Personal 2009 Reading Goals

I went back to the post I wrote about how I wanted to do in 2009.  This is what I said.  Interesting . . .

• Continue to read with my children. Especially, get them going on their ABC’s.  My oldest is three and has a difficult time with language.  Has zero interest in his ABC’s.  I would like to work harder with them this year on their reading skills and letter recognition. Check!  We had a great time checking books out from the library, going to storytime, snuggling on the couch and reading Cybils books together.  AND AND AND my little boy said his ABC’s perfectly just last month.  You should have seen us celebrating!  His letter recognition is great.

• 52 Books in 52 Weeks – I said, “In my attempt to read a wide variety of books, I’m setting the goal to read and review 52 books in each of the following categories:  Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Readers, Picture Books, and Non-Fiction.  I’m not going to stress if I don’t do well, but the fun is in the journey.”  Well, the fun was in the journey.  In 2009 I read: 21 non-fiction, 28 adult fiction, 38 young adult fiction, 51 middle grade fiction and 40 picture books.  Didn’t hit 52 in any of them!

• Book Clubs – Continue to participate in my neighborhood book club, the children’s literature book club, and moderate the Rich Women Sisterhood book club.  Well, the Rich Women Sisterhood book club didn’t get off the ground but I LOVED and didn’t miss a single meeting with my neighborhood book club or my children’s literature book club.  I even joined another book club with a few bloggers who meet monthly via Skype.

• Read more parenting, gardening, and photography books this year.  I’d like to revive some of my other interests that seemed to take the back burner this past year.  Didn’t review a single one!  Failed.

• Continue  interaction with authors via and interviews, guest posts, and blog tours. The blog tours got a bit stressful and I slowed down on interviews in the second half of the year but I LOVE interviews and guest posts.  Will continue for 2010.

I think it would have helped if I had actually reviewed the goals I made at least once during the year but considering that I didn’t, I’m okay with how I did.

Perpetual Life-Long Challenges

Read all the Newbery Medal and Honor books

Newbery books I read in 2009:

1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2. Savvy by Ingrid Law
3. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott
4. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman
5. Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
6. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
7. Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
8. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
9. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
10. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
11. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
12. The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
13. The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
14. The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
15. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Read all the Pulitzer Fiction Winners

Not a single book read this past year.  Well, this certainly will take a lifetime at this rate.

500 of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Sadly, I did not read a single book off this list in 2009 either.  I did start and didn’t finish both The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.  Not doing too well.

Community Challenges

A-Z Challenge

Hosted by Becky of Becky’s Book Reviews
Visit the A-Z Challenge Blog
When: All of 2009
How: Read 52 books, 26 titles for A-Z and 26 authors for A-Z.

I made this one even harder by trying to read only books I owned that were Newbery and other MG books.

Alpha by Title
Amelia’s War by Ann Rinaldi
The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryre Brink
Dovey Cove by Frances O’Roark Dowel
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Ketley Snyder
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L Konigsburg
The Good Master by Kate Seredy
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
In Grandpa’s House by Philip Sendak
Journey Outside by Mary Q. Steele
Keesha’s House by Helen Frost
Letters from a Slave Girl, The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
*The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot by Catherine Besterman or *Queer Person by Ralph Hubbard
Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer
Sarah Plain & Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
To Be a Slave by Julius Lester
*Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
The View From Saturday by E.L. Kongisburg (read but not yet reviewed)
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
X
Yolonda’s Genius by Carol Fenner
Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipoivic

Alpha by Author
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byors
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
anything by Eleanor Estes
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
I
J
Cracker by Cynthia Kadohata
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
In My Enemy’s House by Carol Matas
Rascal by Sterling North
Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
Q
Daughter of the Mountains by Louise Rankin
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
T
U
V
Stuart Little by E.B White
X
Pay the Piper by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple
Getting the Girl by Marcus Zusak

My thoughts: So I only read 10 out of 52 books but I still love this challenge so much that I’ll be duplicating it again for 2010.

Dewey’s Books

Chris at Stuff Dreams Are Made Of and Robin at A Fondness for Reading hosted a very special challenge in honor of Dewey from The Hidden Side of A Leaf in which participants read 5 books that Dewey reviewed.

My list of possibilities:

The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg (to be reviewed)
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (to be reviewed)
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
March by Geraldine Brooks
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Purple Hibiscus by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie

My thoughts: I read 3 of the 5 books that I listed as possibilities and still need to review two.  I wish I had finished this one.

Diversity Rocks

Hosted by Ali at Worducopia, the Diversity Rocks Challenge is to ensure racial and ethnic diversity in the authors that we read. I committed to read 40 books with diverse authors.

1. Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson (African American)
2. Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki, Illustrated by Steve Rolston (Asian)
3. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson (African American)
4. Jellaby by Kean Soo (Asian)
5. Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson (African American)
6. The Well by Mildred D. Taylor (African American)
7. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look (Chinese American)
8. Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, Illustrated by Dom Lee (Japanese)
9. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, Illustrations by Kadir Nelson (illustrator: African American)
10. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by Hudson Talbott (African American)
11. Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee by Ken Mochizuki, Illustrated by Dom Lee (Japanese American)
12. Passage to Freedom, The Sugihara Story by Ken Mochizuki, Illustrated by Dom Lee (Japanese American)
13. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson (illustrator:  African American)
14. The Voice That Challenged A Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman (African American)
15. Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie and Cathleen Miller (African)
16. Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grime, Illustrated by Bryan Collier (African American)
17. A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman (Sri Lankan)
18. Wife of the Gods, An Inspector Darko Dawson Mystery by Kwei Quartey (African American)
19. I Hadn’t Mean to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson (African American)
20. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look (Chinese-American)
21. Heroes by Ken Mochizuki, Illustrated by Dom Lee (Japanese-American)
22. Zlata’s Diary, A Child’s Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic (Bosnian)
23. 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy in Collaboration with Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez (Cuban)
24. Hush by Jacqueline Woodson (African American)
25. Chess Rumble by G. Neri, Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson (African-American)
26. Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal
27. Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
28. My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, Illlustrated by Catherine Stock (African American)
29. Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (African American)
30. Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas’ Sproutings, Haiku by Pat Mora, Pictures by Rafael López (Illustrator  – Mexican)
31. Gracias Thanks by Pat Mora, Illustrated by John Parra (Illustrator – Hispanic)
32. War Child, A Child Soldier’s Story by Emmanuel Jal (Sudanese)
33. They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys From Sudan by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, Benjamin Ajak with Judy A. Bernstein (Sudanese)
34. I Am a Star, Child of the Holocaust by Inge Auerbacher (German)
35. Picking Cotton, Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton with Erin Torne (African-American)
36. Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (Hispanic)

My thoughts: Although I fell short 4 books, I’m really happy with 36! I often don’t know racial backgrounds of authors but this challenge helped me make an effort to make note.

Jewish Literature Challenge

December 21, 2008 – April 27, 2009
Hosted by Callista.

Read at least 4 books by Jewish Authors or about Judaism (Fiction, Non-fiction, memoirs, Adult books, Teen books, Children’s books, books about the Holocaust, books about anti-semitism, books about Jewish Life, Jewish Culture, Jewish Customs. Books by Jewish Authors no matter what the subject.)

My thoughts: FAIL, FAIL, FAIL.  I did great with this challenge in 2008.  Not so much this time around.  A big fat zero.

New Author Challenge

Hosted by Jackie at Literary Escapism this challenge was to track new-to-me authors in 2009.  Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels, but anthologies are also a great way to try someone new.

Excluding picture book authors, I challenged myself to read 75 new-to-me authors.

1. The Sisters Grimm, The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
2. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
3. Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight
4. The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine
5. Losing Kei by Suzanne Kamata
6. The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris
7. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
8. Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese
9. Feathered by Laura Kasischke
10. I Know It’s Over by C.K Kelly Martin
11. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
12. Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez
13. The Mechanics of Falling and Other Stories by Catherine Brady
14. Matrimony by Joshua Henkin
15. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
16. Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki, Illustrated by Steve Rolston
17. Chiggers by Hope Larson
18. Letters from a Slave Girl, The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons
19. The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
20. Jellaby by Kean Soo
21. Longhorns and Outlaws by Linda Aksomitis
22. The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
23. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
24. The Well by Mildred D. Taylor
25. Freedom Walkers, The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russel Freedman
26. An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken
27. Surviving Ben’s Suicide, A Woman’s Journey of Self Discovery by C. Comfort Shields
28. Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
29. Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner
30. Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West
31. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
32. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
33. Lily’s Crossing by Patricia ReillyGiff
34. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
35. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
36. The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
37. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
38. Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell
39. Savvy by Ingrid Law
40. Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman
41. Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka
42. Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
43. A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman
44. Wife of the Gods, An Inspector Darko Dawson Mystery by Kwei Quartey
45. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
46. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
47. Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
48. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
49. Dork Diaries: Tales from a NOT-SO-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell
50. First Comes Loves, Then Comes Malaria by Eve Brown-Waite
51. That Went Well, Adventures in Caring for My Sister by Terrell Harris Dougan
52. Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie and Cathleen Miller
53. Zlata’s Diary, A Child’s Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic
54. Chess Rumble by G. Neri, Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson
55. Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
56. I Am a Star, Child of the Holocaust by Inge Auerbacher
57. Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal
58. Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
59. Girl in the Arena by Lise Haine
60. Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf
61. Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
62. Standing Still by Kelly Simmons
63. The Next Thing On My List by Jill Smolinksi
64. Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal
65. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
66. Thanksgiving at the Inn by Tim Whitney
67. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
68. War Child, A Child Soldier’s Story by Emmanuel Jal
69. They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys From Sudan by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, Benjamin Ajak with Judy A. Bernstein
70. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
71. Standing Still by Kelly Simmons
72. Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby
73. Picking Cotton, Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton with Erin Torneo
74. The Widow’s Season by Laura Brodie
75. The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
76. Torn by God by Zoe Murdock
77. Searching for Eternity by Elizabeth Musser
78. Every Last Cuckoo by Kate Maloy
79. Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
80. Silver Shoes by Paul Miles Schneider
81. Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman
82. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
83. Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart
84. A Loser’s Guide to Life and Love by Ann Cannon
85. The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer
86. Slob by Ellen Potter
87. Binky, The Space Cat by Ashley Spires
88. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
89. The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
90. Long Shot, Comeback Kids by Mike Lupica
91. My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville
92. Dessert First by Hallie Durand
93. A Child’s Journey Out of Autism: One Family’s Story of Living in Hope and Finding a Cure by Leeann Whiffen
94. The Mistress’s Daughter by A.M. Homes
95. Tone Deaf in Bangkok and Other Places by Janet Brown, Photographs by Nana Chen

My thoughts: Well over 75 and so close to 100! I loved tracking how many authors I hadn’t read before.  I’m in again for 2010!

Non-Fiction Five

Hosted by Trish at Trish’s Reading Nook, the Non-Fiction Five Challenge rules were:

1. Read 5 non-fiction books during the months of May – September, 2009

2. Read at least one non-fiction book that is different from your other choices (i.e.: 4 memoirs and 1 self-help)

During the five month period I read:

1. That Went Well, Adventures in Caring for My Sister by Terrell Harris Dougan
2. Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie and Cathleen Miller
3. First Comes Loves, Then Comes Malaria by Eve Brown-Waite
4. Zlata’s Diary, A Child’s Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic
5. Travels with Tarra and Just for Elephants by Carol Buckley

My thoughts: I love non-fiction! During the entire year, I read 21 non-fiction books.

Read Your Own Books

Jenn hosted fhe 2009 Read Your Own Books Challenge. The concept is simple – read books that YOU OWN.

For this challenge, I did NOT count review copies of any sort.  All books were either purchased, off of my bookshelf or received as gifts.

1. Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
2. Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
3. Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
5. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
6. Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
7. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
8. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
9. The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
10. Letters from a Slave Girl, The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons
11. The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
12. The Well by Mildred D. Taylor
13. Consider Love, It’s Moods and Many Ways by Sandra Boynton
14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
15. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
16. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
17. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
18. Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
19. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
20. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
21. Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
22. Zlata’s Diary, A Child’s Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic
23. The Next Thing On My List by Jill Smolinksi
24. Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
25. Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson
26. Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
27. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
28. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
29. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
30. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
31. Picking Cotton, Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton with Erin Torneo
32. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
33. The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
34. Charlotte’s Rose by Ann Cannon

My thoughts: I read more books off of my own shelf than I thought.  I’m happy with that number but not enough adult fiction though.

Support Your Local Library

J. Kaye’s Book Blog hosted the 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge where participants were encouraged to read from their libraries.

I chose to read 50 books from my local library in 2009.

1. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look
2. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (since purchased)
3. I Hadn’t Mean to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson
4. Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
5. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
6. Feathered by Laura Kasischke
7. I Know It’s Over by C.K Kelly Martin
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
9. On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck
10. The Sisters Grimm, The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
11. Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie and Cathleen Miller
12. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
13. Always by Ann Stott, Illustrated by Matt Phelan (since received as gift)
14. There’s a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales Retold by Zoe B. Alley, Illustrated by R.W. Alley
15. Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez
16. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbot
17. Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West
18. Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell
19. Alvin Ho:  Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
20. Snow by Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Lauren Stringer
21. Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka
22. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
23. Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki, Illustrated by Steve Rolston
24. Chiggers by Hope Larson
25. Fade by Lisa McMann
26. The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
27. The Lightning Thief, Book One of Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan
28. Jellaby by Kean Soo
29. Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
30. Holbrook: A Lizards Tale by Bonny Becker
31. My Brother, The Robot by Bonny Becker
32. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
33. Mary Veronica’s Egg by Mary Nethery, Illustrated by Paul Yalowtiz
34. A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
35. An Ant’s Day Off by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Nina Laden
36. The Christmas Crocodile by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by David Small
37. Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmelia and Steven D’Amico
38. Ella Sets the Stage by Carmelia and Steven D’Amico
39. Ella Takes the Cake by Carmelia and Steven D’Amico
40. Ella Sets Sail by Carmelia and Steven D’Amico
41. Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, Illustrated by Dom Lee
42. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, Illustrations by Kadir Nelson
43. Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee by Ken Mochizuki, Illustrated by Dom Lee
44. Passage to Freedom, The Sugihara Story by Ken Mochizuki, Illustrated by Dom Lee
45. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
46. The Voice That Challenged A Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman
47. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford
48. Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grime, Illustrated by Bryan Collier
49. Freedom Walkers, The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman
50. Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
51. Frogs by Nic Bishop
52. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
53. Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
54. Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
55. Hush by Jacqueline Woodson
56. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
57. Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf
58. Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
59. Chess Rumble by G. Neri, Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson
60. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look
61. A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
62. Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
63. The Book That Eats People by John Perry, Illustrated by Mark Fearing (received review copy afterwards)
64. A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
65. The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
66. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, Illustrated by Marla Frazee (received review copy  afterwards)
67. Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty
68. Goodnight Goon, A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex
69. Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
70. Where’s My Mummy by Carolyn Crimi, Illustrated by John Manders
71. A Very Hairy Scary Story by Rick Walton and Illustrated by David Clark
72. Dear Vampa by Ross Collins
73. War Child, A Child Soldier’s Story by Emmanuel Jal
74. They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys From Sudan by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, Benjamin Ajak with Judy A. Bernstein
75. The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin and Rosana Faria
76. The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
77. Searching for Eternity by Elizabeth Musser
78. Every Last Cuckoo by Kate Maloy
79. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
80. Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
81. A Loser’s Guide to Life and Love by Ann Cannon
82. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
83. SLOB by Ellen Potter
84. Binky, The Space Cat by Ashley Spires
85. My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville
86. A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
87. Who Was Born this Special Day? by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by Leonid Gore
88. I’ve Seen Santa! by David Bedford, Illustrated by Tim Warnes

My thoughts: Thrilled to see that I used my public library so much! While storytime is in session, I go with the boys at least twice a week.  We checked out a million and one picture books and I wish I could have spotlighted them all.

Themed Reading

Wendy at Caribousmom hosted The Themed Reading Challenge which was a six month challenge from February to July designed to help readers clear books from their to-be-read stacks which center around a common theme or themes.

I chose to read 4-6 books by my local Utah authors.

1. The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (to be reviewed)
3. The Dark Divine by  Bree Despain (to be reviewed)
4. A Loser’s Guide to Life and Love by Ann Cannon (to be reviewed)
5. Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
6. Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
7. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
8. The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
9. Charlotte’s Rose by Ann Cannon (to be reviewed)
10. The 13th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner
11. A Very Hairy Scary Story by Rick Walton and illustrated by David Clark
12. A Child’s Journey Out of Autism: One Family’s Story of Living in Hope and Finding a Cure by Leeann Whiffen (to be reviewed)
13. That Went Well, Adventures in Caring for My Sister by Terrell Harris Dougan.

My thoughts:  While I did read six books during the six month period, I extended this challenge for the entireyear.  In fact, we have so many awesome local authors here that I’m joining Suey in making this a perpetual challenge.

War Through the Generations – World War II

Anna from Diary of an Eccentric and Serena from Savvy Verse and Wit have dedicated blog for challenges related to war and its impact and this year was World War II, one of my favorite topics to read about.

Participants needed to commit to at least  five books which can be fiction or non-fiction, and they can be about any aspect of WWII. WWII should be the primary or secondary theme, and it doesn’t matter whether the book takes place during the war or after the war.

1. Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary An Shaffer & Annie Barrows
3. Heroes by Ken Mochizuki
4. On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck
5. Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
6. Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochizuki
7. Someone Named Eva from Joan M. Wolf
8. I Am a Star, Child of the Holocaust by Inge Auerbacher
9. Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman

My thoughts: Anna and Serena are two of the best challenge hosts out there and I really want to give them kudos for a job well done! I’m SO excited for the 2010 theme centered around the Vietnam war.

The End.

(And because I’m a glutton for punishment – I signed up for *gulp* 16 challenges in 2010.)

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Long time readers of my blog will know that I have always been drawn to books about human suffering and social injustice.  While they are books that break my heart, bring me to tears, make me mad, and make me wonder why I am blessed to live in such relative peace with a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes on my back, free to practice my faith, free to make my own decisions, and walk down the street without fear of death or harm, why are others are struggling in their own personal hell?  A hell that is beyond their control, and often a hell that is brought upon their heads simply by birth.

Reading often brings these issues into my awareness in a way that makes it personal.  And while awareness of these issues is important, sometimes awareness simply isn’t good enough.  How can I stand idly by when my small actions can make the largest of differences for others?  So when I was approached to help co-host the 2010 Social Justice Challenge with Amy and Hannah, I jumped at the chance.

I am so excited for this reading challenge because it’s simply not just a reading challenge.  Each month we will encourage you to learn about a different social justice topic and then perform an action step as well.  The challenge can be as simple or as life changing as you’d like it to be.  My boys are young – four and two – but these are the formative years.  I want to instill in them now that we are a family that will not only make a difference by helping us help ourselves but also by serving others who are less fortunate than ourselves.

As posted on The Social Justice Challenge blog:

Reading and literacy can not only make us better individuals but it can also motivate us to effect greater changes around us.

The 2010 Social Justice Challenge urges us to become literate learners of unjust causes and will give us the tools to empower us to literally make changes in our world for the better.

12 months. 12 themes. Countless lives changed.

I sincerely hope that you’ll join us this upcoming year regardless if you have a blog or not.  I have a feeling that this upcoming year will be amazing and one that I look forward to very much!  I believe in the power of a single individual and I know that we are each capable of touching the lives of others in ways that we may never know.  Take a chance.  The life that you may end up changing the most will be your own.

Visit the Social Justice Challenge blog, subscribe, and follow on Twitter for details and let us know if you have any questions.  And please help others learn about the challenge by sharing it.  Hannah, Amy and myself hope to work hard to make this an amazing challenge and an amazing year.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

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!

• Not subscribed at all? As you can see from this recap, there is always something going on.  Don’t miss any of it by receiving updates via email or through your favorite reader. Think you want to know even more about me?  Follow me on Twitter.

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

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

I wanted to give a big shout out to our read-a-thon organizers Trish, Hannah, and Nymeth!  They did a FANTASTIC job!  And I have to give another shout out to Beth, she was the biggest cheerleader on Twitter, so much so that she got herself banned for an hour.  Too funny.  I really enjoyed the Twitter aspect of the read-a-thon and loved how many people noticed that “something” was going on.

Also, a mention of Dewey, the read-a-thon’s founder who passed away this past fall.  We all missed her and I’m thrilled that her memory lives on in this tradition. I’m sure that many of us, including myself, paused for a moment to remember why we are all crazy enough to be doing this in the first place.  It’s all Dewey’s fault!

Vlog:  The Read-a-thon Edition

24 hours packed into a three minute behind the scenes recap:

Final Stats

Books Read:

• Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese
• Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
• Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott,
• Pictures of Hollis Wood by Patricia Reily Giff
• Tales of the Beedle Bard by J.K. Rowling

Snacks Consumed: A smoothie, tomato-mozzarella pesto sandwich, Haggan Dazz Lemon Sorbet, Sweet roll with spinach dip (yum!), a chicken bean tortilla soup, sunflower seeds and juice.  This morning I remembered I had a candy bar and ice cream that I never even broke out.  Hmm . . . that sounds like a great idea right now!

Blog Posts: Smoothie recipe by author Sara Zarr, tomato-mozzarella pesto sandwich by author Susan McBride, update #4, update #3 with photos, update #2, update #1 – it begins.

Time Spent Reading: Seriously, I can’t complicate my life by trying to time this.  But I probably read about 18 hours total.

Reading For Charity: $25 will be donated to Save Darfur in honor of April being Genocide Prevention Month (new to the Maw Books Blog?  Check out these posts.)

Challenges: None entered.    Maybe next year when I’m a pro at this then I can figure out how to do read, blog, twitter, comment, have kids in the house, go to a baby shower and enter challenges.

Twitter Updates: Check out my profile for the play-by-play.

End of event meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? I started at 6am.  The hardest was right after midnight mainly because I snuggled up to my sleeping husband’s warm body on the couch.  Bad idea.  I had to be out for at least an hour or longer.  And then sometime after four with two hours to go, I fell asleep.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Hmm . . . I say read whatever keeps you engaged personally.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Oh man.  Maybe a post to go up the day before as a reminder, but really, I’m working hard to come up with an answer.  Everything was FANTASTIC!
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? LOVED that there was a dedicated blog and you girls did an AMAZING job with this event.  We totally owe you.  I loved the Twitter aspect of it and it seemed to get a lot of attention, people asking what was going on, etc.  Maybe next year get the word out via Twitter earlier could recruit some attention and even more participation.
5. How many books did you read? I read five.  And about 50 pages of First Daughter.
6. What were the names of the books you read? See above.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
8. Which did you enjoy least? Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders.  n/a
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? 100% yes.  I would be a reader.

Thanks for all of your comments and support!  Now how far away is October . . . . ?

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Events of Note

I just woke up.  Cuddling with husband on couch and then BAM!  Out cold.  Thought this update was going out two hours ago.  My body had other plans.

The Stats

Book Currently Reading: Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese
Books Finished Since Last Update: Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
Snacks Consumed Since Last Update: Lemon Sorbet
Time Spent Reading Since Last Update: No idea.
Time Spent Blogging, Twittering & Blog Hopping: No idea.
Total Books Read Thus Far: Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott, Pictures of Hollis Wood by Patricia Reily Giff, Tales of the Beedle Bard by J.K. Rowling, Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
Hopping/Comments: I think I’ll wake myself up by leaving comments on a few blogs.  I haven’t had a comment in three hours so I think everybody definitely thinks I’m asleep (which I was!)
Time Started: 6am
Time Now: 2:30 am
Reading For Charity: $5 a book for Save Darfur in honor of April being Genocide Prevention Month (new to the Maw Books Blog?  Check out these posts.)
Challenges: x

Twitter Updates

Follow me on Twitter for real time updates! And see what everybody else is up to.  Here’s the play-by-play since my last update:

*No updates this time around.  Makes my head hurt thinking about putting it up.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Events of Note

Why I thought I’d be able to read so much is beyond me.  Seriously, only three books.  All very short.  Not the pace I thought I would be at.

I went to a baby shower for lunch.  Most of my book club was there, but I continued the bookish theme sas everybody was talking about The Hunger Games.

Read in the same room as my kids for a bit. You know. To show them that mommy normally doesn’t lock herself into the bedroom.  Slow going.

Read for a bit out on the hammock.

And then read a bit on my front porch, so I could enjoy the sunshine and my spring flowers.

The Stats

Book Currently Reading: Not sure what I’ll pick up next but still reading First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader.
Books Finished Since Last Update: Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott and Pictures of Hollis Wood by Patricia Reily Giff
Snacks Consumed Since Last Update: Sweet roll with spinach dip (yum!), a chicken bean tortilla soup, and sunflower seeds and juice.  For dinner, I’ll be having a yummy sandwich featured in my next post.
Time Spent Reading Since Last Update:Who knows!  Probably between 3-4 hours.
Time Spent Blogging, Twittering & Blog Hopping: Longer than I thought I would.
Total Books Read Thus Far: Tales of the Beedle Bard by J.K. Rowling, Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott and Pictures of Hollis Wood by Patricia Reily Giff
Blogging, Visiting, Comments: When I finish this post, I plan on leaving about twenty comments.  It’s so crazy to see what everybody is doing.  Thanks for the comments left here so far!
Time Started: 6am
Time Now: 5:15 pm
Reading For Charity: $5 a book for Save Darfur in honor of April being Genocide Prevention Month (new to the Maw Books Blog?  Check out these posts.)

Challenges

I’m finding myself totally overwhelmed with the challenges, simply because I’m not updating often enough to get in on them.  That’s okay though!  More reading time.

Twitter Updates

Follow me on Twitter for real time updates! And see what everybody else is up to.  Here’s the play-by-play since my last update:

Finished reading PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS. Time for a update.

@trishheylady Okay, I have to admit I can’t stand aired popcorn. Cooked w/ olive oil is best

@BethFishReads And now, my husband is putting up hammock. For once, it’s sunny outside.

@toofondofbooks No. I feel like I haven’t read anything yet!

I should post an update, check out blogs, challenges, etc. But I’m going to keep reading

Phew! Finished second book. LOVE YOU HATE YOU MISS YOU.

Whoo hoo! My husband just brought me a sweet roll & spinach dip that he bought w/o me knowing. Yay!

Back from babyshower, yummy soup. Still haven’t finished 2nd book.

Going to a baby shower. Who does that for a third child? Reading is VERY slow.

@SaveDarfur I’m reading for Darfur today for #readathon .

Locked myself in the bedroom. I’m sure the kids will come banging on it soon

Um . . . well. It’s been an hour and a half since I read last. Hopefully, I won’t take that long on next break.

Need a break? Check out special readathon edition for an author recipe! @sarazarr smoothie! http://tinyurl.com/cmrlrx

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Events of Note

I feel asleep already!  Despite the fact that I went to bed early, laying in my warm bed lulled me back to sleep!  I’m now dressed and both kids are in the room with me despite the fact that their dad is supposed to be playing with them.

I have to go to a baby shower in a couple of hours just two doors down.  I probably won’t update until after then.  Or before.  Who knows.

The Stats

Book Currently Reading: Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott and First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader
Books Finished Since Last Update: Tales of the Beedle Bard by J.K. Rowling
Snacks Consumed Since Last Update: A piece of toast which my husband brought me.  I basically haven’t even been out of bed.
Time Spent Reading Since Last Update: After the brief nap and interuptions from kids jumping on the bed, I’d say 2 hours maybe?
Time Spent Blogging, Twittering & Blog Hopping: x
Total Books Read Thus Far: Tales of the Beedle Bard by J.K. Rowling
Blogging, Visiting, Comments: Comments left – about twenty.  Comments received – seven.  Lots of Twitter encouragement.
Time Started: 6 am
Time Now: 10:15 am
Reading For Charity: $5 a book for Save Darfur in honor of April being Genocide Prevention Month (new to the Maw Books Blog?  Check out these posts.)

Challenges

The Introductory Meme:

• Where are you reading from today? As in a city?  I’m in Salt Lake City.  I’m still in bed.  Will be getting up to get dressed shortly.
• 3 facts about me … I like to read, I’m crazy, and this is my first time doing the read-a-thon!
• How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? Dozens.  Everything is coming off of my shelf.  You can see the vlog I did earlier about this!
• Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? I’d like to read a lot of my review copies and try to leave as many comments and twittering as I can in just a set time of one hour after three hours reading.

Twitter Updates

Follow me on Twitter for real time updates! And see what everybody else is up to.  Here’s the play-by-play since my last update:

Mmmmm . . . . smoothie! #readathon

Right now I’m reading Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott. #readathon

Sorry if I didn’t visit your blog. It was random hit and miss. Must supervise some diaper changes. #readathon

Blog hopping. Visiting the first twenty blogs that show up w/ readathon posts in my reader. #readathon

I’m using http://www.online-stopwatch… to keep track of how long I’m online before going back to reading. #readathon

@Wordlily @DarElaine @Melsbookshelf Time for my 3 hour break anyways, blog hopping, & smoothie! #readathon

I never got of out of bed yet and I think I already passed out for 10 minutes. #readathon

Now to continue reading FIRST DAUGHTER and kick husband out of bed. #readathon

One book finished! And one little boy now awake and husband still in bed! #readathon

#readathon is trending and I’m the top contributer? LOL Will stop & read. See you in a few.

1st post of the day! #readathon http://blog.mawbooks.com/20…

Starting off with an easy book ; TALES OF THE BEEDLE BARD. #readathon

I woke up every two hours last night, I’m so excited! Yay!!!! #readathon

It’s been an hour and a half since I read last.  Better get to it.  Till next time . . .

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Here’s a recap of what happened this past month here at the Maw Books Blog:

Books Reviewed in March

Fiction

Yikes!  None this month.  Did read a couple but still in the review pile.

Young Adult Fiction

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki, Illustrated by Steve Rolston
• Chiggers by Hope Larson
• Fade by Lisa McMann
• Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Middle Readers

• Jellaby by Kean Soo
• Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
• Longhorns and Outlaws by Linda Aksomitis
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
• The 13th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner
• Holbrook: A Lizards Tale by Bonny Becker
• My Brother, The Robot by Bonny Becker

Picture Books

• Mary Veronica’s Egg by Mary Nethery, Illustrated by Paul Yalowtiz
• A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
• An Ant’s Day Off by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Nina Laden
• The Christmas Crocodile by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by David Small

Non-Fiction

Nothing reviewed this month although I did read a memoir that I’ll review in April.

Author Interviews

• Linda Aksomitis, Author of Longhorns and Outlaws
• Mary Nethery, Children’s Author and Co-Author of Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival
• Bonny Becker, Author of A Visitor for Bear and More!

Reader Spotlights

• Trish from Trish’s Reading Nook!
• Jen (aka Ladytink_534) of The Movieholic & Bibliophile’s Blog

Video Chats

• Video Chat: Talking About Signed Books (A Show and Tell)
• Video Chat: Talking More About Book Destruction (A Show and Tell)

Book Lists

• New York Times Bestsellers – March 29th
• New York Times Bestsellers – March 22nd
• New York Times Bestseller List – March 15th
• New York Times Bestsellers – March 8th

More Posts During January

• More on Meeting Laurie Halse Anderson and a Signed Wintergirls Giveaway!
• An Open Letter to Laurie Halse Anderson
• On Meeting Jodi Picoult and an AMAZING Giveaway!
• Reading for a Cause: The Ides of March Madness Charity Book Reading Tournament
• Butter Bean Cookies from Shana Burg’s Debut Novel, A Thousand Never Evers
• Have You Ever Caused or Been On the Receiving End of a Book/Reading Related Accident?
• Mmmm . . . Mrs. Perez’s Drop-Dead Delicous Lemon Squares from Donna Gephart’s Debut Novel, As If Being 12 3/4 Isn’t Bad Enough My Mother is Running For President
• February Search Terms – The Crazy Stuff That Brought People to My Blog
• Reading & Blogging Review for February

Flashback:  The Maw Books Blog a Year Ago

Books I reviewed a year ago March: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult, Bee Season by Myla Goldberg, The Fiction Class by Susan Breen, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata, Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis, Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza, Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat.

Looking Ahead to April

• Upcoming Reviews.  My husband and I both read The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker and I’ll be posting my first joint book review with him.  I can’t wait.  Other outstanding reviews to look for are Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguiz, Losing Kei by Suzanne Kamata , Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson, The Scent of Sake by Joyce Lebra.  I’ll be on tour with The Mechanics of Falling by Catherine Brady. Plus I have a whole slew of picture books that I really, really need to review.  And of course, whatever else I manage to read this next month.

• Upcoming Author Interviews. I hope to have at least three interviews in April with Suzanne Kamata, author of Losing Kei, Emily Wing Smith, author of The Way He Lived and maybe Catherine Brady, author of The Mechanics of Falling.

• Features. Plan to have at least two more video chats and 3-4 reader spotlights.  I’ve also made two new author recipes that I hope to write about, a yummy sandwich and a pasta dish.   And because I really, really need to post about it, if I write it down maybe I’ll do it:  meeting Richard Peck with a signed book giveaway.

• The 24 Hour Read-a-Thon!!!!!!!! Seriously, so excited!  I’ve never been able to participate before, but the calender is looking clear!  I finally broached the subject with my husband who simply said, “Okay, tell  me when and I’ll watch the kids!”  How cool is he?  He watched me watch the last two read-a-thons with dejection.  So I think he knows how much I want to do it!  Go sign up!!

Challenge Updates

No challenges completed this month.  The Jewish Literature Challenge ends in April and while I did really well last year, I don’t think I’m going to do so hot this year.  AND I must figure out a system to actually go over to the challenge blogs and link my reviews because I’m really, really behind.  Most of all the books I do read fall into one challenge or another.  They are (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
• Jewish Literature Challenge
• New Author Challenge
• Read Your Own Books Challenge
• Support Your Local Library Challenge
• Themed Reading Challenge
• War Through the Generations Challenge

Awards

Melissa from BooK Nut gave me the Zombie Chicken award which cracks me up.  “The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence is all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all …”  I definitely don’t want to risk the wrath of zombie chickens, so I’ll take the easy way out (simply because there was five) and pass it on to the bloggers below.

Amy from My Friend Amy gave me the Sisterhood award.  I love having so many sisters in this community and I’m thrilled that Amy thinks the same.

Jeane from Dog Ear Diary passed along the Proximade award which is described as:  this blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.

Sharon from SherMeree’s Musing gave me the I Love Your Blog award.  After connecting with each other on our blogs, Sharon joined our face to face children’s lit book club.  It was fun to meet and I can’t wait to get to know her even more!

Alyce from At Home With Books gave me the Butterfly award.  And she fixed the wording.  Yay!

Molly from My Cozy Book Nook passed on the Your Blog is Fabulous award.  Thanks Molly!

Carnivals

Lots of carnivals going on this month!  Lots of book reviews all in one place.

• Stacy at book:thirtyis hosting the current Book Review Blog Carnival.  I totally forgot to submit something this time around but I did manage to submit to the 13th Edition of the Book Review Blog  Carnival which was hosted by Ruth at Bookish Ruth with my book reviews of  Chains, Speak, and Laurie Halse Anderson’s newest book, Wintergirls.

• Quiverfull Family is hosting the 25th Edition of the Bookworms Carnival which focused on parenting books.  Being the unorganized person that I was this past month, I also missed this carnival. Check out the Bookworms Carnival website for info on all upcoming editions.

• The March Edition of the Carnival of Children’s Literature is hosted by Jenny’s Wonderland of Books.  One of these days I’m going to remember to submit a post to it.

Other Items of Note

• One of the highlights from this past month was receiving an email from Jacqueline Woodson telling me I had a fabolous blog and a beautiful family.  I gave a little squee when I realized it was the Jacqueline Woodson.  So thrilled.

• My favorite posts this month? If I’m not thinking book reviews, definitely my open Letter to Laurie Halse Anderson and videos that I took.  The Jodi Picoult Q&A was fun to share as well as the butter bean cookies and lemon squares recipes.  Loved the reader spotlights too.

• Book Giveaways. There is still plenty of time to enter into my two huge giveaways, but you don’t want to forget!  Right now I’ve got a signed Wintergirls from Laurie Halse Anderson as well as seven signed Jodi Picoult books.  Seriously.  I just said seven. Go enter now.

New Archives Page.  Just a heads up that I’ve set up a pretty thorough archives page. This has been on my to do list for approximately forever.  You should now be able to find most anything that you are looking for.  Take a look and tell me what you think.

• Feed Not Updating. A lot of my subscribers have not been receiving updates.  I still can’t find a rhyme or reason to it as it seems to be pretty random across readers and such.  But everybody who had problems told me that unsubscribing and resubscribing has fixed whatever problem it was.  So if the last post that showed up in your reader was Fade by Lisa McMann, then please resubscribe.  Sorry about the mess.  I’m clueless.

• Not subscribed at all? As you can see from this recap, there is always something going on.  Don’t miss any of it by receiving updates via email or through your favorite reader. Think you want to know even more about me?  Follow me on Twitter.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

• Ali from Worducopia.  Ali is so much fun!  She’s hosting the Diversity Rocks Challenge which I’m really, really regretting not joining.  Ali seems to review a bit of everything.  Graphic novels, literary fiction, young adult and more.  Ali’s going to do the read-a-thon for the first year this time too.  I’m glad I won’t be the only newbie!

• Suey from It’s All About Books.  If you’re not friends with Suey, you are missing out.  I was bummed when she wasn’t able to come to the Laurie Halse Anderson signing.  I totally missed her.  Suey and I have met on more than one occasion and she’s just as nice in real life as she is on her blog.  Lately, Suey has been reading tons on young adult books.  But who can blame her?  They’re really good!  Suey and Raidergirl3 from An Adventure in Reading are also the brains behind the Bookword Game.  And if you’re a Josh Groban fan?  Say no more.  You have a new best friend.

• Chartoose from Bloody Hell, It’s a Book Barrage! I remember the very first time I stumbled upon Chartoose’s blog because I turned to my husband and said check out the name of this blog!  I knew immediately how irreverent and fun she would be.  I must admit she probably doesn’t think that I read her blog that often because I’m terrible at commenting, but I do.  And you should too.

• Jackie from Farm Lane Books.  I somehow missed having Jackie’s blog in my reader.  I seriously do not know how that happened.  That situation is now rectified.  Sorry!  Jackie reviews mostly literary fiction and is trying to make it through a bunch of prize lists like the Orange, Booker, and Pulitzer.  Thinking about it just makes my head hurt.

• Marg from Reading Adventures.  I wish I could read as much as Marg.  She read 17 books this past month.  Marg reads a lot of historical fiction and also blogs at the Historical Tapestry blog, as well as romance, mysteries, and young adult fiction.  In addition to all the challenges that she does, Marg also finds the time to make beautiful cards as well.  Marg has been blogging since 2005.  That sure makes me feel like the new kid on the block!

• Em from Em’s Bookshelf.  Em reviews young adult books.  If you’re looking for a recommendation, head on over there.  She’ll have one.  I had to laugh.  Em is taking on Maureen Johnson’s challenge to blog every day in April.  And she’s going to buy herself peanut M&M’s if she does.  Made me realize that I need to slow down!  I think I’ll buy myself something if I DON’T blog every day in April.  I wonder what would happen if I skipped a day?  Wait.  Nothing.  Brilliant!   Why didn’t I think of this before?

Thanks everybody for stopping by!  I wish I could highlight you all.  I was going to try to go for ten spotlights this month but my boys who are supposedly “napping” just found a bottle of spray suntan lotion and sprayed it all over their walls.  Welcome to my life.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

This month in review post is pretty lengthy but it’s easy to read so skim to whatever catches your attention.  Here’s a recap of what happened this past month here at the Maw Books Blog:

Books Reviewed in February

Fiction

• Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
• Matrimony by Joshua Henkin
• The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash
• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
• Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner

Young Adult Fiction

• Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons
• The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
• The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
• Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
  

Middle Readers

• The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Well by Mildred D. Taylor

Picture Books

• Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Sets the Stage by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Takes the Cake by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Sets Sail by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee
• Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochiuki, illustrated by Dom Lee (narrative biography)
• Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
• Moses:  When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
• The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Cole, illustrated by George Ford
• Consider Love, Its Moods and Many Ways by Sandra Boynton
• Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grime, illustrated by Bryan Collier
• Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott
  

Non-Fiction

• Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee (picture book)
• The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russel Freedman (Juvenile)
• Frogs by Nic Bishop (Juvenile)
• Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges (Juvenile)
• Freedom Walkers, The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman (Juvenile)
• An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken (Memoir)
• Surviving Ben’s Suicide, A Woman’s Journey of Self Discovery by C. Comfort Shields (Memoir)

Author Interviews

• Carmela and Steve D’Amico, authors of the Ella the Elephant series
• Ken Mochizuki, children’s and young adult author
• Kathryn Fitzmaurice, author of The Year the Swallows Came Early
• Katherine Center, author of Everyone is Beautiful
• Joshua Henkin, author of Matrimony
• Jennie Nash, author of The Only True Genius in the Family
• Tina Ann Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us
  

Reader Spotlights

• Jeanette from A Comfy Chair and a Good Book

Video Chats

• A Few Favorite Children’s Books and a Reading From My Little Boy

Book Lists

• The 2009 Cybils Award Winners and Finalists
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 15th
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 8th
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 1st

More Posts During January

• Thank You to My February Visitors – Let’s Spotlight a Few!
• What is the Most Horrific Way You’ve Ruined a Book?
• Discussion Question: Does an Author’s Personal Belief System Impact If or How You Support Them?
• Reading/Blogging Review for January

Flashback:  The Maw Books Blog a Year Ago

I thought it would be fun to see what was going on a year ago.  Last February I received the amount of traffic all month in what I now have in just a single day.  A 30x improvement.  So exciting to see the changes!

Books I reviewed a year ago February:  Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, Austenland by Shannon Hale, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency byAlexander McCall Smith, Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson, The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, and Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I continually get comments on Eat Pray Love and it’s in my top ten commented posts of all time.

Looking Ahead to March

• Upcoming Reviews.  I still managed to read (don’t ask me how I did) a few books in February that I’ll be reviewing this upcoming march.  Watch for book reviews of Fade by Lisa McMann, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, The 13th Reality:  The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner, Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Roltson, Chiggers by Hope Larson, Jellaby by Kean Soo, There’s a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales written by Zoe Alley (these last four all Cybils nominated graphic novels).  Of course, reviews of whatever I manage to read this month as well, I have a huge pile left over from February.

• Upcoming Author Interviews. First up this week on the 2nd and 3rd are book reviews and an author interview with children’s author Bonny Becker.  Also, watch for an interview with Mary Nethery, children’s author, on the 4th.  It’s my privilege to be hosting Linda Aksomitis on the 19th with a review and interview for her new middle grade novel Longhorns and Outlaws.  I think that’s it but who knows what may pop up!

• Author Events and Book Signings.  Laurie Halse Anderson is coming to the Kings English Bookshop here in SLC  to promote her new book Wintergirls (which I’ve read so watch for a review soon).  I’d like to read Twisted and Fever 1793 before I go to her reading and book signing just so I can say I’ve read all of her books.  Watch for a post about her visit.  Plus, I’ll also be going to a reading and signing for Jodi Picoult who will be at the King’s English as well.  Can’t wait for both!!

• Features. Plan to have at least two more video chats and 4-6 reader spotlights.  I’ve got some great discussion posts in the works as well.  And I’ve made a yummy author recipe that I’d love to share with you.

Hmm . . . .wondering what will be left behind.  I can’t possible get to it all.

Challenge Updates

Three reading challenges finished up this month.  First up was Books for the Heart Challenge hosted by Michelle at 1 More Chapter.  The goal was to sponsor your reading and donate a certain amount of money for every book you read or pages read to the American Heart Association.  I’ve decided that I’m going to donate .50 cents a review which will come to $15. Thanks Michelle for this opportunity!

Hosted by 3 M at 1morechapter, the 1% Well Read Challenge ended this month.  The goal was to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.  As you can see I failed miserably at only two books read.  Oh well.  I still want to read them all.  My list was:

• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Saturday by Ian McEwan
• Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
• Atonement by Ian McEwan
• The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• If This Is a Man by Primo Levi
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The Lit Flicks Challenge hosted by Jessica of Bluestocking Society ended this month as well.   The movie adaptations that I watched were Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Witches, and Sarah Plain and Tall.  While not based specifically on the books, Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges and The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles but rather her life story I also watched Disney’s Ruby Bridges.  Thanks Jessica for hosting such a fun challenge!  The books I read between September and February that have been made into movies (and a few which are in production) were:

• Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
• The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
• Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
• Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Siji
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
• The Witches by Roald Dahl
• The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

I did read a lot of books that qualify for the  other reading challenges I’m participating in.  They are (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
• Jewish Literature Challenge
• New Author Challenge
• Read Your Own Books Challenge
• Support Your Local Library Challenge
• Themed Reading Challenge
• War Through the Generations Challenge

Awards

Molly from My Cozy Book Nook gave me the Fabulous Blog Award.  She listed a lot of blogs that were MUST reads and I was humbled to be among them.  Thanks Molly!

Lynn at Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile shared the Kreative Blogger award.  Thanks Lynn!  Lynn is here in Salt Lake City too and has a great blog where she shares the books that she reads with her 15 month old son.

Mari at MariReads shared the Premios Dardo Award which acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day.  Thanks Mari for thinking I share those values!

Kristina at Kristina Favorites shared this sweet award which describes itself as “These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.”  Even though Kristina knows that I have a really, really bad habit of not passing awards along, that she thought of me.  Thanks Kristina!

Carnivals

Lots of carnivals going on this month!  Lots of book reviews all in one place.  I highly recommend checking them all out!

• Heather from Age 30+ is hosting the current Book Review Blog Carnival.  I totally forgot to submit something this time around (story of my life) but I did manage to submit to the 11th Edition of the Book Review Blog  Carnival which was hosted by Nicole at Linus’s Blanket with  my book review of The Only True Genius in the Family, by Jennie Nash.

• Jessica at Bluestocking Society is hosting the 23rd Edition of the Bookworms Carnival which focuses on books being made into movies.  I submitted two reviews of books that are currently in production and I’m excited to see them being made into movies:  What is the What by Dave Eggers and The Devil Came on Horseback:  Bearing Witness to the Genocide in Darfur by Brian Steidle and Gretchen Wallace Steidle.

• Tracy at Bookroom Reviews is currently hosting the Book Giveaway Carnival from March 2nd-8th.  Head on over to see what fun prizes lots of book bloggers will be giving away.

• The February Edition of the Carnival of Children’s Literature is hosted by Lynn at Imaginary Blog.  Another carnival that I always forget to post reviews too but I love seeing what’s been gathered.

Other Items of Note

• Black History Month. You may have noticed that I celebrated Black History Month by reviewing 12 books that celebrate the history of blacks in the United States.  While the posts didn’t seem popular or generate a lot of comments, I enjoyed doing them and plan on doing the same thing next year.  I read some amazing books! It was great to have a theme for the month.  Check out all my reviews tagged Black History to explore those reviews.

• My favorite posts this month? Hmm . . .  that’s a really hard one.  My favorites this month were probably all of my author interviews because I put so much time into the research and questions.  It also helps that the authors all gave such great answers!  Certainly my two most commented posts this month were the horrific ways we’ve ruined books and how an author’s belief system impacts whether or not we’ll support them.  My video chat this month was a favorite of mine.  I’ve probably watched that video 20 times because I just can’t get over how darn cute I think my own child  is.

• Book Giveaways. I gave away a fair amount of books this month!  To cut down on the number of times I have to post I’ve started to announce the winners in the comment threads of the giveaway posts but wanted to highlight them at the end of the month here.  Kim at Good Clean Reads won a ARC of Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center,  Sandy from You’ve Gotta Read This! won a signed copy of Matrimony by Joshua Henkin, Hannah at Word Lily won a signed copy of The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash, Amber S. won a copy of Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner.  Congrats everybody!

• Directories. As you can tell from my sidebar there are a lot of great book blog directories to discover your favorite book blogs.  The newest that I wanted to highlight is the new amazing website called Kidlitosphere Central which is the brain child of Pam at MotherReader.  Did I ever mention that I feel like Pam is a celebrity?  She’s the glue that practically holds the Kidlitosphere together.  The new website describes itself as “The “KidLitosphere” is a community of reviewers, librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, publishers, parents, and other book enthusiasts who blog about children’s and young adult literature. In writing about books for children and teens, we’ve connected with others who share our love of books. With this website, we hope to spread the wealth of our reading and writing experience more broadly.”  I’m in love with the place.  Go check it out.

• Milestones:  10,000 comment and 500th post! I hit some major milestones this month!  I wrote my 500th post (interview with Carmela and Steve D’Amico)  and when I noticed that I was coming up on my 10,000 comment I twittered that I would give a book to my 10,000 commenter from anything in my giveaway pile.  Deborah from Books, Movies, and Chinese Food picked up a hardcover of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for hitting the lucky number!  Thank you so much for making this whole blog thing worth it!  I get a thrill with every comment that comes in.  Here’s to another 10,000 comments and to another 500 posts!

• My blog was hacked into not once but twice this month! So thank you to all of you who bore with me while we fixed things.  Basically, they accessed my ht access file and rewrote it to redirect all traffic coming from  major search engines to another site.  What a pain in the butt to fix it and then have them do it again.  If you ever think anything is funny don’t hesitate to let me know so I can take care of it.

• Not subscribed yet to the Maw Books Blog? As you can see from this recap, there is always something going on.  Don’t miss any of it by receiving updates via email or through your favorite reader. Can’t get enough?  Follow me on Twitter.

Phew!  Did you make it?  Or are you passed out on information overload?  Thanks for a great month (and I said I was going to relax this year!)

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.