Book Journey

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

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:

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.

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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….

How are you spending the start to your weekend?

Peaches For Father Francis by Joanne Harris

Published on February 7, 2013February 7, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments

Vianne Rocher has long separated herself from the French Village where a Chocolate Shop changed her life as well as others who sampled the chocolates she made within that shop. Then a letter arrives that Vianne has never expected, one that has her returning to that French Village.

When Vianne returns along with her two daughters Anouk and Rosette she finds that many changes have taken place, among them her old friend Father Francis stands accused of a crime.

I adored Chocolat. I loved the richness that author Joanne Harris puts into the details and the characters and having a chance to revisit these beloved people was a no brainer for me. Vianne once again carries the story along where Father Francis provides a little comic relief.

While I did not find Peaches For Father Francis as smooth or a read as Chocolat, it was still a nice visit with old friends.

Morning Meanderings… Top 10 Literate Cities

Published on February 7, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Good morning! I only have a few minutes this morning, life has returned to normal and I am off to work this morning… first time in a week so really no complaints here. 😀

I wanted to share with you something I read this morning over my coffee…. I read about the current top 10 literate citied and I found it interesting:

Washington, D.C.
Seattle, Wash.
Minneapolis, Minn.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Denver, Colo.
St. Paul, Minn.
Boston, Mass.
Atlanta, Ga.
St. Louis, Mo.
Portland, Ore.

You know I am cheering for my home state Minnesota. Yeah, that’s right… I dont get into sports much but I would wear the big foam finger to a bookish event going “Yeah… that’s right… we bad… We’re #3! We’re #3!”

Ok… perhaps a bit much, but you get the point. 😀

Today I work, I have a couple of errands, later I work out, it’s going to be an awesome day 😀

The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Published on February 6, 2013February 6, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

Edgar Sawtelle, born mute, lives a fine life at his home in Wisconsin. He works on the family farm training dogs. When Claude, Edgar’s uncle and brother to his father shows up, life takes a sharp turn for Edgar. When Edgar’s father suddenly dies, Edgar thinks something suspicious is going on. When Edgar sees his Uncle pushing his way into the role of his father, in more ways than one, it is the final straw.

Edgar flees from the only home he has never known with his three dogs. While away his travels cause him to grow up and prepare himself to return home and face his fathers murderer.

It’s hard to explain what I thought of this audio. While the storyline is interesting, it felt long and not overly eventful. As I type that this sounds harsh. I can’t quite put my finger on why it wasn’t a great listen for me. It is well written and an interesting synopsis. I think there are several loop holes in the book, for instance, there is a lot of questions brought up about the dogs but it never is a completed thought. There is also a section (my favorite) where Edgar meets a man named Henry, this part of the book later to me comes into question as it felt like it was left as an unfinished segment of the story. Or… maybe in both these cases author David Wroblewski is writing brilliantly and counting on the reader to be able to complete the thought of the unknown and I just didn’t get it :D.

Overall, certainly not a bad read, just not a “Loved it!” from me.

Morning Meanderings… Coming Home

Published on February 6, 2013February 6, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Good morning from Trout Lake Camp! I am at the morning of our final day at camp. The agenda this morning is breakfast, a quick wrap up of the retreat and then we are heading home.

Home!

I feel like I have not been there for days! It will be so wonderful to go home and just BE. 😀 We had a great time the last few days, ping-pong, card games, hanging out, I even had a nap yesterday. Now, I am ready to get home. Al is in Florida for the next three weeks so the dogs and I will be hanging out and working out and getting in some good reading time! I am excited about all of the above 😀

1a2 — Me playing shuffle board (I think). Pretty intense stuff 🙂

I will have a review up this afternoon and this morning I wanted to leave you with this super fun picture I seen this morning on the Shelf Awareness email.:

According to the Shelf Awareness email, New York Public Library had 281 children + 1 cat come to an event that broke the world Guinness Book Of Records for people wearing the cat in the hat, hat.