2012 Book Battle Nominations Open!

Welcome to the Nominations Page for the 2011 YA Bloggers Debut Battle! This is the place where you can nominate the book YOU think should win the battle.

 As chosen by readers, our theme this year is:

Retold Fairy Tales

For the purposes of this battle, the definition of a "retold fairy tale" is a book that re-imagines or gives new life to a fairy tale, legend, or myth. This can also encompass books that combine more than one "traditional" tale, even if these are blended to create their new story.  The winner of this battle will be a book that breathes new life into an old favorite by being its own story, but still pays tribute to the original story.

Your nominations should follow these requirements:

1. It must be first published in English between January 1st, 2001 and December 31st, 2011. Reissues do not count if the book was first published before 2001.
2. It must be either Young Adult (or middle grade with strong teen appeal). 
3. It must be a retold fairy tale/myth/legend, or combination thereof.  
4. Only books that are first in a series are allowed.  EXCEPTION: If you're book is a later part of the series but can stand on its own (like the Once Upon A Time Series), it can count.
5. It must not be a nominee from a previous battle (if you'd like to double check, please let me know)

So, do you have a book that retells your favorite story? Fill Out the Form to place it on the nomination list.

You may nominate up to 2 different titles. If you are a teacher or librarian submitting nominations for your students (we've had a few do this in past years), please let me know in the comments section on the form so I don't delete them.  Email addresses will ONLY be used to track entries and will be deleted as soon as the nomination period is over. As a reminder, please DO NOT leave your nominations in the comments! They won't count unless you use the form.

Nominations will be open until Wednesday, May 16th (unless announced otherwise). All books nominated will be screened to check that they are eligible, then passed along to our Round 1 Judges. Round 1 will narrow down the books for brackets, and our Round 2 Judges will get started in early June. If you'd like more explanation about how the judging process works, check out this post.

 If you have any questions, feel free to email me at shadyglade(AT)mail(DOT)com.

Now, nominate away! And we still have volunteer spots open too!

Don't forget to come back...

Just a quick reminder that nominations for the 2012 YA Bloggers Battle start tomorrow (May 1st) at noon PDT.  So don't forget to come back and submit your choices!

Book Battle: 2012 Call for Judges and Volunteers!

*UPDATE 5/22* We're still open for Round 2 judges.  Even if you're coming to this party late, if you'd like to join, please read all the below info and sign up.  We'd love to have you!

I know this is the part of the battle that many of you look forward to year after year.  It's the call for volunteers!

If you're new this year, you should know that although it's fun to watch the battle take place, half of the fun comes from participating.  I can't do this huge event all on my own, so tons of volunteers step up to pitch in and make it possible.  Last year we had over 50 people volunteer in various positions. 

So whether you're a returning participant, or a newbie, please take a minute to consider volunteering.  It's lots of fun, and I promise I'm not a slave driver (LOL). 

As a reminder to everyone who is signing up judge:  You DO NOT need to have previous judging expereience.  You also DO NOT need to have your own blog.  The only requirement is you have a love for YA books and you have the ability to critically examine them.  Teamwork is also a must need for Round 2 Judges. 

We need judges as well as a few other volunteers, so check out these open spots below:

Graphics Specialist - This volunteer will be reponsible for coming up with a logo/button for this year's battle (or finding someone else who can do it for you). They may also be responsible for creating/updating the bracket graphics as the battle progresses. This volunteer can also be a judge. Position Filled, thanks!

Reading Challenge Moderator - This year I will be adding a reading challenge to the festivities.  More info on this will be coming later, but I need at least one person to help keep track of points and progress.  This will be done through our battle Goodreads group pages. 
-Desired Requirements: Goodreads account (or willingness to create one), experience hosting reading challenges a plus. Position filled, thanks!

And, of course, we wouldn't be anywhere without our fabulous judges. If you are new to judging this year, make sure you read this post about the judging process before you apply so you understand how the process works.

Round 1 Judge: These judges will be responsible for reading as many of the nominated books on the longlist they can in about 3-4 weeks. They will recommend titles for the shortlist to be organized into brackets. These judges will work alone, although a few may be required to have discussions  with other Round 1 judges.
-Desired Requirements: Quick readers, willingness to borrow/buy books where needed (access to large library a plus), ability to meet deadlines on time, critical thinker. Round 1 starting end of May, please sign up for Round 2 judging.

Round 2 Judge: Second round judges will be assigned a bracket (ie two books) to read and pick a winner. Every Round 2 Judge will be working with at least one partner to pick the winner for each bracket. -Desired Requirements: Ability to finish 2 books in 2 weeks, works well with others, checks email regularly, willingness to borrow/buy books where needed (access to large library a plus), ability to meet deadlines on time, critical thinker.

Again, I want to stress that you do not need previous experience or a blog to volunteer to judge.  We welcome everyone!  :)

If you'd like to volunteer for any of these positions, please fill out the form. I will start responding hopefully by next week. At that point you will be assigned a position(s) and asked to commit to the timeline. You can apply for as many positions as you want, but you will not be given more than 2 spots.

In the meantime, please pass on the word to any of your friends who might be interested.  And come back Tuesday to start submitting your nominations!

If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me at shadyglade(AT)mail(DOT)com. Good luck to everyone!

An Introduction to the 2012 YA Bloggers Book Battle

*Returning Visitors* Scroll down to the bottom for the latest updates!

Well readers, things have (finally) settled down a bit at home, which means it's time to get the 2012 YA Bloggers Book Battle on the road!  As always, I want to start with a brief introduction so that those of you who are new to the battle this year can have some background info.  So what is the YA Bloggers Book Battle?

Well, it started as a crazy idea in 2010. The idea took off and before you know it, I was in the midst of organizing an epic book battle.  And strangely enough, people liked it.  So I brought it back for 2011.  And it was even more fun.  And now, here we are in year three, and by now, it's just history.  :)

The YA Bloggers Book Battle is a bracket-style judging contest. Our 2010 theme featured the best debut work of 2009 (and a little of 2010), while blog readers chose the theme for 2011 to be Best Overlooked Book. This year for 2012 blog readers have chosen the battle theme as Mythology and Fairytale Retellings.

Here's a general idea of how the battles work:

People will have a chance to nominate a book of their choice to take place in the battle. After nominations close, the books will be narrowed down by our lovely Round 1 judges. Books that make the cut will be fit into brackets for Round 2 Judges to read.

Starting in early May, each Round 2 judging panel will read the two books in their bracket and choose a winner. One will move on, one will not. It will all come down to two books in a epic book battle to choose the best!

Tentative Timeline:
To Be Announced

Updates will periodically be posted here, so if you don't follow the blog regularly, you can bookmark this page and periodically check back to see what's new.

Latest News
5/11 - How about a contest?  Link to our nomination/judging pages and win a book of your choice!  2 winners, ends 5/16.

5/9 - We have a button!  See it here or grab it in the right sidebar.

5/1 - Nominations open

4/29 - Signups for judges and volunteers now open

2012 Book Battle: And the Theme is....

The votes are in, they have been tallied, and it's time to announce the winning theme for the 2012 YA Bloggers Book Battle. Thank you to everyone who voted! And now, drumroll please: the theme is....

  Mythology and Fairytale Retellings!

 And there you have it. These will be the books that I eat, sleep, and breathe for the next few months (LOL). Thanks to Natalie (LiederMadchen) who suggested this idea through our battle's Goodreads group.  Based on the votes cast we will also have a 2 round nomination process again this year (provided I can get enough volunteers to judge).

 So now is the time when the real work begins. Signups for volunteers will be up in a few days, and nominations will open shortly after that.

 In the meantime, we will need a button for our new battle, so if anyone is artistically inclined and would like to volunteer to create one, please let me know. :)

Let's get ready to battle!

Book Battle: Vote for our theme!

A few days ago I asked readers to submit their ideas for our theme for the 2012 Book Battle.  The ideas are in and now it's time for everyone to vote on their favorites.  Thank you to everyone who submitted ideas!

For those of you who are new to the battle, here's an introduction post I wrote in it's first year.  But basically, it's a bracket-style elmination competition for books.  I organize the event, but I don't have any hand in the judging or determining the winner.  Judges are selected from volunteer book bloggers, YA lit enthusiasts, and blog readers.  Each bracket is judged by a new set of volunteers, who choose which book will move on, and which book does not.  This is the 3rd battle at The Shady Glade, and each year has had a different theme. 

So, with that quick intro out of the way, it's time to detail out the options for this year's battle.  There's a form at the bottom of this post (or you can find it here).  Please fill it out to pick your favorite ideas.  It's really short, only takes a minute, and I count on as much participation as possible to do this!  Voting will remain open until Saturday, April 15th at midnight PDT (or earlier if particpation slacks off). 
The winning ideas determines how many volunteers we will need, and the other organizations I have to set up behind the scenes, so once we know our winner I will be sending out a call for volunteers. 

Here are descriptions of each option detailed in the poll.  You can pick no more than 2 favorites (since we have several new suggestions this year).  If you have any questions, please ask. 

Let the games begin!

Best Debut Author Title of 2011 - This would mark the return of 2010's theme for another year.  This battle features books by authors whose first book was published during 2011. 

Mythology retellings - With the surge of books that are based on fairy tales, legends, and various mythology, this battle will pit these types of books against each other to determine an ultimate winner.

Good books with horrible covers - You know how you always hear "don't judge a book by it's cover"?  This battle gives those books that you would never think to pick up off the shelf a chance.  What gems are hidden beneath the horrendous cover art?  And which book is best of them all?   

Book Academy Awards - This takes the idea of the Academy Awards to the YA book market.  Several categories including best male character, best female character, best supporting character will battle it out for a winner, similiar to our Readers' Choice Awards this past year.  This will feature several "mini brackets" with several winners, one for each category.


Best of the Genre - In this battle, books will be broken up by genre to battle for the best of their kind in 2011. What was the best fantasy published last year? Best historical? Best parnormal? This will feature several "mini brackets" with several winners, one for each category.

Best sequel - Know of a book in a series that was better than the first?  Which recently published book outshines it's predessessor.  This theme will require judges to read 4 books, the original and the sequel for both sides of the bracket. 

Read-alike Versus Battles - This idea will shake up the bracket system used in previous years. Instead, books will be nominated in read-alike pairs. Vampire Academy VS. House of Night, Hush Hush VS. Fallen, etc. You pick two very similar books to battle it out to see which is the best of the pair. One winner will be declared for each pair, so for this battle no ultimate winner will be chosen.

Best Standalone book - Are you sick of all the sequels and series coming out?  Why does it seem like every new book is part of a series?  This battle will choose only those books of 2011 that stand on their own, without any sequels or series. 

Best series - With the aforementioned increased in series books, which series is best overall?  So many have great introductory books and then seem to flatten out as the series drags on.  This battle will determine a winner where the book stay strong and finish strong.  This battle will have lots of reading for our judges, and so it will greatly increase the timeline for the battle, and the lag between bracket winner announcements. 


In addition to a battle theme, I am also opening up voting to determine the structure of the judging. Last year we had a two round judging process, and the year before was one round of judging.

One Round Bracket Judging (from 2010 battle) - All the books nominated are narrowed down to a set number of slots in a short list. This list is divided up into 5 rounds brackets and judges are paired up to determine the winner of each bracket. This style of judging takes less time, but means less volunteers can participate.

Two Round Judging/Elimination (from 2011 battle) - All books are checked for eligbility and added to a "long list". Round 1 Judges have approximately a month to read as many nominated books as they can. At the end of Round 1, each judge submits a list of the Top 10 books they think should move on to the next round. The books with the most votes are used to compile the short list that moves onto bracket judging in Round 2. This process takes a little longer, but allows more reader submitted nominations to be considered and more volunteers to participate in the judging process.

So there you have it, all the choices explained. Don't forget to choose your favorite by filling out the form below:

Thoughts on the Hunger Games movie

So I finally went to go see the Hunger Games movie last night.  While I'm going to do a whole review, I have to say if you like the book it's probably worth seeing, and if you're interested in the concept but haven't read the books yet, then it's probably still worth seeing. 

So below are a few of my random, scattered thoughts about the movie.  There may be spoilers below, so if you haven't read the book/movie, read at your own risk. 

Overall impression: Not bad.  My coworkers who hadn't read the books and saw the movie liked it, and those who had read the book and saw it didn't like it because they left out things. Its been almost a year since I've read the book, but I thought the movie followed it pretty closely.  So not sure what all that was about. 

The shaky camera work at the beginning was making me sick.  I can understand why they did it, it was an artistic decision.  I think it's supposed to heighten the chaotic and gritty feel of District 12.  But really for about 20 minutes there I had a bad headache.  I don't think I will be seeing it on the big screen again. 

Loved Rue.  She was so cute.  Actually, I've heard a lot of people complain because she's black.  I actually pictured her as Asian for some reason when reading the book, but really, does it matter that much? 

Stanley Tucci cast as Flickerman was pretty much dead on.  But I did notice the line of his wig in one closeup (oops!).  Haymitch was right on as well. 

Was it just me, or did Peeta's wound not look that much worse than Katniss' burn? 

Kaito is about the scariest thing ever.  And the group of careers cheering each other on?  Like it was football or something.  That was disturbing. 

I loved, loved, loved Katniss' hair during the parade.  Wish I could do that with my hair.  I would have liked to see more of the other tributes' costumes though.  But that's just the costume fanatic in me. 

I've heard complaints that everyone thought Peeta and Katniss looked too old.  I didn't think so.  I could totally believe they were 16 years old.  Hey, they live in District 12, they've had a hard life, and that makes everyone act older than their age. 

I really liked the addition of the scenes from the Capitol's point of view.  I kept staring at Seneca Crane because I was fascinated by the way his beard was cut.   But President Snow wasn't all that menacing.  He just trimmed his roses the whole movie.  I have a hard time seeing him as a bad guy, since I think of him as Mr. Bennet. 

And that concludes my random list of thoughts.  :)  For those of you who've seen the movie, what did you think of it?

Last Days for Ideas!

Just popping in for a quick reminder to submit your ideas for the 2012 book battle.  I will be closing the form after Wednesday and putting up a poll so everyone can vote on their favorite idea(s). 

Also, now's a great time to join the Goodreads group if you haven't already. 

Sorry for being MIA a bit the last few weeks.  I've been dealing with some computer issues and working out some behind the scenes stuff in preparation for the battle.  Hopefully I'll get a chance to work on things more in depth in the next couple weeks...

Pardon My Dust

I decided it was time for a new look, so over the next few days I'm going to be playing around with the appearance and template of the blog.  So if things look funky for the next little while, you know why. 

In the meantime, if anyone has any comments/suggestions for things in the layout they would like to see, please leave me a comment and let me know!

2012 Book Battle: What do you want to see?

It's that time of year again!  The 2012 YA Bloggers Book Battle is approaching it's third year this time around, and it's time to start preparations.  (For those of you who are new to the battle, here's an introduction post I wrote in it's first year.)  I sent an announcement about this yesterday to our Goodreads group, but for everyone else, here's the latest scoop.

Last year I tried something new by letting you, the blog readers, suggest ideas for the battle theme and then vote on which one you would like to see played out.  It worked out really well, so I'd like to do it again this year.

So take this opportunity to tell me what theme you want to see.  In 2010 we did a Debut Author Battle, and last year was Overlooked Books.  There's been additional suggestions in the past about doing mini genre brackets, versus battles, and more.  We've already got some great ideas coming in at the Goodreads group, but I want to get input from those of you who don't necessarily make it over there.

Leave a comment on this post with your battle ideas.  If you'd prefer to remain anonymous, you can also submit your ideas via this Google form.  Next week I will be putting up a poll so you can all vote on your favorite suggested idea.

Here's to another great year!

Waiting on Wednesday: Back at Last!

Nothing like a Waiting on Wednesday post to get me back into the swing of things. Sorry this is going up a little late in the day. But it's still Wednesday, so here we go.  Today's pick is:

A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "A scholarship student at an exclusive prep school, Emma Townsend feels like an outsider. Her stepmother doesn't come close to filling the void left by her mother's death. And her only romantic prospect - apart from a crush on her English teacher - is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma's confusion. "Escape" comes in the old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre that Emma receives as a gift. Then a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane's body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma experiences a sense of belonging she's never felt before, and a growing attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane's story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own..."

You know me, I love anything that makes an old story fresh.  And that goes double for things like Jane Austen and the Jane Eyre.  This is the first book of a proposed trilogy (I think?), and I'm really excited because the third one is going to be about The Phantom of the Opera.

And I know I gush about covers all the time, but I want that dress so bad.

The good news is, you don't have to wait too much longer to get your hands on this book.  A Breath of Eyre will be released on March 27, just a week away.  You can pre-order your copy now on Amazon though:

I Did It! All Finished!

Wahoo!  It took nearly 8 hours of packaging, wrapping, taping, addressing (and $60 of postage) but I am 100% caught up on sending out prizes.  Actually, most of them went out on Wednesday of this week, but for some reason my computer decided to hate Blogger and this is the first time I've been able to come on and post about it. 

In other news, while I haven't been able to post, I HAVE been able to get some reading done.  Which is a nice change, since even finding time to read is hard these days since I'm so exhausted when I get home from work.  Too many books, too little time and all that. 

So those of you who I owe a prize too, look in your mailboxes because they should be coming soon!  And hopefully I'll get lucky and Blogger will cooperate with my computer so I can get a couple other posts up this week. 

Starting the 4th, I will be in Disneyland for a couple days, so don't expect a lot of updates then. :)  But I do want to try and get a few posts up in the coming week, just to help ease me back into the habit of blogging. 

Thanks for sticking through this with me.  You are the greatest!

I'm Still Here! Sort of...

Hello readers! 

I've gotten a few emails lately, so I wanted to take the time to reply to them all at once. 

I'm still around and am doing okay.  I apologize for my absence these weeks since Christmas.  Some of you may remember I was sick a lot before Christmas.  Unfortunately, whatever I had never went away and eventually turned into pneumonia.  So many of of the past few weeks have been trying to fight off that.  Sometimes real life gets in the way of blogging, and that's really what happened here. 

For those of you who've never had pneumonia, it really sucks.  I've been coughing for about 10 straight weeks now, and I'm still not completely well, although I'm slowly getting better.  The worst part is that I'm tired all the time so on the days I'm well enough to go to work I pretty much come home, eat, and fall into bed (or the couch, depending on how bad the symptoms are). 

The good news is, is that I am getting better.  Slowly, but I am.  So my goal now is to try and get back into blogging.  I've said it a lot over the last couple months, but I really want to get back into doing more reviews, and I'm working behind the scenes on a few enhancements to help with that.  I also really want to get back into doing Waiting on Wednesday posts, since I love sharing new publications.  And I have a few other ideas circulating around back there, including plans for the 2012 book battle. 

Thank you to everyone who has stuck it out and stayed with me.  I really appreciate your support, and the emails from you asking if I was okay really touched me as well.  It's nice to know if I fell off the face of the earth, some reader out there would notice (LOL).  I don't know how much I'll be blogging since I'm not up to 100% yet.  My goal right now is to make sure I do at least one post a week.  I'd really like to do more than that, but with the pneumonia still holding on, I'm not sure if I'll make it.  So let's say expect one post a week and anything else will be a bonus. 

To those of you who I owe prizes, I apologize for the delay.  They should be going out this week.  I'm working on getting them wrapped up and addressed and sent off.  I didn't forget about you, I promise!

Again, thank you to everyone for sticking with me.  I'll get through this somehow!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and yours from The Shady Glade. I hope each of you can take the time to enjoy today with your families. 

I'll be back in the New Year with new posts.  Thanks for being patient with me through this.  Being this sick is certainly no fun!

Guest Post: Mariah from A Reader's Adventure

I'm happy to have another great guest post today.  Please help me in welcoming Mariah from A Reader's Adventure to the blog.  You may recognize her name, she's been a judging staple of the book battles these past two years.  As we wrap up the Christmas season (and I'm STILL sick, can you believe it?) Mariah's agreed to share one of her favorite traditions.  So take it away Mariah!  

Family traditions are a big part of the holidays. Now my family does not have very many, it’s just my immediate family and I who come together to celebrate Christmas. We do the typical thing, unwrapping presents, Christmas dinner, that whole thing. But we also do something special.

Ever since I can remember my family has made a special Christmas breakfast. We don’t make it any other time of the year which makes it very special. Part of the fun is making it!

After we unwrap our gifts and my parents get their coffee we turn on some Christmas music and then all sit down and unwrap caramels which usually takes about 30 minutes. It’s a fun chance to talk and just enjoy each other’s company. Then we melt the caramels with some evaporated milk until they are creamy. The caramel is then poured into a pan and covered with pecans. Finally that mixture is covered with some store-bought biscuits and baked until the biscuits are done.

We then eat them and the extra are left on the counter so people can eat them all day long. It’s a really fun tradition that I will forever connect with Christmas!

What are some of your holiday traditions?

Guest Post: It’s Not the Holiday

Today I have the last of my scheduled guest posts for this holiday season.  I hope the last few days have put you in the holiday mood as we countdown to Sunday!  Of course, it's not too late, so if you'd like to participate still this year, make sure you let me know right away. 

It’s Not the Holiday,
It’s How You Celebrate It
By
Margay Leah Justice
This time of year as we celebrate Thanksgiving with Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday shopping and are constantly barraged by special deals and holiday cheer, we often get so caught up in the commercialization of the holiday that we tend to forget what it’s all about. I admit I go into panic mode the first time I see a holiday-themed commercial on TV and start worrying about all the things that are yet to be done – who doesn’t?

With this store telling you they can give you a deal on that and that program telling you what is the Must Have gift of the season, it’s so easy to get so caught up in the Must Have-Buy Now for less mentality of the season that your nerves end up in a bundle to rival that of the Christmas tree lights you just had to keep from last year to save on the cost this year. And what do we do with those lights? Toss them in the trash and buy new ones because they’re just not worth the effort to unravel them and, ultimately, one of them is not going to work anyhow, which throws the rest off. But what do we do when we take the tree down after New Year’s? Bundle the lights away with the ornaments to put back on the tree next year, you know, to save a little money.

Next year: Push Play and repeat on your Holidays-Make-Me-Crazy recorder.

Lost in the brightly-colored wrappings, perky bows, tinsel and mistletoe is the message of the holiday season. We are so caught up in the process of getting the perfect gift at the best price to give to the most deserving at the gathering to beat every other gathering that came before that we forget one simple fact. The holiday isn’t about how much money you save – or spend – or how well you decorate or plan a gathering. It’s about how you actually celebrate the day. It’s about the people you surround yourself with when you pass on the traditions that were passed on to you.

Do you think Mary and Joseph were worried about how the manger looked when all of those people came to visit after the birth of their son? Did Mary have to leave Thanksgiving dinner early to go stand in line at the local Best Buy until it opened on Black Friday so she could get a killer deal on a iPad? So why do we? When did this holiday season become all about getting the best gift for or from someone and not about why we celebrate it in the first place?

For me, one of the best memories I have about Christmas happened during one of the most trying times in my life. I found myself without a home, so I was living in a hotel room with my two young daughters as we waited for a spot to open up in a local shelter. We didn’t have much of anything then – certainly not enough to celebrate the holiday – but we got through it with the help of strangers who donated gifts to us.

But what made this day really special was how my older daughter (who was about 11 at the time) made our Christmas tree. She drew it – on notebook paper. Not just one piece, but several, each piece containing a part of the tree. Then she aligned them all together, like a puzzle, and taped the whole to the wall. We didn’t have much, but we did have the spirit of the season and it took my young daughter to remind me of what it truly means to celebrate the season.

Now, some years later, as I find myself in difficult circumstances again, my daughters both remind me that it’s not about the gifts that are exchanged on that day. It’s about the people whom you choose to spend the day with – they are the true gifts of the season. Of every season.

Guest Post: Lydia from The Lost Entwife

Today I have a Christmas guest post from a frequent Shady Glade visitor, Lydia from the Lost Entwife. You may recognize her name from the book battle judging brackets.  :)  Lydia's taken the oppertunity to write about dealing with holiday stress by recognizing blessings in your life.  It's a beautiful post, so take it away Lydia!

That Time of Year

I come from a family of eleven. There's my mom and dad, married 36 years, then their 9 children, ranging in age from 35 to 16. We're all biological siblings, we look like each other, like our parents, like our grandparents, and also have a few strange noses, toes and fingers thrown in the mix. We argue, love, squabble, laugh, cry, and sulk in silence like each other. There's a friend for every situation, and an enemy for the same. There's book smart and common sense smart. There's big hearts for family, and big hearts for friends. That's what you get when you have a big family.

2011 has not been easy on us. With the recession happening, we've been hit hard - plus a few other things thrown into the mix make for a very stressful Christmas season. We have a wedding to throw on the 27th, the first semester of college for two of us to finish (or in this case, have finished). There's high school musicals, madrigals, homework lost, jobs taking up more and more time, overtime, new people moving in, another wedding to plan for next summer, and on top of that all, the swinging emotions of each and every one of the 11 (+1) in the household. (That +1 is my soon to be brother-in-law, Chuckie, who I do not envy for having to step into this mess.)

Then last September, a major car accident was thrown into the mix. I lost my job, my car, and my independence. Suddenly I was not only injured, but injured badly enough that I couldn't work until released from the doctors. Unfortunately, the bills do not stop coming. So I've been horrifically dependent on my family in an already stressful season.

You can see why this holiday things might be seeming a little blue around here.

So when I start feeling blue, I remind myself of what this is supposed to be about.

• I'm alive. I finished my first semester back to school, and I finished it strongly - making just one B out of a series of A's that I was told I might not be able to remember enough to get.
• My sister is getting married and leaving to move several states away. It'll be a beautiful wedding, and I got to spend an entire semester getting to know her again before she goes away.
• The house is decorated, the smells are wonderful, there's a constant flurry of friends and family drifting in and out of the house.

All this is basically to say - the bills will eventually get paid, the car eventually replaced, the stress of these last final weeks will eventually fade. I'll gain a new brother for Christmas, start a new semester in January uninjured and ready to learn. My future is bright - no matter how the present may feel. But the best feeling of all? In spite of all the hurtful words, the pain of loss, the stressful anger outbursts - I'm safe in the knowledge that my family will always be my family. They may be living far away, or as close as under my roof, but for my lifetime, and theirs, they are all mine.

That's a Christmas gift I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world.

Guest Post: Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

Today I have a great guest post from Allison of the blog The Allure of Books.  She's going to share one of her favorite Christmas movies (and one I've never heard of!).  So without further delay, take it away Allison!

When I was a kid, my mom always brought out a special basket of holiday-themed books in December. It was also the only time I was allowed to watch the movies on the "Christmas" shelf in the movie closet.
No book or movie was more beloved than Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Y'all, it became a tradition to watch it every year. In fact - I still do. No matter how old I get, I'll never grow out of this one.

Emmet and his mother are having trouble making ends meet, and they're both upset at the thought of not being able to buy each other Christmas presents. A local talent show is announced with money offered to the winner. Both Emmet and his mama enter the competition secretly hoping to surprise the other by winning.
The songs, the characters...all of it is exemplary. This movie is one of the things that defines Christmas for me. It probably wouldn't feel like the holidays if I didn't dig it out and watch it.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas could not be any cuter, seriously. I don't care who you are. Even if you aren't normally a fan of Jim Henson - make an exception! I don't care how young, old or jaded you think you are. Watch it! (It is available instantly on Netflix right now by the way, so no excuses!)





Even the villains are awesome:





So, what are your favorite holiday movies?

Definitely looks like one I will be looking at! Now off to go check my Netflix queue...

Thanks for the great post Allison!

Guest Post: Erica from The Book Cellar

One of my favorite parts of doing A Shady Glade Christmas is getting to read all the awesome guests post submitted. Today I'm happy to share my first guest blog of this season, from my old friend Erica of the Book Cellar. Erica is posting about her favorite wintery reads, so take it away Erica!

[Also, my links aren't working for some reason, so I will go back and add them all in later]

I am not a big fan of winter by any means. I enjoy snow for about a week around Christmas, and have no tolerance for the cold. But there is one thing I enjoy about winter: sitting by the fire, curled up with hot chocolate and a good book, escaping from the cold outside. So I thought I would share with you my favorite books to read in the wintertime by the fire :)


Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols: This is a long time favorite – it is a great one to reread, especially by a warm fire.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab: This book shares a tale so bewitching in Schwab’s fairytale-esque world. It can get a bit creepy at times, so the fire is a good comfort to have. Plus the story is so dreamy that you will simply get swept up in the story, and forget about the weather outdoors.

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti: This story has one of the most adorable romances ever and is just a favorite of mine to reread time and time again.

Any of the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies – I own essentially the entire collection of these – they are absolutely wonderful. They are great stories of whirl wind romances and you can read one easily in an afternoon.

The Private Series by Kate Brian: I love getting caught up in the drama, disaster, and romances of this stories. The pages just fly by, and every new book in the series brings more to the story and introduces new great characters.



Erica blogs at the YA Book Blog, The Book Cellar. When she is not reading, you can find her singing, dancing, or on stage in whatever show the local theater is currently doing. She is currently a freshmen in college where she is studying science education.

12 Days of Christmas Gameboard

This is our game post for the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway 2011. Please do not comment on this post unless you are one of our 12 players. Thank you!

Reminders for players:
If possible, please post your move(s) as comments on this post. It will help everyone follow the game as easily as possibly. If you cannot post a comment, email me your choice.

On your turn:
Choose a gift to unwrap (comment as “I’d like to unwrap #X”) or steal one of the revealed prizes (comment “I would like to steal X”). Leave a comment on this post with your move.

If you have been stolen from:
Either choose a new gift to unwrap, or you can steal another revealed prize.

Rules for stealing: You cannot steal a book directly back after someone has stolen it from you. (You can steal it back later though.) Each prize will be allowed 3 steals and then it is out.

Play Order (and books currently held):
Victoria Z. - The Angel Doll: A Christmas Story by Jerry Bledsoe
Amanda (That Teen Can Blog) - The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott
Michelle (chelleyreads) -My Life as a Snow Bunny by Kaz Delaney
Andrea / Purplg8r- Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Christmas Treasury

Mary [M.A.D] - Love, Santa: A Different Kind of Christmas Story by Sharon Glassman
Lieder Madchen - Politically Correct Holiday Stories: For an Enlightened Yuletide Season by James Finn Garner
Wrighty - I'll Be Home for Christmas by Thomas Kinkade
Erica - Secret Santa by D. E. Athkinz (2 steals)
Mashal W - The Joy of a Peanuts Christmas: 50 Years of Holiday Comics
Hamwam - Last Christmas (the Private Prequel) by Kate Brian (3 steals and out of play!)
misskallie2000 -The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory (1 steal)
Patsy H. - No response to play. She can come pick from the leftovers later. :)


Presents:

Gift #1
Doing Santa's job isn't always easy, especially in New York (Novella)
It's Love, Santa: A Different Kind of Christmas Story by Sharon Glassman
Currently held by Mary

Gift #2
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." (Anthology)

Gift #3
What will my true love give to me?  (Picture Book)

Gift #4
May this heavenly toy always bring you love (Novella)
It's The Angel Doll: A Christmas Story by Jerry Bledsoe
Currently held by Victoria

Gift #5
Christmas with the painter of light (Picture Book)
It's I'll Be Home for Christmas by Thomas Kinkade
Currently held by Wrighty

Gift #6
Guess who's coming for dinner Christmas? (Novel)
It's The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory
Currently held by misskallie (1 steal)

Gift #7
"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents" (Novella)
It's The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott
Currently held by Amanda

Gift #8
I'm not skiing the big slopes! (Young Adult)
It's My Life as a Snow Bunny by Kaz Delaney
Currently held by Michelle

Gift #9
Jolly like the big man himself (Kids Anthology)

Gift #10
That's the true meaning of Christmas Charlie Brown (Anthology)
It's The Joy of a Peanuts Christmas: 50 Years of Holiday Comics
Currently held by Mashal

Gift #11
"His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!" (Picture Book)

Gift #12
Christmas stories in the modern world? (Anthology for adults)
It's Politically Correct Holiday Stories: For an Enlightened Yuletide Season by James Finn Garner
Currently held by Lieder Madchen

Gift #13
No room left at the inn (Picture Book)

Gift #14
Mini doses of Christmas cheer (Anthology)

Gift #16
Warms your heart and soul (Anthology)
It's Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Christmas Treasury
Currently held by Andrea

Gift #17
Let's take a (Christmas) quiz! (Kids anthology)

Gift #18
A holiday party with a morbid twist (Young Adult)
It's Secret Santa by D. E. Athkinz
Currently held by Erica (2 steals)

Gift #19
Symbols of Christmas (Family Anthology)

Gift #20
Morning Glory for Christmas Day (Kids Novella)

Prizes out of play (stolen 3 times):
Gift #15
I know what you did last summer Christmas (Young Adult)
It's Last Christmas (the Private Prequel) by Kate Brian
Currently held by Shana (3 steals and OUT!)