How cold is it where you live? I feel like we are living in Alaska instead of New York this past week. It has just been frigid. Monday many schools in the area were closed since we had snow. There is something wonderful about snow days --- I consider them gifts from the weather gods!

We have a lot of news this month. In fact, our newsletter is 50% longer than usual with five additional features! We love months like this when there is so much to share.

We have book awards news --- and TWO fabulous contests where you can WIN BOOKS for you and your friends to start your own book club. Even if you are busy with classes and exams now, be sure to enter to win. Then when life quiets down you will be all set to get your book club started. Now if you, like me, cannot think about a monthly book club, how about this? Think about this as a "one-book" book club. You will give it a try, see if it works and from there plan to meet again if you like it. I know I sometimes cannot commit to something for the long term, but I would love to try it one time.

Stay warm and here's wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day. BTW...if cupid's arrow does not fly your way on February 14th, escape with a book and consider this your own special Valentine's Day treat. Hey, it has less calories than chocolate and just think how gross flowers are after they wilt and die.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

WIN 10 COPIES OF A NORTHERN LIGHT BY JENNIFER DONNELLY FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS

Ever wanted to have a book discussion with your friends? Wondering what to read? Well, we have the solution. We are awarding two readers ten copies of the 2004 Michael L. Printz Honoree, A NORTHERN LIGHT by Jennifer Donnelly. The way we see it, we supply the books, you supply the friends and conversation, and you have your first book club meeting! We even have some discussion questions to get you started:

Teenreads.com - A NORTHERN LIGHT by Jennifer Donnelly

Here's a quick overview of the book:

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown entrusts her with the task of burning a secret bundle of letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers that the letters could reveal the grim truth behind a murder.

WIN 10 COPIES OF LIFE OF PI BY YANN MARTEL FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS

Ever wanted to have a book discussion with your friends? Wondering what to read? Well, we have the solution. We are awarding two readers ten copies of the bestselling book LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel. The way we see it, we supply the books, you supply the friends and conversation, and you have your first book club meeting! We even have some discussion questions to get you started.

LIFE OF PI Reading Group Guide
When sixteen-year-old Pi Patel finds himself stranded in a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with only a menacing 450-pound Bengal tiger for company, he quickly realizes that the only way to survive is to make sure the tiger is more afraid of him than he is of it. With over one million copies in print, LIFE OF PI has become a modern classic, combining the best sort of storytelling with a profound exploration of ageless themes: faith and truth, man versus nature, innocence and experience.

Teenreads.com contributing writer Shannon McKenna interviewed Lurlene McDaniel about the development of the Angels in Pink trilogy, the research she conducted in order to ensure that the medical details in KATHLEEN'S STORY were accurate, and the importance of incorporating humor into stories that deal with serious issues.

KATHLEEN'S STORY by Lurlene McDaniel (Fiction)
KATHLEEN'S STORY is the first book in the ANGELS IN PINK trilogy about three best friends who find that volunteering at the local hospital changes their lives in unexpected ways. Reviewed by Shannon McKenna and excerpted.

Once you read the feature, Submit a question
to Lurlene! Selected entries will be answered and posted on this web site.

2000 marked the debut of the Michael L. Printz Award, which was established to recognize a book that "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature," according to the Young Adult Library Services Association division of the American Library Association. The Award is named for Michael L. Printz, a former school librarian at Topeka West High School in Kansas. Throughout his career he was a respected colleague and teacher, and an active and dedicated member of YALSA. He passed away in 1996.

The Printz winner and up to four honor books (or runners up) are chosen annually by a committee of nine YALSA members.

This year's winner is HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff.

The Coretta Scott King Award is presented annually by the Coretta Scott King Task Force of the American Library Association's Social Responsibilities Round Table. Recipients are authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the "American Dream."

The Award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and honors his widow, Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination in continuing the work for peace and world brotherhood.

Coretta Scott King Award books are chosen by a seven-member national award jury. The CSK Award Jury also chooses the winners of the John Steptoe Award for New Talent Award winners. These books affirm new talent and offer visibility to excellence in writing or illustration at the beginning of a career as a published book creator.

This year's 2005 Coretta Scott King Author Winner is REMEMBER: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants helps readers kick off the new year in style, as the third installment in Ann Brashares' series about four best friends and a magical pair of jeans arrives in stores January 25th. This month's roundup of cool new books also includes Adeline Yen Mah's compelling debut novel, an exciting fantasy adventure based on a true incident that took place in China during the Second World War. And another first-time novelist, Tammar Stein, tells the story of a college student who must reconcile her Israeli past with her American future.

www.bantamshakespeare.com

This Shakespeare website presents readers with a wealth of information on the life of William Shakespeare, including a timeline and a complete list of his works. It also features 15 brand new Shakespeare editions, which Bantam Classics will release this winter, and interactive games to help readers better understand the Bard's work. Don't miss the "Interview A Shakespeare Character" Essay Contest, which gives you an opportunity to win an entire set of Bantam Classic Shakespeare editions, which is open until March 1st. Your task is simple: conduct a Q&A with the Shakespeare character of your choice!

ReadingGroupGuides.com has been updated for January. What's there?

*New Guides including the long-awaited guides for ANGELS AND DEMONS
*More than 1,550 guides for book discussions

Want to begin the new year by reading the books by your favorite authors --- in order? The author bibliographies on AuthorsOnTheWeb.com may help. This is information that is not easily found, but Tom Donadio, our Editorial Manager, updated and revised the bibliographies, complete with copyright dates to help you organize your reading.

THE BROKER by John Grisham (Suspense)
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman

John Grisham's new novel of international suspense is set predominately in Bologna, Italy. Joel Backman, a former notorious Washington power broker, is sprung from federal prison after the President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to him. Backman, who may have obtained secrets that compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system, finds himself hunted and on the run --- though he is not sure who he is running from.

BROOKLYN ROSE by Ann Rinaldi (Historical Fiction)
It's 1900 --- the dawn of a new century --- and never in her wildest dreams did fifteen-year-old Rose Frampton ever think she'd leave her family and home in South Carolina to live with a new husband in the land of the Yankees. But that is exactly what has happened. Reviewed by Kristi Olson and excerpted.

TRAVEL TEAM by Mike Lupica (Fiction)
Twelve-year-old Danny Walker, who is passionate about the game of basketball, is denied the chance to play on the same travel team that his famous father was on when he was a kid. Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle and excerpted.

NOW YOU SEE IT... by Vivian Vande Velde (Fantasy)
When Wendy's new glasses break, she decides to wear a dorky pair of sunglasses that she finds on her lawn. But these spectacles correct her vision too much, and she begins to see things that no one else can see. Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts.

STORMWITCH by Susan Vaught (Historical/Supernatural Fiction)
It's 1969, and Ruba has just moved to Mississippi from Haiti to live with her Grandmother Jones. Ruba struggles to understand her strange new surroundings and the hate that comes at her from some of the white people in town. Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle.

FINDING GRACE by Alyssa Brugman (Fiction)
After graduating from high school, Rachel meets the mysterious Mr. Preston, who offers her a live-in job looking after Grace, a brain-injured woman. As Rachel tries to cope with the demands of her employment and the start of college, she is also determined to find out details about Grace's former life. Reviewed by Hannah Gomez.

THE SERIOUS KISS by Mary Hogan (Fiction)
One summer day, Libby and her best friend Nadine resolve to each experience a serious kiss before their freshman year ends. But then Libby finds out that she and her family are moving --- to the middle of nowhere, away from all her friends and the life to which she has grown accustomed. Reviewed by Amy Alessio.

What takes you away from reading for pleasure besides schoolwork?

Nothing
Going on the Internet
Watching TV
Talking on the phone with friends
IMing with pals
Playing sports
Playing music

Here is our Question of the Month:

What's the last book you just could not put down?

E-mail us and tell us what you think by clicking on the link below.

This contest period, one teen reader will be randomly chosen to win a copy of GIRLS IN PANTS: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares. (See official rules below.) To automatically enter to win, e-mail us your recommendations and ratings here: