Tag: Morning Meanderings

Morning Meanderings… Dewey Read A Thon Recap

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

1j

Good morning!  How many of us groggy book blogger peeps did the Dewey read A Thon yesterday?  From the looks of the Dewey site and Twitter…. I would say a LOT.  The hashtag #readathon was trending for awhile and I heard last night that over 1,000 pictures has been uploaded to instygram for the #readathon.

Impressive?

I think so… imagine all of us reading around the world…. seriously, it gives me goosebumps.

So how did I do?

Not as good as I had hoped. 😀

It started yesterday at 7 am central time.  I woke up at 6 am and started reading.  By 7:30 I decided I should work on my posts for my co-hosting shift coming up for the readathon…. and that took me almost to the time that I started hosting, hour 5.  😯

From hour 5 to hour 8,  I was co-hosting which was a BLAST!  It was my first time and it really was a wake up call to how much is happening behind the scenes on the read a thon!  I watched for emails and questions, I stayed active on twitter, made sure the links worked to the mini challenges, carried on conversations on the comments at the website… it was a lot of fun and I was honored to be a part of it.

At hour 9 I had to get out or the recliner that I had been in since an hour before the read a thon started.  I put on an audio (Requiem) and went outside to clean off the deck as yesterday was the first nice weather day we have had this year in Central Minnesota.  Just 3 days ago it was still snowing… now it is finally melting and the deck is clear….

At hour 12 I had made supper (while listening to audio), picked up the cheese bag by the wrong end and “cheesed” my entire kitchen floor and then went to book for hour 13 – 16.

Ah hour 16 (10 pm) I was fading…. I was trying to read but I kept closing my eyes.  I tried coffee but I was done for.  About 10 to 11 pm I went to bed.

At hour 22 I was up. 

I immediately went back to audio (now Raven Boys) and finished out the read a thon doing that. 😀

Here is the end of event meme questionnaire:

  1. Which hour was most daunting for you?  Hour 16.  I was just too far gone and all I could think was I am TIRED.  😛

  2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Requiem was awesome… I listened to it on audio while I got up and moved around… really good!

  3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?  I thought it went well… I enjoyed the changing hosts on the sites and the fun things they posted.

  4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?  Hmmm…  I think everything, the mini challenges were fun, it seemed like it went really smooth.

  5. How many books did you read? only 2 finished and a couple of audio advanced in.

  6. What were the names of the books you read?  How To Start A Home Based Event Planning Business (lol it was good!) , Requiem

  7. Which book did you enjoy most? I actually really enjoyed them both – for different reasons 🙂

  8. Which did you enjoy least?  none

  9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?  I was not a cheerleader.

  10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  I hope to always participate, I really look forward to it and as soon as I know the dates I put it on my calendar.  I have joked in the past about going to a hotel for the day just to get away from everything and do the read a thon and I still may do that one of these times 🙂

      I would love to help with the co hosting again… I was new this time and I learned a lot of how it works and how to keep up with it. 😀

That’s the read a thon.  If you are curious about it, go check out the site.  I highly recommend it!

 

 

 

Today I have my uncles funeral and some family things after wards.  My uncle fought cancer hard for years but this last year it really took over his body.  Last September he decided no more chemo and so he quit all the treatments to not feel sick all the time.  He had some good months before he started slipping these past weeks.  While it is a loss to our family, we are all happy that he is no longer suffering and in pain.  Today will be a celebration of his life. 

Morning Meanderings… I was never a reluctant reader… but I was a non reader

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

1j

Good morning! 

This morning while sipping on my coffee using THAT CUP you see above, I was reading Shelf Awareness and reading some of the stories that surround World Book Night.  I enjoy reading about the reluctant readers who received a book this past week and who are curiously (hopefully excitedly) cracking open that book and falling into a story.

I love that imagery of “falling in” because that has happened to me so many times before. 😀

As I sit here this morning ignoring the clock and the fact that I still need to do my 4 minute express workout before prepping for my day (a promise I made to myself), I think back over my history with books.

Books have pretty much always been there for me although I do not come from a family of readers.  Neither my mom or my dad were readers,  I only had my sister for 5 years and during that time she was not a reader…. I wonder now if she would have loved books the way I did and the way I do….

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As a child – I think life circumstances brought me to books.  I was an only child until the age of 7 with two working parents.  People didn’t travel then as much as they do now and I found my way around the world through books.  As a kid it was Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and The Little House On The Prairie Books.  As middle grade it was more like Judy Blume (there was not a lot of great choices for middle grade and YA then like there is now).

I remember I fell away from books in High School when life was BUSY and homework, friends and boys called my name… when I had my first real job and driving was suddenly an option. 

After High School when I was living on my own and holding down a job I went back to books and stayed there through my twenties finding Dean Koontz, and Stephen King to my liking for mysteries and crazy suspense….  I think I dropped off a bit as the boys became involved in sports and boy scouts … and then back again as they became involved in their own lives and branched out… by then I was in the Bookies and book doors had opened wider than I ever thought they would.

The cool thing about book clubs I think you will agree, is that you will read a book that you may never have chosen for yourself or by yourself.  Book Clubs stretch our reading and boy… .mine did that for me!  I love watching people come into our book club with a “I do not read this, and I won’t read that….” and months later they are reading this and that and enjoying it. 

Books change people.

Well… the rest of my book life is history.  Books led me to book club, book club led me to blogging, blogging led me to you fellow readers, and book expos and author events and well….

That’s my train of thought this morning.  Books are amazing.  Readers are amazing.  It’s almost like we take on an extra dimension in our way of thinking in our way of relating….

ahhhhh….. books 😀

Morning Meandering…. The Day After WBN and the Virus Monster

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)29 Comments

1j

Good morning!  Wednesday right?  Its been a pretty sweet week so far.  Last night, or yesterday I guess, was World Book Night… my second year participating, the second year in the United States.

My quest…..

to hand out 20 copies of John Green’s Looking for Alaska. 

My day began like this…

I stopped at the gas station to get a cup of ice (mmmm hmmmmmm…. that’s what I do….).  I was wearing the “I am a book giver” sticker and when I checked out the lady behind the counter said “Ok, I will ask, what is a book giver?”

Now… as much fun as it would have been right there to go all sci-fi YA dystopian on her, have my face fall off to reveal a creature that laughs high and shrill and screeches “It is a VIRUS!  And you are now one of us!”….

Instead I (Sheila, me… not virus monster) responded “I am so glad you asked!”  I explained what WBN was.

“Oh,” she said… “I am not much of a reader”.

Again… Virus monster wanted to jump up on the counter, green spittle flying everywhere and say in that same creepy shrill voice, “Oh…. but you are now my dear….. you are now!”

But alas, no, just Sheila said “That is perfect! That is what WGN is about, and you obviously have never read John Green!”   I shared with her about the book I had, which was in my purse and handed her a copy.

“I suppose I could give it a try.” she said.

“Touchdown!”  yelled Virus Monster raising his long finger nailed green hands high over his head in triumph.

“That’s great,” I said and went on my way to work.

😀

And so my day went like that.  I found a young boy in the library with his mom – no no no….  she was the reader, not he… and no no no I was not handing out my books at the library (kind of a cheat don’t you think?) – I was stopping there to pick up books I had reserved…. but I knew the mom, and her son was just along because he had to be. 

I talked to him about books and he received one from me too.

The rest was basic hand outs at Costco where I realized quickly my book choice of a YA read did not fit my clientele of 3:30 pm at Costco.  These people were busy moms or dads or the older generation who looked at me cautiously like I was going to bring out the Virus Monster again….

I should have taken my chances at pick up time at the high school.  😀

Anyway – as always it was fun and I am so honored to have been a part of it two years in a row!  Next year our library is hoping to have a bigger part in WBN and really make a presence in our community.

How about you – did you participate in WBN?  If so how did it go?  If not, did you see or know any givers in your area?

Morning Meanderings… It is World Book Night!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

1j

Good morning!  Would you believe that yesterday I drove home from St Cloud in a snow storm?  Well… I did.  This is truly the winter that will not quit.  Although… we are supposed to be in the 70’s this weekend so who knows.  😯

I was in St Cloud yesterday visiting the Mother Ship Barnes and Noble to pick up my World Book Night books.  As today is world book day I know I was pushing the deadline but last week was a whirlwind of activity and St Cloud is an hour away and I did not have those couple of hours that I needed to make the round trip. 

And now today… April 23rd, is World Book Night.  According to the statistics I read this morning on Shelf Awareness, more than 25,000 givers (like me!) will be out and about today handing out 500,000 free books to lite and non readers. We had 30 titles to choose from.  This year was a harder pick for me because I am not choosing the book that I most enjoyed out of this group (although I did enjoy my pick very much!) I was looking for the book that would pull in a non reader.  Last years choice was easier as Hunger Games was in the mix and with the movie having recently been released it was a book that had piqued people’s interest.

So…. what did I go with?

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John Green’s looking for alaska.  Not my favorite by John Green, but still… it is John Green.   If given the choice, The Fault In Our Stars would have been the book I would have liked to have given out by him because John Green writes as awesome YA!  (Finished that one on audio last year on the 4th of July on the back of a motor cycle, tears running down my face….. yes… it was that awesome!)

So later today after work, I need to go to Costco, and then will be at the gym for Group Power so will work on giving books out in both places.  I may move on to the grocery store after that if I have any left.

Oh, and to the Lady I met last year at the bank who I tried to give a copy of Hunger Games and instead wanted to know if I had any copies of 50 Shades Of Gray…. even if that would have been a choice out of the 30, I still would not be handing that one out.  😀  You would have to find a different giver. 😛

Hope you all have a wonderful World Book Day and Night.  What a wonderful event and I am sooooo excited to be a part of it. 

Morning Meanderings… Going to BEA and Roomies in Da House…. errr… Hotel!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)28 Comments

1j

As you may remember, the last few weeks I have been looking for a roommate for BEA (Book Expo America).  This year none of my roomies of the past years are attending, and I think the roommate piece can be one of the hardest parts of going to BEA.

Why?

First I have to put out there on-line that I am looking for a roommate…. (muy awkward!) Maybe it’s because I am from central Minnesota, but it always takes me some time to put out on twitter and on the blog that I am looking for a roommate.  I remember the first year I went to BEA and I was telling my friend about my three roommates, none of who I had ever met.  She looked at me like I was a little crazy…. our conversation went something like this…

Friend:  SO…. you don’t know any of these book bloggers you are staying with in New York.

Me:  Well, I read their blogs…. and I have seen their pictures.  And we have emailed back and forth.

Friend:  Uh… huh.  SO….. how do you know they are who they say they are?

Me:  What do you mean?

Friend:  Well… what if one of them is a dude?

Me:  WHAT?  That won’t happen.  Seriously these are long time bloggers.

Friend:  But what if say “Bookalicious Blogger”  (fictional blog name I think – if not I apologize) is really a big guy named Mack?

Me: ……………..  I know, I know… if things were reversed and if you told me that you were going to a state you had never been to before to room with people for a week that you have never met I would think you were nuts.

Anyhoo….. my roommates were AWESOME and there is one thing I have noticed every time I have gone to BEA (this is my 4th year), Book Bloggers are real.  I have never met a book blogger yet that I have walked away thinking, “wow… they are so different on-line….”  Nope.  Everyone has been just like they write – if they are funny on the blog – they are funny in person.  They are the most amazing group of people…

So enough on BEA past…. let’s go to BEA present…

 

After my final looking for a roommate post last week, stating my credentials (I am easy-going, house broken, do not shed, and promise not to take up a lot of space….) I received an email from Stacy from The Novel Life.  She was also looking for a roommate and we had met each other in 2011 at a blogger dinner about 20 of us went to one night after an event.

“whew” I thought, I know her!  That makes it so much easier.

About an hour later I received an email from Cindy from Cindy’s Love Of Books.  She too was looking at the possibility of a roommate. 

“Awesome” I thought, last year we were in the same hotel and we had laughed about how we kept running into each other.  On our final evening in New York last year my roomies and Cindy’s roomies got together for dinner and hung out.

Then – as Cindy is going into New York earlier than Stacy and I, Cindy took the reins and went to planning.  I won’t lay out all the details and the emails back and forth while we tried to decide on a place but I will say that Cindy put a lot of work looking into hotel rates vs. renting an apartment and finally we wound up right back where we were last year.  It’s perfect.  We know the hotel, we like the continental breakfast choices and it is close to the Javits Center.

Now that the hard part is over (I always get nervous about the booking, signing up for BEA registration (always afraid I am going to do it wrong and get there and I don’t have what I thought I did…, the hotel planning…. and then the flight).   NOW I get to think of the fun part, seeing fellow bloggers that I enjoy getting together with, seeing the books, seeing authors I adore, publishing houses I work with, and new people I will meet.  AND it is New York and Alison (Alison’s Book Marks) and I are already talking about taking in a show.

Can not wait!!!

Now….

what to wear.

😯

Morning Meanderings… Minnesota “Narnia Style”

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

1j

Good morning!  It is Saturday and the good news is that the Minnesota Book Awards are tonight and I have a Golden Ticket to go!!!  The bad news is (and this is for you Saturday Snapshot peeps)….

Minnesota looks like this right now:

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Now you may be thinking “Sheila, why are you showing us a picture of snow?  You hate winter!”

Well… that would be because this picture was taken at 6:30 am this morning when I got up.  This is the current state of my yard after Thursdays 6″ snow storm.  AND after watching the news last night… it’s not over yet, we may get more late night tonight.

………………………….

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Ok….moving on. 😀 

As I do now want my Saturday Spotlight pictures to be about the snowy state on Minnesota right now… I instead wish to give you pictures of…

Last weekends Chanhassen Theater!  My friends Cindy, Heidi, and Sara and I drove to Chanhassen last Friday Night and went to the Ultimate 80’s Power Balladz.  I thought it was going to be good fun 80’s (whats not to love?) I did not know it was going to be laugh out loud, laugh until you cry fun.  

IT WAS A BLAST!

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We had dinner at the theater and they took us down this hall that looked like we were in some sort of Hobbit land…

 

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It was great fun – here they were imitating Lita Ford and Ozzy Ozborne.

 

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They had sing a longs, asked the audience questions, dressed like the 80’s…. it was fun. 

Thanks Alyce from At Home With Books for hosting Saturday Snapshot so we can talk about the fun pictures of our lives. 😀

SO… tonight’s Minnesota Book Awards is a gala.  And last weekend I bought a dress.  A spring looking dress… knee-length, white with pick and light blue flowers on it….

uhhh…. yeah.

So maybe I wear a snow suit, hat, mittens and boots and call it good?

SHHEEESH.  😯

Morning Meanderings… We Are The Bookies. Or Are We? ;)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

1j

You know I adore my Book Club the Bookies.  I do.  I really do. They are fun and adventurous.  Last month when the book nominated to read was Ruth Reichl’s Garlic and Sapphires, the true story of a New York Times food critic in disguise it was suggested that we too arrive in disguise….

and so we did.

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Seriously…. I love these women.  7 of us dressed up.  I laughed as each entered my house – and I laughed because these are memories in the making.  Brenda’s husband (hot blond – back row) said as she left “I think you really enjoy this part of book club, the dressing up.” 

I think we do too…

We are probably too old to trick or treat – but we can do this. 😀

I love that a couple of the girls posted their pictures on Facebook about their book club…

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Lori’s facebook post says: “This is Cassandra , she went to book club tonight and had a blast…. thank you lovely ladies and gentleman 😉 see you next month!”

and Kaydi’s said…

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Kaydi’s facebook post says “There she is”.
We called her ‘Gwen’ all night.

Last night Angie brought us a Chocolate tasting.  She had everything we needed, the sheets to vote and the chocolate.  It was different and fun.  I love that we go the extra mile time and again.

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I love that we are adventurous.  I love that not only does someone make a suggestion… we usually do it.  It’s a way for once a month a group of awesome girls who love books to get together and have fun. 

Morning Meanderings… Roommate Wanted BEA – A pitch for me ;)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

1j

Good morning and happy Tuesday!  Today is going to be a fun day.  We are reviewing Garlic and Sapphires tonight here at my house for book club.  If you are unfamiliar with the book it is Ruth Reichl’s recap of being a world-renowned food critic for the New York Times.  Ruth knows that the restaurants are all on the look for her having her picture posted in kitchens all over New York so they can be sure she receives the best possible service so they can receive a great review…. but that is not how Ruth rolls… she wants the true experience so she comes to these restaurants several times in different disguises to see how people are really treated and how the food really is.  Honestly it is a lot of fun to read and we are going to have a blast reviewing it as the Bookies are encourages to arrive tonight in disguise. 

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Anyhoo…

my pitch….

This year will be my 4th year attending BEA (Book Expo America)  Yes, yes, insert SSSSQQQQQQUUUUEEEEEE here. 😀  I am soooo excited and anxious to get everything booked and be done with it – however at this moment I have no roommate.  The rooms can be rather pricey in New York and it is nice to have someone to share that cost with, and someone to hang out with, walk to the Javits with, etc…

My first year was wonderful – I had roommates galore:  Reagan from Top Knot Blog (formerly Miss Remmers Reviews), Esme from Chocolates and Croissants, Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness, and Care from Care’s Online Bookclub.  That first year was the year I met Adriana Trigiani, Sarah Pekkanen and Sandra Brannan – just to name a few…..  it was beyond wonderful!

Then my second year I was rooming with Reagan again and we had a blast!  Reagan is also from Minnesota and so it was easy to meet her in the cities and fly out together and run to all of our events together as we read fairly similar.  Last year, I roomed with Gail from Ticket To Anywhere. We had a blast as well!  So every year I have a great time, but really want a roommate and look – I just posted 5 awesome people and long-term book bloggers who can give you references. 😛

So that is where I am at on BEA….. just waiting on that final piece so if you know of anyone who is also planning n going but would like to share room cost, please direct them my way.  My email is:  journey throughbooks @gmail.com

In other randomness… I think I refreshed the Amazon page for Sarah Pekkanen’s The Best Of Us around 50 times yesterday waiting for the review part to go live.  I stayed up as long as I could waiting.. waiting… I really wanted to be the first review on the book on Amazon.  When I went to bed at 11:25 last night it still was not active but when I woke up at 6 am, it was and I was not the first review… I was second.  😀  Anyway – woo hoo to Sarah Pekkkanen and HAPPY HAPPY book release day!  It is a great read and you can find my review here and my Amazon review here. 

Ok…. going to vacuum my house before work today – the critics…. er….. Bookies arrive tonight.  😛

Morning Meanderings… My Return to Books and Brainerd

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

1j

Good morning and happy Sunday!  I had a wonderful start to the weekend with friends.  I went to the Chanhassen Theater on Friday evening to a 80’s Power Balladz.  It was AWESOME!  If you are an 80’s gal or guy and still think it is the best music of the ages…. this is for you…. its music you love and a lot of funny comedy to go with it.  I think we laughed until we cried. I have not laughed like that in a long time.

We shopped our way back home and I arrived at home base yesterday evening, happy and tired out.  Hubby and I tried to watch The Hobbit last night but I fell asleep in the recliner by 8 pm. 

#Hobbitfail

A few books came in the house this week and they look fantastic:

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Mmmmmm hmmmmm….. don’t these look awesome?  I am excited about these!

Today I will get book time.  This afternoon I need to dig into our book club read as this is going to be a fun one.  The book, Garlic and Sapphires is about Ruth Reichl and how she used disguises when she was a food critic for the New York Times.  Book Club attendees have been encouraged to come to the meeting in disguise……

AWESOME 😀

I hope you have a wonderful day planned…. later I am also planning to post my interview with Author Randall Arthur, the author of Forgotten Roads, as well as three other older titles that I have enjoyed through the years.

Morning Meanderings… Mini Road Trip with friends

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

1j

Good morning.  I am here with COFFEE CUP (it looks so huge in the above picture….LOVE that!)  and waiting for three of my friends to meet me here at 8 am.  We are road tripping today, trickling our way to Chanhassen where tonight we will go to the Chanhassen dinner theater.  I am excited, I have never been there. 

My week has been… BUSY.  I have many things coming up at work that I am working on and stayed late yesterday making sure everything was as it should be for the weekend.  Each late afternoon this week I have had another commitment…. Friends Of The Library meeting, Wine and Words Meeting, Camp Applications meeting… it’s all fun, things I enjoy… but escaping for a day… sounds wonderful. 😀

We will be back tomorrow later afternoon so it’s a quick trip but it should be a lot of fun.

Of course, I am taking a book. 

Which one?

Ruth Reichl’s Garlic and Sapphires.  Our book club book that we are reviewing this coming Tuesday.  I read it a few years back and really enjoyed it. 😀

Have a wonderful start to your weekend!