I’m off to the cottage for a few days – relaxing with good friends and reading, my two favourite activities. I’m taking along a few “hidden treasures” to read and post for the West of Mars contest. What I’m reading will remain a surprise until I post the reviews, so instead of telling you what I’ll be reading I’m going to ask the question of you – my faithful readers. Have you picked out a book (or books) to read and review as part of the Hidden Treasures contest? If not, what are you waiting for? There are so many great prizes on offer, courtesy of some great publishing houses and authors. There’s even a prize just for Canadian reviewers (you must be a resident of Canada to qualify)!

In case you’re wondering, you don’t have to pick a book from the reading list. You can read anything you deem a “hidden treasure,” that is, any book which has never appeared on a bestseller list and is published by a royalty-paying publisher. So hit your local independent bookstore, the library or even a used bookstore. Enter early and often and get the word out on some overlooked gems.

The contest runs from July 15 – August 15, so pick up a hidden treasure, savour it and then share it with the world.

For anyone who may have missed my original notice, I’ll repeat the rules below:

1. Find a book that’s a Hidden Treasure. That means a book that hasn’t made it to a best-seller list anywhere that you can find. A suggested reading list is available at WestofMars.com. Feel free to find your own treasure, though.
2. The book MUST be from a royalty-paying publisher. If in doubt, ask Susan.
3. Read it.
4. Post a review somewhere on the Internet between July 15 and August 15 (some popular locations for the last contest were reviewers’ websites or blogs, Gather.com, and/or BookCrossing.com).
5. Sign the Mr. Linky at West of Mars. Include the permalink for your review.
6. Yes, you can use a Hidden Treasure book that fulfills another contest or reading challenge.
7. Yes, you can review more than one book.
8. If, for some reason, you don’t want to win a prize, let Susan know.
9. If you have suggestions for the Hidden Treasures Suggested Reading List, or a prize to offer the winners, drop Susan an e-mail at susan at westofmars dot com.
10. Prizes will be awarded August 20. Winners will be contacted and winning list will be posted no later than 22 August; be sure to have a way for us to contact you.