March 16, 2009 • randomness •

Blogiversary, part 2: Giving it away!

You have to love the blogiverse – I’m having the anniversary, but the gifts are for you! (It’s kind of like hobbits and birthdays.)

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating two years of blogging with a little giveaway. I have three slightly-used ARCs (Advance Reader’s Copies, for you non-book-blogging folks) that need new homes, but if none of them appeals to you, perhaps you’d like a $20 Amazon.com e-gift certificate? You don’t have to use that on books unless you really want to.

All of the ARCs were reviewed here during the past couple of months – the links will take you to the original review post.

Buffalo Gal, by Laura Pedersen (3.75/5)

…Pedersen is a fine observer, and her account of growing up as the only child of two loving, yet detached, parents in the suburbs of Buffalo is enjoyable from start to finish. She is inventive and resourceful, resilient and self-aware, and uses her well-developed sense of humor very effectively in telling her own story. That story is influenced by her parents, of course – and their long, drawn-out divorce during her teens – but also by her friends, including the girl next door and the gay theater teacher at her high school, and by her city itself…

True Colors, by Kristin Hannah (3.5/5)

…I enjoy stories about family relationships, and those among the Grey sisters are pretty complicated. Losing their mother when they were young both bonded them together and pulled them apart, and their father, a rancher and descendant of the founders of their town, never really bonds with anyone. But what really made things messy between them were the men; the one who chose one sister over the other, and especially the other one who came between the first man and the chosen sister…

Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran, by Azadeh Moaveni (4/5)

…Some of the memoirs by journalists that I’ve read have felt more like a reporter’s work than someone’s own story – there’s almost too much detachment. Honeymoon in Tehran does not suffer from that sense of distance. While I thought that Moaveni documented the political and social climate in post-September 11 Iran well, it felt – appropriately – like context for her own experience; she strikes an excellent balance between the personal and the political here…

This one will be easy – to enter, just leave a comment and tell me which book you’d like, or if you’d prefer the gift certificate. Please be sure to include your e-mail address, and note that you may choose only one giveaway item. There are no “extra” entries this time, although if you’d like to post about the giveaway I certainly won’t mind!  Entries will be open until Sunday, March 29 (my birthday!) – winners will be chosen using Random.org, and will be contacted by e-mail and announced here.

Thanks again for two fun-filled years, and I’m looking forward to more – I hope you are, too!

EDITED TO ADD: Thanks to Win A Book for posting this giveaway – and if that’s how you found your way here, welcome!

A BLOGIVERSARY BONUS:
“How My Blog Got Its Name,” inspired by the My Blog’s Name Carnival hosted by Rebecca at Ramblings by Reba

As the tagline notes, it’s not just a title, it’s a mission statement. It’s also a play on the original “three R’s” of education – “reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic.” Since I started writing this blog to keep a record of the books I read, the first two parts of the name were pretty obvious. The “randomness” came from the need for a third R, but knowing myself, I figured it was a good bet that I wasn’t going to stick to a limited range of topics here – things would probably get pretty darn random at times. That’s how I like it – and I hope that you do too.

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60 comments

  1. Hey! Happy blogiversary!!:) and advanced birthday wishes as well! I read Azadeg Moaveni’s first book and would love to read “honeymoon in Tehran” as well. Please enter me in the drawing for that book!

    ramyasbookshelf(at)gmail(dot)com

  2. I’m with Ramya, I want to wish you a happy 2-year anniversary! We love you! I’m also with Ramya in waiting to read Honeymoon in Tehran!

  6. Great choice 🙂 – you’re all entered for Honeymoon in Tehran. And thanks for the sidebar mention, Serena – I really appreciate it!

  11. Happy blogiversary!! Everything sounds good but if I had to pick only one I would take the Amazon GC.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

  13. Looks like we had the same idea to celebrate two years! I went through my ARCs too, but none seemed good enough to give away, so just went with the Amazon idea.

    Put me down for that… the GC! Wouldn’t that be funny if I won yours and you won mine? 🙂 Except you’d be getting the much shorter end of the deal!

  16. Happy Blogiversary! I would love to win a gift card (but I also wouldn’t mind being entered for Honeymoon in Tehran – I’ve really been wanting to read that).

    akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

  17. Happy Blogiversary! I’ve never held one such event, though my blog has been around for years. Maybe I need to.

    Oh! And I would love to win the Amazon GC. There’s a book I have been staring at with longing for a while now.

    Valorie
    morbidromantic@gmail.com

  18. Happy Blogiversary!!! I would love to win the Amazon GC, please!! There’s so many books I wanna buy! 🙂 Thanks!

    bunnybx at gmail . com

  25. I’m starting to feel really sorry for those other poor books that nobody has gone for. So, even though it isn’t my top choice, please put me down for ‘Buffalo Gal’. Thanks!

    tiffanyak1986(at)hotmail(dot)com

  27. Hi Florinda! Congratulations on your anniversary! How exciting!

    I’d love to win True Colors.

    gweiswasser at gmail dot com

  28. I would love the Amazon GC so I could buy some books for my kids — I’m trying to buy fewer books for me and more for them — that way I still get the thrill of buying books but don’t add even more to my already topping TBR pile 🙂

    vmlay@artsci.wustl.edu

  29. I’ll put my name on the gift card!!! My husband would probably kill me if I chose a book over the card yet you know what the card will be used for one of the books in my cart on amazon…I thank you, amazon thanks you and my poor husband thanks you!
    Happy Blogviserary!!! BTW, I love the randomness!!!
    Thanks
    Darby
    darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

  30. Thanks to Suey for sending me her e-mail :-).

    Betty & Boo's Mommy – I left a comment on your blog re: info I need to enter you in the giveaway.

    OlympianLady – Thanks for taking pity on Buffalo Gal :-)!

  35. This is a great contest! I found you on West of Mars too and really like your blog. Happy anniversary and happy birthday!

    Please include me for True Colors. I love Kristen Hannah! Thanks so much!

    5wrights1[at]verizon[dot]net

  38. I have a full cart waiting for met to push “Purchase” at Amazon, so I would love to be entered for the gift certificate. Thanks! stimeyland at gmail dot com

  39. Oh, I have so many books to read as well. I’d love to be entered for the GC though!!

    Awesome giveaway. And congrats on two years! That’s awesome.

    -Lauren
    lauren51990 AT aol DOT com

  40. Happy Blogviserary and Happy Birthday! I would love to have the Amazon GC. Thank you for the giveaway!
    Carol M
    mittens0831 AT aol.com

  42. happy birthday!! i’m also march 🙂
    and while the tehran book is so very tempting still i would love to be entered for the amazon gift certificate (there is this mckillip book that is very, very, very tempting :))

  43. So embarrassed … but obviously so excited about the giveway that I forgot to add what I would prefer. The Amazon GC would be lovely.

    Hey, at least my faux pas allows me to double the congrats to you on your two years!

  45. Happy Blogiversary! :0)

    I came over from West of Mars and I really like your blog. I’ve subscribed by email. And I’d love to be entered for the GC.

    Thanks!
    librarygrinch at gmail dot com

  47. Happy anniversary! I’d love to win any of these prizes, but if I must choose, I’d pick the Amazon GC. (Clearance books are my BFFs!)

  48. Hello!

    I found you via HistoricalTapestry. I’d love to be entered for Honeymoon in Tehran or the gift card. I love, love, love reading about Asia and the Middle East.

    Thank you! Robin

  49. Please enter me in the giveaway. I’d choose the gift certificate (so I could spend it on books for my Kindle).

    kolists at gmail dot com

  50. happy birthday! i would probably enjoy the gift card the most. i’m not familiar with the other books/authors…but maybe i should give them a try…

  51. Melanie – Please come back and leave your e-mail address! If you win the e-card, I’ll need that info to order it from Amazon.com. Thanks!

  53. Congratulations on your Blogiversary. Happy Upcoming Birthday. And thanks for the chance at this giveaway! I’d love to read HONEYMOON IN TEHRAN, if I’m lucky enough!
    geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

  54. Would you believe I have read all three of these books??? Wow. So I’d love the Amazon g.c. That would be great!
    digicat{AT}sbcglobal{DOT}net

  57. Happy blogiversary, Happy birthday!

    Hmm, great books (I have Honeymoon in Tehran and Kristin Hannah’s Firefly Lane on my TBR) … if my name is picked I’d choose the Amazon certificate 🙂 Maybe I’d even get something for my kids with it.

  58. It is my first time here…lots to read. Two years! I’m impressed. I have two small children and spend most of my time reading kids books so we’d get the most use out of the Amazon e-gift. Thanks so much.

  60. Happy Blogiversary! Wishing you a Happy Birthday tomorrow!! I’d prefer the Amazon gift card. Thanks for an awesome giveaway and what a wonderful way to celebrate your blog!!

    redladysreadingroomATgmailDOTcome