Book Stuff – Page 90 – Book Journey

Morning Meanderings….

Published on July 10, 2009July 10, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

Good morning! I am off and running this morning with a list of “to do’s” and then I will be back this afternoon to post the winner of last weeks Freebie Friday (that means you still have time to sign up!) and put up the new contest. Make a memo to stop back later today…

In the meantime, as me and the coffee cup traveled this morning I found this little treasure at Books, Movies, and Chinese Food: Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh. The review made me laugh, and I really like Deborah’s blog. It’s clean looking and fun! Take some time today to stop by Book’s Movies, and Chinese Food and tell her hi as well as check out this great read. I might just hit the book store and pick this up before I come home.

(Thank you to Mike at A Few Minutes With Michael who is working on a Morning Meanderings meme for me! This is the first draft… he is still tweaking a bit but couldn’t wait to use it!)

Humane Award (x2)

Published on July 9, 2009July 18, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

When my husband’s birthday comes around in September, he likes to claim it not only the day of his birthday, but as his “birthday week”. (Pause for a sigh here).

Honestly, after today, I think I finally understand. My Blogoversary was yesterday, but well wishes have still come in today and I have met so many new people and been introduced to many more great blogs. I am kind of thinking I am having a Blogoversary week. 🙂

So – that being said, a thank you to J. Kaye’s Book Blog for presenting me with my 2nd Humane Award!

The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. This award is to thank them for their growing friendships through the blog world.

Thank you so much J.Kaye! This is really nice! In a few days I will pay it forward.

Blogoversary Recovery and Winners!

Published on July 9, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Wow. If you stopped by yesterday and celebrated my two year blogoversary with me – thank you. It was so much more than I had imagined. I met new people, I am thankful for those who I am already getting to know.

Thank you to Michael at A few Minutes With Michael who is making me a button for my blog. What a great gift! Thank you to Never Not Reading who graciously posted on her blog the “balloon post” for this event as well as Loving Heart Designs. Thank you also to Miss Remmers’ Review for posting my review of The Book Thief in order to try to draw Young Adults (YA) towards books they may enjoy.

It has been a very good day.

So as I pick up the falling down streamers and cake frosting off the wall (Laurel? Was that you? ) I have to just breathe a big happy sigh. That was a great party.

Our winners of the package drawings as as follows (I use Random.org to choose the winning comment numbers):

Congratulations to Raidergirl at An Adventure in Reading

Congratulations to: Anna at Diary of an Eccentric!!!

Congratulations to Kerri!!!

Congratulations to Roseanne!!!

CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!

Emails have gone out to each of you please. Please email back with your mailing address as soon as possible so I may get these in the mail to you. Emails not responded to by Monday will result in my having to draw another name.

Be sure and check out all the action going on today in the below posts. I have new reviews to post today. That’s right… while you all partied at my place yesterday, I was in the corner curled up with a good book. ; ) LOL

What’s on Your Desk Wednesday

Published on July 9, 2009July 9, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

Yes…. I am well aware that it is Thursday. “Sheesh!” However – in my defense (who I really hope is a good looking John Grisham type Lawyer) I was busy with the Blogoversary Party yesterday and just could not participate even as much as I really really wanted to! Hosting a party is a lot of work! 😉

I was honored to be chosen to do this by OKBO Lover and here is how this works:

What’s On Your Desk Wednesday? is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Sassy Brit of Alternative-Read.com .

Here are the rules:

You can do one of two things or both.

1. Grab a camera and take a photo of your desk, or anywhere you stack your books/TBR pile. And no tidying! Add this photo to your blog. Tag at least 5 people, and then return to Sassy Brit’s blog and leave a link back to your photo in the Mr. Linky.

2. List at least 5 BOOKISH things on your desk. List at least 5 NON BOOK things. Tag at least 5 people to do the same. Return to Sassy Brit’s blog and leave your link, so everybody can come and visit your blog.

Here’s my desktop:

Second half of this was to list 5 “Bookish” things in the pic… well, (1)the red book under the post its and pen is my reading agenda where I log when books come in, what tours and reviews I have signed up for, etc… (2) my reading glasses, (3) under the glasses is my current read, Pride and Prejudice, (4) to the right of my computer, under my cell phone, is the pile of reviews I am working on, and (5) the computer is on my blog page.
5 “Non Bookish” things in the pic would be: (1) The coffee… book or no book, there must be coffee, (2) cell phone, (3) in the back there is gum on top of the “pile”, (4) the “pile” is papers for our business, and (5) the lone white piece of paper in the back right is a recent resume that came in.

As I am a day late on this, I will not post the fab 5 that I am choosing to do this until next Wednesday.

Welcome to the Blogoversary Party!!!

Published on July 8, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)82 Comments

I am so glad you were able to come! Grab a party hat and join in the festivities! This party after all is to celebrate you – the ones who come and read my rambling on about books, book events, authors and such. Thank you! I have so much fun just hanging out with you!

Starting now you are welcome to join in the 24 hour Giveaway! I have 4 giveaway sets that by leaving a comment on this blog you will be eligible for. US and Canada only please and no PO numbers. Please be sure that I have a way to contact you if you are a winner! I will announce winners on Thursday and send your package out yet this week.

So ready to see what you can win? I am so glad you asked!

Package #1 (Grand Prize) Consists of: In honor of this movie release; My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult, Dandelions in a Jelly Jar by Traci Depree, and The Necklace (read through once) by Cheryl Jarvis. Also included is chocolates from the Chocolate Ox In Nisswa Mn, and a cool magnetic book mark from Rainy Day Books, also in Nisswa. Colored post its to make notes in your books without making notes in your books, coffee from my time in Honduras this past February, and a copy of our recent church cook book.

Package #2 consists of: In honor of this movie release; My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult, in honor of the Jane Austen Challenge going on right now; a copy of Emma by Jane Austen, chocolates from the Chocolate Ox in Nisswa Mn, the super cool magnetic book mark from Rainy Day Books in Nisswa, Crumb Cake Gourmet Coffee from Bookworld in Baxter, Mn, and the colored post its to make notes in your books without making notes in your books. 🙂 (*Note: Emma is from The Rainy Day Book Store)

Package #3 consists of: In honor of this movie release; My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult, The Bronte Project by Jennifer Vandever, chocolates from The Chocolate Ox in Nisswa MN, fun seasonal book plates from Rainy Day Books also in Nisswa, yummy Heavenly Carmel Gourmet Coffee from Bookworld in Baxter Minnesota, and the color post its to make notes in your books without making notes in your books. (*Note that the book The Bronte Project is also from Bookworld in Baxter Minnesota).

Package #4: A fun read, Doing Good by Pamela Morsi, and (not pictured) a copy of our recent church cook book (see a pic of it in package #1), the always amazing chocolates from The Chocolate Ox in Nisswa Minnesota, Almond Toffee Gourmet Coffee from Bookworld in Baxter Mn, and (say it with me now….) the colorful post its for marking in your books without marking in your books!

You may notice by the Blogoversary widget that I am no where near my Blogoversary date…. but this is not my original blog… see here for the story and a link to my very first post! Click here

Have fun everyone!

Special thanks to the great Chocolate Ox in Nisswa as well as the super friendly staff at Rainy Day Books. Thank you also to the great assistance of the ladies working at Bookworld this past Tuesday afternoon as we chatted about local authors and book reviewing.

Morning Meanderings…

Published on July 7, 2009July 10, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

This morning the coffee cup and I checked out a few book blogs and actually found our way into a new blog site that was kind of exciting. I think the energy from the blog took the sleep out of my eyes and so this morning, I do not have a book to bring to your attention, but a welcome to You 2.0 Blog!

Grab your morning beverage, green tea with honey, is blog owner and author Kay Cassidy’s choice and stop over and welcome Kay and her great looking blog! Looks like there are lots of contests going on and a lot of fun planned at You 2.0.

♥♥ Don’t forget you are invited to my Blogoversary Party here tomorrow – all day Wednesday, only on Wednesday. Big giveaway in honor of you, those who come and visit me. See party invite here: Blogoversary Party

Morning Meanderings…..

Published on July 6, 2009July 6, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment

Another great morning here in Minnesota. I actually really enjoy Mondays, they are pretty laid back for me… almost an extension of the weekend…

This morning as I traveled around visiting a few blogs with my steaming hot cup of coffee, I wandered over to a blog I really enjoy staying caught up on, Drey’s Library. This morning she put up a review for A Worthy Legacy by Tomi Akinyanmi. The book has caught my eye before but this mornings review sealed the deal for me. It goes under my wish list tab.

Enjoy your morning everyone and please take a moment to visit at Drey’s Library.

Sundown Sunday – Mail Review

Published on July 6, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

It was a great mail week! Nothing to overloading but enough to get me excited about the upcoming reads:

Beneath a Marble Sky and Nothing But Ghosts were my “splurge” purchases on Amazon. I already read Nothing but Ghosts over the weekend and have reviewed it as a lovely read.

Off Season is my review copy of a current giveaway I have going on for 5 lucky winners. Be sure to check out this giveaway! I am excited to dive into the book!

Blue Like Play Dough will be a fun read and is part of a book tour for later this month. I also received a giveaway copy for this tour so keep an eye out for your chance to win!

The Crimes of Paris is a hard cover mystery that will join my TBR pile and I look forward to a dark stormy summer evening with lots of popcorn for this read.

Over all, my week went pretty great thanks to a long weekend with no plans except to enjoy the weather. I was able to read and review three books this weekend as well as watch the first movie in my Jane Austen Challenge, Pride and Prejudice.

The week ahead I will be starting on a few new reads in my TBR pile as well as having started tonight to actually read Pride and Prejudice. I know, a moment of silence please. 🙂

The biggest excitement for this week is the Blogoversary Party I am having right here on Wednesday with a great giveaway. Please plan on stopping back as the giveaway is for Wednesday only – a one day event!!! See all the details here at Blogoversary Party.

You are Invited to my Blogoversary Party!

Published on July 5, 2009July 6, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

First things first…. if you look at my Blogoversary countdown you may be confused…. we are no where near by blogoversary date! HOWEVER – this Wednesday is my Blogoversary, as it is the date I started blogging on my original blog, Straight On Through. What is fun about this is that the book blog was actually an after thought almost a year later, and it was more for me… to keep track of what I have read. Interestingly enough, my very first real post (other than the “Here we Go” post) on Straight on Through… was about books: see the first post here

(OH….. FYI: I f I would have known when I started this blog where it would go, I would have never made the title so long…. LOL)

What is exciting about all this is that this blog is now where I spend most of my time and I can not believe it took me so long to get going on it. I am actually fairly new to the reviewing for authors and publishers but loving every minute of it so it only makes sense that the celebration will take place here on One Persons’s Journey Through a World of Books.

At this party – you are the special guests. After all, you are who make my blog what it is. I love the friendships I have built with other bloggers, and with people all over the country who stop in to see the reviews, the giveaways or just the insanity of my day to day life. I want to honor you.

So here is what you need to know – I am hosting a HUGE Giveaway package on Wednesday the Blogoversary date. Important to know – this giveaway will only take place during the 24 hours on my actual Blogoversary. I will put the giveaway up at midnight (or 12:01 a.m.) central time on Wednesday, you have from then, 24 hours to stop on it and sign up for the giveaway. That’s it. Easy enough. I hope you can come. Please feel free to invite your friends, the more the merrier.

Thank you for all your past comments and future ones. I love reading every one of them and love visiting other blogs to see what they are reading and doing as well.

Morning Meanderings…

Published on July 1, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

I slept funny and have a now two day pinch in my back…. good grief what is that? Am I old enough for back pain??? So this morning I woke up a little later than usual, and spent a little more time than I should have reading emails and lally gagging around the blogesphere….

My stop today took me a review that just read to me like a casual heartfelt book. I was at Girls Just Reading, and found this little treasure posted by Lisa: The Forgotten Garden. I instantly was drawn to the book. I encourage you to stop by and see this review and a beautifully done blog.

And now…. I quote the rabbit in Alice and Wonderland….

I’m late, I’m late for
A very important date.
No time to say hello, good-bye,
I’m late, I’m late, I’m late
I’m late and when I wave,
I lose the time I save.
My fuzzy ears and whiskers
Took me too much time to shave.
I run and then I hop, hop, hop,
I wish that I could fly.
There’s danger if I dare to
Stop and here’s a reason why:
I’m over-due, I’m in a rabbit stew.
Can’t even say good-bye,
hello, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late.