Christmas Books Giveaway Hop with Author Heather Vogel Frederick

It’s that time of year again folks! I’m not going to lie…I love Christmas. I always have and having a three year old now who is literally obsessed with Christmas has only made it more special. One of my favorite things about Christmas has also always been that extra reading time and if I am lucky bookstore gift cards coming my way or even that one special book under the tree on Christmas morning. So to celebrate I am participating in the Christmas Book Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer & Laurie Here. This great giveaway hop has over 120 blogs participating and giving away one or more Christmas themed tomes. Make sure to check out the participating blog list here.

This holiday season I decided to team up with the always lovely, talented and extremely generous Heather Vogel Frederick so we could provide some very lucky reader with copies of her fifth installment in the fabulous Mother- Daughter Book Club series:  Home for the Holidays. It’s the perfect read for Mom or Daughter…or even better Mom and Daughter together. It would also make a fantastic Christmas present and I know Heather would be more than happy to sign it to that special someone if you’d like. She’s just that kind of person. A true gem of an author indeed. I have honestly enjoyed every book in this series and each can be read alone or in order so don’t worry if you’re not all caught up!

To enter to win just comment below and let us know your favorite book to read during this time of year…it doesn’t have to be Holiday related whatsoever. For instance I often re-read my favorite classics this time of year simply because I have the time. This year I am re-reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo in preparation for the release of the movie musical. So…as you sip hot cocoa, sit by the fire and maybe just maybe…watch it snow ( who am I kidding…I live in Georgia)…what book will you have in hand?

Three lucky winners will be chosen here at Stiletto Storytime to win their own copy of Home for the Holidays by Heather Vogel Frederick. This Giveaway Hop will end on December 9, 2012 at midnight EST. This giveaway is open to US/CAN addresses only. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and notified by e-mail.

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

Be/Become a Follower of Stiletto Storytime

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Check out Heather Vogel Frederick’s Website & Share Something You Learned/Found Interesting

Tweet or Blog about this Giveaway at Stiletto Storytime (Please leave link in comments)

2nd Annual Holiday Read-a-Thon

It’s that time of year again. Time for the second annual Holiday Read-a-thon! So cozy up with a nice big pile of your favorite reads and let’s get going! And while diving into your very own favorite books might seem like a holiday treat in and of itself…make sure to check out the all the details and the awesome mini-challenges that Liza at WhoRuBlog has put together including one from moi! That’s right a fantastic mini-challenge and prize pack giveaway from one of my favorite authors who just happens to be a spectacular person as well. And don’t fret…it’s not too late to enter.

Stiletto Storytime Mini-Challenge

What better way to celebrate holiday reading than with a great holiday book. Enter the latest addition to The Mother Daughter Book Club Series titled Home for the Holidays where the girls get introduced to none of than the Betsy-Tacy books! So for this mini-challenge what better prize than to win your very own autographed copy of Home for the Holidays, the newly released Betsy-Tacy Treasury, the first two Betsy-Tacy High School Books and a special Betsy-Tacy tote bag! What a haul! Big thanks to the always generous Heather Vogel Frederick for making this giveaway not only possible but wonderful as well.

So what’ the challenge? It’s really easy- just share your favorite holiday read? It doesn’t have to be a classic or even holiday related…just let us know in the comments below what you enjoying reading this time of year and most importantly why? It can be from a cherished childhood memory, a yearly personal tradition or just your own preference…just let us know why it’s important to you. That’s all it takes. Simple right?

 Giveaway ends midnight EST December 5th 2011. This giveaway is open US/Canada shipping addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address or Twitter. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

Be/Become a Follower of Stiletto Storytime

Be/Become a Follower Stiletto Storytime on Twitter (Leave Name)

Be/Become a Follower of Liza of WhoRuBlog on Twitter (Leave Name)

Like the new “Mother Daughter Book Club Page” on Facebook (Leave Name)

Tweet or Blog about this Giveaway (Please leave link in comments)

Review & Giveaway: Pies & Prejudice by Heather Vogel Frederick

“Right before the start of their freshman year, the mother-daughter book club faces yet another challenge when Emma’s family unexpectedly moves to England. Leave it to the resourceful girls, however, to find a way to continue meeting and discuss a particularly fitting choice, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

In England, Emma encounters a new queen bee, Annabelle, who sets out to make her life miserable. Back in Massachusetts, meanwhile, Annabelle’s cousins swap homes with Emma’s family and are causing some major distractions. Cassidy clashes with moody Tristan, a modern day Mr. Darcy, while her friends swoon over Tristan’s younger brother Simon. As the year progresses, the girls each discover new talents, and when they cook up a plan to bring Emma home for a visit by holding a bake sale, it grows into a thriving business, Pies & Prejudice. After their sweet scheme looks like it’s going to fall short, though, they’re left wondering if the club will ever all be together again.”

It’s no secret that the The Mother Daughter Book Club series is one of my favorites for girls and now for teens as well since the girls are growing up and so are their book selections.  Best of all they are finally discovering my favorite author: Jane Austen. From the very first book in the series, we saw Austen connections with Emma whose mother just happens to be an Jane Austen loving librarian. She even named her son Darcy (something I tried and my husband nixed by the way). So it was only a matter of time before the girls aged and encountered Jane among other things such as boys and the pressures of starting of high school.

In Pies & Prejudice we get all the things we love about the series and much much more. One of my favorite aspects of the books has always been the girls themselves. Each girl is so unique that almost any reader can identify and connect with a character on a personal level. As the girls have grown older, readers may find themselves connecting with another or multiple characters as well. No matter what there is a girl for each reader to find something in common with. With a great story, fantastic characters and the immersion into the true classic Pride and Prejudice, this book has become my favorite of the series so far. I loved how each chapter began with an Austen quote which connected with the upcoming happenings in that chapter. Austen lovers, teens and mothers will all enjoy this special book.  Read it with The Mother Daughter Book Club Series, read it as a stand alone or even read it along with Pride and Prejudice. No matter what you choose you’ll be glad you did. And don’t forget to share it with all the mothers and daughters in your life.

Series Giveaway

Thanks to the fantastic Heather Vogel Frederick two lucky winners will receive a copy of all four books in The Mother Daughter Book Club series by simply leaving a comment below sharing their favorite Austen themed book or series. Remember to leave your e-mail address. US/Canada addresses only. Giveaway ends on December 31, 2010. Merry Christmas & Good Luck to All from Heather Vogel Frederick and Stiletto Storytime.

 

 

 

 

Mother Daughter Book Club: Pen Pals

I am super excited to announce that the next book in The Mother Daughter Book Club series is out! Pen Pals released on September 22nd! I am currently reading my arc copy and am a little behind because I decide to go back and re-read this book’s classic companion. One of the reason I love this series is because each book is paired with a classic through the girls reading a book club selection. It’s a wonderful way to get kids into not only new fiction but the tried and true ones as well. Pen Pals  is paired with Jean Webster’s often over looked classics Daddy Long Legs and Dear Enemy.  I am only about half way into Pen Pals but I have to say I think Heather Vogel Frederick has done it again! This series is simply wonderful and the girls are growing up and expanding into some terrific literature. A little bird clued me in to what is coming in the next installment and while I won’ t tell…..I will say you will not want to miss it! This series is a must read for girls and moms!

Summer Reading for Girls

Summer is upon us and it’s time again for Summer Reading! Make sure you sign up at your local library! No matter the age of your children most libraries will have an appropriate program from birth to teens. Book stores often also have Summer Reading Programs such as Barnes and Noble where kids can earn a free book just by reading. If you have girls in the 8-12 age range below are two great choices for their summer reading lists! Plus they are both part of great series so if your girls like them…there are more to enjoy!

As usual I cannot say enough about The Mother Daughter Book Club series. The latest Much Ado About Anne features the girls reading the classic Anne of Green Gables. I first read this book last fall and I have to admit I have read it again since then after re-reading Anne of Green Gables. The series is such a great way for kids to read classics with a modern fiction companion. Also with four great main characters-there is a character for every girl to identify with in some way! Keep a watch out for future volumes as well…I hear Heather Vogel Frederick has some great plans for the series! Below is a description for Much Ado About Anne:

“Drama is required reading in this spirited sequel to The Mother-Daughter Book Club, as the mothers have a big surprise in store for Emma, Jess, Cassidy, and Megan:  They’ve invited snooty Becca Chadwick and her mother to join the book club!  But there are bigger problems when Jess finds out that her family may have to give up Half Moon Farm.  In a seventh grade year filled with Anne of Green Gables, skating parties, a mother-daughter camping trip, and a high-stakes fashion show, the girls realize that it’s only through working together — Becca included — that they can save Half Moon Farm.”

Another great series for girls is Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls by Meg Cabot. I think this series is great especially for those younger girls who are just now moving into longer chapter books. Allie is a great character that most girls will love! She’s funny, girly and very fashion forward! Also she deals with a lot of common problems facing kids such as bullying, making new friends and moving to a new place. There are three great titles so far in the series. I just finished The New Girl and am looking forward to reading Best Friends and Drama Queens next. Also check out the Scholastic site for the series which has some great games, contests and more! Below is a description for Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: The New Girl:

“Allie Finkle is the new girl at Pine Heights Elementary, and she’s very excited. She already knows she likes her new fourth grade teacher Mrs. Hunter, and she’s already friends with classmates Erica, Caroline, and Sophie. There is only one fly in the ointment of Allie’s perfect new life: one of the girls in Allie’s new class, Rosemary, doesn’t like her. In fact, Rosemary says she’s going to beat Allie up after school.  Everybody around Allie tells her their rules for dealing with bullies. But which are the right ones to follow?”

Books About Book Clubs

      

 In the last few months I have read two really great juvenile books about Book Clubs. Both The Mother Daughter Book Club and Bronte’s Book Club were really great reads for adults or kids. I am sure there are groups out there reading these for Book Club along with the book that the club is reading within the book (still with me?). Respectively those books are Little Women and Island of the Blue Dolphins for the above titles. What a great way to get kids into not only a modern fiction title but also a classic as well. Both these books also happen to be big on the girl power which is always a plus and both of the authors are also well known for children’s series. So try them out by themselves or with their Book Club titles.

 

The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

Are you a fashion junky? Do you love animals and being outdoors? Is reading your life or are you a sport loving tomboy? Well no matter which one you are you will love this addictive book. Megan, Cassidy, Emma and Jess could not be more different but they all share one thing in common. Their parents all signed them up for the Mother Daughter Book Club and they all do not want to go. Despite this for one whole year they will read Little Women together and meet to talk about the book whether they want to or not.

 

Bronte’s Book Club by Kristiana Gregory

Have you ever had to move away to a new place? Sometimes it can be scary to move especially if you don’t know anyone. Twelve year old Bronte is nervous about moving to a new town even if it means she can spend nearly everyday at the beach. Will she be able to make new friends in California even in the summer? Starting a book club seems like the perfect solution but soon Bronte finds that it’s not as easy as she thought. Will anyone come and if they do will they be Bronte’s friend?