Morning Meanderings… Audio, A Trip, and Garden Party Wrap Up

Good morning!    Hope you all are finding your Friday morning to already be delightful… the sun is actually out here so I am hoping for a lovely day which I need in order to finish our lawn

This will be a rather sporadic post this morning.  I am usually off on Fridays but this next week while I am away is a big one for a kids camp that I usually help with, a big meeting that I normally do the set up for… BEA pushing back one week this year has put me where I am today – going into work to do some more prep work and hopefully I can be done by noon.  I have not packed yet, I want to get my nails done, prep some food for my hubby here, and pack for my bike ride that will take place right after I return from BEA – RIGHT AFTER as in that bag needs to be in my vehicle. 

In a completely random side ways conversation… my audio book order came in from bookcloseouts.com… Each of these was around $3.00 each:

YAY!!!  My summer listening is going to be AWESOME!!!

And finally, if you missed out on the garden party here yesterday for our read a long, Secret Garden, you missed some wonderful party conversations!  I, was late to my own party with a heavy schedule yesterday but caught up with all of you at the end and had a chance to chat with each guest so I feel it was a success.  I have not made it around to all the posts yet, but I will – later today.

There were some winners from the Secret Garden read a long and using random.org while I sit my coffee this morning they are as follows:  

Winner of the Secret Garden DVD:

Ryan from Wordsmithonia!!!

 

Winner of the book, Little Lord Fauntlerot, also by Francis Hodgson Burnett:

Faith Hope and Cherry Tea from Tea Room

 

 the garden supplies:

Allie from A Literary Odyssey

 

and the $5 Amazon Gift Card goes to:

Robin from A Fondness For Reading

Winners please email me shipping info (no po boxes!) at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com.  Robin, I will email you your gift card. 

There is also a survey going on yesterdays post about what book I am going to offer up next for a June read-a-long, feel free to put your two cents in – I will announce that book and sign up info tomorrow morning.  See you all later – have a gorgeous day! 

Morning Meanderings: Are You Pre-Ordering This? (And WINNER!)

Good morning!  Happy Friday The 13th!    I know right?  I feel like I need to rent a spooky movie or something! 

Today is my day off and it looks gloomy out there.  The weather may sabotage my bike ride plan for the day… but that may mean that I will be inside reading instead which… makes me smile. 

When asked the question… uh, Sheila… if you were sent to live on a deserted island for five years and you could only take along with you 5 books, what would those books be?  While I would no doubt sweat this decision… I can guarantee you there would be at least one Harry Potter book in this mix. 

SO…. that said…

yesterday Shelf Awareness revealed that J K Rowling (master mind of all that is Harry Potter) is releasing a new book called The Casual Vacancy.  This books sounds as though it will have none of the magic that bought Harry a permanent residence in my heart, however… it is JK Rowling, and that makes me interested.

Publisher Little, Brown called the novel a “blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising” tale of what happens in the English village of Pagford after parish council member Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly. “Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war.”

according to Little Brown Publishing

I quickly popped on-line and pre-ordered this book that is due to release in late September.  While currently  the hard cover is sitting at a hefty $21, I believe it will go down in price before release. 

My question is, do you pre-order books from favorite authors?  Would you pre-order this one?

 

**I also need to announce the winner of the gift card for the Easter Egg Hunt that took place during the Monday What Are You Reading meme!  Thank you to all who participated! I was really pleasantly surprised of how many of you went egg hunting. I had a lot of emails saying that you really enjoyed doing this… enough so, that I will probably do it again in the future.

The criteria was that you had to 1) find 3 of the 4 hidden eggs and email me where they were AND 2) you had to comment on each of these blog posts that had the Easter Egg in order to qualify. (a couple of you forgot that part!).  That said, using random.org, the winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Card is:

Lindsey from Literary Lindsey

Congratulations Lindsey!!!   The gift card will be in your e mail yet this morning, please let me know here that you have received it.

Also…. thank you to my wonderful Egg Hosts:  Mari from Bookworm With A View, Lori from Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book, Kathy from Inside Of A Dog, and Reagan from Miss Remmer’s Reviews.  You all ROCK in my book!

Morning Meanderings…. I BLEW UP The Blog

Wait for it…

Good morning.  In care you are wondering what happened around here…

I happened.

Give a girl a Bloggiesta weekend and well..anything can really happen.

I wont bore those of you who have already been here since Saturday afternoon but for those who have not here is the short version of what happened:

1. Went to change from 2 sidebars to one

2.  Seemed easier to change who theme to a single sidebar

3.  Became a CRAZY BIG project

4.  Changed theme.

5. Changed theme again.

(* note:  I may change it again, there is one more layout I want to look at so just bear with me while I go but more dynamite.)

 

Now – like the header, still trying to get used to the pink (not really me but it is not changeable except to powder blue), not sure I like the comment boxes either but I think it is growing on me.

There is the story.

A few of you have asked where Coffee Cup is (used to sit on the upper right sidebar).  I was actually going to switch out that blog widget BUT- now I am so impressed that a few of you asked about it and realized it was missing that I think tomorrow morning I am going to introduce you to the real Coffee Cup.  To the average reader that may just seem a little C R A Z Y, but hey, first of all don’t judge and second of all Coffee Cup actually comes with a great story… one so good, I think I will add it to my About Me page after that post goes up tomorrow.

Ok…. moving on… I need to announce winners from the Bloggiesta weekend.  Give it up for the winners of my mini challenge, using random.org they are:

$20 Amazon Gift Card:  alexia561

$10 Amazon Gift Card:  Tanya Patrice

next up… winner of the Descendent movie:

Pinkim35

and last but not least the winner of the YA choose what I read contest and win it for yourself:

Mary Preston

 

All winners have been notified by email and gift card winners have been sent out this morning. 

How super fun!  Congrats all!  I have work, and hopefully play, and then I want to READ. 

Morning Meanderings…. What NOT To Eat, ooh and Book Winners!

Good morning and Happy Tuesday!

About a year ago my cousin told me about My Fitness Pal.  It is a free on  line site where you can plug in “all about you” and then daily, type in what you have eaten and drank, and calculates it for you.  It’s actually pretty cool when I use it.  It even tracks exercise and then gives you more calories to eat (woo hoo!) when you work out.

I have dabbled with this site off and on the last year and just recently trying to do it daily.  And of course, I have a story.

Last week I had a crazy busy day (shocked, I know…) and after working out and living life at the end of the day I still had around 500 calories yet to use.  I was reading around 9 pm and was craving chocolate.  The only chocolate in the house was some Ghiradelli chocolate chips I had recently used in banana bread (oh yeah… that is awesome!).  There was not many left, maybe a cup worth and I sat down with a cup of coffee and those chips.  Mmmmmmm….

The next morning I thought I should plug those chocolate chips into my fitness pal for my previous days calculations.  I was guessing it to be around 300 calories.

Nope.

Any guesses?

………………..

…………………

……………….

647 calories.

I blew it on chocolate chips. 

I will not be doing that again.

SO again, my plug for My Fitness Pal, holds.  Sometimes it tells you things yo do not really want to know… but on the flip of that… it is good to know the damage one can do while “innocently” snacking. 

Ok.. .on to funner (yes. my word) things.

Remember last weeks Library Sale?  And I offered up for you to make a choice of what book to read for me and then I would go from there and read them and pass them to you?  I chose one winner on Sunday and now here are the other two and the books you chose for me to read:

#92 Judith at Leeswammes’s Blog

#96:  Barbara from Freedom Acres chose for me to read:

YAY to the winners, please email me your addresses to:  journeythroughbooks@gmail.com and once I read these books I will pass them on to you! 

Have a great day everyone… it is windy and gloomy here which is a bummer, but I am at work all day, the gym, and then a meeting tonight so I guess better today than a day I have off

Morning Meanderings… what happened to yesterday (oh, and winners!)

Good morning and happy Sunday. 

I am sitting here… still coffee free (but not for long) wondering what happened to my yesterday.  I had plans… not big ones… but baby steps back into my life routine.  I was going to unpack (did not happen), I was going to do laundry (it made it to the washer)…

I was going to write reviews for the two books and one audio I finished while I was away this last week (instead I fell asleep in the chair).

At 3 pm yesterday Hubby Al came in the house and wanted to go out for supper…. right then as he had not eaten yet.  At 3 pm.  Supper.  I told him we were not 80 and he could wait at least until 4:30.  Then our friends Dan and Key called and they asked us to meet up with them so by 4:15, e were out of the house anyway.  It was a good night, had dinner with them and then went back to their house for a while to chat.

We came home, watched the Survivor episode I missed while I was away and then bed. 

Today – my agenda is wide open again and I am glad…. Monday will come soon enough. 

 

WINNERS!

Yesterday I announced a one day comment for a bag of Honduras Coffee that I brought back with me.  This morning using random.org I chose the winner and that was:

Truly Simply Pink

 

For Snowflower and the Secret Fan the DVD or Blue Ray winner is:

Kailana from The Written World

The book goes to:

Dominique

 

The winners of the signed hard copy Laura Childs Skeleton Letters are:

Mary Preston

Carol Wong

 

Thanks everyone for entering.  I need to go get ready now… but I will be back later with a review, and tonight of course with Monday What Are You Reading. 

How About Some AMAZING Winners?

Crackling fireworks Batman!  It is time to announce some winners for recent giveaways…..  I am hoping to have all my winners in and mailed by the time I leave on Wednesday…. so lets see what Random.Org had to say…

My Lost Daughter by Nancy Thayer Rosenberg

I have three lovely copies of this book and they are going to (using random.org)….

Laurel

Kelly B

Mary Beth l

Woo hoo and chick a pow wow….. (I have no idea where that came from….)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

 

Next up…. you may remember the fantastic book package … 3 copies each of SIGNED BOOKS from the

lovely Lori Lansen!!!

Here are the much-anticipated winners:

The new and proud winners of The Wife’s Tale are:

Julie

Anita Yancey

Rhonda

The ultimate and super fine winners of The Girls are:

Robyn Lee

Sarah G

Sandra

 

Oh and lets give it up for the Rush Home Road peeps who can officially make room on their book shelf:

Kathy

 

Julie P

 

Melanie L

Thanks every one for participating in this fun giveaway!!!!

Where Are The Winners?

It is time to have some winners.  I am just in that kind of “winning” mood. 

Here are the latest winners over here at Book Journey.

A Signed copy of Summer at Tiffany coming straight from the author goes to:

Julie H

Entrants were asked to share a favorite summer memory.  Here is Julie’s:

One of my favorite summers was the year we went on a trip out East, to see Boston and nearby historical attractions. We made a side trip to Concord and took the time to visit Orchard House, made famous because of Louisa May Alcott. It’s still one of the best house tours I’ve ever been on.

Entrants were asked to share a book or audio that is a must read for me yet this year

3 Copies Of The Island (audio) by Elin Hilderbrand go to:

Karen K

who suggested I read anything by Dorthea Benton Frank

Cindi

Suggested the audiobook called Dimanche and Other Storiesby Irene Nemirovsky!

Kelly B

Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

Entrants were asked to come up with a character and story line for a James Patterson novel

3 Copies Of The Island (audio) by Elin Hilderbrand go to:

Cindi

Cindi’s answer was:  Callie went missing over 15 years ago and now she has been spotted in Paris France ~

Sarah G

Sarah’s answer was:  Sunny Disposition – lifeguard and FBI informant, married to a mob hitman who is named Stormy Disposition

Nancye Davis

My new character would be Cindy Malone, retired school-teacher turned librarian/ undercover private investigator/ bank robber extraordinaire! Cool!

Monthly Winners for September

Each month I draw two random comment winners to win a book out of my prize box and I announce my top commenter who wins a $20 gift card from Amazon.  Here are the August winners:

Helen (Helen’s Book Blog)

Vasilly (1330V)

and top commenter for the month of September is (and this is a $20 gift card to Amazon!):

Wordlily!!!

Thanks everyone – I love chatting books with all of you! 

LONG Overdue Winners Posted

*sigh*  Time and again I swear I am not going to get behind on posting winners.  But….. I have done it again.  That thing called life took over and next thing I know I have missed getting this done and I truly do apologize and will try to be better at this.

I have three winners for The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand!!!!

Using Random.org here are the lucky entrants:

Bookjunkiemom09 Blog

Krista

Cindy Woolard

I have two signed copies of this wonderful book in my possession that I am passing on to two lucky winners.  Using random.org – my winners are:

Laurel

Word Lily

I have three winners to announce for this book, The Secrets Of Newberry using random.org the winners are:

Colleen Turner

Page Inman

Margie

The winner of “Choose The Next Book I Read is:

Julie

Julie picked The Mermaids Chair by Sue Monk Kidd so that is on my TBR and as soon as I have it read it will be passed on to her.

And finally…

My July winners for my monthly comment drawing are:

Tea

Barbara

These two winners get to choose one of my gently used books from my gift box!

and finally -

My number one commenter for July 2010 and the winner of the $20 Gift Card from Amazon goes to:

Laurel

**Note that the August comment giveaway is going on right now (see post on top of this blog for details)

Thank you to everyone!  You all have been emailed about your win! 

Book Extravaganza Winners

What a fun time I had with all of you who participated on this weekend giveaway!  Your responses to the comment to share a little known fact about yourself were amazing and if you have time I encourage you to read through the comments.

I used random.org to choose two winners from the 140 entries and my winners are:

Cynthia11

RobynL

I am emailing you and you can choose one of the 6 books I offered to send you from Amazon that was on the original post.  Congratulations! 

Winners List

I have some winners to announce and seriously it is about time right?  Using random.org, the winners for the following giveaways are:

Men and Dogs (Audio)

1.  Robyn L

2. Steve Capell

3.  Kristen

The Bride Collector (audio)

1. Jemima Adams

2. Diana

3. Library Pat

Life In Spite of Me (2 copies)

1.  Shari D

2. Victoria Pauley

Indivisible

1.  kavyen

A Change in Altitude

1. Natalie

2. Lisa Richards

3. Cindi

There are the current winners!  Congratulations!  I have emailed you all and once I have your addresses I will pass the info on to the publishers!