It’s Monday… what are you reading?

Published on September 28, 2009September 28, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

Here is my weekly contribution to J Kaye’s Blog meme. (Stop over to her blog and sign up to do this too – it is fun and for me… it helps keep me on track!) I really enjoy doing this as it puts into perspective what I have ahead of me for the week… (sometimes this is a bit like Christmas…LOL – NEW BOOKS to read!)

This week:

I am currently 3/4 of the way through Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran and for all of you who have been wondering what I would think of this …. I am LOVING IT! (and going back to reading it once I have this post up!)

Viola In Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani is a book I am doing a live chat at Book Club Girl’s on Wednesday so that one will be my next read, probably starting tonight.

Sir Dalton and The Shadow Heart by Chuck Black looks exciting to me and this is one I am ready to grab my armor and head into!

Bo’s Cafe by John Lynch, Bill Thrall and Bruce McNicol is up for tour this Friday and I am pumped about this. I have peaked into it already and will be happy to share with you my thoughts on this book!

Last week:

I completed The Carpet Boy’s Gift, A Million Miles in A Thousand Years, and 31 Hours. Pride and Prejudice was on my list to complete last week and it went to the wayside again when I realized I had a blog tour date for 31 Hours. This week is a pretty full reading week so Pride and Prejudice may again have to wait for the weekend.

That’s my reading week…. How about you?

Morning Meanderings…

Published on September 28, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

We are back and I think I am rested and ready to get back on track. Sunday morning we left to join my cousin and his wife and baby at the Vikings Game. Al, Chance, and I had never been to a Vikings game before so jumped to say “yes” when it was offered. I am not a football fan but it is always different when you are actually there and I thought maybe... just maybe… this could be the event that changes my heart.

I loved the atmosphere – we had great seats to a sold out event. Over 60,300 people is what they announced. If you are a football fan you may have already heard about this game. 12 seconds left and the Vikings are down by by 4 points. Vikings fans are walking out of the game and I am thinking what that must feel like to the players… the fans already taking a defeat that has not been been established yet. Then…. Favre throws the winning touchdown that is complete with 2 seconds on the clock! 2 seconds! The crowd goes wild and I am thinking about those people who left early who are now half way to their cars… and their friends who knew they went to the game calling them and saying “WOW!!!! So cool that you were there for that amazing play! I am so jealous!”

and they didn’t even see it….

Oh…. my…. I sound like a football fan. 🙂

My pics:

I’ll be back later today…. have to get in my Its Monday… what am I Reading post and a review. 🙂

In My Mailbox

Published on September 28, 2009September 28, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

It is Sunday and we are back from the Vikings Game… and what a game! (More on the game in my Morning Meandering post tomorrow)…
Now… I want to work through this weeks deliveries and see what I have! (In my Mailbox is a meme by Story Siren)

Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur and Shadow Government by Grant Jeffery: This is an upcoming blog tour and I have actually read Randall Arthur’s Wisdom Hunter many years ago and loved it! (Yes, I thought it was odd too that a book that has been out for many years is now on tour…) Randlal Arthur has written three books and they area ll wonderful Christian fiction reads.

The House of Thunder by Patricia Carman: This is a WIN from Zia at My Life In Not So Many Words. This book looks great! Thanks Zia!

9 Dragons by Michael Connelly: A blog tour coming up mid October for a new one by Connelly!

Viola In Real Life by Adriana Trigiani: This one is exciting – this book is for a live chat at Book Club Girls coming up on the 30th… it just came in the mail so i am going to have to read this one in the next couple days here.

The Financial Lives Of The Poets by Jess Walter: October 14 Blog Tour… Following Matt in his weeklong quest to save his marriage, his sanity, and his dreams, THE FINANCIAL LIVES OF THE POETS is a hysterical, heartfelt novel about how we can reach the edge of ruin—and how we can begin to make our way back. I Think it sounds interesting…. we shall see

Lighting Their Fires by Rafe Esquith: This book about raising extrodinary children is also a blog tour. I like to read a wide diversity of books….

Across The Endless River by Thad Carhart: This one looks really good and will be another one to dig into!

The Last picture is a gift package I won from Sharon at Sharon’s Garden of Books. I received three cozy mysteries, Treasure of The Golden Cheetah, a coffee mug (AWESOME!), tea, candle, key ring, coaster, and a refillable candle container.

That’s my week. I am pretty shot tonight after the trip to Minneapolis and back so I am off to unwind a bit!

Banned Books Week – Sept. 26 – Oct. 3

Published on September 26, 2009October 4, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)69 Comments

*This post will stay on top for Banned Books Week. New posts will be below.*

Banned Books… you may be surprised… I was. I have read banned books – GREAT books…. and did not even know that it was a banned book. This week take a look into the banned books… have you read any of them?

Here is this weeks special giveaway. Comment here with the title of a banned book you have read for one entry. You can leave up to three book titles (on separate comments) of books that are considered banned that you have read.

** 5 entry bonus if you read a book that is on the banned books list this week (Sept 26 – Oct 3) and leave a link to your review of it here. If you do not blog, leave the title, author and a few words about your thoughts on the book here to receive this bonus.

I will choose one winner per every 10 comments using Random.org. Winner(s) will receive choice out of the Prize Box. **USA and Canada entrants only please

Thank you to Natasha at Maw Books, who had this wonderful You Tube clip on her blog about banned books as well as links to more information about banned books. Stop by her blog to find a lot more information about Banned Books Week.

Also see Biblio Blogazine and The Banned Book Challenge

Giveaway for Beat The Reaper by Josh Bazell

Published on September 26, 2009October 29, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)42 Comments

Another great giveaway thanks to Valerie at Hachette Book Group. I am able to offer here a chance to win a copy of Beat The Reaper to two lucky readers.

Giveaway is now closed as of Oct 28, 2009

Full Description

Dr. Peter Brown is an intern at Manhattan’s worst hospital, with a talent for medicine, a shift from hell, and a past he’d prefer to keep hidden. Whether it’s a blocked circumflex artery or a plan to land a massive malpractice suit, he knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.Pietro “Bearclaw” Brnwna is a hitman for the mob, with a genius for violence, a well-earned fear of sharks, and an overly close relationship with the Federal Witness Relocation Program. More likely to leave a trail of dead gangsters than a molecule of evidence, he’s the last person you want to see in your hospital room.

Nicholas LoBrutto, aka Eddy Squillante, is Dr. Brown’s new patient, with three months to live and a very strange idea: that Peter Brown and Pietro Brnwa might-just might-be the same person …

Now, with the mob, the government, and death itself descending on the hospital, Peter has to buy time and do whatever it takes to keep his patients, himself, and his last shot at redemption alive. To get through the next eight hours-and somehow beat the reaper.

Spattered in adrenaline-fueled action and bone-saw-sharp dialogue, BEAT THE REAPER is a debut thriller so utterly original you won’t be able to guess what happens next, and so shockingly entertaining you won’t be able to put it down.

Here is the book trailer…

Hmmmm…. how to enter this giveaway? Well let’s see…

1) leave a comment here after you have watched the trailer and let me know what movie/book this clip reminds you of. (There is no right or wrong answer… just want that split second response)

2) Blog or twitter about this giveaway and let me know here for a 2nd entry

As always – have fun! 🙂

This giveaway will end October 24 – I am giving two books away

Remember USA entrants only on this one and no po box numbers for winners

Giveway for The Historian by Elizabeth Kostiva

Published on September 26, 2009October 29, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)36 Comments

This Giveaway is now closed as of Oct 28, 2009

I am excited to announce a great historical fiction novel giveaway! (One of my current favorite genres!) Thank to Valerie at Hachette Book Group I can have up to 5 of these wonderful books to give away here! So I will offer one book giveaway for every 10 comments here between now and October 18. That means if we can get 50+ comments here – we will give away all 5 books! (I cant wait to get my review copy of this book!)

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Breathtakingly suspenseful and beautifully written, The Historian is the story of a young woman plunged into a labyrinth where the secrets of her family’s past connect to an inconceivable evil: the dark fifteenth-century reign of Vlad the Impaler and a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive through the ages. The search for the truth becomes an adventure of monumental proportions, taking us from monasteries and dusty libraries to the capitals of Eastern Europe – in a feat of storytelling so rich, so hypnotic, so exciting that it has enthralled readers around the world.

“Never was a ghost story so casually erudite, nor a historical travelogue such gripping entertainment.” —New York Magazine

“Impossible to resist. . . . Kostova blends fact and fantasy to remind us that the original Dracula legend is rooted in monstrous acts of unblinking evil.” —Miami Herald

“A richly told story about family and the dark side of human nature. . . . This cry of the heart will appeal to readers beyond those who are drawn by a fascination with the legend of Dracula.” —Chicago Tribune

“Genuinely terrifying.” —Boston Globe

Reading Group Guide

So… the question is… how to enter?

1) If you were plunged into a book and had to actually walk through and live the story all the way to the end to get out… what book would it be? (Answer this question for one entry!) If you do not answer the question you are not entered.

2) Get a second entry for blogging or twittering this giveaway

3) make a comment on any none giveaway post on this blog and earn a third entry

That’s it! Have fun! This giveaway is open to USA residents only and remember no po box numbers for winners. Winners will be posted here on October 18.

If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn

Published on September 26, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

Randy Alcorn is an author I never pass up a chance to read…. this book is another great example of why that is…

Sheila

Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.

In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God–Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?

These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.

Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

Author Bio:

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries and a bestselling author. His novels include Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written eighteen nonfiction books as well, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. Randy and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and four grandsons.

Book Tour

My Thoughts:

I am a huge Randy Alcorn fan. I have read (I think) every book he has written. I find him to be down to earth and yet, has a wonderful faith quality to him that I always get a different perspective on how to look at things. This book, If God is Good, of course, is no exception.

Reading through Randy’s book he once again astounds me on the level of research he puts into his work… yet I don’t feel like I am reading a heavy book. Randy – truly has a way with words. Using scripture and personal life stories, I find this book to be one I can turn to again and again…

Giveaway Clean Up Project

Published on September 26, 2009September 26, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

As part of my housekeeping for this week I have several giveaways that I have ended that I need to do the actual giveaway. Life kind of got away from me there for awhile and now I am working my way back. 🙂

So here we go!

First up… we have a giveaway for The Friends We Keep is….

DEBB (from Debb’s Dailies!)

Next up, The Hope of Refuge goes to:

Erin (From Connected to Christ)

And now the giveaway for Tales of Pruit Almus:

Nancye Davis!!!

I have five winners (yes 5!!!) for Just Food:

Trisha (from Trisha’s Book Blog)

Booklogged (from A Readers Journal)

Nanscorner (from Nan’s Corner of the Web)

Dina (from Just Another New Blog)

Andrea!!!

Winner of the signed Bran Hambric poster is:

Alexa!!!

I am current on my giveaways! YAY!!!

THANK YOU to everyone who had entered and be sure to watch my Giveaway Tab for all giveaways that are going on here at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. I have two more great giveaways I am putting up yet today!

Morning Meanderings…

Published on September 26, 2009September 26, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Saturday!

I am actually blogging from bed! No huge commitments today and as I look out the window it is a dreary fall day here in central Minnesota. I am having visions of making sloppy jo’s for lunch for Al and Chance and in a weird fall mood that I think includes baking pumpkin bars or some fall treat like that. I am anticipating that delicious scent in the house.

This morning, Coffee Cup and I have been on Book Blogs on the forums which I hardly ever have time to do any more – yet hope I can get back on there. I love to help new bloggers with their questions and have been assisting one with her blog.

The BIG plan today is to finish up the housekeeping project which mainly now is the giveaways. I have some to close up – and a couple new ones to add. Oh, and I am helping Chance today start a blog and write his first review. That should be fun too!

Tomorrow Al, I, and Chance have been invited to go to the Vikings Game by my cousin. We will leave here around 7:30 am to get there by 11 am to hopefully get field tickets for Chance. This should be a blast and you know there will be pictures!

The Sister Pact by Cami Checkett w/ Giveaway!

Published on September 25, 2009October 20, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)36 Comments

I savored every word as the characters unfolded before me and became a part of my heart….

~ Sheila

Savannah Compton is devastated when her sister and best friend Allison falls into a coma after a tragic accident. Or was it an accident? Even with a charming and handsome detective at her side, it seems Savannah may never discover the truth. But if she doesn’t, her family could be in even more danger. And Savannah’s past holds its own secrets that could change everything.

Now she must prove her innocence to the one person who is beginning to matter most. Join Savannah as she struggles to summon hope and rely on faith, even in the darkest of circumstances, and learn how the bond between sisters can overcome anything.

My Thoughts: I love how this book came to be in my hands. Author Cami Checketts came to me and asked if I would like to review her book. I looked it up on line, read the same few paragraphs as you just did above, and said yes.

Upon reading this book – I was so thankful that I did say yes to it. Cami writes a great suspense novel with characters that will stay with me a long time. I was really impressed that this is such a clean novel and what I mean by that is – there is no strong language, no graphic scenes that made me squirm and no sexual content.

The characters are well described and I as the book opened its story to me I felt as though I knew Allison and Savvanah. Or – at least wanted to. The bond they carried as sisters and friends really tore at my heart and reminded me of the sister I once had. I loved how they took care of one another, and when Detective Noah is added – well, it only gets better.

This novel is filled with suspense, romance, and a close up look of what happend to a family when tragedy hits close to home.

Cami Checkett writes in a style that if I were to ever write that book that I hope to, I would be honored to write as well as her. I will definitely be looking for more from Cami Checkett.

A portion of the proceeds from The Sister Pact will be donated to The Child & Family Support Center. For more information on this worthy cause, please go to www.cachecfsc.org

Cami Checketts is married and the proud mother of three wild boys. Sometimes between being a human horse, cleaning up magic potions, and reading Bernstein Bears, she gets the chance to write fiction.

Her hobbies include: playing with her children, reading, running, water skiing, weightlifting and being involved in church.

Please click here for my interview with author, Cami Checkett.

Cami has graciously offered me an autographed copy of The Sister Pact to be sent to one reader!

To enter:

1) comment here with how you would like the book autographed

2) to earn an extra entry – on a separate comment leave a link to where you have blogged or twittered about this giveaway

3) earn an extra entry by becoming a follower of this blog (or if you already are) be sure to let me know in a separate comment)

4) a fourth entry if you comment on any other non giveaway post on this blog and let me know here

Have fun! USA entrants only – no po box numbers. Giveaway will end on October 11

This giveaway is now closed and winner is announced

I received this book from the author, Cami Checkett

I would rate this book PG for some light adult content