Book Journey

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on April 25, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

I feel….

sparky.

Like, I have a little spark in me today that is both a little exciting and unfamiliar. I have been so worried about what my life holds now that I really have no idea what I want to do or the desire to do it if I even knew what it was. Heartbreak and grief coat my days.

And then…

there is a spark.

This morning as I am in my usual spot drinking my COFFEE looking out the window, I find my mind thinking about the upcoming Book Expo in Chicago in a few weeks… and who will I see, what will it be like, and planning (yes planning!) an itinerary and thinking of organizing my contacts for the different publishing houses as I have not done that in two years….

and I am thinking about my day today… a lunch date, planning things for the library, and tonight…. trivia at Prairie Bay and putting the message out to the team to make sure everyone can make it, and this weekend Justin’s benefit which is crazy cool and crazy hard and makes me happy and sad all rolled into one but- there are things to do and I am so thankful that people do want to get together to honor my son….

A spark….

AND of course this. I LOVE It’s Monday, but I rarely do it anymore. I think about it. Then I don’t do it. So what is this? This morning I am writing this post in my head… and then I thought…. how about I ACTUALLY write it?

SO….

here we go.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog from 2006 -2009 and then was taken up by me here at Book Journey from Feb 2009 – Fall 2015 and then I passed it to Kathryn at the Book Date. We have worked to keep the torch of It’s Monday burning!

I am posting. Not as frequently as I wish I was… but I am posting. Here is what managed to get on here this past week:

No One Knows by J T Ellison and narrated by Terri Schnaubelt and Nich Podehl

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Bookies Book Club review!)

I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out by Lee Gutkind and narrated by Tavia Gilbert (this narration is up for and audie award!)

Farewell, Sweet Prince (Minneapolis, the day that Prince died)

Almost Interesting by David Spade and Narrated by David Spade ( this narration is up for an audie award!)

Well, I guess that is not a bad week. The whole list is audio books, yes I am reading but have for sure been listening to more audio lately with the Audie Awards coming up (SQQQUUUEEEE!!!!!) that I will be attending…. (SSSSQQQUUUEEE!!!!) in Chicago (SSSQQUUUEEE!!!!)

For this week here is what is on my end table and in my car and on my phone and well… you get it.

For My EARS

What if your whole world was a lie?

What if a single revelation – like a single choice – changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

Yes, yes, I am embarrassingly behind on this last book on the trilogy. I found this as a down load from my library and figured it was time to finish this so I can watch the movie 🙂

Some people might think that being ‘furiously happy’ is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he’s never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos.

I have listed to Jenny before, years ago with her first book. I have met her and respect her as a fellow blogger. This one is up for an audie award…. lets see what happens 🙂

Everyone knows that if Scarlett O’Hara had an unlimited text-and-data plan, she’d constantly try to tempt Ashley away from Melanie with suggestive messages. If Mr. Rochester could text Jane Eyre, his ardent missives would obviously be in all-caps. And Daisy Buchanan would not only text while driving, she’d text you to pick her up after she totaled her car.

This one is also up for an audie award… and just sounds like good fun.

For My EYES

Rosie “Aunty” Lee—feisty widow, amateur sleuth and proprietor of Singapore’s best-loved home cooking restaurant—is back in another delectable, witty mystery set in Singapore.

Slightly hobbled by a twisted ankle, crime-solving restaurateur Aunty Lee begrudgingly agrees to take a rest from running her famous café, Aunty Lee’s Delights, and turns over operations to her friend and new business partner Cherril.

The café serves as a meeting place for an animal rescue society that Cherril once supported. They were forced to dissolve three years earlier after a British expat killed the puppy she’d adopted, sparking a firestorm of scandal. The expat, Allison Fitzgerald, left Singapore in disgrace, but has returned with an ax to grind (and a lawsuit). At the café one afternoon, Cherril receives word that Allison has been found dead in her hotel—and foul play is suspected. When a veterinarian, who was also involved in the scandal, is found dead, suspicion soon falls on the animal activists. What started with an internet witch hunt has ended in murder—and in a tightly knit, law-and-order society like Singapore, everyone is on edge.

Hmmmm…. we will see 😉

During her treatment for cancer, Mary Anne Schwalbe and her son Will spent many hours sitting in waiting rooms together. To pass the time, they would talk about the books they were reading. Once, by chance, they read the same book at the same time—and an informal book club of two was born. Through their wide-ranging reading, Will and Mary Anne—and we, their fellow readers—are reminded how books can be comforting, astonishing, and illuminating, changing the way that we feel about and interact with the world around us. A profoundly moving memoir of care giving, mourning, and love—The End of Your Life Book Club is also about the joy of reading, and the ways that joy is multiplied when we share it with others.

I have been curious about this one for awhile. Now my book club is reading it and I am hoping it is a great one!

That’s the plan. To be a part of Its Monday! What Are You Reading, stop in and check it out at The Book Date. You never know where you may find that next great read!

David Spade is Almost Interesting Narrated by David Spade

Published on April 24, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment

You probably know David Spade best for his time on Saturday Night Live (SNL), movies such as Joe Dirt, Tommy Boy, and Grown Ups, as well as TV shows like Just Shoot Me and Rules of Engagement.

In Almost Interesting David talks about the hard road to breaking into stand up comedy with no money or even a car to his name. He shares his experiences of making his way on to SNL and working alongside legendary comedy giants such as Chris Farley, Chris Rock, and Adam Sandler. There are moments of sadness, when David shares of his friendship with Chris Farley, and moments of freakishness, when Eddie Murphy threatens to pound David into the ground and does not talk to him for years, as well as many moments of laughter.

I listened to this audio book because it is up for an Audie Award. While I am familiar with David Spades work, I am not what you would call a fan. Still, I do love a good biography/memoir. I went into this one not expecting much but am happy to admit I was pleasantly surprised. Other than a few bumps in the narration and occasional long pauses that made me think my battery went out on my audio player, David Spade did a nice job. One of my favorite parts in the audio is when he shares a joke and he starts to laugh a bit, and I think he cracked himself up. That was fun and it made the experience feel all the more real, like David was just chatting about his life.

Overall I found this audio book to be engaging. I really enjoyed the back stage pass to SNL and everything it takes to get on stage and continue to be on stage. As a fan of Chris Farley’s work, I enjoyed listening to David’s friendship with Chris and how they kidded around together. David does a great impression of Farley. I especially found interesting how David got him start and how hard it was to break into the “funny” crowd.

I can see now why it was nominated for an Audie Award. I have new insight and respect for David Spade having listened to this audio book.

Listening Length: 6 hours and 32 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: HarperAudio
Audible.com Release Date: October 27, 2015

Saturday Snapshot…. In The Right Place At A Sad Time… Prince

Published on April 23, 2016April 23, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

On Thursday of this last week, a few friends and I had tickets to the Amy Schumer comedy show in Minneapolis Minnesota. For myself, this was a big move as I have become a sort of hermit this past year, I can go out and do things but I like to come home afterwards and this was an overnight event.

EEP.

Before I left town Thursday afternoon for the show a friend of mine had text me…

Prince died!

Having lived in Minnesota all of my life and growing up around Prince’s music it was a shocking message. I started trying to do the math in my head… how much older was Prince than myself? I could not recall if he was old, or had health issues, I honestly had not followed his career in probably a decade.

That afternoon I picked up my friend Amy and we drove the 2+ hours into Minneapolis. We had a nice dinner before the comedy show and as everything was very close to our hotel, we walked to the event. I did not realize as we were walking that we would be so close to the bar where Prince received his first big break, 1st Avenue. While Farrah had mentioned that maybe after the comedy show we stop by that bar, I thought we would have to take a taxi there.

We went around a corner and this was the scene:

I was amazed. It was around 8:15 pm and this was the crowds in the street in from of the First Avenue bar. The venue we were going to was actually on the same block, putting these crowds right outside the venue we would be at. First Avenue had received permission from the city to have an all night dance party for Prince.

We went into the show and enjoyed Amy Schumer’s humor. We were not allowed to take any pictures at the event so unfortunately, you just have to take my word for it. I was there. 🙂 She hits a few hot button topics, which unfortunately caused two front row attendees to be removed from the show for rude comments. That – was something I had never seen before.

After the show, we stepped outside the venue into this:

Helicopters were flying overhead filming the crowd, police and security were working to keep everything under control. We made an attempt to go into the bar, but there would be none of that. The crowd as you can see was immense and I spoke to a few people leaving the masses and they said they had been waiting outside the bar for over two hours. I made the suggestion that we all go back to the hotel and sleep until 4 and then come back then. Of course, by the time that we went to the hotel and sat around talking until after 1:00 am…. 4 am…. was not going to happen. We were all exhausted and I thought what would I do at the bar at 4 am… I really just wanted to step into it and look around, I had never been in it.

Instead, we woke up at about 6:30 and Amy and I grabbed some coffee and walked down to First Avenue bar to see if we could see anything at the time of the morning. Some of the signs at different venues had been changed…

The bar was closed, there were about twenty people coming and going to stop and pay their respects at the memorial that had sprung up in the last 20 hours.

It was a bitter sweet experience. It was a wonderful time hanging out with the girls catching up, talking, the show…. and even getting out of town and out of my own head for a night. Seeing the Prince memorial and being among the crowds of people mourning his loss and celebrating his life was priceless. It was a moment of history in the making and I was right there in it. Once again a reminder of how fragile life is and how each moment should be lived out as much as possible with no regrets.

Thank you for the music, the memories, for your originality, for allowing Minnesota to be your home. Sleep well sweet Prince.

~Sheila

This is my post for Saturday Snapshot this week.

I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out – True Stories Of Becoming A Nurse by Lee Gutkind, Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

Published on April 20, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

A collection of true narratives from nurses and their careers. From their first birth, to their first death – to what they deal with as well as what they see on a day-to-day basis. Stories that are at times life changing, overstepping boundaries with an AIDS patient, and the nurse who was the only one who showed up at the funeral of one of her patients.

So this particular listen is both right up my alley – and not. I do enjoy a good non fiction read. At the same time I knew this one would be a bit touchy for me on a personal level and I was nervous going into this listen. While there were moments that hit a little too close to home, this audio was not only doable – but interesting.

This book of short personal stories of these nurses is both enlightening and heartbreaking. Yes there were moments for me that were harder to listen to than others. I suspect that would be the case for many in such a read. When talking about the different things that nurses do and the types of patients they encounter, I suspect it is easy to touch the reader/listener personally in many ways.

Adding to the mix is of course the narration of Tania Gilbert, who I have enjoyed listening to many times and this book was no exception. Her diversity in the stories is once again a powerful performance and a narrator I always smile abut when I see her name on audio books I wish to listen to.

My overall thoughts are that this is an interesting listen and while I am probably not the best audience for this, I am still glad I had a chance to experience it and get a little insight to what it is really like to live out your career as a nurse.

Tavia Gilbert, narrator of I Wasn’t Strong Like This Before is nominated for an Audie Award.

Written by: Lee Gutkind
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:08-04-15
Publisher: Tantor Audio

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman narrated by George Newbern (Recommended by Bookies Book Club)

Published on April 19, 2016April 18, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments

Ove is the kind of man most tend to avoid. He is 59 years old and retired. He likes things the way he likes them and that is all. He is a rule follower. He doesn’t understand people who just can’t mind their own business and for Gods sake.. follow the basic rules. Most refer to him as a crabby old man and worth avoiding but Ove could care less. Is he supposed to plaster a stupid smile on his face and pretend that the local idiots are ok? Ove doesn’t think so.

Then one day new neighbors move in and in the princess of doing so they hit Ove’s mailbox because clearly they have no idea how to back up a U-Haul. Seriously? And they are chatty… this family of “The Pregnant One”, the “Lanky One” and their two little ones. What Ove does not expect is how much this family will turn his world around… in surprising ways for all involved.

A Man Called Ove was our book club pick for April. Having just come off a not-so-delightful read, A Man Called Ove sounded lighthearted and funny and who doesn’t like that? For myself, I listened to it on audio and enjoyed the narration of George Newbern, a narrator to keep an eye (or ear?) on as he has narrated several audio books I have thoroughly enjoyed. While I enjoyed this book, and occasionally smiled at the things that Ove would say or do, it was not the funny award-winning read that I had hoped for. This could be because I may not have been fully engaged when listening to the audio, or it may just not have lived up the hype that I was expecting and that in a nut shell is the problem with hype. 🙂 It may have been better not knowing any opinions on the book prior to listening.

My book club, The Bookies, all read the book version. There was great discussion over the different themes that flow through this book: depression, self-worth, relationships at all levels, the importance of community… listening to them share about the book I almost wish I would have read it just for the fact that I think that I may have not been in the right frame of mind for such an audio and missed some things by listening instead of reading in this particular case.

Over all the bookies rated this one in the high 4’s to 5 on our scale of 1-5 on book ratings. They enjoyed Ove very much and we all discussed the Ove’s we have in our own life. I actually came in at the lowest rating of a 3, which is not bad. I found it to be an average read, good but not over the top great. Perhaps this is one I need to someday read again.

If you read my morning post you seen all the delightful food we had centered around this book. We tried a few Swedish recipes. I made a sausage and potato hot dish as Ove liked to eat that dish every day. Oh… Ove. 🙂

Why A Man Called Ove makes for a good book club book:

The book lends itself to many topics that are discussion worthy…. relationships, generations, suicide, depression, aging…

As I mentioned, most of us know an “Ove”, someone set in their ways and see things as black and white and never gray. Talk about your “Ove”. How do you relate to this person? Do you see underneath the hard structure?

The Swedish background allows for some creative food to go with your discussion. There is a lot of food and drink mentioned within this book and experiencing this as a group is fun.

Several movies come to mind when you are discussing AMCO. Consider watching one of these movies with your book group… Grumpy Old Men, Gran Torino, About Schmidt, As Good As It Gets…

Listening Length: 9 hours and 9 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
Audible.com Release Date: August 5, 2014

Morning Meanderings… A Man Called…..

Published on April 19, 2016April 18, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments

I am sitting here this morning with COFFEE CUP in hand contemplating the amazing way people intertwine in your life, weaving their way through certain parts of our lives.. filling a spot here, covering a need there…. conversations, and meet ups, and plans, and hang outs, and reaching into each other lives….

wow.

Last week was book club and that usually puts me in this place I am now. Amazed at how people connect and what brings them together. I adore my book club. I adore the mix of personalities that become more and more vibrant as the years go on. The discussions and even just sitting back and watching how everyone interacts with one another. At one time we were just a random group of girls who liked to read. Together… we are magical.

Our review was for A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman.

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations. ~Goodreads

We utilized our library’s Book Club In A Bag program and I chose to listen to it on audio. More on the book itself in a post coming up. The book was originally written in Sweden and is set in Sweden. Our group had a wonderful time with the Swedish themed food for this review…Swedish Meat Balls, Swedish fish, Persian cookies like those in the book, and even a swedish style cake.

A+ for creativity Bookies book club! I will say this, A Man Called Ove definitely brings out some good themes for discussing. Seems like everyone has an “Ove” in their life. 😉

No One Knows by J T Ellison (Otherwise Known As Gone Boy ;) )

Published on April 18, 2016April 18, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

It has been five years since Aubrey’s husband disappeared. Five long years of wondering what happened that night at the bachelor party when Josh was going to meet Aubrey in the bar and never showed up. There were signs that pointed to the real possibility of Josh being murdered, but why? Josh was one of the good guys, working hard to provide a wonderful life for himself and Aubrey, always doing the right thing. Five years have gone by and the state of Tennessee has declared Josh officially dead. Aubrey can now move on.

Right?

Much like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, what draws me to this kind of read the world (and I) may never know. I was at first drawn to the cover… seriously….look at it. It’s beautiful. Mysterious. I wanted to know more. Then the synopsis… what happened? How do you just disappear?

No One Knows gave me the happy vibes of Gone Girl, except in this case… it is Gone Boy. Josh is gone, and through a series of flash backs you learn a lot about both Josh and Aubrey as they grew up, what their lives were like, how they met, and what they were like as a couple. Carefully woven together with a whip smart pen, author J T Ellison creates mysteries woven within mysteries… a bread crumb trail of clues leading up to what really did happen the day that Josh was gone.

I listened to this on audio, narrated by Terri Schnaubelt and Nich Podehl who together, grasp the emotional wave of this book firmly and they do not let the listener go until the end. Well read.

I really enjoyed this listen. Nothing was predictable and I had moments of “Wait! WHAT?” as everything comes to a thrilling close…..

Listening Length: 12 hours and 9 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Audible.com Release Date: March 22, 2016

Afternoon Meanderings…. A Thousand Words

Published on April 17, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

I am…

still here.

As April made its way into the year I knew I would slow down to get through the one year anniversary, I didn’t realize just how inactive I would become. Every day I plan to write something here, (I write brilliantly in my mind 🙂 ) and then I don’t know where the day goes. I do small projects around the house… I do work on line…a few meetings…. a few meet ups… but for the most part I have remained home and quiet and thinking a lot about what my next step is.

A few nights ago I watched the movie A Thousand Words with Eddy Murphy in it. You know the one, it is where he is an excessive talker, never really connecting with his family, etc. just talking his was through everything until one day he discovers he only has a thousand words left…. well here.. this will explain it better:

This move was one of the free ones I could pick up off of our TV and while I felt the movie looked simple, I figured I could watch it while I finished a few projects on my laptop.

Yes the movie was predictable, however I did walk away with something. The message that spoke to me loud and clear is that we do not know when we will hit our last one thousand words. You never know when a conversation you have will be the last one. I found this movie to not only bring me to tears, but to just remind me how important it is that we choose our words kindly…. not just wisely. Our attitudes, voices, responses, can change lives… words, as readers, we know are powerful.

Ok…. maybe I took the whole movie a little more seriously than the common viewer. But that is my take away and with that, I suggest you watch the movie too.

It is sunny in Minnesota today. I am cleaning the kitchen, making chicken chili, listening to audio, and hopefully catching up on reviews.

Say something or do something kind for someone today. Try to show them you care without words…

sometimes…

that just means listening.

Happy Sunday.

Morning Meanderings… Visiting My Book Room

Published on April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)34 Comments

Good morning.

Saturday’s have always been my favorite day of the week. They are the official break from the work week and not thinking about work the next day. This one will be fairly mellow and I am thankful for because as spring approaches, and I look at my agenda… Saturdays tend to fill up.

This past week I spent some time in the book room. My friend Amy and I sorted books in it on Monday and on Monday evening I had a few friends over where we sat in and talked and had a glass of wine.

I believe that room carries all aspects of my personality from the antique claw foot table that we rescued out of a demolition home, to the variety of books and audio books on the shelves, cozy comfy chairs, pictures and sayings on the walls, and gifts from Justin (my recovered Wizard of OZ, my favorite wine glass with a JK Rowling quote, and my set of new covers Harry Potter books.) The room… is me.

If you were to visit, this is where we would sit having coffee (or wine depending on the time and occasion). We would talk books and life and dreams…. and wishes too.

For todays Saturday Snapshot I bring to you, my favorite room in my home…. the book room…. depending on the day it is called The Rabbit Room, The Reading Room, and my friends fondly call it the Womb Room….. someday I will find the perfect name for it… probably out of a book.

Happy Saturday all. A friend in popping over this morning and we are driving to Crosslake MN for a meeting about camp this year. After my return, Al and I will have our usual Saturday late afternoon get together where we will go and do something, then back home to dinner and maybe a movie.

Fool Me Once By Harlan Coben Narrated by January Lavoy

Published on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

As a one time Special Ops Pilot, Maya is doing the best she can since the brutal murder of her husband Joe two weeks prior. When a friend offers her a nanny cam disguised as a digital photo frame to keep an eye on her 2-year-old daughter to help Maya’s peace of mind, Maya feels it is unnecessary but accepts the gift. When Maya watches the recording on the cam one day she sees something that sends chills through her bones…. she sees her daughter playing and laughing with a man; but not just any man. She sees her daughter playing with her deceased husband.

I am a big fan of Harlan Coben and have read every book he has written. I was so excited to see Fool Me Once as I was scrolling through audio books to choose from. Harlan is always good for a thriller that is never over the top and has always left me waiting for the next one.

I enjoyed Fool Me Once, narrated by January Lavoy who I have enjoyed listening to before. Her amazing voice at moments made she smile, she has such a grasp on what the story is and takes such ownership in it you can hear the moments of panic, fear, and joy in the characters.

Once again I applaud Harlan Coben for creating a great thriller that had me guessing to the end, and still shocked me.

What’s next Harlan? What is next?