Book Journey

Morning Meanderings…

Published on November 11, 2009November 11, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Morning all! Coffee Cup and I are slowly settling back into a routine. I wake up at about 6:15 am and get the coffee going. Pretty much pre – anything else…. I pop some lotion on my face, this morning we are going with the full out face mask to hopefully replenish the damage I did last week in the sun, and then open up my lap top…. which to me feels like opening a treasure box on an Indiana Jones Adventure.

Its funny to think that this routine started in June of 2009 when I discovered book blogging. 5 months later – I still love it so much!

Yesterday afternoon I was excited to discover I won a book over at With A Good Book. The book is called Fablehaven and I love love love the look of this book! Seriously look at this cover:

This is going to be their November book discussion book at With a Good Book. I participated in their October discussion on a Book Thief and that entered me in this giveaway. Super way cool and made my day!

Today I have a book review popping up in a couple hours and I have some giveaways to clear up later today so take time to enter while you can! I am also reminded that I need to plan another Word Shaker book club read…. hmmmmmm….

Limelight by Melody Carlson

Published on November 10, 2009November 10, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

A book of lessons that we are never too old to learn… ~ Sheila

Claudette Fioré used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

I used to be a beauty… too good for our dusty little town… destined for greatness.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it’s too late to change.

My Thoughts…

This book covered a great topic that usually hits home for me…. the character of Claudette Fiore’ (doesnt the name even fit the ‘tude?) starts off as this person who is used to getting her way no matter what the cost. I have to admit – I did not like her.

As the book evolves and Claudette hits things that are inevitable… we see the changes that take place in her. I liked where the story was going but found it to be a bit predictable. There were a few “aha” moments as we see the world now through the older Claudette’s eyes and the message of “it is never too late”, rings true.

About our Author:

Melody is an award-winning, best-selling author of nearly two hundred books for teens, children, and adults, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the Secret Life of Samantha McGregor series, the True Color Series, and Notes from a Spinning Planet series. Melody has two grown sons and lives in central Oregon with her husband, where they enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping, and biking.

I received my review copy of the book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh

Published on November 10, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

A look at family secrets and colorful characters that leave you with an important reminder… ~ Sheila

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

My Thoughts…

I have not read Tamara Leigh before this book and found her characters to have life breathed into them which I really like. Characters that I can relate to, and find them to be real is always a plus and I enjoyed how Tamara took many of her characters and made them enjoyable to get to know.

The topic centered around family secrets was another plus. I like to read about how families deal with things they try to bury in their past, especially when it comes in a Christian format such as this one. I for one find great comfort in letting go of the past and moving on with a sense of known forgiveness and an honest approach to where I have been. A light easy read that I enjoyed.

What about Tamara Leigh?

Tamara Leigh is the best-selling author of twelve novels, including award-winning “Splitting Harriet” (2008 ACFW “Book of the Year”), “Faking Grace” and “Leaving Carolina” the first book in her new “Southern Discomfort” series. A former speech and language pathologist, Tamara lives with her husband and their sons in Tennessee. Visit her website at: www.tamaraleigh.com

This review copy was sent to me by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

What Matters Most: Diary Of A Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson

Published on November 10, 2009November 10, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

A quick written, quick witted book about a teenage girl… loved the green tips! ~ Sheila

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She’s considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable–and Maya’s ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya’s mother will be released from prison soon, and she’ll want Maya to live with her again. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad’s old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a “normal” life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

My Thoughts:

This was a fun, quick read. I like how it is written in a journal type format. It seemed to fit perfectly for Maya and brought me back to my team years when I too journaled my days (of course then we called it a diary). 😉

I found the book to be unique with Maya’s Green Tips Of The Day. Loved it. Going into this read I did not know this was the third in a series called Diary Of A Teenage Girl. What I have missed is A Not So Simple Life and Its A Green Thing. Two books that if I came across them, I would not pass up.

About Melody…

Melody Carlson has published over ninety books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards, including the Gold Medallion and the RITA Award.

I received my review copy of the book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Morning Meanderings…

Published on November 10, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Mornin’. I think this morning I have the whole look going on of the tired out wild hair looking coffee drinker. I just don’t feel so well this morning…. sore throat, bit of a headache…..

First day back in the office so “yay” (I say this weekly and sarcastically – ha ha)

I did however blog hop yesterday and I have a book discovery from a blog that I think is new to me as well. Over at Savidge Reads (I was admiring the blog layout too!) I found a review on a book called The Girls Of Slender Means by Muriel Spark. The cover caught my eye… not sure what it was but the sherbet orange coloring works for me. I liked the review and was interested in this author who I have never read.

Pop on over to this review today at Savidge Reads and see for yourself. As for me, I am going to haul myself to the office and see what I can accomplish at least for the first half of the day…. I have Bookies Book Club tonight in which we are reading The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.

Its Monday What Are You Reading?

Published on November 10, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

Last week I was actually able to get a bit of reading done while traveling. (Here is my travel journal of Honduras and pictures)I am thrilled to say that I will have reviews up this week for:

Jantsen’s Gift by Pam Cope (oh wow – I really cant wait to tell you my thoughts on this one)
Monique and The Mango Rains by Kris Holloway
Love Has A Face by Michele Perry

I also have three other reviews I planned on posting last week and did not get to them…. Leaving Carolina, What matters Most and Limelight.

My reading plan for this week is fairly light… I have book club tomorrow evening and we are reviewing The Glass castle by Jeannette Walls. I then am hoping to read Take Your Best Shot by Austen Gutwein, and finish up the week with Zumba which is a dance work out that I am excited to try – AND it comes with a CD…LOL! cant wait to do it! 🙂 Maybe there will be pictures!

So thats the plan…. and thanks to J Kayes book blog, you can add your plan over there as well to let everyone know what you are reading! 🙂

Saving Sammy by Beth Maloney

Published on November 9, 2009November 9, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)16 Comments

A mothers love so deep for her son that she fights the system to get the answers and help she needs to make him well. My heart wept. ~ Sheila

The summer before entering sixth grade, Sammy, a bright and charming boy who lived on the coast of Maine, suddenly began to exhibit disturbing behavior. He walked and ate with his eyes shut, refused to bathe, burst into fits of rage, slithered against walls, and used his limbs instead of his hands to touch light switches, doorknobs, and faucets.
Sammy’s mother, Beth, already coping with the overwhelming responsibility of raising three sons alone, watched helplessly as her middle child descended into madness. Sammy was soon diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and later with Tourette syndrome. Unwilling to accept the doctors’ prognoses for lifelong mental illness and repeated hospitalizations, Beth fought to uncover what was causing this decline. Racing against time as Sammy slipped further from reality, Beth’s quest took her to the center of the medical community’s raging debate about whether mental illness can be caused by infection. With the battle lines firmly drawn, Beth searched until she found two cutting-edge doctors who answered that question with a definitive yes. Together, they cured Sammy. Five years later, he remains symptom free.

My Thoughts:

First of all, what a powerful book and I have to say I am so impressed with Beth’s perseverance. I really felt for her as she struggled to find out what was happening to her son coming up against wall after wall. As Beth’s life takes a back burner to put her sons needs in front of all else. This book is a strong picture of the power of a mothers love. The fact that she wrote this book is going to be such a gift to others who are going through their own similar battles.

I picked up this book with a thought that I knew what I was about to read. I had an inkling of what this was about and getting further into the book I found I had truly no idea how deeply emotional this book would be. Having raised two sons of my own and battling one teacher myself who said that my oldest had ADD to the point that I put him on the medication prescribed by a doctor only to later find out he did not have it…. I barely grazed what Beth’s life must have been like and not even begin to know what it must have been like for Sammy.

A great and important read.

About Beth

Beth Maloney is a successful Maine attorney. In addition to representing writers and producers, her practice has focused on representing the best interests of children as their Court appointed Guardian ad Litem, primarily in cases of neglect and abuse. Before moving to Maine, the author was an executive and attorney in the entertainment business in Los Angeles, where it was her good fortune to work with a number of creative and athletic stars. Her experience includes serving as Vice-President of Legal Affairs for Orion Pictures Corporation, producing motion pictures, and handling matters in private practice for celebrity entertainers and athletes including Johnny Carson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal. SAVING SAMMY is Ms. Maloney’s first book.

My review copy came from TLC Book Tours

Late Morning Meanderings…

Published on November 9, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

My goal was to get up this morning and write my online journal of our Honduras trip. That did happen. I did start this morning. In fact I started at about 7 am. And not here I am at 12:56 pm…. and I have just now finished.

It really is hard to put into words this experience but I always do try. I know I leave quite a bit out…. a lot of the moments when we laugh hard or tease one another, or just want to cry out with frustration. For me, being the team leader always seems to wipe me out a bit more than when I am one of the team members. I think it is because I am wired to work hard to keep everyone happy and to try to keep things smooth along the way. In ways I wish I wasnt wired that way – and in other ways I am glad that I am sensitive enough to want to do that.

So here, is the link to the journal and pictures of the Honduras AFE trip. I hope you will take a little time to see what we did and what we experienced. Honduras Afe Trip November 2009.

Honduras part 2 143 — AFE Mission Team Nov 2009

Christy Awards Challenge

Published on November 9, 2009January 26, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

Amy from My Friend Amy and Deborah from Books, Movies, and Chinese Food came up with a great Challenge to encourage Christian Fiction reading. I enjoy Christian Fiction and seeing this challenge tonight I knew I had to jump on!

The hard past was to decide at what level did I want to do this challenge. Here are the choices:

Total Christian Fiction Newbie:

This is only for those who have read no Christian fiction before…the challenge is to read one book from any of the Christy Awards Winners!

Baby Steps

1st Tier – 2009 Favorite Category Read All Nominated Books 3-4 books
2nd Tier – Any ONE Years Favorite Category – 3-4 Books or mix 3-4 winners from any category

It’s All in the Winners
3rd Tier- 2009 Winners – 9
4th Tier- Any ONE Year’s Winners 7-9 or mix’n’match 7-9 winners

Dedicated

5th Tier – Read 2009/or ANY Year All Books 36-40 Books

Hardcore

6rd Tier – Read all the nominees in your favorite category
7th Tier – Read all of the winners in every category

The Christy Challenge–Perpetual Challenge
Read all of the books nominated and awarded the Christy challenge throughout the course of your lifetime.

I think I am going to go with 1st Tier – 2009 Favorite Category Read All Nominated Books 3-4 books… the opportunity lies in the fact that there are two categories I am really interested in so…. I would like to do 1st Tier x 2… two different categories and here are the lists I would read for this challenge:

Suspense

The Rook by Steven James – WINNER
By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer
Winter Haven by Athol Dickson

and…

Visionary

Vanish by Tom Pawlik – WINNER
The Battle for the Vast Dominion by George Bryan Polivka
Shade by John D. Olson

Here is all the information on this challenge here and where you can sign up too!

1. The Fruit Of My Lipstick by Shelley Adina I know…. not on my “to read” list for the challenge categories I selected but on the list none the less! 🙂

In My Mailbox

Published on November 8, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

I am home from Honduras as of 2 am this morning. I have went to Church, unpacked, completed two loads of laundry, done the dishes, and looked through and recorded my books that came in this week as well as the 4 books I purchased in Honduras.

Want to see? (There are some pretty exciting titles in here!)

1. Gringos In Paradise sent to me by the author. This one is about Honduras…. thought I would have to check it out!

2. When Heaven Comes Down from Bethany House this looks like a great read!

3. The Secret of Joy came my way from Pocket Books. What a fun cover!

4. 7 I received two of so you know there will be a giveaway! Woo Hoo! These came from Hachette Book Group.

5. The Rapture is a book I won from Nikola’s Back to Books Blog. Thanks Nikola! Looks super good!

6. Treasured is for an upcoming Blog Tour. I love the look and sound of this one. Ths came from Ashley Boyer with Random House.

7. God Gave Us Christmas and God Gave Us Love are both from Ashley Boyer with Random House. I love childrens reads and these look great!

8. The Cost Of Dreams is a thriller set around Indian culcture and was sent by Robyn Schechter. I need to put this one on the tbr list soon!

9. Heretic’s Daughter was sent by Hachette House and I have a current giveaway on this incredible book that is ending soon – sign up today to win a copy here!

10. Ok if this was a vlog I would be squealing here! I found a book off my wish list in Honduras! Yeah! I found SOLD there are I know this will probably be an emotionally hard read but one I am truly looking forward to!

11. Yes! Another squeal and perhaps a back flip on this one! This is a copy of J K Rowlings The Tales of Beedle the Bard in Spanish! I have it in english too as you will see by the next picture. How fun is this? I picked this little treasure up in Honduras.

12. Increble Kamo! Is a book I seen that the children in Manuelito (Honduras) were reading as a group. It is a fiction read and then I seen it at the book store in Honduras and had to have a copy. This is in Spanish as well. (If you are wondering if I speak fluent Spanish – I do not, but I hope to some day)!

13. The Penderwicks is the last book from this past week and also my final purchase in Honduras. It just looks like a wonderful read. I havent peaked into it yet but I am guessing it to be an adventure like Narnia…. we shall see.

Thanks all for stopping in to see what I found in my mailbox this week. It was exciting to come home to all the packages and opening each one was like a new treasure. I am pretty tired now so I think I am going to break and read a bit or even possibly nap! Be sure to stop by Kristi’s blog the Story Siren to add your books you received to her weekly meme In My Mailbox!