Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy: win books and signed posters [closed]
It’s a busy time for Irvine Welsh: not only has he got a new book out, Skagboys, a prequel to his famous and acclaimed Trainspotting, but his 1997 novel Ecstasy has been made in to a major new film, on general release from today. It’s a twisted tale that explores the euphoric highs and the devastating lows of a chemical romance. Lloyd (Adam Sinclair) is on top of the world – beautiful girls, great club sounds, and a never-ending supply of the love drug, sustained by a smuggling sideline for the local drug boss Solo (Carlo Rota). But when he meets Heather (Kristin Kreuk) he is forced to question if the love he feels is real or just another chemical high. As cracks start to appear in his world he realises he wants out. If he can just pull off one last trip for Solo, he’ll be free.
ecstasy also stars Billy Boyd as DJ and e-prophet Woodsy, has cameos from John Digweed and Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, and a pulsing soundtrack from some of the industry’s biggest names, including Tiesto, Coldplay, Orbital, Primal Scream, Bonjay, The Mahones and Hawksley Workman.
We have five copies of the new movie tie-in edition of the book, and five theatrical posters signed by Irvine and leading man Adam Sinclair to be won! All you have to do to be in with a chance to win one of each is watch the trailer and answer a simple question.
Q: Which of these is NOT an alternative name for the drug Ecstasy, according to the narrator?
Terms and conditions
1. Closing date for entries: 4th May 2012.
2. Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
3. Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
4. The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
5. Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
6. The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
7. The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families.
Win Jo Nesbø books to celebrate the release of HeadHunters [closed]
Friday 6th April sees the release of the new HeadHunters movie, based on the bestselling novel by Jo Nesbø. The charismatic Roger Brown (Askel Hennie), a successful corporate headhunter by day and prolific art thief by night, is lured into a dangerous game of cat and mouse when he goes after the biggest heist of his life. Headhunters is the best-selling author’s first novel to be adapted for film. We have some great Nesbø prizes to give away: the Jo Nesbo Book collection, a collection of 5 of Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole books, and 3 copies of HeadHunters.
To win, visit the HeadHunters page on Facebook and then answer this question:
Q: What are the two passions of character Ove Kikerud?
Terms and conditions
1. Closing date for entries: 17th April 2012.
2. Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
3. Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
4. The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
5. Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
6. The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
7. The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families.
Win Books and DVDs of We Need To Talk About Kevin [closed]
Based on the million-selling Orange Prize winning novel by Lionel Shriver and directed by acclaimed film-maker Lynne Ramsay, We Need to Talk About Kevin is an emotional thriller starring Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton, Academy Award nominee John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller. Eva (Tilda Swinton) puts her ambitions and career aside to give birth to Kevin. The relationship between mother and son is difficult from the very first years. When Kevin is 15, he does something irrational and unforgivable in the eyes of the community. Eva grapples with her own feelings of grief and responsibility. Did she ever love her son? And how much of what Kevin did was her fault?
Courtesy of publishers Profile we have five copies of the film on DVD, along with copies of the movie tie-in edition of the book, to be won. All you need to do to be in with a chance to win is answer the following question:
Q: What’s the name of Kevin’s father?
Five copies of The Woman in Black to be won [closed]
It’s competition time again – and to celebrate the release of Daniel Radcliffe’s new film, The Woman in Black, based on the novel of the same name by Susan Hill, we have five copies to give away.
Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral Mrs Alice Drablow, the sole inhabitant of Eel Marsh House, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. The house stands at the end of a causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but it is not until Arthur glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to speak of the woman in black – and her terrible purpose.
Spooky eh? To be in with a chance to win, watch the trailer and answer a simple question…
Five copies of John le Carré’s Smiley vs Karla Trilogy to be won [closed]
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was one of the big film releases of 2011, and to celebrate its release on DVD we have five copies of John le Carré’s Smiley vs Karla Trilogy to be won – consisting of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People.
The DVD, starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch and John Hurt, and directed by Tomas Alfredson, is in the shops on June 30th – so if you want to be in with a chance to win these lovely books and explore more of George Smiley’s timeless duel with the infamous Soviet spymaster codenamed Karla, you need to answer this question:
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of many film adaptations of le Carré’s works – but what was the last film to be released based on a le Carré book?
Terms and conditions
1. Closing date for entries: 6th February 2012.
2. Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
3. Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
4. The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
5. Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
6. The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
7. The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families.
Win a signed copy of A Means of Escape [closed]
We have five signed hardback copies of Joanna Price’s début crime novel A Means of Escape to be won.
A grizzly and cold November morning. Detective Sergeant Kate Linton is called on Glastonbury Tor where a young woman has been strangled. Twelve holes are found at the scene, surrounded by wax, evidence of garden flares – the only connection to two other unsolved cases. When another young woman and a TV celebrity go missing, Linton is in a race against time to find the serial killer before he strikes again. But, when her journalist ex-boyfriend is singled out as a chief suspect, Linton feels that events are heading a bit too close to home.
If you would like to win a copy of this psychologically driven police procedural, read Mike Stafford’s review and then answer the following question:
Q: A Means of Escape features DS Kate Linton – but what’s the name of her boss?
Terms and conditions
1. Closing date for entries: 28th November 2011.
2. Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
3. Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
4. The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
5. Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
6. The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
7. The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families, or to employees of Aston Bay Press and their families.
Win a complete set of the Gollancz 50th Top Ten Titles [closed]
It’s not often that you get a chance to win a prize as lovely as this. As any true bookgeek knows, Gollancz science fiction and fantasy imprint, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011, is the longest-established such publishing line in the UK. To celebrate fifty years of bringing us so much seminal science fiction and fantasy, Gollancz readers have selected their top ten Gollancz titles, which have been beautifully re-packaged in a style that pays tribute to the original look of Gollancz SF publishing, with new introductions from such luminaries as Joe Abercrombie and Adam Roberts – and we have a complete set to give away to one lucky winner!
Read more
Win a signed set of William Hussey’s Witchfinder Trilogy [closed]
Don’t ever say we’re not good to you – because to celebrate the conclusion of William Hussey’s young adult Witchfinder trilogy, we have a signed set of all three books to give away. This is only the second signed set in existence after William himself recently have away a set on his own website, and we’re sure you’ll agree they’re lovely looking books. So, to win:
- Witchfinder: Dawn of the Demontide
- Witchfinder: Gallows at Twilight
- Witchfinder: The Last Nightfall
you need to give us the answer to this question, the answer to which can be found on William Hussey’s website…
Proof copies of Chris Wooding’s The Iron Jackal to be won [closed]
If you want to read the third of Chris Wooding’s Ketty Jay adventures before it’s published on 20th October, you’ve come to the right place, courtesy of those fine folks at Gollancz!
Things are finally looking good for Captain Frey and his crew. The Ketty Jay has been fixed up good as new. They’ve got their first taste of fortune and fame. And, just for once, nobody is trying to kill them. Even Trinica Dracken, Frey’s ex-fiancee and long-time nemesis, has given up her quest for revenge. In fact, she’s offered them a job – one that will take them deep into the desert heart of Samarla, the land of their ancient enemies. To a place where the secrets of the past lie in wait for the unwary. Secrets that might very well cost Frey everything. Join the crew of the Ketty Jay on their greatest adventure yet: a story of mayhem and mischief, roof-top chases and death-defying races, murderous daemons, psychopathic golems and a particularly cranky cat. The first time was to clear his name. The second time was for money. This time, Frey’s in a race against the clock for the ultimate prize: to save his own life.
To be in with a chance to win, take a look at the review for previous instalment Black Lung Captain and answer this question:
Q: What does Ketty Jay crew member Harkins have a morbid fear of?
Read more
Win a copy of Transformers Vault [closed]
Geek alert! We have a copy of Transformers Vault: The Complete Transformers Universe to be won…
The epic battle between the Autobots and Deceptions has captivated fans of all ages for more than two decades, and the robots in disguise were recently rediscovered by a new generation via the hugely successful live-action film series directed by Michael Bay. Officially licensed by Hasbro, The TRANSFORMERS Vault: The Complete TRANSFORMERS Universe covers, for the first time ever, the complete history of TRANSFORMERS, including toys, the original animated series, comics, collectibles, and merchandise, as well as animated and live-action feature films. This heavily illustrated book features never-before-seen images from the Hasbro archives, seven interactive pieces of memorabilia, and an acetate slipcase with a unique “transforming effect.” Five visually driven chapters feature early animation sketches, interviews with creators, wooden sculptures for the original toys, patents, prototypes, action-figure designs that never made it to production, vintage packaging art, and set-design sketches from the Michael Bay films.
With an RRP of £23, this object of beauty (soon to be reviewed here on Bookgeeks by Erin Britton) is a must for all Transformers fans. To win it, answer the following question:
Q: In the live action films, the Autobot Bumblebee is able to transform in to a yellow sports car – but what make of car was Bumblebee originally?
Terms and conditions
1. Closing date for entries: 25th July 2011.
2. Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
3. Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
4. The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
5. Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
6. The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
7. The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families, or to employees of Abrams and their families.
The Bookswarm Treasure Hunt
Sixty great prizes on offer, including an Amazon Kindle worth £111 and masses of great books, in the new Bookswarm Treasure Hunt!
Win a bundle of historical novels from Corvus [closed]
Has there ever been a better time to be a fan of historical fiction? With so many great writers, both new and established, fans can take their pick from all kinds of periods, settings and storylines. Doing their bit to contribute to this wonderful situation are new kids on the block Corvus – check out our reviews of Matterhorn and The Beauty Chorus if you don’t believe us!
Now Corvus are offering three of you lucky people the chance to win four of their newest historical novels…
Five copies of The Inspector and Silence to be won [closed]
Courtesy of those fine folk at Pan, we have five copies of Hakan Nesser’s latest paperback to give away. There will be a review here on Bookgeeks soon from our own Mike Stafford, and in the meantime, here’s a taste of what the books’s about.
In the heart of summer, the country swelters in a fug of heat. In the beautiful forested lake-town of Sorbinowo, Sergeant Merwin Kluuge’s tranquil existence is shattered when he receives a phone-call from an anonymous woman. She tells him that a girl has gone missing from the summer camp of the mysterious The Pure Life, a religious sect buried deep in the woods. Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is recruited to help solve the mystery.
But Van Veeteren’s investigations at The Pure Life go nowhere fast. The strange priest-like figure who leads the sect -Oscar Yellineck- refuses even to admit anyone is missing. Things soon take a sinister turn, however, when a young girl’s body is discovered in the woods, raped and strangled; and Yellineck himself disappears. Yet even in the face of these new horrors, the remaining members of the sect refuse to co-operate with Van Veeteren, remaining largely silent.
As the body count rises, a media frenzy descends upon the town and the pressure to find the monster behind the murders weighs heavily on the investigative team. Finally Van Veeteren realises that to solve this disturbing case, faced with silence and with few clues to follow, he has only his intuition to rely on. . .
Vampires, angels, witches and demons – win a fantastic bundle of paranormal romance titles [closed]
If you like all things supernatural, we’ve got the perfect prize for you. One lucky winner will receive:
- A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkess (read an interview with the author and read a review) (Headline)
- The Bride That Time Forgot, by Paul Magrs (Headline Review)
- Ominous, by Kate Brian (Simon & Schuster)
- Darkest Mercy, by Melissa Marr (HarperCollins)
- Evercrossed, by Elizabeth Chandler (Simon Pulse)
- Fever, by Amy Meredith (Red Fox)
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Anthology 3, which brings together three Buffy novels (Simon Pulse)
More vampires that you can drive a stake through in that little lot, we reckon!
Win a limited edition film poster and a copy Alan Ginsberg’s Howl to celebrate the new film [closed]
The film ‘Howl’ about Allen Ginsberg’s most famous poem, the poem that caused huge controversy (resulting in a high-profile obscenity trial) and defined and kickstarted the Beat Generation, is out 25 February, starring James Franco (‘Milk’, ‘127 Hours’).
The story of Ginsberg’s masterful poem and the subsequent obscenity trial that ensued, HOWL weaves together 3 strands of the story: imagined interviews with Ginsberg recounting his inspiration for the poem, the court case that ensued, and the poem itself, animated by graphic novelist and Ginsberg collaborator Eric Drooker.
As well as reviews here on Bookgeeks of Ginsberg’s work, one lucky reader can win a reproduction copy of the original Howl book and a limited edition film poster (click on the poster thumbnail to enlarge it).
To be in with a chance to win, give us the correct answer to the following question:
Q: Which of the following poets is NOT considered to be a member of the Beats, alongside Alan Ginsberg? It is Jack Kerouac, Dylan Thomas or William S. Burroughs?
Terms and conditions
- Closing date for entries: 8th March 2011.
- Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
- Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
- The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
- Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
- The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families.
Win a signed copy of The Afrika Reich by Guy Saville
We have a signed copy of Guy Saville’s debut alt-history thriller, The Afrika Reich, for one lucky reader. There will be a review here on Bookgeeks next week, but in the meantime here’s a taste of what it’s about:
It is more than a decade since the Dunkirk fiasco marked the end of Britain’s war and an uneasy peace with Hitler.
In Africa, the swastika flies from the Sahara to the Indian Ocean. Gleaming autobahns bisect the jungle and jet fighters patrol the skies. Britain and the Nazis have divided the continent but now the demonic plans of Walter Hochburg – architect of Nazi Africa – threaten Britain’s ailing colonies.
In England, ex-mercenary Burton Cole is offered one last contract. Burton grabs the chance to settle an old score with Hochburg, despite his own misgivings and the protests of the woman he loves. If Burton fails, unimaginable horrors will be unleashed in Africa. No one – black or white – will be spared.
But when his mission turns to disaster, Burton is forced to flee for his life.
His flight takes him from the unholy killing ground of Kongo to SS slave camps and on to war-torn Angola, finally reaching its thrilling climax in a conspiracy that leads to the dark heart of the Reich itself.
To be in with a chance to win, simply visit the website for the book and then answer this question:
Q: In what year is The Afrika Reich set?
Terms and conditions
- Closing date for entries: 21st February 2011.
- Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
- Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
- The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
- Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
- The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families, or to employees of Hodder & Stoughton and their families.
Win a copy of A Sickness in the Family [closed]
Meet the Ushers. The parents, Ted and Biddy. Grandma Martha. The three kids, William, Amy and Sam. Just a normal, middle-class family gathered around the table on Christmas Day. Until they start dying. Violent deaths. One by one. Is there a curse on their house, as recently unearthed history of witchcraft in the area would suggest? Or has one member of the Usher clan declared open season on the rest? As secrets and resentments boil to the surface, it becomes clear that more than one Usher has motives for killing off the others. But in the end, the truth turns out to be far more shocking than anyone in this ill-fated family could have imagined.
We have a shiny new shrink-wrapped copy of this graphic novel to give away, to a person who correctly answers the following question:
Q: Which famous author was the first to right about the dreadful fate of a family named Usher? Was it Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe or Mark Twain?
Fill in the form below to be in with a chance to win, and then read Erin’s review here on Bookgeeks…
Terms and conditions
- Closing date for entries: 24th January 2011.
- Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
- Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
- The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
- Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
- The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families, or to employees of Titan Books and their families.
Take part in the great Bookswarm Treasure Hunt!
An Amazon Kindle worth £109, a limited edition Faber hardback worth £100, a set of ten Introducing books worth £70 and many other wonderful books besides.
There’s something for everyone in this great festive haul, courtesy of Bookswarm and a number of very generous publishers.
To win, you will need to answer a series of questions, the answers to all of which can be found on the Bookswarm family of websites:
You can enter the competition on any one of our five websites, but you can only get the questions from the PDF you can download from this page.
It might take a little bit of time, but with such a wonderful array of prizes on offer, we know you’ll go for it (and we’re sure you’ll discover some books to interest you along the way!)
Enter your answers here
Terms and conditions
- Closing date for entries: 12th December 2010.
- Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
- Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
- The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
- Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookhugger. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookhugger website after the closing date of the competition.
- The competition is not open to Bookhugger employees and their families, or to employees of Bookhugger publishers and their families.
Win Simon Scarrow’s The Legion [closed]
We have a hardback copy of Simon Scarrow’s new Macro and Cato novel to give away – read an extract here, and if that takes your fancy, answer a simple question and fill in the form below to be in with a chance to win.
Q: How many Macro & Cato Roman novels has Simon Scarrow published, including The Legion?
Terms and conditions
- Closing date for entries: 21st November 2010.
- Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
- Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
- The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
- Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
- The competition is not open to Bookgeeks and their families, or to employees of Headline Books and their families.
Five copies of Crescendo to be won [closed]
As part of her blog tour, and courtesy of publishers Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, we are very pleased to offer readers a chance to win one of five copies of Becca Fitzpatrick’s new novel, Crescendo, the sequel to Hush, Hush.
Nora should know better than to think her life can return to normal after falling in love with a fallen angel. And Nora’s life isn’t normal – her dad was murdered, and the facts about his death just don’t add up. Now Nora’s own life is in imminent danger. Are she and Patch strong enough for the battle ahead?
We’ll have a review soon, but in the meantime, to win one of the five copies, answer this question:
Q: In which country is the beginning of the first novel in this series, Hush, Hush, set?
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The Bookgeeks Interview
Mark Oldfield
Mark Oldfield has worked in criminological research for over 20 years. He has a PhD in Criminology from the University of Kent and has carried out research in the areas of risk assessment and prediction and as well as evaluative research on policing, prisons and probation. He has also taught in various Universities on research, crime and criminal justice.
