365 Mail Art Project: Weeks 43, 44 & 45

Six weeks to go.

217 pieces of mail art yet to make and send out.

Can I do it?

 

One of the biggest challenges, aside from finding the time to make the mail art, has been finding people to send it to. I have just started a new batch of mail art to go out to the final few people who have emailed me requesting to be a part of the project.

 

I will happily accept more requests from people over the coming weeks, so if you think finding a piece of mail art in your letterbox might be kind of awesome, please do not hesitate to drop me an email! I'll be happy to oblige. At present, I'm about 50 recipients shy of 365.

 

I would especially love to send out some more pieces to fellow Australians, so if you're from Australia you should definitely email me. Like, NOW.

 

 

 

Weeks 43 & 44:

 

I was busy writing an 80-page letter to my BFF that I totally forgot to finish the mail art I started, so the pieces took two weekends to complete: Made the envelopes the first weekend, added the addresses the second. Why rush these things?

 

Using my own photos of the beach (I miss the ocean), I made the following envelopes:

 

 

 

#143 of 365:

Early morning, exposed reef for Astrid in Germany...

 

 

#144 of 365:

Stormy sunset for Dora in New Zealand...

 

 

#145 of 365:

Shoreline for Maaike in the Netherlands...

 

 

#146 of 365:

Dusk by the water for Rusty in the USA.

 

 

 

Week 45:

 

Two tiny teapot envelopes!

 

#147 of 365:

Pot of tea for Karlee in the USA...

 

 

#148 of 365:

And a pot of tea for Kirby in Australia.

Book Review + Giveaway: Royal Flush by Scott Bartlett

Royal Flush by Scott Bartlett

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

 

 

 

Royal Flush is not the kind of book you'd normally find me reading. It is described by the author as a "medieval comedy with elements of fantasy", and consists of four stories about one central character, the King.

Now the King is a blundering, ridiculous, infuriatingly incompetent kind of king. He has a fondness for executions and wants for little, yet his romantic life is, well, non-existent. To rectify this, the King begins a search for the love of his life, but the romantic bliss he unquestionably believes he deserves is repeatedly interrupted by the inconvenient responsibility of running the Kingdom.

The stories are well-written, witty and easy to follow, constructed in a way that brought back fond memories of 'Blackadder' and 'Monty Python' skits. The only downside to this is that sometimes the "skit" feels endless, the humour of it wearing thin, and the characters come across as a little one-dimensional. I found the King to be quite impersonable, even though his escapades and the constant trouble he finds himself in are definitely chuckle-worthy. The thing about Royal Flush is that there's little depth to it, but in all honesty, I think that's the point. This is a great book for people who are not enthusiastic readers and/or who don't like a lot of drama in their fiction. It's a read that doesn't require a lot of mental effort to keep up with the story and once I came to terms with that I found I was able to enjoy the book more thoroughly.

Oh, and I loved the goat!

Many thanks to the author for inviting me to read and review this novel.

 

 

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

 

The author, Scott Bartlett, has been kind enough to offer one lucky reader of this blog an e-book copy of Royal Flush.

 

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on this post. Please provide an email address so that if you win the author can get in touch with you to arrange delivery of the e-book. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Thursday, 31 January 2013. The winner will be announced on Saturday, 2 February 2013.

 

Giveaway is open to everyone.

 

Best of luck!

View all my reviews

Monday Mail Out: Keeping it Real.

One of my favourite things about blogging is that it is a great way to meet a whole bunch of really fun, friendly, fantastic people who share similar interests, but sometimes it doesn't seem very real when so often we hide behind our internet masks.

Today, rather than write about mail I thought I'd just write it.

I'd like to write you, dear blog reader, if you will let me.

I won't keep you long, I promise; just a little note on a card that you can read over your morning or afternoon tea.

If you'd be so kind as to let me I would love to send you something real and tangible from my real and tangible world.

All you have to do is leave a comment with the means in which to contact you (an email address would be perfect) and I shall do the rest.

I require nothing in return.

Written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for a long time, & Monday Mail Out is a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

Announcing the Vegetarian Cookbook Giveaway Winner...

It's finally time to announce the winner of the Oxfam Shop Vegetarian Cookbook giveaway, which I was inspired to host in honour of Rhonda Hetzel's Meatless Meals challenge.

First, however, I just want to say thanks to everyone who stopped by and entered the giveaway over the past few weeks. There were 21 entrants overall, but the lucky person who will be receiving my used-but-in-excellent-condition copy of Oxfam Shop's Vegetarian Cookbook is...

sue15cat!

Congratulations Sue! Could you please contact me by email (sorcha dot sidhe at gmail dot com) at your earliest convenience with your postal address so that I may pop this little beauty of a recipe book in the post. I really hope it will become a regular reference tool in your kitchen!

I'd also just like to add that it has been really interesting to read everyone's comments and gain a greater insight into how vegetarians and non-vegetarians think and feel about meat consumption. It has been especially heart-warming to see all the meat-eaters out there so willing to make the changes necessary to reduce their meat intake and give vegetarian meals a try. No one is particularly keen on change, especially dietary change, but the end results are incredibly rewarding. Trust me on that one. All that is required is a little persistence and patience.

I wish everyone the best of luck in their aim to eat less meat. If ever you need suggestions or motivation, please feel free to drop me a line. It would be wonderful to hear from you.

A Giveaway inspired by Rhonda Hetzel's Meatless Meals Challenge...

"From an immediate perspective, living simply frees up financial resources which can be transferred to those in greater need. It also reduces the burden we place on the environment. In a wider context, a simple lifestyle is a living example of an alternative way - a way in which not all needs are insatiable, in which endless material progress is not the main goal in life. Finally, living simply keeps us honest." - Oxfam Shop's Vegetarian Cookbook, p15

Rhonda Hetzel from Down to Earth has set herself the challenge of reducing her household meat consumption by 50% as part of her aim to live a sustainable, simple lifestyle.

Being 100% vegetarian myself I don't have any meat intake to reduce, but yesterday whilst I was browsing through the comments left by her readers, many of whom have decided to join Rhonda in her challenge, I was inspired to participate in my own way.

In 2006 I purchased a wonderful vegetarian cookbook from Oxfam shop (now also online). By this time I'd already been vegetarian for a few years but was struggling to find new, interesting, healthy recipes to try. Then one day whilst I was in my local Oxfam shop I found this wonderful vegetarian cookbook.

What makes it so great is that it's more than just your regular cookbook. It introduces the reader to the two different forms of vegetarianism (vegan and lacto-ovo, of which I am the latter), and explains how proteins work in the human body, with each recipe promoting a balanced vegetarian diet where all vitamins and minerals are present.

It also provides an introduction to the health, environmental and economic benefits of eating less meat, and there's information on simple living for humans and their pets.

The recipes found in the book include entrees, main courses and desserts, and are grouped into their respective countries of origin. In a multicultural country like Australia we are blessed with having access to so many different kinds of foods and this little cookbook introduces its user to a variety of new, previously unconsidered ingredients. But the best thing about this book is that there is great variety between the recipes and they are not overly complicated or time-consuming (most recipes have a preparation/cooking time of around 30 minutes).

Having been vegetarian for a decade now, I tend to no longer refer to recipe books: The ingredients and instructions for the food I cook is either known by heart or kept in a lever arch file for easier access. So, this wonderful little cookbook from Oxfam has been sitting in my bookshelf, no longer used, and I cannot help but feel it is going to waste. I figure Rhonda's challenge is a great opportunity to give this book new life and let it provide information and inspiriation to a new cook, one who is serious about reducing their meat intake. I don't expect everyone to become vegetarians, but being conscious of the amount of meat we eat and doing something to keep it to a minimum is not only good for you and the animals, it's also good for the environment and the world community as a whole.

If you'd like your chance to win my used-but-otherwise-in-good-condition copy of the Oxfam shop's Vegetarian Cookbook all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.

Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Friday, 18 May 2012. The winner will be announced sometime over that weekend (19 - 20 May).

Giveaway is open to anyone and everyone from anywhere, as long as they don't mind receiving a secondhand cookbook (that is in good condition. Promise).

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Whilst I'm here, babbling on, I'd like to thank Rhonda from Down to Earth for considering my modest blog worthy enough to make her Weekend Reading List for this week. I'm perplexed and humbled ~ thank you. I've been a regular reader of Rhonda's blog for a number of years now and I recommend everyone take the time to check it out if they haven't already. Her book is fantastic too.

I'd also like to send out a big "hello and welcome" to any new readers that visit my blog via Rhonda's. I hope there is something here to interest you, and thank you for taking the time to stop by.

The Lady of the Rivers: Giveaway Winner.

CONGRATULATIONS to

oloore

Who has won this paperback copy of The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory!

I will be in contact with you shortly and hope to have the book ordered and on its way by the end of the week.

Many thanks to everyone who took part.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (= love)

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

England is always remaking herself, her cliffs eroding, her sandbanks drifting, springs bubbling up in dead ground. They regroup themselves while we sleep, the landscapes through which we move, and even the histories that trail us; the faces of the dead fade into other faces, as a spine of hills into the mist.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is a fascinating novel set during the reign of King Henry VIII, at the time of his second marriage (to Anne Boleyn) and his split from the church in Rome. The protagonist is Thomas Cromwell, and the story details his journey from being the son of a vicious blacksmith to gaining his position of prominence and power in King Henry's court.

Like all Tudor fictions, there are the usual personalities of Henry's court that feature in this story, characters including Cardinal Wosley, Anne and Mary Boleyn, Katherine of Aragon, Thomas More, Norfolk and Suffolk, Jane Seymour...I really enjoyed the author's intepretation of these characters, especially saintly Wosley, fiesty Anne, and crazy More.

Wolf Hall also includes a range of characters from Cromwell's blood kin and adopted family, making Master Cromwell far more personable and likeable than the unscrupulous villain he is normally portrayed as being. Thomas Cromwell remains the ingenious lawyer he has always been, but Mantel provides him with much greater scope: He is also a devoted family man with a love for animals (particularly dogs), who shows endless compassion for those less fortunate. Mantel's Cromwell is also rather humble, never proclaiming to be more than he is, and never denying his past or his origins.

I really enjoyed this novel and it is easily one of my favourite interpretations of the Tudor period that I have read to date. Despite its length (650+ pages), it doesn't feel like an excessively long read. In fact, Mantel's prose and descriptive abilities make it flow beautifully through past and present events. It is easy to believe that this is the real Thomas Cromwell, and that this story is the real history.

Absolutely loved it. Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

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THE LADY OF THE RIVERS GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

I am currently hosting a giveaway for The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory.

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on my review post. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Friday, 10 February 2012. The winner will be announced sometime over that weekend (11 - 12 February).

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Lady of the Rivers.

Best of luck!

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory (+ a giveaway)

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lady of the Rivers is the third novel in The Cousins' War series by Philippa Gregory, and is based around the life of Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and mother to Elizabeth Woodville, future wife and queen to King Edward IV.

The Cousins' War refers to the Wars of the Roses, the battles that took place between the houses of Lancaster and York in their fight for the English throne during the latter half of the 15th century. In The Lady of the Rivers, however, the story begins much earlier, on mainland Europe, where a young Jacquetta befriends the saintly Joan of Arc. As the two girls play at a game of Tarot, Jacquetta has her first glimpse of what can happen to magical women who seek power.

You see, Jacquetta has the power to see into the future, an ability inherited from the goddess Melusina, her ancestor. However, Jacquetta is reluctant to use this power for fear of being branded a witch and the consequences that would follow such an accusation. Her first husband, the Duke of Bedford, marries her so that he can utilise her ability, and introduces a young and innocent Jacquetta to the mysteries of alchemy. For Jacquetta it is a lonely marriage, but in her husband's squire, Richard Woodville, she finds her soulmate. After the Duke's death, Jacquetta refuses to conform to custom and marries Richard in secret, which sees them banished from Court and sent to live a life of solitude in the English countryside.

That is until Margaret of Anjou arrives from France to marry King Henry VI. Jacquetta is Margaret's kinswoman, and the nervous new queen, disliked on account of being French, sends for Jacquetta to return to Court. Jacquetta and her husband, Richard, go on to become Lady and Lord Rivers, and diligently serve the English king and his queen in their Lancastrian rule.

However, England is thrown into turmoil when Henry's mental health fails and the Wars of the Roses ensues. Margaret is forced to fight to keep her husband on the throne and her (illegitimate?) son's claim to it alive. Jacquetta and Richard are loyal to their Lancastrian king and queen until fate sends the clear message that through their daughter, Elizabeth, the House of York is destined to be their future.

One of my favourite reads for 2011, The Lady of the Rivers is a wonderfully gripping tale of magic, romance, mystery, murder and war, and demonstrates how quickly those in power can fall. This novel compliments The White Queen perfectly, where Jacquetta hands the power to her daughter, Elizabeth, whose story also goes on to make history.

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Since I held giveaways for books one and two, I have decided to do the same for The Lady of the Rivers.

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on this post. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Friday, 10 February 2012. The winner will be announced sometime over that weekend (11 - 12 February).

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Lady of the Rivers.

Best of luck!

Monday Mail Out: A Postal Disappointment & a Giveaway!

[First Day of Issue MaxiCards]

"A Letter is a Joy of Earth -

It is denied the Gods".

~Emily Dickinson, 1885

There was no Monday Mail Out last week as I didn't write any letters. Yes, it's true! Such a rare event, I must admit, and completely out of routine!

It was SJ's 31st birthday, and the quick getaway we took to the beach was in celebration of it, and there was simply no time for letters when I was flat-chat busy sitting on the beach with a book in my hand eating cake, and doing a whole lot of nothing (often referred to as "relaxing" - or so I am told).

Therefore I felt I needed to be extra diligent the weekend just passed, ensuring I returned to my usual routine and write three letters, all of which were to be posted this morning. But as "Monday Luck" would have it, they're still sitting on the mantel piece in our dining room. Of course I realise that no one can read their letters if they are sitting above our fireplace, so I'll have to make a special trip to the post office this evening instead.

I have been writing letters for more than half my life (seriously, I started when I was 7yo), and during that time I've have the odd correspondent disappear off the radar, either by choice or just through a bit of bad luck, but I've never probed for reasons and so have never been told. Despite this disappointment, letter-writing as a whole has been a wonderful experience that I still enjoy immensely, and I honestly could not imagine my life without it. I am constantly learning about the world and the people in it, have met some truly amazing people, and have made many long-lasting, irreplaceable friendships as a result.

However, one of the letters I spent a significant amount of time writing over the weekend will not be going out at all, as when I got into work this morning and checked my emails I had a message from its intended receiver explaining that she was "taking a break" from letters and could no longer write me, which has roused in me a ponderment:

How does one respond to being "dumped" as a correspondent? Should I be angry and hurt, or sympathetic and understanding? Do I take it personally and wonder if I am boring and unlikeable, or do I fob it off as just "one of those things"?

I figured I needed cheering up. So, I toddled off down to the post office in search of some postal goodies, and ended up deciding on the First Day of Issue MaxiCards pictured above, the price of which includes postage to anywhere in the world. I take this to be a sign that I should send them to people, so I will: If you'd like to receive one of these cards with a little note from myself on the back, please leave a comment. I will send one card to the first 3 people who leave a comment, regardless of location.

I'm feeling better about myself already!

Written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for a long time, & Monday Mail Out is a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

 



The Red Queen Giveaway **Winner**

A busy day yesterday meant I didn't have quite enough time for choosing a winner of the giveaway I am hosting for The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (find my review here). So, in order to ensure it doesn't get forgotten once I start doing other things, I am happy to announce that the winner for the giveaway is...

thenewgoodlife

CONGRATULATIONS! I will be in contact with you shortly to get your postal details so that I may order this paperback copy of The Red Queen for you.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway. There will be another bookish giveaway within the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!



Bereft by Chris Womersley

Bereft by Chris Womersley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1909 at the age of 16, Quinn Walker is accused of killing his 12 year old sister, Sarah, and flees the small rural community of Flint in fear of retribution. Ten years later at the end of World War I, he returns to the town a designated war hero, befriends a mysterious orphan girl by the name of Sadie Frost, and together they seek refuge in the hills and scrub surrounding the township. The unlikely duo set about righting the wrongs that continue to be committed against the vulnerable and innocent in Flint, crimes that stretch back more than a decade.

Bereft is one of those novels that is so gripping that it is almost impossible to put down. The characters are fascinating: The damaged, the wronged, the misled, and the downright evil. At around 250 pages in length the story unfolds perfectly from start to finish, the author effortlessly bringing together the past and present, the living and the dead.

Bereft is an intriguing novel filled with murder, mystery, magic and revenge, with a wonderfully Australian gothic feel.

Highly recommended.

**I won this novel in 2010 via a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 View all my reviews




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THE RED QUEEN GIVEAWAY:

I am currently holding a giveaway for The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on the original post. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Sunday, 23 October 2011, with the winner being announced the morning of Monday, 24 October 2011.

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Red Queen.

Best of luck!

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (+ a giveaway).

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Red Queen is the second novel in Philippa Gregory's Cousin's War series, and tells the story of the Wars of the Roses from the perspective of Margaret Beaufort, Lancaster heiress and cousin the mentally unstable King Henry VI.

The novel covers the same period as Gregory's first in the series, The White Queen. However, Margaret Beaufort is a completely different character to Elizabeth Woodville: Gregory's story of Elizabeth is one of magic, intrigue and grace, whilst her portrayal of Margaret is a bundle of contradictions. On one hand, Margaret's a religious fanatic, so pious that she can spend days and weeks fasting and at prayer. However, at the same time she is a bitter, scheming, compassionless woman who will willingly sacrifice innocent lives to achieve her greatest desire: To see her son, Henry Tudor, on the English throne.

Margaret isn't a particularly likeable character, and her belief that she is chosen by God for great things feels strained and desperate, as if the author knows this story fails to hold the mystical allure found in The White Queen. The Red Queen isn't historically accurate either, which can lead to immense frustration for those readers familiar with this period of English history. In addition to that, it seems highly unlikely that Margaret would have risked not only her goals but also her neck by disclosing her scheming ways through written correspondence - she strikes as being far more conniving and clever than that.

Margaret's life isn't as exciting as Elizabeth Woodville's either: She spends most of her time locked away, either by her husbands or her King, and as such nothing much ever seems to happen, aside from a lot of hoping, praying, and wanting. This also makes the story feel very repetitive, and often I found myself hoping, praying and wanting just for something exciting to happen.

The Red Queen does have redeeming moments, such as Margaret's marriage to Henry Stafford, and her volatile opinion of her rivals, which brought smiles and the odd chuckle, but it simply isn't as good as the beautifully written The White Queen.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Since I offered up a giveaway for The White Queen, I thought I would do the same for The Red Queen.

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on this post. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Sunday, 23 October 2011, with the winner being announced the morning of Monday, 24 October 2011.

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Red Queen.

Best of luck!

View all my reviews

The White Queen Giveaway: WINNER!

I didn't get to do this yesterday. Obviously. I have had a sick dog-son who needed to go back to the vet yesterday for a follow-up on a ruptured ear-drum and ear infection, which meant having to take the morning off work and then being crazy-busy in the afternoon when I did finally get into the office.

So, yes, I am a day late in announcing the winner of The White Queen giveaway, for which I apologise, but I can now tell you that the brand new paperback edition will be going out to:

 Manchester Lass

(Manchester Lass: Please email me with your postal details and I will arrange to have the book in the post asap!)

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to read my blog and enter the giveaway. I will endeavour to have another early in the New Year, so keep an eye out!





The White Queen by Philippa Gregory + a GIVEAWAY!

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
 

"I remember my mother mourning her son and saying that when you have got a child through babyhood you think you are safe. But a woman is not safe. Not in this world. Not in this world where brother fights against brother and no one can ever put their sword aside, or trust in the law." - Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen

Women Unbound Reading Challenge 2010

Royal Reviews' Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2010

The White Queen is the first book in The Cousin's War series by Philippa Gregory, and tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner who falls in love with King Edward IV, during the English Wars of the Roses, and the mysterious events surrounding their sons, the Princes in the Tower.

Elizabeth is from the House of Lancaster, at war with the House of York for the English throne. After the death of her first husband during the war, she is left a widow with two young sons and no means with which to provide for them. This leads her to petition the King, Edward IV, from the rival House of York, for assistance. This bold decision changes her life forever: The rivals - a commoner and a king - fall in love and marry in secret, resulting in Elizabeth being crowned Queen of England after the House of York defeats the House of Lancaster for the throne.

Edward IV's decision to marry Elizabeth and favour her family is not approved by everyone, particularly the Earl of Warwick, who had hoped for an alliance with France through the marriage of the king and a French princess. Bitter and refusing to take a backseat, Warwick tries to overthrow Edward IV, first with his younger brother George, and then later by trying to restore the mentally unstable Henry VI to the throne.

There is little peace during Edward IV's reign, who is consistently forced to fight for his throne, despite Elizabeth providing him with a brood of healthy heirs, and the two of them establishing a glittering court - usually sure signs of a stable kingdom. At Edward's untimely death his younger brother, Richard, is proclaimed Protector of the child Edward V, but later claims the throne for himself by disinheriting Elizabeth and her children. It is this that leads to the mystery of the Princes in the Tower: Edward V and his younger "brother", Prince Richard, are held captive in the Tower of London by their Uncle, now King Richard III, but are never seen again.

The White Queen is told from Elizabeth Woodville's perspective. Gregory portrays her as a woman of strong will and determination, with an unrelenting devotion to her husband and children. It is easy to feel compassion and frustration at the situation that Elizabeth finds herself in, over and over again, as she battles through an unstable England where friend and foe cannot be easily determined.

Elizabeth, as a descendant of the Water Goddess Melusina, possesses the power to control water: Lakes, rivers, storms and seas, through which Gregory adds magic and a supernatural intrigue to the events that unfold. The sad tale of Melusina is entwined within the unfortunate events of Elizabeth's life as Queen of England, perhaps suggesting that fate is the most powerful magic of all, and one that cannot be fought.

A fantastic historical novel, beautifully written and impeccably told: Highly recommended.

View all my reviews


Giveaway details:

I enjoyed this novel so much that I must, must, must share it! I have one brand new paperback edition of The White Queen to GIVEAWAY!

Everyone who leaves a comment between now and the 30 November 2010 will go into the draw to win it, with the winner being announced on the 1 December 2010.

Good luck!

The Book Thief Pay-it-Forward Giveaway: WINNER!

A day late, but better late than never: This morning I used an online random list generator to pick the winner of The Book Thief pay-it-forward giveaway. There were seven contestants, but the lucky person who will receive my pre-loved copy of this wonderful book is:

marilavado

Congratulations, Mari! Please email me with your postal address and I will have the book in the post to you as soon as possible.

Just a small reminder that when you have finished reading the book yourself, please dont forget to continue the goodwill by hosting another giveaway for the book. Thank you!

Thanks to all who participated in the draw; I really appreciate the time you took to visit my blog. I hope to hold another giveaway in the very near future, so keep an eye out!

Happy Reading!

The Book Thief + a Pay-it-forward Giveaway

Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak
Category: Historical Fiction

Format: Paperback (Aus), 592 pages
Published: Australia, 2008

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is the story of Liesel Meminger's life in Nazi Germany during WWII, told from an original and interesting perspective.

The story begins on a train, where Liesel is sat with her mother and brother. She is on her way to meet her foster parents: Her mother has made the decision to foster Liesel and her brother to the Hubermanns in Molching. Liesel's father is missing, and her brother does not survive the train journey. At his funeral on a frozen winter's day Liesel finds in the snow "The Gravedigger's Handbook" and takes it with her. This is her first act of book theivery, but certainly isnt her last.

The story then continues through Liesel's life in Molching with her foster parents and friends (one a Jewish fist-fighter) as the effects of a hostile and brutal war begin to take its toll. Through hunger and air-raids Liesel's life is all about the books she steals and the impact that their words have on her life and the lives of the people around her.

This is a truly stunning book and it had me hooked from the first page. I knew from the moment I finished the opening chapter that this wasnt going to be your average hist-fic novel on WWII, but instead was going to be something special, heart-wrenching, and memorable. Zusak's choice of narrator works brilliantly: An ordinary story told in an extraordinary way. The only downside to the story of Zusak's book thief is that it had to end.

PAY-IT-FORWARD GIVEAWAY

This is a book I really want to share, so I have decided to give away my pre-loved copy.

However, this will be a pay-it-forward giveaway: Once the winner has finished reading this book it would be most appreciated if they were to hold another pay-it-forward giveaway in the same fashion as this one.

If you want to go in the draw to win my used copy of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, then all you have to do is leave a message on this post stating that you'd like the chance to win it. Open to everyone, no matter where you live!

I'll announce the winner on Saturday, 1 May 2010.

Good luck and happy reading!

EDIT 23/4/10: If you do not have a blog or website you may still enter the draw to win this book and can pay-it-forward to a friend, reading circle, or RAC it to someone you know has it on their wishlist when you are finished. I'm not too fussed how the pay-it-forward aspect of the giveaway actually occurs, I'd just love to see this book shared around because it is that good.

The Perfect Heresy Giveaway: WINNER!

Title: The Perfect Heresy
Author: Stephen O'Shea

Category: History (non-fiction)
Format: Paperback, 352 pages

Published: UK, 2001

As promised, albiet a little later than I'd planned, I have a giveaway winner for The Perfect Heresy by Stephen O'Shea!

I've used an online random list generator and let it decide for me. There were quite a few entrants (see list below), but the lucky person drawn as the WINNER IS...

jemscout425

Congratulations, jemscout425! I shall email you shortly to get your postal address so that I can have the brand-new copy of The Perfect Heresy in the post to you before the end of the week. It is an informative and inspiring read and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks to everyone who took part, and thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. I really appreciate it. I will try and have another giveaway soon - they are so much fun!

Book Review + a Giveaway!

Title: The Perfect Heresy

Author: Stephen O'Shea
Category: History (non-fiction)

Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Published: UK, 2001

"How many armed knights you'd have seen there, how many good shields cleft, what ribs laid bare, legs smashed and arms cut off, chests torn apart, helmets cracked open, flesh hacked, heads cut in two, what blood spilled, what severed fists, how many men fighting and others struggling to carry away one they'd seen fall! Such wounds, such injuries they suffered, that they strewed the battlefield with white and red". - An eyewitness account to the Battle of Toulouse, 1217

The Perfect Heresy: The Revolutionary Life and Death of the Medieval Cathars is a splendid historical look at the 13th Century Crusade and Inquisition undertaken by the Catholic Church to rid the Languedoc of the Cathars.

The Cathars were a dualist Christian faith popular amongst the people of the Languedoc for their pious lifestyle of poverty, tolerance and spiritual guidance. They preached against the material world, and outwardly expressed their disapproval of the wealth accrued by the Catholic Church.

The Cathars were a truly amazing and resilient people, yet the indiscriminate force beared down on the people of the Languedoc by the Crusaders, combined with the cunning of the Inquisitors eventually saw the Cathar faith disappear and be relegated to the pages of history.

Stephen O'Shea's description of the events that took place during the this period of history are brilliant and read like a novel. Never does it feel like an academic textbook. O'Shea's determination to get the Cathar story right is evident from the first page to the last, and he goes to great lengths to debunk the myths about the Cathars that surfaced during the Victorian Era, were mis-used and abused by the Nazis, and embellished by the hippies in the latter half of the 20th Century.

The story of the Cathars is one of violence, persecution, determination, and above all else: faith. It also acts as a reminder of "the dangers of the absolute", and is definitely a book that everyone should have taking pride of place on their bookshelf. It is that brilliant!

Ever since I'd first heard of the Cathars nearly 15 years ago, I've been searching for a book of this calibre to read. It took 2 years for me to track down a copy, so when I finally found a supplier I couldnt help myself and I ordered more than one.

So, that means I have a brand new copy of this book that I am just ITCHING to giveaway!

Each legitimate comment received on my blog or at my livejournal between now and the 9 March 2010 will go into the draw.

If you want to double your chances at winning, comment and then promote this giveaway at your blog, and I'll put your name into the draw twice (you'll have to let me know you're promoting it, though).

After the 9 March 2010, I will randomly select the winner.

This giveaway is open to anyone from anywhere, domestic and international.

Good luck!