End of the Year Giveway

Know someone who likes cats? And/or classic photography? And/or clever writing filled with gentle humor and a retro vibe?

I have two copies of this book and want to pass one of them along to someone who will enjoy it as much as I have. Please comment if you're interested in this gently used copy. If there's more than one person interested, I'll do the random selection thing next week and mail it out promptly for enjoyment in 2017.

Note that the author is a "tough-minded sportswriter," per reviewer Kevin Killian, but cannot resist the charms of a savvy feline. That tells you what you need to know, in a nutshell.

If you need additional help with your decision, here's what the reviews say, courtesy of Amazon.

Happy New Year to all!

May 2017 be a year to remember--in a good way. 

A Timely Gift

I am delighted to be using this perfectly sparkly tote bag for my holiday forays into the world of Christmas commerce. As a festive person who heartily dislikes shopping in most forms, this time of year can be a challenge: I need something special to ease me through the cognitive dissonance.

This tote is just the ticket, thanks to the charming Martine at Silencing the Bell. She hosted a give-away in celebration of her 1000th post (wow!) and I was one of the lucky random few to receive a gift. Thank you, Martine!

It's sober brown with golden spirals and pink satin lining, made with Martine's own hands. Naturally someone with that sort of taste is a very discerning reader as well. Give her blog a visit, when you have the chance. You're likely to find something just right there, as I did.  

Suggestions, Please

The nice folks at World Book Night have asked me to submit suggestions for next year's books. What a fun question to think about!

I had a great time being a book giver and hope to do it again next year, maybe with a group of other givers. My book was Fahrenheit 451 and I loved every minute of the giving experience.

Here's the list of last year's books: 2013 World Book Night selections. Some really good titles here!

Here are the basic requirements for what makes a good World Book Night book:

- Accessible books of high quality.
- Both recently published books and established classics.
- Books available in paperback.
- Any genre of book—fiction, mysteries, romance, sci fi and fantasy, classics, poetry, humor, autobiography, and young adult books.
- The list overall must have gender, ethnic, and geographical balance.

Now I'm giving this some careful thought. What's a classic of modern literature that might hook non-readers and light readers into the joys of reading?

World Book Night

Twenty books in 60 minutes might be some kind of a record! It was certainly a lot easier than I expected to get people to engage in conversation and accept a special World Book Night edition of Fahrenheit 451.

In the end, on the same principle as pick-up lines, the simple, direct approach was best: "Hi, tonight is World Book Night. Would you like a free book?"  That was enough to get folks to pause for a look.

Once they paused, I said more. Sometimes I told them how much I liked the book. Sometimes I launched into a short description ("It's a story about a future time when it's illegal to own books. The government doesn't want people to think for themselves."). Sometimes I said it was a science fiction book, "but don't let that put you off." Sometimes I emphasized that it was written in 1951 but the author imagined some things that are weirdly accurate now.  I just went with my gut on what might appeal to the person.

Most people readily admitted they didn't read much, so they were squarely in the target audience of "light readers" and "non-readers."

By the end of the night I'd talked with people from India, New York, and Jamaica, from teens to retirees, and families, couples, and friends of both genders.  My impression was correct: the Riverwalk was a fantastic crossroads of my town. Sooner or later, everyone shows up there.  And it doesn't take long before the beauty of the place puts everyone in a good mood.

During the entire evening, only 3 people refused the book.  Anyone who remembers the "seashells" described in the book will appreciate the poetic appropriateness of the fact that all 3 of them were wearing earbuds attached to their iPods.

Life imitates art, in this case.

Got It!

Yes! This fabulous classic will be my book on World Book Night, April 23, 2013!  The Lit Gods must be smiling on me.

Now I'm working on a clever, intriguing opening line that will entice folks who consider themselves "light readers" or "non-readers" to agree to take a copy home with them and give it a go. 

I figure I might start with a sign that says "free books" and see where that leads, but at some point I'll have to describe the book itself and will need a verbal safety net to keep myself from gushing about what a great book this is and scaring away those who have a timid and uncertain (or even non-existent) relationship with literature.

Suggestions?  What should my elevator speech be? 

Hooray for Print

I have been selected to be a book giver for World Book Night!

On April 23, I will be handing out trade paperback books along the Riverwalk in my town to promote reading the printed word.  I applied to be a giver a few months ago and as I recall, I promised to give my allotment of books to anyone who expressed any interest at all in reading that book.

Specifically, I'll receive 20 copies of a single title chosen from the 32 books selected for 2013. I got to request my 3 favorites from the list, but I don't know what book it will be yet. Per the rules, I'll be trying to get my book into the hands of self-identified nonreaders and light readers, and maybe engage them in conversation about the book of choice.   

To be perfectly honest, I dashed off the application without a whole lot of forethought, and afterwards when I read some of the sample applications, I feared mine was woefully inadequate.  People were so passionate, so articulate, so earnest!

But I do remember saying how the Riverwalk -- a beautiful wide sidewalk that runs along the St. Johns River where it dilates into the spectacular beauty of Lake Monroe -- is where all the city's residents meet to jog or walk, to stroll with their dogs and their families, to fish, to take photographs, to picnic, to hang out and socialize, and to destress.  Sooner or later, if you live here, you'll be there. It seemed like the perfect place to reach all sorts of people in a relaxing atmosphere and chat them up about reading a really good book.

I don't know the details yet about how they'll get my 20 copies to me, but the confirmation e-mail arrived today, meaning that on April 23, I'll be part of an international event: 4 countries, 80,000 people, 2.5 million books, and ME.

It will be great fun, regardless of what book I'm given, but please, please, please, if the Literature Gods are listening, let it be Fahrenheit 451.

Fest-ive

More scenes from the Amelia Island Book Festival, and a giveaway!

Fernandina Beach is a charming town that walks gracefully along the fine line between trying-too-hard touristy and devil-may-care authentic. The book festival was smack in the middle of the historic district, not far from the main street, which is filled with historic buildings, funky little shops, two independant bookstores (Books Plus and The Book Loft), and great restaurants.

I mean, really, how can you go wrong with a town that boasts both the state's oldest functioning bar (1903) and the state's oldest county courthouse (1891)?

(photo from ameliaislandliving.com)

Even the empty lot where I parked had a nice little view.

Walking to and from the car was picturesque, with flower-like pinwheels to mark the way. Inside, there were lots of authors eager to talk about their books. (Pinwheels were a theme, as my friend Bill discovered.)

For the fudge-lovers among you, a shot of the marble slab technique in progress. I could be wrong, but I think this young lady is using a joint knife to work on this fudge (yes, I had to look up that particular hardware store term). But yum, doesn't the finished product look just right?

One of the nice things about being around authors is talking with them about their books, supporting their efforts, and occasionally receiving a book as a gift. I was lucky in all respects. And so . . .

Leave me a comment about whether you'd rather read

Compelled, a book about an Iraq war veteran whose PTSD takes the form of a compulsion to do good that gets him into trouble,

OR

The Heat of the Island, the story of a woman determined to reinvent herself on an exotic tropical island after a divorce and a series of tragedies,

OR

Beyond the Western Sun, a novel about a young female Cherokee apprentice who journeys to the Land of the Dead to rescue a captive and thwart events that threaten the living world?

Leave me a comment before March 1, telling me why one or more of these books should be added to your TBR pile. (Talk about all 3 if you want to!) On March 1, I'll draw a winner at random from the commenters for each book.

Good luck!

Dreaming of Florida?

I saw an interesting ad in one of the local free papers this week and it prompted me to visit this website: WinMyFarm.com. Looks good, doesn't it?

I'm not sure I am ready to jump in, though. My gut tells me this falls into the category of Be Careful What You Wish For, You Might Get It. This place is over an hour from where I work, plus I suspect the upkeep is pretty steep, not to mention labor-intensive. The taxes would be daunting. Not to mention that with hurricane season around the corner, I would think twice before moving into a mobile home. (More likely, I'd move into one of the stalls in the barn. You can tell this family spent all the right kinds of money to build the barn first, not uncommon among horse people.)

On the plus side, Eustis is a town I would happily choose for my home town, if I relocated anywhere in this area. Five acres is the perfect size. The barn looks really nice. And the property itself is beautiful in typical Florida style. Under the right circumstances, this would be a dream come true.

Let me know if you decide to sharpen your pencils and give this a try. The closing date is July 31. Who knows? This could be you.

(photo from winmyfarm.com)

Man Booker Giveaway

The Man Booker Prize website is giving away a full signed set of the 2008 shortlist:

Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
Sebastian Barry, The Secret Scripture
Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies
Linda Grant, The Clothes on Their Backs
Philip Hensher, The Northern Clemency
Steve Toltz, A Fraction of the Whole

Details on how to qualify for the giveaway are posted here at the official site. It's easy and really, how can anyone resist a chance for free books?

Book Giveaway

Are you interested in this book?

It's one of my favorites and now that I have a hardback copy on hand, I'm willing to share my very gently read paperback copy. Read all about it here.

If this novel sounds like your cup of tea, leave us some comments between now and midnight on Saturday, May 30th. Each comment counts as one entry. We'll do a random drawing on Sunday, May 31st, to pick the winner, and mail it out pronto.