It's Summer Reading Time, Kids!

BONJOUR!

I am feeling in high spirits (and also slight French, apparently), because I have finished the major edits for PRINCESS OF THE SILVER WOODS.  I dislike editing.  Editing is hard.  Writing the rough draft of a book is my favorite thing in the history of ever.  I go through rough drafts like a toddler running screaming through a meadow full of puppies and candy.  Every word is magical, and I am a genius.  So when I have to go back to that magical manuscript and cut some of those magical words, and fix the flaws that I was convinced did not exist . . . well, it's not my favorite, okay?

So let's not talk about it anymore, because that is as done as a pair of doney things!  YAY!

And now I can buckle down and KILL THE TO-READ PILE.  I think I blogged at the beginning of the year about how I wanted to get my to-read shelf on Goodreads down to less than a hundred or something.  Well.  My to-read shelf now has 316 books on it.  Yes.  It's gone UP.  I'm reading, I swear I am!  But people keep writing more wonderful books!  It's very stressful.  So this summer I'd at least like to get below 300.  That seems doable, right?  And I have some great things to read.  Right now on my bedside table, in my to-read-immediately pile, I have:

UNEXPECTED MAGIC by Diana Wynne Jones
THE WAY OF KINGS by Brandon Sanderson
ANATHEM by Neal Stephenson
THE WISE MAN'S FEAR by Patrick Rothfuss
THE HYPNOTIST by Lars Kepler
LADY FRIDAY by Garth Nix
GANYMEDE by Cherie Priest
CITY OF FIRE and CITY OF ICE by Laurence Yep (Give a cheer if you know his wonderful, award-winning DRAGONWINGS!)
DOWN THE MYSTERLY RIVER by Bill Willingham
THE MIDNIGHT PALACE by Carlos Ruiz Zafron
ROT & RUIN by Jonathan Maberry
CATE OF THE NEW COLONY by Lisa Klein
DANIEL DERONDA by George Eliot
THE CLOCKWORK THREE by Matthew Kirby

I'm currently reading CRYER'S CROSS by Lisa McMann (which I love), and I just finished CINDER by Marissa Meyer (which was AWESOME).

But.  There's a little thing called rereading.  It's a little something I've been in the mood for lately, y'know?  I'd like to do some comfort reading.  Sure, these shiny books on the bedside table are calling my name, and some have been there for a sad amount of time.  But lately I've had quite the hankering to reread SUNSHINE by Robin McKinley.  And THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS by Tad Williams.  I keep telling people about JANE by April Linder, which makes me want to pick it up again myself.  Last year I reread THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR and THE STONE OF FAREWELL by Tad Williams, which means it's time for TO GREEN ANGEL TOWER.  Sigh.  Fortunately, my kids are providing a great excuse to reread some things, too.  Last night we started HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, and I'm wondering if we should try THE SECRET GARDEN or A LITTLE PRINCESS next.

It's a big wide world full of books out there, kids!  Exciting and wonderful!  Go ahead and tell me in the comments what books you're excited to read this summer!  And if you're on Goodreads, make sure you "friend" me so that we can see each other's books!

And by the way: this week I signed myself up for my local library's summer reading program.  I also signed up Boy and Baby Girl.  Boy gets a free book for reading 20 minutes for x number of days, I just need to read 8 books by August, and Baby Girl gets points when we read aloud to her.  Fun!  Check out your local library to see if they have a program!

New Website Look For A New Booky-Wook!

Hello!

Have you seen it? Did you notice?

There's a brand new look over here at Jessicadaygeorge.com! And it's all in honor of my brand new book, TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE!

TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE will be out officially on October 25th, but there will actually be two events prior to that where the book will be available. One will be my official launch party at The King's English in Salt Lake City. That will be on October 15th from 2-4 pm, and there will be cake and readings and a giveaway and all good things! The other will be the Fall Authorpalooza at the Orem, Utah, Barnes & Noble on October 22nd from 1-4 pm.

There are other events planned after the launch date, so please see the events page for more details!

Now I'm sure that this raises other questions, so let me answer a few right here:

TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE is the first book in a new series, and is a middle grade book about a young princess who lives in a magical castle. There will be at least three books about Princess Celie and her castle, and there is more information about this specific book on the book's page.

My next book will come out next fall (roughly) and is the third and FINAL book about the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It is entitled PRINCESS OF THE SILVER WOOD. It is Princess Petunia's story, and is based on Little Red Riding Hood.

That is all the news that's currently fit to print!