news and notes:book swap of carrollwood, melanie lynne hauser, review of movie becoming jane, a manatee christmas, smith

August 12, 2007 at 12:40 pm | In Local Authors, Fiction--Chick Lit, Florida Authors, Bookstores, Books, Tampa Bay Area, Fiction--Children | No Comments
  • Received via email (from JimSam Inc.’s e-newsletter): The Book Swap of Carrollwood has a new owner. “Cynthia Floyd is the new owner of Book Swap of Carrollwood, which has been in business for over 24 years. It is located in northwest Tampa at 13020 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. Used and new books are sold at the Book Swap and store credit is given for used books brought into the store. With 3,000 square feet the store has something for everyone, from current best-sellers to the obscure biography. The Book Swap is open seven days a week (Monday thru Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and has a friendly, knowledgeable staff that will recommend a book or author to you.” Visit www.bookswapfl.com for more info.
  • I received an email recently suggesting Confessions of Super Mom and Super Mom Saves the World by Melanie Lynne Hauser as great books for the beach this summer.  “The Super Mom series about a divorced mother with two teenagers who gains superpowers after a Horrible Swiffer Accident has received great reviews.”  Also, Hauser recently released Jumble Pie, a free eBook as a thank you to readers.  Jumble Pie is “a story of two girls, a friendship and a pie.  Visit www.melanielynnehauser.com/jumblepie to learn more and receive a free copy.”  Hauser’s website is www.melanielynnehauser.com.
  • Check out this review of the Jane Austen “biopic” movie Becoming Jane at The Stanford Daily.  “Sensible, but a little prejudiced” is a clever title (and the review’s not too shabby either).
  • Panama City author Tim Thomas has written and illustrated a new book called A Manatee Christmas.  “It is an environmentally correct children’s book, of a young manatee that asks Santa Claus for a very special Christmas present.  Written to the cadence of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, the story depicts the everyday plight and dangers the Florida manatee must endure to survive.”  You can see sample pages at www.magicmirrorbooks.com/a_manatee_christmas.html.
  • Received via email:  “Joy V. Smith has a new book out for children, Why Won’t Anyone Play With Me?  Smith will be signing her children’s book and some of her other books, including Building a Cool House For Hot Times Without Scorching the Pocketbook, at Authors in the Park at the Ybor City Saturday Market in Tampa Saturday, September 8.  Visit Smith’s website to learn more.

pre-launch party and official book launch of come out and play! by terri vazquez

July 1, 2007 at 2:49 pm | In Local Authors, Events, Books, Tampa Bay Area, Fiction--Children | No Comments

Received via email:

Please join us for the pre-launch party of Terri Vazquez’s children’s book Come Out and Play! at Dasilva’s Coffee Shop in Riverview on Saturday, July 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The address is 11226 Boyette Road in Riverview.  For more information about the location, visit www.dasilvascoffee.com.

The tentative date for the official book launch is Saturday, July 21, at the Lowry Park Zoo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Keep an eye on our website for updates and information about upcoming releases!

Visit www.jimsaminc.com for more info.

random book news:gary mormino, michael sterns, tampa antiquarian books signing, rita de la torre

June 21, 2006 at 5:45 pm | In Local Authors, Fiction--Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Events, Bookstores, Awards/Prizes, Books, Tampa Bay Area, Fiction--Children | No Comments

*Local author Gary Mormino’s book Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams recently won the Florida Historical Society’s 2006 Charlton Tebeau Book Award. Congratulations!

*Local children’s book author Michael Sterns’ book Kokopelli and the Butterfly outsold the Harry Potter books on several days over the past three years, according to the Publishing Basics newsletter. Read the story here. (Thanks go to local author and photographer David McRee for sending me this link.)

*On June 24 from 1-3 p.m., Tampa Antiquarian Books in Seminole Heights is hosting author J.B. Preston. (Thanks go to David at the Seminole Heights blog for sending me this info.)

*Local author Rita De La Torre’s novel Dark Dragon was released May 1st. Congratulations!

drop everything and read day

April 3, 2006 at 7:58 am | In Libraries, Books, Fiction--Children | No Comments

I read yesterday that April 12 is Beverly Cleary’s 90th birthday. To celebrate, that day has been designated “Drop Everything and Read” Day by a section of the American Library Association and various other groups.

If you’ve never read any of Cleary’s books, you’ve either (a) never been a child yourself (having sprung fully grown from the head of Zeus), or (b) never had children or grandchildren, or (c) never read a book or (d) had a really good reason that I can’t think of right now.

Although I’m more of a Judy Blume fan myself, I have found memories of Ramona Quimby and all her advertures.

Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary!

a harry potter book whose spell went wrong

July 25, 2005 at 5:46 pm | In Fiction--Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Miscellaneous, Books, Fiction--Children | No Comments

With any new book publication, there are bound to be a few copies that are printed upside down or missing a few pages or have some other oddity. Defective Harry Potter books are being treasured as keepsakes or peddled on Ebay. I have a Sprite can from the mid-80s that has the logo printed upside down…wonder if that’s worth anything?