In My Mailbox

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)54 Comments

What an exciting mailbox week!   Here is what arrived in the DeChantal home this week – either by mail, by book store, or by Library!  🙂  (Thanks as always to Kristi at Story Siren for hosting this wonderful meme that makes me say, “Dang….  that’s a lot of books”.  🙂


I am so excited about this book!  I heard about the girl’s From Ames last fall and loving stories like this I knew I had to read it.  This is the true story of friendship through the years.  I was beyond giddy (I mean BEYOND giddy) when I was emailed this last to see if I would be interested in being a part of a book tour for this book.  “Uhhhhhhh…..  YEAH!”



I stumbled on to this read through Random House and have since discovered that this is the W.O.W. (Women On The Web) pick as well.  Hmmm…. the book sounds like it is about a funny family.  Hey, I have one of those!


Hiking Through was an offer through an email that I thought would be an interesting read.  Author Paul Stutzman, after the passing of his wife, decides to quit his job of 17 years and quite literally takes a hike.  2,176 miles through 5 states.  This book – is his journey.  I for one am fascinated.  🙂



Occasionally I like to read about topics of the past….  a history lesson.  While war topics are usually not picks for me, something about this story line drew me in….  almost reminding me a bit of the Pearl Harbor movie.


I read Liz Curtis Higgs about 3 years ago.  It was her book Mad Mary, which is you like your Christian Fiction with a bit of an edge, I recommend  Mad Mary.  At that time I was really impressed with Liz’s writing and I was fairly new to “edgy” Christian fiction and have to admit I was a bit excited about the book.  For that reason, when this book came as a possible review – I had to say yes.

** Oh – and yes – two copies means one of my readers is going to have a chance to read this one too!


Brilliant Disguises came in as an offer for review through my email.  At first glance I probably would have passed, but since a PDF of the first chapter was linked to the email I decided to read it.  This is a book about a man who pretends to be a Christian to get a job.  There was something about this first chapter that struck me and I enjoyed it what I read.

*** yes!  Two copies!  One will be given away soon!



When I started this blog I really wanted to have a Children’s review section.  I set a tab up for it and everything and for whatever reason, just havent had a lot of time or call for Children’s reviews.  Still working on that.  🙂  This one was offered and since I have done one other review on Horrible Henry with success, I thought I would bring him back for another try.


Patterson!  I know, I know….  I don’t know what this current fascination is with his writing but I have been hooked.  I was hoping to be able to review this one and here it is in audio – woo hoo!  I am so excited for this one!!!


Library

Library – library what do you have for me!  You may see a theme here and if you do you, you are correct.  This months theme for The Social Justice Challenge for march is Domestic Violence and Child Abuse.  A topic that breaks my heart.  There were so many excellent titles on the list that I started plugging them into my online Library hold and they are coming in like crazy.  I hope to really sit down and get through several if not all of these books.


Purchased

And last but not least my trip to Wal-Mart yesterday did not leave me bookless.  I snatched up the 2nd book in the Percy Jackson series and our April book club read, Little Bee.


Winner Winner!

So beyond excited to share with you two books I won and they arrived this week!  From the wonderful Lydia at The Lost Entwife I won her Percy Jackson Giveaway !  Woo hoo!    AND from Kari from A Good Addiction Blog, I won The Jody Piccoult book of my choice!   Yes!  Thank you both for holding wonderful contests!  🙂

So that is my mailbox for this week.   For those of you who read me on a regular basis you are probably ready to call me out here and say, “Wait a minute Sheila….  didn’t your library have a book sale this week – AND didn’t you come home with a box of books?  Where are those”?

Whew!  Tough crowd!  I am still prepping those and I will post that picture tomorrow with my It’s Monday, What Are You Reading post.  Also, if possible…. the haircut picture that has been requested will be posted as well.  Yipes!

Ok – enough about my mailbox.  What bookish items were in yours?

Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)35 Comments


Good Morning all from me in a facial mask (hey you have got to exfoliate when you can!)  and Coffee Cup steaming next to me.

Today I want to talk about word verification.  Is it just me or are these words getting longer?  Seriously…. some I can’t even do because they are so pressed together I do not know if it is a “b” or a “l and o”.   Check these out (I captured these in the wild, trying to invade my fellow bloggers):

I kind of feel like the Crocodile Hunter here…. “Crikey!  Look at the size of this word!”


I think you get the picture (My Crocodile Hunter impression again): “It’s like they’re multiplying!  These I was lucky enough to capture – but Crikey!  They are everywhere!”

Ryan over at Wordsmithonia runs a meme called Word Balderdash.  Every Thursday, Ryan as well as any brilliant bloggers who care to join him, take the best of the best word verification they have encountered from the week and make up fake definitions for them.  Being a wordy – I love this!  And if you haven’t checked this out, please do.  Ryan’s weekly post is almost always guaranteed to bring a LOL seriously out of me!  🙂

So that’s me….  I am reading away today and will have at least one review up later 🙂

Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)33 Comments

Hello bookish people!  Are you ready for the weekend?  I am!

Yesterday was super busy but at the end of the day I felt good.  I did double work outs (morning and afternoon), ate right so I am off to a good start on the 3-1-1, the hair cut is good…. and I forgot (forgot!) to tell you that yesterday was our spring Library book sale!

I hope to have pictures up tomorrow but somewhere in my recent travels… I have lost my camera charger and therefore have a camera with no “oomph” whatsoever.  It wont even turn on.  I will remedy that today when I go purchase a new charger.

The sale was good, I had a lot of fun standing in line and talking books with people.  One lady by me is in a non fiction book club but she says they never discuss the book.

“What???”

Yup.  That’s what she said.  They choose books, but they just get together for social time.

For the first time ever I was not in the first group they let in.  They only allow so many people in at a time so the sale isnt overly crowded.  I was 5 people from the door when they made the cut off.  GAH!  I drank my coffee, chatted up books and thought about how I should have brought my business card to this captive bookish audience.

When I did get in – all books are 50 cents, paperback, hardcover….  I didn’t find that one treasure… but did walk out with $15 worth of books that look really good.  (Again, hopefully a picture tomorrow). Amy from my book  club however did find treasure when she found our book club read that we have just picked on Tuesday, Little Bee.  In Hard Cover for 50 cents.  And – I was in the sale before her and missed it.  LOL

Got to inhale my coffee here and run – I have a gym date, and today I am going to tan ( to pretend it is warm out) and get a pedicure with a gift certificate I received from my friends for my birthday.  A fun morning and then back to work this afternoon.

Any fun weekend plans for you?

Cold Streak by Lewis Aleman

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Enter Laura’s world…

Her family is brutally murdered, and she finds herself on her knees praying for things she never could have imagined. Her dark journey of revenge takes off as she hunts her family’s killers, while being chased down by a troubled detective, his lovelorn partner, and an inner voice that grants her no peace. Her quest lures her through an explosive music scene, down unlit alleyways, to the edge of a towering church rooftop, and into the nightmarish landscape of her own mind. Will she get her justice before time runs out? Will her own lust for vengeance consume all that is left of her in the process.

°          °          °          °          °          °          °

Lewis Aleman has written a book that by looks, I thought I would breeze through this 268 page book in a few sittings.  Once inside the mind of Lewis – I discovered I was wrong and I would be here awhile basking in deep intelligent writing and a read that was a wild – frightening ride into the mind of Lewis’s created character, Laura.

I don’t read much of this genre.  It is a stretch for me but it is one I embrace as I like to try new styles of reads and see how they fit.  What drew me to this book was the fact that Laura was a mother.  She had a family – and that family was taken away.  And through this knowledge you enter the mind of a desperate woman.

Detective Anduras and his partner Irene’s arguments provided a lighter side to this read that cold easily have become heavy if not for the inner working of this duo.

A suspenseful read, I found myself caught up in the grief that was Laura – having lost her husband and children to a horrible murder she seeks revenge on those who did it.  While a bit graphic at times, I felt Lauras’ heavy grief and maybe part of that is the reason I did not fly through this book.  It took time to settle into that grief and follow Laura through a journey that only she could take.

At times the scenes were a bit gory for my taste, but other than that I found the book to be impressively engrossing and intelligently written.

Lewis Aleman is the author of the time travel thriller, Faces in Time, and the dark literary thriller, Cold Streak, which became an Amazon Bestseller, a Kindle Bestseller, and #1 in Myspace Books. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Creative Writing. He grew up and still resides just outside of New Orleans. Currently, he is fast at work on the first book in a realistic fantasy series, entitled A Brother, A Drunkard, and Something Odd.
Besides writing, Lewis Aleman also enjoys playing guitar, restoring/hot rodding cars, working out, reading, website design, and recording music.

**  You may have seen this post at Book Chick City’s Blog where I guest posted for her last week 🙂

I received my copy of this book from author Lewis Aleman

Morning Meanderings….

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)32 Comments


Ok….. seriously….  you should see my hair.

Why is that your hair can one day be just wonderful …


and then suddenly the next day you wake up and it is too long, and doesn’t style right and well seriously….


My hair has been that way for over a week now.  So today – yes today, at 5 pm, I am getting it cut and highlighted and I am beyond thrilled.  I am actually bringing a picture of me from last April when I thought my hair was super cute…. (don’t laugh….. have you never done this?)  I want my hair lady to take me back a  year.  🙂


So any way – I am starting my morning at the gym because that’s the way I roll.  OR – that’s the way I want to roll… and I need to get back into good habits.  My friend Jennifer and I are starting a program today that we are calling the 3 -1 – 1.  Based not only on the date… but also on 3 good meals, 2 healthy snacks a day…. 30 days to get to 4-1-1, and see our results.  Since 3-1-1  adds to 5, we have to work out for a minimum of 5 hours a week.

So here’s to new starts – better fitness habits, and hopefully good hair.

Spring is coming – any thing you are planning to get a jump-start on the season?

This One Is Mine by Maria Semple – GIVEAWAY!!!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)34 Comments

Hachette Book Group?  You rock!  Thanks for letting me give three copies of this book away!

This giveaway is now closed

Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life–except that she’s deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she’s risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David’s hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap.

Sound good?  I thought so too!

To enter this give away enter with the form below and answer this question in the comment section:

This is not the cover you will see on the book sale sights, however I like this one better than the one they actually have on the book now. Reading the above synopsis of this book, how would you design the cover to capture the eye of potential book buyers?

This giveaway will end on April 1, 2010.  Good luck!

Slip Of The Knife by Denise Mina – GIVEAWAY!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)41 Comments

Thank you to Hachette for the opportunity to give away three copies of this book!  You…. complete me!  🙂

This giveaway is now closed

Paddy Meehan is no stranger to murder–as a reporter she lives at crime scenes–but nothing has prepared her for this visit from the police. Her former boyfriend and fellow journalist Terry Patterson has been found hooded and shot through the head. Paddy knows she will be of little help–she had not seen Terry in more than six months. So she is bewildered to learn that in his will he has left her his house and several suitcases full of notes. Drawn into a maze of secrets and lies, Paddy begins making connections to Terry’s murder that no one else has seen, and soon finds herself trapped in the most important–and dangerous–story of her career.

How do you enter?  Please fill out the form that is linked here and answer this question in the comment section:

Reading the synopsis above, what would you have titled this book?

(Feel free to be creative and even funny)


Good luck everyone!  This giveaway will end on March 28th  ♣

The Girl She Used To Be by david cristofano- Giveaway!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)68 Comments

Thank you so much to Hachette Book Group who have given me three (3!!!!) of these books to give away!

This giveaway is now closed – Thank you 🙂

When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody’s name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family. She’s been May Adams, Karen Smith, Anne Johnson, and countless others–everyone but the one person she longs to be: herself. So when the feds spirit her off to begin yet another new life in another town, she’s stunned when a man confronts her and calls her by her real name.

Does this sound super fab or what?

To Enter – please fill out this form at the link below and be sure to answer this question in the comment area below:

**You are in the witness protection program….  what would your name be – and where would you like to be located?

Fill out this form please

Thank everyone for entering – this giveaway will close on March 27.  Open to USA and Canada

The Next Thing On My List by Jill Smolinski

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

After a car accident in which her passenger, Marissa, dies, June Parker finds herself in possession of a list Marissa has written: “20 Things to Do by My 25th Birthday.” The tasks range from inspiring (run a 5K) to daring (go braless) to near-impossible (change someone’s life).

To assuage her guilt, June races to achieve each goal herself before the deadline, learning more about her own life than she ever bargained for.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

So what do you do with a story line like this?  Well, if you are me you wonder what causes the accident and what is on that list?????

This book was one of those books that you pick up and get into right from the start.  The character of June is funny and strong willed.  She carries with her this burden of the accident being her fault (after all, Marissa’s seat belt was off only because June had to have that Taco Soup recipe!  (Which by the way I highly recommend making!)  And June had just met Marissa that night at the meeting when she got up to receive her lifetime achievement award for losing 100 pounds!

As June goes through the list, working to complete Marissa’s dreams, we see that it is June who grows as a person.  She becomes more confident in herself as she puts herself out there “for the list” and on a grand scale, the list isnt anything unachievable with things on it like:

Lose 100 pounds

Throw away the bathroom scale

Try Boogie Boarding

Eat Ice Cream In Public

Make Buddy Fitch Pay

There are more things on the list and each one just adds to the fun of this book.  After all who is Buddy Fitch and what did he do that he has to pay?

A wonderful book club read – we reviewed it last night and we had a lot of fun discussing Marissa’s list and making our own as well.  We each pulled one thing from our list and put it in an envelope.  We mixed them up and passed them out again.  Each of us read what the paper said on our envelope and tried to guess who’s list that as on.  This was a lot of fun and we learned about each others dreams.

We now know that many us have dreams of traveling, one of us wants their pilots license, one hopes to be a master chef, see all 50 states, slow dance in the rain with their husband, learn spanish, ride a mechanical horse, 2 wish to become published authors….

These discussions make for the best book club reviews!

Charming and fun – I would recommend this book as quick read that will make you really think about your own life goals.  I would also highly recommend this for those of you in book clubs.  This is a wonderful discussion book and there is a reading group guide in the back of the book.

Stop in and see Angie from By Book Or By Crook and read her review of this book.  Angie is part of our book Club!

I purchased my copy from Amazon

Bookies overall rating on a scale of 1 – 5 (5 being the best)

4

Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)38 Comments


Sometimes at night I like to go through old comments and link to the blogs.  I am not sure how other blogs work, but WordPress keeps all the comments and I can go back to the very first comment I ever had.  Normally I will go back about 200 comments (10 pages) and randomly visit blogs who have visited me.  Last night I did something I have never done, I went to the very first page of comments I had – 774 pages back.

What was kind of sad was how many of these blogs no longer exist – and really this is only since June 2009.  For the ones that are still out there, it was interesting to see some of the blogs that visited me in my early journey and I had not been on their blog for months nor they on mine.  To me, it kind of felt like going back for a class reunion.  My blog has changed so much from those early days it is not even recognizable.   I had to think if they visit me back, will I be “new” to them?  Will they recognize this blog?

I am curious – does anyone else ever go back through comments and randomly visit blogs?  Does Blogger keep all your comments too?

And for fun – for those of you who have been blogging a while, has your blog changed from the early days?  If so – how?