TODAYS'S PRIZES: Books valued at over $200!
SORRY! THIS DRAWING IS NOW CLOSED! No new entries are being accepted.
No matter how far technology advances, there is nothing that can quite compare to the old-fashioned experience of sitting down with a good book... you know, those things that have paper pages and require you to turn them to navigate the story?
When I first sat down to create a list of books that I love enough to include in this year's prizes, I quickly had 100 titles without even breaking a sweat. The first thing I did was remove the more obvious ones that people had probably either already read, or had heard of and decided not to read. I then went about choosing more eclectic books that would ensure a varied mix. Lastly, I thought that I would arrange a few surprises to make things interesting. What I ended up with was a pretty gosh-darn good list that I'm really happy with. Hopefully, you'll find something that piques your interest, because they're all worth reading...
Ooooh... and this year there's something REALLY special happening...
Instructions for how to enter this drawing are given in an extended entry, and you had better hurry! In order to enter you MUST enter before 9:00pm PST (Seattle time) TOMORROW (April 20th). Take a look at what you could win:
TODAY'S $150 "READ WITH DAVE" GRAND PRIZE INCLUDES...
AUTOGRAPHED BY THE AUTHOR!!
The Unwritten Girl by James Bow.
An imaginative tale of fantasy for "young adults" that is a great read for "older adults" too. Rosemary must enter the Land of Fiction to save her brother who has, quite literally, become lost in a book! Visit the book's website here, and check out James' blog here. I have written more about The Unwritten Girl here. (Value: $12.99)
AUTOGRAPHED BY THE AUTHOR!!
The Lost Blogs by Paul Davidson.
Long before I had ever heard of Pauly or his highly entertaining blog, I was a big fan of his first book. Now he has a brand new book where he has tirelessly compiled scores of unearthed "lost blogs" of famous historical figures from Jesus to Jim Morrison! Learn more at The Lost Blogs website. (Value: $13.95)
AUTOGRAPHED BY THE AUTHOR!!
Blurred Line by Cavan Terrill.
Cavan's cyberpunk novel Blurred Line, takes place in a 22nd century future where corporations have become governments, the net has become sentient, and androids are carving out their own future... free from the confines of their programming. Visit the Blurred Line website and Cavan's blog. (Value: $9.95)
Blogography T-Shirt.
How could this prize possibly be complete without your choice of one shirt from the Artificial Duck store? Silk-screened by hand on high-quality Hanes Beefy-T shirts, these Blogography-inspired masterpieces are comfortable, durable, and are guaranteed to make you the best-dressed person in the room... Dave not included! (Value: $14.95 to $16.95)
Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams.
This bittersweet novel documents celebrated author Douglas Adams as he sets out to see some of the world's most endangered species before they disappear. Sometimes sad, but always amusing, this is an incredibly important book that everybody should read. Includes terrific photos by zooligist Mark Carwardine. Wikipedia has a good article on Last Chance to See here. (Value: $14.95)
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
You'd hardly expect that a story about the end of the world could be funny, but here's proof that any subject can make you laugh in the hands of comedy writer Douglas Adams! I included this book, because I worry most people just watched the movie and are blissfully unaware at how much better the original is. Sometimes books are much better in your head than on the screen. (Value: $7.99)
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.
I discovered Bill Bryson's work while stuck at an airport. After devouring his A Short History of Nearly Everything, I methodically tracked down and read every one of his books. He's probably the best travel writer I've ever read, and A Walk in the Woods is one of my favorites. Join Bryson as he hikes the length of the Appalachian Trail and laugh your ass off at the hilarity that ensues. (Value: $14.95)
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Thanks to a series of crappy movies and crappier TV shows, most people have no idea how brilliant Tarzan is. All they remember is inane crap like "ME TARZAN, YOU JANE" and think he is some kind of grunting idiot that hangs out in the jungle with a monkey. The truth is shockingly different, and Tarzan of the Apes is a classic that everybody should read to know the true story. (Value: $4.95)
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Edgar Rice Burroughs first story is a stunningly imaginative work that deftly combines elements of sci-fi, adventure, romance, and even a little mystery. Considering it was written in 1912, it was far ahead of its time too. Join Confederate soldier John Carter as he is transported to the planet Mars for the adventure of a lifetime. (Value: $6.50)
Noble House by James Clavell.
My favorite fiction novel ever, I have read Noble House at least a dozen times. Most famous for his book Shogun, Clavell crafts a huge story of contemporary Hong Kong that has a dizzying number of subplots to keep you occupied for hours. Exceedingly deep and complex, this novel has suspense, intrigue, espionage, romance, action and mystery so fascinating that you can't read it just once! (Value: $7.99)
Lightning by Dean Koontz.
Dean Koontz is best-known for his horror novels, which is a real shame... because Lightning gets ignored as "just another horror story" when it is anything but. It is actually a sci-fi time-travel novel with a nifty twist, and one of my favorite Koontz books. Every time I re-read it, I wonder why he doesn't write more sci-fi because he's really good at it! (Value: $7.99)
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
I loathe to have the label "comic book" applied to Watchmen, but that's pretty much what we're stuck with. This definitive graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons imagines what might happen if super-heroes existed in the real world rather than some goofy fictionalized version of it. The result is a breathtaking exploration of what comics could be, but rarely are. (Value: $19.99)
The Mighty Thor: Volume 2 by Walter Simonson.
I don't read comic books much anymore, but still like to pick up a graphic novel from time to time. Most recently, I've been re-reading all those great Thor stories by Walt Simonson, and thought that I would toss one into the mix. Volume 1 is sold out (and I ain't parting with mine!), so I've included a copy of Volume 2, jam-packed with Thunder-God action. (Value: $24.99)
And that's not all! This year you get two other chances to win...
TWO $25 "READ WITH DAVE" RUNNER-UP PRIZES INCLUDE...
Blogography T-Shirt.
How could this prize possibly be complete without your choice of one shirt from the Artificial Duck store? Silk-screened by hand on high-quality Hanes Beefy-T shirts, these Blogography-inspired masterpieces are comfortable, durable, and are guaranteed to make you the best-dressed person in the room. (Value: $14.95 to $16.95).
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Thanks to a series of crappy movies and crappier TV shows, most people have no idea how brilliant Tarzan is. All they remember is inane crap like "ME TARZAN, YOU JANE" and think he is some kind of grunting idiot that hangs out in the jungle with a monkey. The truth is shockingly different, and Tarzan of the Apes is a classic that everybody should read to know the true story. (Value: $4.95)
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Edgar Rice Burroughs first story is a stunningly imaginative work that deftly combines elements of sci-fi, adventure, romance, and even a little mystery. Considering it was written in 1912, it was far ahead of its time too. Join Confederate soldier John Carter as he is transported to the planet Mars for the adventure of a lifetime. (Value: $6.50)
Now how cool is all that? Brilliant reads enough to keep you busy for months! Better enter now before time runs out...
HOW TO ENTER...
SORRY! THIS DRAWING IS NOW CLOSED! No new entries are being accepted.
Okay then, if you didn't leave 10 comments in the past year, PICK FOUR of five questions below, and be sure to include the answers in your email! All the answers are scattered around Blogography somewhere, and can probably be found in my FAQ, 100 Questions, Archives, or by simply using the "Search Box" in my sidebar...
Many thanks to James, Pauly, and Cavan for generously agreeing to sign their books for this year's Grand Prize.
When you enter, feel free to toss in the name of a good book that I should be reading, and good luck!
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Oooh. Books are heavy! But the good news is that I can use “Book Rate” so that the cost is the same for people living in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the rest… so that’s covered at least.
If you live outside the USA, here is a random sampling of what YOUR SHARE of the shipping costs would be when shipped via Economy SURFACE MAIL (Air Mail is in parenthesis)… please note that insurance would be extra, if you want it.
If your country isn’t listed (or isn’t located near a country that is), feel free to email me if you want to know the cost.
Australia: $19.60 ($49.30 AIR)
Austria: $15.05 ($34.55 AIR)
Brazil: $20.45 ($36.65 AIR)
Canada: $9.25 ($13.45 AIR)
Egypt: $19.80 ($44.30 AIR)
France: $15.05 ($34.55 AIR)
Germany: $15.05 ($34.55 AIR)
Great Britain & N. Ireland: $24.50 ($39.55 AIR)
Ireland: $15.05 (34.55 AIR)
Italy: $15.05 (34.55 AIR)
Jamaica: $24.45 ($25.55 AIR)
Japan: $21.90 ($42.70 AIR)
Mexico: $16.10 (24.80 AIR)
Netherlands: $15.05 ($34.55 AIR)
Singapore: $19.60 (40.85 AIR)
Sweden: $23.75 ($34.55 AIR)
Switzerland: $15.05 (34.55 AIR)
Wow Dave, that’s some prize! As it is, I probably won’t enter because I’m not a big book reader and would prefer it if someone who enjoyed reading more than me won.
Are all the prizes this week going to be as big as that? 🙂
Try reading Joshua Braff’s “The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green.” Both hilarious and touching at the same time. I loved it.
Neil: Hmmm… “as big as that?” I’m not really sure… tomorrow is about the same, but the last day is insane!
Kevin: Added to my list, thanks!
Good stuff Dave, hope I win again this year!!
Cool selection. I recommend “Yoga for people who can’t be bothered to do it” and “Out of sheer rage” by Geoff Dyer.
I love your book selection and am almost ashamed to admit I haven’t read any of them. Except Tarzan. My Grandpa loved the Tarzan books and read them to me when I was younger.
Hey Dave, wow, that’s some stash of books. I forgot to throw in a recommendation in my e-mail. If you’ve never read Christopher Moore’s “Lamb,” you simply must. Laugh out loud funny and just brilliant.
What? No porn?
You are like the coolest blogger EVER.
Just sayin’
🙂
theMike: theMike is feeling lucky!
Nicole: All of the Tarzan books are amazing… though near the end, a lot of the stories start to seem the same. My favorite of all the Tarzan novels is “Son of Tarzan” (#4 I think?) which I’ve read numerous times.
Karl: Added to my list, thanks!
MichaelSean Print porn is dead! It’s all on the internet now. I have no online prizes this year, so a porn membership is, alas, not in the cards.
Liz: That’s what I always say!
I’m kind of enjoying Amy Tan’s “The Opposite of Fate,” which is non-fiction…I’ve never heard you mention “The Joy Luck Club” or “The Bonesetter’s Daughter,” though, so I don’t know if you’re a fan.
WAY cool giveaways. I am wildly impressed.
Ooops, forgot to recommend any books when I entered the contest. Let’s see. The last two books I read and enjoyed are The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon and The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Really good books, especially the latter.
I’ve emailed you my extra credit, as I have the required 10 comments.
Threw in a book recommendation, too!
Speaking of Neil Gaiman has anyone seen the movie Mirrormask yet? Pretty cool. It’s a collaborationg between Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean (who is likely best known for doing most of the cover art for the Sandman comics).
Great visuals in the movie. The story is a little slow at times, but over all it’s quite enjoyable.
I’m quite proud of myself right now, seeing as I’ve actually read 85% of those books and that I own 60%! Yay for me! “Last Chance To See” is a much loved favorite of mine … a tattered copy of it follows me from office to office for inspiration.
If you haven’t read “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” that should be added to your list. I’m not sure if you’re a “dog person” but “Marley and Me: Life with the World’s Worst Dog” (as hokey as it sounds) was an excellent read as well!
If you like sci-fi, you should read REPLAY by Ken Grimwood. One of my all time favs, and one that I hope to someday make into a movie.
Belinda: I’ve read “The Joy Luck Club” after the movie came out but haven’t delved any further into Amy Tan’s work… that’s a shame, and I really should add her to my list, thanks!
Firda: Read “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” which was a nifty book (but absolutely horrible television adaptation), and have added Mark Haddon to my list!
Adena: Extra credit? Hmmm… I guess if you win, I’ll toss in a can of Coke with Lime then!
Troy: Love Gaiman’s work… both in and out of comics. Have not seen MirrorMask yet, but would very much like to. Apparently Coraline is in production as a movie now too?
Bre: That’s TWO recommendations for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time”! I guess that makes it a “must-read!”
Pauly: I loved “Replay”, and actually own two copies because I thought I had lost my first one! This is a book I recommend to people who don’t even like sci-fi, because the time-travel aspect is the least important part of the story. I first found this book at “Elliot Bay Book Co.” in Seattle because of a staff recommendation, opened it up, read the first paragraph, and simply HAD to buy it (anybody who has read the book knows exactly what I am talking about!). Now that I think about it, this book would actually translate quite well into a movie, so I wish you good luck with the project!
Oh, by the way Pauly, if you ever make it to Seattle, “Elliot bay Book Co.” is worth a visit (or a book signing!).
While I do read books, mostly all of what I read is technical manuals. However, I’ve got to say that Pauly’s book sounds really interesting, and after the whole Lost Blogger Grassroots Campaign, my interest in reading that book has been greatly increased. In any case, it’s time I get back to Write Great Code by Randall Hyde.
OMG! Dave this is a great prize…at least to me…i adore books!…although i kinda wish i had known about your site earlier so i knew the answers off hand but this gives me a better way to catch up on some of the older blogs…i forgot to mention yesterday…Happy Blogiversary….this one isnt even done yet and i am looking forward to next years
These look really cool. I love to read – I read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy back in high school, which was… well it was a while ago. So I was cool long before the movie came out.
I wish I could recommend some books, but I read a lot of historical non-fiction. If you have an interest in medieval England, especially the rulers of the period, then I’d recommend anything by Alison Weir or Antonia Fraser.
I’d feel like a total jerk if I entered this contest, but I can still make a couple of recommendations of stuff that I think you’d be into…
Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson: If you can deal with a few long math sections, this is a book that has it all – huge doses of humour, mystery and excitement (not to mention great characters). Of course, at 900 pages it kind of has to.
Cyber Age Adventures: Haven’t read it, but this mag is in only its 2nd issue, and it’s already getting great press for producing some of the most ground-breaking superhero fiction in a long time. Check it out at ihero.net.
Survivor, by Chuck Palahniuk: You haven’t lived until you’ve read a Palahniuk novel. This is my favourite – an excellent story about the last surviving member of a cult who is transformed into a religious guru by slick Hollywood types.
Wow… 205 votes for T-shirts and 52 entries for today’s giveaway so far.
The good news is that I am getting a lot of really interesting book recommendations out of all this, so thanks everybody!
Chaz: Pauly’s book is going to be awesome… have you read the excerpts from The Lost Blogs site?? Priceless.
Tink: Don’t be discouraged… three minutes with the Blogography search tool in the sidebar will answer all the questions fairly easily. 🙂
Mooselet: I’ve read Weir’s “War of the Roses” and loved it. Thanks for the reminder to check out some other Weir books!
Gee Cavan, if you enter and win, I’m keeping your book for next year’s prize! 😛
The entire Baroque Cycle by Stephenson is a masterwork, even though I got lost while reading it more than a few times. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read Snow Crash.
Will definitely check out Cyber Age Adventures, as I have never heard of it.
Palahniuk’s Fight Club ruled my life for more than a few years. I even liked the movie. I have not read Survivor yet, but have added it to my list!
Wow – there’s a lot of great book suggestions.
The only books I’ve bought myself in ages have been children’s books.
. . . Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I mean, how can you NOT love SkippyJon Jones?
Pretty much all the books I would recommend are either in this list or dotted elsewhere on the ‘Dave Approved’ lists, but I did enjoy the book that accomapnied ‘Long Way Round’ by Ewan McGregor & Charlie Boorman…
First of all — WATCHMEN — Hell yeah!!!
The other prizes are quite impressive, too. If I win, I will be very happy and proud!
Here are some recommendations from the Empress (that would be me):
I went to our local book store and couldn’t get the book “The Unwritten Girl, until May…I was very disappointed..oh well, maybe I’ll win it! LOL
Dave, I hadn’t seen those excerpts from the The Lost Blogs site, but after reading them, my interest in the book has been even further peaked. I’ll definitely have to get my hands on a copy of that book as it most certainly looks like an excellent read.
seeing all of the books really makes me want to read more.
some of the last good books i’ve read were
a heartbreaking work of staggering genius by dave eggers and …
wow, that’s the last one that i can remember………..
I second Dave’s recommendation of Elliot Bay Book Co. I spent an embarrassing number of hours in that store when I visited.
Kudos to the many suggestions commenters have made. I can give a thumb’s up on many of the books others have recommended. Wow, there IS intelligent life online. 🙂
Dave- I have a recommendation for you to read. “StarTide Rising” by David Brin.
I finally crawled out of bed so I could at least catch the last half of Blogiversary III – stomach flu sucks ass. But on a much happier note, Happy Blogiversary!!!
I see Fight Club has already been mentioned, which is always on my recommendation list. I’d also recommend “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” by Salman Rushdie, “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler” by Italo Calvino, and anything by William Trevor (I just love his writing style).
(You know I almost, almost feel selfish entering more contests when I was already a co-winner for the Lost Blogger event…but honestly, how could I possibly resist such fabulous literary loot? You’re so generous!!)
I’m so bad about commenting, I read all the dang time and I still don’t think I’ve left ten comments…
I’m getting a head start on next year 🙂
I didn’t recommended a book. Check out Kurt Vonnegut. You could start with “Cat’s Cradle” which is a great book. It’s like 200 pages in length with 120 chapters or something like that.
Then just start reading from there. Leave Siren of the Titans and Player Piano until closer to the end.
Nice list. I’ve read the first 4 on the list already, so I can tell you have good taste.
You might be interested to know that my site is based on Douglas Adams’ Last Chance To See, and is wittily called Another Chance To See…
I try to keep us all up-to-date with the latest news on the animals and people from the book (which is almost 20 years old now)
I love reading, but mostly girlie romance comedy stuff. Makes for a good escape. Just finished a Marian Keyes book.
I don’t think I’ll enter today’s quiz, the books not being my type of reading and the postage to me lots. But I recon I’ll be buying a T, no matter what one wins (go duck!).
Also, anyone know roughly how long my pic at Gravatar.com will take to show?
Nicola
Wait a minute…..”Dave Not Included” w/ your shirts…
Does that mean LIZ is included?? (since you failed to mention that…)
You’re giving away LIZ?? Wow, you really DO love your readers!!
Adena… ha!
I actually thought about poor Liz being given away, but didn’t address it until today’s prize. When you see it, you’ll know why. 🙂
I hesitated to enter, since I already own 5 of the 12 books, but finally decided, why not?
I always like to keep “short reads” on hand, for the times when I don’t want to immerse myself in an entire novel. The Collected Short Stories of Vernor Vinge is my favorite. I love his writing. He would definitely be on my list of my top five favorite sci-fi authors. If you also enjoy “short reads,” I recommend it highly.
Dave
i have been readin gur page in my 3rd prd everyday this semester and have throughly enjoyed it…i actually found it doing a project on photo shop..which i never finished…but anyway i was wondering how u got ur blog started and where your materal comes from..is all of it real life experiences?
Thanks! The story of how I got my blog started is in an entry here.
As for the material? Yep, it’s all real-life experience. That’s why I find it so hard to believe that so many people want to read it!
All excellent books –
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
The Watchmen.
Lightning (why hasn’t this ever been made into a movie?!?)
A Walk in the Woods.
Sorry I missed out on the anniversary this time around. It looks like you had a lot of fun (as usual around here). It’s funny ’cause while in Egypt Bill Bryson and Douglas Adams came up more than a few times…
I’ll have to check out some of these other titles!