Book Journey

Forever Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Published on January 11, 2016January 11, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

This book brought up memories of the movie City Of Angels (which I LOVED). ~ Sheila

Elsie Porter isn’t expecting anything extraordinary when she head out one rainy New Years day to pick up a pizza for herself. Yet extraordinary is what she gets when she meets Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and the two start seeing each other immediately. By May, they have eloped.

Nine days later, Ben is killed.

When Elsie meets Ben’s mom Susan, Susan has no idea about Ben’s romance with Elsie let alone his marriage. With no marriage certificate yet, Elsie finds herself pushed aside as plans are made for Ben’s funeral and where he will be buried. As the story unwinds, we see flashes back to Ben and Elsie’s relationship as well as current time Elsie and Susan, two women who loved Ben dearly trying to find a way through sudden devastating grief.

Taylor Jenkins Reid bring about a powerful emotionally charged story of quick passionate love and rock bottom grief. I entered into this read cautiously, hoping I would not stumble into any thing too personally hard, and was happy to find that the book worked for me.

Imagine loving someone so quickly and passionately only to lose them before their family even knows you exist. On top of your grief, you are trying to justify your appearance to a grieving family – especially hard when the person you are trying to convince is someone as closed off as Ben’s mother, Susan.

The book’s flash backs into Elsie and Ben’s relationship and powerful love works well with the current Elsie’s story line of trying to now make sense of what she is left with. the physical remains of a relationship that started and finished in 5 months.

I had mentioned before that Taylor Jenkins Reid was a new author to me and I have enjoyed the three books I have now read of hers. Her writing is down to earth, lite with interesting story lines that make you think.

Paperback, 352 pages

Published July 9th 2013 by Washington Square Press

Morning Meanderings…. Fences.

Published on January 11, 2016January 11, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Minnesota has finally hit COLD. Currently as I sit inside with both hands around COFFEE CUP it is 19 below zero. The coldest temps that we have had yet this year. The kind of temp that makes Al (hubby) and I talk about moving to some place warm like Florida, at least perhaps eventually like snow birds….gone for the cold months, back for my favorites Spring – Fall. It is not an easy topic for me because I have so many attachments to my home town.

In the book, Between The World And Me, which my book club will be reading and reviewing tomorrow evening there is a line that works into this topic…

We did not choose our fences.

In the book, Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing to his son about the ways of our world and in this line he is referring to the fences that contain us. More pointedly he is referring to the fences of being born Africa American, however as I look around my home this morning… the home that I have lived in since my mom built it after the fire in 1980, the home I inherited after her accident in 1996, the home that sits next to the property where I had lived since I was 3 and used to play with my sister in the back yard that is now the home of our business; I believe we all have fences. The same home that I celebrated my teenage birthdays with friends and cake, where I spent hours talking with my mom about all the things that teenage girls talk to their moms about, the home where I raised my two boys from ages 6 and 8, the home where we laughed and worked on school projects and made Harry Potter capes out of blankets and watched movies as a family and baked cookies and painted bedrooms football team colors and planted gardens and completed years of homework and celebrated school sports wins with popcorn mixed with gummy bears and m and m’s, and handed over keys to first cars and sat up into the night talking about first love and heart break, the home of laughing until it hurt, holding tight to the past, and the home that now has 2 trees planted in the back yard in memory of my son…

We all have fences.

Well.

Wow.

Where the heck did that come from?

I am going to need a second (who am I kidding) third cup of coffee.

Anyhoo. I think fences will be an excellent discussion point for our group tomorrow. As this book is different than anything we have ever read, I have been creating some good discussion topics. I love books that stretch us, think our of the box – or in this case out of the fence.

What fences do you have in your life?

Morning Meanderings…. A Little Something On Racism

Published on January 10, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

It is Sunday morning. EARLY. I am sitting here with COFFEE CUP contemplating the direction of this post. I had a different title in mind…. something I thought of yesterday but decided I dare not use. Yet. But it was a good one. 😉

I adore my book club. Yes, yes, feel free to insert eye roll here. I know I say it like ALL THE TIME. I can’t put into words everything this group of women mean to me but you know I like to try. After a whirlwind month of holiday dodging and extreme emotion, I did not pick up the book club book, Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Yesterday I put out a plea to my book club and one of the gals in our group delivered it to my door.

“Did you read it?” I asked her.

“I did.” she said.

“How was it?” I asked.

“It’s black.” was her response.

“Yes.” I said, and knew her comment was not demeaning or derogatory, just stating a fact. It is a different style of book than we have ever read as a group before. As I opened the book myself last evening, I understood what she was saying even more. Between The World and me is written as letters to Ta-Nehisi to his 15-year-old son and it covers what it is like to grow up in a world that can judge you by the color of your skin. I am proud of our book club for choosing this book and look forward to an interesting discussion this coming Tuesday.

For myself, the book so far is poetic, and metaphors, and very real. This morning I opened up my laptop and looked up what others were saying about this book. The reviews are mixed but interesting. I am not done reading but it is a short book and I will be done today. It is the kind of read where I sit with a notebook next to me to write down profound points and questions.

In other thoughts… books came in my house this week.

The History Manor and Still Well are both from Michael Phillip Cash and he always sends little treats with his books. The candy is nice, but the little yellow highlighter is what made me smile. I do love highlighters.

The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson is squeeeee worthy. I love her writing and can not wait to dig into this one.

This Is Not The Story You Think It Is by Laura Munson caught my eye in the latest bookmark magazine. I picked this one up at our library yesterday morning.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is also a library pick on CD. I hope t start listening to that one today.

Last night, my husband and I went out for a bit with our son Brad and his friend Andy. I was talking to Brad about book reviews and he said, “I didn’t realize you are still doing that.”

I told him I was, not at the pace I once was, but I didn’t and I don’t want to give it up. So much has come out of this thing I have created in Book Journey. As I look back at when I started this in 2009 I would have never dreamed that in 2016 I would still by typing away talking books, life, whatever. I told Brad that Book Journey has been such a big part of where I am today. This blog has brought me friendships, book connections, events like the book expo in New York, real life connections and a big one – this blog is why I was in St Paul on April 1st and 2nd with my son Justin preparing to interview Scott Eastwood. That was the last time I seen my son and if not for that book connection….

well. Let’s just say I am so thankful. In the months to follow, a bench was placed at the Brainerd Library with my sons name on it. That bench was from the connections I have made here at Book Journey. Seriously… my heart is full.

Book Journey and I are not done yet. I will continue to read and write, share and connect.

On This Day….

Published on January 8, 2016January 8, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

I love Time Hop and Facebook’s Time line. That’s when you can look up posts and/or pictures that you posted on a certain day in past years. For the most part, you may find something interesting once in a while….a good memory… a great pic…. but today must be a day that I do things because January 8th had a lot to say.

For starters, I made the above picture my Facebook profile pic on this day in 2013. What is interesting is that I love(d) to change out my Facebook pic and used to do so frequently…. but my current Facebook is and has been for quite a while now, this same picture you see above.

Also, on this day 3 years ago I was appointed to the City Library Board. In 2012, I had two conversations about books with Justin on that day. One was regarding the book, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo… the other was about purchasing second-hand text books for college from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

And then…. there was this:

This is a box that was sent to my book club on this day for our book club meeting that night. The book was In The Belly Of Jonah, and the amazing author was Sandra Brannan. What was fun (beyond the super cool BIG package) was what was inside. Sandra and I had originally met in New York at the Book Expo. I had since seen her a few times including a time she was speaking in Minneapolis and myself and another book club member Susan went and took her out to dinner before her speaking. After dinner I introduced her to the delicious drink the Colorado Bulldog (which may or may not have caused us to cut it close on the speaking engagement but really…. that is another story).

So…. in the box was chocolate rocks with Sandra’s book cover on it, a 6 pack of coke, chocolate syrup, and a skull (yes skull) of good vodka. All the making (except the milk) to make Colorado Bulldog’s. It was awesome and since Sandra skyped with us that evening, we all had a drink together.

Now that is a good January 8 memory. Actually… they all are. LOVE my book club.

Any good January memories for anyone? What were you reading a year ago today?

Pretending To Dance by Diane Chamberlain

Published on January 7, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)16 Comments

I first experienced a Diane Chamberlain novel in the fall of 2014 and I connected with her brilliant style of writing immediately and continued to read her ever since without disappointment…. consistently delightful. ~Sheila

Molly and Aidan are preparing to adopt a baby. While there is the normal fear and anticipation between the couple as they hope for the best, Molly carries secrets from her past that she feels could ruin everything if they came to light. Thus begins a journey of present time Molly, and alternating chapters of 14-year-old Molly…. and everything that happened that 14th year and led to the possible destruction of everything she holds true in present day….

It has been a while since I have listened to a Diane Chamberlain book. In this new world I live in, I need to consider topics carefully before I go into a book, watching out for my own personal tragedies that would hit to close to home. When I first looked at the synopsis for Pretending To Dance I was uncertain if this book would be a safe one for me, yet the subject matter and of course the fact that it is the amazing Diane Chamberlain drew me in. I am glad I did.

There is something about Diane Chamberlain’s books. They always carry something in them that you do not see coming, yet told in such a way that you are not necessarily looking for the “WOW”moment until it is revealed. That is what happens in this book and I was delighted to see that Diane Chamberlain had not lost her touch, nor did I in my experience of reading her. Author and reader are truly a match here.

I enjoyed the past story line of Young Molly and the references to Judy Blume’s book, Forever (a banned book by the way…. but most of Judy Blume’s writing – if not all, are.) As I listened on (yes, I once again enjoyed Chamberlain’s book in audio format) I was impressed by the elements of comparison that was placed into this story line that tied close to the Blume book. This held a different feel for me than past Chamberlain books, but one that I found fitting.

If you have not read Diane Chamberlain I would highly recommend this author. This is my first audio book of the year and I am have a feeling it may wind up on my best of 2016 list.

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 12 hours and 45 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Audible.com Release Date: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Macmillan; Air Iri OME edition (October 8, 2015)

Other Diane Chamberlain books I have experienced:

Necessary Lies

The Secret Life Of Cee Cee Wilkes

The Midwife’s Confession

The Silent Sister

Morning Meanderings… We Need A Little Gatsby.

Published on January 5, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Anyone else feel like the days are moving too quickly? I mean, it is the 5th already. Seems like I was just trying to make my way through the land mines of Christmas and now we are in a whole new year. I have such mixed feelings about that and the worst part of it is, there is not a thing I can do about how I feel.

Yesterday was 9 months. That is beyond crazy. I didn’t say it out loud to anyone. I didn’t need one more pitying look of “oh, she still counts the days,” I imagine those who have walked this path before me get to that same point…. people do not necessarily want to know that you are still at an enormous level of pain. People want you to “get better” “move on” “be who you once were” and I am not sure if any of those things are in my near future.

Anyway…

Gatsby.

Last February my friend Amy and I went to a Library fundraiser in St Paul Minnesota. It was a Gatsby event and I was beside myself with excitement to see how they would pull this event off. I already was having visions of how I could have such an event in my area. We were going to be early to the event so we decided to go and surprise my son Justin who was working less than 5 minutes away from where we needed to be. This is another one of those crazy things I am so thankful for… I had bonus time with my son that I did not plan for but it just happened. We hung out with him for about an hour, shared an appetizer and were on our way.

This year, I am happy to announce that Gatsby will be happening in my home town. The Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library will be sponsoring this event on March 18th. Justin and I had talked about this. I have tried for two years to make this happen. Initially the plan was to do it last spring and things did not work out that way and now knowing how everything went down last spring I am so thankful for that. If we had been planning Gatsby, I may not have been with my son on April 1st and 2nd. I may have been too busy to get away. Crazy how things work out but there it is.

Here is a link to our Gatsby event. We have a live jazz band, a local dance studio providing swing lessons, an EXPERIENCE auction and a costume contest. I wish with all my heart that Justin was here because I know he would attend and he would bring friends… but I do know he is proud of me for doing what I said I hoped to do. So Gatsby…. it is.

In other news my first book, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone is coming along nicely. At first I struggled a bit and was unsure if I had made the right choice. This copy of the book is Justin’s and I was hoping to find comfort in touching each page as he had. It took a while to pick up the flow but a couple of nights ago while Al watched the football game I curled up in bed with this book and it started to come together for me. I am so glad I chose this book to start 2016.

How is your first book coming along?

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Published on January 3, 2016March 31, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

It’s simple but fitting… I do LOVE this cover…. ~ Sheila

When Lauren and Ryan meet in college they instantly feel the attraction. The two become inseparable and a wedding of course is the next step in this match. Now, ten years later the old arguments are no longer funny and are instead pointed. That once was cute is now annoying and Lauren and Ryan can not seem to find their way back to the great love that once was.

Then Ryan lays out a plan to take a year off from each other… no communications whatsoever to see where everything lands once they go out on their own. Heartbroken, Lauren has no choice but to agree. Once Ryan moves out, Lauren is left to sort out her own feelings on her marriage, focus on her extended family and her career.

What does a good marriage consist of? And more importantly is it enough to bring her and Ryan back together or was it really never what was supposed to be?

This was my first dabble into author Taylor Jenkins Reid and I was not disappointing. After I Do is written in a humorous lighthearted way that is engaging, witty, and significant all at once. The one-year-break was a unique way to handle a marriage gone awry. While the story is told mainly from Lauren’s point of view, we as readers are left pretty much as she is… not knowing what Ryan is thinking or doing or if he will even come back. I enjoyed the suspense.

If you enjoy a good not to heavy read I suggest you try this book. I listened to it on audio and found Tara Sands narration to be perfect for this book. In fact, once I finished After I Do, I went on to read two more books by this author.

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 9 hours and 11 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
Audible.com Release Date: September 10, 2015
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Washington Square Press (July 1, 2014)

Morning Meanderings… Pondering.

Published on January 3, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

Sunday morning with COFFEE cup. I feel…. ready to start something.

This morning I was reading Bryan’s post at Still Unfinished about his one word for 2016 and he links others as well. It is a beautiful post and I enjoyed visiting the others one word as well. Check it out, I love the pictures with all of the words. It caused me to go back and read my own choice for this year. I believe it is the right word for me.

In other random news I need to update this blog look. Seriously…. brown? What was a I thinking? The background color has to change. And my side bar is so outdated.

And now that I am writing… I feel scattered this morning like I thought I had a good post in my head and now I am looking at this thinking “what are you trying to say?”

So that said…. I am just going to tiptoe out of here. Have a great Sunday. Read something wonderful.

Saturday Snapshot….Books Around The World

Published on January 2, 2016January 2, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)39 Comments

January 2…. how are we doing so far into this New Year? I have been fairly busy with 2 small after Christmas gatherings with friends, a movie with my hubby, and yesterday – working on the First Book Of The Year tradition. Let me just say out loud.. wow. I am so glad I continued First Book this year for many reasons, yet the response was still so overwhelmingly positive that it made me so proud to be a part of this amazing community.

For today’s Saturday snapshot I am going to post all the pictures that came in from readers around the world sharing their first books into this new year. Even if you looked at yesterday’s post, more than likely you did not see all the pictures as more kept coming in throughout the day and evening. SO AWESOME. But first I have to show you what Kathryn at Book Date did… she went a step further with her first book and blew me away.

Right? Holy smokes! When I seen her post yesterday I could not believe it! Look at little First Book Of The Year become a video! Another couple of pictures I need to honorably mention for creativity when sending in their picture. No, no one had to be creative, but I was amazed to see the fun efforts:

PicMonkey Collage 9

Ahhhhh! lol

And so with no further delay…. here are the First Books Of 2016. If you look at my original post from yesterday in the comments people shared where they were reading from and it was exciting to see the readers all over the world. Seriously…. wow.

PicMonkey Collage 1

PicMonkey Collage 2

PicMonkey Collage 3

PicMonkey Collage 4

PicMonkey Collage 9

Thank you so much to everyone who participated. This was a far larger response than 2014’s and it meant a lot to me to see you all join in as spotty as my attendance has been here over the past 8 1/2 months. Thank you friends and fellow book lovers. It is hard for me to explain this, but your participation in this made this entry into New Years a little easier.

Thank you.

I am adding this to Saturday Snapshot because…. it is awesome.

The First Books Of 2016

Published on January 1, 2016January 2, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)151 Comments

Here it is. January 1 2016. Thank you to everyone who sent in a picture of the first book they will be reading in this New Year. This is my third year hosting this event and I love seeing all the pictures and books come in from around the world! Thank you to the fellow bloggers, readers of Book Journey, my book club, and friends who sent in pictures. Here are your reads of the New Year:

PicMonkey Collage 6

PicMonkey Collage 8

PicMonkey Collage 7

Look at all of you!!!! If traditions hold, a few of you will still send pictures in today and that is ok. Send them to my email: journeythroughbooks@gmail.com and I will either update here or add another block in tomorrows post.

For myself, you will find me in the 5th block down, second row. Yes that is me holding a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – but not just an any copy. This is my son Justin’s book, off his book shelf. This is the copy he grew up with and loved so much that his Harry Potter books followed him to college and to his apartment after. My son and I both love all things Harry Potter and after his accident in April I have been unable to watch any of the movies or look at any of the books that we loved so much together. In fact, last Christmas he bought me the whole set with the new covers. Today I am reading this book, the one he so lovingly took care of all of these years. ♥ I think it is a great book to start off my new year and honor him.

The link below is where you can link your own posts about your first book choice and why. Be sure to link back here as well so others can see all of us around the world reading in 2016. A question I really need to add to the form next year is where everyone is from… I know for sure Australia is represented and Hawaii.