Book Journey

Saturday Snapshot – The 1st 5k Of The Year and in MINNESOTA!

Published on January 4, 2014January 4, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)44 Comments

Happy Saturday! Is it sad that I have been looking forward to this day since last weekend? No work today, no big commitments other than lunch with a friend which will be fun…. Saturdays are my favorite day of the week. 🙂

For Saturday Snapshot today I wanted to post the pictures from the Polar Dash my friend Amy and I ran on January 1st of this year. I could not think of a better way to kick off the year than with something fun and good for me all rolled into one.

1caa — Here we are up close pre-run. We had actually just arrived and got out of the car. 🙂

1ee — This is at the start. The temp was -6 below zero.

Those that had chosen to run the longer runs – there was a 10K and a 14K option that started earlier than our 5k, were a little frosty.

1eeeee — Of course I dont think any of us were as cold as this guy had to be and he ran the 10K (6.4 miles!)

My number and medal. Since I signed up for the monster series this will by number for the 2014 year with the Ortho runs.

Now before you all say “You sooooo crazy girl!”, know that 5,000 other crazy people ran the Polar Dash with me (including my friends Belinda, Sheila W, Ryan, and April). Yup. 5,0000 crazies…. all together in the same area. 🙂 AND the money raised went to the Shriner s Children’s Hospital. We like that.

Check out what other people are taking pictures of this COLD January morning at the Saturday Snapshot host blog, West Metro Mommy Reads. In Minnesota it is about to get really cold. The wind chill starting late this afternoon and will be 40 to 55 below zero with wind chill through Tuesday. We are in a severe weather warning through the weekend and the Governor has already cancelled school for the entire state on Monday.

Someone Elses Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

Published on January 3, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)34 Comments

Shandi Pearson has enough on her plate with college, divorced parents, and her three year old son Nathan. Nathan (Natty) is her everything and considering the way he came about, she really is not looking for a man in her life.. too much… everything.

But as well all know, life never turns out quite the way we plan and suddenly Shandi is finding herself and Natty in a gas station stick up. As if that wasn’t enough to call it a day – there’s the guy who stepped between Natty and the gunman that for some reason, Shandi can not get out of her mind. But the man who Shandi can not stop thinking about comes with his own set of ~~issues~~ opportunities and they certainly do not involve a relationship.

Of course, as I said, life never turns out quite the way we plan…

If you have not read Joshilyn Jackson you need to stop everything and pick up any of her books. Yes any of them. They are southern fun on a stick and so witty good you will be sorry you waited so long to read her. I have listened to everything Joshilyn has written on audio, except this one. This one I read. It was just as delightful as her others. Shandi makes a typical southern protagonist as Joshilyn likes to use in her books, funny and silly but whip smart when it gets right down to taking care of those she cares about.

Seriously treat yourself to Someone Else’s Love Story… you need to get on this level.

Morning Meanderings… Day 3 and back to Straight Up Hard Core Coffee

Published on January 3, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)24 Comments

Good morning! January 3 already! The first two days were a blur of activity. Yesterday I worked 12 1/2 hours for our annual meeting at work. It was a lot of fun, but yeah a LONG day. 🙂 Today will be a shorter one, I will work until about 1 or 1:30 and then I am going to the Library to assist with the author SKPE in of Lauren Oliver.

I am so excited – meeting Lauren was awesome! She is the author of Before I Fall, Deliruim, Pandemonium, Requium, and soon *SQQUUUEEEE!* – Panic! I have read them all 😀

On the bookish front…. yeah, I am a little behind but hope to make up some reading time this weekend and tonight. 😀

Morning Meanderings…. Day Two… Nine Bloggers Reading!

Published on January 2, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

Good morning and Happy January 2! We made it to 2014 and mental high fives all the way around! 🙂

Yesterday I posted the book lovers who sent me pictures of what they were reading on January 1st. If you have not checked that out, please do… its kind of awesome to see all these book bloggers and book lovers reading that first book – AND you can see what that first book was. I had a few that came in after I put the post up so please let me add them now:

Isn’t that so fun? LOVE it! On yesterdays post they were able to link up their first book of the year posts so if you have time, grab a second (third?) cup of coffee and go check them out. It was really fun to read them last night and I still have more to get to.

Today is a LONG DAY. It is our annual meeting at work today and I am in charge of the details details details… I will probably be there from 8 this morning until about 8:30 or 9 tonight. *sigh* But it is ok, it fun – good fun 🙂

Have an awesome day everyone! Yes I ran my first 5k of the year yesterday in -6 degree weather… pictures will be up on Saturday for that fun event to kick off 2014.

Happy New Year! 1st Book Of The Year!

Published on January 1, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)113 Comments

Happy New Year everyone! 2014!!! AWESOME!!!

This is the first book of the year post and I have to say how excited I was to see that over 80 other book lovers signed on to either write a post about their first book of the year, send a picture of the first book they will be reading, or both! As pictures came in from all over the world I loved seeing the first book choices! The enthusiasm of readers in contagious!

The following are the pictures sent in from bloggers and book lovers you may very well know. Later when I get home from that first run of the year (WOO WOO!) I will add the blog names below, unfortunately I just ran out of time this morning after hanging out with friends last night and getting home after midnight. 😉

In the meantime, check their posts out by seeing who linked up their First Book Of The Year post – and if it was you who wrote one, please add yours to the linky below the pics where it says click here. When I get home I will be happy to check out your posts!

*Please note, if I missed your picture let me know – the collages auto fill and I hope everyone was captured. I know I had one picture sent to me I could not open so if a few more trickle in today I will add then later. 😀

Thanks everyone for participating and LOVE the book choices. You can now (if you can find me in the collage 😉 ) see that I am starting the year with V C Andrews, Flowers In The Attic. I read this as probably a “tween”. It was a great read then, and now it has been re-released with a sweet new cover. Right now, I am leaving to do my first 5K of the year, The Polar Dash in St Paul Minnesota. Late this afternoon though, I will be curled up with this book. 🙂

Happy New Year everyone!!!!! Share what your first book of the year is going to be either by creating a post and linking it here or by telling me in the comments 🙂

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Morning Meanderings.. Books coming into the New Year

Published on December 31, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

Good morning! I am drinking COFFEE! Yes, COFFEE. Why the big deal? I After being sick I didn’t touch coffee for 5 days. Finally (Finally!) my tummy is ready to handle it again… so yeah! YAY!

This is the post I wanted to put up Sunday morning and then didn’t so instead… here are some items that came in the mail this past week that are book room worthy:

10 copies of Labor Day by Joyce Maynard came for my book club! We won a contest along with other book clubs to read the book, and then they are sending us movie tickets to see the movie and a $100 gift card to buy some goodies for our get together. How super fun is that? Way cool Harper Collins!!!

I won this fun pack of swag and this awesome looking read!

…and a couple other fun reads and Evertrue is a win from Me, My Shelf, and I

Oh yes, and books came my way as well. Ahhhh…. just looking at them brings up visions of blankets and reading in this cool Minnesota weather.

And as this in New Years Eve (I know right??? How did that happen?) I have to share the Challenge I am joining that I thought would be fun (its one I need to do anyway as some EPIC last in the series reads are coming out this year! Now I am not so organized that I can name the ones for sure other than the last book in the Mortal Instrument Series *sigh*and…well you get the point.

And it is the last to sign up and get in on the fun that the First Book Of The Year is going to bring. I am soooo excited about this! We now have over 80 book lovers signed up to participate in showing off the book they will be reading to kick off the New Year! It’s easy, there are no trap doors or hoops to jump through, I just think it is super cool to see up reading all over the world! I will announce my first book of the year in the morning. 🙂

You may still sign up here:

and then a final plug for The WHERE Are You Reading Challenge... always a good time… and seriously, who doesn’t like to travel? And if not in a plane, then from the comfort of your chair?

That is all. 🙂 I work today, and not sure what we are doing tonight yet but I think laying low may be the plan. I leave early in the morning for the first run of the year in the cities. 🙂

Movie Review: JOBS

Published on December 30, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments

Always fascinated with movies about people who have done amazing things (IE. I am a huge geek for the Social Network movie about the creation of Facebook), I had to see the movie Jobs.

Jobs is the story of Steve Jobs and his creation (yes yes… I am aware he didn’t do it alone) of Apple computers. This is a fascinating story because much like what Mark Zuckerberg did for social networking, Jobs did for computers and putting them into our homes – as well as I Tunes, I Pod, I Pad, I Phones…

I feel Ashton Kutcher did an amazing job as Jobs. If you see the movie (and I hope you do) watch Kutcher’s walk… he has it right down as Steve.

I enjoyed the movie thoroughly was fascinated by the early years how Apple came to be and while Steve was not necessarily the brain that put it all together, he was (and is) the heart and sole of Apple and what I believe made it what it is today.

I listened to Steve Jobs on audio a while back and really enjoyed it. I have to say I got more out of the audio then I did the movie. The movie, sadly seems to be unfinished. Towards the end everything seems to rush together, you see him with his daughter but you have no idea how that came to be… there is a woman in his life and I am not sure who she is, he walks back into Apple makes some big changes and before we even get into I Tunes, the personal computer, I Pod…. it is over. Ending on a cliff of what is next. Sure, most of us know what happened next but still…I feel Steve’s story was incomplete and they do not even elude to his death or the cause.

This one probably about a C- rating from me and for that… I am sad.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on December 29, 2013December 29, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)95 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!

What a Crazy Awesome week! First I worked two 12 hour days Monday and Tuesday to have the rest of the week off. And thank goodness I did as I spent Wednesday, Christmas Day projectile vomiting (think Exorcist)…. yeah, sorry to be so graphic but i was SICK. And I was sick Thursday. AND I was sick Friday… and Saturday I ran a fever but was moving around. Today was my first solid food since Christmas, BUT I did get to have both my kids here AND I am feeling much better today except for a headache (yes yes I am pounding the liquids).

SO… despite my disgusting intro.. here is what I posted this week:

Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (powerful read!)

My 2013 blog review year with best books and audio

Highlights of 2013 in picture collage (the trips, the rides, the snow, the mud….)

Parkland by Vincent Bugliosi ( the 4 days surrounding the Kennedy assassination)

Where’d You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple (what a funny quirky book!)

and shameless plugs for two fun challenges coming up….

It’s not even really a challenge its more of a “join in!” – I am inviting everyone to pick out that awesome first book that will be in your hands on January 1st and join in on welcoming in the new Year together bookish style. Check out the post here, 58 people are already signed up… I hope you will consider as well 🙂

Its my 4th year hosting the WHERE Are You Reading Challenge and this one is fun and easy! You just keep track of what states/countries your books are mainly set in and try to hit all the states in a year. It really is fun! Here’s the link with details 🙂

as for this week this is what is on tap going into the New Year:

Kate’s in the middle of the biggest meeting of her career when she gets the telephone call from Grace Hall, her daughter’s exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Amelia has been suspended, effective immediately, and Kate must come get her daughter—now. But Kate’s stress over leaving work quickly turns to panic when she arrives at the school and finds it surrounded by police officers, fire trucks, and an ambulance. By then it’s already too late for Amelia. And for Kate.

An academic overachiever despondent over getting caught cheating has jumped to her death. At least that’s the story Grace Hall tells Kate. And clouded as she is by her guilt and grief, it is the one she forces herself to believe. Until she gets an anonymous text: She didn’t jump.

Reconstructing Amelia is about secret first loves, old friendships, and an all-girls club steeped in tradition. But, most of all, it’s the story of how far a mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she couldn’t save.

EEP! Right??? This may be the one I choose to be my first read of the year. It is also our Book Club choice for January.

If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.

In this irresistibly imagined below stairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Mmm hmmm… right? You know you want to read it! Thanks to Candice’s review at Beth Fish Reads for this one hitting the TBR.

It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don’t know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his unbearable longing for his mother, he clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.

As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love – and at the center of a narrowing, ever-more-dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosopher’s calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. It is a beautiful, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.

Another one I have heard the raves about… I cautiously approach this one it. It is 32 hours on audio. 32 hours. Yikes.

I suppose that is all… at least as far as I know 😉 I am anxious to see what you will be reading into the New Year. Please add your link to your Its Monday post below where it says click here. I am going to try to get around to everyone this week to check in.

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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!

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

Published on December 29, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)34 Comments

Bernadette Fox was once an architect that was coveted by many. She had won awards and was sought after my big industry names. Married to Elgin, a head honcho with Microsoft, they could very well have been considered a power couple.

After many miscarriages, Bernadette gives birth to fragile but beautiful baby girl who they name Bee. As the years go on Bernadette goes farther and farther away from who she once was, so far in fact that she hires a woman from another country on-line to do all her personal errands from shopping, to appointments, travel planning and more. If Bernadette can avoid socializing with other people she is happy and chooses not to leave her house unless necessary.

Bee now 15, aces her report card and as her reward she is given the choice of any trip she wants and Bee chooses a cruise ship to Antarctica. At first Bernadette is filling her time making plans for the trip, purchasing excursions on-line and ordering up multiple pairs of everything to be delivered and tried on and returned if not right. Yet as the trip grows closer Bernadette becomes fearful of the trip itself and the people all the people on the cruise who will want to small talk and there will be no place to breathe and….

Bernadette disappears.

Bee now is looking through the pieces that led to her mothers disappearance – emails, letters, travel notes… trying to find the mother she loves and bring her back home.

Where’d You Go Bernadette is a fun crazy tilt a whirl of a read. Do not enter this book with the thought that you are about to read something deep and profound and Kleenex at hand…. instead enter this one with the anticipation of a fun house at a carnival filled with plenty of those wacky mirrors that cause you to see things as they truly are not.

This book is impracticable, unrealistic, and border line insane. Yet… it is also captivating, encouraging, and witty like a Janet Evanovich read. You read this one for pure enjoyment. The neighbors are crazy. Saltine cracker with cool whip on it crazy. The school faculty is stuck up and Elgin… well, lets just say he belongs with Bernadette.

I wanted to read this book because earlier this year my book club read This One Is Mine by this author and truly did not like it across the board. (Read my review here… we honestly think it is a Midwestern thing). I had heard such good things about this book I had to give the author a second chance.

I listened to this book on audio and Kathleen Wilhoite did an amazing job as narrator (there is a point she sings that wowed me). She captivates the voices of Bernadette and Bee very well.

Overall… grab your Skittles and a cherry flavored slurpy and you are ready to dig into this one… its crazy unrealistic and funny bone funny and I am sure that is exactly what the author was going for.

Parkland by Vincent Bugliosi

Published on December 28, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

The morning held promise. John F Kennedy prepared for his day where he would be in a motorcade in Dallas Texas,on a route that would give him the most exposure tot he people. It looked as though it would be a wonderful day.

Lee Harvey Oswald started his day out early. By the time his wife Marina awoke, a note had been left for her with some cash stating to go and buy something that the children needed. This was highly unusual for Owsald.

As the two mens lives and deaths collide as the morning rolls out and by 12:30 in the afternoon as Kennedy’s motorcade rolls past the Texas School Book Depository a gun shot shatters through the air.

Kennedy, rushed to Parkland Hospital and as the medics try to save the Presidents life, they are to no avail and President Kennedy is pronounced dead within an hour of the gun shot.

As the story wraps around Parkland and Oswald and witnesses and investigations… it is interesting to know that Oswald himself will be at this very same hospital, at Parkland, fighting for him life within 40 hours.

At the time of Kennedys death I was not even a thought yet. Kennedy was gone 4 years before I ever had a breath in my lungs, yet isn’t it amazing how I as well as others of my age and younger still can feel such compassion and pain for the loss of this man.

Parkland, originally titled Four Days In November is about the events that surrounded Kennedy’s untimely death as well as the timeline of Oswald during that same day and the next few days afterwards.

I listened to Parkland on audio and this was one of those audios that kept me in the car in the garage long after I arrived home so I could find out what would happen next. Well done, Vincent is an amazing writer and George Newbern also narrated well for a difficult historic recap of the Kennedy Assassination.

Definitely take the time to listen to this one.