Make Every Child a Reader this #GivingTuesday, November 28th

Last week I shared a post about First Book and Chronicle Books donating books to children this holiday season. Today I want to share how you can help children get books via another organization, Every Child a Reader.

Every Child A Reader is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading in children and teens across America. They support all those who inspire children and teens to enjoy reading— parents, educators, librarians and booksellers across America — year-round as well as through their popular and long-running national programs which include Children's Book Week (every year I review only children's books on the blog during that week), Children's & Teen Choice Book Awards, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, the Reading Without Walls Challenge, and the Anna Dewdney Read Together Award. Every Child A Reader works to connect young children and teens with books that they love and create lifelong readers. They aim to give children books that reflect their world.

Every Child A Reader reaches out to schools, libraries, and communities across the US. Every little bit of support helps in furthering their mission and reaching children in all walks of life.

Want to help? Donate directly, any time during the year and not just at the holidays, at http://everychildareader.net/donate/ Then spread the word and share this campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues. Use #GivingTuesday and #MakeEveryChildaReader in your social media posts and link to the url: http://everychildareader.net/donate/

Every little bit will help, and a donation of $20 will help:

Ship children's books to a health clinic (Every child who comes in for a check-up gets a free book from Every Child a Reader)

Print and mail  word puzzles and draw-your-own story pages to 10 rural and urban schools and libraries across America.

Produce online and downloadable voting ballots for our 4 book prizes, the only national awards voting on only by kids and teens. 

BUY A BOOK, GIVE A BOOK Campaign Update:

I got an email from Chronicle Books concerning their campaign -

This weekend, for every book you buy on our website, we'll donate three to a child in need through our non-profit partner First Book.

And don't forget our Friends + Family sale, get 35% off with free ground shipping on everything with code GIVEBOOKS

Now, go share your love of books with a child! 

2018 Nora Roberts/JD Robb Book Schedule

Nora Roberts has released her book schedule for next year, including new books and reprints, for both of her author identities. ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. The source for the schedule and image is Nora's newsletter.

Buy a Book, Give a Book This Holiday Season

 

 For the sixth year, Chronicle Books is running their Buy A Book, Give A Book campaign in conjunction with First Book. It's simple: For every book you buy on their website November 6th to December 15th, Chronicle Books will donate a book to First Book, a non-profit that routes books to the children who need them most.(up to 30,000 books). Chronicle Books is offering 35% off and free shipping. Use the coupon code, GIVEBOOKS at checkout

As part of their campaign this year, Chronicle Books is asking you to  explore what books can do, and what you can do. Books can inform, entertain, educate, transport yo to another place or time, and bring you together with family, friends, or people who enjoy the same book as you. Books can make you dream and help you fulfill a dream, books can provide comfort and relief, can prepare you for pretty much anything. Books are the key to opening your mind and changing your world.

What can YOU do? There are numerous organizations where you can donate books. I donate to my local libraries, a shelter, and a food pantry. You can take them to a used book store and get some money or store credit. You can donate them to a school or day care near you. Is there a prison near you? See if they accept books for donation for the prisoners. You can donate money to numerous organizations - Milk and Bookies; Room to Read; Reading is Fundamental; and of course, First Book. Need more ideas? Check out this article from several years ago - https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/11/book-charities-that-help-kids_n_6817484.html
 
So, whatever holiday you are celebrating, or even if you are not celebrating any holiday at all, take a moment to share a book with a child in need of help. 

Aurora Award Speculative Fiction Bundle from StoryBundle & A Giveaway!

Are you fan of speculative fiction? Do you like to fly through space, chase werewolves, interact with mythological characters? Then you need to check out this bundle of ebook of books that have won or been finaled for the Aurora Awards, Canada's premier speculative fiction award.

Growing the TBR Pile - November Books We're Anticipating

 

Growing the TBR pile is a new monthly feature where we share upcoming releases that we're excited about.

New Science Fiction Humble Bundle!!! You Choose the Price!!!

 
Most of you have probably heard of Humble Bundle but for those of you who haven't it works like this: Authors and/or publishers offer up books with a common theme,in this case adventures in science fiction. There are 24 books, some by heavy duty science fiction authors including Joe Haldeman and the late Octavia Butler. They are available at levels of pay for whatever you're willing to contribute.The more you pay, the more books available to you.

Banned Books Week 2017 - Some Celebrations and Links

It's time again for the annual Banned Books Week, a celebration of our right to choose what to read, sponsored by the American Library Association and other groups. This year's theme or emphasis is on the importance of the First Amendment. This focus was chosen due to an increase in complaints and challenges in 2016. “Our Right To Read” is "a celebration of the diverse range of ideas found in books, and our right as citizens to make our own intellectual choices." Curious what the most challenged books were last year? There's a top 10 list here.

Happy 80th Birthday to The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien!

My print  copies of The Hobbit and one of my teacups

80 years ago today a delightful little book by an English professor was released and became not only an instant hit but a lasting success and a classic. Little people who lived in holes in the ground, different little people who lived underground mining, mysterious folk of the woods, fire breathing lizards who guarded their hoard, a twisted lonely creature who loved riddles; yes, I'm talking about The Hobbit. It was first published on September 21, 1937.

I grew up reading myths and fairy tales, soaking up heroes and monsters like a sponge soaks up water. But I didn't discover fantasy until 5th grade when my English teacher would take time at the end of class to read from The Hobbit. To be honest, I don't remember what we learned that year but I remember her reading this book. She didn't read it everyday but on those days when she got through her lesson plan early and we'd behaved, she would read aloud to us. At that rate, it took most of the school year but I was hooked. My parents, one of whom was also an English teacher, happily bought me my own copy.

I loved everything about The Hobbit - the world, the humor, the adventures, the people, the excitement and the wonder and the thrills. And the dragon! I loved dragons in the myths and fairy tales I'd read but encountering one in more recent writings was exciting. Later I moved to The Lord of Rings which was a different, more sober take on Tolkien's world but was still exciting and full adventure and wondrous beings. But The Hobbit holds a special place in my heart to this day. I own multiple editions but sadly it's been years since I read any of them. I think it's time for a re-read. And tea and cakes of course.

image found on Pinterest

Borrow Bea's Kindle Books!

I have a large collection of Amazon Kindle books that can be loaned. One of the disadvantages of ebooks is that often they aren't lendable but there are some publishers and self-published authors who are savvy enough to make their books lendable. And really, borrowing someone's book, or sharing your book, is a great way to try a new author, series, or genre.

For years I've had a shelf at Goodreads labelled "Kindle books to lend" so I could loan friends a book. But I have hundreds and only a few have been borrowed so I decided to open it up to readers of the blog. Check out my shelf at Goodreads to see if there are any books you are interested in. I try to keep the list up-to-date and *try* to remember to remove a book once I've loaned it out. To borrow one of my books, message me at Goodreads or email me at beasbooknook@gmail.com. Put "Borrow Kindle Book" in the subject line.

If I lend you the book, (and as long as you are polite with your request, and the book is lendable, I will lend it), you will get an email from Amazon informing you of the loan. You have 7 days to accept the loan or lose it. The loan period is typically 14 days but is set by the publisher so it may vary. At the end of the loan period, the book disappears from your Kindle device or app and cannot be renewed. If you happen to make any notes or highlights and end up buying the book, Amazon says those will be in your purchased copy. 

ETA: On the 14th of September, I was able to successfully lend a book to Line in Norway. So, even if you don't live in the US, hit me up and let's give it a try!

Happy reading!

A Home Without Books, Can You Help? A Guest Post by Author Linda Poitevin

Today I'm delighted to have one of my favorite ladies and authors, Linda Poitevin, on the blog. Linda Poitevin is a writer possessed of both a light side and a dark one. On the dark side, she’s the author of the Grigori Legacy, an urban fantasy series featuring a hard-as-nails cop caught up in the war between Heaven and Hell. In her lighter moments, she writes the sweet and funny Ever After contemporary romance series. And when she’s not plotting the world’s downfall or next great love story, she’s a wife, mom, friend, coffee snob, gardener, walker of a Giant Dog, minion to the Itty Bitty Kitty, and avid food preserver (you know, just in case that whole Zombie Apocalypse thing really happens).

Today, though. she's not here to talk about a book, well, not one of her books. Let me turn things over to Linda and she'll explain.

Happy Holidays!!!

Hannukah began yesterday, Christmas is today, the Winter Solstice was last week, and Kwanzaa begins next week. Whatever holiday you celebrate, may it be peaceful and joyous. Peace and good tidings to you and yours.

2017 Nora Roberts/JD Robb Release Schedule

Woo Hoo! It's that time again when Ms. Roberts shares her release schedule for the next year. I love this look at what's coming up and planning my reading (and reviewing) around the release dates. As always the info is in graphic form and dates are subject to change.

Buy A Book, Give A Book - Pledge to Give Books

For the fifth year, Chronicle Books is running their Buy A Book, Give A Book campaign in conjunction with First Book. It's simple: Use the hashtag #GiveBooks on social media to share your pledge that you are giving a book; each use counts as a new book in the hands of a child so share as many times as you want. For every pledge, Chronicle Books will donate a book to First Book (up to 30,000 books).

And for the first time ever, every order you place on chroniclebooks.com will be matched with a donation to First Book. To get started, take 35% off (that's their best discount of the year) with the code GIVEBOOKS.

If you're reading my blog, you're a reader, you appreciate books. How about sharing your love of reading with a child? Millions of children lack access to age-appropriate reading material and educational resources. As a teacher and a reader, that saddens me. Books are important for learning, for dreaming, for traveling without ever leaving home, for giving hope and inspiration. This campaign is a simple way to help combat the lack of books. So please, go, buy a book, and donate a book. Want more info? Go here. And come back some time during the next few months and share what book you gave.

Calling All Readers and Authors: Help A School, Donate Books!

 

This article about a school library has been all over my Facebook feed this week and I decided to share on here for those of you who may not have seen it.

There's a school in Nevada that hasn't had a working library for about a decade; they haven't had any new books for eight years. None. Not one. I have a hard time fathoming that. I was fortunate with my school libraries and am fortunate now with my local libraries. They had/have budget issues but there are always new materials. Now, this school's library is being restarted and they need books, movies, and music. From the article -

We need racially diverse books. We need graphic novels. We need women’s studies. We need science. We need series. We need film. We need comics. We need music. We need biographies of important people. Looking for Young Adult. Classics. We want zines! Contemporary. Poetry. Everything that would make a difference in a young person’s life. Writers send us YOUR BOOK.

They have an Amazon wish list, or you can send them something that you think will spark a teen's mind, have relevance to them. It can be brand new or a gently loved item from your own collection. Please, nothing in poor shape. Don't send them your trash.

I've gone through my collection of unsolicited YA review books and will be shipping them out, probably on Monday. Want to save some money on shipping and you're in the US? Check out the postal service's media mail option. It's how I send books. It can take several weeks to ship but it can be significantly cheaper than shipping first class.

Also, I love that the students have a say in the new library and are an active part of designing the space. How awesome is that? Their input is wanted and solicited and they'll be more invested in using and taking care of the space. Just wonderful. <3

ETA: All the information you need about the school and donating can be found in the original article, here.

A final word from the article -

So here’s what I’m asking. Will you donate a book? A real book. Something literary or fun—something that speaks to your truth, their truths. Something that teaches them something about the world. Makes them feel less alone?

I’m not asking for money. I’m asking for you to send a new book or film or cd to us to help us build a library we can be proud of. Just one book.

The Kindness of Readers

I belong to several author street teams and a couple of author fan groups on FB. Author street teams get a bad rap, and there are some that are quite horrendous in their behavior, but I researched the groups before joining. And may I say that some of them are just freaking awesome?

One such street team is the Beast Claws, the team for urban fantasy author Faith Hunter. I've read all of her Jane Yellowrock books, via my library or via review copies from her publisher, so I have not needed help acquiring copies. She has another book releasing next month, and I have a review copy. Over the weekend, some members contacted the group admin and offered to donate copies to members who needed them. It wasn't long before more members stepped and there are now over 30 copies being offered, some to members in the US and some to members outside of the US. That just blows me away. Here's the current offering, as of 2 hours before I wrote this:

Just a quick note: I have 24 copies for American distribution. I have 6 available for those not stateside. And 2 copies for Canada. I'll be going through names tomorrow night. If you are from outside the US or in Canada (this sounds weird, but hey, it's me) please contact me. I have one person from redacted for privacy reasons.

Now, I don't know how many people are donating, but I do know some people are offering multiple copies. Way to go Claws! That's a street team I'm proud to be part of.

There's a fan group, not a street team, I belong to for romantic suspense and historical romance author Pamela Clare. Pamela's had about 3 or 4 books release since I joined, and with every release, members stepped and offered copies of the books to members who couldn't afford to those who couldn't afford to buy their own copy. The donating members were generous, offering Kindle books and print books, even to other countries. During the year I was not employed, I was the fortunate recipient of several of Pamela's books. Since I've been working full-time, I purchased some of her backlist and I look forward to offering copies of one of her books in the future.

Do you have any examples of fan groups or street teams who have done something generous or kind?

Free Romance Reads from Sourcebooks Casablanca

Sourcebooks Casablanca has a free daily email called Free Romance Reads. They serialize some of their best books so you get a snippet of the story each day in your inbox. Just a few minutes a day of reading and you'll have a read a book, for free! Starting on December 7th they will be serializing a prequel novella to a highly anticipated romantic suspense series that’s coming out in 2016 by debut author Katie Ruggle. The novella, On His Watch, doesn’t come out until January, but if you sign up for the email you can read it before it’s released! Then after On His Watch is finished, they move on to another great title. Important: in order to start getting the emails from the very beginning of On His Watch, you need to sign up before 5 p.m. CT on Friday (12/4). That way you will be in their system so you can start digging in when the first email arrives in your inbox bright and early on Monday morning. Below is more about On His Watch and here is the link to sign up for Free Romance Reads: eepurl.com/bvOR45  On His Watch is the pulse-pounding prequel to the riveting Search & Rescue series by Katie Ruggle. In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder… Ice rescue diver Derek Warner never meant to be a hero. But when two little girls go missing, he’s the first in line to bring them home—even if that means scouring the wilderness with the woman he once loved and lost, Artemis Rey. Artemis has never stopped wanting Derek. Now, racing to find the girls before it’s too late, minutes turn to hours. Night falls. Old flames rekindle. And a danger grows in the darkest wilderness that may be more than even the Search and Rescue brotherhood can hope to face…

Nora Roberts/J.D.Robb 2016 Release Schedule

It's that time again, time for the Nora Roberts release schedule. It is, of ourse, subject to change so doublecheck her site for updates.

Harlequin's Heartwarming Thanksgiving - 13 FREE Short Stories!

From November 2 – 26, Harlequin Books is celebrating Thanksgiving with their Heartwarming Thanksgiving, featuring 13 brand new FREE short stories from Harlequin Heartwarming authors! The stories are uplifting and remind us of what's important.

Read along with this shareable calendar and download the free reads at this link: www.harlequin.com/AHeartwarmingThanksgiving

The list of authors:

Melinda Curtis
Liz Flaherty
Kate James
Tara Taylor Quinn
Leigh Riker
Karen Rock
Carol Ross
Sophia Sasson
Rula Sinara
Jen Snow
Pamela Tracy
Amy Vastine
Cari Lynn Webb

Love Star Trek? Love Writing? Strange New Worlds Fan Fiction Contest Returns for 2016

This just sounds fun! I remember reading ST fan fic years ago and for many years I read and enjoyed the authorized Star Trek novels. Now here's a chance for you to write your own authorized Star Trek, set in any of the ST worlds: TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise, etc.

Simon & Schuster, as part of its celebration of Star Trek's upcoming 50th anniversary, will bring back its popular Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fan fiction writing contest. The orignal Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was a yearly collection of Trek short stories published between 1998 and 2007, with the amateur writers' works chosen via an open submissions process. The new contest for 2016 will result in 10 grand prize winners who will have their stories published in the print and eBook formats as part of an all-new and official anthology from Simon & Schuster (yea, this is going on my wish list!). Additionally, the two first prize winners will receive a free self-publishing package from Archway Publishing.

The deadline is January 15, 2016 for submissions by U.S. residents only, and the winners will be announced on March 31, 2016, with the winning stories selected by a panel (to be named in the near future). And, to make the 2016 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds a fully fan-created package, fans will soon be asked to submit their artwork for cover consideration. Visit www.startrekbooks.com for additional details.

Penny Watson's Book Club Initiative

Penny Watson is an author I enjoy following on Twitter. She's opinionated, smart, and funny. It doesn't hurt that she's a local author for me and I got to meet her last year at a reader event she organized. I've also read one of her romances and have several more sitting on my Kindle. Recently, Penny announced a new initiative for readers and I thought I'd share.