Happy Birthday to Me Giveaway!

In case you didn't hear the news, it was my birthday yesterday. The BIG 3-0, ack! Turns out, 30 feels the same as 29. For now anyway. And since we only turn 30 once, I thought I would share the love and have a little birthday giveaway on the blog.  I meant to get this post up yesterday, but with the temperatures in the high 20s and all the birthday festivities that went on, the day got away from me.

So what am I giving away? A copy of Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, one of my favourite pens ever - the 7 year pen - which I carry in my purse with me at all times, and a little notepad to write down - if you're anything like me - quotes, or to mark pages in your book (say no to dog-ears!).  Really, you can use the notepad for whatever you desire!

I was recently looking through my books and I realized that I have two copies of Mister Pip (both brand new, never read). Oops. I haven't actually read this book yet, but I've heard amazing things about it. In 2007 it won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book Overall and it was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize (if those kinds of things matter to you).

Thirteen-year-old Matilda lives on a copper-rich tropical island that has been shattered by war, from which the teachers have fled along with everyone else. Only one white man chooses to stay behind, the eccentric Mr. Watts, object of much curiosity and scorn. He sweeps out the ruined schoolhouse and steps in to teach the children when there is no one else, and his only lessons consist of reading from his battered copy of Great Expectations, a book by his friend Mr. Dickens. First the children, and the entire village, are riveted by the adventures of a young orphan named Pip, their imaginations aflame with dreams of Dickens's London and the larger world. But in a ravaged place where even children are forced to live by their wits and daily survival is the only objective, imagination-- it turns out-- is a dangerous thing.

The rules are simple. All you have to do is wish me a happy birthday in the comments section. Just kidding. Any comment will do. I will randomly select a winner in two weeks.

If you want to tweet or share this giveaway on Facebook, then leave me another comment telling me you did so and that will count as an extra entry. 

This giveaway is International and will close on May 21, 2013 at  9pm Mountain Time. If you've already read this book or don't want to read this book, then win it for someone else! Books make great gifts after all. 

Good luck and thank you to all my followers, commenters and admirers! I appreciate each and every one of you.