Last night was a wow wow wow book club meeting at my house…. it was a discussion over the book Postmistress, and I read this last fall and found it to be an ok read, but not one I wanted to review again…. well… last nights discussion made me change my mind. Later this week I will share the food, the discussion… did I mention the food? 😀
The winner of yesterdays BBAW giveaway of The Night Circus is: (using random.org)
GAH!!! WOO HOO!!! Congratulations. Send me your address (no po boxes please) to journeythroughbooks@gmail.com
And now… another 24 hour giveaway of another smoking hot title that was released recently…
This beautiful new book is sitting on my kitchen table right now. I have two copies – and one is about to go to one of your homes!
To enter, leave a comment here telling me which book released (or yet to be released) in 2011 have you been most excited about. (You can get in on a second entry for this book by commenting on my BBAW Community post that will go up yet today. )
Oh I am so excited it is BBAW (Book Blogger Appreciation Week). I look forward to this each year as a time to celebrate those of us who blog about our love for books. I have to tell you, three years ago, I did not know Book Bloggers existed. When I blindly stumbled into this world… I have never looked back. My life changed that day for the better.
I wish I could put into words how much I enjoy my time chatting books with all of you. Each of you who stop in and visit, I enjoy your comments so much. As we carry on conversations and for those who have blogs that I read too, I get to know a bit of you and that is pretty cool.
This week I hope to celebrate with all of you our love for books. So this morning I am giving away one of the books I have been hanging on to for a while for just such an occasion….
a new (still in the gift wrap) copy of The Night Circus!!! SSQQUUUEEE!!!
I have not read this one yet but from the hype I have heard this is one not to miss! I hope to read my copy yet this week and I am excited to be able to share it with one of you!
To enter, please leave a comment on this post about what you enjoy most about book blogs. Also note – you can receive a second (and possibly a third) by commenting on my Blog swap interview also posted today. **Giveaway is open as well to international. 😀
**This is a one day giveaway…. tomorrow morning I will announce the winner. 😀
I have been itching to do some revamping of the site for a while now. It was tradition to do blog updates and face lifts during the Bloggiesta but with no Bloggiesta this year – I had to suck it up and make the changes on my own.
Working with CSS always makes me a bit nervous, but the very first time I messed with it, Natasha from Maw Books walked me through it step by step on Twitter. Now I am a bit braver, and this time even learned how to add a textured pattern to the background. (Note it did take me about three hours of messing around and tweaking but alas… I am happy with the results.)
Dont worry I am not one to continuously change my blog look… when other book bloggers do that often I get confused and unsure if I am on their blog, usually scrolling to the top to make sure whose blog I am on! 😛 Although… the occasional coat of paint gives a whole new look don’t you think?
My next task is to put some time into the sidebars… the books on them are outdated and I have had a few ideas I have wanted to implement for a while now but just have not done it.
And of course, today is 9-11. Ten years…. hard to believe isn’t it? Ten years ago I was working at Wal-Mart when I heard about the first plane… I remember wondering if I should go to the school and pick up my kids… it was a time where you really felt you should be with your family. I did stay at work, as we were encouraged to do so… but do you recall how quiet the skies were when they stopped all flights? ANd I recall how odd it was to hear that first plane in the air days after the tragedy.
Where were you ten years ago when you first heard?
Good morning and happy Saturday! Another gorgeous day here in Minnesota… we have had low 80’s the past few days and looks like the weekend will stay true to that as well so as you can imagine… I am smiling over here. 😀
A couple of evenings ago I went to my friend Cindy’s house in Motley with Sara and Heidi. We had this in the planning for a while, she has a beautiful piece of property and is always doing new and creative things with her yard so it is fun to go and get ideas.
Of course the day came for this to happen and it was all up in the air. I had a crazy day at work, we were all trying to coordinate car pooling (it’s about a 25 minute drive), what time we could all leave… suddenly it seemed like just “one more thing on the agenda”.
I told my hubby before I left that I wouldn’t be late, that I would rather just stay home but we had planned this so I was going. I had laundry I should be working on, the yard needed mowing, and honestly… I was just tired. 😯
I pick up Heidi and Sara and we chat our way to Motley… catching up on each others lives since our last get together and as we near Cindy’s I can almost feel the stress melt away.
Cindy's home
We sit around a fire and talk and laugh. We eat amazing food (thanks for grilling Jeff!) and we pick apples from her trees, tour her latest creative decorating in her home, eat some more, and stay until it is so dark we are just shadow people sitting around a fire…
Our fire at Cindy's
BUT we are all smiling.
As we drive back to Brainerd, we actually had this discussion in the car about life being busy and we have to remember while it can be one more thing on the agenda…. its a good thing. A really good thing.
My dinner!
Friends. Food. Life.
All good.
Beautiful grapevine growing over the bench
The moral of my story this morning (as I sit with COFFEE CUP at the kitchen table and count my blessings for having great friends) is that all of us need to make time for this kind of stuff. Hanging out with friends, and just being…. not doing. All that other life stuff…. can wait.
Have a super awesome day. I am running around today picking up the last-minute things I need for tomorrows annual tailgate party. We are having a fundraiser for a memorial for Fallen Minnesota Firemen and tieing that in with the memory of 9-11.
(Pictures are linked to Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot… which is a great weekly meme of the pictures of our lives…)
Good morning. This morning, Coffee Cup and I are basking in a little morning “lounge time”. I did not realize what a crazy pace I was keeping this week until last night when after coming home from my friends camp fire, I promptly fell asleep in the recliner while reading blogs.
I have had a busy week at work and a big event this Sunday that I have been working on – a 9-11 Tailgate Event and donation for Fallen Minnesota Firemen. There is a lot of detail work that I am trying to make sure I have taken care of…
we have ordered a large inflatable slide and bounce house for kids, a cotton candy machine, I have food coming from Famous Dave’s and about 40 tailgate vehicles… today I need to go and meet with the guy who is bringing the road closure signs, and do a little last-minute preparation.
Anyway, doing this on top of my other duties, Wednesday meeting, and last nights hang out in Motley MN has suddenly wiped me out. 😛
I may just remain in the recliner for a little while longer this morning…. 😀
I hope going into your weekend is amazing….. I have a little bit of commitment each day but for the most part… I think I will be home working on a few projects and prepping for next Tuesdays book club meeting here over the book The Postmistress.
Oh… and completely random as that is the way I roll… found this Harry Potter clip…. yeah, still can’t let go.
One of my favorite things to do in the morning is stand on my back deck with a hot cup of coffee. I love the feel of the heat of the day coming in.. first cool, but you can feel it in the air…. a warmness of things to come.
I am saddened this morning to admit that it feels like my hazy days of summer are a distant memory for 2011.
This mornings trip outside to the deck, coffee cup in hand… was a brief one. The air is crisp, the fog rolling over the lawn adds an unwelcome dampness to my skin that did not give me a “yay fall!” feeling all over.
Honestly…
I am not ready.
Reading in mittens? UGH
I know some of you have had a HOT HOT summer, Ryan, Laurel, Amanda, to name a few. We had a couple weeks of that, but not enough. I am sooooo not ready for what feels like it will be an early winter.
Tonight a group of my friends are meeting at Cindy’s house for our annual campfire. We will be grilling burgers, probably eating some unhealthy sweets, and catching up. I look forward to the “friend time” and the warmth of the fire.
This afternoon, stop back in and check out my review of The Knife Of Never Letting Go. The book easily moved to one of the top reads for me this year…. I am excited to share my thoughts about it with you. 😀
Have I mentioned I feel really good? Last week I had that sinus infection that was knocking me out – but today…. this week, I am feeling awesome.
So… what’s up with my post title?
A few months back I was contracted by a local magazine we have here called Her Voice to write a book review on a book with a holiday or Christmas theme for their winter edition. No biggie right? Except… I am having the hardest time picking something to review and my deadline in October 5, 800 words.
I would like it to a newer release, preferably this year so I can cover a newer book. I struggle… as honestly – I don’t really enjoy Christmas or holiday themed books as they tend to be a little light and fluffy…. not that I want to review something called “The Christmas Massacre” either, but you know… a happy medium. 😛
I am asking you if you know of any titles I should check out or be on look out for. Obviously, I need to start reading this “mystery” book within the next couple of weeks here. Any recommendations would be appreciated. 😀
Yesterday I biked the same 20 miles that Wendy and I roller bladed on Monday. Lets say…. it is easier to bike the miles than to blade them. Yesterday was a gorgeous day and I could not (would not) be trapped inside… these days are too far and few between and I am all too aware of the weather that will be coming…
I had a great weekend and hope you did too! We spent Friday, Saturday, and half of Sunday at our cabin up North. We (hubby and I) went out to eat, rode motorcycle around the shore, hung out at the cabin… he became hooked on the Game Show Network 🙄 and I read The Knife Of Never Letting Go (WOWZA!) On Monday we both spent time in our offices getting caught up for the week that is upon vote us.
I worked a short day on Monday and then went rollerblading with my friend Wendy. We had not chatted in a while due to busy schedules so the trail is a great place to catch up while getting a work out at the same time. At the seven mile marker Wendy suggested turning around but I thought we should set the goal of ten miles up the trail and so …. we did. Perhaps, in hind site that was not the best plan as neither of us had bladed in the last couple of months and neither of us had went that far this year. We started feeling the effects of that “choice” on the way back at about mile 15. I told her I hope she didn’t mind if I whined the last 5 miles back, she said she did not as she planned to whine too. 😛
Well obviously I am typing this so…
we survived. 😛
However may not have been the smartest idea with my still recovering from the sinus infection and still taking antibiotics… (lets just say there was a point there I was coughing so hard I thought I was going to lose a lung….) 😯
In other fun news… It’s Monday! What Are You Reading made the short list for best book blog meme. Ahhhh…. that’s so fun! Make sure to take a minute or two this week to vote for the book blogs on the short list – there are many awesome categories and awesome blogs up for nomination. I just love Book Blogger Appreciation Week (coming up September 12) there is so many incredible book blogs out there, set aside some time during BBAW to visit them! 😀
Coming in a little late but that is a good thing from this neck of the woods. Hubby and I are currently in Finland, Minnesota at our cabin. This is where he grew up. It was originally supposed to be us and friends but they had to cancel and we decided to come up alone and enjoy the cabin. We do not do this nearly enough….
I came up yesterday afternoon by jeep with the dogs, Elmo and Bailey. Al (hubby) followed a couple of hours after by motorcycle so we could tool around over the weekend. We have no internet service at the cabin (for that matter, no cell phone service either) so this morning I come to you live from a small cafe in Silver Bay Minnesota. My destination was the Silver Bay Library but they are closed for the holiday weekend.
I thought I would participate this morning in Saturday Snapshots by posting pics of the trip so far…. which mainly.. has been road trip….
Elmo in the front seat next to my audio books
Bailey in the back seat
Audio I am listening too... disc 2, The Knitting Circle
Coming Up On The Silver Creek Tunnel
Elmo and Bailey getting restless.... it is a 3 1/2 hour drive after all...
Destination reached...
I wont be in “internet range” long. I abandoned hubby who was still lounging around the TV when I left with the promise I would not be gong too long. I still need to finish my review to go live here in a few hours as well. We are planning a motor cycle ride this afternoon, maybe into Two Harbors or up towards Grand Marais. Either way – looks to be a lovely start to the official end of summer.
Oh – and yes I am reading – can you guess what it is?
Yes I am still a bag full of sniffly sneazy coughy “GAH” over here…. BUT – not on antibiotics so hopefully this too will pass. 😛
We leave for the cabin today which is a big “woo hoo” for me… I don’t know why I feel I need a weekend away from it all… but for some reason I just want to get out of dodge and not deal with people, or phones, or commitments…
That said, my recent mailbox arrivals are timely and beyond appreciated:
Thank you so much for the necklace for pre-ordering Ashes by Ilsa Bick and for the two audio books that recently came in the mail from me from fellwo book lovers – SSQQQUUUEEEE!!!! Thank you Nise (Under The Boardwalk) for Blink and Kathy(Bermuda Onion) for The Knitting Circle. 😀
I also need to mention winners for the two audio books I recently offered up to a reader that would like to give them a go… and here are the two winners:
**Please email me your addresses at journey throughbookks@gmail.com and I will mail these audio books next week. 😀
On a completely random note… in September of 2010 I wrote my review for ROOM by Emma Donoghue. Along with that review I also wrote a Spoiler Page (I LOVE using the spoiler page button!). The Spoiler Page is something I use when I find I want to discuss the book more deeply with those who have read it, so I create a safe area where we can chat freely about the book with no fear of saying anything that would be considered spoilers to those who have not read the book. I bring this up becuase recently that page has drawn a little attention again and I can not figure out why. I am getting Spoiler Page comments – which I love…. just curious why suddenly it is being dug out of the Book Journey basement. 😛
Have a super awesome (and safe!) weekend. I am hoping to be able to get a little internet access here and there as I do have reviews ready to roll out…. plus, honestly…. I really like to start my morning chatting it up with all of you. 😀
Book Journey 