Today is July 25 which means there's only five months left to get your Christmas shopping done. You've got even less time to do your holiday shopping if you celebrate Hanukkah, since the first night of Hanukkah is December 21, 2008. Me? I don't usually start shopping until sometime early November. If I start shopping any earlier, I end up spending way too much money, because I just keep shopping until December 20 something. 
I decided to do a little Christmas in July gift giving to some lucky readers on my blog. Today also happens to mark my one year anniversary of maintaining some degree of organization of my bookshelves, albeit virtual organization, on Shelfari. I have quite a few books on my shelves that have been generously given to me by a certain ARC fairy and as much as I'd love to read each and every book that she gives me, it's just not possible for me to get to them all. And I need to make room for the copious number of books I need want NEED (dammit) to buy next week. Check out this list of must haves for me:
7.29.08 My Wicked Enemy :: Carolyn Jewel
7.29.08 Cry Wolf (Book 1, Anna and Charles) : Patricia Briggs
7.29.08 Dare To Love : Jaci Burton (ebook)
7.29.08 Accidental Demon Slayer : Angie Fox
7.29.08 Before I Wake: Nightmare Chronicles : Kathryn Smith
7.29.08 Shades of Dark : Linnea Sinclair
7.29.08 Nightwalker: The First Dark Days : Jocelyn Drake
7.29.08 Countdown :: Michelle Maddox SHOMI
7.29.08 Deep Trouble :: Alison Kent (Wal-Mart exclusive) <-- how cool is that?!
What did I miss?
And then ...
AUGUST 2008
8.02.08 Breaking Dawn (Book 4, Twilight Saga) : Stephenie Meyer (YA)
Then a few short days later . . . .
8.05.08 Acheron : Sherrilyn Kenyon
8.05.08 First Blood (Anthology) : Sizemore, McCarthy, Green, Brook
8.05.08 When Twilight Burns (Book 4) : Colleen Gleason
8.05.08 Kiss of Fury (Book 2, Dragonfire) : Deborah Cooke
I'm digressing.
The point is that today is Christmas in July and I'm giving away books!!! I am giving away five gently used paperbacks from my Shelfari prize shelf that can be found here: My Prize Shelf. A few of the books are gently used ARCs that have all been released by now. I am also giving one lucky reader a brand new paperback of their choice of any mass market paperback (essentially $7.99 or less) or comparable priced ebook (like Jaci Burton's Dare to Love . . .) that will be released next week. It does not have to be a book that I listed above--reader's choice. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me when you start and finish your holiday shopping. Feel free to also let me know what you're buying at the bookstore next week. I will randomly choose one winner to receive the new paperback, and five others to receive one of the gently used books from my Prize Shelf. I will close the contest on Thursday, July 31, 2008 at midnight EST. Please be sure to leave your name in the comments. Good luck!
Merry Chrismas to ussssss! *grins*
ReplyDeleteI start my holiday shopping a few days before it's time to exchange gifts. Mostly because if I buy them too early, I ended up going nutso and giving them early, as well. I can't help it!
Yeah so thankfully and not so thankfully I celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah however, since i don't have to buy for Hanukkah any more (no one under 18) I usually save up for Christmas. Money is super tight this year so a lot of home made gifts for friends *coughdrinkscough* for me momma I will start picking up stuff at craft fairs and material for her quilts SOON! I usually finish by 12/12 Don't know why that's the date but if I buy anything after it I panic. So I try to wrap it up by then.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful idea though.... I will have to think about doing this as well.
ReplyDeleteStop the presses your giving up SUNSHINE??? WHAT? OMG *faints*
ReplyDeleteWendy :: I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who waits. But giving them too early? lol I tend to have a difficult time keeping surprises from my husband. Everyone else's gifts I can keep under wraps. LOL get it? under wraps?
ReplyDeleteSarai :: I LOVE homemade gifts. To give them and to receive them. They come from the heart, you know?
Oh, I loved McKinely's Sunshine! I just don't think I'd read it again.
Oh okay I get that whoo I was worried for a second LOL
ReplyDeleteI think I sent you an email. I say *think* because I'm not sure I actually emailed the right person. Ha.
ReplyDeleteCRY WOLF!!! Sigh. I want to read it again, but I sent it back to Thea. Sniff. Why isn't Patricia Briggs going to RWA??? I might have to stalk her in the Tri-Cities to meet her. :0
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous. I want a book fairy!
Your shelfari is soo pretty. It puts my goodreads to shame. :(
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the new Kathryn Smith book. I don't have any of your end of July books on my list. I actually only have two. And I only have two of your beginning of august books on my list. Seduced by the Storm comes out Tuesday! I love the Sydney Croft books!
ReplyDeleteMy mom and I are driving to Canada next month to meet SK! WOOT. I chickened out last year but I'm not this year! I can do it, damn it! It's only two hours away, but it's in Toronto...ugh!
Oh, I usually start shopping around October.
I will be waiting for The Wild Road by Marjorie Liu and Acheron. Cant wait!.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine, Wow, I know what you mean about having too many books on the shelf (of course that is not stoping me from entering this contest, damnit I might have a problem). Anyway, I digress. I usually start my holiday shoping in October. It try to get a months heads up. It usually works out for the extended family but I usually wait til the last minute for the husband. (I can't seem to keep a secret from him!)
ReplyDeletechristiiiiiine! I'm still pouting because you are not going to be with us in SF. :( But Christmas in July is good. Celebratory even.
ReplyDeleteChristmas shopping...I am horrible at it. Usually I end up buying a few things for key people during the month of December and the majority of my gift purchasing happens like the day or so before Xmas. pathetic. lol.
I'm awful...I go to only one or two stores and I usually start about two weeks before Christmas. Ok, I lied...about 10 days before Christmas. I always think I'm finished three or four days before Christmas, but I always end up grabbing one or two more little gifts on Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteFortunately my family has started doing simple stocking stuffers instead of gifts. I can do all my shopping at Walgreen's and Wal-Mart for under $150 now, and I have lots of money left over for books. :)
Merry Christmas!! Thanks for the giveaway. I usually end up starting my Christmas shopping December 10th, even though I know I need to start earlier than that.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to read Cry Wolf, it is probably the only thing i will buy until my bank account gets a little healthier :(
Christine, LOL! yep, early. It's just that when I buy their gifts, I'm impatient to give them hence the waiting really close to the actual date. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, thank you for this awesome idea! Although I'm not out for a book, I still want to comment and be in on the festivities. My shopping is year round. If I see something I know so-and-so would love, I get it. Sometimes, I make something. :D That's what I did last winter holidy. Everyone got handmade gifts from me. Teehee
ReplyDeleteI'm loving everyone's comments! I can't tell you how relieved I am to discover I'm not the only one who pretty much waits until December to do the bulk of my shopping. I was under some delusion that people actually start around now! That would make me feel so lazy or disorganized or something. As if.
ReplyDeleteOh and by the way. And anyone who admits to starting their holiday shopping before October... they're automatically disqualified from my giveaway.
LOL Just kidding. ;p
Sula!!! I know. I'm really happy that you guys are getting to hang and party together this week in SF. I think I did really well leaving happy RWA comments on everyone's blogs and didn't have a single pity party for myself over the fact that I won't be there with you. Have fun! <--See? Happy.
ReplyDeleteCiara :: Are you kidding me? I was thinking of switching to GoodReads because it seemed everyone else uses that. In fact, I stole the prize shelf idea from you. ;)
ReplyDeleteAmy C :: That's awesome! I'm going to see SK in Manhattan on Aug. 15. That will be my fourth time meeting her in barely over a year. She's so gracious... you'll love her!
Juniper_breeze :: I forgot the Liu book. I've always wanted to read her Dirk & Steele series, but I hear this one can be read stand alone. I believe Wendy (see above) wrote a great review of it a few weeks ago... and The Book Smugglers posted one today, too!
Jill D :: I think I own more unread books than read books. How scary is that?
Holly :: I emailed you... but owe you another one! lol
No worries, Christine, I've left enough pity party comments for the both of us.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, that's a lot of books!!!
ReplyDeleteWinners to my Christmas in July contest have been posted on my blog HERE!
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone for participating! :)