New Features: My Wishlist

I have people ask me about what books I'm waiting for all the time. So today's new feature is My Wishlist. Every month, I will be posting the new books I've added to my wishlist during the previous month. This give you a peek into my TBR pile (careful it creaks!) and learn about some great new books. Some of these you will recognize from Waiting on Wednesday posts, and some you may not have seen before.

I'm also a member of several swapping sites, but I don't get to trade much outside of them. So this is a way to connect with other booklovers out there. If you have any of the books on my list and you want to trade, send me an email. I've got some great books to give away.

So here's my wishlist so far. If you ever want to refer back to it, it will be going in one of the sidebars soon (probably the left one). This one will be long (since it's the first one) but hopefully every additional month won't be too long. :-)

Alyssa's Wishlist
If you have any of these and want to trade, send me an email so I can tell you what I currently have available!
A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
A Sweet Disorder by Jacqueline Kolosov
Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
Alis by Naomi Rich
Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" by Cameron Dokey
Bride Of The Water God Volume 3 by Mi-Kyung Yun
City of Secrets (Stravaganza) by Mary Hoffman
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
Firebirds Soaring: An Anthology by Various
Fortune's Folly by Deva Fagan
The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Hollywood Studios by The Imagineers
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper
Once a Princess by Sherwood Smith
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Sovay by Celia Rees
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn
The Imagineering Way by The Imagineers
The Immortal Realm (The Faerie Path #4) by Frewin Jones
The King's Rose by Alisa Libby
The Plague by Joanna Dahme
The Princess Plot by Kirsten Boie
The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson
The Trouble with Kings by Sherwood Smith
Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey
Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
Twice a Prince by Sherwood Smith
Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein
Warrior Princess by Frewin Jones

Waiting On Wednesday: 6.3.09

I happened to just recently discover this book, and I wanted to share it right away before I forgot.

A Sweet Disorder by Jacqueline Kolosov

About the Book (from the author's website): "Sixteen-year-old Miranda has no idea how much her life is going to change upon hearing the news of her father's death. Left with little dowry to offer, Miranda faces a broken engagement and is sent to live with her father's cousin, Earl John Hardwood, and his wife, whose primary goal is to take her to court and marry her off to the insufferable Lord Seagrave, for their own profit.

At Queen Elizabeth's court, Miranda soon learns that a large part of her survival will depend on knowing who to trust. When Miranda distinguishes herself from the rest of the maidens with her exquisite sewing and embroideryskills, she gets the attention of the queen, much to the anger and jealousy of courtiers, ladies-in-waiting--and even a trusted "friend."

As Miranda begins to win the Queen's favor, she is given the ultimate test-to recreate Elizabeth's mother's (Ann Boleyn) coronation gown. Miranda knows this is her opportunity to escape the shackles of convention and get out of the marriage to Lord Seagrave, instead establishing an independent life at court as the queen's seamstress. But what of her future with Henry Raleigh, the man to whom she was once promised and has always loved?"

Hmmm... Elizabethan England. Sign me up. I'm sure you could have guessed that part though. :-) And, you've heard this one before too, I love the cover. Especially the lace edging along the side.

A Sweet Disorder will be released on June 9th (almost there!) but you can still pre-order your copy now:

New Features: Sidebars

So I'm pretty busy this morning, but I still wanted to drop by and let you know about something for New Features week. If you could please direct your attention to the left sidebar for today's demonstration. (That way <----- in case you a directionally challenged like myself.) Those of you who are following in a reader, may want to click over to the post so you can see what I'm talking about.

There are currently (as of the writing of this post) three new widgets shown in the sidebar. You'll notice the Followers widget still is missing. I haven't had the nerve to put it back yet, since I'm still noticing the aborted problem on other blogs.

But there are three new things underneath where that widget should be. First off is my blogoversary button. I sometimes forget exactly what day my blogoversary is, but now I really will remember. For those of you who don't want to count days, and are still curious, it's September 1st.

Next is something called Blogged. Now, I'm still exploring this site, but you'll see that I have a rating on that button. Through Blogged you can review and rate your favorite blogs, network with other bloggers, and it also provides a way for you to follow your favorite blogs (if you don't use something else already that is). So if you're in the mood, you can click on the button and write a review for The Shady Glade over at Blogged.

Last is a little something I like to call The Winner's Circle. This is a list of everyone who's won contests at The Shady Glade starting in January, which frankly, is when I started keeping track. You can click on each name to see what book they won. The idea behind this feature is that everyone gets a little more than the one post of fame. The other motivation is that it makes it easier to see if you've won something. I don't know how often I'll be updating it, but you can always check it frequently for your name. The new prize claiming rules are more time-sensitive, so I want to make it easier for people to see that they've won.

And now onto the right sidebar (----> that way). Right above the labels widget (at the bottom) you'll see a new section called "Books Completed in 2009". Now I love writing reviews, although you probably can't tell from my blog lately...best laid plans of mice and men and all that. My intentions are always good, but the truth is that I'm way behind in my reviews. So if you'd like to see what I've read so far this year, check out that place on the sidebar. Some of these books I'll get around to reviewing eventually, and some not. But you can usually find good ideas if you're looking for something to read since I usually don't finish books that I don't like.

And I think that covers it for today. Not very exciting, I know, but new nonetheless. Now I've got to run. I'll see you back here later today for a WOW post, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for more new stuff! As always, let me know what you think!

Comment Contest: Win a Copy of The Sky Inside

Judging by the number of entries I've gotten for this week's Contest Monday post already, you're liking the prize this week. Well, here's another chance for you to win. As part of New Features week, I'm unveiling a new type of contest for The Shady Glade: The Comment Contest.

How to enter: Each comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the pot. These must be genuine comments, and Contest Monday entries won't count for this contest. By genuine comment I mean it must add something to the conversation taking place. In other words a comment that says simply "cool" or similar will not count. At the end of the month I randomly pick one winner for the specified prize. It's that easy.

So why a comment contest? Well, if you blog I'm sure you know how wonderful it is to get comments. So in a way it's selfish of me. But I also think comments are a great way to get to know and connect with other people. I know there are a lot of you who read this blog and never comment. So introduce yourself! Participate! Win free books!

Wanna know what you're playing for? This month is a paperback ARC of The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle. To win it, comment away until June 30 at midnight PST. The randomly selected winner will be announced early in July. Good luck to everyone!

About the book (from Amazon.com): "Every year a new generation of genetically-engineered children is shipped out to meet their parents. Every spring the residents of his town take down the snow they've stuck to their windows and put up flowers. Every morning his family gathers around their television and votes, like everyone else, for whatever matter of national importance the president has on the table. Today, it is the color of his drapes. It's business as usual under the protective dome of suburb HM1.

And it's all about to come crashing down.

Because a stranger has come to take away all the little children, including Martin's sister, Cassie, and no one wants to talk about where she has gone. The way Martin sees it, he has a choice. He can remain in the dubious safety of HM1, with danger that no one wants to talk about lurking just beneath the surface, or he can actually break out of the suburb, into the mysterious land outside, rumored to be nothing but blowing sand for miles upon miles.

Acclaimed author Clare B. Dunkle has crafted a fresh and fast-paced science-fiction thriller, one that challenges her characters -- and her readers -- to look closer at the world they take for granted."

Winner of Contest Monday: Water Song

Before I tell you what's new today, it's time to announce a winner. And our winner is:

Diana Dang

Congrats! You have one week to claim your prize. Email me with your mailing address and I'll get your copy of Water Song: A Retelling of The Frog Prince in the mail to you ASAP.

Everyone else, there's already another chance to win by entering this week's contest. In case you missed it, there was also a contest roundup post yesterday, or you can simply click the book covers in the sidebar to find out more information. Stay tuned later today for yet another chance to win!

If you didn't win this time, you can get your copy of Water Song: A Retelling of The Frog Prince and all of the other books in this series* from Amazon.com:

*Deal alert!* The books in the Once Upon A Time Series are all 4 for 3 at Amazon.com. This means you buy three and get one free. And if you buy 5, you can get one free and get free shipping.

Contest Monday: Win a Copy of Shiver

So I hope you're enjoying New Features week, even though it hasn't been too new yet. :-) But here's the Contest Monday post I've been hinting at for a few days. You are playing for a brand new ARC of Maggie Stiefvater's highly anticpated new release, Shiver.

For those of you who don't know, an ARC of Shiver was recently sold on eBay for over $70! I don't know who would want to get ahold of it so much they couldn't wait until it's release on August 1st, but here's your chance to pick up this book for absolutely free. That will make that winning bidder look silly!

About the Book (From Back Cover): "For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever."

How to Enter: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post. Or, if you can't leave a comment, send an email to shadyglade (AT) mail (DOT) com with the subject line "Shiver Contest" and include your name, your email address, and the correct subject line.

How to earn Extra Entries:

1. Post about the contest on your blog or website. +1 for a sidebar post, +2 for a regular post. Post a link in your comment.
2. Become a follower of this Blog (post a comment to let me know).
3. Come up with and post your own Contest Monday (post a comment with the link).

Rules: The contest is open until Monday, June 15th, 2009. You have two weeks to enter this one! Open to US and Canada residents, even if you've won a contest in the past. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. One free entry per person allowed. See above for instructions to earn extra contest entries. Rules about claiming prizes can be found here. Questions? Post a comment or email and ask.

Good luck to everyone! I'll announce the contest winner of this book on Tuesday, June 16th. Look for an announcement tomorrow for past week's winner, and maybe another chance to win? You'll have to see tomorrow to find out...

As mentioned before, Shiver won't be available until August 1st, but you can pre-order your copy. I think you'll want to do so:

*The amazing Contest Monday banner was designed by Liyana.

Contest Roundup: June 1

So first off for New Features week is a feature that's not so new. It's time for another contest roundup. See what you can win this week (up in the sidebar later today), and look for a big Contest Monday coming soon!

Reviewer X has done it again with another great contest. Two winners will get each of Lisa Schroeder's books. Lisa herself hangs out around here sometimes (Hi Lisa!) and is super nice. Enter at the original post, ends June 3rd (enter quick!).

If you'd like to win a copy of Exclusively Chole, then you can head over to Traveling to Teens and enter. Ends June 10th.

The Epic Rat is also hosting a rather large contest to celebrate her blog tours from May. 4 winners have a chance at 8 books including a copy of Dull Boy. Enter at the original post and ends by June 15th.

Sarah at GreenBeanTeenQueen is having a big contest to celebrate her birthday. She's (currently) giving away 4 books including Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. Enter at the original post by July 1st. Happy Birthday Sarah!

If you've been following Yan at Books By Their Cover, you probably know about the huge contest hosted over there for 21 (!) different books, including Swoon. Head over there to enter by July 4th. And if you mention Alyssa from The Shady Glade sent you, we both get an extra entry. It's a win-win.

And if you hurry, you can enter the contest for Cathy's Ring while you're over there. Don't forget to mention that I sent you for extra entries. Ends tomorrow (June 2nd) so enter quick!

Last but not least, the 60 in 6 Giveaway starts today at A Peek at My Bookshelf. She's giving away all sorts of books and gift cards so bookmark her site so you don't miss anything!

That's it for this time! Don't forget to check out last week's post, since some of the contests may still be going on. You can also always check out the "Win These Books" part of the sidebar (over there --->) for reminders too!