Book Journey

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on January 15, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)94 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:

Hardcover Feedback

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

Well, the week wasn’t all that I had hoped book wise. I actually had a FULL week of long work hours and evening plans every single night Monday thru Friday. So busy in fact, I hardly made it around to see any of your posts. I had little book time until these last couple of days which has been wonderful.

Henry’s Sisters by Cathy Lamb (our book club read, a lot of good food…. and a little bra burning…)

Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie (audio and GOOD audio!)

52 Small Changes by Brett Blumenthal ( a wonderful book for making changes for the good)

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin (good, but not great and left me hanging…)

at Team Kickin’ It:

Weekly Check In

When Its Hard To Find Time To Work Out

52 Small Changes – the book and The CHALLENGE

The week was skimpy but I have plans for this next one. While I will have evening events Monday and Wednesday and possibly Thursday… I should get a little time during the week, late evenings and over the weekend.

The plan?

Doc Hendley never set out to be a hero. In 2004, Hendley-a small- town bartender- launched a series of wine-tasting events to raise funds for clean-water projects and to bring awareness to the world’s freshwater crisis. He planned to donate the proceeds through traditional channels, but instead found himself traveling to one of the world’s most dangerous hot spots: Darfur, Sudan.

There, Doc witnessed a government-sponsored genocide where the number-one weapon wasn’t bullets-it was water. The Janjaweed terrorists had figured out that shooting up a bladder containing 10,000 liters of water, or dumping rotting corpses into a primary water source is remarkably efficient for the purposes of mass extermination. With limited funds, Doc realized that he couldn’t build new wells costing $10,000 a pop, but he could hire local workers to restore a damaged well for a mere $50 each. He’d found his mission. Today, Doc and Wine to Water continue to help stricken peoples repair and maintain water- containment systems in places like Darfur, Cambodia, Uganda, and Haiti.

Doc is a regular, rough-and-tumble guy who loves booze, music, and his Harley- but he also wanted to help. Wine to Water is a gripping story about braving tribal warfare and natural disasters and encountering fascinating characters in far-flung regions of the world. It is also an authoritative account of a global crisis and an inspirational tale that proves how ordinary people can improve the world.

This book is seriously right up my alley and I can not wait to read and chat with you about it!

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Ok… we will see on this one. It may be a genre stretch but I LOVE this cover!

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They’ve overcome the secrets riddled in Patch’s dark past…bridged two irreconcilable worlds…faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust…and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they’ve worked for—and their love—forever.

While still listening to the second in this series, Crescendo, Reagan from Miss Remmers Reviews raved to me about the third book. Silence…. so…. onward we go! 😀

After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska, where he went to live in the wilderness. Four months later, he turned up dead. His diary, letters and two notes found at a remote campsite tell of his desperate effort to survive, apparently stranded by an injury and slowly starving. They also reflect the posturing of a confused young man, raised in affluent Annandale, Va., who self-consciously adopted a Tolstoyan renunciation of wealth and return to nature. Krakauer, a contributing editor to Outside and Men’s Journal, retraces McCandless’s ill-fated antagonism toward his father, Walt, an eminent aerospace engineer. Krakauer also draws parallels to his own reckless youthful exploit in 1977 when he climbed Devils Thumb, a mountain on the Alaska-British Columbia border, partly as a symbolic act of rebellion against his autocratic father.

A book I have wanted to read for years… and never had. Until now.

Thats the week. How is yours looking? I am hoping to make my rounds and see what you are reading. Please add your linky below where it ways Click here.

Powered by Linky Tools

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

and for those who read mainly YA, Middle Grade, and Childrens books, be sure to add your link to the MG version as well here:

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

Published on January 15, 2012January 15, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

Steve Martin. Probably a household name, if not for his stand up comedy act, then for his many movies through the years: The Jerk, Three Amigo’s, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Pink Panther, Cheaper By The Dozen, It’s Complicated, and Father Of The Bride (my fav!) just to name a few that I am aware of.

At age 10, Steve Martin got his start selling guidebooks at the newly opened Disneyland. In the years that followed, he worked in Disney’s magic shop, print shop, and theater, and developed his own magic/comedy act. By age 20, he was performing a dozen times a week, most often at the Disney rival, Knott’s Berry Farm.

As time went on, Steve found himself being hired in clubs to do his magic act and stand up comedy and for many years these night clubs were close to having no patrons come see his show, or in one case, a group of Japanese salesmen who did not speak any english.

When Steve did become a big name – it was fast and it was furious and taught Steve not only about the business of acting – but much about himself as well.

I remember in about 8th or 9th grade I became fan of Steve Martin. I had his comedy act on a record (20 somethings and younger ask your parents what this is…) and my friends would come over and laugh ourselves silly while listening to it. I remember it was the first record (that word again) that I was allowed to have that had any sort of mild foul language in it and I thought it was fantastic.

The funny thing is that until I listened to this audio, I have no idea how old Steve Martin must have been when I was listening to him in the 80’s. I discovered the year I was born…. he was 21. That would put him probably in his mid 30’s by the time I started listening to him and thinking he was funny. I think that is a little mind-blowing to think from his perspective that as his career is starting to take off at age 21, I am born and it will be another 14 – 15 years before I laugh at him. 😛

I really wanted to love this audio… I really did. In all honesty perhaps it was other audio memoirs that I have listened to recently that made this one a bit of a disappointment to me. Rob Lowe’s story blew me away. Jane Lynch’s tell all was informative and funny.

So what was wrong with Steve, Sheila?

I felt it lacked pizzazz. While Steve read this himself, which I LOVE, he almost read it monotone. Even when he talked about the jokes , and tag lines he had been known for (IE. “I am a wild and crazy guy!!!!”), they came off as thought Steve was reading from a script.

As the audio, went on, it was interesting. I liked learning about the early days, when he almost gave up as he performed to minimal audiences, to the 5 years of amazing career, when the age of stand up comedy exploded and Steve rose to the top filling arenas with 45,000+ people a show. I can imagine that is some pretty heady stuff.

It was also interesting learning about his family. His fathers lack of approval in what Steve was doing, and his distancing himself away from his entire family, including his sister who adored him.

And then, I think most disappointing was that as his on stage career came to an end – so did the audio. Abruptly. As in I was getting ready this morning and thought the audio was pausing between chapters… but no, it was over. Steve did not go into his steps beyond the comedy. He talked little of his movies, relationships, or other stars he friended along the way. It felt lacking and left me….

hanging.

I feel a little bad about this as I read other reviews and they are raves. Yet I honestly checked my audible account to make sure it wasnt a two-part audio and I had missed something. It really felt… unfinished.

Is the audio worth listening too?

Sure. I think maybe I was expecting more and discovering this audio is only about his stand up career…. was disheartening, and that is all on me. Steve shares a true rags to riches story that is interesting, but a lot of details even during that time period feel left out.

Morning Meanderings… The Joy Of Books

Published on January 15, 2012January 15, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

Good morning! 😀

Is this weekend moving fast or what? I had a few free hours yesterday afternoon and today is spotted with activity…. church in the morning… an early afternoon workout…. Floor Hockey starts tonight at 7…

I am basking this morning in the quiet of the house in the en minutes I have here before I need to start moving. Hello COFFEE CUP. 😛

After such an activity this past week I am looking forward to a little book time. I want to finish The Future Of Us today (its good…. real good…) and hope to start on Ellen Degeneres’s Seriously I am Kidding by later afternoon.

Books.

What is it about them that brings us such joy? Is it the escape, is it living in someone else’s world for a while? I don’t know but I absolutely love my time spent in books. AND I get excited when I see others reading as well. College son started reading again and after we celebrated Christmas with Navy son last night, College son found a $25 Amazon gift card laying on his Kindle last night. I know he can’t afford to be spending money on books and I am more than happy to feed that habit. 😀

My friend sent me a video yesterday about books… I thought it was rather cool:

I hope you find some bookish time in your day! 😀

52 Small Changes by Brett Blumenthal

Published on January 14, 2012January 14, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

New Year’s resolutions, a healthy goal, commitments to do better…. almost everyone at one time or another has made a vow to make positive changes in their habits. Of course, this is easier said than done, especially in today’s hectic world of too many time commitments, jobs, meetings, kids events…

What wellness coach Brett Blumenthal presents in this book is a way to motivate readers in the right direction by making one small change a week. The changes are realistic from healthy eating habits, to stress relief, mental wellness, and even your home environment. 52 Small Changes is a step by step road map to a happier, healthier you.

I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to the New Year and “new me” promises. This year, I started it with Team Kickin It and plan to be consistent in what I am doing to hopefully motivate others – as well as their input motivating me. Is it easy? No. Some days I am a rock star… other days I am looking at the empty Burger King bag wondering why did I just do that?

What I really like about 52 Small Changes is that each week is that not only is the change a small tweak in the way you do life already… but the chapter goes on to tell you the benefits of this change, how to do it, options and keeping it real….

For instance chapter one is called Drink Up! Water is one we are all suppose to be doing, but few of us get the amount of water we really need daily. It goes on to give you a road map to success, accessing your needs, how to remind yourself, and keeping it real. While you might think this is a no brainer, actually reading the chapter gave me tips to getting my water intake in each day as well as back up substitutes (like tea) or adding things to make it taste better – like fruit or cucumber slices.

Moving on, chapter 2 is about getting enough sleep, chapter 3 is about getting off the couch, and chapter 4 is about keeping a food journal, etc… etc…

I like that each chapter is doable, you stay on it for a week, then add a second one and so on. Martha at Martha’s Bookshelf mentioned doing a group thing with this book and I like that idea.

You can check out my take on this challenge by clicking on the Team Kickin It avatar below.

1aaaa — Click here for a little fun to go with this book!

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

I received this book for review from Amazon Encore

Morning Meanderings… A Book Club, Dog Surgery, A Navy Guy, And a Concert…

Published on January 14, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)42 Comments

Good morning! Cranking out a post this morning before I head to a meeting…

basically… it has been a week.

Monday was run run run from work, to work out, to pick up diner, to group… home at 8:30 pm

Tuesday was Book Club at my house – so work, grocery shop, cook, clean, BOOKIES!!!, a little bra burning, and house empty at 9 pm

Wednesday Bailey had surgery for a sore he had on his back side…. work, surgery, stayed late at work, volunteer with students, home at 8:30 pm

Thursday was Navy son’s dinner request so work, grocery shop, home, cook, have fun chatting it up with Brad (Navy Son) and Andy (best friend also in Navy) and everyone left to go visit friends at 7:30 pm and I promptly fell asleep on the couch within minutes of everyone gone. 😛

Friday – DAY OFF!!!! Worked the morning catching up on writing reviews, blog visiting, writing… then went to work out with friends (only the second time to gym this week!), then to help with a concert for the homeless in our community. Home at 8:45 pm

And now it is Saturday. I am helping with a meeting this morning that is from 10 – 11:30 am. Then I need to run a few errands, then chill at home a bit, tonight College Son will be here too and we are having Christmas with Brad since he was not here for it, going out to dinner and then Brad is heading out-of-town to visit with friends in ST Cloud for the night.

Whew. What a week! 😀

And for Alyce’s Saturday Snapshots, I do have a few random pics of the week…

Brad (Navy son) cleaning off the deck on Tuesday - yup, no snow!

Delicious cupcakes for book club in honor of our book

1aa — The book (Henry's Sisters) started with a bra burning so we ended our meeting with.... a bra burning.

027 — Bailey after surgery... he has to wear the cone for two weeks.

Last nights concert - my friend Key led the music and it ROCKED!

Ok… I am out of here for a while but back later with a review. I am currently reading The Future Of Us and it is getting GOOD!

Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Published on January 13, 2012January 14, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)37 Comments

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stopped the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train was surprisingly full for the time of the year. But by the morning there was one passenger fewer. An American lay dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. With tension mounting, detective Hercule Poirot comes up with not one, but two solutions to the crime…

The latest version of the book - and OOOOH so good!

Uh….. confession time. Up until now… I have never read Agatha Christie. 😯 I know, I know. I have wanted to…. I just never did.

Ryan from Wordsmithonia is a huge fan and he inspired me. Then Julie at Booking Mama held a contest and I won a copy of the book and seriously as excited as I was, you would think that was enough of a push….

yet…. it sat.

Then I came across it on audible.com and I knew that would be the answer – I would go audio. And, Christy fans, or newbies like me…. this was a fun choice.

David Suchet was the perfect narrator. When he would do the voices of the women on the train (especially the snippy ones) I laughed out loud. Seriously. I may have even snorted a bit. 😀 Fantastic narration. You can listen to him here.

As for the story itself… it was an experience. There are a lot of character/suspects. I tend to like books with less characters as when there are so many I tend to either get confused on who is who, or I feel they are not developed well enough for me to remember them beyond the turn of the page…

However – as each character was interviewed about the crime… I felt as though I did get a feel for who each of them were (even if I did wrongfully accuse a few!). There were twelve other passengers on the train… each with some connection….

Does everyone remember the original game board Clue?

LOL…. seriously though. Fantastic listening experience. I do plan now to go through it again in the book. I am always impressed when an older (much older) read touches me. I tend to read more modern books… and Murder On The Orient Express was originally published in the UK in 1934.

I would recommend that if you have not experienced Agatha Christie that you make it a point to do so in 2012. This book was exciting, funny, and interesting…. a brilliant over all experience.

Morning Meanderings… World Book Night Needs YOU!

Published on January 13, 2012January 13, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Good morning! What a night! Navy Son is home until the 22nd and we had a dinner last night with him and his best friend Andy who is also home from the Navy at this time. Brad (Navy son) was able to pick whatever he wanted for dinner and he chose Honduras hotdish, which we all love so easy and delicious!

This morning I wanted to talk a little but about World Book Night. I love the thought World Book Night and did not participate last year but hope too (fingers crossed!!!) do so this year. Here is the gist of World Book Night:

They need 50,000 book-loving volunteers to fan out across America on April 23, 2012! Just take 20 free copies of a book to a location in your community, and you just might change someone’s life.

The goal is to give books to new readers, to encourage reading, to share your passion for a great book. The entire publishing, bookstore, library, author, printing, and paper community is behind this effort with donated services and time. And with a million free World Book Night paperbacks!

The first World Book Night was held in the UK last year, and it was such a big success that it’s spreading around the world! Please volunteer to be a book giver in the U.S. Sign up now to be a book giver.

Seriously fellow book lovers, what is not to like about this deal?

I signed up a while back but received an email yesterday that they want and need more applicants. I am passing the word on to you now. The deadline to sign up is February 1, 2012 and then they will notify who is in on this deal.

I love the idea of one day in the world we are all handing out books… hopefully creating more book lovers. They have a list of 30 books you can choose from to be the one that you would like to hand out. I would love to know, World book night list aside, what one book would you choose to hand out to your community that you think would create new readers?

Read more about World Book Night here, from the free book list to the FAQs. Thank you!

Today I have some reviews to write, a little catching up to do blog wise, and later working out with friends. Tonight, we are going to a concert to raise money to help our communities homeless.

A new post is up today….

What to do when there seems

to be no time to work out.

Henry’s Sisters by Cathy Lamb

Published on January 12, 2012January 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)28 Comments

Isabelle Bommarito is a mess.

She continuously picks up men… connects for a night and then disposes of them quickly. As in now… as in LEAVE.

Cecilia Bommarito is depressed. Her husband is having an affair right under her nose. And so she eats… and eats… and eats while her anger boils over onto anyone in the way.

Janie Bommarito is a best selling author. While shy and a loner in real life, her books are filled with heinous crimes that would make the strongest persons stomach churn. She lives alone in a boathouse and counts everything out by fours….

The Bommarito sisters all have issues…. BIG ONES. And if you met their mother, River Bommarito (one time stripper, dancer, child neglecter…. ) you may understand why.

Then comes Henry Bommarito. Sweet Henry. Sickly as a baby and later diagnosed to be mentally handicapped.

Honest to God, Henry is the only normal person in the family.

The only one.

The Bookies book club read this for their January book pick. It had been nominated before… and passed on. This time, it won the vote.

The opening line:

I would have to light my bra on fire.

Hmmmm… potential?

When the sisters Bommarito’s are all called home to help take care of Henry while their mother goes into the hospital for surgery – there is, to say the least, reluctance. The girls do not have fond memories of growing up with a mother who neglected more than loved… who at times layed in bed for weeks under the weight of her own depression leaving the girls to fend for themselves and Henry. And now added to the top was their grandmother who had Alzheimer’s so severely she thought she was Amelia Earhart.

Yet the girls do go back, to care for Henry the brother they love, and to work in the family bakery while their mother is away.

The result? A touching story – at times hilariously funny… heartwarmingly sweet, and occasionally painful. It was a book that put you on an emotional rollercoaster and left you in the end…

breathless.

As for the Bookies…. what a great review. We had spaghetti and lasagna (two on Henry’s favorite meals). Garlic bread and a chicken salad, and even home made cupcakes – to die for!!!!

Ok... there may have been a fire.... we may have burned some bra's... BUT - this is not the Bookies first fire. 😉

We loved the book, no one rating less than an average read – more leaving towards the higher marks. We discussed the sisters we felt we were most like, and Henry’s unwavering kindness to all. We could all learn a little something from Henry.

In the end, out of the 16 of us in the room, 9 admitted to bawling like a baby at some point in the book… present company included.

Henry’s Sisters is a book I personally loved – Cathy Lamb writes with a quick whit and a way that made me feel I was in the room with these quirky characters. I highly recommend this read – it was touching and funny.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

I purchased this book from Barnes and Noble – read on my NOOK “Snooky”

Morning Meanderings… I Fell Off The Blog Wagon

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

Whoa! Where did I go?

That was an unplanned lapse in blog time this week. On Monday I took out little dog Bailey to the vet to have a growth looked at. It was pretty nasty and growing rapidly. They scheduled surgery for him for Wednesday. Then Tuesday I had the best of intentions of putting a review post up and just never got there. A busy work day, then cooking and cleaning for my book club and finally crashing to bed around 10 pm.

When I woke up Wednesday morning it was already after 7 am, and I had to be to work at 8 am – and get the dog to the vet for his surgery. I did not even open my laptop as I ran for the door.

After a ten-hour work day, followed immediately by 3 hours of volunteer time, I came home at 8:30 pm… wiped out again. I knew this would be a crazy week … but wowza, I didn’t know it would take such a tole on me.

Bailey’s surgery went well and hubby brought him home around 4:30 pm. I did not see him until I came home late, and then seen his “cone head” that he has to wear for the next two weeks while he heals.

Tonight after work Navy son (SSSQQQUUUEEE!!!!) and his best friend Andy are joining us for dinner. We are having what I call “Honduras hotdish” as that is where I got the recipe. It will be nice to hang out with them both – and I sooooo look forward to it.

This also puts me one day closer to the end of this busy week. 😀

Be sure to come by later today for my Bookies book club review of Henry’s Sisters. Hint: we had a little fire and burned something in honor of this book. Funny thing is, this is not our first fire. 😛

Morning Meanderings… Todays Post Is Brought To You By The Letter “P”

Published on January 10, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments

Good morning and UGH – really??? How can one person feel so behind? I had all of last week off you think I would be a rock star in reviews and posts… but no…. what happened?

Girls weekend Thursday – Saturday. I was home on Sunday – I posted quite a bit actually but then Monday came….

I ran all day Monday from work to the vet to the printer to the gym to pick up pizza for a group meeting to home at 8 pm. Then I worked on year in review papers for our Book Club meeting tonight and I did that until alomst 1:00 am.

SO here I am – watching the clock…. wishing I had written the review I wanted to last night (Ugh… why did I not write that review???) and needing to get to work early today as I have a huge week there too.

Good grief.

Today I work until 3, run to the grocery store to purchase items for Book Club tonight (my house) and to the bank. Then home – clean, cook, prep notes…. Bookies here at 6:30 pm.

Basically I will not be back on line until 8:30 pm or so tonight.

GAH. Did I say that yet?

GAH. “P” is for pathetic.

I am looking forward to tonight… just wish I wasnt suddenly so bogged down with activity.

I did my check in this morning over at Team Kickin it – stop over… and say hi to I think… a saner version of me.