First Reads books

[Hannah]

I didn't know anything about the book giveaways until I stumbled on this post. I registered from some, and then I won one last night! So today, I signed up for a bunch more. We'll see. :)

[Madeline]

Third win this week! Wow, I wish I knew the real nitty gritty of their choosing. No friends and no reviews? That's wierd and goes against what I would expect. I still maintain that this thread is a lucky charm though, so here I post. My recent win was How Did You Get This Number, which I'm very excited about as I have her other book I Was Told There'd Be Cake and will get to read them together. :) Good luck everyone!

[Kaion]

Wow Madeline. I stopped being able to read/review them promptly (on my ... 2nd win).

[M.]

I think posting on the thread really was my good luck charm! Just won one! Kraken

As soon as I receive this and read it, I'll post my review. I can't wait!

[El]

I'm still waiting for the book I won at the end of March to arrive. WTH??

[Clare]

I end up winning Christian fiction a lot. I think it may be because I don't rate the erotica I read because my MIL is a friend and I don't want her to know. But like many genres, some are great and some are so-so.

[Marti]

On another site, Book Browse, I won The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel by Lola Shoneyin. I am looking forward to it.

[Bhumi]

Congratulations, everybody!

[Madeline]

Clare wrote: "I end up winning Christian fiction a lot. I think it may be because I don't rate the erotica I read because my MIL is a friend and I don't want her to know. But like many genres, some are great an..."

Haha! That made me laugh. I'm the same way on Facebook. Most of what I'd like to post I don't since my relatives run rampant on that site.

Kaion, I haven't yet received the ones I've read, I hope I'll be able to keep up with them. Sometimes I hate reviewing, just not in the mood. I'll try to be on it with these though.

[Lekeshua]

Julie wrote: "Lekeshua wrote: "I have finally won a ARC. And it arrived under a week from when I got the notification. I am so excited. I had to fight my two year old son over the book. I won Lisa Gardner's Live..."

I am half way through Lisa Gardner's Live To Tell. I am enjoying the plot and the structure. Have you started?

[Bhumi]

Same here, Madeline. I'm getting slightly behind on my reviews but plan to do them ASAP.

[Julie]

Lekeshua wrote: I am half way through Lisa Gardner's Live To Tell. I am enjoying the plot and the structure. Have you started?i>

Yes, I finished it several weeks ago. It was an easy read and pretty good. I thought all that stuff with the "spiritual" guy was goofy though (I forgot his name already!). I wrote a short review but I don't recommend reading it until you are done because I revealed the sex of the killer and the fact that it was not one particular person.

[Lekeshua]

Longfoot is a strange character. I feel he really isn't needed at this point. I'll read on and then read your review. I'm aniexous to get done and hopefully see who done it.

[Jessica]

Just finished El Patrón by Michele Scott. Way better than I thought it was going to be. Looking forward to winning a new read soon :)

[Julie]

I just finished One More Theory About Happiness: A Memoir which I won. Its a memoir about a 12 year old who became a quadriplegic after a bike accident. It was pretty good....a really short book if you want a quick read.

[Kaion]

Ooo, I really wanted to win that book Julie (but I didn't). Glad to hear it was good.

What's everyone's record for liking their won books?

I've given one 3.5 stars (Dog Boy), one 3 stars (Buddha's Orphans), and one 1.5 stars (The Marrowbone Marble Company: A Novel). All in all, not too bad, though I think I will be more selective in the future, as I did get rather far behind with the reviewing.

Do you feel burdened to write a good review? (Not necessarily a positive review, I mean an indepth review.)

[Madeline]

A little Kaion. I feel like I will take a little more effort to review than my usual random thoughts. I'm reading my first win now (I got it in about 4 days which was awesome!).

[Julie]

Kaion wrote: "Ooo, I really wanted to win that book Julie (but I didn't). Glad to hear it was good.

What's everyone's record for liking their won books?

I've given one 3.5 stars (Dog Boy), one 3..."

They have actually had more than one giveaway for it. I lost the first time and won the second.
I have won four books and gave three of them 3 stars and one 2 stars. I am a tough rater compared to some people though. My average is only 3.19 or something like that. I don't write long reviews for anything and if they don't like it, tough! :-)

[Hannah]

I just got my firstreads book in the mail. In about 4 days, too. Going to start reading it after I finish the book I'm on. I agree with Madeline that I will probably take a little more time reviewing it, but I'm a tough rater, I feel like, as well. I only give 5 stars to books I will read over and over again, which come few and far between. Oh well...

[Madeline]

So far I'm really liking Toads and Diamonds. It's a genre I typically enjoy. Rewritten fairytales can hardly go bad in my book (unless they're Gregory Maguire's his style doesn't really do it for me.)

I won Blood Song a couple days ago. I like vampire fiction, but not Twilight so I hope it leans toward the dark rather than the sparkle.

[Ems Loves to Read]

I just won a copy of A Gentleman Always Remembers! I rarely win anything, so I was shocked!

[Bhumi]

Madeline - I envy you! I really wanted to win Blood Song.

Emily, congratulations!

[M.]

Just received my Firstreads win in the mail: Kraken!

[Jayme]

So jealous, M!

[Ems Loves to Read]

Bhumi wrote: Emily, congratulations!"

Thank you! I'm excited to enter more drawings!

[Jodi]

I have won two books, the first was Hotel Iris: A Novel.

Then i just found out this week that I won Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting I can't wait till I receive this one, it sounds good.

[Sandy]

I wonder if posting a review isn't key. And that would make sense, since I'm sure they're giving away these books to generate interest in them.

I won my first book a couple months ago. The Collected Stories of Deborah Eisenberg. Unfortunately, it was over 970 pages long, a collection of 4 books of short stories by the author. I'm enjoying them, but it isn't something I could just sit down and read all at once! Even though I entered for many books, I didn't win another one. So, last week, I decided to post a partial review, since I had finished the first book in the collection.

A few days later, I won another book - Bonobo Handshake: A Memoir of Love and Adventure in the Congo. I'm really excited about this - I had just read a review of it in a bookstore newsletter I get and thought it sounded good. This one, I should be able to read and review much more quickly.

Seems like it can't be just coincidence that I won a second book right after posting a review of the first!

[Hannah]

Sandy, I'm jealous that you got Bonobo Handshake. I wanted to win it, but it's in my to-read bookshelf to get soon anyway. i hope you enjoy it.

I kind of hope that reviews are a key, because I just posted a review on the first book I received. But either way, I guess we'll see. Hope you enjoy your book!

[Alisha Marie]

Yeah, I think reviews are key even partial ones. If you can't finish a First Reads book because you think it's to boring, just review it anyway and say why you thought it was boring. That's what I currently did.

[Sarah]

I just won my first giveaway book! I'm looking forward to reading Poison, by Sara Poole. Just in time for summer break. :)

[Ems Loves to Read]

Sarah wrote: "I just won my first giveaway book! I'm looking forward to reading Poison, by Sara Poole. Just in time for summer break. :)"

Congrats, Sarah! A win always feels so great!

[Sandy]

Sarah wrote: "I just won my first giveaway book! I'm looking forward to reading Poison, by Sara Poole. Just in time for summer break. :)"

Fun! Congratulations.

[Madeline]

M, let me know if Kraken is any good! (super envious!) I really enjoyed The Scar.

Blood Song looks good Bhumi, I just got it in the mail yesterday. Was sick all week so I'm still finishing up Toads and Diamonds.

[Sandy]

Wow, I just won another one - Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret. I have been posting more reviews lately, so that may be key. This is another one that I thought looked really good - I'm excited!

[M.]

@Jayme & Madeline:

It seems I really have to concentrate while reading Kraken as the dialogue and references are hard for me to follow (English colloquialism). But the premise of the story is pretty intriguing. Definitely not something I normally read... but in a good way!

[Alisha Marie]

Sandy, extremely lucky! That seems like a great book. A couple of days ago, I won The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale. I read Austenland and loved it, so hopefully I'll like this one. Although, posting a negative review is kinda fun for me, so I'm good either way.

[Madeline]

Haha Alisha! I wish I was more like that. I'm worried that I won't like one of these free books. Especially if they're a goodreads author. I don't want to hurt anyones feelings lol! My critiques when I know the creator is reading will probably be consoling "You know it wasn't really that bad, and you know that one part, the one in the middle of that one chapter, that was pretty good." Weak I know. :/

[M.]

I'd love to hear your take on that book Alisha! I loved Austenland!

[Alisha Marie]

Madeline, the way I see it is that we're given free books to give feedback on them. If an author is willing to give them out, then they should really prepare to get both positive and negative feedback. I guess it's fun for me because I find it so much easier to write a review on a book I loathed than on one I love. Although, I think I've only given one star to one First Reads book (one I couldn't finish) and two stars for one that I finished (but was supremely bored by). The rest have been okay to really good, so I think I sort of make up the bad reviews with favorable ones. :)

M., will do. I really didn't expect to like Austenland as much as I did, but I just found it cute and hilarious and it made me squee a little bit (and trust me, I'm not the squeeing type), so I think I'll be fine with The Actor and the Housewife.

[Julie]

Alisha wrote: "Madeline, the way I see it is that we're given free books to give feedback on them. If an author is willing to give them out, then they should really prepare to get both positive and negative feed..."

Yep, and in order to improve, they need to know what people don't like too.

[Mona]

I got my FirstReads book last week, STAND by Debbie Williamson. She even wrote an inscription and autographed it. It's not that long and a genre that interests me so I better get going on it.

[Jodi]

I just found out that I won Alibi. I can't wait to read this one.

[Alisha Marie]

I just won Dracula's Guest: and other Victorian Vampire Stories. Can't wait for it to arrive!

[Madeline]

I won Some Sing, Some Cry yesterday. I'm excited it's an American saga.

[Sandy]

How cool! I just got my first reads copy of Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret. After I found out I won, I got an email from the author, asking if I'd like any particular inscription - told him whatever he'd like to write would be fine with me. Nice inscription, how special that makes it! Seems like it will be a really interesting book, so I'm excited to get started on it.

[Madeline]

That author does seem really cool. He sent me a consolation email, and hoped I would read the book anyway. It looks good, let me know if you like it.

[Carrie]

I haven't won anything here lately! What the hey! Congrats, guys!

[Bhumi]

Me neither, Carrie. But congrats to everybody!

[Marti]

I was having a significant dry spell and then viola - a first read book here, Ten Things I Love About You and another at BookBrowse a month ago, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel. I am reading the Baba one first and am enjoying it.

[Alisha Marie]

I just won Self-Murder. I definitely owe that win to The Actor and the Housewife since it came extremely quickly and gave me the chance to read it and review it quickly and thus have one more first reads knocked out.