Books Read in 2011!

Lots of folks are compiling their lists and I wasn't going to do this since I haven't kept very good track this past year, and I was embarrassed at the dearth of books I've read. Usually there are a lot more! It's been quite a year personally and professionally in so many ways: Emotional on a daily basis, full of tears, full of joy, several book deals, emergencies, lack of sleep, lots of travel, book launch, you name it! 


Caroline Starr Rose has her list here and it sort of kicked me in the pants this afternoon to sit down and go through my library list of books checked out and read, as well as all the books tucked around the house that I bought and read. 


Not as much adult or non-fiction, even though I checked out several highly recommended adult titles that I haven't finished and are sitting under my bed, waiting for me. They'll be on next year's list - I hope! 

I am amazed that the total is still 68 books!!! I thought for sure it would be a measly 30 or 40. :-) 

Books Read in 2011:

MIDDLE-GRADE AND YOUNG ADULT:

DRIZZLE by Kathleen Van Cleve

SHIPBREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi

FALLING IN by Frances O’Roark Dowell

THE TAIL OF EMILY WINDSNAP by Liz Kessler

KEYS TO THE DEMON PRISON by Brandon Mull

GHOSTGIRL by Tonya Hurley

THE GIRL WHO COULD FLY by Victoria Forester

THE REPLACEMENT by Brenna Yovanoff

GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLS’ ROOM: A Blogtastic! Novel by Rose Cooper 

AS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS by Sarah Weeks

PIE by Sarah Weeks

TURTLE IN PARADISE by Jennifer L. Holm

THE NIGHT FAIRY by Laura Amy Schlitz  

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys

HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire

INCARCERON by Catherine Fisher

SAPPHIQUE by Catherine Fisher

SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS by Ellen Booraem

STOLEN by Lucy Christopher

CLARITY by Kim Harrington

THE HIDDEN GALLERY by Maryrose Wood

THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING by Maryrose Wood

THE GREAT WALL OF LUCY WU by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

MY INVENTED LIFE by Lauren Bjorkman

OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon M. Draper

THEODOSIA AND THE EYES OF HORUS by R. L. LaFevers

THEODOSIA AND THE LAST PHARAOH by R. L. LaFevers   

THEODOSIA AND THE STAFF OF OSIRIS by R. L. LaFevers 

THEODOSIA AND THE SERPENTS OF CHAOS by R. L. LaFevers

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

13 TREASURES by Michelle Harrison

THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Steivfater

THE JUMBEE Pamela Keyes

CLEOPATRA by Carolyn Meyer

WOLVES, BOYS AND OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT KILL ME, Kristin Chandler

THROAT by R.A. Nelson

TYGER, TYGER by Kersten Hamilton

PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White

EXPOSED by Kimberly Marcus

THE LIAR SOCIETY by Lisa and Laura Roecker

FORBIDDEN SEA by Sheila Neilson

MOON OVER MANIFEST by Clare Vanderpool

MARCELLO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X Stork

LADY MACBETH’S DAUGHTER by Lisa Klein

THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING by Uma Krishnaswami

GLIMPSE by Carol Lynch Williams

PALACE BEAUTIFUL by Sarah DeFord Williams

HOUND DOG TRUE by Linda Urban

MATCHED by Allie Condie

ABANDON by Meg Cabot

THE FOURTH NEPHITE by Jeffrey Savage

THE CLOCKWORK THREE by Matthew Kirby

CROSS MY HEART by Julie Wright

MY DOUBLE LIFE by Janette Rallison

MISSING IN ACTION by Dean Hughes

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins, (for the second time with hubby while driving across 950 miles of Texas.)

An assortment of Picture Books, probably about 20-30

ADULT: 

THE MADONNA’S OF LENINGRAD by Debra Dean

MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL by John Berendt

SARAH’S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay

SOME GIRLS, MY LIFE IN A HAREM by Jillian Lauren

NON-FICTION: 

THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL by Anne Frank (for a book club and for the 3rd time)

BAD NEWS FOR OUTLAWS: the remarkable life of Bass Reeves, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson 

SAVE THE CAT! GOES TO THE MOVIES: THE SCREENWRITE’RS GUIDE TO EVERY STORY EVER TOLD by Blake Snyder 

THE COURAGE TO WRITE: how writers transcend fear by Ralph Keyes 

WORD AFTER WORD AFTER WORD by Patricia MacLachlan, 

THE BOOK OF MORMON written and compiled by several prophets, between 600 BC and 400 AD

JESUS THE CHRIST by James E. Talmadge

Fill your paper . . .

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

William Wordsworth

I love this picture! It looks so peaceful - and yet mysterious and wistful and full of possibility. 

I want to walk down this frosty, sparkly lane of trees and see where it leads me . . . which makes me think of how that's what it feels like to write a book . . . 

We often walk down the empty, cold lanes of our Muse and see where it leads us in our minds and hearts . . . 

More holiday Yummy from SPELLBINDERS!!!

December 26, 2011 Caroline's Classroom Connections EVERYTHING ON A WAFFLE   My name is Primrose Squarp. I am eleven years old. I have hair the color of carrots in apricot glaze (recipe to follow), skin fair and clear where it isn't freckled, and eyes like summer storms. Readers will know right from the start that the narrator of Everything on a Waffle is going to tell her story straight and pull no punches. Primrose's parents have been lost at sea, but she believes without an iota of doubt that they are still alive, somewhere. She moves in with her Uncle Jack, but feels generally friendless. Her only real refuge is a local restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing, where the owner, Miss Bowzer, serves everything on waffles -- except advice and good sense, which come free of charge and are always reliable.   Here's a waffle recipe to use with our BAKING MIX: 2     cups BAKING MIX (see recipe below) 1½  cups milk 2     eggs 1     Tablespoon oil 1     Tablespoon sugar (optional) Preheat waffle maker. Combine sugar and mix. Then combine wet ingredients and add to dry mixture. Bake according to directions. Makes about 8 - 4 inch waffles. If using for a classroom or book club group, waffles may be cooked in advance and heated in a toaster.   Have students bring the following toppings: Fresh fruit Whipped cream Syrup Nutella Peanut Butter Jelly Gummy Bears Tuna salad Cheez Whiz If you want to be adventurous, cut waffles into fourths and try different toppings on each piece. BAKING MIX 1        five pound bag (or seventeen cups) of unbleached flour 9        Tablespoons (a little over ½ cup) of baking powder 2        Tablespoons of salt 3        one cup containers of Crisco shortening (one pound) Put all ingredients except for shortening into a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Cut the shortening into small pieces and then add to the dry mixture. Use two large knives to cut the shortening into the mixture. You may use a pasty blender, but it will get messy. Put the contents into an airtight container. This recipe makes about 21 cups of mix. A plastic, one gallon ice cream container (cleaned and dried and minus the ice cream) will hold about 18 cups of the mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 2-3 months. Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders   Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time. Website Blog          Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Acts of Haiku." To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to my website.                  Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013. She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.       UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS   Saturday, January 14, 2012 2:00-3:30pm Launch Party for Caroline Starr Rose's debut novel, May B. Alamosa Books 8810 Holly Ave. Suite D Albuquerque, NM 87122   Sunday, April 29th, 2012 9-5 Preconference Session Author's Panel at the International Reading Association Conference Chicago, Illinois "Rekindling the Reading and Writing Fire" Join us for this all day session featuring 11 authors including all 3 Spellbinders Carolee Dean Kimberley Griffiths Little Caroline Starr Rose Tuesday, May 1 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. International Reading Association Conference Chicago, Illinois "The Secret Language of Stories: Beyond Story Grammar" Carolee Dean

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Merry Christmas, 2011!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Everyone!!!

Wishing you a blessed and warm holiday this week. I'm counting my blessings, and am especially grateful for my family and so many dear friends and all that our Heavenly Father has given us, especially His Son, our Savior, Redeemer and elder brother, Jesus Christ.

xo,

~Kimberley

Yummy Book Buzz!

December 19, 2011 December Book Buzz Recipe! IF YOU GIVE A MOOSE A MUFFIN   If a big hungry moose comes to visit, you might give him a muffin to make him feel at home. If you give him a muffin, he'll want some jam to go with it. When he's eaten all your muffins, he'll want to go to the store to get some more muffin mix. In this hilarious sequel to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the young host is again run ragged by a surprise guest. Young readers will delight in the comic complications that follow when a little boy entertains a gregarious moose.   Here's a recipe using our BAKING MIX that is perfect for any moose you entertain over the holidays:  1½ cups BAKING MIX (see recipe below) ¼   cup sugar 1    teaspoon cinnamon ¼   cup chopped nuts (optional) ½   cups chopped apples or other fruit ½   cup plus 1 Tb. milk 1    egg, beaten Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first five ingredients, then combine milk and egg and add to dry mixture until just blended. Grease muffin pan. Fill large muffin pans 2/3 full. For mini muffins fill until level with pan. For six large muffins bake 20-25 minutes. For 16 mini muffins bake 15-20 minutes. Fruit suggestions: Chopped apples, peaches, strawberries Whole blueberries, fresh or frozen (thawed) Mashed bananas Pumpkin Applesauce Note: If using a mashed fruit, add to wet ingredients instead of dry ingredients. Adjust milk as necessary to create a thick batter.   BAKING MIX 1        five pound bag (or seventeen cups) of unbleached flour 9        tablespoons (a little over ½ cup) of baking powder 2        tablespoons of salt 3        one cup containers of Crisco shortening (one pound) Put all ingredients except for shortening into a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Cut the shortening into small pieces and then add to the dry mixture. Use two large knives to cut the shortening into the mixture. You may use a pasty blender, but it will get messy. Put the contents into an airtight container. This recipe makes about 21 cups of mix. A plastic, one gallon ice cream container (cleaned and dried and minus the ice cream) will hold about 18 cups of the mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 2-3 months.   Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013. She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.      Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Acts of Haiku." To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to www.caroleedean.com.       Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New  Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time. Website  Blog       UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS              Saturday, Jan 14 2:00-3:30 Launch Party for May B. Caroline Starr Rose's Debut Novel Alamosa Books 8810 Holly, Suite D Albuquerque, NM  87122   Sunday, April 29th, 2012 9-5 Preconference Session Author's Panel at the International Reading Association Conference Chicago, Illinois "Rekindling the Reading and Writing Fire" Join us for this all day session featuring 11 authors including all 3 Spellbinders Carolee Dean Kimberley Griffiths Little Caroline Starr Rose   Tuesday, May 1 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. International Reading Association Conference Chicago, Illinois "The Secret Language of Stories: Beyond Story Grammar" Carolee Dean

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Catch-up!

Below is a Special Holiday Treat from us three girls at SPELLBINDERS (Carolee Dean and Caroline Starr Rose).

I've put up the last of the Writing Cottage Pictures at Facebook if you've missed them: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151013715345043.770589.698155042&type=3


Other FAB news: My Middle-eastern Goddess trilogy just sold to Poland yesterday! YAY! Thailand and now Poland. So. Very. Thrilled. Here is a link to the publisher there, it looks like they do some cool books: REMI Katarzyna Portnicka


Rainy days have set in and I have all my major holiday shopping to do. And decorating. And, well, everything. And all I want to do is decorate my little *house*. 

More painting is still needed as well as clean-up and furniture and curtains! But we're close!

And here's SPELLBINDERS - from last Monday!

December 5, 2011 A Special Gift From Spellbinders A HOLIDAY TREAT JUST FOR YOU We know everyone is busy this holiday season, so rather than give you more to think about, we've decided to spend the next five weeks trying to make your life easier. We'd like to start by sharing a very simple, yet versatile recipe with you that will help you get your busy day started, and also warm you on cold December nights. BAKING MIX 1        five pound bag (or seventeen cups) of unbleached flour  9        tablespoons (slightly more than 1/2 cup) of baking powder 2        tablespoons of salt 3        one cup containers (one pound) of Crisco shortening Put all ingredients except for shortening into a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Cut the shortening into small pieces and then add to the dry mixture. Use two large knives to cut the shortening into the mixture. You may use a pasty blender, but it will get messy. Put the contents into an airtight container. This recipe makes about 21 cups of mix. A plastic, one gallon ice cream container (cleaned and dried and minus the ice cream) will hold about 18 cups of the mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 2-3 months. QUICK BISCUITS for 9 small, 2 inch biscuits                       for 14 small, 2 inch biscuits 2     cups BAKING MIX                         3    cups BAKING MIX ½    cups milk                                          3/4 cups milk Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine ingredients. Add just enough milk to form a stiff dough. For fluffier biscuits add one tablespoon of cold butter cut into pea size pieces before adding milk. Stir until just blended. Press onto a cutting board and form dough into a 1 inch thick slab. Use a 2 inch biscuit cutter to form round biscuits, or cut into 2 inch squares. Place side by side on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. FLUFFY DUMPLINGS 1        cup BAKING MIX 1        tablespoon milk   1        egg Make a large pot of your favorite chicken soup or use the recipe below. The key is to use a pot with a large circumference because the dumplings will float along the top of the soup. Combine ingredients into a stiff dough. Stir until just blended. Press onto a cutting board and form dough into a 1 inch slab. Cut into 2 inch squares. Drop into boiling soup and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for twenty minutes. Dumplings should be wet on the outside and dry on the inside. CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL Put the following ingredients in a 4-5 quart crockpot:  6 cups chicken broth 1 large frozen chicken breast 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon minced garlic salt and pepper to taste cut into bite size pieces and add: 2 potatoes  2 carrots 2 celery stalks 1 small onion (chopped) Cook on low for 6-8 hours then take out chicken breast and cut into pieces and return to pot. Turn crockpot to high. Add dumplings and cook another 20 minutes. A HOLIDAY GIFT Are you running out of time to bake and distribute hundreds of holiday cookies? Are your friends tired of the sugar overload each holiday brings? Get 7 plastic bags and put three cups of BAKING MIX into each one. Secure each bag with a twist tie or zip lock and put in a decorative paper bag along with a stick on bow and these recipes. Your friends will be glad to receive something they can make for dinner instead of something that will just make them fat and cranky. FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS STAY TUNED TO SPELLBINDERS FOR RECIPES WITH BOOK TIE-INS THAT USE THIS BAKING RECIPE. NEXT WEEK WE WILL EXPLORE THE MIDDLE GRADE NOVEL TORTILLA SUN. Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders   Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time. Website Blog          Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Acts of Haiku." To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to my website.                  Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013. She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.       UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS   Saturday, January 14, 2012 2:00-3:30pm Launch Party for Caroline Starr Rose's debut novel, May B. Alamosa Books 8810 Holly Ave. Suite D Albuquerque, NM 87122   Sunday, April 29th, 2012 9-5 Preconference Session Author's Panel at the International Reading Association Conference Chicago, Illinois "Rekindling the Reading and Writing Fire" Join us for this all day session featuring 11 authors including all 3 Spellbinders Carolee Dean Kimberley Griffiths Little Caroline Starr Rose Tuesday, May 1 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. International Reading Association Conference Chicago, Illinois "The Secret Language of Stories: Beyond Story Grammar" Carolee Dean

Forward email This email was sent to kglittle@msn.com by spellbinders@peifercomputing.net |   Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Spellbinders | 3 YAF Authors | Albuquerque | NM | 87181