Meanderings – Page 49

Morning Meanderings… And The Banned Played On

Published on September 19, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Good morning! Thursday of the Banned Book Week event already and time has just flown by. I wish I could have been more active myself this year in this event but life just did not slow down this time around. Thankfully a whole lot of other awesome bloggers joined in and said that they would be talking up banned books this week.

Heather at Based On A True Story reviews The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Heather shares a great story about the actual banning of this book so be sure to pop over there and check out a great post and a really good book!

Tracy at Pen and Paper comes through with a second post this week on a harder look at banned books and sex scenes in YA books.

Kendal from Kinx’s Book Nook wrote an awesome post on Fahrenheit 451 with a giveaway! If you have not read this smoking book – you need to. I enjoyed it on audio for banned book week a couple of years ago and loved it!

Charlie at Fur Earwig has a fun blog (I was trapped for awhile looking around at some fun pictures). Charlie takes a closer look at the banned book, A Snow Falling On Cedars.

There will be more posts tomorrow. I had to write this one early this morning as I have a super full and fun day. I work today until 3 and then I will be driving with my friend Connie to the cities at the Orpheum theater where we will be having dinner and then seeing Wicked. (Insert major SSSQQQUUUEEEE here*). I have been waiting years to see this one and I am sooooooo excited!

On a fun side note that just came to me, I Googled if Wicked had ever been banned. I read it many years ago and it is basically a grown up version on The Wizard of Oz and this time the full story of Elphiba the Wicked Witch of The West. I loved the story line and thought thte concept was BRILLIANT but also remember a couple eye brow lifting racier parts when Elphiba is in College (maybe even sooner – I read it forever ago).

Anyhoo – the answer is yes! Wicked made the list in 2008-2009 for sexual content. Not really surprised there. This is not a book that I would recommend to any youngster. And while I enjoyed the book, it probably is not one I would ever read again – however the storyline itself which is what has made this a Broadway “must see” for years – is indeed something I would suggest to anyone who has the opportunity to go go go!!!

That’s it for today. Do me a favor and find yourself a banned book for the weekend and enjoy it as the official banned book week kicks off on Sunday!

Morning Meandering… Playing In The Banned

Published on September 18, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Playing in the banned! *snort* Yes folks, I am here all week! 😛

Ok seriously… you try and come up with puns each day for banned books week. 😀

Today I want to direct you to over to Kelly at the Well-Read Redhead. She has written a great review on Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keys.

I love the fact that this book is one that Kelly won last year during banned book week and now here it is, being reviewed for this years event. Please stop over and read this beautifully written review about an honest and emotional book.

This afternoon I will be going to our local library and putting up the banned book window. It is funny to think that my close relationship to our library started with banned book week. Three years ago the library had a gorgeous window display for banned books. I loved it and even checked out one of the books that was on “trial” for being banned.

Two years ago I excitedly went into the library to see what genius they were putting together for banned book week and there was nothing. When I inquired about the great display from the year before I was told that a lady who used to work their had put that together and they really had not had anyone that loved the window like that since. I think you can probably guess the rest of this story…. I asked to take over the window to set each months theme, of course including banned book week.

The window lead to my interest in the Friends Of The Library group, to my interest in being on the City board for the Library…. its all connected. 😀

Anyhoo – this year not only is the window going banned – but we are taking mug shots in the library for banned book week. I love that!!! I am posting on our Brainerd Public Library Facebook page and Friends Of The Brainerd public library Facebook page the mug shots we took the other day of the Teen Library Council. I will go in today to do my mug shot… whatever book will I choose? 🙂

Morning Meanderings… Digging Into The BANNED!

Published on September 17, 2013September 17, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you are enjoying our Banned Book week so far… the appetizer tot he true banned book week next week. My wish this week is that one of these posts about a banned book will cause you to pick up a banned book next week that you have not read, and enjoy! There are so many AWESOME books to choose from!

The incredible Tracy coming to us from Pen and Paper wrote a wonderful banned book post called Then and Now

Lisa at Lit and Life joins us this morning with her review of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, a wonderful read and a banned book as well.

Ryan from Reading in Taiwan wrote a review post on the banned book, For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemmingway.

I do hope you will take time to check out these posts and comment to these wonderful people who are participating in talking about banned books and censorship. It is important to know that these books have been removed from shelves in some schools, libraries and townships. While the written word survives and freedom of speech is still a real thing… we need to love and embrace these books and the right to choose to read what we want.

Have a super day everyone. Remember every comment here this week enters you in on a chance to win the super cool banned book mug I posted earlier this week – and some of the other posts on other blogs are offering giveaways as well.

Morning Meanderings… The Banned Continues…

Published on September 16, 2013September 16, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Good morning. Day two of Banned Book posts in preparation for next weeks official banned book week. I really enjoyed yesterdays post and I hope you did too. It’s surprising what can be considered a banned/challenged book.

Today, Stacy at My Novel Life shares her thoughts on a great read, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I love this book! She is also having a great giveaway with her post today so check it out!

I too am having a giveaway for all comments this week (one entry per comment on my posts) as well as a giveaway for those who participated by writing their own Banned Book Week Post (yes you can still sign up)and connected it here to this event. Each randomly chosen winner will receive this:

Oh yeah… the much coveted Banned Book mug which I also ordered one for myself. 😀

I too have a review coming up today on not a banned book but a book about banning and the hot mess that results in. I hope you pop back in to check it out.

My question to you today is what banned book are you an advocate for? The one you love so much you get up on your soap box and you are pushing it on your friends and family like book crack. Don’t even pretend you have not read one… I believe you have… you just may not know it was banned/challenged. 😛 Check out a sample list here. Stacy also has a list available on her post as well.

Morning Meanderings… A Little Time In A Police Car

Published on September 14, 2013September 14, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Good morning all! Happy Saturday! I hope you have been enjoying your fall ( yeah I said it…. Fall) week. My week has been fairly mellow and I have enjoyed reading and finally was able to load Itunes on my new laptop and working Audible to work with it so I can get back on my overload of audio I enjoy. I started listening to The Returned yesterday… and wow… I am enjoying it.

Last weekend my friend Amy and I were on our way to a bike ride in St Paul when we stopped in a small town for gas. There was a car show nearby and an old-time police car was also at this gas station. Of course, opportunity presented itself and we asked if we could get in the car and we granted that permission and the owner took a picture for us as well.

So there is my contribution to Saturday Snapshot this week. 😀 Stop by and check out other Saturday Snapshots at Metro Mommy.

Also, if you have not seen my post on Banned Book Week, it is coming September 22 – 28. I am hosting Banned Book Week here as I have done the past three years but will be hosting it a week early as I will be in the wilderness the week of Banned Book Week this year, my first canoe and portage trip that will be seven days long, staying in a tent and no cell phone or internet access. 😯 So that said, Banned Book Week here, will start tomorrow. Sign up here to join in, or be sure to watch for all the fun posts and giveaways that I will link here 😀

Have a super Saturday! I am reading, cleaning, prepping banned book week, and later going out with friends for my hubbys birthday. What will you be doing with your Saturday?

Morning Meanderings… What I Did With My Summer

Published on September 7, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Remember back in school when you would start the new year and the teacher would have you write what you did with your summer? Just me? Well… we did that here in Minnesota. As I sit here this morning annoyingly coffee free (I forgot to pick some up at the store yesterday),I thought it would be fun as I was mostly absent, to share in pictures what I was doing this summer.

So… here we go:

20130622_204523 — **I spent several weekends on the North Shore at our cabin with friends biking, hiking,watching movies, playing board games and just hanging out together.**

On The Fourth of July we son and I along with a couple of his friends learned that one of our restaurants in town used to be considered “haunted”. The lady working there let us go down underneath he restaurant into old tunnels where the “supposed” paranormal activity was once taking place.

z40 — **My Book Club the Bookies that their annual Queen event. Congrats to our new Queen Angie!**

**Ironman bike ride with Amy. 50 miles**

R1-07003-0029a — **My son and I did the “Go Commando” obstacle course in the cities. His first which was a lot of fun.**

R1-07003-0011 — **This was the finish of that course.**

**1st Ever Brainerd Lakes Jam Concert. FUN!**

**We had the House Party for Big Girl Panties on my back deck. A lot of fun!**

**Two day 150 mile bike ride for Camp Benedict**

001 — **I went with my cousin and his wife and kids to the first Vikings pre game this year.**

**I went into Wisconsin with Rhonda and we completed the Muckruchus for MS – this was my second year doing this muddy obstacle course.**

**I helped plan and execute Brainerd first ever Wine and Words author event in August. Our goal this first year was 100 people. We had 177. AWESOME time!**

**Our authors were amazing! Sandra Brannan, William Kent Krueger, Lorna Landvik, Wendy Webb, and Sarah Pekkanen**

1ca — **Labor Day weekend we were at the North Shore again and got to try our hand at Archery!**

This is my contribution to Saturday Snapshot hosted my Metro Mommy. Stop in over there as well and see what others are posting about this weekend 😀

Morning Meanderings in 5 minutes or less

Published on September 4, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

I need to jump in the shower.

I also want to get back into blogging like I used to. With abandonment to all the rules… like ummmm…. showering. Yet I suppose personal hygiene is important thus the 5 minute post. 😀 And I want time to stop at Caribou coffee on my way in…. but I need to move on here.

Did you see I posted a book review yesterday? Yes me!!! I posted about Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Kind of proud of that, it was like a break through and there is plenty more to do so please hang with me people…. they are coming. 😀

Since I am being random this morning (always fun) I thought I would share with you my friend and fellow Bookies large profile picture on Facebook (the one that runs along the top of the page):

Is that not the cutest? And if you look closely you can see she is reading These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen! I think all our large pics on facebook should be us reading. I would have to think about mine 😀

Anyhoo – that shower is calling me so I am off. Have an awesome Wednesday.

What are you doing that is fun and exciting today?

Morning Meanderings… Missed What Are You Reading Post

Published on September 3, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Good morning! Stop the rumors! I am still here – just living it up on the last big weekend of summer! I missed the Monday post entirely! 😛

We were at our cabin for the weekend with friends and had a BLAST! We (Al and I) left Thursday afternoon, and pour friends arrived later that night. We spent the weekend at Splitrock lighthouse, toured a brewery (small one), archery at the Temperance State Park, and drove to Soudan MN to tour the Soudan Mines – which are well worth the time if you are ever in the area.

Al and I arrived back home yesterday afternoon and I had a meal to make for a friend, and we had friends come over last night as well to catch up with each other. 😀 It was a fun fun four days.

I have missed blogging and have oodles of reviews to catch up on and hope to get them rolling out this week and starting this afternoon. I cant wait to catch up with all of you as well. Missed you fellow online book lovers! 😀

Here are a few pics of our weekend:

**Amy and I trying our hand at Archery**

1ca — **Go time…. we feel like Robin Hood.**

**The Soudan Mines – a half mile under ground in Soudan Minnesota.**

992912_10151739698461153_546031770_n — **The mines from the train that traveled us around 3/4 of a mile through the underground tunnels.**

That’s my update. I hope to be around way more often than I have been the last few months.

Did you do anything fun this past Labor Day weekend?

Wine and Words 2013 (The recap)

Published on August 27, 2013August 27, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

Over the past 6 months you may have heard off and on this blog about Wine and Words. This was a small idea as a fundraiser for our Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library that went from a “maybe” to a full-blown event, largely part of my absence from the blogesphere.

We held the event on Friday August 23rd with 5 wonderful authors gracing us with witty conversation and peaks into their mind about their latest book, writing, and life as an author.

William Kent Krueger and his wife joined us and wow…. what a down to earth fun guy. I have never spent time with him before and found him to be humble and delightful. He wowed the crowd. He spoke about his newest books, Ordinary Grace and Tamarack County (which just released a week ago today).

Lorna Landvik emceed our evening and we could not have picked a better person to wrap our event with humor and great intros of our authors. She was a gift as once she started the program – I was free to do whatever was needed as she totally had this.

Sarah Pekkanen (SSSQQQUUUEEEEE!) and Wendy Webb were awesome! Sarah’s newest book, The Best Of Us came out in April and Wendy Webb’s The Fate Of Mercy Alban (centered around the Glensheen mansion in Duluth MN) was an author you wanted to hear more about.

Sandra Brannan always sweet always so down to earth you cant help but love her was a fun addition to the group. She talked books and bloggers (YAY!) and she had the Bookies stand up (they adore her!)

Our goal for this evening out at the Beautiful Arrowwood Lodge was 100 people. That night we had 177 excited women and men join us for our debut event. The room was filled with book lovers.

We had so much fun! We had dinner, listened to the authors, a silent auction, and we sold ducks for $5 for people to see who was the “lucky duck” and won a Kindle Fire. Free wine was offered during the social hour.

One of my favorite moments of the evening was when we were done with the event and Gail (my right hand in this venture) and I made our way to the bar area to check on our authors and we found them all together in a booth chatting away like old friends. I nudged Gail and said “Oh look! They are bonding!!!”

The numbers are still coming in, we did receive 20% of the book sales that night. And I think we are safe to say we cleared over $5000. 😀

I have been tired all weekend – but good tired. Cant wait to see what is going to happen next year!

Morning Meanderings… New Books!

Published on August 11, 2013August 11, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Good morning! I am still here! 😀 I just got home yesterday afternoon after a two day summit in the cities on Thursday and Friday for work. Friday night I went to stay at my cousins house to go to the Muckfest on Saturday morning and we wound up going to the Vikings game which was fun!

The Muckfest was in Wisconsin which was a 45 minute drive from their house and we had a blast at that too… heres a sample pic but I think I will save the rest for a post sometime soon:

Yup… thats me… hanging around. 😀

Anyhoo… books have showed up in the house and here they are:

Fun titles! Love Does and Courageous Leadership were books I purchased at the summit I was at and they both come with a free audio download which I am excited about! We heard the authors speak and it was a lot of fun.

I am currently posting on my hubbys laptop as mine bit it this past week. I think the battery dies and I have yet to look into the costs of replacing the battery or just going new. Hubby said I can have his laptop as he rarely uses it but I am not a fan… it works differently than mine, does not resize my pictures and Pic Monkey (which I use all the time) it will not let me save my pics… I have to do it a different way.

Anyhoo – I am off – full day of activity and lots to do now that I am back in the house! Hope your Sunday is incredible!