mwgerard May 30, 2013

Hello Book Lovers!  Thanks to some awesome publicists, I’ve got some great giveaways for you, so let’s get going!

Up first is SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness, along with a pack of exclusive buttons!

Shadow_of_Night_2012_Novelbuttons

A Discovery of Witches introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Drawn to one another despite longstanding taboos, and in pursuit of Diana’s spellbound powers, the two embark upon a time-walking journey.
Book Two of the All Souls Trilogy plunges Diana and Matthew into  Elizabethan London, a world of spies and subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night.  The mission is to locate a witch to tutor  Diana and to find traces of Ashmole 782, but as the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them they embark on a very different journey, one that takes them into heart of the 1,500 year old vampire’s shadowed history and secrets. For Matthew Clairmont, time travel is no simple matter; nor is Diana’s search for the key to understanding her legacy.

boysinboat-coverTHE BOYS IN THE BOAT  is a perfect combination of a compelling and beautifully written narrative and a little-known piece of history that illuminates an entire era. Daniel James Brown’s inspiring book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.

The impressive scope of this book spans continents: Brown explores America’s struggles during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, and sets the stage for the Nazi party’s rise to power. You’ll get an inside look at Hitler’s Germany during the Olympic preparations, into Joseph Goebbels’ powerful Ministry of Propaganda and behind Leni Riefenstahl’s cameras as she captures her imposing propaganda films. Timothy Egan, bestselling author of The Worst Hard Time, is already a fan and praised, “Every sport needs its laureate. With THE BOYS IN THE BOAT, crew has found its voice in Daniel James Brown, who tells a thrilling, heart-thumping tale of a most remarkable band of rowing brothers who upstaged Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympics. Well-told history, packed with suspense and a likable bunch of underdogs at the heart of an improbable triumph.”

Astor OrphanAlexandra Aldrich, direct descendant of Old New York aristocracies the Astors and the Livingstons, grew up in the ancestral mansion in the Hudson River Valley. But any notions of Gilded Age wealth and splendor are quickly dispelled in her candid memoir, THE ASTOR ORPHAN — for Aldrich’s Grey Gardens-esque childhood was marked by a life of genteel poverty at Rokeby, the crumbling 43-room edifice she and the eccentric family called home. Bohemian pursuits and what she calls the “undisciplined, orphaned spirit” which governed the house took precedence over gainful employment, even as the ancestral property deteriorated around them.

Alexandra’s father, uncle, and aunt were the three heirs to Rokeby, built in 1815 on 450 prime acres along the Hudson River. Furnished with antiques, heirlooms, and art, the mansion continues to evoke its glorious past, but its upkeep has strapped each succeeding generation. “To keep the house as it was then,” Aldrich writes, “we sacrifice any resources that might have been invested in current generations. In return, the house gives each of us—the impoverished descendants—an identity. And we live off the remains of our ancestral grandeur.”

While chronicling Aldrich’s own strained childhood and need to make order out of chaos, THE ASTOR ORPHAN also reaches back to the glory days of her ancestors. It is a story populated by wealth and influence. The Astors, the Roosevelts (both Theodore and Franklin), “Battle Hymn” poet Julia Ward Howe, statesmen Hamilton Fish and Samuel Ward, architect Stanford White—all play a role in the celebrated history of Rokeby.

Psychologically astute and expertly observed, Alexandra Aldrich’s unflinching memoir captures the peculiarities of her singularly American family and the house that has come to define them.

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So, to win one of these prizes please leave a comment below with the following info:

1. First name
2. Email address in the following format – name (at) domain (dot) com [it helps prevent spam]
3. Tell me which book you want to win, and why it interests you.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED.

Winners:  I will email you for your mailing address.  Your book will be sent to you from the publisher.

Shadow of Night & Buttons: Angela D.
Boys In the Boat: Christine
The Astor Orphan: Shannon

Congratulations!

27 thoughts on “ARMCHAIR BEA: Giveaways”

  1. I wanna read Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness …why?! Because I’ve wanted to read it forever!! Seriously so long!

    Diamond dot Cronen dot 48 [at] my dot csun dot edu

  2. I would pick Shadow of Night. It has sounded really interesting fo awhile now and my mom read it and really liked as well!

    snhoveln (at) gmail (dot) com

  5. I’m Tanya and would pick Shadow of Night if i won. Discovery of Witches is on my nightstand waiting to be read and I’ve heard such wonderful things about both books. Plus I’m doing a Witches and Witchcraft Reading challenge and reading the series will get me 2 more reviews 🙂

  6. Hi, my name’s Kaley and I’m a bookoholic. Wait, wrong meeting. Anyway, I’d have to choose Shadow of Night. In the interest of honesty, I have read it but I don’t actually own a copy. And I don’t think my mom’s been able to read it yet (I’m her personal librarian and lend her anything I get that she would enjoy.) We fell in love with this series. I am growing impatient having to wait for the third book! And, let’s be even more honest, the buttons are awesome. Who doesn’t love buttons? Thanks for this giveaway!
    books.etc.blogger (at) gmail (dot) com

  7. I would love to read Boys in teh Boat by Daniel James Brown, sounds very interesting about rowing and Germany and Olympics.. Thanks for sharing your love of books with the rest of us – i.teel(at) sbcglobal(dot)net

  8. My email address is cbseawizard(at)gmail(dot)com

    This is the email for Christy Beckham

  9. I want to win Shadow Of Night by Deborah Harkness + those kick ass buttons because, well. To be honest I’ve already read the book and I borrowed it from a friend. But I’ve always wanted a real copy of the book. Plus I’m going to Oxford this October and the book got me pumped into going in the first place!

  10. If I didn’t have Shadow of Night I’d pick it for the buttons alone. 😉 That being said, The Astor Orphan looks intriguing! I love the Gilded Age and the Astor’s are fascinating.

    Thank you! literaryetc (at) gmail (dot) com

  11. Hi, I’m Christine and may be reached at kateivan (at) aol (dot) com. I’d love to win “The Boys in the Boat” …. because I already own “Shadow of Night”! But seriously, I’d like to learn more about this period in history. My mother was born in Germany months after WWII ended and she sometimes tells stories from this era about her grandmother’s fleeing her Polish barony, owning and operating a farm in Rheinland-Pfalz, and converting to Lutheranism.

  13. Hi I’m Angela *waves*
    My email is LibraryGirl (at) about (dot) me

    I would love Shadow of Night. I have A Discovery of Witches in my pile to read and it sounds like a fantastic trilogy. I mean who doesn’t like a library, an ancient manuscript, and witches plus vampires?

  15. Hello! Thank you for hosting this great giveaway.

    My name is Heather and my email address is heather (dot) varanini (at) gmail (dot) com. I’m most interested in The Boys in the Boat. I’m really interested in international politics and history, so this sounds like something I would be interested in. Additionally, I don’t know much about rowing but my best friend has talked about it a lot, which has piqued my interest. If I win, I’ll make sure to pass on the copy to her after I’ve finished.

    Thank you!

  16. I would love to win The Astor Orphan. I have read a few books with the Astor family as a small part of it and it would be fascinating to read about the real life descendant of this famous family.

    Colleen Turner
    candc320 (at) gmail (dot) com

  17. Although all three books intrigue me, I am asked to make a choice….

    I choose The Boys in the Boat. I was born in Berlin to my 21 year old German mother who grew up in Germany during WWII. She was part of the group of young children that were sent out of Berlin to Czechoslovakia to “protect” them from the bombing in Berlin. My mother is deceased now for 8 years and I have begun to reconstruct her German history through letters she wrote during this period. I hope to write a book. So naturally I am trying to read as much as I can about this period in German history — from all angles.

    Thanks for your consideration.

  19. Deborah
    lilygpond at gmail dot com

    Many thanks for your kindness and work. I would be happy with any of the books. Why, I like to read all types of genre. Bring it on!

  21. Ohhh, this is a great giveaway! I really want to read both The Astor Orphan and The Boys in the Boat…how to choose?? I’ll go with Boys!

    Jennifer @ :therelentlessreader@gmail.com

    Thanks!

  23. Landi
    abookgeek (at) gmail (dot) com
    I am interested in Shadow of Night because I just loved A Discovery of Witches. I became an instant fan of Deborah Harkness.

  25. Shadow of Night, because I’ve been a huge fan ever since I’ve read A Discovery of Witches. And Deb’s books are absolutely amazing!

  27. Shannon
    mosthappyreader (at) gmail (dot) com

    I am interested in The Astor Orphan. I have always been fascinated with the robber baron families – especially their skeletons! It sounds like a good read about the other side of enormous wealth!

Comments are closed.