An Update on Review Policy

One thing I’ve noticed lately in the blogosphere is that the number people receiving ever increasing amounts of review copies is rising. Or at least the number of posts about the subject is rising. Which is great for me, since I thought I was the only one facing this problem. Every day a new book (or two) lands on my doorstep, and I have had to endure endless teasing from my family because of it.

But this isn’t just about me complaining that I have too many books. The problem is, I simply don’t have time to read all of those books. And let’s face it, I don’t really want to either. Even in a perfect world where I would have unlimited time for reading everything I wanted, not every book will appeal to every person.

So I’m starting a new page rule. I’m going through all my books and giving away a great deal of them that I think that I will never read. So if you aren’t hooked up to Bookmooch, now would be a good time to do that. :-) I am also starting a 50 page rule. If a book doesn’t grab me by 50 pages in, I’m going to put it down and move onto something else. I love reading, and especially reviwing and blogging about my books, but this is a volunteer hobby, not a full time job.

Believe it or not, this was actually a hard decision for me to make. I have a lot of authors contact me personally looking for reviews for their books, and it’s hard for me to tell them no. So to combat this, I’ve decided to start a new section for the blog. It’s going to be called the book feature. These will be book I have not read (or didn’t finish), but still want to get the word out about so people can give them a chance. These posts will usually consist of a short plot summary (usually from the book itself or Amazon.com), a picture of the cover, and a link(s) to where you can find your own copy. Since I haven’t read these, I won’t be putting any comments in the posts about the book, but simply give them their time in the spotlight.

So there you go. I hope to get started on those soon. And if you’d like to skip over them, dear readers, that’s fine too. I’m just trying to find a way to give every book a chance. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean someone will. Don’t worry, I’ll still be doing regular reviews, and I’ll try not to make the features overpower the reviews.
I’d love to hear what you think about the new system. Anyone else come up with a good solution to this problem?

It's Time for the Cybils!

The Cybils are back for 2008 with a new logo and looking for new contributors. There's a long list of requirements this year, so make sure you read through the whole post before signing up. Now if you have a mind to, head over there and check it out.

What do you read after Twilight? & Contest!

Hello there, book fans! I'm back from my summer job, and it's time to get blogging again. Woot!

Sorry about that. I just got excited. :-) Guess what? My two-year anniversary is coming up next month, and I think I'll celebrate by giving away a whole bunch of books! Especially with review copies I've been flooded with lately. But more about that later. Essentially, anyone who comments one any post from now until September 10th will be entered to win free books. Simple, right? Of course, posting about the contest (and sending me a link) will help your chances too. Please make these thoughtful comments, as opposed to just "I want a book" or similar.

So here's something to kick around for you. Even though I've been back a few days, I've been re-losing myself in the Twilight series while I track down a copy of Breaking Dawn (too broke to afford books...ahhhh!). Hence the few days extra disappearance. But now I have a dilemma. Despite the piles and piles of books currently waiting to be read, I can't seem to find a Twilight substitute. Nothing has that same blend of romance and supernatural that I've come to love.

Anyone got ideas for Twilight withdrawals?

Just Checking In

Well, as usual, work is keeping me really busy lately. But I figured I'd just check in really quick. Since a couple things have happened anyway. Well, most of this will be old news to most of you anyway.

First of all, I bought of two copies of Breaking Dawn Saturday. Even though I haven't even read Eclipse yet (well, I've started it). I was at Wal Mart to buy groceries and there it was for only 14 bucks. I knew my roommates wanted it, so I grabbed two copies. You should have seen the fight for them when I got home. But to my chagrin, it was cheaper online from Amazon.com. See look:



Guess it's a good thing I haven't bought my own copy yet.

In other news, Harry Potter fans have something to rejoice about. I'm sure you've heard of this too, but Amazon is releasing the infamous Tales of Beedle the Bard from the last Harry Potter book at the beginning of December. They're offering a good price if you pre-order it, plus it benefits charity too. I'm excited about this, even if it isn't strictly Harry-related. Kinda reminds me of those textbooks they released a few years ago:



Anyway, that's it for me right now. Have a great time reading for those of you who just got your hands on Breaking Dawn!