Sunday, May 15, 2016

Comeback Into The Blogging World For Good... And Giveaway!!!!


If you've read my last blog post, then you'll know that I've been attending a boarding school in the United States for the past two years. During that time I've been taking a blogging break (I know, two years is a long time for a break) but I want to start blogging again, because I used to love it so much. Also, I am graduating high school in less than 13 days!!! How crazy is that? Which is why I think that now, since I have senioritis anyway, would be the best time to reboot into the network of book bloggers. And what better way to celebrate my official return (hopefully) into the book blogging world than having a giveaway? I figured that since I'm going to have to move out of my school dorm anyway, I might as well give away my books to people who will appreciate them (A.K.A bookworms!). But before that, I'd like to update you guys a little bit on what I've been up to (again, I know I did that last year too but failed to follow through it), and then you'll find the giveaway at the bottom of my post. Enjoy! 

Top 2 Highlights Of My Senior Year: (In No Particular Order)

1) THE EUROPE TRIP:

YES. So I went on the school sponsored trip to Eastern Europe over spring break, and honestly it was one of the best trips I've ever had! Our group merged with three other school groups and we did all the travelling within Europe together. A junior from my school and I were randomly assigned as bunkmates with these two girls from Vermont, and it was like instant connection! The four of us then ended up bunking together as a quad throughout the entire trip. It's funny how you can become so close to people over the course of a week. We still communicate every once in a while, and it would be really awesome if sometime in the future we all had the opportunity to go on another trip together. Our tour group visited four cities: Berlin, Prague, Krakow and Budapest , and other than flying into Berlin and flying out from Budapest, we did most of our travelling on a tour bus. The only part of the trip that I didn't like was visiting the Nazi concentration camps in Auschwitz (Poland), but then again I still believe that it was an important experience because the visit was meant to be a reminder of one of the many things that went wrong in history. And hopefully these past incidents will make us consider our actions in the future and keep us from repeating the mistakes of the past. (Maybe Trump should visit Auschwitz **cough** ,**cough**). Well moving on, below are photographed memories of some "happy" experiences.( I say "some" because there are so many )





2) DUNMUN 2015 (DHAKA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2015)

Now I started Model UN after I joined the Model UN club at my school here in the United States. So as you can imagine, my first MUN conference was in the U.S , at UConn actually.  But the reason why I chose DUNMUN as a top highlight of the year is not only because it was my first MUN conference in Bangladesh, but also because I met a lot of cool Bangladeshi people WITHIN my generation there (and some old classmates as well!) . For me this is particularly important because while I was having an awesome time in the U.S, I kind of grew apart from people my age back in Dhaka. And it was the DUNMUN conference in particular that helped me reconnect with them. I still don't have any solid future plans: I do know that I am going to start out college at Fordham University, but I might want to transfer midway because I am the kind of person who likes travelling to new places and since I've already lived in the U.S. for two years, I think I might give college in Europe or East Asia a shot. But who knows? Only time will tell.

(YES, I am the awkward kid in the red suit)


I also had a successful season in both debate and MUN (lots of trophies and certificates) so super proud of that. I got into fitness in the beginning of the year and dropped a lot of pounds but gained it all back when AP season came around.(What else is new) But that's all I can think of . Without further ado, I present to you, the giveaway!!

What's up for grabs:

BOOKS: (NOTE: SOME OF THEM ARE ARCS (ADVANCED READING COPIES))






 


Hungarian Paprika from my Europe Trip:

And of course, postcards from each destination I visited on my trip to Europe. (Berlin, Prague, Krakow and Budapest). Giveaway is open internationally and will have four winners. Good luck! :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

85 comments:

  1. Welcome back 😀 Great photos,and I would like to see photos of your books and your comments on what you're reading. Cheers.

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    1. Thanks so much for your feedback Babel! =)

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  2. Welcome back! Good luck for your high school graduation! :)

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  3. Welcome back and Best of luck for the future!
    Hope to see you around in the blogosphere!

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  4. Honestly, I'm just glad you're back. I've had a hiatus before and it was hard coming back for me. Still haven't really fully recovered. Hope you do much better and I can learn a thing or two.

    Congrats on graduating and your Europe trip looks like so much fun!

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    1. Thank you Brooke! Yes..I know what you mean. I tried coming back last year too but it didn't work out so hopefully this time I can make it lol. xD

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  5. Welcome back! Such a good experience you have :D

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  6. Long time, no see! Welcome back! :) The thing I'm always looking forward reading is book reviews and book recommendations.
    Congrats on graduating! :)

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  7. Welcome back!!!!
    i would love to see more of your experience and of course book recommendation^^
    thank you for the giveaway and most importlantly...

    CONGRATS!!! on graduating!!best wishes for your future

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    1. i didn't see the linky widget ( only the title) so i added your blog manually in my dashboard ( i hope you can check that)

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    2. Thank you micky for the feedback and everything. :) Don't worry about the link thing, just enter your name in the verify box I'll count it as a free entry. :)

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  8. Wow Apu. You go to boarding school in the US.IM SO JEALOUS.

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    1. Lol you have no idea how much I had to fight to come here. xD Bengali fam y'know?

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  9. Welcome back! It sounds (and looks) like you had a lot of fun! I'm very jealous :) Thanks for the giveaway

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  10. how does it feel living in the U.S.?have you read 'UNTAMED' yet?

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    1. Lots of freedom (I've gotten the opportunity to travel by myself/ with friends a lot but at the same time I miss home where I didn't have to do your own laundry and my ma would always prepare food for me whenever I had exams. So kind of miss those luxuries. Unfortunately, haven't gotten around to reading UNTAMED either: my blogging slumps are usually accompanied by reading slumps

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  11. Sounds you are enjoying life and are having some amazing experiences. I was happy to see your blog post in my inbox and whatever you want to blog about is fine with me. :-)
    sherry @ fundinmental

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  12. Welcome back!!! I didn't realize you were at boarding school in the US -- it sounds like you had a blast! What an amazing trip you went on. I used to live in Germany (many moons ago), as my dad was in the Air Force growing up, and I've seen a lot of Western Europe but not Eastern. The pictures are amazing!

    The thing I always go to blogs for are reviews, whether they're mini or really long :) I like seeing what other people are reading, what they have fallen in love with, and what they'd recommend (or not). Olus, it helps me keep on top of what's coming soon or what's new, since I'm not as "in the know" as most of y'all are!!

    Welcome back!!!!

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    1. Thank you Holly! And I know what you mean.. reading people's blogs is a really good way to catch up on what's hot and upcoming. That's so cool tho that you've lived in Germany. It's such a wonderful place.. I would start living there in a heartbeat if I could. XD

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    2. Me too! I love Germany. There is so much to love about the US, but Europe has such appeal to me. Maybe it's all the history, how old/ancient it is as compared to US. Either way, I'd LOVE to go back to Germany someday. Maybe one day I can take my son :-)

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    3. Yeah I feel the same way. ^__^ I would want to go backpacking around Europe someday when I have more money :3 and I'm sure your son would love it too. <3 Taking kids travelling is the best way to expand their horizons. My parents always followed that philosophy and thanks to that, I've been abe to go travelling to so many different places. If only it didn't come with an expensive price tag. :3

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  13. PS - I don't see a link for Links follow under the "Links Bookworms" header in sidebar...

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    1. Huh- the widget doesn't seem to be showing up for some reason. on a lot of people's screens....don't worry just enter your name in the verify box I'll count it as a free entry :)

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  14. Welcome back! :D
    Book recommendations, because I love love love book recommendations.

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  15. Welcome back, lady! It's great to see you back in the blogging sphere. I also have taken an extended hiatus, and am back on a semi regular basis. I would say follow your interests, and readers will always follow. Think about what you want to add and how to make it unique to you. I do love reviews, interviews with authors, your personal take on the blogging community and what's happening currently. Christina @ Ensconced in Lit http://cahreviews.blogspot.com

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    1. Ahh Christina how are you??? <3 Thank you so much for that insightful suggestion; I was planning on doing some travel blog posts/and also student exchange ones but I didn't have the courage to proceed with it. I might actually give that a shot though, after seeing you comment. :)

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    2. Yay, that's awesome, I hope you do! <3

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  16. Welcome back and thank you for the absolutly wonderful giveaway - some of these books are most most anticipated ones of the year :-)
    I would love more book recomedations - from all different genres, I love those :-)

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  17. I love seeing book recommendations! Thanks for the giveaway! :)

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  18. Welcome back! It's always wonderful when a blogger returns from a hiatus. If at all possible, I'd love to see articles on suggestions for other book bloggers and more book recommendations!

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  19. Welcome back and Thanks for the giveaway!

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  20. *GASP* I'm from Budapest (although I moved to London when I was 12)... So glad you liked it and thanks for the giveaway! :)

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    1. That's so cool! :D Budapest is a BEAUTIFUL city. Frankly, I'm jealous that you're from there. xD

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  21. This is the TheBookherald (blogger name)
    Welcome back!! I'm sure we'll bump into each other online at some point! :P blogging is ridiculous fun!!

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    1. It really is but it is also demanding at times. That's one of the reasons I went on a hiatus.

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  22. Hi! Welcome back. Those pictures you took are absolutely beautiful. :)

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  23. You look like you had an amazing time. I would love to travel someday.

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    1. Yes it is a worthwhile experience. If you're based in the US there's this tour company called EF Tours try their College Break program it's pretty cheap and you can pay in interest free installments over the course of a year or two.

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  24. I would like to see more giveaways!!!

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  25. Hi! I didn't enter the giveaway since this is the first time I've visited your blog, but I'm glad you're back at blogging. I myself just came back from a mini break after having too much homework and stuff to work on this past month or so. I hope you enjoy your time back! XD

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  26. So jealous of your travels! :D Looks like fun. I like your Manga Crush! memes.

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    1. Hi Christina, thanks for stopping by! Will be starting Manga Crush! again soon :), possibly this week. So keep an eye out.

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  27. Great photos! How I wish I could visit those places too.

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  28. Great photos :) it seems you had a lot of fun abroad, that's great ^^
    Welcome back to the blogging life :)

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  29. I love your travel photos. As far as blog content, besides books of course, I like to see a weekly recap that includes some IRL things. I do a weekly recap feature and it is usually my highest viewed post every week. Welcome back! Thanks for this stellar giveaway, too. :)

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    1. Thank you for that insightful feedback! Doing a recap sounds like a brilliant idea! Also, what's IRL? I'm horrible at acronyms. :3

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    2. Oh lol. Thanks! xD I really should get my acronym game up.

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  30. so jealous of your trip! Love reading about your life. I would like to see more reviews and personal updates :)

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  31. What an awesome trip! And I would love to see more reviews!

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  32. Hey! I understand you very well. I also love travelling and it's really difficult for me to LIVE in one place for a longer period of time. I am from Poland (by the way, I also understand that you disliked Auschwitz. I would never ever go there, this place seems too creepy for me) and I lived 7 months in Wisconsin but in October moved to Germany and now I continue my studies here. The best thing about studies in Europe is that it is FREE (well, I paid semester fee 112€ but now I can use all of the busses, trams and trains in my area for free, and still this is nothing in comparison to the USA). My next dream is to live in Australia for 2 years, but it is really hard for Polish people to get visa :( And then I'd like to teach English in Africa for a year or two :) I think the world is too interesting to spend whole your life in one place, but there are not too many people who understand me. I am glad you enjoyed your trip to Europe and wish you all the best! :)

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    1. Hi Malgorzata (please forgive me if I butcher your name) ! Like I said on twitter, your comment made my day. <3 I love it when people post comments saying that they can relate to my posts and of course, comments that allow me to have a glimpse of their lives as well. Cheaper tuition is one of the reasons (other than having more travel opportunities of course) why I'm thinking of transferring to europe. But my dorms here in the U.S. starting this fall will be on the Upper East Side, Manhattan, so I'm kind of at a dilemma here. Like I know if I went to Europe my tuition costs would be lowered significantly (though not as much as you because I'm not an EU citizen (I wish)) but at the same time it would mean missing out on life at the liveliest city in the world! I LOVE your goals, teaching English in Africa sounds like a wonderful experience. If you're looking for a unique experience, you could try Bangladesh as well (I'm not just saying that because it's my home country lol). English has a rising popularity and there are lots of non-profit organisations that would gladly hire foreign teachers. And I know what you mean: it's hard for me (being the citizen of one of the most corrupt countries in the world) to get a visa at any G5 country, though because of my heavy passport nowadays it's become much easier. Best of luck with Australia and I hope that your dreams come true. :) Hope we can stay in touch, you seem really cool.

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  33. Thanks for your awesomeness!

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  34. More book recs are always welcomed, also love just hearing about you.

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  35. Welcome back! Looks like you had a great trip! :)

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  36. Your Europe sounds both terrifying and amazing. I'd have expected a group trip to be confusing and haphazard but it sounds amazing. Also lets not have trump visit Auschwitz, we don't want him getting inspiration. After reading The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas for I went to see it. I think I'd end up crying. Hope you guys plan another trip after your Manhattan time. :)

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    1. Hi Vacheli, thanks for stopping by! At first I had the same impression about group trips but honestly, I changed my verdict now that I've actually been on one. Also, I think a lot of it depends on the kind of group you're going on the trip with. Like in my case, most of the travellers were around the same age as I am, so we clicked pretty quickly. Also, the tour company I travelled with has this program called EFCollegeBreak which mainly caters to individuals between the ages of 18-28 so if you're a solo traveller that would be a great program to check out. And yeah you're right: knowing Trump, visiting Auschwitz might have the opposite effect on him rather than making him more sentimental. Auschwitz was very mortifying, but at the same time I think it was worth visiting because for people to understand the mistakes of the past they need to see it for themselves. And I have my fingers crossed for another trip after moving to Manhattan as well! Thanks! :)

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  37. Welcome back to the blogging world! Seems like you got up to a lot of things while you were away :3

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  38. Welcome back to the world of blogging :D Looks like you had a great time travelling!

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  39. Love your Blog! Glad to have found you. :)

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  40. WooHoo... Just entered your fab Giveaway!

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  41. Welcome back! You've got quite a list of accomplishments for someone just graduating high school. Very impressive.

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  42. Yeyyy! Welcome back!!! I'd love to see more book memes, reviews and recommendation!

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  43. Welcome back!, your travels look amazing I'm very jealous (travelling has to be the best thing in the world haha), glad you had an amazing time :D

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  44. I've actually been on a Europe excursion myself but I went to England, France, and Italy but sadly it only lasted 10 days 😢😢😭 I want to go back to England sooo badly... I'm glad you enjoyed your trip and I hope to go to Hungry some day too because I have some Hungarian in me!!!

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  45. Welcome back and congratulations on your graduation! I would love to see posts that you share us pictures of the bookstores that you're visiting!

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  46. Looks like you had an awesome trip! It's been a while since I've been to Europe, definitely wouldn't mind going back. Also, congrats on your graduation!
    I love to see more pictures from your trip!

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  47. Welcome back from Europe!!! I would like to see more book recommendations :D

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  48. I'm always looking forward to book recommendations, especially the "not so famous" books that often get overshadowed :)

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  49. welcome back :) i so wanted to visit Europe in my vacations but these days i don't get any vacation not even summer vacation :(

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  50. welcome back :) i so wanted to visit Europe in my vacations but these days i don't get any vacation not even summer vacation :(

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  51. Thanks for the giveaway! :)

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  52. Welcome back! And I would like to see manga and anime reviews as well as book reviews.

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