Man, we’re just doing giveaways right and left!
For all you coloring book lovers and readers who sometimes need a bit of stimulation, please check out A Far, Far Better Thing to Do: A Lit Lover’s Activity Book by Joelle Herr, with illustrations of Lindsey Spinks.
And to make it even cooler, we have three (3) copies to give away!
Here is the activity book’s description, which gives you a hint of what you’ll find inside:
Nothing captures the imagination quite like classic literature — the warmth of Little Women, the mystery of Dracula, and the heart-racing suspense of Moby Dick have inspired generations of readers.
A Far, Far Better Thing to Do pairs these treasured books with a witty, light-hearted sensibility, giving lit lovers 65 engaging activities to tease their brains and unleash their creativity. From word searches and connect-the-dots to coloring pages and quizzes, these charming activities infuse our best-loved texts with a fresh, modern spin and just the right level of challenge.
A celebration of reading — and readers — A Far, Far Better Thing to Do is sure to delight bookworms of all ages!
As someone who is a word search and crossword addict, I’m ALL FOR THIS!
The illustrations inside are also romantic and delicate. Here are a few images done by Lindsey Spinks:
What do you think of the artwork? Cute, right? There’s something so dainty about it.
To enter for a chance to win one of three copies, tell us which book would give inspiration to a great activity! A maze for Captain Ahab to find his white whale? A coloring page for The Secret Garden with all manner of shrubs and flowers?
Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to US and Canadian residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18. No need to stay in the lines while coloring. Creativity is not a must, though always encouraged! Feel free to do the activities in pencil, though in the words of Bob Ross, “There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.” Comments will close Friday October 20, 2017 around noon EDT, and winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Good luck, everyone!
WINNER UPDATE!
Our winners are:
Winners, be sure to check your spam folders. Thank you to all the amazing comments! Maybe the creators will do a second edition with some of your suggestions!
How about a build your own Frankenstein’s monster?
Wuthering Heights, you need to translate the semaphore message. 😉
Design different rooms inside Manderley (Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier) – cut out furniture, rugs, and paintings, arrange them on the page, and color them.
A Ulysses card/trivia game in which the “Reader” reads a term or phrase to other players along with 3-4 possible definitions/explanations. Players write down which is correct and accumulate points for the right answers. Trick is: about half the cards contain no correct answer option and only a player who guesses the real answer gets any pointage plus a 10-pt bonus. I could go on, but I’ll spare you.
I love the Secret Garden idea!
William Shakespeare MadLibs. Can you out-word The Bard on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream?”
Water color by numbers of all those small towns that Jill Shavis books are based in.
Does the book include drinking games? I’d like to take a drink every time an author uses a euphemism or description better applied to sewing (i.e. rod, button, satin). If the author uses the phrase “like hard steel wrapped in hot velvet,” you finish your drink.
Gothic-inspired, maze of a house with weird hallways, try to find your way to the mysterious locked room 🙂
How about a Jane Austin multi-path maze – all of the heroines on one side of the page and the heroes on the other and they have to navigate the maze to find each other (and not accidentally end up with the wrong partner!).
How fun! I’m sure that many of these books would inspire fun activities–word finds are a basic, of course, with character names, places, and so on!
A find the hidden pictures thingy for I Capture the Castle.
I would like a Jane Austen inspired MASH game.
I think Pride and Prejudice paper dolls would be neat!
Shakespeare mad libs!!!
Outlander is full of great ideas
a game trying to figure out the madness which befell The Fall of the House of Usher
Game of Thrones family trees? Lord of the Rings hidden pictures where you find all of the rings? Match the sister to the family she belongs in with the Bennett sisters and March sisters?
Rose Daughter has rooms that change – that could be an interesting digital coloring book.
A seek & find or a maze based on Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette! Or maybe a Mad Libs style activity based on Smut by Karina Halle, you know, since the book is about the main characters writing erotic stories. And throw in some coloring pages based on the gorgeous mythical and magical worlds/characters that Nora Roberts’ creates in her more fantasy-based stories!
An Anne of Green Gables game which lists some of the more complex words from Anne’s vocabulary, and you have to use them to make up imaginative stories.
I think the Secret Garden idea is brilliant. Have different coloring pages for different garden ideas.
A Jane Eyre scavenger hunt, on the page, where clues lead you to the hidden wife.
Design/color your own plague “Masque of the Red Death.” Bonus points if you can organically work in a tell-tale heart, a pendulum, or Poe’s mustache.
A Little Women hidden picture game: find all the props the girls need to act out one of Jo’s stories.
I would love a design your own fantasy attic room from A Little Princess.
Pick just one? Where to begin? Well, I go with the one I am reading… Nine Coaches Waiting… Decorate Chateau Valmy. What does Florimand’s Tale of Genjii fabric look like? Just want is a bolus, anyway? What does Raul’s car look like?n etc.
Mock trial based on Crime and Punishment.
The first book that came to mind is Pride and Prejudice. I’m not sure what kind of activity, but I think it must have something to do with poor Mrs Bennet’s nerves.
Origami of Rapunzels tower (not a specific book, but a great tale).
I’m about to finish reading a ParaNora trilogy, which in addition to human characters features a faerie prince, mortal maid, & jewels — so some sort of riddle/challenge to find the diamond/pearl/sapphire mentioned in the stories.
Emma by Jane Austen – a matchmaking game where you choose the best mates for your friends (whether they want you to or not…)
@Suzanne W, I once made a Rapunzel’s Tower out of an oatmeal cardboard canister and a Princess and the Pea bed out fo a shoe box. Two nieces were expecting Christmas presents.
A “Choose Your Own Adventure” game for the Bennett sisters.
Jane Austen Crossword Puzzle! using quotes about the characters to find the answer.
A paint with water edition of Flowers in the Storm. (I’m thinking of the pictures/text revealing itself when touched with water.)
Just re-read Nora Robert’s The Search, about Search and Rescue dogs. Maybe a treasure hunt/geo cache activity. Unless you have your own search dog.
Charlotte’s Web – connect the dots to reveal the web and word
How about about Da Vinci Code connect the dots? Thanks for the great giveaway!
Kushiel’s Dart! There could be so many activities because the world-building is so intricate and lovely… but I think I’d probably just prefer a basic thing, like a crossword with all Kushiel-based clues. Focusing on all of the gods and goddesses and characters and place names, etc., would be fun (in my boring opinion)!!