LOL of the week: Dentists

If you look really close, you can see a bubble on its tongue. Can't decide if that's cool or it grosses me out...

If you'd like to learn more about LOLcats, you can check out the website, or read my review of the book. Have a great week!

Are You Ready For This?

Just a quick update for you before the festivities start. I hope you like author interviews, contests, and giveaways because there's going to be a lot of them in the next month to celebrate my blogoversary. You may have also noticed the sticky post has now been removed. However, if you still want to help out, I'd love to have. Just send me an email and let me know.

So at this point I'm still not sure how the blogoversary as a whole is going to go. I just sent off my last interview questions this morning, so hopefully those will start rolling in. Of course, there's going to be a lot of prizes announced in the next few days too. Also, I'm not sure whether or not I'll have time to do contest roundups, so those may be suspended for the month, or maybe not. We'll just have to wait and see at this point.

So celebrations will actually begin on August 31st with an announcement of the winners of the last Contest Monday and August's Comment Contest. This means I'm ending both contests a little earlier than originally thought, so if you want a copy of How to Steal a Car then you need to enter now. And if you want a copy of Chasing the Jaguar, you better comment like crazy before noon PST on the 31st.

Then things will really get started on September 1st, my actually blogoversary. And everything's looking up from there. I can't wait to show you everything I've worked so hard on the past couple weeks, and I hope I don't disappoint.

So have a good weekend, and get ready to party!

Thank You

I can't believe I forgot to post this earlier, but when going through my blog archives I realized I hadn't. Ugh. I hate it when what's in my head never makes it to the page.

Anyway, I got two emails last week from the Book Blogger Appreciation Week committee telling me I had been nominated in two categories: Most Concise and Most Extravagant Giveaways. I have to admit that I had to look up what the first one meant exactly. Guess I'm not the chatty type?

So I just want to say thank you, especially to those out there who nominated me. Never in my wildest dreams would I think I would get nominated. And although I might not win (I probably won't), it touches my heart so much that you'd think of me anyway. It's all of you who've made this blog what it is, and I thank you very much for it.

So let me say it again: THANK YOU!

You really made my day. So you can continue to help out by spreading the word about the blog, leaving me comments, and most of all, keep reading. Because a blog without readers really feels kind of empty. :)

Waiting on Wednesday: 8.24.09

I just found something I am super excited about. So I just had to share it with all of you.

How to Take Over Teh Wurld: A LOLcat Guide 2 Winning by Professor Happycat and icanhascheezburger.com

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "In I Can Has Cheezburger?, Professor Happycat brought LOLcats to the wurld. Nao he has gone back to his lair for 200 all-new LOLcats that give all aspiring kittehs the lessons they need to take over teh world (or at least their hoomins)." How's that for a short and sweet description?

Look! Look! More LOLcats! My favorite. :) I'm lucky I found out about this so close to the release date so I don't have too much time to wait. The bad news? The raised the price two dollars. Hmph! Oh well, maybe I'll get it for Christmas again this year...

How to Take Over Teh Wurld: A LOLcat Guide 2 Winning will be released on September 1st (my blogoversary, and a big release date for books!) and is available for pre-order on Amazon.com:

Getting a Little Slow

As I mentioned yesterday I'm busy preparing for my blogoversary. Which brings me to the fact that there are two reasons for this post.

1. It might get a little slow around here the next few days. I'm sure what I'll have time to post or not. Just realize that while you may miss me (hopefully), what comes next month will be worth the wait.

2. Those of you who are feed readers of the blog may have not noticed the sticky post up at the top of the page, so I'm posting the information in an actual post so everyone gets the message. To celebrate my third blog anniversary, I'm having a month-long celebration, but I need help getting it together. If you'd like to participate by doing an interview, guest blog, or helping out with prizes, send me an email (shadygade AT mail DOT com) and let me know. I'd love all the help I can get.

Contest Roundup: August 24th

Okay, here's the thing. I know that I did a roundup last week and so that should mean that this week is a new contest. However, looking over the schedule of the next few weeks, I've decided to switch this week and next week around. The purpose for doing this is to coordinate things a little better with the upcoming blogoversary celebration in September. So today I'm bring you a new batch of contests you can enter. Don't forget to check the sidebar to enter those still available that were featured in previous weeks too.

First off, the How to Steal a Car contest here is being extended until next Monday because of the switch. So if you posted this in your sidebar for extra entries, you can update them to now read ends August 31st. And this month's comment contest will end on that day as well.

Starting off, it's time for another fantastic contest via Amy from Addicted to Books. The winner will get a fantastic prize pack including Fire, After, Tangled, and The Splendor Falls. Wow, that's a lot of one word titles. No end date listed that I can see, so hurry over there and enter quickly!


The Neverending Shelf is giving away a copy of Joy Preble's upcoming Dreaming Anastasia. Can't wait to read this one! Ends August 31st.


Want to win a signed copy of Wings? Of course you do. So hurry and enter this contest. Ends August 28th.


Here's a copy of Fade to Blue being given away by Robin-Titan over at T.V. and Book Addict. Ends August 30th.

So that should get you through until my next contest. See you around!

LOL of the week: Intimidation

C'mon. You know you're scared.

If you'd like to learn more about LOLcats, you can check out the website, or read my review of the book. Have a great week!

July's Search Terms

Ugh. I really need to be better about posting these in the beginning of the month! Oh well. Enjoy anyway, there are some interesting ones out there:

July's Search Terms

(things people googled to end up at my blog)

how do i get a copy of catching fire?- Well, after September 1st, you can buy your very own copy. Before that, you'll have to find a contest for it.

the sky inside sequel?- You bet! It's called The Walls Have Eyes and it comes out on August 25th.

brooke anne frewin- Umm... who?

how to lose a twilight addiction- I suggest you find something else to be addicted to. Try movies. That's a good alternative.

marak tamora pierce- Actually Marak is a character from The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle.

news of more twilight books- Well the series is over, but they are making it into a graphic novel.

which do you prefer reading book or watching the film- Depends on both the book and the movie.

can't access blogger- I hate it when that happens. I had that problem myself last month.

people are like quotes- Are you sure people are like quotes? Maybe people are like, I don't know, onions?

1year old princess thank you poems- I got nothing. Sorry.

add me please here is my email- That's all there was. No email or nothing!

anyone cross stitching wildwood dancing- That would be a complicated pattern. O.o But I have a puzzle of it!

are there quizzes that tell you if you are a bibliophile?- Yup! You can try this one. But chances are if you know what bibliophile means, you are one.

did michael jackson like star wars- I have no idea.

how to win a randomness contest- Well, it's random, so....

Funnybone Fridays: Legos and Indiana Jones

Been awhile since I posted one of these. My brother was playing the new Lego Inidana Jones game the other day, and I happened to find this when I was searching YouTube. Enjoy, and look out for a few Star Wars references too:

Have a good weekend!

Travelling Swap Progress

The purpose of this post is to help keep track of the progress of my first ever Travelling Book Swap. If you'd like to learn more about the swaps, or sign up for a future one, check out the original post on the topic.

The Travelling Book Box has left North Carolina and is currently in:
Stop #9- Rachel in FL

I'll be updating the post every time I get confirmation it's been scanned. Check back to see where the box is now!

Waiting on Wednesday: 8.19.09

Been a few weeks since I did one of these. The book I really wanted to featured doesn't have a cover out yet, so I'll substitute this one instead. You may recognize it from Monday's Contest Roundup.

Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "As the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar, Bilquis SanGreal grew up knowing she wasn't normal. Instead of hanging out at the mall or going on dates, she spends her time training as a soldier in her order's ancient battle against the Unholy.

Billi's cloistered life is blasted apart when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem, gorgeous and with a dangerous chip on his shoulder. He's ready to reclaim his place in Billi's life, but she's met someone new: amber-eyed Michael, who seems to understand her like no one else, effortlessly claiming a stake in her heart.

But the Templars are called to duty before Billi can enjoy the pleasant new twist to her life. One of the order's ancient enemies has resurfaced, searching for a treasure that the Templars have protected for hundreds of years -- a cursed mirror powerful enough to kill all of London's firstborn. To save her city from catastrophe, Billi will have to put her heart aside and make sacrifices greater than any of the Templars could have imagined."

I love reading about the Templar knights. I blame National Treasure. Gee, everything in my life seems to relate to a Disney movie...

Devil's Kiss will be released on September 1 (a good day for publishing!) but you can currently pre-order your copy from Amazon.com:

Review: Aftershocks

*Gasp* Look! A review! How nice. I haven't reviewed a historical fiction book in awhile, so I thought I'd mix it up a bit. Be back with more reviews in the next few weeks (hopefully!).

Aftershocks by William Lavender

Jessie’s troubles start when she is discovered looking at medical instruments in the local medical supply shop window. She can’t help but be fascinated by the strange tools used by doctors, especially since she wants to practice medicine herself. However, her father has other plans. A doctor himself, he is adamant that no proper young lady in San Francisco’s high society will ever practice medicine. He insists that it is not a dignified profession for a woman.

All of this changes when Jessie discovers some less-than-reputable late-night excursions between her father and the family’s new Chinese maid, Mei Lin. On New Year’s Eve in 1904, Mei Lin disappears, and Jessie is sure that Mei Lin has fled to protect her unborn illegitimate child. When Chinatown is almost completely destroyed by the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, Jessie seizes the opportunity to search for her half-sister. It isn’t long before she finds Lilly, a Chinese orphan with distinctively reddish-black hair like Jessie’s father. She is sure that this is her half-sister, but how can Jessie save her sister, and spare her strict family the shame of the secret she’s discovered?

San Francisco in 1906 is a dangerous place. William Lavender’s book Aftershocks does an excellent job of capturing this spirit of chaos and showing that sometimes it’s not the natural disaster, but what happens afterward that will ultimately change lives. This one of those truly multi-layer novels that has so much going on, it's hard to summarize in just a few short paragraphs. However, far from making the story confusing, it gives this historical novel a new level of depth and complexity.

The cover of this book reveals that this is “a tale of romance and social justice,” but it ends up being much more. Although this story takes place during a major historical disaster, the book focuses more on how the event changes Jessie’s life, not how it ravages the city. While engulfed in this book, the audience grows, changes, and matures right along with Jessie as she struggles with the family secret that literally changes her life.

Shady Glade Rating: 10/10

Contest Roundup: August 17th

Time for another contest roundup! And as I promised, this one is going to be BIG!

Remember, you can always check out the right sidebar for previously featured contests that are still going on, including the giveaways for Chasing the Jaguar and How to Steal A Car here at the Shady Glade. Now let's get started, because this post (and the sidebar) is going to get looooooong!

First off, you remember Diana's big anniversary celebration from last time? Well, it's still going on, and she's got even more cool prizes to give away including The King's Rose (I want that book soooooo bad!), Sebastian Darke, and How I Found the Perfect Dress. There are lots more, but I only have so much room, so make sure you head over there to check out the full list. All of her contests (including last week's Sucks to Be Me one) end August 31st.

If you've been around you've probably seen lots of buzz for The Prophecy of the Sisters lately. Well, here's your chance to get your hands on a copy. Lori from Pure Imagination is giving away a copy with three different ways to enter (ends Aug 25th). Travelling to Teens is also giving away a signed copy (ends Aug 28th). That's two chances to win, so buzz over there and enter!

And if you are looking for an absolutely huge, humongous, monstrous book contest, you need to head over and check out Cindy's blog. She's giving away 15 books to one lucky person including Hush Hush, Catching Fire, Suite Scarlet, Reincarnation, Troy High, Shiver, Fire and more! Plus there are lots of runner up prizes. You get an extra entry if you mention I sent you (Alyssa at The Shady Glade) so take advantage of that! Ends Aug 24th.

Presenting Lenore is also hosting a huge giveaway. This time its 8 Bloomsbury books up for grabs including Forest Born, Coffeehouse Angels, Sprout and more. Open until August 31st.

Want to win a copy of Devil's Kiss? Then head over to Lit Bites for a chance to win one of two ARCs. Ends August 24th. (That date is getting a little repetitive, isn't it?)

The Here, The Now, and The Books is a brand new YA blog, and she's having a contest to celebrate! Can you think of a better way to welcome someone into the blogging community? She's giving away 2 copies of Rachel Hawthorne's new books Moonlight and Full Moon from the Dark Guardians series. Ends Aug 23rd.

If you enjoy the Vampire Academy books, here's your chance to win the first 3 books in the series. Lush Budget Productions is giving away a set of the first three books when you enter her contest. Ends August 30th at midnight.

Here's another book that's gotten lots of great buzz lately. The amazing Steph Su is giving away an ARC of Hush Hush over at her blog. Head over there to enter before it ends on August 28th.

The Epic Rat is continuing her month-long birthday celebration as well. This week you can win Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp. Ends Aug 21st. And on a side note, don't you just LOVE the pictures of cakes she's finding for these posts? This week the cake has flip flops on it!

Sarah at GreenBeanTeenQueen is hosting a contest to celebrate the end of summer. You have a chance to win an ARC of Candor, an ARC of Dreams of the Dead and a signed copy of Twenty Boy Summer. Ends Sep 4.

You know how much I love retold fairy tales. So I was super happy to find this contest for the amazing Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier. The cover is super wonderful, you'll want to pick it up just for that. Ends Aug 31.

And last, but not least, here's another chance for you to win a whole bunch of books from Lost in a Book. She's celebrating her birthday by giving away copies of Eyes Like Stars, Hannah: Daughters of the Sea, and Lipstick Apology along with several others. You get an extra entry if you mention I sent you, so take advantage of that. If five of you mention I sent you, you get +5 entries! Ends Sep 1.

Phew! I think that's it for this week. Look for an updated sidebar later today. Now, go enter some contests!

LOL of the week: Grumps

Ever have one of those days?

If you'd like to learn more about LOLcats, you can check out the website, or read my review of the book. Have a great week!

Slowing Down a Bit

Just a quick notice to let you know things might be a little slow around here for the next few days/weeks. I've had things pick up with work lately, so that's cut into my blogging time.

Right now, I'm concentrating my efforts on getting my first Travelling Book Swap off the ground and going smoothly. So far so good! Also, my blogoversary is next month, so I'm spending a lot of time behind the scenes preparing some cool stuff for that.

So, in the meantime, I'm not sure how much I will be posting in the next few days. It's kind of a "wait and see" thing. So if you don't see me, that's where I've gone.

Updating Sidebars

So I felt like it was time for a little bit of mid-month cleaning. So I've updated a few of my sidebars. First off, the winners circle is now updated over in the left sidebar. So if you've one something recently, you can look for your name to be displayed in all it's glory. Come on, you know you want to gloat to your friends. :)

Secondly, I've updated the contest sidebar to take out a few things that have expired since my last roundup. Be sure to check back Monday or Tuesday for the full update on that one though. There are so many good contests coming on Monday I almost can't wait to share them with you! But, alas, you will have to wait until Monday to see what's in store. But it's going to be good. And big. I promise.

And last but not least, I've finally updated my Librarything widget over in the right sidebar. The last one had stopped working very well and so I decided it was time for a new one. This one is much better. It scrolls through three pages of random books from my library every 15 seconds. And rather than waiting for the next time I post to get a new set, this one shuffles every time you refresh the page. Neato. So if you have ever wondered what books I have sitting on my extensive network of bookshelf, you can check out that.

Anyway, that's it for now. I have some work I have to go finish up. Blah.

Say WHAT?: A Random Rant

First of all I want to mention that this post is in reaction to the many blog feeds I am catching up on (I had over 400 posted during my vacation) so this may be a moot point for some of you already.

Kristi over at The Story Siren recently had a bout with "hate mail". You can read the details at her post if you want to read the whole letter. While the whole thing in general is awful (in my opinion) there is a particular section that I wanted to point out:

"Aren't you too old to read teen books. They are aimed at young people. You old bloggers need to give up and let the real teen voices be heard. How can you have the same views as a teen when you are not one."

Say WHAT? Before I spout off myself here, I want to point out this post at Worducopia that pretty much sums up a lot of how I feel about this. So let's move on.

I mean, wow. Reactions like this make me sad. Who are you to decide what books someone else has a right to read? So what if someone wants to read books that are aimed a young people?

Although I generally don't like sharing personal information on here (it is the internet after all) I will say this. I'm 22, which isn't that much younger the Kristi. And I read Young Adult lit. Apparently I'm too old?

So here's my take on the whole thing. I read YA because I enjoy it. I read a lot of children's, middle grade, and adult books too. But I don't have to read any of those just because of my age. I started reading YA when I was in high school, and I still enjoy many of those books. Just because a book has a teen protagonist doesn't mean that only teens can read it. I personally find a lot of adult books too graphic/smutty/dry for my taste. Not to say that there aren't some great adult books out there. There are. I'm just not one who enjoys searching through the adult stacks, especially when I almost always find something in the teen section right away (and I usually enjoy it more).

Now getting back to the review bit. I've always felt that people shouldn't bash others for their reviews because, hello, a review is just someone's opinion. Since I'm an "old blogger" are my reviews of YA books eclipsing real "teen voices"? I don't think so. Look at the reviews on Amazon.com. The very first opinions you will read are professional publications and they are written by, wait for it, adults! Whether or not the book is YA, kids, or whatever. But those aren't the only reviews you will find on the page. Everyone else has thrown in their two cents too.

Can you ever have too many reviews to the point where one review causes someone else to "not be heard"? I personally like to read multiple reviews of a book, because not everyone will like what I like and I won't always like what everyone else likes. No one review is more important that another (although some get more attention). I write my reviews from the perspective of being able to share my thoughts, not to bash other people's reviews. So how can I be squashing authentic "teen voices"? I have no problem with those voices being heard. Go ahead and share! Just do it in a manner that is respectful of other people's opinions.

In many ways I feel the one of the huge disadvantages of the internet is that so many people use it as an excuse to be mean. We as a society as so rude! And it's even worse when people can hide behind the anonymity of a screen name or profile. They think because we don't have face to face contact it gives them an excuse to mean/rude/whatever. This is not okay with me, which is one of the reasons why although I allow anonymous comments, I do moderate any comments that veer into personal attacks. You can disagree with someone's opinions without being nasty about it.

Anyway, that's my position. Looking back this post doesn't make a lot of sense. So disconnected rambling over now, I promise.

Swap Reminder

Tomorrow is the cut off for the first Travelling Book Swap. If you're interested in joining, you can read all the details at the original post. If you can't do it this time, we'll catch you next time. :-)

Winner of Contest Monday: Jet Set

Well, I'm a day behind because of being on vacation, but it's time to announce a winner of the brand new ARC of Jet Set. So without further delay, congrats to:

Lauren (laurenscrammedbookshelf)

You're a winner! You have one week to claim your prize. Email me with your mailing address and I'll get your new copy of Jet Set in the mail to you ASAP. Everyone else, you already have a new chance to win a new book in this week's contest.

If you didn't win this time, you can order your own copy of Jet Set from Amazon.com:

Contest Monday: Win a Copy of How To Steal A Car

Yeah, you read the title right. I know this didn't get posted on Monday since I was out of town, but there's still going to be a contest! Today's prize is a brand new ARC of the upcoming How To Steal A Car by Pete Hautman

About the Book (From Amazon.com): "Some girls act out by drinking or doing drugs. Some girls act out by sleeping with guys. Some girls act out by starving themselves or cutting themselves. Some girls act out by being a bitch to other girls.

Not Kelleigh. Kelleigh steals cars.

In How to Steal a Car, National Book Award winner Pete Hautman takes teen readers on a thrilling, scary ride through one suburban girl's turbulent life - one car theft at a time."

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 "Steal a Car 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, August 24th, 2009. 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 be announcing the winner on Tuesday August 25th. Winner of Jet Set announced tomorrow!

How To Steal A Car will be released on September 1st and is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com:

*The amazing Contest Monday banner was designed by Liyana.

Out of Town

So I'm leaving to go to out of town for a wedding this week. I'll be away from the blog, obviously. :) I'm not sure yet whether our hotel has internet or not so I'm taking it safe to say that I shouldn't count on it.

There are still a few spots open for the Travelling Book Swap if you're interested. I'll be responding to all emails (including sign ups) when I get back, so you may not hear from me right away. We'll be starting when I get back, so if you want to join the first swap, now's the time to do it.

My goal was to get the new contest up so it's ready to post on Monday, but we'll see how things go (I still have to pack). If I do, great, otherwise I'll get to it when I get back.

Have a good weekend!

Swap is a Go: Details here

Due to the overwhelming positive response I received on my travelling book swap post, this is something I’m going to start. Any of you artistically minded folks want to make us a Travelling Book Swap button? Haha.

So here’s the details. Read these over, and if you want to participate, email me to sign up with the subject line “swap sign up”.

How it works:
-Sign up for the swap
-I will start a box filled with 6-10 books and send it to the first person on the list.
-When you get the box take out the books you want to keep.
-Put books in the box to replace those you took out.
-Send out the box to the next person on the list.
-Wait until the box has finished the rounds to see if you win an additional prize!
That’s it!

You will need to sign up:
There is a $5 entrance fee to cover costs and prizes. You will get details on how to pay after signing up.
A physical mailing address in the US (I’m currently working on an international swap, more details later)
The ability to mail packages with delivery confirmation
Books to trade that meet the trading requirements (see below)

Rules:
1. I must have your address and entrance fee in order to put you on the list.
2. Once you get the box, you must email me to let you know you received it. Include a list of what books are in the box when you receive it. I will respond with the address of the next person on the list.
3. Your books must meet the trading requirements (see below)
4. Put in as many books as you take out. So if you take 2, put 2 back in. You are welcome to include extra books if you want.
5. You have 5 days to mail the box back out once you get it. If this is problem, you must email me and let me know. This makes sure the box makes it’s way along at a quicker pace.
6. The box MUST be mailed with delivery confirmation. This will cost you less than $1 extra and it ensures the box does not get lost along the way. I suggest you mail media mail which takes a little longer, but is a lot cheaper.
7. Once you’ve mailed your box, send me an email with the delivery confirmation number.
8. If the box gets “lost” while in your possession (not after you’ve mailed it) or do not replace the books you take out, you will be banned from future swaps.
9. If you don’t mail the box within 5 days you won’t be eligible for prizes at the end of the swap.

Book trading requirements:
1. Books must be YA (or adult or middle grade with YA appeal)
2. Books must be in good condition. This means no stains/water damage, bindings in good condition, covers in good condition, etc. Some wear and tear is fine.
3. Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) ARE allowed provided they meet the conditions above.
4. Basically, if it’s something you wouldn’t want to get, don’t put in the box.
5. You can include books that don’t meet these conditions, but they will considered “extra” and won’t count toward the number you need to replace.
If you have questions about whether a book you have is eligible, feel free to email and ask.

I think that covers just about everything. If you have any questions, let me know!

New Feature (maybe): Swap Exchange

So I’ve been kicking around an idea for a few weeks, I think I’ve finally got enough details worked out to share it with all of you.

Some of you may be aware of the fact that I am a member of several book trading websites. But there are still a lot of you out there who aren’t. The reason I bring this up is because I’m thinking about starting my own travelling box swap.

Here’s the basics. Everyone who signs up to participate will get sent a box with a set number of books in it. You take out the ones you want, put the same number as you took out back into the box, and send it to the next person on the list. Easy right?

So would any of you want to participate in one of these with me? I’d really like to do this, but if no one else is interested, it’s a moot point. This first one would be for US only (but if it works out I will try to figure out a way to do international too). You would have to pay for postage for the box, but Media Mail is relatively cheap. There would also be a small entrance fee (probably $5). I hate asking for money, but the fee Number 1. Covers costs of running the swap and Number 2. Acts as collateral to discourage the box getting “lost” while it’s in your possession. BUT when the swap is over I will be giving out additional books as prizes, as well as having a drawing for gift card prizes just for the people who particpated in the swap. So many of you will get your $5 back in prizes at the end.

So what do you think? Are you interested? You get the chance to swap out some of your old books you’re done with for different ones, you get to connect with people from all over the country, and you might get some additional prizes at the end. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, leave me a comment and/or vote in the poll in the right sidebar. If I get enough interest, I’ll post the details so you can sign up later.

I’m excited! I think it would be lots of fun. Anyone care to join me?

Contest Roundup: August 3rd

Welcome to August everyone! There's a LOT of books being given away in the blogosphere lately, so let's jump right in. Remember to check the sidebar for previously featured contests you can still enter including a chance to Jet Set or Chasing the Jaguar right here at The Shady Glade!
Now moving on...

Diana over at Stop, Drop, and Read is having a huge celebration with lots of giveaways. Happy blogoversary Diana! Right now, she's giving away a signed copy of Sucks to be Me by my review "boss" Kimberly Pauley! (Kim is the owner of YABC, which is how I got into reviewing in the first place). Keep any eye out on Diana's blog for more great contest opportunities coming soon!

Another person who's celebrating her blog birthday is Lauren over at Shooting Stars Mag. Congrats Lauren! She's having all sorts of special events throughout August to celebrate, so head over there to check it out all this month.

The Epic Rat is also having a birthday in August (but for her, not her blog). She's also going to do lots of giveaways in August, starting with a chance to win all 3 Gallagher Girl books. Ends August 7th, and keep checking her blog weekly for more chances to win.

Geektastic seems to be a popular book for giveaways this month. Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf is giving away two copies by August 14th, and Yan at Books By Their Cover is also giving away 3 copies by sharing your most geeky moment by August 17th.

Mrs. Magoo Reads is giving away 9 (!) books to one lucky winner including La Petite Four, The Diamonds, Hancock Park, and of course many more. Ends August 9th, so hurry and enter now!

Steph Su is giving away two copies of And Then Everything Unraveled worldwide! Go read her author interview and then enter the contest by August 20th.

Whew! That's a lot of contests. Good luck to all of you. And keep your eyes out, because there is still so many more chances to win out there!

LOL of the week: Affection

I just had to post this today, because not 10 minutes before I went looking for this week's picture, my cat had to endure this situation. He looked a little more frustrated though. Funny how internet can bleed into real life...

If you'd like to learn more about LOLcats, you can check out the website, or read my review of the book. Have a great week!

Winner of Comment Contest: Blue is for Nightmares

As I mentioned yesterday, today it's time to choose a winner for last month's comment contest. This month's winner is about to recieve a brand new signed copy of Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz. There were 107 eligilble comments in July and the random number generator has picked lucky number 88 as the winner. That means

DeNiSe MaDnEsS

is our winner with the winning comment on this Waiting on Wednesday entry. Congrats! You have one week to email me with your mailing address and claim your prize. For the rest of you, you already have a new chance to win this month. So keep commenting! And you can always buy your own copy of Blue is for Nightmares if you didn't win this time:

August Comment Contest: Win a Copy of Chasing the Jaguar

Today is August 1st, which means it's time to update the comment contest. See, I'm on top of things so far this month! Comments made on Augst 1st and beyond will count toward this contest. The winner of July's contest will be announced tomorrow.

How to enter: Each comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the pot. These must be genuine comments, and other contest 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 "please enter me" will not help you win this book. Your fate is in your own hands. The more you comment, the better chance you have at winning. So if you really want the book, comment a lot! At the end of the month I randomly pick one winner for the prize. It's that easy.

August's prize is a brand new hardcover copy of Chasing the Jaguar by Michele Dominguez Greene. To win it, comment away until August 31st at midnight PST. The randomly selected winner will be announced early in September. Good luck to everyone!

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Girl next door . . . or Mayan sorceress ?

Martika Gálvez's "To Do" list:

1. Research final project for art class–on the jaguar

2. Study the arts of telepathy (ESP) and pyrokinesis (starting fires at will)

3. Build an altar and pray to Mayan deities

4. Use psychic powers to recover stolen ancient statue and help rescue abducted teen girl...

5. and convince Mom I'm really studying at the library

Introducing Martika Gálvez, the Latina Nancy Drew of the new millennium."