Guest Post: Lizzy from Cornucopia of Reviews

Today I'm very excited to welcome Lizzy  from the excellent blog Cornucopia of Reviews for a guest post about her favorite holiday traditions (which also happen to match many of my favorites). After you're done reading this post, you should really check out her blog too.  :)  So without further ado, take it away Lizzy!

I absolutely love the holiday season. I mean, it's kind of unhealthy how much holiday cheer I have, even when we have a shorter number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The reason why I love it most is because of the time that I get to spend with my family. We all have different schedules, so getting these two weeks a year to catch up and relax together is awesome. Here is how we celebrate:

The weeks leading up to Christmas: It's time to get in the festive spirit. This means that I don't brave the mall (because usually I don't find that too fun). Instead, we start watching Christmas movies and TV episodes. This usually hits me in the 90's nostalgia, and we re-watch a bunch that my dad had originally taped for me at Christmas in 1993 (obviously they are now on DVD...and I sort of miss the game boy and 7up commercials).

We always watch the classics: A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon), Rudolph, and Garfield's Christmas (which has the best music ever). I always wrap gifts while watching Love Actually and sobbing openly during the sad bits...and usually give up trying to make them look good about halfway through the movie. My favorite, however, is The Santa Clause. So I usually force my family into watching it a couple times in December (sorry I'm not sorry).

I also have a couple of books that I love to read this time each year. I'm not sure why Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a Christmas read for me. Maybe it's because I love that I have time to curl up with some tea and get into Elizabeth's story. So, my poor paperback copy is all worn out...I should probably invest in a second copy...and it's just about time for me to start reading it again.

On Christmas Eve: We go visit extended family, and when we get home it's time to hunker down for my dad's dramatic reading of...

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg: This is a new family tradition that started last year. Both my sister and I are adults, but we talked my dad into reading it aloud to us. It was the most hilarious part of our Christmas. So, I'm looking forward to hearing if my dad has improved altered any of his character voices this year.

We also always watch The Muppet Christmas Carol. I've grown up with the Muppets, and this is one of my favorites. During college I worked in a video rental store, and this was one of the movies that I could consistently watch, shift after shift, without getting sick of! There's something fun about this version...maybe it's because there are jokes for the grownups that I now understand, and maybe because the last ghost was so scary that it still gives me the creeps. Regardless, it's the last thing we do before we all head to bed!
A big thanks to Alyssa for letting me ramble on about my favorite time of year!

Amazon's Best Books of 2013: Picture Books

So as I was poking around Amazon.com yesterday shopping for Christmas gifts, I came across their best books of 2013 lists.  Since I had discussed the Goodreads lists yesterday, I thought it might be fun to compare the Amazon books as well.

Amazon splits their books up by age category, so since I read a little bit of everything, I'm going to spend a few days looking at all the categories for children's books, which covers picture books through YA.  I'm skipping the board books because, well, I just don't read any board books.

So today's feature is picture books.  I don't read a lot of picture books, since I don't have any kids or nieces and nephews.  But I am a illustration junkie, and I am collecting picture books (slowly) for the day when I might have kids around to enjoy them.  So that being said, for those of you who might also be looking for new books to recommend to little ones, here's Amazon.com's choice of the best picture books of 2013 (with commentary from yours truly :)

1.  The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers - This one looks like a cute one. It actually won the Goodreads Choice Awards in picture books.  I love the idea of crayons "quitting".  If you're looking for a different picture book where office supplies come to life, I highly recommend The Little Red Pen. 

2.  Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld - A train book for kids, what's  not to like.  This one looks cute, I might have to grab it from the library to check out the illustrations further too. 

3.  Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney - Another addition to the Llama Llama series of picture books, so not surprising this one made the list. I haven't ever read any of these, but they must do well because there's way more of them published than I thought. Interesting that this one takes on the subject of bullying that seems to be prevalent these days.

4.   I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love by Nancy Tillman - Another one I am not familiar with. I sense that will be a theme on this post... This one looks like another sentimental, bring tears to your eyes picture book a la Love You Forever.
 

5.  Journey by Aaron Becker - The illustrations of this one look AMAZING. Looks like a wordless picture book from the preview on Amazon, but I'm not sure if it is or not. Reminds me of the graphic novel works that Kazu Kibuishi does.

6.  Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner - What's not to love with this one? It has a cat in it! The premise reminds me a bit of the Binky the Space Cat books.

7.  Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown - Not getting much about this one from the synopsis on Amazon. Looks like it might be interesting though. Does it make of anyone else think of Leo the Late Bloomer? I don't know why, maybe it's the tiger...

8.  Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson - This one looks cute. An interactive type book about the seasons. Very fun. But I'd have to say my absolute all-time favorite book about different seasons is Un-Brella by Scott Franson.

9.  Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey by Emily Winfield Martin - I love how when a synopsis has "for fans of (Book A) and (Book B)" and I've never heard of either book, and therefore the comparison means nothing to me. Yeah, that's pretty much this book. Great looking illustrations though.

10.  Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee and Kurt Cyrus - This books like a book my brother would have LOVED when he was growing up. Seriously, what little boy doesn't love a book about big trucks?

11.  Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett and Kevin Cornell - A counting book of sorts. It looks like the little details in the illustrations totally make this book what it is.

12.  Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea - Another finalist from the Goodreads Awards. I have to say I think I need to pick this one up. I love just about anything with unicorns, even sarcastically speaking. And if you'd like a recommendation for another mythological beast picture book, I absolutely adored reading Dragons Love Tacos earlier this year.

13.  Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg by Lori Mortensen and Michael Allen - Another kid no brainer. Love anything with cowboys. This one is written in verse too, which is pretty darn tricky to do! Seems like it would be easy, but somehow in a picture book it's not.

14.  If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead - The synopsis on Amazon says this is a "quiet" picture book. Not really sure what that means, but if there's a cover I'd chose from these that's quiet, this would be it.

15.  The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud - This almost sounds a little bit like Finding Nemo, only with bears. The illustrations are definitely unique, but I'm not sure I'm sold on them yet. Guess I'll need to reserve judgement until I see them in person.

16.  Hello, My Name Is Ruby by Philip C. Stead - And for some reason, this one makes me think of Are You My Mother? Weird these connections my brain keeps coming up with...

17.  The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman and Bagram Ibatoulline - So this is the lone book on this list I've actually read. I enjoyed it, I thought it was an interesting concept, and it does a good job of getting the message across. The illustrations didn't particularly stand out to me, but I think they were appropriate for the subject. This is another one that made it on the Goodreads finalist list.

18.  Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein - I love squirrels. I think they're cute. But the squirrels in this book do not look cute. Hmmm... think this is one where the text better outshine the illustrations for sure.

19.  Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton by Meghan McCarthy - I've never heard of Betty Skelton before, maybe because she's probably outshadowed by Amelia Earhart. But this looks like it might be interesting. I don't read a lot of non-fiction picture books, but my favorite that I read this year is from one of my favorite standby authors Kathleen Krull: Louisa May's Battle: How the Civil War Led to Little Women.

20.  Toys in Space by Mini Grey - This one reminds me a lot of Toy Story. It might be interesting to pick it up and see where they go with it.

Well, there you have it, Amazon's top 20 picture books for the year. But I have to say, I haven't read most of them, so I don't really know if I agree or not. But in the realm of picture books I've read this year, I highly recommend Mustache Baby, Memoirs of a Goldfish, and it's companion Memoirs of a Hamster. Great illustrations, great stories, great concepts. You can't go wrong with any of those 3 for sure.

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!)