Book Journey

SPIN by Catherine McKenzie

Published on February 12, 2012February 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

How far would you go to get what you have always wanted?

Kate is a 30-year-old party girl. She loves to go out with her friends and celebrate… well, anything! When Kate lands an interview to write reviews for her favorite music magazine, The Line, that is something really worth celebrating! And celebrate she does, perhaps a little too much the night before the big interview and showing up still intoxicated from the night before, she blows it. Literally.

However a few days later the publishers of the magazine call her with an idea. They also run a gossip magazine and the word is out that the current tabloid “it girl” Amber Sheppard has just entered rehab for her extreme partying ways. If Kate is up to the challenge, the publishers would like to send her undercover into the 30 day rehab center to get the inside scoop. If she does well, they will reconsider her for the Music Reporter position.

As Kate considers this opportunity to earn big bucks while tracking a mega star she creates a “to do” list:

Go to rehab
Befriend/spy on “It Girl”
Write killer expose
Land dream job

Piece of cake!

When Kate takes the assignment she is in for a few surprises along the way, one of them being as she goes through the steps wondering if perhaps she did need a little professional help with her partying ways, two being who knew she would meet an incredible hot guy, and three, she never dreamed that Kate Sheppard (her big assignment!) would turn out to be a real friend….

Kate has to decide if what she will gain in the long run will be worth the price she will have to pay.

SPIN was actually a lot of fun to read. You might look at the synopsis and think “oh boy… chick lit YA all the way”, but there is more to SPIN than that.

When I started the book I was annoyed with Kate. Her life style was self-destructive and I have a “low tolerance policy (hence forth known as the LTP) for people who constantly blow up their life and then wonder why things go so poorly for them.

Once Kate enters rehab believing she is only on assignment and does not have a drinking problem is when I see author Catherine McKenzie shine. Kate feels real…. clueless (in the beginning) but certainly real in her actions and even likable as she grows in so many ways during the rehab time.

And it’s not only about Kate. Amber, as well as Henry, are wonderful supporting characters, and there is an assortment of pre- rehab friends that make appearances as well that all felt real. There is a lesson to be found within the pages of SPIN, one on not judging someone based on gossip. People in real life are so much more, and until you have seen where there life has led them to walk… you should not pretend you know what it is like to be in there shoes.

I really enjoyed SPIN. While the ending may be a bit predictable, it was still wonderful and the way it all fits together is handled smartly. By the time I reached the middle of the book there was no putting it down! I am looking forward to reading more from Catherine McKenzie.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

Morning Meanderings…. Sunday Salon?

Published on February 12, 2012February 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Good morning and happy Sunday! It’s the wee hours of the morning here but that’s what happens when you heat your home in the winter with a wood stove that sits out behind your home… when its cold… you have to get up at odd hours to fill it…. AND once dressed and tossing pieces of wood into the mammoth wood stove in frigid air for about ten to fifteen minutes… you kind of come back in the house… AWAKE.

😯

For years now I have seen the Sunday Salon posts pop up around the blogosphere. As of late I have considered doing this, but then wonder if it is not what I already do anyway between the morning meanderings and the Monday What Are You Reading (which recaps my reading week… past and future).

This morning (remember, I have been up a while…. had time 😛 ) I Googled Sunday Salon and found this to be the originator. While the main link explains it is like a mini read a thon… the posts I have read are a mix of books and life and I like that. I do like reading about what others are doing in their piece of the world, so I am going that style.

And so… I begin….

This past week has been a good one. The early part of the week was my typical work days and attempted work outs. Tuesdays are good because there are a couple of classes my friends like to go to and I make it a point to be at the gym with them Tuesday evenings. Unfortunately the gym times have become few and far between so I need some strategic planning there to juggle the additional hours I took on at work for the next couple of months but ~~keep~~ MAKE working out a priority. I had started Team Kickin It this year to support me in these work out goals and have not really loved on that for a while now. I need to get SERIOUS. (I want to look more like my Avatar chick on that blog and lets just say that currently… not so much. 😯

Thursday was my ____ birthday! Yup I am ____ years old! I know, right? 😛 I had a lunch date, and then that evening I went to a wine tasting with a few friends of mine and had a great time unwinding and eating delicious hor duerves!

I was hoping I took a picture of the pretty wine in my glass or of my friends… but no… I took a picture ( or 7) of the ceiling in the restaurant we were at:

I think you can understand why I was distracted… 😛

Friday I had a lunch date with my Wal-Mart peeps…. my core group of co-worker friends from times gone by…. always a blast! Friday night I had a surprise home invasion by a group of friends who came bearing 10 (yes 10!) large balloons, my favorite bottled water and a French Silk Pie. Mmmmmm…….

Saturday was a pampering day. I slept in (ahhhhhh!) until about 8 am. Yes, that is sleeping in for me. 😀 I read a bit and then had an appointment, then tanned (I know I know…) and then went and had a manicure and pedicure done…. I like doing this for many reasons 1. I do a horrible job if I try to do it myself. 2. They shape my nails I am so hard on, nicely. 3. I can read while they do this, always a fan of the multi task. I was reading SPIN by Catherine McKenzie which was pretty good and took up most of my spare time throughout the day. I finished it last night.

I am also reading We’ve Got A Job by Cynthia Levinson, and starting to read (in baby steps) my nemesis book (see yesterdays post) Jane Eyre. I am still listening to 11-22-63 and LOVING it (audio all the way on this one!!!) A trip to the library brought me home with three more audio books and two I have already given up on… Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison (within 30 minutes of listening and a disgusting dialogue I knew this one wasnt for me) and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne which I think is just this audio version that was a negative…. the story bored me (maybe that’s just Hawthorne?) a bit too much thee and thou for me to stay focused. Note to self – do not pick audio from the library shelves – find what you like at home them reserve it on line so the library will have something you actually want to listen to in house. 😀

As for today…. I woke to the sad news about Whitney Houston. I had just noticed yesterday she was on a cover of one of the tabloids while I was in the check out line, it was something about her struggling and I thought what a tough life she has had….

In other Sunday news, this morning I have church, at 12:30 I am going to go work out at the gym (YES I AM!), then I have a couple things to pick up for an awards event tonight, at 4:00 I play floor hockey and then will rush home to change and get ready for the 6:30 event….. I don’t want to say much about this but I have a fun plan for tonight….. here is your only clue….

The Eyre Of My Ways…

Published on February 11, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)47 Comments

Ok…. it is time. I am going to tackle Jane Eyre. Well… the book that is…. not really Jane, or at least not yet… it may come to that later, but for now… I want to start the book and hopefully this 4th time of trying to read this book that this time… THIS TIME I will be able to actually finish it.

SO what am I doing differently?

baby steps, I am going to challenge myself to read 10 pages of Jane a day starting today. My book here is 462 pages (~~UGH….~~) so my goal is 46 days from today at the latest. I can read more pages per day but not less.
Keep it fun. I will give weekly updates of the progress. I also mean to record my book mood during this read as well. If I am bitter, bored, amused, defiant, annoyed, interested…. you will know.

The goal – is to finish if not as myself and Jane Eyre being friends, then at least we will be acquaintances.

Morning Meanderings… Come Into My Reading Room

Published on February 11, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)56 Comments

Happy Saturday all!

I love days that are wide open and this one is…. well not completely, I do have a couple of commitments this morning but as I get into the afternoon it is a get out of whatever free card! 😀 I will not have to leave my house…unless I want to…. I can read or write or bake, or work out, or watch a movie… or all of the above!

For Saturday Snapshot today (*waves at Alyce*) I thought I would take you inside my book room….its been awhile since I have posted pictures of it and the space has quite a history…

The History:

Originally growing up this was two bedrooms – one was mine, one was my great grandmothers
in 1996, after I inherited the home, the two bedrooms were mine and Al’s and our son Justin’s
After we remodeled and finished the basement off the two bedrooms became our son Brad’s and a spare room
In 2001 we took out the wall between the rooms, remodeled it and became our home office
In 2006 we moved our office down to our business and this room… became my library 😀

The Books:

Personal collections (upper shelf around the ceiling)
Books purchased at book stores
Books from Library sales
Books given to me as gifts
Books picked up at estate sales (hello original Nancy Drew hard covers!)
ARCS
Books I have won

They are about 50% read.

Stop over to Alyce’s At Home With Books and see others posting for Saturday Snapshot.

I would love to hear where you keep your books! I think it is fascinating how we collect them and how we store them! 😀

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

Published on February 10, 2012February 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Frances world in one filled with strict tradition (and not the fun Fiddler on the Roof kind….). Although she is 17 and her and her mother live in a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco, you would swear that they still live in China. Frances’s mother has had a hard life… after moving to the States, Frances’s father soon left the family. The easier thing to do would have been to return to China, but Frances’s mother instead works two jobs to maintain her household. She also holds her daughter to some pretty strict rules:

No extra curricular activities or socializing …. free time is to be used for studying
Frances WILL get better grades than her cousin and Frances WILL be a doctor and support her mother
Frances owns nothing… everything is her mothers
No boys.

On top of the rules, Frances is constantly being told that her size 8 body is fat, her face chunky, no boy will ever give her a second look, she is lazy and unhelpful to her mom, and her straight A’s in school are still not as good as her cousins GPA, so apparently she is a little stupid too. She is also constantly reminded how much time and money has been put into her schooling.

When Francis mistakenly shows up in a Speech class instead of her assigned calculus, she is amazed at her knack for speaking, and so is the teacher. When Frances tries to correct the class mishap, the teacher encourages her to continue with speech and enter competitions, where Frances soon discovers she has a gift she was unaware of.

Of course to Frances’ mom, this is a huge waste of time until she thinks Frances may be able to be famous and on tv… then once again, Frances is told what to eat to lose weight, and what she needs to do to become who her mother expects her to become.

As the pressure continues to build and a boy starts to pay attention to her Frances is about to put tradition to a rest… but at what cost?

Ok…. first off. If you have this book in book format that is wonderful. Now…. put it down. Keep it, you want it… you really do, but if you have a chance to pick this one up on audio, I encourage you to go that route.

Why audio?

Nancy Wu is a narrator to be savored. She masterfully and distinctly manages to narrate through the different voices of Frances, her mother, Theresa, her aunt, the teacher and even the boy interest so well I always knew who was talking. With Nancy’s own heritage, the book reads authentic and I adored it when Chinese words were used and explained. This book was an absolute joy to listen to.

So why hang on to the book then?

My only grumble about audio is I can not flip a page back to look at a word I am unfamiliar with, practice it, look up the definition, and then let it roll off my own tongue. In this case, when a Chinese phrase was used it was beautifully said and while driving I would repeat it to myself, but as the audio went on and I had no way to write down what I had just heard, it gets lost. (With the book, which I have, I was able to go back and try those words again…. )

Bitter Melon is a book that will rock you emotionally. In the synopsis you can see that Frances’ mom is not an easy-going mother who has a plate of cookies on the table when you come home and flips excitedly through college brochures with you. Nope. Instead, this woman is strict beyond strict. (Have you ever seen the movie Mommy Dearest?) And while I wanted to take this woman aside and give her a taste of her own medicine… as the book goes on you will see that as much as Frances hates the way her mother controls her, Frances does the same thing to her cousin…. and then…. I am frustrated with her too.

Imagine having all your choices made for you… where you will attend college…. what you will be when you grow up, where you will live, how you will act, and who you will marry. Imagine that this is normal in your culture. Family comes above all else and you always obey and never come up with your own opinions.

This audio really is incredible. It is hard to put into words how this one made me feel. The story line was enjoyable and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. In the end… I was pleased… and then saddened… and in the end… I think Frances was too.

Looking for a book/audio that is a cultural experience? I would recommend this one. I finished this audio and zipped to Amazon to see if there was another book centered around these characters…. sadly there is not and no sign that there will be…. but the way it ends… I can see where there could be.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

I picked up this audio from my lovely local library…

Morning Meanderings… Recap Of A Pretty Sweet Day

Published on February 10, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

Good morning all! 😀

Birthday yesterday was pretty sweet… even with hubby out-of-town he was in contact with me throughout the day. 😀 I worked, had lunch with Ann Marie, I did a little shopping and then met up with some friends at a wine tasting event for charity and we enjoyed wonderful appetizers and conversation. Thank you Key, Wendy, and Sandi… seriously you made my evening! 😀

For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook you may have also seen this:

That would be my college son and he made me smile when I logged on to Facebook and had this waiting for me. He called me later to tell me that he got up early to do this before class started. My heart melts for that kid….

Then last night at the wine tasting event we sat in a different part of the restaurant that I have not sat in before, a little room to the front of the dining area and when I looked up….. oh my…

I probably do not need to tell you that the wheels in my head started turning… looks like an eye hook screw into the wall and then a heavy cord or band to loop through the book…. oh seriously…. this is pretty darn cool… and a little Harry Potterish too… (think flying books!) I may need to give this a try in my reading room… maybe… I am not sure… but maybe… 😀

Yesterday I posted two giveaways – check them out here and here. 😀

As for today I work, I hopefully work out… and then a quiet evening at home is just what I need….

Life Is A Trip by Judie Fein (and a giveaway!)

Published on February 9, 2012March 2, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)42 Comments

Judith Fein does not let grass grow under her feet. She, like her husband, enjoy travel and experiencing what this world has to offer. In this book, Life Is A Journey, Judith shares 14 journeys where she learns from other cultures about their families, death, measuring success, faith, overcoming trauma, and forgiveness.

I have always enjoyed traveling and experiencing the world. As a child, I experienced California and Alaska as we have relatives in both areas. Once married and the kids were old enough to enjoy traveling, as a family we went to Florida, Mexico, Costa Rica, California (a couple of times), Haiti, an awkward experience in the Bahama’s….. (a story for another time), and then eventually and most recent Honduras, Al and I and then our college son Justin.

I love to see how people live, how they do life day to day, the sights the smells…. the culture. I too have a bit of the “Judith Fein” bug. 😀

1aa — The High Priest on the Holy Mountain (Har Gerizim)

In well written chapters, Judith shares 14 experience around the world. Places I would LOVE to experience, but most likely, I will experience them through shared stories, and books like this. From stories like Tales Of The Tomb Of Israel (breathtaking…really), to a Mexican Prison, Forgiveness in Vietnam, a

funeral in Micronesia just to name a few.

What I enjoyed most about this read is that the stories are not only about the places, sites, food, and cultural experiences, BUT about the people. I loved reading how a kindergarten teacher of Israel prayed for a husband and found him at age 40 and a Maya woman from Guatemala never gave up on her impossible dream to come and visit the United States (and succeeded against all odds!).

This is a book I will look to again…. when I feel I need a little cultural inspiration. The variety of the chapters were interesting, captivating, and delightful…. they left me thinking of people I would never meet, but thanks to Judith Fein…. feel I have.

If you enjoy books about people, travel and culture, I suggest in your travels you pick up a copy of this book.

In celebration of my birthday…. leave a comment here about where you have traveled… or wish to one day travel and I will enter you into a random giveaway of a $10 Amazon gift card (this will be emailed to the winner). I will draw a winner using random.org on Sunday morning.

Birthday! Fun story! Oh, and a Giveaway

Published on February 9, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)150 Comments

Good morning!
*yawn* * Stretch*

COFFEE!

I am up and not quite ready to go but feel good… and am up at least 😀

Yes… it is that yearly event today. Another birthday and I have a fun story and a giveaway for you!

Here’s the story….

Right before Christmas I made a wish list of books I was hoping to someday own…. on that list was the book Miss Peregrine’s School For Peculiar Children. See exhibit A:

I have liked the reviews I have read on this book, it sounds mysterious…. and I would like to read it… so put it on the list. THEN….

I signed up for a couple of the Secret Santa sign ups on line and when my first one came guess what was in the package? That’s right…. SSSQQQUUUEEEE!!!! The book!

I was so excited and added it to the To Be Read pile! And then a package came from a publishing company….

Well… that’s just funny! So I put that on the TBR pile as well to offer a giveaway along with my reading of this book.

Then a bookish friend sent me a gift for Christmas…. She is so sweet…. what could it be?

Yup. NO kidding…. a third copy of this beautiful hard cover book. I couldn’t even believe it myself. I had taken the title off my wishlist previously but somewhere somehow….. the book just kept coming! 😛

So when me second secret santa package arrived I was curious but I waited until Christmas to open it…. and

(oh you already know….)

TRUE story! 4 copies of the same book in a matter of a two-week time frame. So yea, I have 4 copies of this book that I still need to read. 😀

Today – I want to have a giveaway to celebrate my birthday! I will choose the winner(s) Sunday morning here. One random commenter will receive a copy of this book (I know you are surprised…. you thought it would be something else….. LOL) and one winner will win a $10 Amazon gift card.

All you have to do is leave a comment here… 😀

I will have another giveaway later today.

SO what do I have going on today? Work for one… and a birthday lunch… and then later I am going to a wine tasting with a couple of friends for charity. That’s my day. I leave you now with a song that I LOVE and I am going to probably dance in my house while I get ready for work. 😛

Oh and a special thank you to my BEA roomy and book pal Care from Care’s Online Book Club who sent me a sweet card in the mail. You rock Care! Your card made me SMILE. 😀

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Published on February 8, 2012March 2, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

At Fairfield High School, right on the outskirts of Chicago, it’s well-known that the south siders and the north siders do not mix. Picture…. um…. west side story 😛 . Alex Fuentes knows this well, he is from the south side, and part of a feared gang. Life has never been easy for Alex and his family but thanks to his ties to the gang, he is able to protect them… just like his father did. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis becomes his chemistry partner, the results are like dynamite!

Alex pictures life for Brittany picture perfect. She has the designer clothes that he will never afford, she lives in a house that his own home would fit into seven times over. She is exactly what is wrong with this world. When Brittany looks at Alex, she sees a gang member, he is scary, strong, and from the wrong side of the tracks…. yet she can’t help but notice he is also strong, tall, and behind the hardness, something kind lays behind his eyes.

Can each break through the stereo types, their family beliefs of right and wrong, and their friends opinions? Is there more to their chemistry than a class assignment and a grade?

Go back in time with me. It is May 2010, and this Minnesota girl has found herself doing something she has never done before. I had hopped a plane, and went to New York to BEA and I was at an author event for new YA authors. For me? This was book heaven. 😀

At an event on my first night there with Reagan (Miss Remmer’s Reviews) I met Simone Elkeles, author of Perfect Chemistry. She was bold, she was funny, and she was talking about her first book.

Flash forward to 2012. Last year I had bought Simone’s book, I have always meant to read it…. but it went on the shelf waiting for me. Then more recently I found it on audio at my library and decided more than enough time has passed while I waited to experience this book.

So what did I think?

At first, honestly, I didn’t know if I would like it. When the audio starts, Alex has a thick Latino accent and I thought, too much… too stereo type…. bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks… perfect girl with everything…. too over done (think Pretty in Pink….Grease ) but author Simone Elkeles surprises me…

As the story unfolds, you learn that all is not as it seems…. Alex’s life is hard yes, but there is a reason he lives the way he does… and Brittany’s world behind the perfect front… is not so perfect at all…. in fact, these two have way more in common than you would have thought.

It didn’t take much time for me to really like Alex and what he stood for… and while Brittany took a little longer for me to warm too… I did… and wound up liking both protagonists very much.

In the end the only thing that took away from this read was the fact the last part of it seems to go good to great to bad, repeat…. good, to great, to bad… repeat.

And maybe… as I type this…. it had to. Alex and Brittany were so different…. it had to be difficult.

Rules of Attraction is the conclusion of this story. I will probably check it out as I feel I am invested in the love story that is Alex and Brittany.

Morning Meanderings…. Well…. that’s new!

Published on February 8, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

Morning all! 😀 I was gone all day yesterday as I figured I would be… finally landing home around 8 pm, tired… and wanting nothing more than a cup of tea and Laptop. I read an responded to comments and then found my way through my emails in my personal emails, and then my book emails. Two things in the book email that caught my eye:

To the upper left on the sidebar is a new Linky follow widget. I have never had a follow widget before and not sure if I want one now… but this is the first time I have been able to link to one on wordpress so thought I would put it up for kicks. I am impressed with Brent and Linky coming forward with a solution for those who are going to lose the GF (Google Friends) follow widget.

Secondly, Audible.com (oh how I love them!) is having a sale:

Sorry audio book listeners but I must take you down with me…. I do love audio and at this price I had to check this out. SO what did I get?

That’s enough to entertain me for a while. The first two are new to me, but Gorky Park I read as a teenager and loved it – in fact in hind site, it is probably the first serious topic book I have ever read. To this day I am still impressed that I got into it, survived the book, and enjoyed it enough that all these years later I still carry pieces of it in the edges of my mind. I am ready to visit the park again.