Thoughts on my 4 year blogoversary

My 4 year blogoversary actually came and went back in November 2014. But well, I was a bit busy at the time. When I made up my post last week featuring some graphs of my reading stats in 2014, it struck me just how much I've changed as a reader in these four years. I thought I would take some time to reflect on what has changed in the four years since I've been blogging:

1. I've found a way to maximize my reading time. With every year of blogging that passes, I read 25 more books than the year prior (in 2011, I read 50 books; in 2012, I read 75 books; in 2013, I read 100 books; in 2014, I read 125 books). When I first started blogging in 2010, I couldn't IMAGINE reading 125 books in a year. But since then, I've learned to utilize audiobooks, make the most of my spare time, and also not to pressure myself to read when I don't want to or else I get burnt out. I'm reading WAY more than when I started and I'm also enjoying myself more!

2. I've figured out my reading tastes and have become more selective. Used to be, I saw a book that had even the tiniest interest to me or a book with a pretty cover and I just HAD to have it. I'd request books willy-nilly and then become massively overwhelmed. But in these four years, I've really learned what works for me and what doesn't reading-wise and have subsequently become more selective in my reading picks, pretty covers be damned! This has also resulted in me enjoying my reading time more, with a consequent increase in my average book ratings.

3. It's good to diversify my reading genres or else I WILL get burnt out. When I started blogging, I was reading almost exclusively fantasy and dystopian fiction. Nowadays, if I read too many of the same genre one after another, the stories all start to blur together for me. Got to introduce some contemporary and historical fiction into the mix to keep things fresh!

4. Non-fiction does not mean boring reading. This is actually something that I only discovered this past year. Ditto for contemporary fiction and classical fiction. I used to avoid these genres like the plague. Now they are some of my all-time favourites!

5. ARCs and egalleys aren't the be-all and end-all. Don't get me wrong, I still get PUMPED when I get accepted by a publisher and when I'm holding an ARC in my hands. It's an unpublished manuscript and it's exciting! But it's so easy to get caught in the trap of impulse-requesting and only ever reading new releases when there so many excellent old releases to get to. I've learned to keep my requesting down, and thus the pressure of review books, and ended up happier for it as well.

6. I do not have to own every book. Sure, it's awfully tempting when you see people take in these MASSIVE hauls every week and you feel so envious because you want all the pretties too! But when I think of all the books I bought on impulse and then never read years and years later, it makes me sad. Plus, I only have so much space so you got to bet I prioritize owning only the most SPECIAL of books in my heart. I donate the rest when I'm done reading (or even before if it's been sitting on my shelf unread for years). And my wallet DEFINITELY thanks me for keeping my book buying to a minimum!

7. I do not feel compelled to finish series if I'm not enamoured with the first book. I'm hopeless when it comes to DNFing in the MIDDLE of a book, but once I'm done that first book in the series and I wasn't feeling it? Dump it. I didn't used to think that way four years ago; I still felt compelled to follow series through to the end. But now I have WAY too many series on-the-go already, so I've learned to prioritize finishing only my absolute faves.

To sum up, I am a more confident and HAPPY reader than I've ever been! I definitely still experience slumps from time to time (who doesn't?), but I like my policy of reading WHAT I want, WHEN I want and I plan to stick to it as much as I can!

I also want to take the time to say thank you to the people who have made an impact on my blogging life these past four years (in an approximate chronological order in which I met them). Thank you to Small and Gina, who were my first followers and whom I still love to have bookish chats with to this day; thank you to Alison who was my first and really only longstanding follower through Follow Friday and made me feel not so alone in the blogging world; thank you to Sara who I found soon after that and, even though our reading tastes differ so much, is definitely one of my blog bffs; thank you to Zahida who I found as a newbie blogger and to this day is my #1 author signing buddy; thank you to Alex who posts cute things that always cheer me up and who is also the sweetest; thank you to Logan who is so nice and I wish she blogged more; thank you to Jenny who was intimidating at first because she was a big blogger and I was a newbie, but turns out she is the nicest, writes the best reviews, and is a super talented designer; thank you to Missie The Unread Reader who quit blogging a long time ago, but who I still think about from time to time and miss her presence and kindness; thank you to Melissa who hasn't blogged in a long while, but who's presence I always appreciate; thank you to Julie who also hasn't blogged in a while, but who I think is swell; thank you to Juju who is always so lovely, always; thank you to Lea who writes the savviest reviews and is always trustworthy; thank you to Lauren who I want as a real life friend because she throws the best parties and is the nicest; thank you to Elena for being an inspiration with great taste in music and desserts; thank you to Lauren who writes 5 Star reviews that make you want to drop everything to get that book; thank you to Christa and Andrea who left a party to come get me and didn't make me feel bad when I was a fool and got lost in Toronto; thank you to Giselle and Jenni for being spunky and inspiring; thank you to the Edmonton Book Bloggers for being so welcoming to such a shy, awkward girl; thank you to Kristilyn, the mother of the EBBs and the cutest boy; thank you to Ambur for always being so positive that it makes me want to be a better person; thank you to Cassie and Megan for giving me rides and for great conversation; thank you to Leanne for being so great to talk to; thank you to Mel for being the sweetest Disney princess I know; thank you to Jessica for being the kindest and always liking my posts; thank you to Sarika who is one of my Potter Pals and my longest distance blog friend; thank you to Sana who blows me away with her artistic creativity; thank you to Sam who stopped reviewing unexpectedly, which is so sad because damn, she's a fantastic writer and always spot-on; thank you to Meg for all the amazing awesome comments and fangirling; thank you to Amanda and Courtney who I started following only within the past few years, but who know their stuff and are always trustworthy reviewers; thank you to Micheline, my fellow Potter Fan Extraordinaire who I found only two years or so ago but who will be my book twin for life; thank you to Elle who is the smartest person her age that I know and also more mature than a lot of adults I know; thank you to Katie, my non-fiction guru; thank you to Lauren who always makes my day with her comments; thank you to Jen who's blog changes so often, but who I will always follow because she's awesome; thank you to Shelly for being outgoing and making me feel less awkward; thank you to Romi, one of my newest blogging friends who is also one of the sweetest and most thoughtful; thank you to Avery, Katie, Christina, Kate, Karen, Hafsah, Amna, Rummanah, Carina, Kristin, Natalie, Sandy, Bonnie, Emily, Brandi, Renu, Amber, Judith, Amara, Lauren, Sarah, Cialina, Nori, Liz, Becky, Sugar, Maja, Lulu, Janhvi, Stephanie, Varsha, Chloe, Cassi, Kim, Caaleros, Preethi, and Lola for all the comment love over the years. I am going to punch myself if I've forgotten to name someone here - please forgive me!

And thank you to anyone and everyone who has ever taken the time to read and/or comment on my blog. BEARHUGS FOR EVERYONE!

And finally, a giveaway:
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Giveaway (CAN): Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Mortal Heart is the third and final book in the His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers, and it's coming out THIS Tuesday, November 4 - Who's excited?!

I know I am. I was totally enamoured with the "assassin nuns" concept when I first read Grave Mercy, but I think the real strength of these novels lies in the portrayal of the strong heroines - Ismae, Sybella, and Annith - and the slow-burn romances. They also introduced me to the idea that historical fiction that is heavy on the details doesn't need to be scary - it can be super interesting! I absolutely cannot WAIT to read Annith's side of the story in Mortal Heart.

Here's a peak at Annith's story:

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.
She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

And thanks to Thomas Allen & Son, I have one finished copy of Mortal Heart to give away! The only restriction is you must be Canadian (I'm sorry, eh. I'll host an international giveaway soon for everyone!).

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My Month in July: Moving Plans, Anne Obsession, and a Birthday Giveaway

July was a fairly low-key month for me, which doesn't translate into a particularly exciting monthly recap post so I apologize for that. I've been spending much of the past few weeks planning for a move. The end of my lease is FINALLY approaching (August 31) and I can't wait to get out of my crap apartment and away from my shitty landlord (excuse the language... I rarely ever swear, but in this case I feel it is warranted). I won't go into details, but basically I have never felt so violated in my life as I have living in this apartment and dealing with several breaches of my personal privacy by my landlord. Luckily, my boyfriend and I have found another apartment that is in a better location, seems to have a reputable landlord, and is just generally better quality (ie. NO cockroaches or major electrical problems!). The only problem is of course, it's much more expensive. But I think I've finally come to accept that that's just how it has to be, living in the second most expensive city in Canada and wanting to live in a nice, clean home that I feel safe in.

But ANYWAYS. While I've been dealing with the stresses of moving, I've also had plenty of opportunities to relax and enjoy myself. As I mentioned last month, I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time and it became an INSTANT favourite of mine! So much so that not only did I reread Anne of Green Gables again this month, but I also went on to read the entire series! (Or, at least, all the books that are in the public domain; I haven't quite got my hands on the two books that were written afterwards in the 1930s).

I spoke before of my love for Anne, but it's worth repeating: I just love her earnestness, her dramatic nature, and her love of life. Reading about her adventures just brings me so much JOY! And it's an instant pick-me-up for me when I'm feeling down or stressed. I didn't enjoy the sequels quite as much as the original as Anne naturally does some growing up and loses a bit of her theatricalness, but it was just such a pleasure to read about her journey from orphan girl, to budding teacher and writer, to married with children. These books have become SO special to me this month that I just had to share!

They also do a great job with the movie adaptations, I think:

Megan Follows IS Anne brought to life! It's so satisfying when a book you love is translated into a faithful movie adaptation that does the book justice.

And taking my Anne Obsession to the next level:

Just HAD to have these potatoes from Anne's home, Prince Edward Island!! Bonus: they're also endorsed by two-time Olympic gold medalist Canadian bobsledder, Heather Moyse! LOL.


Also this month, I binge watched another Canadian treasure, Orphan Black:

I actually didn't even know this show was Canadian at first. All I knew about it was that it was about clones, it airs on BBC America, and the lead actress was supposedly brilliant. And lo and behold, I recognized Toronto immediately and then determined that the entire cast, crew, everything was Canadian, which was surprising because it's also a very fast-paced, thrilling show with great acting talents. Now I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but I feel like it's honestly pretty rare that Canada is able to produce shows of the quality of Orphan Black to run with the big shots in the US and the UK, for various reasons. So I am definitely pleasantly surprised with Orphan Black and I'm totally LOVING it! Also, Tatiana Maslany - who plays many different renditions of her cloned character absolutely brilliantly - was totally ROBBED of a nomination for Best Actress at the Emmy's this year and last!!


Lastly, there are a number of birthdays to celebrate. Firstly to my favourite hero Harry, who turns 34 today and who changed my life for the better, and secondly to my favourite author Jo, who turns 49 today and who is my Queen. Thank you for inspiring me, being there for me through my hardest times, and for giving me a love of reading.

Source

And thirdly, and much less importantly, it is my 26th Birthday tomorrow! So to celebrate these birthdays and because I haven't hosted one in a while, I'm having a giveaway. One person will win $15 CDN to The Book Depository for the book of their choice. Thank you so much for reading my blog!!

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Blog Posts in July:

Waiting On Wednesday: HarperCollins Fall 2014 Catalog Part 1

Waiting On Wednesday: HarperCollins Fall 2014 Catalog Part 2

Top Ten Blogging Confessions (with Beauty and the Beast GIFs, just 'cause)

Top Ten Favourite TV Shows

The Ten Authors I Own The Most Books From

Muggle Monday: 7 New Things We Learned From J.K. Rowling's New Article On Pottermore

Muggle Monday: The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) Review - 5 Stars

Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen - 4 Stars

Review: City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare - 4 Stars

My Life in June: World Pride, Toronto Zoo, and The Night Before Our Stars

Best Book Read in July:

No surprise here - I LOVED Jo's newest book, written under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith. As with the first in the Cormoran Strike Series, The Cuckoo's Calling, the mystery was excellently done, the characters are layered and likeable, and the story is very engaging. I was glued to the pages of The Silkworm and I really cannot wait to see more from Jo and Cormoran Strike in future instalments!

Canadian Thanksgiving Thank You Giveaway

On October 14, 2013, Canadians will celebrate Thanksgiving and, just like I did last year and the year before last year, I would like to take the time to express how grateful I am to anyone who has ever read one of my reviews, left a thoughtful comment, or followed my blog. I have been blogging for going on 3 years now and it's still hard to put into words how much it means to me to have people who honestly seem interested in my hearing my thoughts on books and in engaging me in a discussion of my current read. Even more significantly, this year I began sharing more of my personal life on the blog and I can't say how amazing it has been to have the support of so many people as I started the next new chapter in my life. To everyone who left me words of support in the past few months, I thank you again and again. *HUGS*

This giveaway will be for old followers only. In other words, it is for people who were following my blog (via either GFC, RSS, Bloglovin, Feedly, or email subscription) prior to the announcement of this giveaway. One old follower will win...

Any Book (Old or Preorder) worth up to $15 CAD at The Book Depository!

Rules
1. To enter, leave a comment with your email
2. You must be an old follower to enter (either GFC or RSS or Bloglovin or Feedly or email subscription)
3. Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you
4. Ends the day after Canadian Thanksgiving on October 15 at 12:00AM EST
5. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
6. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond with their address.

Good luck and thank you!

Apocalypse! Blog Hop Giveaway

Hop! I am participating in the Apocalypse! Blog Hop Giveaway hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings, Love of Books, and The Nocturnal Library. For this blog hop, I will be giving away...

A post-apocalyptic/dystopian book of your choice! 

(worth up to $20 CAD from The Book Depository)

(The above books are some of my favourite post-apocalyptic/dystopian books, but the winner can choose whichever book of the genre they want)

Rules:
1. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below
2. Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you
3. Ends July 20 at 11:59 PM EST
4. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
5. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen

And may the odds be EVER in your favour!

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Visit other blogs taking part in the giveaway hop!

Giveaway: The End Games ARC

I ended up with an extra ARC of The End Games by T. Michael Martin and as excited as I am about the book, I only need one copy to read it - so I'm giving away my other copy!

Blurb:

It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

The End Games by T. Michael Martin will be released May 7, 2013 by HarperCollins.

Sound like something you would be interested in reading? Then enter below:

Rules:
1. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below
2. Open to US/Can only due to shipping costs, unfortunately. I will do another International giveaway sometime soon!
3. Ends April 28 at 11:59 PM EST
4. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
5. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen

Good luck!

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Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

Hop! Welcome to the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, Books Complete Me, & author Cindy Thomas and running from March 15 to March 22, 2012.

For this blog hop, I'll be giving away:

Any Book worth up to $15 CDN from The Book Depository!

Rules
1. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below
2. Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you
3. Ends March 22 at 11:59 PM EST
5. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
6. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond.

Good luck!


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2nd Blogoversary Giveaway!

Hiiii. So. I have been book blogging for 2 years now and I can hardly believe it. I'm not sure where the time went! Blogging has become such a major part of my life and one of the best parts of my life, too. I've really enjoyed this second year of blogging, especially. It's not that I didn't like my first year, but my second year has just been better in every way: I've had a ton more time to read (I surpassed my reading goal 8 months in!) and a lot more time to post regularly; I've had some great and truly appreciated opportunities to work with publishers (I didn't even request any books in my first year); and overall, there's been a LOT less stress as I've learned to treat blogging as a fun hobby and NOT a chore. And I hope to maintain this attitude and these circumstances for my third year of blogging!

I've made so many blog friends over the past two years and it means the world to me that I get to talk obsessively about books with people as I have never really had the ability to do so in real life. It is definitely my favourite part of book blogging. It's strange, I never could have imagined that I could make such good friends over the internet, but it really happened and it makes me so happy. I would list every single name here if I weren't afraid of missing somebody. But just know that if I comment on your blog regularly, then I like you!

So with this in mind, I thought it would be a good time to give back. I will be giving away:

$15 CAD to The Book Depository!

And because this is my 2nd Blogoversary, there will be TWO Winners!

Thank you and good luck!

<a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2012/11/2nd-blogoversary-giveaway.html"><img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h349/AyleeArgh/blogoversary.png" title="Recovering Potter Addict's 2nd Blogoversary Giveaway!" width="100%"/></a>

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Dust Lands: Rebel Heart Giveaway!

YOU GUYS - Dust Lands: Rebel Heart, the sequel to the AMAZING Blood Red Road, is coming out October 30, 2012! How excited is everyone?! And if you haven't read Blood Red Road yet, then why the heck not?! Blood Red Road instantly became one of my all-time favourite books when I read it earlier this year (review soon to come) due to Moira Young's raw and emotional writing style, engaging characters, and brilliant world building.

As part of the promotion for Rebel Heart's release, SimonTEEN has a cool giveaway happening now - click here to enter for a chance to win the first two books in the DUST LANDS trilogy by Moira Young. The giveaway ends on October 31.

And, thanks to Big Honcho Media, TWO winners may enter below for a chance to win a Dust Lands prize pack including a custom t-shirt and copy of Rebel Heart! Entrants must be at least 13 years of age and the giveaway is open to US addresses only. The winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond with their address or another winner will be chosen.

About Rebel Heart (Visit the Dust Lands website)
Nothing is certain and no one is safe in the second book in the highly praised Dust Lands trilogy, which MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog called “better than The Hunger Games.” 
It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise. 
What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

Good luck!
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Canadian Thanksgiving Giveaway

It's Canadian Thanksgiving on October 8, 2012 and, just like I did last year, I would like to take the time to express how grateful I am to everyone who has ever left a comment or taken the time to read one of my reviews or followed my blog. I wish I could adequately state how much it really means to me, but I don't think I could ever come close to truly expressing it. Just having this outlet for me to discuss books and form bonds over reading with fellow book lovers is pretty dang cool. So thank you.

This giveaway will be for old followers only. In other words, it is for people who were following my blog (via either GFC, RSS, or email subscription) prior to the announcement of this giveaway. One old follower will win...

Any Book (Old or Preorder) worth up to $15 CAD at The Book Depository!

Rules
1. To enter, leave a comment with your email
2. You must be an old follower to enter (either GFC or RSS or email subscription)
3. Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you
4. Ends the day after Canadian Thanksgiving on October 9 at 12:00AM MST
5. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
6. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond with their address.

Good luck and thank you!

Winner!

It's time to announce the winner of my Smart Chicks Kick It Tour Giveaway! And the winner is:

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Lesley D. of Lesley's Reading Heaven!

Congrats Lesley! The first winner I picked broke the rules by entering multiple times under different names - which I was able to prove by looking up their IP Address through Rafflecopter - so you are the true winner! Please send me an email with your address and choice of book within the next 48 hours to collect your prize at ayleejaine@gmail.com.

Smart Chicks Kick It Tour Giveaway!

Finally! Finally an author appearance event is actually happening in my city! All these times I've had to endure whenever someone posted about author event signings in their town, all the cool people they met, all the awesome books they got signed, yada yada yada, and I just had to sit here behind my computer, quietly seething away in jealousy - no more!

The Smart Chicks Kick It Tour is coming to the Chapters Westside in Edmonton on September 13, 2012 and - if I may take a moment to boast - it's going to be AWESOME. Why? Because check out the lineup: Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers, Darkest Rising), Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely, Carnival of Souls), Ally Condie (Matched), Beth Revis (Across the Universe), Veronica Roth (Divergent), Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures), and Charles de Lint (who, as far as I know, has written a book - Under My Skin - that neither contains a female protagonist, nor is it written by a Smart Chick... but I'll still be happy to meet him!).

It's also my birthday today (the day after Harry and Jo's!), so what better occasion to have a giveaway? I will be giving away one Smart Chicks Tour book of your choice. The winner can pick any book from any of the authors above and I will purchase that book for them and get it signed.

Rules
1. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below
2. Open Internationally
3. Ends August 31 at 11:59 PM EST
5. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
6. The winner will be announced on the blog and will have 48 hours to respond with their address.

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Winner and Blog Design Update

It's time to announce the winner of The All Male Review Giveaway! And the winner is:

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Brian B.

Congrats Brian! You have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond with your address and choice of book.

In other news, I made some slight updates to my blog design - nothing major, just changed the layout and colours and added a background to my banner. I am always eager to get feedback from people though, about what works and what doesn't in blog designs, and if there is any way that I can improve mine (taking into account my limited design skills). I would love to hear any thoughts you have in the comments, thanks!

The All Male Review Giveaway Hop

Hop! The All Male Review Challenge is a month long event hosted by Bewitched Bookworms, Books and Things, In the Closet with a Bibliophile, Supernatural Snark, and The Unread Reader as a way of highlighting YA reads that are either written by male authors or feature a male protagonist. And the whole thing kicks off with a giveaway hop running from July 1st to July 7th, 2012. I prefer to read books narrated by a male protagonists, myself, so I am always eager to feature my favourite male protagonist reads.

For this blog hop, I'll be giving away one of the following of my favourite male protagonist reads, via The Book Depository:

Note: Featured above are only the first books in the series. Should you win, you can of course choose to win one of the sequels instead.

Rules
1. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below
2. Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you
3. Ends July 7 at 11:59 PM EST
5. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
6. The winner will be sent an email and will have 48 hours to respond with their address.

Good luck!

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(If the Linky doesn't work, click here to see the list of other participants in this giveaway hop)