2014 cybils awards

For the past two years, I’ve participated in the CYBILS award process.  Last year, I helped judge the first round of the Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category.  This year I was a final round judge for Young Adult Speculative Fiction.  The other panelists and I read some fantastic novels, and making the final decision was difficult!  

In the end, we selected Matt de la Peña’s The Living.  My fellow panelists and I appreciated its teen appeal, diverse characters and distinctive voice.  Look out for my review of this CYBILS award winner and other finalists in the coming weeks! Check out the full list of winners (all categories) here.

Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he'll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. And how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two—every cruise has different passengers, after all.

But everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy's only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits California, and his life is forever changed.

The earthquake is only the first disaster. Suddenly it's a fight to survive for those left living.

Thanks to both first and final round judges for their good taste and good cheer during the process.  If you’d like to learn more about the CYBILS and how you can be involved, be sure to check out www.cybils.com.

cybils 2013 finalists announced

The 2013 CYBILS (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards) shortlists have been announced!  I was a first-time panelist for Elementary and Middle Grade Speculative Fiction this year.  I really enjoyed the opportunity to read some amazing fiction and witness what goes into making a great list.  I was also quite pleased to see a book I nominated make the final shortlist!

Elementary and Middle Grade Speculative Fiction 2013 CYBILS Finalists

Jinx by Sage Blackwood

Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Rose by Holly Webb

Sidekicked by John David Anderson

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt

The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Now another panel has the job of selecting a winner from that list – I don’t envy them the job of narrowing it down!  The winner will be announced in February.  In the meantime, I encourage all of you to check out the blogs of my fellow panelists (they’re excellent writers as well as readers!): Charlotte of Charlotte’s Library (our valiant ringleader!), Liviania of In Bed With Books, Stephanie of Views from the Tesseract, Kristen of The Book Monsters, Melissa of The Book Nut, and Brandy of Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

Shortlists for all of the CYBILS categories are up on the website.  Go check them out for wonderful reading recommendations!

are you feeling awarded?

I’ve been feeling a lot of love lately from my fellow bloggers, and haven’t properly acknowledged it or passed it on to other worthy recipients. So, it’s award time! Actually, I was shocked (and made happy) by how many there were in the last month – you are all TOTALLY AWESOME!

Kreativ Blogger award – thanks to Laura at Laura’s Reviews and Steph from Hey! Teenager of the Year.

I accepted this award and nominated other deserving blogs in this post.

Let’s Be Friends award - Ryan G. from Wordsmithonia, Kals from At Pemberly and Velvet from vvb32reads all nominated me. I agree – let’s be friends!

Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends award 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. Please give more attention to these writers.

I’d like to nominate:

Laura at Laura’s Reviews

Steph at Hey! Teenager of the Year

and Mandy at Edge of Seventeen

Your Blog Rocks award – from Velvet at vvb32reads. So glad you think so! The award is sort of self-explanatory, and of course I’m going to share it around.

I want to pass this award on to:

Kals at At Pemberly

Andrea at The Little Bookworm

and Rabid Fox at Wagging the Fox

Super Comments award – many thanks to Kristen at Bookworming in the 21^st Century. These bloggers leave awesome comments – they make you laugh, think, and offer encouragement and support. In other words, they’re freaking awesome.

I’d like to nominate:

Ryan G. at Wordsmithonia

Velvet at vvb32reads

and Nicole at Books and Bards

(really, all of you who comment deserve this award – I get a little thrill every time someone’s read my posts!)

Zombie Chicken award – Andrea at The Little Bookworm, Ryan G. at Wordsmithonia and Kim at Chapter Chit Chat all nominated me for this honor.

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in 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 inspiring 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’m passing on the love to:

Lizzy at Cornucopia of Reviews

Beth and Nathan at in BetweeN the pages

Leila at Bookshelves of Doom

INTERN at Intern Spills

and Rhiannon of Rhiannon Hart

Humane award – Velvet at vvb32reads passed on this super-sweet prize.

This award is to honor certain bloggers that are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn't for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendship through the blog world.

Daphne at xAZDdesign

Kim at Chapter Chit Chat

and Jenny at Jenny Loves to Read

And sneaking in at the last minute, Melissa at Mel's World gave me the Lemonade award! The Lemonade award is a feel good award which shows great attitude or gratitude. Thank you, Melissa! I want to give this one to every one of my followers. You know who you are!

Again…thank you to everyone, and I apologize for the month-long delay in accepting these wonderful accolades! Also, if I missed any, please forgive me...I let them stack up for too long and may have lost track of a couple. It will not happen again!

heartfelt award

Thanks to Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century and Rae at Book Wars for this award.

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea [edited to add…COFFEE] when you’re relaxing, seeking comfort, and/or sharing a plate of cookies with family and friends? There’s a special kind of calm and content that a hot beverage, a crackling fire and the company of those you love inspires. That’s what the Heartfelt Award is all about: feeling warm inside.

Rules: Put the logo on your blog/post. Nominate up to nine (9) blogs that make you feel warm inside. Be sure to link your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog. Remember to link back to the person from whom you received your award.

I'm nominating:

Hey, Teenager of the Year!

Jordan Ferney’s Oh Happy Day!

The Shady Glade

…do you really want to know?

These blogs never fail to put a smile on my face and a bit of happiness in my heart!

In other news, the 2009 Book Blogger Appreciation Week approaches. Although I’m (technically) not a book blogger, I’m going to follow the action. Feel free to check out the website and nominate deserving book bloggers for awards. It’s a great community, and everyone deserves recognition!

blog award and paying it forward

Velvet at vvb32 reads presented me with a Kreativ Blogger Award. Thanks! (Exciting…my first blog award ever!)

The rules state that: Once you receive this award you are to list seven of your favorite things and then nominate seven other blogs. I have nominated blogs that I am falling in love with day by day!

Seven of my favorite things:

Family & friends (they keep me sane. well, mostly sane)

Books (yes. lots of them!)

Coffee (recently most in love with starbucks’ african (red) whole bean)

Films (admitted theater junkie. love seeing new films and laughing aloud with an anonymous group of fellow movie-goers)

Rainy days (grew up in seattle, so what do you expect?)

Traveling (not the transit time, but the seeing new places, learning new languages and having crazy adventures part)

Water polo (one word: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious)

Seven blogs I’m falling in love with:

…do you really want to know? (vibrant card-making adventures)

THE INTERN (a publishing intern tells all)

The Occidental Idiot (diverse academic, theological, filmic and philosophical ramblings)

The Clothes Horse (fashion blog on a budget, with top-notch scenery)

Books and Bards (poetry, book reviews and literary recommendations)

Great White North (a resident of canada blogs about books, baking and what else? canada)

The Garden Handyman (my dad blogs about garden projects. need I say more?)

UPDATE: Laura at Laura's Reviews and Steph at Hey! Teenager of the Year have re-nominated me for this award - thanks Laura & Steph!