Book Journey

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on February 17, 2013February 17, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)49 Comments

Welcome to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

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:

Moms Small Victories !!!!

I have not been around much this week… work and evening activities have kept me busy which is good, but have also kept me away from writing reviews. Here is what little I put up this week:

Devastation On The Delaware by Mary Shafer – SO GOOD!!!

Wow. That is it. 😯 I have reviews to write and I have been listening to a lot of audio so there is that. 😀

For this next week I have started a few new things:

Christa Parravani and her identical twin, Cara, were linked by a bond that went beyond siblinghood, beyond sisterhood, beyond friendship. Raised up from poverty by a determined single mother, the gifted and beautiful twins were able to create a private haven of splendor and merriment between themselves and then earn their way to a prestigious college and to careers as artists (a photographer and a writer, respectively) and to young marriages. But, haunted by childhood experiences with father figures and further damaged by being raped as a young adult, Cara veered off the path to robust work and life and in to depression, drugs and a shocking early death.

A few years after Cara was gone, Christa read that when an identical twin dies, regardless of the cause, 50 percent of the time the surviving twin dies within two years; and this shocking statistic rang true to her. “Flip a coin,” she thought,” those were my chances of survival.” First, Christa fought to stop her sister’s downward spiral; suddenly, she was struggling to keep herself alive.

Beautifully written, mesmerizingly rich and true, Christa Parravani’s account of being left, one half of a whole, and of her desperate, ultimately triumphant struggle for survival is informative, heart-wrenching and unforgettably beautiful.

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

That’s about it. Lots of books to catch up on. What are you reading this week? Please add you link below where it says click here. I would love to see your posts!

Powered by Linky Tools

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

For those of you who review mainly Middle Grade (MG) and/or Young Adult (YA) reads, please also add your link to this meme as well:

Morning Meanderings…. Sunday and New Books!!!

Published on February 17, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Good morning! I am sitting here with my COFFEE CUP and apple oatmeal thinking of what a great day yesterday turned out to be. Yesterday afternoon I was tired… I suspect tired from my road trip to the cities on Friday and getting home around 11 pm, but whatever it was it resulted in a 2 hour nap.

Naps are magic right?

After that I did a little house cleaning, went to the gym and kicked some elliptical butt by cranking out a 5k + in 42 minutes. Then I came home and made a couple healthy appetizers for my wellness group which turned out to be a great time with some fun foods to try. You can find the recipes here at Team Kickin It)

And then on of course there are books….

Today after church I may go to a movie this afternoon with a friend but for sure I want to try to fit in time for the gym. After getting motivated yesterday, I felt so good, and even today feeling the work out in my back and in my legs makes me feel a little rock-starish 😛

Later, I plan to do some reading… so many good books to get moving on.

What are you doing with your day?

Morning Meanderings… Life In Minnesota

Published on February 16, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Good morning! It has been a couple of weeks since I have been home and able to put up a Saturday post. I am so excited 😀

SO for Saturday Snapshot check this out over at (At Home With Books) I went back to look at some of the earliest pictures I have on this laptop which takes me back to the fall of 2011. SO, just for fun… here are few pictures:

010 — **This was a sign in out local coffee shop where people were asked to write down their favorite book.**

099 — **This is a picture of my friend Amy and I before out first obstacle run, this was in July 2011… 6 weeks after I had broke my finger and dislocated my wrist on the MN 150 bike ride.**

175 — **Finally this is August 2011 – me looking over Lake Superior. This spot is about 8 miles from our cabin up North.**

There it is. I know it would be random – I have had no awesome picture opportunities as of late… Minnesota winters…. I am soooo ready for spring.

Hope you all enjoy your day. I have a meeting this morning and then home most of the day which will be nice as the week has been fairly busy and reading time has been close to nothing. Enjoy your Saturday!

Devastation On The Delaware by Mary A. Shafer

Published on February 15, 2013February 20, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Delaware in 1955 was experiencing a drought like no other. Crops were crispy dry, and farmers feared an entire loss for the harvest season. When hurricane Connie and Diane were in the area farmers had hope that the rains they would bring would save the crops. And at first… that’s what seemed to be happening.

Then on August 18th the rain storm took a turn for the worse. The two hurricanes brought down record rainfall over the next three days, causing some parts of the river to raise 30 feet within 15 minutes. Homes were torn from their foundations, vehicles overturned, resorts were washed away and 400 children were to be rescued from a camp ground by helicopter.

When all was done, nearly 100 people were killed, some of the bodies undiscovered until 30 years later and some still, have never been found.

Devastation On The Delaware is both fascinating and devastating at the same time. There were times while reading this I held my breath, feeling was about to happen as the pages turned and there was nothing I could do to stop….

~ Sheila

Sadly, this is one of those world events that I had never heard of prior to my book club choosing to read this book for our February review. I have read many true stories on disasters through my life and this one in the beginning drew me in as it felt a little like the movie Twister, where the people had little to no warning before the waters went from the lake to encompassing the city.

While a book of this topic could seem a heavy read, Mary Shafer expertly keeps the reader engaged with stories from survivors that are both at times lite and funny, and yes, of course sometimes bring tears to your eyes. The book is also filled with engaging pictures of the flood and maps of the areas affected by this horrific storm. While Mary talks about weather pattern and other storm related data but not in a way that it goes over this readers head. She speaks in terms that I could certainly comprehend and imagine what the storm had to be like.

Mary brings a lot of people into the telling of the disaster and that is my only real struggle with the book is that I like to know the people being written about and many people are hard to follow who is who and usually sends me (and did) back paging to find the person again and go “oh yeah, that’s the one that….”. This is truly a “me” thing and others may have no trouble navigating the stories and those within each one.

Written in such a way that I felt I could have been there watching that water rise, Mary’s book is one not to be missed by those who like to read about history and events that changed our world and the people who experienced it forever. I was truly appreciative of the book and this will be one I will certainly keep on my shelf and refer to in the years to come.

You can find this book by following this link here.

Bookies Thoughts on this book:

My book club (all hail The Bookies!) read this as a group and reviewed it. As a whole we found Devastation On The Delaware to be be very interesting. While many of us needed much of the month to get through it because of the size and the topic, others had trouble putting it down once they opened it up.

We were fascinated by the stories (a particular one that comes to mind is about a horse) and the pictures. Living in Minnesota and near the Mississippi makes up familiar with water, but none of us had ever experienced anything as frightening as a dangerous flood.

We were lucky to have author Mary Shafer SKYPE in with us and showed us a slideshow of her research of the book and pictures of before, during, and after, the major flood. Her presentation was engaging and she would stop for our questions and comments. It was a wonderful addition to have her be a part of our review. She knew her facts, but she was funny too… and it was a fun evening of learning and laughing.

Of course… we had food 😉

You can find out more about this flood and others at:

https://www.facebook.com/DevastationDelaware

Focusonfloods.org

55flood.com

Morning Meanderings… The Case Of The Missing Book Blogger

Published on February 15, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Hey there! How have you been? Whassup? 😀

I had no plans of going MIA on this blog this week but wow… apparently life had other plans. After the back to back retreats that kicked off the month, then picking up College Son in Mankato with his broken foot… THEN getting stuck home in a snow storm and returning the aforementioned son on Monday in a white knuckled 4 hour drive back to his campus in less than fun driving conditions…

I then proceeded to come home Monday night wiped out from the STRESS driving, Tuesday I worked and then went directly to the grocery store (did not pass go… did not collect my $200) where I picked up my items for book club – was home all of 40 minutes before off to Book Club I went and trust me.. it was awesome, more on that later today… Home around 10 pm, work on Wednesday, then home for an hour then back to work with the students like I do most Wednesdays, then home at 8 pm where I proceed to watch a couple of episodes of Downton Abbey (do not judge.. more on that another day!)…

THEN Thursday I worked, shopped for salad makings, home about an hour and off to mt friends Chad and Amy’s home where I have a tradition now of spending Valentines Day with them as Al (hubby) is usually in Florida this time of year for the equipment auctions. I was at their home until 10 pm then home, one episode on Downton and then bed. TIRED.

This morning I am free until 3 pm where I then drive to the cities for a Board Meeting for camp and then will be back home around 10.

SO yeah… my week has went like that. 😯

Looking ahead, I have a few things going on Saturday but Sunday will be wonderfully quiet and next week is much less crazy train and more chill. YAY!!!

What I miss most in busy times like this is books. I just have not had the time to sit down and enjoy a book for more than a few pages at all this month. Maybe on Sunday…. 😀

Hows your week shaping up? Any fun things planned?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on February 10, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)36 Comments

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

Beth at Free Spirit Books!!!!

This week was a pretty busy one and I did not get a whole lot of reading done. After back to back retreats (through Wednesday afternoon, I picked up my College Son Justin in Mankato on Friday morning to bring him back home for the weekend. He had broken his right foot and it unable to drive for 6 weeks. As long as I was hanging out alone all weekend I though he could join me…. we have watched many many episodes of LOST. 😛

Then I was going to take Justin home this afternoon and we got hit with a major snow storm – about 7 inches fell here in Brainerd Minnesota over about 4 hours time and we were in, and still are a Severe Storm Warning. So instead, we stayed here and I am taking him back to Mankato in the morning, about a 3+ hour drive….

Here is what I did review this past week:

The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Peaches For Father Francis by Joanne Harris

Eat and Run by Scott Jurek

Giveaway: SHRED Revolutionary Diet by Ian K Smith MD

I did get a few things done. 😀 This week and weekend I should have a little time to read, Book Club is on Tuesday. Here is what I hope to fit in this week, which will mainly be audio as I have a few books I hope to finish:

A riveting historical narrative of the shocking events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the follow-up to mega-bestselling author Bill O’Reilly’s Killing Lincoln.

More than a million readers have thrilled to Bill O’Reilly’s Killing Lincoln, the page-turning work of nonfiction about the shocking assassination that changed the course of American history. Now the anchor of The O’Reilly Factor; recounts in gripping detail the brutal murder of John Fitzgerald Kennedy–and how a sequence of gunshots on a Dallas afternoon not only killed a beloved president but also sent the nation into the cataclysmic division of the Vietnam War and its culture-changing aftermath.

In January 1961, as the Cold War escalates, John F. Kennedy struggles to contain the growth of Communism while he learns the hardships, solitude, and temptations of what it means to be president of the United States. Along the way he acquires a number of formidable enemies, among them Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, and Alan Dulles, director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In addition, powerful elements of organized crime have begun to talk about targeting the president and his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy.

In the midst of a 1963 campaign trip to Texas, Kennedy is gunned down by an erratic young drifter named Lee Harvey Oswald. The former Marine Corps sharpshooter escapes the scene, only to be caught and shot dead while in police custody.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty is a powerful saga of three generations of women, plagued by hardships and torn by a devastating secret, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of family. Fifteen-year-old Mosey Slocumb-spirited, sassy, and on the cusp of womanhood-is shaken when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard, and determined to figure out why it’s there. Liza, her stroke-ravaged mother, is haunted by choices she made as a teenager. But it is Jenny, Mosey’s strong and big-hearted grandmother, whose maternal love braids together the strands of the women’s shared past – and who will stop at nothing to defend their future.

In the 1980s, Elton John saw friend after friend, loved one after loved one, perish needlessly from AIDS. In the midst of the plague, he befriended Ryan White, a young Indiana boy ostracized by his town and his school because of the HIV infection he had contracted from a blood transfusion. Ryan’s inspiring life and devastating death led Elton to two realizations: His own life was a mess. And he had to do something to help stop the AIDS crisis.

Since then, Elton has dedicated himself to overcoming the plague and the stigma of AIDS. He has done this through the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised and donated $275 million to date to fighting the disease worldwide.

Love Is the Cure is Elton’s personal account of his life during the AIDS epidemic, including stories of his close friendships with Ryan White, Freddie Mercury, Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor, and others, and the story of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. With powerful conviction and emotional force, Elton conveys the personal toll AIDS has taken on his life – and his infinite determination to stop its spread.

As preparations for her daughter Joy’s bat mitzvah begin, everything seems right in Cannie’s world. Then Joy discovers the novel Cannie wrote years before and suddenly finds herself faced with what she thinks is the truth about her own conception — the story her mother hid from her all her life. When Cannie’s husband surprises her by saying he wants to have a baby, the family is forced to reconsider their history, their future, and what it means to be truly happy.

Thats whats on the agenda….. audio audio! How about you? What does this second week of February bring your way in books? Please add your link to where it says “click here” below.

Powered by Linky Tools

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

For those of you who review mainly Middle Grade (MG) and/or Young Adult (YA) reads, please also add your link to this meme as well:

Morning Meanderings… New Books In Da’ House

Published on February 10, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Good morning! Happy February 10th! I had a wonderful birthday yesterday. I spent it with my College Son hanging out at home watching LOST episodes (I have seen the whole series but it is new to him). We went out to lunch and later went out with friends for awhile. It really was a great day!

Now -for new books that came in the house this week and I think, some are from last week to:

You may notice the REALLY BIG green sunglasses and they go with The Shining Read A Long for February. You will see them again during my review.

So that’s the haul… I obviously have some good reading to do. 😀 How about you – anything exciting come your way this week?

Birthday Giveaway and A Little Update

Published on February 9, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

I didn’t mean to be “non postal” today and actually had a great post planned but my day turned out busier (in a good way!) when I thought and between phone calls and hanging out with Justin I have putzed the morning away and well, finally writing a little something. 😀

As you can see by the title of this post, it is my birthday…. and as you can see in the picture, I received a wonderful book on my birthday from the amazing Beth Hoffman, her newest title and so SSSSQQQUUUUEEEEEE worthy I had to show you. I cant wait to get into it and thank your Beth!

And since I love to do giveaways to celebrate anything.. today I am doing a giveaway for the book SHRED Revolutionary Diet which I really enjoyed reading through. I wrote that review on the Team Kickin It site and to enter the giveaway please leave a comment on the review, and for a bonus chance, leave one here as well.

As for me, I think I will be off mostly all day. Justin and I are going to a late dinner and a movie and I may join up with friends later tonight. It will be a great day 😀

Eat and Run by Scott Jurek

Published on February 8, 2013February 8, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

When you think of this worlds “super runners” Scott Jurek’s name has a good chance of being on that list. He came on the radar in 1999 when he took first place in a 100 mile run over the old Gold Rush Trails in California and continued to take first in that run for the next seven years. Scott had broke records, twice won the Badwater 135 mile Ultramarathon, and set an American record of 165.7 miles in 24 hours.

So who is Scott and what makes him run?

Scott grew up in a “meat and potatoes family” with a desire to run – but not always a passion for it. In fact he hated running. As he grew to adult he went to an all plant-based diet and worked his way to ultra running. Scott’s story is an inspiration to anyone who has a dream to better themselves and for whatever reason felt it was impossible to reach their goals.

For the last year I have had this desire to learn how to run. I don’t know why or where it came from other than the fact that runners have great stamina, I admire their dedication and dare I say it looks like fun? Scott’s story was really impressive to listen to. His story is engaging, he is down to earth and funny. You do not need to be some sort of fitness guru to enjoy this book and come out the other side with a lot of knowledge on running and a bit of inspiration to boot.

At the end of the audio he shares some yummy sounding vegan recipes that I plan to try.

Lentil-Mushroom Burgers

1. In a medium-size pot, bring 2 1/4 cups of water to a boil, then add 1 cup dried green lentils, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1/4 c up chopped onions. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
2. Combine 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, 2 cups bread crumbs, and 1/2 cup ground flax seeds in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate pan greased with olive oil, sauté 1 cup chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 cups finely chopped mushrooms, and 1 1/2 cups finely chopped kale or other winter greens for 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Remove lentils from heat, add 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and mash ingredients together.
5. In a large bowl, combine lentils, sautéed vegetables, and bread-crumb mixture. Cool in a refrigerator.
6. Using your hands, form patties and fry or grill until lightly browned and crispy on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes each side. Serve on a toasted bun or on their own.
Makes 12 four-inch burgers.

Holy Moly Guacomole

1 (15-ounce) can early or young peas, drained
1/2 cup mashed avocado (about 1 medium avocado’s worth)
1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
4 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1/2 clove)
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more, optional
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus more, optional
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon chile powder
1/3 cup chopped cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Chopped jarred jalapeno, optional

Serving suggestion: cut veggies

Place peas in a medium bowl and mash thoroughly with a potato masher or fork. (Or puree peas in a small blender or food processor and transfer to a medium bowl.) Add avocado, yogurt, lime juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 black pepper, cumin, and chile powder. Continue to mash until blended.Stir in tomatoes, onion, and some cilantro and/or jalapeno, if using. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy!

Per serving (1/3 cup): Calories 83; Total Fat 3.5 grams; Saturated Fat 0.5 grams; Protein 3 grams; Total Carbohydrate 9 grams; Sugar: 4 grams; Fiber 4 grams; Cholesterol 0 milligrams; Sodium 308 milligrams

Morning Meanderings… Road Trip to pick up the BROKEN son

Published on February 8, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Good morning! Grabbing a quick bite to eat this morning and then heading out the door shortly to go pick up College Son who last weekend broke hid foot and is in a cast up to his knee and can not drive.

1a3a — **You can see the little toe area where the break is…. officially called the fifth metatarsal.**

So off to Mankato this morning, a 3 1/2 hour road trip one way so I will be on the road about 8 hours today, back early afternoon. Justin will stay with me for the weekend and I will take his home Sunday afternoon.

Of course that translates for me = AUDIO! I am currently listening to The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott (good!) and Killing Kennedy (really really good!). I am thinking of Bringing Hunger Games on audio with me or perhaps a Harry Potter one, something that we can listen to together on the way back… 🙂 I also have Gone Girl…. decisions decisions….