My Dream Reading Space

All readers have one - that dream reading space. The place they've created in their minds where they would love to collapse into and read.   

I'm no different!

What would my dream reading space look like???

But there is something about this one I love too:

First it would be tucked in somewhere so I could almost hide from the world and read. 

Maybe something like this:

I like how you could just curl up in these, be tucked away and just read.

But I'm also drawn to this one! 

I love how it also seemed tucked away, but what I think really draws me to it are the windows (LOVE!) and that chair. I could definitely cozy up in that! 

It would need to have lots and lots of pillows! Soft ones like this one.  You can find it here! 

And book related ones: (check out this one HERE)

And of course a warm cozy blanket! I like how this one seems like something your grandma would make.  So cozy and warm!  "So cozy and warm!  See it HERE and other pieces HERE".

And lastly I'd need a big comfy chair.  Something like one of these.

I want the one below so badly!!!!

I could go on and on with the lamps or wall hangings I've had, but this gives you a taste.

I've made a PINTEREST BOARD for my wishful thinking. Do you have a reading nook wish?

Diversity Website: Read Proud. LIsten Proud.

A long while back I received an email from Random House and The Listening Library about a new website that was being launched.  I should've shared it right then and there, but it got pushed to the back burner, and I'm not happy about that!

The website is titled: Read Proud. Listen Proud

I'm going to let Random House and Listening Library explain what the website is all about!

(taken from their press release)

LISTENING LIBRARY AND PENGUIN YOUNG READERS ANNOUNCE “READ PROUD LISTEN PROUD”

Resource for educators, librarians and parents recommends LGBTQ-focused titles for teens, offers discussion guides, and more

NEW YORK, NY (June 25, 2015)—Listening Library and Penguin Books for Young Readers announced today the launch of their joint campaign to highlight recommended LGBTQ books for young adults: Read Proud Listen Proud. The online resource is designed to spark discussion in the classroom and at home and to encourage understanding through storytelling, celebrating everyone for who they are.

The conversation started by the We Need Diverse Books movement over the last year has demonstrated the need for inclusive literature for kids and teens. The teams at Listening Library and Penguin Young Readers worked together on Read Proud Listen Proudto provide educators and librarians who work with teens, as well as their families, reading and listening recommendations featuring LGBTQ characters, thought-provoking discussion guides, inspiring author interviews, and audio clips, all hosted at www.readproudlistenproud.com.

“Stories teach empathy and help people of all backgrounds to respect themselves and others,” said Cheryl Herman, Marketing Director, Listening Library. “Whether a book or audio is centered on LGBTQ-related issues or features a character who is a positive LGBTQ role model, that story helps to teach young readers and listeners how to be tolerant and loving towards others.”

The campaign kicks off at the American Library Association’s annual meeting, held this year in San Francisco, where the two publishers will be giving away thousands of pairs of rainbow sunglasses during the conference as well as at the San Francisco Pride Parade on June 28, the anniversary of the raid and riot at the Stonewall Inn in New York City that catalyzed the modern gay rights movement.

The history of the riot and the movement that followed is vividly brought to life in award-winning author Ann Bausum’s STONEWALL, one of the first nonfiction chronicles of the movement written for young adults and one of the key inspirations for Read Proud Listen Proud. The site includes interviews with Bausum and Tim Federle, narrator of the audio edition of STONEWALL and author of BETTER NATE THAN EVER; FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, NATE!, about its personal resonance to them and importance to young LGBTQ readers today.

As a teacher I sadly see this is one area that is still a struggle to bring into schools in terms of materials given to students to read.  And what frustrates me is that I know there are students who NEED these books because it reflects their lives.  
At least through my blog I can share with my readers a place they can go to find books that can reflect what they might be looking for and needing! 

Gene Luen Yang Named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

I was very excited to see that Gene Luen Yang was named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the .  

The ambassador program was established in 2008, by the Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader, and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, to highlight the importance of young people’s literature in developing a literate, tolerant, informed citizenry. Yang will serve a two-year term, traveling the nation to champion diversity in all forms—and formats—with his platform, “Reading Without Walls.”

About Gene Luen YangGene Luen Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade; he began making comics professionally over fifteen years ago. In 2006, his graphic novel American Born Chinese (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/First Second Books) became the first graphic novel to be a finalist for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association’s Printz Award. It also won an Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album. In 2013, Boxers & Saints (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/First Second Books), his two-volume graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion, was a National Book Award finalist and won the L.A. Times Book Prize. Gene has also won an Eisner for The Eternal Smile, a collaboration with Derek Kirk Kim. He is the author of the Secret Coders series (with artist Mike Holmes) and has written for the hit comics Avatar: The Last Airbender andSuperman. Yang lives in the San Francisco Bay area. Learn more at geneyang.com.

My daughter and I had the pleasure of meeting him a Teen Lit Con in Minnesota last year.  He was fantastic!  My daughter went to his session, and she really liked him.  Also - Avatar the Last Airbender is HUGE at my house, so we've loved his work for a long time!

I'm excited because I "have" to read his book American Born Chinese for a class I'm taking this spring.  (life's rough I know!)

To read about Gene and the National Ambassador check out the links below.  

Official Announcement on the Children's Book Council Website

Article at Publishers Weekly

My Black Friday Shopping: Signed Copies

So when you're a book nerd your Black Friday shopping tends to look a little different.  

Barnes & Noble had signed copies of various books that went up for sale on Friday morning.  

One of which was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.  

This has been an all time favorite of mine since I saw the movie, read the book and memorized the poem when I was 13.  

As a teacher I've taught it up to 4 times a year for 18 years! 

I HAD to get a copy!

So my son agreed to come along (may have had something to do with the Bill Nye signed book), and we set out.  At 6:15 a.m.

Here we are in line :) 

And this is what we came home with.

These are presents.  Pete the Cat is for my son.  He LOVES him.

The Mitten is for my mom.  She loves Jan Brett!

For my daughter - She loves both of these authors.

For my son (the one who came along)

And his Bill Nye  (he has the book at his dad's so I don't have a picture of the cover)

And of course - for me!

You do not understand how excited I am about this! And it say STAY GOLD!  Stay gold!!! I adore this book so much!!!

I hope your shopping as as successful!!!!!

It's My Birthday! And a Simple Giveaway

Happy Tuesday everyone!

It's a great day because it's my birthday!!

Now I will admit this one has been harder to swallow than my last few.  I am now 45.  Yes that is a 4 and a 5 put side-by-side.

Normally birthdays don't bother me for many reasons, but this one has.

Why?

A lot of it has to do with my writing and the question:

Am I too old at 45 to write YA????

I've been wrestling with it.

Thankfully in the last few days I've come to terms with it. 

I'm just going to write the stories that come to me and let the rest sort itself out!

And then I reminded myself of why I should celebrate each and every day I'm here.

13 years ago I battled and beat breast cancer.

7 years ago I had open heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm.

Both of those could've make reaching 45 impossible for me, and I don't want to forget that!

So now I focus on:

 watching my kids grow up

laughing with my wonderful husband

enjoying coffee, wine, a good book and simple things

As for the writing at 45 question - I'm just going to be grateful that each day I can still put pencil to paper and write!

To celebrate I thought I'd put some books up for grabs.  Nothing too exciting.

Giveaway

3 Winners

Each gets to pick a book from those pictured below.

Must be at least 13

Must be a US resident

Fill out the Rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The OWL Turns 6!!!

I'm in complete shock that I've been blogging for 6 years!

I never knew when I started this blog - kind've on a whim  - that 6 years later I'd still be here.

I know that I've said several times that I'm stopping only to come back.  There is something about the blogging community and the sharing of books that keeps pulling me back.  

I have gotten to a point that I blog how I want when I want.  

I don't feel guilty or bad if I don't post for a week or two.  

I only get a tish jealous when another blog gets a great book to review.  

I don't feel the need to jump on every book hype, giveaway or meme.  

I blog my way :)

Here's a bit of walk down memory lane:

My first review was for Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass

My first ARC was Hush Hush

My first giveaway

My first author signing - Maggie Stiefvater

What a long ride it has been!

And of course to celebrate - a giveaway.

Must live where The Book Depository delivers for free

Must be at least 13

Enter to win one book $20 or less from The Book Depository

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Me Other Places!

If you haven't notices on my right sidebar, but there are other places you can follow me!

Check me out on

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and

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Look What I Have to Read for My Class!!

I don't think I've shared with everyone that I'm back in school.

I've been an English teacher for 20 years, and right now I'm a "teacher on special assignment" as an instructional coach.  Although this job is a ton of work I thought it might be the right time to head back to school!

I have to decided to finally get my school media specialist license!

This is something I've wanted to do for awhile, and with a push and support from my husband I am!

I just finished my first class and now I move into one I' really excited about.  

It's titled:

Reading, Listening, Viewing Guidance & Selection of Resources for Children

It has a HUGE reading list, so I thought I'd share.  Here's what I'll be reading

Classics

We chose two

The Nonfiction Reading

Very excited about these!

Easy Readers?

I think that's what these will be.  This type will be new to me!

Early or Beginning Chapter Books? 

Middle Grade

Graphic Novels

This look fun!!

Poetry

Picture Books

Most are award winners that were assigned

Lots of reading, but I'm looking forward to all of it!

Have you read any of them??

Why Haven't I Read This? - Perry's Killer by Joe Schreiber

A long while back I read the book Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. I really enjoyed it. 

 You can read my review of it HERE.

Well - there is a sequel and it has been out since 2012!

Why haven't I read it yet?????

I guess I need to get on it.

When Perry ends up in Venice on a European tour with his band Inchworm, he can’t resist a visit to Harry’s Bar, where Gobi told him she’d meet him someday. The last time he saw Gobi, five people were assassinated one crazy night in New York City. Well . . . Gobi shows up, and once again Perry is roped into a wild, nonstop thrill ride with a body count. Double crossings, kidnappings, CIA agents, arms dealers, boat chases in Venetian canals, and a shootout in the middle of a Santa Claus convention ensue. 

I Met Sarah Dessen!!!!!!

A few weeks back I received an email inviting me to a pizza dinner with Sarah Dessen in celebration of her new book Saint Anything! 

I couldn't believe it! Sara Dessen!

The media specialist I work with came along, and we got to sit around a table and chat with her.  It was amazing. 

She did talk a bit to the whole group about where the book came from and how it was a story she had wanted to write for a long time, but she could just never get it down right.  Finally the way to tell the story came to her and Saint Anything was written!

Here are pictures.

We had pizza because of the role it has in the book.  

Plus on the table were suckers - also part of the book :)

She signed our books

With her

My good friend with her

It was an amazing evening!!

OWL Notes

Owl Notes is when I just want to share something reading/book related.  I might talk about reading habits, a new book I'm interested in, a movie based on a book.  Anything book related that I'm thinking about.  It's not reviews or author guest posts.  It's just something I feel like sharing!

I look around at books a lot.  I get newsletters about books, I wander Barnes and Noble, and I dig around on Amazon.

Recently in one newsletter I learned about the book:

About the book:

A heartfelt, humorous story of a teen boy’s impulsive road trip after the shock of his lifetime—told entirely in lists!

Darren hasn't had an easy year.

There was his parents’ divorce, which just so happened to come at the same time his older brother Nate left for college and his longtime best friend moved away. And of course there’s the whole not having a girlfriend thing.

Then one Thursday morning Darren's dad shows up at his house at 6 a.m. with a glazed chocolate doughnut and a revelation that turns Darren’s world inside out. In full freakout mode, Darren, in a totally un-Darren move, ditches school to go visit Nate. Barely twenty-four hours at Nate’s school makes everything much better or much worse—Darren has no idea. It might somehow be both. All he knows for sure is that in addition to trying to figure out why none of his family members are who they used to be, he’s now obsessed with a strangely amazing girl who showed up out of nowhere but then totally disappeared.

Told entirely in lists, Todd Hasak-Lowy's debut YA novel perfectly captures why having anything to do with anyone, including yourself, is:

1. painful
2. unavoidable
3. ridiculously complicated
4. possibly, hopefully the right thing after all.

Now I haven't read it, but I love the sound of it, and I love the idea of the entire novel being told in lists.  I like that because, as a writer, I'm always looking at different ways to tell me stories.  

The thought of telling the whole story this way just intrigues me! How do you help the reader care about the main character in just lists?  

How do you convey emotion?  

How does the plot play out?????

I'll be looking for this book!

So, anyways I just thought I'd share it. 

Here's the book trailer:

And if you go to the author's website you can learn more AND read and excerpt. 

OWL Notes: How I Read

Hi everyone.  I've been looking for something to do for posts where I'm not reviewing a book, but I'm still either featuring a book I've heard about it or just talking about books.

With that I came up with OWL Notes!

This will just be my time to share something book related.  

Today I just have to spill about my reading habits.  I read about some bloggers who read like 5 books a week.  I'm lucky if I read one! And I'm notorious for starting a book, reading a bit, putting it down and picking up another book! I'll have bits and pieces of 3-4 books going at once. Sometimes I'll get back to the whole book, but sometimes I won't!  I'm just not a hugely consistent reader. 

Even when I do get totally hooked on a book, it may be the only fully book I read for another week.  It's just my reading habits.  Sometimes I wish they were different, and I could just pick up a book, read and read, finish it and move on.  But with everything going on in my life, and the way I am - that just doesn't happen.  The books that really matter to me get read.  That's the important part!

What about you?  Wanna share your reading habits at all??

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day! Love it!!!

Did you know that Saturday is:

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day

Love, love, love this!  

My kids love going to bookstores.  They always know I can't say no to a new book :) 

And I'm a firm believer that kids need their own books in their house.  Of course if you can't afford them there is always the library!

Here's a bit about it taken from the website.

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day began when my children were little and I was going to story time at bookstores nearly every week. Did all children know the pleasure of spending time in a bookstore? I wondered. Of being drawn into a magic world for a while, then being left to choose treasures on the shelf? I wanted to begin a holiday that would expose as many kids as possible to this joy.

But Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day quickly became bigger than one mother and her children. Bloggers and book lovers took it viral across the web, carried posters into bookstores, and welcomed me and my family to local bookstores when we traveled cross country last summer.

Now we are busily adding stores, helping support celebrations on the Day, and leading people to the wonderful places we have found. In the future, Take Your Child to a Bookstore may offer grants for children who can't visit a bookstore on their own, or perhaps there will be internships for kids who want one day to own a bookstore. Because the sky is the limit when there is a book!

To find out more and see a list of bookstores participating check out the site:

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day

I'd love to take mine to our favorite children bookstore in St. Paul - The Red Balloon.  Or maybe we'll checkout the bookstore - The Bookcase.  We haven't been there yet!

Paperback Swap: Just What is It?

Do you have stacks of books you don't need and want to trade them for new ones???? 

You should check out Paperback Swap.  

I really really really love that site.  I've gotten some great books there - especially books I needed to round out a series that I only had some for or only needed like one more book for. 

I know some of you have noticed in my Stacking the Shelves or IMM posts that I get books from PBS and asked about it.  I thought it was time to share! 

If you don't know what Paperback Swap is, here is how their site explains it:

What our Book Club is all about...

We help avid readers Swap, Trade & Exchange Books for Free.

• It's easy: List books you'd like to swap with other club members.
• Once a book is requested, mail it to the club member.
• In return, you may choose from 5,058,882 available books!

- Books you request are mailed to you for free.
- No late fees. No hidden charges.

We're NOT just Paperback Books! Enjoy trading Hardbacks, Audio Books, Textbooks and more.

Basically you post a book.  Someone asks for it.  You mail it.  You get credit.  You request a book from someone else.  Repeat!

I've posted a bunch of books I had duplicates of or ones I knew I didn't need.  I've even posted nonfiction "textbooks" and swapped them.  

You  might be thinking:

BUT DOESN'T MAILING COST A FORTUNE????
Nope.  You send them Media Mail.  For me it's usually been around $2.50 per book.  Although I just sent one that was closer to $6.  Learned my lesson there.  Do NOT use heavy mailing envelops for hardcovers!!!

AHHHH THE PACKAGES TO MAIL THEM COSTS LOTS OF MONEY!!!
No not really.  I get around that two ways.  I reuse mailing envelops I've gotten for books I've received.  I have a HUGE stash of those.  But most people don't even use mailing envelops.  PBS actually shows you how to wrap a book with paper and mail it.  They show using the printed mailing label.  I bought a huge role of freezer paper (found it at Walmart), and I use that. Works perfectly and dirt cheap!!!

OK JUST MAILING THEM IN PAPER - THEY MUST ME ALL WRECKED WHEN YOU GET THEM!
Nope not at all!  Never once have a gotten a PBS book that was wrecked in shipping.  In contrast I've gotten books from publishers that were almost falling out of the envelop it was sent in!

IT'S ALL OLD OR YUCKY OR FALLING PART BOOKS!
Nope. Nope. Nope.  I just grabbed City of Lost Souls!!!!  Most books look like they are brand new! It's amazing!! It really it. Plus there is a "Good Condition" statement you basically are asked to agree to each time you post a book that states the book is in good condition. 

IF THERE'S A MESS UP I BET IT'S HARD TO FIX!
I've had a couple of them.  Both where the sender sent me an ARC.  You can't swap ARCs.  When you receive a book, you need to mark it received and right then you can report there was a problem.  PBS tells you to try contacting the sender first to fix it but if that doesn't work they'll get involved.  Mine were resolved very very quickly!

Ok there are some things I have learned tho that has made my swapping easier:

If you click on the pics they'll get bigger.

• Make and use a "Wish List"!!! I put all the books I want on my wish list, so when they come available I get an email saying it's mine if I accept it!
• Create some searches for books you want and save those searches.  I two searches saved.  One is for YA books published on or after 2007 posted in the last 24 hours.  And the other is the same for for MG books.  

• When I want to check out new books in either category I just have to click on the saved search.  All this is found on the left of the screen:

• Go back a lot.  Looking just once isn't going to find you anything.  It's like that one store you go to where you know if you need to keep going back because it turns over so much.  That's PBS.

Questions?????  Check out the HELP PAGE on PBS.  It has lots and lots of answers to typically asked questions.

So that's Paperback Swap.  Love that site!!!! They really work to make it a place were people are sending and receiving good used books.  It's well organized, well managed and well done! Give it a shot.