As a careful – and somewhat neurotic – reader, I never dog-ear pages, leave an open book face down, or bend the spine all the way.
I'm anti-clutter. As you can tell, I've tried to make my blog as free and easy-to-navigate as possible (I love drop-down menus – so convenient!).
Book reviewed are labeled according to their rating on a scale of 1 to 5.
Current contests are always listed on the sidebar, sorted by end date. Please note that any contest posts will be deleted after the contest is over and winners are announced (I'm anti-clutter, remember?).
I just remember about an offer I received about a book, and since I don't have time to review a lot of books right now, I thought some of you might be interested.
Here's what the email says:
Hello!
We thought you and your readers might like to receive a free full-length novel, Jumble Pie, a heartwarming story about two women, a friendship, and a pie. The author has two published novels (Penguin Putnam) and is providing this as a thank-you to readers!
"JUMBLE PIE is the story of the elusive nature of friendship, sometimes clinging, other times liberating; a story for any woman who has ever lied to her best friend just to make her feel better - and who has been brave enough to tell the truth, even when it hurts. And of course, it's a story about the remarkable healing power of pie."
There have been a lot of posts about sites you can review for, but I decided to compile all the recent working sites together. Some of these sites can also be found on my sidebar. I've found them through other reviewers and Google (it's amazing what you find just by typing in "Free ARCs").
Sites I've tried successfully:
The first site I discovered was Random Buzzers. Even though it says "Teens @ Random", younger kids and adults can still join. Random Buzzers is a site where you can earn Buzz Bucks redeemable for books and more in the Random Buzz Store. To earn Buzz Bucks, just participate in the various fun activities around the site. You do not have to review the books you earn, though you do get Buzz Bucks if you do.
The first site I ever received books from was HarperTeen. There is also HarperCollins Children's and just plain HarperCollins for adults. I signed up for all of them. Each month, you have a variety of books to sign up for. To sign up, make sure you have an account. Then, just click on the book you want and write why you want it. At the end of the month, there's a drawing; and if you're picked, you get the book to review! HarperCollins take awhile to send books sometimes, but I've received a lot of books from them. In fact, I received three books in both July and August (remember that I started reviewing in June). You don't have to follow any reviewing format for this site.
Another great site is Book Divas. There are actually two Book Divas site. One is the main site, and the other is hosted by CollectiveX. Since joining the one powered by CollectiveX, I've received books weekly (on Wednesdays, to be exact). All you have to do is sign up, click on "Discussions", go to "Books to be Reviewed", and click on the link with the most recent date. Then, scroll through the choices and PM Melyssa M. your choices. All reviews follow a two-paragraph format: the first paragraph is the summary and the second paragraph is your opinion.
Simon Pulse IT sends books monthly for teens ages 14-18. You have to mail in a parental consent form. I signed up for it in May but didn't get my first book until July. The "review" is actually just a questionnaire that they email you. On the discussion boards, they do post when they send out books and review links. So, just make sure you're aware of that.
LibraryThing Early Reviewers also works monthly. All you do is sign up for an account, and click on the link next to the book of your choice to request it. It doesn't matter how many books you request. You only get one in the end. Reviewing books and updating your library boosts your chance of getting a book. Adding a book to your library is easy, but to review, you have to click on the edit button next to the book. I signed up for this in May but didn't get a book until August.
I'm also a part of Henry Holt In Group, another program with an age restriction of 13-19. You also need a parental consent form if you're under eighteen. I haven't received a book from this yet, but so far, it looks like they send a newsletter monthly telling you of a new review book.
Read it Forward also give away free ARCs. This month, they're giving away How Far is the Ocean from Here, Nefertiti, and Tethered. However, you have to be one of the first 200 people to request. They're also looking for bloggers to review ARCs, so you can shoot them an email if you're interested.
YA Books Central allows you to pick a book from the Prize Bucket after submitting fifteen reviews to the site. They also list other ways to earn books on their site HERE.
Sites I haven't tried/received books from: There aren't guarantees for these sites, but you're welcome to check them out.
Reader Views & Reader Views Kids – I've heard good things about this group. I've also seen their reviews on Amazon. You have to send in an application; and if it's approved, you're a member. You also get a list of books to choose from, and you can review at least two books a month.
Sneaky Peeks is another site you can review for. I've signed up for it, but I've yet to received a book. I'm still unsure about this one.
You can also become a reviewer for Bookreporter. You have to send in a sample of your book review though. Teensreads.com and Kidsread.com are also a part of The Book Report Network, so make sure you make it known which site you want to review for when signing up.
I saw some reviews from BookReview.com on Amazon, and out of curiosity, I visited their site. It turns out that you can review for them too. Again, you have to send in a sample book review.
There's also a Penguin Classics blog. It looks like you have to register for an account and sign up for a book. Currently, there aren't any books. I've been checking back for awhile.
Lisa Roe is an online book publicist who works with bloggers. You can contact her for more information.
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You can always sign up for contests. I list the current ones on my sidebar. There's always a lot of them going around. You don't have to review the books you've won, and it's fun to win.
Some bloggers do "cold requests", which just means simply emailing the publisher, publicist, or author to ask for a free copy of the book to review. To be honest, I only do this when it's a really interesting book, and the author is already giving copies away. That's just me...but then I already have a whole bunch of unread books from the review groups I'm in and contests I've won.
If you'd like to receive a FREE* advance reader copy of FREEZING POINT, the hot new eco-thriller coming October 2 from Berkley, send your address to Jodi.Rosoff (at) us.penguingroup.com. Please put "Freezing Point ARC Giveaway" in the subject line.
