A Game of Thrones

August 6th, 2011
A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin
I’m excited to have started a new series – A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. We have all heard so much about this series; it is a must-read for any true fantasy fan and is now becoming a must for diehard HBO viewers. Tackling these books is no easy task – they average around 1,200 pages per book. I’m part way through the first in this daunting series, but am enthralled with Martin’s characters. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character – with a slight tilt towards a seemingly anti-hero Tyrion. Although the maps are from Martin’s head, the time period is medieval; sword fights, lords and ladies, a king and queen, and castles abound. There are hints here and there of ‘otherness’ – the type of otherness that in my mind suggests a label of fantasy, but it has yet to play an important role in any of the lives of the richly defined characters. But, there was a mention of dragons….

With Fall just around the corner, I am looking forward to some serious cold weather reading!

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Guilty Pleasures

June 28th, 2011
So, I did it. I made it through another fun and frivolous summer series. Last year I tackled the vampire-filled Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. This year it was the kick-butt witch bounty hunter Rachel Morgan (The Hollows) series by Kim Harrison. I am now sufficiently schooled in the ways of a modern day witch – and it feels good. Finally some books about witches, their origins (no Salem trials here) and some awesome spell casting.
Here’s a little comparison of the books – likes, dislikes and tidbits I jotted down in my journal while reading.

  • Each series has a cute (of course) twenty-something heroine with boyfriend problems and plenty of hunky, ‘other-natured’ men from which to choose.
  • Kim Harrison gets a Bravo! for writing a series that somewhat expects you’ve read the previous books. Yea! Charlaine Harris spends at least half of each of the Sookie Stackhouse books retelling Sookie’s whole history. Towards the end, I had a vast array of paragraphs memorized because she had used the sames ones repeatedly.
  • The Hollows series was terribly edited – all through nine books. There were misspellings (how do those even get through????), missing words, bad grammar – you name it. It was almost painful.
  • Rachel (The Hollows), seemed smarter and more worldly than Sookie and is more aware of herself (goods and bads) and by the end of the series had made some major self realizations (okay, dorky, but she grew as a person). Sookie remains the same fallen-off-the-turnip-truck girl no matter how many vampires she kisses.
  • Both girls are so cheap and selfish it made me uncomfortable at times. Too much petty talk about money. And Rachel can be mean! The timing of some of her emotions makes her down right b****y. Her partner pixy’s wife dies and Rachel goes to comfort him in his tree stump home – and she’s irritated that some of her tiny belongings are in there. Seriously? A calculator costs a dollar – how cute the pixies were using it as a big tool for teaching their kids? Have ten minutes of heartache before thinking how it affects you, Rache.
  • Both series are witty and funny. It can’t all be blood lust, Weres and curses – a girl has to have a sense of humor!
  • Last, but not least, I loved how each series brought in all kinds of ‘others’ – and gave you a good understanding of their nature and how they would relate in today’s world. Between the two series there are vampires, witches, weres, maenads, demons, leprechauns, banshees, gargoyles, ghosts, trolls, pixies, elves and fairies. Now that’s some fun summer reading!

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Southern Independent Book Awards – Award Spotlight

April 16th, 2011
The Southern Independent Book Awards were create in 1999 to recognize excellent books of southern origin, as determined by members of the Southern Independent Booksellers Association (SIBA), and “to give southern readers an enviable list of books to enjoy, read, buy and give as gifts.” Books are nominated in six categories, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, cooking, young adult, and children’s. Eligible books must be set in the American South and have been published within the award year. Only SIBA-member booksellers in the states of Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Mississippi can submit nominations and vote on the selections. Winners are chosen from among the finalists by a panel of southern booksellers.

The shortlist for the 2011 awards was announced on April 14th.

Fiction Shortlist:
Bloodroot
by Amy Greene
Burning Bright
by Ron Rash
Crooked Letter,
Crooked Letter
by Tom Franklin
 On Folly Beach
by Karen White
Saving CeeCee
Honeycutt
by Beth Hoffman
Young Adult Shortlist:
Countdown
by Deborah Wiles
 Leaving Gees Bend
by Irene Latham
Zora and Me
by Victoria Bond
The complete list of all Southern Independent Book Awards fiction winners can be found on page 141 of the Read, Remember, Recommend Reading Journals.

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We Rocked the Drop!

April 15th, 2011
Support Teen Literature Day, April 14th, 2011
Yesterday was Support Teen Literature Day – and I celebrated with my little boys by dropping 9 books for others to find. I was hoping to find locations where teens would have the best chance of finding the books, so we dropped them at our local recreation center and the mall. What a fun idea! And it was good for my little boys – they thought it was a treasure hunt at first – to share books with others. I didn’t have as many award-winning teen books as I thought, so I also dropped a few of my readings journals. I hope we made someone’s day with these unexpected surprises!

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Support Teen Literature Day – April 14th!

April 12th, 2011

Every April, the American Library Association (ALA) supports National Library Week. Support Teen Literature Day falls on the Thursday of that week. This year National Library Week is April 10-16th, with Support Teen Literature Day on the 14th. Soooo, what is Support Teen Literature Day you ask? Here is what they have to say:

The purpose of this celebration is to raise awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today’s teens. Support Teen Literature Day also seeks to showcase some award-winning authors and books in the genre as well as highlight librarians’ expertise in connecting teens with books and other reading materials.

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) renews the Teen Read Week website and announces the Teens’ Top Ten nominations for the Teens’ Top Ten, a booklist selected entirely by teens (page 32 of Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens: A Reading Journal for Book Lovers) . Teens’ Top Ten nominations are posted on the YALSA website in April, so teens can read them all summer, vote and see the winners during Teen Read Week in October.

There are lots of other events surrounding this initiative including Operation Teen Book Drop! The ‘Drop’ is a special event sponsored by readergirlz, Guys Lit Wire, YALSA, and If I Can Read I Can Do Anything in an effort to put books into the hands of teens on Native American tribal lands.

Now, how can you get involved? Readergirlz has a great idea. ‘Rock the Drop’ in your own area, placing YA books in random spots for others to pick up! Make sure to check out their link for a bookplate to print (or make your own) and include with your dropped books. Take pictures and share your drops (I’ll post mine here).

Check with your local library to see what Support Teen Literature events are going on in your area!

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Family, Love and Loss – Makes for Some Powerful Reading

April 9th, 2011

Here’s a mini version of my earlier condensed type of reviews (fewer books). I read these in the order they are listed, chosen at random, but they all have a similar theme of family: love, loss and the significance of relationships in our lives. When things get hard for you or someone you know, it it’s essential to remember the importance of each other and the positive roles we can play in the lives of others.

Bloodroot, by Amy Greene
In this beautifully told story of family legacy in a poor Appalachian setting, the bonds between family – especially those of mothers and daughters – is both haunting, sad and filled with the kind of love that shapes the histories of all to come. A intricate web of time and characters is used to tell the story of generations of blue-eyed children originating from a group of ‘witches’. There is a wonderful tie between the characters and the land that makes one yearn to experience a year in the Appalachians. And there is just enough magic to keep one guessing and intrigued.
Lark and Termite, by Jayne Anne Phillips
What an amazing job the National Book Award Committee does of bringing to the world’s attention amazing works of literature. Lark and Termite, a finalist in 2009, is no exception. The remarkable story of Lark, a young girl living with her aunt in West Virginia during the 1950′s is paired with the unforgettable short history of her brother Termite’s father in first months of the Korean War. Alternately told by each of the rich characters, including Termite, a disabled child who can’t speak but sees the world in a rainbow of color and sound. The richness of the prose and the depth of love between the characters is not to be missed.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly
I can’t gush enough about The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. This debut novel for middle readers is one of the best I have read in a long time. But don’t let the intended age put you off, this is a must read for anyone. Calpurnia Tate is the only girl growing up in a family of 6 brothers in a small Texas town at the turn of the 20th century. Her eleven year old self is entering into the time of her life where her gender and ambitions are at an impasse with the future expected of her. She discovers a treasure in the eccentric grandfather she has maintained a distance from since birth and he opens to her a world of plants, animals, weather and scientific discovery that will bring out the budding naturalist in anyone.
The Red Garden, by Alice Hoffman
Since first reading Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman years ago, I am always eager to read her latest titles. While The Red Garden wasn’t the story I envisioned, it was a fascinating journey through time and place during some of the most interesting and trying times in American history. Each chapter represented a different period of time with related but different characters in each. While it was frustrating at times to lose site of characters one was just beginning to know, it was interesting to be a part of the evolution of one place. And, there was even a little of the magic I first loved about Hoffman’s writing.

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And the Winners Are….

April 1st, 2011
The Read, Remember, Recommend Reading Challenges are finished! It’s been a long, crazy year – filled with amazing books for all of us and it’s time to celebrate!
An entry was created for each book a challenger read and reviewed from the Read, Remember, Recommend Reading Journals. The winners were chosen using Random.org.
Grand Prize Winner:

Tenia F.

An EReader of your choice!
Fiction:
1st Prize: Heather (Books and Quilts)
A Reading is Sexy Book bag – filled with books!
2nd Prize: Jayme (Beachreader)A $20 to a bookstore of your choice!
Teen:
1st Prize: Shannon (Illusion-Esk) A Reading is Sexy Book bag – filled with Teen Fire Books!

I’m Not Her by Janet Gurtler

Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
Haunted by Joy Preble
Percival’s Angel by Anne Eliot Crompton

Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker


Beautiful Dead: Summer by Eden Maguire
Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson
2nd Prize:
Sarah (Books Like Water) $20 to a bookstore of your choice!
Congrats to all the winners! I hope everyone who participated had a great time with exploring new books, authors and awards in the Read, Remember, Recommend Reading Journals!

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The Challenges and Challengers – Countdown to Winning a Kindle!

March 21st, 2011

Less than 2 weeks to go – The Read, Remember, Recommend Reading Challenges!
Can you believe it’s been almost a year? How crazy is that? I look back and it’s mostly a blur. But, I hope all of those who have participated in the Read, Remember, Recommend Reading Challenges have had a great time exploring new books, authors and awards.
The totals are listed below.

***If you are a participant, please look over the totals to make sure I haven’t missed any of your comments.

***Please note that each review is an entry in the pool to win the prizes. The challenger with the highest number (Heather :) ) doesn’t automatically win the Kindle (or ereader of choice), so don’t get discouraged!
Name Total
Heather @ Books and Quilts 35
Tenia 25
Jayme (Beachreader) 19
M (Agent 99) 7
Sarah (Cowhugger) 6
Jonita (The Book Chick) 5
Melissa 5
Kathy/ Bermudaonion’s Weblog 4
Beth (Bookaholicmom) 3
Nari @ The Novel World 2
Josette 2
Carrie 2
Julie/ Booking Mama 1
Sherrie 1
Sarah 26
Amelia 25
Shannon 22
Missy 6
Wdebo 6

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Notes from my Journal – Recap of this Year’s Books

March 8th, 2011

Whew. It’s been a crazy couple of months. I’ve read some great books and thought I’d pull out my journal and recap them all, Reader’s Digest Condensed style, rather than a big long review of each.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Do you ever read a book and then think, “dang, I’m a better person for having read that!”? That’s how I felt after finishing A Tale of Two Cities.
Now, I have an embarrassing confession. Before reading A Christmas Carol in December, I had NEVER read any Dickens. For a prolific classics reader, that is a wee bit hard to admit. Charles, where have you been all my life?
While A Tale of Two Cities was much harder to wade through than A Christmas Carol, I quickly became addicted to the writing, story, characters and time period. It was an added benefit that I didn’t know anything about it (again, embarrassing to admit), so the whole story was an amazing surprise. If you haven’t done so, READ THIS. You can die (someday in the faraway future, of course), knowing that you have read one of the greatest stories of all time. Get your patience on, though. It will kick your fanny at the beginning.
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
I had seen this book in quite a few places and made a mental note to check it out – and then the Costco Connection magazine came in the mail and Penny had picked it as her monthly choice. So, I now I had to get it. This was a perfect tale of a small, beautiful English village (why don’t we have villages in Utah?), lots of tea drinking and reading of classics, some romance and lots of clever wit. If you are looking for a great read (by a first time author), then settle in with the Major, his proper ways, his irritating son and some enviable landscape.
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Now, this is not for the squeamish, easily upset or faint of heart. So, if you don’t enjoy (I don’t want to say ‘like’) the darker side of fiction, stop reading now and skip to my next read.
If you are still here, you must be a fellow fan of the macabre. And who does that better than Stephen? Full Dark, No Stars won’t disappoint even the most die-hard King fan. Made up of short stories, it’s not one of those books you can gush about to anyone. It’s rough. Killing your wife, getting shoved in a drain pipe, hearing rats in the walls, chatting with the devil rough.
Now, if you have a long ride ahead of you or maybe a tough workout, treat yourself to some thrilling stories. Before you know it, you’ll have run 10 miles.
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
My inspiration for reading Kim, by Rudyard Kipling came from Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. Two of the characters in that story love, love, love Kipling. Another embarrassing thing to admit (lots in this post) is that I have never read anything by Kipling. I have seen Jungle Book, but that doesn’t count.
Kim is Rudyard’s most famous book (besides his children’s stories). It is mentioned twice in my fiction journal and has been made into a movie twice (one with Errol Flynn).
It was interesting to note in the introduction that Kipling’s father called the work “so Indian, so remote, and in appearance so uncaring for the ordinary reader “. While kind of harsh, he wasn’t far off. Without a good footnoted version to explain the various cities, religious and political events of the time, I would have been lost.
Delores Claiborne by Stephen King
More time with Stephen this year. While Full Dark, No Stars is truly just that, Delores Claiborne is more of just an old-fashioned good read. If you haven’t read any King, you are missing out on one of the greatest story tellers of all time. Now, while Delores Claiborne is no picnic, there isn’t the extreme horror you’d expect from King. It’s just a keep you on the edge of your seat, with your mouth hanging open, good story. I listened to this while walking and extended my hour walk to almost two hours each time I listened.
Absalom! Absalom! by William Faulker
Wow. I did it. I made it through a William Faulkner novel. And it was understandable. Even though Faulkner’s intent in writing the book was to make a statement on human memory by continually retelling the same story from different points of view and time periods, the story was still obtainable to the reader. The characters were bright and true, ones that will stick in your memory long after you’ve finished. The conflicts in the story are very indicative of the time (pre and post Civil War) and brought some interesting controversies to mind. If you are looking to tackle a Faulkner novel, Absalom!, Absalom! is a good place to start.
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Hmmm. Not sure what to say about his one. Do you ever read one of those books that everyone raves about and then at the end wonder if you missed the whole thing? That’s how I felt about Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping. Was it my mood? Was it what I had for dinner? Not sure, but I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I didn’t understand the characters or what the main problem was that was driving (or not driving) the women in this story. They were all highly dysfunctional, without a tangible reason for being so. I would love to hear from others who have read this. Did I miss the boat entirely?
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Witches, daemons and vampires – oh my. This new book by Deborah Harkness has it all – including a beautiful cover. Unfortunately, that’s where the good stuff ended – at the cover. What a disappointment. And, I broke my New Year’s resolution to only read books from my TBR shelf (there are 100 or so there) and NOT buy anything new for a while.

Where was the witchiness in the story? It was all about a vampire. Ugh. I think after Bella, Edward, Bill and Sookie – and now Matthew, I have earned my PhD in vampire. And, oh the vampire. He was of course very huge and handsome, and at 1,500 years old, he had been around the world a few times. But, it was unbelievable and trite how ‘connected’ he was. He knew almost every famous scientist (he was pen pals with Charles Darwin) and author during the time he had been alive (he even had a book in his library called “Will’s Plays”. Really? He was on a nickname basis with Shakespeare?). He was also part of every major event during his lifetime as well – on more than one continent.

I finally gave up with the poor writing, over the top cliche characters and weak/smart women after I had gone through 450 pages (it was almost 600 pages). And it was an expensive book! Don’t blow any resolutions over this one. Wait for the movie.

But, I still want to be a witch.
Ruby in Smoke by Phillip Pullman
Lovely, just pure lovely. One final embarrassment and then I’m done with that for a while; I’ve never read anything by Philip Pullman. And I still wouldn’t have if Audible.com hadn’t suggested this one. I have never heard of the Sally Lockhart series, but now I’m hooked. This small story was about a smart orphaned girl with a crazy background and parentage. Oh, and it had a mystery (with a huge jewel), AND it was set in Victorian times. Doesn’t get much better than that. I listened to this (awesome British narration), but I would like to read the next one – so I can enjoy it even more.

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New Book Giveaways!

February 17th, 2011

Previous contest:
Valerie from Cupertino, California, won a signed copy of Run by Ann Patchett.
Allena won a hardback copy of Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver.

New contests:
Parrot & Oliver in America, by Peter Carey is the new Fiction Giveaway Book

Short listed for the 2010 Man Booker Prize
2010 National Book Award Finalist
Matched, by Ally Condie is the Teen Giveaway Book

Publishers Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2010
#1 Pick on the Winter 2010/2011 Kid’s Indie Next List
YALSA 2011 Best Fiction for Young Readers
YALSA 2011 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
Amazon Best Books of the Month, December 2010

Good luck – and happy reading!

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Best Audio Books for a Busy Brain?

January 20th, 2011
As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been traveling a lot lately (by car) and trying to walk more, both with the help of an audio book on my Ipod. I just finished Stephen King’s latest, Full Dark, No Stars and loved it (not for the faint of heart). It was the perfect read (listen) for a long drive through the entire length of Utah while my boys played with their DSI’s (thanks Santa). I was so engaged in the book I didn’t have time to worry about being drowsy (a problem for me on this stretch of I-15) or notice how long the trip was taking. With the added help of cruise control, my trip was entertaining and I was disappointed to have to turn my book off when I got to my destination. It was nice to have the thought of getting back to King’s icy tales once my mini-vacation was over and the long drive back to inversion-soaked Salt Lake loomed ahead.

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I can’t just listen to any old book via audio. My attention span or whatever is needed to comprehend a story through listening is not anywhere near as great as when I read. I can tackle even the toughest classics each night while reading in bed, but feel completely lost if a story is too complex while listening; be that in number of characters, too detailed an account of setting, complex dialogue, etc. When reading at night, my attention is devoted to my book (and my two warmth-hungry cats), but when I listen to an audio book, I am also engaged in other activities. Stephen King is perfect for this type of listening. His stories are so horrible (good horrible?), you can’t help but be engrossed and they aren’t hard to comprehend. So even while passing a semi or referring a fight between my kids in the backseat, I can still get the gist of the story. And King is a master storyteller – his writing is so crisp, even my somewhat addled brain can take it all in.

So, my dilemma is, what next? I’m almost out of King’s books, and currently have 2 credits available on Audible.com. I have some awesome books on my to-read list, but don’t want to risk missing out on a great book because my mind can’t take in all the details.

What are your favorite audio books? Do you pick different books for audio versus reading?

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A Year in Reading – by the Numbers

January 19th, 2011

*** I’ve been having some WordPress issues – so please excuse the tardiness of this post! ***

New Year’s Resolutions are upon us….are you making one about books and reading? Did you make one last year?

Reading is such a special time for me that I would hate to bother it with a diet-like resolution. I think my resolutions will fall more under the getting organized theme – clean out closets, plan dinners a week ahead of time, donate loads and loads of kids things, etc.

That being said, I would like to have a goal (there is a difference, right?) for 2011 of reading 75-100 books. 2010 was SO busy for me – with the release of both of my journals, raising my two little boys, etc., but I am hoping to have a wee bit more down time to read. I did make it through 64 books in 2010 – so an extra 15 or so doesn’t seem too hard – especially since I’ve been traveling to see family a lot (5 hours each way) and walking more – all with a book on my Ipod.

How many books did you read this year? How many were you hoping for? Do you have a goal for next year? Are you interested in reading more books in a specific category (ie. classics, vampire fiction, thrillers, nonfiction, etc.)? Share your reading goals and ideas!

Here’s to some great reading in 2011!

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Gifts for Readers? Try some of the Best of Lists – 2010

December 11th, 2010
Salon.com – Best Fiction 2010
  • Room by Emma Donoghue
  • A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
  • Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
  • Faithful Place by Tana French
  • Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Time Magazine – Top 10 Fiction Books
  • Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
  • A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
  • Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
  • The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
  • Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
  • Wilson by Daniel Clowes
  • Matterhorn by Karl Marlante
  • How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
  • The Passage by Justin Cronin
  • Faithful Place by Tana French
Publisher’s Weekly – Best Books of 2010
Note: There are 100 books on this list (fiction and nonfiction); the top ten are listed below.
  • A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
  • Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
  • Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
  • The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee
  • The Big Short by Michael Lewis
  • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
  • Just Kids by Patti Smith
  • Man in the Woods by Scott Spencer
  • The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
  • The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
The New York Times – The Best Books of 2010 (fiction)
  • Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
  • The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie
  • Room by Emma Donoghue
  • A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
  • Selected Stories by William Trevor
Amazon.com – Editors’ Top 10: Literature & Fiction
  • Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
  • Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
  • To the End of the Land by David Grossman
  • The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
  • Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
  • The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell
  • Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
  • One Day by David Nicholls
  • Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr
  • The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
Barnes and Noble Best of 2010 (fiction)
Note: There are 25 books on this list; the first 10 are listed below.
  • To the End of the Land by David Grossman
  • The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee
  • The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart
  • Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
  • Great House by Nicole Krauss
  • Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
  • How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu
  • Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong
  • Faithful Place by Tana French
  • Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes
Quill & Quire Magazine – Books of the Year 2010 (fiction)
  • Room by Emma Donoghue
  • Annabel by Kathleen Winter
  • Beatrice & Virgil by Yann Martel
  • Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod
  • Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco
  • The Death of Donna Whalen by Michael Winter
  • Curiosity by Joan Thomas
  • The Sky is Falling by Caroline Adderson
  • Bloom by Michael Lista

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National Book Award Winners – Update Your Journals!

November 18th, 2010
The National Book Awards have been announced!
The National Book Awards, including the Award for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature, are given annually in November to American authors for books published the prior year. The purpose of these awards, created in 1950 by a group of publishers, is “to enhance the public’s awareness of exceptional books… and to increase the popularity of reading in general.” The mission of the National Book Foundation is “to celebrate the best of American literature, to expand its audience, and to enhance the cultural value of good writing in America.” Award categories have varied over the years, but now include nonfiction, poetry, and young people’s literature. For each genre, an independent five-judge panel selects the winner. Each winner receives a bronze sculpture and $10,000. In certain years, two awards were given in fiction, sometimes to honor publications in both hardcover and paperback. More information for both awards can be found at National Book Foundation.
2010 National Book Award for Fiction

Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon

Update your Read, Remember, Recommend reading journal. The complete list of National Book Awards for Fiction winners are on page 19.

2010 National Book Award for Poetry

Lighthead by Terrance Hayes

Update your Read, Remember, Recommend reading journal. The complete list of National Book Awards for Poetry winners are on page 26.
2010 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Update your Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens reading journal. The complete list of National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature winners are on page 11.

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Blog Updates

November 4th, 2010

The Day the Falls Stood Still Winner!

Congrats to Heather from Books and Quilts who won a copy of The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Buchanan.


New Giveaways are up!

A beautifully signed copy of Run by Ann Patchett is the Fiction Giveaway

The Teen Giveaway is Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

For these two giveaways, I have extended the ending date until December 31st. Make sure to enter to win one of these great books! Good luck!

Read, Remember, Recommend Reading Challenges
I am doing MUCH better at my own challenges than these numbers suggest! I need to get my reviews in order for a better count. If I don’t have your tally correct, let me know!

Here are the standings for the Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Reading Challenge:
Name Total
Rachelle (Bibliobabe) 1
Heather @ Books and Quilts 16
Kara Sjoblom- Bay
Tea
Jonita (The Book Chick) 2
Nari @ The Novel World 2
Kathy/ Bermudaonion’s Weblog 4
Kim in Ohio
Jayme (Beachreader) 13
M (Agent 99) 7
Tenia 21
Julie/ Booking Mama 1
Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World
Cass
Sue
Melissa 5
Josette 2
Carrie 2
Beth (Bookaholicmom) 2
Jesse
Stephanie (Reviews by Lola)
Sarah (Cowhugger) 6
Sherrie 1
Here are the standings for the Read, Remember, Recommend Teen Reading Challenge:
Name Total
Rachelle (Bibliobabe) 1
Becky
Kara
Shannon 8
Wdebo 6
Jesse
Victoria
Sarah 10
Missy 6
Paula Mae
Amelia 11

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