Monday Mind Game… What is your “indulgent book?”

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

Come on…. you know you have one.  What is that one book that you have loved so much, that you take it and read it once every year or two.  The one that going back and revisiting the great characters makes you feel a part of their world.

Maybe you display in proudly.  Maybe.  Maybe you can’t believe you keep reading it over and over when there are so many books out there begging – crying even, to be read…. yet this one calls you so you have it hidden like a bag of Milano Cookies.  milano better one

So here is mine.  It is actually three books.  It is the Three Sisters Trilogy by Nora Roberts. These books, Dance Upon The Air, Heaven and Earth, and Face The Fire are the books I turn to again and again.  If I find extra copies at sales I always pick them up to give to friends because to me – they are MUST READS.  For the record, I am not a Nora Roberts fan…. yet these three books are nothing like I feel she has written before.

There.  I said it out loud.  What a relief.  What a weight lifted off my shoulders.  Thanks for listening.  So come on…. what’s yours?

Leave your comment here and I will enter you  into a random drawing for a new copy of Dance Upon The Air (the first book in the trilogy) (US addresses only please and no po box #’s) Contest ends on Monday July 6th.

Blog about this on your blog and link it back to this contest…. I will give you an extra vote.  So come on…. spill it.  🙂

Sundown Sunday Mail Review….

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

I love Sunday evenings.  We usually have nothing on the agenda, an easy dinner and during the mailbox loveseason, Amazing Race is our traditional Sunday evening pastime.  However, it is Summer and now Al watches TV in the evenings and I would rather read or catch up on emails.

Today I start a new weekly tradition and that is to review what I have received this past week in the mailbox.  Let’s see what we got….

hearts desireMy Hearts Desire by Mary Singer Wick (When I review this book I will have an author review with Mary as well)


circle of soulsCircle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi (I hope to have an authors review with Preetham as well)


Desperate HighwaysDesperate Highways by Jesse Stretch (this is already on its way to becoming a best seller!)

To be reviewed….. in the meantime you can click on any of the links or pictures to find out more about the books or purchase one for yourself.


Happy Sunday everyone!


Night Gardener by George Pelecanos

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

When the body of a local teenager is found in a community garden, detective Gus Ramone relives Night Gardenerintense memories of a twenty-year old case. Back when he was a rookie, Ramone and his partner “Doc” Holiday assisted legendary detective T.C. Cook in the investigation of a series of murders involving young victims. The killer, dubbed the “Night Gardener”, was never caught.

The fierce sense of anger, regret, and purpose that once burned among these three men comes rushing back as they race to vanquish the monster who has stalked their dreams. For Cook, now retired, it means solving one of the few cases that eluded him. For Holiday, whose career as a cop was derailed, it’s one last chance to redeem himself. For Ramone, catching the killer means not only doing his job but knowing that his own teenage son, who is a friend of the dead boy, won’t be the next victim.

This was my first Pelecanos book and I really found that he knows how to create characters.  Not only were the characters vivid, life like people who you could picture living in your neighborhood, but Pelecanos created great backgrounds for them as well – so you didn’t just know them as they were today – but how they used to be as well as their families.  As each important character unfolded, I felt I really had a clear picture of who they were, well, as clean as you can have in a murder mystery….  (just when you think you know someone…)

The story line revolves around a 20 year old murder case and the three cops who were involved.  This book brings the three back to together on a current murder case that seems to have the same feel as the one from all those years ago that never was solved.  While the story line was great – I found it took a long time for the three police to get together.  Almost two thirds of the way through the book.

I enjoyed Gus Ramone’s character and family.  As a central character he made the book for me.  I enjoyed his scenes with his family and his dealings with his children and the troubles at school.

The ending – without giving anything away.  Is well done and I applaud Pelecanos for this writing.  I was pleased to find that the book ended with a great closing that sometimes, often times, is missed in many good reads.

A great book for the fans of crime and action stories.

*Note – strong language in some parts of the book

Don’t forget there is a giveway offer for 5 copies of this book!  Contest is listed here:  Giveaway for The Night Gardener.  This giveaway ends the 30th of June so sign up today!  🙂

And the Nominees Are….

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Humanity AwardA special thank you to Eleni who awarded me my first ever Blog Award.  I think that is awesome!  Now in turn, I am to nominate 10 Blogs out there that fall under this criteria:

The Humane Award is in order to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world.”

Bloggers who I have nominated:  (The envelope please)

1.  Lori at Book Story

2.  Vicki at Reading at The Beach

3.  Natalie at The Book Inn

4.  Ella at The Clock Monkey

5.  Bev at Merry Weather

6.  Sumthinblue at Bookmarks

7.  Esme at Chocolate and Croissants

8.  Hilarie at Never Not Reading

9.  Natasha at Maw Books Blog

10.  Eleni at LA FEMME READERS (you may have created this award, but I choose to nominate you as well as being one of my blog “cheerleaders”.  I really appreciate that!)

♥Whoever has been nominated please pass this award on to those they feel deserve the Humane Award. ♥

My Very First Blog Award!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

I am so excited right now!  I just logged in to find I have a blog award!  This is so incredibly cool!  Humanity Award

My blogging friend Eleni at LA FEMME READERS says this:

“I made the Humane Award in order to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world.”

I am honored!  Thank you!  I will pass it on!

Giveaway! Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)40 Comments

Now this one looks like fun!  Thank you to Anna Balasi and Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to review this Julia ad Juliebook as well as offer 5 copies for giveaway!

Julie & Julia, the bestselling memoir that’s “irresistible….A kind of Bridget Jones meets The French Chef” (Philadelphia Inquirer), is now a major motion picture. Julie Powell, nearing thirty and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, resolves to reclaim her life by cooking in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her unexpected reward: not just a newfound respect for calves’ livers and aspic, but a new life-lived with gusto. The film version is written and directed by Nora Ephron and stars Amy Adams as Julie and Meryl Streep as Julia.

1. Post here with a comment of what the worst job you ever had was.

2. For a second chance to win, please post this contest to your blog and post a link to it for me to see.

3. For a third chance to win post this contest on twitter or to your blog with a comment back here to the link

Contest will run through July 15th. The winners are chosen by using random.com. I will post the 5 winners here as well as email you for your mailing information. The books will come from the publisher. Please US entries only and no po boxes.

Thanks as always for stopping by! :)


Giveaway: The Imposter’s Daughter by Laurie Sandell

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

Imposters daughterThank you to Anna Balasi and Hachette Book Group for a review copy of this book and 5 to give away!

Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities . Later, she lucks into the perfect job–interviewing celebrities for a top women’s magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad’s life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he’s not the man he says he is–not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them–herself.

This book is not yet released and is not available in stores until July 29.   Author Laurie Sandell is a contributing editor at Glamour, where she writes cover stories, features, and personal essays. She has also written for Esquire, GQ, New York and In Style, among others. In her twenties, she spent four years traveling around the world, having unsavory experiences she later justified as “material.”

To enter to win one of these books:

1. Post here with a comment of what your dad was like when you were growing up.

2. For a second chance to win, please post this contest to your blog and post a link to it for me to see.

3. For a third chance to win post this contest on twitter or to your blog with a comment back here to the link

Contest will run through July 15 th. The winners are chosen by using random.com. I will post the 5 winners here as well as email you for your mailing information. The books will come from the publisher. Please US entries only and no po boxes.

Thanks as always for stopping by! :)

Freebie Friday: Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

**  WE  HAVE  A  WINNER!!!  **

Congratulations to Barbara Davis from The Serenity Gate

Using Random.org, the number of her post was drawn for this book.

Thank you as always to everyone and stay tuned for the next Freebie Friday … there is one always going on!

Late posting on this giveaway…. I had a C R A Z Y busy day and well, the day just got away from me.  I water foram excited though, at even this evening hour to come through with a great Freebie Friday.  I have a NEW copy of Water For Elephants that needs to find its way into a book lovers hands.  This could be your lucky day!

We recently read this book for my book club and when it was chosen I had forgotten I had already had it waiting patiently on my book shelf to be read for some time.  I went out to our local book store and bought a new copy, and didnt even notice until this last week that the new copy was sitting on my desk and I had read the one I had all along for the book review.  “Sigh”…. true confessions of a Book Addict….

HOWEVER…. my error is your gain!  This book is an incredible read, just check out my review of Water For Elephants and you will see what a delightful book it is!

Anyway – here is how to earn yourself chances to win this beautiful book:

1.  Comment here with your favorite read about an animal.

2.  Earn a bonus chance to win by posting a comment on any of my other book reviews (up to 2 extra points for 2 comments on different posts)

3.  Post a link to this on Twitter and/or post this giveaway on your blog and then come back and let me know the link to this giveaway.

There you have it – up to 4 chances per person!   This giveaway is over at midnight on July 3.  US addresses only and no PO boxes.  I will post the winning name here and email the winner for mailing info.

Thanks as always for coming by!  Good luck!

Audio Book Giveaway: How Successful People Think by John C Maxwell

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Thank you to Anna Balasi and Hachette Audio Books for allowing me to review this audio book as well as to offer chances for a giveaway of this to three lucky winners!

The perfect, compact listen for today’s fast-paced world, How Successful People Think (derived from Maxwell’s previous book, Thinking for a Change) will teach listeners the 11 secrets successful people know. Arranged in an easy-to-follow format, America’s leadership expert, John C. Maxwell, will teach listeners how to expand their thinking and achieve their dreams.

Here is how to receive chances to win this audio book:

1. Post here with a comment of what you would call good advice.

2. For a second chance to win, please post this contest to your blog and post a link to it for me to see.

3. For a third chance to win, Follow me on Twitter!

Contest will run through July 13th. The winners are chosen by using random.com. I will post the 5 winners here as well as email you for your mailing information. The books will come from the publisher. Please US entries only and no po boxes.

Thanks as always for stopping by! :)

Listen to an excerpt.