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Some BBAW 2009 Winners

September 23, 2009 by

I wanted to let everyone know that I am alive and well, though not commenting on blogs this week. I’m visiting with my parents for the week, but hope to see some of you at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.

Also, I used Randomizer.org to select winners for Book Blogger Appreciation Week.

Here are the winners for the autographed posters from Sourcebooks of Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse.

1. Anna of Diary of an Eccentric
2. Windy Cindi
3. Lindsay Frost

Winner of Never Let Me Go:

1. Rebekah C.

Winner of FU, Penguin:

1. Sandy of You’ve Gotta Read This!!!

Winner of A Disobedient Girl:

1. Dorte

Please double-check my interview with Sandra Dallas–part 1 and part 2. I posted them this week even while having fun. I should have some photos of my travels this week too. See some of you at the bookfest.

Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: BBAW, Events, winners

BBAW 2009 Wrap Up & Givaway Links

September 20, 2009 by

While BBAW is officially over, there are giveaways that are still going on.

Have you checked all of them out yet? Well, you should because today is the last day for most of them. You might have to do some work, though. But not too much work.

I’ll start off with the official BBAW Giveaway links and end with the BBAW-related giveaways I still have going on here and at War Through the Generations.

From the BBAW site:

1. Book Cover Scavenger Hunt (International)
2. We Use Book Bloggers Too by Jory Strong (International)
3. Speculative Fiction Scavenger Hunt (International)
4. Book Bloggers and Chocolate (U.S. only)
5. Caption Contest (U.S. only)
6. Name That Book Club (U.S. only)
7. Glue and $25 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)
8. Short Story Bundle (U.S. only)
9. Non-Fiction Scavenger Hunt (International)
10. Graphic Novels Scavenger Hunt (International)
11. Crime Fiction Bundle (U.K. and Ireland Only)
12. Nalini Singh Appreciates Book Bloggers (International)
13. $50 Powell’s Gift Card (International)
14. Large Giveaway (International bundles, US Only bundles, UK/Ireland Bundles)
15. Historical Fiction Giveaway (U.S. only)
16. Signed Box of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Bad Moon Rising (U.S. and Canada)
17. Reader/Writing Books (U.S. only)
18. Lost Symbol Bundle (North America Only)
19. What Book Am I? (International)
20. Romance Is in the Air (International)
21. Favorite Picture Books (International)
22. Guess the Landmark (International)
23. Thank You from Cynthia Eden (International)
24. Share Your Blogging Memories (International)
25. Kyle Semmel and The Writer’s Center (D.C. area only & International portion)
26. Mahbod Seraji Thanks Book Bloggers (International)

From War Through the Generations for BBAW: (International; Sept. 20)

1. Autographed copy of Annie’s Ghosts (Those participants having read 5 books)
2. Copy of Libby Cone’s War on the Margins for New Participants signing up during BBAW week through Sept. 20

From Savvy Verse & Wit for BBAW:

1. Mahbod Seraji and Rooftops of Tehran (International; Sept. 20)
2. Prize Pack of books (International; Sept. 27)
3. Open Letter to Book Bloggers from Sourcebooks’ Paul Samuelson (U.S./Canada; Sept. 20)

Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: BBAW, Events, giveaway

50 Words About Savvy Verse & Wit

September 18, 2009 by

The last task for Book Blogger Appreciation Week is to talk about our blogs in 50 words or less in terms of what we like and what our goals are for the next 12 months. Well, we all know how long winded I am, but I’ll give it a shot to be brief.

Reviews = Satisfactory
Interviews = Need more
Guest Posts = Need more interactivity
Giveaways = Great
Changes = clean up sidebars, speed up downloading, increase page views and subscribers

How did I do? Only 29 words. Not bad. What about you?

****

Ready for the end of BBAW Giveaway??

All you have to do is tell me who said this quote:

“Once the people begin to reason, all is lost”

And for a bonus:

“A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.”

These are all books from my shelves and have been gently used or came from library sales or other places:

1. copy of Seduce Me by Robyn DeHart

2. copy of Queen of the Oddballs by Hillary Carlip

3. copy of For Better, For Worse by Carole Matthews

4. copy of Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine’s Guide to Life and Love by Patrice Hannon

5. copy of The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross

This prize pack of books will go to one winner anywhere in the world.

Deadline Sept. 27, 2009, 11:59 PM EST

Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: BBAW, Events, giveaway

BBAW 2009 Mahbod Seraji, Rooftops of Tehran Giveaway

September 18, 2009 by

Everyone knows I’ve been raving about Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji (click on the link for my review). I even had the pleasure of interviewing Mahbod Seraji as well.

There’s been some exciting news about this debut novel. From Broward Community College to the Villanova One Book Program, the book is making its way into students hands across America. Rooftops was selected as Indie Fall and Winter 2009-2010 Book Group favorites, Santa Cruz’s Community selection for October, and a September pick for LiteraryMatters.

Rooftops also is being published in nine different languages, and most recently selected for translation into Italian.

Of course, you’re probably wondering what all this has to do with you, except that another fantastic author is making readers everywhere happy.

Well, Mahbod Seraji has decided to join the Book Blogger Appreciation Week celebration and offer copies to 3 lucky readers of Savvy Verse & Wit.

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post.

2. If you purchase any of the books, using my Amazon affiliate links this week (Sept. 15-19), that’s 5 extra entries (just send me an order #/invoice).

3. Tweet, blog, Facebook, or spread the word about the giveaway for additional entries, just leave me a comment about it.

Deadline to enter is Sept. 20, 2009, at 11:59PM EST.

Double your chances and Check out the BBAW Sponsored Giveaway for this book too.


Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: BBAW, Events, giveaway Tagged With:

An Open Letter to Bloggers from Paul Samuelson

September 17, 2009 by

Dear Bloggers,

Pardon the group email, but I just heard some fantastic news and since it is Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I wanted to share. I am happy to report that Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse, by debut middle grade novelist Kaleb Nation, has debuted on the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association bestsellers list in the #10 spot for Children’s Interest!

For those of you unfamiliar with the list, this indie group is one of the largest in the country, and includes stores such as BookPeople & Blue Willow (TX), Tattered Cover (CO), Changing Hands(AZ) and King’s English (UT), among many others. These are some of the biggest and best indies in the country.

What does this have to do with your blog?

Because the focus of publicity efforts for this title have been primarily online—it is YOU we have to thank for this phenomenal success. For a 20 year old first time author to debut on this list, before he has even begun his cross-country tour, can only mean that word-of-mouth generated by all of you in the book blogging community (and masters of the twitterverse) has had a significant impact on the sales of this book—a direct contradiction to the controversial interview on the All About Romance blog which stirred up so much controversy four months ago.

But I didn’t even review Bran Hambric?!

It doesn’t matter! As part of the larger book blogging community you are an integral part of an ever-growing online literary conversation that exists to discusses books based on merit and for the love of reading. It is through your work that debut novelists can now get discovered and shared throughout the world—and our thanks goes out to you for making this possible.

As you all know, there are many types of book bloggers—teen fan blogs, vlogs, kidlitosphere blogs, homeschool blogs, mommy blogs and the established book blogs we all know and love—and it has been remarkable to bear witness to how so many different types of readers have all come together to discuss and review Bran Hambric in an ever-growing online reading community.

A sincere “thank you” from Sourcebooks for helping us bring a little bit of magic, fantasy and adventure into the lives of readers everywhere.

We’d like to show our appreciation by offering autographed posters of Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse (cover art by Brandon Dorman!) to any blogger to use as a giveaway (plus one for you to keep, if you’d like!). Feel free to pass this letter to other bloggers who might be interested in either the giveaway or the words of appreciation! As always, contact me if you’d like a poster!

Sincerely,

Paul Samuelson

Sourcebooks, Publicity

@psamuelson01

Paul and Sourcebooks are offering 5 copies of the autographed poster to readers of Savvy Verse & Wit in honor of BBAW. U.S./Canada only.

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post.

2. If you purchase any of the books, using my Amazon affiliate links this week (Sept. 15-19), that’s 5 extra entries (just send me an order #/invoice).

3. Tweet, blog, Facebook, or spread the word about the giveaway for additional entries, just leave me a comment about it.

Deadline to enter is Sept. 20, 2009, at 11:59PM EST.



Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: BBAW, Events, giveaway, sourcebooks

Ru Freeman’s Writing Space

September 16, 2009 by

As part of the TLC Book Tour for Ru Freeman’s debut A Disobedient Girl (Click on the link for my review), Savvy Verse & Wit got her to talk about her writing space or should I say spaces.

Without further ado, please welcome Ru to Savvy Verse & Wit.

I should have known better than to say I would write a guest post about my writing space, considering that I write everywhere! I used to believe in the absolute necessity of a “room of ones own” in order to write, until I discovered that the real space that any writer needs is inside ones own head.

No perfect vista, no clear surface, no computer or quill really has the power to draw an idea forth if the writer herself has not cleared room in her mind for the work at hand.

I realized that I wrote everywhere. In my car when I am a passenger and sometimes – shh! – when I was driving; but only at stop lights. I wrote while waiting for one of my daughters to get ballet out of her system. I wrote while the same daughter took her piano lessons. In fact, a few good short stories and the end of this novel was written in those half hour bursts when I had to sit at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music, waiting, waiting.

Some of the time I write without writing at all.

I “write” as I absorb the things that are happening around me, tucking away details that strike me in some corner of my brain, trusting that they will come forth and report for duty when the need arises down the line!

Other times, I jot down a thought on a scrap of paper – the usual bills and sundry lists and paraphernalia that stick to women in particular like we are comprised of a magnetic substance particularly attractive to such things – and stash it in an old cigar box that I picked up for the sweet price of $1.50 at the store down the street.

I confess that there was a time when I insisted upon a separate space for my writing.

The reason for that lay not so much in my need for a place to set up my computer and associated totems, but rather that I needed the other people in the house – primarily daughters – to recognize that I was “working” and that I had a “work space,” which was impregnable and sacred.

This was more a fantasy than a reality; children do not take kindly to existing in the margins and the heart of a mother is far too permeable to allow them to do so anyway! But it did help that there was a specific place I could go to, where I could say, this is my room, my study.

Now, in a much more chaotic household in Philadelphia, where I live the life of a juggler who gives a fairly good imitation of being proficient at the task, I travel to various places with my computer. To the dining table, in my bedroom, to the couch downstairs, and the car. What I take is an image of serenity, the memory of a place that has meant everything to me in terms of affirming my writing life: a screensaver which depicts the Bread Loaf campus. This alone is enough.

Check out a photo gallery of Sri Lanka. Please also check out Ru Freeman’s blog and this Amazon.com video with Ru Freeman.

I also have a guest post over at Ru’s blog. Check out my post on writing and photography.

And of course, my review of A Disobedient Girl.

In honor of this being my 600th Post and Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I’m going to giveaway my gently used copy of A Disobedient Girl to anyone in the world.

1. Leave a comment and tell me what your “private” space looks like where you go to relax and read.

2. Tweet, blog, Facebook, or what have you to spread the word for another entry.

3. Remember, this week only I’m offering 5 additional entries for those who purchase books through my Amazon.com Affiliate links. All you have to do is email me an invoice or order #.

4. Comment on the Review for another entry as well.

5. Leave a comment on my guest post at Ru Freeman’s blog for another entry.

Deadline is Sept. 19, 2009, at 11:59 PM


Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: giveaway, guest post Tagged With: ,

Interview With Emily Wilson of books, the universe, and everything

September 15, 2009 by

Last year, my favorite part of Book Blogger Appreciation Week was the interview swap, in which I get to check out a new-to-me blogger and ask them some questions so we can all get to know him or her better.

I signed up to participate again this year, and was given Emily Wilson of books, the universe, and everything. Check out her blog to see what she asked me.

1. What’s the story behind the creation of your blog–books, the universe, and everything?

I started my blog almost four years ago, a few months after moving to New York City.

I’ve been an avid reader and book lover my entire life, but it wasn’t until I moved to NYC that I became book obsessed: a bibliophile. I think that was caused by a combination of several things: all the wonderful bookstores in the city, all the fantastic book events in and around the city, and also finally having the time to read more (I had just graduated college and thus had no more homework to clog up nights and weekends).

When I wanted to start a blog, books were the natural core focus – I needed a place to talk as much as I wanted about my passion.


2. What kinds of books do you blog about, what parts of the universe are you discussing, and how much of everything makes it onto the blog?

I have pretty broad tastes in books – I definitely wouldn’t say I like everything, but I like a good variety: contemporary fiction, classics, biographies, food writing, cookbooks, fantasy, graphic novels, kid’s literature, kid’s picture books, non-fiction, poetry.

I mainly only blog about the books I buy and read, but occasionally I’ll post about a book that looks good or has something unusual or interesting about it. Sometimes it’s their covers – I love book cover design.

As for the Universe and Everything, I’d have to admit that I don’t discuss those as much as I used to. I like to post photos from travels or NYC related adventures, and I like to post photos and recipes from some of the things I bake. If I had to sum up my blog in three topics, those would be it: books, traveling, and baking.


3. I noticed some photography on your site and that you have a flickr page. What kind of camera do you use? And what would be your dream camera?

My camera is a Canon Powershot SD1000, which I bought mainly because it was super small. I wanted to have a camera I could always keep in my purse, so that I’m always prepared to take a photo.

For my next camera, I’d like to get a better camera. Even the newer models of Powershots take better photos, since they have image stabilization. I’m very much an amateur in every way, but I enjoy taking photos and am always trying to get better.

4. Of the books you’ve read in 2009, which books would you recommend to a friend or stranger and why?

For a stranger, I’d have to select books that I think would have a very wide appeal, so I think I’d go with:

Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet

Here’s a list of some of my favorite books read this year that I’ve been recommending to my friends consistently: (not including the books above, which I’ve also been recommending)

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenburg
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

5. Have you always been a reader? And what book do you think started you on this bibliophile journey?

I’ve been a reader my entire life. Both of my parents read to me when I was young, and during my entire childhood they helped keep me surrounded by all the books I could ever want, mainly through frequent trips to several area libraries, and they also bought me quite a few. I had all the Babysitter’s Club books. 🙂 There’s not a time in my life that I can remember not having a deep love for reading and books.


One specific book that had a huge impact on my love of books was Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. It was the first classic adult novel that I picked up on my own and decided to read for me, not for a class. I fell in love with it and it grew my passion for reading in general into a passion for good literature and authors. Not to mention it was the start of my love for everything Vonnegut. 🙂

6. In the book blogging community what are some of your favorite memes or weekly activities? What do you like best about them and what do you like least?

I’m not very good at keeping up with memes or weekly activities myself, but I do enjoy reading them on other people’s blogs. I like Booking Through Thursday, and really should try to participate more. I also like Library Loot.

7. Tell us one wacky aspect of your personality or about any obsessions you might have other than books.

One of my other obsessions is baking. I’ve been baking a lot this year and love to experiment to find the best recipes for my favorite treats.

I like to share photos and recipes of some of the best things I’ve made on my blog.

8. Write a six word memoir for yourself.

“Can’t go anywhere without a book.”

Did you enjoy this interview? Interested in winning Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro? Here’s what you have to do to enter:

1. Let me know what you liked about the interview.
2. If you purchase any of the books, using my Amazon affiliate links this week (Sept. 15-19), that’s 5 extra entries (just send me an order #/invoice).
3. Tweet, blog, Facebook, or spread the word about the giveaway for additional entries, just leave me a comment about it.

Deadline to enter is Sept. 19, 2009, at 11:59 PM EST


Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: BBAW, Events, giveaway, Interviews Tagged With: ,

FU, Penguin by Matthew Gasteier

September 14, 2009 by

FU, Penguin by Matthew Gasteier is not a book for those without a quirky sense of humor. FU, Penguin is a spinoff of the blog, which has about 900,000 unique visitors per day, and the brainchild of Watertown, Mass., resident Matthew Gasteier who views the attempts of animals to look cute as antithetical to their nature.

Chock full of photos of cute fuzzy animals in adorable poses accompanied by sarcasm, ridicule, and disdain, Gasteier has created what some would call a pop culture phenomenon. Some readers will chuckle at the accompanying essays, while others may shake their heads.

In some cases, readers could find that the photos stand on their own as ridiculous without the essays. Gasteier’s harsh language choices for the captions could put some readers off, but the captions are some of the funniest bits in this book. If calling moose the “biggest dorks ever” or stating “Is it me, or are baby animals really being dicks lately” are your thing, FU Penguin is for you. Gasteier has started the conversation, but the question is how will you finish it?

In honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I’m offering one lucky reader anywhere in the world my gently used copy of this book, which I received from Random House. This giveaway is international.

1. Leave a comment on this post about why you want to read this or tell me if you’ve ever been to Gasteier’s Website prior to this review.
2. If you purchase any of the books, using my Amazon affiliate links this week (Sept. 15-19), that’s 5 extra entries (just send me an order #/invoice).
3. Tweet, blog, Facebook, etc. this post and get an extra entry, just come back and leave a comment.

Deadline for entries is Sept. 19, 2009, at 11:59 PM.

As an aside, all BBAW 2009 posts are easily accessible on my navigation bar. So never fear, all the BBAW 2009 contests will be at your fingertips!


Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: BBAW, Events, giveaway, humor, random house, Read in 2009, review copy, reviews Tagged With: ,

Winners of Millie’s Fling

September 13, 2009 by

Out of 33 entrants to the Jill Mansell giveaway for Millie’s Fling, Randomizer.org selected #28 and #9:

Wanda and Amanda (aka fitz12383)

Congrats to the winners.

Stay tuned for future giveaways in honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week.

All of the giveaways posted here on Savvy Verse & Wit this week will be international.

Also, I want to remind you that any purchases of books made through my Amazon.com Affiliate links will earn 5 additional entries into each giveaway (all you have to do is email me an order # or invoice).


Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: winners

Business Card Winners

September 10, 2009 by


Randomizer.org helped me select the winners of the 500 business card giveaway from Digital Room and UPrinting.com.

Randomizer.org selected #2 and #7 out of 8 entrants.

The winners are:

Lu of Regular Rumination

Tiffany of Tif Talks Books

Congrats to them and thanks to everyone who entered.


Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: winners

Winner of Michelle Moran Giveaway

September 10, 2009 by


Out of 65 entrants to the Michelle Moran Giveaway for Cleopatra’s Daughter and The Heretic Queen, Randomizer.org selected #2:

Drey of Drey’s Library

Congrats to her and thanks to everyone who entered.

Stay tuned for another chance at Cleopatra’s Daughter in a Book Blogger Appreciation Week giveaway next week.


Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: winners

Winners. . . Come on Down!

September 9, 2009 by

I’ve been remiss in posting my winners. There was some confusion on my part regarding the UPrinting greeting card giveaway, but Randomizer.org selected

Jennifer of Literate Housewife and Sandy of You’ve Gotta Read This!!

If they have not received their UPrinting coupon codes, I will substitute a prize. Sorry, ladies.

Randomizer.org also helped me select the winner of The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry:

Barb of Maximizing Dreams and meditative reading.

Congrats to all the winners.


Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox
Filed Under: winners