Halloween Book Giveaway! Win 5 Scary Books!

This contest is now closed. Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to participate! I enjoyed reading the responses and was very pleased with the enthusiastic reaction to the contest.

I've now selected three entries using the random number generator over at randomizer.org. And the winners are:

Rhonda Struthers (comment #40)

Glenn (comment #43)

Jeanette Huston (comment #60)

I'll be notifying them by email as well.

Hachette Book Group is at it again with another themed giveaway! Three lucky readers of book-blog.com will win a box of five scary books:

The Heretic's Daughter By Kathleen Kent ISBN: 031602449X
Sins of the Flesh By Caridad Piñeiro ISBN: 0446543837
When Ghosts Speak By Mary Ann Winkowski ISBN: 044658133X
BoneMan's Daughters By Ted Dekker ISBN: 1599951959
The Historian By Elizabeth Kostova ISBN: 0316070637

On top of this, Hachette will randomly select 20 winners (from their contests across a number of blogs)  to receive a galley of Ted Dekker’s next book, THE BRIDE COLLECTOR.

--- --- --- --- HOW TO ENTER --- --- --- ---

Anyone who knows me well at all knows that I loathe Christmas with a great and shudder-inducing loathing. I hate that it's an overly-commercial behemoth that clogs up our highways and emporia for weeks or months at the end of every year. I hate that participation in the frivolities is just assumed by well-meaning people, as if opting out or simply not being Christian is unthinkable at that time of year. I hate that people waste money buying crap for other people who don't want it when that money could be better spent and when they very often don't like the people they're buying the crap for. I hate that participation on some level is obligatory, despite how hard you try to get out of it. Christmas is big and ugly and far removed from whatever respectable roots it had.

On the other hand, I really really like Halloween. Halloween is everything a holiday should be. It's small. It's not religious, for all practical purpose (yeah, yeah, All Hallow's Eve, but get over it; nobody cares). It's not very commercialized (a bit sure, but nothing on the level of Christmas). It's children-centered. It's candy-centered. The customs connected to it are passed down from generation to generation, kids catching on to the requirements of the event almost through osmosis, like they learn playground rhymes. And kids look forward to Halloween not because they're going to be buried under a mound of bank-breaking presents, and I'd argue not really because they're going to be buried under a mound of candy, but simply because it's fun. Putting together a costume is fun. Dressing up is fun. Vampires and ghosts and witches are fun. Walking around the neighborhood is fun. Probably what I like most about Halloween, though, is that in its informal way it brings the community together. When else do your neighbors go out in the dark in such numbers and walk around together? How often do the youngest people in your neighborhood interact with the oldest? The feelings that I assume are supposed to be connected with Christmas--all that alleged cheer and good wishes--I think that's really in evidence on Halloween, and without the crowds and aggravation and expense.

But enough about me. By way of celebrating Halloween, you might want to enter this drawing for the aforementioned box of scary books. To enter, just leave a comment below explaining why you like Halloween and/or describing some noteworthy Halloween-related memory. That's it!

The fine print:

1. Entries must be submitted by 12:00 PM Eastern Time October 31st, 2009.

2. Three winners will be selected in a random drawing. I'll notify the winners by email on October 31st and will ask then that you provide your shipping address.

3. Please include your email address when leaving your entry so that I can contact you if you win.

4. Contest open to US and Candian residents only. No PO boxes please.

Comments

[Laura's Reviews]

1.

What a great contest!

I love Halloween. I like how it is one day a year that everyone opens doors and gives out candy to their neighbors. Last year was the first year I got to take my son around town. He loved being dressed as a fireman and it was exciting to go to every door and get a surprise.

I love to give out candy - but it looks like I won't be doing that for a few years while I take my kids out. I love to see all of the kids dressed up and so excited. It's a lot of fun!

[Cherie J]

2.

Great contest! What I love about Halloween has most to do with my kids. I have a 3 year old girl and a 6 year old boy. I love their excitement. They have so much fun picking out a costume and then dressing up. We have fun going to a local Trunk or Treat and coming home with lots of candy. Then we sit and watch Halloween cartoons while we munch on candy. We have lots of fun together.

[colleen]

3.

I have to say I love the candy the most. Especially the candy corn.

[Talya]

4.

A reason to dress up is the best part of Halloween. I love how excited children get around this holiday and I love scary movies.

[madwoman-doing-cartwheels]

5.

I also am not a Christmas lover. And Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the fall as a season and seeing all the little kids dressed up is such a hoot. Halloween is the perfect time to settle back and read horror and watch movies from our zombie collection of DVDs. Halloween is near perfect!

[mindy]

6.

i like halloween because it is one of the few times during the year you can still be a kid

[scottsgal]

7.

I love seeing the little kids in their costumes - the ones who are in it for the fun not the candy

[Claire]

8.

I love Halloween because it's the one time of the year you can be whatever you want to be.. I think most people would look at me strangely if I dressed like a 40s femme fatale any other day of the year!

[Beth(bookaholicmom)]

9.

I love to see all the trick or treaters having fun. Some kids are so creative with their costumes and they all seem to be have so much fun. We really enjoy pumpkin carving here too. It's just a fun holiday!

bthgordon [at] yahoo [dot] com

[Tracey Byram]

10.

I like the candy.

[Jennifer]

11.

I like Halloween because it is a great way to see all our neighbors and I love seeing all the creative costumes! Thanks for the giveaway, these books all sound great!

[Kelly Ann T.]

12.

I love Halloween because the kids looks so cute in their costumes and the excitement on their faces is adorable.
There are some charity events my dog and I participate in every year for Halloween. He loves going to the Howl and Yowl. It benefits a local rescue group and my dog loves wearing a costume. He gets so excited about it.

[wendy wallach]

13.

I like Halloween simply because I get to steal the candy my daughter does not like! I am also lucky that she does not like chocolate..some kind of genetic mutation I think on her part! My favorite Halloween memory is the first time that she put on a costume and went trick or treating!

madamerkf at aol dot com

[Darcy B]

14.

My family takes Halloween very seriously, I probably have more Halloween decorations then (that other holiday) --we're a bid odd --some of my regular decor were originally meant to be Halloween decorations- I'm just the kind of gal that when I place a skull on candlestick holder on my mantel --I just can't take it down. I would love to win some scary books I'm always looking for a good read!
kakihararocks@gmail.com

[Kimmy]

15.

I love Halloween because it reminds me of my childhood. Going "Trick or Treating" was always so much fun. I have very fond memories of it growing up. I also just love this time of year, Fall is a wonderful season and there is nothing like watching little kids dressed up in costume stomping through the leaves to get candy;-)

Also, I love scary movies/books!

And...according to Giles...Halloween "is, like,
dead for the undead. They stay in."

[Deedles]

16.

I love Halloween. I love decorating for this holiday.

[Mia J.]

17.

I love Halloween. It is so much fun to take my daughter out trick or treating and help her pick a costume and check out all the other great costumes and have fun walking around the neighborhood on a brisk autumn night and the candy is an added bonus. What's not to like about Halloween. It is all around fun.

[Lisa H]

18.

I love watching scary movies while waiting for the little ones to come by trick or treating. I love seeing their costumes.

[Jonnie H]

19.

I like Halloween because everyone lets go of there inhibitions and acts like a kid again. I also like that it is really a community event, where you get to see your neighbors and everyone is friendly and chatty.

[Mel K.]

20.

I love Halloween because it's the one night loved ones can visit me from the dead. I also find cool home furnishings and make-up. I'm an old punk rocker.

Meljprincess AT aol DOT com

[Jeanette Jackson]

21.

I love everything about Halloween. I like the kids in costumes..so cute. I love dressilng up and pretending to be someone (or something) else. The decorations are wonderfully scary.

[Ruthie]

22.

okay, I was born in October and I have always loved Halloween. It's perfect for creepy stuff (which I love, hence the types of books that I read). I could live without the candy but there are some pretty cool stuff out in the stores at this time of the year! i just love taking my kids trick or treating!

ruthiesbookreviews AT yahoo DOT com

[etirv]

23.

Halloween is the craziest holiday and I like it!

[Tanya]

24.

I like Halloween because I like seeing all of the creative costumes that everyone wears and I love HAUNTED HOUSES.. I wish that they had them all year round Thanks

[Andrea I]

25.

I loved the costume contests they held at our town's Halloween carnival. I also remember bobbing for apples.

ainfinger@comcast.net

[enyl]

26.

My favorite Halloween happened the year I turned 8, my family threw the party of every child's dream. The party lasted about 8 hours and included every game that a child could imagine. Every child went home with a shopping bag full of candy.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

[Heather M]

27.

I like Halloween because it's Simple! It's small (Like you said) and I like giving little kids some candy! They deserve it once in a while right?

[Kelly B]

28.

I love Halloween because it lets me be a great big kid. I love fooling around with make up and coming up with THE perfect costume. I love making my son up as a sloppy creepy crawly zombie. It is the perfect time for heavy doses of imagination! I also like that I can buy bags and bags of candy and no one looks at me like I am nuts! :) Plus how cool is it to give kids candy and make them smile? :0 Great post and great giveaway.

Thanks!

kalea_kane(at)yahoo(dot)com

[Henrietta]

29.

I love Halloween for all of the reasons you mentioned. Our 14yo boy is growing out of the trick or treating phase :( Our 9yo girl is still loving it! I love Halloween because it's something we do together as a family. We drive to town, park at the funeral home :) and walk for a few hours in the crisp autumn air with the leaves crunching under our feet, and little ghouls, goblins and princesses running all around. I love the feelings and sense of togetherness it invokes!

Thanks for the giveaway!
hensnest[at]windstream[dot]net

[Stacie]

30.

I love dressing up and taking my kids trick or treating door to door. They are always so excited to wear their costumes and get lots of candy.

[Benita Glickman]

31.

I love Halloween because it reminds me of all the childhood fun we had. One year I went Trick or Treating with my older sister. I was dressed as Snow White. We rang a doorbell and an old woman dressed as a witch answered the door holding a basket of large red apples. We ran away so quickly, and so scared.

Thanks for the wonderful giveaway. My fingers are crossed.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

[Heather S]

32.

I love having kiddos come to the door in their costumes! It's the best part! That and seeing their faces with you give them a big handful of candy!

[Aliya D.]

33.

I love Halloween!!!! As a child, my excitement would build over the course of October as I'd decide on a costume, planning the school party, etc. And of course the trembling, jittery (pre-sugar) joy of actually trick or treating! This holiday is built for children and you can really feel it... Please accept this as my entry. Thank you!

Aliya D.
aliyadaya(at)shaw(dot)ca

[Linda Kish]

34.

I like Halloween because the kids all look so cute dressed up and I have an excuse to eat candy.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

[Jaime]

35.

I love Halloween because of the candy!!! Chocolate. No other time of the year can you be someone else and no one thinks your crazy

[Audrey]

36.

I love halloween. It's your chance to be someone you are not. :)

plus there is lots of candy!

By the way - i'm in full agreement about Christmas!

Thanks for hosting this giveaway.

[Marjorie]

37.

I enjoy giving out candy to the little ones and
of course if I any left over it is for me!

[Neas Nuttiness]

38.

I like Halloween simply because it is one of my grown sons favorite holidays. He covers our whole house in cobwebs, decorates it to the hilt.

Thanks for the giveaway.

[Janet F]

39.

I like Halloween because it makes children feel happy.

janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

[Rhonda Struthers]

40.

I love seeing the little kids dressed up and excited for Halloween

rhondastruthers at yahoo dot ca

[Donna S]

41.

Great set of books. I like Halloween because it is a day when everyone can dress up as anything real or imaginary and have some fun and eat sweets without guilt.

bacchus76 at myself dot com

[Lisa A.]

42.

I also love Halloween because of the scary movies that pop up on TV more often this time of year! My favorite Halloween memory was when I was about 12 and a friend of mine and I sat in her darkened room and watched as the trick-or-treaters came up to her parents' door. We were trying to identify (and then mock) any classmates, because we were soooo above Halloween! LOL!

[Glenn]

43.

I remember my brother and I dressing as bums and being mistaken by a bunch of people as the Smith brothers, famous cough drop makers. Thanks for the giveaway.

[Bethie]

44.

I like Halloween because I love to see how cute the kids are in their costumes.

[GSM]

45.

I do like Halloween. Growing up in South Louisiana it was sort of "Mardi Gras Lite"--great costumes, fun, and food, but only for one day!

[Pat]

46.

I like Halloween because it combines all of the colours and celebration of autumn.......the leaves and the pumpkins are especially nice on doorsteps and in table decoration. It is a one-a-year opportunity for adults to be a little bit of a kind again and dress in costume.

[Brooke]

47.

Love Halloween.... It's when it's okay to be evil and wicked... I mean err dress up like you are... muhhaaaaa

[Samantha Vermeulen]

48.

I love Halloween because I love CHOCOLATE! I always loved searching through my goody bag to find all of the candy bars. :)

[Samantha Vermeulen]

49.

In case my email didn't show up in the last comment - it's samantha.vermeulen@yahoo.com

[Jason Armstrong]

50.

The candy. :D

jason DOT lee DOT armstrong AT gmail DOT com

[Kerrie Mayans]

51.

i like halloween because I love designing costumes for my 4 kids since i find sewing to be very fun and relaxing

[Michael]

52.

I love Halloween because it's so much fun to carve pumpkins and dress up and hand out candy to kids.

Email:
shadeslayer25@gmail.com

[Scott]

53.

I like Halloween because of the candy and because everyone has to watch scary movies...
ScottyB153@Gmail.com

[Kelsey Keating]

54.

I've always liked Halloween because I love dressing up and I LOVE acting so being someone different for a night is just beyond fun for me!

jesusfreak_3333 [at] hotmail [dot] com

[Tom]

55.

My funniest Halloween memory was when I made my own costume to dress up as Sherlock Holmes. My friends all made fun of me and to top it all off, I got egged while walking down the side of the road.

Email: thugginforchrist@verizon.net

[Debbie W.]

56.

I have fond memories of Halloween with my children. My son always wanted to make his own costume and it was always very elaborate. My daughter, on the other hand, just needed some lipstick and something that looked like a crown and she was ready to go.

[Jason Nickolay]

57.

I love Halloween. I love the costumes, the parties, the different events and festivals, I love Fall. The most memorable was in the early 90's when we got 2 feet of snow on Halloween. It was awesome

jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com

[scrawge]

58.

BOOOOO! Humbug!

[Lee P.]

59.

Halloween is a fun day. Its exciting to pretend you are someone or something that you're not. A make believe day to escape reality. I remember, as a child, dressing up and parading around from class to class in our costumes. I really liked dressing my kids up when they were little. Thanks for this awesome giveaway.

chinook92(at)gmail(dot)com

[Jeanette Huston]

60.

I love Halloween because of the great movies and candy! I always went trick-or-treating as a child and I always ended up with more candy then I ate;-)

[Brian Coultrup]

61.

I LOVE Halloween because I love seeing everybody else's costumes. Some people are VERY creative. Oh, and candy is always a good thing :)

croncho7 AT yahoo DOT com

[Erik H.]

62.

I'm an evil person and enjoy Halloween because I have friends who are so easy to scare. I do just that, many times, for which they hate me.

[gaby317]

63.

I grew up partly in the US and partly overseas. I remember Halloween being my favorite holiday when I was young. We could dress up (and my mom would spend hours helping us come up with costumes), we got to pick out candy (that we gave away) and we got plenty of candy, and we got to explore your neighborhood with my brother and mother at nighttime!

When we first moved to Asia, we didn't celebrate Halloween. It's more of an American holiday. But now that I'm back here in my 30s, I love to check out the decorations in people's yards and windows and see the children all dressed up. Plus, any excuse to stock up on chocolates...

Thanks so much for the entry!

gaby317nyc at gmail dot com

[Julie Sorum]

64.

It is all about the candy for me!!! Awesome giveaway:)
julyso@grandecom DOT net

[Sarah Emmerson]

65.

The part I like most about Halloween is giving out candy to trick-or-treaters, because there's nothing better than seeing all those cute kids dressed up in costumes! :)

saemmerson at yahoo dot com

Sarah Emmerson

[The Book Club Guide]

66.

Great contest, thanks!

I loved Halloween as a kid because my grandma would sew a costume by hand (she would take our orders in the summer). Her designs were always very elaborate. Some of my favorites were unicorn, kangaroo and gypsy!

Megan Tsai, editor of The Book Club Guide

[CherylS22]

67.

I can't tell you why I like Halloween because I don't! Sorry......I just don't see the point.

Please enter me in your drawing anyways ~ Thanks!
megalon22{at}yahoo{dot}com

[Anita Yancey]

68.

I love Halloween because it is a fun time for the kids, and I enjoy seeing their smiling faces. I also like seeing all the different costumes the kids come up with. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

[kim]

69.

I love Halloween b/c I love seeing all the children in their costumes -- especially the little ones. I even dress up my dogs so everyone in my family gets in the act.

[pixie13]

70.

I love Halloween because I like seeing all of the clever costumes people come up with. thanks for the great giveaway!

[Anne Crockett]

71.

My favorite Halloween memory is of the first time I went trick-or-treating. Growing up, I didn't have any neighbors so I never went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Then, when I was 13, a friend and I hand-sewed our own matching costumes and I spent Halloween night at her house and was able to go trick-or-treating and we had a foam sword duel in the middle of the street. It was such a fun (but cold!) night that I'll never forget.

I forgot my email in the other comment. It is annec916@yahoo.com

[Sharon Walling]

72.

When I was younger, my mother used to make my costumes. One year I was pack of Tareton Cigarettes and then the next year I was Humpty Dumpty on the Wall. These were made using the case boxes from like toilet paper or papertowels. I had to walk in parades with these boxes over me. Humpty Dumpty was heavy. She actually made the Humpty Dumpty out of material that is used to make the monsters for amusement rides. This was really heavy. Needless to say, I won 1st place in our parades 2 yrs in a row.

As I got older, I lvoed to answer the door to see the kids and all the costumes.

My mom also had the tradition that I had to make the little treat bags up. Kids loved coming to our house.

sharon54220@gmail.com

[anne]

73.

I enjoyed your thought provoking post today. I feel the same way. Halloween is a delight for adults and children. Thanks for this opportunity.