When I love something, I feel compelled to tell everyone I know. This may be why I love my monthly What I'm Into posts so much. I'm honored you all seem to enjoy those posts as much as I do. Even better: you pay attention to my recommendations and let me know how I did.
Sometimes I've loved a book so much, I've decided to give one away. Sometimes I ask the publisher to offer up the goods but usually I just pay for it myself. The community that's formed here over the last couple of years means the world to me. I can't help but want to give back in some way.
After I gave away a copy of Elora Ramirez's stunning debut novel Come Alive, I dreamed up the idea of regular giveaways sponsored by me, myself, and I. The books, CDs, shows, and maybe even clothes I love most. A way of celebrating my readers.
And so Leigh Loves It came to be. Only the best of the best, a curated and occasional giveaway.
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What better way to kick off the inaugural Leigh Loves It giveaway than the latest efforts from two great bands?
The September releases of Mumford & Sons' Babel and Avett Brothers' The Carpenter felt like Christmas. I scarcely listened to anything else the month following.
When I saw Mumford & Sons play at the Ryman this past March, I wrote it was like going to church. Babel evokes those same emotions. The lyrics and the often driven music lend itself to a unique worship experience. There are no easy "tied up with a bow" answers. This is the music of a wanderer, a wrestler, a questioner. And this must be why fans love the band so.
Yes, at times the rhymes become pedantic but the themes hit home. It's hard to pinpoint a favorite song (Babel, Holland Road, and Broken Crown stand out) but Hopeless Wanderer is especially gripping. I am the one grappling with hope set on fire. I am that wanderer learning to love the stars I'm under.
I've not been lucky enough to experience the Avett Brothers in concert yet. These two bands are often grouped together and I can understand why. But they're not the same, which seems more obvious in The Carpenter. There are tones of the spiritual in AB's lyrics and yet I consider the music differently. The title track's inspiration is clear but then there's the moral tale of Down With The Shine. And then how to qualify the fun of I Never Knew You or the haunting notes of Winter in my Heart?
Avett Brothers guide us through a range of emotions and experiences. We draw truth out accordingly. And that is why I love them.
(Interestingly, Jonathan Fitzgerald says Mumford and others are part of the New Sincerity, "a larger movement that recognizes the artificiality of the separation between sacred and secular." Critics may not all agree but clearly their music is reaching people and resonating.)
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I hope most of you already own these 2 amazing albums. enter anyway and give them as gifts this Christmas. Or if you only have the mp3s, then you can stash the CDs in your car. If you don't, you're in luck! Here's your chance to win.
As the inaugural giveaway, I'm going to keep it open to US and Canada residents. The giveaway ends at 12:01 am EST on Wednesday November 7.
Simply follow the prompt in Rafflecopter below and don't miss out on your chance for extra entries! And if you're already a HopefulLeigh FB fan, simply hit enter. It still counts.
a Rafflecopter giveawayDisclosure: Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. If you click through to Amazon from HopefulLeigh, I'll get a few pennies to help support this site, as well as my book habit. Thanks for your support!
Note: I realize some of my readers may not have Facebook accounts and will therefore be unable to enter the giveaway. I plan on changing up the giveaway options each time I do this. If you're ineligible this time around, cheer up! You'll be able to enter the next one.
