Celebrating my bloggy birthday: a shortish and fumbling speech and a giveaway of My Cousin Rachel

It is one year to the day that I sat down at my computer in France and posted on my blog for the first time. I had been umming and arring and generally procrastinating about it for ages but finally did it and pressed “post” on my review of George Eliot’s novella The Lifted Veil. How glad I am that I did. Since then, we have travelled about a bit and moved back to London. I have written half a book and gone back to work. I have read and posted reviews of 52 books together with ramblings about my travels and images that take my fancy. I have found other blogs which I love and read everyday. The thoughts of other bloggers and of people who read my blog have come into my life and become a rich part of it. I have even had the great pleasure to meet other bloggers. In short this blog, other blogs and their authors and readers have become a constant in my life and a source of inspiration and joy. So, basically, thank you.

Now for the celebration bit: I have a brand spanking new copy of Daphne Du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel (read and reviewed by moi back in November) to give away to a lucky reader in celebration of a year of happy blogging. If you would like a chance to win just leave a comment and I will find a hat and draw a name from it. This is a blog without borders and this contest is open to all.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: and the winner is....

Sasha. My copy of Daphne du Maurier's classic novel Rebecca is now yours.

Thank you to all who entered. As you can see, I plumped for a small chamber pot - not - as far as I am aware ever used for the purpose for which it was designed.

Sasha - if you send me an email with your name and address, I package the book off to you. My email address is hannah [at] hannahstoneham [dot] [com].

Homecoming celebration: international giveaway of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Some of you may recall that the Business School Wives Book Club enjoyed a Rebecca-fest some time ago. For newer visitors to this blog suffice to say, that I think it is a super book. For my ruminations on the subject in full, please click here.

The Business School Wives Book Club has now sadly dispersed and is no more. For reasons which I am not clear on and which no doubt have something to do with “high mobility living”, I find that I have rocked up back in the UK with two copies of Rebecca... which is one more than anyone needs.

So, there is a lovely, almost new edition of this classic novel up for grabs. All you need to do is leave a comment. I will then draw a name from a hat (or cup or bowl or other receptacle) at random. The party is open to everyone, so do not worry about where you live.

Bon weekend!

Celebratory International Giveaway of Capuchin Classic – The Green Hat by Michael Arlen

I have been blogging for just over three months and have enjoyed it so much that I would like to thank you all with a giveaway competition.

I have one brand new copy of the Capuchin Classic The Green Hat by Michael Arlen which I am willing to send anywhere in the world – so don’t worry where you are – if you like the sound of the book – simply enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below.

The Capuchin foreword is by Kirsty Gunn, and as always, Angela Landels has provided a simple but lovely line drawing for the cover illustration.

The back of the book is most enticing:

“The Green Hat perfectly captures the atmosphere of the 1920s – the post-war fashion for verbal smartness, youthful cynicism and the spirit of rebellion of the “bright young things” of Mayfair.

Iris Storm, femme fatale, races around London and Europe in her yellow Hispano-Suiza in a swirl of romantic intrigue. Yet beneath the glamour she is destined to be a tragic heroine.

The brilliance of The Green Hat that was recognised when it was first published in 1924 led to its adoption for the screen, with Greta Garbo starring as Iris Storm”.

Floating around the blogosphere there are some lovely reviews – by Elaine at Random Jottings, Frisbee at Frisbee: A Book Journal and Simon at Stuck in a Book.

I have included a shot of the cover and a lovely photograph of Greta Garbo in the film of the book - A Woman of Affairs.

If you would like to enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below, and I will draw a winner at random.