NetGalley Month in Review

[Elyse]

AUGUST
60. Send Her Back and Other Stories (audio) Pub date 7/26/22. Read 8/10/22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
61. Witches (audio) Pub date 8/16/22. Read 8/12/22 ⭐⭐ Review
62. Sadie Pub date 9/4/18. Finished 8/14/22 ⭐⭐⭐ Review
63. D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding (audio) Pub date 6/21/22. Finished 8/1/22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
64. I'm the Girl Pub date 9/13/22. Finished 8/19/22 ⭐ Review
65. Long Story Short (audio) Pub date 8/23/22. Finished 8/27/22 ⭐⭐ Review
66. Valiant Ladies (audio) Pub date 6/14/22. Finished 8/30/22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
67. My Mechanical Romance (audio) Pub date 5/31/22. Finished 8/31/22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review

[Trisha]

It was a really good month for reading but I really need to push through this Negalley backlog. I started the month and ended the month with almost the exact same total books even though I read so many. I'm going to really push this next month to read any many of my Netgalley as I can!

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[Tasha]

Wow, so many books read!!

I'm paling in comparison, lol.

I read this one:

, 3.5 stars

I added these:



Books on shelf: 7
Ratio: 87%

[Kristie]

Nice, Trisha! You've been plowing through your list!

[Kristie]

I only read two this month and also added two. I was really disappointed in Sundial and it took me forever to read. I really expected to love it after enjoying The Last House on Needless Street so much, but it was not meant to be. I decided to pass on the widget they gave me for Little Eve. I might love it, but don't want to risk it right now. I think I need a break from her.

Beginning of Month:
Books on Shelf: 7
Netgalley Ratio: 97%


End of Month:
Read and reviewed: 2
my The Neighborhood review
my Sundial review

Added: 2


Books on Shelf: 7
Ratio: 97%

[Trisha]

Kristie wrote: "I only read two this month and also added two. I was really disappointed in and it took me forever to read. I really expected to love it after enjoying..."

so glad you finally made it through that one, even though you ended up not liking it! at least it's done!! I don't blame you for passing on the widget either! I hope your next one is better!

[Kristie]

Thanks! I'm glad it's done too! I think my next review book is Mad Honey and I have The Prisoner planned for this month as well. Fingers crossed that they are better!

[JenniferJ]

Kristie I am so glad we are done with Sundial to. It was very hard to get thru! But like you said I loved the cover!

Read and Reviewed: 5
- The Woman on the Bench Review

- Silent Night Review

- The Children on The Hill Review

- Like a Lily Among The Thorns Review

- Sundial Review

Added: 6



September Start:
Books on Shelf: 15
Netgalley Ratio: 90%

I need to get busy this month! LOL

Need to start off with

[Tasha]

Kristie, I passed on Little Eve as well for similar reasons. I am not sure I will love another of her books like THoNS. I will give that one a try but I didn't want to be committed to it.

[Kristie]

Glad you loved The Children on The Hill, Jennifer. I almost grabbed that one. I will probably pick it up at some point.

Tasha, I thought the same thing. I might check out Little Eve, I just don't want it to be a NG book. That way if I hate it I can DNF or give a bad review guilt free. lol

[Thereadingbell]

I had a good month as well I will post later what I got done but geez I added a lot to this month. I also got two of my reviews used by the publishers this month so over all good month.

[Lilisa]

Wow, that’s a lot of books reviewed Trisha - way to go! Elyse and Jennifer - nice going too!

I read two in August At the Breakfast Table https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and agree with Tasha.

The other was Where Dogs Bark with Their Tails, which I enjoyed https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have five books to read and I’m at 94% ratio.

I didn’t add any books this month. I think I requested one this month which wasn’t approved - disappointed. It was Exiles. I also didn’t get approved for a couple I requested last month. I seem to be on the naughty list :-(

[Tasha]

Kristie wrote: "Glad you loved The Children on The Hill, Jennifer. I almost grabbed that one. I will probably pick it up at some point.

Tasha, I thought the same thing. I might check out Little Eve, I just don't..."

Exactly, lol!

[Tasha]

Lilisa, lol (the naughty list).

I didn't get approved for Exiles either. :(

[Kristie]

Lilisa wrote: "...I didn’t add any books this month. I think I requested one this month which wasn’t approved - disappointed. It was Exiles. I also didn’t get approved for a couple I requested last month. I seem to be on the naughty list :-("

I was also declined for Exiles, which is extra disappointing because I've been offered widgets of Jane Harper's books in the past and I love them. I'm hoping they'll either send me a widget later or I can grab the audio if it is offered.

I have two other requests that have just been sitting there and are likely declines at this point. I must be on the naughty list too and I'm sure my last (2 star) review won't help that.

[Tasha]

I do always wonder about that. They want fair and honest reviews but I've worried that lower ratings may influence their decisions.

[JenniferJ]

Kristie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "...I didn’t add any books this month. I think I requested one this month which wasn’t approved - disappointed. It was Exiles. I also didn’t get approved for a couple I requested last..."

I've wondered that at times as well but it would be wrong of them to judge us like that because we can't "like" or love a book all of the time. I can't figure out their choosing process because it's like somebody else mentioned above...you may get declined on your request for a book then get a widget in your email the same day for the exact same book! Go figure! LOL

But you know what...I would rather they go ahead and decline me than leave me sitting in pending requests. I think that is so rude, I'd like an answer one way or the other.

I've got one I requested that has been sitting on the shelf since April but the book doesn't come out until November... Been wondering if I should Withdraw or just let it sit there?

[Elyse]

I don't think approvals have anything to do with bad reviews if you are explaining why the bad review. If you're just writing one star I hated it, then maybe.

[Tasha]

Jennifer, I'm with you on the pending requests. I love a neat shelf and that does make the shelf messy, lol. I have a few sitting there from some time ago, April and July. I think if the book has already been published, I would remove my request at that time to clean up the shelf. I'm going to clean those two up now. :)

[Lilisa]

Lol - it seems I’m in good “naughty” company! I looked back at my not approved list and was declined for The Survivors book, but was approved for the audio - go figure.

I can’t seem to find the Withdraw Request option anymore, did they take it away? I saw it awhile ago and meant to clean up my not approved list dating back to when I joined NG, but now I don’t see it.

Honest reviews are what books should get so not great if they are penalizing folks for having given lower ratings to books for good reasons. I feel as long as you provide reasons for your rating that should suffice - not all books hit readers the same way, and not all books can receive high ratings - there’s a reason for the 1-5 rating scale!

[Tasha]

I'm seeing the Withdraw button in the Not Active shelf.

[Kristie]

I agree that you should give any rating that fits your reading experience and it shouldn't affect your approvals in the future, but I can also see publishers thinking that if you didn't like x then you might not like y and why risk another low rating when so many other people are also interested in reviewing. I'm not sure that much thought really goes into it though. lol It always seems a bit random to me.

Lilisa - Withdraw button is on your shelf, on the not active page, all the way to the right of each pending request.

[Lilisa]

Tasha wrote: "I'm seeing the Withdraw button in the Not Active shelf."

Ah, I see that. I also thought I saw it in the Declined Requests shelf - was it ever there or did I imagine it?🤷‍♀️

[Lilisa]

Kristie wrote: "I agree that you should give any rating that fits your reading experience and it shouldn't affect your approvals in the future, but I can also see publishers thinking that if you didn't like x then..."

I see your point about “x/y” Kristie - makes sense in a lot of cases.

[Tasha]

Yes, you make a really good point, Kristie. Makes sense.

[Elyse]

Lilisa wrote: "Tasha wrote: "I'm seeing the Withdraw button in the Not Active shelf."

Ah, I see that. I also thought I saw it in the Declined Requests shelf - was it ever there or did I imagine it?🤷‍♀️"

Might have imagined it. lol. If you've been declined, why would you need to withdraw? Those don't count for or against you, they're just there.

[Lilisa]

Elyse wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Tasha wrote: "I'm seeing the Withdraw button in the Not Active shelf."

Ah, I see that. I also thought I saw it in the Declined Requests shelf - was it ever there or did I imagine it..."

Lol, who knows what I saw or even think!😭

[Lilisa]

Although I wonder if publishers can see how many declines someone got?

[Elyse]

^That's a good question. Because I have over 1600. lol

[Thereadingbell]

I must be doing good cause I only have 60 declines

[Kristie]

Someone commented somewhere that they can, but honestly they would need to look at what percent of your requests have been declined and I don't see anyone putting in the effort to do math. lol I still don't think that would really be relevant information anyway.

[Thereadingbell]

I honestly think it is just odds cause I have had 4 books I wanted from same publisher and did all 4 reviews and wanted the another book and they turned me down for like 2 then they let me have some again so shrugs how they calculate it.

[Elyse]

I really think a lot are simply based on first come first served and there are only so many galleys per ARC provider.

[Lilisa]

Lol, Elyse’s approved/decline ratio prob aligns well though and loads of reviews from Elyse too!

Great to hear everyone’s thoughts on this topic - who knew we all have perspectives on “decline” 😭.

Thereadingbell - glad you are on the “good” list to balance those of us on the “naughty” list!

[Tasha]

lol

[Trisha]

I had another really great Netgalley month - trying to catch up.
And, I went up another % point! YAY!
but somehow, with all my reading, I accepted just as many books as I read and ended with the exact same book count on my shelf 😂🤣😫😭😭

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Oh well, I'm reading more next month too and just keep on working to get caught up! lol

[Tasha]

I am amazed at how many books you have read this month! It's so impressive! I had to laugh though at your comment that you ended up with the same numbers on your shelf after accepting so many more, lol. Good luck this month as well!

[Tasha]

I've been reading 1 NG book the entire month of Sept: .

I'm 96% done so should finish today. To be fair, I've been reading other books as well but this one has taken forever to read, it's really long. I don't think I added any books this month, I'll have to double check that though.

[Kristie]

I didn't finish any this month, but added three. I started Mad Honey, but got distracted. I plan to finish it this month and hopefully a few others.

I added:
Santa's Little Yelpers
All the Dangerous Things
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun

[Trisha]

Tasha wrote: "I am amazed at how many books you have read this month! It's so impressive! I had to laugh though at your comment that you ended up with the same numbers on your shelf after accepting so many more,..."

Thank you! I know, I really pushed to try to get through so many this month just for me to undo it all with downloads lol!! Darn those tempting widgets! At least I still went up 1 % lol

[Lilisa]

I finally finished Nights of Plague. I think it took me all of September, but then the month was a busy one for me and I only read one other non NG book - wow, this is a first for me - only read two books an entire month!

I enjoyed it, mainly because I love anything set in Turkiye, even though the book is set on a fictional Turkish island. Orhan Pamuk is not for everyone but I liked it. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Tasha]

That is a great review, Lilisa. I'm not sure I will read it anytime soon but I so appreciate your comments about the writing. It sounds really good.

[Lilisa]

Tasha wrote: "That is a great review, Lilisa. I'm not sure I will read it anytime soon but I so appreciate your comments about the writing. It sounds really good."

Thanks Tasha! It is an investment of time for sure - From the reviews I’ve checked out, some people really liked it, others not so much! 🙂

[Tasha]

From your review, I can see why the opposite feelings about it.

[Thereadingbell]

Sad Face not really complete anything in the month of September I was in treatment and barely had anytime to read. I think I finished one book and started another one.

[Elyse]

SEPTEMBER
68. Aces Wild: A Heist (audio & e-book) Pub date 9/13/22. Finished 9/4/22 ⭐⭐⭐ Review
69. The Means Pub date 9/6/22. Finished 9/4/22 ⭐⭐ Review
70. Rose Petal Graves (audio) Pub date 7/13/17. Finished 9/7/22 ⭐⭐⭐ Review
71. The Millionaire's Wife (audio) Pub date 9/19/22. Finished 9/17/22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
72. Mad Honey Pub date 10/4/22. Finished 9/20/22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
73. Such Big Dreams Pub date 4/26/22. Finished 9/30/22 ⭐⭐⭐ Review

Halfway through October, I finally have my September wrap-up. lol. I had to write 2 reviews, now I'm caught up!

[Trisha]

Yay! Getting caught up is so nice! And what a great September haul! You even had a 5 star in there!

[Tasha]

LOL, your review of is funny. I am glad I didn't get it now, lol.

That's a bummer that Aces Wild didn't deliver, it did sound like it would be a fun read.

The Millionaire's Wife, added to my tbr!

And I'm still on hold for Mad Honey. I can't wait to get to that one.

Great reviews, Elyse! I enjoyed reading them.

[Tasha]

I only read 1 book for NG in Oct!

, 4 stars. I really like this author and plan on reading more from her over the years.

[Kristie]

My hold on The Family Game came in a couple of days ago and I had to postpone it because I'm in the middle of too many right now! I hope to get to it soon.