Sunday 13 May 2018

Hippo Blogiversary and giveaway!


So a few days ago I celebrated my third blogiversary, yes, The Hippo is 3 years old!


It seems like only yesterday that I decided to take my first tentative steps into the book blogosphere and what an adventure it’s been. I’ve read so many fantastic books that would probably never have been on my radar, I’ve met, and become friends with lots of amazing people and I’ve attended some fabulous book events.

I think the general consensus is that if you like reading, you’re a bit of an introvert and maybe even anti-social, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The book community is a thriving one, full of wonderful people who write books, read books, publish books, love to talk about books and most importantly share their love for books.

Everyone is so supportive of each other, we share each other’s ups and downs and as a result firm friendships are made. Of course, it’s not always all hearts and flowers, there’s always going to be haters and trolls, people who, for reasons known only to them, get a kick out of knocking us down, leaving snippy comments on our blogs, being openly spiteful on social media and accusing us of not being ‘real readers’, whatever THAT means. 🤔

Then there are the authors. These amazing people spend months, sometimes even years working on their manuscripts, and then bravely send them out into the unknown for others to critique. They love people shouting about their books, whether it’s a blogger or a reader, book love is book love no matter what the source.

I love the diversity of the book blogging community as well. Every blog has their own unique style, their own special features, some only review certain genres, some concentrate on new releases and some only read self-published authors. It’s interesting to read other people’s thought on books that I’ve already read as well as reading reviews of books that I haven’t heard about so that I can add them to my own ever growing TBR mountain!

I’ve enjoyed going to book festivals, meeting up with old friends and meeting authors who I know very little about and coming away with a bag full of shiny, new (and usually signed) books, as well as having fan girl moments like the one I had when I met the hugely talented and super lovely Amanda Prowse.



All in all it’s been a fabulous three years. I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading my reviews as well as my “The Hippo Hands Over” and “The Hippo Hangs Out” features along with my occasional Virtual Mini Book Festivals over the years (watch out for another one coming later this year!) as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. I also hope that I’ve helped you discover some fabulous books as well as introducing you to some new and exciting authors.

So as my little way of saying thank you to everyone for their support over the last three years I’m doing a little giveaway.

One lucky person can win a Techbed in the colour of their choice courtesy of the very lovely Paul at Edge Beanbags (please show them some love on Twitter @edgebeanbags and visit their website to see their whole range of amazing products), a paperback copy of The House by Simon Lelic and a £5 Amazon voucher!

Hamlet & Howie insisted on modelling my techbed!

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning the stash is recommend a book to me, telling me why you loved it and why you think I would love it too, but it has to be one that I haven’t reviewed here on The Hippo. The competition will close at midnight on Saturday 19th May, the winner will be chosen at random and announced the following day and it’s open to anyone in the UK and Ireland.


Hamlet & Howie with the book and my techbed.

Good luck everyone and thank you all once again for all your love and support. Here's to more books, reviews and blog posts!

Fiona from Cincinnati Zoo joining in the celebrations!

Don't forget you can also find me, Hamlet and Howie hanging out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so why not come and say hello, we'd love to hear from you 😉


11 comments:

  1. I'd recommend reading The Map of Us by Jules Preston, it's his debut novel and it's a very unusual approach to a love story. An author to look out for.

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  2. Happy bloggiversary! I recently enjoyed "Where'd you go, Bernadette?" by Maria Semple- it's quirky, original, multi-layered, amusing, and fresh...

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  3. Happy Blogiversary,
    I'm going to recommend an Irish author Andrea Mara and her debut novel The Other Side of the Wall. Thriller's wouldn't be my favourite genre but this was just unbelievably good.Real edge of your seat stuff. Hope you give it a try.

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  4. Happy Blogiversary, I would recommend Chris Carter One by One just brilliant had me gripped from first page until the end all his books are brilliant but this is my favorite. Also A room full of killers by Michael Wood is really good.

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  5. Hi! Happy blogiversary!! My recommendation is The Kindness of Strangers by Julie Newman, this was my first blog tour book. This book has a great start to interesting characters that become enveloped in each others lives, the book works towards the end in a very dramatic way that I didn’t guess! Fantastic read!

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    1. Sorry, it wouldn’t accept my Wordpress details http://lacyace.wordpress.com Lacy Morris

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  6. I am going to recommend to you Peshwari Nans by Stephen Haughan. The author is self published despite having a huge international Facebook fan base. So far a trilogy Peshwari Nans I'd an incredible adventure across the globe with two quirky elderly sisters and in a Morris traveller. These books are hilarious!

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  7. Happy Blogiversay.
    Currently reading The girl I used to know by Faith Hogan and loving it. Likeable characters, easy to read and it shows how easily life doesn’t always go to plan and how people can be there for each other

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  8. I would recommend The girl in the Ice, by Robert Bryndza.
    The first book in the Erica Foster series.
    A true unpitdiwnable read. You'll be grabbed into the pages and spat out at the end, thinking wow what a ride. The bonuses then would be you could read the rest of the series back to back.

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  9. Congratulations! How about The Wild Air by Rebecca Mascull it is a mild romance woven around the tales of lesser known pioneer female pilots.(very interesting) It also covers the WW1 era.

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  10. Happy Blogiversary!
    I'd recommend Winter Downs by Jan Edwards. It's a brilliant mystery set during WW2 and has just been nominated for the Arnold Bennett book prize!

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