Aussie Readers discussion
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NetGalley - Requests and Read Now Advice
Phrynne wrote: "One of our Group Reads The Cumal Files is still available for request on Netgalley"Thanks Phrynne. I was approved and it’s now sitting patiently on my kindle :)
I'm thinking twice about requesting Harper Collins Australia books because lately they seem to be protected PDFs rather than Kindle, and are a read pain to read.
Marianne wrote: "I'm thinking twice about requesting Harper Collins Australia books because lately they seem to be protected PDFs rather than Kindle, and are a read pain to read."
I agree Marianne. The last time I got one which was PDF only, I initially contacted them, but they couldn't or wouldn't do anything about changing it to kindle. So I hit the "I won't be leaving feedback" and explained why. I didn't hear back or have an issue with it :)
I agree Marianne. The last time I got one which was PDF only, I initially contacted them, but they couldn't or wouldn't do anything about changing it to kindle. So I hit the "I won't be leaving feedback" and explained why. I didn't hear back or have an issue with it :)
I know someone has mentioned here before, it would be so much better if they stated the format before you request it.Some of the PDFs are too small to read comfortably and you have to expand each new page = too hard!
I have a couple that are PDFs but I know the library has hard copies so I will borrow and read those then leave feedback
I did that Marianne and when I suggested it to them they said it was a good idea and would mention it - nothing has happened as yet!
And yes, I do that too :)
And yes, I do that too :)
Marianne wrote: "I'm thinking twice about requesting Harper Collins Australia books because lately they seem to be protected PDFs rather than Kindle, and are a read pain to read."Harper Collins used to have their own pdf reader which worked very nicely on my iPad - navigated well and you could expand the page. However just recently they've changed to one called BookShout. It's set up for buying books and I can't for the life of me see how to download or import the HC book into it. I've tried importing into other readers but all I get is the cover. I have contacted them about it.
I use Adobe Digital Editions, but if the print is small, you have to expand each page as you go along, you can't just increase the font for the whole book. The last book I read on it, you also had to "exit zoom" before you could flip to the next page. Needless to say, I read bits and winged it in my review (It was the London Cabbie's Quizbook). Also, with Kindle you can highlight and export text to use as quotes, not possible with Adobe :(
Yes, I use Aldiko, which is one of the apps they recommend and yes, I have to expand each page, then exit before I can turn the page also. It's far too annoying.
After our discussion on protected PDFs, I opened A Small Fiction via Adobe Digital Editions thinking I'd have to "not reviewing this title" for the first time to find the print easily readable and only a few lines per page, very easy to read. But brilliant lines, they are! I gave it 5★s https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...and it's still Read Now on NetGalley ATM https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...
I've just downloaded my first audio book from Netgalley from their 'Listen Now' selection. There are quite a few interesting titles there if you want to try one. You do have to download the Netgalley app to listen to the book. It's disappointing that we can't use Audible but the app seems to be okay. Anyway, I thought Id give it a trial run.
I'd be interested to see how you manage it Carolyn.. I generally don't like audio for a variety of reasons...
I've also downloaded a Listen Now book, one I've already read but I like to listen to these after reading. I can recommend Come Again. It will be interesting to see what sort of range they come up with.
I like audio for when I'm doing chores, ironing, driving
I’ll let you know Brenda. I don’t listen to audiobooks much - only if I’m doing something like knitting or sewing where I can’t read. I expect I’ll only be requesting one at a time.
Marianne wrote: "I've also downloaded a Listen Now book, one I've already read but I like to listen to these after reading. I can recommend Come Again. It will be interesting to see what sort of ra..."
I also downloaded this audiobook. The blurb sounded good and I was excited to see that Olivia Coleman narrates it.
The new NetGalley audio app needs work.I regularly download books onto my phone to listen while doing chores or driving. When I use the BorrowBox or Audible or Play Music apps on my phone, I can connect with my Bluetooth ear buds and if I need to stop listening, I press the button on the bud and it stops. Press again, it restarts exactly where it left off. I get in the car, set the car’s audio via Bluetooth to my phone, and it starts playing exactly where it left off when I was listening with the ear buds. I turn off the car, get out, come back, restart the car and the audio restarts exactly where it left off.
With the NetGalley app, I press the button on my ear bud it stops, but press again, it doesn’t restart unless I go to the app on my phone and press play, when it immediately jumps to the beginning of the track instead of taking up where it left off. When I connect in the car, again, restarting the car doesn’t restart the app. So yes, not very friendly to use: it needs work.
Marianne wrote: "The new NetGalley audio app needs work.I regularly download books onto my phone to listen while doing chores or driving. When I use the BorrowBox or Audible or Play Music apps on my phone, I can c..."
Send them some feedback - they need to sort those issues if they want people to download audiobooks. I've only listened to mine at home so no problems yet.
Just out of interest, does anyone know if there is a time limit for listening to the audios? I presume they will disappear eventually like the PDF’s.
Brenda wrote: "Did you contact them Marianne? Feedback about it would be good for future users :)"Yes, I have done, they're passing it on to their tech people.
marlin1 wrote: "Just out of interest, does anyone know if there is a time limit for listening to the audios? I presume they will disappear eventually like the PDF’s."The ones I grabbed on the 'listen now' button don't have archive dates. I would assume they 'disappear' on the archive date, just as the PDFs do.
I also noticed with the audio book I'm listening to on the NetGalley app that it randomly skips tracks/chapters, and someone else also mentioned this on Facebook. Because I've read the print version, I knew there was something missing, but unless you are listening for chapter numbers, you might miss it altogether.
That's really annoying Marianne! Another thing to tell NG about!!So far so good with the one I'm listening to but I'll watch out for any strange discontinuities in the audio.
Brenda wrote: "I did that Marianne and when I suggested it to them they said it was a good idea and would mention it - nothing has happened as yet!And yes, I do that too :)"
Maybe they're going to do nothing about now they have their app for ebooks and audio...
Carolyn wrote: "That's really annoying Marianne! Another thing to tell NG about!!So far so good with the one I'm listening to but I'll watch out for any strange discontinuities in the audio."
I have told them, but strike "randomly" I went back and checked, and it seems to come to the end of a chapter and skip the next one each time. Bizarrely though, so ch 6 ends and the narrator then says "Chapter 8" even though the screen says "Chapter 7"
Em__Jay wrote: "Marianne wrote: "I've also downloaded a Listen Now book, one I've already read but I like to listen to these after reading. I can recommend Come Again. It will be interesting to se
I also downloaded this audiobook. The blurb sounded good and I was excited to see that Olivia Coleman narrates it..."
Em Jay, I love this book, but be aware, the app skips every 2nd chapter even though the screen says the chapter before. The story won't make a lot of sense that way...
Thanks for this thread. I have just joined Net Galley as a reader (my books are listed on it for a short while, so I had a poke around the site and liked it). I’m not a fast reader but it is great for reading new releases - otherwise I just end up mostly reading books that were published last century!
I'm half way through listening to His & Hers, very good so far and no issues - but I am only listening on one device.
Elizabeth wrote: "Thanks for this thread. I have just joined Net Galley as a reader (my books are listed on it for a short while, so I had a poke around the site and liked it). I’m not a fast reader but it is great ..."I think it's a great site Elizabeth. I've discovered a lot of authors through it that I otherwise might not have read and have been lucky enough to get some great books.
I see two of your books Esme's Wish and Esme's Gift are both still listed for members to request :)
Carolyn wrote: "I'm half way through listening to His & Hers, very good so far and no issues - but I am only listening on one device."Just watch out for it skipping tracks...
OMG OMG OMG, just granted an ARC of Val McDermid's upcoming release Still Life on an almost instantaneous turnaround! I am beyond excited. Something seems to have tripped recently for me on Netgalley, as I suddenly seem to be getting the books I request, even though I'm currently sitting at just over 50% conversion. Hey, I'm not complaining!
Sarah wrote: "OMG OMG OMG, just granted an ARC of Val McDermid's upcoming release Still Life on an almost instantaneous turnaround! I am beyond excited. Something seems to have trip..."Well done Sarah. Happy reading 😊
Sarah wrote: "OMG OMG OMG, just granted an ARC of Val McDermid's upcoming release Still Life on an almost instantaneous turnaround! I am beyond excited. Something seems to have trip..."
Well done Sarah :)
Well done Sarah :)
Really enjoying The Night Whistler which is being archived by NG on Friday if anyone else is interested in requesting it HURRY UP!! It is very good and will sit alongside Scrublands and Peace as a fast growing Australian rural noir group.
Carolyn wrote: "
Educated by Tara Westover is Read Now (Not sure why it's still on NG. Not a new edition - pub 2018)"
Just requested this one and got it ☺ intrigued by all of the great reviews for this one!
Brenda wrote: "It was really good! A brilliant debut!"Totally! I am having trouble putting it down, am half way through it.
I’ve just finished The Stray Cats of Homs this morning and will be rating it 4 stars. It turned out to be almost the opposite of what I was expecting. Really, really good. It’s due to be archived on 7 August.
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I'd better go and request it then (keeping my side blinkers on so I don't accide..."
LOL, you are funny, Carolyn!