Book Journey

The Good House by Ann Leary

Published on June 14, 2013June 14, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Successful real estate agent Hildy Good (age 60+) has lived in the Boston area for well, all her life. She considers herself not only a wonderful agent, but also a good friend, mother, grandmother, and confidant. Why if Hildy were to tell you, she would say that she is the center pulse to the town and all things start and stop with her.

Of course, the occasional drink is a must in order to celebrate, social occasions, or wind down, or help her sleep, or calm her nerves, or just to take the edge off… or….

after having gone to treatment thanks to her families prodding and an intervention, “meddling” would be Hildy’s words…

“if they invite you over for dinner, and it’s not a major holiday, run for your life” ~ Hildy

…she no longer drinks, going late to party invites just in time to grab a bite of food make small talk and leave as dessert is served. Yes, Hildy no longer drinks.

Or… more accurately, Hildy no longer drinks in public.

There is still her hidden wine stash in the cellar at home and who is she really hurting by having a glass or two in the privacy of her own home, or finishing off a bottle because it just doesn’t make sense to re-cork it when there is only a partial glass left, or a glass and a half…

and really, so what if she occasionally passes out in her living room in a chair, or has no recollection of the previous nights events, or phone calls her friends “claim” she made, or the occasional drive in her car that she can not remember where she went or what she did…

no, really – if people would all just mind their own business. Really mind their own business, because as Hildy knows all to well, there’s a lot of things going on in this little town of hers… things that people would not be too keen to have spread around…

The Good House was a book I listened to on audio and right from the start of Mary Beth Hurt’s narration I knew I was in for a treat. I absolutely loves the voice of Hildy, she was matter of fact, a story-teller, an observing person, and 100% in denial. Her story is engaging as she observes those in her town as they move in and out of the houses she sells (or hopes to!) Seeing the world from the eyes of a realtor was a treat – from the inside (“the holes in the walls and the stains in the carpet… it would be a miracle if she would ever be able to sell it!”) to the outside people coming in (“since they moved into town they were by far the richest family in the area – at least as far as money goes…”)

I laughed along with Hildy’s antics and excuses of why she just needed that one drink – just a sip and how irritating it was when people arrived who just by being there delayed her chance to relax with just one glass of wine… just one…

My only tiny thought that does not fall in the “love it!” category is that at some points it seemed to go on and on in a side direction that seemed overly unnecessary.

While the Good House is full of funny moments, it is also surrounding a serious subject and after a while I no longer found Hildy funny, but a little pathetic – however that is not a negative. I think as the reader (listener) we should come to that conclusion that Hildy’s excuses for drinking are tiresome and wearing… and in that case, the author hit this subject dead on.

I would recommend The Good House, I had recollections of Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series, but with a harder edge to it.

Morning Meanderings… Brown Bag Author – William Souder

Published on June 14, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Good morning! Friday and I find myself anxious, excited, a little nervous… I am working on a 5K in Brainerd for tomorrow morning. I have run 5ks before but never hosted one. I have 119 people signed up and I have been working on ordering t-shirts, lining up volunteers, making lists, raffle items, planning out the route, emails of starting times, breaking into groups of 12-15,finding help to haul things to the event, camera people, learning about event insurance, chatting with the DNR, city of Brainerd and The Arboretum people, answering questions on the phone, by email, and on Facebook…

details details details….

But it is fun and I am learning a lot about this kind of thing so that is cool. 😀

Every Monday in June and July for 13 years the Brainerd Public Library has hosted what they call a Brown Bag event. On each of these Mondays an author speaks from noon to one and people are welcome and encouraged to bring their lunch (thus the name… Brown Bag).

The first Monday in June our author was William Souder, author of On A Farther Shore, The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carlson. 45 people were in attendance.

What is so fascinating about this book about the life and works of Rachel Carlson is that Rachel herself was an author. Having written and published three books on the ocean (she was a marine biologist), it was her fourth book ‘Silent Spring‘ that put her on the map, and on the world’s radar as a force to be reckoned with.

It was in the late 1950’s when Rachel’s friend wrote a letter about the effects that DDT (an aerial pesticide used to kill mosquitoes and keep pests off crops). What was noted in the letter was that this pesticide was killing birds as well. Rachel looking more deeply into the effects of these chemicals, something Rachel had been watching and concerned about since the 1940’s.

When Silent Spring was published in 1962 is created quite an uproar. The book forced the government to take action and the chemical companies were furious. William Souder tells the story behind Rachel’s story. Revealing that while she was a shy woman, she was also a passionate one who made a difference not only in her little corner of the world but beyond.

I really enjoyed listening to William talk about this incredible woman. I always say I like strong female characters – and that does not only go for fiction. I can not wait to have a chance to read this book!

The Fate Of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb

Published on June 13, 2013June 13, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Grace Alban left the large mansion like home on Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota 20 years ago and had not looked back. But when her mother suddenly dies leaving Grace the sole heir of the family property and a staff with some spooky insight into the last two decades, Grace reluctantly travels back to her childhood home this her teenage daughter.

Long buried family secrets, love letters, and a mysterious unpublished book by a famous author are just a few of the things Grace discovers shortly after her arrival. As Grace soon learns, a secret around a death that took place at the house during a party many years ago was about to be relieved by her mother to a reporter on the day that Grace’s mother had a heart attack and died. It was an event that no one in the family had discussed – ever.

What really was the story behind the girl in white dancing in the yard that people have claimed to have seen through the years? And what of the hidden tunnels within the walls that look as though they have been traveled recently…. why is someone trying so hard to frighten Grace and her daughter away?

The Bookies chose this book for two reasons. 1.Wendy Webb is an author that is going to be at our fall Wine and Words event in Brainerd MN. 2. The book is written around an actual mansion in Duluth called the Glensheen Mansion which does actually have a real murder story.

OOH right? 🙂

My thoughts: Honestly, The Fate Of Mercy Alban was better than I had anticipated. I read this one on the plane on my way to New York and found myself thoroughly engaged in the writing. The characters were nicely developed and I lived the thought of hidden tunnels in the walls (how very Nancy Drew!), and I wondered in the Glensheen Mansion which I have toured many times, did indeed have secret walls and tunnels.

Wendy Webb mixes a good old-fashioned mystery in with the paranormal which was surprising in content, and I liked that twist of expecting one thing out of a book and getting a little bonus! The book had me guessing on what happened to Mrs Alban, what had really happened to the famous author who had died on the property years ago, and who was the girl in white….

Did the butler do it?

You will have to just read this one to find out!

Bookies Thoughts

As this was our book club read for June 2013, the overall census was fairly high ratings. The Bookies really enjoyed the mystery around a place that we were all aware of. While we had some different thoughts on the ending (I was bummed – found it unnecessary) other really liked the way it ended.

As a result of this read, we are planning a Bookies road trip this late fall to the Glensheen Mansion, about half of us have toured it before – but we all would like to go through it again now, seeing it through the Alban families eyes and Wendy Webb’s too!

* note – the Alban family and the events in the book are fictitious as are the hidden tunnels in the home (at least according to Wendy Webb 😉 )

Morning Meanderings…. Bookies annual FAVORITE book exchange

Published on June 13, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Good morning!

Tuesday evening of this week was our Bookies get together around our review of The Fate Of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb. I am not sure why – but I did forget to take pictures of the food…

So…. picture this:

French onion soup with crunchy garlic bread

chicken breast tenderloin plain, and some with orange sesame sauce served with chicken broccoli rice

a pepperoni pasta salad

cole slaw salad

chocolate cake

rhubarb cake

Some of the foods are out of a meal they had in the book on page 85.

I will tell you more about the book review later, but for now I want to focus after the review. This is our second year doing a favorite book exchange. The rules are:

1. The book should be a favorite of yours

2. You have read the book and LOVED it

3. put a post it note in the inside cover sharing why you loved this book and if you want it back or if it is to keep

4. Wrap up the book.

Then what we did was put the wrapped books on the floor and we each took a turn choosing a book, opening it and hearing why it was the givers favorite book. (That is my favorite part, listening to the given share why they loved a particular book).

This is such a great time. Now our task is to read the book we have chosen and talk about next month at our annual Queen event and potluck celebration. SO EXCITED!

As for life… I am busy working on the 5k that we are putting on this Saturday morning. I put 10 hours in yesterday and who knows what I will do today to make sure we are ready. Its good fun though – 116 registrants at the time I left work yesterday. Today I will help assemble the swag bags – t-shirt, water bottle – and yes, a book, Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas. 😀

Morning Meanderings… Creating The Book Clown Car

Published on June 12, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

Good morning! What a great night last night! 14 of us were at the Bookies gathering and book review – I am tired, but they are all so fun….. I will talk about that tomorrow – I did not have time to put my pictures together of last night yet and I really want to do that event justice. 😀

Instead, today I thought I would share with you my recent bought with donated books. Our local Brainerd Library had a spring and fall book sale. The books come from discards from the library – but mostly they come from book lovers who donate the books they have read. This has been our largest fundraiser for the library for years as the books are 100% profit to the library and they turn around and sell them at 50 cents a piece which is awesome for book lovers all around. (You may have seen my posts of the sales and waiting outside at the break of dawn!) 😀

Our spring sale is the bigger sale of the two as we gather the books from late August through April. The fall sale being a smaller collection window from mid April through the third week of August. However… I am trying to make that sale a bigger event. 😀 I have been working with our friends group to encourage those who have lots of books at garage sales who do not wish to pack up the left overs to donate them to the library. I even made us little cards to hand out with a phone number on it and if they want – we will even come pick them up.

Yes…. I am trying that hard…LOL

😛

Gail, from the friends Board always had great success with this… each week she tells me how she picked up books from here or there for the fall sale. I however have been getting nada. Nothing. Crickets. I hand out my little card each weekend when I am garage saling, I offer to come and pick up the books… nobody calls.

Until…

last weekend.

I was at a sale that had a lot of books. A LOT of awesome looking great books. When I left the sale I told the ladies running it that if they wanted to donate the leftovers after the sale I would be happy to pick them up. They could even leave them at the end of the driveway I offered. I left my number.

Saturday afternoon I received a call that yes they were done with the sale and while most of the books sold they would love it if I would come and pick up the rest. I told them that I had to be on that end of town in a few hours for a birthday gathering and I would stop by on my way there to gather the books.

Does everyone know I drive a little red jeep? 😀

Boxes upon boxes were left which is AWESOME. And I had to laugh as the lady helped me put them in the jeep, I… assuring her they would fit. And they did.

So yeah….

I drove to my friend’s house with my crock pot of beans on my lap. 😀 People joining the gathering that walked by my vehicle would approach me saying… “Ummm…. Sheila…. are you having a little issue with your love of books?”

As this was on Saturday evening – and the library is not open on Sundays I left all the books in the jeep until Monday afternoon after work. I was not about to move them again… but unloading the jeep was like… clowns coming out of a car….

Wait – there are more books…. still coming…. *cue circus music*

😀

I work today and tonight I may bike ride – I am way behind on riding this year with the long winter and overload of rain. It is supposed to be nice today and I do need to get some miles in 😀

However Long The Night by Aimee Molloy

Published on June 11, 2013June 11, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

In 1974, Molly Melching embarked on her adventure out of her comfortable surroundings in Illinois right into the heart of Africa. What was supposed to be a short term mission trip of 6 months turned into something much more.

Molly, coming from an American background found that the women of Africa did not have the rights that she was used tom in fact she found some of what was happening to the women to be shocking. (If you are not familiar with FGC, a practice in areas of Africa, look it up and get ready to cringe!)

Through Molly’s time in Africa, she helps to empower women to learn to take care of themselves, founding Tostan (,meaning “breakthrough” in the Wolof language) a foundation for human rights. This foundation led to the drastic reduction of FGC and child forced marriages.

However Long The Night is Molly’s story…

Breathtaking. Painful. Empowering. All of these words come to mind as I try to think of what to say about this amazing read. Always an advocate of strong independent women, I was fully engrossed in Molly’s mission. What Molly started in Africa was that human rights were for both men and women.

I found myself looking things up on-line to follow along even more deeply of who Molly is and what she has accomplished. I could not get enough.

However Long The Night reads like a page turning novel. Molly is doing the things I wish I would have been involved in when I was right out of school. Being a part of the peace corp is right up my alley! Molly’s story is one of the power of one person making a change in our world for the better. She is an example of how no problem is too big and how passion and determination can truly make a difference. A definite keeper for my book shelf.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for

the experience of Molly Melching

Authors website

Morning Meanderings… Sheila… Friend Of The Power Readers :)

Published on June 11, 2013June 11, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

Good morning! Its going to be one of those days… I first typed “goo morning” and then corrected it to say “goof morning”… hopefully this post is not a miss typed mess. 😛

So I shared a little bit on my Day 5 BEA recap about the two Power Readers I met in the elevator of my hotel while I was in New York. (Power Readers…. I love that.. it brings up images of super powers and awesome capes… two things I want 😀 ) There were two ladies I met in the elevator I gave my card to, chatted with, was excited for them and encouraged them to start a blog and come back to BEA next year as bloggers. Now I don’t know if they will do that, but I was super excited yesterday to see I had a comment from them:

My twin and I are the Power Readers from your Day 5: Getting Your Potter on BEA update. We were not disappointed with BEA! Got to meet great authors, got some great reads and met lots and lots of other Power Readers. Already have the date saved for BEA 2014 (thank goodness it’s in NYC again).

I love love love that they contacted me and that they had a great time! 😀 That is so cool!

What I did not share with you is that this was not my only Power Reader encounter. Later that last day of the expo I was in the shipping area trying to decide what to do with my half full box of books. If you have been to the expo you know the shipping is a bit spooky and UPS is $39 before they ever even weigh the box, that’s just for the honor of them being there (Thank you thank you UPS *bows low*). So needless to say, I did not want to ship a half empty box home.

Next to me was a girl who I learned her name was Hannah. It was her first year at the expo as a Power Reader and she was gushing about her experience. We started talking about my half empty box and I told her it was fine as I had sent other books home already. Some how we got on the subject of blogging ( go figure!) and I gave her my card and told her she should start a blog and come back next year as a blogger. I told her that if she emailed me, I would help her get going. Shortly after I returned home she emailed me.

Hannah has started a blog that she has coolly called Indiereadergirl0329. Cool right? She has posted a couple of reviews and joined the Monday meme yesterday. She is doing great and we have continued to email and I have encouraged her to start commenting and building a reader base. I would love it if you would take a moment and pop on over to her blog and welcome her. How fun that she has taken this next step! 😀

Tonight is book club and I am uber excited! This is the review of The Fate Of Mercy Alban and we do our secret book exchange for July! I don’t even know what book I am going to bring yet! 😀

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading!

Published on June 10, 2013June 10, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)79 Comments

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. I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited. **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

Under the new and hopefully improved 2013 guidelines, the winner each week will receive a $5 Amazon gift card. This past weeks winner is:

Jay Riv

Congratulations Jay! please send me an email at journeythrougnbook@gmail.com and I will get this out to you later this week!

It was a pretty good week here, I did manage some posts:

BEA: Day 1 What Is Up With My Pants?

Lets Explore Diabetes With Owls by Davis Sedaris

BEA: Day 2 Blogger Con and the Harper Parties

Safe Haven Movie Review

BEA: Recap Day 3 Least Favorite Book Of The Expo

BEA: Recap Day 4 Breakfast at a favorite authors house!

BEA: Recap Day 5 Potted Potter and the books!

Blogiversary Party (lots of fun going on here!)

I have a few still to review. I hope to get caught up this week. As for what I have going now:

David Sedaris’ new collection of essays – including live recordings! – tells a most unconventional life story. It begins with a North Carolina childhood filled with speech-therapy classes (“There was the lisp, of course, but more troubling than that was my voice itself, with its excitable tone and high, girlish pitch”) and unwanted guitar lessons taught by a midget. From budding performance artist (“The only crimp in my plan was that I seemed to have no talent whatsoever”) to “clearly unqualified” writing teacher in Chicago, Sedaris’ career leads him to New York City and eventually, of all places, France. His move to Paris poses a number of challenges, chief among them his inability to speak the language. Arriving a “spooky man-child” capable of communicating only through nouns, he undertakes language instruction that leads him ever deeper into cultural confusion. Whether describing the Easter bunny to puzzled classmates or watching a group of men play soccer with a cow, Sedaris brings a view and a voice like no other to every unforgettable encounter.

I listened to him on audio and really enjoyed it – I needed more 😀

I also need to give the winners of the packages from yesterdays Blogiversary party – using random.org…. here is the winners:

Package #1: Bonnie at Bonnie’s Books!

Package #2: Kara McManus!

Package #3: Nise Under The Boardwalk!!!

Package #4: Sharon Chance Sharon’s Garden Of Books

That’s it. What are you reading this week? Please add your link below where it says click here.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

And for those of you who read mainly YA or Middle grade books, feel free to also link up the younger version of # IMWAYR as well

Blogiversary! Year 4 – and Gifts Galore!!!

Published on June 8, 2013June 8, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)229 Comments

Hi everyone! Welcome to my 4 years of blogging blogiversary – this is the actual day, June 9th, when I officially became a blogger.

I never dreamed when I started writing reviews on line in 2009 that 4 years later I would still be doing it. Blogging has really changed my life in positive ways that I would never have expected :

Writing reviews for a local magazine
being on a Twin Cities Panel
Going to the Book Expo for the past 4 years
Becoming President of The Friends Of The Library
Being on the city board for the library

Now you might think that some of these things I would have done without the blog but I dot think that is true. Through this community of bloggers I have learned the value of reading and sharing what we read. I have also read post after post of libraries and book stores closing, so I have become an even stronger advocate for the written word. All that I owe to this little space on the internet that I call Book Journey.

For those of you who have come to my party the last few years, the basics are pretty much the same… to be entered for the great giveaways (pictured below), simply leave me a comment here telling me how you traveled to the party, and what virtual gift or food item you brought with you: For example, you may have rollerbladed to the party and brought with you foot long licorice vines … (really be as crazy as you want… I love the fun imaginative comments!) For a little bonus if you would like to share how long we have known each other (blog or otherwise) and if you are brand new to the house of Book Journey – feel free to share that too! I love new friends!

My party will go for 24 hours so this post will go up at 12:01 am on June 9 (central time) and stay up until midnight. Every comment will be entered into the random drawings and winners (using random.org)will be announced here on Monday morning on Its Monday What Are You Reading Post.

See last years party here

Your comment will go into a drawing (using random.org) for one of the following packages:

**Package #1: 4 books, a sample chapter, swag and book bag**

**Package 2: YA pack – 3 books, swag items and book bag**

**Package #3: 4 books, swag and book bag**

**Package #4: 4 books, swag and book bag**

♥Thank you readers, you make this blog a whole lot of fun! I am so excited to celebrate with you. I have cleaned the house and set out the “red solo cups” and have the punch on ice…. just waiting to see who will be knocking on my door…

wait! There’s a knock! Who could it be?

*opens door and looking surprised!*

PARTY TIME!!!

Morning Meanderings… BEA: Day 5 – Getting My Potter on (oh and the BOOKS!)

Published on June 8, 2013June 8, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)50 Comments

Good morning! Happy Saturday ya all! 😀 Today will be my final BEA recap post and I will be tying it in with the Saturday Snapshot post now being done by West Metro Mommy!

BEA: Day 5

Last Saturday was the last day of the book expo in New York and the day that for the last two years they have opened up the expo to Power Readers. What are power readers? They are basically book lovers like fellow bloggers, but without the blog (in most cases). When I got up Saturday morning and went down the elevator to breakfast there were two women in the elevator with me.

“She is going too!” I heard one say to the other. They had seen my BEA Badge I was wearing. I asked if they were at the expo as well and they said just today. Power Readers. I told them they were going to have an amazing time. We exited the elevator and picked up our breakfast. I had brought my lap top and was going to write until Cindy came to join me but the two Power Readers were asking questions and I got caught up in their excitement so I wound up sitting with them. I shared my experience with the expo and as they were both book lovers and twin sisters, I found out, I suggested maybe they start a blog together. They were excited and I gave them my info if they wanted to bounce questions off me.

Once at the expo I had to get my yearly pic behind the info desk. If you recall, two years ago Reagan and I set there to enjoy our coffee prior to the first days opening of the expo and we had about 50 questions. We had a blast answering the questions, we knew all the answers except one, and therefore it has become a yearly thing. That’s how I roll….

Sure enough, Cindy took the picture for me and while I was there I answered three questions. 😀


Chris Matthews *Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked* Simon & Schuster (November 12, 2013)	Helen Fielding *Title TBA* Alfred A. Knopf (November 2013)	John Lewis *March (Book One)* Top Shelf Productions (August 13, 2013) Photo Credit: Eric Etheridge	Diana Gabaldon *Written In My Own Heart’s Blood* Delacorte Press Hardcover (December 10, 2013) Photo Credit: Elenna Loughlin

I had another Author Breakfast on Saturday. Again I sat with Jill and Candice, and Alison too. As you can see above, this is who was speaking. This was a great group to listen too and we were excited to learn almost first hand that Diana Gabaldon’s series is going to be a movie. She had just found out the night before. That is great news! For me, that means I have work to do as I have not yet read her series. 😛

After the breakfast, I met Alison’s book club members who had come for the Power Reader day. She was going to show them around so I went my merry way thinking I would do more browsing today then picking up books. Uh yeah…. that is not true. The following are a few author signings I went to:

1024x768_bestfit (63) — **Jamie Ford! Author of Hotel of Bitter and Sweet and has now written another one, Songs of Willow and Frost. SQQQUUEEE!!!!**
**I told him my book club loved his book.**

20130530_113048 — **Nancy Horan author of Loving Frank has written a new book, Under The Wide and Starry Sky.**

1024x768_bestfit (24) — **The Harry Potter new book cover unveiling was actually earlier in the week but I forgot to post about it.**

**Not super clear as I had hoped but there it is…**

**The yearly pic of Alison and I…. not at Harper (we forgot!) but at the Penguin Bash!**

Around 1:00 the expo started to wind down. People were closing up their booths, books were no longer plentiful… it was pretty much over. I shipped the last of my books and Cindy and I walked over to where the Potted Potter play was showing to see if we could get tickets. We did, and we picked up the $99 tickets for $49 which was great seats. We went to that at 5 pm and it was a BLAST! We laughed so hard we cried and I HIGHLY recommend that if you love Hatty Potter, you have to see this show. It is 70 minutes of all 7 books. AMAZING!

After the show we walked over to Cake Boss (you just have to when you are in New York!) and picked up a couple of cookies to bring home for Al.

We (Cindy and I) ended the evening by meeting up with Jill, Candice, and Kathy at that Irish Pub I mentioned in my Day 1 post. We were all leaving at different times the next day and it was fun to wrap up the week together.

Ok and now, I hate to do this today but I am done with the BEA posts so please bear with me as I give you… the books I brought home from the expo:

Ok, that is a LONG post and I know… a lot of books. Be sure to come back tomorrow which is my official 4 year Blogiversary where some of these books will be offered in several giveaways in celebration! 😀 (that post will go up right after midnight – central time. )

Have a great Saturday – my day is full… I have a funeral this afternoon and a birthday celebration tonight. In between, I hope to get out in my garden a bit and work on my hostas as – it is NOT raining.