Morning Meanderings… Hope Springs With Friends

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Good morning!  😀 

Friday!  Don’t you just love weekends?  😀  I am sitting here this morning with the back door to the deck open feeling that lovely warm breeze come in and brush across my shoulder.  If I could bottle today and repeat it 365 days a year I would.  This is a day that holds adventures and promises and I can not wait!

Last night, after a lovely dinner with a group of friends, I then went to the movie Hope Springs with Wendy, Heidi, and Susan.  I had two free tickets from hosting the House Party for Hope Springs last week.  It was a cute movie about a couple Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones who have been married for 31 years and Meryl’s character, Kay, wants to put some sort of the spark back into their marriage….. Tommy Lee Jones character, Arnold, feels that their marriage is fine even though he has barely touched her in 5 years and they sleep in separate bedrooms.  Enter Steve Carell as Dr Felt, book writer and marriage therapist, and you have a bitter sweet comedy that at times is honestly sad how far they have drifted apart. 

People watching at the theater was a bonus to the movie, we were pretty close to the youngest ones there and it was fun to watch these older couples reactions to different parts of the movie.  Laughing and jabbing each other in the ribs.  There was also a woman up front who had a boisterous laugh and when something struck her funny – well, we all had to laugh too. 

A fun movie to see with friends, only one scene a little “risky” when Meryl and Tommy are in a move theater, but nothing over the top – the movie is rated PG13. 

It was my first time in our new theater, and I LOVE the changes…. we have finally entered the world of stadium seating and nice comfy chairs that rock.  A real improvement from what we had before where you did not dare sit your purse on the floor next to your chair for fear you would never be able to release it from the gooey substance that would hold it as tight as super glue… subsequently, it was amazing you could walk out of the theater with your shoes intact as they suction cupped to the gooey floor and you “plungered” your way to the safety of the outside. 

Today, I leave for Wisconsin at 2:00 Pm with my friend Amy and Wendy.  We are doing the Muckruckus tomorrow morning for MS.  We are all first time “Muckruckusers”  and I am both excited and apprehensive.  From those who have done this before me that I know, they say it is a LOT OF MUD.  This is not like the Warrior Dash where we get a little mud at the end.  Nope – this is solid mud and if I recall, it is a 10K (holy cats…..) and a lot of obstacles.  So….. another adventure for this small town Brainerd girl. 

I think I will bring Laptop with me today – then I can post in the morning and I have reviews (believe it or not!) for both today and tomorrow!  Slowly I am finding my way back to the mix of books and activity combined. 

As for now… I need to plan what I am going to wear tomorrow.  They suggest pants  because the rocks in the mud hurt your knees.  I may get a bandana but I suspect it will be sucked off my head in the mud, tennis shoes that will never be the same again, and a tank top.  I think… I don’t know.  😀 

Morning Meanderings… Children and YA categories continue to grow in book sales!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Morning all!  Thursday already?  Why oh why is my summer flying by?  The days are full and fast…. before I know it, Friday will be here and I leave for Wisconsin for the Mudruckus with two awesome daring friends.  BUT – more on that tomorrow. 

I slept well last night and while that may not seem like a big deal, it is.  Mater (new dog) is like that having a baby in the house – sometimes at night he cries, and like a new mom – even if he does not cry from his space in the entryway… I listen for it.  This morning I woke up surprised to see it was 6:30 am and I had woke up on my own – without noise or distraction.  Usually I have been getting up between 5 and 5:30 am.

Now with coffee cup – I am eager to share that I just read on Shelf Awareness that Childrens/Middle Grade YA reads have continues to grow in sales all year…. some months in triple digits.  That excites me so much.  The future of books and reading will be in the next generations hands and I am always excited to see kids with books.  YAY to our authors who are writing the books that are keeping these kids engaged and wanting to read.  😀

This morning I have work- I am biking in for the third day this week.  Later I have dinner with friends and then a group of us are going to the movie Hope Springs!  I am excited about a full day and a fun evening. 😀

My reading is still slow since July… so much going on in life and in my weekends but it is good stuff and I know once life slows down again my nose will again be in a book daily. 

I hope your Thursday is wonderful!  Any fun plans for the weekend?

 

 

The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Change is good.

Right?

32 year old Caddie Winger had been raised by her grandmother since she was 9 years old, after her mother had died.  Now, Nana is no longer as strong as she used to be, and Caddie finds that the roles has reversed, and now she is the caretaker.  When Nana falls and breaks her leg she insists on going to an assisted living home, much to Caddie’s objections.  Now, suddenly Caddie finds herself living alone for the first time since college.

When visiting the home to see her Nana, Caddie meets a whole cast of interesting characters, that not only occupy some of her lonely time, but also teach her life lessons that are priceless.

 

Why did I want to listen to this audio?  Title.  I love summer.  If the title is going to have the word “summer” in it, I am going to take a closer look… 😀

 

*sigh*  This is going to be hard review, mainly because I just really never connected with Caddie at all.  The story was basic, nothing profound or original that spoke to me.  While a sweet story, and funny at points (I did really enjoy my time in the assisted living home with that crack group of characters!), there were no big “ah ha” moments for me…

and maybe, that is not important. 

But….

in this case, the book needed something to glue it together… and either I missed it or it wasn’t there (both… are possible.)  Goodbye Summer is a fine story and as long as you are looking for just a good read that passes a beautiful summer time with a marginal main character but a cast of fun background characters who even in an assisted living home are working on their bucket lists (I do admit.. I like their style) then Goodbye Summer can fit the bill.

The Confession by John Grisham

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

In 1998 a young cheerleader is presumably murdered after she disappears one night never to be seen again.  Donte’ Drumm, a college football star is jailed and then after much prodding by the police, confesses that he indeed killed the pretty cheerleader, Nicole.

Flash forward to 2007, mere days before Donte’ Drumm’s execution.  Kansas Minister Keith Schroeder is working in his office when a man by the name of Travis Bronte enters with a story that is shocking and frightening.  Bovette, is a multi sex offender who has been in and out of jail his entire life.  Now dieing from a brain tumor, he shares that he is Nicole’s true killer and can prove it as he knows exactly where her body is.  Boyette wants to end his life by doing something right for a chance.

Keith suddenly finds himself on a mission he never intended to be on.  With his wife telling him he was crazy to get involved, Keith drives Boyette to the scene of the crime, far away from where they are now.  With the clock ticking on Drumm’s execution, and Boyette refusing to confess tot he public until he sees Nicole’s remains one more time so he can say he is sorry… it really is a race against time and the truth.

Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi, law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.
Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn’t have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.
One day at the DeSoto County courthouse, Grisham overheard the harrowing testimony of a twelve-year-old rape victim and was inspired to start a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl’s father had murdered her assailants. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to get in several hours of writing time before heading off to work, Grisham spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. Initially rejected by many publishers, it was eventually bought by Wynwood Press, who gave it a modest 5,000 copy printing and published it in June 1988. ~ from the official John Grisham site – click the picture to read more.

Why did I want to listen to this book?  I have enjoyed Grisham for many years.  He was probably one of my very first go to authors (along with Dean Koontz, and Harlan Coben).  Going into this one, for some reason I was thinking this was more of a YA read… yeah, that is not true….

The Confession is a book that surprised me time and again.  This fictional book reads like non-fiction.  Several times throughout listening to this book I went on-line to check to make sure I was not reading a true story.  As far as I am aware, John Grisham’s only non fiction book is Innocent Man which was pretty amazing.  The details of police action (or lack there of) in this one felt so real, the layout of the crime, and the trek cross-country to find the body and see if Boyette was telling the truth or just messing with people’s lives felt genuine. After checking and rechecking, The Confession is just a very well written fiction read.

The book had just the right level of creep factor for me.  Never gory, but as I mentioned above, shockingly real.  All throughout this read I was wondering if they really would find Nicole’s body.  Boyette’s back and forth wanting to confess and then backtracking and wondering why should he after all this time was mind boggling.  I wanted to read through the speakers and choke him.  Meanwhile, Donte Drumm sits in jail as the clock ticks down, wondering if a miracle will come in time….  it has been 9 years of jail for Drumm…. what do you think 9 years of jail can do to a person’s state of mind?

In the end, I enjoyed The Confession much like I would if I had read a true crime book. I wanted to know the truth, I wanted justice to be served…  I questioned who was telling the truth… and when all was done… while it was not everything I had hoped for, it was most likely the way it should have been

Fans of true crime and Grisham’s knack for detail when it comes to crimes and the law will enjoy this one.  This would make a fantastic movie.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

Audible.com (listen in to a sample here)

Morning Meanderings… What Does 173 Miles on a bike feel like?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Good morning everyone!  Once again, I have not been around the blogesphere much due to a busy summer schedule.  This past weekend I was for the 4th year in a row a part of the Camp Benedict Cyclists riding for a camp that is for people, children, and families with AIDS.  This is one of my favorite rides of the year because everyone that does this ride is amazing.

This year the weather was perfect and myself, along with the two girls I ride much of the ride with Sheila and Belinda, decided we would do the Century route which is 100 miles in one day.  I am so glad I did.  This is something I have been wanting to do for the past two years and it was the plan for last years MS ride, the one I was hurt on. 

I don’t want to post too many pics because I am pretty sure this will be my topic for the Saturday snapshots as well.. but here is a sample:

The whole gang – Camp Benedict Riders 2012
L: Sheila, me, and Belinda
The shirt I wore day two of the ride

Over the two day ride I biked 173 miles and feel… yeah, a little like a rock star…LOL.

Thats it for now… I still have to get ready for work and yes, my reading is still suffering…. GAH!  😛 

More pics on Saturday of this event. 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)42 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.

This past weeks winner:

Shannon from I Run Teach Read!!!

Congratulations!  Please email me your book choice out of the Reading Cafe at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com. 

 

If you read this post last night (Sunday here in Central MN), you know I just got home Sunday evening from a weekend 173 mile bike ride… I am sun burned but oh so happy.  Great ride… We raised money for a camp for families, and children with AIDS.  This is one of my favorite rides of the year and I feel like a rock start having done my first Century in one day (100+ miles!!!!) I am now updating this post to add in my past week and plans for this week.  Last night I was just too tired to do it. 😀

My reading has suffered greatly this Summer from all the activities, however I would not trade it for anything… I have had a great summer.. and still have many busy weeks ahead filled with fun adventures.  This past week, here is what I put on the blog:

 

The Bel Canto Read-A-Long Party (are you ready to read another great books and maybe win some cool things?  Join in this read-a-long!)

 

 

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson (a book I listened to on audio, but would recommend reading the book instead)

 

House Party Overview (I had a house party for the upcoming movie Hope Springs… ) here are the pics – we had so much fun!

 

 

Northern Minnesota Weekend (two weekends ago I spent some time with friends up North)

 

 

Paper Towns by John Green (LOVE John Green – if you have not indulged.. .you must!)

 

 

As for this week, I am still not expecting anything fantastic on my reading… I think I have been reading the same books for three weeks now, just no time to pick it up!  😀  I do however have some audio yet to review and hopefully another one or two this week.  That said, my reading goals for this week are small”ish”:

 

 

Irene and Nate Stanley are living a quiet and contented life with their two children, Bliss and Shep, on their family farm in southern Illinois when Nate suddenly announces he’s been offered a job as a deputy sheriff in Oregon. Irene fights her husband. She does not want to uproot her family and has deep misgivings about the move. Nevertheless, the family leaves, and they are just settling into their life in Oregon’s high desert when the unthinkable happens. Fifteen-year-old Shep is shot and killed during an apparent robbery in their home. The murderer, a young mechanic with a history of assault, robbery, and drug-related offenses, is caught and sentenced to death.

Shep’s murder sends the Stanley family into a tailspin, with each member attempting to cope with the tragedy in his or her own way. Irene’s approach is to live, week after week, waiting for Daniel Robbin’s execution and the justice she feels she and her family deserve. Those weeks turn into months and then years. Ultimately, faced with a growing sense that Robbin’s death will not stop her pain, Irene takes the extraordinary and clandestine step of reaching out to her son’s killer. The two forge an unlikely connection that remains a secret from her family and friends.

Years later, Irene receives the notice that she had craved for so long—Daniel Robbin has stopped his appeals and will be executed within a month. This announcement shakes the very core of the Stanley family. Irene, it turns out, isn’t the only one with a shocking secret to hide. As the execution date nears, the Stanley’s must face difficult truths and find a way to come to terms with the past.

This has been on to read list for two months now.  Currently it is my Book Club choice for August so it goes up next 🙂

 

One more note – if you use Twitter, please post about what you are reading there under the hashtag #IMWAYR

 

Please link up your Monday What Are You Reading below… and please stop back tomorrow when my head is clearer and see what I am reading too 😀

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And if you read mostly YA and middle grade books, please also add your link to this Version of IMWAYR

 

 

Paper Towns by John Green

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

Quentin, “Q”, has quite literally spent his life coveting the girls next door.  Literally, because Margo Roth Spiegelman is his next door neighbor and has been since they were both in grade school.  Once close, Q and Margo now in their senior year of High School have been separated by social status, Margo having taken on the role of popular girl and living life on the edge, and Q is a brainiac, playing by the rules and spending most of his evenings studying.

Imagine Q’s surprise when Margo climbs into his bedroom window one evening dressed as a ninja and asking Q to join her on an all night revenge adventure that comes complete with a list of where they are going, and what they need to shop for to prepare for their night.  At first Q balks at the idea but spending time with Margo is too appealing to pass up.  What follows in a night of adventure and risk taking that becomes the best night of Q’s year and maybe his lifetime…

And then, Margo disappears.  The next day she is gone, missing from her home and from Q’s life…. once again.  Her parents seem to be fed up with her actions and feel she is close enough to graduation that she can just be on her own if that is what she wants so badly.  Q however feels differently.  Through a favorite book of Margo’s, that seems to hold clues to her whereabouts, Q and his close friends Ben, Radar, and Lacy, embark on an adventure of finding Margo…

but what will these clues lead them to… and is Margo even still alive? 

Why did I read/listen to this book?  Hello!  It’s John Green and I have enjoyed him so much this summer, why stop now?

John Green has a talent for breathing life into characters that I want to hang out with.  Paper Towns is no exception… Q is a wonderful Protagonist and I have to say, Ben became a fast favorite in this audio (and if you do listen to the audio you will get what I mean.. Ben is HILARIOUS!).  I also once again love the language of the books that John Green Writes… I could write a book of John Green quotes because seriously the man has a gift of words.

While I enjoyed Paper Towns I am glad this was not my first John Green read.  For the most part I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it was Margo who I struggled with.  Paper Towns has elements of Looking For Alaska sprinkled within the character of Margo – a strong Independence woman, but where Alaska was strong and driven with a cause… I never felt I knew the cause of Margo’s angst.  And you know, maybe it wasn’t even teenage angst… but a need to escape to the escape of causing pain to others and not really seeming to care. 

Really though – that is my only peeve.  Paper Towns is interesting and the title itself as the book explains it was also quite interesting.While Margo annoyed me, Q and Ben and Radar made up for her… these three were buddies through and through and I really enjoyed the memory og high school friends who would go out and do anything for you, and as you discover in this book.. they all sacrifice greatly for the sake of friendship.

I do recommend Paper Towns, I am glad I read it and I hope you give it a chance as well.

Morning Meanderings… A Weekend Up in North Minnesota

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Good morning!  😀  I have a brief amount of time here this morning as I type this I am in full bike gear, my bike is loaded on the back of the jeep, I am packed and ready to go out and bike the 150 mile ride this weekend for Camp Benedict.  SO far, the weather is overcast but dry (fingers crossed!) It has called for storms today and we biked last year in storms that first day and well… I really would rather not 😀

 

Last weekend I went to the North Shore and stayed at our cabin with my Cousins wife Rhonda, and friends Belinda and Sheila.  We had wonderful weather and a lot of fun.  We biked the Gitchingama trail and I forgot to take my camera…. yup, left it right on the counter in the cabin kitchen.  Here are a few shots I did get throughout the weekend though:

 

Left back: Belinda (front) Sheila, Right back: Rhonda, (front) Sheila -me!

 

Hanging out by a fire in Two Harbors Minnesota at the Viking Legend

 

Sheila, Rhonda, and Belinda by the fire

 

 

My morning reading material… on the deck of the cabin.

Bikes in the cabin overnight

 

Wild Flowers!

 

Thats it – I am off, a review up later today and then I will be back tomorrow later afternoon with the review of the book I am taking with me!  😀  Connect with Alyce at At Home With Books for your own Saturday Snapshots, and to see others as well! Have a great weekend you all!  I hope to pop in and see you when I return.

Morning Meanderings…. House Party Overview

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

 

Good morning a brief check in before I go garage saling…

I was so busy yesterday I was not on line at all after the morning.   After work, I shopped and came home and got ready for my House Party for the upcoming movie Hope Springs. 

What House Party is, is an online site where you can sign up to host parties over new products, games, books, movies, etc…. my friend Angie has done several of them from Craft Macaroni and Cheese (they sent her 16 bags of macaroni!), to coffee creamer.   I signed up and was excited to be offered a host spot for Hope Springs.  At first I was really nervous… I was supposed to invite people to my home to discuss a movie that was not at the theaters yet…. whatever would we do?  What would we talk about?

 

Here is the movie trailer:  (which we all watched together)

 

House Party sent me a box of goodies and then I started to get into it…  they sent 12 of these super cute Hope Springs glasses:

and as you see – these cute IOU coupon books came with, those were for my guests to give to their souses, fun relationship guides, save the date cards to plan a movie night, fun discussion questions and these cute tote bags:

I bought wine and made horduerves… some of my friends brought horduerves too…

We actually had a blast sitting on the deck and enjoying each others company the conversation flowed easy and the questions that were sent along in the party box were fun to discuss.  It was one of those nights where I have known most of these girls for YEARS but I learned something new about them through our fun conversation.  Funny enough, my hubby came home during the conversation as we all sat on the deck talking relationships… he had no idea what we were talking about when we all started laughing. 😀 

There were 8 of us total… I forgot to get a group picture – we had so much fun though and it was a great evening just to hang out with friends.

I will be back later today with a review.  😀

Morning Meanderings… Two Very Different, but Very Appealing Books

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Good morning!  Thursday already!  Did anyone elses week fly by?  I feel like I have run from one thing to the next but it has all been so good!  I am drinking my coffee and hustling through my morning traditions in anticipation of riding my bike to work.  I think… 😀  I do have errands to run after work so that puts a little damper on things but I am seriously considering biking to work 😀

Reading Shelf Awareness this week (if you do not receive this AWESOME daily email you should and you can link up on my right sidebar) and I have seen a couple of book trailers that caught my eye.  Yes… I said book trailers, and yes – I am not a fan of book trailers because I want to develop the story in my head… but… I am warming to a few of them.

First, on Monday – this trailer for the book Cascade really caught my eye… and then my heart.

and then last night I was reading email and seen this trailer hiding at the bottom of yesterdays Shelf Awareness and wow… I am turning into such a James Dashner fan want to be and have not read a thing he has written yet… obviously Maze Runner is in my near future so I can then read this one:

Tonight is my Hope Springs House Party.  I am getting kind of excited…  😀  Hope your Thursday is fab-tastic! 

Are you a book trailer fan… if so, any books call to you by seeing their trailer?