Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Book Giveaway! (episode one)

As I mentioned in my last post, I went to LA, bought a few books to get them autographed, and now have a couple of unautographed ones I'd like to share with others.

This week, up for grabs is Because I Am Furniture, by Thalia Chaltas.



Here's the description from Thalia's site (hopefully she won't sue me for posting her materials here ... I forget the rules)

BECAUSE I AM FURNITURE - a novel in poems

Anke's father is abusive. But not to her. He attacks her brother and sister, but she is ignored, forced to be an invisible witness in a house of horrors. Believing she isn't worthy of even the worst kind of attention, Anke feels about as significant as the living room sofa. Until she makes the volleyball team at school. In a sport where you have to yell "Mine!" to play the ball, Anke learns for the first time how to make herself heard. As her confidence on the court builds, she finds a voice she didn't know existed. And it's not long before she realizes that if she can make people hear her while she's playing volleyball, then maybe she can be heard at home, too.

Author Thalia Chaltas leads you straight to the heart of Anke's darkly complicated world in this devastatingly powerful novel in poems.

A brief review:

This cover called to me from Borders the day I purchased it. It had previously been recommended to me (you rock, Amazon), based upon my interest in Ellen Hopkins. And it did not disappoint. Thalia pulls you into Anke's world and keeps you there, even when you might not want to be. I found this book devastating, heartbreaking, yet impossible to put down. I was so touched by Anke's story that I emailed the author after finishing the novel. Still, months later, I haven't forgotten it. If you've never given a verse novel a shot, you must. If you need confirmation, check out the Amazon link and get an inside look into the first few pages of the book.

HOW TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post. If you don't have a blogger profile, be sure to leave an email address, too, or I won't be able to contact you.

For Extra Entries:

+4 if you already follow/subscribe to my blog
+2 for becoming a follower/subscriber to my blog

+3 for posting a link to this contest somewhere on the Internet (blog, Myspace, Twitter, etc.)--be sure to leave me a link here if you post one.

+2 for reading and commenting on one of Thalia's blog posts (again, leave me a link).

+2 for posting your most embarrassing moment as a teenager (completely unrelated, I know, but I'm a random individual).

+2 for posting something that bothered/plagued you as a teen (i.e., what kept you up at night?)

Open To:

US residents only. Sorry! I'm ridiculously poor after my cat's ginormous and never-ending vet bill and the SCBWI LA conference.

Ends:

August 21st at midnight, central time.

Best of luck, everyone!

10 comments:

Weronika Janczuk said...

- ENTRY for posting.
- I already follow.
- Twitter update: http://alturl.com/czha.
- Left a comment over at Thalia's (has to be approved first): http://epiphanista.blogspot.com/2009/08/by-thalia.html#comment-form.
- I was kept up at night by the thought of rapists coming to get me; I read a few books and watched a few movies a bit too early.
- My most embarrassing moment? Tripping down the stairs at school and passing out. Woot.

Denise Jaden said...

I'm following and would love an entry (thanks for the heads up!)

Angela Ackerman said...

Sounds like a great book. I'm a follower!

The Lovely Reader said...

I LOVE THIS BOOK. Thanks for the contest. I fell in love with it and haven't bought a copy yet.

+2 New Follower
+3 Twittered
http://twitter.com/barbrafl
+2 Embarrassing. While at school, during lunch, I sat on gum and never noticed. I walked around school with gum stuck to my butt for nearly the rest of the day before my friend told me.
+2 I've been kept up at night with the honest fear of failing my AP class(es). Grades are highly important to me, and worrying about failing (meaning a C and lower, I know, I'm a nerd) is always something on my mind.

barbrafl737 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Hailey Miller said...

This sounds like an awesome book! Please enter me.

+2 I became a blogger follower.

Shadowofwonder47[at]yahoo[dot]com

Abby Annis said...

Yea! I love contests!

I blogged about it here: http://abbyannis.blogspot.com/2009/08/contests-galore.html

Had a hard time coming up with an embarassing moment. Only thing I can think of is when I was with all my friends and we jumped the fence to get to the alley behind my house. My shirt got caught and and ripped all the buttons off. Sorry, I was a boring kid. :)

And I worried about EVERYTHING. The only thing specific I can think of is that kid from Pet Semetary with his scalpel. I was always afraid he was going to pop out from under my bed and cut my achilles tendon.

Shawna L. said...

Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com

+2 I am a follower ;o)

+2 Most embarassing moment: I went to the bathroom and I feel into the toilet because someone left the set up ( don't know why because IT'S A GIRLS bathroom) I has on these light blue pants on and OMG I looked like I WAY pee'ed my pants. I was ruined if I was to leave the Bathroom. Poor me ;o(

+2 What kept me up at night: BIG ASS spiders (spidies as I call them) hate them then, hate
them now!!!

Thanks for this chance to win this cool book!!!

Unknown said...

Looks like a good book, please enter me into this drawing.

+2 I'm a new follower via Blogger.

Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com

Unknown said...

I've also blogged about this giveaway here.

Thanks,
jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com

Ashley said...

I'd love to read this! booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

+2 I now follow you.

+3 Posted on my sidebar at http://booksobsession.blogspot.com

+2 I commented on one of Thalia's posts: http://epiphanista.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-want-to-be-back-in-oregon-by-philip.html#comment-form

+2 Something that scared me? DOLLS. Haha I actually am still creeped out by them.

+2 An embarrassing moment? Oh how about the time I jumped off the diving board and my bottoms broke. Yeah...NOT fun getting out of the water half naked with a life guard watching!