Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

I found this one… relatable ~Sheila

Tova Sullivan, now in her 70s, has been the evening cleaning woman at Sowell Bay Aquarium for the past two years. A widow as well as having lost her 18-year-old son thirty years ago when he disappeared from his boat, Tova’s coping mechanism of choice is to keep her mind busy.
While the aquarium at night is not all that exciting, Tova finds herself becoming more and more interested in Marcellus, the Giant Pacific Octopus, whom she has caught more than once attempting (and succeeding) to get out of his tank during the night hours.

No one would ever imagine exactly how smart Marcellus is, but Marcellus knows things… he knows how to read people. He may be old, but he is whip smart and picks up on Tova’s heartache and the chapters in her life she can not quite close with so many unanswered questions. As Marcellus pieces together what happened to Tova’s son, he must use every skill he has to unearth the truth before it is too late.

“Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.” – Remarkably Bright Creatures”
— Shelby Van Pelt

Honestly, I dragged my feet on this one.
While fellow readers shared over the past few years how amazing this book was, I could not wrap my head around a talking octopus… and was not sure how much suspended belief I could pour into a book like this.

I know I know… me? The Queen of Imagination and What Ifs, struggling with what I thought the book was going to be like. Believe me – I’m disappointed in myself too.

FINALLY… while looking for that next read/fix, I decided to give it a try. So glad I did…. for naysayers such as myself in this particular instance – knock it off. It’s not so much that Marcellus is talking; it’s that we know his thoughts. It’s actually a brilliant idea by the author to write a book from this perspective.

While Marcellus is who we get to know first in the book, rightfully so, as you have to know Marcellus and his capabilities for the rest to fall into place, the book is also about Tova, and some of the other people we meet who work at the Aquarium.

I don’t want to say too much as this story unfolds beautifully in ways that are best discovered on your own. This book is worth all the praise you may have heard – READ IT or LISTEN to it ( the voice of Marcellus is fantastic!)
Netflix will have a film adaptation of this book coming in 2026 – but do not miss the experience of the book.

Rated: 4.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: No – this was her first book
Read Author Again: She is writing a second book around the same topic with other creatures, and I am interested
Who Should Read This: YOU! Anyone and everyone… It’s a beautiful story that I think touches us all a little differently, as there is so much in this book to reflect on
Book Club Worthy: Yes! Great topics, on love and loss, doors that open where we did not know doors existed, so so much….


It’s Monday, What Are You Reading and other Randomness

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

Hey all – Happy Monday! It was a nice weekend with friends and family… my class reunion, campfire, and yes – a little reading too. The It’s Monday What Are You Reading is hosted by Book Date.

Last Tuesday, our Book Club, the Bookies, met on a gorgeous evening by the lake to discuss Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It was a great discussion, and we had some great themed food!
Every October, we read a classic, and this year’s pick is The House of Seven Gables by Nathanial Hawthorne. Fun fact: In October of 2022, my friends, Cindy, Sara, Heidi, and I took a trip to Boston and, among other things, toured the House of Seven Gables in  Salem, Massachusetts. At the gift shop on the property, I picked up my copy of the book. (More on this when I read and write my review.)


I flew through Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt ( review will be up this week) and then, looking for my next audio to listen to while taking the dogs for a walk, I tried Charlie Sheen’s Memoir, The Book Of Sheen, and that lasted all of five minutes. What I was hoping for was to hear a telling of the movies he was in, having fond memories of first seeing Platoon, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ( small but funny role), Major League, Wall Street, Hot Shots, and of course, Two and A Half Men…
And, to be fair, maybe the book would have gotten there; however, the first five minutes that I would describe as crude were enough for me to decide that this probably wasn’t what I wanted to listen to.

If you do read/listen to this one, I’d love to hear what you thought 🙂
SO… That said, I moved on to What Lies In The Woods by Kate Alice Marshall, and so far am enjoying this.

In other random things… yesterday afternoon I cleaned up the last of my summer squash from my deck garden… I found a recipe for Roasted Zucchini with Feta and Dill Soup (cha-ching!!!) SO SO Good!

Here’s the gist of it:
Slice up 4 medium-sized summer squash (I had one giant one as well as 3 smaller, so I think I was over this amount, but I made a bigger pot)
Rough chop one yellow onion
4-8 peeled Garlic Cloves (I went 8, I LOVE Garlic! #notavampire)
I put all of this in a large bowl and tossed it with salt and pepper, olive oil, and then put it on a large cookie sheet to roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

When this was done, I added this in portions to my blender with Vegetable Broth – blending until smooth and then adding it to a large stove pot until I made it through all of it. The recipe called for 4 cups of Vegetable Broth, I used 6 because I believe I had more Squash than it called for 🙂

Once all this is in the pot, heat to a low simmer. Once simmering, add in one cup of Crumbled Feta, 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, and 1/2 cup of Plain Greek Yogurt or Whole Cream (I went with the cream because that is what I had at home).

Stir gently and let it continue to cook for 5 minutes at that same simmer, then add 2 tablespoons of fresh Dill or 1 tablespoon of dried Dill.
You can leave it like that, but I added in some cut-up rotisserie chicken for some added protein.

It was soooooo good! This made a big batch and we have plenty left over, in fact – thinking about it now, that may be lunch today! I will definitely make it again.

So that’s it! Tonight I am going to the Downton Abbey movie with friends… the week will be another full one – between work and wedding tastings I want to pack up the last of my garden for the year, maybe mow the lawn one more time before the mower is put away for the season, and listen to audio while doing so 🙂

Have a great week!

~Sheila

Sister Wife by Christine Brown Woolley

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments
I think I will call this one – the non-review ~ Sheila

Christine grew up with a family that practiced polygamy. She loved having a large family around her, and this desire carried on from childhood to adulthood when she dreamed of being a Sister Wife, sharing in daily duties and in each other’s children’s lives.

When Christine became the third wife of Kody Brown in 1994, she thought her dreams were coming true. She loved Kody and wanted to be a part of his growing family. When an opportunity came along years later to put the family on a new TV show, Sister Wives, Christine, as well as the other wives and Kody, all felt this would be a way to shed a positive light on polygamy – snuff out rumors and show that they truly were happy to live their lives in this way.

But spotlights tend to shine brighter lights on areas that are often in the shadows…

Christine, in this tell-all memoir, shares the story of her life, her upbringing, and her marriage to Kody and her relationships with the other wives, the 18 children, and the lies she told herself. Now separated from the Church as well as from Kody and the other wives, Christine shares the intimate details of what changed during the TV show, and when she realized she deserved better.

So here is where the un-review comes in. I learned a long time ago in my early days of reviewing that it is hard to review someone’s life story.
I have never watched an episode of Sister Wives.
I had no idea who Christine was until I found this book/audio
I had heard of the series, but had no idea it had been on for 19 seasons and is still on

That said, why did I choose this listen? It sounded interesting- going in, I did not put together that this was one of the Sister Wives for the show. While it was interesting to hear the dynamics of growing up in a polygamous world, Christine’s story is obviously just that – her story, and my giving an opinion on something I know little about doesn’t seem right.

I finished because I was in it, it wasn’t that long… and I was curious how she got out.
For those who watched the show, I imagine that this is a good add-on, as this may be more behind-the-scenes information (maybe?). Christine, from what I pick up here on what she says about the show and how she challenges others, seems to be the most outspoken of the wives, with a drive for something more. Not necessarily a bad thing 🙂

Mary Kay Andrews – Road Trip Cover Reveal

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Brand-new from New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews! The Queen of the Summer Read is back with her first novel in two years! Color me excited – I have been a long-time fan of her delightful books!

Maeve and Therese Dunigan are sisters—but the two have been estranged for years. They could not be more opposite: Maeve, a rule-follower and Therese, a rebel. But when their mother’s death brings the family back together, the two find that they have inherited a painting—one that could be worth millions and could save each of them from their respective wolves at the door. The only issue is the painting might be a fake and the only way they can solve the problem is to find the original. This means a road trip—to Ireland, to their family roots, and to a mysterious crime that occurred years ago. With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs, and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm. Can Maeve and Therese find the real painting, remove a family curse, solve a cold case, and actually survive without killing each other? Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles.

Have you read Mark Kay Andrews?

Save the date for another fun read! See more information here!

Bookies Bookclub – Hail Mary Review

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

On September 9th, our Bookies Book Club met at a lovely location to discuss our book selection, “Hail Mary” by Andy Weir.

This was a different selection for us, as, other than a few of us having read The Martian (also by Andy Weir), sci-fi would not typically be considered a go-to genre.
What came out of this discussion was what I had hoped for -while yes, the scientific formulas could be skip-worthy for those who read the book, and a little “spacing out” (pun intended) for those of us who went the audio route when the formulas were discussed, we came out of this discussion with an average rating of 4 out of 5 overall.. Some of us a higher and a few lower out of the 15 os us in attendance.
It was a fun evening of talking about Ryland, our protagonist, and his encounter with Rocky, our space buddy, and all the happenings before, after, and in between.

As always, we love to pull things from the book to enhance our discussion/experience. A great spread of a tasty fruit pizza, lasagna, dried pineapple (space worthy!), salad, and more – we also had a few things pulled from the pages of the book:

Day 1 Meal 1 package ( the space meals Ryland had each day) – Squeeze Yogurt Packets
Breakfast Burritos – Ryland’s last earth meal
Me Burgers – (LOL) – spoiler alert for those who have not read the book, so I will leave this one be
Space Suckers – cuz. Why not?

If discussing this book with a group, here are some questions that we enjoyed:

1) Stratt had a hard role to play – did you agree with how she did things? Did she have a choice?
2) Ryland’s career as a teacher serves him well. What are some of the skills he was able to bring to the mission due to his past?
3) The book is Sci-fi, but also more. What other genres could this be labeled as?
4) What lessons do Ryland and Rocky’s friendship teach us
5) With the back and forths in the book, present time, and memories of the past as Ryland pieces together how he got to where he is – did that flow well? Was it a good way to write this book?
6) There is a lot of HUMOR in the book and great quotes – are there any that made you laugh out loud, and if so, which ones?
7) Why did they name the ship Hail Mary?
8) Did the book grab you right away, or did it take a while?
9) What did you think of Ryland’s final choice? What would you have done?
10) Would you recommend this book to a friend?
11) If you enjoyed this book and have not read The Martian, would you do so now?
12) The Movie is coming in March 2026 – is this something you would go to?

My review: Hail Mary
My review: The Martian
My review: Artemis


Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Second time through this one and still – so so good and laugh out loud worthy ~Sheila

When Ryland Grace awakens, he has no idea where he is and, for that matter, who he is. All he knows is that he has been asleep for a long, long time.

As memories begin to return, he realizes he is on a spaceship, millions of miles from Earth… and in the company of two corpses – his flight mates that did not fare as well as he did.

Memories of earth and what got him here, as well as investigating the vessel that has been his home for 4 years, the fuzzy thoughts just out of reach start to clear… he is on a mission to find the answers to save earth from certain destruction… but he wasn’t meant to do it alone… and he is alone.

Or is he?



Holy all things giddy – I am so thrilled to have a chance to talk about this amazing book (in my case, audio). When this was selected last month as our Bookies Book Club read for September, I was looking forward to a review of this one that I had listened to years ago. While I remember I enjoyed it – I had forgotten how much.

The audio – the narration – the loads of funny moments and snarky comments…. absolutely a joy. Instead of feeling this was a do-over, it felt new… so much I had forgotten.

“Knock-knock-knock
No, that’s not creepy at all. Being in a spaceship twelve light-years from home and having someone knock on the door is totally normal.”
― Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary

“I pull the sheet off the bed and wrap it around my torso a couple of times. I pull one corner over my shoulder from behind my back and tie it to another from the front. Instant toga.

“Self-ambulation detected,” says the computer. “What’s your name?”
“I am Emperor Comatose. Kneel before me.”
“Incorrect.”
― Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary

You don’t need to be a fan of science fiction to enjoy this one – you bet there are scientific terms, but if I say science can be fun, believe me. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much listening to a book.

Hail Mary is set to be a movie coming March 2026. Ryan Gosling is playing Ryland, and I think that is a perfect choice. I will definitely be going to see this. Our Book Club is reviewing this tonight, and I will have another post of the fun food (I have some ideas!) and the discussion as well as their overall rating – stay tuned. 🙂

I recommend Hail Mary for everyone – an absolute delight, and if you are an audio person, I highly recommend that. AMAZE!!!!

Rated: 5 out of 5 – I was going to rate a little lower, but dang… I really enjoyed this
Read Author Before: Yes (The Martian – also a 5 out ot 5)
Read Author Again: I would! Bring it on, space boy!
Who Should Read This: Honestly, everyone… It’s refreshingly different, it’s fun and ummmm Ryan Gosling 😉

It’s Monday – What Are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments



So there’s a blast from the past. For those of you who have been here since the early days – you may be familiar with the Monday, What Are You Reading meme/series that was passed to me and then I passed to Kathryn at Book Date, who has loved on it and taken care of it ever since. 😀 It’s actually wild to see this still a thing. Love that!

I thought I’d give it a little twist, and do mine as a video to show you the books I am reading or planning to read soon – links below to the books and of course check out Book Date for the main post and links ot others to see what others are reading to put books on your radar as well.

Hail Mary – Andy Weir
Immortal Consequences by I V Marie
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
What Lies In The Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham

Happy Monday!
~Sheila

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

A little too much work ~ Sheila.

When Nick Radcliffe reaches out to Nina Swann, an old friend of her deceased husband, Nina is flattered by his kindness. Ash, Nina’s adult daughter, is not as easily impressed. There’s something a little too extra about Nick.

Martha and Alistair have a wonderful marriage and a sweet baby. But lately, Allistair seems to be distracted, his travelling for work is more often and longer days away. Everything seems legit, but Martha has a bad feeling…

Something is going on, and it involves both Nick and Alistair. While Nina and Martha see things differently in their relationships, Ash is going to keep digging… because there is more at stake here than meets the eye.

Even re-reading the synopsis on Goodreads now, I think, “It sounds so good!” But maybe it was just too much of a good idea.

What starts out as interesting, soon to me, became a little hard to follow as we switch timelines, points of view, back and forth and sideways….
I was listening to this one on audio and great narration… but for the storyline, I felt like I was always trying to catch up to what is happening and where we are now.
It was the ending that pulled it together (#kickass) and probably raised my overall thoughts on this one, but man, the getting there was harder than I wanted in a psychological thriller.

I have enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s book in the past (None of This Is True), and I will most likely read her again. Just too much muchness in this one.

Rated: 2.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Most likely
Who Should Read This: Psychological Thriller readers should give it a try. This one has mixed reviews overall – some really like it, and others, like me, found it confusing

The Best Of Summer 2025

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

Summer 2025 had quite a few books that wowed me – a couple were Book Club selections, some were random finds I was lucky enough to choose, and one was an early release that I won a copy of.
Check them out here, and review links are below.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Tenant by Frieda McFadden
The Book Club For Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
The Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Morning Meanderings…Whats The Win… Is It The Book… Or Is It The Discussion?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

Recently I read a book that Blew. Me. Away. It was different from anything I had read before – and I always find it refreshing to break out of the cookie-cutter mold of same plot… similar twist… you know what I mean.

But – like all books… what the takeaway is – depends on the individual; and like all books – when I look at reviews, you can see the mix of the love and the not so much…
So….
For myself, being in a Book Club for over 24 years… I am starting to wonder…. when I read a book, is it the anticipated discussion that makes me want to share it with the world… or is it the book itself? Honestly, I don’t always know… 😛

No secret that I love to talk about books, and the particular book I am thinking of has soooooo much to unpack… topics I would love to discuss with others…
How would we/you/I handle such a situation?
Would you be able to ever forgive?
Was justice served?
What outcome would you have liked to see happen?
What lessons came out of this for our protagonist?
Who did you root for?

This is not the first time I have rated a book high because of its discussion value… SO – I present the question to you. For those in Book Clubs or reading groups, does a book get elevated because it would make for great discussion?
Inquiring minds want to know.