Three Books for You!
I'm not sure how I feel about blog giveaways. I have done them before. And, at times, they have felt fun. At times, they have felt like a transparent means to collect comments and followers.
But I do know how I feel about three books. And I know that you will love them. So, I am trying not to overthink things (a resolution perhaps for 2013?) and I am giving one of you a bundle of the following trio. Trust me, you will like these books.
The first is Claire Bidwell Smith's The Rules of Inheritance. The paperback was released on Christmas Eve. I had the privilege of reading an early copy of Claire's beautiful book and was honored to write a blurb for it. Claire's story is exquisite and wrenching. I expect very big things from this beautiful writer and mom-of-two. It is a privilege to call Claire my friend and colleague.
The second is a small and spicy book Santa left me in my stocking. It's called Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative and Austin Kleon wrote it. I devoured this tiny treatise on Christmas morning and I cannot express to you how much it inspired me - as a person and as a writer. I know you will love it.
The third? Another book that is itty-bitty in size and big on wisdom. David Foster Wallace's This Is Water: Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life was another gem I found in my stocking. The entire book is one essay and there are only one or two sentences per page. I found the essay hauntingly profound and cannot stop thinking about its message, a message that was patently meant not just for the graduating class of Kenyon College to whom the author delivered these words in 2005, but for all of us.
So, there you have it. Three books I absolutely adored. Three books I implore you to read and absorb. Leave a comment here before Monday, January 7, 2013 (when I will return to my regular program of blogging) for a chance to win all three of these books. Consider it a belated holiday gift. Hey, I am feeling generous!
In general, how do you feel about blog giveaways? Have you read any of these books? Have you enjoyed any books little or big recently that you'd like to recommend?