Book Journey

Morning Meanderings… Setting A Pace

Published on May 27, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

Wednesday morning here in Minnesota. Yesterday I had lunch with my Aunts and they were chatting about an article I had written for a local magazine that had just come out that day. I was unsure what they were talking about until they explained further and it was something I had written in early March when life was well… not this one. I had completely forgotten about the article although I knew I would have written the magazine release date down in my agenda. My agenda that I lived by day to day with all my “to do’s” and my “where I should be’s” and my “don’t forgets”.

Now that agenda lays under a pile of papers on my kitchen table. I only open it if I must to check on the dates of something. Now I can’t stand living by an agenda because it reminds me of the me who filled up all my time DOING DOING DOING and honestly for whatever reason it reminds me of who I was and this new and fragile me doesn’t like that busy person.

Even though I know it does not change a thing.

Now I live by a rule of if it gets done – it gets done. I want to complete things, I do… but my focus is not there. I am careful with my heart right now and I know I am not strong enough to charge ahead and make things happen. Perhaps someday, but hopefully not to the extent where I was… living by an agenda.

Today I have a friend coming over for coffee. This after noon another friend is coming over to work on my hosta garden with me and plant the two bleeding hearts I bought for Mother’s Day. Tonight I have the City Library Board meeting…. my first one since…

That’s enough of an agenda for me.

Many of our bookish friends are at the Book Expo that opens up today in New York. I am excited for them as this event has been one of the highlights of my year every year since 2010. I hope this one is also amazing.

Have a good day everyone.

The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford and narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Published on May 26, 2015May 26, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

When Dana Catrell’s neighbor Celia is found and it looks to be murder, Dana’s world is shaken to the core. After all, Dana is quite possibly the last person to see Celia alive but the details surrounding her encounter with her neighbor are fuzzy. Dana knows they had words, she knows there was quite a bit of Sangria, there was the picture of her husband, and she is the only person who has a key to her neighbor’s home.

But could Dana have committed murder?

While the evidence is pointing towards Dana, Dana is working through her own personal demons to try to clear her foggy memory of the afternoon she spent with Celia. With an unsympathetic husband and her insecurities this is no easy task. Hopefully Dana can clear her own mind all the while wondering if she really does have the capacity to take another persons life.

*I started listening to The Pocket Wife in March. I state that now because in March I was in a different frame of mind then I am now. I finished listening to this in May and there are many things that may contribute to my thoughts on this book so read this review with all of that in mind. (Basically if I have finished this one in March my thoughts on this may have been different but I do not think by much) ~ Sheila

I wish I could recall why I chose to listen to The Pocket Wife. Quite possibly it could have been the narrator, Cassandra Campbell, who I have enjoyed in other books. I know there was something that intrigued me… perhaps it was reviews or the synopsis I can not recall. I think going into this one if I had known it was centered around another unreliable narrator (more on that later) and around a female protagonist that had a problem with drinking and seems unstable to boot, I probably would have passed on this one. After all, I did not enjoy Girl On The Train and that was very similar in all of these things I just mentioned.

The Pocket Wife’s protagonist was one I could not like. Dana was weak minded and whiny. I need to point out that I listened to this on audio and the narration of Dana as being this weak and soft person only added to my dislike. This in no way is related to poor narration, in fact I would say just the opposite, Cassandra Campbell is an excellent narrator and I believe she captured the essence of Dana as she was written to be. I also know in this trend of unreliable narrator (there it is again) that I am in the minority as to how I feel about these books.

Ok, briefly let me explain unreliable narrator. This is something we see in books like Gone Girl and Girl On The Train. It is a book written so you are unsure if what you are reading from the view point of the narrator is true or accurate.

Admittedly I enjoyed this one a bit more than Girl On The Train but still struggled with Dana and my love for strong female protagonists overpowers my ability to be sympathetic to Dana. As they say on Shark Tank, with that being true for me, I am out.

If you enjoyed Girl On The Train you will more than likely enjoy The Pocket Wife as well. The similarity of the books is there, yet The Pocket Wife I felt brought a little more to the table, a little more to grab hold of and that is what readers will enjoy.

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 11 hours and 14 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Harper Audio
Audible.com Release Date: March 17, 2015

Morning Meanderings…. In The Quiet

Published on May 26, 2015May 26, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

It was with a heavy heart this morning that I read the email of my confirmation of my flight out this morning from the Minneapolis Airport to New York for the Book Expo. The flight left, but I was not on it.

2015 would have been my 6th year in a row of attending the expo. I love the people, the pace, the books, the friendships, the general buzz of the publishing world. Yet I knew a week ago that as much as I wanted to go and be that person – for this year I am not her. Thank you to my wonderful roommate Candace (Beth Fish Reads) for being so understanding. I absolutely will miss hanging out with the good friends that I have met in the years of doing this event and I am hopeful that we will all be together in 2016.

Bitter sweet? You bet. Yet I know I am making the right decision as hard as it is. For those of you attending, please take lots of great pics and send them my way – I want to feel like I am there even if I am not.

My house…

is quiet.

The dogs are sleeping in random spots around the house and I am at my laptop with my COFFEE and wondering what this day will bring with it. I woke up in tears but that is not really unusual these days other than the fact that I am amazed that I have the tears to cry every single day. On the flip side of that, as I look at Justin’s picture… I know he is worth every single tear and many many more. If I cry for every bit of love I have for him.. then I will cry forever.

Over the weekend Al and I went to our cabin on the North Shore. It was nice to go but as you can imagine also another hard step as the cabin is filled with so many memories. I read and I slept. I had no cell phone coverage in the area so I had nothing else to do but just BE. I finished the Butternut Lake series which turned out to be just the right level of read for me. I am now working on William Kent Krueger’s Tamarack County. With William (Kent) being a Wine and Words author this year I wanted to read more of him.

I hope to put up some reviews this week. I have quite a few to write and like the little “mind breaks” that talking books creates for me. In the meantime know that I am still here on the other side of the screen – maybe not at full capacity, but I am here.

Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Published on May 19, 2015May 19, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments

*Note – you may notice my reading of late has turned to a lighter side. That would be true. In light of my life at this time I have been reading books that are fairly light reads, not too heavy and easy on me. And with a cover like this one, how could I go wrong? 🙂 ~Sheila

When Polly’s life seems to be falling apart with a relationship FAIL, all Polly wants to do is get away and start somewhere new. When she goes with her friend Kerensa to visit a quiet seaside town she finds comfort in the extreme solitude of a small worn down flat above an old closed down bakery. Where Polly sees a new start, Kerensa sees nothing but a run down town with a tide that closes the road to traffic and leaves access to where Polly would live not only inaccessible, but dangerous.

To keep herself busy Polly starts to use her talent of making bread to feed the fisherman that come in by where she lives each day. When her hobby starts to bring more and more people to her door, with the help of a handful of new friends, a goofy but handsome local beekeeper, and a lot of elbow grease, Polly might just be on to something.

The Little Beach Street Bakery is being compared to the likes of Chocolat. My distance from the Chocolat read can neither confirm nor deny this comparison. From what I can recall of the other book, I would say that Little Beach Street Bakery is quite a bit lighter in writing and technique. While there is a little romance kneaded in throughout the read, it is not the deep compassion of Chocolat.

That said, LBSB is a sweet book of finding your own way in the midst of feeling directionless. I could relate to this book. The characters are a mix of fun and quirky – enough so that you never take the book seriously. The book itself could be compared to a hot loaf of bread; it is fresh, looks wonderfully delicious, and it is comforting. The honey on top is just the bit of sweetness it needs to bring it all together.

Little Beach Street Bakery is just the type of book I am drawn to this time of year. A book to read while sitting in the sunshine.

Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (March 31, 2015)

Morning Meanderings…. Day 45 and Waiting for Sunshine

Published on May 19, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

Tuesday. Mornings are hard and they start early. I usually wake up between 4 and 5 am these days. It is not ideal as it just makes the day L O N G E R. With the constant rain of late I can not get outside to plant flowers, tend to my hostas, and mow the lawn – all things I would rather do than sit within these 4 walls. I have plenty I could be working on and no desire to do any of it. I get a few things done each day but I am not the whirlwind of production I once was by any means.

I do read and started the Butternut Lake series a couple of days ago and find comfort in this gentle Minnesota based book. I know I have all three books in the series and while I am reading the first and can visibly see the third book, I am hopeful to find the middle book around here somewhere. I am sure I have it.

I have a friend coming over this morning for coffee and another one this afternoon who will help me go through some boxes and work on a project. This helps to move me through the day. Today I hope to read… and I hope to write.

Maybe…

the sun will come out.

Vintage by Susan Gloss

Published on May 18, 2015May 18, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Violet Turner is the owner of Hourglass Vintage in Madison Wisconsin. Her shop is filled with delightful items from an array of decades. Violet loves her shop, her location, and the stories that the items she sells hold. When she discovers that her landlord is looking to sell the building Hourglass Vintage is in, Violet panics. She has the option in her lease to buy, but nowhere near the money being asked. Violet realizes she can not do this alone.

April Morgan is 18 years old, 5 months pregnant, and hurting from the loss of her mother as well as the broken engagement to be married that came as a shock. When April brings the vintage 1950’s wedding dress to Violet’s shop in hopes to return it, a surprising connection starts to develop…

Amithi Singh brings items of her heritage to Hourglass Vintage, items she had believed she would pass on to her daughter but her now grown daughter has shunned such traditional items. Reeling from shocking news about her husbands fidelity – or lack there of – Amithi is looking to find her way, and she may have made a right step by coming to Violet’s store…. What can these women of very different backgrounds find in common that may be able to help Hourglass Vintage?

Vintage by Susan Gloss was a fun read about a strong woman trying to make it with her dream vintage clothing shop. Each chapter starts with a unique item found in the shop, the description, approximate date of the item, and where it came from. It made for a fun look into a vintage clothing shop and the characters that shop there or the ones that drop off their items. Vintage is a light and fun book and fit in with what I needed at the time I was reading it. There were a couple “hmmmm” moments in the book for me but for the most past this is a book to not take too seriously and just enjoy the read.

Susan Gloss, Vintage, Bookies Book Club Brainerd Minnesota, Book Journey — To surprise the author many of us dressed in “vintage” clothing for the Skype session.

Bookies Review

Our book club the Bookies read this book and we Skyped with the author Susan Gloss. We enjoyed pizza (mentioned in the book), spaghetti, wine, cheese, and desserts. One of the girls in our group had vintage items from her own history which was incredible cool (see pictures below). The Bookies over all rated the book higher than I did. For the most part they found the book to be enjoyable and over all the 16 of us came up with an average rating of 4 out of a high rating of 5 which is pretty good.

Book Journey Vintage by Susan Gloss — Items brought by Laura for the review

How to host a book club event around this book

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (September 2, 2014)

Morning Meanderings…. Current Randomness

Published on May 17, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)48 Comments

Sunday. Yesterday made six weeks since my life changed forever. There are days I want to write… I open up a new post… and then I walk away. I am still struggling fitting into a new normal and stubbornly I don’t even want a new normal.

I want everything back the way it was.

I miss writing. I miss reviewing. I want to do something besides sitting in my house trying to escape this new reality but having no idea how. I do read. I do get out a little. I am signed up for BEA (Book Expo America) on May 26 – 29 in New York but even now I go back and forth on if that is what I can do. I want to… I am nervous to… I am giving myself until this Tuesday to fully fully decide.

I am doing a little. This past Tuesday we had book club and we skyped with the author, Susan Gloss. Her book Vintage inspired us to dress up and since that was what we had planned to do when we originally discussed this book in March, we stuck with it. These little outings while probably good for me to do, are exhausting.

This past Friday a group of friends met at a cabin on a lake and we sat around and talked around a camp fire, grilled good food, and were just together. It was both sweet and also hard to do but I am glad I did it.

Below are the books and audio that have come in the last 6 weeks since I posted. I have picked away at a few of them finding that while I am unable to watch TV I am able to read a bit to take my mind off things.

Today is another rainy day in Central Minnesota. The last week + has been cold and rainy and while it fits my mood…it is getting old. After I post this I will probably try to read a bit before I lay down for a nap. I do have reviews to write, today I hope to start writing reviews and posting them but I have also learned these past 6 weeks that nothing happens on my schedule any more as it takes me forever to do the simplest tasks.

Until I write again. Thank you for reading whatever I am saying and thank you for being the amazing people on the other side of my posts.

Sheila

Morning Meanderings… Still Here

Published on May 5, 2015May 5, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)102 Comments

Checking in. At 31 days since the accident, life has taken on a new normal. I cry every day, yet every day I wake up and wonder if this will be the day I have no tears left. Every day to this point I have had more than enough tears. I have been surrounded with friends and family from morning to night and that has brought me through many HARD days. At this point I am trying not to lean so heavily on these amazing people who come to sit with me, text me, message me, or bring me coffee or provide dinner for my family or encourage me to go out for a walk or a bike ride. I am learning ever so cautiously to stand in this new world breathing this unfamiliar air and trying (trying trying trying) to imagine a world without the amazing light and love of Justin.

Quite honestly…. I don’t like it.

Which brings me to my point today. I can not sit and watch TV. My mind will not settle into the story line and something will leave me unsettled – a laugh in a comedy, a family… a pregnant woman. However, I have found that over the last couple of weeks I have been able to settle my mind into a book which does not surprise me. Through the tragedies of my life – it has been books I have always been able to turn to for escape and release of the pain of the real world. So slowly I am reading when I go to bed at 7 pm because I am done with what the day has to offer and I don’t know what else to do, I pick up a book and I read a little each night. I will write reviews because I love to talk about books. As easy as it would be to stop doing all the things I used to do I know that would make Justin very sad.

I always referred to him as the male version of me. If it was fun, unique, and crazy – we would encourage each other to do it. He loved that I lived life the way I did. I have to remember that. I will continue Book Journey. I imagine that my morning posts will become hopefully lighter than this one. I know I am changed forever and that will reflect on how I write, for better of for worse. That kid though, he is worth every bit of pain I am going through right now. I love him so much… and for that reason. I will continue to live life out loud. He would have wanted me to stay that way.

I am still here.

Picture taken on April 2nd at the premiere of The Longest Ride movie. Justin died on April 4th.

To My Book Loving Friends… An Update On Me

Published on April 7, 2015April 7, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)217 Comments

Dear Friends, while I am up to it I want to share with you my absence. On Saturday April 4th my wonderful 24 year old son Justin was killed in a car accident. I can not even tell you the pain that myself, his father, and his brother are in. Justin was an amazing kid with such a great spirit and love for all things. If you want, you may follow me on Facebook at Sheila DeChantal where I am posting occasional updates. Beyond that I am unsure when I will be able to return to this spot, although I do hope that some day I will.

Morning Meanderings… Meeting Bloggers and Announcing a Winner

Published on April 3, 2015April 3, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

Good morning! It is Friday! To me that means the end of the week, coffee meet up, project clean up, letters to write, meetings to plan, a work out or two and considering what Easter will be like this year and what should I make….

Yesterday I had the privilege of being part of a round table discussion with the two main actors in the movie The Longest Ride, Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson. I am going to write about that interview tomorrow, but today I wanted to talk a bit about the other people who were at the round table with me.

Going into this “adventure”, I was not really sure who would be in the room. Once I was there I seen it was a group of bloggers. A good group of them were really young bloggers, some even in high school. A couple (thankfully!) were closer to my age.

We went in the room with the actors and we were each allowed to ask one question – I will share with you tomorrow what I asked as I think it was a great question and an even better answer… but that is…

another story.

After the interview time, I was speaking to the lady sitting next to me whose name is Ruth and she runs the blog flixchatter. We hit it off chatting about how thankful we were to see each other in a group of young(er) bloggers. We exchanged cards and walked out of the Minneapolis hotel together chatting like old friends (you know how we bloggers are!)

flixchatter, http://flixchatter.net/ — Flixchatter. See what she is writing about. Tell her your friend Sheila sent you 🙂

Then… in the elevator on the way down there were a few of us from the interview and I asked them if they were bloggers. (We really did not have a chance to say who we were , where we were from, or what we did). They said yes, and Donna from Donnahup.com handed me her card. I did not really get a chance to chat with her as we were all on our way out, but I did check out her cool website this morning. Her site is all books and movies, crafts and recipes, travel and giveaways. It’s a site you can spend some serious time checking out.

And… my final mention of the morning is I have a winner for the giveaway package I had going for The Longest Ride. Using the magic of Random.org this morning my winner is:

Christina T from Reading Extensively

Congratulations to Christina! She won the $25 Visa gift card, the coveted by me tote, and the book, The Longest Ride! Email me your shipping information at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com and I will pass on your information to have that sent to you. YAY!!!

My contest may be over but you can still enter this giveaway at Bermuda Onion and Booking Mama .

Have a super start to your weekend. I am thrilled to have the morning to do some catching up as my morning commitment was postponed until next week. It has been a while since I had a free morning and I am taking full advantage. 🙂