If you’re not already aware of Goodreads’ First Reads program, I’m here to inform you. If you are, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
To summarize, First Reads is a platform for authors to give away copies of their books to a user who requests it. They author (or publisher) can put as many copies as they like available for giveaway and set an end date at which time winners are selected. Sometimes it’s to raise awareness and other times to try to get reviews at a launch.
I’ve been lucky enough to win four books off of first reads in only two weeks. As my To-Read shelf is increasing exponentially, I’ve decided to stop and give other readers a chance to win. I talked about two of the books I won, the first being The Almond Tree. I received this book in the mail only a few days later and it’s nestled safely on my bookshelf. The next I hope to get is The Tilted World which I blogged about on Wednesday. I was really excited to see this book in a bookstore I went to Tuesday night. I felt like I was cheating because I had it being sent to my house!
I want to take this opportunity to tell you about the other two books I’m anxiously awaiting. The first is called The Geography of Memory: A Pilgrimage Through Alzheimer’s by Jeanne Murray Walker. I entered to win this because my NaNo WIP has a character who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. The novel follows Walker as she takes care of her mother during her journey with Alzheimer’s. I think this book will be a good place to draw from for some of the details of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient.
The second book I want to tell you about is called The Absent Lord by Jason Beacon. There are only a limited number of copies of this book available and it will be released November 1. It’s the story of a man forced into couples counseling. To keep his relationship alive, he agrees to hear the story of the Absent Lord and is forever changed. I entered to win this book because it sounded like The Princess Bride which I’ll admit I haven’t read, but loved the movie. I was surprised to see I’d won and even had a personal message from the author in my Goodreads inbox! I’m very anxious to get this book read and add my review to its page before the book even comes out.
So there you have it: my First Reads experience. What has been your First Reads experience? Have you read all your books from it? Have you used it to promote your own book? Please let me know in a comment, I’d love to hear from you.
Taking On a World of Words 