Sunday Giveaway: The Scorpio Races

As promised, my new giveaway is Maggie Stiefvater’s YA novel The Scorpio Races.

I loved The Scorpio Races (read my review here) and I’m happy to share this book with you. Thanks to Scholastic, not just one, not two, but THREE lucky readers get the chance to win a hardcover copy of this awesome book.

 To join, here are the mechanics:

1. The giveaway is open to all blog readers with a Philippine mailing address.

2. To enter the raffle, post your answer to this question in the comments section below:

 

What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

3. Entries will be accepted until Friday, January 20, 2012, 12 midnight, Manila time

4. One raffle entry per email addressper person (in other words one entry per person). I will reply to your entry in the comments section to validate it, and I reserve the right to weed out suspicious entries.

5. Two winners will be chosen based on their answers, and one winner will be drawn from the remaining entries via Random.org. Each winner will win one copy of The Scorpio Races. Screenshot will accompany the announcement of winners.

6. An email will also be sent to the winner to request his or her (Philippine) mailing address. The prize will be packaged securely and sent via a local courier, unless I’ll be seeing the winner anytime soon (e.g. FFP book discussion, FBB meetup, quiz night, geek fight or whatnot).

The giveaway officially opens as soon as this post is up.

Good luck!

74 thoughts on “Sunday Giveaway: The Scorpio Races”

  1. The Scorpio Races look promising!

    Hmmm, the most courageous thing I ever did was to really keep up with my skin disease. I get a lot of stares which are really unnerving, but eventually I learned to accept that fact, because the battle that I really have to overcome is my disease and not with them. :)

    1. Hi Berni, I can relate — I’m highly allergic to a lot of things (sunlight, certain seafood, dust, cosmetics) and often break into hives

      I enjoyed The Scorpio Races immensely!

  2. Putting my love and trust in a person who lives in another country and in another timezone, and whom I only really see, hug and kiss every two years — for four years now and counting.

  3. Been hearing so much positive praise about this book.

    Here’s my answer to your question:
    The most courageous thing I ever deed was when I had a head to head debate with a professor (you know, the adamant, pedantic one! Haha! :D) during college. Good thing I proved my point by the end of it. :)

  4. The most courageous thing I`ve ever done was to (sorry this was what popped in my head) confess to a guy I liked. It didn`t work, actually, but I`ve gained pretty much experience from it that includes stalking. ; )

  5. Yesterday, as I was reading you review about this book, I can’t stop laughing at how girly and poise the horses were in the header image of the post!

    Maybe the most courageous thing I’ve ever done was to choose between friendship and truth. As what Dumbledore said, it takes a great deal of courage to stand up against your friend. It was two years ago when two of my close friends started fighting about certain things. At first, I don’t want to get involved so I chose to become neutral. However, things were not leading to betterment and I knew I need to act. I was asked to choose between the friendship of the two. Who will I defend? One of my friend was really expecting me to join him but I didn’t choose any of them. I asked both of their sides and decided that one was wrong and the other was correct. It created a loophole in our friendship and we rarely talked since then. But during our school retreat last year, he told me that he was very thankful that I chose to side with the truth and that he was so willing to recreate our friendship back. Sweet.

    Oh my! This is long! LOL.

    1. I think real friendship will always find a way. My best friend and I get into a huge fight once in a blue moon, but we always manage to patch things up! :p

  6. Maybe one of the courageous things that I did was to study in a university that is far from home. Back in high school, I never planned to study here since it is far, big, one of the best (there is a great competition among students), and for the ultimate reason that I’m scared living without my parents by my side. But when I passed the entrance exam in this university, things changed. I thought that maybe there is really a reason why I passed the exam. So I gathered all my courage and entered this university. Today, I don’t have any regrets of choosing this path, I’m also thankful that I had that courage back then.

    1. Good for you! :) Passing the entrance exam is a huge achievement, and following through with it is even more admirable! :)

  7. This book looks very interesting!

    Probably one of the most courageous things I’ve done would be having an internship abroad and sticking to it despite really tough challenges. As they say, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger c:

    1. It is very interesting! I don’t think I even put it down until I finished it!

      Hear, hear on “what doesn’t kill you”! :D

  8. so far the most courageous thing that i’ve done was to speak in public(im still in HS anyway). i was so nervous that time, it’s like the whole world revovles around you and everybody’s expecting something good from you. Thank God i made it through!

    As long as we have courage within ourself and faith in Him nothing seems impossible…

    btw, nice giveaway!! and thanks for giving us the chance to have the scorpio races book :-)…

  9. I think the most courageous thing I’ve done is to take a course in college that I never even dreamt of taking. I decided to challenge myself by taking up engineering even though I TOTALLY suck at Math :)) I could’ve chosen a course that would be easy for me but here I am, struggling with numbers for three years already XD

  10. Five years ago, I’d have said the most courageous thing I’ve ever done was to go to boarding school on the other side of the world for five years.

    But now, without a doubt, the most courageous thing I am still doing, and will continue to do, is to raise my son. He’s a special needs boy, so it certainly takes more than a village to raise this child.

  11. I’ve always wanted to be part of the staff of our school paper, only I never really had the guts to ask for an application form and submit it just on time before the dreadful grammar and essay exams. So it came as a surprise, even to myself, that I found myself in a room full of other hopefuls writing an essay for an hour about a topic I fished out of a bowl. It was something that I never expected I would do, I joined without even thinking, someone just asked me if I’d like to and I said “yes” right then and there. I just knew that if I would never do it, I would suffer a lot of what-ifs later in my life.

    Weeks after the exam came an interview and my name was called first, a staffer telling me that my essay got the top spot because the judges thought it was uniquely written and the essay was just what they were looking for.

    I’ve never been so happy. It felt like a dream come true, and it was. I used to think that I would never be a part of it, what with all the good writers left and right around our school. But I got in. And aced it.

    1. Good job, Jessan! :)

      I was EIC of my high school paper and naturally tried out for my university paper. I was being considered for a spot on the features staff and the editor was asking me for suggestions for her section. I innocently suggested articles that would be more fun to read, like campus fashion (it was just an example!!!) and the editor got insulted and told me huffily that the school publication is a serious newspaper for serious writers. So I didn’t get in (Grr!).

      Fastforward to five years later, I’m a contributor to a national broadsheet and she’s web editor of a women’s web portal :p Nothing against her site, but haha, she totally dashed my dreams back then.

  12. Courageous thing I did?

    When I was a teenager, I am full of angst and whatever emo thing that was caused by hormones. I made too much enemies than friends that time. I grew so proud that I don’t ask for forgiveness to anyone (even if I am the one at fault!).

    Now a full-grown and matured lady (naks!), I got out of my comfort zone to look for the people I didn’t want to go back to. We have our own faults that destroyed the friendship (she was my best friend that time). I was okay without her (or them) but I think I have to face it that I have to apologize for all the things I have done to her (and other people). It’s hard, REALLY HARD! I mean, I used to be a really proud person. I thought of it for a year before I acted. Being humble is a good trait for a person and I am trying to practice it. I am surprised that it isn’t hard at all :)

    We’re okay now. Though there’s still awkwardness and tension in the air, at least we started our friendship all over again with forgiveness and humility.

  13. The most courageous thing I’ve done so far would be to travel abroad by myself. It was the first time I’ve ever ridden on an airplane, and I had to take a connecting flight in Singapore. :D I’m also terrified of flying, so you can imagine how freaked out I was during my first flight. I’m still scared of flying, but that first trip to Indonesia did make my second trip a little bit easier.

  14. Nice.. I’ll be adding another book to my “What to read next” list.^^ Thanks Blooey.

    Anyway, the most courageous thing I did is to try the EKXtreme ride in Enchanted Kingdom. It might not be that courageous for many, but try to think of facing your greatest phobia. That’s what I felt that time. I have fears of height and just climbing up a stairs in an open air is already difficult for me.

  15. The most courageous thing I did was to stand up and be strong for my man who underwent surgery and need to recover in the hospital for two weeks. This was two years ago, after we were held up and he was shot three times. I needed to be brave for him and for myself. He survived. Now, seven years into the relationship and we’re engaged to be married. Thank you for this giveaway and the chance to share the universal principle that without courage, how can we acquire other virtues?

    Nancy @ Simple Clockwork
    http://www.nancycudis.com

  16. Hmm courageous thing I ever did? this is quite hard… but I think the most courageous thing I ever did was when I answered my science professor way back when I was in elementary. I think I did the right thing answering her back since she’s definitely on the wrong side of what she’s trying to teach us. I raised my hand and questioned her… she was kind of pissed but it turned out that she was really wrong.

  17. I guess the most courageous thing that I’ve ever done was to lead a life that’s different from what was expected of me after college. :) My relatives completely felt that I was doing the wrong thing by not accepting a job in a multinational and instead starting a career in digital marketing, but I believe that it’s exactly what I want to do to jumpstart my post-school journey.

    Even if it was brave on my end, I admit that I was also uncertain and scared when I started, but now I can say that my decision is paying off. No regrets! :D

  18. It’s my first time to visit your blog and you’ve definitely earned a follower. I love reading books, and reading your review of “The Scorpio Races” made me want to read the book badly as I was into “The Hunger Games” trilogy too myself.

    And, to answer your question:
    The most courageous thing I’ve done was to stand up for myself and to trust again the people whom had wronged me before. Life is too short to fill your days with hate anyways. Thanks

  19. So far, I’ve been my most courageous when I hopped on a plane alone for a business trip. I was tasked to guide and look after a client (who arrived a day before) when it’s my first time in that province and I don’t know anyone yet (just the contact numbers of some organizers). It was a tough and fun experience at the same time and I enjoyed it tremendously.

  20. I’ve read some comments above, and I don’t know if my 18 years of life experiences could compare. Perhaps, this could be deemed courageous, too:

    Having been used to following what others want for me, it was a huge surprise that I was able to listen to my heart’s call. I let myself escape from the trap of conventions and be released from extreme pressures that bind me. Instead of allowing other people shape my life, I created a path of my own.

    I am currently working my way towards being the best doctor I could be — not only for my fulfillment but, more importantly, for the betterment of my fellowmen.

  21. Hi Blooey! My first time to hop by your blog and what better way to welcome myself than trying out my luck in this giveaway :p

    The most courageous thing I’ve done so far? Well, I’m still at it! Not caring what other people say. It’s the hardest thing, and I’m proud of myself for even trying!

  22. I think the most courageous thing I have ever done is to come clean to my classmates about the lies I have told them. Sure, I was high school back then and every teenagers should get the benefit to make mistakes, but it wasn’t enough for me. I think I totally put myself into shame just to be able to tell the truth, and I almost felt sorry for that. However, it turned out great. I mean, I found the “true” friends I’ve had all along, and I learned that lying, for whatever cause it may be for, wouldn’t do any help and would just make things even worse.

    It was hard to tell the truth. I was not in a now-or-never situation, but I knew it wasn’t fair to them. It wasn’t just the most courageous thing I have ever done. It was also one of the most selfless thing I ever did, because I knew that being their friend — I owe them the truth. :)

  23. Heard so much about this book! What a great giveaway (sali ako, kung manalo, can I hold a give it to someone in the philippines?)

    Hardest and most courageous thing – magkaanak! Holy smoking oakin’. When you have your own kid, you will know what I mean! and it’s not just the giving birth … it’s the raising the kid part that’ll baffle, inspire, and fill you with pride.

  24. i think the most courageous thing i’ve done is when i was a little younger my uncle left me at an anime convention at the world trade center there was so many people and i kept calling his cell after i got the text that he went home already with my cousin. i only had twenty pesos and no idea how to get home and it was already getting dark but i managed to remember the route going there and hoped a bus could get me at least somewhere i was familiar with. i rode a bus by myself with no idea where i was going but thanks to a nice conductor i was able to get to ayala and to my grand parents who usually attended mass there :)

    1. Oh, I remember my first bus ride alone, on my first day in college, when I got spectacularly lost on my way to school.

  25. This may sound weird but the most courageous thing I’ve ever done is confessing my sins to the priest. Yes, I know it sounds to easy, shallow or even silly because, everybody can do it or had done it at least once in their life. I admit that I did a lot of mistakes in the past years, we all did (and still do), but this small things kept bothering me that I can’t sleep peacefully at night. ‘Why did I do those things if I knew they were wrong?’, was the question I kept asking myself. The truth is, I didn’t really know but, I always answered myself with “I’m a teenager, that’s why.” I was that kind of person, a person who kept hiding from the truth and pretending things didn’t happen, until our religion teacher shared her experience when she was younger. Like me, she made her mistakes too. The only difference is, she didn’t hide — she accepted the truth and embraced it. That’s when I decided to do the same.

    On our school’s confession day (we had that kind of event :D) , when our adviser asked us to make a list of the thing we’d want to confess, I wrote a list and it was a long one. I was next in line for the confession room when I felt myself hesitating to go inside it because once I enter that room, I can’t back out and I’d have to confess no matter what. I convinced myself that I was doing the right thing and it worked. I got inside and told the priest everything on the list — making sure I didn’t miss a single one. It was like a spell, releasing me from my bonds, I felt like I could breathe again! Then, I realized that hiding/pretending won’t do you any good Instead we should let go and accept reality in order to have peace because, the truth will find you no matter where you hide — one way or another. Looking back now, I never thought it would take a lot of courage to do such a simple thing! :)

    Thanks for the giveaway! I’m dying to read this book!!! I hope I win!

  26. In my 14 years of life I would say that the most courageous thing that I’ve ever done was to live. It’s a cycle that—for me—takes a lot of courage—especially when it’s one of those times that I feel like I wanted my world to end. Every morning I woke up, I know something bad will happen on that day, but still I live my life. I’m ready to take those challenges life will bring like traveling (even though I might get an accident), doing activities in school (even though I might fail them), and even eating (because I might choke). And when the day is done, before I would go to sleep, I would think that I might not wake up the next day. There’s a lot of doubt, but still I would sleep. I keep on going, because if I don’t I’ll die with the funniest excuse in the world. Have you seen in newspapers headlines like: “MAN DIED, TOO SCARED TO EAT”? Of course you don’t. Life is like an amusement park ride, it’s scary, but there’s something that we want on that ride—it can be experiences, feelings, and some other things—but we take all of our courage and ride it.

  27. For me, the most courageous thing I’ve done to date is to drop out of college when I have about a year left until graduation. I felt like college wasn’t a beneficial experience to me anymore, and I really feel that I was just wasting precious hours in class. My decision left me unnerved and ashamed for a while, but I’m glad I did. A year can be either long or short but if you ask me a year is a pretty long time to waste. Since then life has not been perfect, but I can say that I spent my time exactly how I wanted to.

  28. Hi! It’s my first time to comment here (and join a giveaway contest :P) but I have been a constant follower of your blog. I have always enjoyed your book reviews and even bought some of the books you have recommended.

    Anyway, here goes my entry:

    One of the most courageous things i’ve done is to eventually conquer my fear of crossing the streets. Three years ago I got hit by a motorcycle while crossing the streets and since then I’ve become fearful of even walking along sidewalks on my own. I would traverse the longest yet safest path or would ask the help of friends and my sister to guide me through. But I soon realized that if I keep on becoming paranoid I will always be dependent upon other people’s guidance and my fear would hold me back from accomplishing things on my own. Although I still maintain cautiousness and alertness, I have learned to trust my own decisions (and estimations, of course haha)

    tschüs! :)

  29. Is this entry still valid? Oh gosh I only found out about this entry :((

    But the most courageous thing I’ve done was living 4 months away from home in France. It was hard to be independent and finally cooking, cleaning and budgeting on your own but it did give me a sense of responsibility that I probably won’t get anywhere else.

    I also just thought of climbing this some hundred meter STEEP mountain was an act of courage too because… I hate steep things and I can’t believe I survived this ordeal for my immersion! It was worthwhile despite the hours of climbing, slipping and actually crying for help XD

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