Laila Lalami

The book I gave away earlier this morning went so fast I thought I’d give you guys on the West Coast a fair chance. I’d like to give away a copy of Anu Garg’s fantastic A Word A Day. Back when I was in graduate school, lo these many years ago, I used to subscribe to Anu’s mailing list, to which he sent out, well, a word a day, along with its definition, pronunciation, etymology, usage, quotation, and other tidbits. Anu put together some of these words into this book, which is a treat for language nuts.
I have one copy to give away, so if you want it, please send me an email with the subject line AWAD, and be sure to include your mailing address. Previous winners excluded.

Update: The winner is Adnan K. from Portland, Oregon.

This week’s giveaway is David Wolman’s A Left-Hand Turn Around The World: Chasing the Mystery and Meaning of All Things Southpaw, an exploration of the mystery and culture of left-handedness. I should have saved it for my own lefty brother, but what the heck, it’s more fun to give it away to readers. So: The first person to email me (subject line: Left Hand) gets the book. Please include your mailing address. Previous winners excluded.

Update: The winner is Tom N. from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Congrats.

This week, I’m giving away a copy of Ahmed Kathrada’s Memoirs. It’s a gripping account of a life spent fighting against apartheid in South Africa. I read it on the plane when I travelled to the east coast for my book tour and couldn’t put it down.

As usual, this is a first-come first-served opportunity. Please include your street address in your email to me, and please use the subject line “Memoirs.”

Update: The winner is Lynn C from Pearland, Texas.

Today’s giveaway is Waking Up American: Coming of Age Biculturally, an anthology of original work by women who immigrated to the United States during childhood, or were born to a foreign parent here.

Here’s how it works. Send me an email with the subject line “Waking Up American.” Please include your street address. We here at Moorishgirl operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Good luck to all.

Update: Natasha T. from Maryland wins the book.

Today’s giveaway is Leila Aboulela’s Minaret. The first person to correctly answer this question wins the book: What are the titles of Leila Aboulela’s first two books (published in the U.K.)?

Important: Please include your mailing address, so we can both save time.

Update: The winner is Elizabeth A. from Brooklyn.

This morning, I’m giving away a copy of Wendy Lesser’s first novel, The Pagoda in the Garden. The first person to correctly answer this question wins the book: Wendy Lesser is the founding editor of what literary journal? Important: Please include your mailing address, so we can both save time.

Update: Erica W. from Louisiana gets the book.

Today’s giveaway is Holiday Reinhorn’s story collection, Big Cats. The first time I read Reinhorn’s work was last year; a fine piece of hers had appeared in the Land-Grant College Review and I liked it quite a bit. When the book came out, I went to hear her read at Powell’s and got my copy. (She’s from Portland, but now lives in L.A.)

Here’s your question of the day: What is the title of Holiday Reinhorn’s story that appeared in Land-Grant? Send your answer, and your mailing address, to llalami AT yahoo DOT com. We here at Moorishgirl.com operate on a first-come first-serve basis.

Update: The winner is Robert S. from Charlotte, NC.

Today I’m giving away a copy of Tod Goldberg’s new collection of short stories, Simplify. This is the inaugural title for OV Books, the new imprint put out by Other Voices Magazine. Simplify has been praised by Pam Houston, Aimee Bender, Dan Chaon, and the LA Weekly, and has been generating some good word of mouth.

To make this giveaway a little more interesting, I’m asking that you answer the following question: “What are the titles of Tod’s first two novels?” The first person to email me with a correct answer wins the book. (Please include your mailing address.)

Update: The winner is Laura C. from Chicago.

This week, I’m giving away a copy of Aimee Bender’s new short story collection, Willful Creatures. Bender is one of those people who have a truly unique voice, whose stories are unlike anything else you’ve read, and who has a very faithful following among serious readers. You can read her talking about her book here and here.

Here’s how it works: First person to email me at llalami at yahoo dot com with the titles of Bender’s previous books gets the new one. Previous winners excluded, obviously.

Update: The winner is Lisa F.

Update 2: Jordan Rosenfeld has an interview scheduled with Aimee Bender for next Wednedsday at 7p.m PST on her radio show, Word by Word. You can stream it then, or check the archives later.

This week, I’m giving away a copy of Esmeralda Santiago’s The Turkish Lover. It’s a memoir of her seven-year relationship with Turkish filmmaker Ulvi Dogan, a candid account of the tumultuous and abusive times they spent together, traveling from Florida, through New York, to Boston, where Santiago finally settled down and started attending college. The book was released to very good reviews last fall, and is now coming out in paperback. Here’s how it works: First person to email me at llalami at yahoo dot com with the subject line ‘The Turkish Lover’ gets the book. Previous winners excluded, obviously.

Update: The winner is Suzanne K.