Morning Meanderings….

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)29 Comments

I am home!  I had a good night staying over in town with my friend Sandi serving with the homeless.  Sandi and I almost always take the Thursday night together during our quarterly serving week and we are like teenagers talking late into the night about anything… and everything.

A bonus was when my son showed up from college and surprised us where we were staying and hung out for a couple hours.

Today I have little projects to catch up on (you know the ones that are constantly put off and put for an embarrassing amount of time…)  I have an overdue library book (YIKES!) and a book to pick up, I have payments to make, and dinner to plan.  I have books to donate and packages to mail.  This today is my mission…

HOWEVER… for starters, I have Coffee Cup in hand and I need to spend some time with all of you this morning.  I want to run out and visit blogs and I want to get a book review written so I can start catching up.  No big weekend plans here other than finishing up our serving week so I should have some catch up time.  🙂

How about you – it’s Friday…. the weekend is stretched out before you.  Any plans?

Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments


My late night blogging hasn’t been so much as of lately.  Busy schedules, long hours have left me pretty shot at the end of the day and my vision of posting my February recap and winners the last couple nights resulted in me staring at the screen and then going to bed.  😉

So – now…… morning…. with COFFEE….  I am going to do the February recap 🙂

February was an exciting month with J Kaye passing the torch that is called It’s Monday, What Are you reading, my way on February 8th.  What an honor!

Fun Facts?  I had 14,207 visitors in February and 1,632 comments.

Top Posts of February included Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and The Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.  The Monday, What Are You reading Posts are the top traffic posts of each week.


And now to move on to the February Comment Winners!

Using Random.Org the 4 comment winners for February are:

#946  Helen (Helen’s Book Blog)

#8  darLyN

#789 Cathy  (Kittling Books)

#745  Marquetta

Congratulations!  Please choose an item out of the prize box and email me with your address and your selection at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

And ….

The top commenter for February 2010 and winner of the $20 Amazon Gift Card is:

Wordlily!!!

Have a great day everyone!  I have another busy one and tonight is my second night I stay in town with those in the homeless program.  I will try to get on a bit later and hopefully will have a review up as well.  Otherwise the weekend (starting tomorrow) is a little more freeing as after today I do not work again until Monday.  (YEAH!!!)

Judging A Book By It’s….. Title or Author

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)48 Comments


We have hashed our way through conversations of judging a book by its cover.  Been there… done that… still happening…

BUT – today my question is what about the title or cover.  Have you ever passed on a book because of its title?  Or because of the author?  OR… have you picked up a book because of the title or author?

I have two examples of skipping (or almost skipping) books because of titles.  One I talked about a week ago when I linked on to Home Girl’s Blog and her subject on book confessions.  The book I talked about there was Leave It To Cleavage by Wendy Wax.  If it were not for my book club it would have been a no to me on both accounts.  No to the title…. and the authors name just added to my resounding no.  Well – I did read the book for book club and found it to be a light, clean, chick lit read that did make me laugh.

Judgement #2 was Good In Bed By Jennifer Weiner.  This one I did not read…. because of the title.  The book club did read it and said it was a wonderful book and had a good story to it about an overweight woman struggling with body image.

As for judging a book by its author, Lori in my book club would not read Nora Roberts.  Thought she was a terrible author and had no interest in her books.  I told Lori she had to read the The Three Sisters Trilogy by Nora….  at least book one, Dance Upon The Air.  She begrudgingly did – and loved all three of the books in this series.

So how about you?  Have you judged a book by its title or author?

STILL A Winters Journey by Greg Budig

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Shhh….

Imagine….

you are being guided through a winter wonderland.  The snow is falling.  Gently.  Beautifully.  Each flake unique in its own way as you walk through this world of quiet snowfall.

As I sank into the book and viewed the pictures they gave me the impression it was dawn – but no, author Greg Budig whispers his words into the pages:

What seemed like early morning, was really afternoon,

as the ever lowering, powder grey sky covered me in a world of half light.

The words fall on to the pages in a rhythm that reminds me of the snow fall itself.  There is something about reading this book…. I can feel the quiet of what is being written.  It is a Minnesota snow globe day – where the sky hangs low and dark and all is peaceful.

A beautifully written book.  I am Minnesotan and have been all my life and this well written book leaps from the pages into my own world, into my own memories, of walking through the quiet of a snowy, snowy day.


Greg Budig was born and raised on the windswept prairie of western Minnesota in the community of Morris. He grew up with his mom, dad, and four sisters in the spacious house that was attached to the small grocery store that his parents owned and operated for over 30 years. He is the middle child with two older and two younger sisters…needless to say, he never knew the joys of having to share clothes or a room. It was in the privacy of his own room that he spent hours writing, painting, and dreaming.

For over twenty years now, Greg has lived and worked in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota where he and his lovely wife Cindy are raising three wonderful and imaginative children named Matthew, Emily and Anna. Both their cozy little northside house, as well as their three children, are featured throughout his current book which is entitled “I Hear the Wind”. The book is dedicated to his wife and children, as well as to the memory of his editor Craig Thorn IV who lost his courageous battle with cancer shortly before the book was released.

“Sometimes who we are and what we do are two different things.” Greg has said. He has spent a lifetime working at jobs that have nothing to do with writing or art, but he has always kept the hope alive that his talents will someday be recognized.

I received my copy of this book from Author Greg Budig

Morning Meanderings…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

This morning…. I am studying Coffee Cup and wondering if there is a way I can put my face to the cup instead of lifting it to my mouth.  Perhaps if I had a straw….

I am tired.

The crazy busy schedule between work, hiring, meetings, volunteering, and keeping a home is taking me through the ringer.  Last Friday I requested for and was approved to work 10 more hours a week at our Church Office.  Starting a 4th service in April I needed to be able to do my job well and not feel like I am always playing catch up.  The hours were approved and now I am in the adjustment phase.  🙂

I feel as though I lost my super hero cape….

So – I was going to put the February winners up last night and …. uh…… yeah.  Didnt happen.  However, tonight Al has dinner with friends to share his Honduras trip and I will have a few hours this evening to myself and that is my goal for that time – to do a little blog catch up.

If you haven’t seen me visiting lately, I apologize….. I will get there.  I enjoy visiting all of you who visit me – plus I need to get around to all the Monday Memers too.

A little later today I have a review coming up of a wonderful book called Still.  It is by a Minnesota Author.  Stay tuned 🙂

Morning Meanderings….

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)40 Comments

Good Morning *stated still a little groggy* I was not on-line very much yesterday – or for the past few days really with our serving week for the homeless, catching up with a few friends, and AL coming home from Honduras.

Yup….. Al’s home.  (I almost dropped coffee cup with the little dance happening here)

I have another pretty full day… honestly a pretty full week…. but I am going to get on when I can as I have a lot to catch up on.  One of my favorite things to do each week is connect with those who link to the It’s Monday, What Are You Reading meme and I have hardly grazed it….. no worries, I am still traveling my way through…. Coffee Cup in hand.  I am just a bit slower this week.  🙂

Tonight I will post February comment winners.  I was going to last night and between a meeting and catching up with Al on his trip until about 11 pm I didn’t get it done.

In bookish news….  Have you see or heard of this book?

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life — dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge — he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues — and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.

This one showed up in my Daily Dose from Powell Books and I liked the sound of it.  Any books hit your radar lately that you are hoping to take a closer look at?


Life Lessons From A Horse Whisperer by Dr. Lew Sterrett

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. In this book, Lew tells the stories of his work with these horses and the lessons each one has taught him. Sometimes heartbreaking and often uplifting, Lew has condensed his lifetime of learning into messages for the Christian life. Today, Lew shares these messages with more than 50,000 people each year through horse training presentations at Miracle Mountain Ranch and nationally through his Sermon on the Mount Ministry.

The author’s engaging style and adroit mixture of well-tested anecdotes and thoughtful instruction make this a winning read-and not just for horse lovers. Read an excerpt!

•         •         •         •          •          •         •

So what draws me to this book?  Seriously?  The title. Do you remember the movie The Horse Whisperer?  I thought it was fascinating. So that was the initial interest in this book.  Not the cowboy or the horse….. two things I do not enjoy reading about.
That said, here is what I did  find within this book.   Dr. Lew Sterrett shows life teachings (lessons) through this kind of “horse whisperer” mentality.  “Whispers are stronger than shouts” he says.  Am I intrigued?  Yes.    As I read this book I appreciated that the author not only shared what was working – but what wasn’t.

The book  is relational and had some good advice about how to approach all our relationships not only with each other but also with God. An interesting take on how what we do, even in he training of horses, we can learn from and apply to our lives.   I appreciated the reminder that in order to do things – we need to get moving on them even if it mains messy, ugly, embarrassing  failure…. a beginning is a beginning and at least you (I) have started and we can learn from there.
I was left with several life lessons that I can apply in leadership situations.  A wonderful reference book that I will refer to again in the future.

I received my review copy from Litfuse


It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)107 Comments

Sorry for the lateness of this post.  This week is our quarterly serving week with the homeless in our community and tonight I am staying overnight with them.  I just now had time to get this post up and going.  Tomorrow I will be able to catch up and visit all of you who link to this meme!  🙂

My week had started out strong but as I got to the end of it life took over with appointments and “must do’s” and those procrastination things that waited and waited until finally I gave in and did them.


First things first – thanks you to those who came back and let me know that you commented on 10 or more Monday, What Are You Reading posts.  I love the community part of this meme!  :) Remember – for every 10 you comment on and then tell me in the comment area below, I put you in for our weekly drawing out of the prize box!  (10 comments = 1 entry, 20 = 2 entries, etc…)

It is time to announce  last weeks winner (using random.org):

AMY

Congratulations!  You get to choose an item out of the Prize Box !  Let me know your pick here as well as email me at journeythroughbooks (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address!


Here is what happened here at OPJTAWOB last week:

The round table discussion of Wounded by Claudia Mair Burney (I had so much fun being a part of this!)

Author Chat with Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why) (Can I just get a squeal up in here?  This was a fun interview!)

I Confess ( a fun little book confession meme where I *cough cough* share an embarrassing book related story)

Hooray for BEA! (A giddy little post on this upcoming event that has me seriously doing cartwheels!)

Penguin Luck by Kay Mupetson (hmmmm….. an unusual book but a good one)

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (flashback review to a book I LOVE LOVE LOVED)

Merlins Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton (Review of this fantasy read)

Undress Me In The Temple Of Heaven by Susan Jane Gillman (a review of real like happenings!)

Always My Brother by Jean Reagan (a breathtaking read for young children about loss of a sibling)

This week I have a busy week of serving with the homeless in our area.  I am a coordinator for this week so I will be assisting in some way shape or form almost every day so this will cut a bit onto my time.  Also – Al is back home as of the wee hours of this Monday morning (can I get a hollar?).  That being said here is my hopefully doable plan:

I am in this book currently….. and all I can say right now is….. whoa….

Up next….

and this is the third… but not the end…. there are three more books to follow and I am fascinated!

And this is one is up for tour this Thursday


I cant wait to see what you are reading this week!  Be sure to link up below so we can all check out your reads – and stop back with your comment counts to be entered in the weekly comment giveaway (10 = 1 entry, 2 = 20, etc…)


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In My Mailbox

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)38 Comments

A busy week and again I am amazed how fast Sunday comes around.  The mailbox was a manageable level this week and I controlled myself and purchased no books.  I have one waiting for me at the Library that I am going to try to remember to do on Monday.

Here is my mailbox and thank you to Kristi at Story Siren for hosting this meme!

Zoe Fishman’s Balancing Acts, a charming and poignant story of four former college friends helping each other balance their dreams through the power of yoga and friendship, is a must for fans of The Friday Night Knitting Club, The Reading Group, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Girls in Trucks.

I love books on friendship and this one looks fantastic!  When I seen this at TLC Book Tours I had to sign up!

I love a good YA read and a book on Anastasia sounds wonderful!  When the publicist guaranteed I would love it from page one and said I would possibly need a kleenex or two along the way – well…. I had to know more!


In 1851, a lawyer named Elias P. Drake purchased a plot of land near Xenia, Ohio with the intent to establish a summer vacation resort where the country’s elite could relax and enjoy the mineral springs in the area. At the time, it was believed that natural water could cure illnesses and bring about good health.  What made this resort unusual, however, was that it became a popular vacation destination for southern slaveholders and their enslaved mistresses.  Ultimately, these flagrantly open relationships offended the northern abolitionists who also frequented the resort.  After four years, the resort closed.

This part of the story has been confirmed by historians.  I took this forgotten historical note and sketched in a fictional account of what it would have been like to be an enslaved woman traveling to this free state each summer.  Why wouldn’t the women try to escape? What kinds of emotional attachments did they have with these men?  Initially, I believed that it was entirely possible that they actually loved the men.  Ultimately, I discovered that it was much more complicated than that.

Situated in the free state of Ohio, Tawawa House offers respite from the summer heat. A beautiful, inviting house surrounded by a dozen private cottages, the resort is favored by wealthy Southern white men who vacation there, accompanied by their enslaved mistresses.

Regular visitors Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet have forged an enduring friendship. They look forward to their annual reunion and the opportunity it affords them to talk over the changes in their lives and their respective plantations. The subject of freedom is never spoken aloud until the red-maned, spirited Mawu arrives and voices her determination to escape. To run is to leave behind the friends and families trapped at home. For some, it also means tearing the strong emotional and psychological ties that bind them to their masters.

When a fire on the resort sets off a string of tragedies, Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet soon learn tragic lessons,that triumph and dehumanization are inseparable and that love exists even in the cruelest circumstances as they bear witness to the end of an era.

I seen this book being reviewed on other blogs and thought it looked wonderful.  When it was offered my way I couldn’t say yes fast enough!

Come find me two years ago…. Six words that propelled ice hockey playing tomboy, Arizona, into an alternate dimension. In one moment, she went from being a varsity hockey player in New Jersey to a glamorous cheerleader in California. She found herself with a new dad. She found herself in a new life. One that she had apparently lived in always. Everyone knew her as Arizona Darley, but she wasn’t. She was Arizona Stevens. She knew she had to find her way back to her real life. Then she met Kellan….

Ok come on…. doesn’t that sound good?  The author contacted me on this one and I am excited to jump into this adventure.

Tiziana Manoretti is an only child in her late twenties blessed with loving parents, a promising career, and a best friend who fiercely protects her. When her mother falls seriously ill and the relationship between her parents becomes suddenly strained, a carefully hidden family secret is revealed and Tiziana’s seemingly idealistic world is turned upside down.

This is a tour set for late April – another one the author contacted me about and it just sounds good you know?

Blast off was a win (woo hoo) from Luxury reading.    This just looks like an exciting read and I am always game for learning new techniques and skills.  I look forward to investigating this one further soon!

And that’s my mailbox for this past week.  I would love to know what was in yours!