Book Journey

Missing You by Harlan Coben

Published on April 6, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

2nd generation Detective Kat Donovan knows what it is like to be on the losing end. Eighteen years earlier her father was gunned down and his killer now sits at the end of his life sentence. Shortly after, Kat’s fiance Jeff breaks their engagement with little explanation. From that point on Kat buried herself in her work leaving little time for anything else.

When a friend signs Kat up for online dating service, Kat is skeptical, but one night starts looking through the men that the site has lined up for her as possible “connections”. Kat freezes when she finds herself staring at the man who broke her heart all those years ago; apparently using a false name. When she tries to message him he replies with a flat response giving no acknowledgement of their past at all… and as Kat digs deeper… what she discovers is enough to bring chills up her spine…

If Jeff caught up in a scam of luring women and men with money into false hopes of a relationship?

With her personal life and her career all colliding at once, Kat starts investigating where it is clear that people on both sides of the law do not want her looking in to deeply.

Harlan Coben NEVER disappoints. Every book that man writes is worth the wait. I loved this book! Kat was a great protagonist, she was strong and independent, but had a softer side as well.

As you dig into what is really happening in this book it is enough to give you chills as it is such a real feeling scenario you can easily imagine reading about something like this in a newspaper.

There is so much awesomeness in this book yet I do not want to give even a sample away as this is a book served better with you diving in and putting your seat belt on – you are in for a thrilling adventure!

DO not hesitate to pick this book up – I mark my reputation as a book reviewer that this is Harlan at his finest. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

Morning Meandering… Let Me Introduce You To Armchair BEA 2014

Published on April 6, 2014April 6, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)28 Comments

Good morning! Yesterday was a pretty sweet day here in Central Minnesota…. it was warm (well 50 degrees makes me happy at this point) and looks to stay this way moving forward (*cartwheels* * back flip* *High fiving anyone and everyone*) AND when it starts to feel like spring…

I start to think about BEA (Book Expo America).

I have been able to go every year since 2010 and I have been amazed every year. If you are on the decision side of should I stay or should I go…. you should GO. And over the next 7 or 8 weeks… you are probably going to see me chat about BEA a lot here…. however, before you think “Sheila, this totally does not apply to me, I will not be attending and I really do not want to hear about something I am not taking part in…”

Oh but wait my friend….

Have you heard of Armchair BEA?

Armchair BEA is a way for those who will not be attending to get the feel of the event from their very own homes. Through this site you can participate with daily discussions, giveaways, and live videos and posts from the event itself. It will be like being there without the expense of the plane train or automobile to get there.

I a, super excited to be part of the On-Site Correspondents Team. *SQQQUUUEEEE* What that means is that myself as well as 3 other awesome bloggers will be the eyes and ears on site for those participating from home. We will take video of what we are seeing and doing. We will do interviews and give you as much BEA as you handle. I am SUPER excited to be a part of this team.

Registration will soon be open to sign up to be an Armchair BEA participant. I do hope you will all sign up and hang out with my virtually for a week at the end of May. I will keep you informed here when registration is open, in the mean time, please check out the site and grad the button I posted here for your side bar.

It’s going to be a good good time.

As far as books that came to my home this week… I am never short of reading material that’s for sure…

Hope your Sunday plans are something fun or relaxing or both 😀 I will be working on our book club read this afternoon and possibly going to the movie Noah with my hubby.

The Troop by Nick Cutter

Published on April 5, 2014April 5, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Goosebumpy good! ~ Sheila

Scoutmaster Tim Riggs is once again taking his troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for their annual trip. The boys are a great group that are a joy to hang out with.

Then their first night there while the boys are sleeping, Tim hears noises around the camp. Going out to explore, he comes across a man who is clearly extremely sick and so bone thin Tim can not even believe that he standing on his own. The man is hungry and Tim brings him back to the camp ground trying to do “what a good scout” should do to give him some of their food.

Things only turn worse as the man cries out in pain and thrashes around deliriously, and Tim starts to rethink his decision of bringing this man into a camp with the young boys who have awaken and are curious as to what is going on.

What starts out as simple weekend adventure, quickly turns into a nightmarish weekend of survival as Tim and the boys realize they have exposed themselves to something they could have never imagined and what happens next is not written in any scout book….

Goosebumpy good! I have always been a fan of good old-fashioned scares…. the books and movies I grew up on that were scary, but not over the top gruesome and so far-fetched you wondered about the mind who wrote them. When I heard that The Troop was a good scare… I was in.

Is The Troop a good scare? You bet! As I listened to this one on audio, I found at times I was thinking “oh no, oh no….” Nick Cutter’s debut novel does not leave you feeling like you were short-changed in the scare department for sure! This read is totally camp fire worthy! The book flashes backward and forward occasionally as pieces of what is happening is revealed brilliantly through snippets of information of both before the trip and after. These flashes were well positioned and I never felt lost in what was happening only more involved.

The book is not perfect. I was left with a couple of questions I felt should have been addressed, but still I would recommend this book to good old-fashioned thriller lovers…

Did it scare me? You bet. 🙂

Morning Meanderings.. “Agate Vines”

Published on April 5, 2014April 5, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

Good morning! Hope everyone is doing SUPER FINE this happy Saturday 🙂 We had a bit of sunshine yesterday that melted away Thursday snow storm so I am looking forward (*hopefully* fingers crossed*) to no more snow.

Yesterday evening, our Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library helped to host a local artist who had recently created original lights to go over the circulation desk. Today I thought I would share that for Saturday Snapshot.

I have known Greg Rosenberg for many years now. Until recently, his business was located downstairs from the office I work at. Occasionally I would pop in to see what he was working on. Greg works with stained glass, metal, and yes – agates, to create original art works. Here is one of his many lamps he has made:

Gorgeous yes?

Here are pictures from last nights event:

**Other artists spoke regarding the importance of art in our community and Greg spoke about the lights and the inspiration behind them.**

**It was a good turn out. About 35 people came to see the lights and celebrate with Greg.**

**The Friends of the Library served cake….**

**and Lily had made a tasty beverage with apple juice, 7 up, lemon juice and real ginger.**

The lights as you can see, each hang from a metal “root base”. They hook into the base. Each one is unique and as you look at them you will find hidden vines, shapes, one even has an extended heart shape agate that comes off the lamp to look like a leaf. **The agates are Brazilian Agate and Minnesota. Greg calls the lights “agate vines”**

Here is a picture of the lights over the desk. There are 6 in all. Attendees of last nights event had an opportunity to walk behind the circulation desk as well so they could see all sides of the lights.

**This is Greg and his wife Margaret standing by the circulation desk.**

Greg also made a beautiful window using a mixture of agates and stained glass that sits above the doors into the library from the entryway. I apparently was too busy talking to people last night and forgot to take a picture of it, but it is another gorgeous original piece.

To see more of Greg’s work, please check out his website at Shining Light Studio.

It was a fun evening!

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Published on April 2, 2014April 2, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Heather’s life is certainly not what you would call “cozy.” With an absent dad and a mom who lives inside a bottle, Heather does what she can for her sister and herself.

She never thought she would complete in Panic.

Panic was a game for students who were newly graduated from their senior year. It happened during the summer and while the game itself was dangerous and frowned upon by adults and authority figures alike, the stakes were high with a high payoff. The games were dangerous and you could be killed, but if you chicken out you are out of the game… for some of the students, it is do or die… either way.

When home circumstances hit an all time low, Heather knows it is up to her to figure out a way to care for her sister and provide something better for themselves.

And this years Panic is paying out at an all time high.

Dodge does not fear Panic. He is sure that he can win and what he is hiding will be his motivation.

But Panic is filled with those with secrets….

For Heather and Dodge… there really is no choice. And along the way you never know what sort of alliances you can build, knowledge you can gain, and relationships that can make a world of difference.

I chose to listen to Panic because I have adored Loren Oliver’s past reads… Before I Fall, Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem. She writes YA stories with great twists and turns which are a delight to read.

Panic was a great next step for her. With the excitement of Hunger Games (without that level of “you all must die!”) I found Panic to be an interesting look at what could go on underneath the proverbial watchful eye…

There are some interesting twists and turns in Panic, and while I can not say that it is a favorite of the Oliver books for me, it holds great potential. Rumor has it that is has already been snatched up by Paramount Pictures to be a movie. One that I would definitely go see.

The Weight Of Blood by Laura McHugh

Published on April 1, 2014April 1, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Lucy Dane’s life has been a smattering of secrets, mysteries and lies – starting from when she was just a child when her mother one day up and disappeared to, years later, when Lucy’s friend Cheri also disappears; only to be found later, murdered and displayed.

Shaken by this second loss of someone close to her, Lucy decided to dig in and see if she can learn more about what happened to Cheri, and if in any way that will lead her to clues about her own mother. What she uncovers are secrets that are too dark to fathom, and a little to close to home.

Weight of Blood came to me through no other source than my own. Usually I find books through other readers recommendations or authors I adore… but this one I stumbled across on Audible.com and it sounded as though it had potential.

And it did.

When I think about this book I come up with words like engaging. Powerful. Mysterious. McHugh’s words pour like water from a fountain, smooth and clear. I enjoyed the story line and immersed myself fully into learning the secrets of the Dane family and those close to them.

3 narrators take us through the audio version of this book and the transactions are so smooth between them that when I looked it up right now, I was surprised to see there were three.

While the book deals with some topics that are frightening – they are also not far fetched, and in the end what is put into print here is a truly believable (and based somewhat off a true story) and easily imagined in a small town hidden amongst the Ozark Mountains.

Morning Meanderings…. Eternal Winter

Published on April 1, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

*sigh*

Will it ever stop?

😦

Last night started the freezing rain… I was up town running a women’s groups and you could hear it outside – just pouring. This morning I wake up the snow end of the storm. Snow. Again. And wind. Not an April fools joke…I am looking at, snowing like it is December. I am ready to hop on a plane and run away to somewhere warm and where the sun (I believe there is still a thing called the sun) shines and the planet we live on actually warms.

Sigh memories.

1ca — **This is a pic from my front window this morning. I did not have the heart to go outside and take a picture.**

No wonder with all the world battling different forms of this crap that we are in a funk. GAH. POO.

A readers salvation?

This is my book room (once our home office) and spending some time in it makes me happy. Over the weekend I put away the books I picked up at the Spring (ha ha spring… I laugh at thee!) Library sale.

Does anyone else find browsing through books therapeutic? 😉

Today I work and I am debating if I put out the “Who wants to go see Divergent” text today or not…. I do want to see it, just trying to find the time. 😀

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on March 30, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

Hey there! Welcome to It’s Monday, What Are You Reading!

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. Fair warning… this meme tends to add to your reading list!

Here is what I posted about this past week:

What Came Home With Me From The Spring Library Sale

The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

A little update on my friend the bee keeper

I had a good weekend of audio and reading (yes reading!!!!) Here is what I hope to dig into this week:

For my ears…

Twenty-nine-year-old Sophie Diehl is happy toiling away as a criminal law associate at an old line New England firm where she very much appreciates that most of her clients are behind bars. Everyone at Traynor, Hand knows she abhors face-to-face contact, but one weekend, with all the big partners away, Sophie must handle the intake interview for the daughter of the firm’s most important client. After eighteen years of marriage, Mayflower descendant Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim has just been served divorce papers in a humiliating scene at the popular local restaurant, Golightly’s. She is locked and loaded to fight her eminent and ambitious husband, Dr. Daniel Durkheim, Chief of the Department of Pediatric Oncology, for custody of their ten-year-old daughter Jane—and she also burns to take him down a peg. Sophie warns Mia that she’s never handled a divorce case before, but Mia can’t be put off. As she so disarmingly puts it: It’s her first divorce, too.

Debut novelist Susan Rieger doesn’t leave a word out of place in this hilarious and expertly crafted debut that shines with the power and pleasure of storytelling. Told through personal correspondence, office memos, emails, articles, and legal papers, this playful reinvention of the epistolary form races along with humor and heartache, exploring the complicated family dynamic that results when marriage fails. For Sophie, the whole affair sparks a hard look at her own relationships—not only with her parents, but with colleagues, friends, lovers, and most importantly, herself. Much like Where’d You Go, Bernadette, The Divorce Papers will have you laughing aloud and thanking the literature gods for this incredible, fresh new voice in fiction.

Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip – a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story around a roaring bonfre. The boys are a tight-knit crew. There’s Kent, one of the most popular kids in school; Ephraim and Max, also well-liked and easygoing; then there’s Newt the nerd and Shelley the odd duck. For the most part, they all get along and are happy to be there – which makes Scoutmaster Tim’s job a little easier. But for some reason, he can’t shake the feeling that something strange is in the air this year. Something waiting in the darkness. Something wicked…

It comes to them in the night. An unexpected intruder, stumbling upon their campsite like a wild animal. He is shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry – a man in unspeakable torment who exposes Tim and the boys to something far more frightening than any ghost story. Within his body is a bioengineered nightmare, a horror that spreads faster than fear. One by one, the boys will do things no person could ever imagine.

And so it begins. An agonizing weekend in the wilderness. A harrowing struggle for survival. No possible escape from the elements, the infected…or one another.

For my eyes…

In a small rural village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa watches from the woods as Russian soldiers abduct her father in the middle of the night and then set fire to her home. When their lifelong neighbor Akhmed finds Havaa hiding in the forest with a strange blue suitcase, he makes a decision that will forever change their lives. He will seek refuge at the abandoned hospital where the sole remaining doctor, Sonja Rabina, treats the wounded.

For Sonja, the arrival of Akhmed and Havaa is an unwelcome surprise. Weary and overburdened, she has no desire to take on additional risk and responsibility. But over the course of five extraordinary days, Sonja’s world will shift on its axis and reveal the intricate pattern of connections that weaves together the pasts of these three unlikely companions and unexpectedly decides their fate. A story of the transcendent power of love in wartime, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a work of sweeping breadth, profound compassion, and lasting significance.

I hope it is a good week to put in a little reading time. I am curious as to what you are reading these days! Please add your It’s Monday What Are You Reading to the link below where it says “click here”

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For those of you that read mainly middle grade and children’s books, be sure to also link to the younger version of It’s Monday by using the link below!

Morning Meanderings… Plethora of Books (or preparing for the Book Apocalypse)

Published on March 30, 2014March 30, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Happy Sunday! What a L O N G week. Yesterday was a great day of relaxing, reading (yes yes – I read!!!!! Thank you Harlan Coben for yet another un-put-downable treasure!). I cleaned up the book room, and between the books I brought home from the library sale and the books and audio that came in this past week… I am ready for any book apocalypse and you are all invited over to survive with me. No shortage of books here 😉

I looked up “plethora” this morning to use in my post. I wanted to be sure I was using the word correctly 😉 . I do not particularity like the meaning… definitely excess yes, but too many or too much?

What’s too much?

😛

Any way – that’s my thought this morning. After church I am on my way to the cities to a camp board meeting. Admittedly I normally do not mind these two-hour drives as I can listen to audio but today I will have two other ladies with me in my car so no audio for me…. I know I know… I can try to not be such an introvert and actually talk with them. 😛

One more thing, we need to post a winner of the library book sale book win –

and that winner is:

Lexi Swoons

Lexi’s choice if she won was SPEAK and since I have already read that book I will be sending it off to her as soon as I have her address. Thanks Lexi!

Have a super Sunday!

Morning Meanderings… All For The Bees

Published on March 29, 2014March 29, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments

Good morning. Happy Saturday. I am sooooo excited to have a pretty much “no commitment day”. It has been about two weeks since I have had one of these. 😀

For Saturday Snapshot today I though it would be fun to bring up something I talked about a couple of years ago but recently revisited…

Bees.

A couple of years ago my friend Amanda took on the adventure of raising bees and harvesting pure organic honey. Always fascinated with anything ~~buzzy,~~ shiny… I was in on that deal. I was thrilled when she invited me over to help her out:

By spending a day with her, I learned so much about bees and bee keeping…. for one… it is a heck of a lot of work:

The bee boxes – that she builds herself are filled with slats for bees to build their honey.

You put the bees into the boxes and they will weave themselves in and out of the slots and trays where they will be making honey.

Every bee box needs a queen and you add her to the box just as seen here, in this little box that will have a marshmallow on the end. In about three days the bees will eat the marshmallow and the Queen will be set free to run her hive. Crazy and fascinating stuff! At the time of this picture Amanda was purchasing her queens, but she has since learned to create her own which is a talent not many of the bee people have which gives her a bit of a notch up.

Above I showed you what a new bee box looks like, but this one is a well used box where bees have been busy doing their thing. In this pic Amanda is looking for the Queen. II felt a need a to capitalize, after all.. she is the queen. 😉

It has been two years now since Amanda has started and her business is buzzing (sorry couldn’t resist!) They now have a website called Buck’s Busy Bee’s and she travels between here in Central Minnesota to Florida where her bees are being used to help pollinate fruit trees.

This past week their family was in a bit of a crisis with the sudden unexpected loss of a grandmother. Amanda had 15,000 bee frames to make by today to be loaded on a truck that leaves tomorrow morning. With the additional things going on this week she was unsure how she would ever make it happen. Myself as well as a whole team of relatives and friends went over to her home on Wednesday and we made bee frames and bee boxes. I only took one picture while I was there – but I wish I would have taken more of everyone working together to make deadline. It really was a cool thing to see and I learned something new… how to build the bee box frames. 😀

1aa — **This is from Amanda’s garage where we built the frames (up close) that go in the boxes (far right).**

As the frames are glued… I was covered in it! It was a good time though and I was happy to help. I hope to get out there more this year and help her. This fall I will be writing an article about Amanda and the bees for Her Voice magazine. I am happy to share her story 🙂