This one's for all the book lovers out there… Fwis' Book Covers blog has posted their annual feature on the Best Bookshelves of 2007.

Lots of brilliant and crazy bookshelves this year! The see-saw bookshelf pictured here is my favourite of the bunch; it's designed by BCXSY. Though the bookshelf house would be pretty sweet, too…

~Siobhan from Raincoast

I recently discovered a MUST SUBSCRIBE TO SERVICE for any new parents out there. It's called YoYoMama.

Here's their motto:

At yoyomama we know mums are not a renewable resource so we're making your life less yoyo-like with weekday hits of helpful, hip info delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up and daily you will receive a wonderful newsletter in your inbox with all kinds of helpful, kid friendly items and tips such as events and activities around Vancouver, ways to Go Green with your little one and my favourite Mama's (and now Dada's) who rock.

Chris Mizzoni the author of Clancy with the Puck was just selected as the very first YoYoMama Dada Who Rocks!

Here's a snippet from the article:

The father of two-and-a-half year old Dreya (who's already strapped on her first pair of skates), Chris began working on the book in earnest when she was about six months old. He worked in the evenings, during naptime, late into the night, whenever he could, continuing to work as the Location Designer and Layout Supervisor on Ricky Sprocket, Showbiz Boy by day.

Chris gets a thrill of seeing his book on the shelves at the bookstore and from his daughter waving it around saying "It's Daddy's book." He's also filling in Clancy's back story, with two more books on the way. And that's not likely to be the last of Clancy. In Chris's head is an entire interactive Clancy universe, including a league of eight hockey teams, their lineups, stats and standings.

To read the full review visit YoYoMama and while there make sure that you sign up for their fabulous daily newsletter.

Also make sure to check out our Clancy Website for all kinds of amazing extra materials including a podcast with Chris Mizzoni, downloadable hockey cards and a Clancy with the Puck Avatar.

Happy Reading!

I was just sent a wonderful review for King of the Lost and Found on a blog called Jenn's Book Bag. It contained one of the best quotes I've ever read so I thought I had to share:

Every once in a while, a true gem of a book comes along. King of the Lost and Found is a diamond of a gem.

Read the full review here.

King of the Lost and Found can be found at fine bookstores everywhere. Pick up your copy today, you won't regret it!

Graphica artist Adrian Tomine has been all over the place recently. And fortunately (at least for me!), soon he'll be in Vancouver.

Since Adrian Tomine's new graphic novel, SHORTCOMINGS, came out, it seems that he's been on the road -- and all over the media, from the cover of Giant Robot to the National Post.

• Read the interview with Adrian Tomine in the National Post

  "In a way, I wanted this book to be a summation of all the things I've learned in comics leading up to it," he says.




• Read the review in the Georgia Straight
  

  "Adrian Tomine is the reigning king of comic ennui, and with Shortcomings, which collects issues 9 to 11 of his Optic Nerve, he continues his wonderfully misanthropic rule."




• Read the review in Now magazine



• Listen to the podcast interview on Inkstuds.com

* * *

ADRIAN TOMINE TOUR
After a successful event at Toronto's International Festival of Authors last month, Tomine is heading west. He'll be in Vancouver next week:

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007
Sophia Books
450 West Hastings St., Vancouver, BC
7-10 pm: Q+A and signing

For a full list of Tomine's tour stops, click here.

* * *

ADRIAN TOMINE CONTEST
Win a SHORTCOMINGS poster signed by Adrian Tomine. To enter, just leave at our Raincoast Blog and let us know what you think of Tomine's work. The only catch is that you must be a resident of Canada. The contest closes November 12.

Do you know someone between the ages of 13 and 19 who lives in BC and loves to read? If so have them sign up to be a reader for The Stellar Awards. The Stellar Awards are the BC Teen Choice Awards for Canadian Teen Literature and they are looking for your opinion!

Raincoast has two books nominated for the 2007/2008 Season.

The Cure For Crushes (And Other Deadly Plagues) by Karen Rivers the fabulous follow-up to bestseller The Healing Time of Hickeys. Haley Andromeda Harmony is now in her final months of high school and must face the inevitable question: What happens next? Finding the answer isn't easy. For one thing, having a real boyfriend is causing a strange reaction: Haley has crushes on nearly every other boy she meets. As well, her dad gets a job and starts dating, and Haley misses the life they had before he moved his Much Younger Girlfriend (MYG) into their ramshackle house. From bungee-jumping in winter to supporting best friend Jules at auditions for the TV show "Who's the Prettiest of Them All?," Haley's TGYML 2 ("the greatest year of my life, part two") has more than its fair share of mishap-filled adventures.

Also nominated is The Freedom of Jenny by Julie Burtinshaw a gripping historical fiction that revolves around Jenny Estes, who is born into slavery in the 1840s in Missouri. Through Jenny and her family, Burtinshaw tells the true story of the immigration of a small group of African Americans from the banks of the Mississippi to Saltspring Island, British Columbia, in the 1860s. This first fictional treatment of a fascinating and important piece of North American history follows in the tradition of Barbara Smucker's classic Underground to Canada.

Today seems to be a perfect type of day to curl up on the couch with a good book.... so here's another contest!

Who is your favourite author?

Leave an answer in the comment field and we will send one lucky randomly chosen winner a copy of both of our Raincoast Published titles on the Stellar Awards nomination list.

For more information on how to sign up to be a reader for The Stellar Awards visit their website HERE.

He's as skillful as Wayne Gretzky, as charismatic as Pierre Trudeau and as arrogant as Don Cherry... He's Raincoast's newest picture book character Clancy from Chris Mizzoni's hit book Clancy with the Puck!

This is the first of many collaborations between Raincoast Books and Canada's leading animation house Studio B Productions! Studio B bring you hit shows on YTV and Nickelodeon like Being Ian, Class of the Titans, George of the Jungle and Yvon of the Yukon!

The idea for the book started as an animated cartoon and Studio B loved it so much they thought it would make a great book. They approached Raincoast Books and the rest is history. Bob Cole the legendary voice of Hockey Night in Canada narrated the animated cartoon that comes on DVD for free with the book!

Visit the Clancy with the Puck page to listen to a podcast with Chris Mizzoni the author of the book. Also download your free Clancy with the Puck hockey cards and avatar. Check back often because we have lots of fun additional content that we'll be adding!

In the meantime score an autographed copy of Clancy with the Puck as well as an autographed set of Clancy hockey cards. We'll give away two sets. All you have to do to win is either leave a comment about why you love to read -OR- email a drawing of you as a Clancy Hockey Card Character to crystal@raincoast.com.

Good Luck!



Subscribe to our MySpace Blog to be notified about all kinds of great giveaways!

Looking for a fun activity to do with the kids to escape the hot summer days? Canadian Family Magazine is having their First Annual Summer Book Club. 5 out of the 8 authors and illustrators participating are Raincoast Published or Distributed Authors.

Each author or illustrator is doing one or two events in their hometown so readers can come out and meet them.

Click here for a complete list of the authors participating and who will be reading in your home town.

Our author participating are:




Cynthia Nugent the illustrator of The Aunts Come Marching.







Edeet Ravel the author of The Pauline BTW Trilogy Books- The Thrilling Life of Pauline de Lammermoor, The Mysterious Adventures of Pauline Bovary and The Secret Journey of Pauline Siddhartha.







Victoria Miles the author of Old Mother Bear and Wild Science.







Frieda Wishinsky the author of The Canadian Flyer Adventures.







And Dave Whamond the illustrator of The Hot Dog and Bob Adventures




Support Canadian authors and illustrators! Pick up a Canadian book this summer!

Happy Reading!

Hi Friends!

I have 5 free advanced reading copies of King of the Lost and Found to give away! Winning is easy! All you have to do is either post a comment on our MySpace Page saying which of our fall books you can't wait to read (hint they are posted on our myspace page on the left hand side and the titles are all links to a description of the book) It can even be this one! -OR- subscribe to our MySpace Blog.

We will contact the five lucky winners and send them their complementary copy!

Here is a description of King of the Lost and Found:

Governor General Award finalist John Lekich brings us the hilarious story of what coolness means to one very uncool kid … and what he decides to do about it.

Grade 10 student Raymond Dunne can't change the fact that he's prone to sneezing, nosebleeds and fainting. He can, however, change the fact that he's not popular. It won't be easy. But Raymond has a plan.

In this charming novel about friendship, love and loyalty, Raymond transforms himself from lonely nerd to gatekeeper of an underground social club. In the process, he befriends one of the most popular guys in school, sticks up for his fellow nerds and works up the courage to approach the lovely Janice, his not-so-secret crush. But with the principal hot on his trail, how long will Raymond's secret club last? And will he still be popular without it?

Enter now!

Happy Birthday to J.K. Rowling!
and
Happy Birthday to Harry Potter!

Everyone here at Raincoast raises a glass of butterbeer to you both!