New Release: A Far, Far Better Thing to Do + GIVEAWAY

Okay, fam ... be honest with me ... the world has got you down, right? You're constantly looking for distractions but you can't always find the energy to focus on an actual book? Luckily for us, the brilliant folks at Running Press have just put out A Far, Far Better Thing to Do: A Lit Lover's Activity Book by Joelle Herr, illustrated by Lindsey Spinks. This little book is perfect for all of the times when you just want to put down your phone and pick up a pencil.

Instead of scrolling, you can put your own flair onto the portrait of Dorian Gray,

Go on a short quest to capture the white whale,

Or play a little game of Marry, Kill, "Do" where nobody else need see your answers.

(I really couldn't marry or "do" Poe so I guess he must die.)

There are word searches, crosswords, trivia games, coloring pages, and even writing exercises that should give any literature lover at least a few hours of time away from current events. And if you're feeling especially depleted, you can opt for a low-energy activity like a maze or a connect-the-dot picture.

GIVEAWAY

The publisher has kindly offered to send copies of this activity book to a couple of you so, if you are interested, just leave a comment below and tell me which book you would feel most qualified to make crossword clues for. I'll be picking two winners in a week (Friday, Oct 13). International entries are okay and don't forget to leave an email address or twitter handle or something so that I can contact you! (And my answer is either Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or American Gods. Weird combo, I know.)

Brushing up on first lines,
K

Promos: Stellar Kidlit and Summer Listens

Penguin Random House runs a great website called Brightly. Its purpose is to help parents get the right books into the hands of their kids, hopefully ones that will foster their love of reading. Their newest curated list is 50 Best Books for 11- and 12-Year Olds, created with the help of Rene Kirkpatrick, Children's Book Buyer at one of my lovely local indies, University Book Store. From the site --

Eleven and twelve is a time of big change for kids, both emotionally and physically. Keeping this in mind, our panel of experts selected a wide range of books that will both resonate with the complex lives of preteens as well as educate and entertain them.

The books fall into five categories, including non-fiction, and a brief paragraph explains why each category can inspire and comfort kids at this age. Since Z is 12, I was really interested to take a look at the list and see how we were doing at choosing great reads. He's already read and enjoyed three of the books and I've read some of the others and would love to get them into his hands. This really is a great collection.

You have a chance to win all 50 books from this list (or those for another age range -- The 50 Best Books for 5-and 6-Year-Olds, The 50 Best Books for 7-and 8-Year-Olds, and The 50 Best Books for 9-and 10-Year-Olds) because, in celebration, Brightly is giving away a customized collection of 50 of the best books for the kids in your life. So head over, check out the lists, and enter to win SO many good books!

If free audiobooks for teens sounds like a better fit for your kid, you'll want to check out the SYNC Audiobooks for Teens Program, sponsored by AudioFile Magazine and powered by Overdrive. This program is in its eighth year and it aims to engage teens with "new literature for their earbuds".

SYNC makes available two FREE audiobook downloads every week, to each and every registered listener, all summer. In 2017, 32 titles will be given away through the 16 week-long season. Teens, librarians, club leaders, and educators may sign up for email or text alerts and can learn more at www.audiobooksync.com.
SYNC creates weekly thematic pairings of teen-focused titles to encourage both critical listening and opportunities to make choices and develop personal tastes. During the summer of 2016, the SYNC program gave nearly 172,000 downloads to more than 31,000 participants.
Any individual may participate by downloading the OverDrive App to their device of choice and returning to the SYNC website each Thursday after 7am Eastern Time to download the new audiobook pair for the week. Each title is available for one week only, but once downloaded they can be kept forever, so the opportunity to listen can extend well beyond the term of the summer program.

There are lots of great authors and titles on this summer's list, including some of my favorites--Oscar Wilde, Douglas Adams, and Terry Pratchett.

As you and your kiddos make your summer reading plans, I hope these sources come in handy.

Prepping and planning,
K

Giveaway: Trigger Warning

It's my birthday today. It's a big, yucky one and I've been grumpy about it for weeks. So, what is a old lady girl supposed to do to feel better? How about giving away a nice hardcover Neil Gaiman? Entry is easy -- just leave a comment below and let me know you want the book and one thing that makes you feel better on a bad day. I'll make this open internationally, winner to be chosen on 4/27. (Be sure I have a way to contact you!)

Not going gracefully,
K

It's Time! Announcing #DWJMarch 2015 (+ Giveaways!)

Only ten days until DWJ March begins, my friends! This is the fourth year of our bittersweet celebration so, to keep things fresh, I've decided on a theme for this year. It came to mind when I was recently reading a post by Ana about The Pinhoe Egg. The theme I've chosen is

The Ladies and Lasses of DWJ

This month, I want you to think about the women and girls (and even female creatures) you encounter in your reading, both the good ones and the baddies. Which ones do you love? Which ones do you loathe? Is there a thread that links female characters together between books? Is there a certain type of character that is your favorite?

Feel free to share your thoughts in any format you like. I'll have a link-up post at the beginning of the month for any posts, giveaways, artwork, etc. that you would like to share with the other participants. And remember to use the hashtag #dwjmarch on Twitter and tumblr. Speaking of, I'll also be posting again this year on the dwjmarch tumblr.

My recommendations for DWJ books featuring both good and bad female characters:
Howl's Moving Castle
House of Many Ways
Witch Week
The Pinhoe Egg
Fire and Hemlock
Aunt Maria
Time of the Ghost
Dogsbody
The Game
Earwig and the Witch
"Dragon Reserve, Home Eight" (short story)

Tying in with the theme, I've chosen three read-alongs with strong female characters, one a joint read with the #sffwomen reading group!

Aunt Maria (a.k.a. Black Maria), discussion post up here on 3/9, Twitter chat on 3/13
The Islands of Chaldea, discussion post up here on 3/17, Twitter chat on 3/21
The Spellcoats, discussion post up at Here There Be Books on 3/25, Twitter chat on 3/29

Keep an eye on the #dwjmarch and #sffwomen hashtags for chat times. And, yes, Spellcoats is the third in the Dalemark series but it is first in story chronology for the series and Diana said you can read the first three books in any order you like, just keeping the fourth book for last.

Finally, I went around to my local bookstores and found some books for giveaways! The Islands of Chaldea and The Spellcoats are for the read-alongs and The Time of the Ghost is a great read for this month's theme. All are used but in very good condition. I am willing to send them anywhere so just let me know in the comments which one(s) you are interested in. I'll choose winners and send them out on the 28th so that you hopefully receive them in time to read during the month! (Be sure and leave me a way to contact you.)

I hope that everyone is looking forward to this year's event! Let me know in the comments section what you think of the theme and which books you think you might read.

Hanging up the streamers,
K

DWJ March Watch-Along: Howl's Moving Castle (and Giveaway)

I'm very excited for our watch-alongs today of Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle! Join me at either

6pm Berlin/5pm London/1pm Eastern/10am Pacific

or

10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific/3pm (Sunday) New Zealand/11am (Sunday) Tokyo

(or both if you want to!) and let's enjoy this beautiful and fun-filled re-imagining of Diana's novel. The discussion will be on Twitter using hashtag #howlalong. (Again, Tweetchat is the easiest tool for keeping up with the discussion.)

§ § § § §

I also have a great giveaway today! One lucky person will get their choice of one of these necklaces from Etsy shop Authored Adornments.

Just leave a comment here and let me know if you would prefer the bronze or silver necklace and a way to contact you if you're the winner. This giveaway is open worldwide and will close next Friday, March 22nd. I'll choose a winner at random.

Getting ready for the show,

K

DWJ March: Odds and Ends #1 (+Giveaway)

I've decided to write up these small Odds and Ends posts when I have a few pieces of information to share with you for DWJ March. If you have a blog post, a link or fan art or anything else you would like to share with other Diana Wynne Jones fans, please email it to me (webereadingATgmail) and I'll include it!

We have a giveaway from Ana of Things Mean a Lot. One lucky reader will get a copy of Fire and Hemlock. The giveaway is open internationally and the winner will be chosen in one week. If you haven't read this one yet or if you just don't own a copy, head on over and enter!

And Goldeen Ogawa has written a fantastic post about Howl's Moving Castle. If you're still not sure about reading it with us, her post will hopefully convince you that it's worth picking up.

She's also done a fan art piece with watercolors for Howl's Moving Castle that I love. (Click on the image to see a larger version.)

Chasing down destiny,
K

1000TH POST-STRAVAGANZA!!!!

We couldn't decide what to do for our 1000th post on We Be Reading so here is, well, some of EVERYTHING!

First up, bookshelf (or lack of bookshelf) pron --

These are our main bookshelves in the library. The top shelves currently have some of our dvds but I want to find a new home for those and get paperbacks up there again. The bottom left three shelves are some of Z's books as is the little stack to the right of them. You can see my Oz collection in the middle and the shelf below that is for library and review books (the tall stack to the right between the shelves are unsolicited review books that I'm considering reading). You may be thinking that I don't have that many books ...

These are the already-read books that currently reside on the floor downstairs. Boxes of paperbacks and teetering towers of everything from graphic novels to lots and lots of Heyers. I'm not even sure how many new shelves I would need for all of these. But wait, there's more!

These are the unread books that live in our bedroom. The bottom left nightstand is the husband's and also holds some of his fave graphic novels. The top left is my nightstand, complete with non-fiction area and, again, some very tall stacks. The bookshelf on the right is actually to the left of my nightstand -- the top shelf is my RIP stash!

And finally, these are the shelves in Z's bedroom. The top shelf is his Pokémon collection, books and figurines and his box of cards. The other two shelves are a rotating collection. Through the summer, he would choose a new book each morning to bring downstairs with him (his own idea!). I try and put fresh books from the downstairs shelves up there every month or so.

§ § § § §

Next, Tasha suggested a "Best of the Blog" list and I thought that was a great idea! I know some of you are newish followers so let me point you to a few of our best posts from the past. I think that these ten posts will give you an idea of who we are and what we love. In chronological order --

Favorite Book Number Two: David Copperfield (10 Sept 2008)
Twelve Things That Make Us Happy (15 Feb 2009)
"It is a truth universally acknowledged ..." (8 June 2009)
Generations in Oz (3 Sept 2009)
Banned Books Week or My High School Reading List (26 Sept 2009)
For the Love of Green Knowe (29 Sept 2009)
Wrap Up Post: Poe Fridays (22 Jan 2010)
Hello Japan! Challenge: On the Big Screen (26 Feb 2010)
A Literary Love Letter to Matthew Pearl (3 January 2012)
Wrapping Up Diana Wynne Jones Month (1 April 2012)

§ § § § §

And lastly, what is a milestone post without a giveaway? 1000 posts means 1000 pennies for you -- or, in a more useful form, a $10.00 USD gift certificate to Powell's (or the bookstore of your choice) or Out Of Print! This giveaway is open worldwide and I'll choose a winner at the end of day on Sunday, October 7th. The winner can choose where they want to spend my cents. How to enter? Just leave a comment on this post and make sure there's a way to contact you.

Thank you all for sticking with us (or joining us along the way) on this long journey! Here's to a few more posts after this one.

Your friends,

K and Z

BBAW Giveaway Winner and Update

The winner of a copy of Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is

Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews

Congratulations! Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. This is a fantastic book and I hope you all get a chance to get a copy.

You might have noticed that this announcement came a little late but I had a very tragic event in my family last Thursday and had to step out of regular life for a few days to be with those who needed me. I am sorry that I missed the end of an amazing BBAW week but as much as I love blogging, it just didn't seem important all of a sudden. I'm not sure how long it's going to take me to get back into the normal swing of things around here. Normal just feels wrong right now. But at the same time, this is an amazing community and if anyone can help me get back there, it's all of you.

Taking a moment to breathe,
K

BBAW Day 2: Some Answers and a Giveaway

Well, today is BBAW interview day which is always extremely fun but I have been so swamped with the start of school that I didn't have time to do one. So instead, you get the alternative self Q&A and a giveaway!

Do you snack while you read? Not anymore because I'm losing weight. If so, favorite reading snack? BUT, if I was to slip and grab a snack, it would be Popcorners (kettle or sea salt) or dark chocolate M&Ms.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? Yes the idea of writing in books is not my favorite but at the same time I wish I had a better record of my thoughts while reading a book. I tend to forget them by the time I reach the end. If I ever got in a more organized place in life, I might read with post-its handy.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open? Bookmark, receipt, photograph ... NEVER dog-ears. And I actually don't ever open a book flat -- most of my read books look brand new or might have a single crease down the spine.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both? Both! There are awesome stories and ideas in both.

Hard copy or audiobooks? Hard copy. I don't have any time where it would be convenient to listen to audiobooks and my mind tends to wander anyway. I need the written words to keep my attention.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point? I used to read to the end of chapters exclusively but now, as a parent, I've had to perfect my "putting the book down at any moment" skills. In fact, now I find myself putting books down in the middle of chapters more than at the end of them.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away? Depends. If I can guess what it means from context, I'll just move on. But if I can't guess and I think that it's an important word, I'll look it up. This is why we have smartphones now, right?

What are you currently reading? An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson

What is the last book you bought? I bought a few books for the 100 Picture Books Read-Along (not so subtle plug) -- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Journey to the River Sea, The Dark is Rising box set. In the same order, I bought Matilda and Pippi Longstocking for my niece who turned 8!

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time? Usually just one at a time but sometimes more than one if I'm doing a section-by-section read-along or if I'm reading a slower non-fiction book. But I really like immersing myself in a story and sticking with it until I'm done.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? All day, anywhere? But 11pm to 2am in bed is probably my super favorite.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books? I like both for different reasons.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over? Diana Wynne Jones! Jasper Fforde! Read their books now!

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?) By no discernable method at all right now. I have groups by authors but those aren't placed anywhere specific in relation to other authors. I have kid book shelves and a non-fictiony-type shelf and I have a TBR bookcase (that has spilled over into also being piles on the floor next to the bookcase). Organization will never truly happen until I have many more shelves or far fewer books.

Now for that giveaway ...

I want to buy one blogger a new paperback of the incredibly awesome Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino. This is open internationally to all book bloggers. One entry per person and the winner will be chosen on Friday night or Saturday morning.

I just finished this book yesterday and it was really, really good. I'll have a glowing review up next week but I want to give it away now. It's dark, creepy, supernatural Victoriana and the perfect RIP read! Just fill out this little form to enter --

Best of luck, K

Giveaway Winner: The Prisoner of Heaven

photo by k

Congratulations to the randomly-selected winner of The Prisoner of Heaven --

Aarti!

I'll send an email to get your mailing address. :)

And Jenny asked if it's okay to read this one if you haven't read both books in the series yet. Here's what CRZ had to say about it --

The Prisoner of Heaven is part of a cycle of novels set in the literary universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books of which The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game are the two first instalments. Although each work within the cycle presents an independent, self-contained tale, they are all connected through characters and storylines, creating thematic and narrative links.
Each individual instalment in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series can be read in any order, enabling the reader to explore the labyrinth of stories along different paths which, when woven together, lead into the heart of the narrative.

Sharing a new-found favorite,
K

Quick Giveaway: The Prisoner of Heaven

Carlos Ruiz Zafón fans, today is your lucky day! I ended up with two hardcover copies of The Prisoner of Heaven so I'm giving one away. I read this book last week and loved it (Daniel and Fermín are back!) and hope you will too.

This giveaway is open to US residents only due to shipping costs. I will choose a winner on or around Sunday, August 12th. All you have to do is leave a comment below (with your email address if it's not in your profile or on your blog) and let us know which of CRZ's books you've read so far!

Making up for my absence,
K

Blogiversary Giveaway Winner!

photo by k

I almost forgot to announce the winner of the $20 gift certificate to Out of Print Clothing --

Susanna of SusieBookworm!

Thank you to everyone for your kind thoughts about our blogiversary. We wouldn't have made it through four years without making such good friends along the way.

Humbled,
K

A Belated Fourth Blogiversary to Us!

photo by k

I can't believe it but we somehow missed our fourth bloggiversary! Our first post went up on July 8, 2008, and, four years later, this is our 978th post. When we started, Z was just four years old and we were reading picture books together. Now he's eight and we're almost solely reading chapter books. I have participated in 24-hour read-a-thons, challenges aplenty, read-alongs and memes. I've met a few blogging friends in real life, gone to book festivals and attended the Kidlitcon. I've spent countless hours on LibraryThing and Twitter. I've even convinced Z to write a couple of posts.

On this belated anniversary, all we really hope is that this blog has been fun to read and that it has successfully communicated our very deep love of books and reading. We want to thank all of the authors, publishers and publicists who have sent us books to review over the years. And we, of course, want to thank all of you for reading our thoughts on such a wide variety of books and sharing yours with us. This wouldn't be worth doing without the community.

We want to share our love of all things bookish with you once again with a giveaway! One lucky person will get a $20 gift certificate to Out of Print Clothing. This giveaway is open worldwide. Simply leave us a comment on this post and include your email address if it's not in your commenting profile. We'll choose a winner on Monday, July 22nd. Good luck!

On our way to post 1000,
K and Z

New Release: Can You See What I See?: Toyland Express

'Tis the season to start collecting holiday books and one of the most colorful and time-intensive (both for the creator and for readers!) out there is the eighth and newest in the Can You See What I See? series by Walter Wick, photographer of the I Spy series. Toyland Express follows a wooden train from the workshop to the store shelves, to the playroom and beyond. Each page has the expected list of items to find and they are not easy. Z and I have spent forever looking at a single woodcarving scene and still can't find every hidden item!

There's a great YouTube video featuring Walter Wick that talks about this book and how he creates these books in general. We found out that he photographs the scene first and then writes the item rhyme later because the listed items need to be the least obvious ones in the picture. We also learned that there's a red, yellow and blue character named Seymour that's hidden in every I Spy and Can You See What I See? scene. We can't wait to pull out our other books and look for him now that we know he's there!

Also, there will be an exhibition featuring photographs and models of Walter Wick's work at The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT next winter/spring. For more information, visit his website.

You can enter to win a signed copy of this book from Scholastic by filling out the form below before Friday, November 25th. Good luck!

Still searching,
K and Z

2nd Annual Happy Haul-idays From Chronicle Books!

One of my favorite posts to write and dream about last year was my Happy Haul-idays post -- now apparently just full of dead image links instead of holiday cheer. So sad! But the contest is back this year and, even though my spare time right now is non-existent, I couldn't wait to make my list!

So, here's the deal -- I get to choose $500 of books from Chronicle Books. If I win, one commenter on this post wins the same haul. And to sweeten the pot this year, a charity of my choice also gets $500 worth of books! I am choosing Room to Read to win if I do.

Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in the developing world by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and ensure girls have the skills and support needed to complete their secondary education. Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.

Now, time for the wishing and dreaming to begin again. I'm posting this at 11:11 on 11/11/11 for extra good luck!

The Life & Love of Trees, text by Lewis Blackwell ($50.00). After waves and sunsets, my favorite things to take pictures of are trees.

Milk & Cookies: 89 Heirloom Recipes from New York's Milk & Cookies Bakery by Tina Casaceli ($24.95). I think this was on my list last year but here it is again because a) I am fully confident in my awesome cookie-making abilities and b) you can never have too many delicious cookie recipes.

TCM Classic Movie Trivia by Turner Classic Movies ($22.95) because I already know a lot about classic movies but I can always learn more.

The Doorbells of Florence: Fictional Stories and Photographs by Andrew Losowsky ($18.95). I've wanted this one since I first saw it. It's such a unique idea!

The Orphan of Awkward Falls by Keith Graves ($16.99) because the title cracks me up and I want to read it.

Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria Became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel by Michaela MacColl ($16.99). This is another one that caught my eye when it first came out.

Ghost Wave: The Discovery of Cortes Bank and The Biggest Wave on Earth by Chris Dixon ($24.95). I just heard about this one recently but I totally want to read it, dude.

Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs selected by Graham Nash ($50.00). I saw the exhibition at the Experience Music Project museum and it was truly amazing.

Tea & Crumpets: Recipes & Rituals from Tearooms & Cafes by Margaret M. Johnson ($19.95) because I love both!

Baking for All Occasions: A Treasury of Recipes for Everyday Celebrations by Flo Braker ($35.00). Yes, I'm still trying to lose weight but that doesn't mean I can't bake for other people.

Brittles, Barks & Bonbons: Delicious Recipes for Quick and Easy Candy by Charity Ferreira ($16.95). I said I'm making it for other people! Why don't you believe me?

Deep Dark Chocolate: Decadent Recipes for the Serious Chocolate Lover by Sara Perry ($18.95). Okay, if I make anything from this one, I'm eating it. See ... I don't lie when it's important.

Garden Anywhere: How to Grow Gorgeous Container Gardens, Herb Gardens, Kitchen Gardens and More--Without Spending a Fortune by Alys Fowler ($24.95) because I live in a wooded area and have only small patches of open space that also get sun.

Saveur The New Comfort Food: Home Cooking from Around the World from the Editors of Saveur Magazine ($35.00). Maybe I shouldn't have made this list right before dinner ...

For Z, I would choose these --

Boo: The Life of the World's Cutest Dog by J.H. Lee ($12.95). Z absolutely loves looking at pictures and videos of Boo. It's so weird because he doesn't really like dogs but he loves Boo!

Eye-Popping 3-D Bugs: Phantogram Creepy-Crawlies You Can Practically Touch by Barry Rothstein and Betsy Rothstein ($19.99). This ... looks ... awesome.

A Zeal of Zebras: An Alphabet of Collective Nouns by Woop ($17.99). This is just the kind of thing Z would love and would memorize and remember forever!

And for others, I would choose --

Obsessed with Star Trek: Test Your Knowledge of the Star Trek Universe by Chip Carter ($29.95) for the husband. Do I really need to explain why?

Pantone: 100 Postcards ($19.95) for my sister-in-law who lives, breathes, drinks and bleeds in Pantone colors.

Audrey Hepburn: The Paramount Years by Tony Nourmand ($22.95) for my little sister. We have many things in common and one of the best is our mutual love for Audrey.

And this list comes to a eye-popping $500.36. I hope that Chronicle Books will spot me the 36 cents. I'm rounding down anyway!

If you think I might win these books and want to get in on the action, leave a comment before December 2nd. You could win the entire set! (Sorry, open to U.S. residents only.)

Thinking about how so very good I've been this year,
K

BBAW Giveaway Winner(s)

Congratulations to the winner of our $20 Out of Print Clothing gift certificate --

GMR of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

And, I've been thinking about Out of Print's mission and want more of you to be able to place orders with them to help Books For Africa so I chose two more winners to receive $10 certificates each --

Erin of Erin Reads!

and

Eli Squared of Eli to the nth!

And to everyone else, please consider shopping at Out of Print Clothing or even just supporting Books For Africa with a donation.

(Winners, this will be an e-mailed gift certificate to the e-mail address you entered with and it says they are delivered within 1-2 business days.)

Thank you to everyone who entered. I hope you had a fantastic Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Wearing it well,
K

BBAW Giveaway: Gift Certificate to Out-of-Print Clothing

I'm really excited about my giveaway for BBAW this year and wish I had a chance at winning it too. I'm going to be giving away a gift certificate to Out-of-Print Clothing! I love their shirts and I love their mission --

In addition to spreading the joy of reading through our tees, we acknowledge that many parts of the world don't have access to books at all. We are working to change that. For each shirt we sell, one book is donated to a community in need through our partner Books For Africa.

So, if you would like to win a $20 gift certificate toward a tee-shirt, sweatshirt, iPhone case or eReader jacket, just fill out the form below -- no following or comments required. My only request is that only bloggers enter this one. And to help out our international entrants with the higher shipping cost, I will make it $25 if you win and are not in the U.S.!

There are options for men, women and children so I'm sure there's something that you or someone you know would love. Entries are due by Saturday September 17, noon Pacific and the winner will be announced soon after.

Thanks to all bloggers and good luck,

K