2/1/09

Blog Birthday Giveaway

My blog is now 2 years old! Being an extrovert (see previous post) it would like to have an enormous party and invite everyone over...it will have to be happy with a book giveaway.

I started blogging after cruising around the various blogs looking for books I thought it would be fun to buy for my local public library. I'm the president of the Friends, and I reward myself for the long and dusty hours I put into the booksales by using a bit of the money to buy books I would like the library to have...Soon I decided that I wanted to be part of the blogging fun myself, so I started my own. Being too shy to leave many comments on other blogs, it took a while before anyone actually read what I wrote, which is perhaps a good thing, since I didn't know what I was doing (for instance, I didn't know that you had to click "resume editing" for the spelling mistakes to actually be fixed. Shudder).

It is gratifying these days that every month more people visit. It is even more gratifying that I have been able to pass on over 200 books to my library, courtesy of various publishers, to whom I am very grateful. I hope that people reading my reviews have gone on to enjoy the books; I know they've been enjoyed by many patrons.

To celebrate, here is a small book giveaway. There are three children's books, and one ya/adult book--if you want one or the other, please mention that in your comment, otherwise you'll be entered for both. Please leave your comment by 7:30am EST this Friday, the 6th of February. I'm sorry, but I can't afford to send the books overseas (will they ever bring back Surface Mail? I miss it so).

The children's books, courtesy of Little,Brown are:




South, by Patrick McDonnell. An utterly charming book in which Mooch the cat helps a lost little bird on his journey south.








Willow Buds #2: When Toady Met Ratty (No. 2), written and lavishly illustrated by Mary Jane Begin.








AMERICA: The Making of a Nation, by Charlie Samuels, an engrossing non-fiction book with lots and lots of pictures and flaps.





The young adult/grown up book is The Ghosts of Kerfol, by Deborah Noyes. This one is courtesy of Candlewick Press, who very generously sent out Cybils review copies (thanks!!!) I think this is the most beautiful piece of a girl on any cover of 2008.

Here's what I said about the book in an earlier post: This is a series of five stories, moving forward in time from Edith Wharton's classic ghost story, "Kerfol," which tells of a young Frenchwoman accused of murdering her jealous husband. His body was found at the bottom of the stairs, savaged by dogs. But there were no dogs alive at the manor house of Kerfol that day...Gothic horror combined with great writing makes this one a page turner. I am not at all sure why this is marketed as a Young Adult book, because I think it is a better fit for grown ups. Although certainly many teenagers, in particular those who like their books dark and Gothic, will enjoy it as well. Not a book to read on a cold, dark night, especially if you are staying by yourself in an old French mansion.

So. Thank you, everyone who has read and commented on my blog, and thank you, publishers who have sent me review copies!

38 comments:

  1. Yes, Happy Blogiversary! I have loved reading your blog and have appreciated the recommendations. Keep up the good work!

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  2. Happy birthday to Charlotte's library!

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  3. Happy blog birthday! And thank you for the giveaway; I've had my eye on The Ghosts of Kerfol since...well. since I rfead about it on your blog!

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  4. Happy Blogiversary!... Been following all your recommendations for about 6 months. My 5, 7, 11 & 12 year old thank you too! Thanks for the great contest!

    Christine
    chriscasano at optonline dot net

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  5. Hooray for two years of great blogging!

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  6. Congratulations on 2 years of blogging! I enjoy reading your posts. Thanks for the great giveaway!

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  7. Congrats on the 2 year blogiversary! Thanks for doing a great giveaway.

    LiddypooL2(at)aol(dot)com

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  8. Congrats on your two year anniversary. I'm just excited for my one week anniversary. Here's to ten more years.

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  9. I would love to win anyone of the children's books! I like your blog!

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  10. Happy Blogiversary!

    Great Giveaway!

    Thank you!

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

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  11. Happy Birthday. I just discovered your blog and find it very enjoyable. Congratulations on two years of blogging. I'd be interested in the YA novel in the giveaway.

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  12. Yay, happy birthday to you! You're only a couple of months older than me. :)

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  13. The Children's Books for my nephew in Michigan!

    Deborah @ Comfort Joy Designs
    comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com
    comfortjoydesigns{AT}gmail{DOT}com

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  14. Happy birthday!

    Trisha

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  15. To many more blogging Charlotte years.

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  16. Happy Blogiversary!

    Thank you for the heads up on the resume editing button. Hehe I'm new to all this myself.

    lil_wifey21 at yahoo dot com

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  17. Happy Birthday!
    Please enter me!

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  18. Happy Birthday to your blog.
    God bless you too.

    tsslug7@yahoo.com

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  19. Oh, happy birthday to your blog! (Oh and my blog and I are two different people to; it's much more extroverted than I am in "real" life. :)

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  20. happy birthday to your blog and thanks for the generous giveaway

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  21. Congrats! I teach kindergarten. I'd love to have just the first two.

    Thanks!
    MJ

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  22. Happy Blogiversary:)
    I would love a chance to win any of these books!
    angelacisco at rocketmail.com

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  23. Happy blogiversary you have been at this for a little while and going strong. I have a child that is going to school to teach special education so any of the books would be welcomed

    thanks

    shopannies@yahoo.com

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  24. Happy Blogiversary to you! I am very happy that you started your blog, since it enabled me to reune with you. And also because I love to read what you write about kids' books. I can just hear your voice in these posts, and it makes me so happy to know that it is much the same as when I remember, in the best possible way.

    I won't enter the giveaway since I'm in Canada which is not exactly overseas, but not local either.

    Many happy returns of the day!

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  25. happy blogoversary! great giveaway!

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  26. Happy Birthday!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  27. Wonderful books for the grandchildren and one for myself. It doesn't get much better than that. thanks for the great giveaway!

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  28. Happy Blogivarsary - that's wonderful!

    I'd love to be entered for the YA book.

    I'm not sure if this is okay, but I have a five year old sister as well, would she be allowed to be entered foro the children's books?

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  29. Happy 2 year blogiversary! I would love any of the children's books! Thanks for a great giveaway!

    lovetoread60@yahoo.com

    http://miraclesbelieveinthem.blogspot.com/

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  30. Congratulations!
    I'd love to be entered for The Ghosts of Kerfol!
    bball11kt (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

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  31. Hi Els--it was one of the nicest surprise bonuses of blogging to get back in touch with you again!

    I will enter you anyway for Ghosts, and hang the cost.

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  32. And thanks everyone one else whose been stopping by--it is nice to see new faces!

    But I think a five year old wouldn't be eligible, unless she has her own email account and type her own small message? Like-- "I want the books please." Good words to know how to type.

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  33. Happy blog birthday!

    I am only interested in The Ghosts of Kerfol.

    paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com

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  34. Happy blogiversary.

    I would love to win and read The Ghosts of Kerfol.

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  35. I am very interested in The Ghosts of Kerfol. Thanks for the contest!

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