Blog and get free stuff!

A few weeks ago I asked for book recommendations. In response, a helpful reader recommended a book to me. Now, something wonderful has happened! That very book (Helen Garner's The Spare Room) arrived in the mail with my address and name on the parcel, in time for Willie Nelson's birthday no less!

I have a few theories about what happened.

1. Willie Nelson read my blog and was so happy that I wished him a happy birthday that he scoured my blog for appropriate gifts and noticed that someone else thought I would enjoy this book, and express mailed it from the US so it arrived the same day! How thoughtful is that!
2. The person who sent it to me deliberately mentioned the book to me via the blog to create a sense of anticipation so that when I opened the parcel I wouldn't say, "Huh? What kind of stupid book is this??", but rather, "Oh my god, it's that book I was recommended!" This is also very thoughtful, although I must say somewhat reckless. What if I had read the earlier recommendation and rushed out and bought the book myself? Possible, though admittedly unlikely, as this would require a level of enthusiasm, initiative, and non-niggardliness that most people familar enough with me to mail me a book would know that I do not possess. (Phew - that sentence got a little complex. Anyone know an editor?)
   
3. The recommendation was made by myself subsequent to reading the book, but using my skillz as a l33t hax0r to make the recommendation appear to be dated before the book arrived just to mess with your minds. You're in the Matrix!
   
4. The book itself is some kind of Celestine Prophecy-esque revelation of the ultimate nature of reality which will allow me to actually travel in time (and listen to the crack of infinitives splitting as I do so) and recommend the book to myself before I have read it.

Hmmm. Re-reading that last paragraph and noticing that I used the words "Celestine Prophecy-esque" makes me think I've really reached the end of the jetty on this post. I'll wind it up here with a big thanks to the mystery person who gave me the book (mystery to you readers, I happen to know who the book is from). And I'll say that anyone else who wants to mail me free stuff, please do.