Book Journey

Morning Meanderings… HOME from Honduras

Published on November 12, 2011November 12, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)80 Comments

Good morning.

*YAWN*

*STRETCH*

A very tired group of people landed in Minneapolis last night around 10:30 pm… worked our way through baggage claim, shuttled back to our hotel by 11:30 and started the drive home… arriving in Brainerd around 1:30 am….

I was one of them.

In typical me fashion, I should be sleeping, but no… woke up at 8 am and now I am UP, showered, laundry started and sitting in my chair with a cup of Honduras coffee at my side.

Its good to be home.

I doubt if I will do much today… I may do a little reading to relax my mind, I may take a nap… I more than likely will have Chinese for lunch as there is something odd that happens every year… I return home craving Chinese food.

I thought I would post a few pics this morning of some of the beauty that is Honduras as this is Saturday and Alyce is busy over At Home With Books with her Saturday Snapshots.

348 — A little shop alongside of the road

I of course, also brought back a bag of Honduras Coffee for one lucky commenter today. Leave a comment here and you will be added automatically into the giveaway.

Vicki RAVES about The Help Movie

Published on November 11, 2011November 4, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Hi everyone! I’m Vicki from I’d Rather Be At The Beach. I started my first blog, Reading At The Beach, which I lost due to Malware, around the same time Sheila started her blog. Somehow we found each others blogs shortly after. I’m not really sure how, but it was probably from blog hopping, which I know we both do a lot of. I’m honored to be a guest here, and hope you will leave me a comment… we don’t want Sheila’s stats to go down now do we? LOL!

Today I’m going to share my thoughts of the movie “The Help”.

Since my daughter got married we don’t get to see each other on a daily basis, so we have a girls night out every so often. Recently we decided to go to a restaurant in a town nearby and then to see “The Help”! I was trying to wait until I’d read the book before I saw the movie, but with review obligations I knew I wouldn’t get to the book soon enough to suit me. So I did something I rarely do. I caved and saw the movie first. It wasn’t my fault though, it was all of those blog post I saw raving about the movie. You made it sound so awesome that I HAD to go see it.

I. Could. Not. Wait.

99.99% of the time, when a book or movie is built up in my mind due to glowing reviews such as “it was amazing”…it isn’t. But “The Help” was better than I was expecting. The characters were so real and vivid that I loved them all, even though I wanted to slap some of them. The movie had me laughing over and over, crying a few times, and even made feel ashamed as a person that there were some people who could treat other human beings so badly. That said, it was still such a feel good funny movie. There were many laugh out loud moments, but there was one scene in particular that had me laughing so hard I just about slid off my seat into the floor! Those of you who have seen the movie know which one I’m talking about.

There was never a dull moment and I thought this movie was FANTASTIC! It is now one of my favorite movies and I plan on buying it on DVD so that I can watch it over and over. I’d definitely give it a AAA+.

If you haven’t seen this, GO NOW!!! You won’t be disappointed! Want a sneak peak or refresher course? Here you go:

Thank you Sheila, for inviting me to be a guest on your blog while you’re in Honduras. I hope you’re having a great time. It’s wonderful that you give so much time and love to others!!

*Note from Sheila: I second Vicki’s thoughts here about The Help… the book is so good, and the movie is a fantastic companion to it. If you have not seen it… you need to.

Morning Meanderings…. Honduras and I Am Coming Home!

Published on November 11, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Good morning. 😀

I am here at the guest house in Tegucigalpa Honduras, a little groggy, but good. Yesterday was a fine day to travel and see areas we have worked in the past. We stopped at AFE (the dump school) and I was saddened to see that my little buddy Samir (who I see every year) was not there. I was told he had not been feeling good so was at his home.

1aa — Melissa and I. Melissa is one of the students of AFE.

053 — One of the buildings at AFE. I have put the rebar in the floor of this building and helped put in the cement floor years ago.

After AFE we went out to Manuelito where we used to work with the street kids. That was like a family reunion I love seeing those kids and how they have grown and matured…

Two of the girls I have known a long time from Manuelito.... Michelle, me, and Ava

Both stops were good and I know we will not do that every year, but it was good to see them.

We then went to the Valle de Angelas, which is the Valley Of The Angels. This is our shopping stop for the trip. Pretty much a Honduras tourist trap. I usually pick up a few bracelets or necklaces, the prices are good and the items are unique. Of course I always get coffee too to bring back 🙂

We returned to the guest house last night for dinner and had time to all talk together afterwards about our thoughts on the day. I am really enjoying my time with this group. Al, Julie, and Mark I have done this with many times – but Eric, Jay, Boris, and Dima have been wonderful new additions to the group and it has been a lot of fun getting to know them better.

Our team: Back left: Boris, Jay, Dima, Eric, *Front: Mark, me, Al, and JUlie

Today we start flying back. Our flight leaves Tegucigalpa at 1:59 pm. We will land in Atlanta around 6:30 pm…. in Minneapolis about 10:30 pm, and then out drive home will put us in around 1:30 am.

Alison is screaming “Don’t Miss This Book”!!!

Published on November 10, 2011November 4, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

DON’T MISS THIS BOOK!!

Good morning, Book Journey friends!

I am honored to be your substitute host today while Sheila is spreading her joy across the globe. I had the pleasure of meeting Sheila in May 2010 at the Book Expo America in New York. She is just as lovely in person as I hoped she would be, and we hit it off right away!! I’m not only a friend and fellow book blogger, I’m also a loyal reader of Book Journey, so I figured I could stop by and we could keep one another company in Sheila’s absence.

Photographic proof! This is from BEA 2010. With all the time we spent together this past May, I don’t have a photo of the two of us…Sheila? Do you have one??

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the Alison from Alison’s Book Marks. I have a little book blog on the other side of the Internets where I chat about an eclectic mix of books. Any book that is being read in my house is discussed on my blog – right now, The Man is working on KILLING LINCOLN; the 6 year old is tackling his first “real book”, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID; the 9 year old, is reading HOLES by Louis Sachar; and I am currently reading HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET. I am blessed with a reading family!!

There is one book I read this year that I can’t stop talking about with my book friends – THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday; Hardcover; 400 pgs.; September 13, 2011: 978-0385534635).

I would send you over to read my review of the book, but I think Sheila’s review was much better. Not only do I feel this is the best book I have read all year, but it has also earned a place on my Book Shelf of Fame, where I place my all-time favorites like THE BOOK THIEF, EAST OF EDEN, THE HELP, SARAH’S KEY, and HARRY POTTER.

I went into this book knowing very little. In fact, I didn’t even read the blurb on the back cover. All I was told was that there was magic and mystery, all wrapped up in a cast of characters one will not soon forget. It did not take me long to get sucked into the mystery of the Circus, which is a character in and of itself.

I read quite a bit, as you might imagine, and always looking forward to the next great book, but this is one of the few books that I can’t wait to read again and again. The next time I experience this book will probably be listening to the audio, by Jim Dale (of Harry Potter audio fame!) There are all these wonderful little details that I can’t wait to experience all over again. There was a reason for everything – the color of a dress, the shape of a tree, the taste of a dessert. This book was an all-sensory experience!

THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern is a special book. I hope you read it this winter, and be sure to come back and chat with us when you do!

*Note from Sheila: Alison ROCKS! She is a lot of fun and I enjoy her blog and her friendship. Her review of Night Circus is awesome and it is linked here so check it out… and Alison, you asked if I had a picture of us from BEA 2011…. I do:

Morning Meanderings… Honduras – Day Five

Published on November 10, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Good morning. 😛

I did it again… I set my alarm according to my cell phone… got up, showered, and dressed… and then realized that it was actually an hour earlier than I thought it was.

😯

I had turned off my data and wifi in Honduras so as not to get the bill of a lifetime and due to this, my cell phone never updated to the correct time.

We are now in Tegucigalpa and it is good to be here. For one… the internet is much better and it is not taking me two hours to upload pictures and write a post.

I did not get many pics yesterday other than our traveling.

Of course… who would I be if I did not mention the coffee?

Cafe Americana - 18.9 limperos = 1 American dollar

Honduras limps can make you feel like you have a lot of money in your pocket but it takes 18.9 of the Limperos to equal one dollar. It feel weird to be paying 39 limps for a mocha coffee and a cookie until you think… until you realize this is only a little over $2.00.

Today we are going to AFE (the school fro the kids in the dump) and out to Manuelito, where my Honduras missions began, working with the street kids. Today, will be like a reunion. 🙂

Currently… two books completed for the week and one audio.

Sharon brings her thoughts on Mrs. Tom Thumb

Published on November 9, 2011November 4, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Hi all! Sheila asked me if I would fill in for her one day while she is on her amazing Honduras trip, and I readily agreed to help out!

I’ve “met” so many wonderful people, including my friend Sheila, who all share my love of reading and books through blogging. I met Sheila through the “It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?” meme that she has now taken over and taken to great heights of popularity! It’s been so much fun to watch how Sheila’s blog has grown over the years, and how excited she still is about the whole process. (She wears me out sometimes, with all her activities – J – but I always know I’ll find a great book idea at her blog!)

Sheila asked me to tell you a little about myself. My name is Sharon Galligar Chance, and some of you may know me from my blog, Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews. I’ve been blogging for three years now, and still love it as much as I did the day I began!

I have also been a freelance entertainment journalist for the past fifteen years. In addition to being a senior book reviewer for the Times Record News, I am also a regular guest contributor for the Las Vegas Review Journal’s Book Nook blog, The Ventura County Star, and write a monthly column at FreshFiction.com highlighting cozy mysteries, “Sharon’s Cozy Corner.”

So, enough about me! On to books!

Sheila asked me to talk about which book has been my favorite, so far, of 2011. Wow, tough question! There have been so many wonderful books out this year, it’s hard to choose just one. But I sat down and went through the books I have reviewed over the year, and settled on one that I feel has been one of the most interesting books I’ve had the pleasure to read … so far!

My choice is Melanie Benjamin’s “The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb.”

I fell in love with this novel. Plain, and simple.

Melanie Benjamin has taken the bits of known history of one of the most fascinating female personalities in entertainment history, added in a captivating fictional narrative from the tiny lady herself, and delivers a gentle, loving, captivating story that takes readers into the heart of Lavinia Warren, aka Mrs. Tom Thumb.

Here is the link to my review over at my blog, if you’d like to check it out!
There is little doubt, to me, that this novel is destined to be one of the best books of 2011. It has recently been nominated for a Goodreads Good Choice Award. I highly recommend it!

I so admire Sheila for her commitment to this mission and I wish her safe journeys on her trip!

*Note from Sheila: Sharon is so sweet! I remember connecting with her on Book Blogs when we were both new to this world and I love that she is still reviewing and loving it just as I am. Her review of Mrs. Tom Thumb peaked my interest and I have yet to read it but need to!

Morning Meanderings…. Honduras Day 4

Published on November 9, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Good morning. It is 6:00 am here in La Esperanza Honduras. For some reason I constantly wake up early here. It may be the sounds of the trucks outside or maybe the rooster….

Yesterday was a good day. We went back to the church and painted class rooms and classroom doors. We only had until noon so we did what we could but it was fun and they looked nice.

In the afternoon after lunch, we drove up into a rehab center up in the mountains. This is a rare thing for Honduras and functions almost like an AA or a Celebrate Recovery program. It was amazing to see what was being done in this area.

After that we returned to Rosi’s house to try some traditional Honduras food,a drink made out of corn that we drink out of fruit shells. She served us big bowls and at first it is pretty good. It is made out of mashed boiled corn, cinnamon, sugar, and I think milk. It is good, but quickly thickens and as it cools has a stronger corn taste that I could not finish.

1aaa — Score one for team Minnesota!!!! I did it!

The team was pretty hilarious drinking it, some loved some did not. Dima (from Ukraine) couldn’t drink his at all but once Mark finished it for him he wanted his picture taken of him “finishing: it.

Dinner was pretty phenomenal and not at all what you would expect to eat in this area. We ate at a pretty nice restaurant and the meat was so delicious. This was our last evening in La Esperanza.

Today we will travel back towards Tegucigalpa and stay in the Mission House tonight and tomorrow. Tomorrow we will travel to see past areas we have worked in which is the opposite direction of where we are now.

It has been a good trip so far.

Danielle Sharing The Books She LOVED This Year

Published on November 8, 2011November 4, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

First of all, thank you so much Sheila for thinking of me to guest post while you’re away having fun in Honduras! I’ve been a reader of Sheila’s site since around the same time I started book blogging about two years ago and I love her site. One of the aspects of book blogging I love the very most is the community and how welcoming everyone is, Sheila is no exception to this. Her “Monday Reading” feature is something I participate in weekly and have met so many wonderful readers thanks to it.

At my site, There’s A Book, I review primarily Children’s books though I also review women’s fiction at Chick Lit Reviews and News. So, in a break from Sheila’s normally talked about books I thought I’d share my Top Five favorite picture books this year! (Click on the links to be taken to my review or Goodreads.)

Pirate vs. Pirate by Mary Quattlebaum – Argh! Do you have a little pirate in your midst? This book is not only perfect for pirate fans, but gorgeously illustrated and written. Not only that, but it has a wonderful message of the importance of looking for the best in others. An absolute favorite of ours!

I Broke My Trunk! by Mo Willems – This is most likely my kiddos favorite series of picture books, there are currently around 15 in the series and they love every one of them. Mo Willems knows how to write so that both children and adults love reading and re-reading his books. Elephant and Piggie are two best friends who have “typical” problems with very silly solutions. I promise you’ll laugh hysterically while reading any of the books in this series.

The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic – Beautiful. Gorgeous. Heartbreaking. Needed. These are only a few of the words I’d use to describe this incredible book about a little boy who has lost his mom. It’s something that’s not always talked about in picture books, but it’s needed and so well done in this heartbreaking tale. Love this book.

Big Bouffant by Kate Hosford – A delightful book about individuality and teaching children the importance of being comfortable with who they truly are. This is a story about a little girl who wants to be different from all the other little girls and does so with an adorable hairdo. It’s fantastic and the illustrations by Holly Clifton-Brown are wonderful!

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen – I can’t talk enough about this book. It’s most likely our family’s favorite picture book this year, maybe ever (though Interrupting Chicken is a close runner-up/tie). The humor is dry and perfect for adults, but the moral of the story isn’t lost on children – honesty. This is a book I’d encourage to everyone, not just children, it’s going to be a Classic I’m positive.

To be honest, this list is a bit insane. How could I ever narrow down my favorite picture books? There are so many more I’m leaving off and I hope you’ll stop by There’s A Book to discover more great books, no matter if you have a kiddo in your life or not. I should also mention that it’s International Picture Book Month!

Thank you again Sheila! I hope you have a fantastic trip and we’ll be looking forward to hearing all about your trip when you return.

– Danielle aka The1stdaughter

*Note from Sheila: If you have not spent any time on Danielle’s blog – you must! True I do not read a lot of Grade School reads, but she also has Middle Grade, and YA, both genres I enjoy!

Morning Meanderings.. Day Two and Three in Honduras

Published on November 8, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Good morning! This is my actual coffee cup from yesterday morning. And yes, the coffee is good. 😀

On Sunday we had an opportunity in the morning to go up even further into the mountains and see a Linca Village. It was beautiful and here are a few of the pics:

At 3 pm we went to the church and we were there until 5:30 pm. A wonderful service in three languages – Spanish, English, and we had Dima with us who shared the stage and spoke in Ukrainian.

After service, we went to dinner with the Pastor and his family. The food was amazing. We ordered two platter meals that were to feed 5 people each. We had 13 in our group and could not finish it. There was a tortilla and bean and cheese appetizer, then french fries with a yummy sauce, then beans, and the main dish:

On Monday we worked all day painting the outside of the church and the outside of the classroom walls. The weather was pretty nice. It seems to rain with a fine mist in the mornings and then slowly burns off it was pretty warm by early afternoon.

161 — Dima and Boris (from Ukraine) and me outside painting in La Esperanza Honduras

Yesterday I took Asus (laptop) in the van with us as leaving electronics in a hotel in this are could be risky. I had it under one of the seats in the van so it was not seen by passer bys… when I went to take it out last night it was covered in water… someones water had spilled o the seat and went through it on to the floor… soaking lap top. Boris on our team is a computer genius and he quickly pulled out the battery and wiped everything down. He told me to not use it for two days to give it a chance to dry… but ahh…. yeah. About that. I had to communicate pics… so I am taking my chances.

I am posting my pictures on Facebook and if you would like to see more, go there. I am Sheila DeChantal. If I do not know you make sure you send a little message if you are friending me so I know you are a Book Journey reader.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on November 6, 2011November 6, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

Hello and welcome to another fun addition of 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.

I am currently in Honduras so will pull this weeks winner from last weeks entries next week as well as this current one.😀

So, as I mentioned above… I am in Honduras, I left on Saturday morning from the cities and will be here until this next coming Friday. I had planned to write this post prior to leaving but time and life stuff took over and instead, I am currently in my room in La Esperanza Honduras on a little afternoon break, typing this one out. Needless to say…. it will be short and to the point. 😛

This past week this was on the presses at Book Journey:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan audio review

Snow Flower and The Secret Fan Movie giveaway!I meant to choose a winner before I left – I did not so consider this one still on 🙂

One Fine Day by Lauraine Snelling (book review)

My post with itinerary while I am away (this will tell you what I am doing in Honduras)

Laurel from Rainy Days and Mondays shares her favorite 200 reads and recommendations

Esme from Chocolates and Croissants shares her favorite reads of 2011

My Honduras Day One Check In

Staci from Life In The Thumb shared her thoughts on The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

As for this week… I finished Monsters Of Men on the plane and among other books I brought that I hope to at least make a dent in I brought:

On the morning of July 24, 1915, the liner Eastland rolled over and capsized into the Chicago River; 844 people died. In his first nonfiction book, mystery writer Bonansinga (The Black Mariah, etc.) captures the raw emotion in a story full of greed, courage and overwhelming grief. The victims were looking forward to a day of eating, drinking and dancing. Dressed in their finest, the passengers swarmed onto the boat. Gazing at the huge, sturdy looking, freshly painted vessel, most took it on faith that they were in good hands. Unbeknownst to them, the Eastland had been beset by serious problems from its launch. The ship was hard to control and prone to listing even under normal conditions, though its various owners had covered up this fact. As the disaster unfolded, the best and worst of human nature was immediately on display. Men shoved women and children out of the way inIh desperate attempts to escape. From shore, passersby risked their lives to save the fortunate few. In pure Chicago style, the disaster’s aftermath was marked by political infighting and petty corruption. For all the loss of life and the implications to public safely, this incident is little known today; Bonansinga’s powerful book returns it to the record. Photos.

I took an interest in this when I was in Chicago in June and heard about the tragedy and about the bodies lining the streets to be identified by loved ones. A friend of mine brought me the book the day before I left for Honduras.

I hope you join in with Monday What Are You Reading. Once I am back int he states I look forward to catching up with all of you. Please add your link to where it says “click here” below.

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