My biggest apologies for what appears to be a very overwhelming post!  I never did a monthly review post for April so this is a combined April and May post.   I still have books that I read in March in the review pile and many a interview, both with authors and other bloggers that I need to conduct. Highlights from the past two months were definitly the 24 Hour Read-a-thon, the LA Times Festival of Books, and BookExpo America.

Here’s a recap of what happened in April and May (although it looks like a normal one month and not two) here at the Maw Books Blog.  As always, I don’t intend that you read this whole post but skim through and see what you missed.

Books Reviewed in April & May

Fiction

• Losing Kei by Suzanne Kamata
• The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris
• The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
• Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese
• The Mechanics of Falling and Other Stories by Catherine Brady

Young Adult Fiction

• The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Middle Readers

• On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
• The Sisters Grimm, The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
• Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
• Lunch with Lenin and Other Stories by Deborah Ellis

Picture Books

• Crocodaddy by Kim Norman, Illustrated by David Walker
• Chicken Butt! by Erica S. Perl, Illustrated by Henry Cole
• All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Nikki McClure
• Always by Ann Stott, Illustrated by Matt Phelan
• There’s a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales Retold by Zoe B. Alley, Illustrated by R.W. Alley

Non-Fiction

• Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie and Cathleen Miller
• Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez

Author Interviews

• Interview with Suzanne Kamata, Author of Losing Kei
• Interview with Paul Harris, Author of The Secret Keeper
  
• Interview with Kim Norman, Author of Crocodaddy
• Interview with Katherine Center by Nicki Richesin, Editor of Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond
• Interview with Erica S. Perl, Author of Chicken Butt!
• Interview with Ingrid Law, Newbery Honor Author of Savvy

Reader Spotlights

(Forgive me for taking a completely unintentional break from these feature.  Will be coming back strong!)

• Reader Spotlight: Come Meet Amy from Amy’s Haiku Haven!

Vlogs

• The LA Times Festival of Books, Part 3:  In Which I Meet Some Awesome Authors (and Vlog About Them Too!)
• The LA Times Festival of Books, Part 1:  In Which We Vlog
• Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon: And It’s Over, The Final Update!
• Video Chat: The READ-A-THON!!! (no, I’m not excited)

Book Lists

• New York Times Bestsellers – May 24th
• New York Times Bestsellers – May 17th
• New York Times Bestsellers – May 3rd
• New York Times Bestsellers – April 12th
• New York Times Bestsellers – April 5th
• Why Did We Start Our Book Blogs? Three Reasons Why from Trish, Amy and Me.

More Posts During April/May

• Book Expo America!
• The *iwishiwasinnewyorkatbeawithnatasha* Giveaway!
• Guest Post from Cindy of Cindy Loves Books: Author Recipe, Michael Lee West’s Grand Marnier Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• What Everybody Wants to Know About Stephenie Meyer
• Your Most Embarrassing Moment – Author Style!
• Book Expo America & the 48 Hour Book Challenge – What You Need to Know
• Close to Perfect Chocolate Pie from Ingrid Law, Newbery Author of Savvy (The Special Birthday Edition)
• The LA Times Festival of Books, Part 2:  In Which I Meet Awesome Book Bloggers
• The LA Times Festival of Books, Part 1: In Which We Vlog
• GIVEAWAY: Newbery Honor Book, Savvy by Ingrid Law
• Winners! Laurie Halse Anderson & Jodi Picoult Giveaways
• Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon: And It’s Over, The Final Update!
• Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon: Update #4
• 24 Hour Read-a-thon Edition: Tomato-Mozzarella Pesto Sandwich from Susan McBride, Author of The Debs
• Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon: Update #3
• 24 Hour Read-a-thon Edition: Yummy Breakfast Smoothie from Sara Zarr, National Book Award Author
• Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon: Update #2
• Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon: Update #1 (And it Begins!)
• Why Did We Start Our Book Blogs? Three Reasons Why from Trish, Amy and Me.
• Lemon Linguine from Newbery Honor Author, Kirby Larson
• March Search Terms – What Brought People to My Blog
• Thank You to My March Visitors – Let’s Spotlight a Few!
  
• Blogging & Reading Review for March

Flashback:  The Maw Books Blog a Year Ago

Books I reviewed a year ago April and May: Sirens and Spies by Janet Taylor Lisle, Zel by Donna Jo Napoli, The Translator: A Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari, The Tale of Desperaux by Shannon Hale, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak, Walk On: A Guide for Babies of All Ages by Marla Frazee, Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies by Laura Amy Schiltz, Farworld by J. Scott Savage, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult,  Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat, Mud City by Deborah Ellis, The Fiction Class by Susan Breen, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull,  I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson, Slave, My True Story by Mende Nazer, The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt, The Giver by Lois Lowry,  Princess Academy by Shannon Hale, The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, Sky Burial by Xinran,  The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy,  Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson,  The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Torn Thread by Anne Isaacs.

Looking Ahead to April

• Upcoming Reviews.  Still have Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher waiting for me to review.  Hmm . . . yes,  I will get to it this month.  Lots and lots more in the review pile.

• Upcoming Author Interviews.  I’d love to tell you if I had anything scheduled, but I put my calender in my BEA box, which is somewhere in the  middle of the country right now.  Let’s hope I don’t have anything until after it gets here!  That said, I have at least half a dozen authors that are expecting questions from me.

• Features. I’ve got the nastiest author recipe to date and will be coming back in full swing with the reader spotlights.  I will be giving away a Neil Gaiman book.  Not just any book, but a signed one.  If that isn’t exciting for Neil Gaiman fans I don’t know what it is!  Seriously, can’t wait.  And I must be the last one to write anything about BEA.  So look for that too.

Challenge Updates

The Jewish Literature Challenge hosted by Callista ended in April.  This was one of my FAVORITE challenges last year and I was SO excited to participate again.  So how many books did I read?  A big fat zero!  And these are the type of books that I love to read!  I am really embarrassed about this challenge and very sad.

I’m finding it hard to remember to update and post my links on the challenge blogs but I’ll keep plugging away.  The challenges which I’m currently doing (click to be taken to my list and then to be taken to challenge blog):

• A-Z Author & Title Challenge
• Dewey’s Books Reading Challenge
• New Author Challenge
• Read Your Own Books Challenge
• Support Your Local Library Challenge
• Themed Reading Challenge
• War Through the Generations Challenge
• Diversity Rocks! Challenge (still haven’t written up my official list yet but the challenge blog has details).
• Non-Fiction Five Challenge (again, haven’t officially joined this challenge – I need to get in gear!)

Awards

Can I just say that I’m almost embarrased to post these?  But I really want to acknowledge the bloggers who gave these awards.  Because really, isn’t that what its really about.  And just because I think it’s funny (and it’s almost midnight here and anything is funny), I pass the Sisterhood Award on to Chris and Bart.   Maybe we aren’t as diversified as we thought?

Molly from My Cozy Book Nook and Shelly from Write for a Reader passed on the Your Blog is Enchanted Award which describes itself as awarding to blogs which are caring. Thanks Molly and Shelly!  Can I tell you how sad I was to miss Molly at BEA?

Kristina from Kristina’s Favorites gave me the Friendly Blogger Award even though she knew I was unlikely to pass it on (I mean come on, how unfriendly of me is that!)  Kristina is awesome, highly recommend you go check out her blog. 

Serena from Savvy Verse & Wit passed on the Friendly Blogger Award as well.  I met Serena at BEA and I loved putting a face to the name.  Again, awesome blogger who I feel like enjoys a lot of the same things I do.

Lisa from Books on the Brain gave me the Proximidade Award which is described as going out of their way to build community.  Considering that I don’t host a single book blogging community event, I’m thrilled anyways.  I met Lisa at the LA Times Festival of Books and I can tell you that she’s simply wonderful and if you aren’t reading her blog, well, you should be.

Mel from Mel’s Reading Corner also passed on the Proximidade Award.  I love Mel’s template and must admit that I even previewed it when I was thinking of starting a different blog.  We’ve reviewed a lot of the same books, go check her out.

Bobbie from Bobbie’s Book Reviews and Texas Red from Texas Red Books both gave my blog the Proximidade Award.  Thanks gals!  Do check out their blogs.

Trish from Trish’s Reading Nook awarded the Sisterhood Award.  Seriously, Trish is full of awesome.  One of my life goals is to meet her.  How’s that for stalk-ish?

Cathy from Kittling Books gave me the Grasshopper Award.  First of all, I must say that this might be on the cutest awards, for some odd reason.  Cathy’s favorite feature of mine is where she spotlights bloggers physical blogging space.  I love seeing where everybody blogs.  Which reminds me . . .  I haven’t turned mine in yet.

Britt from Confessions of a Book Habitue passed on the Let’s Be Friends Award which is funny because we live near each other, so I’d like to become a real IRL friend.  Just gotta make it happen.

Melissa from One Librarian’s Book Reviews also gave me the Let’s Be Friends Award.  She’s another great Utah blogger who I hope to be able to catch up with in real life at some point.  Like the title suggests Melissa is a librarian and she reads a lot of YA.

Kathrin from Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic awarded the Lovely Blog Award.  Kathrin is hosting the Mystery Read-a-thon which will be on June 7th.  If you like mysteries, it might go well with MotherReaders 48 Hour Book Challenge at the same time.  Two birds with one stone?

Mrs. V from Mrs. V’s Reviews, Julie from Jule’s Book Reviews, Wendy from Wendy’s Minding Spot also all  gave me the One Lovely Blog Award.  Looking forward to getting to know these three bloggers better..

Desert Rose awarded the beautiful Literary Blogger Award which describes itself as acknowledging bloggers who energize and inspire reading by going the extra mile.  So sweet.

Carnivals

Lots of carnivals and I didn’t submit a single review! But check out the ones who did.

• Christ’s Bridge, Love Romance Passion, Literary Menagerie and Mysteries in Paradise all hosted the Book Review Blog Carnival.  Get your review in before the 7th for the next carnival at The Symposium by submitting at the Book Review Blog Carnival site.

• The 30th Edition of the Bookworms Carnival is being hosted by Michelle at Biblio.me which is books about books! Kristen at the Book Club Classics had the 28th Edition of the Bookworms Carnival which celebrated Pulitzters.  Julia over at Book News and Reviews gave us a little taste of Murder Mysteries with the 27th edition.  Michelle at 1MoreChapter hosted he 26th Edition of the Bookworms Carnival, which was book awards.  The next edition will be hosted on the Bookworms Carnival blog and is paranormal fiction. Check out the Bookworms Carnival website for info.

Other Items of Note

Book Giveaways. Carey at The Tome Traveller won my Savvy by Ingrid Law giveaway.  I should have brought the book to NYC because I met Carey there!  Will send book as soon as I ask for an address (I swear I’m behind on everything!).  Louise won a copy of The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris.  Alyce from At Home With Books won a signed Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson and Mari from Mari Reads won seven signed Jodi Picoult books.  I have yet to announce my The Chosen One and the BEAtwittyparty giveaway which I’ll do in the comments there in the next couple of days.

• Blogging Tips Group on the Book Blogs Ning. I have lots of posting to do over at the blogging tips group but if you haven’t been go check out how to get a favicon, blog design mistakes you should avoid, how to market your blog offline (timely with BEA), and how to link with anchor text.

• MotherReader’s 48 Hour Book Challenge. The 48 Hour Book Challenge is coming up THIS weekend, June 5-7th.  You can find all the details on the sign up post.  I’m participating.  I haven’t told my husband though yet.  So somebody please pray for me.  He probably won’t be happy! I’ll be posting some updates, so make sure you stop by.

• Book Expo America and the LA Times Festival of Books. I mention the LA Times Festival of Books because I still have one post in draft mode.  Will it ever see the light of day?  And of course, it was very exciting to attend Book Expo America (BEA) this past weekend.  I feel still like I’m recovering.  The highlight was sitting in on the Book Bloggers Panel!  Details to come!

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And somebody shoot me for doing two months in a wrap up post.  Never again!  Why do I submit myself to this torture.

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