It Happened in Italy by Elizabeth Bettina

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

One woman’s discovery—and the incredible, unexpected journey it takes her on—of how her grandparent’s small it happened in italyvillage of Campagna, Italy, helped save Jews during the Holocaust.

Take a journey with Elizabeth Bettina as she discovers much to her surprise, that her grandparent’s small village, nestled in the heart of southern Italy, housed an internment camp for Jews during the Holocaust, and that it was far from the only one. Follow her discovery of survivors and their stories of gratitude to Italy and its people. Explore the little known details of how members of the Catholic church assisted and helped shelter Jews in Italy during World War II.

This review book was sent to me by Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers.  I was delighted to receive this book that is beautiful both inside and out.  I have read several books about the Holocaust and was please to have the opportunity to read this one.  The book, as in the description, is filled with Elizabeth’s own journeys as she meets Walter Wolff, a Holocaust survivor who holds an incredible truth of how he and many other Jewish people were saved from the horrors thanks to the people of Italy.

Walter is only the beginning, as Elizabeth unfolds this well written story she meets others who were also part of this group.  Her amazing spirit and never give up attitude keep this book flowing at a great pace.  I found myself anxious to see what was on each page as Elizabeth has filled it with documents of her research as well as many pictures of the time of the Holocaust.

I could envision Elizabeth’s comparison of Campagna to the area the Von Trap’s traveled when escaping in the Sound of Music.  Reading this gave me a whole new understanding to this movie and I may need to rent it again  for this reason.

This is a book that stays with you long after the final page is read.  Elizabeth Bettina has captured an amazing piece of history that I for one, will hold onto deep within my heart.

You are Invited to my Blogoversary Party!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Clipart Illustration of a Bunch Of Floating Party Balloons With

First things first…. if you look at my Blogoversary countdown you may be confused….  we are no where near by blogoversary date!  HOWEVER – this Wednesday is my Blogoversary, as it is the date I started blogging on my original blog, Straight On Through.  What is fun about this is that the book blog was actually an after thought almost a year later, and it was more for me… to keep track of what I have read.  Interestingly enough, my very first real post (other than the “Here we Go” post)  on Straight on Through… was about books:  see the first post here

(OH….. FYI:  I f I would have known when I started this blog where it would go, I would have never made the title so long….  LOL)

What is exciting about all this is that this blog is now where I spend most of my time and I can not believe it took me so long to get going on it.  I am actually fairly new to the reviewing for authors and publishers but loving every minute of it so it only makes sense that the celebration will take place here on One Persons’s Journey Through a World of Books.

At this party – you are the special guests.  After all, you are who make my blog what it is.  I love the friendships I have built with other bloggers, and with people all over the country who stop in to see the reviews, the giveaways or just the insanity of my day to day life.  I want to honor you.

So here is what you need to know – I am hosting a HUGE Giveaway package on Wednesday the Blogoversary date.  Important to know – this giveaway will only take place during the 24 hours on my actual Blogoversary.  I will put the giveaway up at midnight (or 12:01 a.m.) central time on Wednesday, you have from then, 24 hours to stop on it and sign up for the giveaway.  That’s it.  Easy enough.  I hope you can come.  Please feel free to invite your friends, the more the merrier.

Thank you for all your past comments and future ones.  I love reading every one of them and love visiting other blogs to see what they are reading and doing as well.

Pride and Predjudice (Movie) Austen Challenge – “Tastes Like Chicken”

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

I know that is a strange header for this review – but I find it appropriate.  You know how when peoplepride try to get you eat something new they say “it tastes like chicken?”

Well… I really like chicken.  Pride and Prejudice was trying something new.  I liked it very much.

I watched this movie as part of the Austen Challenge put on by Stephanie’s Written Word. Up to this point, I have not read or watched anything Jane Austen.  Even to me that seems odd as a reader for as long as I could well… read.  It’s not that I haven’t wanted to – I have Emma, and Pride and Prejudice on my book shelf.  It just seems that there is always something new and exciting to read and I guess I just never made it to them.  The Challenge for me is a good thing.

The movie was good and made me reach fpr the book off my shelf.  Maybe now it is time to dig into a little Austen…

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

This book was put on my “to do” list when I read the post over at My Friend Amy’s, promoting this nothing but ghostsbook and setting a challenge up for us fellow bloggers to purchase this book and read it.  I thought it was great to see an author promoted so well and after reading about the book, jumped up the literary band wagon and purchased the book.  I jumped in as I tend to do…. not knowing a ton about the author or the book, but to support the cause… in other words, cannon ball style, not dipping a toe…..

I was in for a treat….

Grief and all its anguish is at the heart of this story. Reeling from her mother’s death, Katie, 16, takes a summer job on a nearby wealthy estate as part of a work crew constructing a gazebo. As she bonds with her fellow teen worker, Danny, she stumbles across secrets about the beautiful, rich recluse who lives in the big house. Why has wacky Miss Martine not been seen for over 50 years? Is the hole that they’re digging really for the gazebo? With the help of the glamorous town librarian (yes, glamorous), Katie and Danny research local lore in newspaper files and microfilm. The connections between solving the mystery and Katie’s bereavement struggle are sometimes overstated. Her first-person present-tense narrative is clear and lyrical, though,especially in her portrayal of her genius dad, an artist who asks, “How do you paint regret?” and in her discovery that “beauty and sadness can both live in one place.”

Today I took this book out to the deck with me and while enjoying ice tea on a beautiful Saturday morning and a wee bit of the afternoon, I read this book.

I found Beth’s writing to be wonderful and detailed.  I enjoyed the flash backs of Katie’s mom and even though she was a character who had passed on, her presence in this book is sensed as well as felt,  and I think appropriately so.   I could imagine the pain of Katie losing her mother at such a tender age, yet trying to be strong for herself as well as her dad – as her dad was for her.  Having lost my mom, this book flow ed through some of my own recollections of saying “good night” into the darkness and praying that she could hear.

The mystery of Miss Martine in the book is actually a salvation for Katie and her dad.  While going about doing what they do, they stumble blindly into something that not only brings them fully into the situation… but binds them together.  As the book ends I had a sense of good things to come.  The book left me feeling that they would be alright, that doors were opening to a future that in the final chapter as they all sit around the dinner table… I can almost invision.

This book is categorized as Young Adult and I can see this being enjoyed by that age group.  I certainly enjoyed the read and I will be looking for more from Beth Kephart in the future.  Readers, I recommend you spend some time this summer with Nothing But Ghosts.

In honor of the book, I am making chicken and spaghetti squash for dinner. YUM ♥

CONTEST GOING ON FOR BOOK SALES OF THIS BOOK AT MY FRIEND AMY’S…

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST OF PRIZES AND CONTEST DETAILS!!!

See Amy’s Review Here

Beth Kephart’s Website

Happy 4th of July and Giveaway Promotion

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!

summer beach bag books giveaway

The sun is shining here in Brainerd Minnesota and looks as though it will turn out to be a beautiful day!  I am planning to take a bike ride and maybe go hang out in one of the near by small towns and browse shops with my husband.  I may take my camera and shoot a couple picks as well.

This morning I wanted to remind everyone that Bookin With Bingo has a great Summer Beach Bag giveaway.  Be sure to stop by and sign up to win that great package, contest ends July 17.

For more giveaways be sure to click on my giveaway tab at the top of the page.  This will list all the giveaways here as well as great giveways going on at other book sites.  Click on the links to take you to the page of each giveaway.

I will be announcing my Blogeversary Giveaway Party details Sunday evening so be sure to stop back and get the details on a huge giveaway for you.

Have a super incredible 4th of July all over the world!


Freebie Friday: Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)40 Comments

keeping faith

Congratulations to:

Jamie from For The Love of All That is Written

Please email me your shipping info and this little treasure will be on its way to you!

In honor of Jodi Picoult’s book My Sisters Keeper being released this week as a movie, I thought I would offer a Picoult book.  I have a new oversized paperback copy of Keeping Faith for this weeks giveaway.

When the marriage of Mariah White and her cheating husband, Colin, turns ugly and disintegrates, their seven-year-old daughter, Faith, is there to witness it all. In the aftermath of a rapid divorce, Mariah falls into a deep depression—and suddenly Faith, a child with no religious background whatsoever, hears divine voices, starts reciting biblical passages, and develops stigmata. And when the miraculous healings begin, mother and daughter are thrust into the volatile center of controversy and into the heat of a custody battle—trapped in a mad media circus that threatens what little stability the family has left.

To enter,

1.  Place a comment here with your favorite Picoult book that you have read (if you have read her)

2.  Earn an additional chance to win by blogging about this contest on your blog or Twitter

Winner will be announced next Friday July 10.  You must be in the US and no p.o. box numbers.

Have fun and have a safe and happy 4th of July!

My Sisters Keeper – The Movie

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

This afternoon I was able to  see the movie version of Jodi Piccoult’s My Sisters sisKeeper (see my 2006 review of the book here)

I was excited to see it as this was my first Jodi Piccoult read that knocked my socks off at what an amazing author she is.  I was also, as with any book to movie… a little cautious.  We tend to love our books and can take changes a bit personally.

The movie… I really enjoyed it.  I found it heart achingly beautiful and if not for having read the book previously I probably would have come out of the theater feeling blissfully satisfied.  Without giving too much away, I will just point a couple things that didn’t need to change (book to movie) but did…

1.  The brother character of Jesse was deeply troubled in the book and with due cause as all the families attention went continuously to the care of Kate.  In the movie they touch on this slightly, but make him more of a caring and overwhelmed brother.

2.  Of course the changing of the ending.  I actually only heard that it was different yesterday from a friend.  And yes, it was a different ending and while it worked, I believe the book ending is far better.

movie sisters keeperI was curious as to what Jodi Piccoult thought of this rather big change to her book so I looked on line and found this statement written by her:

TO ALL MY FABULOUS FANS WHO’VE SEEN THE MOVIE:

“Yes, I know the ending is different. Yes, I know some of you are very upset. I didn’t change it. The author has no control over the movie, and it was hard for me to accept too. However, there’s a great deal in the movie that I think is great, and I enjoyed watching it – and I hope you did too. Please don’t email me asking me why I changed the ending, or “let” Hollywood do that – it wasn’t something I had any control over.”  ~ Jodi Piccoult

Final thoughts:  The movie captured the story line well, I had many of the same emotions as I had when I first read the book – from at first disliking the mother and finding her impossibly cruel, to moving toward compassion when you start to see the bigger picture of a mothers heart.  I cried like a baby through many parts of the movie.  I think seeing it was more emotional for me than reading it.

Morning Meanderings….

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment

I actually did not have to travel any farther than my email to find coffeesa great book review.  Melissa from  Reminder List emailed me with a book that she was excited about and asking about the Guest Blogger Spot.

I had a tiny window this morning before I boogied out the door but quickly checked out the review and loved it.  As my morning went on, I kept thinking about the book, the review, and Melissa’s passion to promote it.

The book is Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo.  later today I will add this full review to my Guest Blogger Tab.  In the mean time, help yourself to a cup of coffee and read this great review.