Saturday 27 February 2010

World Book Day and a Giveaway


It's World Book Day on Thursday, 4 March 2010 and it is a day to promote, share and enjoy the pleasure of reading books.  This year sees events taking place in various areas around the UK.  You can visit the World Book Day website for a list of events or check out your library, favourite bookstore and local newspaper for additional events, promotions and talks.

To celebrate World Book Day, and in anticipation of the next book in this series to be published in July, I am giving away a brand new, unread hardback by one of my favourite writers, Alexander McCall Smith.  The book is The Unbearable Lightness of Scones and is the fifth instalment in the 44 Scotland Street series.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this series, it was originally published in The Scotsman newspaper in daily instalments and follows the comings and goings of a group of people who share an address in Scotland Street.  It bears McCall Smith's characteristic humour and charm with a dash of philosophical musings (usually witty) and each chapter is a self-contained gem, making it easy to read in small bites if required. 

Edinburgh is a beautiful character in this series and many places are featured in the book.  Check out this link for a free location guide to 44 Scotland Street - a handy little guide (which opens in pdf format) for when you're next in Edinburgh and hoping to place the book in context.

Whether you're a McCall Smith fan, or McCall Smith curious, please feel free to enter your name in the draw by leaving a comment on this post.  I am happy to post anywhere in the world.  This draw is open until the end of Friday, 5 March 2010 (UK time).  The winner will be drawn from a hat and announced on Saturday, 6 March 2010.  Good luck!

6 comments:

A Bookish Space said...

Oh please do enter me. I have read a few of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency but not read any of the 44 Scotland Street books yet.

Cristina (Rochester Reader) said...

Welcome to my site and thanks for visiting! I will be happy to enter you in the draw :-)

A Bookish Space said...

Thank you - you have such a lovely blog :)

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Please enter me into your draw!

Jeanne

Stacy said...

I would love a chance to add this to my library. I keep meaning to read Smith but you know how it is...so many books, too little time:( On an aside, I finally had the chance to look up the Folio Mapp & Lucia set that you mentioned in an earlier post...I haven't even read Benson and I want them, so gorgeous, but for the time being I am opting the slightly less pricey paperback editions. Maybe someday. Thank you for hosting this great giveaway:)

Cristina (Rochester Reader) said...

Cottage Garden: certainly :-)

Book Psmith: Thank you for your kind words! You have a treat in store with Benson :-) As you are a great Wodehouse fan, I'd be interested in your thoughts about Benson's humour as compared to Wodehouse's. I haven't read enough Wodehouse to do him justice but I do love my Mapp and Lucia books :-) I think the Moyer Bell and Black Swan editions are quite lovely too.