair appointment at 1:30, pick up Chance at 3:15 and Group Power at 4:15.  Depends on the weather if I will get to bike tonight with the Brainerd Group or not.  Probably depends a bit on me working on the ‘tude as well.  🙂

Anyway – I have a review coming up late today – possibly two if I can finish the wonderful book I am reading, The Sister Pact.

Have a wonderful morning everyone…… 🙂

It is the first day of fall and I finally have a chance to get on line….  it has been a busy morning and now in my office I can crank out a little bit of “Sheilaism.”  Coffee Cup and I have not made it to any blog stops this morning and that is a bit annoying as I love to start my mornings with visits.

However – never fear…. I do have something to chat about this morning so fill up your cup and pull up a chair.

I am so into books that have to do with other countries, and cultures… Dragon House by John Shors, Jantsen’s Gift by Pam Cope,Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin and so many more.  The post I put up last night in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (and giveaway!) has generated comments with other great book suggestions that I will want to take a look at as well.

So today I want to mention the books that is currently making its way through the blogesphere – Oprah’s latest book club pick, Say You’re One Of  Them by Uwen Akpan.

On Friday, September 18, 2009, Oprah revealed the 63rd Oprah’s Book Club pick Say You’re One of Them by author Uwem Akpan. Her selection of Akpan’s debut collection marks the first time Winfrey has ever chosen a book of short stories. She said, “These stories left me stunned and profoundly moved.”

Told in five separate stories, each from the perspective of an African child protagonist, Say You’re One of Them vividly captures the resilience of children in the face of unimaginable devastation. Published in 2008, this compelling unforgettable work depicts Africa in its glory and grace as well as its horror and pain.

Author Uwem Akpan was born in Ikot Akpan Eda in southern Nigeria. After studying philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities, he studied theology for three years at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 2003 and received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan in 2006. “My Parents’ Bedroom,” a story from his short story collection, Say You’re One of Them, was one of five short stories by African writers chosen as finalists for The Caine Prize for African Writing 2007.

Say You’re One of Them won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book (Africa Region) 2009 and PEN/Beyond Margins Award 2009 and was finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction.  In 2007, Akpan taught at a Jesuit college in Harare, Zimbabwe. Now he serves at Christ the King Church, Ilasamaja-Lagos, Nigeria.

I am not one who follows what Oprah picks, but this book caught my attention and has held on.  I think for me this is a read I will have to pursue… and coffee cup and I are on our way to do that right now.

Have you seen any books lately that are calling  you?