Tuesday 1 January 2019

Happy New Year - and Happy Blog Birthday

Babblings of a Bookworm Blog Birthday Giveaway
Happy New Year to you all! I hope 2019 is full of good things for you - happy times, good health, good wealth and good reading.

It's not only a New Year, but also a new blog year for me. I posted my first ever blog post back in January 2014, making my blog 5 years old this month. If you want to see any of my past posts they are all accessible via the blog archive menu on the right (desktop site only).

To celebrate my blog's birthday, I will be having a little giveaway, but more of that later :)


So, you might wonder what my reading plans are for this month, and indeed year. Well, this month I will be mostly reading some books I featured last month. I doubt I'll manage them all this month, because this is quite a bit of reading!

I am really looking forward to all of them. They are all P&P based, but all very different. For more details on these, see last month's planned reading, rather than me repeat the info.

Planned Reading for January 2019

I am also hoping to bring you some visitors in January, with a couple of blog tours stopping by - an Austenesque Valentine's anthology plus a debut author!

As for the plans for 2019, previous visitors to my blog might remember my backlog, which by now feels almost like an old enemy. It's only become more weighty and worse, because all the books sound so good that I want to read them all. I take on things filled with good intentions and then real life diverts me away. So I am determined to tackle the backlog of reviews. I have a list of shame, which I am going to reduce.

I made a list of books that I wanted to read in 2018 and I managed about 2 of them (sob!). Therefore I also need to make time to read some of the books that really piqued my interest. I would list some here, but it's just too depressing to contemplate that I might go a year without reading any of them. It doesn't help that the list is far too long!

How about you? What do you plan to read in 2019? Please let me know in the comments :)

Giveaway Time!

As mentioned above, it's my blog birthday. Happy blog birthday to meeeeeee! To celebrate, I have a little giveaway for you.

Prize Bundle at Babblings of a Bookworm
Prize A is a British £10 note that features Jane Austen. This is not a special presentation note, just one an average person uses for spending, but for some of my blog visitors they are less common than they are here! Plus a Pride & Prejudice Journal for  you to make notes in, and a set of 1975 UK stamps which commemorate the bicentenary of Austen's birth. If you would like to win this prize but already have a Jane Austen £10 note, then you could have the equivalent value in a gift card :)

Prize B - Choice of Coryographies' Book Earrings or Cufflinks
Prize B is one pair of Coryographies' Handmade Book Jewellery book bundle earrings or cufflinks. The earrings are also available as clip ons if you don't have pierced ears. These are handmade so the finished item might differ from the picture.
Disclaimer: I may need to buy some for me as well!

Book Depository giveaway
Prize C is a book of your choice, up to the value of £15 GBP, from The Book Depository. You can change the currency on the top right of their website, so you can tell what it will buy you.

How to Enter

There are two ways to enter. For one entry, just leave a comment on this post, telling me what you are looking forward to reading this year, and letting me know your preference of prize (e.g. B, C, A). Please can you also leave me a way to contact you. If you'd like to comment without entering the giveaway, please do, just add a note not to include you :)

For 2 bonus entries to the giveaway, please can you fill out the following questionnaire giving me some feedback on the blog? It would really help me to know what you think and decide whether I should make changes to format or content. If you want to give me feedback but not enter the giveaway you are welcome to do that too!

The giveaway closes at the end of the day, worldwide, on Monday 7th January, and is open worldwide.


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63 comments:

  1. What a great giveaway! I love your blog just it is. :)

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  2. Thank you for your blog! I love reading it. :)
    I just unboxed ten boxes of books that have been in storage for five years..,I’m looking forward to rediscovering old favorites!
    A, B, C - lorrq@hotmail.com

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    1. Thanks Laura! I love rediscovering old favourites. I hope you've enjoyed reacquainting yourself with your books :)

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  3. So many JAFF books that id like to read this year - Drawing Mr Darcy and Victoria Kincaid’s new book!! But I’d also like to revisit some old favourites! I’d love any prize, thank you! 💖

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    1. It's always the same, Claire, so many books, so little time!

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  4. Love your blog! Interested in Prize A.

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  5. Good contents to today's blog. I look forward your responses to the requests to give some focus to the older stories.

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    1. I definitely want to read some older stories, Betty. I think the buzz around new books draws me in, but there are bound to be excellent examples of older books out there for me to discover :)

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  6. Keep up the good work! I’m looking forward to Several books that I know are in draft form now.

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    1. That's exciting news, Christina! I'll look forward to seeing them as they get published.

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  7. Claire, I just read Victoria Kincaid's new book--it's a good one! LOL. Ceri, happy blog anniversary and thanks for the giveaway--A or anything, really, for me!

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    1. I haven't read that one yet, Melanie, so it's something to look forward to.

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  8. Happy Blogiversary, Ceri! Time flies, doesn't it? Congratulations and keep writing reviews!

    Thanks for your generosity! All the prizes are great, but I'd love to win prize A: it's wonderful!��

    newyorkgirl82(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Time certainly does fly Maria - look how long it's taken me to answer these lovely comments :(

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  9. Shelley Hoisington2 January 2019 at 12:50

    Happy Blog Anniversary. Thank you for your hard work and time that you put into your blog.

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  10. Happy blog anniversary! In terms of Austenesque reading for 2019, I'm looking forward to many of the books on your best of 2018 list, as well as Don Jacobson's "The Keeper" (first book in his Wardrobe series; I'm way behind on my Austenesque reading!). Outside of Austenesque reading, I'm reading a thrilling fantasy work by another author (book is currently in draft format, and I can't wait until it's published). Also reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin -- what a fascinating individual he was! No need to enter me in the giveaway, and happy New Year!

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    1. Thanks Christina. It's very hard to keep up to date with Austenesque reading. Even if you are selective in the titles you read there are still a lot to keep up with!

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  11. Happy Blog Anniversary. Looking forward to reading more of your blog in the upcoming year. Thanks for all your work.

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    1. Thanks Sheila. You are a great supporter of my blog and I really appreciate it :)

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  12. Happy Blogiversary! Thank you for all you do to bring us your awesome blog. I plan to read more, period! 2018 was a difficult reading year and that must change! Thank you for the generous giveaway. I am interested in A and C. Cherringtonmb at sbcglobal dot net

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    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Becky. I hope that we both get more reading time in 2019, although so far I'm not doing well. I am so grateful for audio books at the moment, or I'd be reading nothing. Hope you are managing to carve out some reading time.

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  13. Happy Blogaversary!
    I'm looking forward to King of Scars, The Wicked King, the fourth Ember in the Ashes book... and perpetually in search of that perfect cute feelgood book (for when I need something like that and I don't want to haul my omnibus Austen around ;)).
    Interested in Prize C - aileane47 (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. Thanks Reese. I hope you enjoy the books that you're looking forward to :)

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  14. Five years! That is so wonderful. Wishing you another wonderful year on the blog.
    I like your goal of getting to some of those books still setting and waiting. I did a Blogger Shame challenge for three years straight to get caught up on my older review commitments so I know what you mean about them bothering you sitting there. :)
    Cheering you on to all those book gems on your stack. The one on my stack that I am most eager to read is Don Jacobson's The Avengers.
    Those are fabulous prizes. I would love to be in the running for Prize A and C. sophiarose1816 at gmail dot com

    Happy New Year, Ceri!

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    1. A blogger shame challenge?! That sounds like something I need to do. I will have to look it up.

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  15. Happy anniversary! I plan to read Pride and Proposals soon. Thanks for the giveaway, I would like to be entered for prize bundle A and C. jadseah4(at)yahoo

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    1. Hi Darcybennett, thanks for your comment. I hope you enjoy Pride & Proposals when you read it.

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  16. Happy Anniversary!! Five years old... What a fabulous post today. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for the questions. I hope they help. Blessings on the new year.

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    1. Thank you, J W - and thank you for answering the questions. It's been really helpful to see the replies, actually, as I wanted to get an idea of the things my blog visitors like and don't like.

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  17. Carole in Canada3 January 2019 at 02:33

    Happy blog anniversary! I am so happy I signed up! Happy New Year! I just finished Don Jacobson's newest book The Avenger: A Father's Lament - AMAZING! I've started Belen's debut novel 'Obstacles'. I would go for Prize C and I don't like putting my email in but you already have it.

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    1. Hi Carole! I will need to think of a good way to have contact details for people for giveaways. I completely understand when people don't want to add their email address, but it can be so hard to get in touch with people. Perhaps I should ask people to friend me on Goodreads or something. Luckily we are already Goodreads friends, so you are easy to get hold of :)

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  18. Happy Anniversay! And thanks to you and all those who are Austen bloggers. I look forward to the reviews and suggestions to help guide my reading pleasures. My prize choices are A, C, B. Thanks again.

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  19. Congratulations on your blog anniversary! I have enjoyed reading the entries here. Thank you for the feedback opportunity as well. I would like to enter for Prize C and A - in that order; please don't enter me for the earrings. Best wishes to you in 2019!

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  20. Congrats on 5 years, Ceri! Doesn't it go so fast? I remember finding out with Candy and Jakki I think a couple months later that you quietly started blogging and being so excited and also laughing at your sneakiness in not telling us! ;)

    Wishing you many more years of happiness with blogging! :)

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    1. Thanks Meredith! You were one of the people who encouraged me to blog and I thank you for it. I kept the blog secret at first in case I didn't stick with it, and I was very surprised that people found so quickly when I quietly went public with it!

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  21. Wonderful accomplishment of 5 yrs Ceri!

    Looking forward to the January Readalong of A Very Austen Valentine at Austenesque group on Goodreads ;) find me there as writer...
    A/C for me and gratitude for your generosity!

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    1. Thank you! I hope you enjoy the readalong. Unfortunately I can't join in this time, but I will pop by for a nosey for what you all thought of it!

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  22. Happy Blog Birthday, Ceri! Wishing you many, many more! :)

    Lol, good memory, Meredith! I kinda remember that! We didn't know she started a blog and we talked with her all the time! haha!

    I want to make a list of all (some, not all...that would be way too many!) of unread books on my Kindle (because I always forget what's on there), and make a pile of physical books that I want to get read in 2019. I'm hoping to write a blog post about it. :)

    Nice set of prizes! It's very generous of you! Only enter me for C. Thank you!

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    1. Hi Candy! Because I love lists I actually have lists of what I have unread, both paid and freebies. I agree with you, it's so easy to forget about what you have unread on kindle. It's one of the areas that it isn't as good as paper copies, as they are harder to overlook!

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  23. Love the blog. Great variety of offerings. Thanks for all you do to support JAFF and JAFF authors.

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  24. Happy Blogaversary! Love your site! Keep up the amazing work!

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  25. Happy anniversary, Ceri! I might not always comment but I do read most of your posts. Looking forward to seeing what you have coming this year. I would love to be able to make a dent in my TBR list in 2019 but I have the sneaking suspicion that, due to recommendations from your good self, the other amazing bloggers and the Austenesque Goodreads TBR group, it's growing rather than shrinking!

    Keep up the good work and thanks for the lovely giveaway. My preference is A, C, B.

    angmardee (at) hotmail (dot) com

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    1. I know just what you mean, Anji, my TBR gains at a quicker rate than I reads!

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  26. Congratulations on this milestone, Ceri. I’ve adored your reviews for a very long time. So glad to see you’re still posting and sharing within the Austenesque community!!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Claudine!

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  27. Congratulations on achieving a terrific milestone, Ceri! You have worked hard to keep it active for 5 years now. Keep up the great job! I am too late for the giveaway but my favourite is Prize A followed by C.

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    1. Thank you so much, Luthien! I think you have been going longer than I have, so good work to you too!

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  28. Happy blog birthday. I think I am most looking forward to the sequel to The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen this year! C hazeljmills@gmail.com

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    1. I didn't even realise that there was a sequel in the offing, Hazel. I haven't read the first one yet, but I have it looking at me from my bookshelf.

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  29. Happy blog anniversary! And thanks for everything you do for the Austen world. :-)

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  30. Yay! Happy blogoversary! I'd love to enter for prize C, and my contact is @WordsThatStay1 on twitter :)

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If you're not logged in to Google please leave your name in your comment or it will post as anonymous. Thanks! - Ceri