Morning Meanderings… I Know Patterson Gets A Bad Rap but…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)67 Comments

Good morning.  Wednesday already?  Does it seen like the days fly by or is that just me?  Tonight a meeting, Thursday I am helping Chance get ready for the weekend, and Friday is the home show which I run concessions for each year for this weekend to raise scholarship money for kids.

Uggghhhh…

I have to set up tomorrow night and honestly, I need a zap of energy to pull this one off well.

Anyway…

*sips coffee*

Patterson.

 

I received an email from Amazon this morning about Patterson and it actually surprised me how much of his books I have read throughout the years.  For those of you who think he is incredibly gory and graphic…. he can be…. but he is more than that.  He is also a great mystery writer – the Michael Bennett series (Step On A Crack, Run For Your Life, Worst Case and Tick Tock) are about an Irish detective who has 10 adopted kids with his wife who recently passed away.  This series is good and clean.

If you have not seen Patterson’s Nicholas Sparks side…. you may be amazed to know he has one…. his book Diary for Nicholas was read by me one summer in one sitting.  I meant to pick it up and see what it was about…. I read it straight through and was pulled in by a book that I felt was very “not Patterson style”.

I never got into the Alex Cross books…. but have enjoyed the movies.

His book Honeymoon we read as a book club a few years ago and for my standard review question of “what did we learn by reading this book?”  We joyfully laughed and agreed that we had learned to kill someone with scrambled eggs.  😛

I guess what I am saying here is that Patterson is not just heavy hitting mysteries… yes, I too laugh at the jokes about his short chapters and know that he cranks books out like a popcorn machine.  I read recently that he has a long conference table in his office with several manuscripts half written on it.  While some frown about this – I can not complain, even when he is writing with other authors what he is producing is pretty good.

Recently I listened to the first of the Womens Murder Club books….and liked it.  Currently I am reading Sundays at Tiffany’s for book club and have to be reminded that this is indeed a Patterson book.

I didnt wake up thinking I was going to talk about James Patterson this morning… but, the beauty of the Morning Meandering is you never know what you are going to get…. sometimes, it surprises me too.  😀

What do you think of James Pattersons books?  Like them?  Hate them?  Have you tried any of his non mysteries?

Sundays at Tiffany’s Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas Honeymoon Run for Your Life
Worst Case Swimsuit The Beach House I, Alex Cross

Movie Review: Limitless

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

Eddie Morra, is broke, dirty looking, unfocused and down on his luck.  He is contracted to write a book, but can not seem to write a word.  He spends his days snoozing, occasionally boozing, and basically wasting air.  His girlfriend has just told him that enough is enough and she needs to move on.  Eddie…. can’t blame her.

And then Eddie runs into his ex- brother-in-law who asks him to catch up over a beer or two.  As they talk, Eddies brother-in-law says he can help Eddie with what ails him and offers us a clear pill in a small bag.  At first Eddie refuses, he may have many faults, but drug use is not one of them.  It’s clean, Eddie is assured.  They call it NZT and it just makes you clear-headed, taps into that 80% of the brain that we do not use.

Eddie eventually thinks what does he have to lose, and takes the pill.  Minutes later – his life changes forever.

Clear headed, Eddie can recall everything he has ever seen on tv, read in a book, learned, experienced…. he is filled with energy and writes his book in four hours.

Of course, he returns to the brother-in-law to get more of this miracle pill, but finds that his brother-in-law has been killed.  Eddie searches the apartment and is able to find the hidden stash of the NZT and starts taking it daily.

He starts working out and getting in shape, he gets his scraggly hair cut and looks good.  His brain works so fast he is able to comprehend stock market changes and starts making money, thousands of dollars a day…. but it is not fast enough.  Eddie takes out a “loan” from a shady character who threatens to skin Eddie if the money is not returned.  Eddie uses this money to make larger investments and the money rolls in…. people take notice and soon Eddie is working for the biggest financial dude in the world…. he has everything he needs and money to purchase things he doesn’t….

but Eddie is not the only one looking for NZT and he soon learns that people are watching, and he starts to find hours missing that he can not account for and learning that others who have been on the drug are either dying or dead.

 

I LOVED this movie and I have seen it twice. Fast action, and while I am no advocate for drugs – there is a message within this movie that really makes you think about unlimited power and what happens when it is in the wrong (and right) hands.

When you see all that NZT does in the movie, how much a person can accomplish, how much it opens your mind up… you can see the draw… especially for a guy like Eddie who really can not sink much lower.

 

Part of it is honestly I really enjoy this actor, he’s quick, he’s witty, and easy on the eyes.  (Yes… I said it).  😛  I thought he had just showed up on the radar in the last couple years when I seen him in movies like:  A Team, Valentines Day, He’s Just Not That Into You and in Hangover.

Then the other day I was watching Failure To Launch on tv and noticed that he played the roll of one of Mathew McConaughley’s friends….

Bradley Cooper and Matthew MacCoughley in Failure To Launch

and I was surprised and I had not picked up on that.  I also found that he played in Yes Man, with Jim Carrey.  Now that just makes me like him even more as here he was pretty much this supporting actor who someone seen potential in.  I like that.  I have always rooted for the underdog.  It’s just my way.

Jim Carrey and Bradley Cooper

I think we keep an eye on Bradley Cooper.  I bet there are more big roles coming for him and I think he is just getting started.

I highly recommend if you are a movie lover, go and see Limitless at the theater.  For this book girl (who seems to be lacking in the reading department lately…) this move was an awesome break from a long movie free winter.

 

Morning Meanderings… When The Song Gets Stuck In Your Head

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments

Good morning.

So… this weekend Al and I went to see Limitless.

Errrr…

again.

😛

I know?  Addict right?

I really loved this movie and I don’t know if it is because all winter long it felt like I was starving for a good movie at the theater and none were to be found, or if it was – as I believe…. that awesome.

For whatever reason… I have one of the songs stuck in my heard from the movie.  Whats funny is it took me three days to find it….

In the movie they do not play the whole song – only the upbeat “Ba dah dah dah dah”…. hummed it, sang it, danced to it, Googled it

could not find the title of the song….

GAH.

Then yesterday – determined…. I searched and had to listen to each song in the movie to get it.  And found it.  I wasn’t a big fan of the whole song… but it is growing on me and now has entered my IPOD nano (Podette) to be used when I work out.

Funny how that happens…

Don’t laugh.  It’s stuck… stuck in my head.

Have an awesome day – when I have time… I plan on reviewing the movie.  😀

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)105 Comments

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  D  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 receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

Last weeks winner:

Jennifer from Rundpinne

Congratulations!  Please choose an item out of the PRIZE BOX and email me your choice with your mailing address as well!   journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

**Yes, I am behind again on my mailing of books – they are going out this week… 😀


Here is what I accomplished this past week:


Jimmy by Robert Whitlow (incredible (but underdeveloped) audio about a young handicapped boy with huge faith


Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese (Bookies book and food review – awesome book, AMAZING food – and I added recipes!)


Weekend Cooking:  Crock Pot Pizza Pasta (oh yeah…. I said it….  recipe is here!)


The Handmaid and The Carpenter – Elizabeth Berg comes through with this short audio about the courtship and marriage of Mary and Joseph

 

Dracula by Bram Stoker (mmm  hmmmm, first time :D)

It was not the successful reading week I had hoped for… I had plans to crack open a couple other books and it just did not happen.  So… I will try again this week.  😀


Here’s is what is hopefully brewing over here this week:

I am not even going to give you the synopsis on-line or from the back of the book because really – it does do this book justice.  Basically – Jane has an imaginary friend names Michael… Jane’s life as a child is a mess.  Her mothers ego and riches outshine everything and she really has little time for her slightly pudgy daughter – including forgetting her birthday.  Jane’s dad is barely in the picture showing up on major holidays but really having no clue as to who his daughter is and with his new wife and life… does not have the time to learn about her.

Jane’s only real friend…. isn’t real at all.  Michael is her constant companion, always there to encourage her, to laugh with her – to share life with her.  Jane adores waking every morning knowing she will “see” Michael again.

And then on Jane’s 9th birthday Michael tells her that it is time for him to go.  Heartbroken Jane begs for him to stay but Michael says that the rules are he can only stay until the 9th birthday.  He tells her not to worry thought as tomorrow she will wake up and not remember him…

Flash forward twenty years…. Jane now works for her mother in a large successful production company.  She has a loser for a boyfriend, and still battles self-esteem issues.  As Jane goes about her life writing and producing the play she always had hoped to, unfortunately with her mother’s money backing it up as well as her mothers opinions, Jane has no idea that she is being watched….

He can not believe it is her.  It has never worked this way before, but yes, he is sure it is her… her walk, the way she pushes her hair back… it has to be Jane.  Michael can not believe his luck.

Hmmm?  Sounds good doesn’t it?  This is our Book Club read for April and I am digging into it already and all I can say is so far – WHOA!  I am liking this!  😀


And really – this is pathetic… but I am not starting anything new beyond this as I have to catch up on the books I have said I was going to read for the past two weeks.  Truly…. I must 😀

HOWEVER – I am excited to see what you are reading!  Add your link to your post of It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading and I will try to get over and see you and encourage you to check out some of these posts as well – they are fun to read and you may just find a blog or two you want to follow.


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So this is Dracula by Bram Stoker

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)55 Comments

A naive young Englishman, Johnathon Harker travels to Transylvania to do business with a client, Count Dracula.  At first enticed by Dracula’s gracious manner, Harker soon discovers that he has become a prisoner in the castle. He also begins to see disquieting facets of Dracula’s nocturnal life. One night while searching for a way out of the castle, and against Dracula’s strict admonition not to venture outside his room at night, Harker falls under the spell of three wanton female vampires, the Brides of Dracula. He is saved at the last second by the Count, because he wants to keep Harker alive just long enough to obtain needed legal advice and teachings about England and London (Dracula’s planned travel destination was to be among the “teeming millions”). Harker barely escapes from the castle with his life.

After showing his true and terrifying colors, Dracula boards a ship for England in search of new, fresh blood. Unexplained disasters begin to occur in the streets of London before the mystery and the evil doer are finally put to rest.


Hmmmm…. well… I listened to this because I have never read Dracula.  I know, its true!  And well… it really wasn’t what I was expecting.  I had no idea that Dracula was set around a real estate deal…. and a ship.  And I had no idea this book was mostly written in journal/diary entries.  In my head… it was all about spooky Dracula in his castle, inviting people in for oh…. I don’t know… appetizers?  😯

How freaky to think this creepy book was written over one hundred years ago….. that’s about a hundred years before vampires became cool!  Oh and when I say creepy, I mean it with all due respect….. creepy good… yah know?

Vampires Then....
Vampires Now


Historically, the name “Dracula” is derived from a secret fraternal order of knights called the Order of the Dragon, founded by Sigismund of Luxembourg (king of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and Holy Roman Emperor) to uphold Christianity and defend the Empire against the Ottoman Turks. Vlad II Dracul, father of Vlad III, was admitted to the order around 1431 because of his bravery in fighting the Turks. From 1431 onward, Vlad II wore the emblem of the order and later, as ruler of Wallachia, his coinage bore the dragon symbol. The name Dracula means “Son of Dracul”.

Wikepedia

I am glad to say I have experienced Dracula.  Check that off my lifetime to do list 😛

Amazon Rating

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map had been updated to include Dracula


I purchased this audio at Barnes and Noble

 

Morning Meanderings… Meanderings

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

 

Good morning!

me·an·der  (m–ndr)

intr.v. me·an·dered, me·an·der·ing, me·an·ders  

1. To follow a winding and turning course: Streams tend to meander through level land.
2. To move aimlessly and idly without fixed direction: vagabonds meandering through life. See Synonyms at wander.

n.

1. meanders Circuitous windings or sinuosities, as of a stream or path.

2. A circuitous journey or excursion; ramble. Often used in the plural.

I knew I had appropriately named my morning chats….. as I sit here this morning trying to think what is interesting enough share…. I feel truly this will be a meander…

On Friday night we had our annual Missions Banquet at Breezy Point resort.  It is a lot of work to prepare, sell tickets, solicit silent auction items, set up, etc…. but I am part of an awesome team that works hard and pulls it all together.  We raised $6,400 for Missions from this years banquet.  Numbers like that make the whole process worth while, even if it does wipe me out.  😀

Saturday I thought I would be a meager shell of my former self in recovery mode from the banquet – but this year, not true.  I think we were so organized going in that it only took a couple of hours to set up, and by Saturday morning I felt 100% and had a day of:

Cleaning

purchased new ear buds for my IPOD Nano (Podette)

Dancing and cleaning with the new ear buds and Podette

cleaned out my closet 😯 and put clothes aside that need to make a trip to Good Will

danced some more

Went to Starbucks and enjoyed a Skinny Vanilla Latte while catching up on some blog visits… a little bit of bliss 🙂

Had dinner with hubby and we watched the movie Blood Diamond (which if you have not seen, I recommend – usually not my kind of movie but the story about the diamonds being harvested out of Africa and the people who die in the process is heart wrenching and pretty sure I will never look at a diamond the same way again.  (I was not a big jewelry person to begin with….)


Which brings to this morning…. coffee blogging…. hair is a mess…. oh yeah, I had better go get ready 😀

Enjoy your day – wherever you meander!

The Handmaid and The Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

 

Young Mary (thirteen) is very excited when she seems to have caught the eye of seventeen year old Joseph.  While Joseph is exasperated with Mary’s strong will, he also finds her endearing, irresistible and sure that she will be his wife.  As his intentions are made public, both family’s are thrilled for the young couple, except perhaps a jealous female relative who wishes that Joseph would have set his heart and his eyes on her instead.

As the couple plans a wedding, the unthinkable happens.  Mary is approached by an angel who tells her that she will become pregnant and give birth to the son of God.  When news of this gets to Joseph he is disbelieving, sure that Mary has found her ways into the arms of another man… as Mary struggles alone through the early stages of her pregnancy, Joseph continues to wrestle with the notion of trying to wed someone who may or may not be telling the truth…. until finally he too is spoken to by an angel who tells him that he is to wed Mary.

When Herod makes his decree that everyone return to their hometown to register for the census, Joseph takes a very pregnant Mary and makes the long journey to Bethlehem…. where history is in the making…

 

 

As I continue my way through the works of Elizabeth Berg, this book (audio) was probably the one that I was least excited about.  I honestly did not know how I would feel about a fictional take on the story of Mary and Joseph, let alone their courtship. I do not even think I had ever given much thought as to what Mary and Joseph’s courtship must have been like…

In the end, I found this short audio to be tastefully done.  As Elizabeth Berg fills in gaps with fictional filler, I felt it gave me food for thought on this subject.  Not only had I never really thought about the early pre-Jesus days of Mary and Joseph, I had really never thought much about the doubts that could have crept into Joseph’s thoughts through the years as to is Jesus truly was conceived of the Holy Spirit.  It was interesting to think that Mary had the stronger faith – obviously she knew how the baby was conceived, as compared to Joseph…. a true testimony of faith.

While not really an in-depth read, it was interesting and   basically covers the time of the courtship to Josephs death.

Elizabeth Berg ends this short audio with a message to her listeners saying that she realizes that she took liberty with this story but has done no more than many others have through the centuries.  She also takes liberty with a few dates and explains in the end her reasoning for doing so.

Amazon Rating

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading map is udpated to include The Handmaid and The Carpenter

I borrowed this audio from my local library

Weekend Cooking

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)39 Comments

The weekend is here… could I be more excited?  😛  It has been a crazy busy week and I am winding down from our Missions Auction and Banquet which was last night – and winding up for the Home Show which is this coming weekend…  but for now….. 2 days of pretty much “me time”  😀

Anyway … cooking is the subject right?  Beth Fish Reads hosts this great meme where we can share whats cooking in our homes – and in our reading.  😀  This past week I tried out a new recipe that received raving reports from the guys in my life… crock pot Pizza Pasta…. first off, whats not to love about a crock pot?  It is a busy gals best friend – pop all your ingredients in there – run and do what you need to do…. come home exhausted later in the day and dinner is done 😀

 

Crock Pot Pizza Pasta

 

You need:

1 pound of rigatoni noodles – dry

1 pound of hamburger

1 pound of italian sausage

25 – 50  pepperoni’s

2  1/2 – 3 jars marina sauce

2 TBS dried oregano

2 TBS garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 onion chopped

1 green pepper chopped

2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)

4 (or more) cups shredded mozzarella

 

Spray the bottom of your crock pot with cooking spray.  Pour marinara sauce into a large bowl and mix in the oregano, garlic, salt, pepper – and any other favorite spices you may wish to use.  Add the DRY rigatoni and stir to coat well with the sauce.

Cook your hamburger, drain and set aside.  Do the same with the italian sausage.

Pour half of the noodle mixture into the crock pot.  Add half of the hamburger (sprinkled over the top), half of the sausage, half of the chopped onion, half of the green pepper, half of the mushrooms, half of the cheese and then a layer of pepperoni on top.

Repeat starting with the noodles, a second layer on top – ending with the pepperoni again.

Set crock pot on low and let cook for 6 hours.  Serve with a yummy garlic bread.

**When I first made this I used 2 jars of marinara and felt afterward it could have used more… you could use more in the original mixing with the noodles, or add more between the two layers to seep in.

Enjoy!  😀

For more recipes – this past week my book club review Cutting For Stone and we made Ethiopian food to go along with the review.  This was probably the best food we have ever had for a review.  Who knew Ethiopian food was so delicious?  The recipes are here.

Morning Meanderings…. I Should Be ____________________

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

Good Morning.

Today is an other crazy day and when I went to bed last night my agenda was something like this:

Get up and get ready at 6:30 am

write a morning post

have COFFEE

hit the gym group power class at 8 am

Make signs for the banquet tonight

Come home – prep what I am going to wear tonight – get it in the car

Find the bag of pens

tan

meet my cousin

drive to Breezy Point and set up Missions Banquet for 4 hours (silent auction, tables…)

serve at the banquet

clean up

home around 9 pm tonight

CRASH

…

Instead, last night I had the best sleep I have had in a long time.  I actually slept through the night without checking the clock every hour or so.  I woke up feeling good, and not pressured.  And instead of all that early running I had planned… I made coffee, grabbed my laptop, propped up pillows,and went back to bed.

I think I am instead of running to do it all today… I am going to relax a bit this morning.  Have my coffee… finish a book.  And then I will go make the signs, tan (maybe), and head up to Breezy.  I really like the sound of that.

 

Morning Meanderings… Cover Lovin’!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)41 Comments

Good morning!

I am so freshly awake.. honestly I am not even sure if I am awake yet.  I think I woke up with a catching of my breath… seriously… not sure what that was about other than the internal alarm saying time to MOVE.

Gah…

it was right.  😛

Yesterday afternoon was BEAUTIFUL for many reasons… the biggest is that after the morning cancellation of life due to the snow storm…. I went to work and by noon by evening training class was canceled and all evening commitments I previously had were canceled due to the weather.  Then an amazing thing happened…

around three in the afternoon, the sun came out.  It had stopped snowing, the roads were finally plowed clear and all was right again with my world.

NOW – any sane person would have probably taken full advantage of a night off…. which I did…. but not by staying home.  Oh no… Chance and I went out to Chinese buffet (seriously – its like crack to me) and then to the movie which I LOVED.  LOVED.  That is two for two… last weekend Al and I went to Lincoln Lawyer and that was so fantastic as well.

Limitless left me with a great message on power.., I talked about it all the way home…

Anyway… so now what i was going to talk about this morning…. maybe I should change the post title?

Nah…I am back on track now.

I was curious if anyone else gets excited about new covers… even perhaps to the point of wanting a favorite book that you may already own – in the new cover just because it is WOW.

At the theater yesterday I seen that the posters are up for Water For Elephants.  I can not wait!  I love the movie poster!  When Chance and I got back in the car after the movie…. I pulled out of my back seat a copy of Water For Elephants with the new cover.  I grinned.  Chance looked frightened by my odd enthusiasm….

“What?” he said…

“Look” I said, in my best Smeagol impression, “New Cover”.

He was not impressed – but I am as now I have the awesome cover of the original Water For Elephants:

and the super awesome new one that makes me excited to read this book all over again 😀

I have seen other old and new covers too.  And normally I don’t go for the movie cover…. but there is something about this one that reminds me of this book, what is inside these pages I treasure so…. and makes me want to return to them.