April Prize Draw

The winner of our March prize draw was J C Montgomery who will receive the Softskull book package as well as a few crafty goodies from our craft sponsors (see the sidebar).

I’m going to start up our April competition a little early because I want to tie it in with the 24 hour read-a-thon. If you’re participating as a reader in the 24 hour read-a-thon this year leave a comment on this post (saying you’re a reader)and you will be entered once into the prize draw. At the end of the read-a-thon return here and let me know how many books you read during the 24 hours and you will get an extra entry for each book you read. You must officially sign up as a participant at the 24 hour read-a-thon’s blog to be eligible to enter.

Each book read by participants of The Year of Readers during the 24 hour read-a-thon will also earn quadruple the amount that a regular book read for The Year of Readers usually earns for EcoLibris (so any book read during 24 hour read-a-thon will earn 4p for Eco-Libris).

The prize up for grabs this time is 30 Bookmooch points from my own vast stash. 1 person will win 30 points, 15 of which I will add to your account and 15 of which will go to the Bookmooch charity of your choice. If you don’t have a Bookmooch account you can either start one up and start collecting points (15 points will get you 15 books if they are posted from your own country or 7 from international senders) or donate the whole 30 points to charities (I’m happy to split the charity points between different organisations if you would like). Please note this part of the prize is only for those participating in the 24 hour read-a-thon as readers.

Anyone cheerleading at the 24 hour read-a-thon just needs to comment on this post (saying they are a cheerleader) to be entered to win a copy of ‘Captivity’ by Debbie Lee Wesselman, a handmade bookmark and matching bookplate, handmade bracelet and handmade card.

You can leave your comments any time until noon GMT on April 30th 2009. This competition is open to all official participants of The Year of Readers, taking part in the 24 hour read-a-thon. All winners will be chosen using a random number generator.

Happy Read-a-thon!

Prize Draw - March

This months giveway is extra-super specialicious. Richard Nash who was until just recently running Softskull Press generously donated 5 books for us to pass on to you lucky, lucky readers. He let me pick the titles and even replaced one when the book I picked wasn't availabe. Fabulous guy, really friendly and nice. (You can also buy Softskull titles at Turnaround.)

Books to be won are:

Candy in Action - Matthue Roth
Gone and Back Again - Jonathan Scott
Cool for You - Eileen Myles
Lonely Werewolf Girl - Martin Millar
Branwell - Douglas A Martin

I've decided to make them into one big prize package, but such a big freebie means I'm going to ask you guys to put a little more effort in to win this draw. Don't worry I'm not going to make you joust or anything:)

Recently I've been thinking about where all the books we read in 2009 might end up. The books that leave my house often go in charity bags, some get traded at Bookmooch, sold on Amazon and occassionally I post a book to a campaign that is collecting books to stock libraries, pass on to people who don't have books or raise money for worthy causes.

So to be in with a chance of winning the Softskull book bonanza all you have to do is donate a book to a worthy cause (it's a nice honour system giveway).

For every book you put in the post (or donate locally) before midnight 31st March GMT you get an entry into the draw. Please comment to let me know which organisation you've sent to and how many books you've sent.

You get one extra entry if you write about the cause/s that you're sending books to somewhere (make sure you leave a link to your post in the comments below).

You can get an other entry if someone tells you they were influenced by your post and sent books to a charitable organisation/needful library (think libraries abroad or those destroyed by natural disasters).

To add to the prize giving goodness I'm almost certain that I'll be including a mystery book in with this package so go nuts donating!

February - Prize Draw

This month's fabulous prize draw item comes from McSweeney's . They generously donated a new, hardback copy of Michael Chabon's 'Maps and Legends'. Darren Franich, from McSweeney's sent me this blurb of Chabon's newest non-fiction work:

'Michael Chabon's sparkling first book of nonfiction is a love song in sixteen parts — a series of linked essays in praise of reading and writing, with subjects running from ghost stories to comic books, Sherlock Holmes to Cormac McCarthy. Throughout, Chabon energetically argues for a return to the thrilling, chilling origins of storytelling, rejecting the false walls around "serious" literature in favor of an wide-ranging affection. His own fiction, meanwhile, is explored from the perspective of personal history: post-collegiate desperation sparks his debut, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh; procrastination and doubt reveal the way toward Wonder Boys; a love of comics and a basement golem combine to create the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay; and an enigmatic Yiddish phrasebook unfurls into The Yiddish Policeman's Union.'

To enter to win this book and increase your reading total just leave me a comment telling me what your favourite myth or legend is by 13:00 GMT March 1st. The myth you choose can be from any culture and you can include a brief plot summary if you like, I'm fascinated with myths.Only official members of 'The Year of Readers' (those who have signed up via the site's Mr Linky) are eligible to enter this contest. This contest is open to official participants from all countries and continents. The winner will be decided using a random number generator and the book will be posted to the winner at no cost, regardless of where they live in the world (although I can't legislate for any customs charges that might be made by your country).

January Prize Draw - Captivity: Debbie Lee Wesselmann

It's time for our first prize draw here at 'The Year of Readers', yehaw. I decided to hold monthly draws with prizes that will encourage all participants in their reading. John F Blair is the first publisher who has generously donated a free book to give one lucky participant something new to read. Check out short blurb of 'Captivity' by Debbie Lee Wessemann below:

"Dana Armstrong is no ordinary primatologist. In the 1970s, she was the little blond girl with a chimpanzee for a sister, a participant in her father's psychology experiment that sought to narrow the divide between species. Now, decades later, the black-and-white clips of Dana bathing, learning sign language, and throwing tantrums with her "sister" still flicker in classrooms across the country. Dana wants nothing more than to forget about them, but as director of a chimpanzee sanctuary in the woods of South Carolina, she cannot escape.

Dana arrives at work one morning to discover that the worst has happened: someone has vandalized the buildings and opened the cages, setting loose a group of particularly dangerous chimpanzees. She mobilizes her staff to capture the missing chimps before they can injure local citizens or be killed themselves. The sanctuary is already on precarious ground, and if it fails, the chimps--some infected with HIV, some survivors of experimental surgeries, some rescued from roadside zoos--have nowhere to go. The sanctuary is all they--and Dana--have left."

If you would like to win this book and a small assortment of craft goodies from various Etsy sponsors just comment on this post telling me what your favourite book about nature is by January 31st. (PS you will also receive an e-mail detailing the terms and conditions of this giveaway once I get back to my work computer- only official participants of this challenge who have signed up using Mr Linky are eligible to enter for this prize).