The thing I love best about our publishing houses is that there’s never a lack of recommended reading from them! I was first contacted by Penguin Canada Publishing when they sent me a copy of Sylvia Day’s Bared to You (which I loved) so when I was asked to appear on CTV Ottawa Morning Live to discuss my hot summer beach reads I thought I would check in with them and see what they had to recommend.
In addition to Bared to You, my friends at Penguin thought these titles would make for some great summer reading;
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
A sophisticated and entertaining debut novel about an irresistible young woman with an uncommon sense of purpose.
Set in New York City in 1938, Rules of Civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twenty-five-year- old named Katey Kontent. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, Katey embarks on a journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of New York society in search of a brighter future.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.
Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
USA Today’s #1 Hot Fiction Pick for the summer, The Chaperone is a captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922 and the summer that would change them both.
Only a few years before becoming a famous silent-film star and an icon of her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita, Kansas, to study with the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone, who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle, a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip, has no idea what she’s in for. Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous black bob with blunt bangs, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will transform their lives forever.
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
For fans of Tina Fey and David Sedaris—Internet star Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess, makes her literary debut.
Jenny Lawson realized that the most mortifying moments of our lives—the ones we’d like to pretend never happened—are in fact the ones that define us. In Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson takes readers on a hilarious journey recalling her bizarre upbringing in rural Texas, her devastatingly awkward high school years, and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. Chapters include: “Stanley the Magical, Talking Squirrel”; “A Series of Angry Post-It Notes to My Husband”; “My Vagina Is Fine. Thanks for Asking”; “And Then I Snuck a Dead Cuban Alligator on an Airplane.” Pictures with captions (no one would believe these things without proof) accompany the text.
Now fortunately for me and you, Penguin has gifted me with a fabulous prize pack to give to two lucky readers! Each pack will contain;
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness – it’s the sequel to The Discovery of Witches
So, how do you win this fabulous prize pack? First you have to like my facebook page, then you have to like Penguin Canada’s facebook page, then you need to leave me a comment on this blog post telling me that you did so. The contest will be open until midnight on Wednesday, July 25th. One entry per person per day please. Valid for Canadian residents only.
This giveaway is sponsored by Penguin Canada. For more fun giveaways and book news follow Penguin Canada on twitter @PenguinCanada and Facebook.
You can check out my segment on CTV Ottawa below!
23 comments
Dawn says:
July 11, 2012 at 12:26 pm (UTC 0)
Happy Reading !
Gloria says:
July 11, 2012 at 12:31 pm (UTC 0)
I have liked your fb page and Penquin Group Canada’s fb page.
Kelly MacNaull says:
July 11, 2012 at 2:25 pm (UTC 0)
I’ve “liked” and ‘liked” and now I would “like” to win! lol
Leah says:
July 11, 2012 at 6:35 pm (UTC 0)
liked and liked
Melissa says:
July 12, 2012 at 12:25 am (UTC 0)
“liked” , “liked” and LOVE this contest!!!!!!!!!!
Kate says:
July 12, 2012 at 8:57 pm (UTC 0)
Liked!
janice montroy says:
July 13, 2012 at 3:27 pm (UTC 0)
I liked both pages
Deanne says:
July 13, 2012 at 3:33 pm (UTC 0)
Liked your FB page and already Liked Penguin Publishing’s page. Here’s hoping!
admin says:
July 26, 2012 at 7:25 pm (UTC 0)
Congratulations Deanne! You’ve won my Penguin Canada giveaway! I’ll be sending you an email shortly:)
Michele M says:
July 13, 2012 at 4:21 pm (UTC 0)
I have liked both pages.
Carey MacKinnon says:
July 13, 2012 at 4:26 pm (UTC 0)
Liked and liked! Great contest!!
Natalie Fraser says:
July 13, 2012 at 6:10 pm (UTC 0)
Liked and liked and like you on twitter too!
Linh Nguyễn says:
July 13, 2012 at 10:13 pm (UTC 0)
Liked both pages!
Heather B says:
July 14, 2012 at 12:16 am (UTC 0)
Winning these books would make this book lover (me) jump for joy!
P.S. I liked both facebook pages!
Annette C. says:
July 14, 2012 at 1:01 am (UTC 0)
Liked & liked both Facebook pages.
Wow, great books for summer reading here too!
Amber Edwards says:
July 14, 2012 at 3:44 pm (UTC 0)
Done! Thank you!!! Awesome giveaways
Sarah SE says:
July 14, 2012 at 4:38 pm (UTC 0)
Already liked both!
Adina H. says:
July 14, 2012 at 6:45 pm (UTC 0)
Like both pages
Leslye Brown says:
July 16, 2012 at 1:45 am (UTC 0)
Too bad the prize pack doesn’t contain Let’s Pretend this never Happened, I guess I’ll just have to buy it!
Thanks, btw, for the links to Penguin & Random House’s FB pages, I had Harper Collins already and now I’m better rounded, liking all of them
Ines says:
July 16, 2012 at 1:28 pm (UTC 0)
I liked both pages.
(Aga Bajger — if u need to check)
Theresa McGeragle says:
July 17, 2012 at 7:47 pm (UTC 0)
Liked both.
Julie Auger says:
July 23, 2012 at 10:33 pm (UTC 0)
Liked, Liked and Commented
Love to read and would never say no to new books.
Diane says:
July 26, 2012 at 12:25 am (UTC 0)
Done. Thanks!