Morning Meanderings and Book Bloggers Unite!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)55 Comments


Good morning!  Coffee Cup and I are hanging out at the lap top this morning, and watching what appears to be the sun breaking through the clouds.  I am thrilled to squeeze in another sunny day and have been watching the weather carefully as I am on for a large bike ride this Saturday in Itaska.  I have decided that if the weather is “el yucko” I am instead going to the cities to an author event.  As much as I want to ride bike, I do not want to be cold, damp, and miserable.


Today I wanted to remind everyone about the upcoming Banned Books Week.  It starts this Saturday and is an event I got behind for the first time last year and I was shocked at what books were considered banned.   Before I really followed what banned books were, I figured they had to be horrible books, filled with filth and language that would probably make your ears bleed.  Turns out, that’s not true.  My beloved To Kill A  Mockingbird is a banned book.  All the Harry Potter books are and just last night I discovered that Twilight was as well.

Twilight?

Yes, currently Twilight ranks the 5th most requested book to be banned by Libraries.  The word is that the book has been criticized for sexual content .

(And here I was thinking that I likes the twilight series because it was not heavy in that area)

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Piccoult also makes that same list – for offensive language, homosexuality, drugs, suicide, and violence.

If you have been on Twitter or around any book blogs lately you probably have heard about the recent banning of the book SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson.  It is about a young girl who has been raped and her battle to speak up and speak out.


My plan next week, starting on Saturday is to review a banned book a day.  I have quite a little reservation sheet at my local library.  I will share with you the book, the review, and the information I find on why it is considered a banned book.

I hope you will take a look at this following list of books that are banned books.  I would love to know which you have read, if any.  I am going to highlight the ones that I have read.  Which would you like to read?


Top banned list from 2000 – 2009

1 Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
2 Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3 The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
4 And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
5 Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
6 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
7 Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
8 His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
9 TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Myracle, Lauren
10 The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
11 Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
12 It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
13 Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
14 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
15 The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
16 Forever, by Judy Blume
17 The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
18 Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
19 Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
20 King and King, by Linda de Haan
21 To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
22 Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
23 The Giver, by Lois Lowry
24 In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
25 Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan
26 Beloved, by Toni Morrison
27 My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier
28 Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
29 The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney
30 We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
31 What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
32 Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
33 Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
34 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
35 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison
36 Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
37 It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris
38 Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles
39 Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
40 Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank
41 Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
42 The Fighting Ground, by Avi
43 Blubber, by Judy Blume
44 Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
45 Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly
46 Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, by George Beard
48 Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez
49 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
50 The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
51 Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
52 The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
53 You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco
54 The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole
55 Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green
56 When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester
57 Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
58 Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
59 Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
60 Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
61 Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle
62 The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
63 The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney
64 Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park
65 The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
66 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
67 A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
68 Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
69 Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
70 Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
71 Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park
72 Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
73 What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras
74 The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
75 Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry
76 A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
77 Crazy:  A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert
78 The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein
79 The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
80 A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
81 Black Boy, by Richard Wright
82 Deal With It!, by Esther Drill
83 Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
84 So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins
85 Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher
86 Cut, by Patricia McCormick
87 Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
88 The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
89 Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger
90 A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
91 Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Graighead George
92 The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
93 Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
94 Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
95 Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix
96 Grendel, by John Gardner
97 The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
98 I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte
99 Are You There, God?  It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
100 America: A Novel, by Frank, E.R.

Top Banned from 1990 – 1999

Scary Stories (Series), by Alvin Schwartz

Daddy’s Roommate, by Michael Willhoite

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

Forever, by Judy Blume

Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson

Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

Alice (Series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Goosebumps (Series), by R.L. Stine

A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

Sex, by Madonna

Earth’s Children (Series), by Jean M. Auel

The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson

In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak

The Witches, by Roald Dahl

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle

The New Joy of Gay Sex, by Charles Silverstein

Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous

The Goats, by Brock Cole

The Stupids (Series), by Harry Allard

Anastasia Krupnik (Series), by Lois Lowry

Final Exit, by Derek Humphry

Blubber, by Judy Blume

Halloween ABC, by Eve Merriam

Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George

Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane

The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters, by Lynda Madaras

Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood

The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton

The Pigman, by Paul Zindel

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier

Deenie, by Judy Blume

Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes

Annie on my Mind, by Nancy Garden

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar

Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, by Alvin Schwartz

Harry Potter (Series), by J.K. Rowling

Cujo, by Stephen King

James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl

A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein

Ordinary People, by Judith Guest

American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)

Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard

Asking About Sex and Growing Up, by Joanna Cole

What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons, by Lynda Madaras

The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume

Boys and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy

Crazy Lady, by Jane Conly

Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher

Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan

Fade, by Robert Cormier

Guess What?, by Mem Fox

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Native Son by Richard Wright

Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies, by Nancy Friday

Curses, Hexes and Spells, by Daniel Cohen

On My Honor, by Marion Dane Bauer

The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende

Jack, by A.M. Homes

Arizona Kid, by Ron Koertge

Family Secrets, by Norma Klein

Mommy Laid An Egg, by Babette Cole

Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo A. Anaya

Where Did I Come From?, by Peter Mayle

The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney

Carrie, by Stephen King

The Dead Zone, by Stephen King

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez

Private Parts, by Howard Stern

Where’s Waldo?, by Martin Hanford

Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene

Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume

Little Black Sambo, by Helen Bannerman

Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett

Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher

Sex Education, by Jenny Davis

Jumper, by Steven Gould

Christine, by Stephen King

The Drowning of Stephen Jones, by Bette Greene

That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton

Girls and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy

The Wish Giver, by Bill Brittain

Jump Ship to Freedom, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier


Fall Catch Up Read-A-Thon

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments


While catching up on some blog visits today I found Michelle over at The True Book Addict running a little fall clean up of reads.  As I looked around my home I have half read books everywhere.  I know…. I have BADD (Book Attention Deficit Disorder).  It’s not that they are bad books, it’s just that my mind goes from one read to the next…. first I want mystery and then oh look, now I want comedy, ooh but look over there a memoir….. oh but I must read that historical fiction….

you get the gist…

Michelle’s week-long clean up appeals to me because there are books I really want to get reading but also want to finish these other books I am reading as well… so I decided to sign up.  This week is a great week to sit down evenings and pick up these books and get back to the joy of reading.

It’s not too late to join in.  Pop in over at Michelle’s and she will welcome you to the group.  😀

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)129 Comments

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

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.  You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

Last weeks winner (using Random.Org) was:

Laurel : Laurel Rain Snow Creations


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

**Remember to qualify to win you need to stop back and let me know how many of the Monday What Are You reading Meme’s you commented on.  One entry per every 10.  I do this to encourage visits to new blogs and to build community.  😀

I had an insanely busy week this past week and for the first time in a long time I did not make it around to visit all the participants blogs.  I really enjoy doing that but the days got away from me and with huge commitments almost every evening I was exhausted.

The good news is that as of this morning I am over the crazy business for now and have a pretty quiet week ahead that I am so looking forward to!

Here is my past week in the literary sense:


My Interview with Nat from In Spring It Is The Dawn (check out this amazing blogger who lives in Japan!)


Immanuel’s Veins by Ted Dekker with a giveaway (a good one from Dekker and a bonus giveaway!)


Minnesota/Wisconsin Book Blogger Meet Up Planned in October (I am working with Reagan from Miss Remmer’s Reviews to attend a book festival in the twin cities and hopefully create a meet up around this event.  Check out the details!  😀


The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Review coming this week!


I’d Know You Anywhere (audio) – Review coming this week!


Gave Up On

Farenheit 451 (audio):  sadly, the audio narrator was just hard to understand.  In a mumble type tone I struggled to catch what he was saying and found myself losing the point because I was picking up on every few words.  Even more sadly, the narrator of this audio copy I have is none other than the author, Ray Bradbury himself.   I still hope to read this book some day, or perhaps I need to try the audio with a different narrator.

And yeah…. that’s about it for this week.  With BBAW I really enjoyed participating and I had a giveaway a day going on and did not get a whole lot of reading done.  This week…. I am hopeful will be different.


Here’s What Is Brewing For Me This Week

You know how I love a good Patterson audio!  I really do!  This is what will replace Fahrenheit 451 in my kitchen Cd player.

Remember the pinky swear?  I know Alita from Alita Reads started this (and probably has finished!) this book last week.  Our swear was to read it in September so this is a must read for me this week.

And it is also time to start this one!  This is the Wordshaker on line Book Club choice that we are reading currently and discussing on October 6.  It’s not to late to join in and read along with us!   I received a box of signed books for giveaway from the author this week!  (WOO HOO!!!) Which will go up for giveaway as we get closer to review time.  Those who are reading along are automatically given a bonus entry in the upcoming giveaway.

That’s my week!  I even took a nap this afternoon so I am ready to come and visit you all this time around and cant wait to see what you have been reading!  Be sure to leave the link to your Monday What Are You Reading post by entering where it says “click here” below.

I hope you all have an incredible week with books and audio that take you on wonderful adventures!  😀


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Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

Morning Meanderings… and a happy ending to a crazy week

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)28 Comments


I am up and have about 30 minutes to get ready and go into town to help tear down our IHN serving week.  That will consist of grabbing all the blankets and sheets, all the food and cleaning the areas we were in.  I am hopeful to do this in record time…. one hour so I can make it to the 9:15 church service.

I have Coffee Cup by my side (hello friend!) and I have petted the dog as he got up and to go outside (hello friend!)

Last night we went out with friends for Al (hubbies) birthday celebration.  As tired as I was, I do really enjoy hanging out with friends and after about an hour of good food and company I could almost feel the stress of the week melting off.  I always have with me my trusty camera (carry it in my purse 24/7) so I had to get a couple of shots in.

Chad and Al (hubbie, hubster, birthday boy...)
Paula, me, and Amy - the friends!!!

I had such a blast and can chalk up some more good memories from last evening.  😀


Once my morning activities are done – I have no more commitments today.

Did you hear that?

No more commitments today.

The sound of silence….  crickets really…..

ooh… I like that!

I hope to do more reading a bit this afternoon and hopefully finally conquer The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and as I finish mowing the lawn I will be listening to ‘I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lipman’ on my IPOD.  I love being able to sprinkle literature through my days.

Have an awesome day!  The BIG crazy week is alas over!  Hazzah!!!!

Minnesota/ Wisconsin Book Blogger Meet Up

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)40 Comments

Myself and Reagan from Miss Remmer’s Reviews are planning to attend the Twin Cities Book Festival on October 16th and we thought this would be a wonderful time for any book bloggers in the area to meet up.  We are still working out the details and  Reagan (Miss Remmer’s) is looking into hotel prices today as well as area bookish happenings…. but the basics for now is this:

Rain Taxi proudly announces the TENTH annual

TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL

Saturday, October 16, 2010

10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Minneapolis Community & Technical College,
conveniently located in Downtown Minneapolis.
Click here for directions and map

Spectacular Authors   *   All-Day Exhibit   *   Used Book Sale
Children’s Pavilion   *   Great Panel Discussions   *   Lit Mag Fair

We are thinking of getting together the evening of the 15th for dinner with those who are able to join us, and then attending the Book Festival on Saturday the 16th.  We can gather together again to go and see other area bookstores and more and for those who do not wish to head back home until Sunday morning we will be staying a second night.

If you are interested in this please email me at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com and I will send you more information as it comes available.   If you know of any Book Bloggers who are in this area please let them know about this meet up.  It would be fun to meet some of you!

Here is a link to what is happening so far in the Book Festival.

Morning Meanderings… BBAW Winners

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments


Good morning!  I am posting this a bit later than usual and for today that is a good thing.  That means I actually got to relax this morning and sleep a bit longer than usual.  The day is looking like it will be lovely and my only serious commitments today are to my lawn (desperately needs to be mowed), a trip up town for a little shopping and then later tonight I am taking my hubby out to celebrate his birthday that was on Tuesday but we were both to busy then to celebrate.

Ahhhh……  I survived the week.  I feel….

invigorated.

Yesterdays final BBAW prize package winner is:

Ibeeeg

Woo hoo!  Congrats’!

And – I need to draw for the two book winners from the BBAW comment contest as well.  if commented during the BBAW dates, you are entered.  Every comment was an entry…. so using the magic of random.org, out of 627 comments during BBAW, the winners are:

Martha E of Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf

The Winner is:  Patty from Book and Thoughts and a few Adventures!!!

So yay to all the winners!  I am off to make myself a hot cup of coffee and some oatmeal.  Have a super day everyone!  😀

Saving Max by Antoinette Van Heugten

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

Danielle Parkman has her hands full.  Between being an attorney and worrying and caring for her teenage son Max who has high functioning autism, as a single mom she is working both day and night.  Then Max starts to lash out and not responding the way he used to.  There is suspected drug use and as Max starts to become violent Danielle seeks professional help for him and he goes to a psychiatric facility.

When Danielle discovers Max unconscious at the facility and bloody next to Jonas, a boy he had befriended on his same floor, who has been stabbed to death, Danielle herself is arrested as an accessory to the crime.  In a whirlwind of events, Danielle works hard to prove her sons innocence, not knowing herself if he is, or if she just can not accept her son as a killer.

With the justice system bearing down on her, the true question becomes how far will a mother go to protect her son?



I have read and enjoyed several books around the topic of Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism that I have never heard of until a little over a year ago and now it seems like I am hearing and reading about it everywhere.   When I first read what this book was about I felt it sounded much like the plot for Jodi Piccoult’s recent book. House Rules, and in a small way it is.

I liked the pace of this book and while I have a couple other reads going right now I found I had to set them down in order to be supportive of Max as his mother Danielle works hard to prove her sons innocence, all the while I was holding my breath and wondering if he was innocent.

This is Antoinette’s first book and I found it to be a well written thriller.  While the book is about Max, the real character is Asperger’s and you get that through Max’s actions, not so much his words.  I found that to be an interesting part of the book and found myself longing to know what would happen next but unwilling to turn the page until I had fully read every word.

Amazon Rating (TBA) – This book will be available in book stores in late September

Book Journey has updated the 2010 reading Map to include Saving Max

Cover Story:  This is not the cover that is on my advanced copy but I like it much better than the one I have (which is pictured on my morning post prior to this post).  The cover here makes you want to know this boy and what is happening inside him.

I received my review copy from:  Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists

Morning Meanderings… A Few Of My Favorite Things and #BBAW Giveaway #4

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)42 Comments

Good morning!  It’s amazing what one night of nothingness can do to restore your energy.  Time to relax, enjoy a cup of tea and snuggle in with a good book is the best way to recharge my batteries.  I feel GREAT!

I can not believe it is already the last day of BBAW!  It went by so quickly and my crazy schedule did not help.  I am sure I will be spending part of the weekend still getting out to visit the great blogs that stopped by to visit me – new and old!  😀

Yesterdays BBAW winner for the Kate Atkinson books (using random.org) is:

Librarypat!!!

Woo hoo!!!  Congratulations Pat, I will connect with you for shipping info!


My BBAW giveaways have all been about my favorite things…. the week-long one (still going on) has a giveaway for a book I have loved for years and rave about, as well as a book that I have recently read and loved and now soars around my top reads of all time as well.  Then I gave away one of my favorite snack combos while I am reading, good chocolate and tea.  On day two I gave away one of my favorite things to receive, a gift card for books!  On day three I gave away my favorite gifts of all – BOOKS!  And now here we are on day four….  what is one thing that I really enjoy that I have not given away yet….

Oh yeah…..

oh course…..

coffee.

😛


So yes – today’s giveaway is going to be a combo package of many things I love:  Flavored Coffees, Great Chocolate, and a new advanced reader copy of Saving Max by Antoinette Van Heugten.  This book will be on sale in stores in October 2010 and my review of this book will be up later today. USA and Canada only please on this one due to the shipping.

To enter to win this package, please share with me three of your favorite things in a comment below.  I will use Random.org to choose a winner and announce it on the Morning Meandering tomorrow (Saturday).

Good luck and I will leave you with this song to enjoy while you ponder over your favorite things…

Morning Meandering… A Third BBAW Giveaway

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)77 Comments

Good morning.  I had a little time to read my Shelf Awareness mail this morning and that is always a good start to the day.  If you do not subscribe, I encourage you to look into it.  Shelf Awareness drops you an email newsletter of upcoming books, new releases, book store news, and more.   The side picture you are seeing this morning of the book TRASH came from that e newsletter this morning and I am kind of fascinated about what it could be about.You can subscribe here for your own customized Shelf Awareness Daily News.

In other home front news it is Thursday and I think I have made it through most of the craziness.  I still do dinner and prep the next two nights for my group we are serving with IHN, but I have no evening commitments.  NO evening commitments.  Man…. I like the sound of that.  That translates into a little blog catching up time and reading!  Yes!!!  Reading.  😛

Yesterdays BBAW random.org winner for the $10 Amazon gift card is:

DARCYO!!!

Darcy’s comment had read:  “I’d like to be friends with Goldy Schulz, the caterer from Diane Mott Davidson’s mysteries. She’s fun and makes great food (and treats)”!

Thanks Darcy – I will have that emailed to you today!  😀

So on to today’s giveaway… I have three books from a  wonderful author – Kate Atkinson.  The books are all new and the titles are:  Not The End Of The World, One Good Turn, and Case Histories.

Click on the picture for more information about this author

For today’s giveaway please leave me a comment here letting me know if you could really – LITERALLY, get into a book, which book (fiction or non fiction)  would you like to be dropped into and play it out until the end.   That’s right you can not escape until the last page where you will magically be transported back to your world.

For a bonus entry – let me know is a certain scene in the book where you would like to enter, or if you want to start as part of the book and follow it all the way through.

Ie…. Harry Potters friends could become Ron, Hermione, and Sheila.

I’m just saying…  😉


USA and Canada entrants on this one as I am shipping three books.  The winner will be announced here tomorrow morning during the meanderings.  Good luck everyone and have a fantastic day!  😀




Immanuel’s Veins by Ted Dekker w/ a fun giveaway

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)56 Comments


THIS STORY IS FOR EVERYONE

BUT NOT EVERYONE IS FOR THIS STORY

It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice.

Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover.

With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds.

Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow.

Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter.

But remember, not everyone is for this story.




I have enjoyed Ted Dekker off and on through the years.  Some I have really enjoyed and others I have been left scratching my head (don’t even get me started on House).  If you watched the book trailer and got a little sense of “Twilight”, that would be accurate.  And before those of you who did not enjoy the Twilight series turn away from this review I am going to ask you to give me a minute…

or two.

Yes, while there is a “Twilightish” vibe in the background theme of this book, this book goes beyond to a darker book then Meyer’s wrote which is truly Ted Dekker’s signature style.  The character’s are on fire with life breathed into them by non other than the master of Christian Suspense writing, Ted Dekker.  The book will cause you to really think about sacrificial love and that is really what this book is about.

I am still processing all I read and I can safely say that this is one of the best books I have read by Ted Dekker in quite a while.  Ted tapped into a vein (yes, pun intended) that I think will entice readers of many genres to this book.

GIVEAWAY!


Check out this awesome t-shirt that came with the book!  Here is how you can win one for yourself!  Let me know here in a comment if you have ever read Ted Dekker and if so what book(s).  If you have not, please look at the books he has written and share with me in a comment which book you would consider reading.

Bonus Entry

For two bonus chances to win a shirt, subscribe to my posts through email (link is upper right sidebar) and let me know here that you did (or do) in a separate comment.

Blog, Facebook, or Tweet about this giveaway and let me know in a comment here and receive another chance

That’s it!  😀

Giveaway will end on September 25, 2010