Don’t you love the retro cover on this book?! The man reminds me of someone from the “I Dream of Jeannie” or “Mad Men” era; and those cartoonish hummingbirds spinning around his head add to the late 60s feeling. I wonder if the book is set in the 60s, or in the current day …
You have a chance to find out! HarperCollins has offered copies of Joshua Gaylord’s Hummingbirds to THREE readers of She is Too Fond of Books. Want to learn more? Here’s a sneak peek:
Hummingbirds chronicles a year in the life of the Carmine-Casey School for Girls, a prep school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Part Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and part Virgin Suicides, the novel offers a dual perspective on the intimate, tempestuous and frequently incestuous private school community.
The plot centers on two parallel rivalries. On one hand there is the popular student Dixie Doyle, who wears ironic pigtails and heads a group of preternaturally coquettish girls, and her adversary, the self destructively smart girl Liz Warren, who writes plays based on the Oresteia and rolls her eyes at Dixie from the back of the classroom.On the other hand there is the adored Binhammer, who has for years been the only male teacher in the English department, and his rival, Hughes, the charismatic new faculty member who threatens to usurp Binhammer’s position at the school and in the hearts of the girls.
As the book unfolds, these two worlds intersect – the girls long for entry into the adult world, toying with their premature powers of flirtation. Meanwhile, the deceptive innocence of the adolescent world—complete with plaid skirts and scented highlighters—becomes a trap into which the flailing teachers fall. By the end of the year the line between maturity and youth begins to blur, and the question on the final exam is: Who are the adults and who are the children?
To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below, telling me … what would your preppy name be? If you don’t have a nickname, make one up!
Giveaway is restricted to US/Canada mailing addresses, and is open until midnight on Friday, October 23, 2009. I’ll draw three winners randomly and post the names on 10/24; check back then!
I think Muffy would be a cute, preppey name!
Looks like a great book.
I think Muffy would be a cute, preppy name!
Looks like a great book.
coming from a particularly preppy undergrad experience, the most frequent genuinely-preppy name that I can think of is Kate. but if we’re being hyperbolic then I’d have to go with Cordelia, shortened to Corie or Delia or something like that…
I think Jackie would be a cute preppy name. Thanks for the giveaway.
actually, I already have one.. Kiki.
For me, the quintessential preppy nickname ends in -tsy, like Betsy, Patsy, or Bitsy… something saccharine enough to raise my shoulders.
That book sounds right up my alley.
How about Mickey?
I’ll go with FiFi
Don’t enter me, but guess what else the cover reminds us of? Your picture at the top of your blog page!
Preppy name…hmmm…Eliza maybe?
Please include me in your giveaway! Thanks.
fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com
Hmm, preppy name? I’ll take Bitsy.
I’m going to have to go with Kitty. Buffy (not Muffy) was a close second, but the vampire connotation killed it for me.
Missy or Trixie or Lola.
The very idea of me with a preppy name makes me gag, my friend. Good thing you don’t need to enter me. I’m dropping in to say thanks for the e-mail. I’ve got this up at Win a Book for you.
[...] Dawn at She is Too Fond of Books is taking over my job here and talking about the covers of the books she’s giving away. No fair, Dawn! Now I need to find something else to mention! [...]
The perfect preppy name for me would definitely be Penny. Penny Hardwicke.
I have to stop reading Nick Hornby.
I think my cute, preppy name would be “Pammy”. It really is my own name, just cutsified.
minsy i think that sounds pretty preppy thanks
mo sounds pretty preppy thanks
I’ll go with Missy.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
I think I’d go with Tiffany….or Muffy.
Sandee
Muzzley56[at]aol[dot]com
My preppy name would be “Punkie”. because I’d be part preppy and part bad girl. Wanting to appear appropriate on the outside but wanting to stir up a little mischief on the inside.
rubymoonstone at gmail dot com
Looks like a great book! I think a good preppy name would be Piper.
Thanks for the chance to win!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
Let’s try Anastasia Kennedy for my preppy name
stacybooks at yahoo
Well, I HOPE my preppy name would be something I can stand — like GeeGee. But with my luck, it’d be something really obnoxious!
Thanks for the chance to win a copy of this book – it sounds quite interesting.
geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com
Pippa or Bitsy?
My preppy name would be Caroline Pruitt!
My preppy name would be Dot or Dotty!
I’m going with Mitzy or Bitsy.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
Mine would be Caitlyn
My preppy name would be Mitsy.
Oh, I’d have to have one of those dual names, like Mary Catherine or Janet Rose or something. And people would have to call me by both names or I would not answer!
I don’t think it qualifies as preppy, but my nickname is Squish. It’s from way back when I was a very fat baby, and a friend of my Mom’s picked me up and said, “She’s so squishy!”
my preppy name would be: kate
My preppy name would be Sharon because this guy at school always calls me Sharon. Sometimes he calls me Pamela or-on rare occasions- Molly.
I think my preppy name would be Vivian.
My preppy name would be something like Cecilia or Penelope.
My nickname is roxxyroller – cause I love that song and never stop playing it!! lol So that is how I came up with my username at my site, and my email, etc!
roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com
I’ll go with my own name *Jeannie*…I’m too old to be preppy
Is it even a preppy name?
Glad for a chance to win a copy of the book. Awesome!
My mom always calls me Cookie, so I think that would be my preppy name.
I would so be a Becca..sounds preppy to me
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bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com
The powers that be at random.org selected 3 winners for Joshua Gaylord’s Hummingbirds, they are:
* #2 – Stephanie – I think Muffy would be a cute, preppy name!
* #23 – Julie H – I think a good preppy name would be Piper
* #30 – Julie – Mine would be Caitlyn
Congratulations to the winners! Please send me your US/Canada mailing address and I’ll pass it along to HarperCollins.
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