Featured Author: R J Anderson

This summer I grabbed up Knife by RJ Anderson and was quickly swept up in her faery world. I can't wait for the second installment to her series coming to the UK in January! I want all of you to know about her. You MUST pick up her debut book! She is a hidden gem.

Let me introduce you to R J Anderson!

R J Anderson (known to her friends as Rebecca) was born in Uganda, raised in Ontario, went to school in New Jersey, and has spent much of her life dreaming of other worlds entirely.

As a child she immersed herself in fairy tales, mythology, and the works of C.S Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and E. Nesbit; later she discovered more contemporary authors like Ursula LeGuin, Patricia A. McKillip, and Robin McKinley, and learned to take as much pleasure from their language as the stories they told.

Now married and a mother of three, Rebecca reads to her sons the classic works of fantasy and science fiction that enlivened her own childhood, and tries to bring a similar sense of humor, adventure, and timeless wonder to the novels she writes for children and young adults. She currently lives in the beautiful theatre town of Stratford, Ontario.

Rebecca's Official Website
Rebecca's Journal: Welcome to Oakenwyld


RJ Anderson's Books:

Knife-UK cover
Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter-USA cover

To Be Released:

Rebel- January 7, 2010 (UK)

Wayfarer- April 2010 (USA, cover not available yet)

Little Women

Title: Little Women
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Reading Level: Young Adult, Adult
Rating: 5/5

Summary:
In picturesque nineteenth-century New England, tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy come of age while their father is off to war.

Review:
This is one of my very favorite books of all time. When I read it in high school it just really fit with me. I have seen all the different version of the movies way before I ever read the book. I didn't want to read it because I always felt like Jo & Laurie should be together. I didn't like the ending. Until I read the book I never understood. I totally believe that the books ending is how it should be. This is such a classic for me. I love to read it every winter. Helps me get into the season. It is a classic for a reason. Enjoy!

The Newsstand {2}

The News Stand is a weekly feature. Here we will dish on tidbits, news, and important things we think bookies should know. So scroll down to hear what we think you should glean from this week.

• DreamWorks have picked up the rights to teen novel series Wicked. Writers Aaron and Matthew Benay are attached to adapt the bestselling books - Witch, Curse, Legacy, Spellbound, and Resurrection.

• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is #1 on the NY Times Best Seller List! Where the Wild Things Are has also made it to #1 this week!

• CBSnews.com says In The Recession, Libraries are booming. Check out the article.

• Folks are flocking to the libraries to look for a job. Check out what The Wall Street Journal has to say about it.

• Walmart.com has the Top New Release books for under $10. They also have the top 200 books for 50% off!

Re-reading

Do any of you like to re-read your favorite books? That's what I have been up to this week...and the reason no reviews...oops. Sorry guys! But I seriously love to re-read! I glean so much the second time around. I get more emotional and the over all experience is amazing for me. It is really comfortable.

I just finished Catching Fire tonight. Oh my goodness I love this book. This series really does it for me. That Peeta makes my heart swell!

I'm looking forward to re-reading Fablehaven by Brandon Mull again as well as Can You Keep a Secret & The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella.

Do any of you like to re-read? What can't you wait to pick up again?

Winners

Congrats to the Winners!

1. Michelle (Red Headed Book Child)
2. Barb
3. Brenda
4. Stacey
5. Jess (a book hoarder)








1. Bethie
2. Jo-Jo
3. Esme
4. Andie Reads
5. kristinemarie7

I have emailed you so please send me your mailing address ASAP
so I can have the publishers send your your loot!

Favorite Literary Characters?

I got to thinking this morning about my favorite literary characters. Why are they my favorite and what does that say about me?


What is the fascination with literary characters? I know I was completely obsessed with Edward Cullen when I read Twilight for the first time. They aren't even real. So why are we so infatuated? My husband, LD, thinks I am absolutely bonkers when it comes to reading and my love of literary men.

I have many favorite literary characters. I hope that my love of them says something about me.

Here's my list:

1. Katniss from The Hunger Games. She is strong and independent. She can take care of herself. She cares for her family and friends before herself. I hope I can be just a little bit like her.

2. Peeta from The Hunger Games. He is kind and good. He has integrity and a heart full of love. What's not to like?

3. Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey. He is everything a man ought to be. He is stable, independent, funny, and polite. If we could only have one of those in this time period.

4. Jo from Little Women. She takes care of her family first and foremost. She could have married Laurie and been rich and set for life, but would she have been herself and as happy as can be? She went dwn her own path. Not all those who wander are lost. Jo certainly wasn't.

5. Edward Cullen from The Twilight Saga. I have to mention him. Seriously. He is the perfect man. We all know he is. He has the perfect mix of mystery and goodness to him.

6. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Come on, how could I NOT mention him. I love him because he like so many love stories out there. We don't know we are in love with someone until it hits us in the face. He is a good man for all the right reasons...including being rich.

I have SO many more, but I want to hear who YOUR favorite literary characters are and what that says about YOU. So TELL ME!

The Newsstand {1}

The News Stand is a weekly feature. Here we will dish on tidbits, news, and important things we think bookies should know. So scroll down to hear what we think you should glean from this week.

• The Kindle has landed in the UK! According to BBC News we might be due a wave of book piracy.
• The Vampire Diaries Series and The House of Night Series have been banned in Stephenville, Texas along with many other books this week. They also banned books that haven't been published yet. Take a look at who was banned at Free People Read Freely. We can do something! If you want to get involved here is a list of things you can do.
• Where the Wild Things Are Movie is set for release Dec 11, 2009. Will you see it?
• Post Secret: Confessions on Life, Death and God has hit #1 Bestseller. Wal-mart continues to reject/ban any and all Post Secret books. Don't know what Post Secret is? Check out the blog: Post Secret

The Dresskeeper

Title: The Dresskeeper
Author: Mary Naylus
Publisher: Prospera Publishing
Reading Level: 12 yrs+
Rating:4/5

A special thank you to Prospera Publishing for sending me this book to review.

Summary:
When Picky's Mum forces her to look after Gran, who has dementia, Picky is accidentally transported back to the year 1685, where a man in a wig insists she is someone called Amelia and tries to kill her. Managing to get the dress off just in time, Picky returns to the present with the dress covered in blood. Who is Amelia? Is she dead? Will wearing the other dresses in the chest take Picky back in time too? And does she dare put herself in danger again?

Review:
I loved this book! I woke up today to it in my mailbox and began reading it immediately. The synopsis really intrigued me. It was such an easy book to get into, and kept me guessing. What a unique story! Who wouldn't want to find a chest of old dresses and when trying them on gets pulled into the late 16oo's!? A good clean book that has loads of history and intrigue. What's not to like? It's perfect for young teens! The UK release date for The Dresskeeper is set for Nov 30. Reserve your copy now! I'm looking forward to her next novel The Plaguemaker!

Featured Author: Shannon Hale

One of my favorite author's is Shannon Hale. If you haven't read any of her books, you are missing out! She is fabulous!! Let me introduce you to
Shannon Hale!

Bio:
Shannon's mother says she was a storyteller from birth, jabbering endlessly in nonsensical baby-talk. Once she could speak, she made up stories and bribed younger siblings to perform them in mini-plays until, thankfully, an elementary school teacher introduced her to the wonder of written fiction. At age 10, she began to write books, mostly fantasy stories where she was the heroine.

She continued to write secretly for years while pursuing acting in television, stage, and improv comedy. After detours studying in Mexico, the UK, and a year and a half as an unpaid missionary in Paraguay, Shannon earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah. She was finally forced out of the writers closet when she received her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Montana.

the goose girl, her critically acclaimed first book, is an ALA Teens' Top Ten and Josette Frank Award winner. enna burning and river secrets are companion books to goose, continuing the Bayern books series. princess academy is a Newbery Honor Book and a New York Times best seller. book of a thousand days, her newest fairy tale retelling, received a CYBILS award. austenland, a romantic comedy, was her first book for adults. The Actor and the Housewife, her second book for adults, will be published June 2009. She and her Dean husband are working on a series of graphic novels, the first of which, rapunzel's revenge was selected by Today's Al Roker for Al's Book Club for Kids.

Shannon makes her home near Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, with her super-human husband, their indomitable toddler, stunning baby girl, and their pet, a small plastic pig.

What are you working on now?

the actor and the housewife, a book for adults, was released June 2009. forest born, the fourth Bayern book, will be out September 2009. The sequel for rapunzel's revenge, calamity jack is slated for January 2010 release. I am working on another novel for young adults that probably won't be in bookstores until 2011.

I want to be a writer. What should I do?

There’s no secret on how to be a writer—you write. I highly recommend focusing on your writing and storytelling and not worrying about the publishing part for as long as you can stand it. When you do decide that you must publish or perish, the following items do seem to improve your odds: read a lot, write a lot, seek and accept constructive feedback, rewrite a lot, learn as much as you can about publishing, and develop a tough skin. It also wouldn’t hurt if your favorite aunt is a top editor in a large New York publishing house or a powerhouse literary agent.

Do you have any help for teachers or book groups doing one of your books?

Yes! The US paperback of the goose girl and princess academy include reading group guides and author interviews. Download the guides at www.bloomsburyusa.com. The paperback of austenland also has a reading group guide.

Don't forget to visit Shannon's Blog at Squeetus Blog

Shannon's Books:








all info can be found on Shannon's Official Website Squeetus

Giveaway: Life After Genius

Thanks to The Hachette Group, I've got 5 copies to giveaway of
Life After Genius by M. Ann Jacoby!!!

How do you enter? It's easy here at The Sweet Bookshelf, just leave a comment with your email address!

Don't have a blog to comment? Just email me that you would like to be entered.

Want an extra entry?
+1 follow my blog (and let me know)
+1 Tell others about the giveaway in a post or on your sidebar

This giveaway is available to US and Canadian Residents only.
I PROMISE I've got some International contests coming soon!

Contest Ends: Friday October 23rd

Summary:
Theodore Mead Fegley has always been the smartest person he knows. By age 12, he was in high school, and by 15 he was attending a top-ranking university. And now, at the tender age of 18, he's on the verge of proving the Riemann Hypothesis, a mathematical equation that has mystified academics for almost 150 years. But only days before graduation, Mead suddenly packs his bags and flees home to rural Illinois. What has caused him to flee remains a mystery to all but Mead and a classmate whose quest for success has turned into a dangerous obession.

At home, Mead finds little solace. His past ghosts haunt him; his parents don't understand the agony his genius has caused him, nor his desire to be a normal kid, and his dreams seem crushed forever. He embarks on a new life's journey -- learning the family business of selling furniture and embalming the dead--that disappoints and surprises all who knew him as "the young Fegley genius."

Equal parts academic thriller and poignant coming-of-age story, LIFE AFTER GENIUS follows the remarkable journey of a young man who must discover that the heart may know what the head hasn't yet learned.

Giveaway: The Heretic's Daughter

Thanks to The Hachette Group, I've got 5 copies to giveaway of
The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent!!!
How lucky are we?!

How do you enter? It's easy here at The Sweet Bookshelf, just leave a comment with your email address!

Don't have a blog to comment? Just email me that you would like to be entered.

Want an extra entry?
+1 follow my blog (and let me know)
+1 Tell others about the giveaway in a post or on your sidebar

This giveaway is available to US and Canadian Residents only.
I PROMISE I've got some International contests coming soon!

Contest Ends: Friday October 23rd





Summary:

Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and willful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. Often at odds with one another, mother and daughter are forced to stand together against the escalating hysteria of the trials and the superstitious tyranny that led to the torture and imprisonment of more than 200 people accused of witchcraft. This is the story of Martha's courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived. Kathleen Kent is a tenth generation descendant of Martha Carrier. She paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England, but also of one family's deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution.

The Historian Winners!

HERE THEY ARE!!

1. gahome2mom
2. Ginny
3. The Book Whisperer
4. Becca and Fam
5. Colleen

Congrats!! I've emailed you already, so send me your mailing address ASAP so I can get it out to you!!

Check back tomorrow and this week for MORE giveaways!

Towers of Brierley

Title: Towers of Brierley
Author: Anita Stansfield
Publisher: Covenant
Reading Level: Adult Romance
Rating: 3/5

Summary:

Set in the eighteenth-century Scotland, this fast-paced historical romance sweeps the reader in a world of suspense, intrigue, murder, vengeance--and a love strong enough to conquer Brierley and all it stands for.

Haunted by secrets and questions about his birth, Gavin leaves Brierley, returning years later to confront the past.

To Anya Ross, Brierley is likely the fairy-tale castle of her dreams. But when her great-uncle is murdered, and the remnants of the MacBrier family torment her every turn, her dream turns into a nightmare.

Anya and Gavin are drawn together by the bond of a mottled past they share. But this bond becomes a wedge that threatens to drive them apart as sinister forces confront them at every turn.

Only Gavin holds the key to undoing a evil he doesn't even understand--the key that can free Anya and himself from the chains of fear and hatred.

Review:
I love Anita Stansfield and have been an avid fan for years. I have loved ALL of her novels. But "Towers of Brierley" was not up to par. I liked it, but it lacked the details and backbone that most of her novels possess. It was predictable and too short. Everything happened too fast making it unbelievable! Adding more meat to the story would have made it more enjoyable. Bottom line: not her best, but good if you want to sit down and read a typical romance novel.

While reading this book, I felt like the setting was at my favorite castle here in Scotland. Doesn't it look like the cover on the book?

Bothwell Castle

100 Followers?

Where did that come from? 100 Followers? I'm so glad so many of you are reading!

Thank You!

Tell me what you want to see more of:
Reviews?
Author Interviews?
News?
Discussions?
Giveaways?

Your wish will be my command!

Giveaway: The Historian

Thanks to The Hachette Group, I've got 5 copies to giveaway of
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova!!!

How do you enter? It's easy here at The Sweet Bookshelf, just leave a comment with your email address!

Don't have a blog to comment? Just email me that you would like to be entered.

Want an extra entry?
+1 follow my blog (and let me know)
+1 Tell others about the giveaway in a post or on your sidebar

This giveaway is available to US and Canadian Residents only.

Contest Ends: Monday October 12th



Summary:
Breathtakingly suspenseful and beautifully written, The Historian is the story of a young woman plunged into a labyrinth where the secrets of her family's past connect to an inconceivable evil: the dark fifteenth-century reign of Vlad the Impaler and a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive through the ages. The search for the truth becomes an adventure of monumental proportions, taking us from monasteries and dusty libraries to the capitals of Eastern Europe - in a feat of storytelling so rich, so hypnotic, so exciting that it has enthralled readers around the world.

BBW: How to Get Involved

What you can do to fight censorship, keep books available in your libraries, and promote the freedom to read!

Stay informed. If you read or hear about a challenge at your school or public library, support your librarian and free and open access to library materials. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates they learn of only 20 to 25 percent of book challenges. Let them know if there is a challenge in your community. Find out what the policy is for reviewing challenged materials at your school or public library. Join the Intellectual Freedom Action News (IFACTION) e-list.

Help spread the word about Banned Books Week by downloading the Banned Books web badges and hosting them on your blogs and home pages. You can also create a public service announcement.

Get involved. Go to school board meetings. Volunteer to help your local school or public library create an event that discusses the freedom to read and helps educate about censorship—maybe a First Amendment film festival, a readout, a panel discussion, an author reading or a poster contest for children illustrating the concept of free speech.

Speak out. Write letters to the editor, your public library director and your local school principal supporting the freedom to read. Talk to your neighbors and friends about why everyone should be allowed to choose for themselves and their families what they read. Encourage your governor, city council and/or mayor to proclaim "Banned Books Week - Celebrating the Freedom to Read" in your state or community.

Exercise your rights! Check out or re-read a favorite banned book. Encourage your book group to read and discuss one of the books. Give one of your favorite books as a gift.

Join the Freedom to Read Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to the legal and financial defense of intellectual freedom, especially in libraries. You can also support the cause by buying Banned Books Week posters, buttons and T-shirts online.

Proclaim Banned Books Week at your local public library.

Do you see how easy it is to get involved?

There is something on EVERY level. Anything will help these beloved books stay alive and keep future books on the shelf.

What are YOU going to do?

BBW: 10 Most Challenged Titles

The 10 most challenged titles were:

And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint,
and unsuited to age group

His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence

TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age
group



Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence



Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint,
sexually explicit, and violence



The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually
explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group




Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age
group



Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group




The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group




Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

Click on the pictures to learn more about the books!