Gaze at a giveaway!

    Alright, dreadful post title, but good post subject: in last week's Revenge of the middle-aged woman piece, Linda Gillard's highly original novel Star Gazing was mentioned. Readers with long memories will know that I read it last year and loved it, and that I was delighted when it was shortlisted recently for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. Well, I happen to have about my person an extra copy - for I shan't give away my own - which I'd be happy to send to a lucky reader.
    Many visitors here will already have read Star Gazing, but if you haven't and you'd like to, or if you have and you'd like another copy to give to someone you think would enjoy it, then please just leave a comment and I'll draw a winning name from the hat in a few days' time. The book is set partly on the Isle of Skye and partly here on my doorstep in Edinburgh, but the settings are only part of its charm as it has so much else to recommend it. One of its themes (you'll see that here) is music, so to enter - and you can be anywhere in the world to do so - just name a favourite piece.
Good luck!

Comments

[Maggie Dana]

I loved this book that Linda Gillard so kindly sent to me because it was unavailable here in the States. What a fabulous and eminently readable story. The characters are so real, so beautifully drawn, and who'd have thought a blind woman could be such a star (pun intended) in her own novel. As for the delicious Keir ... I've already put in my order for him from Santa.

[Kimberly Wold]

Oooh, this sounds wonderful. What fun to find a new writer. Currently, my favorite musical piece is Gabriel Faure's Requiem and I'm torn between In Paradisum and Sanctus.

Thanks to Mary's Library for directing me to your informative blog.

[Erika]

I've heard such great things about this book that I'd love to have a copy!

[Sarah]

I'd love to read it, and would pick the Third Symphony of Brahms as my favourite piece of classical music.

[Ruth]

I'm going to name Lux Aeterna by Clive Mansell because wherever and whenever I here this I will feel my daughter's glorious enthusiasm for/obsession with something.

[Barbara]

I don't need a copy of the book, thank you, I'm just writing to add my recommendation as I loved it.

[Dark Puss]

One of my favourite pieces of classical music (apart from the wonderful Poulenc flute sonata) is the Bach Suite for cello No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008. Since the book on offer is a "romantic novel" perhaps I should also admit to a great fondness for Bjork's "Dull Flame of Desire" from Volta.

[margaret46]

It sounds great.My favourite piece of music is 'The Music of The Spheres'by Mike Oldfield.Plesae put my name into the hat-thanks.

[Octavo]

A classical favourite is Thomas Tallis's almost ethereal 40 part motet, "Spem in Alium". On a more "pop" note, I've always loved Cyndi Lauper's "I Drove all Night".

[Claire]

But, but, how could I possibly narrow it down to just one piece?! Hmmm, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" by Tchaikovsky is possibly one of my earliest and fondest favourites.

Please include me in the draw; this is the first time I've read anything about the book.

[Linda Gillard]

I don't want a copy either as I wrote it, but I just wanted to drop in to say how much I'm enjoying reading about everyone's favourite music. I'm sitting here saying, "Yes! Yes!", like Meg Ryan in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.

Off to Amazon now to check out the glorious-sounding Clive Mansell...

[Becky]

I would love a copy of the book, and/but my mind is full of marching band music since my 12 year old just participated in our town's Memorial Day parade. I'll bend the parameters and say, "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Louis Prima. . . followed hastily by "The Messiah". . . the whole shootin' match of it, start to finish.

[Carla]

Yes, please that would be lovely!

[Tara]

Please enter me!

[Neuroknitter]

Oh my!! Count me in for the drawing! We have a particular fondness for Scotland. In particular, the Isle of Skye and Edinburgh, where we were given refuge by very compassionate and gracious people during the terrorist attacks of 2001.

[Neuroknitter]

I missed the favorite piece part...So many...Moonlight Sonata.

[melody]

Looks like an appealing read, I'd love to win a copy please. My current favourite piece of music is Mahler's 4th Symphony but Mozart's Clarinet Concerto comes a close second.

[sherry]

I would love to read this!
Afternoon of a Faun is my current favorite.

[kari m]

I would love to get my hands on a copy, since everyone has such good things to say about the book!
I have a fondness for anything Tchaikovsky as it reminds me of piano lessons when I was little.

[Melissa!]

Sounds like a book that should be on my bedside table!

[Marina McIntire]

I have to echo what Melissa! said -- this book belongs on my bedside table.

[mrspao]

I like 'Do you know the way to San Jose' because it is a cheery song and I used as a reminder in order to memorise the software waterfall method (a bit geeky) for an exam for my Computer Science degree. I passed the exam so it has happy memories for me.

Please can I enter your draw? :)

[Ros]

Oh, I'm hopeless at Desert Island Discs - I always want to try and barter my records for an extra book or two. Um, okay, how about Bach's Double Violin Concerto?

*crossing my fingers for the book!*

[Margaret Powling]

A wonderful book - and Hello to Linda, who wrote it! - and I would love to be in the draw for this book if only to pass it to a friend and thereby promote the word that Linda is one of the best writers we currently have in the UK without a shadow of a doubt.
As for my fav music, well that depends on mood. One day it might be Messiah, another the Prisoner's Chorus from Fidelio, and another Andy Williams' It's So Easy, but just one piece? Well it must then be Jessye Norman singing any of Strauss's Four Last Songs

[Gill]

Please enter me for the draw - the book sounds fascinating.  My favourite piece of music is Pachelbel's Canon.

[Lesley]

I'd love to read this. Please enter me in the draw. I have to agree with Margaret - my classical choice would be Strauss' Four Last Songs but sung by Gundula Janowitz.

[emilysmother]

I would love to read this book so please enter my name if Canada is not too far away. My favourite piece of music is Mozart's piano concerto # 20 (although if it's a vocal piece it has to be Renee Fleming singing Korngold's Gluck Das Mir Verblieb.)

[Kate/Massachusetts]

Please enter me, too! I would love to read that book! My favorite classical piece is the 1812 Overture. It is played every year on July 4th by the Boston Pops on the Esplanade with fireworks exploding over the harbor. It's an incredible experience!

[Susie]

My favorite piece of music is the Lark Ascending, very calming. So pleased I have found your informative blog, my reading list has now grown even longer.
Thank you very much.

[Cornflower]

You're welcome, Susie!

[tea and cake]

I'm afraid I have two favourites - one is 'Moonlight Sonata' which I first heard at school and it still makes me stop, sit and listen dreamily to the end. The other is 'Summertime' and I would love to go someplace and smell the cotton growing.
I live between Edinburgh and the Isle of Sky - so it seems that serendipity is in the air somewhere!

[tea and cake]

Oh dear me! I forgot to ask you to enter me into your draw - please? And, I spelt Skye wrong, doh!

[JenDee]

Please enter me in this draw. My favourite music is
Four Seasons by Vivaldi; I particularly like Nigel Kennedy playing this one.

[Renata]

Add my name as well please. My favourite piece is Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

[Roxane]

Debussy's CLair de Lune. This piece brings peace in me. Just like when arriving at the end of a long journey. Surrounding to the moment of accomplishmen, sadeness, happiness, loneliness and finding yourself a bit wiser from what you have gone through. A collision of feelings that give me permission to finally rest. I would love to read this book. Thanks

[carol]

Oh my gosh I would love this book, I will keep my fingers crossed to be the lucky one this time:-))
My favourite piece of music - Ravel's Bolero.

[trish]

This book sounds lovely, I'll have to add it to my list of wants! And we're really into Chopin in this house these days... (wandered here via becca and bella)

[Cornflower]

You're very welcome, Trish, and Chopin is a great favourite in this house, too!

[Barbara MacLeod]

Add my name please if I am not too late. My current favourite piece of piano music is Les Baricades Misterieuses. It is a Rondeau by Couperin.

[Charlotte]

DEer Cornflower, another name to add to the list please. As for my favourite piece of music, I think it has to be either O ma babino Carro - I've loved it ever since I saw "Room with a View" or Beethovens Pastoral symphony (the Shepherds hymn), which my dad used to hum to me when I was little.

[CarolJ]

This book sounds like a good read - shame I can't take it with me on holiday - we fly tomorrow - really hard to choose a favourite piece of music but I have always loved the theme from The Road to Perdition - don't know if it has any other title.

[Nancy B T MA]

Oh, dear! I feel such an outsider - I have no favorite classical music. Well, since I am an E.F. Benson fan, I could offer up 'Moonlight Sonata' though I seldom hear it. My tastes are more toward Blues and Jazz but no _one_ piece of music comes to mind at the moment.

This bit from the description did interest me though:
'Elsewhere, architecture is described as "frozen music"' - and I would like to know more about this frozen music, so toss my name in the hat as well.

[Karen]

Me, too! Me, too! How about Love Song to a Ballerina? Love your blog!

[Linda Gillard]

Now would seem a good moment to plug a very enjoyable novel by Marika Cobbold called FROZEN MUSIC which features an architect and one of those island summer holidays that Scandinavians enjoy. Delicious.

(As someone pointed out on this blog when Cornflower was kind enough to review STAR GAZING, Goethe is credited with the concept of architecture = frozen music.)

[Elaine]

I have this book and loved it but cannot resist dropping by and adding a favourite piece of music, though I have hundreds, and it has to be Beethoven my favourite composer of all and I nominate the third movement of the Ninth symphony. Sublime.

I was very very pleased though that the heroine of Star Gazing loves Wagner....