Thursday, April 30, 2015

*Reading List* May 2015

So April is over and I still have books to read (surprise, surprise. Or, you know, not.) So here is my new reading list of all the books I hope to get read this month. Again, I'm pretty much 100% sure they won't all get read, but I hope to get through a large chunk of them before the 31st.

X - Read
R - Reading
+ - To be Read

R - The Rewriting of America's History by Catherine Millard
R - Sector 64: Ambush by Dean M. Cole
R - Sweetwater (The Kihn 1) by Rivi Jacks
R - Emissary by Thomas Locke
R - The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan
R - The Voyage by Tammie Painter

 + - Far From Home by V. Stolte
+ - &Now Awards 3 by Various Authors
+ - Elwyndyn by Raven Williams
+ - Proud Patrick by Michael Aloysius O'Reilly
+ - Shadows of the Unseen by Christine Steendam
+ - Affliction by S.L. Dearing
+ - Bloodlines by S.L. Dearing
+ - Drawing Heat by S.L. Dearing
+ - Dr. Sleep by Stephen King
+ - PrairyErth by William Least Heat-Moon
+ - Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
+ - A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes
+ - Carus and Mitch by Tim Major
+ - House of Holes by Nicholson Baker
+ - Christmas in Paradise by Kathi Daley

I think my list this month is shorter than last month, so maybe that will make it more easily completeable (that's really not a word), and then I'll feel a major sense of accomplishment...or I just won't get it finished again, and feel like the complete and utter failure that I am (I don't really think I'm a failure, I know my reading limitations and tendencies.) I have a feeling at the end of the month I'll have books on my read list that are not part of this list, and still have books from this list unfinished, but that's okay too, because sometimes I have to read just for me. - Katie 

*Reading List* April 2015 Results

Alright, it's the last day of April and I want to get a jump on having this post ready. Plus, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to finish another book before the day is over because it's Confessions Thursday on IABB, so my day is pretty much book. So how did I do on my reading list for the month? Spoiler alert, I did not finish it! But here is where I stand.

X - Read
R - Reading
+ - To be Read

X - Trail of the Raven, Haiti by Chip Davis
See my review here.

X - The Story of Lansing Lotte by L.B. Dunbar
See my review here.

X - Destined for Dreams: Book One by Ginna Moran
See my review here.

X - Cold Sake: A Yamabuki Story by Katherine M. Lawrence
Goodreads First Reads win. See my review here.

X - The Art of Sin by Alexandrea Weis
Proofreading job. 5 star review not posted yet.

X - The Wonder of His Name: 32 Life Changing Names of Jesus by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Goodreads First Reads win. See my review here.

X - Loan Some by Megan McLachlan
Goodreads First Reads win. See my review here.

X - Aflame by Penelope Douglas
See my review here.

X - Girls are Lame and Boys are Gross by Stine Falkenberg Schmidt and Mia S. Beck
Goodreads First Reads win. See my review here.

X - Destiny's Flame by D.S. Schmeckpeper
See my review here.

The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl
See my review here.

R - The Rewriting of America's History by Catherine Millard
R - Sector 64: Ambush by Dean M. Cole
R - Sweetwater (The Kihn 1) by Rivi Jacks
R - Emissary by Thomas Locke
R - The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan
R - The Voyage by Tammie Painter

+ - Far From Home by V. Stolte
+ - &Now Awards 3 by Various Authors
+ - Elwyndyn by Raven Williams
+ - Proud Patrick by Michael Aloysius O'Reilly
+ - Shadows of the Unseen by Christine Steendam
+ - Affliction by S.L. Dearing
+ - Bloodlines by S.L. Dearing
+ - Drawing Heat by S.L. Dearing
+ - Dr. Sleep by Stephen King
+ - PrairyErth by William Least Heat-Moon

So I managed to read a total of 11 books this month, but I still have 10 on my list that I haven't even started, and four books from my list that I'm currently reading still, plus two new books added (although I started The Rewriting of America's History about 2 years ago, but I'm kind of determined to actually finish it in the next couple of months.) Look for my May reading list soon. - Katie 

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

*Challenge Review* The Story of Lansing Lotte by L.B. Dunbar


Genre: Contemporary Romance/Rock Star
Published: April 28, 2015
Pages: 383
Ages: 18+

Synopsis

It’s the day after. 
Lansing Lotte is caught in bed, quite literally, with his pants down. 

I get it. I’ve heard the jokes. My name sounds like some medieval character who was a hero. Hell, my best friend’s named Arturo King. Ring any medieval bells? But this is my story and I’m no hero. I also get the jokes. Lancelot is a play on the words lance and lot, and a lance refers to a sword, which is a euphemism for dick. What does a man do with his dick? He fucks. A lot. So if my name is Lansing Lotte, I must be “fucking lot.” Get it? Fucking a lot? Which I’m not saying I don’t, that’s not the point. Another reference to something sexual. Get my point? Huh, I made a punny. But again this is my story, and I haven’t done anything funny. In fact, I’ve killed three women, and only one of them I loved. Yeah, that’s right? Not laughing now. It’s not funny. And I’m definitely no fucking hero. 

The legend continues...



Review

I had the honor of BETA reading this book which basically means I was proofreading because that is the biggest contribution I make in the BETA process most of the time. That means this review is for an unfinished book, but it was still post edit, so it won't likely have changed much since I read it.

This is the second book in Dunbar's Legendary Rock Stars series, and you really should read The Legend of Arturo King first. It's not absolutely necessary because this story does provide pertinent background information that you'd get from Arturo's story, but it also provides some really big spoilers for Arturo's story, so it's best to read in order.

I loved this story, but I was pretty sure I was going to love it before I even started. I'm a fan of L.B. Dunbar's writing already, and I really enjoy Arthurian Legend, which greatly inspired this series. That's a recipe for success where I'm concerned.

The story is told in first person, but it switches  between a few of the characters to give us a slightly broader perspective of the events. I thought this worked really well for the story making everything feel really personal, which makes it easier for me to connect with the main character, especially when he comes off as kind of a jerk for large portions of the story. Although Lansing is supposed to be this really heroic guy, his actions where women are concerned are flippant and obviously hurtful (to most people at least) but he does have his amazing moments too. 

There isn't much more that I can say without spoiling the story, so I'm just going to stop here. Overall I give it 5 out of 5 stars because I was sucked in, engaged, and kept guessing about things. If you like rock star stories and/or Arthurian legend, you will probably really enjoy this book. 

Buy the Book


About the Author

L.B. Dunbar loves to read to the point it might be classified as an addiction. The past few years especially she has relished the many fabulous YA authors, the new genre of New Adult, traditional romances, and historical romances. A romantic at heart, she’s been accused of having an overactive imagination, as if that was a bad thing. Author of the Sensations Collection, Sound Advice, Taste Test, Fragrance Free, Touch Screen, and the upcoming Sight Words, she is also author of the Legendary Rock Star series, beginning with The Legend of Arturo King. She grew up in Michigan, but has lived in Chicago for longer, calling it home with her husband and four children.

Other books by L.B. Dunbar

Sensations Collection

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Legendary Rock Stars

Book 1

Challenges

I was able to fit The Story of Lansing Lotte into my challenges by using it as a TBR book for Book Bingo (I realize it just released today, but it's a book by one of my go to authors so it was a given that I was going to read it, so it counts.) And for the Popsugar challenge I used the book to fulfill my Book by a Female Author requirement.

Other categories this book would fit include:
A book published this year
A book from an author I love that I hadn't read yet
A book with a love triangle (two of them actually)





*Challenge Review* The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl


Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: April 28, 2015
Pages: 400
Ages: 14+

Synopsis

“This swashbuckling tale of greed and great literature will remind you why Pearl is the reigning king of popular literary historical thrillers. His latest is guaranteed to delight lovers of history and mystery.”—Library Journal (starred review) 


book'a-neer' (bŏŏk'kå-nēr'), n. a literary pirate; an individual capable of doing all that must be done in the universe of books that publishers, authors, and readers must not have a part in


London, 1890—Pen Davenport is the most infamous bookaneer in Europe. A master of disguise, he makes his living stalking harbors, coffeehouses, and print shops for the latest manuscript to steal. But this golden age of publishing is on the verge of collapse. For a hundred years, loose copyright laws and a hungry reading public created a unique opportunity: books could easily be published without an author’s permission. Authors gained fame but suffered financially—Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, to name a few—but publishers reaped enormous profits while readers bought books inexpensively. Yet on the eve of the twentieth century, a new international treaty is signed to grind this literary underground to a sharp halt. The bookaneers are on the verge of extinction.

From the author of The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl, The Last Bookaneer is the astonishing story of these literary thieves’ epic final heist. On the island of Samoa, a dying Robert Louis Stevenson labors over a new novel. The thought of one last book from the great author fires the imaginations of the bookaneers, and soon Davenport sets out for the South Pacific island. As always, Davenport is reluctantly accompanied by his assistant Fergins, who is whisked across the world for one final caper. Fergins soon discovers the supreme thrill of aiding Davenport in his quest to steal Stevenson’s manuscript and make a fortune before the new treaty ends the bookaneers’ trade forever. But Davenport is hardly the only bookaneer with a mind to pirate Stevenson’s last novel. His longtime adversary, the monstrous Belial, appears on the island, and soon Davenport, Fergins, and Belial find themselves embroiled in a conflict larger, perhaps, than literature itself.

In The Last Bookaneer, Pearl crafts a finely wrought tale about a showdown between brilliant men in the last great act of their professions. It is nothing short of a page-turning journey to the heart of a lost era.



Review

I received a copy of this book through Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review by today. I made it, barely. 

The Last Bookaneer throws us into the life of a literary Jack Sparrow (Penrose Davenport). He has lofty goals, but his Barbossa (Belial) is constantly getting in the way, and frequently one ups Davenport. For his last mission, an attempt to steal Robert Louis Stevenson's last great novel before he dies and the international copyright laws change, Davenport takes his assistant, a British bookseller named Edgar Fergins, to chronicle the mission for him. Much like Jack Sparrow, Davenport's plans are usually off the cuff and seem very unconventional, and yet they tend to work. What Davenport doesn't fully realize is that Fergins is, like Will Turner, a truly good man and not really cut out for a life of bookaneering.

I recently read a book about the various editions of Jane Austen's work that had talked about the lax copyright laws between England and America, and this book brought that situation to life for me in a big way. I don't know if it's really historically accurate about the difficulties of getting manuscripts across the ocean (because with a published book I would think it would be pretty easy to just buy a copy and then take it on your journey with you), but it is definitely way more exciting than what I thought, even if it's not true.

I was completely sucked into this story, once I was able to sit down and actually start reading it at least. All of the book talk and the view into the life of an author appealed greatly to the bookworm inside of me. The twists kept me guessing, and the anticipation of the final showdown with Belial kept me turning the pages. 

Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars because it sucked me in, kept me guessing, and kept me interested. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

Matthew Pearl is the author of the novels The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow, The Last Dickens, The Technologists, and The Last Bookaneer. His books have been New York Times bestsellers and international bestsellers translated into more than 30 languages. His nonfiction writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and Slate.com. He has been heard on shows including NPR's "All Things Considered" and "Weekend Edition Sunday," and his books have been featured on Good Morning America and CBS Sunday Morning. 

Matthew Pearl grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School. He has also taught literature and creative writing at Harvard University and Emerson College, and has been a Visiting Lecturer in law and literature at Harvard Law School. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6247.Matthew_Pearl)

My Challenges

I managed to squeeze this book in to both of my challenges for the year. For Book Bingo I used it to fill the historical category because it's historical fiction. And for the Popsugar reading challenge I used it as my book based entirely on it's cover because I put my name in the hat to hopefully win a copy through First to Read based purely on being intrigued by the cover. 

Other categories it could fulfill include:
A book published this year
A mystery or thriller (there was some mystery)
A book set in a different country (the bulk of the story takes place in Samoa)
A book by an author I've never read before





Friday, April 24, 2015

*Cover Reveal and Giveaway* Seconds Before Sunrise by Shannon A Thompson


Genre: YA/Paranormal
Release Date: July 28, 2015 
(Originally published March 27, 2014)
Ages: 12+
(My estimate)

Synopsis

Seconds Before Sunrise (book 2 of The Timely Death Trilogy)

Two nightmares. One memory.

"Chaos within destiny. It was the definition of our love."

Eric has weeks before his final battle when he's in an accident. Forced to face his human side, he knows he can't survive if he fights alone. But he doesn't want to surrender, even if he becomes the sacrifice for war.

Jessica's memory isn't the only thing she's lost. Her desire to find her parents is gone and so is her confidence. But when fate leaves nightmares behind, she decides to find the boy she sees in them, even if it risks her sanity.


Message from Shannon

The Timely Death Trilogy began as one teenager’s nightmare and morphed into a real-life dream of authorship. The entire trilogy re-releases with new covers and new interiors this summer and fall by Clean Teen Publishing. I hope you’ll check out this dark vs. light trilogy (mainly because the “dark” side is the good side…maybe), and I especially hope you’ll consider becoming a Member of the Dark! Each time there is a special event, you can participate and win prizes—like spotlights on my website, books, and more. Simply email me at shannonathompson@aol.com, and I’ll send a badge over to you. We might even have coffee together. 
Thank you for reading about this dark journey, 


~SAT


YouTube Video Reveal


Links 


About the Author


Shannon A. Thompson is a 23-year-old author, avid reader, and habitual chatterbox. She was merely 16 when she was first published, and a lot has happened since then. Thompson’s work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies, and her first installment of The Timely Death Trilogy became Goodreads Book of the Month. She is currently represented by Clean Teen Publishing, and Minutes Before Sunset releases on July 28, 2015. 

As a novelist, poet, and blogger, Thompson spends her free time writing and sharing ideas with her black cat named after her favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart. Between writing and befriending cats, she graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English, and she travels whenever the road calls her.

Visit her blog for writers and readers at www.ShannonAThompson.com

Giveaway



Goodreads Book Giveaway

Minutes Before Sunset by Shannon A. Thompson

Minutes Before Sunset

by Shannon A. Thompson

Giveaway ends June 23, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to Win

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

*Challenge Review* Destiny's Flame by D.S. Schmeckpeper



Genre: Epic Fantasy
Published: April 21, 2015
Pages: 301
Ages: 14+
(Contains violence and some adult situations)

Synopsis

Repercussions…

What happens after the battle is done? Do you think everyone lives happily ever after?

Lumernia has been left divided, leaderless. The ensuing power struggle cost the city more than just the knightly order, leaving the land and its people unguarded. Is the conquering army content with their prize, or do they have their sights set on more?

Celeste, Tarnelius, Arcus and Siobhan are back. After saving the land of Altierra from the threat of the ultimate evil, they expected life to return to normal and made plans to pay respects to a fallen friend. No good deed ever goes unpunished, though, and their actions have many consequences. Kuunkierto was defeated, but an ancient pact was broken and the first calls of war have sounded. Will they be able to right the wrongs of the world once more? Will they be strong enough to face what is coming?

Through the flames of war, new destinies arise.


Review

D.S. Schmeckpeper transports us back to the land of Altierra in this sequel to her debut novel, Destiny’s Wings. We find Celeste, Tarnelius, Arcus, and Shiobhan facing the disastrous consequences of their actions. 

I got/had to beta read this book. I actually wasn’t given much of a choice in the matter, but the author has bribed me with the promises of cake. It wasn’t hard to get me on board with promises like that. Also, I was anxious to continue the adventures of Celeste and her crew. In Destiny’s Flame, the crew travels to almost all of the locations we first visited in Destiny’s Wings, all of them under very different circumstances, and with vastly different results. I enjoyed being able to revisit these locations under different circumstances. 

Although this book is the second in a series, you don’t actually have to read Destiny’s Wings first to feel up to speed with what is going on in this story. The major pertinent details from the first book are covered, but if you read this book without reading Destiny’s Wings first, you will be subjecting yourself to some major spoilers for Destiny’s Wings, so I would still recommend reading that first. 

I would recommend this series to any epic fantasy fan, and personally look forward to reading more from this author. 5 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Buy the Book
*This post contains affiliate links


About the Author

D.S. Schmeckpeper (a.k.a. Dottie and Steve Schmeckpeper) live in Florida, USA. They are a husband and wife team who work together to create the Land of Destiny series. Both have loved the Fantasy genre for many years and have wasted way too much time playing fantasy-based games. Dottie was a vocal performance major in college, before she decided a liberal arts major was not for her. Ironic, huh? They have two wonderful twin boys, who are three at the time of this publication. They are the light or their parents’ lives. Steve does the artwork and comes up with many of the story concepts. Dottie brings the ideas to life. When not working, writing or drawing, the pair love to take their children to Florida’s many amusement parks, and can often be found there. 

Other Books by D.S. Schmeckpeper

Land of Destiny Book 1


Challenges

I used Destiny's Flame to fulfill my fantasy block on my Book Bingo Challenge. For the Popsugar challenge I used it to fulfill the Book with Magic category, because it does have lots of magic in it. 

Other categories it would fulfill:
A book published this year
A book by a female author
A book set in a different country (it's set in an entirely different world!)
A book from an author I love that I hadn't read yet






*Challenge Review* Aflame by Penelope Douglas


Genre: NA/Romance
Published: April 21, 2015
Pages: 262
Ages: 18+

Synopsis

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of BullyUntil You, Rivaland Falling Away comes the sizzling conclusion to the Fall Away series.
 
The tables have turned. Now I have the power—and it’s his turn to beg…
 
Everyone wants to be me.
 
Maybe it’s the sway of my skirt or the way I flip my hair, but I don’t care. Even though their attention is the last thing I crave, I just can’t stop. I dominate the track, the speed rattles my bones, and the wind and the crowd screams my name. 
 
I’m her. The girl driver. The queen of the race. And I’m surviving—something he thought I’d never do.
 
They all talk about him. Did you see Jared Trent on T.V? What did you think of his last race, Tate? When is he coming back to town, Tate? 
 
But I refuse to care too much. Because when Jared does come home, I won’t be here. 
 
Tatum Brandt is gone. I’m someone new.


Review

Penelope Douglas is the reason I am an indie book blogger now. When Bully was self-published and free on Amazon for a couple of days, a friend of mine recommended it to me because she knows Penelope and knows that I really love to read. At that time, I was not reading indie books at all, but decided to give it a shot and even maybe write a review for it on Amazon if I liked it, as if I'd be doing Ms. Douglas a huge favor simply by reading her book. I was a colossal ass! I realized that long before I finished reading Bully. When I saw at the end of the book that she had a Facebook page, I liked it immediately. At one point she posted something from a blog page that led to me entering tons of giveaways because I like winning stuff, and that led to my friend Courtney suggesting we start our own blog. 

Aflame is the 5th book in the Fall Away series, and I've devoured every single one of them. But this book is my favorite, even though it's the end of one of my favorite series. 

The interactions between Jared and Tate were intense, every single one of them. Madoc provided his usual comic relief with a side of sweet understanding. And Jax was his straight up, no nonsense self. Fallon and Juliet played their small roles too, but honestly, Tate didn't need quite as much pushing as Jared did from his boys. And Pasha was a great addition to the crew. Her snark had me in stitches. 

Penelope Douglas does intensity so well that you'll find yourself squealing, groaning, and frequently exclaiming "No!!!" You'll probably want to have some wine, chocolate, and tissues handy, and it might be a good idea to put your reading device in an Otterbox case for extra protection in case you throw it across the room. 

If you loved Jared and Tate in Bully and Until You, you're not going to want to miss this book. And if you haven't read Bully or Until You yet, you should read them first because this is the continuation of the story that started there. I also highly recommend reading Rival and Falling Away first as well, and you can find the covers and links for all four of these books further down on this post. I give Aflame 5 out of 5 stars.

Buy the Book
*This post contains affiliate links


About the Author

Penelope Douglas is a writer living in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to "just get the damn degree!" She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she HATED public administration. One night, she told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later she was married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, The 100, and she shops at Target almost daily.

Other books by Penelope Douglas

Fall Away Book 1


Fall Away Book 1.5


Fall Away Book 2


 Fall Away Book 3


Coming in 2015

Coming December 1, 2015


Challenges

I used Aflame to fulfill my contemporary requirement for my Book Bingo Challenge (it's set in modern day, so that counts right?) For the Popsugar reading challenge I used it to fulfill the Book with a one word title category. 

Other categories it would fulfill include:
A book published this year
A book by a female author
A book from an author I love that I hadn't read yet
A book that made me cry (once)






Sunday, April 19, 2015

How to Get Free Books (Legally!)

Being a book blogger and following many authors and blogs myself on Facebook, I've seen loads of people talking about how they can't afford books, or can't afford many books a month, and I get it. For a voracious reader, buying books can get really expensive. Before I started reading indie books, I only used my Kindle to read my monthly book club books, because I found that the books I was looking at buying were just as expensive if not more expensive as their paperback counterparts. Frankly, I'd rather pay the $3.99 shipping and wait a couple months for my book to arrive than pay $10 for an ebook because I'm a cheapskate like that. I didn't have the luxury of waiting a couple months for a book to arrive for a monthly book club meeting though, so the convenience of buying a book and having it instantly on my Kindle was good for that. Most of the time I didn't even want to pay the $3.99 shipping though, and bought most of my books at my local thrift store (I still do this because books.) I'm American living overseas and books are one of the first things many people get rid of when they're trying to make weight for an upcoming move it seems, so our thrift store was always well stocked with a wide variety of books for me to choose from. When the thrift store was particularly overstocked on books, they'd go on sale at the price of 10 for $1. I'd spend four or five bucks in a single trip, because I have a wide range of literary interests. But I digress, that's not the point of this post.

Now I'm not saying that you shouldn't buy anymore books, because that would be crazy talk, but if you find yourself with a limited book budget, you have ways of getting new books while waiting for payday. So what are the best ways to get free books without resorting to dreaded piracy?

Amazon

My favorite is Amazon. You already know that you can get free books on Amazon, but do you realize that some of those free books are actually amazing? I got my copy of Bully by Penelope Douglas for free (this was before she signed with a publisher), and Bully is the reason why I started reading indie books and eventually became a book blogger. Want to see every book that is free on Amazon at any given time? Just go here. (There are 94,000 free books at the time of this posting.)

There's also the Kindle Unlimited program (not entirely free). I don't have a lot of information on this program as I don't take part in it at this time. What I do know is that for $10 a month (I think) you can download and read as many books as you want (or you know, as many as you can read in a month) from a selection of titles available through the program. This is somewhat limiting as not all books are in the program, and I've seen a lot of criticism for KU from indie authors, but for a bookworm on a budget, it just might be a good choice for you. It does feature an insane amount of gay billionaire dinosaur erotica (if that's of any interest to you.)

Kindle Scout: This is another great option through Amazon, and participating in the Kindle Scout program as a reader helps authors out as well. Basically, authors submit their books for voting by readers, and if a book gets enough nominations, Amazon publishes it and everyone who nominated the book gets an advance copy (that counts as a verified purchase when/if you review) for free! There are perks for the authors too getting published this way as opposed to just self-publishing, but those don't really matter for this post.

Finally, if you are comfortable allowing your email address to be visible on your Amazon profile, make it so. This is a relatively new feature (I think), but since I made my email address visible on my profile, I've received about a half dozen offers from authors for review copies of their books because they've read some of my Amazon reviews (presumably for books that they feel are similar to their own). And I know that these offers are from Amazon because they've come to my personal email address as opposed to the blog email.

Goodreads

My next favorite way to get free books is through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. I'm pretty sure my husband would say that I have an unhealthy obsession with entering Goodreads giveaways because I enter most of them (wide range of literary interests and all). Now you may say that you've tried Goodreads giveaways but you never win, but how many times have you tried? Also, if you're only trying for very popular books, obviously your chances of winning are going to be reduced. In the year and a half that I've been entering Goodreads giveaways, I've won a total of 432 books, but I've entered over 40,000 giveaways. My win percentage is about 1%. Of the books that I've won, I've currently read 54 of them (12.5%), and that is an important thing to keep in mind because reviewing the books that you win, increases your chances of winning again. Reviewing really does help with winning more too, so if you're more discerning in which giveaways you enter, you won't win as frequently as I do, but I bet your win percentage is similar, and once you start reviewing those books you've won, it will probably even be better than mine (because I'd have to completely stop entering giveaways for a while to even hope to catch up on my books I've won, because it seems once I get one read, I win 2 or 3 more.) There is an additional benefit to entering Goodreads giveaways though (if you add the books to your to-read shelf when you enter the giveaway like I do). Some authors will message you offering you ebooks in exchange for an honest review (I've even received a few offers for paperbacks in exchange for an honest review after not winning the giveaways for them.) 2 of my top 18 books of 2014 were books that I was offered review copies of through Goodreads after entering giveaways for them (and not winning).

Facebook

Then there's Facebook. Facebook has a few different ways to get free books. These include joining reviewer groups (where authors post books free in exchange for review), becoming a part of a street team (or 10), and entering giveaways (which can be found on almost every blog and author page at some point in time.)

Reviewer groups: I say that this is the easiest way to get free books on Facebook because in most cases the only requirements are that you review the books after you've read them. Different reviewer groups operate differently (obviously). Some groups it's a straight up exchange, book for review. Some groups operate sort of like a book club, where each month you sign up to read one book which you receive for free and then review it, and also discuss the book in the group. I actually take issues with most of those groups that I've joined (and then quickly unjoined) because they frequently state that if you're rating a book 3 stars or below to run it past an admin first to ensure that it's a constructive review. To me, that feels like censorship, and I'm not down with that. I don't feel like I should have to obtain approval to post a review of a book that I read. That kind of goes against everything I stand for here. If you're interested in joining a review group on Facebook, a good friend suggested Melange Books - Read and Review, feel free to check it out.

Street teams: Getting into street teams can be pretty easy or incredibly hard, depending on your particular reading interests. I'm currently a member of 8 street teams. Of those 8 street teams, I joined 5 without having previously read the authors work. The other three street teams I was added to by the author without having requested to join (and only one of them even asked me if I wanted to join first), because I was either an ardent supporter or had worked closely with them already on one of their books either through the blog or a reviewer group. I know for sure that two of my authors will provide e-copies of any of their books that I want to read (and I believe two of my others will do the same, I just haven't seen them talk about it as much, so I can't say for sure). They do this because they want my genuine support, and it makes sense. Really, how am I supposed to pimp an author whose work I've never even read? Beyond that, there are also opportunities to beta read books and provide feedback to the author before the book is even ready for publication. I do that for most of my authors and help them correct every spelling and grammar error I find. But street teams come with more obligations. Some of them have very strict requirements about the jobs you perform, others are pretty easy going (mine are all super easy going and I love it). I believe they all usually require some weekly pimping on social media though, but that is a requirement that is really easy to meet. Most blogs at last post a Teaser Tuesday pimp post, and you can get all sorts of pimping done on Tuesdays. So while street teams do have some obligations, they're not necessarily that difficult to meet.

Giveaways: You've seen them, you've probably entered them, and you get super jealous of those lucky b*tches that seem to win all of them (I've been there, although I've also been one of those lucky b*ches that wins a lot of giveaways too). I don't think this really needs much explanation.

Penguin First to Read

First to Read is an ARC giveaway program offered by Penguin. At least once a month they put several books on offer. Each of these books has a limited number of guaranteed copies available (you can "buy" guaranteed copies with points that you accrue by logging onto the site), and then copies that you can enter to win. The drawback to Penguin First to Read is that you have the books on loan for a limited amount of time (42 days after you download the book, and you have to download the book within 40 days of the entry period closing), and you can only read the books on a device that supports Adobe Digital Editions (these devices include but are not limited to iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Kindle Fire. There is a list of supported devices on the First to Read site.) 


Now if none of these avenues for free books appeal to you, I guess you'll just have to forgo a few of your Starbucks lattes (that it seems many authors believe all bookworms drink*) in order to feed your reading addiction.

*Note: I have personally never ordered anything from a Starbucks because I think coffee is gross, and don't see much reason going to Starbucks if I'm not going to order a coffee.

**Edited on May 2, 2016 to add Kindle Scout and Penguin First to Read information.