Book Journey

Morning Meanderings…. Should the Sniffling and Sneezing be telling me something?

Published on January 27, 2012January 27, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

Good morning.

Stuffy head…. sniffling… sneezing…

I feel like a walking ad for some sort of cold and flu commercial.

I don’t get sick often but when I do…. it knocks me down.

I am ready for work…. just Advil’d up to hopefully take the edge of the queasy and moving forward. I have to get a couple of things done for sure today… if this does not pass I will be home early…

One thing I wanted to be sure and share today (not the sickness…. your safe from that :razz:) is a sale my fellow book lovers need to be aware of:

Yup. And it’s a good sale! As my head has allowed I have put a couple of things into my cart on their site…. still have not made it all the way through but found a Laura Lipman, and a couple of others so far. Beware – it’s an addicting site when you can find good titles for $1.99.

I have a review up later and hopefully will be 100% better after today…. 😀

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

Published on January 26, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

In 1992 Christopher McCandless, a top student of the University of Atlanta, known to be strong-willed, idealistic, and an exceptional athlete, walked away from his family never to be seen by them again. It was soon to be discovered that Christopher had given away his entire savings of $24,000 to a hunger charity. Later yet, his beloved car was found abandoned with a note on it basically saying “finders… keepers. It’s yours.”

Four months later he was found dead inside an old bus in the Alaska wilderness.

What would cause a young man with such a bright future, a good home, family and friends who loved him, to shut everyone out without a reason why?

His diary which was found at a remote camp site tell a tale that is so unbelievable – it has to be true. Chris (who changed his name to Alex at this time) writes of odd jobs he found along the way to earn enough to get by, the people he met, and continued to connect with, the loss of his car, no food for days, and eventually moving into the Alaskan wilderness believing he would live off the land – catch and kill what he needed to eat to survive.

The bus where Chris spent his last days. The bus still remains in the deep wilderness of Denalie National Park in Alaska and local guides can take you there.

Into the Wild has been a book that has interested me since I first heard about it. Christopher McCandless was someone I wanted to know more about. I could imagine the pain of a family not knowing where there son was, and I was curious about a boy just graduated who could walk away from his family and not look back. Not so much as a note to say “I am ok”.

I found Chris’ story – as told from what he left in a dairy of his journeys to be one that was both sad and fascinating at the same time. I was sad for his family and could not imagine what it felt like to not know where there son was… and I was fascinated at the decisions Chris made along the way… for a while it seemed like quite the adventure.

Even after listening to this book on audio, I am still left with questions. Did Chris have a death wish? He had not packed properly for his journey, not even having a compass. And no one knew where he was. No one. Or was Chris just a boy with an over inflated idea of himself and his knowledge to survive away from people and the comforts of home. He had several books on identifying edible plants after all….

The world will never know… but I like to believe the latter.

An audio that astounded me. I was held to listening to it long after I should have been running my errands, or moving on to another project. It is a rare audio that stops me to just sit and listen… and that is what I did.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

I purchased this audio from audible.com

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Published on January 25, 2012January 25, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)40 Comments

Cinder is 17 and works in the market of New Beijing as a gifted mechanic. In this new world Cinder repairs many things among them, androids. When the handsome and kind Prince Kai’s stops by her booth in the market with a request for a repair, and sparks fly…. (in a good way)

What Prince Kai does not know that Cinder is not just a pretty girl who is handy with a wrench… she is actually a cyborg from the result of an accident she had as a child, lives with her step mother who treats her like hired help and has two-step sisters one she adores and one…. well… not so much…

What Cinder does not know is that her destiny and Prince Kai’s are about to collide.

Did I mention there is going to be a Ball?

Another cover that is pretty AWESOME! (oh and sssqqquuueeee about that shoe right?)

Gushing flood gates…… “OPEN!”

The buzz around Cinder intrigued me…

and I wasn’t sure if it would be for me. 😯

I am not sure if I have ever read a book with androids in it before… a little border line sci-fi for me…. yes the raves were out there and I could not ignore them. Lenore at Presenting Lenore, Jill at Rhapsody In Books, and Reagan at Miss Remmers Reviews (just to name a few) all wrote reviews that made me want to read it MORE and read it NOW.

When I picked Cinder up a couple of nights ago, my plan was to just get a feel for the book before I went to bed. But Cinder grabs you from the start and before I knew it I was 176 pages in and having to put the book down. I finished it the next evening.

Cinder is the first have read like this and I loved how incredibly well done the book is. Marissa Meyer weaves between this Apocolyptic time and the storyline of the original Cinderella I am amazed at how she does it. All the key elements are there, the crabby step mother, the prince, the ball, the dress, and even something orange to arrive in but I wont tell you what…. 😉

AND…. while all this is going on it does not feel forced but flows nicely and made me want to cheer “Go Marissa Meyer Go!!!”

Cinder is going to be a part of a series and it does leave you at an exciting point of …. “WHA??? WAIT!!!”” so I warned you…. I even went on-line to see if I could get an idea for the time line for the other books and here is what I found:

Cinder is based on Cinderella. Scarlet, the second book in the series, will be based on Little Red Ridinghood. Crest will be based on Rapunzel. And, Winter will be based on Snow White. Cinder will be the main character in each of these books and you can count me in on this wild Apocolyptic tale ride 😀

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

Thank you Shelf Awareness!

Morning Meanderings… Something…. UNUSUAL

Published on January 24, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Good morning.

SO something unusual happened after I posted my Monday What Are You Reading post on Sunday evening.

I did not log on to Asus (Laptop) at all yesterday.

😯

Truth is, I can’t remember the last time that has happened unless I was at the cabin for a weekend – separated from laptop by miles and miles of road and trees and the occasional moose….

but no…

I just got up yesterday morning…. got ready for work…. worked until 3:45, picked up food for the IHN Group we are serving, dropped chicken off at my home for hubby when he got off work, picked people up to take to the church we were serving the dinner at, helped with dinner and home around 7:30 pm.

I looked at laptop and proceeded to finish reading Cinder instead…. which, was…..

well…. my review will be up tomorrow. 😀

I need to go…. promise I will be better going forward this week 😀

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on January 22, 2012January 22, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)77 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:

Lori at Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

WOO HOO!!!! Please choose an item out of the Reading Cafe Grab Shelves and email me your choice with your mailing address as well! journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

Woo another week already! I am kind of exciting because it was a good week. I had a nice mix between life and books… work and work outs….

Here’s what happened here:

Winters Bone by Daniel Woodrell (not what I was expecting)

The Future Of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (SOOOOO good!!!!)

Wine To Water by Doc Hendley with a giveaway copy!!!! (AMAZING good story!)

This World We Live In By Susan Beth Pfeffer (Oops! AN audio I listened to in December and for got to review! :shock:)

Seriously I’m Kidding by Ellen Degenerous (Seriously… I was dissapointed!)

Recommended Audio Listening – Audio Listeners Share Their Best Of The Best In Audio

It was a pretty good week. I did not get to Cinder yet but will be starting it tonight. I have so looked forward to reading time lately… and here is what I have coming up this week:

One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.

When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . .

The Thorn and the Blossom is a remarkable literary artifact: You can open the book in either direction to decide whether you’ll first read Brendan’s, or Evelyn’s account of the mysterious love affair. Choose a side, read it like a regular novel—and when you get to the end, you’ll find yourself at a whole new beginning.

How exciting does this book sound? I hope to be into it by mid week!

A dysfunctional New England family struggles toward normalcy in this poignant novel from PEN/Hemingway-winner Haigh, who follows the children of resentful, controlling, Paulette and distracted, needy Frank. Even during a childhood in idyllic Cape Cod, there are hints of a rocky future. When that future arrives, Billy, the most successful of the children, keeps a secret about his sophisticated New York life from almost everyone. Scott, formerly the uncontrollable brat of the bunch, sees himself in his own troubled son. Meanwhile, Gwen suffers from a genetic condition that prevents her from developing into womanhood.

This one is for a tour… I have heard good things about author Jennifer Haigh.

Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life. Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go. But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

This is one from the Debut Authors of 2012 and I am so excited to read this one!

At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when head cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, the results are bound to be explosive. Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all — love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart? Travel to both sides of the tracks in a passionate love story about looking beneath the surface.

I have wanted to read this ever since I met Simone Elkeles in New York in 2010!

After years of wandering from whim to whim, thirty-year-old Charlotte Wheelwright seems to have at last found her niche. The free spirit enjoys running an organic gardening business on the island of Nantucket, thanks in large part to her spry grandmother Nona, who donated a portion of her land on the family’s seaside compound to get Charlotte started. Though Charlotte’s skill with plants is bringing her success, cultivating something deeper with people-particulary her handsome neighbor Coop-might be more of a challenge.Nona’s generosity to Charlotte, secretly her favorite grandchild, doesn’t sit well with the rest of the Wheelwright clan, however, as they worry that Charlotte may be positioning herself to inherit the entire estate. With summer upon them, everyone is making their annual pilgrimage to the homestead-some with hopes of thwarting Charlotte’s dreams, others in anticipation of Nona’s latest pronouncements at the annual family meeting, and still others with surprising news of their own. Charlotte’s mother, Helen, a Wheelwright by marriage, brings a heavy heart. She once set aside her own ambitions to fit in with the Wheelwrights, but now she must confront a betrayal that threatens both her sense of place and her sense of self.As summer progresses, these three women-Charlotte, Nona, and Helen-come to terms with the decisons they have made. Revisiting the lives and loves that have crossed their paths and the possibilities of the the roads not taken, they may just discover that what they’ve always sought out was right in front of them all along.

One of my favorite all time reads is called Summer House (Jude Deveroux) and since then the title always sparks up visions of friends and get aways, giggles, and magical moments. I read any book I find with this title.

There’s my week – it probably looks HUGE. It does look huge doesn’t it? But really – The Thorn and The Blossom looks small and so does Never Eighteen. The audio books are replacing two I have ending so may not finish them this week, but I am starting them…. and probably a third too… 😀

Now I want to know what you are reading! Add your link below to where it says “click here”

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

and for those of you who read mainly Middle Grade, Children’s or Young Adult reads, please also add your link here:

Seriously… I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

Published on January 22, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

I’ve experienced a whole lot the last few years and I have a lot to share. So I hope that you’ll take a moment to sit back, relax and enjoy the words I’ve put together for you in this book. I think you’ll find I’ve left no stone unturned, no door unopened, no window unbroken, no rug unvacuumed, no ivories untickled. What I’m saying is, let us begin, shall we?

Ellen

I have always thought Ellen Degeneres was funny. When I seen she had this new book, it quickly went on my wish list. I had not read Ellen’s two previous books and looked forward to trying one.

And Ellen is funny.

on page 91 she has a chapter called Answers To Frequently Asked Questions:

Yes.

No.

One time in High School.

Three times in my twenties.

Rocks no salt.

Yes.

Four.

Never. And how dare you!

I will take no further questions.

Is there such a thing as too much funny? If so… I encountered it in this book.

In Ellen’s defense here (yes I am defending her over my opinion of the book…), she never came right out and said – this memoir will be about my life and how I got to where I am now. I (me… all me) just believed that is what I was going to read. The inside cover flap (flap-jacket as Ellen calls it) stated that a lot had happened in her life with her show, her marriage, and life… and that is what I thought I would be reading.

What I found in the book was funny – lots of funny… and chapters from a few sentences long to a few pages long. She is witty – there is no doubt about that and I have always liked quick wit.

BUT…. (and man I hate using that word so let’s go with….) HOWEVER…

I didn’t really learn much about her. Even when she is talking about what could be a serious or real subject, she frames it in a way that it could be true… it could be half true… it could all be boloney. Really? I just don’t know.

Last year was kind of a memoir year for me where I discovered I liked learning more about people’s lives and what makes them tick. I read many interesting ones and learned much. I know that was what I was looking for in this book, and therefore set myself up for failure.

While this book was not what I thought it would be, I do still adore Ellen. I am curious if either of her other two books are more of a real memoir, or if they are like this one. I hope one day to find out.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

I received this book for Christmas from my son, Justin

Morning Meanderings…How Has January Reading Been For You?

Published on January 22, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

Good morning! *YAWN* *STRETCH*

I dreamt weird last night. At one point I was at an orphanage and I thought I was adopting a baby… turns out it was an 8-year-old girl. The adoption cost was $800 dollars and I did not have any money on me so I had to borrow from a friend. At some point in the dream my 8-year-old girl turned into a boy (age unknown) but I can see him in my mind. In my dream world, I did not know – or did not care that the child had been swapped out.

In the end I remember talking to a real life friend (in my dream) who apparently had been taking care of my adopted child. I explained that I was going to ease the child into my home by Wednesday, but wanted to take it slow. My friend agreed that was a good process. Then I woke up. I have no idea what that was about…..

Here we are on Sunday. My Navy son is flying back to Florida today…. I set up for serving IHN this morning (it is my teams week to serve with the homeless) and things are looking pretty ok moving forward. I say ok as this is the week I start working full-time (tomorrow) and with IHN also this week, plus throw in a Wednesday meeting, and hopefully close to daily work outs… I proceed with caution that I do not try to stretch myself too thin.

I really do believe this week will be fine. I have wonderful volunteers working with me and I don’t foresee anything real stressful…. 😀

So how is your January coming? I can’t believe we are sitting on the 22nd already today. That’s just wild! For me I think I am doing well, I don’t have an exact count at this moment, but have had some great audio time (the cold weather has kept me inside) and the weather helps my book reading too.

This morning I found this Reading/Audio Spreadsheet that looks SO COOL! I haven’t had any time to fill anything in yet as well…. I just got up and found it like ten minutes ago, and I am going to church in um….. 23 minutes. 😀 But when I get home… I plan to fill in what I know so far this year and see what happens. (Kind of excited about that!) I didn’t really set and goals for myself this year along book counts or audio minutes… I just like to see where I land 😀

How about you? Is your reading in January a good month for you – or no? Have you set up and ways of tracking what you read this year (or are you like me last year and do a massive count the last week of December?)

Recommended Audio List And I Need Your Suggestions

Published on January 21, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)63 Comments

It has been three years now since I discovered the amazing world of audio books. How I ever lived without it I do not know. Now I listen to at least some audio every day:

I have my IPOD speakers set up in the bathroom off our bedroom. I listen to audio when I get up and while I get ready for the day.

A second audio is in my CD player in my kitchen. I listen to this one while I make coffee, cook, and clean.

A third audio is my jeep’s CD player. I listen to that one as I drive to and from work or wherever I am going.

I love to also listen to audio while I am mowing the lawn.

Audio has doubled the books I am able to get through in a year. When I don’t have time to sit and physically read a book, I can always listen to one.

I LOVE great audio… and those of you who listen to audio know that not all audio books are treated alike.

What I want to create here is a list of your FAVORITES as well as mine. I am going to compile the responses into a sidebar page so people can click and see a list of really great audio to choose from. If you have a blog, I will link your recommendations back to your blog (and if I can find your review of that audio, I will link it to the review.)

Please feel free to list as many as you would recommend.

To start things off, here are a few of my favs:

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Night by Eli Wiesel

Medium Raw by Anthony Boudain

Bossypants by Tina Fey

One Good Dog by Susan Wilson

Rococo by Adriana Trigiani

Any Harry Potter book read by Stephen Fry or Jim Dale

Worst Case by James Patterson (and this entire series)

Now, I would love to hear what your favorites are!

Morning Meanderings… SATURDAY!!! SATURDAY!!!

Published on January 21, 2012January 21, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)43 Comments

Good morning! It’s been awhile but today is a true day off! Meaning…. no big “to do’s” other than the things I chose to do 😀 And that – is exciting.

My plan today is stay curled up in this blanket for the next 30 to 45 minutes and write this post here… and one for Team Kickin It as well. Then I am going to get ready to go to a Zumba Class with my friend Amanda.

After that I need to pick up some dinner items as we are having a special dinner tonight for Navy son as this is his last night here before he goes back to Florida tomorrow. I know he is sad to go back, but I am thinking he has to miss the nicer weather. (Minnesota has become COLD!)

I also want to pick up a couple of movies on books I have finished recently – Winter Bone and Into The Wild. Tonight… I may just movie up… I haven’t watched a movie in quite a while.

I do have a few pics to post today from the last week for Saturday Snapshots from Alyce’s Home With Books.

Justin (College Son) and Brad (Navy Son)

Last weekend was the first time the four of us were all together since Christmas 2010. Brad’s schedule has been crazy since he has been home, visiting friends, catching up, and during the week days helping at the Recruiting Office. We had Christmas with Brad and then all went out to dinner.

Then… on Thursday of this week my four female cousins and I went out to dinner. My cousin Cheryl started putting this together and it is nice as we didn’t even hang out like this when we were kids.

Left: Cheryl, Leslie, Lorri, Joyell, and me

It was an awful picture…LOL, but we will work on it. We have plans in March so hopefully we will not all be lined up against a wall in a diner… 😛 I really wanted to capture a pic of us all together because it is rare, and I know how important pictures can be.

Have a great day! I am off to get ready for the gym! Zumba here I come!!!

Note to Alyce: I am not sure if my comments are showing up at At Home With Books. I commented yesterday on your I’m Back post and today on the Saturday Snapshot one as well. 🙂 When I comment it takes me to a blank page.

This World We Live in by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Published on January 20, 2012January 20, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

The third and final book in Susan Beth Pfeffer’s trilogy, this world we live in brilliantly pulls everything from the first two books together. In Life As We Knew It, Miranda and her family struggle to survive after the moon is knocked closer to the earth, at the exact same time in The Dead And The Gone , Alex and his sisters in another part of the world fear for their parents well-being as they battle to find food and turn to unthinkable deeds to stay together and stay alive.

Now, it has been a year since the meteor collided with the moon and destroyed the earths sense of climate balance. Miranda and her brothers now search abandoned homes for any items that could be useful… batteries, blankets, clothing, tools, and if they are lucky… a little food.

And things only escalate when Miranda’s dad shows up the scene with his new wife and baby as well as three strangers. Now there are that many more mouths to feed… and that many more personalities all residing under the same roof with nowhere to go to get a little space from one another. And the mysterious teenage boy that arrived with Miranda’s dad is stirring some feelings within her that she can not believe she is capable of under these dire circumstances.

Thanks to a comment from Angie on my The Dead And The Gone post, I suddenly realized I never wrote or posted a review for this third book in the series. A quick blog search confirmed that. I had listened to the audio in December and somehow…. just… well…

forgot to review it. 😯

While I LOVE LOVED the first book in this trilogy, and LOVED the second book, this one seemed to have lost its steam along the way of two story lines coming together. While it was still an enjoyable ~~read~~ listen, I found myself not as engaged as the plot unfolded…

Let me try to explain… what was exciting and scary in the first two books, was not so much in the third. At this point it just felt like every day living in this new life of little food, irritations with one another, and the occasional adventure outside the walls of the fort like house. I really found myself wondering where it was all going to go and then it just never seemed to get there. In fact the way it did all end was open enough for me to wonder – was this a trilogy? Or is there going to be a fourth book to tie this up better?

Obviously its hard to find a happy ending to a post apocalyptic world, but I did expect something to ignite an emotion in me other than confusion. On the other hand, I was invested enough in the story from the two previous reads that if Susan Beth Pfeffer did come up with a fourth book, I would probably pick it up as I am still curious as to where this is all going. In that way, I guess I hope where the book left off is not the end, not because it was so incredible I want more, but because it is so open I feel the story is unfinished.

Susan Beth Pfeffer writes interesting and real characters and has a knack for creating a world that feels real enough to have me thinking of the “what if’s”.