And the Whitney Award goes to . . .

Last year, Stephanie Black educated us all on The Whitney Awards--an academy that was developed to recognize excellence in literary achievement by LDS writers. The name for the Whitney Awards comes from Orson F. Whitney, who once said, "We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own."

On Saturday, March 23, 2008, the award gala was held at the CottonTree Inn in Sandy Utah. During the event, three bloggers documented the event live.

You can read about the event as it unfolded here.

The 2007 Whitney Award winners were:

Michele Paige Holmes (Counting Stars)--Best Romance
Shannon Hale (Book of a Thousand Days)--Best Speculative
Brandon Mull (Fablehaven 2)--Best Childrens/YA
Josi Kilpack (Sheep's Clothing)--Best Suspense
H.B. Moore (Out of Jerusalem, vol. 4: Land of Inheritance)--Best Historical
Jessica Day George (Dragon Slippers)--Best New Author
Coke Newell (On the Road to Heaven)--Best Novel of the Year

Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to:
Anita Stanisfield
Dean Hughes
Jennie Hansen

Most of these books (or authors) have been reviewed on this site. I've read all of the Whitney Award winning books and highly recommend each one.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale

Review by Emily, Head Mama of Deliciously Clean Reads

My other blog: Whimsy Books

I believe Princess Academy was my first experience with Shannon Hale's books. I expected a typical novel about a normal girl who falls in love with a prince, becomes a princess, and lives happily ever after. I was wrong.

What I discovered, instead, was something fresh and unique, something different than all the other princess books I had ever read.

Miri wishes to be helpful in her small mountain community, but her father will not let her work. Miri assumes it is because she is so small. The people of her community work very hard in the quarries to make a meager living.Soon, their whole world is turned upside-down. The king's priests determine that the prince's bride will come from their little town of Mount Eskel. All eligible girls are sent down the mountain to a makeshift princess academy, where they are to learn how to become princesses. At the end of their training, the prince will choose a bride from among them.

Miri has mixed feelings about the whole thing. Does she want to be the princess? Fierce competition ensues, but Miri is still battling with herself as well. At the academy, Miri finds herself, and, at the same time, is able to save the girls and the whole village.

I think what makes Princess Academy so different is the setting. A beautiful world of light fantasy that feels completely realistic. You won't find mystical creatures in Princess Academy, but you will find magic, magic that stems from the people of Mount Eskel and the mountain itself.

Miri is a well-developed strong female character. She is small in size, named after a tiny mountain flower, but big in heart and inner strength. Her relationships with her father, a mountain boy, her best friend, and the prince are complex and realistic.I recommend this Newbery-honor book to readers of all ages. It was a pleasant surprise for me, and I have become the kind of fan that reads each new Shannon Hale title as soon as it is released.

At my blog, Deliciously Clean Reads, we are celebrating our 100th review by talking ALL Shannon Hale ALL week. Today I posted an interview, which you can find RIGHT HERE.

PS...Don't forget to leave a comment on any (or all) of the Shannon Hale posts this week at Deliciously Clean Reads to be entered into the drawing for one of two signed Shannon Hale books!

Austenland by Shannon Hale

I really enjoyed this book. Shannon Hale is a well-known middle-grade author, having won a Newbery Award for her book, Princess Academy. Austenland is Hale's first book written for adults. If you're a fan of Jane Austen, specifically of Pride and Prejudice (the book or the movies), I guarantee you'll find Austenland delightful. Publisher's Weekly had some not-so-complimentary things to say about the depth of characterization, but I picked it up anyway. And I was pleasantly entertained.

So on to the story. Thirty-three year old Jane Hayes, is seriously addicted to Mr. Darcy, more specifically Colin Firth in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Upon the death of a wealthy aunt, Jane inherits a trip to Pembrook Park, Kent, England, to a resort where guests pretend to live in Jane Austen's era. From the conversation, the mannerisms, the dress, the food . . .

Jane Hayes is looking for her Mr. Darcy. Ready to give up on dead-end relationships altogether, Jane struggles with overcoming her personal obsession and finding a "real" relationship in the twists and turns of Austenland.

This novel is unpredictable and quite funny, with a main character who's quirky at times, but easy to relate to.