Giveaway is now closed.

Thank you to all who participated!

Yule_Time_Giving_250

The benefits of reading are boundless. Reading opens our imaginations, teaches us about new places, and provides hours of entertainment. Of all the books I’ve ever read, my favorite books are the ones that have made me look at the world in a different way and opened my eyes to faces that I’ve never seen before.  Two of the books that have left a lasting impression on me is Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

kite-runnerThe Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are both set in Afghanistan.  The Kite Runner is about a young boy, Amir, who grows up in Afghanistan but eventually flees to America after the Taliban have taken over.  A Thousand Splendid Suns is about two women who form an unlikely friendship during the Taliban’s reign. Both books are touching, heartfelt and beautifully written.

Read my review on The Kite Runner here.

Read my review on A Thousand Splendid Suns here

thousand_splendid_sunsKhaled Hosseini’s books made me think about the war in Afghanistan more than I ever had before. Although the characters in his novels are fictional, the likelihood of their stories being true is all too probable. Now, when there is news on the Afghan war, I don’t turn away.  I watch.  I want to learn more.  These books and Hosseini’s own dedication to Afghanistan has made me want to help in any way that I can.

To help educate and earn money for Afghan refugees, I will be sponsoring a giveaway to help earn money for the UNHCR (The UN Refugee Center). The UNHCR is an organization that helps refugees in a variety of war-torn countries, such as Darfur, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. This particular giveaway will be for the Afghan Refugee Fund.

What’s the giveaway?

tears_of_the_desert$15 iTunes Gift Card + $15 Amazon Gift Card + Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival by Halima Bashir

To be entered into the giveaway, you must do at least one of the below actions.  If you decide to do all three, then that is more times that you are entered into the giveaway.  The number of times you are entered is up to you!

Here are the three ways to be entered:

1. Donate to the Afghan Refugee Fund at www.unrefugees.org. A donation of $25 or less will enter you into the giveaway once.  If you donate more than $25, then you will be allowed one entry for every $25 you donate.  For example, if you donate $100, then that will count as four entries. Once you have donated forward the confirmation to me (yuletimegiving[at]gmail[dot]com) and I will enter you into the giveaway.

2. Buy The Kite Runner and/or A Thousand Splendid Suns through my bookstore (the completion of the purchase will be through Amazon). I earn a commission on sales that I bring to Amazon through my links. All money that I earn from these sales will be donated to the Afghan Refugee Fund. Each book purchase will enter you into the contest. If you buy both books, then you will have two entries.

Forward the confirmation of the sale to me or send me an email with the date of purchase (I will be able to verify the date). The date of purchase must be between September 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009. The email for this giveaway is yuletimegiving[at]gmail[dot]com.

3. Tweet and/or blog about this giveaway. If you tweet about the contest, you must follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway.

4. Leave a comment below and answer the question: “What book have you read that changed your opinion on a political or social issue?”

Must be a US or Canadian resident to enter. Giveaway ends at 12:00 am CST on October 1, 2009. All entries are subject to my discretion.

No one has ever become poor by giving.
~ Anne Frank ~

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