Last Day!

Today is the last day of February, and you know what that means? Signups for the Birthday Bookmark Swap close tonight! Today is also the last day you can enter the Bookmark Swap Publicity Contest to win a choice of book(s).

If you want to join in, today's the last day, so don't forget to head over to the page and sign up. :)

Still super busy, but hopefully I'll have some time to put up an update post soon to let everyone know what's going on.

Until then!

A Little Inspiration

There's still a few days left to sign up for the Birthday Bookmark Swap. These have been so much fun in the past, I'm excited!

And to get everyone else excited too, here's a little inspiration to get you going. These are just a small example of some of the great bookmarks that were sent in for our Holiday Bookmark Swap.

So if you decide you want to join us, don't forget to head over to the page and sign up!

Waiting on Wednesday: 2.23.10

Phew! This has been a super busy week with four major events happening in the last 5 days. And I'm also busy with the Birthday Bookmark Swap. Hopefully I'll get time to blog about everything that's happened a little later, but for now I wanted to pop in with a quick WoW post.

Dark Mirror by M. J. Putney

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.

Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted . . . by magic.

When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.

But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth."

I'm up for pretty much any YA book with a regency-type setting. Add in a bit of magic, and this book sounds like a lot of fun. I'm really intrigued by the cover too. I want to know what's up with the girl in the mirror!

Dark Mirrorwill be released in a few days, on March 1st. You can preorder it now though through Amazon.com or other bookstores:

A New Contest! Win Your Choice of Book

Signups are slowly coming in for the the Birthday Bookmark Swap. I'm so excited about this swap that I've decided it's time for a new contest! Want to see what's you're playing for?
The winner(s) of this contest will get a book (or two) of their choice from this selection:

See something you like? There's a great mix of upcoming ARCs as well as some nice finished copies as well.

How to Enter:
-This is going to a publicity contest. To enter, simply blog, post, tweet, link, whatever, etc. about the Birthday Bookmark Swap. Then complete the form to let me know. Entry totals are broken down below.

-Fill out the form below (or find the form here) to enter your links. You can submit the form more than once if needed.

-Contest closes at midnight on Monday, February 28th.

-Winner(s) will be randomly selected, so the more entries you earn, the better chances you have at winning!

-There will be 2 winners: The person with the most entries will automatically win a book of their choice. The second winner will be randomly selected from all entries. So it could be the same person, or two different people. If I get lots of entries I'll add more randomly selected winners, so get out there and spread the word!

What you earn:
Sidebar links, tweets, other other links: +1 each
Blog post: +2 each
Grabbing the swap button: +2
Joining the bookmark swap: +5
Every person who joins and is referred by one of your links/posts/etc: +1 each

Questions? Let me know. You can grab the button using the code at the very end of this post, or the one in the right sidebar. That's +1 entry to start!

Good luck to everyone!

<center><a href="http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2011/02/birthday-bookmark-swap-signups.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSoVhepBW2ldFOSEi93sWmKOqwttlXiHNpxjZgbBrI77Oi3v_ujo8Q0_E8BehZbbWCh7hkhInkkVDthWAFoPJui34en0gtr1SJTARvOPjv2T0rZW-EAjrEvxnWl6j8Ot95JCaTg/s1600/birthday-flower-cake+small.jpg" /></a></center>

Waiting on Wednesday: 2.16.11

Today's feature is another book that's being released soon, although I only recently found out about it a little while ago.

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales by Tamora Pierce

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Collected here for the first time are all of the tales from the land of Tortall, featuring both previously unknown characters as well as old friends. Filling some gaps of time and interest, these stories, some of which have been published before, will lead Tammy's fans, and new readers into one of the most intricately constructed worlds of modern fantasy."

Not much of a description, but I pretty much love all of Tamora Pierce's work. And of everything she's done, I like the books set in Tortall the best. So I'm really, really excited about this one. The fact that some of the stories have been published before doesn't bother me either. I'm pretty sure I've only read one Tortall short story before, in Bruce Coville's anthology Half-Human. I'm really kind of "eh" about the cover, but it's a Tortall book, so I don't care. :)

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales will be released on February 22nd (almost here!) and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com:

A Little Behind

Just dropping in really quick to let everyone know I'm a little behind on mailing out prizes from December. I've gotten a few of them in the mail, but I recently found a bunch I thought were already out hiding near by bed recently.

So unless you've already heard from me, anyone who hasn't gotten their prize yet, send me an email at shadygladeATmailDOTcom to let me know. If you could include your address and what you won that would be helpful, but it's not necessary. Hopefully I'll be able to get things out in the next couple weeks

Thanks!

Mission Accomplished

Well, this is Saturday and the end of the week, which means it looks like I successfully accomplished my goal of blogging every day this week. And it was a little harder than it looked! Seems like every time I set out to make a goal like this, tons of things pile on that take time away from blogging. *sigh*

Anyway, hopefully this week will have been enough to jump start my blogging a little bit more. Unfortunately, because of the above noted crazy schedule, I didn't have the opportunity to finish up some of my planned posts that I wanted. But... hopefully I will be able to get them up in a week or two.

So what will next week bring? Well, I know for sure I probably won't be able to blog Monday because I already know about a huge deadline I have for work. But the rest of the week? I guess we'll see!

The Electronic Book Question

One of my regular readers sent me a link to a very interesting post about the fate of electronic books.

I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with what he says. I'm one of those people who I think will never go completely over to electronic books, no matter how popular they get. I like the feel of a book in my hands, the ability to flip to favorite passages to re-read them, and the look of my books sitting on a bookshelf too much. Plus, there will always be books that don't translate well to ebook format, such as graphic novels or some picture books.

Actually, since I'm kind of an illustration junkie, I don't think I'll ever to the e-picture book thing. It's kind of like my college film teacher told us: Yes, you can watch movies on your tiny iPods and phones now, but really how much can you enjoy the artistry by watching a tiny picture? Big screens are the only way to watch movies. That's pretty much how I feel about some of my favorite picture books. Yes, you can view them on your computer, but is it the same as seeing the full-size illustrations in all their glory? Definitely not.

And yet, I still want a Kindle. And yes, I want a Kindle, not any ereader. I'm picky like that. :) Mostly because I do have some ebooks and I just don't do well with reading them on a computer screen. And I like the idea of loading up on device with lots of book to take on trips, especially with the weight limits airlines have these days.

Still, regular books are the bomb. And in my opinion, nothing's ever going to change that.

Birthday Bookmark Swap Signups

Back by popular demand, The Shady Glade is proud to host another bookmark swap! I've had several previous participants email to ask if I would do this again. My birthday is coming up next month (March 13th) so to celebrate my love of all things book-mark related we're having a Birthday Bookmark Swap!

Swap requirements:

• Each person is responsible for sending 5 bookmarks (non-swag) handmade or not into the swap.
• Cost to participate is $3 for US, $4 for Canadian, and $5 for other international. Payment can be made via PayPal or mailed at your own risk.
• All packages must be mailed no later than Saturday, March 5th
• Signups will be closed on Monday, February 28th

Based on feedback received from the previous swaps I'm trying to streamline signups a little bit. If you've participated before, things are a bit different, so make sure you read everything before signing up!

Here's how to sign up and participate:

1. Make sure you've read all the FAQs on the How They Work page
2. Fill out the form below (returning swappers can skip un-required questions if desired)
3. Within a day or two I will send you a confirmation email
4. Pay your registration fee
5. Have your bookmarks in the mail by March 5th

So here's the form. You can either fill out the embedded form below, or follow the link to sign up. If anyone has any questions, feel free to send me an email and ask, or leave a comment below with your question and your email address.

If you're not sure whether or not you're going to do the swap, please don't fill out the form. This will safe everyone a lot of emails and headaches, so only sign up if you're certain you can participate.

Waiting on Wednesday: 2.9.11

Yeah, so I'm cutting the deadline a little close for today's post. BUT, it is still Wednesday so it counts. Today's pick is a little different, in that today I'm featuring a book written for adults:

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire . . . but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life as only Michelle Moran can tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin.

Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her
friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom."

I read one of Michelle Moran's other books, Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel, last fall and loved it. And I seem to be on a French Revolution kick lately with my reading (I blame The Scarlet Pimpernel CD I've been listening to), so the combination of time period and author make this one I'm really excited for.

Luckily, I won't have to wait long, since Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution is being released on February 15th. And in the meantime it is of course available for pre-order on Amazon.com:

Teaser Tuesday: 2.8.11

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I think I'd like to get back in the habit of doing Teaser Tuesdays. We'll have to see what happens I guess...

Today's teaser comes from the book I'm currently reading/struggling through, Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution. I want to be able to like this one, and I love parts of it, but I'm not sure if I'm enjoying it as a whole yet. Only time will tell I guess. Anyway, here's the tease, from one of the parts I did enjoy (page 168):

I have stolen. I have deceived. I have damaged things and people. And yet nothing grieves me more than to think he now remembers that night.
And calls me a liar.

The Peril of a Large TBR pile

You ever feel like the books on your bookshelf are talking to you?



Pick me, says that little paperback in the corner. Read me!

I can't, you say. I'm reading something else right now.

But remember when you first got me? it replies. That day I came in the mail and you opened me up and there I was sitting for you, all shiny and waiting. Remember how excited you were to read me?

Yes, I remember, you admit. You reluctantly put down the book you're reading and grab the little paperback, once more reading the description on the back cover. I forgot how excited I was about reading you.

But no, you can't. You quickly put down the paperback back on the shelf.

I'm sorry, you explain to the little book. But I already have a big stack of books that I need to read and review. See there, the pile by the bed? There's at least six books there! And the review deadlines are in two weeks. I can't possible afford to be distracted at the moment.

But it will be all right, the paperback counters. I'm just a little guy. Won't take you more than a day. If that.

Yes, you agree. But one day distractions lead to more distractions and then two weeks are over and I still don't have these other books even started. I really, really can't right now.

Determined in your resolve, you turn away from the paperback and pick up the gigantic 500 page novel you've spent 2 weeks already trying to wade through. It feels almost heavier in your hands as you try to thumb through the pages looking for your bookmark.

Please? you hear the paperback plead behind you. Pretty please?

Against your better judgement you turn around to look at the book a final time... and your fate is sealed. Sighing, you pick the little paperback up once more.

I never could resist the puppy dog look.

A New Start

Okay, I'm going to make a goal for this week. And I know if I write it down I have a better chance of following through. :)

My life has been so crazy lately and I've been neglecting the blog. So I'm making a goal to blog every day this week. Even if I just write something short at 10 minutes to midnight I will do my best to have something up every day this week. There's been lots of posts simmering in my head that just never quite make it to the computer, so hopefully this exercise will be just what I need to kick start my blogging habit once again.

Wish me luck!

Waiting on Wednesday: 2.2.11

I've been a bad blogger lately. Every time I promise to come back to blogging something else comes up. Remember last year when my cat had a near death experience? Well, the same problem is back again almost a year later and this time it looks like he might not pull through. It's still a little early to tell, but let's just say I've been a little distracted lately.

Still today's post is to prove to myself that I haven't gone completely AWOL and I am capable of blogging at least a little bit.

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.

Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked."

So that doesn't give much of a plot summary, although it intrigues me. So I went and found another summary on Paperbackswap.com:

"Johnny works after school in a shoe repair shop in a swanky hotel in Miami. He loves shoes and is talented; he even aspires to be the next Manolo Blahnik. But the real reason that he is working so hard is because his dad left when he was a baby and he needs to help his mom pay the bills. At least he has his friend, Meg, who works at the hotel coffee shop, to keep him co... more »mpany.

When beautiful Princess Victoriana comes to stay at the hotel, Johnny is thrilled when Victoriana invites him to her suite. There she tells him that her brother has been turned into a frog, and that she needs his help finding him in the Florida Keys. Johnny thinks she is crazy and does not believe her, until she gives him a magical cloak that immediately transports him to another location. Armed with the cloak and a magical earpiece that can help him talk to other transformed humans Johnny sets out to save the Prince."

Much better! You know me and fairy tales. It looks like unlike Flinn's two previous books (Beastly and A Kiss in Time) this one is a mashup of multiple fairy tales. But I love how she brings fairy tales to the modern world, so I'm excited about this one.

And the cover? Well, it's okay. I was hoping for something really pretty like the hardcover edition of A Kiss In Time. But I guess the publisher is going back to the red/black/white flower scheme for these books, since the paperback version of a A Kiss in Time doesn't feature that beautiful green dress, but rather a red flower on a white background.

Sigh. Oh well.

Cloaked will be released soon (Febuary 8th!) but is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com: