Giveaway
Showing posts with label Giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giveaway. Show all posts
19 October 2026

Wildwood Winners Announced

Carpe Librum image promoting Wildwood giveaway
Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to win 1 of 2 double passes to see Wildwood. The movie opens in cinemas this week and everyone correctly identified that the impassable wilderness is an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon.

The giveaway closed at midnight last night and I drew the two lucky winners this afternoon. Congratulations go to:

Silvana David & Shelleyrae


Congratulations Silvana and Shelleyrae, you're both off to the cinema thanks to Kismet Movies. You've each won a double pass to see Wildwood valued at $40 and I'll be emailing your tickets shortly. Stay safe in the enchanted forest and enjoy the film.

Carpe Librum!

09 October 2026

WIN 1 of 2 Double Passes to see Wildwood

Carpe Librum image for Wildwood giveaway

* Giveaway courtesy of Kismet Movies *

Intro

Wildwood by Colin Meloy was published in 2011 to great acclaim and is a fantasy novel recommended for ages 9+. Inspired by classic fantasy novels and folk tales, this 541 page book about two seventh graders has been adapted for the big screen and Carpe Librum readers have a chance to see it for free!

Wildwood is in cinemas from 22 October 2026 and I've teamed up with Kismet Movies to give away 2 double passes for the film valued at $40 per double pass. Enter below and you could be off to an enchanted forest!

Synopsis

From the hands that made Coraline, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning LAIKA presents Wildwood.

After her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows, headstrong teenager Prue McKeel launches a desperate rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness—an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon. Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg, Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition. As the pair is drawn into a conflict threatening the balance of the forest itself, Prue must discover the strength and belief she never knew she possessed. If she hopes to save her brother and protect Wildwood’s fragile future, she will have to risk everything. From Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning
LAIKA, Wildwood is a sweeping adventure about love, sacrifice, and the magic that reveals itself when we dare to look beyond the familiar.

Check out the movie trailer and find out which cinemas will be playing the film here.

Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. This giveaway was open to entrants in Australia and entries close at midnight AEDT Sunday 18 October 2026. The double passes will be emailed, enabling the lucky winners to plan and attend the screening from the opening day onwards thanks to Kismet Movies. Good luck!

Carpe Librum!

03 August 2026

Holy Days Winners Announced

Carpe Librum image promoting giveaway for Holy Days

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to win 1 of 2 double passes to see Holy Days. The movie opens in cinemas this week and everyone correctly identified that Holy Days is a comedy set in New Zealand.

The giveaway closed at midnight last night and I drew the two lucky winners today. Congratulations go to:

Thomas & Diana


Congratulations Thomas and Diana, you're both off to the cinema thanks to Kismet Movies. But don't worry, you don't have to go together, you've each won a double pass to see Holy Days valued at $40 so you can go with a friend or family member. I'll be emailing your tickets shortly and hope you enjoy the film.

Carpe Librum!

24 July 2026

WIN 1 of 2 Double Passes to see Holy Days

Carpe Librum image promoting giveaway for Holy Days

* Giveaway courtesy of Kismet Movies *


Intro

Can you smell popcorn? That's because I'm back again with more movie tickets up for grabs for lucky Carpe Librum readers. Holy Days is a comedy set in New Zealand starring Miriam Margolyes, Judy Davis and Jacki Weaver based on the book by the same name written by Kiwi author Dame Joy Cowley.

Holy Days is in cinemas from 6 August 2026 and I've teamed up with Kismet Movies to give away 2 double passes for the film valued at $40 per double pass. Enter below and you could be off to the movies!

Synopsis

In 1970s New Zealand, young Brian is devastated by the loss of his mother and determined to stop his dad from marrying the woman he sees as her replacement. Convinced he can reach his mother through prayer and penance, Brian finds refuge at a run-down convent with three delightfully eccentric elderly nuns. But when he overhears plans to shut the convent down and split the sisters apart, sending the most vulnerable to a terrifying institution, Brian sparks an unlikely mission: escape to the Southern Alps to find a former nun-turned-lawyer who might just save them all. For Brian, it’s more than a legal battle—he believes this is the miracle he’s been praying for, a chance to reunite with his mother atop the sacred mountain, Aoraki.

What follows is a wild, hilarious, and heartwarming road trip as a boy and three nuns face down their fears, outwit crooked officials, lose a sister to fishmongers, and even cash a bet shop win, all while racing against time to save their beloved convent. With its soul firmly planted in faith, family, and fierce loyalty,
Holy Days is a joyful comedy packed with heart, humour, and high-speed hijinks. It’s a story about letting go, holding on, and finding home in the most unexpected places.

You can check out the trailer here and find out more details about the movie including which cinemas will be playing the film here.

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed. It was open to entrants in Australia and entries closed at midnight AEST Sunday 2 August 2026. The double passes will be emailed, enabling the lucky winners to plan and attend the screening from the opening day onwards. Thanks to Kismet Movies for the giveaway and good luck!

Carpe Librum!

13 July 2026

The Utility Belt Series Winners Announced

Carpe Librum image promoting giveaway for The Utility Belt series

Thanks to everyone who entered my prize pack giveaway for The Utility Belt series by Sharon Giltrow. The two main characters in the series are Samara Rubin and Toby King, but there were a few incorrect answers and subsequent disqualifications so perhaps I made the question too difficult. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

The giveaway closed at midnight last night and the winners were drawn today. The two lucky winners are (drum roll):

Giovanna & Sharah


Congratulations! You've each won a prize pack valued at $35AUD containing a signed copy of Samara Rubin and The Utility Belt (Book 1), signed copy of Toby King and The Utility Belt (Book 2) and bookmarks thanks to the author, Sharon Giltrow.

You'll each receive an email from me shortly so that you can provide your postal address so start thinking about any inscriptions you might want inside your books and congratulations on your win. I hope your junior readers enjoy the series.

Carpe Librum!

03 July 2026

Middle Grade Giveaway: The Utility Belt Series by Sharon Giltrow

Carpe Librum image promoting giveaway for The Utility Belt series
Intro

I promised another giveaway and this time I've teamed up with Romi from Books On Tour PR & Marketing to bring you not one but two middle grade prize packs! Enter below for your chance to win.

The Utility Belt series is written by Sharon Giltrow and illustrated by Thu Vu and it's a speculative junior fiction series with magical tools, cute sidekicks and a 'super' family.

Recommended for readers aged 6-12, each prize pack includes:
  • Signed copy of Samara Rubin and The Utility Belt (Book 1)
  • Signed copy of Toby King and The Utility Belt (Book 2)
  • Bookmarks


Giveaway

This Carpe Librum giveaway has now closed. Thanks to the author Sharon Giltrow for providing these prize packs valued at $35 AUD each. The giveaway was open internationally and entries closed midnight AEST on Sunday 12 July 2026.

Carpe Librum!

25 May 2026

H is for Hawk Winners Announced

Carpe Librum image promoting giveaway for H is For Hawk

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to win 1 of 3 double passes to see H is for Hawk. The movie is out this week and everyone correctly identified that the film is based on the memoir of the same name by Helen Macdonald.

The giveaway closed at midnight last night and I drew the lucky winners today, congratulations to:

Glen Donaldson, Liz H and Roberto Colombi


Congratulations Glen, Liz and Roberto, you're off to the movies! You've each won a double pass to see H is For Hawk valued at $40 thanks to Kismet Movies. I'll be emailing your tickets and hope you enjoy the film.

For those who missed out, I'm in the process of organising another giveaway so stay tuned.

Carpe Librum!

15 May 2026

WIN 1 of 3 Double Passes to See H is For Hawk

Carpe Librum image promoting giveaway for H is For Hawk

* Giveaway courtesy of Kismet Movies *

Intro

Booklovers are often excited to see a beloved book being adapted for the big screen and H is For Hawk is in cinemas from 28 May 2026. H is For Hawk is a memoir by Helen Macdonald and was published in 2014 to great acclaim. The exciting news for Carpe Librum readers is that I've teamed up with Kismet Movies to give away 3 double passes for the film screening valued at $40 per double pass. Enter and you could be off to the movies!

Synopsis

When grief takes flight, so does hope. Claire Foy and Brendan Gleeson deliver a powerful, heartfelt performance in H Is For Hawk, the visually stunning cinematic adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s internationally bestselling memoir. Follow Helen’s journey as she navigates loss, forms a bond with the wild goshawk Mabel, and rediscovers herself through nature, courage, and love.

You can check out the trailer here and find out more details about the movie including which cinemas will be playing the film here.

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed. It was open to entrants in Australia and entries closed at midnight AEST Sunday 24 May 2026. The double passes will be emailed, enabling the lucky winners to plan and attend the screening from the opening day onwards. Thanks to Kismet Movies for the giveaway and good luck!

Carpe Librum!

28 December 2025

Kill Your Boss Winner Announced

Carpe Librum image to promote giveaway for Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to win a copy of Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath. I received 115 entries in total and everyone correctly identified that Kill Your Boss is set in a Public Library.

One entrant gave me their postal address instead of their email address so I'm unable to advise them of the outcome of the giveaway, sorry about that Suz!

The giveaway closed on Christmas Eve and the lucky winner was drawn today, congratulations:

Malvina!!


Congratulations Malvina! You've won a copy of Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath valued at $34.99 thanks to Allen & Unwin. I'll be sending your prize out to you directly along with a few bookmarks and you'll receive an email from me shortly so that you can provide your postal address. Congratulations and I hope you don't get any ideas to kill your boss after reading this clever Australian whodunnit.

Carpe Librum!


18 December 2025

WIN a copy of Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath

Carpe Librum giveaway image for Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath

Intro

Kill Your Boss by Australian author Jack Heath is the third book in the Kill Your series and features Detective Sergeant Kiara Lui who investigates a death at the local public library. Kill Your Boss can be read as a standalone and I gave it 5 stars in my recent review. Luckily for you, I received an additional copy from Allen & Unwin and am running a giveaway with permission from the publisher. I'll be sending the prize out to the lucky winner after Christmas so enter below and good luck!

Blurb

What would it take to turn you into a killer?

Detective Sergeant Kiara Lui has just broken up a loud brawl between two blokes in front of the Warrigal Public Library. But just as she's about to leave the scene, a man inexplicably plummets from the sky and slams into the bike rack right in front of her, dead.

Neville Adams was the head of library services, hated by staff, borrowers, and in fact anybody who had ever met him. Kiara quickly seals the building, trapping everyone who might have pushed him off the roof. She expects to have someone in custody within minutes.

Instead, the investigation becomes the most challenging and dangerous of her career as it spirals outward, ensnaring half the town. It seems that Neville was connected to the disappearance of Emmylou Chisholm - a case that Kiara could never solve, and that has haunted her ever since.

If the killer isn't found fast, the first two victims won't be the last ...


Giveaway

This Carpe Librum giveaway has now closed!


09 September 2025

Shades of Yellow Winners Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my recent international giveaway for 3 signed copies of Shades of Yellow by Australian author Wendy J. Dunn.

All entrants correctly identified that Lucy writes about the mysterious and historical death of Amy Robsart. Two entrants (Maddy and Karinap13) gave me their postal addresses instead of their email addresses making them ineligible for the giveaway as I'm unable to contact them. Sorry about that!

We received 97 entries in total and Wendy helped me to choose the first of the three winners. The remaining winners were drawn today, and congratulations go to... (drum roll):

Suzanne, Jeena Murphy* & Anna maree-m


Congratulations! You've each won a signed copy of Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn valued at $35.99 along with an accompanying bookmark hand painted and signed by the author. You'll receive an email from me shortly to organise your inscription and postage details, so congrats! *Jeena, your email has bounced back undeliverable, can you please contact me in the next 5 days to claim your prize or I'll need to choose another winner.
Carpe Librum image promoting the giveaway for Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn

29 August 2025

WIN 1 of 3 signed copies of Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn

Carpe Librum image created to promote the giveaway for Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn

* Giveaway courtesy of the author *


Intro

Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian author with a passion for bringing forgotten women of history to life and her new release Shades of Yellow will be published on 7 September. 

To celebrate the launch I'm hosting an international giveaway to give readers the chance to win 1 of 3 signed copies of Shades of Yellow valued at $35.99. Each winner will also receive an accompanying bookmark hand painted and signed by the author. Entries close midnight AEST Sunday 7 September 2025, enter below and good luck!

Blurb

Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn book cover
During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage.

After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death.

Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?

Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed?


Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed.


22 July 2025

The Lies We Tell Ourselves Winners Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my recent giveaway to win 1 of 2 signed copies of The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot. Thanks to Big Ideas Press for providing the prizes and to Romi from Books On Tour PR & Marketing for the collaboration.

All entrants correctly identified Harley as the main character and entries closed at midnight Sunday 20 July 2025. The winners were drawn today, and congratulations go to... (drum roll):

SHARKS & MADDIE


Congratulations! You've each won a signed copy of The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot. You'll receive an email from me shortly to organise your inscription and postage details. Congrats and I hope you enjoy this Australian young adult story.
Carpe Librum image promoting giveaway for The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot

11 July 2025

WIN 1 of 2 signed copies of The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot

Carpe Librum image promoting the giveaway for The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot

* Giveaway courtesy of Big Ideas Press *

Intro

It's time for another giveaway and I've teamed up with Romi from Books On Tour PR & Marketing to bring you a young adult story set in Australia. The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot is suitable for readers aged 12+ and contains themes of friendship, self-esteem, body image, family dynamics, first romance and mental health.

Maura Pierlot is an Australian writer and international award-winning children's book author. She holds a PhD in philosophy, specialising in ethics and is also a qualified art therapist. 

Blurb

The biggest lies are the ones you tell yourself.
Campaign appearances for The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot

When gorgeous new student, Carter, struts into class, Harley knows it's time to reinvent herself. Before long, she's shedding not only her weight but her friends, her family and the person she used to be. Betrayed by someone close to her, Harley abandons her only ally, drawn into a dangerous game of self-deception with no rules. Or winner. Spiralling deeper into a world where nothing is as it seems, Harley is desperate to find her way back. But first, she must figure out why her dead grandmother is messaging her. Why her father's never home. Why the voice keeps making her do things she doesn't want to do. Why everyone she loves is out of reach. Why everything she wishes for is vanishing before her eyes ... or is she the one disappearing?

Giveaway

This international giveaway for 1 of 2 signed copies of The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot has now closed. Thanks to Big Ideas Press for providing these prizes valued at $22.99AUD each, entries closed at midnight AEST Sunday 20 July 2025. Good luck!



03 July 2025

Winner of the 20 Year Celebration Giveaway Announced

Carpe Librum image celebrating 20 years of blogging

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to celebrate 20 years of blogging at Carpe Librum.

Entrants were invited to share their favourite Carpe Librum post from the last 20 years as well as any additional comments and I received so many messages of warmth, I'd like to share a few of my favourites here before we draw the winner.

Share your favourite post from the last 20 years:
"I have a memory like a sieve so had a little look at your top fives for each year and realised you had introduced me to Jack Heath's books so I love you for that! And Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor which is one of my all time favourite novels."

"I won (and then read) your book giveaway for The Winter Dress and it was around the time I started liking the history genre and have loved reading your email! You are one of the few I open and read the whole way through!"

"So many good ones! The Life of Birds (love birds), The Dictionary of Lost Words (one of my most fave books ever) and The Woman in the Library (another great)."

"Can't remember the specific post but I early on realised I enjoyed seeing the new post notification pop up in my inbox. Always found myself nodding along with the reviews, we often have very similar opinions!"

"Carpe Librum has become a motto for me to treasure as long as I am able to do so. ANCORA IMPARO!!!"

I love that last comment of Ancora imparo! It's a quote by Michelangelo and it's an Italian phrase that means 'I am still learning'. I couldn't agree more!

Entrants were also able to leave feedback or the book/s they planned to buy if they won the giveaway:
"I'd just like to say I look forward to reading your reviews even if I decide many of them are not for me. You are so thorough and because of this I get a good idea what the book is all about and can make my decision, to read or not to read, from there. Thank you."

"Congratulations Tracey - I don’t visit your blog as often as I should, but I do always read your emails, and get a little thrill when I see them in my inbox."

"Keep reading, keep writing, keep blogging - don’t conform to books you don’t like (we’ll be able to tell in your reviews!). But overall, you are doing a great job and I enjoy seeing your emails pop up in my inbox. Truth be told if I win this book giveaway I will be unashamedly searching for romantasy haha."

"Congratulations on 20 years, Tracey! An amazing achievement. I always enjoy seeing your reviews pop into my inbox. Yours remains the only blog I subscribe to and I look forward to reading many more great reviews in the years to come!"

See what I mean? Entrants left such touching and thoughtful comments, many of whom have been subscribers for more than 10 years, which is amazing in itself. And I love the cheeky comment that one of the entrants will be using the voucher to be purchase some romantasy if they win, hilarious!

Well, the time has come to the announce the winner. There were 73 entries in total and congratulations go to:

Rachel


Congratulations Rachel!
You've won a $50AUD gift card from Dymocks. If you don't have access to a Dymocks store and prefer not to order from them online, I'll happily organise a gift card of the same value from your preferred bookseller to be emailed to you. Enjoy and Carpe Librum!


15 June 2025

Carpe Librum Celebrates 20 Years of Blogging

Carpe Librum logo celebrating 20 years of blogging

I have another major milestone to celebrate in 2025 because this month (drum roll)...

Carpe Librum turns 20 years old!


I'd love to share how it all started, what's changed over that time and offer a giveaway so that we can celebrate this accomplishment together.

I've come a long way since this blog started in 2005 under the name My Four Bucks. Often when people offer their opinion they call it their 2 cents but I always have more than 2 cents to contribute and in order to share it, My Four Bucks was born. At the time, I posted on topics that took my fancy however my first official book review was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Since then, I have published an astonishing 1,126 book reviews, can you believe it?

In August 2012, My Four Bucks underwent a significant rebrand and was relaunched as Carpe Librum (Seize the Book). In May 2014, I joined the team of book bloggers writing for Boomerang Books and also became one of their affiliates. Over the next 12-18 months I included affiliate links with all of my reviews but it failed to generate any income.

In 2015 Carpe Librum turned 10 and in April 2016 I was excited to launch my current logo. In 2018 and 2019 I was asked to be a Digital Storyteller and Blogger for the Melbourne Writers Festival which was a highlight and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In September 2020 I became a Booktopia affiliate, but again, this wasn't successful in the long term.

In the early years, I began receiving requests from authors to review their books on Carpe Librum. I also began to send publishers my reviews of their new releases and after a number of months, started requesting advance reader copies (ARCs) for myself. I was thrilled when they said yes and they soon started asking me to review ARCs and sending books in the mail. This increased over time and lead to a lucrative few years receiving all kinds of unsolicited books in the post every week just in the hope of a review.

Let's check out some stats from the last two decades of blogging:
Number of posts published:
1,596
Number of reviews published: 1,126
Number of blog comments: 3,280
Number of giveaways: 89
Number of books given away: 133
Number of author interviews: 51
Number of email subscribers: 795
Number of reading challenges completed: 51
1 Million views achieved: December 2017
2 Million views achieved: September 2023
3 Million views achieved: May 2025
Most popular book review: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth (32,447 visits)

More recently, the number of unsolicited books in the mail from publishers has declined significantly over the past year or so and other Australian book bloggers agree it's the end of an era. I can request new releases on NetGalley (NG) however I still prefer to read print copies over e-books so I'm not an active NG reviewer. I've been enjoying the additional reading time to pursue the never ending list of back catalogue books and have still managed to enjoy some incredible new releases from publishers. The fact that I'm not reviewing as many ARCs and new releases as I used to could have had a detrimental effect on my traffic but that hasn't been the case at all.

What's next? I've stayed true to the books I like to read and haven't been tempted to dip my toe into the highly popular pool of romantasy novels that are dominating the catalogues at the moment. I don't spend much time on Instagram and don't feel any desire to join the BookTok community. Yet despite this, readers are still finding my reviews and continue visiting my little corner of the internet at Carpe Librum. Last month I achieved 3 Million hits and I don't know of any other Australian book blogger who has reached this milestone; but if you have, please let me know below, I'd love to congratulate you on your success!

It's been a thoroughly enjoyable 20 years and I've never considered slowing down or stepping away from my passion for a moment. Reading and reviewing books fills my cup, so thanks to all of my subscribers and readers. Some of you have been with me since the very beginning, while others have stuck around after entering a giveaway, or pop back in from time to time to see what I've been reading. If you're reading this, it means we share a love of books and the written word, and I appreciate that while you're reading my words here, you're taking precious time away from your book. Carpe Librum!

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed. Enter below for your chance to win a $50AUD gift card from Dymocks. If you don't have access to a Dymocks store I'll arrange a gift card of the same value from your preferred bookseller to be emailed to you. Entries are open internationally and close at midnight AEST Monday 30 June 2025. Good luck!


14 April 2025

The Paperbark Tree Committee Winners Announced

Thanks to all those who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 3 copies of The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen thanks to Text Publishing. All entrants correctly identified the name the brothers gave to their secret committee was the Paperbark Tree Committee.

Entries closed at midnight on Sunday 13 April 2025 and I drew the winners today, congratulations to: 

Cynwit, Suzanne & Catherine G


Congratulations!! You've each won a print copy of The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen valued at $16.99AUD thanks to Text Publishing. You'll receive an email from me shortly and will have 5 days to provide your AUS or NZ postal address. The publisher will then send your prizes out to you directly. Congrats and I hope you enjoy this heartwarming coming of age story.
Carpe Librum giveaway image for The Paperbark Committee by Karys McEwen

04 April 2025

Review & Giveaway: The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen

Carpe Librum giveaway image for The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen

Intro

It's giveaway time and today I'm offering readers the opportunity to WIN 1 of 3 copies of The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen thanks to Text Publishing. A coming of age story set in Melbourne, this giveaway is valued at $50.97 and is open to entrants from Australia and New Zealand. Entries close at midnight AEST on Sunday 13 April 2025, enter below and good luck!

About the author

Karys McEwen is a school librarian, bookseller, Vice President of the Victorian branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, Education Advisor for the Melbourne Writers Festival and is passionate about the role libraries and books can play in the wellbeing of young people.

Blurb

Twelve-year-old Art and his younger brother Hilary are great friends, best friends.
The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen book cover

When they move to Melbourne from a small town in Queensland things seem to be easy for Hilary, who is still in primary school, but Art struggles to fit in, and he’s become a target for school bully Jack. His dad is too busy to give him much attention, but Art has his stepmum, Sally, who is always ready to listen.

And there’s the paperbark tree. Art and Hilary climb into its branches and hold a secret meeting whenever they need to sort things out.

The only problem is Art’s not sure he still wants to be part of the paperbark tree committee. He’s getting older and he thinks he needs to solve his problems on his own.

The Paperbark Tree Committee is a heartfelt story about growing up and leaving childhood behind; it’s about family and being a good brother, fitting in and finding friends, and about making mistakes and learning from them.

Review

I really enjoyed this coming of age novel and the various literary hats the author wears has equipped her with a unique perspective on children's literature which definitely shows on the page. McEwen obviously knows what kids want to read and this book has it all; a new school, making friends, dealing with a bully, school activities and an annoying Dad at home.
"Being a teenager is all about swimming along with only your fin showing, trying to look like a shark when really you're just some average fish. Never revealing that you're not as brave as you look, never admitting that everyone else is in the same ocean. It's terrifying. And exhausting." Page 34
The real highlight through it all for me was the relationship between brothers Art and Hilary. Their relationship took me back to my own childhood dynamic with my younger sibling and it really warmed my heart. The Paperbark Tree Committee is aimed at 8+ readers and if you're in Australia or New Zealand, you can enter my giveaway below to win a copy for yourself or a young reader in your circle.

My Rating:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed.


09 December 2024

Humidity Giveaway Winner Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 2 copies of Humidity by Dan Kaufman complete with a personal inscription by the author. Entrants correctly identified Ben as the main character in this Aussie crime novel and entries closed at midnight last night.

I drew the two lucky winners today and congratulations go out to (drum roll):

Veronica & Mrs Riskgiggle!


Congratulations to you both!! You've won a signed print copy of Humidity by Dan Kaufman valued at $21.76AUD thanks to the author. You'll each receive an email from me shortly and will have 5 days to provide your AUS postal address. The author will then complete your personalised inscription and send your prize out to you directly. Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Humidity by Dan Kaufman artwork

29 November 2024

Giveaway: Humidity by Dan Kaufman

* Giveaway courtesy of the author *
Humidity by Dan Kaufman book cover

Intro

I'm running a giveaway just in time for Christmas, so if you're into Aussie crime or outback noir this one's for you. Please enter for your chance to WIN 1 of 2 signed copies of Humidity by Dan Kaufman complete with a personal inscription. The competition is open to entrants with an Australia address and entries close midnight AEST Sunday 8 December 2024. Good luck!

About the author

Dan Kaufman is a Melbourne based author and a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and journo who now teaches writing and copyediting workshops.

Blurb

Ben doesn’t like being a nude model in a small country town. Then again, the local footballers don’t like their girlfriends ogling Ben.

Broke and lonely, Ben falls for Marty, the ambitious and violent young woman rapidly taking over her brother’s drug and gun-running trade.

Once Ben gets pulled into their dark world of bikies and crime, he discovers a new level of violence that makes the footballers seem harmless – especially when his only friend is then murdered.


Giveaway

This Carpe Librum giveaway has now closed.