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January and February Reads

Natasha Maw — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:38:33 +0000

2011 is shaping up to be a good reading year.

I read every night for at least half an hour before I go to bed, two hours a week while I’m waiting for son outside of a computer class and another two hours a week while waiting for both boys during dance class. I wish I could sit down and read while they are in preschool but I refuse to grocery shop with the boys if I have to, so use that time to run around town. I have found that even though I’m running the boys around like crazy, I really appreciate the time where I am waiting for them. It’s amazing how much I can read in a 45 minute stretch when I’m supposedly really busy.

I also tend to read with a book in one hand while stirring dinner on the stove with the other hand. It’s all about multi-tasking people!

Fiction

West of Here by Jonathan Evison (I’ll be going to his signing at the Kings English Thursday March 3rd)
The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash (A reread from 2009 which we read for book club. I never reread books, so that tells you how much I love this book.)
I Don’t Want to Kill You by Dan Wells (local author)

Young Adult Fiction

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu
The Best and Hardest thing by Pat Brisson
Lena by Jacqueline Woodson
My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter (local author)
Mississippi Trail, 1955 by Chris Crowe (local author)
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak (He’s coming for a signing! Here in Utah!!!! March 26th! Squeeeee!)
Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George (local author)
The Lost Saint by Bree Despain (local author)

Middle Readers

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata

Non-Fiction

Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting by Michael Perry

Lots of variation thus far. West of Here was my chunkster for the month. Dirty Little Secrets is about a girl who’s mother is a hoarder and was fascinating in subject matter as I’ve never read anything like it! I love Jacqueline Woodson so excited to read another fantastic backlist title, Lena. The Best and Hardest Thing as well as Chasing Brooklyn are both free verse novels which I ADORE.

Best line from The Lost Saint: “You Bedazzled my stake?”

I usually don’t care for books with talking animals but I might just change my mind after reading Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. One of the main characters is a polar bear and I didn’t mind a bit. I LOVED The Evolution of Calpunia Tate. If you’ve read it, you’ll know what I mean, when I say, what an awesome grandpa!

My husband attended LTUE, a local writers conference, and Dan Wells sent him home with the third book in his I Am Not A Serial Killer series, I Don’t Want to Kill You. I promptly abandoned everything else I was reading to rush through it. Only question – is there a fourth?

And Markus Zusak is coming! So, so, so excited! I read The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger years ago but read through his other backlist titles to prepare. Also, listening to The Book Thief on audio which is all kinds of fantastic (although I think I’d be lost and confused if I hadn’t read it in print first).

What is your favorite book that you’ve read thus far in 2011?

2010 Reading Report

Natasha Maw — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:42:52 +0000

I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not I really wanted to post my 2010 reading totals this year. For one, it will be glaringly clear that my blogging mojo was off for most of the entire year. I mean seriously, I’ve hardly reviewed anything this year. The blog has been pretty pathetic lately. But yet reading – my reading has not been pathetic. I’m still reading just as much and read a lot of awesome (and a few not so awesome books)!

Fiction

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans
War on the Margins by Libby Cone
Guest House by Barbara Richardson
The Eden Hunter by Skip Horak
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley
The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
Conjugal Love by Alberto Moravia
The Gendarme by Mark Mustian
Mr. Monster by Dan Wells
In the Woods by Tana French
Unformed Landscape by Peter Stamm
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Sea Escape by Lynne Griffen
Love Begins in Winter: Stories by Simon Van Booy
How Dolly Parton Saved My Life by Charlotte Connors
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris
The Threadbare Heart by Jennie Nash
Get Lucky by Katherine Center
The Birth House by Ami McKay
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Gabriel’s Story by David Anthony Durham
A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi
Recovering Charles by Jason Wright
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Last Will of Moriah Leahy by Therese Walsh
I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells
Room by Emma Donoghue

Young Adult Fiction

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl
Trapped by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Hush by Eishes Chayil
The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhard
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams
Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart
Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck
Yummy by G. Neri
Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Grace by Elizabeth Scott
The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale, Illustrated by Nathan Hale
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Bifocal by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
Pretties by Scott Westerfield
Specials by Scott Westerfield
The Surrender Tree, Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
Artichoke’s Heart by Suzanne Supplee
Keep Sweet by Michelle Dominguez Green
Keesha’s House by Helen Frost
The Ring by Bobbie Pyron
Split by Swati Avasthi
Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards
Matched by Ally Condie
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Beautiful by Amy Reed
The Blonde of the Joke by Bennett Madison

Middle Readers

Countdown by Deborah Wiles
Annexed by Sharon Dogar
Palace Beautiful by Sarah Deford Williams
Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and
The Limit by Kristen Landon
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester
Bink and Gollie by Kate KiCamillo
Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness by Frank L. Cole
Grease Town by Ann Towell
The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham
All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg
All Alone by Claire Huchet Bishop
Dovey Coe by Frances O’Roark Dowell
Witness by Karen Hesse
Year of No Rain by Alice Mead
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry
The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales by David Lubar
Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford
Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It by Sundee Tucker Frazier
Operation Yes by Sara Holmes
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
My Brother the Dog by Kim Williams-Justesen
In Grandpa’s House by Philip Sendak
Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Frank Wright
Romana Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Clearly
A Fine White Dust by Cynthia Rylant
Clementine, Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker
Trackers by Patrick Carmen
Boom by Mark Haddon
Tales from a Not So Popular Party Girl by Rachel Renee Russell
Cracker, The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

Non-Fiction

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
Raising a Reader by Jennie Nash
A Family of Readers: The Book Lover’s Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature edited by Roger Sutton
Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson, Illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler (picture book)
Church of Lies by Flora Jessop and Paul T. Brown
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet (memoir)
The Year My Son and I Were Born: A Story of Down Syndrome, Motherhood, and Self-Discovery by Kathryn Lynard Soper (memoir)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (memoir)
Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change by Michelle Cook (picture book)
The Blue Cotton Gown, A Midwife’s Memoir by Patricia Harman (memoir)
My Bridges of Hope: Searching for Life and Love After Auschwitz by by Livia Bitton-Jackson (juvenile memoir)
A Place to Hide: True Stories of Holocaust Rescues by Jayne Pettit (juvenile)
Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth and Everyday Magic by Martha Beck (memoir)
It’s All Too Much, An Easy Plan For Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh (self-help)
Shattered Silence, The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter by Melissa G. Moore (memoir)
Surviving the Angel of Death, The Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Kor (memoir)

Picture Books

I feel like I read some fantastic books this year. And if I get my butt in gear, maybe I’ll get a post about where I talk about the best of the best and the worst of the worst! But the best of the year? Lonesome Dove. Ahh, loved it.

Oh – and if you’re a publisher or author expecting a review, you’ll still get one.

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September and October Reading Report

Natasha Maw — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 01:55:11 +0000

If I have dreams of reviewing everything I’ve read this past year in this current year, I need to stop reading and start reviewing! Such a bad, bad blogger this year. Read lots of great books this past September and October. I can honestly say that I liked them all.

Thanks to the great readalong being hosted by My Friend Amy, Amused by Books and Gerbera Daisy Diaries I read Lonesome Dove. I’ve had that book sitting on my shelf for YEARS and am sad that I let it sit for so long. Easily the best book that I’ve read this year and an instant favorite. I devoured all 940 pages in just 2 to 3 weeks. SO SO GOOD.

Fiction

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley
The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
Conjugal Love by Alberto Moravia
The Gendarme by Mark Mustian
Mr. Monster by Dan Wells

Young Adult Fiction

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Hush by Eishes Chayil
The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt

Middle Readers

Palace Beautiful by Sarah Deford Williams
Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and
The Limit by Kristen Landon
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O’Connor

Picture Books

Non-Fiction

A Family of Readers: The Book Lover’s Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature edited by Roger Sutton
Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson, Illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler (picture book)

Now somebody tell me to stop reading and actually review these titles!

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Reader Spotlight: Meet Melissa from YA Book Shelf!

Natasha Maw — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 05:54:56 +0000

This week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW)!

Book Blogger Appreciation was started by Amy Riley of My Friend Amy in an effort to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading. The first Book Blogger Appreciation was observed in the fall of 2008 and occurs every September. The week spotlights and celebrates the work of active book bloggers through guest posts, awards, giveaways, and community activities.

Today, participating book bloggers are swapping interviews with each other. It’s not only a great way to introduce readers to new book blogs, but to also learn more about each other. So I’d like to introduce you to Melissa who blogs at YA Book Shelf who describes her blog as:

Whether you have a craving for werewolves, vampires or other Gothic tales or something realistic, the magic of a fairy tale or a contemporary glimpse into a teen’s life, YABookShelf will help you find that the books that generate a lot of buzz, some favorites that we can’t forget from our own YA years, and everything in between. From time to time, we also will bring you contests, interviews with both up and coming and established YA authors and news about what’s going in teen literature now.

Give a welcome to Melissa!

Maw Books: You have not been blogging for that long. What made you decide to start your book blog and what made you decide to focus on mainly Young Adult literature?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: You mentioned blaming your sister for getting you to begin your book blog. My boyfriend helped push me in the direction of starting YA Book Shelf, but the desire started before he suggested it. I’d thought about reviewing books in the past since I do read a lot, but I didn’t really know much about blogging and wasn’t sure that I could commit the time required. However, my boyfriend had previously been writing a book blog about a subject he wasn’t passionate about. As he started losing interest, I was more and more compelled to try something similar in the YA genre. Like you, I didn’t read a lot of YA literature as I was growing up, but what I did, has stuck with me to this day. Not only did the books available in the YA section appeal to me, but also I felt that many of the subjects, in particular the contemporary YA ones, would make a real impact on their audience. If I could help get the message of these books to their intended audience when they needed them most, then I really wanted to be able to do so.

Maw Books: After about five months of blogging, what have you learned along the way? Is blogging about books what you expected or have you discovered that adjustments were needed along the way?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf : I have learned a lot in the last five months. Using WordPress as my blog platform has been a big learning experience whenever it came to wanting to make small adjustments to that layout of my site, like the header size, but I’m really glad that I now have accumulated this knowledge. I’ve also learned a lot about the publishing industry.

Blogging about books is both more challenging and rewarding than I expected. It’s challenging to have the blog schedule that I have and to balance it with other things I need to do in my life. I listen to my body, and if I need to take some time for myself, then I take it without question. Though I knew that I would be passionate about writing about books I loved, I couldn’t have anticipated how happy it would make me. I’ve said more than once that it seems all of my experiences with university and work (writing, editing, and marketing online properties) have led me to where I am now.

Maw Books: If somebody was to read only three posts from your blog which three posts would you direct them too and why?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: If I had to choose three posts for someone to check out on YA Book Shelf as a primer, then they’d definitely be my reviews of Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson, Stolen by Lucy Christopher, and Ghost Ride by Marina Cohen. I believe that these are not only some of my best-written reviews on the site, but also they show my main interest in both contemporary issue narratives and Gothic YA. Although Anderson is really popular and Christopher is becoming more recognizable, I think that Cohen’s novel really hasn’t had as much exposure as it deserves.

Maw Books: What role does having an M.A. in English Literature play in your reading choices and how you’ve chosen to review the books that you read?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: I feel fortunate that completing my Master’s degree required passing a round of comprehensive exams because it forced me to read from literary periods and genres that I would’ve avoided otherwise, even though my primary interests were in the 19th century and Gothic literature. My background has made me particularly adept at reading YA historical novels of nearly any British period as well as various Gothic and horror stories. At the same time, I was also particularly interested in narratives about trauma (sometimes it’s related to Gothic plots as well), so many of the contemporary novels I’ve read for my site have an appeal to me from my academic days.

Occasionally my reviews focus on structural issues or use knowledge that I’ve acquired through reading literary theory, but they don’t all conform to this formula. Sometimes I’ll finish a book and just know that it requires a particular approach due to its content. For example, in an upcoming review for Confessions Of the Sullivan Sisters, I write a confession to my readers within the larger review because the book is a series of written confessions.

Maw Books: You post a lot of book trailers, and so I assume that you enjoy them. What in your opinion makes a good book trailer and what makes an awful one?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: I like the idea of anything that helps promote new books, and I think that book trailers are an important part of the burgeoning web 2.0 publicity tools. I don’t really think that there are any truly awful trailers since all of them will get the message out in the open to some degree, but some that are more or less successful. The most successful ones at this moment have at least one of two things going for them: an aesthetically pleasing design and the ability to create interest in the book without giving away the entire story or merely reiterating the book jacket copy. (The ways in which one is judged aesthetically pleasing will definitely change as time goes on and as technology improves). Those that are less successful at this time often use static images and text superimposed on the screen, especially when the font selected is difficult to read. I’d say that they’re less successful currently because viewers are consistently expecting bigger and better things from trailers, and thus, static images seem dated.

Maw Books: Whom would you consider your three top favorite authors and why? Is favoritism towards authors based solely on their books or does their online/offline persona play into that as well?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: Selecting three is pretty tough, but I wouldn’t be disappointed with stating that my favorite authors are Charlotte Brontë, Anne-Marie MacDonald, and Laurie Halse Anderson. For both of the first two authors, I’ve re-read their coming-of-age novels a few times and have always gotten something more from them. I just discovered Laurie Halse Anderson this year and fell in love with two of her novels, Speak and Catalyst and am looking forward to reading the rest of her YA novels. While the online/offline personas have nothing to do with why I first was attracted and delighted by these writers, I’ll admit that some interviews I’ve read and watched with Anderson have made me admire her even more for her ability to speak her mind and advocate for today’s teens.

Maw Books: What keywords could somebody give you to convince you to read a particular book? In other words, are there books about certain subjects that you just know you HAVE to read.

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: I read a lot of very emotionally heavy books with characters, who have a history or abuse, whether physical, emotional or sexual, who know someone who committed suicide, who have eating disorders, mental illness, etc, so when I hear of a new book along these lines, I HAVE to read it. I also like books where either there is a strong female lead or a dystopian world. I do read a lot of paranormal novels now for fun as well and to give myself a break from the more cathartic reads that fill my shelves.

Maw Books: Who would be your ideal actress for Katniss in The Hunger Games?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: Ideally, I think the role of Katniss should go to a virtually unknown actor, who has the ability to at once convincingly pull off the physical and dramatic requirements of the character. As well, I think that she should be close in age to the actual character, so no younger than 15 in case they decide to film the other two installments as well.

Maw Books: And on any given night, where would we find you reading and what would you be eating?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: At night, I often read in bed before I fall asleep and occasionally on the couch in the living room (wherever I can get comfy and not be disturbed by TV or music). When I can take some time for myself, however, and it’s during the spring or summer months, I’d prefer to read outdoors in the big park near my house. As for eating, I don’t usually find myself eating and reading at the same time.

Maw Books: Thanks Melissa!

Okay, sounds like Melissa and I are bookmates. “Emotionally heavy books with characters, who have a history of abuse . . . “ Sound familiar? People tell me that I love the most depressing books. And it’s true. I do. I look forward to seeing what Melissa recommends in the future.

Visit Melissa at YA Book Shelf and on Twitter! While you are there, visit Melissa’s interview with me!

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July and August Reading Report

Natasha Maw — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:43:30 +0000

A decent amount of reading for July and August and a not-so-decent amount of actual reviewing. The good news? I may have broken through my writing block! I actually have reviews written and waiting to be published! Who’da thunk?!

My favorite read from July and August? The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Amazing!

Fiction

In the Woods by Tana French
Unformed Landscape by Peter Stamm
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Sea Escape by Lynne Griffen
Love Begins in Winter: Stories by Simon Van Booy
How Dolly Parton Saved My Life by Charlotte Connors
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Young Adult Fiction

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams
Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart
Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck
Yummy by G. Neri
Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Middle Readers

Bink and Gollie by Kate KiCamillo
Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness by Frank L. Cole
Grease Town by Ann Towell
The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter

Picture Books

Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick, Illustrated by Daniel Jennewein

Non-Fiction

Church of Lies by Flora Jessop and Paul T. Brown

And given the fact that 12 of these books were either review copies or brought home from BEA, I really feel like I’m making headway on that TBR pile!

What was your favorite book that you read this summer?

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In Utah This Saturday? Don’t Miss Writing for Charity

Natasha Maw — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:05:41 +0000

This Saturday is a huge day for children’s literature in Utah with Writing for Charity scheduled to occur. If you will be in Utah, this Saturday, August 21st, then you NEED to be at this event.

The goal of Writing for Charity, as stated from the Writing for Charity website:

Help us give books to those who need them. Our goal is to give books to all of the kids in at least ten of the lowest socioeconomic populated schools in the state. That would be approximately 6,000 books to 6,000 kids. And not just any books, but books by Utah authors, their neighbors. Where possible, these books will be signed and the author will speak to the kids. Our hope and our expectation is that by giving kids their own books, and making these connections, we will spark an excitement for reading, and an understanding that writers are normal people, like them, and that writing is something they can do too

Do you believe in this cause? You can do one of several things: Register to attend the writing workshop (for writers), and/or the evening extravaganza (for everyone), or by making a donation (pdf link), and even bid on awesome silent auction items.

Authors at the workshop include:

Anne Bowen
Laura Card
Kristen Chandler
Kristyn Crow
James Dashner
Bree Despain
Sharlee Glenn
Christine Graham
Mette Ivie Harrison
Sydney Salter
Matthew J Kirby
Mike Knudson
Kristen Landon
Sheila A. Nielson
J Scott Savage
Emily Wing Smith
Wendy Toliver
Rick Walton
Dan Wells
Jessica Day George
Ann Dee Ellis

And as if that isn’t enough, the evening involves an all star panel as well:

Ally Condie
James Dashner
Bree Despain
Jessica Day George
Shannon Hale
Brandon Mull
Brandon Sanderson
Sara Zarr

Last year I gifted a registration to my husband for his birthday and we can personally attest to the OUTSTANDING event that these authors organize. I swear just about every Utah author we had was there. Stepping into that room was like stepping into a candy store – I seriously didn’t know who to go talk to first. We are looking forward to attending the evening panel and entertainment this year. Everyone is invited!

Details as to cost, times, location, etc are all found on the Writing for Charity site. And remember – every penny goes towards the purchase of books for Utah kids in Utah schools!

Will we see you there?

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Mid-Year Reading Report

Natasha Maw — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:07:28 +0000

So it’s July now and that means the year is half over! I have come to the conclusion that I have been in a blogging rut the ENTIRE year. People, I still have about 20 books from 2009 that are still in my review pile. Slowly working on that. I guess when I said that I was going to take it easy this year, I ended up taking it too easy! And yes – the review pile makes me feel guilty every time I look at it.

Because I haven’t been doing a monthly wrap up this year, I thought I would take a moment and at least share with you what I’ve read thus far in 2010.

Fiction

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris
The Threadbare Heart by Jennie Nash
Get Lucky by Katherine Center
The Birth House by Ami McKay
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Gabriel’s Story by David Anthony Durham
A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi
Recovering Charles by Jason Wright
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Last Will of Moriah Leahy by Therese Walsh
I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wellsn (debated – is this YA or adult?)
Room by Emma Donoghue

Young Adult Fiction

The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale, Illustrated by Nathan Hale
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Bifocal by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
Pretties by Scott Westerfield
Specials by Scott Westerfield
The Surrender Tree, Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
Artichoke’s Heart by Suzanne Supplee
Keep Sweet by Michelle Dominguez Green
Keesha’s House by Helen Frost
The Ring by Bobbie Pyron
Split by Swati Avasthi
Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards
Matched by Ally Condie
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Beautiful by Amy Reed
The Blonde of the Joke by Bennett Madison

Middle Readers

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham
All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg
All Alone by Claire Huchet Bishop
Dovey Coe by Frances O’Roark Dowell
Witness by Karen Hesse
Year of No Rain by Alice Mead
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry
The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales by David Lubar
Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford
Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It by Sundee Tucker Frazier
Operation Yes by Sara Holmes
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
My Brother the Dog by Kim Williams-Justesen
In Grandpa’s House by Philip Sendak
Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Frank Wright
Romana Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Clearly
A Fine White Dust by Cynthia Rylant
Clementine, Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker
Trackers by Patrick Carmen
Boom by Mark Haddon
Tales from a Not So Popular Party Girl by Rachel Renee Russell
Cracker, The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

Picture Books

Non-Fiction

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet (memoir)
The Year My Son and I Were Born: A Story of Down Syndrome, Motherhood, and Self-Discovery by Kathryn Lynard Soper (memoir)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (memoir)
Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change by Michelle Cook (picture book)
The Blue Cotton Gown, A Midwife’s Memoir by Patricia Harman (memoir)
My Bridges of Hope: Searching for Life and Love After Auschwitz by by Livia Bitton-Jackson (juvenile memoir)
A Place to Hide: True Stories of Holocaust Rescues by Jayne Pettit (juvenile)
Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth and Everyday Magic by Martha Beck (memoir)
It’s All Too Much, An Easy Plan For Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh (self-help)
Shattered Silence, The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter by Melissa G. Moore (memoir)
Surviving the Angel of Death, The Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Kor (memoir)

So including books left over from 2009 that’s about 60 book reviews behind. Gulp! Kind of makes me want to just go back outside and play with the boys instead. Or at the very least read another book. I’m not where I’d like to be in terms of my general fiction. Seeing it laid out like that makes it look really bare. I’d like to even that out before the end of the year. But I do like the number of memoir’s I’ve read this year. And it looks like middle readers takes the cake so far.

Have we read some of the same books? What is the one book (new or old) that you would recommend I must read this year?

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Guest Post: Author Kris Waldherr with Six Tips for BEA Newbies

Natasha Maw — Sun, 23 May 2010 10:01:30 +0000

Dream Big: Six Tips for BEA Newbies

For some reason, when I think of newcomers to Book Expo America, I flash back to the end of Pretty Woman. Not that I’m a big fan — I don’t feel strongly one way or the other about Julia Roberts’ streetwise Cinderella — but the film’s last line sums up all the hopes and fears that can get shoehorned into the BEA experience.

So here goes, updated for relevance:

“Welcome to Book Expo America! What’s your dream? Everybody comes here; this is BEA, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don’t; but keep on dreaming.”

As an author, I know something about those dreams. After all, BEA is the big kahuna of American publishing — thousands of authors, editors, and publicity people under one gigantic roof for one event-packed weekend. These past few years BEA has taken place in New York City which, as the center for the publishing industry, spins more than a few dreams of its own.

So, as a book blogger, what do you hope to get out of this BEA dream? That’s one question I can’t answer for you — everyone has different expectations. But, as a long-time New York City resident and Book Expo attendee, I can offer you some tips for making your trip better and, well, dreamier.

1. Take the bus. The Javits Center is not “real” New York City. Before you panic, let me amend this to say, yes, it is in Manhattan. But the Javits is located all the way on the West Side, far from most attractions, hotels, shopping and restaurants (unless you happen to have a special fondness for the Hudson River). If you’re like most BEA attendees, you won’t have a chauffeur at your call. And crosstown distances in Manhattan are longer than you think — it’s a far longer walk to the Javits from the Eighth Avenue subway than you’d expect.

Fortunately, the M34 bus goes crosstown along 34th Street, which is the major street nearest the Javits. Take it. Which brings me to my next tip….

2. Save your feet. The floor on the Javits is very hard on the feet — must be all that concrete. Thankfully, some publishers will spring for extra padding under their carpeting, but you can’t count on this. Plus the conference is spread out over several display floors that can seem larger than some European principalities.

In other words, bring the comfy shoes; save the Jimmy Choos.

3. The MTA is your friend. Yes, big city mass transit can be intimidating. Yes, you can take a cab. But the line for them outside the Javits is often long. Who wants to wait on line for an hour after being on your feet all day? Be prepared and do what the New Yorkers do: Take the A (or Q or B) train. Or the bus, for that matter. Especially during the day, you’ll ofte get to your destination faster.

Download maps and other information at: http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/

Have an iPhone? I like the KickMap app, which offers localized mass transit info.

4. Get automated. To take the subway or a bus, you’ll need a MetroCard. You can buy them at any subway station from a machine. These machines are easy to use and accept cash and cards (but no coins, please). Single tickets are $2.25. Buy in bulk — you get a 15% bonus on purchase of $8 or more. Plus you’ll save precious time.

5. Take advantage. Make no mistake, BEA is amazing — all those publishers, people and authors joined together in one big industry kumbaya love fest. This makes it all too easy to get trapped within the Javits Center universe. But, as a New York City resident, I would be tremendously sad if you didn’t take advantage of our fair city’s other offerings.

Here are a few suggestions for things to do, especially if you’re on a budget:

~ Like performances and shows? Get same day steeply discounted tickets at the Times Square TKTS booth (www.tdf.org), located at Broadway and 47th Street. Offerings generally include Broadway shows, dance performances, Off-Broadway and much more.

~ New York City is famous for its restaurants. If you’re yearning for the Michelin star experience, it’s usually much cheaper to enjoy lunch than dinner. You’ll get the same food, same environment, but a less anxiety-inducing check.

~ To get to know a city, here’s no substitute for café society. Avoid the Starbucks rut — some of New York’s best coffee houses are down town in the Village. Have a cappuccino at Café Dante or Café Reggio. While you’re in the area, check out the justly famous Strand Books where new books mingle with used, often at astonishing prices. Or take in an art house film at the Angelica or Film Forum.

6. Ultimately, BEA is about the people. There’s no substitute for meeting other publishing professionals face-to-face; for honing relationships through real-time conversation instead of e-mail or tweets. Keep your BEA dream in mind. Whether it be meeting authors, getting an advance peek at new books, or just getting an intoxicating dose of the publishing industry, it can all happen here.

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Kris Waldherr is the author of DOOMED QUEENS (Broadway Books/Doubleday) and numerous other books. She also runs a studio-gallery devoted to book arts in Brooklyn, NY. Learn more at KrisWaldherr.com.

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The Threadbare Heart by Jennie Nash

Natasha Maw — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:03:33 +0000

I was a HUGE fan of The Only True Genius in the Family and so had huge expectations for Jennie Nash’s new novel The Threadbare Heart. Oh my goodness. This woman has incredible talent. I LOVED this book. The Threadbare Heart is a story of family: of mothers, daughters, sons, wives, and husbands. It is a story of friends. It is a story of love, marriage, commitment, uncertainty, grief, sorrow and healing.

I must share with you the opening paragraphs* of the book which drew me in completely:

Love was the one thing Lily always thought she did better than her mother. She believed that she knew exactly what love took, what it cost, and what it meant, and she though of her long marriage to Tom as proof of it. But in the short period of time between Christmas and the start of fire season, everything she understood about love unraveled, the way jeans do at the hem, the way tweed does so that it reveals the intricate relationship of the warp and the weft, and she realized how very little she knew about the way love worked. People naturally assumed, after everything that happened, that it was a bitter revelation, but they were wrong.

“Would you do it all again, knowing what you know now?” her mother Eleanor, asked. Eleanor was, at that moment, seventy-five years old, about to be married again herself, and hoping that this time she might get it right.

“In a heartbeat,” Lily said – not only because she believed it, but because she knew it was what her mother needed to hear.

I’m not going to share too much of the plot with you today. Suffice to say that I think the back cover synopsis spoils the book completely. Thank goodness I NEVER read back cover synopsis until after the fact. Something happened in the book which I’m glad I didn’t know was going to happen because it made it just that much more powerful. So if you see this one in the store, don’t pick it up to read what it says on the back. Just go to the cash register and take it home with you.

Suffice it to say that this is a story of Lily and her longstanding marriage to Tom. It’s a story of Lily’s mother who is about to be married for the fourth time. It’s a story of Lily’s two sons, one who is wondering himself if he’d be one to take after his mother or his grandmother. I know that that description is about the most basic I could give but it’s a story with such incredible depth. Jennie Nash writes with such beauty. The emotions that she’s able to bring out in her characters is one that will have you crying right alongside them.

A gorgeous novel.

I am THRILLED to offer you an opportunity to win a signed copy of The Threadbare Heart and ten signed copies, a call-in from Jennie Nash, and a rum cake to one lucky grand prize winner (chosen from all participating blogs in this awesome promotion). There is a PDF document embedded here. If you can not view it, than click here.

It’s simple. Leave me a comment and in just 250 words explain your favorite fictional mother-daughter pair. I will post the entry I like best on my blog the day after Mother’s Day (other blogs will post theirs Mother’s Day but I will be offline and unable to do so). Then Jennie Nash will pick the grand prize entry from those.

Seriously folks, you NEED this book. I loved it so much.

*quoted from an uncorrected proof
Links of interest: Jennie Nash website, blog, and follow on Twitter. Maw Books reviews of The Only True Genius in the Family, The Last Beach Bungalow book review, Jennie Nash guest post and my interview with Jennie talking about The Last True Genius in the Family. More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Berkley Trade. May 4, 2010
Paperback, 336 pages. ISBN 042523410X
Source: Review copy
The Threadbare Heart by Jennie Nash is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Utah Book Bloggers Winter Social Photos and Fun!

Natasha Maw — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:31:59 +0000

I am really remiss in posting about our AWESOME party that we had last week. Not for lack of enthusiasm though but rather my intimidation of all the links that were needed for this post.

Can I just say WOW?!! For those of you who have been following my blog for a long time know what a fantastic community of authors and book bloggers we have here in Utah. One year ago I hosted our first social in my home and our second summer social in the park. This party blew those parties out of the water. No way we would even fit in my house anymore! Seriously, if you don’t live in Utah, you are just missing out. We had a crazy bunch of book bloggers, authors, soon to be published authors, booksellers, and book enthusiasts in one room together. I’d say there was about half authors and half bloggers and I’d say near sixty attended. From the noise level, laughing, and smiles that I saw on everybody’s face, I gather that a good time was had by all!

But enough talking. Let’s just see the pictures.

Back row: Ann Cannon, Catie from ook Bound, James Dashner, Emily Wing Smith, Suey from It’s All About The Books, Sydney Salter, Michelle from Flower Petal Books. Front row: Jenni from Jenni Eylse, Debbie from Cranberry Fries, Bree Despain.

Back row: Suey from It’s All About Books, me, Kim from Good Clean Reads, Shannon Hale, Michelle Teacress , Ann Cannon. Middle row: Cherylynne from Critiquing the World and Cari from Book Scoops. Front row: Karen from Typing With My Toes, Melissa from One Librarian’s Book Reviews.

Karey Shane and I:

Alison from So Many Books, So Little Time and I (whom I’d been wanting to meet for a VERY long time):

Jean Reagan, Becky Hall, Kristyn Crow,and Sydney Salter:

Passing out the books:

Jenni from Jenni Eylse, Debbie from Cranberry Fries

Nikki Mantlya and Shannon Hale:

James Dashner and wife:

Leisha Maw and Melissa from Storybook Story:

Cailtyn from All Things Print, Rachelle from bibliobabe.com

Angie from Angieville and husband Aaron Michael:

Brenda from Brenda Loves Books:

Becky from One Literature Nut:

Suey from All About The Books:

Melissa from One Librarian Book Reviews and husband:

Talking it up:

Kim from Good Clean Reads, Shannon Hale, James Dashner:

Bree Despain and Emily Wing Smith

Suey’s husband with Sydney Salter and Brodi Ashton:

Almost the whole group. Can I just say I was ecstatic with our turn out?!

And I know there were people who didn’t make it on camera. Like where is Anne Bowen? My sister Leisa? And I REALLY missed those of you who were unable to make it. Oh, please come next time!

I wish I could tell you all the great conversations and funny stuff that happened but sometimes I’m just not very funny like that. But there was a lot of laughing going on. So I know funny stuff happened. What I REALLY wish is that I had time to sit down with everybody one-on-one for an hour. So many conversations going on that I roamed between tables all night.

I love how blogging brings people together who have never meet each other and yet they can talk all night as if they were old friends. I also love how blogging has narrowed the gap between author and reader. Seriously, when does your average reader get to eat dinner with this amazing group of authors?! So thank you bloggers for coming! Thank you authors for supporting your local bloggers! And a huge thank you to Suey and Becky for being awesome co-hosts! No wonder we had our best social yet.

So are you moving here yet?!

FYI: Our socials are an open invitation to all book bloggers, authors, writers, booksellers, publishing professionals and book enthusiasts. Our next social will be in August as a potluck in the park. Contact me with your email address to make sure you get the details next time (I wish I could seek all of you out but that’s nearly impossible) or subscribe to my blog because I’ll announce it here as well. You can catch up with your favorite Utah book bloggers at our group on the Book Bloggers Ning (more than 50 of us there), subscribing to our shared RSS feed, following the Utah Book Community list on Twitter.

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