Southern Festival of Books 2010: Part One

This weekend was the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN...an event I have been looking forward to for some time now!  It finally arrived and it was just an amazing weekend.

I LOVE the Southern Festival of Books.  It is so fun to listen to authors that I admire and discovering some new ones that I want to check out!  The first time I went, my mom joined me for the fun and this year my dad came with me.  That always makes the festival even more special!

Another aspect I really enjoy about the festival is striking up conversations with fellow book lovers while waiting to have books signed by the authors.  I had wonderful conversations with an elementary school librarian from Nashville, a lovely family with a middle school student from Murfreesboro (and the mom has a personalized, autographed, 1st edition copy of Where the Wild Things Are...WOW!), and another fun family with two young children from Lawrenceburg.  It's so fun to hear about the books they love and such.

So here's what happened this weekend...in parts!  Sorry...I had so much to say that I broke up the weekend into a few posts. 

First up, we checked out the book sale table. 

Thanks to hubby for the copy of Knuffle Bunny Free and to my parents for Guys Read: Funny Business and The Cardturner.  Happy Birthday to me!

Next, we headed into the auditorium for Jon Scieszka's talk.  I was super pumped to get to hear him...I adore his books and especially of his Guys Read initiative.  I did a huge project on it for a class!  In addition, I am planning a "Trucktown" party in January for the library! 

I knew his talk would be entertaining and funny...and I was right!  I loved hearing about his childhood (if you haven't read Knucklehead you totally should!) as well as his different books.  I now have an even great appreciation of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man.  He discussed Guys Read and why he feels that initiative is so important.

 Here is Jon Scieszka at the Southern Festival of Books on October 9, 2010 reading a bit from his Caldecott Honor Book The Stinky Cheese Man.  Photo Credit: Brooke Brown.

Scieszka discussed the new book Guys Read: Funny Business which is the first book in an anthology of short stories written by guys for guys of which he edited!  This one is "humor" and then there will be several more featuring different genres: mystery/chiller, non-fiction, science fiction, etc.  So there is something to look forward to!   Jon read a bit from his section he wrote along with Kate DiCamillo.

After his talk ended, I hurried out to the signing colonnade and got in line for Scieszka to sign my book.  Scieszka was very kind and even allowed us to have our picture taken!

Here is Jon signing my book.  

Me and Jon Scieszka!  Awesome!!!!  (Thanks Dad for taking the photos!)

I then rushed back into the auditoruim to hear Mo Willems speak.

More about that next time!

New Book Day!

I forgot to post NEW BOOK DAY a few weeks ago when my copy of Nicholas Sparks' new book Safe Haven arrived.  I don't read very many books that are not geared for kids and teens, but I always read anything that Sparks releases!

According to a little video I saw a while back (I think on Amazon?), Sparks said that this book has some suspense in it...kind of like The Guardian did.  The Guardian is my favorite Sparks book, so I have high hopes for this new novel.

It's first on my list when I finish comps and I have my life back! 

Time Out....

I'm taking comps in 23 days.

Be back when I'm finished!


In the meantime, entertain me and tell me about what YOU are reading!  Leave a comment!

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family by Steve & Annette Economides

The Economides family shares their tips and procedures for saving money in the grocery department.  This family, dubbed as "America's Cheapest Family" has fed their family of seven on $350 a month for years.

Impossible?  This family lay out step by step plans proving that anyone can do the same!  The book covers topics such as how to plan your grocery shopping and tips for stretching that dollar at the store by seeking out the deals, organizing your kitchen, using coupons, cooking in bulk, planting a garden, recipes, and even a bonus section for singles and empty-nesters.


What I Thought:

My husband and I have recently started eating more at home and being conscious of our shopping habits, both for health and budgetary reasons.  This book peaked my interest, and I found it to be very helpful!

The authors are very aware that their lifestyle is not the norm in our society, and that it took them a long time to build up to the efficiency that they now enjoy.  In their book, they are nothing but encouraging and understanding that what they do may not be for everyone!  With that in mind, I especially appreciated the tips at the end of each chapter written specifically for people with various skill levels in mind:  tips for those just beginning, those who have been doing it for some time, and those who have been doing it for a long time and are ready for a further challenge.

I especially enjoyed the chapters about once a month shopping and cooking and kitchen organization.  These are concepts that I hope to incorporate into our lives, but perhaps and a smaller scale.  (Especially since we don't have children!)

This is a great book for those who are looking to save both time and money in the kitchen!

Recommended. 

Want to see more?  Check it out on Amazon: Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family by Steve & Annette Economides

Reviewed from a copy provided by the Thomas Nelson Publisher Book Review Bloggers program.  This book will make the rounds among family and friends and kept in my personal library for future reference.

Top 100 YA Novels via Persnickety Snark's Poll

A while back, Persnickety Snark held a Top 100 YA Novels Poll and then tallied the results to create the Top 100 YA Novels. 

I didn't vote in the poll, but did check out the results.  You can see it below and I've bolded the books I have read.   It's 30 of 100, and there are LOTS of books I really want to read listed here! 

Sigh...my "to-be-read" list is never ending.

Top 100 YA Novels via Persnickety Snark's Poll
#100 The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (1985) 

#99 The Pigman by Paul Zindel (1969)
#98 Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (1987)
#97 Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (2010) 

#96 The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (2009) 

#95 Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols (2009)
#94 Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (2008) 

#93 Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher (2001)
#92 Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (1994) 

#91 The Astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party (2006)

#90 Glass Houses by Rachel Caine (2006) 

#89 A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle (1980) 

#88 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (2003) 

#87 An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (2006) 

#86 The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (1990)
#85 Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (2008)
#84 Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (2006)
#83 The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (2008) 

#82 Jacob I Have Loved by Katherine Paterson (1980)
#81 The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (2009)

#80 Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (1998) 

#79 Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) 

#78 Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (2006)
#77 Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (1971) 

#76 The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares (2001) 

#75 Feed by MT Anderson (2001) 
#74 The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (1983) 

 #73 Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley (1978)

#72 Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (2009) 
#71 The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (2006)

#70 If I Stay by Gayle Forman (2009) 

#69 Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison (1999)

#68 Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (2008) 
#67 Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen (1999) 

#66 City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (2009)
#65 How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (2004) 

#64 Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (1992)

#63 The Diary of a Young Girl (1947)
#62 Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (1989) 

#61 The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (1974) 



#60 Fire by Kristin Cashore (2009)

#59 Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (2006)

#58 Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (2007) 

#57 Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (2000)
#56 Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty (2003) 

#55 Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (2003) 

#54 Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (2009) 

#53 The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973)
#52 Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986)
#51 Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (2000)



#50 The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (2000) 

#49 Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1997)
#48 I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948) 

#47 Forever by Judy Blume (1975) 
#46 Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margie Stohl (2009) 

#45 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (2003) 
#44 Sabriel by Garth Nix (2003) 

#43 Evernight by Claudia Gray (2008) 

#42 The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (2000) 

#41 Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (2008)



#40 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2007) 

#39 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1943) 

#38 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2009) 

#37 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (2000) 

#36 Paper Towns by John Green (2008) 

#35 The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1978) 
#34 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)
#33 The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (2008) 

#32 Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden (1995)
#31 A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (2003) 



#30 Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (2005)

#29 Harry and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (2005) 

#28 Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1985) 

#27 Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (1983)
#26 The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien (1954) 

#25 Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty (2001)
#24 Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (2007) 

#23 Graceling by Kristin Cashore (2008) 

#22 Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (2007) 

#21 Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (2009) 



#20 Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen 

 #19 The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999) 

#18 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (1999) 

#17 Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (1951) 

#16 On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (2006) 

#15 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (2005) 

#14 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868) 

#13 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (2007) 

#12 Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (2006) 

#11 Looking for Alaska by John Green (2005) 

#10 This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (2002) 

#9 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (2005) 

#8 The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967) 

#7 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2006) 

#6 The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (2004) 

#5 Northern Lights [The Golden Compass] by Philip Pullman (1995) 

#4 Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (1996) 
#3 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) 

#2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling (1996) 

#1 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008)

I've been invited to participate as a presenter in a webinar that is coming up by my state library about YA Literature.   There are 5 of us who will be talking about our favorite YA novels, each of us specifically targeting our favorite genres.   I will be book talking my top 10 favorite realistic fiction books, and am working on my list of faves.  When I finalize it, I'll share!