Good morning!

Yesterday was a blast at the Brainerd book sale.

I arrived around 6:50 am and secured the first spot at the sale as per crazy book girl tradition. 😛

Soon to follow – two of my awesome friends joined me at the 7:00 am hour.  YAY to Dawn and Amy!

Here we are – me, Dawn, and Amy…. holding down the first three spots tot the sale.  Did I mention it did not open until 9 am?  😛

As the hour neared 9 am… the line wrapped around the library.  They let in the first 50, then as people leave the sale, they replace them with people still waiting.  It is quite the system 😀

And then we were in and it was AWESOME!  Paperbacks and hard covers alike are 50 cents a piece.  Here is my haul:

I am thrilled with my take away!  I am excited especially about City Of Ashes, the Margaret Atwood books (I have yet to read her…) and Anita Shreve’s Weight Of Water – which many of you have said is one of Shreve’s best.  I am hopeful that many of these other titles are incredible too… I just dont know it yet!  😀

Tomorrow morning I go on probably my favorite bike ride of the year, the Camp Benedict Ride.  Two days… 150 miles… possibly 175 if I do the optional 100 the first day, which I really hope to do as I have not ever done a century in one day before and that was the plan at the MS ride in June, but unforeseen happenings made that not be possible.  😀

Good Morning!  😀

Up early… prepping to go the library sale that opens at 9.  A couple of friends and I are going and we will be there around 7, just because it is so fun to get our lawn chairs and COFFEE CUPS and hang out like we are waiting for concert tickets.  It really is the event to be at this morning.  😛

Yup – had to mention it.  Book Blogger Appreciation Week is coming in September.  LOVE THIS.  It is a fun time to recognize some of your favorite blogs/bloggers as well as a time to meet some new.  I am all about community so this is AWESOME!!!

Be sure to stop be the BBAW website to register so you can vote and participate.  You will also be able to check out the categories so you will be able to start thinking about who you would nominate for what.  😛

Here are the categories – but please go and check them out on the BBAW category page as well.

Featured Categories

Best Written Book Blog
This blog is consistently well-written, clear, and engaging, no matter what the subject.

Best Author Interviews
This blogger does his or her research and asks the questions no one else does. These interviews are top-notch. Note that this award reflects the quality of the interviews, not the popularity of the person being interviewed.

Best New Book Blog
This blog was launched on or after September 1, 2010. The blogger has already made his or her mark in terms of the quality of the reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content on the blog; it’s hard to imagine the book blogging world without this blogger.

Best Book Blog Meme
This weekly or monthly meme is one that you never miss. You look forward to contributing on a regular basis and/or to reading the participants’ posts.

Best Book Blogging Event
This event, whether it focuses on blogging, reading, collecting reviews, or building community, inspires everyone to join in. It brings bloggers together for fun, learning, reading, or mutual support and help.

Best Book Blog Feature or Series of Posts
This weekly or monthly feature is something that an individual blogger does on a regular basis, but that does not include the community participation of a meme.

NICHE Categories

Best Eclectic Book Blog
This blog doesn’t specialize in any one book genre. It is known for consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in a variety of genres.

Best Kidlit Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content for books written for young children through middle-grade readers.

Best Young Adult Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content for books written for a young adult audience.

Best Nonfiction Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in nonfiction. It may cover a variety of areas or focus on one particular field.

Best Speculative Fiction Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in fantasy, science fiction, horror, and/or paranormal books. The blog may cover several of these subgenres or just one.

Best Literary Fiction Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in literary fiction.

Best Classics Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in classics.

Best Romance Book Blog
This blog offers the best reviews and specialized content in romance books of any subgenre, from historical to contemporary.

Best Historical Fiction Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in historical novels. For the purposes of this award, consider historical anything from 1945 (World War II) and older.

Best Mystery/Suspense/Crime Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in mysteries, suspense, and/or crime. The blog may cover several of these subgenres or just one.

Best Horror/Thriller Book Blog
This blog offers the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in horror and/or thrillers. This blog may cover both of these subgenres or just one.

Best GLBT Lit Book Blog
This blog features the best reviews and specialized content in GLBT books. This blogger may or may not self-identify as a member of the GLBT community, but he or she focuses on GLBT literature on the blog

Best Cultural Book Blog
This blog features the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in books and/or authors of a *specific* cultural identity. This blogger may or may not self-identify with the culture featured on the blog but focuses on that culture’s literature.

Best Graphic Novel/Illustrated Nonfiction Book Blog
This blog features the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in the graphic medium.

Best Publishing/Industry Blog
This blog features the best content on the publishing industry and is written by an industry professional.

Best Published Author Blog
This blog features the best content written by an author. This is an author who keeps an active blog that engages his or her readers.

Best Spiritual, Inspirational, or Religious Book Blog
This blog features the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content on books that address a life of faith. This blog is not necessarily associated with an organized religion and may discuss either fiction or nonfiction books.

Best Audiobook Blog
This blog features the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content on audiobooks.

Best Poetry Blog
This blog features the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses, and other content in poetry.

Best Bookstore Blog
This blog is associated with a retail bookstore, offering book news, staff recommendations, and other content of interest to people who love to shop for books.

Best Bookish Miscellaneous Blog
This blog has a specific focus that is related to books, but doesn’t include reviews of books. It might focus on book cover design, books in culture, trends in books, hidden treasures in books, etc.

 

I have to start thinking about my nominations as well.  😀

Have a great day – I have to go get ready for the sale…. pics of the haul and the event will be up tomorrow in the meandering…. I mean… in the morning 😀

Good morning!

What’s happening in your corner of the world?

Pretty normal around here.  😀  The weather has been nice, 80’s but not killer humid, and other than work this week, I have done a little house keeping and DEVOURED the book Between by Jessica Warman (which was released yesterday).  My review will be up yet today.

Are you a Shelf Awareness reader?  I love this little email I receive on weekdays by 7 am.  It lists book and author reviews, book store happenings, upcoming bookish news, and usually a chance to win a book or two.  This morning they announced a little incentive for others to sign up:

Since I had nothing witty or spectacular to say this morning… I am going with the Shelf Awareness sign up.  😛  I will put this in my sidebar too for those who are interested, get on board by clicking and entering…. you wont be sorry. 

In other news, the big Brainerd Library sale is tomorrow morning at 9 am.  I will be there by 7 am.  Yes, as a freind of the library I could have helped set up the sale and get first pick of the books… but if you know me… I like the adventure of the hunt.  Besides, as I told my friend on the phone yesterday, they may frown apon how many books I would like to have “first pick” at. 

I will take my chances in the crowd.  😀

Here is what happened last fall during the wait for this sale:

 

Whats the craziest thing you have ever done for a book/ author event?

Good morning! 😀

This past weekend I was up North with a couple of friends.  It is a tradition to go the last weekend of July and one of the reasons I love this trip is the Silver Bay Book Sale.  Yup, at 8:45 am on Saturday the three of us waited in a short line to get in the library when the doors opened at 9. 

Here is what I walked out with:

Now to bad at a 25 each on the paperbacks and $1.00 for the hard cover.   Two books I am really excited about are Shanghai Girls as I have yet to read Lisa See and A Night To remember because I am fascinated with all things Titanic.

Brainerd’s library sale is this Thursday.  It is a much bigger sale and I am quite sure I will have a larger pile than this to post on Friday.  😛 

 

Good morning! 

*BIG sip out of COFFEE CUP*

I came back from the North Shore yesterday evening.  Two of my friends, Heidi and Sara, and I went to hang out at the cabin for a couple of days and do a little exploring around the small towns of Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Beaver Bay, Schroeder, Little Marais, and then the big town of Grand Marais. 

 

 

It was a lot of fun just checking out the little shops…. in one I bought blueberry salsa (epic…. EPIC fail, so nasty!) and in another I bought a Mediterranean dip that made up for the grossness of the blueberry salsa.  I also – of course bought a couple of books while visiting the stores… one was:

I dove into this baby right away and plan to continue to do so today.  I may even have a review up today on it…. 

and I also picked up Secrets To Longevity… hundreds of ways to live to be 100:

Now before you fall off your chair laughing – its just a book of tips like – what spices and herbs relieve stress, what to eat to keep your memory strong, orange juice bulks up your bones….  anyway… I find this stuff interesting 😀

 

There was also a book sale at the Silver Bay Library which I try to attend every year.  But that -is a different post.  Lets just say…. it was successful.  😀

 

Now that I am back home I am going to spend a little time catching up on emails this morning ,write a review, shampoo my carpets at some point here… roller blade, and maybe take in a movie…. I have not decided yet. 

What are you doing with your Sunday?

Good morning! 

Yesterday I worked, changed oil in the jeep and the Durango… oh wait, let me clarify… I didn’t do it… I went and had the oil changed.  😀   Then picked up a few supplies because…

I am road tripping to the cabin with a couple of friends today after work.  SSQQUUEEEE!!!

This weekend up on the North Shore is Beaver Bay Days.  It is kind of an annual event that I grab a few friends and attend.  It is one of those small town things that are kind of dorky fun.  Silver Bay and Beaver Bay Minnesota have street events, mining tours, street venders, food,  and street dances.  Oh and did I mention that Saturday Silver Bay has its Friends Of The Library books sale?  Oh yeah…. I am there 😀

We are coming back Saturday afternoon and I am not taking Lap Top.  (Shhh….. don’t tell him, its rare that I leave him behind…. :shh:  )   A little mini break 😀 

I am thinking I will try to get my friends to sing this while we drive the 3 1/2 hours….

That’s not too much to ask right? 

Have an awesome rest of your week!

Good morning!  Wednesday already! 

A few days ago, Sunday I think, I had worked on cleaning the house all day, ran a few errands, made dinner… and eventually made it downstairs to curl up in my favorite chair. 

I logged on to my laptop… opened up Tweet Deck and tweeted this:

 

@bookjourney:  Ahhhh… finally… in my favorite chair with my favorite blanky and a little down time between lap top and TV. Anything good on?

 

 

*a minute later cell phone is ringing upstairs*  I sign and tweet:

 

 

@bookjourney:  Things that annoy… downstairs in fav chair, cozy blanket, and lap top and cell phone is ringing upstairs….

 

 

As I am preparing to go upstairs to check it…. I see this message on twitter:

 

 

@missremmersreviews:   that’s just me. Ignore it. haha

 

 

I respond…

 

 

@bookjourney:  wha?

 

 

@missremmersreviews:  I texted. Whoops.

 

 

@missremmersreviews:  Bad timing. LOL

 

 

 

(So if you are following this craziness… I am complaining that I am all cozy downstairs in my chair with my blanket when the cell phone rings upstairs, only to find out that reagan (Miss Remmers Reviews) – who is also on twitter at this same time is the one who is calling me.  😛

 

 

Then another voice chips in:

 

@bonjourcass:  @MissRemmers @bookjourney hahahaha

 

 

😛

 

Ok.. that was pretty funny.  Turns out Reagan was texting me to complain that my post with all the audio book suggestions had added greatly to her TBR.  😀

Ahhhhh…. my work as a book blogger is now complete.  😀

Have an awesome day…. I have no workout to report as instead I came home yesterday, wrote a bit, and mowed my lawn which is a three-hour audio fest.  (The audio?  One Tuesday Morning – SO GOOD!)

Good morning.  I have some awesome news – I Am Cast Free!  The Orthopedic Surgeon taped my fingers and thinks they will strengthen on their own.  I have a follow-up next week to see how it is healing so not completely out of the woods…. but I feel close 😀

Today I am excited to announce the winner of the Harry Potter VLOG contest I announced last week.  I wrote a song for Harry Potter and having no musical talent whatsoever, offered anyone who wanted to create a VLOG and sing my song I would enter them for a gift card … Danielle did just that and did it fantastic.  Don’t take my word for it – check out Danielle here:

Yay Danielle – you rocked this!!!

She even did a bonus song that you can listen to here.

Thanks again Danielle.  😀

In other news, great weekend… roller bladed on Sunday and went back to the gym on Monday.  Time to recover from this injury 😀

2011: 42 miles

As I finally type this, (a minute before noon) you can see above that I did participate in the Warrior Dash in Hastings Minnesota yesterday and I am so glad I did.

When we got there we seen a mom and daughter who had just finished and I asked how it was.  The mom said the worst was the 3/4 mile hill you go up in the beginning – the rest was easy.  That was encouraging.   I asked at Information if I could skip over the obstacles I could not do because of my hand and ram cast and she said all of them were possible by just walking around them.  Awesome – I was fully in.

My cast is a “C: cast, meaning it is in the shape of a “c” and does not go all around my hand and arm.  It is removable.  For the Warrior dash I put on the old one that the doctor was going to toss on Friday, wrapped it in plastic and then put the medical wrap over that.  Hand protected from mud and water.  After the Dash, I threw it away and put on the new one.

The hill was the worst.  Amy and I did not run the event, but fast walked it – we jokingly called it the “Warrior Hike”.  many others were doing that too.  The obstacles that called for climbing I skipped over and took pics of Amy doing them.  There were about 3,000 people there… food and a band and it was fun to people watch as many dress up in costumes. 

In the end – I was so glad I did it.  I posted all my pics on Facebook this morning so if you are a Facebook friend go and check them out – HILARIOUS.  If you are not a Facebook friend you can be at:  Sheila McKinney DeChantal.