It's a New Year!

 
Not sure I was ready for 2009 to be over, but ready or not, 2010 is here! I haven't posted since Christmas. We had a great Christmas, then left to spend the weekend in Angleton with our best friends. We came home Sunday night and my dad called wanting to go hunting on Monday. So, off I went to South Texas, until yesterday afternoon. We had a good time and came home with a deer, a hog, and three coons. Could have been better, but the deer were moving pretty slow.

I was so glad to be home and ready to spend a nice quiet evening with my husband, but we ended up in the ER. My feet and hands started tingling and I had a burning in my chest. They took me right in and after blood work, a chest x-ray, and a CT scan, everything came back negative. What a relief! Knowing everything is okay is good, but not knowing why it happened is not. They said I could have had an anxiety attack worrying about it. I can't stop worrying. Every little tingle or gas pain makes me worry. I know they said nothing was wrong, but I'm still going to follow up with my doctor on Monday. All I know is I'm going to try, this next year, to not take things for granted.

It's a new year, which means new opportunities. My blogging goals are to continue with my weekly feature, Because of a Book, as well as the weekly memes I do from other blogs: In My Mailbox, Mailbox Monday, Waiting On Wednesday, and Friday Fill-Ins. I don't plan to add any more to my plate as I want to review as much as I can. I said last year at this time that I hoped to be able to do a Year in Review post, but again, I let time get away from me and didn't get it done. I entered some challenges last year, but wasn't real good at keeping track of the books for them. So, this year, I'm not entering challenges, so to speak. I'm just going to challenge myself to read as much as I can and review everything I read. I'm also going to do a better job at visiting and commenting on others' blogs. I have a lot of blogs that I subscribe to, and I have been feeling guilty about not reading them regularly and leaving comments. I want to do that, because it helps me to stay in touch with what's going on in the blogging world.

On another note, the Cybils' shortlists were released today. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Fiction Picture Books judging panel.  First let me say what an honor it was to be able to read many of the books that were nominated in this category.  The other judges and I had a long Google Wave chat where we hashed out the best of the best, and the following list of finalists are what we decided on.

Fiction Picture Books

Curious Garden, The
by Peter Brown
Little, Brown
Nominated by: Eric Carpenter
When a little boy discovers a near-dying garden atop the buildings in his drab city, he quickly learns the changes that can occur under the caring hands of one dedicated person. This magical tale--coupled with beautiful illustrations--enables children to see just how much they, too, are capable of.
--Katie Harvey

Lion & the Mouse, The
by Jerry Pinkney
Little, Brown
Nominated by: Kirsten Cutler
Jerry Pinkney builds on his outstanding résumé with this remarkable, nearly wordless retelling of the classic Aesop fable. One of the most significant artistic achievements of the year, the rich, expressive illustrations invite young readers to interpret the tale in their own way.
--Travis Jonker
 
Jeremy Draws a Monster
by Peter McCarty
Henry Holt
Nominated by: Lily
One day, Jeremy--who never goes out--uses his special crayon to draw a monster. He draws like mad to satisfy the demanding beast, but only finds peace when he sends the beast on its way. Simply told and creatively illustrated, this book wraps itself around the deeper meaning within--that we draw our own monsters, and neither feeding nor ignoring them will make them go away. Brilliant.
--Pam Coughlan
 
Listeners, The
by Gloria Whelan
Sleeping Bear Press
Nominated by: Joe
In the time when slavery gripped the South, Ella May and her two friends become the ears for the community as they make "listening" trips in the evenings--trips where they learn news from the outside world and the Master's plans. Beautifully written and illustrated, this is a book that will open your eyes and touch your heart.
--Shelly Burns
 
All the World
by Liz Garton Scanlon
Beach Lane Books
Nominated by: Cynthia Leitich Smith
A multicultural family (and those around them) starts a day with a morning on the beach, endures a thunderstorm, shares a meal and ends with a quiet night at home. A wide audience will enjoy the lyrical rhyming couplets and breathtaking illustrations--this book is perfect to cuddle and read aloud with young children.
--Natasha Maw
 
Book That Eats People, The
by John Perry
Tricycle Press
Nominated by: Bri Meets Books
Whatever you do, do not allow your little ones to read this book if they have the slightest hint of peanut butter and jelly on their fingers. You see...this book eats people and has already consumed little Sam Ruskin, sweet Victoria Glassford and a security guard. This wonderfully dark story has as much devious fun as a picture book can hold.
--Natasha Maw

Silly Tilly
by Eileen Spinelli
Marshall Cavendish Childrens Books
Nominated by: Kathy Temean
Silly Tilly is not your ordinary goose. Quite the opposite, in fact — and her barnyard friends have decided they’ve had enough of her silliness. But as the farm quickly turn dull, Tilly’s friends realize that her quirkiness makes Tilly special. Funny, rhyming text and colorful illustrations make this book a treat to read aloud, and Tilly's wacky antics will leave kids giggling.
--Katie Harvey

Visit the Cybils site and check out the other categories of books.

Easy Readers & Short Chapter Books
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Non-Fiction Middle Grade/YA
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction