Sunday, May 24, 2009

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci *DRAWING CLOSED*

Drawing has been closed.

This time I've actually read the book I'm giving away! Here's my review of I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti. Sure, you could page down, but I love making things easy for you.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti is part memoir, part recipe book, the tale of the author's tumultuous and disappointing love life and the foods she's cooked for her commitment-phobic former boyfriends and sometimes just herself. I'm saving my copy because I want to try the recipes (or foist them on my husband -- he'll cook just about anything if I bring him the ingredients and a recipe). It's a really light, fun memoir; sometimes the recipes made me laugh because she added witty little comments. More about that in my review, of course.

I'm giving away 5 copies of I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

To enter, please do the following:

1. Leave a valid email address. Again, this is non-negotiable; I get all pissy and ditch you from the list if you don't leave me an email address -- blogger does not show me your email, so you have to physically type it out (with parentheses or spaces to discourage Ed the Spammer).

2. I Loved, I Lost made me smile a lot (and, at one point, cry so fiercely that I had to set the book down and do some deep breathing -- but it likely won't make you cry unless you were young when your father died), and that made me think about how much I love a book that makes me laugh. If you remember a book that made you laugh or even just smile a lot, please share the title and author with me.

3. This is a great book for the despondently single. I don't do extra entries, but encourage you to nudge your single friends to sign up, especially if they've had a really disappointing dating life. Single women who have gone through a series' of promising dates with men who seemed to love them -- but without the ring and the pretty dress at the end -- will probably really appreciate this book. I love it when a book helps people feel a little less alone.

Drawing is open to U.S. and Canada residents only -- no P.O. Boxes. Winners will receive their copies directly from the publisher.

Drawing has been delayed till Tuesday, May 26, due to a holiday that our school district has unpatriotically decided to ignore (yes, the kids will be in school on a federal holiday -- feel free to write a nasty letter to the Vicksburg-Warren school district quoting President Obama, in my honor). I just figured some of you won't be around to answer an email saying, "You won, you lucky devil!" Happy Memorial Day to the Americans!

51 comments:

  1. Well, I don't think this is scathingly brilliant, but I just posted about this contest on Win A Book.

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  2. Bridget,

    Maybe not a scathingly brilliant comment, but certainly welcome. Thank you! :)

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  3. I'm never brillant. But, I did read a very good review on this book in People Magazine this week. Please accept my entry to win this book!

    Sheri
    A Novel Menagerie
    anovelmenagerie@aol.com

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  4. Thanks so much for this giveaway!

    My favorite "made me laugh" book of all time is "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. It's just so outrageously funny at times you can't help but laugh!

    BookCrossingKitten22[at]gmail[dot]com

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  5. I have heard so much about this book. Please include my name in your drawing.
    Thanks
    Carlene
    iluvreading(at)verizon.net

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  6. Anonymous5:18 PM

    I've seen this book a lot, and I initially thought that I wouldn't be interested in it, so I never bothered to look at any reviews or information on the book. But, I changed my mind. I think I'll like it, now having read this post.

    Books that made me laugh? The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands. Very funny part involving a bird bath. *grins* Um, what else? *thinks hard* Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh. Faefever by Karen Marie Moning. Actually, I love her whole series, so if you haven't, you should check it out! Book 4 comes out this August, yay!

    I think I may be done spreading about my scathingly brilliantness. :D

    jaam121388 at yahoo dot com

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  7. I'd love to win and read this book! I have zero brilliance in me at the moment and can't think of one book that made me smile and or laugh a lot.

    Spending time with my mom, who is only 68, but has severe dementia always leaves me feeling this way!

    Thanks for the giveaway

    (I'll cheer up soon) :-)

    nancyrobster@gmail.com

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  8. I'd love a chance to win this book. Unfortunately I can't think right now of books that have me laughing, and most of my books are still packed. So I'm stumped (and tired).

    Thanks for the chance!

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

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  9. I would love to be entered into the drawing. I really loved The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. So feel good. My email address is michellekaemarks@gmail.com. Thanks so much!

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  10. Don't enter me in the drawing...not single yet...although it looks like a fun read! I'm reminded of Dorothy Parker -- except she couldn't cook.

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  11. Lorrainerenaud@aol.com

    Bar None, the funniest book I've ever read, I mean laughing out loud, cracked up funny book is from Susan Elizabeth Phillips 'This Heart of Mine' you have, you have to buy it...it is so funny and so well written and so entertaining, that it'll make you smile months from the end of the book. Plus it will inspire your writing as well. This is a promise. Buy it booky, you'll never regret it ;)

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  12. Oh this sounds like my kind of book! Please sign me up!

    The funniest book I've read in awhile was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Maybe not everyone's cuppa tea, but I thought it was hilarious. Laugh out loud funny. Really, I was rolling in the floor. SO FUNNY.

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  13. kylee (dot) challenge AT gmail (dot) com

    The first book I though of when you mentioned books that made us laugh was The Spinster Sisters by Stacey Ballis.

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  14. This book looks cute--enter me into the drawing please :-) A book that made me laugh is any of the Stephanie Plum books--they crack me up.

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  15. Sounds good! Lots of books have made me laugh. The first thing that comes to mind is 'Never Have your Dog Stuffed' by Alan Alda because I was just talking about it the other day. :)

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  16. This sounds like a really entertaining book! The last book I read that made me laugh out loud was "The Adrian Mole Diaries" by Sue Townsend. (Poor Adrian Mole!)

    Anyway, please enter me in the contest: thekittyknitterATverizonDOTnet.

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  17. I'd love to read this book. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
    The first book that came to mind when I thought about which ones have made me laugh out loud was CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES by John Kennedy Toole. It's been a long time since I read it, but obviously it made a strong impression!

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  18. AAACCCKKK! I can't believe I forgot to leave my email!

    geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

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  19. I'd love to read this book. I can't think of a book that made me laugh recently - I seem to be reading a lot of serious books lately. Maybe I need to lighten up!

    Please count me in - Thanks!
    megalon22[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  20. I would love to be included in the giveaway.
    my email is wlcgrad (at) yahoo (dot) com

    Books that always make me smile and laugh are those written by Michael Perry. He has a wonderful, eclectic, and HONEST sense of humor and he's just plain geniune. His new book "COOP: a Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting" is just awesome.

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  21. sounds like a great book!

    ykatrina at hotmail dot com

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  22. Thanks for the opportunity to enter the contest---I am not single, but I still want to read it anyway, and I think I will be passing it along to my single friends. The last funny book I read, believe it or not, was Gone with the Wind---when Mammy told Scarlet she was a free woman, and Scarlet can't tell her where to go and what to do, and she is planning on staying right with Scarlett--I laughed out loud!!!

    missyjoon@gmail.com

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  23. thanks for this great giveaway. The most entertaining books that I have read are all of Bill Bryson's books. Love them. I would give this book to my single girlfriend and there are many of them.
    saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  24. I am captivated with this unique book. I love the idea of food, recipes and her life. Many are in this limbo nowadays. Amusing books that I think are wonderful are by David Sedaris and his sister Amy. Thanks for this lovely peek. bencanada1(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  25. It sounds like a wonderful book and I laughed when you said you were actually reading this one while having the giveaway. :)

    Lots of books do make me chuckle when I read them but I honestly can't recall which ones!

    quelleheure4[at]gmail{dot}com

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  26. The last book I read that made me laugh throughout was Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips.

    --Anna
    diaryofaneccentric at hotmail dot com
    Diary of an Eccentric

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  27. Anonymous8:52 AM

    I've read about this book in the Times. Sounds hilarious.
    My favorite recent made me laugh and cry book was Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life. Her descriptions of food lust are unbeatable.
    Love your blog...Please enter me in the contest!
    email: audrey.harris@gmail.com

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  28. This giveaway is wonderful and sounds unique with recipes and fun. Great laughter for me is always a book by Dave Barry. So enjoyable.
    rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  29. This book sounds so unique and provides everything we would want. Food and fun. I always need a book by Bill Bryson to laugh and keep my spirits up. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  30. sounds like fun thanks for the giveaway minsthins at optonline dot net

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  31. looks great and have heard alot of great things about this book

    mrs.mommyyatgmaildotcom

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  32. I just finished reading My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler, which might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I was laughing loudly throughout the whole book!

    mamie316@sbcglobal.net

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  33. I would have to say Bridget Jones' Diary is a real funny laugh out loud book. I loved how she kept count of her calories, lotto tickets, chocolate and cigarettes :)

    zoeyredbird9@gmail.com

    thank you!

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  34. i've been wanting to read this
    pksanddancer@yahoo.com

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  35. Please enter me in this giveaway.

    Thank you,

    cstironkat at aol (dot) com

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  36. I like the chicken soup for the soul books. I read Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers soul which made me laugh and cry.

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  37. Thanks for the chance to win this--it looks great!!

    emvark at gmail dot com

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  38. I would love to win a copy of this.
    Thanks!
    1bmore @ gmail . com

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  39. Valerie5:55 PM

    The Notebook made me cry
    KawaiiNeko2008 at aol dot com

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  40. Please enter me! Thanks so much!

    jennifercausby at hotmail dot com

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  41. Hi! This sounds like a lovely little read, and I would love to enter your contest! What you've said about it reminds me of Heartburn, Nora Ephron's semi-autobiographical novel, with recipes, about her break-up with Carl Bernstein :)

    gentlereader1 at hotmaildotcom

    Thanks!

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  42. I enjoy books that make me laugh, too. Mondays for me aren't bad because the kids go back to school and I can get some things done during the day. Every day is busy for us since they do so many activities (even on weekends) so I always have to check my calendar to see what's up for that day.

    seknobloch@gmail.com

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  43. Anonymous8:50 PM

    I've heard of this book and I'd love the opportunity to win it!
    wandanamgreb @ gmail dot com

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  44. Sounds like a great book. Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me.
    eswright18 at gmail dot com

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  45. Anonymous10:44 AM

    I was going to pass on this cuz I feel I've been overgreedy in signing up for so many giveaways lately, but I want to give this to my friend Holly (see #3) SO: my email is bkclubcare AT gmail DOT com and a book that made me laugh AND was food related was Julie & Julia. Thx, Care

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  46. This sounds like a fun book to read. Thanks for the chance

    jason@allworldautomotive.com

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  47. I really want to read this -- for the recipes if nothing else.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  48. Loved the comment about foisting the recipes on your husband!

    jenclair(at)aol(dot)com

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  49. What a great story. Love to read it. Thanks for this glimpse.
    rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  50. Part memoir and part recipe...irresistible combination!
    quelleheure4[at]gmail{dot}com

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  51. This sounds like a good book. Sign me up!

    lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com

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