One-Year Blogaversary and 100 follower Giveaway

So I began Project Read and Review at the beginning of August 2011, and my ultimate goal for my one year Blogaversary was to reach 100 followers – a drop in the ocean, but a start and a major accomplishment for me. And guess what? As of yesterday (30th June) Project R & R has over 100 followers! I could never have done this without all of you guys, so to say thank you I am hosting my very first blog contest to celebrate that big first year and the massive one, zero, zero. I’m including a video explaining the rules and prizes of the contest, but if you want to skip it, go ahead; I’m including all the info below as well. (And if you want to grab the button, that would be super awesome!)

The Rules:
Yes, there are rules. I’m sorry!


1. To enter this contest you must be following me on GFC.
2. The contest will run from 1st July 2012 until the 31st August 2012. The closing time will be 12am EST time.
3. This is an international contest.
4. There will only be one winner of the overall contest, and they will only receive one of the different books below (of course, they get to choose which of those books they want).
5. I will announce the winner on the blog on 1st September 2012 unless something comes up, but I will keep you posted.
6. Rafflecopter (the giveaway site I'm using) will email the winner after the competition is over, and I will also email the winner asking for which novel they would like and what their address is. Addresses are completely confidential, and I will not be sharing them with anyone.

Anyway, with the rules out of the way, let’s get on to the fun stuff:

The Prizes:
So I thought the prizes should have a theme, so I chose different books that had a connection to me in one way or another.

A Book That I Absolutely Adore: Before I Die by Jenny Downham

A Book That Changed My Life: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

A Book by My Favourite Author: Looking For Alaska by John Green

A Book at the Top of My TBR List: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

A Book I Surprisingly Loved: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

(As mentioned in the video, big thanks to MKB and Haley at YA-Aholic. Clicky for the links, and happy reading!) a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.
So two of my really good friends suggested this book to me, and considering that they both having amazing tastes in books, I thought, why not? And I'm so glad they suggested it to me, because I absolutely loved it.

At first, I wasn't too keen on how the book would be set - that it was told through letters, where the main character, Charlie, was not actually called Charlie. So I felt that I wouldn't be able to get close to any of the characters, because although it was their story, it wasn't their names - but my misgivings were false. I got attached to practically all of the characters - especially Charlie, Sam and Patrick. The way Chbosky presented each of them was brilliant - because they were so individually different, yet they were all together; Charlie was naive and insightful; Sam was outgoing and reckless; Patrick was caring and loving. And I couldn't help but wish they were all real - as if this doesn't happen ever time I read a book. But I think what made this different from a lot of other books was how realistic Chbosky made the characters and the storyline. No one was unrealistic - you can just imagine there being someone exactly like Charlie, or Sam, or Patrick, or Bob, or Mary Elizabeth is out there. Which just makes it so much more readable - and rereadable.

Another really great thing about this novel is how simple it is. Yes, it is insightful, and it does talk about a lot of powerful and contraversial issues  - but it's just told in such an easy and laid-back way that it isn't too heavy-going, yet it gets the point across. And admittedly, because certain bits weren't told in such a blunt, to-the-point way, it did take me a while to fully understand what was happening - but I got it after a while, and as you read on, you just become in-tune with the novel.

Even though I loved it, I know this book isn't for everyone. If you love authors like John Green, David Levithan and Julie Anne Peters, I reckon you'll really enjoy this novel, so I emplore you to try it! You won't regret it - hopefully.
Rating:5/5