I haven't been blogging...I have been reading, a lot!

It has been a month since I have last blogged. Yes, life has been extremely crazy, but my better excuse is that I have been doing a lot of reading. I have to say it made the dreary month of January pass by quickly.

First: I read my book for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. After much agony over which book I would read, I finally chose a book I have been wanting to read for a very long time. I read the book, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. I have always loved to read fiction and non-fiction accounts from the Tudor England era. I do have to admit, even though it makes fascinating reading, I would never have wanted to live at that time.

I enjoyed this book from Mary Boleyn's perspective. It was refreshing to read of her side of the story, as I have read other accounts from Anne's perspective before. Gregory is a very good writer that keeps the story interesting and moving. I know, having read other peoples review of this book, that true historians feel that the truth is stretched greatly in this version of Mary and Anne's stories. I say, get over yourself and just enjoy the story. I love history like other history fanatics, I took 40 hours of history classes when I went to college. The measure of a book to me is I had a hard time putting it down. This book went everywhere with me, to school, at home, to bed and to piano lessons. If a book is by my side and I can't put it down, then that is a good book. It is a long book and it does have frank sex talk at times; considering the subject, Mary being the mistress of King Henry the VIII, it would have been hard to avoid such additions. Would I recommend this book to others? Most definitely if you are interested in the Tudors and want a great read.

Now, my big mistake, as soon as I finished the book I wanted to watch the movie that was made from the book. I was so disappointed in the movie because it was more about Anne than Mary. If you were just watching the movie without just having read the book, it would have been very enjoyable. Who doesn't love staring at Eric Bana who played King Henry the VIII? I would not read the book and watch the movies in succession.

I am happy to say that I have already chosen and I am half way through my February challenge book. I found this book at the library with the new arrivals called, The Virgin Queen's Daughter a novel by Ella March Chase. I will give a full review when finished with the book, but to give you an indication of what I think about it? I started it yesterday, I am almost on page 200 and it is sitting right here by me waiting for me to finish writing my blog.

I was planning on telling you about all of the books that I have read this past month, but to do justice to many of them, I will blog in further detail about them at another time. I will list them though so you can see I was really reading and just not being too lazy to blog....

-Princess at the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

-The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

-Pillage by Obert Skye

-Heaven Scent by Rebecca Talley

-Freshman for President by Ally Condie

-Journey of the Heart by David Free

-The Forgotten Warrior by Kathi Oram Peterson

-The Loser's Guide to Life and Love by A.E. Cannon

-Reunion by Allyson Condie

-Alcatraz vs. The Scrivener's Bones by Brandon Sanderson

Just to note, many of these books were short, easy read books, not like the 544 pages found with the Other Boleyn Girl. More reviews will be coming about many of the books I just mentioned. So until next time, take time to read a good book and give yourself a few minutes of "you" time. It is so refreshing and good stress relief.

To Have Or to Hold: by Josi S. Kilpack

To Have or to Hold by Josi S. Kilpack



This was such a good read! I needed to read a romance that wasn't cookie cutter sweet and that had a lot of angst. It still is a good LDS romance, but it had a kick that many LDS Romances are not brave enough to attempt! Good job Josi Kilpack on this novel.

This was a hard one to put down.I have to admit reading it during my lunchtime and avoiding eating in the faculty lounge so I could finish this book and not have to talk to anyone. I get a little weird when I really want to read a book, so I take advantage of any spare time I can get.

I will warn you, the main character is not the most likable character I have ever "met", but you grow to love her and care about her each chapter you read. As for the main male character, well what can I say, I really liked him.

Now Josi has several books that she has written, but I wanted to tell you about her last two books that made me shake in my boots and think hard about two facts: internet predators and identity theft.

With Sheep's Clothing, Josi wrote a novel that every parent, especially those of teenagers, should read with their children. The main character is an almost 16 year old girl, the oldest of six children, that is feeling neglected and misunderstood. She soon meets a "friend" on the internet who introduces her to her "cousin" and they become friends. Jess becomes too involved with her "friend' and soon disappears and all is not as it seemed. That is all I will tell you, but know this, it struck great fear in me for all children out there who peruse the internet daily. Many parents are naive about what and whom is really out there threatening our children. It is up to us to always know the sites that our children visit and who they may be chatting with. Josi was honored last year at the Whitney Awards for this well written book, and was given the award for best book in Suspense/ Mystery.



This year, Josi released another book that makes you think, called, " Her Good Name" about identity theft. Before I read the book I wondered if anything could keep up with Sheep's Clothing. I breathlessly read this new book, awestruck at how easy it is for ones identity to be stolen. Other emotions that came from reading this book, upset stomach, heart palpitations, and my head spinning (not literally folks!) Josi has written another must read book for both men and women. OK guys, yes there is a mildly disguised romance behind this novel, but the crux of the novel is how easy it is to become a victim and how hard it is to get your good name back. This novel will really make you think twice before using a credit/debit card and never letting that card out of your sight at any time.





I hope that you will also go read Josi's website and blog. She is a wonderful writer and an amazing person. I hope that she continues to write great novels for a very long time. Every book of hers that I have read so far, and she has written 8 novels, I have read quickly and had a hard time putting them down; hence me becoming a social hermit when one of her books is in my hand. OK, now what are you waiting for...get reading!


http://www.josiskilpack.com

Why Can't I Decide?

It was on January 1st that I happily declared that I was participating in the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I have been looking at many other sites to see what people have decided to read for the challenge. I have had a few suggestions from people and I have started to make my list. Why then am I still sitting here, six days later still trying to decide what I am going to read for the challenge? This isn't a life altering decision that must be made... but these days it sure feels like it!

Most decisions I make during the day directly affect my children or the children I teach. Now, as I must make a decision that should bring great enjoyment into my life, I am sitting frozen in place. I am not sure whether to read the books in the Royal Twist or the Twilight Twist...books that inspired the Twilight series. **sigh** How sad that I am dragging my feet on making a decision that should be relatively easy, but the mole hill is turning into a mountain.

So instead of announcing my picks for the challenge, I now am shamelessly reporting back to you that I don't have a clue what I will be reading. I still have 24 days to make a decision and get the book read in order to fulfill the first month's requirement. I also will freely admit that it doesn't help that I am in the process of reading 6-7 other books right now and this may be distracting me just a bit.

Feel free to give me feedback, suggestions or if you want to commiserate with me that would be helpful too! Thanks for reading.

The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

I am so excited that I will be participating in my first "official" reading challenge. This challenge will be a Historical Fiction reading Challenge. It is being hosted by the women over at Royal Reviews (http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/2008/12/historical-fiction-reading-challenge.html)


So this is how it's going to work:

• Read 3 historical fiction books in 3 months from 1st Jan 09 - 31st March 09.
• Historical fiction will be counted as anything set or written prior to World War II. This will include classic novels, time travel novels or anything you feel fits the genre.

For an extra bit of fun, you can choose to participate in one of the following themes:

• The Royal Twist - Read 3 based on or inspired by 3 different royals. Emperors, Queens, Kings whatever inspires you!
• The Twilight Twist - Read a selection of 3 of the classic novels that inspired the Twilight Saga. There's Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare.

I have not yet decided which twist I will be choosing, because I love both themes. I will let you know once I have decided which 3 books I will be choosing to read and review. I hope that there are some Historical Fiction readers out there that will want to participate with me. You know who you are!!

Also, if you have some good suggestions for me of books that would fall under the "Royal Twist" theme, please leave them in the comments suggestion under this post.

Remember, this challenge only last from January 1st 2009-March 31st 2009, so if you are going to read Historical Fiction with me, let me know!

Today is the day!..Last day to nominate books for a Whitney Award

If you have read any book by an LDS author, whether the story had LDS characters or not, head over today, December 31st, to nominate the book for a Whitney Award.(http://www.whitneyawards.com/)

Today is the deadline for nominations and then the books, that received 5 nominations will be sent to the judges. (I happen to be one of the judges in the Youth Fiction category. I have loved being able to be part of this great organization.) The judges will then read the qualifying books and then will vote for the top 5 books that were read from the category. From there, the Whitney Academy Voters will read the top 5 books in each category, who then will vote on the best book in each category. The winners will be announced at the 2nd Annual Whitney Awards in April.

I attended the 1st Whitney Awards last year and it was a fabulous evening. Everyone was dressed up in fancy clothes, we had an exquisite dinner in an elegant setting and then the award winners were announced. (http://www.whitneyawards.com/2007winners.html). I am planning on attending again this year.

I know that there are many of you out there that have been reading some great books by LDS authors. Remember, the books do not have to take place in an LDS setting, they only have to have been written by an LDS author. It only takes a few minutes to go to the Whitney Awards website and nominate your favorite books that you have read this past year.

The main criteria is:
1. The books must have been released during the current year from January 2008-December 2008.

2.The author must be LDS, whether the book was placed in an LDS setting or not, the author must be a member of the LDS church.

3.The book must be a work of fiction...no non-fiction books, sorry.

If you would like a pretty complete list of books written by LDS authors this year go to this blog where she has them listed on the right side of her page. (http://ldspublisher.blogspot.com/) I
have been keeping track of the books I have been reading this year, by going often to LDS Publisher blog spot.

To end my blog for today I will post some pictures taken at last years Whitney Awards..(sorry if you have seem some of them already, but guess what, you get to view them again!)








Sheila and Hillary with Author Rob Wells





LDS Womens Book Review (Sheila, Hillary and Shanda) with author Jennie Hansen who won a lifetime achievement award.

















Shanda, Sheila and Hillary with author Jessica Day George, who won the award for "Best Novel by a New Author" for her book, "Dragon Slippers"












Sheila, Shanda and Hillary with author Brandon Mull who won the award "Best YA/Children's Book" for "Fablehaven 2: Rise of the Evening Star"










Hillary, Shanda and Sheila with author Shannon Hale who won the award for "Best Speculative" fiction with her novel, "A Book of a Thousand Days"

The Journey: Book One of the Enchanted Legends Series

The Journey by Jewel Adams/J. Adams




The Journey is an uplifting and very thought provoking book.In this book we travel with Ciran who starts her journey in a new world and is subjected to the war between good and evil. As she goes through her life, she finds out how easy it is to be beguiled by the bright and exciting things in life. Ciran finds out that not all things are as they seem from the outside. She also learns how we are all blessed greatly, with inner strength, to fight the evil things of this world.

Every teenager and their parents should read this book. The strong point in this book is the reminder that life is about choice: the good and bad choices that we make and how they can change our lives so quickly. I also loved the message that if we do make a bad choice, we can be forgiven, that not all is lost.

Book 2 of the Enchanted Legends series,"A Place In This World" will be coming out in the Summer of 2009. There is a small excerpt from the upcoming book in the back of book one.

I strongly recommend "The Journey" to all. It is a quick but enjoyable read that leaves you feeling good when you are finished...not something I can say about every book that I read and I read a lot. A job well done Jewel Adams!



http://www.jadamsnovels.com
http://www.jewelsbestgems.blogspot.com
http://www.amazon.com/Journey-J-Adams/dp/0615202071/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UT...

Interview with Aprilynne Pike, author of WINGS

Aprilynne Pike so graciously agreed to answer some questions for me, after I finished reading her novel, WINGS, that will be coming out on May 5th, 2009. I know that this interview will get you very interested in reading this book. Also, the cover is just beautiful and very fitting to the story...you will understand once you have read the book.

1. I have to say, I loved your book WINGS! The words delightful, intriguing and fascinating came to mind when I was reading the book. When did the idea for the book/story first come to you?

It's kind of a funny story. I read a lot of industry blogs and one day I was reading one that suggested that faeries were expected to be a big thing in YA over the next few years. I have always loved faeries, and I've always loved reading YA. I don't know why I never thought of putting those two together and writing a YA faerie book. But it was like lightning at that moment. I had one thought in my head; I have to write a YA faerie book and I have to do it NOW! And then this tiny snippet of an idea kept me up all night until it started to take a recognizable form.

2. Did you come up with the title? If not, what did you originally want to name the book?

Originally I titled this novel Autumn Wings. But my editor and I decided that we wanted the title to be relevant during the whole year, so we dropped the season name.

3. What was the first Fantasy book you can recall reading? Is there a favorite one now…apart from your own?

Wow, you're asking me to reach a long way back.:) I read a lot of Roald Dahl when I was young. The Witches and the BFG were two of my very favorites! I also watched a ton of fantasy movies. I always liked the idea that you could make up a world however you wanted and then put characters in it and see what happened.:)

4. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

Um, is it bad to say I didn't know for sure until the moment I had a deal? I knew I wanted to be a writer the morning I woke up with the idea for the first book I ever wrote. But the morning I got the call from my agent that we had interest in Wings, I had just convinced myself that after years of trying, I needed to give up; I had done everything I could and it was never going to happen. Go figure.

5. There is somewhat of a "gentle" love triangle in WINGS. Will this situation continue in book 2?

Oh yes, you have not seen the end of either David or Tamani. They are both determined little things.:)

6. Your main character, Laurel, is a very likable character. In your words, how would you describe her to someone who hasn't read the book yet?

Laurel is one of those people who is everything most teen girls dream of being, but doesn't know it. She is very down to earth and realistic without being a pessimist. She is also very brave and aware of others.

7. In the 2^nd book will the readers be allowed through the gates of Avalon and get a glimpse of the Fairies world?

Mmmmmmmaybe.;)

8. Let's talk about Tamani…I really love this character, will he have a greater role in the next book? (Please say yes???)

In book one, readers have mostly gotten to know David and they've gotten a very cursory introduction to Tamani. That changes in the next book. Both the readers and Laurel will get to know Tamani a lot better.

9.Tamani is such a warm, loving and protective male in the Fairy world, I feel that he is going to become a very popular character with readers. Is Tamani based on someone in real life…maybe your own husband?

*laugh* I think every writer gets this question about their opposite gendered characters. None of my characters are based on anyone in real life. They all just come from my imagination. That being said, David is actually a lot more like my husband than Tamani . . . but neither really fits him exactly. My husband is too perfect to put in a book--my readers would never believe it!;)

10. Now book 2 is already written...correct? How many books will be in the series?

The *first draft* of book two is written, yes. There is still plenty of work to do on it though.:) There will be four books in the series, one released each summer.

11. Are you working on something new that is not related to WINGS?

I am. I am just finishing up a stand-alone project involving a new kid in a posh private school, a klepto ghost, and a cheerleader with a shady past. I am really excited about it!

Thank you, Aprilynne, for sending me an Advanced Copy of your new book. It is one of my favorites that I have read in 2008, even though it won't "officially" come out until 2009. I know that I will be nominating it for a Whitney Award next year! I truly feel like you have written a winner here…nice job!! Thank you also for answering all of my questions and you are more than welcome to come back and talk about WINGS any time that you would like.

~~~Sheila

The Dashner Dude: The Good News

The Dashner Dude: The Good News

James Dashner just announced some wonderful news over at his blog.
You need to go read his announcement which is something that all writers
hope and pray for.

Congratulations James!

Round #3 of 2009 Book Releases

Here it is...finally... round #3 of more books that will be released in 2009.

The first author, and one of my favorites I might add, is Jessica Day George. She is the author of "Dragon Slippers," "Dragon Flight" and my personal favorite, "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow".

Jessica newest book, that will be released on January 20, 2009, is "Princess of the Midnight Ball" published by Bloomsbury. This is her version of the tale of the twelve dancing princesses who were doomed to dance every night until dawn. I love this story and was so excited to read this book. I had good reason to be excited, and Jessica has outdone herself once again. She has taken a tale we have all heard before and transformed it into something entirely new.

Here is a quick synopsis of the book:
Returning home from the war, young Galen finds work with his mother’s family in the royal gardens. There he learns that the king’s twelve daughters have a secret: every night they dance their shoes to tatters, but no one knows how or why. When prince after prince tries and fails to find the answer, and the family is haunted by accusations of witchcraft, Galen decides to help. Armed with a pair of silver knitting needles and an invisibility cloak given to him by a strange old woman, he follows the princesses and unlocks the secret of their curse.

The thing I love about Jessica's writing, is that she draws you into the character's lives in the first few paragraphs of the story. I immediately began to care about Galen and his plight and how he would solve his problems.

Another fun addition to Jessica's book is that she has added knitting patterns for a shawl and a chain of black wool that are key to the plot. On her website (http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com) you can find more knitting patterns that correspond with items in the book. What a clever girl! She is an actual knitter in real life, which really impresses me, since I never got the hang of knitting and stuck with crocheting.

Jessica has been busy, besides having a new baby, she has also written the third and final book in her dragon series called "Dragon Spear". This book is coming in April of 2009. This is the last book about Creel and Shardas and no whining and complaining from any of us...the fans...will change her mind. Yes, I have begged and pleaded for more, but according to Jessica, she has so many other wonderful ideas for books that she needs to start working on those.

If you haven't read anything written by Jessica Day George, head to your local book store or public library and I can assure you that you will soon be a fan of her writing.

***************************************************************************

Next up, is another exciting addition to the world of YA Fantasy writers...James Dashner. He is well known among the 8-14 year old crowd for writing the Jimmy Fincher 4 book saga..."A Door in the Woods," "A Gift of Ice," "The Tower of Air," and "War of the Black Curtain." He has also written one of my new favorite YA fantasy books called, "Journal of Curious Letters" the first book in the 13th Reality series. Now the second book in the series, "The Hunt for Dark Infinity" will be released beginning of March 2009 by Shadow Mountain. I was unlucky and didn't get my name in on time to get an ARC (advanced readers copy) of this book and I am going to have a hard time waiting until March to read the next book in this series. So if there is any one out there reading my blog and you have an ARC of this book that I could borrow, please let me know!!

In the 13th Reality series, we get to go on an adventure with Atticus Higginbottom, as he travels to alternate realities to help save worlds of people. Book one ended with a terrible cliffhanger (Shame on you James! It has been a long wait to see what happens...) On James's website he was very excited about this new book coming out and he said,
"I'm so excited for people to read Book 2! I personally think it's twice as good as Book 1, but I'm biased I guess. We'll see what you guys think."

When James recorded a podcast in August with us, the women of LDS Womens Book Review, I was able to ask him some questions about "The 13th Reality" series.I asked him if the character Tick was based on someone he knew or strictly made up from the inner workings of his mind. He answered, "Somewhat based on me, but mostly made up."

I also asked him if he had a favorite book out of all of the books he has written. He answered very quickly, that it was his book called, "The Maze Runner' that will be coming out in the fall of 2009. His reasons for picking this book as his favorite was, "It's my best work and very original."

"The Maze Runner" is a dark fantasy about a group of boys trying to solve the mystery of a strange maze in which they have been placed. It is being pitched as Lost meets the Lord of the Flies. The picture shown here will be the cover of the book. "The Maze Runner" is a book that I can see reading in one sitting. After all, I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 11 hours and 15 minutes, so this will be my next book to read in one day. I recall James saying that this book will be for an older age group; older teens/adults. I am sure that there will be many twists and turns along the way in this book...yes that pun was intended. I do foresee this book being a thrilling and imaginative ride. This is something that James Dashner fans have come to expect from him.

Now, I just need to see how to get on the list for an ARC for this book! Then you need to check out his books and his blog and website.

-http://jamesdashner.blogspot.com

-http://www.the13threality.com/

Book's for Gift Giving

I just wanted to write this blog to give you some ideas for books that would be super gift ideas. There are so many books out there, but sometimes it is difficult to know which ones to choose.

If you are looking for books with a Christmas theme, I suggest you buy...

-The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson

-The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck

-Santa's Secret by Christy Hardman and Phil Porter

-A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Everyone should read the original story at least once in their lifetime. Of course we have all seen the many versions of the movie and forget about the wonderful classic words by Dickens)

If you are looking for that perfect gift for your best friend/sister/Mother-in-Law etc. here are some suggestions...

-Love Letters of Joseph and Emma by Angela Eschler, art by Liz Lemon Swindle (I blogged about this several weeks ago if you want to know more)

-Reflections of Christ by Mark Mabry

-Toss the Guilt and catch the Joy: A Woman's Guide to a Better Life by Merrilee Boyack

-The Woman at the Well by Emily Freeman, paintings by Simon Dewey

If you know someone who likes a good mystery/thriller/suspense here are some good books for gift giving...

-Her Good Name by Josi S. Kilpack

-Above and Beyond by Betsy Brannon Green

-Abinadi by H.B. Moore

Books for those Y.A. Fantasy lovers...

-Farworld, book one: Waterkeep by J.Scott Savage

-13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner

-Leven Thumps and The Wrath of Ezra Vol.4 by Obert Skye

-Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

Books for young children...

-The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes by Deborah Pace Rowley

-Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest by Dan Farr, featuring Dick Van Dyke

-If the Savior Stood Beside Me art by Greg Olsen

-Follow the Prophet: Seek and Ye Shall Find Flap Book by Val Chadwick Bagle

-Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

-Away in a Manger art by Thomas Kinkade (I bought this for myself last year just because of the gorgeous art work)

I could go on and on and never finish this blog because there are far too many books out there to read. You should see the pile of books stacked up by my bed, by the computer and in my car. The message I would like to share, is please give the gift of books to your loved ones. Yes electronics are exciting, but books can take you and others to places you only dream about going.

Make this year, the year of book giving, to encourage reading in your children's lives.

Happy shopping...(I was finished about 10 days ago!) and make time for yourself this Christmas season by fixing yourself a cup of hot chocolate and reading a good book.