Three Years.

Three years ago, I decided to start a blog because I didn't have a job. On some level, I thought that reading the classics, then writing about them, would fill a hole in my life.

When I think back on that decision, I want to reach back in my memories and give myself a hug. It was one of the best ideas I've ever had. It has brought me here, to this point, and I will be forever grateful for that decision.

I think that creating a reading list and devoting myself to a project made for self-improvement has led me to this point. In some very low points over the last three years, knowing that I had an audience waiting kept me sane. It allowed me to gain confidence in myself and my goals. I knew that I had support.

All of the comments, insights, questions, e-mails, tweets, and posts by all of you have helped me become more confident. I think that knowing I was worth more than I told myself made me a better person, and a better teacher.

Now I am staring down a brand new school year (starting on Tuesday), with my first real teaching job. And because of everything that has happened-the interviews, the depression, the experiences, and my blog-I have a lot more to offer those kids. I cannot wait to meet them, share my love of literature, and hopefully, inspire them to great things.

All I want to do is say thank you-for all of the encouragement and support. I know the blog is going through some changes as I transition to teaching full-time. But I won't stop reading, especially the classics. Because as cheesy as it sounds, they saved me in many ways.

Thank you.

Blogversary Giveaways #6 and 7.

Alright folks. It is time for the last two giveaways of my little celebration (yee-haw).

I have really enjoyed all of your responses to my questions over the last week, and all the winners will be picked at once next week and announced (The giveaways end on different days, so keep that in mind).

These last two giveaways are of small book packs. These all come from my obsessive buying and forgetting I have copies. Some are from culling and realizing that since I own the book in hardcover, I also don't need the paperback edition (it is all about making my husband happy people).

Anyway, here is Giveaway 6:


This set from top to bottom contains A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, The Turn of the Screw and Daisy Miller by Henry James, and Don Quixote by Cervantes (this is a really cute hardcover).

And Giveaway 7:


Giveaway 7 includes: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOKS), Dracula by Bram Stoker, and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

To enter, YOU MUST FOLLOW the rules-Read them carefully.

Here they are:

• The giveaways END Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 11:59 EST.
  
• You must be 13 or older to enter.
• You must live in the U.S. (internationals-go see giveaway 3!)
• You can only enter once.
  
• You do not have to "follow" or subscribe (but do if you so feel the desire)
• You must leave your e-mail in your comment so I can contact you if you win.
• If you win, you have 24 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner.
  
• In your comment/entry below, answer the following question: Your house is burning down and you can only manage to grab three books off your shelves-what would they be?
• In your comment/entry below please tell me which giveaway you would like.
  
• Winners will be chosen randomly using random.org (the first winner will have precedence over which pack they would like. Second winner can accept the other pack, or pass it along to the next person I pull who requested that set).
  

Good Luck!

Blogversary Giveaway #5

Yep. Blogversary. And yep. 'Nother giveaway.

Today is September 1st. Two years ago, on September 1, I sat down and cracked open my college copy of Homer's Odyssey. I began this whole process with a feeling of excitement, trepidation, and yes, a little doubt. I really felt back then that I would give up shortly through the process.

However, here I am, STILL reading a bookish diet of classics. Sure, I have meandered a few times into other areas (for example, last November I read ONLY children's classics). But, I am still reading classic after classic. I have added quite a few authors to my "favorites" list, as well as given second and third chances to authors I still don't really care for (that would be Dickens).

Most of all, I have grown a lot in this process. While I don't feel "smarter," I do feel like I have a lot of things stored up that many people do not. I feel like I have something to offer. And quite frankly, I feel bad for all those people and school districts who don't see that.

Anyway, two years ago I began with The Odyssey, so it is fitting that I give away a copy, right? Here it is:



Yep, it is another Penguin clothbound (I can't help it). But it wants to go home with one of you, and for this one, you need to make sure you answer the question I ask, or I definitely won't count your entry! Got it?

Here are the rules:

• The giveaway ENDS Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 11:59 EST.
  
• You must be 13 or older to enter.
• You must live in the U.S. (internationals-go see giveaway 3!)
• You can only enter once.
• You do not have to "follow" or subscribe (but do if you so feel the desire)
• You must leave your e-mail in your comment so I can contact you if you win.
• If you win, you have 24 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner.
• In your comment/entry below, answer the following question: If you embarked on a literary odyssey of your own, what five books would you put on your list? (they don't have to be classics, but they should be books that will "define" you in some way, or have a significant impact on you).
  
• Winner will be chosen randomly using random.org

Good luck!

Blogversary Giveaway #4: Willa Cather.

Once more, I am giving away books to my wonderful readers in celebration of hitting two years into my project.

Today's giveaway is one that I am especially excited about. You see, the first time I read Willa Cather, I was a high school student and I absolutely hated it. I'm sure the dramatics of high school played into that feeling as well. But when I reread her a year and a half ago for THIS project, I just fell in love. She is great at capturing the American spirit.

So here is what's for grabs:


The set includes two vintage books (Death Comes for the Archbishop and Sapphira and the Slave Girl) as well as a copy of My Antonia.

Here are the rules/requirements for entering:
Here are the rules:

• The giveaway ENDS Saturday, September 3rd at 11:59 EST.
  
• You must be 13 or older to enter.
• You must live in the U.S. (internationals, I am hosting another giveaway just for you!)
  
• You can only enter once.
• You do not have to "follow" or subscribe (but do if you so feel the desire)
• You must leave your e-mail in your comment so I can contact you if you win.
• If you win, you have 24 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner.
• In your comment/entry below, answer the following question: What ONE quality defines Americans the most?
  
• Winner will be chose randomly using random.org
  

Good luck!

Blogversary Giveaway #3: For International Readers ONLY.

I know I have a fair amount of international readers, so I definitely wanted to make sure that you were not left out of the celebrations going on here. So, I made this giveaway JUST for my international readers (anyone who lives outside the U.S.).

So what is up for grabs in this giveaway?



Your choice of one of the beautiful Penguin Clothbound series of classics. The full list of titles includes:

• Little Women
• Emma
• Pride and Prejudice
• Sense and Sensibility
• Jane Eyre
• Wuthering Heights
• Alice in Wonderland
• The Woman in White
• Inferno
• A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings
• Great Expectations
• Oliver Twist
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• Cranford
• Tess of D'Urbervilles
• The Odyssey
• Lady Chatterley's Lover
• Shakespeare's Sonnets and A Lover's Complaint
• Treasure Island
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Middlemarch
• Tale of Two Cities
• Dracula
• Gulliver's Travels

I adore this series, and you all know that I try to give one away every opportunity I can. So here is what you need to do to enter...

Rules:

• The first thing I want you to do is check this list to make sure The Book Depository delivers to your country (it delivers to a GREAT deal of them, so check!). If for whatever reason they don't deliver, still enter and we'll figure something else out if you win. :)
• In a comment below, leave the following information for me: 1. the country you live in, 2. your e-mail so I can contact you, and 3. the title of your favorite classic novel!
• You can only enter once.
• You do not have to "follow" or subscribe (but do if you so feel the desire)
• If you win, you have 24 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner.
• Winner will be chosen randomly using random.org
• This giveaway will end on Friday, September 2, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.

Good luck!

Blogversary Giveaway #2.

This week is my two-year blogversary here at A Literary Odyssey, so I am taking the opportunity to pass along some wonderful reads to my readers.

Now, while I am currently only focusing on the classics, I have soft spots for a lot of different things. Growing up, I loved a lot of the traditional children's books. As a teen, I explored science-fiction and fantasy, as well as Young Adult novels. A lot of those titles have stuck with me, even through this process of reading Dickens and Faulkner.

I want to share two books with this giveaway's winner that I absolutely adore. Earlier this year, the author of these, Diana Wynne Jones, passed away. And I think that someone else out there needs to discover the amazing worlds she has created.



Pictured above are volumes 1 and 2 of the Chrestomanci Chronicles. Each volume contains two smaller novels, so really, you're getting four books here. :) They are fun, inventive, and highly addicting. And I sincerely hope that you'll love them as much as I do.

Here are the rules:

• The giveaway ENDS Wednesday, August 31st at 11:59 EST.
  
• You must be 13 or older to enter.
• You must live in the U.S. (see above internationals!)
• You can only enter once.
• You do not have to "follow" or subscribe (but do if you so feel the desire)
• You must leave your e-mail in your comment so I can contact you if you win.
• If you win, you have 24 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner.
• In your comment/entry below, answer the following question: What was your favorite book or series as a child? Why?
  
• Winner will be chose randomly using random.org
  

Good luck!

Blogversary Giveaway #1.

To celebrate two years of blogging insanity, and not giving up on my project, I am hosting a series of giveaways this week here at A Literary Odyssey as my way of saying thank you to my readers. Some of the books are brand new, some are slightly used, and some are vintage and fun. Either way, my husband is a happy camper when he sees books leaving, not entering, the apartment. :D

In any case, I have giveaways scheduled for every day this week, so check back in to enter. I do want to say upfront that these are U.S. only. I will be having one that is INTERNATIONAL ONLY, so check back in for that one if you live somewhere outside the U.S. :)

Alright, so here is what is up for grabs today:


Above is a Penguin Clothbound copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula (and my dirty desk. I need to dust). I have the full set of clothbounds and I absolutely adore them. Any opportunity I have to give one away, well, I jump all over it.

I am especially pleased to give this one away, since I will be reading it in September/October, and I hope the lucky winner will read along with me.

Here are the rules:

• The giveaway ENDS Tuesday, August 30th at 11:59 EST.
  
• You must be 13 or older to enter.
• You must live in the U.S. (see above internationals!)
• You can only enter once.
• You do not have to "follow" or subscribe (but do if you so feel the desire)
• You must leave your e-mail in your comment so I can contact you if you win.
• If you win, you have 24 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner.
• In your comment/entry below, answer the following question: What is the scariest thing you have ever seen or done?
• Winner will be chose randomly using random.org
  

Good luck!