new posts in all blogs
Viewing Blog: The Shady Glade, Most Recent at Top
Results 26 - 50 of 1,208
Here is where you will find all things book related. Part book reviews, interviews, contests, site reviews, and anything else I feel like throwing in.
Statistics for The Shady Glade
Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 4
Today I'm very excited to welcome Lizzy from the excellent blog Cornucopia of Reviews for a guest post about her favorite holiday traditions (which also happen to match many of my favorites). After you're done reading this post, you should really check out her blog too. :) So without further ado, take it away Lizzy!
I absolutely love the holiday season. I mean, it's kind of unhealthy how much holiday cheer I have, even when we have a shorter number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The reason why I love it most is because of the time that I get to spend with my family. We all have different schedules, so getting these two weeks a year to catch up and relax together is awesome. Here is how we celebrate:
The weeks leading up to Christmas: It's time to get in the festive spirit. This means that I don't brave the mall (because usually I don't find that too fun). Instead, we start watching Christmas movies and TV episodes. This usually hits me in the 90's nostalgia, and we re-watch a bunch that my dad had originally taped for me at Christmas in 1993 (obviously they are now on DVD...and I sort of miss the game boy and 7up commercials).
We always watch the classics: A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon), Rudolph, and Garfield's Christmas (which has the best music ever). I always wrap gifts while watching Love Actually and sobbing openly during the sad bits...and usually give up trying to make them look good about halfway through the movie. My favorite, however, is The Santa Clause. So I usually force my family into watching it a couple times in December (sorry I'm not sorry).
I also have a couple of books that I love to read this time each year. I'm not sure why Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a Christmas read for me. Maybe it's because I love that I have time to curl up with some tea and get into Elizabeth's story. So, my poor paperback copy is all worn out...I should probably invest in a second copy...and it's just about time for me to start reading it again.
On Christmas Eve: We go visit extended family, and when we get home it's time to hunker down for my dad's dramatic reading of...
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg: This is a new family tradition that started last year. Both my sister and I are adults, but we talked my dad into reading it aloud to us. It was the most hilarious part of our Christmas. So, I'm looking forward to hearing if my dad has improved altered any of his character voices this year.
We also always watch The Muppet Christmas Carol. I've grown up with the Muppets, and this is one of my favorites. During college I worked in a video rental store, and this was one of the movies that I could consistently watch, shift after shift, without getting sick of! There's something fun about this version...maybe it's because there are jokes for the grownups that I now understand, and maybe because the last ghost was so scary that it still gives me the creeps. Regardless, it's the last thing we do before we all head to bed!
A big thanks to Alyssa for letting me ramble on about my favorite time of year!
Well, the next few prizes are going to have a "santa" theme it seems. Today's a gently used copy of How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn. This sort of a sequel to Guinn's first book, The Autobiography of Santa Claus (which I loved). But it can stand on its own too. The thing that's really cool about both books is that they can be used as sort of an advent calendar as you wait for Christmas to arrive. There's 24 chapters, so if you read 1 chapter a night (they're short) then you'll be finished by Christmas Eve.
This copy was generously donated by one of the blog readers. Thanks Jennifer!
To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.
Good luck to all who enter!
About the Book:"
In How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas, Jeff Guinn combines solid historical fact with glorious legend to deliver another heartwarming holiday book for the whole family.
It's 1620 and Mrs. Claus's dear husband is off in the New World planting the seeds of what will become a glorious Christmas tradition. Meanwhile, Mrs. Claus has chosen to stay in England, where the first signs of a dangerous threat to Yuletide cheer are in evidence. The Puritans have gained control of Parliament and appear determined to take all the fun out of Christmas. But Mrs. Claus knows that it's time for serious action when, in 1647, a law is passed by Parliament that actually punishes anyone who celebrates Christmas. Using as its springboard the actual events of a day in 1647 when ten thousand peasants marched through the streets of Canterbury demanding their right to celebrate a beloved holiday, How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas is rich in historical detail, adventure, and plain ol' Christmas fun."a Rafflecopter giveaway
Well, we're halfway through the contests for this year. I hope you're enjoying them so far. :)
Today's prize switches back to the true meaning of Christmas for a bit. It's a darling gift book called Celebrating the Spirit of Christmas will darling illustrations by Tim Coffey. This book may be little, but it's full of all sorts of fun stories, traditions, songs, etc. about the holiday season. I just love the style of the nativity on the cover.
To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.
Good luck to all who enter!
About the Book:"Charming nativity scenes, roly-poly penguins, and humorous reindeer reflect the wonder of Christmastime. Traditional holiday hues decorate this gift-worthy collection of literary quotes, joyful sentiments, Scriptures, and delicious recipes, ushering in the season with joy and cheer.
This combination of whimsical images and inspirational content will be the hit of the year as an ideal hostess gift, family reader, and centerpiece for all who adorn their heart and home with the true spirit of Christmas."
a Rafflecopter giveaway
As I've said earlier this month, I love reading Christmas stories. So the anthologies that pop up a lot around this subject are totally right up my alley. That's why I love the Christmas in My Heart books. There's always a lot of good, warm fuzzies type stories in there. Today's prize is the first book in the collection, which is called Christmas in My Heart by Joe Wheeler.
To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.
Good luck to all who enter!
About the Book:"The riches of master storytellers such as Pearl S. Buck, Madelein L'Engle, O. Henry, and Taylor Caldwell are combined with stirring tales by unknown authors and fascinating folktales to form a priceless treasury of holiday classics. Destined to become part of every family's celebrations, this precious treasury of Christmas stories is a gift from the heart. 20 woodcuts throughout."
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Here's a Christmas story that's perfect for this time of year: The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry. I read this one last year and absolutely LOVED it. It's very good. If you've read a Dave Barry book before, you'll know he's very funny. Well, I hadn't read one before, so this is a good one to start with I think (because I did :)
To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.
Good luck to all who enter!
About the Book:"
In this hilarious (USA Today) national bestseller, Pulitzer Prize winning humorist Dave Barry pens one of the warmest, most delightful Christmas stories ever.
The year is 1960, and the Christmas pageant at St. John's Episcopal Church is a very big deal. Doug Barnes is a shepherd this year, which is better than being a Three King, because you get to carry a stick. There are problems, however. The girl he likes is playing Mary opposite a Joseph who is depressingly smart, athletic, and cute; the family dog is doing poorly, and they have no idea what they're going to tell Doug's little sister, Becky; and his dad's just gotten a flat tire, which means they might not even get to the pageant. But Christmas is a time of miracles. And for Doug and his family, this will be the most miraculous Christmas of all.
A Very Barry Christmas should prove a holiday favorite for years to come!" (Kirkus Reviews)" a Rafflecopter giveaway
I'll admit it, my other guilty pleasure besides tween lit is picture books. But only if they have cute illustrations. Which makes Christmas picture books great, because many of them do have really great illustrations.
Today's prize is one of those books. A gently used copy of The Penguin Who Wanted To Be Different: A Christmas Wish by Maria O'Neill. It's a cute book, it's about penguins, and it's about Christmas and Santa. What's not to like?
To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.
Good luck to all who enter!
About the Book (summary's not much to go on though...):
"
Dorothy Penguin, disturbed that all penguins look alike, asks Santa to grant her wish to be just a little bit different." (told you) a Rafflecopter giveaway
So I'll be the first to admit, tween books are my guilty pleasure these days. And although there's a lot of chick-lit type series around for that 9-12 age group, most of them aren't exactly "quality literature". But they sure are fun. So today's prize is a Christmas themed offering from a very fun looking series (hey, it's pink! You know me, can't resist the pink...) It's a gently used copy of Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa by Lara Bergen from the Candy Apple series.
To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.
Good luck to those who enter!
About the Book:"Christmas . . . bah humbug!
Noel thought Christmas couldn't get any worse. First her parents announce that she wouldn't be taking a cool vacation. Then the teacher announces a class secret Santa drawing - and who does Noel get? A stuck-up new girl she barely knows! And who does her BFF get? Noel's secret crush! Can it get any worse? Yes it can! Because Noel's own secret Santa is the lamest one ever! Now Noel's got visions of Scrooge not sugar plums in her head. . .But Christmas is a time for surprises . . . especially for one bitter, secret Santa."
a Rafflecopter giveaway
One of my favorite things to do is to sit down this time of year and share Christmas stories with my family. So today's prize is a gently used copy of Joy to the World: A Family Christmas Treasury. This is definitely a book you can't judge by it's cover. The stuffy medieval thing it's got going doesn't really work very well. But inside are some great stories, recipes, and songs all perfect for Christmas. What else can I say?
To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US only for this one (it's a heavy book).
Good luck to those who enter!
About the Book: "
CHRISTMAS "A spiritual time. A time for family warmth and closeness. A time for reflection, sharing, and celebration."
"Joy to the World" A Family Christmas Treasury, compiled by Ann Keay Beneduce, with sumptuous and inspiring artwork by the incomparable Gennady Spirin, evokes all the moods of this important and widely celebrated holiday.
Organized around the familiar symbols of Christmas -- the star, the manger, the gift givers, and the tree -- and with a final section focusing on Christmas all around the world, there is something here for every member of the family. Each section begins with a fascinating introduction about the symbol itself, followed by biblical passages, carols, poems, stories, and brief plays, by authors as varied as Beatrix Potter, Langston Hughes, Christina Rossetti, Clement C. Moore, and Truman Capote. The selections -- some familiar, some less well known -- touch on both the spiritual and the secular aspects of Christmas, all woven together with Gennady Spirin's delicate borders and resplendent illustrations. Here is a treasury that will be savored year after year, a rich collection to be shared with little ones, read on its own by older readers, and placed on the piano while everyone gathers to sing "The First Noel," "Silent Night," and "Joy to the World." a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you've read today's post, you know that I'm very excited to be offering a brand new copy of The False Princess for today's prize. Thanks to EgmontUSA for sponsoring! To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. (sometimes it takes a bit to load)
Open to US and Canada only, and ends the 20th at midnight.
Good luck to all who enter!
About the Book:
"Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.
Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.
Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.
A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance."
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
It seems there's a rise of eShorts popping up in the world of YA lately. You know what I'm talking about, those short stories/prequels/companion stories that accompany some of the hottest YA and MG books, but are only available in electronic book format. Well Egmont USA is celebrating these types of books this week with what they're calling the Very Merry eShort Week (
you can read more about it on their Facebook page).
Anyway, those of you who've read this blog awhile know that I'm particularly partial to princess stories of all types. So I was super excited to find out that one of the eShorts being released as part of this promotion is a prequel to the book The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal. It's called "A Royal Birthday":
About the Book:
"This e-short prequel to The False Princess will appeal to fans of Shannon Hale and Tamora Pierce, giving them a new author to love and a new fantasy world to enter, a world filled with wizardry, mystery, and just the right touch of romance.
This prequel introduces the court of Thorvaldor, Nalia, its princess, who has reached the magical age of sixteen, and her best friend, Kiernan, the earl's son who loves her but feels he is too far below her in rank to dream of making a match with her."
Sounds very exciting! I, for one, need to get my hands on a copy. If you're a False Princess fan, then you can
pick up your copy of this new eShort here. And if you haven't read The False Princess yet,
check out the first day of our Giveaway-A-Day for a chance to win a copy in a publisher sponsored contest. :)
Welcome to everyone's favorite part of
A Shady Glade Christmas...the contests!
The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-A-Day features a new contest between now and just before Christmas. I’ve got some great stuff planned to give away this year! This year I’m switching to using Rafflecopter to run the contests. I’ve seen it used on a few other sites, and it seems to an easy way to go. The Google form method I used in the past was not always reliable. So since I’m still playing around with the Rafflecopter thing, we’re going to do the easy entry system this year. There will still be ways to earn extra entries, but no creative twists to enter. But there’s always next year…
So how do I enter? Each day, a new giveaway post will be posted on the blog. Each giveaway post will feature a Rafflecopter widget for that day’s giveaway. Simply follow the instructions to enter your name for the contest, and to earn extra chances to win!
Who can enter?
There are only two requirements: you must be a US or Canada resident (sorry international friends!), and you must have a valid email address to enter. Once winners are chosen, you will be asked to provide your mailing address.
Are there extra entries?
Yes! You can earn extra entries on each day’s Rafflecopter post. Details may change from day to day, but in general you can gain extra entries by posting comments, following the blog, and posting links/sharing the contest.
I think that pretty much covers everything. Look for the first contest to be posted tomorrow!
As always, let me know if you have any questions. I will update/expand this post as needed.
Good luck! 
So this is what happens when you get busy for a few days and can't come check on the blog (things have been CRAZY at work and in getting ready for Christmas). I had scheduled several posts to go up automatically since the 4th in the days I knew I would be away from the blog... and they didn't work. Rats! So sorry things have been pretty quiet around here, they weren't supposed to be. :/ I'm working on getting everything worked out so they finally post, but I expect it might take a couple days. So in the meantime, last week's posts are missing, but going forward hopefully there won't be problems. Thanks for your patience while I figure things out!
So as I was poking around Amazon.com yesterday shopping for Christmas gifts, I came across their best books of 2013 lists. Since I had discussed the Goodreads lists yesterday, I thought it might be fun to compare the Amazon books as well.
Amazon splits their books up by age category, so since I read a little bit of everything, I'm going to spend a few days looking at all the categories for children's books, which covers picture books through YA. I'm skipping the board books because, well, I just don't read any board books.
So today's feature is picture books. I don't read a lot of picture books, since I don't have any kids or nieces and nephews. But I am a illustration junkie, and I am collecting picture books (slowly) for the day when I might have kids around to enjoy them. So that being said, for those of you who might also be looking for new books to recommend to little ones, here's Amazon.com's choice of the best picture books of 2013 (with commentary from yours truly :)
1.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers - This one looks like a cute one. It actually won the Goodreads Choice Awards in picture books. I love the idea of crayons "quitting". If you're looking for a different picture book where office supplies come to life, I highly recommend
The Little Red Pen.
2.
Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld - A train book for kids, what's not to like. This one looks cute, I might have to grab it from the library to check out the illustrations further too.
3.
Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney - Another addition to the Llama Llama series of picture books, so not surprising this one made the list. I haven't ever read any of these, but they must do well because there's way more of them published than I thought. Interesting that this one takes on the subject of bullying that seems to be prevalent these days.
4.
I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love by Nancy Tillman - Another one I am not familiar with. I sense that will be a theme on this post... This one looks like another sentimental, bring tears to your eyes picture book a la
Love You Forever. 5.
Journey by Aaron Becker - The illustrations of this one look AMAZING. Looks like a wordless picture book from the preview on Amazon, but I'm not sure if it is or not. Reminds me of the graphic novel works that
Kazu Kibuishi does.
6.
Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner - What's not to love with this one? It has a cat in it! The premise reminds me a bit of the
Binky the Space Cat books.
7.
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown - Not getting much about this one from the synopsis on Amazon. Looks like it might be interesting though. Does it make of anyone else think of
Leo the Late Bloomer? I don't know why, maybe it's the tiger...
8.
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson - This one looks cute. An interactive type book about the seasons. Very fun. But I'd have to say my absolute all-time favorite book about different seasons is
Un-Brella by Scott Franson.
9.
Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey by Emily Winfield Martin - I love how when a synopsis has "for fans of (Book A) and (Book B)" and I've never heard of either book, and therefore the comparison means nothing to me. Yeah, that's pretty much this book. Great looking illustrations though.
10.
Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee and Kurt Cyrus - This books like a book my brother would have LOVED when he was growing up. Seriously, what little boy doesn't love a book about big trucks?
11.
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett and Kevin Cornell - A counting book of sorts. It looks like the little details in the illustrations totally make this book what it is.
12.
Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea - Another finalist from the Goodreads Awards. I have to say I think I need to pick this one up. I love just about anything with unicorns, even sarcastically speaking. And if you'd like a recommendation for another mythological beast picture book, I absolutely adored reading
Dragons Love Tacos earlier this year.
13.
Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg by Lori Mortensen and Michael Allen - Another kid no brainer. Love anything with cowboys. This one is written in verse too, which is pretty darn tricky to do! Seems like it would be easy, but somehow in a picture book it's not.
14.
If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead - The synopsis on Amazon says this is a "quiet" picture book. Not really sure what that means, but if there's a cover I'd chose from these that's quiet, this would be it.
15.
The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud - This almost sounds a little bit like Finding Nemo, only with bears. The illustrations are definitely unique, but I'm not sure I'm sold on them yet. Guess I'll need to reserve judgement until I see them in person.
16.
Hello, My Name Is Ruby by Philip C. Stead - And for some reason, this one makes me think of
Are You My Mother? Weird these connections my brain keeps coming up with...
17.
The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman and Bagram Ibatoulline - So this is the lone book on this list I've actually read. I enjoyed it, I thought it was an interesting concept, and it does a good job of getting the message across. The illustrations didn't particularly stand out to me, but I think they were appropriate for the subject. This is another one that made it on the Goodreads finalist list.
18.
Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein - I love squirrels. I think they're cute. But the squirrels in this book do not look cute. Hmmm... think this is one where the text better outshine the illustrations for sure.
19.
Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton by Meghan McCarthy - I've never heard of Betty Skelton before, maybe because she's probably outshadowed by Amelia Earhart. But this looks like it might be interesting. I don't read a lot of non-fiction picture books, but my favorite that I read this year is from one of my favorite standby authors Kathleen Krull:
Louisa May's Battle: How the Civil War Led to Little Women.
20.
Toys in Space by Mini Grey - This one reminds me a lot of Toy Story. It might be interesting to pick it up and see where they go with it.
Well, there you have it, Amazon's top 20 picture books for the year. But I have to say, I haven't read most of them, so I don't really know if I agree or not. But in the realm of picture books I've read this year, I highly recommend
Mustache Baby,
Memoirs of a Goldfish, and it's companion
Memoirs of a Hamster. Great illustrations, great stories, great concepts. You can't go wrong with any of those 3 for sure.
One of the things you're bound to see this time of year as we come to a close is "Best Of" lists. And books are no exception of course. I'm participating in the Cybils again this year, which is sort of a cross between the Newberrys and the Webby Awards (popularity meets literary merit).
One of the things I look forward to every year is voting on the Goodreads Choice Awards. Now, these are pure popularity. The winners were recently announced and it's made me realize something: I really don't like most popular books. Sure, I enjoyed Twilight and Hunger Games, and Harry Potter are some of my favorites, but beyond that, the books that seem to be popular are not the one I'm drawn to. Interesting.
In some ways, I'm not really sure why I look forward to the Goodreads Choice Awards, because the books I pick almost never win. Okay, one did this year, the Jim Henson book in History. Which I actually haven't even read, but just picked because I love Jim Henson. And come to think of it, if lots of other people do the same thing I do (just pick books they recognize) then perhaps that's why the popular books are the ones that always win. Hmmmm...
Anyway, if you'd like to see the books Goodreads members chose as the best books for 2013, head over to the awards page on the Goodreads site. You can also look at past year winners too. 
One of my favorite things about doing A Shady Glade Christmas every year (despite last year's hiatus) is the guest posts I get contributed by my wonderful readers. After a few years, it's a bit of a struggle to think of things to talk about (LOL). And I can probably rack my brains and come up with 25 things to talk about, but I also love hearing about things from you!
We’ve had some great posts over the years about various favorite Christmas books or movies, holiday traditions, family heirlooms, and even how they celebrate Christmas in Australia.
I want YOU to participate this year. If you’ve done a guest post here in the past, we’d love to have you back again. And I’d also love to have new people. Those of you who are new blog readers or just haven’t stepped up to a do a post before.
You can pick anything for your subject as long as it’s holiday themed. Share your favorite Christmas book or movie, and why you love it or watch it every year. What traditions do participate in? What's special about the way you celebrate? Do you celebrate a different holiday other than Christmas (like Kwanzaa or Hanukkah?) Tell us about them! Don’t celebrate any holidays? What’s your favorite thing about December or winter? Pretty much anything goes, as long as it has something to do with this time of year.
So please, we want to read your guest posts! They don’t have to be long or fancy, just heartfelt.
If you are interested, send me an email at shadyglade (AT) mail (DOT) com (not gmail, just regular mail.com, and no spaces) with the subject you’d like to post about AND a day you want it to be posted. If you don’t care what day, at least give me a week that works for you so we can set up a deadline to get it to me. If you’re having trouble with email, please leave me a comment.
Here’s looking forward to some great entries!
So after a year hiatus, we've come to the first of December, which means:
Ta-Da!
A Shady Glade Christmas is back for the fourth year. I started this tradition back in 2009, when on a fluke I decided to do a holiday themed post for every day in December. And I thought it would be a one-time thing. But I was asked if I was going to do it again the next year. And the next. And so it kind of took of, and there you have it.
For those of you who are new, A Shady Glade Christmas is a series of posts celebrating all things Christmas, wintery, and holiday. The goal is to have at least one post relating to this event a day from now until Christmas on the 25th. There's book reviews, reflections, gift lists, and of course the always popular 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway.
If you'd like to join in, I am always really excited to have people submit guest posts. Share with us your favorite winter/Christmas/holiday book/movie/song/tradition. It doesn't have to be long or fancy, and don't worry if you're not a good writer. It's the content we care about after all. If you're interested in doing a guest post, check out the call for them at this post.
And for those of you who have a blog or website, feel free to grab the button for the month of December. It'll help you out for the contest later... *hint hint*
If you're interested, you can also read past Shady Glade Christmas posts by searching under the Christmas label.
Happy holidays everyone!
<center><a href="http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com"><img style="WIDTH: 180px; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gczbiLBRgvw/SxTHdr_J-HI/AAAAAAAAB0k/11Kx_yUvtvA/s1600/christmas+blog+button.bmp" /></a></center>
So after wanting to do this forever, I finally put up some "pages" for the blog. They're up there at the top, right below the header. See them?
Okay, so they're kind of faint right now, and they didn't turn out exactly how I wanted them to, but it's a start. I eventually want to switch to buttons instead of straight links. But that involves a graphics edit program and some HTML and unfortunately I'm too busy with other things to mess with all of that at the moment. Darn.
But at least they are still there! I've got several pages for my list of past posted reviews, including by title, author, or genre, as well as a few other lists and things up there too. As always, it's a work in progress too...
Okay people. I know I’ve been a little absent again lately. It’s amazing how much real life when you have a 9 to 5 job just gets in the way sometimes. Cuz I don't actually work 9 to 5, it's more like I get up for work at 5:00 in the morning, and don't get home until 5:00 in the evening, and then I have to make dinner, finish any errands that need to be completed for the next day, and be in bed again by 9:00ish. :)
The latest thing on my list is the Cybils reading period, of course. I’m on the Young Adult Non-Fiction panel this year, which is completely new territory for me. So I’m going to start a new series of posts: My Adventures in Non-Fiction. It will be a (hopefully) weekly update on my general reading progress as I experience the world of YANF. I’m also going to try and make an effort to do better about reviewing the Cybils books. Unfortunately that means there won’t be many reviews of anything except Non-Fiction for awhile, but I’m going to try and mix in some other reviews from time to time as well.
In other news, I will be doing A Shady Glade Christmas again this year. Which means I will once again be asking for guest posts. So if you have a favorite Christmas/holiday tradition, movie, book, song, etc. you’d like to write about, send me an email at shadyglade (AT) mail (DOT) com and let me know. You don’t have to do the post right away, just email so I have an idea of how many volunteers I have. I’ll be putting out another “official” guest post call probably next week. Even if you’ve participated before, if you would like to join in again, that’s great. Otherwise everyone will have to listen to me all month. Haha. You can see posts done from the years of 2009-2011 (2012, last year, I was part of my "year off") by searching for posts with the Christmas label.
So here’s hoping things will get back on track soon! 
Sorry things have been a little sparse around here lately. I've found it just a bit difficult to get back to hobby things after losing Greysen a few weeks ago. But life goes on and things are slowly returning to normal.
I've been out of it enough that I've forgotten to remind everyone to make sure you nominate your favorite books of 2013 for this year's Cybils. Pretty much any book published between 10/16/12 and 10/15/2013 for children, middle grade, or YA is eligible.
Head over to the Cybils site for all the details, and to nominate your favorites. You have just over a week (until October 15th) to get those votes in!
And please, if anyone knows of a good YA non-fiction title published this year, make sure you nominate it! As I mentioned before, that's my category, and we're a little sparse on books. :)
Today's pick requires a bit of a different introduction...
Has anyone heard of Monster High? It's a book by Lisi Harrison. I picked it up a couple years ago because Lisi was the author of one of my guilty pleasure series at that time, The Clique. It's about a high school where many of the students are actually the sons/daughters of famous movie monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, etc.) trying to fit in a normal high school.
Well, as it turns out, Monster High is actually a line of fashion dolls from Mattel. I found that out the hard way when Googling pictures of the cover. And I don't know which came first, the dolls or the book (or maybe the were released pretty close to each other). But it turns out MonsterHigh.com has all sorts of stuff that's worlds beyond the book I first read.
So why do I bring it up? Well, Little, Brown Book and Mattel have teamed up again. This time, it's called Ever After High.
Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale
About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.What if Raven doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both."
So why this pick, when I am obviously so not the target audience for this series? Two words: Shannon Hale. I don't think Little, Brown could have picked a better author to bring this new series to life. And I am so, so excited. It's kind of an odd twist really. Monster High started out as a series of Young Adult books, but after about 4 or so, switched to more of the middle grade audience. I'm sure it's because it more closely matched the demographic of the site. For me, I discovered the site after I had read 2 of the books. I enjoyed the storyline on the website much more. The YA books just felt like they tried to be so full of teenage DRAMA!!!! and they just tried a bit too hard. The website is totally cool with the idea that this is a world populated with monsters, while the books tried to squeeze them into everyday life. I just don't think the message meshed as well. Anyway, this series is starting out fulling in the MG category. Which is fine by me, because as I said before if it's Shannon Hale I will read it, no matter what age group it's meant for. And as fun as the idea of sons/daughters of monsters is, the idea of fairy tale offspring is much more appealing to my romantic nature. :) I've poked around a bit at EverAfterHigh.com already, where they already have some videos introducing the characters and such up. Looks like it will be a great fun/fluffy series to try. Really, it's very squarely in the "tween" category, but who says you're too old to satisfy your inner child on occasion? Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends will be released on October 8th, 2013.
Available at Amazon.com in Hardcover or Kindle
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Check availability on Paperbackswap.com 
Okay, for today's pick we're dragging up the fairy tale them. I know, I know, AGAIN. But this one looks like something different. So trust me on this one.
Hero by Alethea Kontis
About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "Rough and tumble Saturday Woodcutter thinks she's the only one of her sisters without any magic—until the day she accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard. With her sword in tow, Saturday sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and whisked off to the top of the world. Is Saturday powerful enough to kill the mountain witch who holds her captive and save the world from sure destruction? And, as she wonders grumpily, "Did romance have to be part of the adventure?" As in Enchanted, readers will revel in the fragments of fairy tales that embellish this action-packed story of adventure and, yes, romance."
Hero is the second book in the Woodcutter Sisters series. The first one, Enchanted, came out in May of last year. It was about the sister named Sunday and was sort of a retelling of The Frog Prince. I guess it did well enough that Harcourt decided to purchase 2 companion novels, this one and the next one which is tentatively titled Beloved and due out next year. According to the author's website, ideally it would be a 7 book series, one book for each sister, so if you read this (or the first one) and like it, make sure you buy everyone a copy so she can keep writing with them.
I don't see any specific fairy tales on this one based on just the description, but supposedly like the first it'll have kind of a mish mash of them. But I like that it's own book too. Kind of like the Dealing With Dragons books by Patricia C. Wrede (still one of my all-time favorite series). 
Hero will be released on October 1st, just under a week away!
Available at Amazon.com in Hardcover or Kindle
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Check availability on Paperbackswap.com 
Today's pick is the conclusion to one of my favorite series: The Gallagher Girls. WARNING: If you haven't read the previous books, this description may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series.
United We Spy by Ally Carter
About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "
Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever."
Love, love, love Ally Carter and pretty much everything she does. I am a little sad to see the end of these books though, I've enjoyed it so much. But if you haven't already, you should really pick up this series. Also, I highly recommend Heist Society and it's sequels as well. Instead of spies, those books are about thieves, and they also have lots of adventure and spy-ish sneaking around.
Anyway, I'm kind of lucky in that I haven't gotten my hands on Book 5 yet (Out of Sight, Out of Time) because apparently it has a huge cliffhanger ending. Which sounds worse than the what-I-thought-was-a-cliffhanger endings of Book 3 and Book 4. Anyway, it works out well for me, since soon I will be able to pick up Books 5 and 6 right after each other.
On a side note, if you have read Ally's books and enjoy them, and you happen to have a Kindle, or access to a Kindle app for PC/Android/iPhone/iPad, you should really check out Double Crossed. It's a novella that combines characters from the Gallagher Girl books and the Heist Society books. As far as I can tell it takes place between Uncommon Criminals and Perfect Scoundrels on the thieves side and between Out of Sight, Out of Time and this book on the Gallagher Girls side. And the best part? It's free to download! That's right, it's a bonus story that won't cost you anything. Unlike some publishers (*cough* Harper Collins *cough*) who offer bonus short stories/novellas at a nominal fee. I've already downloaded my copy, but I'm waiting until I read GG#5 before I dive into it. Anyway, United We Spy will be released just around the corner, on September 17th. Available at Amazon.com in Hardcover or Kindle
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Check availability on Paperbackswap.com And don't forget...Double Crossed is available for free download on
Kindle
So this is another recent release WoW post. But there is some future pubs coming up, I promise! This was actually published in 2009 in the UK (according to Goodreads) but this is the first time it's come to American shores.
Rose (Rose #1) by Holly Webb
About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "Rose isn't like the other orphans at St Bridget's Home for Abandoned Girls. Instead of dreaming of getting adopted by loving, wealthy parents, Rose wants to get a job and be independent. She doesn't need anyone but herself. She finds her escape working as a maid for Mr. Fountain, an alchemist. Unable to ignore the magic that flows throughout the grand residence, Rose realizes that just maybe; she might have a little bit of magic in her too. This new series featuring magicians, witches, talking cats, mist-monsters, and friendships will have young readers in a trance!"
Not much detail from that description, but I'm very intrigued anyway. You know I'm a sucker for anything vaguely Victorian themed, so this one is right up my alley. Since it has magic and stuff too. It's also the first of a series, which will be good news if this turns out to be as good as it looks. So go buy a copy so it does well and we get the rest of the books here in the US too!
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Check availability on Paperbackswap.com
It's hard to believe it. On this day 7 years ago, The Shady Glade was born. Let me tell you, I had no idea then what I was getting into. I simply had this vague idea that I wanted to use what was at that time a new medium to share my reading with other people who also liked to read. I suppose in some way blogs are passe now; everyone is more into Twitter/Facebook/that sort of thing. But I kind of like it. It's more journal-like, and I've never been able to keep a journal very steadily before, so this kind of a like a book journal. It's fun to look back over everything that's happened over the last 7 years.
I don't think there's anyone from those first few months still around anymore, but for those of you who do still read this blog (or are new readers) thank you so much. It's all because I know there's at least 1 person out there who will read this that I do this. And I hope that there's more than 1 of you. :) I am especially grateful for those who stuck it out with me over the last year. I know it was rough getting through those months where I wasn't blogging, and I am glad to be back in the swing of things, even if it's not as much as I used to be (I can't believe I tried to blog every day in 2009. But I guess that's what happens when you are a new college graduate with a freelance job and LOTS of time on your hands...)
So as a tribute to this auspcious day, I thought it would be fun to take a look over the top 7 most popular posts of all time here at The Shady Glade.
7. Review of Amanda/Miranda by Richard Peck - In spot number seven is this post. This was actually the very first book review I posted, although looking back I believe it was my 4th post overall. And the funny thing is, I originally wrote it for a different website at first. This was my first Richard Peck book, and he still remains one of my favorite authors.
6. Poetry Friday: Snow White - This one surprised me. I guess a lot of people are into poetry inspired by fairy tales. This was a poem I came across during one of the classes I was a TA for in college. If I remember correctly, I had actually posted a poem about Cinderella the week before. But apparently, Snow White is the more popular post.
5. Author Guest Post: Zoë Marriott- Ironically enough, this is another blogoversary post. This was for my 3rd blogoversary, which was quite the spectacular event. Again, so much time on my hands back in 2009. But of all of my author guest posts, this is the only one in the top 10. Hmmm... I wonder why it's so popular? Not that I'm complaining of course, it was a fun guest post to read.
4. Review of The Primrose Way by Jackie French Knoller - This one surprised me a little. Not too bad, because I always see it up in my stats when I check them about once a month. It makes me a little happy though, since I feel like this is definitely one of those "overlooked" books that doesn't get a lot of attention, and it's about a period of American history that I think gets overlooked a lot too. Although I think a lot of people are trying to find help with their homework, because the most common search terms I see associated with this one are "primrose way book report".
3. Catching Fire Contest Monday - This one was not so surprising, other than the fact that it is still popular enough to be up there in stats. Maybe the pending Catching Fire movie has something to do with it. This was definitely my most popular Contest Monday ever, for an ARC copy of Catching Fire. At that time I had refused to read the Hunger Game books because they were so popular. But like Twilight, I did eventually give in and read them, and enjoyed them a lot. If I had only known what I had in my hands at the time...
2. Review of The Fifth of March by Ann Rinaldi - I've reviewed several books by Rinaldi on this blog, but this one is by far the most popular. Again, I suspect it might be students trying to get help with their homework based on the words associated with this that show up on my sheet. But I think this is an "oldie but goodie" book, and it's worth picking up, especially if you like American Revolutionary historical fiction.
And the number 1 post is...
1. Review of The Falcon's Malteaser by Anthony Horowitz - This one did surprise me. I do see it floating around in my stats every once in awhile, but I had no idea it was the most viewed post of all time. It even outstrips #2 up there by quite a bit of a margin. I do love the Diamond Brother books, and I don't think many people have read them, so it's nice to see that in some way it's popular. I wish more of them were available in the US, but most people I talk to haven't even heard of them, so there you go. I don't think they were ever a big seller here.
So there you have it. Kind of interesting, huh? Here's to 7 more years of the Shady Glade, although, sometimes I wonder if I have it in me! But as long as you are there to keep reading, I'll keep writing. Thanks again to everyone for their continued support. It means so much!
Today's Waiting on Wednesday pick is another that you actually don't have to wait long for. It was actually published yesterday. But this is one I have been waiting for awhile, since I absolutely love this author.
Sleeping Beauty's Daughters by Diane Zahler
About the Book (copy from Goodreads.com): "The classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is transformed into a dazzling new story of two sisters fighting a powerful curse by Diane Zahler, the acclaimed author of The Thirteenth Princess. Briskly paced and full of lush descriptions, readers who enjoy the work of Shannon Hale and Gail Carson Levine will be swept away by this spellbinding novel.
The daughters of Sleeping Beauty, Princesses Aurora and Luna, have grown up in a cliff-top palace by the sea, where they are carefully protected by their parents. No one visits, the girls cannot stray beyond the castle walls, and all sharp objects are forbidden here.
But accidents will happen—particularly when an old curse still has power. Soon, in spite of all precautions, Aurora is struggling not to slip into an enchanted sleep.
Frantic, the princesses accept the help of a young fisherman named Symon and embark on a daring ocean voyage to find their aunt—a fairy who may be able to break the spell. From fearsome beasts to raging storms, many dangers befall them, yet they must not give up . . . for if Aurora sleeps, she will not wake for one hundred years. "
So what can I say about this one? You know me, I absolutely love fairy tale retellings. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorites, and although it has been retold many times, I don't think I've ever read one that had this spin to it. And I really enjoy Zahler's books. She always manages to put a unique spin on things. They do tend more towards the middle grade age level, and they can be on the shorter side, but I love them anyway.
Oh, and isn't the cover gorgeous? I love the artist that does these covers. If you haven't already, you should check them all out:
The Thirteenth Princess, A True Princess, Princess of the Wild Swans.
Sleeping Beauty's Daughters was released yesterday, August 27th.
Available at Amazon.com in Hardcover or Kindle Add to your Goodreads shelfCheck availability on Paperbackswap.com
View Next 25 Posts
I love the pink on the UK cover but the American one seems to fit the story better. I think this sounds really cute!