Blogoversary: Portrait of a Woman is one year old!!!!!

well, technically, Portrait of a Woman is 14 months old but let's not dwell on details :)

(yes, it had to be a chocolate cake with pink stuff on it!)

Hi all!

I am celebrating my first year as a book blogger and organising a big giveaway of signed books and swag to thank you for following this blog and bearing with me on my bookish obsession!

I started blogging in December 2009 because I have always loved reading and I had never met anyone who had the same tastes in books as I had. I wanted to share my thoughts on books (as well as keep track of what I read!) but also meet with new people and talk about books!

I started by writing reviews (which were hardly read by anyone at the time!) and then by looking for other blogs. One day, I found Becky's blog (The Bookette) and I really loved what she was reading/reviewing as well as her articles on broader subjects (libraries etc.).

Since I didn't really know how blogging worked, I emailed her asking questions on blogging and how to mingle more in the blogging community. She gave me the best advice at the time and she has since then become the best of friends with whom I share a passion for books, tea and chips :D 

This blog would never be anywhere near what it is today had it not been for Becky who is not only a very talented and dedicated blogger but the most adorable human being there is. Thank you so much Becky *beams*

After a few months of getting the hang of blogging, I finally met (for realz) many UK bloggers in our now quite regular meet ups! I think it is the best thing ever to be able to engage in conversations with people who love reading as much as you do and who evidently share your book buying problem. I really love all my blogging buddies and I have now come to consider all of them as friends (especially that UK book blogger crew - it's like a real family!). A special thanks to the wonderful Lauren @ I Was A Teenage Book Geek and Emma @ Asamum Booktopia for being amazing and big shout outs to my blogger buddies Jo @ Once Upon A Bookcase and Ink and Paper, Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking and UK Book Tours, Sammee @ I Want To Read That, Kirsty @ The Overflowing Library, Sarah @ Feeling Fictional, Carly @ Writing From The Tub, Vicki and Lyndsey @ Heaven, Hell and Purgatory Book Reviews, Jessica @ Nayu's Reading Corner, Michelle @ Fluttering Butterflies, Liz @ My Favourite Books, Luisa and everyone else  @ Chicklish, Jenny @ Wondrous Reads and everyone else I am missing!

A huge thank you to the publishers and the fantastic publicists I am in contact with and who are made of awesome! I have really loved getting to read books I probably wouldn't have picked up myself, discover new authors and to have been able to broaden my book tastes. Big shout outs to the ever-wonderful RHCB team and Liz Scott!

A big and straight-from-the-heart thank you to all the authors I have had the chance to meet this year, in "real life" (Charlaine, Harris, Delphine de Vigan, Melvin Burgess, Cressida Cowell, Terry Pratchett, Cat Clarke, Kaz Mahoney, Maggie Stiefvater, Lynda Waterhouse, John Boyne, Kazuo Ishiguro, John Green, David Levithan and others!) and all the others I have talked to through various social media outlets (okay, Twitter) and I can't wait to meet in real life (Luisa Plaja, Keren David, Keris Stainton, Gillian Phillip and many others!).

Thank you beloved writers for writing such wonderful books and making me laugh, cry, dream and travel through the realms you create in your imagination and share with the rest of us in your books! I have always been a dedicated reader (growing up in a bookshop really helps!) and I have really loved everything that came up with blogging, especially getting to meet author and tell them how much I love them :)

A big hug and a thank you to all the people reading, following and commenting on this blog. I really have no idea why you put up with me but I am glad you do and we can share bookish obsessions together :)

So without further rambling:

Giveaway!!

So this giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and only people above 16 years old (if you are under, bring a parent/guardian to fill in the form below) who are FOLLOWERS of this blog. You can facebook/blog/tweet about the giveaway but it won't add any points!

I have a few signed books to give away and some swag, you may choose to enter to all of them or just one, I will randomly choose a winner for each.

For entering the giveaway of one book, you need to answer a question about the author of the book (and they are not tricky, you may easily find the answers on internet). Yes, I like making things complicated!

Since I have both Shiver and Linger signed by Maggie Stiefvater, there are two questions to answer: you need both answers right to get a chance to win them both. If no one has the two questions right, I will pick a winner for Shiver and a winner for Linger! The second Maggie Stiefvater question is a bit tricky and I have one very clear answer in my mind so think well before you answer!

If you have any questions or doubts, don't hesitate to comment or send me an email.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog!







I bought all books myself except for Noah Barleywater Runs Away, many thanks to RHCB for this!!




Love,


x Caroline