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First Reads books
Mona wrote: "Beth wrote: "I just won The Menopause Makeover by Staness Jonekos. Since I just turned 46 this should be a very interesting and relevant book for me, lol!"Hi Beth..."
Thanks, Mona! I hope you win some more books, too!
I just received my first win on First Reads - the audio book of Sandra Brown's In a Class by Itself.Included in the parcel was a surprise extra - a paperback of her book Words of Silk.
Lucky me!
Cool bonus - congrats and enjoy, Esther!
Hurray, I seldom win anything! I just won The Left Hand Of God. I saw it on the current novel shelf at Walden's so...Anyway it hasn't arrived yet,so I haven't reviewed it,needless to say. I was notified that it the book would take 6 weeks to get here.The summary on the back of looked interesting. This seems to be my summer of dystopian novels.
Betsy wrote: "Hurray, I seldom win anything! I just won The Left Hand Of God. I saw it on the current novel shelf at Walden's so...Anyway it hasn't arrived yet,so I haven't reviewed it,needless to say. I was ..."
They say it takes 6 weeks, but I've won 4 books now, and the longest any of them have taken has been about 3 weeks. Two of them were here within a week.
I won Broken (Karin Slaughter) a few months back and today got notification that I had won Bound (Antonya Nelson). Loooking forward to reading it. I also won one which an author was hosting through a specific group (Sweet Son - heidi cullinan) and one that someone hosting a blog had (Naamah's Curse -Jacqueline Carey)
I just won a First Reads, Training the Problem: Stories and a Novella this week. I entered a bunch of First Reads giveaways lately. And I often enter blog giveaways.This is the 2nd First Reads I've won. I won a couple books through blogs I subscribe to:
The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes
Guest House
Do you all enter the First Reads giveaways regularly?
I have just begun to enter. I've been on Goodreads about 3 months and maybe have put my name in 10 times
Betsy wrote: "I have just begun to enter. I've been on Goodreads about 3 months and maybe have put my name in 10 times"I've been on GR since April. I've just recently started to enter more. The impetus was the most recent Good Reads newsletter.
I tend to enter regularly. I went through a period where I was winning at least once a week, but I seem to be going through a bit of a dry spell...
I won Amanda Scott's Tempted by a Warrior last month, and received notice this afternoon that I won The Pindar Diamond by Katie Hickman. My third win in the past year (it was seven months between the first and second). I enter in spurts, though it does depend on what is currently available. I seem to have great luck with historicals, but can't seem to win mysteries (which I also read quite heavily) for anything. NOT that I'm complaining! ;)
Well after winning two duds in a row, I started being a little more picky about which giveaways to enter (but oh it's so hard to tell when they obviously don't have many reviews yet).Right now, I'm waiting for Beirut 39: New Writing from the Arab World to arrive.
I assume this thread is referring to the giveaway section of books on goodreads. I enter all the time for several books and have for about a year. I have only won once early on and never received the book. It's too late to do anything about that one but it sounds like I am the only unlucky one.
I enter the contests pretty regularly. There are so many books that look interesting. I have one once so far it was The Summer of Skinny Dipping. It was a great book. I hope to receive so more free books in the future!
Hmm, did you mark the book as unreceived, Linda? That *is* unlucky.
I guess that must be the reason, Kaion. I didn't know to do that and just let it go.
Linda wrote: "I guess that must be the reason, Kaion. I didn't know to do that and just let it go."Linda: Was it a FirstReads giveaway or a blog giveaway? Either way they will send you an email notifying you that you are a winner and ask that you respond with your contact info. There is usually a 48-hr time limit to respond otherwise another winner will be chosen. Did you maybe not respond?
My winning luck has died, rip lol. I enter sporadically but have dropped off since loosing so often. It was kind of a rush for awhile though. :)
I'm sitting here having a senior moment trying to remember if I responded to the email or not. I remember being notified but I don't remember if I responded. You could be right in thinking I didn't. My mistake. I will remember to do that if (and that's a big if) I ever win again. oh, and it was a FirstReads giveaway not from a blog.
Joli wrote: "I enter the contests pretty regularly. There are so many books that look interesting. I have one once so far it was The Summer of Skinny Dipping. It was a great book. I hope to receive so more free..."I am not US so I enter most of the giveways available.
It took me a while to win my first book but I won my second almost as soon as I reviewed the first.
Linda wrote: "I'm sitting here having a senior moment trying to remember if I responded to the email or not. I remember being notified but I don't remember if I responded. You could be right in thinking I didn't..."
In the email notification you receive from First Reads there is a link to notify if you have received the book or not. You can also check this out if you click on 'giveaways you have entered' and then 'giveaway details' for the specific book.
Thanks for the info. I found the book I won ( I didn't even remember the title) and let them know I never received it. Maybe now my luck will change
I enter pretty regularly here and on two other web sites as well as my local book store often saves me ARC books they think I might enjoy...... I seem to be on a winning jag right now for quirky new female type of books. It is enjoyable.......
Linda wrote: "Thanks for the info. I found the book I won ( I didn't even remember the title) and let them know I never received it. Maybe now my luck will change"Linda:
Try out the COMFORT READS group. It's a fun group. There is a thread for "giveaways" There are always tons of them from book blogs. I've won twice so far.
I learned in one of my other groups about FreeBookFriday.com & FreeBookFridayTeens.com
You just sign up with them and every Friday they give away a book. They will send you emails about the featured giveaway and you have to go the the sites and enter that week's giveaway(the entries are not automatic). You can check back later on Friday to find out if you won. They will send you an email anyway when the winners are announced. On Saturday, they post the featured books for the coming week.
I checked out FreeBookFriday and signed up. Free is always good!
Linda wrote: "I checked out FreeBookFriday and signed up. Free is always good!"Linda: Agreed :) And it's so easy to enter to win the books. Sometimes, here on GR, it takes a little more effort but they give away great stuff here too.
I have a goodreads win that I won 6 weeks ago and it still hasn't come. Is that enough time to wait before marking it not received?
Tanya wrote: "I have a goodreads win that I won 6 weeks ago and it still hasn't come. Is that enough time to wait before marking it not received?"Tanya, I've won twice and the books shouldn't take that long. Both of mine arrived within a month. Is this the first time you won? If so, check to see if your mailing address is accurate. Maybe the post office sent it back undeliverable.
If the address is ok, I would go ahead and mark it "not received." Good luck. I hope you ultimately receive it :)
Mona, I have won before and received the books so my address is fine. I will mark it not received so it doesn't affect my chances of winning other books. TY
Mona, I have won before and received the books so my address is fine. I will mark it not received so it doesn't affect my chances of winning other books. TYTanya, in addition to marking it as "Not Received", send the GR staff a message through the contact us link and let them know that you have not received your First Reads book. They will contact the party that listed the book and see what's going on.
This has happened to me before and the person who listed the giveaway no longer worked for the publisher, so the publishing house had someone else mail out the copies to the winners.
Hope this helps!
(To find the contact us page any time, click the help link located the bottom of every page, then click the contact us link located on the right side.)
I just won The Twin Dragons by F. A. Ludwig. Looking forward to getting it in the mail.
I just discovered this thread...I started entering give-aways in December, though, and after a few days won an ARC of Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour, which was and still is one I am interested in reading. Naturally, it arrived during the busiest semester of school I have ever had in my life. I could barely make time for sleep, so I didn't read much during the semester unless it was required.
I still haven't read it, haven't won a single book since then, and after going through this thread decided to just write in the review box that I was too busy to read it upon receiving it, but my review will be coming.
We'll see how that goes.
Beth, has hubby read his FirstReads win yet? :)
Lol, Mona! He hasn't yet but I'm going to remind him of it tonight. I should tell him the book should be his commute reading. That will teach him to be careful of what he tries to win!!!!!
Yeah, Somehow I can't visualize him reading it in public. It usually takes me a while to enter these FirstReads giveaways b/c I read the blurbs and only enter for those that interest me. Right now I'm up to the ones with a 8/18 deadline.There's so many giveaways here on GR(and my other sites) that it is time-consuming to enter them.
I just won a $40 gift certificate to CSN stores from another blog I subscribe to.
I just gave a 2 star review to my first-reads win and what I wrote was hardly complimentary, though I did try to stay civil. I felt I had to be honest and truly if it hadn't been an audio book I'd have thrown it against the wall.On the other hand I gave a 4 star to my 1st first-reads win and the author thanked me.
I won my first read book. I can't wait till it comes. It is The Petting Zoo. I had put it on my to be read list, then I noticed they were giving away a copy. I canceled my preorder at B&N today.
Esther wrote: "I just gave a 2 star review to my first-reads win and what I wrote was hardly complimentary, though I did try to stay civil. I felt I had to be honest and truly if it hadn't been an audio book I'd ..."Esther: which book was it that you didn't like? And which one did you like?
I liked my first one,Stand and gave it ***. I'm still working on my 2nd, Training the Problem: Stories and a Novella.
Mona wrote: "...Esther: which book was it that you didn't like? And which one did you like?..."My 2-star review
My 4-star review
Esther wrote: "Mona wrote: "...Esther: which book was it that you didn't like? And which one did you like?..."My 2-star review
My 4-star review"
Esther, I read both of your reviews. I have yet to read a Sandra Brown novel but I have some on my TBR list.
I read Esther's review as well as commented on it, it was very tactfully written even if she didn't like it!Mona wrote: "Esther wrote: "Mona wrote: "...Esther: which book was it that you didn't like? And which one did you like?..."
My 2-star review
My 4-star review"
Esther, I read both of your reviews. I have yet t..."
I feel so bad when I dislike a First Reads book (or any book for that matter) of a Goodreads author. I always feel like they're more likely to read a review I posted as opposed to someone who's not on Goodreads. I've had two authors comment on my reviews. One was for Three Daves by Nicki Elson. I gave that book three stars and she understood where I was coming from in my review and thanked me for the constructive criticism. Another one was for Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper (who is not on Goodreads, but has commented on other reviews) which was a four star book. He said that my review made his day, which in turn, made my day.
But yeah, I try to be extra careful and not completely bash a book (I rarely do this anyway) if it's a first reads win and/or it's a Goodreads author. But if you write a glowing review, it is pretty cool to have the author write you a comment on it.
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That sucks that you got a lemon on your first! But I don't think it really matters what you rated it as long as you reviewed it. My first First Reads win was a two star book and that's only because during that time I usually felt really, really bad giving a book a lonely star. But the book definitely wasn't great. Since then I've given one star First Reads ratings to one book that I couldn't finish and another to one that I finished, but it almost killed me to. Hopefully, you have better luck with other wins.