Tag: Book Stuff

World Book Night Is Coming!!! World Book Night Is Coming!!!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)46 Comments

"world book night"

This coming Monday April 23rd is the first World Book Night in the US and I AM SO EXCITED to be a part of it!  Successfully launched in the UK last year, World Books Night will take place on the 23rd in the USA, UK , and Ireland.

It will be like the books heard around the world!  😀

I am thinking most of you have heard about this but in the event that you are scratching your head and saying “What is world book night, Sheila?”  I am all too happy to share with you!

World Book Night is a day when a half a million free books will be given away around the world!  Those who signed up had a chance to pick from 30 wonderful titles in which if selected, you would be given 20 copies of that book to give away on World Book Night to hopefully non readers to encourage them to READ!   I chose Hunger Games because I feel this is a book that speaks to a multitude of ages and with the recent movie release may be a great book to encourage non or light readers to pick it up and READ.

Additionally, April 23 is UNESCO’s World Book Day, chosen due to the anniversary of Cervantes’ death, as well as Shakespeare’s birth and death.

I will be picking up my books at Barnes and Noble this coming Friday.  My friend and I will road trip our way to St Cloud, about an hour drive from here, but worth it for a trip to B & N, possibly lunch at one of my favorite lunch spots (Hello Mongo’s!) and perhaps a little shopping. 

I know a lot of book bloggers all over the world are also participating in this incredible event and I would like to do two things here.

On Sunday afternoon I am going to set up a sticky post and a linky for all who participated in World Book Night to share their stories in a post.  What I am saying is if you write about your world book night experience – I would love it if you would link your posts up here on Monday or Tuesday, when ever you write them so we can all check out your experience. 

Secondly, I encourage you to send a picture in of your World Book Day experience to my email at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com.  I would like to put together a post of the pictures that come in of you and the books and where in the world you are located.  I think it would be awesome to see the books, the people handing them out… etc. 

IF you are not participating in World Book Night but stumble across someone in your area who is, you can send in a picture of that as well… cool if you can get in on the pic, but if not, a picture of the books being handed out and where in the world you are would be just fine.

This post here, is just to chat with you all about World Book Night.  The linky post will go up later on Sunday so on Monday, World Book Night, you can start linking up.  And I hope you do as this is going to be an incredible world-wide experience that I am proud to be a part of. 

Are you participating?  Are there any World Book Night celebrations around

where you live? 

210 MILLION Books In The World… How Do You Choose “1”?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)58 Comments

The number of books in the world is certainly debatable.  According to Google, at one point they figured it be around 210 million.  A report they did in April of 2011 says that count is closer to 130 million.

After sorting for duplicates, meaning that Google does not want to count the same book in two different places twice, there are a stunning 210 million entries to be counted from library and other databases around the world. You have to marvel slightly at that number, even before they cut it some more.

210 million is a big number, but it is not exactly correct. Google then sorts out microfilm, videos, maps, and anything else with an ISBN that has come through its listing process. After all of that final threshing, the number of books, as least as well as Google can count them, is 129,864,880.

No matter how you look at it, the number is GINORMOUS.  (Yeah…. really really BIG).

"Lets just say there are a whole lot of books out there!"

 

 

So….. looking at that number and then looking at me, or you for that matter, and our average reading of hmmm…. give or take two or three books MAYBE a week.   Maybe 100 to 150 a year?

Then I looked at how many books are published a day.  Some reports said world-wide up to 2,000 books a day are published.  US alone is publishing between 350 – 800 books a day.

People….. no way are we ever going to catch up.  😯

Sooooooo….my point today is…. how do I (and how do you) choose that next book to read.  As book bloggers, many of us are offered books to review consistently from publishers and authors, and believe me… some of these – many of these offers are great sounding reads.  AND if you are not a book blogger but a lover of books (first of all you are AWESOME!), you as a consumer who buys a book here and there…..

how do you, how do any of us choose?

This is what I want to discuss.  Share how you pick that next book.  For myself, I am a little embarrassed to admit that in my reading room right now there are hundreds of books that are currently unread.  I pick them up at sales, they are my personal library, and yes, there are many that are review books as well.  Yet… when I go in there.  I get to pick “1”.

What drives you to choose a book to read?  Is it popularity?  A topic?  A feeling?  Do you buck the trends and go your own way and read something completely off the charts (perhaps something called The History Of The Paperclip?) 

I want to dish!  Talk to me 😀

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones But Words Will Never Hurt Me?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Remember that child hood sing-song saying”Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” 

What a load of crap.

😯

This week as I was listening to Home Front by Kristin Hannah, a story of a military woman with a rocky marriage who is called away to fight in Afghanistan.  Shortly before her deployment while in yet another heated argument with her husband over his time management skills and being there for their children he says these words,

“I can’t do this anymore.  I just don’t love you.”

The woman is shocked.  It is just an argument.  The book describes that she collapses and reaches out for the counter as the words sink into her very soul.  It is like the bottom just fell out of her life.

And they say words don’t hurt.  🙄

It was about that moment when that old saying about sticks and stones hit me.  I flashed back to a grade school version of me in a playground with friends while a boy taunted us over one thing or another.  I can recall my little voice singing out the sticks and stones thing and tossing my braids over my shoulder and off I went with my posse.

BUT…

The truth is there is a lot of power to words.  As writers, they are must have tools.  As readers we want the words to make us feel… feel pain, hurt, betrayal, love, fear adoration, sorrow, triumph, anger….

the list really goes on and on. 

In fact as I ramble on here and apparently am building up steam on this topic, words that make us feel are what we crave in a book.  We WANT to feel, even… if it is painful. 

And really – what a rush a good book is when it does make us feel.  From the very comforts of our own home we get the privilege of experiencing all this emotion through the books we choose to read.. through the words the writer gives out minds to play around with.

Who among us has not experienced emotion through reading?  Have you laughed or cried while in a book?  Have you turned a page in anger over what you have just read, or turned it slowly and fearfully… afraid what you will read next?

Honestly – I love it when a book makes me feel big emotions one way or another.  When I read a review, I want to know how the book made the reader feel. 

How about you?  Do you like your books to bring out emotions?  Do you agree or disagree that words have power?  On and off the pages?  Would love to dissect this topic with you!

March Recap

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

Another month, another recap.  In January I felt like I rocked that month would a great start to the year.  In February, I mellowed a bit but believed it was going to bounce back.  Now here I am with a toe into April already and looking back at March as I type this with a mild curiosity.

How did I do?

For March I added 10 new books/audio to the map…  however only three new states.  😯  Seem to have repeats in New York, Illinois, and Maine.  GAH!  For the first three months of the year I have in 18 of the 50 states.  6 books being outside the US.

 

 

Of those ten I wrote review for…. 7 were audio.  I know.  I can’t believe it myself… I need to sit down and READ.  I am now at 21 audio books for the year.

I made no progress on the e-books challenge.  I still have a partial one to read before I can count it.  😦

 

 

Thanks to Pandemonium, I was able to add one Dystopia read to the mix giving me three for the year, balancing me well for the 11 I hope to read in 2012.

No progress made on the 2012 Recommended Reading Challenge.  😦

 

For the year I am at 5,419 pages.  Audio equals:  7 days and 62 minutes.  I know… I know… but it is not idle listening… I clean, I cook, I work out… 😀 

I am hopeful that April will pick up steam.  I am finishing my third book for this month today, and I have finished 3 audio as well so far this month.

How is April coming together for you?  Is this a good reading month?

No Comment. YES!!! COMMENT!!!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)66 Comments

Have you met my dear friend Reagan of Miss Remmers Reviews?  She is a teacher, a hockey coach, a book blogger, and a fun to hang with gal.  She was also my roommate at BEA the last two years ans to prove it… here we are:

Good times... good times....

Anyhoo…. Reagan is hosting a Book Blogger Reader Appreciation Week and I love the idea!  She is planning a whole week of appreciation posts and I want to participate where I can.  Today, (actually yesterday) we were asked to share out book blogger history and how we feel about comments. 

I started blogging in early 2009, but did not let my blog go public until June 2009.  At the time, I did not even know what book blogging was, I was just writing reviews for my own records and pretty much using wordpress as an online book journal. 

My first comment came on June 9, 2009…. the day I refer to as my blogiversary date as that is when book blogging came alive for me.  I even remember where that first comment came from, it was Bookin’ With Bingo and it scared me.  😯  I had received an email notification that someone had commented on one of my review posts.  Wha?  😯  I checked it out and there was this stranger telling me they liked my thoughts on the book.  Wha?  😯  I cautiously clicked their link afraid I was going to be whooshed to some dirty site that would eat my computers brain….. but no… what did I find…..

(cue the music)

Yup… a whole new world.  I was shocked.  There was someone out there like me!  Someone else that talked books!  Two of us!  Together we could conquer the book world!!!   (I truly had no idea ….) 

And so it began… from that book site, I found others, and found publishers and authors, and people willing to send you a book to review (WHAT????) 

Now fast forward to current time… 2 3/4 years in.  Yes, the books are awesome – but I buy my own books all the time as well as use my library to read books I wish too, but really… the heart of book blogging for me – is sharing my thoughts with you and hearing your thoughts on what I say.  Yes, I am talking comments.  I LOVE to sit down with a cup of coffee and my laptop and carry on conversations with you through my posts.  And by doing this, I get to know my frequent commenters, and I love that! 

I like knowing that Kathy and her hubby like to go visit their son Vance, and that in the 1990’s they lived in France (and no, that wasn’t suppose to rhyme….. 😉 )

Esme constantly makes me jealous with her worldy travels and fantastic food experiences.  She still teases me that I used to visit her blog in 2009 and tell her that I could not stop at her blog any more because I always left hungry!  Who knew in 2010 I would be sharing a room with her in New York for BEA?

Laurel would be a book blogger I would introduce myself to on a book site (how sad I can not recall the name) in June 2009 and then all this time later she is still one of my top commenters!

Care not only would become another roommate at BEA 2010 (we really had the rotating roommates that year LOL) but she would go on to remember my birthday every year AND send me a birthday card in the mail!

Alison has very similar book tastes to mine and when I read a review on her site, I know I will probably like the book as well.  We have run into each other the last two years at BEA and went to the same author events.  I look forward to seeing her again this year and hanging out!

Kim would turn me to non fiction books more than I ever was and I would never look back.  She also was not only a BEA roommate of 2010, but got together with me and a handful of other bloggers for a Twin Cities book event in the fall of 2010.

Ryan is this amazing single dad who loves his son, and loves to talk books, favorite characters, and movies. 

Lori and I email back and forth about books and occasionally life. 

Reagan of course would not only be my roommate twice for BEA but also my roommate at the Twin Cities Book event and calls me to talk books and blogging and life!

(and of course there are so many more I could go on and on….)

My point of saying this is that to me, there is a person behind the comment and I love that!  I love being able to welcome someone back from a vacation, or telling them to get well soon because I know they are sick. And I know each of these people because they commented and I did back and by reading each others posts, you learn a little something. 😀

Someone once said that comments are the bread and butter of a book blogger and I would tend to agree with that.  I love to unwind from my day with all of you. 

My goal is 2012 is to get back into a rhythm of commenting.  I used to be a great commenter, and commented on every comment and visited their blog if they had one as well and commented their.  Well of course life happens, but I do still get around as I can and try to stop in and say hi (bug me if I havent done that lately…. 😀 )

To wrap up this LONG post I want to do a giveaway today in honor of Reagan’s BBRAW.  Leave a comment (yup that’s it!) here today sharing with me your thoughts on comments and I will enter you into a drawing for a $10 gift card to Amazon.  Winner drawn using random.org on Friday the 17th. 

Oh!  And its not too late to sign up for BBRAW!  Go here!

To Re-Read: To Read…. and Then….. Read Again :)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)52 Comments

I have seen a couple posts as of late on re-reading.  It really got me thinking about this as book lovers, who usually have more books in-house and on our wish list then we could ever hope to read… what makes people like us drop everything to read a book again?  Certainly you can not have that same “first time” experience again…. yet I am betting each and every one of us has at least one go to book that they hang on to and know they could read it again and again and love it every time.

So why?

For me, I get something a little more out of a book each time I read it.  I may pick up something I missed before, or now knowing how it all turns out, words can take on new meaning, and I can appreciate the author even more for a turn of a phrase, or a clue to something coming that at the time… I did not realize was a clue of things to come. 

I refer to books like these as comfort reads.  Books I can turn to at any time, I know they are there… I know they will satisfy.  I already know I love these books.  Characters can become deeper, more three dimensional the second third and fourth time around.  I now… know them.  Not only do I know what they will do and why they will do it… I go through it all with them. 

What makes me turn to these books, when again, I am surrounded by lovely books yet to be read…

It could be a mood… maybe I am going through something hard in my life and I don’t want to crack the code on a new book… I want to go where the characters are known, where I can enjoy a butter beer (oops… have I said too much?  😉  )  Perhaps I am tired, or in need of an old friend… but time and again I will visit these books.

My list … currently is short.  While I have many books that I keep and feel I may one day re-read… there are few that I actually have. 

The Harry Potter series.  All of them.

Seriously… every time I talk about them I want to read them (like now!).  I can easily go back to Hogwarts any time and see these fantastic characters.  Every year I read at least one of these books.  When book 7 came out I read through it quickly in three days to avoid hearing any spoilers… and then turned around and read it again that same week… more slowly, savoring and enjoying every page. 

Summerhouse is truly a magical read of what if you could go back and make a different choice…  I ADORE this book.  Every time I see it somewhere at a sale I buy it to give to friends.  I personally own two paperbacks of it and two hardcovers, one in large print.  Fantastic book I have read probably 5 times so far…

Dance Upon The Air was our first ever book club pick in August of 2001.  At that time, and to still to this day, I am not a Nora Roberts fan.  Never much of a romance reader….  HOWEVER – this is not Nora’s typical fare…. this series is about three women with powers…. one who doesn’t know she has them (Nell, Dance Upon The Air), one who knows she has them but wished she did not (Ripley, Heaven and Earth) and one who has them, loves the ability to do good…. and embraces them, (Mia, Face The Fire).  For the record…. Mia is also my favorite all time female character.  She is tough, independent, beautiful, and the owner of a book store.  Seriously, what is not to love?  😛  About every couple of years I read this series again… and…. I am about due….

No classics on this list…. yet.  While I have classics I adore (To Kill A Mockingbird), I still love basking in the memory of the story and as of yet, do not wish to dive in again. 

Do you have books that you read time and again?  Why?  What do you get out of them that second and third time around? 

My how book blogging has changed… and I am sad

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)182 Comments

This past year – especially the latter part, I have felt a difference in the book blogosphere…. blow ups on twitter, and sadly some of the bloggers that I swear are the ones that helped me in the early days, that made me ♥LOVE♥ book blogging have drifted away – posting rarely or not at all… and that… makes me sad.  I know lives change, priorities change, but there was a time I could list the blogging gurus of the community – and now… I just don’t know.

At BEA (Book Expo of America)  this past year I seen some book bloggers throw fits about not getting a book they wanted, running and grabbing every book they could, and loudly speaking their displeasure if they waited in a line for a book that ran out of stock before they got one.   I was ashamed at the fact that they did not realize that they were a part of something bigger… they represented a great whole…  and were giving us as Book Bloggers a bad name.  Honestly… it reminded me a bit of the snotty selfish girl in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory….

"I got a golden ticket to BEA and now I want ALL THE BOOKS NOW!!!!! GIMMY!"


(It made me think that maybe BEA going forward should have a criteria for book bloggers that attend…

  1. You must be an established book blogger (4+ months) – showing consistency in posts and book reviews…

(just thinking out loud…)

And ok… I kid a bit above so this does not seem like a downer post because really – it’s not a downer post.  It’s more about changes and accepting them and knowing that we still are a community of women and men who enjoy reading and talking about books. 

So what does this have to do with me and my role as a Book Blogger?  I still love book blogging.  There are so many wonderful things about this community that I love.  I did not know three years ago when I started that I would someday meet many of you. (*waves!*) That is still like a dream to me… and that just made me love it more.

I wish I would have found book blogging years ago so I could have been more a part of the evolution of it all.  As it is, I am still glad we had such good years together and hope that the community will build strong once again.

I do try to do my part by helping bloggers who email me with questions, connecting bloggers to one another through the Monday meme, and making it a point to comment when I can…

I don’t think what we have is over.  I think it is changing yes, and change can hurt a bit.  I want to hang with people who want to talk books… who get excited about new authors, new releases, and the next great read coming around the corner.  I will continue to do that as long as I have a passion to do so and for me… that passion still burns strong. 

Note:  I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago when I noticed another book blogger friend went off the grid.  I wasn’t sure I would publish it, it was more just to words to my thoughts.  Then I seen a post at My Friend Amy’s that said a bit of what I had been thinking too.  She encouraged me to post my thoughts and here they are. 

If you are a book blogger – or if you are a person who just likes to talk about books as well as other things… what do you think of all of this?  Have you noticed any changes since you started blogging?  If you are a reader – have you noticed changes in the blogs you like to read – for better?  For worse? 

2011 – The Good, The Bad, and the UGH

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

I have been looking forward to doing this post for WEEKS!  Yes, I know it is a lot of work to go through everything I have posted in 2011, but as of late I have been thinking “Dang.  I have read some great books lately!”  That leaves me wondering about all the books I have read this year that I am not even recalling right now but truly probably need a SHOUT OUT as the best of the year….  I also… may occasionally label a bad post… or an UGH.  😛

Join me now as we jump on the internet express and go back back back to…. (all pics are clickable and lead back to the posts/reviews)

January 2011

Good:  Yes it was a COLD Minnesota January when I finally caved and allowed myself a listen of an audio about a dog.  I had no idea that choice would leave me raving the rest of the year about it!  😀

Good:  If Shiver was impressive, Linger was icing on the cake.  A worthy second to this trilogy and best book of January.

Best Meandering post(s) of January:

When reading Habits Just Get Embarrassing!

Good:  This is where you recommended to me GREAT audio!

February 2011

Good:  This is the audio that made me very impressed with Anita Shreve.  Best audio of February!

Good:  A Tiger in The Kitchen was such an EXCELLENT read!

Bad:  Pro?  Con?  Why or why not?


Morning Meanderings…. The New Classics (a list from Entertainment Weekly of what the new classics are)

March 2011

Good: I cant help it – if you are looking for good audio – look no further than the Harry Potter books narrated by Stephen  Fry or Jim Dale

Good: What started out as a review to cook by for a book (coming out this March 2012!) turned out to be a pretty delicious read as well.

Good:  Polar Plunge… this pic is before I hit the water….

Ugh:  Morning Meanderings…. BUSTED by the snoring husband

April 2011

Good:  Audio love – this one rocked and the movie did too!

Good:  I heard about it… I coveted it, and then I read it.  Just as good as I had hoped.  BEST of April!

Good:  What is your most treasured book?

Bad:  I don’t care what cha all think of her…. I just don’t like her.  😛

May 2011

Good:  Audio book for May…

Sadly (BAD) no book stood out for me to call best of May 2011….. (this was also probably the month I read the least)

Good:  Dinner with author Beth Hoffman (CeeCee Honeycutt) while in New York

Good: Reagan (Miss Remmer’s Reviews) and I run the Info booth at BEA…..

June 2011:

Fantastic audio!  I almost fell off the lawn mower laughing!

First book I read entirely on my NOOK and best read of June!

UGH:  2 weeks after I return from BEA I seriously wipe out on my bike

Good:  A week after the bike injury I take a girls road trip to Chicago with my peeps 😀

Good:  E Readers YAY or NAY discussion

A great book bloggers get together in New York for dinner!

Good:  Dinner with Adriana Trigianni in New York

Good:  Valued info I learned at the Book Blogger Con

Good and UGH:  The post where I made a you tube video of me being the Crocodile Hunter 😯

July 2011

Good:  Fantastic memoir audio about food and more food!

Bad:  And again… no book that stood out in July

Good:  Danielle wins my Harry Potter VLOG contest!

Good:  Warrior Dash!!!

Good:  Our book club chooses a new Queen

August 2011

Good:  If you loved the book… you will love love the audio!

Good:  Awesome read!

Good:  A week at AIDS camp

Bookies 10 year anniversary!!!!

September 2011

Good:  Awesome audio of the month!

Good:  This series is so fantastic I must insist you read it!

Good: The second in the series and just as fantastic as the first!

October 2011

Good:  Certainly you have heard of this one… on audio, read by Jim Dale?  Fantastic!

Good:  Incredible read

Bookies classic review night

Bad:  We had to put our puppy of 15 years down  😦

November 2011

Good:  This was so interesting!


Good: Rounding out the series nicely – I applaud Patrick Ness

This was such an amazing non fiction read!

December 2011

Good:  Audio at its best!!!!

This was not the best audio of the month, but if I had listened to this any other month it would have beat out the other audio.

Fantastic dystopia read!

Great discussion post

So in recap here are the books of the year:

and the audio:

and over all.. best of the best:

Do you have a “best of” for the year?  I would love to hear what it is!

When Authors Attack…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)111 Comments

In 2009,  I wrote a review of a book that I had accepted from the author.  When I read the synopsis, I thought I had a pretty good idea about what the book was going to be about.  I was wrong. The book was non-fiction/memoir type, and upon reading the book, while I found the author to be an incredible writer… the choices made in the book did not sit right with me… honestly… they were borderline bizarre.

My review, I thought was fair.  I pointed out the parts I really enjoyed, commending the author for beautiful descriptions.  In the end, I mentioned in a sentence or two that while I appreciated the writing, parts of the book dragged a bit and I did not agree with some of the actions/decisions that were taken in the book.  I even encouraged my readers to look at  reviews other than mine as some reviewers really enjoyed the book.

Unknowingly to me at the time… I had opened up the gates of Hell.

The author…. pounced.  She called the company who had sent me the book.  She not only came after me personally on her own website but she also commented on the comments I received on the post calling me judgmental, shallow, and narrow-minded.

I emailed the publishing company who had sent me the book because I felt terrible.  I was a fairly new blogger, I felt my review was kind, but I also wanted to be honest in my opinion and true to my readers.  The publishing lady that I had dealt with on many books (and still deal with)  told me not to worry about it, and said at least I did not say that if I ever met this author in person I would slap her across the face, as apparently one reviewer said on Amazon.  😯

When this author mentioned my review on her own site, she did not mention me by name… I believe she said something like “some people” are narrow-minded and the “some people” was a link back to my blog.  The beauty of that was, she linked to my blog.  Not the review.  So…. I buried it.  By that I mean I started reviewing like crazy.  If anyone linked to my blog to see my review, they had to look through pages of many good reviews to get to the one that was so-so.  My point in doing this was I was hoping that these readers could see that I was a good person, I read many books of all genres, and I write fair reviews. 

Why bring this up after all this time?

I really don’t know, other than the fact I was thinking about this book and author the other day and admit that I peaked on Amazon to see how the book was faring.  Recent reviewers were for the most part not impressed…. many of their opinions were much as mine were, only theirs were more verbal.  I had to dig deep into the reviews going way back to find a series of positive ones.

I guess what I am getting at here is that many of you that read my blog here are also book reviewers.  Like me, I am guessing that you probably try really hard to be careful what books you are offered for review that you say yes to.  As time goes on, I have become more and more selective.  Yet, even with the best of intentions, we are going to come across books that we just do not enjoy and yet, we have agreed to review.

So to book bloggers I offer this:

1.  Yes be selective in the books you agree to read and review

2,  Keep your reviews honest – dont sugar coat them, your readers want your true opinion

3.  It is just an opinion – yours. 

4.  Keep all your thoughts about the book – do not make them about the author.  (*I have tossed this one around for a long time in my head, and while my review comment in a way touched the author as it was a non fiction memoir type, I certainly never meant for it to personally offend.)

5.  Not every book is going to be a win. 

To authors who experience a poor review I offer this:

1.  I adore you for all your hard work and understand (and hopefully am someday there too) that your book can be like a child.

2.  Do not take negative reviews personally, not everyone is going to love your book.  (Just like parents, not everyone is going to love your child as you do. 😛 )

3.  I love it when you visit the review and I think my readers do too.  If you want to participate in the comments that is awesome, just keep it positive.

4.  Angry, defensive responses shine poorly on you.  By being bigger than that, you can still ensure a positive experience for the readers and possibly pick up a few readers as well.  (Again, a review is just an opinion).

5.  I am one person, even this post is just my thoughts.  I can speak only for me and my experiences. 🙂

Note:  In the two and a half years I have been blogging, I have only had the one negative author experience.  Most authors are amazing and generous people.  ♥

There have been books that I have not enjoyed that my readers have gone on to read and loved.  The beauty of the melting pot of book lovers!  😀 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, but please do not point out books or authors.

Have you ever had a hard book to review?  Again, please leave book titles and authors out, but I would like to hear how you handled the review. 

Have you ever had a poor review you had written, but a positive author experience with the same book?

Bookish Gifts for Your Bookish Friends

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)48 Comments

It is that time of year  again when I start thinking of Christmas and the gift giving.  I love finding the perfect gift for people.  I know I appreciate a well thought out gift and find it funny when people say to me that they would not get me a book because of course I have so many already…

those who know me well.. know a bookish item is perfect for me as that is what I love.  After all, the gift of a book to me is like the gift of adventure.

That said it got me thinking of what I would consider good bookish gifts this year and I thought I would post a list of the items that I think would be very appreciated by fellow book lovers:  (*Note that all gifts listed below are clickable pictures that will take you to where you can purchase and/or see more about the item.

 

 

 

1.  The Chaos Walking Series

Seriously the best series I read this year and totally gift worthy.  Believe me – you will want to give all three books as each book leaves you ready to jump head first into the next.  A little adventure, a little sci fi, a little YA, and a lot of dystopia… this series has a little something for everyone… and I personally found it to be even more amazing than the Hunger Games.  See my reviews of these books here, here, and here.

 

 

 

2.  The Banned Books Bracelet

I have coveted this bracelet since the first time I saw it.  What a cool and unique gift for your favorite book lover!  In both adult and teen titles. 

3.  Readers Journal

Not everyone you know who loves to read is also a book blogger.  Even some of your book blogger types (me included) still enjoy writing in a journal.  This little beauty is the pick of the crop because:

Title, Author, Date Published, Category (Fiction, Non-Fiction, etc.), Date Started, Date Finished, 0-5 Star Rating, “Inspired me to learn about these subjects”, followed by a full page for “Notes”.

Throughout the journal are places to fill in fun information:

~A 2-page spread about your “Biblio Style”, including favorite authors, favorite books, favorite places to read, favorite genres, etc.
~A page to show, basically, what kind of books are currently on your book shelves.
~A page to fill in authors that have most influenced you.
~”Reading Trees”, to track how reading one book influenced you to read another book.
~A page to make your own little award ceremony for books.
~Literary face-offs, where you check who you like the best from lists of authors and literary characters.
~A favorite quotes page.
~Two page spread concerning books being turned into movies.

Seriously?  I just ordered two of these this morning.

4.  The Steve Jobs book by Walter Isaacson

This hot little item is on my wish list and I think on many other book lovers as well.

5.  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (ON AUDIO!)

I would never forget the audio book lovers in my life and my recommendation for this Christmas season is Ready Player One.  Narrated by Will Wheaton it is a treat for the ears!

 

 

 

6.  Awesome movies made from books

Celebrate life-long friendship this holiday season with the film adaptation of Lisa See’s best-selling novel, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Set in both 19th century and present day China, Snow Flower is the tale of two women and their descendants who share a life-long bond as sworn sisters. This touching film is from critically acclaimed director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club).

This tale set in a travelling circus during the Great Depression stars the dreamy Robert Pattinson, and the loveable Reese Witherspoon, as two star-crossed lovers who must overcome many obstacles in order to be together. Not only is the film a great love story, but Witherspoon also dons some fantastic outfits and makeup, which would be great inspiration for any stylish woman!

Both of these movies were made from exceptional books.  I have seen both movies and can honestly say they are both gift worthy.

 

 

 

7.  Fun book shelves

Most big time book lovers are always scrambling for space to store their precious treasures.  A great gift is to give them is a unique way to do just that.  Do you not just love this shelf?

8.  Bookish Board Games

300 trivia cards, including 8 bonus Jane Austen trivia questions.  Super bookish party fare!

In Liebrary, players are given a book title and the plot summary and then asked it create the most believable first line of the book. The object of the game is to bluff other players into believing that their first line is the correct one. The more outrageous the better.  Come on!  Doesn’t that sound so fantastic?

9.  Trilogy that have gone GLOBAL!

We have been talking Hunger Games for the last two years.  Now – next year the movies will start and if you have bookish friends who have yet to read the series (shudder the thought!) then what an incredible gift to give!  This will be the gift that keeps on giving. 

 

 

 

10.  Harry Potter Boxed Complete Hardcover set

With the release of the last and final installment of the Harry Potter movies, we are truly at the end of an incredible era.  (Pause for a moment of silence)…………………………………………………………………….

To have all the books in hard cover in mint condition to the Harry Potter fan in your life?  Priceless.

That’s it for now… I have a DVD copy of Snow Flower and The Secret Fan as well as a DVD copy of Water For Elephants which I will choose two winners for next week from those who leave a comment letting me know what bookish gift they would like to receive this Christmas.