Book Journey

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on September 8, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

Hey there! Welcome to It’s Monday, What Are You Reading!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Fair warning… this meme tends to add to your reading list! 😉

Scraping in pretty late here… it was a BUSY week and a BUSIER weekend and I did not have the energy last night to put this post up. This past week I have been helping prep for a craft show with my friend who makes honey. In the middle of the week out town had a major storm hit that left us without power from 7 am – 2 pm and a whole lot of yard clean up with downed trees for many people. It was long hours of prep time for the Craft Show and then on Saturday (Show time!) we were up at 4 am and left for the show at 5 am and returned home at 7 pm. Sunday I was up again at 4 am and picked up my friend Amy for a bike ride in the cities. It was a lot of fun, we were home at 4 pm and after fumbling through something to call “supper” I was too tired out to do much else.

With all that said – here is what I did post last week:

Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

I LOVE My Library

Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

STORMS – pictures of what hit our town of September 4th, 2014

Yes all my book reviews this week were audio, the only time I have had to be in book mode is in the car or at home cooking or cleaning – I have hardly picked up a book at all this past week.

What I do plan for this week, a week that should be more under control is:

For My Ears:

Everyone thinks Emmy Dockery is crazy. Obsessed with finding the link between hundreds of unsolved cases, Emmy has taken leave from her job as an FBI researcher. Now all she has are the newspaper clippings that wallpaper her bedroom, and her recurring nightmares of an all-consuming fire. Not even Emmy’s ex-boyfriend, field agent Harrison “Books” Bookman, will believe her that hundreds of kidnappings, rapes, and murders are all connected. That is, until Emmy finds a piece of evidence he can’t afford to ignore. More murders are reported by the day–and they’re all inexplicable. No motives, no murder weapons, no suspects. Could one person really be responsible for these unthinkable crimes?

The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.

For My Eyes:

When Molly Wizenberg married Brandon Pettit, he was a trained composer with a handful of offbeat interests: espresso machines, wooden boats, violin-building, and ice cream–making. So when Brandon decided to open a pizza restaurant, Molly was supportive—not because she wanted him to do it, but because the idea was so far-fetched that she didn’t think he would. Before she knew it, he’d signed a lease on a space. The restaurant, Delancey, was going to be a reality, and all of Molly’s assumptions about her marriage were about to change.

Together they built Delancey: gutting and renovating the space on a cobbled-together budget, developing a menu, hiring staff, and passing inspections. Delancey became a success, and Molly tried to convince herself that she was happy in their new life until—in the heat and pressure of the restaurant kitchen—she realized that she hadn’t been honest with herself or Brandon.

With evocative photos by Molly and twenty new recipes for the kind of simple, delicious food that chefs eat at home, Delancey is a moving and honest account of two young people learning to give in and let go in order to grow together.

That is my plan – what is yours? Add your It’s Monday What Are You Reading post link below where it says click here. I would love to pop over and see what you are up to!

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Morning Meanderings… STORMS

Published on September 6, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)49 Comments

Good morning. EARLY morning here…. 4:12 am to be exact. I am helping my friends today at the Little Falls Craft Fair. Should be a crazy time – it is one of the biggest if nt the biggest craft fair in Minnesota. I was there all day yesterday helping set up – from 8 am – 9:30 last night. Yes… I am tired, but I love this stuff. I have never been part of working the fair before and they expect that 100,000 people will come through between today and tomorrow. We are meeting up at 5 am to go and get ready.

A couple of days ago I mentioned e were having some extreme rain here. I don’t know why but I just thought that is was a windy rainy storm. When all was said and done I had a few branches in the yard but that was about it. However, when I drove through town I seen it was a different story.

Roads were closed due to trees down. Up town on one of the main streets the light pole was down. Heading out-of-town, a billboard was tipped over and so on… Turns out – it was 70 mile per hour straight line winds and Brainerd was a direct hit.

Today’s pictures are not my own, but pictures that my friends took around the area of the damage. For today’s Saturday Snapshot I thought I would show you that storm of September 4th:

To my knowledge no one was hurt. After the storm, the sun came out and the clean up began. The local schools did not have electricity or running toilets for about 6 hours. Local companies hauled in outdoor portable toilets. I heard yesterday that local restaurants and fast food places are not selling coffee at this time as the water due tot he storm has been tested to have bacteria in. We are in a “you must boil water before you drink it” for the next week warning, but we are on well water so we are ok.

Anyhoo – got to go. Check out the other Saturday Snapshots here. 🙂

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Published on September 5, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

When teacher Mia Dennett goes to a bar to meet her boyfriend and he doesn’t show, she winds up meeting an engaging stranger who she goes home with. Having had a few drinks, leaving the bar with the easy on the eyes Colin Thatcher seems like just the thing.

Now…48 hours later Mia Dennett is officially a missing person.

Colin was initially hired to take Mia and deliver her to his employers, receive his pay off and be out of the picture…but Colin instead decided to take Mia with him and hide her in a cabin way up in Northern Minnesota around the Grand Marais area.

Detective Gabe Hoffman is on the case working with Mia’s very distraught mother Eve; but even they could not foresee the toll this would take on their lives.

I was interested when I heard this debut novel was being compared to the likes of Gone Girl, a book that blew me away. I usually proceed with caution when I hear such high praises on a book as I have burned too many times by the tag line “The next Harry Potter!” For the record… nothing has ever come close to Harry Potter.

And so I ventured into The Good Girl. The Good Girl was interesting enough. It held my attention but did not have the shock value and adrenaline rush of Gone Girl. I think that is the opportunity when comparing books – it sets you up for something that may or may not be there.

The Good Girl does have a lot to offer but in the end fell a little flat for me. About half way through I had an idea of things to come and I was pretty much right. Perhaps a bit predictable, but still a worthy read as long as you are not looking for anything power packed that will leave you going WOW!

I listened to this one on audio and the variety of narrators ( Lindy Nettleton (Narrator), Johnny Heller (Narrator), Tom Taylorson (Narrator), Andi Arndt (Narrator) ) did a really good job, seamless in fact – I could not tell when they switched to another.

I would be interested in hearing others thoughts on this one 🙂

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 10 hours and 38 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Audible.com Release Date: July 29, 2014

Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean

Published on September 4, 2014September 4, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Did you know that one-third of your day is on auto pilot? And I don’t mean when we are sleeping. I mean when we are working, working out, cleaning, eating… and yes – driving. Jeremy Dean explains why habits are so hard to break, but not impossible. This book is how to take charge of our brain and make it stick, resulting in a happier, healthier, more creative and productive you.

Honestly…. I have been listening to this audio off and on for so long now I do not even recall why I first wanted to listen to it. I believe it was because I find the human psyche to be fascinating. What makes us tick? Why do some think it is ok to do the things they do (thus my interest in true crime), and why do some of us work so hard to do good and others really do not care…

Habits, I guess are one of the things that interest me. Why is my routine to get up around 6 am each morning 7 days a week, grab my coffee and merge with my lap top for at least an hour? Why do I not instead put on some pounding music, and hit the downstairs treadmill right away for 30 minutes as I wish I would do? Why do I constantly notice what time it is in the morning and say “Oh crap!” And run to get ready for my day?

And I know this isn’t just me…. we all have our routines/habits and some are good – kudos to you that do get up and take a morning walk consistently or hit the gym… you are my heroes and I strive to be you! But maybe some of us have trouble rolling out of bed by 9?

While the book gives good advice on how to break a habit and the research is well laid out and even fascinating, I did not come out the other side feeling I had learned anything I did not already know or if I did not know, once I heard it thought it was common sense. While interesting, probably not a book I need to listen to again.

And yeah…. I still get up at 6 am and drink my coffee and putz on my laptop and ignore my treadmill.

GAH. 😉

Morning Meanderings… I LOVE My Library

Published on September 4, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)33 Comments

Good morning. We are in the middle of a storm here in Central Minnesota. I mean… seriously.

I took the above picture from my back deck and was plastered with rain from the high winds. Weather has been so weird here. I put a better video on Facebook.

Anyhoo… this post was not meant to be about the weather. We have better things to talk about than that 🙂

What I wanted to chat about it Libraries. Felicia at Geeky Bloggers Book Blog has been running these great library posts for September as it is National Library Card Month. As soon as I seen what she was doing I knew I wanted to be involved but of course my life stuff got in the way and here we are on September 4th and finally getting with it. 🙂

You know I love our local Library. If they would let me stay on the roof and raise money for a cause …. but they will not let me do that and yes, I asked…. but trust me…

there are other things I can do. 😉

I am so passionate about Libraries and what they offer. My goal is to spread the word that today’s Library goes beyond the books… our library does sooooo much more. We:

Rent movies and audio books
have computer classes
Author events
Adult and children book clubs
Reading programs
weekly reading time in the childrens area
a Teen hangout area
IPADs to use in the library
computers to use
conference rooms large and small that you can use for meetings and events
contests
historic information (Scandinavian week is coming soon!)
Assistance in how to use your e readers to the fullest
order in special request books
able to check out books from a number of connected libraries that will send the book to our library for you
Book In The Bag program – 10 copies of the same book to be checked out together for reading groups.
Book sales
and more to come 🙂

I know there is more, but that is what I have off the top of my head. The Library staff works hard to stay educated and current on what the needs of our community are. It is absolutely an honor to be a part of it.

I will be talking more about my library this month but for now… power looks like it is back on and I need to prepare for my day. My questions I leave you with are:

Do you have a local library?

Do you visit it and if so how often?

Does your family members have library cards?

Do you know what your library offers besides book check out?

Do you think your community would be missing something important (Or is missing something important) if your library was no longer there?

I am thinking of an idea to get more power behind this discussion but for now… I have to go and there it is. 🙂

Morning Meandering… Popping In Update

Published on September 3, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Good morning. Just a quick check in.

I am helping my friend Amanda this week prep for the Big Annual Craft Fair this weekend where she will be selling her honey. We are labeling bottles and prepping gift baskets. My reading had slowed to a pathetic crawl… I get home and cook and I am too tired to pick up a book after dinner and chatting with my hubby I am about shot and I go to bed. 🙂

Audio once again saves me in the car and while I cook. I am still listening to The Good Girl and am really curious how this one will end and what my ending feelings will be on it.

This morning I am finishing up some thank you’s for Wine and Words and hitting the mail box on my way through town. Multi tasking will get me through the week and weekend and next week (at least from a distance) looks a bit slower and to my liking 🙂

Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

Published on September 2, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

When Jimmy Poletti was caught selling a little more than the used cars from his dealership, Stephanie Plum is called to haul him in for missing his court date. *sigh* Will Trenton, New Jersey crimes ever be under control?

As Stephanie finds herself protecting the once hospital security guard Randy Brigg’s by placing him in her own home, along with ten yippy Chihuahuas (DO NOT ASK), while she tries to figure out who is dropping bodies all over town.

Of course, hot looking cop Joe Morelli is happy to share his apartment and his bed with Stephanie during this time that her own place is occupied. With Joe busy trying to get a handle on this crime wave Stephanie once again finds herself partnering with Ranger, super hot undercover security for Rangeman, and now also targeted by this mysterious group of thugs that are promising to take out those close to Stephanie – if not Stephanie herself. Never fear – Ranger is never far from Stephanie’s side.

As if that wasn’t enough, Stephanie’s grandma Mazur is on her continuing quest to attend every wake she can (who can resist a gathering of good food and friends?) while trying to check off items on her bucket list including getting a peek at Ranger and getting even with Morelli’s grandma for past transgressions.

Many many years ago I read this series as they came available year after year. I think I read the first twelve before I became a little tired of the continuous crazy antics of Stephanie and her side kick Lulu, as well as the constant “who is going to win Stephanie’s heart, Ranger or Morelli” (*cough cough… Ranger*).

I picked up Top Secret Twenty-One because the offer was made to review this one on audio, and (1) I had not listened to any of these books on audio and (2) I was curious as to where this long running series that still attracts several in my book club, has gone.

The verdict: The Stephanie Plum books are much like a soap opera. You can step away for years, and then, turn back to them one day and start with what is currently being offered and pick up right away on the story line as though you hardly missed a day. Stephanie is still pursued by two very attractive men and those of us that know the series can argue until the cows come home as to who we want to win her heart for good. But honestly.. will that day ever come? Grandma Mazur still enjoys a good wake and insists of going to each and every one looking forward to seeing her friends made up in the caskets so she can comment on how they look as well as comment or complain about the spread after the funeral. Stephanie still has cars blowing up all around her, Lulu is still a plus sized gal who dresses inappropriately and is looking for any excuse to stop to stop and pick up a doughnut.

All in all, it was a fun visit back to Trenton New Jersey and seeing that everyone is just as they were. While I did enjoy the listen (great on audio! I am just saying!) I think a visit is enough for me and I will not be staying in Trenton. While the books are fun… I can not commit to the continuing saga of nothing ever coming to a close. Kudos to those who can. 🙂

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on August 31, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)55 Comments

Hey there! Welcome to It’s Monday, What Are You Reading!

It has been a pretty busy week following last weekends event and then away at the cabin until Monday. However our plans to return to the cabin this weekend fell through and honestly I have been basking in hanging around the house and laying low while I rejuvenate. The fact that we went no where this weekend I think actually worked in our favor. I caught up on house projects and Al has caught up in the office and we have been spending our evenings watching movies and grilling good food. I am really thrilled to have a bonus relax day this week.

As for the blog… here is what I have posted:

Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green

Shadows in The Vineyard by Maximillion Potter

Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee

Wine and Words event recap

The Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddons

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty (if you have not read Moriarty yet you are missing out!)

I have spent a lot of time in the “Honey House” this past week bottling honey and as I am usually alone while doing this I listen to audio, thus the large audio book contribution this week… 7 hours of audio a day makes for fast audio listening. 🙂

As for what I am currently working on:

For My Ears:

“I’ve been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she has her dry cleaning done, where she works. I don’t know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she’s scared. But I will.”

Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn’t show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia’s life.

Colin’s job was to abduct Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading the police and his deadly superiors. Mia’s mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family’s world to shatter.

Provence, 1970 is about a singular historic moment. In the winter of that year, more or less coincidentally, the iconic culinary figures James Beard, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, Richard Olney, Simone Beck, and Judith Jones found themselves together in the South of France. They cooked and ate, talked and argued, about the future of food in America, the meaning of taste, and the limits of snobbery. Without quite realizing it, they were shaping today’s tastes and culture, the way we eat now. The conversations among this group were chronicled by M.F.K. Fisher in journals and letters—some of which were later discovered by Luke Barr, her great-nephew. In Provence, 1970, he captures this seminal season, set against a stunning backdrop in cinematic scope—complete with gossip, drama, and contemporary relevance.

Working one-on-one with Tiger-mothered, burned-out kids, Anne “the application whisperer” can make Harvard a reality. Early Decision follows five students over one autumn as Anne helps them craft their college essays, cram for the SATs, and perfect the Common Application. It seems their entire future is on the line—and it is. Though not because of Princeton and Yale. It’s because the process, warped as it is by money, connections, competition, and parental mania, threatens to crush their independence just as adulthood begins.

Whether you want to get in or just get out, with wit and heart, Early Decision explodes the secrets of the college admissions race.

The Barter is a ghost story and a love story, a riveting emotional tale that also explores motherhood and work and feminism. Set in Texas, in present day, and at the turn of the twentieth century, the novel follows two young mothers at the turning point of their lives.

Bridget has given up her career as an attorney to raise her daughter, joining a cadre of stay-at-home mothers seeking fulfillment in a quiet suburb. But for Bridget, some crucial part of the exchange is absent: Something she loves and needs. And now a terrifying presence has entered her home; only nobody but Bridget can feel it.

On a farm in 1902, a young city bride takes a farmer husband. The marriage bed will become both crucible and anvil as Rebecca first allows, then negates, the powerful erotic connection between them. She turns her back on John to give all her love to their child. Much will occur in this cold house, none of it good.

I suspect that is more than enough to keep my busy this week! SO what are you reading? I feel like I have not visited much these past few weeks so I am eager to get a peek! Please add your It’s Monday! post to the link below where it says click here:

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The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty

Published on August 31, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Sophie Honeywell was once the girlfriend of Thomas Gordon, yet on that very day that Thomas had planned an elaborate proposal – Sophie broke up with him, feeling that he was not the one for her.

Years later as Sophie is approaching 40 years old, she is still annoyingly single, and Thomas she heard, has been happily married for years as well as a father. When Thomas calls Sophie out of the blue one day and asks to meet up. Sophie is shocked but curious as to what he will have to say. Nothing could have prepared for this conversation.

When Thomas meets up with Sophie he explains that his aunt Connie who was one of the few people who lived on Scribbly Gum Island had passed away. Sophie recalls having met Connie a couple of times during her and Tom’s courtship. When Tom tells Sophie that Connie has left her beautiful home to her, Sophie is shocked; but a letter accompanying this revelation confirms Connie’s wishes all to clearly.

Entering back into Tom’s family as the “ex who dumped him” is not easy. And Scribbly Gum Island came with much baggage…. including the famous Munro Baby mystery, that happened right inside the home that Sophie had just inherited. With a cast of interesting and quirky characters, Sophie’s life is about to change completely.

I chose this audio because I can not get enough of the incredibly engaging writing of Liane Moriarty. This is one of her older titles, written in 2010.

At first listen, I almost gave up on the audio narrated by Heather Wilds (good narration, she had many vices to keep up on!). The Last Anniversary did not jump-start right into the action as her newer titles do. About 30 minutes in, I was glad I hung in there as I could start to sense the emerging Moriarty that this author will come to be.

The Last Anniversary has some interesting characters that I enjoyed. As we enter the story, Connie has passed away however you do get a chance to know what type of person she was. Her sister Rose (now in her 90’s!) is still quite active, Veronica is a hot mess – at once angry that Sophie was given the house of her aunt and apparently struggling with identity as well, Enigma – the baby of the mystery who is now a grandma…. and more.

There is enough here of Moriarty that fans of writing will enjoy this. I did enjoy this one and as always, look forward to more from her.

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 12 hours and 47 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Audible.com Release Date: July 22, 2014

Morning Meanderings… New Books And Audio In The House!

Published on August 31, 2014August 31, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

Good morning and happy Sunday.

Turns out… we did not go to the cabin. I was on my way to take Mater (our Beale basset hound) to the kennel for the weekend when Al called. He was in the office and had opened his emails and found that he had just too much to take care of in our business to take off for a couple of days.

Poo.

On the other hand… being a cup is half full kind of gal… I just received a free weekend where I was not going to be in town and have planned nothing. ♥ LOVE it! ♥ Yesterday I spent catching up on emails and blog reading. I listened to audio and wrote two book reviews. We saved money by not putting Mater in the kennel. I picked up chicken to grill, rented a few movies, and last night Al and I shared a bottle of wine and relaxed.

Not too shabby for Sheila 🙂

And… there are BOOKS. I was not home last Sunday so this is an accumulation of two weeks: