Giveaway! - Pretty Puzzle Books

Everyone seems to be doing pretty patterned bookcovers nowadays - I posted recently about the Virago special editions and Penguin has recently got in on the act with foiled hardbacks designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith, which I would dearly love to own. (More images here).

You too can now jump on the patterned book bandwagon with the new Spring collection of gorgeous little puzzle books from Andrews McMeel and the Puzzle Society. 

Each book is about the same size and shape as a Moleskine notebook but features a different, beautiful, embossed, foiled or flocked cover. It makes sense really - we take care to find pretty notebooks and pens to stash in our handbags, why should puzzle books be ugly?

To have a chance of winning all four of the books pictured, just tell me in the comments below what is the prettiest or ugliest thing you currently have in your handbag.  I'll keep the competition open for a week and choose the winner using an unbribable random number generator (though you are welcome to try bribing ME). I'm also happy to ship anywhere in the world. You will need to make sure you leave an email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win.

Good luck!

I am so tempted to keep these for myself, as they really are rather attractive, but the chances of me finding a spare moment for puzzling, are, shall we say, somewhat remote.

Comments

[Liz]

I think the prettiest thing I have at the moment is a half-knitted sock. The ugliest? a single padded shoe insert from when I was half-way somewhere and decided that the insert made the shoe uncomfortably small!

[fert]

A pug-chewed tube of lipgloss. It's pretty gnarly.

[Liz]

I found something in my handbag yesterday that's neither pretty nor ugly, more odd really. It's the cat's favourite toy, a yellow ball. I wondered why he was in there himself (well, half of him, it's only a small bag) at one point. He must have thought it was the safest place for his prized possession. Aww, bless.

[jamieofalltrades]

This is a great contest. The prettiest thing is my bright turquoise clutch from banana republic and the ugliest thing is a tea bag. It's not used, still in the package but probably been in my bag for months.

[paola]

This is turning into quite an interesting anthropological study...keep them coming!

[Jessica]

The prettiest thing in my handbag is definitely my planner because the hardcover is printed in a lovely black and white damask pattern. The ugliest thing would have to be the giant wad of receipts in the zipper compartment. (...I really need to clean those out and sort them...)

[Sandy]

The prettiest thing in my handbag is a card holder I made from a chocolate and blue Amy Butler print. The ugliest thing is a semi-dessicated pill of some sort that apparently I think I might really need sometime!

sandyandcosmo@yahoo.com

[Lisa]

The prettiest thing: a cute zippered bag from etsy (of course) that holds my makeup. The ugliest: work papers!

[ikkinlala]

I don't actually have a handbag right now, so I hope it will count if I answer for the things I usually have in my pockets when I go to town. The prettiest is my wallet, which was a gift from my mom the Christmas before last and is black leather with a dainty embossed design in the corner. The ugliest is my watch, which was a gift from my great grandma about 15 years ago (it was pretty at the time) and for the last 8 years or so has sported a dingy loop of cotton string in place of its wristband. I keep meaning to get a new one, but I haven't yet.

ikkinlala AT yahoo DOT ca

[illahee]

the prettiest thing i have is my hanko case. the ugliest...maybe the mashed up chocolate bits on the bottom of my bag. oh, the shame...

[Liz]

Great giveaway! I have a particularly naff wallet - nylon, big 'Marie Claire' logo on front (free with mag of course) and at least a decade old!

[Susan]

Prettiest thing I have is an embroidered handkerchief. Ugliest is probably my battered cell phone.

[Nicole M.]

The prettiest thing I have is probably my credit card holder. It's made of a very pretty heavy cloth with florals on a brown background. The ugliest thing is probably a pot of Carmex that I just found in there.

[James]

The prettiest thing in my (man)bag (Is that allowed?!) is a lovely paisley tootal scarf. The ugliest thing is the photo on my driving licence.

[Paola]

Oh yes, man bags or equivalents (pockets? gymbags? I've never quite worked out what men DO with their stuff) are most definitely allowed.

[Nova]

A butterfly baby quilt pattern.

[Surekat]

I don't know if it could be called pretty, but certainly the most eye-catching thing in my bag is my cosmetics pouch, which has a really cute patchwork print of children's cartoons. The ugliest is my to-do list, in a wal-mart $1.50 notebook.

[Robin]

The prettiest thing in my purse is a little pouch for tissues with a painting of a geisha girl on it. The ugiest is a ratty old envelope full of receipts, gift cards, coupons and other bits and pieces of paper.

[bushra]

the prettiest thing right now is a paper bag from the Laduree bakery, one of the office people brought a box of macarons back from Paris, and i bagsied the bag! nothing ugly to declare though.

[christine]

Ugliest thing is easily a piece of chewed and spat out chewing gum squeezed between two scraps of old furry paper, and the prettiest thing is a black and white photo of my delicious husband.

[steph]

Prettiest is the pink hankie with the pretty purple flowers embroidered by my grandmother.

[Valérie]

The ugliest thing in my handbag is the movie that should have returned last night... late fees are pretty ugly. The prettiest is definitely the keychain my 4 year old made for me for Valentine's Day.

Those puzzle books look amazing. I want them baaaaaddddd. Especially the Sudoku, it's my favorite AND it has the prettiest cover. I'd bribe you but I have nothing interesting to offer :P

[camilla]

Ugliest - damp parking ticket
Prettiest - mirrormirror passport holder.

*angelic look*

[alaina]

The prettiest thing is my cheap Vivitar Wide & Slim 35mm camera. I love taking pictures on film and this camera takes exceptionally flawed photos. The ugliest thing is a mint that I dug up from the recesses of my bag which is linty and kind of gray. Ugh!

[BJ Lantz]

Prettiest: My lime green reading glasses

Ugliest: a scraped-empty tube of lip balm I really should toss...

[daisymoog]

Prettiest thing I have in my hand bag is a photo of my daughters....awww....

[AJ]

Love it!
I'll tell you both:
The prettiest thing is my new billfold, which is a gorgeous shade of bright green!
The ugliest is a yellow sweat/headband that I found irresistible at my fiance's parents' house!

[belle]

The prettiest thing is the handbag itself, and adorable little purple plaid purse, and the ugliest thing is definitely the ancient gum wrapper I never bothered to take out...

[Sudoku]

The Prettiest thing is my new Canon pocket camera I got for Christmas. The ugliest thing is my wallet (horrible color).