Book Journey

Bookies Book Club Review of Pope Joan

Published on September 9, 2009September 9, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

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!

My original review of this book is here

October is our classic month. We will be reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty White.

Fearless by Max Lucado

Published on September 8, 2009December 12, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

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!

Morning Meandering…

Published on September 8, 2009September 8, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

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!

CSN Bookshelf Review

Published on September 8, 2009April 20, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

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.

It’s Monday… What Are You Reading?

Published on September 7, 2009September 7, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

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.

In My Mailbox

Published on September 7, 2009September 7, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

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!

Home From Camping

Published on September 7, 2009September 7, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

I arrived back home this afternoon and then had a 50th wedding anniversary for my aunt and uncle, followed by a bonfire with friends. I am exhausted – but excited to share with you the great reads I completed this weekend and what arrived in my mailbox this past week.

All of this will have to wait until Monday as I am so tired out! Lots of info coming your way – this should be a great week! Come back often! 🙂

The Sign For Drowning by Rachel Stolzman

Published on September 5, 2009September 4, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

My heart broke for a young girl who carried too much… and I rejoiced for the young woman, who learned to love again. ~ Sheila

Anna has grown up haunted by her younger sister’s death. In the life she constructs as a barrier against the emotional wreckage of her family tragedy, Anna settles comfortably into a career as a teacher of deaf children. But a challenge arrives—in the form of a young girl. Adrea’s disarming vulnerability and obvious need for love offer Anna the possibility of reconnecting with the world around her—if she has the courage to open her heart.

Author, Rachel Stolzman sent me her book along with two to give away which I had done earlier, when I interviewed Rachel the end of July. I was excited to finally have the opportunity to sit down with her book over the past few days and really let myself sink in to what this book was about.

The book opens with what I would think of as every parents worst nightmare… what is interesting is that this books focus is more on how the sister Anna has grown up with the grief of the loss of her sister.

With this book I entered a world I have not known… the world of sign language as Anna grows into adulthood and becomes a teacher for deaf children… even adopting one of the children she has worked with, Adrea. While reading through the new relationship struggles between Anna (now mother) and Andrea.. I found myself almost holding my breath to see how this would break down the barriers that Anna was still holding tight to in the loss of her sister.

This is a book where I learned more about a world of silence… that spoke volumes once I entered it.

I received this book from the author, Rachel Stolzman

I rate this book PG

Freebie Friday: The No 1 Ladies Dective Agency

Published on September 4, 2009September 25, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

This giveaway is closed…. winner was drawn on Sept 25 and the winner is Brenda Rupp

Welcome to freebie Fridays, where I post a book for giveaway each week and I annouce a winner the following Friday.This is the first novel in the widely acclaimed series.

A pleasing novel about Mma (aka Precious) Ramotswe, Botswana’s one and only lady private detective. A series of vignettes linked to the establishment and growth of Mma Ramotswe’s “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” serve not only to entertain but to explore conditions in Botswana in a way that is both penetrating and light thanks to Smith’s deft touch. Mma Ramotswe’s cases come slowly and hesitantly at first: women who suspect their husbands are cheating on them; a father worried that his daughter is sneaking off to see a boy; a missing child who may have been killed by witchdoctors to make medicine; a doctor who sometimes seems highly competent and sometimes seems to know almost nothing about medicine. The desultory pace is fine, since she has only a detective manual, the frequently cited example of Agatha Christie and her instincts to guide her. Mma Ramotswe’s love of Africa, her wisdom and humor, shine through these pages as she shines her own light on the problems that vex her clients.

For this weeks giveaway:

1) leave a comment here with the answer to this question: If you were a detective… what would you want to be a detective of? (Feel free to be imaginative and remember, no answer to question, no entry)!

2) I love comments! Leave a comment on another post (non giveaway post) and earn a second chance for this book

3) You know… I really really love comments so for a third chance, leave another non giveaway comment on a post and I will add another entry

4) Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me a link here for yet another chance!

Have fun! 🙂

Winner Of Mona Lisa Craving!

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

Before I left for the cabin this morning I pulled our winner using random.org. for the book

Mona Lisa Craving

Our winner is:

Congratulations!!!

Winners are notified by email.

I am out of town until late on Sunday… I am “Sheila unplugged” for the weekend at our cabin, however this leaves a great opportunity for reading time! I will catch up with responding to comments upon my return!