Rob Shapiro's Blog

Shepherd, a community for book lovers to explore, discover and read, asked 884 authors, including myself, and super readers to choose their three favourite books of 2023.

Here are my favourites reads of the year and here is the total results page where you can peruse all the books that were chosen for this list.

Since I first discovered Shepherd, I’ve really come to love spending time there. I find new books to read, enjoy delving into their endless amount of reviews and it even makes buying books easy.

Check out these lists and explore the site to find your next read.

I am super pumped and proud to announce that my feature-length script, Just Happy To Be Here, won the comedy/rom-com category in the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest!

Out of thousands of submissions, my script was chosen by a panel of managers, agents and producers. So, of course, I want to thank the judges and Final Draft and also congratulate the other category winners. The grand prize is still being decided by the judges so fingers crossed.

Just Happy To Be Here takes place at an overnight camp in the late ‘90s. It’s about a teenager who loses his girlfriend, friends and social standing after joining the maintenance crew at his beloved overnight camp. But everything changes when he falls for another outcast and they embark on an unforgettable summer.

My script is also on Coverfly’s Red List and currently ranked #12 among comedy features. It also ranks in the top 1% for comedy projects and the top 2% for all projects.

Links:

Check out the category winners for the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest

Learn more about Just Happy To Be Here on Coverfly

Shepherd, a platform to help readers discover the best books, asked me to curate a reading list.

I decide to choose some books that explore the theme of reliving those awkward teenage years (something we can all relate to). So, here is my list and I hope it helps you find your next great read.

Don’t forget you can buy The Book of Sam wherever books are sold! It’s perfect for young readers and teachers should consider it for their students for this upcoming school year.

Apparently, it’s International Friendship Day.

That means that it’s the perfect time to call an old friend, send a mass message to your Facebook “friends” or to maybe enjoy a story about a timeless friendship.

C’mon, who doesn’t love friendship"? You’d have to be nuts to be against friendship.

My publisher, Dundurn Press, put together a reading list of some of their titles that best exemplify friendship.

My novel, The Book of Sam, was included on the list. It makes sense since the story is about Sam Sullinger who must travel to a wild, epic and fantastical version of Hell in search of his bestest friend in the whole world, Harper James.

So, pick up a copy today or even better pick up two, one for you and one for your Harper. They’ll thank you for it. If they don’t, then you have an entire year before the next International Friendship Day to replace them.

The Book of Sam is available wherever books are sold, including:

Amazon

Indigo

Queen Books

Book City

I have always been an avid reader and from a young age I wanted to be a writer. The thing is, it took me until my 20s to realize that being a professional writer was a possibility. When I was in elementary and high school, the closest I got to meeting a writer was getting Blue Jays outfielder, George Bell, to sign a copy of his book at a mall. Writers always felt inaccessible or, in some ways, mythical. The schools I attended made me feel it was smarter to pursue a career in accounting (trust me, you don’t want me anywhere near numbers) than one in writing movies or novels or for TV.

Introducing preteens and young adults to reading and getting them excited about books can be challenging. One of the best things you can do is invite an author to visit your classroom, even virtually, to discuss their novel, the ins and outs of a writing career and to offer some writing tips or even run some useful and fun writing exercises. At the very least, it can convince them of the value of writing on any level.

I’m always looking for classrooms and book clubs to visit. I’m happy to tailor something for your students or young readers and to make sure that the time is engaging and informative.

To learn if my YA novel, The Book of Sam, is right for your class or book club, you can read the review in the Canadian Review of Materials. You can also learn more about my novel on the Dundurn Press website.

If you’re interested in learning more, all you have to do is reach out via my contact us form.

The summer is fast approaching and even though it’s going to be a busy one for me, I’m hoping to read several books that have been on my TBR list for way too long.

The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.

The cover of this one immediately earned it a spot on my summer reading list. I actually already started this book and would have had it read in a few days if not for…life, and all that stuff. Engaging characters, an air of mystery and colourful world-building make this the perfect YA cottage read.

Maniac of New York

Fans of the “bad” movie podcast The Flop House might be familiar with this new comic book from Elliott Kalan. I love horror and grew up watching way too many slasher flicks, so I’m looking forward to Kalan’s take on it. If it’s like anything like the letter songs he performs on every episode of the Flop House, it will be something wild, acerbic and shockingly memorable.

The Final Girl Support Group

I’ll tap into my lifelong love of horror one more time for the latest book by Grady Hendrix (My Best Friend’s Exorcism). A final girl is a horror movie trope that sees one girl or woman forced to confront the killer after becoming the last person standing. This novel follows one Final Girl who, after surviving a massacre, joins a support group for other Final Girls only to find herself the target of another madman or madwoman (I haven’t read it yet so I have no idea, it just sounds cool).

The Light of Days

Judy Battalion examines a group of Jewish women in Poland who form a resistance to fight the Nazis. Every review has raved about this book and while I’m assuming it’s not a breezy August reading, I’m curious and excited to learn about this sliver of light in a dark period.

Of course, if you’re looking for something to read this summer, check out my YA novel, The Book of Sam. It follows a young man who is nowhere close to be “the chosen one” as he ventures to Hell in search of his kidnapped best friend.

What are you reading this summer? Give me some recommendations!

I am honoured to announce that I have received an Ontario Arts Council Grant for Writers. This grant will help fund the writing of my latest YA novel.

My current manuscript is still in the first draft stage but this grant will help move it forward. Organizations like the Ontario Arts Council are imperative in supporting Ontario writers to create new works. I encourage other writers to look into literary grants and apply if you meet the eligibility criteria.

While I work on my latest manuscript, you can check out my first YA novel, The Book of Sam, which is available wherever books are sold.

If you’re in Toronto, here are a few of my favourite local bookstores.

Queen Books

Another Story

Book City

In the December 2020 issue of Quill & Quire, there is a review of The Book of Sam by Robert J. Wiersema. I’m humbled by such a positive review and I hope you check it out and also give it a go. He does make some good points…

https://quillandquire.com/review/the-book-of-sam/

Support your local bookstore and order a copy of The Book of Sam for the holidays. It’s a great gift for YA readers and young adults. Order eight for the Jewish person in your life.

Here are some of my favourite indie bookstores where you can order a copy of my novel:

Queen Books

Another Story

Book City

I will be interviewing the amazing Nancy Springer, author of The Enola Holmes YA series, for a virtual event produced by The Toronto Public Library as part of the Appel Salon Series.

We’ll be discussing her esteemed career, which includes publishing over 50 books and winning multiple prestigious awards, her writing process, how it feels to have your work adapted into a hit Netflix movie and all things Enola and Sherlock.

This is a free virtual event . I hope you stop by and check it out!

Learn more here.

Register here.

The Canadian Review of Materials recently reviewed The Book of Sam. If you’re unfamiliar with this website, its mission is to review books for kids and young adults by Canadian authors and/or Canadian publishing houses. It’s an amazing resource for educators and librarians.

Here’s a snippet of what they had to say:

Rob Shapiro has created an action-packed coming of age story that will suck readers in with its charming characters and bountiful plot twists. The true charm of Shapiro’s story, however, is balance. He has managed to write a story that is balanced between character development and plot as well as action and rest. Sam’s development from a scared and shy teenager into a brave person of action is just as important as the action of the story, and the two rely upon each other to advance. In addition to this, the story is exciting and fast-paced, but not without its pauses for the characters to stop and open up to each other. Sam and Hollinshead’s burgeoning relationship is a delight to read, and these pauses are part of what allow the characters to develop in the way they do.

Check out the full review here.