Giveaway: Literature

I'm finally doing a large scale giveaway in honor of my birthday - which is not until April 22 - because this way I can think about how wonderful it is to turn 30 - OMG I'm getting old - for the next 50 days.  Lovely.  Round 1 featured plays, so welcome to....

Round 2: Here There Be Literature...

Margo Lanagan's Black Juice is a collection of short stories that beautifully meld science fiction, horror, and fantasy.  As the back cover states, "Black Juice is a book of extraordinary stories - breathtakingly fierce and surprisingly tender, they explore the dark and the light, and pit the frailty of humans against implacable forces."  The prose is magnificently vivid, and the feelings the stories evoke will remain with you long after you turn the last page.  My Review

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink tackles a difficult subject and does so with grace.  A young man, Michael, finds himself involved with a woman twice his age who is passionate and mysterious.  The mystery continues when she disappears from his life.  Years later, he sees Hanna again, and he watches, shocked, as she stands trial for a horrifying crime. While I won't gush about the book - I did not love it by any means - I will say I'm glad I read it.  My Review

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is a critically acclaimed book, often compared to the Greek tragedies.  The back cover says of the book:  "A simple story of a 'strong man' whose life is dominated by fear and tragedy, [this book] is written with remarkable economy and subtle irony.  Uniquely and richly African, at the same time it reveals Achebe's keen awareness of the human qualities common to men of all times and places."  I feel guilt weigh heavy as I admit I have never been able to read this.  I pick it up, read the first chapter or so, and lose interest.  But I fear I may be alone in this as most seem to enjoy it.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a powerful story of one woman's journey of self-discovery. "Sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom," this book follows Janie Crawford through three marriages.  Poor and abused, Janie refuses to become embittered, and she slowly triumphs over the hurdles life has placed in front of her.  The novel is beautifully written and celebrates womanhood and blackness.

The two stories in this collection feature Seymour Glass, a member of the family Salinger enjoyed featuring in his work.  Buddy Glass narrates the first story which is about Seymour's wedding....er, non-wedding.  Seymour: An Introduction...well I can't really tell you what that's about without giving things away now can I?  Suffice it to say that those who enjoy the Glass family - Franny and Zooey, A Perfect Day for Bananfish, Down at the Dinghy, etc. - are well positioned to enjoy these novellas; although, it should be noted that the writing style and stories are markedly different.


HOW TO WIN
To be entered into the drawing, leave a comment.

Separating a bunch of "ways to get extra entries" out is time consuming for me and for those who just want to win a freaking book; however, I do want word to spread about the giveaway, so you can get an extra entry for:  Following Me (or already being one), Doing Anything to Promote the Giveaway (tweeting, blogging, blah, blah, blah).  That's a total of TWO possible extra entries.  Just let me know in your comment what you did and how many entries I should give you.

WHAT YOU WIN
First Place:  Two of the above books
Second Place:  Two of the remaining books

Third Place:  The remaining book OR automatic second place in the next round

All entries must be in by March 31

Next Round Features Teasers:  Ludlum, Austen, Suarez, LaHaye, and Green