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My faves!

2014  has already come and gone and I have yet to share with you my favorite reads of the year. For those who don’t follow me on social media, the answer as to why is simple: I was dying of the plague. Okay, not really. I REALLY had the flu. And not just one. I had TWO different strands. So for my Christmas vacation, I spent 16 days in bed. Sleeping. Barely moving. Barely reading—which is the real tragedy. But now that we have enjoyed a full two weeks of 2015, let me share with you my favorite reads of 2014. First, I met my Goodreads goal of 115 books. As a matter of fact, I didn’t meet it—I spanked it. By year’s end I read 144 books (mostly YA and mysteries). I really like rounded up numbers, so I am bummed I didn’t reach 145, but hey, since I spanked my original goal, I will take it. Of those 144 boys, below I am sharing with you 15 of my favorite tween/YA reads in no particular order. Enjoy! ‘The Impossible Knife of Memory’ – Laurie Halse Anderson      I did...

The Secret

Author Interview: Shannon Hale


YALLFest is just a little over thirty days away in Charleston. It’s a festival that celebrates all things YA and authors and readers and everything in between. Think good food, good conversation, and your favorite authors galore. It is a paradise. To say the least.

You can click here to see what awesome authors will be there.

To help celebrate, Book ‘Em! will host author interviews with some of the authors that will make an appearance. Today, I am hosting the wonderfully delightful Shannon Hale, known for delving into the worlds of Princess and Austen.

Describe your book in 5 words
Boarding school for children of famous fairytales

Best writing tip you ever received?
People remember a story for its characters.

What one young adult novel do you wish you had when you were a teen? Why?
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. It’s smart, engaging, and discusses so many things I was struggling with.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
I have 4 kids (including identical girl toddler twins).
My husband likes to wear masks and hide around the house to scare me.
I like to read while lying on my belly.
I love the sky.
I’m not a very good speller.

What are you working on now?
The third Princess Academy book.


Be sure to check out Hale’s latest novel: At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not.How cool does this sound? And that cover—awesome! Click hereto add it to your Goodreads shelf or to learn more about it.

To learn more about Shannon Hale, her writing, and/or where you can catch her on tour, visit her website.

She can also be found on Goodreads, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Thank you to YALLFest for providing the interview.

Happy Reading!

-      The Hodgenator

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