I meant to type up this post yesterday, but time got away from me. By that I mean, if I think for even two seconds about the Mockingjay release date, time slows to a crawl and I want to go to bed and not wake up until 11:59pm on August 23rd. So I’m purposefully NOT thinking about it because when the day comes I think I might pee my pants I’m going to be so excited.

Did I mention I’m taking August 24th off of work? Yeah, I’m not messing around.

But in the meantime, I wanted to do a giveaway. A big giveaway, because it’s going to be international.

Mmhm.

INTERNATIONAL.

I’m giving away one copy of Mockingjay to two different winners anywhere in the world. And the reason I’m doing the giveaway *now* is because I will send the books out on August 24th so that I can get them to the winners as soon as possible.

The rules! One entry per household. Fill out the form below, and make sure you fill it out perfectly, because any entry that doesn’t have all the information will automatically be deleted. Open worldwide. Contest will close at 11:59pm PDT on August 23, 2010, and winners will be notified via email.

Of course, when you get the book, please be mindful of Ms. Collins’ wishes:

One of the most important things to me is that everyone in the world is going to be able to experience the final book of The Hunger Games all at the same time, and be able to discover what happens in the book without hearing about it elsewhere first. Word will certainly travel fast, but I urge you – before or immediately after August 24th – to please respect the other Hunger Games fans worldwide and avoid sharing any spoilers, so that the conclusion of Katniss’s story can unfold for each reader the way it was meant to unfold.

I think that’s it! Good luck! And may the odds be ever in your favor.

This giveaway is sponsored by me. Suzanne Collins doesn’t know who I am, nor does Scholastic. I wanted to do this to help my international friends and because I have a few extra bucks.

All of you know how much I love the Hunger Games series and how fiercely I defend Gale and how quickly I’d cast off Peeta.

(I’d cast Peeta off so fast that his loaf of bread would go flying. Huh huh. His…bread stick would go flying. His…croutons would fall off.)

Sidebar: did you know The Hunger Games has an official Facebook page? Like it! Love it!

So when I was asked to be the sixth stop on the Official Mockingjay 13 District Blog Tour, I squealed like the teenage girl I really am.

I’ll be posting on:

Friday, August 13th

Oh yes. And there will be an exclusive giveaway.

And what I’ll be posting about is oh so very close to my heart.

I.

CAN’T.

WAIT.

I’ve been biting my nails all week because I want everyone to win!

What I HAVE enjoyed, though, is going through all your comments to see what books really touched you. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was mentioned a few times, and if it wasn’t at the top of my TBR pile, it is now! I added quite a few other books to my wish list as well.

Well, without further ado, random.org picked…

The winner was Kari from five borough book review! Congratulations, Kari! I’ve already emailed you for your mailing address.

Please be sure to visit Words Move Me, and share what books have moved you! Maybe I’ll stumble upon one of your submissions. Thank you again for participating!

Oh, do I have a giveaway for you.

I was approached by Digital Influence Group, a company that has teamed up with SONY Electronics Inc. to generate awareness around a new website called words move me. To generate awareness and excitement for words move me, they’re giving away a SONY Reader Pocket Edition to one of you.

Words move me is about connecting readers with the emotions they felt while reading a certain book. If I want to read an inspiring book, I can search that term and see what it brings up. (By the way, I DID search that term because I always want to be inspired, and found this: “I discovered Arty when I learned to read. He was a little fish who didn’t follow the crowd. When others swam this way, Arty swam that way. He also wanted to make a big splash in life. Arty inspired me to follow my heart, even when I had to swim alone.” The book is Arty the Smarty by Faith McNulty. That book sounds like a keeper. )

If you search “wow”, you’ll find this: “With little interest in literature, I was assigned One Hundred Years of Solitude. Wow! It ignited a passion for literature, unlocked my own creativity and opened my world to non-Western works leading to life enriching cultural exploration and adventures.” Doesn’t that make you smile? To know that One Hundred Years of Solitude opened up the world of books to someone? Doesn’t that make you want to go read the book if you haven’t?

If you search “hopeful”, you’ll find this about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: “Since age 13, this has been my touchstone. The story of Francie Nolan growing up passionate, creative, hopeful-despite poverty and tragedy in the concrete in a Brooklyn tenement. It still thrills my heart. I even named my firstborn daughter Francie Nolan.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve just moved that book to the top of my teetering TBR pile.

I’ve had lots of emotional reactions to books. In fact, you could say that’s how I choose which books to keep! I went through my books and came up with several that I wanted to document how they’d made me feel. You can check them out in this cool widget.

SO! I’m sure you want to know how to win the SONY Reader Pocket Edition, right?

I’m going to make this really easy on you. Here’s the deets:

How to Enter:

• Answer this question in the comments section: What is the one book that you’re never able to forget and what was the emotion that that book inspired?

Rules/Information:

• One entry per person.
• Any entry that does not follow the rules will be disqualified.
• This contest starts on Monday, November 16, 2009 and goes through midnight PST Friday, November 20, 2009.
• Winner will be announced on Monday, November 23, 2009.

Disclaimers:

• SONY has empowered me to participate in this campaign and I have been compensated with a SONY Reader Pocket Edition™ valued at $199.99 (I got the pink one).
• No purchase necessary to win. Odds of winning are not increased by a purchase.

Part A

Part B

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

can you eat crisco raw – Heck yes! It’s even better with some brown sugar on it. Don’t ask me how I know that.

i know this much is true. i loffed it – “I loffed it”? Is this the new version of lurve? I kinda like it. Sounds very…foreign and sophisticated.

“giving a dutch oven” – *snicker* Umm, I won’t give you instructions on how to give one, nor will you find any stories about giving dutch ovens. I don’t give them because the payback I would receive would not be worth it. (Apparently, there’s a bunch of people who actually don’t know what a dutch oven is, so I’ll go ahead and tell you: it’s when you’re in bed, someone farts, and then that someone pulls the covers over your head, trapping you with their stink. Charming, huh?)

how to be a book blogger – that’s way more involved than I want to get into right now. BUT! If you want to start a book blog, you’re welcome to email me at trish(at)heylady(dot)net. I don’t bite, and I answer all my emails.

co-workers always turns on ac – I KNOW. So does mine, and I think it’s ridiculous that I’m bundled up but she’s wearing long sleeves. I mean, seriously?

granny eats granpa – There is no good answer to this.

hairless butt – Hmm. When have I ever talked about this? Oh, that’s right. NEVER.

sexy grannys.org – My eyes! My eyes are burning!

let me introduce you to my little friend – I think the phrase is, “Say hello to my leettle fren.” (Sorry, I’m horrible at writing out diction, or whatever it’s called. But I found the video clip for you!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gy-Cq75BWY

where do i poop when there is no bathroo – erm…your pants?

recipe for oreogasms – I HAVE NO IDEA BUT WOULD LOVE THE RECIPE. Oreogasms? Heck yes! Sign me up.

semen-based recipes – I can only hope you’re looking for the silly book that has recipes featuring semen. I hope I hope I hope.

can’t find internet explorer icon – sounds like a personal problem.