Book Girl's Launch Day Eve: A Playlist for Reading, an Invitation, and a Marvelous Giveaway
As a little girl, I loved Christmas Eve just about as much as Christmas Day. Christmas Eve was a sacred, irreplaceable space of time when everything tingled with expectation, with the promise of celebration and gift. The preparation, the joy in crafting and cooking, wrapping and bustling was an integral part of the joy of the actual day when all the gifts would be unwrapped and the feasts devoured.
I feel the same about today; Book Girl releases tomorrow but I am taking so much joy in the preparation today, in planning for the fun tomorrow, in sharing your joy and expectation (thank you all of you who have written with such encouragement, such generous and shared excitement). In that spirit then, let me share several things with you here and invite you to one of the Launch Day projects that downright delights me.
First, please find a playlist (below) of my most beloved melodies for an afternoon hour of reading. These songs have accompanied my quiet, bookish moments for years. Perhaps they will bring a dose of extra delight to your reading as well.
Second, I'll be hosting a live, launch day event from my own little Oxford living room in celebration of Book Girl's release. My mom and I will be talking books and sharing our joy in the reading life. I'll read aloud from Book Girl, share a few of my current favorite reads, answer some of the questions you've sent my way via Instagram, and do a live giveaway of Book Girl and of the painting above. It will be an evening moment of candlelight and bookshelves and read-aloud from Oxford. 9pm British time (4pm EST, 3pmCST, 2pmMT, 1pmPT).
Third, I commissioned a little painting for the launch of Book Girl and I am so excited! Breezy Brookshire (click her name for a glimpse of her charming work) has created an image of a quintessentially book girlish moment, two prints of which I'll be giving away tomorrow. One of which will go to one of the kindred spirits who takes part in the launch day project I am so excited about; friends, this is your official invitation to:
Book Girls Read Together: A Launch Day Read-Along
Who: Calling all kindred spirit book girls! (And guys, of course, if you want to join.)
When: Any 30 minutes on the Book Girl Launch Day. (Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 4th)
What: Join book girls around the world in setting aside half an hour to read (an accompanying cuppa with a candle is highly recommended) and document your book girl moment with a photo. Then, share that photo on Instagram with the hashtag #bookgirlsreadtogether
Result: A worldwide party of reading, a gallery of bookish delight, AND you will be entered to win a copy of Breezy Brookshire's beautiful new painting of a Book Girl.
And check back here tomorrow as I will be posting a guide to our literary launch day festivities with links to Tyndale's amazing giveaway, info on the Facebook and Instagram live event, and other giveaways and fun. Thanks so much for your generous encouragement along the way. Have a day of beauty and grace and... I'll see you tomorrow.