The World of the Happy Pear - a giveaway!

Last month I wrote about the lovely Penguin Vegetarian Cookery Evening I attended, where I got to meet the lovely Meera Sodha and the boys fondly known as The Happy Pear, David and Stephen Flynn. It was such a fun, positive event, and really wonderful to meet so many people who are passionate about good, wholesome, healthy food.

Imagine my delight, then, when Penguin offered to send me a copy of the boys' new cookbook, The World of The Happy Pear, to give away to one of my readers. To make the deal even sweeter I've decided to make up a "Claire package" (what my friends and family have been calling care packages from me for years!) of veggie-friendly goodies to go with the cookbook, including (but not limited to) coffee, snacks, condiments... All in there should be at least a dozen goodies plus the cookbook, a nice little boost to anyone's kitchen.  I can't really send fresh produce via mail, but hopefully the things I do send will go towards some gorgeous meals.

I love this cookbook, it's full of great, fresh, tasty ideas, and the boys' enthusiasm for plant based living just leaps off the page. The photos are gorgeous too, and it's a lovely continuation from their first smashing cookbook. You can enter this giveaway (which will be running until the 18th of June) using the rafflecopter below. This giveaway is open to readers in the UK & Ireland only, because posting + glass bottles = priceyness.  I'm excited to share this fantastic book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PS If you're not following the boys on Snapchat, you totally should! One of the funnest channels around.

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5 favourite books

Okay, so first things first, a more honest post title would probably be Five Favourite Books right now.  This top five is for me, like any avid reader, a constantly moving list.  The chart rises and falls with each new entry, season change, masterpiece rediscovered or amazing new book encountered.  But if you got me to sit down right now and tell you....the top five today (in no particular order) would be:

1. The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood at her very best - sharp, incisive, eerie and close-to-the-bone.  This story of an imagined near-future where reproduction is strictly controlled and available only to the few chilled me the first time I read it and the imagery and ideas really stick with you.  Offred's journey and her trials as a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead never fail to shock, even after several re-readings.

2. Gone with the Wind

As a classic film geek, I'd seen the iconic movie long before I ever read the book.  I like the film Gone with the Wind....but the book is even better.  Entirely of its time, this can mean that at points the vocabulary and the point of view of characters can be antiquated and a shock to modern readers, but besides that the book still stands up as a remarkable work of fiction.  It's long, at a smidge over a thousand pages, but I try to read it at least once every year or two, because the story Mitchell weaves is such an interesting one.  Scarlett O'Hara is one of the greatest flawed heroines of all time!

3. Pride & Prejudice

I came very late to the Austen party.  I didn't actually read any of her books throughout school or university, which now I think of it is totally bizarre.  I read so many other authors, genres, books, but no Austen.  Finally, aged 24, I picked up Emma and promptly fell in love with Austen.  The wittiness and intelligence of her writing never fails to astound me, not least when you consider the age in which she was writing! I switch allegiances between Emma, Pride & Prejudice, and Sense & Sensibility when it comes to the best Austen book, but when it comes to favourites, it has to be Pride & Prejudice.  Every autumn as the nights draw in I curl up with this book and delight in the romantic escapades of the Bennet clan, and I'd heartily recommend it to all lovers of a good read.

4. To Kill A Mockingbird

Another book I came late to the party on (never encountered it until undergrad studies), another classic.  Lee's story of good and evil, family and faith in America's Deep South is full of characters and scenes that stick with you.  Atticus Finch is probably one of my favourite characters ever - his principles and hunger for justice drive so much of the action.  In this searing examination of race, class and the human experience, Lee takes the reader on an amazing, and at times shocking, journey.

5. Little Women

As a child, books were often my best friends.  The odd-one-out in family order, living the life of a military brat, moving frequently, real life allies were harder to find.  So the characters of my favourite books, whether What Katy Did, Mallory Towers, The Chalet School or Little Women became like friends who I could always turn to, and always rely on.  As an adult I still enjoy those books, but for me the first third are childhood favourites, whereas the latter is a great book, full stop.  The four March sisters and their family and friends are truly part of me, and I've learned countless lessons about life and about myself through the gentle pages of Louisa May Alcott's masterpiece.  This book often makes me smile, always makes me cry, and never fails to make me think.  It is truly a work of beauty.

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And the winner is.......

Those of you who read here regularly may recall my 'Smart Women Week' inspired giveaway.  After a fortnight of entries, comments and tweets, the drawing has now closed and we have a winner - Congratulations, Donna C!

I'll be in touch with an email very soon to get your contact details and to whizz your prize to you next week!  Thank you to everyibne who entered and for all the great nominations of your smart women. I'll try to do another giveaway next month - this one was such fun!

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My Adventures at Red Magazine's Smart Women Week 2015, by Claire aged 34 and three-quarters (oh, and a giveaway too!)

Last week, from September 21st - 25th, you might have noticed lots of women going to and from a beautiful townhouse in Fitzrovia, if you happened to be in that part of town.  That townhouse was the venue for the many events of this year's Smart Women Week, a series organised, curated and run by the multitalented team at Red.

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Giveaway: Because Books Make Me Happy (Especially These Ones). And so Does Blogging. And Apparently, Long Titles.

I have been reading Gretchen Rubin's blog and her books for a long time.  Her take on happiness and habits really chimes with a lot of my own ideas, while still offerng challenge and inspiration aplenty. I devoured The Happiness Project when it was first published (I'm a project fiend!), loved Happier At Home, and was delighted when Better Than Before was released earlier this year.  I always enjoy reading Gretchen's take on things, and in a year where I'm aiming to change so many of my habits and ways of doing things this book arrived at the ideal time!

I also follow Gretchen on twitter, so when I realised she would be in town and giving talks, I immediately booked a ticket.  And so it was that on Tuesday last I moseyed down to central London for a 7.30am breakfast and an 'improve your life before lunch' session with the author herself.  It was such a nice morning - I met lots of other reading fans and Gretchen herself was charm personified.  She's clearly whip-smart, but also well-spoken and thoroughly warm.  Such a pleasure to meet her!

The event was hosted by Red magazine, and they really ran everything beautifully.  The conversation was conducted by their Health Editor, Brigid Moss. She was a great interviewer, inquisitive and intelligent.

After the talk there was a book signing - I got a 'gold star' as I've been reading the books and blog for so long!  My inner overachieving schoolgirl (you know I was that kid, right?) was thrilled.

I was also the goofball who asked for a picture.  Yes, I'm a fangirl.

I've enjoyed Gretchen's books so much, I felt like I wanted to share them with others.  I've also been thinking I should do a giveaway, as it's been a while and I wanted to celebrate a recent milestone for this little blog (half a million pageviews...on the one hand, small potatoes, on the other, wow!).

So I am going to do a giveaway, and the winner will receive a copy of each of Gretchen's books: The Happiness Project, Happier At Home, and Better Than Before.  They are all great reads and full of wit and wisdom.  I'm thrilled to be able to share them with one of you!

These are my copies - the giveaway winner will receive paperback copies of The Happiness Project and Happier At Home, and a hardback copy of Better Than Before.

There are various ways to secure an entry - all bids will be added to a spreadsheet and then someone selected at random (using random.org).  The ways to enter are:

Leave a comment on this post: 1 entry

Follow me on twitter: 1 entry

Follow me on instagram: 1 entry

Follow me on pinterest: 1 entry

Follow my blog on facebook: 1 entry

(This is probably a good time to mention that while there is some crossover between these four channels, I try to share different things on my profiles in different places too.  Four identikit experiences would not be fun!)

Follow my blog on bloglovin' (I'm starting to get into it!): 1 entry

Tweet about this giveaway: 1 entry

Mention this giveaway on instagram: 1 entry

Pin this giveaway: 1 entry

Facebook about this giveaway: 1 entry

Mention this giveaway on your blog: 1 entry

Leave me a comment below (just one is fine!) and tell me which of the above you've done, and I'll add your entries to the spreadsheet of joy.  This giveaway is combining so many of my favourite things.

If you already follow me on the five sites (twitter/insta/pinterest/fb/bloglovin) please let me know in your comment, and that'll be an entry too for this giveaway - one for each channel.  Loyalty as well as novelty, right?

The maximum amount of entries per person is 11 (one of each), but as it's a random selection, do feel free to do as many or as few as you like.  Huzzah!

Good Luck!  I'm super excited to share these books.  This giveaway will close at 11.59 p.m., BST on Thursday April 30th, and the winner will be announced in my post on Monday May 4th.


Note: This giveaway is all me - the books have been purchased by me, and I paid to go to the breakfast talk.  I just really like positive, interesting reads! :) 

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And the winner is.....

....RIOT KITTY!

The more observant of you will have noted that I launched a giveaway about a month ago....and utterly forgot to post the winner!  Many thanks to all of you who entered, and big loves to Ms RK, who had the winning entry.  The cats and I will be making your package soon :)

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A Fun Giveaway!

As I mentioned in yesterday's, I'm doing a fall blog swap with a lovely blogger called Katie from California.  I hope her package is there or nearly there by now and that she loves her gifties.  While I was putting together her package (which I loved doing - making up 'Claire packages' is one of my main thrills in life!), I thought it would be nice to do another giveaway!

Earlier this year I selected a bunch of my favourite things, and had people enter a giveaway to have the items mailed to them in a package filled with joy!  The lovely Samantha won that giveaway, and I adored shopping for treats and little happies and books and things to share with her.  So I'm going to do the same now, but make it a bunch of my favourite 'autumn' things - the season of cold nights, Hallowe'en, bonfire night, back to school and the start of the holiday season.  I can't wait to put together a package for the winner!

To secure an entry in this giveaway you can:

1. Leave a comment on this post (please and thank you!)
2. Become a follower of this blog (or let me know in the comments if you already are!)
3. Blog about this giveaway, or link to this giveaway in a post on something else (let me know in the comments if you do so).
4. Tweet about this giveaway (let me know in the comments if you do so).
5. Become a fan of 'Country Mouse Claire' on facebook (button is on top left of the blog, let me know in the comments if you do so).
6. Sign up  to follow me on instagram, twitter, and/or pinterest (buttons above too, please let me know in the comments if you do so).

(One entry per item, maximum of eight entries per person)

I am so excited to hit John Lewis, Paperchase, Lakeland and Amazon to create a custom-made parcel for one of my lovely readers!  I won't make it until we have the winner, as I love to add a personal touch!

Good luck!

 Some of Sam's winnings - sweets and DVDs and books and stationery and yarn, oh mys!

This giveaway will run until 11 pm GMT on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012.

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Giveaway...and this one's for the bookworms...

I really enjoyed writing my recent posts on reading and books, and am really feeling inspired and interested in the written word again. After a couple of years where I really felt like I was on the back foot when it came to reading, lately, over the latter half of 2011 and as we romp through 2012, I'm feeling way more in the zone!

I love to read....and what better way to share that love than by hosting a BOOK giveaway? One lucky reader will receive not one but two of my favourite books (as mentioned in the past posts), delivered to their door. To refresh your memories, here's the full list - whichever way(s) you decide to enter, do please let me know which two books you would like to receive! There's a brief paragraph about each and why I've chosen them in the two earlier posts.

1. Nothing To Envy
2. Love Is a Mixtape
3. The State of Africa
4. High Fidelity
5. Little Women
6. Clara Callan
7. Anne of Green Gables
8. Pride and Prejudice
9. Matilda
10. Pies and Prejudice
11. Join Me
12. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
13. Thank You For The Days
14. The Hunger Games
15. Hear No Evil
16. A Game of Thrones
17. Gone With The Wind

To secure an entry in this giveaway you can:

1. Leave a comment on this post (please and thank you!)

2. Become a follower of this blog (please let me know in the comments if you do).

3. Blog about this giveaway (please let me know in the comments if you do so).

4. Tweet about this giveaway (please let me know in the comments if you do so).

5. Mention this giveaway on facebook (please let me know in the comments if you do so).

6. Like this blog on facebook (please let me know in the comments if you do so).

(One entry per item, maximum of six entries per person)

Oooh, I love a good giveaway! Best of luck!

This giveaway will run until 12 noon, BST, on Monday, April 30th.

PS No 'Project Life Tuesdays' for a few weeks for me due to holidays and moving, but am doing four photo selections which I'll post in early May and link to PLT.

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