A read that I enjoyed with a cup of hot cocoa during the cool September evenings with just a touch of magic… that seems to me, to always be found in Minnesota! ~ Sheila
The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be
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mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snow globe. She’s enjoying some mommy time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home — even if means wrestling another shopper for it!
The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange — “flurrious”, as Cassie deems it — moment happens with the remarkable snow globe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.
I found Stray Affections to be an easy read set in my home state – which for some reason I still get a kick out of reading books centered in Minnesota. Within the first few pages of this book you are introduced to the strain in the relationship between our main character Cassandra (daycare provider and mother of four) and her mother Betty. IE. Bad Betty.
Stray Affections deals with betrayal (Cassandra has memories of when she felt she had let down her family pet, Toby, as a child). This book is centered around a snow globe – and unresolved memories that bubble to the surface as Cassandra learns the power of forgiveness all wrapped into a book that is a bit quirky and fun – ending with an event that not only includes the whole community but with a volunteer effort that made my heart leap!
I read this book while at our cabin in Finland, Minnesota. I found that an appropriate place to sit back over Labor day weekend and sink into this book. I found the book a quick, lite read and loved the “Burt’s Durve’s Recipes in the back of the book. I will be trying these out at the October Bookies Book Club potluck at my home!
Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.
Ashley has generously offered me an additional copy of this book to give away to one lucky reader! Here’s how to enter:
1 Entry – leave a comment here on something you do in your own community as a volunteer or to better our world
BONUS Entry (ahhh… the coveted bonus entry!) Tweet about this giveaway or blog on it for an extra entry
Remember US entrys only – no po box numbers. Giveaway will close on September 30
I received this book, and an additional copy to give away from Ashley Boyer of Multnomah Books
In July I went to Duluth with a few of my girl friends and while walking in the gardens we found a hole in the shrubs and they asked me to get in there for a picture. Of course… I did.
The picture is actually kind of funny and looks like I am a garden fairy or something… for giggles (as I really like giggles) I put it as my Facebook profile. This afternoon while doing my customary blog hopping I found a book on Brooke Reviews that the cover reminded me of my Facebook profile – minus the pointy ears.
I am excited to bring you a new book club today! I have been hanging out at this blog for a while now chatting with Maryrose and today I am pleased to be able to share with you about her online book club, My Book Buddies.
Welcome Maryrose! Sit! Have some coffee! It is so wonderful to have you here today! Share with us the name of your book club.
Maryrose: My Book Buddies
How long have you been meeting?
Maryrose: We are an online community, first created in July 2001. We started off exchanging e-mails between girlfriends (we were discussing Jane Eyre). We found it much easier to discuss books in an online forum.
Oh that sounds fun! I have not been a part of an online book club yet. How often do you meet?
Local Author Event
We meet daily! Our online forum discusses books every day. We do, however, have a monthly selection for the group to read and share their thoughts on. Every effort is made to read a book within the selected month. The beauty of the online forum is that every discussion is saved. Book discussions are revived at anytime!5. Do you have someone who leads the discussion (same person each month or different)? Our discussions are very open in nature. If available, we use Reading Group Guides to help facilitate conversations. But it’s treated more like a guideline than a rule. We don’t want reading to start feeling like homework. Most of our discussions are driven by emotion, rather than dissection and analysis.
Where do you meet online?
Face to face Meeting in Atlanta
Online at www.mybookbuds.com. Click on the forum link to get to the discussions.
How many members do you have?
Our group is made up primarily of women. We have 50 members who drop in from time to time, and a core group of half a dozen regulars.
50! That’s wonderful! What age groups are represented in your book club?
Our age demographic ranges between the mid-20s to early 40s.
What genres of books do you read?
Because we’re on the world wide web, we have great diversity in our book selection. The monthly
Meeting first time face to face
selections range from the classics, historical fiction, romance, “chick lit”, biographies, literary fiction and fantasy.
How do you choose what you will read?
To promote the diversity of the group, we alternate who chooses the monthly selection. I like to select my books from my “to read list”.
What was one of the best discussions and/or a favorite book that you read as a group?
The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon is a particular favorite of the group. In fact, we’ve seen a revival of those discussions in recent months. Members, new and old, love to discuss (and re-read) the series.
How do you keep things fun?
We’re a great group that has stuck together for a long time. The forum has become an online home for us. So, we like to discuss things outside of books. We’ll discuss movies, television, gossip, home, garden, cooking – whatever tickles our fancy. We don’t have a strict regiment that we must adhere to. Everything is for your enjoyment. In more recent years, we’ve started traveling out to meet one another. That’s been a very special treat
I really like that! What have you done as a group other than the online book discussions?
One of my absolute favorite things about the online book club is that I now have friends across the nation. We’ve traveled to Atlanta to visit Gone with the Wind country. I’ve had members visit me in the San Francisco Bay Area. Right now, we’re trying to find a way to see Diana Gabaldon in Georgia this coming Labor Day. The activities outside of books have solidified friendships in our community.
What advice would you give to other book clubs?
With busy schedules and the cost of books on the rise, it can be difficult to keep a book club going. Have an easy going attitude about your book club. Members will come and go – but they tend to come back. My Book Buddies has had lulls, but we know that things will bounce back.
Thank you Maryrose so much for sharing about your online book club! You have really inspired me as this is something I have tossed around the idea of for some time but still am wondering if it is something I want to do! Since I interviewed you a couple weeks ago I am curious – did you make it to Diane’s for Labor Day?
If you are interested in having your book club featured here please email me at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com
Seriously…. do you see this? I bike 150 miles this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. I really hope it clears up! On the bright side… this is good reading weather! 😉
Tonight was our September Book Club meeting. It was Laura’s pick for location and she chose a potluck camp fire at her home. I love how each Book Club member gets a month to pick where to meet and the different places we get to try!
Tonight’s review was on Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. I had read this book prior to it being chosen for Book Club and I was anxious to see what the Bookies thought of it as well. We had a good discussion about women who lived in the time of Pope Joan and how different it is from where we are today as women – it is almost hard to fathom a time when women were considered good for nothing other than making babies and keeping a home. Yet, we know this is a part of our history.
“A woman’s long hair is the net wherein satan catches a man’s soul.” ~ Pope Joan page 11
Over all this book rated an above average read for us. Most of the group enjoyed the historical value of the book and while a few counted the book as having a slow beginning, all agreed that once it got going it was hard to put down until the very end.
The weather had cleared from a rainy afternoon to a cool but not cold evening. The review around the camp fire was a real treat!
This book is so timely… so on the mark… from the moment I opened it I was reminded what an incredible author Max Lucado is and how his voice is a soothing one in times that feel uncertain… ~ Sheila
Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.
They’re talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors. Wouldn’t it be great to walk out?
Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.
Can you imagine your life without fear?
I tend to forget how great an author Max Lucado is. That is… I tend to forget until I pick up one of his books, like this one… and “oh yeah”… Max writes like you are sitting in a coffee shop enjoying a wonderful conversation with a close friend over mocha lattes.
In times that seem like no ones job is a surety…. friends and family alike are struggling with finances and fears…. Max writes a book that reminds of us how often the Bible talks about “Do Not Fear”
Feed your fears, and your Faith will starve.
Feed your Faith, and your fears will.
Page 74… Fearless by Max Lucado
I really enjoyed this book and the reminders that worry does not add one second to our lives. In typical Max Lucado style, this book is peppered with his life stories that apply to why we should not fear, why we should be reminded and know that all is in God’s Hands. We (I) need to keep our (my) Faith in God.
We all have fears in our life… if we wear them on the outside or hide them deep within us like a disease eating away at us from the inside out… (see the chapter on There’s a Dragon in My Closet).
There is a wonderful discussion guide in the back of this book that can help you break this down even more and really look closely at each chapter and how it can apply in your own life.
This is a book that I can refer to again and again… and I will. You can purchase your copy of this book here.
I received this book for review from Thomas Nelson
This is my 100th review! Watch later today for a giveaway to celebrate!
It feels like fall here in Central Minnesota this morning. Last night was so warm I was popping windows open just to sleep but this morning the air has turned crisp and I woke up chilled, running around closing those same windows.
Ahhhh…. Minnesota.
I let the dogs out and the chill came in from the deck. Yesterday started a drastic drop of the acorns. We have a large oak tree built into our deck. We actually built the deck around the tree as I love trees and could not see sacrificing it just because we wanted a bigger deck. All day yesterday I could hear the acorns thumping as they bounced off the wood and this morning the deck is covered. Al tells me that is a sign of a cold winter. Oh man… I hope not.
Fall means things should (I hope) slow down a bit. The evenings will be cooler and while I haven’t had much time for hanging outside this year anyway, I will be drawn to my cozy reading chair more often… visions of the Challenges that I need to work on – Random reading, Jane Austen, Harry Potter…. dance in my head.
I guess I am saying that this morning I meandered…. to my deck.
Later today I am posting my 100th book review. 100! Watch for that because if you know me – moments like this do not go by uncelebrated… oh yeah – there will be a giveaway!
The CSN Bookshelf that was offered to me for review arrived last Thursday. This afternoon I finally had time to put it together and try it out!
I have put together many bookshelves in my life and had interesting results after sometimes hours of figuring out the directions. I was thrilled to see that this shelf was not in too many pieces and I easily put it together in 15 minutes. Love the color and it looks wonderful in the reading room! Check out CSN Office Furniture for your furniture needs! They have free shipping on almost everything.
This is the fun meme from J Kaye’s Book Blog. I am currently finishing up Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich. I am on tour with this book later this week.
I have a busy week with book club tomorrow evening (BONFIRE POTLUCK – OH YEAH!) as we review the wonderful Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. I work all week and this weekend is the 150 mile 2 day bike ride I am doing with my cousin. With all this, I am keeping my reading plans for the week a little low as I am not sure when I am going to fit a lot of reading in.
Here is my tiny TBR for the week.
NORTH! Or Be Eaten is a book I have held off reading as I have waited for the tour to come up and like a book to be fresh in my mind. I have a giveaway coming with this review as well!
Dreaming Anastasia is also a blog tour coming up
The Sister Pact I received from the author and that is my bonus book this week that I hope I get to! I am anxious to read this one as well!
Over the weekend when Al and I traveled NORTH! (Not to be eaten – but to go to our cabin….LOL) we started listening to the book on CD of Green by Ted Decker, his newest which while it is a prequel to The Circle Trilogy, (which I have two of the three of these books and have not read them – Black, red, White) I was told that this one was actually encouraged to be read first if you had not read the others yet as it is the begining and the end. Hmmmm….. interesting.
However riding in the jeep is loud and it was a struggle to follow this deep book on audio and as it switches between worlds by the end of CD two, Al and I had switched it up for James Patterson’s Swimsuit which I have to admit, is much better than I thought it was going to be and I am actually anjoying it!
There it is. The plan for the week. If you would like to be a part of this weekly meme, create your own post of what you are reading and be sure to link it back to J Kaye’s Book Blog.
I was really hoping to get this post up last night (In My Mailbox is the wonderful weekly meme hosted by Story Siren)but by the time I got home from running all weekend and then two events last night… I was way too tired. Today I am hoping to lay low a bit and get caught up on posts and reviews for this week! Here is what showed up in my mailbox the past 7 days:
The Evolution of Shadows is one that as soon as I read what it was about, I had to jump in for a review copy: This book is about a news photographer that disappeared in July 1995 while he was working on the Bosnian War Zone. 5 Years later his closest friends gather to try to find out what happened to him.
31 Hours is another one that caught me by surprise…. Jonas is isolated in a New York apartment and on a devastating and confusing pasth towards violence. His mother and girlfriend have 31 hours to reach him.
Too Many Visitors for One Little House is a children’s read about crabby neighbors, new family, and a reunion that all teaches about the importance of being included.
Defining Twilight just seems interesting to me. In this book Brian Leaf takes the movie Twilight and uses it to show you how to improve your SAT, GED,ACT or SSAT exams. Now granted, I am not in school… yet I wanted to know more about this book…. and hey, I am always up for learning something new!
If God is Good is written by Randy Alcorn and if you have not read him – I recommend him…. if you have read him… I do not need to say any more as you already know what an amazing writer he is! I think I have read just about everything this man has written and if I havent read it, it is on my shelf to be read. I am excited to have this beautiful hard cover book!
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much.… This has to do with books…seriously, do I need to say more? LOL. Actually this is a true story of a thief… actually a real book thief, who stole rare books. I am excited to not only read this but I am curious about the books that drew him to a life of crime.
Cleopatra’s Daughter in all her glory…. this beautiful hard cover book just draws me. I cant wait to dive into this one!
Defenders of The Scroll was offered to me by the author and as I am sitting here typing with this book beside me, I have to comment on the great graphics within the pages and the paged themselves written like scrolls.
The Eight I won from Nicola’s Book Blog. I have heard about this book on several blogs and it sounds wonderful! Compared to the mysteries you find in The Davinchi Code, if this book is anything like that I will be over the top excited!
The Cinderella Society I won from You 2.0 (author Kay Cassidy’s blog) and I want to seriously scream like a little girl! I have read Kay’s blog since 2.0 came about and enjoy her posts so I a super excited to read her book!
Grief Journey is a book loaned to me by our “up North” neighbor Judy. Judy lives across the road from our cabin and while enjoying BLT’s (tomatoes out of her garden on homemade oat bread!) she offered me to read this book on a Minnesota author that her and her husband Tom know well. As I was thinking of a way to politely decline (visions of my TBR mountain) I noticed the author had done missions in Honduras. NOt only missions in Honduras – but missions in Talanga Honduras which is where I do missions in Honduras! So…. needless to say… I will be reading the book. 😉
So there it is! The additions to my library this week. Later today I will post my “It’s Monday, what are you reading?” and work on getting things back to norm around here!
Lots of things to post this week – new giveaways and new winners as well so stop back often – the coffee is on and cinnamon rolls are fresh from the oven!
The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be
Book Journey 