2008 Cybils finalists: Picture Books

As those who read this blog regularly may have noticed, I was very scarce the past few months. Although some of it was because of school, it was also because I was deeply involved on the Sci-Fi/Fantasy panel for the 2008 Cybils. Finalists were announced Jan. 1, and the winners will be posted in mid-Febuary. To count down to that anticpated day, I'll be reposting finalists and the coresponding panel's blurbs every Thursday until the final announcement. So without further ado, here our our first two lists, fiction and non-fiction picture books. You can learn more about each book by following the links below.

Non-Fiction Picture Books
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams written by Jen Bryant
This biography follows "Willie Williams" from his days as a smart, athletic youngster to his later years as a physician. As readers see him aging, they also see the inexplicable pull of poetry in his life and the making of a man as a poet. The multimedia illustrations closely compliment the text, making for a book that exudes the spirit of Williams in every way. The book concludes with timelines of both Williams' life and world history during Williams' lifetime.

Astronaut Handbook written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
How does one become an astronaut? McCarthy opens the door to astronaut training and lets readers in on all the secrets. The eye-popping illustrations offer ways to understand information that would be too difficult for the target audience had it been presented only in text. The back matter includes a page of fascinating facts and a bibliography of books, web sites, videos and places to visit.

Duel!: Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words written by Dennis Brindell Fradin and illustrated by Larry Day
Fradin's historically accurate telling of the story of the duel between Hamilton and Burr is dramatically told. Both men are cast as well-rounded human beings with flaws and strengths, and both are shown to be at fault for the duel. The book concludes with a lengthy bibliography.

Fabulous Fishes written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale Peachtree
This Seuss-like look at the world of fish uses bold illustrations and rhyming text to introduce young readers to the wide variety of ocean fish. Stockdale follows up her textual overview with a few pages of additional information about each fish pictured. A long list of resources is also included.

Nic Bishop Frogs written and illustrated by Nic Bishop
Jam-packed with amazing and sometimes quirky facts, and gorgeous photos, this book takes readers on a journey through the wonderful world of frogs. Scientifically, Bishop doesn't talk down to young readers, but rather helps to make the mystery that is life and science more understandable. A glossary and index are included.

Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Lived to Draw written and illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
Using Gág's own words, Kogan Ray tells the story of a woman born into an art-loving family who followed her own dream to create art, no matter what obstacles stood in her way. This biography follows Gág from her childhood years up through the publication of her Newbery award-winning book, Millions of Cats.

Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter Winter's bold illustrations and straightforward prose tell the story of this Nobel Peace Prize winner's efforts to bring the green back to Kenya. Focused on her early life, this biography introduces readers to a girl who loved nature, decried its destruction, and worked tirelessly to reforest her beloved homeland. The back matter includes an author's note and quote from Maathai.


Fiction Picture Books
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend)written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by John Hendrix
In a year abundant in releases about our 16th president, this picture book title stands out for its originality, vibrant illustrations, and interactive flair. While the setting is historical, the mood is thoroughly modern in this clever celebration of the oral storytelling tradition.
--Travis Jonkers, 100 Scope Notes

Big Bad Bunny written by Franny Billingsley and illustrated by G. Brian Karas
No rushing stream or mucky swamp can stop Big Bad Bunny and his long sharp claws. Through the tangly bushes he marches, fierce and scowling--and a worried mama mouse has just discovered her baby mouse is missing. Suspenseful pacing, engaging art, and a delightful twist ending make this an enchanting tale for the preschool set.
--Melissa Wiley, Here in the Bonny Glen

Chester's Back! written and illustrated by Melanie Watts
A sublimely pushy cat vies for attention and control with his author and illustrator in this wildly funny book. With creativity and innovation, the author allows her persistent character Chester to scrawl over her illustrations and text with a red marker, creating immediacy, tension, and humor.
--Cheryl Rainfield

How to Heal a Broken Wing written and illustrated by Bob Graham
When a pigeon is injured in the middle of a busy city, no one stops to help until a little boy and his family take the bird home to heal it. Told mainly through pictures with minimal text to drive the plot forward, the story is touching one of kindness, patience, and humanity.
--Pam Coughlan, MotherReader

Katie Loves the Kittens written and illustrated by John Himmelman
The dog Katie can’t contain her desire to play with the new kitten companions in her home, but unfortunately her exuberance is overwhelming to the tiny creatures. With redirection and restraint, Katie finally finds a way to show her love for the kittens. The humor in, the situation, the story-telling, and illustrations will engage kids of all ages in this fun, romping story.
--Pam Coughlan, MotherReader

The Sea Serpent and Me written by Dashka Slater and illustrated by Catia Chien
An extraordinary friendship begins when a sea serpent drops from a faucet into a little girl's bath. As their friendship grows so does the sea serpent, until the girl has to admit that this creature belongs in the sea. This charming tale of friendship is propelled by lovely, energetic watercolor illustrations that create a world full of whimsy the reader will find hard to leave.
--Stephanie Ford, ChildLit

A Visitor for Bear written by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady Denton
When a mouse ignores the sign on Bear's door that reads "NO VISITORS ALLOWED", Bear can't get back to business as mouse continually reappears in Bear's home finally making Bear wonder if he really prefers to be alone after all. The text begs to be read aloud and the subdued watercolor, ink, and gouache illustrations chock full of personality that creating a tale every member of the family will adore.
--Stephanie Ford, ChildLit

Wabi Sabi written by Mark Reibstein and illustrated by Ed Young
A Japanese cat searches for the meaning of her name, and discovers that beauty can be found in simple, ordinary things and experiences. The text shows many layers and depth, the haikus are well-integrated into the story, and the collage illustrations are astonishing in their texture and beauty.
--Cheryl Rainfield

For more information on the Cybils, visit their website. And look for more Cybils finalists next Thursday.

Waiting On Wednesday 1.7.09

Welcome to the first Waiting on Wednesday of the new year. Okay, so technically this book came out yesterday, but I still can't wait to read it. :-)

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

From Amazon.com: "After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy."

You know me. I love retold fairy tales. And time travel. And romance. Well, some anyway. Either way, I can't wait to read this one. Hopefully I'll get my hands on a copy soon.

My Fair Godmother
is now available for order on Amazon.com:

Winner of Contest Monday Jan 5, 2009

And the winner is....

Katie J. (bball11kt)

Congratulations! Katie, email me with your mailing address and I'll get your copy of The Debs in the mail to you. Everyone else, don't forget to enter this week's Contest Monday for another chance to win another great book.

And for those of you who didn't win this time, you can order your own copy of The Debs from Amazon.com:

Contest Monday: Win a copy of The Girls

Welcome to another Contest Monday! Today's prize is a free ARC paperback copy of Tucker Shaw's new novel The Girls.

About the book (from Amazon.com): "Meet Mary: She’s beautiful, and her ski-star boyfriend is cheating on her.

Meet Crystal: She’s a townie, and she’s cheating with Mary’s boyfriend.

Meet Sylvia: She’s nasty, and she’s got something up her Prada-designed sleeve.

Meet Amber: She’s a flake, she’s the barista at the hottest coffee shop in Aspen, and she serves up gossip even hotter than grande skim lattes.

Meet Peggy: She’s Mary’s best friend, and she has no idea how to cope with all these girls.

A modern retelling of the classic play The Women (which featured not one male in the cast), The Girls is a quick-witted, stylish comedy about friendship, love, and most important, gossip! An elite Aspen prep school sets the stage for jealousy and intrigue as the lives of many girls tangle into a wickedly fun mess (in which no boys ever appear)."

How to enter: Send an email to shadyglade (AT) mail (DOT) com with the subject line "The Girls Contest" and include:
Your name
Your email adress
The correct subject line
If you post about the contest somewhere, let me know and get a free entry

Rules: The contest is open until Monday, January 12, 2009 when the new contest will be posted. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. One free entry per person allowed. Post ab0ut the contest to earn extra contest entries. Questions? Post a comment or email and ask.

The Girls won't be available in stores until April 2009, so this contest is a great way for you to read it before anyone else. :-) Good luck to everyone! I'll announce the contest winner on Tuesday, January 13th.

The Girls is also available for pre-order from Amazon.com:

Back Up

Alright, I'm done playing with things for now. Just a few tweaks to the template. I know Blogger has had the new gadget design for about two years, but I still hadn't converted over yet. So it's changed now, and you can now follow this blog, and subscribe via RSS and all sorts of cool things. You'll find them over the sidebar. I'm still going to tweak things around, so let me know what you'd like to see.

Meanwhile, don't forget to enter the contest for a free copy of The Debs. Check out the sidebar for the link.

Under Construction

I'm going to be playing around with my template in the next few hours. Things will be moving around, and links might be broken. Just to give you a heads up! I'll be back in a few hours. :-)

Waiting On Wednesday 12.31.08

This is going up a little later than I intended, but I've been sick with a stomach flu and I had Cybils deliberations this afternoon. But without further ado, here's my last Waiting on Wednesday post for 2008:

The True Adventures of Charley Darwin by Carolyn Meyer

From Amazon.com: "Young Charley Darwin hated school—he much preferred to be outside studying birds' eggs, feathers, and insects. And so, at the age of twenty-one, he boarded a ship called HMS Beagle and spent five thrilling but dangerous years sailing around the world, studying plant and animal life that was beyond anything he could have imagined.Here, just in time for Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his groundbreaking On the Origin of Species, historical novelist Carolyn Meyer tells the story of his unconventional adventures. It's the story of a restless childhood, unrequited teenage love, and a passion for studying nature that was so great, Darwin would sacrifice everything to pursue it."

I have to admit, I'm guilty of wanting to read this one simply because I love the author. Carolyn Meyer is so awesome! As a Biology minor, I hear about Charles Darwin all the time, so I think it will be interesting to read another side of his story, and Meyer is sure to do a great job. Plus, don't you just love the way Harcourt does her covers? They have such a misty/historical quality to them.

The True Adventures of Charley Darwin will be released on January 1 (tomorrow!) and is available for pre-order on Amazon.com:

Contest Monday: Win a copy of The Debs

As I mentioned earlier, it's time for our first Contest Monday! Yay! Today's prize is a free paperback copy of Susan McBride's The Debs.

About the book (from back cover): "The heat is on down South! Debutante season in Houston is under way, and four ultraprivileged girls await thier invitations from the illustrious Glass Slipper Club.

Laura Delacroix Bell: This trust-fund baby's size-fourteen figure doesn't stop her from attracting hot boys or the admiring eye of the GSC selection committee. But a salacious secret could take her out of hte running quicker than you can say 'Rosebud.'

Michelle "Mac" Mackenzie: She'd rather bury her nose in a book than embrace her deb destiny. But Mac's debut is her late mother's dream and her stepmother's obsession. If Mac doesn't bow out now, she may become the crankiest deb in Texas.

Ginger Fore: She hopes to wear her grandmother's vintage ball gown on her big presentation day. But when a mysterious college guy puts Ginger's deb eligibility in jeopardy, she may end up wearing an unflattering orange jumpsuit instead.

Jo Lynn Bidwill: A former beauty queen, she makes it her mission in life to take out the debu-trash. For now, Jo Lynn's sights are set on Laura Bell, and what she has in store for her bitter rival is anything but ladylike.

The Debs...high society doesn't get any lower than this."

How to enter: Send an email to shadyglade (AT) mail (DOT) com with the subject line "The Debs Contest" and include:

• Your name
• Your email adress
• The correct subject line
• If you post about the contest somewhere, let me know and get a free entry

Rules: The contest is open until Monday, January 5, 2009 when the new contest will be posted. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. One free entry per person allowed. Post ab0ut the contest to earn extra contest entries. Questions? Post a comment or email and ask.

See? Simple right? So go ahead and enter right away. Good luck to everyone! I'll announce the contest winner on Tuesday, January 6th.

The Debs is also available for purchase from Amazon.com:

A Blog Update

Hello everyone! I'm back. Well, sort of. I know I've been scarce lately. Things have been crazy with graduation and the holidays and moving back into the room my brother commandeered while I was off at school. Plus, I've been furiously trying to get through as many Cybils nominees as possible, as the deadline fast approaches. I know, last minute, but in my defense there were over 160 nominees in my category this year.

Anyway, I'm gong to try to get back in the swing of things. I have a lot more Waiting on Wednesday posts to put up, as well as about 50 book reviews (give or take) that are just waiting to be written. I'll get them up when I can!

But this post is also to announce (another) new feature. Starting this afternoon, I am announcing the addition of (drumroll please)....

Contest Mondays!

See, I've got all these books that I will never be able to read again, and some that haven't been read at all, and probably never will. So I'm going to be having a giveaway on Mondays to pass on all those new and gently used, wonderful books to other people who will have the chance to enjoy them. Why Monday? Well, Wednesdays are already scheduled, and lots of people already do giveaways on Friday. I wanted to be different, and I don't know about you, but I'd like a pick-me-up on Mondays! So it's going to be Monday afternoons for free books at the Shady Glade, and look for that post later today!

Waiting on Wednesday 12.10.08

So I'm busy studying for graduation, but I wanted to throw this up real quick. :-)

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

From Amazon.com: "A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn… Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.

Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew."

Fairytale retelling? Twelve Dancing Princesses? I am so there! The cover alone makes me want to read it.

Princess of the Midnight Ball will be released on January 20, and is currently available for preorder on Amazon.com:

I expect to be away

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I'm back from my vacation, and let me tell you, I needed it! :-)

I expect to be away for the next few weeks. I graduate college in two weeks (what? That's it? That's all there is? AHHHHHH!) and I'm still busy with the Cybils nominations. I might have time to throw a few posts up, but if you don't hear from me, that's where I am.

So until then, happy reading everyone!

Waiting On Wednesday: 11.26.08

The Trouble with Kings by Sherwood Smith

From Amazon.com: "Princess Flian finds herself the unwilling object of desire of three royals. Is the one she wants a villainor a hero? Waking up in a strange place, Flian Elandersi at first doesnt know who she is. One wicked prince tells her she is secretly engaged to an even more wicked king who wants to marry her right away. But before that happens, yet another wicked prince crashes through a window on horseback to sweep her off her feet. Memory returns, and Flian realizes that all any of them seem to want is her considerable wealth, not her pleasant-but-ordinary self. She longs to escape the barracks-like, military atmosphere and return to civilization and her musical studies. Flian endures another abduction, this time in the middle of a poetry reading. Who is the villain? Prince Garian Herlesterlanguid, elegant, sarcastic? Prince Jaimhe of the dashing horsemanship? Or King Jason Szinzar, whose ambiguous warning might be a threat? Flian decides its time to throw off civilization and take action. The problem with action is that duels of wit turn into duels of steeland love can't be grabbed and galloped away."

The Trouble with Kingswill be released on December 29, and is available for preorder on Amazon.com:

Review: The Rumpelstiltskin Problem

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde

Have you ever read the story Rumpelstiltskin and decided that it just didn’t make sense? When you think about it, there’s so many things that are just not rational. For example, why would a father claim his daughter could spin straw into gold. I mean, of all the things to spin, why straw? And why would a funny little man agree to spin a room full of gold in exchange for a tiny gold ring? Didn’t he have enough gold as it is? And what would he want with the Queen’s first born child?

This book attempts to answer this and many more questions by providing six different versions of what Rumpelstiltskin might have been. While staying true to the original, the author changes just one or two different elements of the story to see how it could affect the outcome. For example, what if Rumpelstiltskin was a woman? Or what if the miller’s daughter was really a fanatic trying her hardest to press a kind king into marriage? And what if the miller’s daughter fell in love with Rumpelstiltskin, who was really a generous and handsome elf?

While all of the stories are great, I think my favorite was “The Domovoi.” In this version, set in Russia, Rumpelstiltskin is a domovoi; a small, teddy-bear-like, magical creature responsible for keeping the people in the house it inhabits happy and safe. Rumpelstiltskin is the domovoi that lives in the king’s palace, so naturally he finds out when the miller’s daughter has been locked up with the order to spin straw into gold. I just love the writing here, and this is a prime example. Just remember that as a domovoi, it is Rumpelstiltskin’s responsibility to make sure everyone in the palace is happy and safe:

“ ‘The king wants me to spin this straw into gold,’ the girl said, gesturing to that whole big roomful of straw. She was crying so hard she began to hiccup.

‘Ooooh,’ Rumpelstiltskin said, impressed. ‘Such a clever pretty lady to know how to spin straw into gold.’ It had taken Rumpelstiltskin a good fifty years to learn how to spin straw into gold.

The girl stamped her foot, coming close to stamping on Rumpelstiltskin. ‘But I don’t know how to do it,’ she told him. ‘That’s the whole point. And the king is going to burn me at the stake in the morning.’

That didn’t sound happy or safe.”

I absolutely love retold fairy tales, and this one didn’t disappoint me at all. I loved the fun and often humorous writing style, and it takes a fair amount of talent to come up with six different versions of the same story. If you’re looking a fun and quick read, a collection of short stories, or just a book about one of your favorite fairytales, this is sure to please.

Shady Glade Rating: 9/10

Waiting On Wednesday: 11.19.08

Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" by Cameron Dokey

I love the Once Upon a Time Series. So it's natural that I would be looking forward to this one.

From Amazon.com: "Belle is convinced she has the wrong name, as she lacks her sisters' awe-inspiring beauty. So she withdraws from society, devoting her time to wood carving. Secretly, Belle longs to find the fabled Heartwood Tree. If carved by the right hands, the Heartwood will reveal the face of one's true love.

During a fierce storm, Belle's father stumbles upon the mysterious Heartwood -- and encounters a terrifying and lonely Beast. Now Belle must carve the Heartwood to save her father, and learn to see not with the eyes of her mind, but with the eyes of her heart. "

Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" will be released on November 25th, and is available for preorder on Amazon.com:

Review: Montmorency

Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman by Eleanor Updale

Grievously injured after falling through a skylight while fleeing police, a man known simply a Prisoner 493 has gained a second chance at life. A young and ambitious doctor named Doctor Farcett is eager to try and repair 493’s body, using surgical methods that are revolutionary in Victorian medicine. Farcett succeeds in saving his life, and uses Prisoner 493 as his promotion to the other learned gentlemen of The Scientific Society.

It is there that 493 learns about Victorian London’s new sewer system, an organization that hatches a brilliant plan. Once he is finally released from jail, 493 sheds his life of petty thievery, determined to use the sewers to help him escape his formally dismal existence.

After a few extremely successful jewelry thefts, 493 takes up residence as Montmorency, a highly refined gentleman who has taken rooms at the Meriman hotel in downtown London. By nights he still acts as Scarper, his manservant and accomplice in crime, still using the sewers to brilliantly execute his plan. But Montmorency’s new life is proving to be filled with it’s own set of difficulties, and it will only take one mistake for both of his lives to come crashing down around him.

Although it seems to have a simple appearance on the surface, Montmorency was nevertheless an enjoyable book. The narration is provided by alternatively following Scarper and Montmorency, a fact that I enjoyed, but may confuse younger readers. The plot manages to drop several surprises throughout the context of the book, enough to keep it moving at a pace that is still interesting while still exploring the setting fully. I enjoyed the thief-turned-gentleman idea, and I will definitely be picking up the sequels (when I get time anyway!).

Shady Glade Rating: 8/10

Waiting On Wednesday: 11.12.08

I've seen this feature on a few blogs, although Teen Book Review was the first I noticed it on. The idea is to feature a book that is scheduled to be released in the coming months every Wednesday. And since I seem to be a helpless bibliophile, this is an exercise right up my alley. Here's my first pick, and you can expect more of these as time goes on. :-)

The Tales of Beedle the Bard
by J. K. Rowling

Might as well start this feature off with a bang. I don't think I really have to explain what this book is; it's pretty much pervaded the internet already. Even if it isn't strictly a Harry Potter book, I am eager to return to the world of one of my favorite series.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard
is available for pre-order from Amazon.com:

Blogger Secret Santa

How cool is this? You can sign up to do a Secret Santa swap for Christmas with other book bloggers. The Hidden Side of a Leaf is helping to coordinate the 2nd annual Book Bloggers Christmas Swap, and you can sign up to participate. It's as simple as sending an email in and saying you'll participate. The gifts don't have to be expensive either, which is great for my poor college student budget. Full details can be found at the original post.

I think this sounds like fun. I'm participating! What a good way to spread Christmas cheer to our online friends. And doesn't the banner just make you want to run out and start buying Christmas presents? I think it's time for a little holiday shopping...

Weekly Geeks: Author Spotlight

So I've been seeing this things called Weekly Geeks around the net (Becky introduced me to it) for awhile now, but I've never brought myself to particpate. When I saw how easy this week's post was, though, I really didn't have an excuse to not particpate. So I'm jumping in! We'll see how much of a habit this becomes... Weekly Geeks is hosted by The Hidden Side of a Leaf, where you can find this week's other participants.

Weekly Geeks #24: Author Spotlight
Directions: 1. Choose a writer you like. 2. Using resources such as Wikipedia, the author’s website, whatever you can find, make a list of interesting facts about the author.

So here goes. I've decided to spotlight Clare B. Dunkle, since her book The Hollow Kingdom
is one of my absolute favorites.

• Her first four books were written as letters to her daughters who were (at that time) attending a German boarding school.
• She studied Russian literature in college and graduated in three years!
• Her newest book, The Sky Inside
  , has a sequel due out next year, and is a nominated title for this year's Cybils awards.
• Read my review of The Hollow Kingdom here

And here's a slideshow of all her books currently in print:

Crummy Weather

We've having ugly weather today. It seems to be spitting. Yes, you read that right, the sky is spitting. It's not rainging, it's not snowing, but it's kinda misting, but not really. It's spitting.

So I'm going to go curl up on the couch with a book and some homework. I want to post a Cybils update soon, so keep an eye out for that. But right now, it's time to hide from the weather...

Don't Forget to Vote!

As we hit (about) the mid-way point of the day, please don't forget to vote. This is the one opportunity to participate in the process of democracy. If you haven't registered, show up to your local polling place anyway. Many times they can get you registered on the spot if you've been a resident for 30 days.

It doesn't matter if you are in the minority of an issue. Even if you don't expect to win, you can make a mark for what you support. I know it can be intimidating to run into others who don't agree with you. I can testify that most of my online friends strongly disagree with me in all things political. But that's okay, because I can agree to disagree. We're still friends.

So make your voice be heard. Vote. It will be the best thing you do today.

Poetry Friday: The Raven

Since today is Halloween, I thought this was appropriate. And we just covered Poe last week in my American Lit class, so it was on my mind. I wouldn't be surprised if several people turn this one in, but there you go. This is a great one to read aloud, I love the alliteration. Happy Halloween everyone!

"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`
'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what threat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.'

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never-nevermore."'

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore.'

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?
'Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

Poetry Friday: Excelsior

Believe it or not, I'm spending most of the day today grading papers. So I came across a paper on this poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Excelsior is Latin for "ever upward." So as I move ever upward through the stack of papers and grades, I hope you enjoy this poem.

"Excelsior" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The shades of night were falling fast,
As through an Alpine village passed
A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice,
A banner with the strange device,
Excelsior!

His brow was sad; his eye beneath,
Flashed like a falchion from its sheath,
And like a silver clarion rung
The accents of that unknown tongue,
Excelsior!

In happy homes he saw the light
Of household fires gleam warm and bright;
Above, the spectral glaciers shone,
And from his lips escaped a groan,
Excelsior!

"Try not the Pass!" the old man said:
"Dark lowers the tempest overhead,
The roaring torrent is deep and wide!
And loud that clarion voice replied,
Excelsior!

"Oh stay," the maiden said, "and rest
Thy weary head upon this breast!"
A tear stood in his bright blue eye, B
ut still he answered, with a sigh,
Excelsior!

"Beware the pine-tree's withered branch!
Beware the awful avalanche!"
This was the peasant's last Good-night,
A voice replied, far up the height,
Excelsior!

At break of day, as heavenward
The pious monks of Saint Bernard
Uttered the oft-repeated prayer,
A voice cried through the startled air,
Excelsior!

A traveller, by the faithful hound,
Half-buried in the snow was found,
Still grasping in his hand of ice
That banner with the strange device,
Excelsior!

There in the twilight cold and gray,
Lifeless, but beautiful, he lay,
And from the sky, serene and far,
A voice fell, like a falling star,
Excelsior!

I'm Gone

Hey everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know I'll be away from my blog (and the internet) for a few days. I'm going on an internship expedition with my school so I hopefully actually get a job when I graduate....

Anyway, don't forget, Cybils nominations end soon!

Slight Political Diversion

I try to avoid discussing politics on this blog, but I am going to make an exception in this case. For those of you who don't want to go into this, you are welcome to come back later.

For everyone who is a California resident, chances are that you have heard of Proposition 8. Some of you may have noticed the link in my sidebar, www.protectmarriage.com, that deals with this very issue. I believe in the divine inspiration that marraige is meant to be between a man and a woman, and that changing this definition will have serious consquences on the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of association.

Please understand that I do not support this measure as a means of discriminating against same-sex couples. What every person chooses to believe is thier own right, even if I myself do not believe in it. I completely support these couple having full econmic benefits of a married couple. But I do not support the change of the definition of marriage.

For those of you who would like to understand more about my feelings on this matter, you can see a video put out to members of my church that describes it much more eloquently than I. I will be voting Yes on Proposition 8, because I feel it is the morally right action to take. This is a matter in which I believe strongly. The important thing is that you vote, that you make your voice be heard.

Please feel free to comment, but I want to post this reminder. I do not tolerate swearing or name calling on in any comments on any of my posts. If you disagree and wish to post about it, that is fine, but do it in a respectful manner. I will delete comments with inappropriate material if I have to. Please keep it respectful folks. That's all I ask.

You Know I Have To Post This...

I can't believe that I'm the first person to post this, so my blog reader must be having issues again. Anyway, in the rare chance you haven't seen the Twilight trailer that came out today yet, here's your chance. This one will load much faster than the one on the offical site.



*EDIT* Okay, I fixed the link now. Enjoy

Reflections on Cybils Nominations

As you may know, the Cybils nominations are now open until October 15th. Since I'm on the panel this year, I pay a little more attention to the process than most people. It's been interesting to watch the process, although granted I'm paying more attention to the Fantasy panel, since that's the one I'm on.

In the past days I have noticed few things I'm surprised to see. First of all, we've gotten way more nominations for ineligible books this time around than previous year. I've noticed a lot more self-published titles too, though this is good since I like seeing every book get its chance.

That being said, there are a few books that I'm surprised haven't been nominated. Based on some of the reviews I've read around, I expected a few titles to be on there that aren't there yet. These include Cybele's Secret, The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin", The 39 Clues (The Maze of Bones, Book 1), and The Quest Begins (Seekers, Book 1) as well some others. It will be interesting to see if any of those end up on the list by October 15th...

Speaking of Nominations...

Thanks to TadMack over at Finding Wonderland for the laugh. And you know, Einstein has great advice. You should listen to him...

Don't Forget to Nominate!

If you haven't already, head over to the Cybils to nominate your favorite books. There's just a few rules you need to keep in mind:

1. One nomination per person per category
2. Books must be first published in 2008
3. Bilingual books are okay, as long as one of the languages is English
4. A book only needs to be nominated once

Nominations are only open until October 15th, so make sure you head over there and get it done right away. Remember, the number of nominations for one book doesn't matter. So if you're favorite book has been nominated already, choose something else. You can get more of your favorites nominated that way. :-)

I made it!

Yay! I'm on the Cybils Science Fiction and Fantasy panel. I'll be honest, I was afraid I might not make it this year. There's a lot more writers and librarians and "experts" out there now, and I'm still just little old me. :-) But I am truly excited, I get to work with some excellent bloggers, a lot of who's blogs I read quite frequently already! I'm so excited to work with all of you! Here's the complete panel:

Laini Taylor Growing Wings
Charlotte Taylor Charlotte's Library
Alyssa Feller The Shady Glade (YAY!)
Em Em's Bookshelf
Lynette The Puck in the Midden
Tizrah Price The Compulsive Reader
Amanda Blau Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Judges:
Tasha Saecker Kids Lit
Anne Boles Levy The Cybils
Erin Miss Erin
Eisha Prather Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Tanita Davis Finding Wonderland, Readers' Rants

Reminder: Watch tonight!

Sorry I didn't post this earlier! Don't forget to watch the Shadow in the North on Masterpiece Mystery! tonight. I'll be posting a recap later, and I want someone to know what I'm talking about. :-)

Off Topic

Not much time to blog at the moment. I have three papers staring me down right now that are due on Monday. But I figured I'd share this cute little thought with you:

Why can't I get one of these in the mail?

I'll try to be back soon. I've got big plans for the blog (including about 30 posts in draft) I just need to find time to work on it!

Poetry Friday: Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband

So as I mentioned last week, I had the oppertunity to go to a concert of one of my favorite groups, Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband. Although I knew most of the songs they did, there was one in particular from their new CD that struck me. So here's my entry for Poetry Friday:

"All I Need" by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband
I've been to new york city central park
then headed out to upstate lake champlain
crossed up to montreal and heard a band playing mandolins
while we were standing in the rain
I've seen castle walls and waterfalls
and bridges spanning over Venetian waterways
backpack summer drifting through the mountains
filled with European hostel stays

but all I need is you, here, falling in my arms
and me, there, subject to your charms
and I don't know if I have ever felt this way before
all I need is you

I've sailed out in the San Francisco Bay
And I've seen fireworks light up the night
I've Eaten dinner with good friends
Authentic Mexican patio dining in the moonlight
I've Spent days skiing sunny powdered peaks
And hiking up to Zions where the angels land
I've Dropped off cliffs into the crystal blue
And I've set up tents on golden sand

but all I need is you, here, falling in my arms
and me, there, subject to your charms
and I don't know if I have ever felt this way before
all I need is you

I've been all over the rocky mountains
Splashed in England's Hyde Park fountains
Seen Denali rising up at three A.M.
Watched the wind blow through the red wood forest
Heard the tabernacle chorus
singing songs like angels do in heaven

but all I need is you, here, falling in my arms
and me, there, subject to your charms
and I don't know if I have ever felt this way before
all I need is you

Of course, the lyrics are great, but it is the music combined with the lyrics that make the song so wonderful. I was able to find a sample of the song so you can get an idea of how it sounds:

Of course, you can buy the whole CD from Amazon.com too:

I may come back to Ryan Shupe later. It really is a cool band. You should check it out.