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I am combining two great blog hops: Stacking The Shelves (a Saturday feature by Team Tynga's Reviews), and Sunday Post (a Sunday feature by the Caffeinated Book Reviewer). Both of these features give people a chance to post about what books they received and also an opportunity to catch a glimpse of what others are excited about. I really enjoy see everyone's version of these features! If you enjoy my blog, please consider following me via Bloglovin, Networked Blogs, GFC, or by email subscription. If you leave a comment and tell me you are a new follower, I will follow you back! As always, all book cover images are linked to GoodReads so if you see a book you want to learn more about, just click away...
On The Blog:
Monday: Bay Area Book Events #54
I'm starting to get lots of email subscribers! Thank you to all who follow me. As you know, the more followers I have, the better my chances are of getting approved to review new books!
I almost signed up for a program called Bloggers For Books. It is part of Random House and, at first, I thought it was a great program that would allow me to request more books from Random House. However, as I was signing up, they asked for more and more information. Plus they wanted me to sign up for a service called Klout. I have never heard of this website before. It kind of looked like Bloglovin, and it wanted me to add posts for my book reviews. It made me nervous because it appeared that once I posted a review, they would be able to control it, which includes using it in promotions without seeking further permission from me. This made me so uncomfortable that I cancelled both Bloggers For Books and Klout.
Are any of you signed up with Bloggers For Books or Klout? They also said that they could control your Blogger posts and control your tweets on Twitter. I felt that they were trying to control too much of the content that I create. How comfortable are you with how they use your reviews?
In Real Life:
Summer is winding down, and I am busy trying to get my son ready for his first semester at college!!! He is excited and so am I. There is so much to do, as he will attend two "boot camps" for Math and English. These seem like great programs to review concepts so he is totally ready to roll once school starts.
One of my other sons is busy practicing for his driving test! I am taking him out to drive every day and I think he has improved tremendously. Next Thursday is the big day. Yikes!!!
New Books:
Won From Goodreads:
Apparently, people actually DO win Goodreads giveaways! I have entered so many of them, and I finally won this lovely book! Thank you, Harper Collins.
NetGalley:
I'm very excited to read this new book from Andy Weir! I loved The Martian, so I have high hopes for this novel.
Thrift Store Buys:
Well, I went into the thrift store looking for a particular book for my daughter (Life Of Pi, she needs to read it for school). Did I find that book? Of course not! But I found these two books and they look really good, so I went ahead and spend $3.00. So much for my spending freeze.
What books did you get this week? What is happening that you are excited about? Let me know in the comments.
Oh yay, glad to see other people are getting Artemis! I have started it, but wasn't immediately hooked... I'll be interested to see what other people think. Hope you enjoy the new books!
ReplyDeleteMy STS.
I have high hopes for Artemis, as I loved The Martian. I hope his next book is wonderful. I got to meet him at the Silicon Valley ComicCon and he signed my copy of The Martian!
DeleteOOh nice! Yay for a Goodreads win!!! I think I've won 3 or maybe 4 of them ever since I joined back in 2010! I guess that's something! Lol! Can't remember what the first ones were but my most recent one from earlier this year was Scythe!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy all your lovely new reads!
My STS will be up tomorrow, so be sure to stop by then if you can!
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I feel lucky to even win one book! Scythe looks great and it's on my TBR. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI’ve been entering Goodreads giveaways since 2014 and have never won. So, it’s good to know that it IS possible. Good luck to your kids with their school/driving/book finding!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Thank you AJ. The best part of my son getting his license (hopefully) is that I will have one less client for the Mom Taxi Cab!
DeleteCongratulations on your Goodreads win! I always enter them but I've never actually won anything. lol! I have more luck on giveaways on blogs, I guess. I hope everything continues to go well with your son's driving lessons.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie. I hope he passes... Keep trying on the Goodreads giveaways. If I can win, anyone can!
DeleteAwesome haul of books this week. I hope you love all of your new books.
ReplyDeleteGrace @ Books of Love
Thank you, Grace. I appreciate you stopping by!
DeleteI've been seeing that Andy Weir book around a lot. I bet it's amazing!
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I'm shocked I got approved! I hope it's wonderful...
DeleteI hope you enjoy Everything is Illuminated more than I did. It's one of very few books that I actually liked the movie better than the book.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise it looks like you got a great haul this week! - Katie
Here's my STS: http://justanothergirlandherbooks.blogspot.de/2017/07/stacking-shelves-22-july-2017.html
I remember seeing the trailer for Everything is Illuminated (isn't it with Elijah Wood?). I like books where people are trying to learn about their family, so I think I will enjoy it. Thank for stopping by.
DeleteOoh I liked Replica! And Artemis looks good too. And that whole Bloggers for Books thing would make me uncomfortable, I definitely wouldn't want them able to control my Blogger or Twitter activity at all or use my posts. I would have backed out too w/o knowing a lot more.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
I hope I was just being paranoid, but the program did seem to want an awful lot of information. Then you had to earn a "score" in order to be approved for books. It seemed like a bunch of hoops to jump through. I would rather take my chances with NetGalley. Plus, I think I will try to cut down on the number of ARCs I review in the future. I have so many of them to read, that I never get to read the regular books on my TBR list. Then it feels too much like a chore.
DeleteI haven't signed up for Bloggers for Books. This is my tenth year as a blogger and, more and more, I'd rather follow my own book path!
ReplyDeleteI am a new follow of your blog (Google).
https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-heck-down-to-last-few-weeks-of.html
Smart of you, Deb. I will check out your blog and follow you back. I really appreciate the follow. Have a great week.
DeleteI have never heard of bloggers for books but I did here about Klout a few years back. I don't think it's something that would interest me am happy enough just building contacts other ways with publishers. Hope you have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI came to the same conclusion after they kept wanting more and more information!!!
DeleteI once tried signing up for Bloggers For Books, and then found out I am not even remotely eligible, cause you have to have a US address (or maybe US or UK, neither of which I have)! If they're really that nosey about content and information, maybe it's good I wasn't even eligible.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on winning the book on Goodreds! And congrats on Artemis! I wasn't approved, probably cause I'm out of region again.
Have a great reading week!
I wasn't impressed with all the questions and jumping through hoops that Bloggers for Books wanted me to do. I'm not getting paid, yet I am being asked to do a BUNCH of things in order to be "eligible" to get books. I'll take me chances with NetGalley. I really hope that Artemis is great. There must be a huge amount of pressure on Andy Weir for this book.
DeleteThank goodness I haven't signed up for Bloggers for Books yet. I don't want to give out too much information about myself than I have to. Glad you got Artemis!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my Sunday Post!
Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog and join in this week’s Book Photo Sundays!
Thank you, Ronyell. Privacy is important, plus keeping control of one's own content. There are other ways to ensure that people are serious bloggers (maybe have an intern check out the blog?) that are less intrusive. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteCongrats on the Goodreads giveaway win!!! Love the new additions and I hope you do too. Happy reading.
ReplyDeleteJenea's Book Obsession
Thank you, Jenea. I now have faith that Goodreads giveaways are real!!! Have a great week.
DeleteI have never heard of Bloggers for Books but I agree-all that requirement would have made me uncomfortable as well. I would be curious to find anyone who actual is a part of the program to get the details!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new books!
yes, if I ever decide to sign up (doubtful, though), I will want to do more research. I like NetGalley. I have had good luck with them, but not so much with Edelweiss. I'm just happy to read a few things and review them. Have a wonderful week.
DeleteOMG winning Goodreads giveaways is like lassoing the moon! I've won one in the past year, I think. And I didn't even really want the book anymore! I had wanted it at the time, but after several months, I forgot all about it and lost interest. And of course, won the Goodreads giveaway. Love how that works!
ReplyDeleteI signed up for Blogging For Books maybe a year ago? Less than that, but it's around that time frame. I've never gotten any books from it, probably because I didn't link to Klout. I've got enough social media and blog following accounts to manage. I definitely do not need another. o_o
I hope you enjoy all of your new books! Have a fabulous week, Ardis. =)
Check out my STS post!
Good to know about Bloggers For Books. Klout seemed very invasive, and that's when I backed away... I did look at some of the books on Bloggers For Books, and wasn't interested in any of them. So no loss. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThat's too bad about Random House. I've never requested books for review, I did win one book on Goodreads and it was suggested that I write a review. I did not like the book and I hated the feelings I was having about posting a review by the publications date. I do much better without all the anxiety! I also won an author give-away on Goodreads and was so excited because she is my favorite author... I never received the book :(
ReplyDeleteEnjoy all your new reads Ardis and have a great day :)
These Goodreads giveaways are a gamble to be sure! I actually enjoy writing reviews and having a deadline, particularly if I loved the book. Then I want to help promote it. The hardest part is writing a negative review. There is no joy in telling someone that you hated their book. Thankfully, I don't need to do that very often. Thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDelete