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Hoprah’s Book Club and a Giveaway

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about my favorite book that I read in 2009, Annie’s Ghosts. Well, apparently, when you put things on the internet… other people can read them. The book’s author, Steve Luxenberg, found my humble little blog post and he left me a comment. Which I think is all kinds of cool. I mean, Steve was featured on NPR. More than once. For a public radio nerd such as myself, that’s the equivalent of Dustin Pedroia finding out about your weekly wiffle ball game and randomly showing up on a Tuesday night.

(Dustin, if you’re reading this… thanks for propping up my fantasy baseball team. Feel free to drop by for wiffle ball any time you’d like).

(No, wiffle ball isn’t a euphemism. It is, however, a fantastic “sport”).

All of this blathering is just my way of saying that, because Steve and I have now exchanged upwards of 4 or 5 emails, that makes us people who know each other’s names. Or, in internet years, best friends. And what do best friends/virtual strangers do? They participate in book clubs. And giveaways.

Yes, it’s true. In honor of the fact that his book just came out in paperback and you all really ought to read it, Steve has graciously offered to send one lucky blog reader a free copy of his book. An inscribed copy. He’s also willing to participate in a virtual book club. I feel just like Oprah. Oprah and I both love Barack Obama and hate puppy mills.

(None of you are getting cars.)

To be eligible for the book giveaway, you just need to leave some sort of comment on this blog entry. A winner will be chosen at random. You can get another chance at winning if you write a blog entry or tweet/facebook update about this contest. Just leave a comment with a link to your post so that you can get credit for it. All entries are due by 5pm on Friday, May 21st, EDT. I told Steve that, while I’m no salon.com, I do have a few readers. So, please, don’t embarrass me in front of the company! This is a great book. Enter now for your chance to win a copy. The winner of the contest doesn’t have to participate in book club, but it would probably be poor form not to.

I’ll wait a couple of weeks for the winner of the contest to get their copy and for the rest of you to get yours from your local library or bookstore. Or just read this excerpt online. Then, I’ll open a post up for questions. Steve will be answering questions from me and you all. If you don’t read the book or the excerpt, feel free to pour yourself a glass of wine and just enjoy the company. That seems to be standard practice for book clubs these days.

See? I really am kindof sortof maybe a little bit like Oprah.

FCC disclosure legal mumbo jumbo stupidity: Steve is (obviously) providing the copy of the book. I was going to provide it myself, but he volunteered. And I’ve never been one to turn down free books, even if they are for other people. I’m not really getting anything out of this except a small sense of satisfaction and a few lame Oprah jokes.

17 comments to Hoprah’s Book Club and a Giveaway

  • Erin

    I just read the summary of the book and it looks fascinating. I know my chances of winning a copy are slim, so I’ll just have to swing by the library to see if there’s a copy I can borrow.

  • Josh

    Here is my entry.

    Here is my tweet: http://twitter.com/lordjosh/status/14171814201

    That should propagate over to my Facebook status eventually too…

    😀

    ~Josh

  • If you don’t mind a book that may or may not have fallen in the bath tub, I can always loan you mine!

  • Alyssa

    Here’s my entry! Over to share on FB too…

    Ok, I’m back. It’s shared on my FB wall: http://www.facebook.com/index.php?#!/profile.php?id=568642440

  • Ooh, pick me! Pick me!

    I retweeted your tweet, does that count?

    (Please tell me that you do not share Oprah’s love of Jenny McCarthy.)

  • I think that Jenny McCarthy is a wackaloon, Lisa, so I think we’re all good!

  • The magic of Google alerts. Very cool!

  • Mary

    Cool idea, Hoprah! I love books,reading books, and talking about books that I’ve read. I think you should share this on the Pastafarian email list. Maybe it can be this year’s selection for discussion at the match!

  • Kevin

    I’m in! I’m in need of a new book…

  • Hehehe, Hoprah, I love it. That’s super exciting that you got to become internet BFFs with Steve! I am definitely going to have to check this book out. And of course call you Hoprah from now on. 😀

  • Sheila

    This sounds like a GREAT read—please enter me to win!

  • Donna

    I would love to read this book! Please include me in your giveaway—thanks!

  • I really, really REALLY need a good book to read. This one sounds like a winner! PLEASE pick ME!!!!!!!!!

  • Oh, don’t you love the internet?
    (Hello any famous people I obsess over that may be reading this!)

    It sounds like a great book! I’m glad to see good books/authors getting plugged- it’s a part of reading, no?

    Good luck with the giveaway! I’d love to participate and in the book club, but alas; I know I’ m shite on time at the moment. 🙁

    Good luck! xx

  • Wow how cool! I will add that book to my wish list for sure and get it on my Kindle. Unless of course I win 😉

  • Here’s what I think: Underneath that wise-cracking exterior, Hope secretly wants an autographed baseball from Dustin Pedroia. I can’t help there. (I’m an author, not a miracle worker.)

    But I can provide an autographed copy of her favorite 2009 book for her to give away (inscription included).

    Dustin, if you want to enter, you need to go to Hope’s wiffle ball game.

    — Steve Luxenberg

  • Hoprah!

    Very nice of Mr. Luxenberg to reach out to you. I had Jason Turbow, author of “The Baseball Codes”, contact me after I mentioned his book after watching Andy Pettitte nearly decapitate The Youk.

    Not one to shy away from self-promotion, here is the link to the post: http://savagetruth.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2010/4/8/4500469.html

    You might want to consider trademarking Hoprah.