This is a weekly meme that I am hosting here at Reviews from a Bookworm. To take part all you have to do is share a movie review once a week, link back to Reviews from a Bookworm and add your link to the linky tool.
I am a very naughty blogger, I don't have a movie to review this week. It's not that I haven't watched any, I have watched quite a few this week. The main issue is that I kind of just watched a ton of Robin Williams movies, and I wasn't compelled to review them. I adore his films, but I wasn't in the mood to watch them for the means of reviewing them. I just wanted to sit back and enjoy them.
I did buy Captain America: The Winter Soldier on DVD and rewatched that. But I have already reviewed it. So you'll have to wait till next week for another movie review. Feel free to link up any of your own films reviews though.
I have been meaning to take part in both of the following memes for a while now, so its nice to finally be able to get to them. I will be taking part in Reading is Fun Again's Thoughtful Thursday and Okay, Let's Read's Thursday Thoughts, picking between them or doing both topics each week.
Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs)
Have you ever received an ARC? Did you request it or did they reach out to you? What advice regarding ARCs would you give to bloggers/reviewers who are just starting out? Do you have a preference between physical ARCs and eARCs? Do you have a specific plan or technique you go by in order to stay organised when it comes to reading and reviewing ARCs?
 |
| After I download yet another eARC. |
They mean eARCs as well as physical ones. I have received both, but have only very recently begun requesting and receiving physical ARCs. I use both Netgalley and Edelweiss to get my eARCs and think they are so easy to use and have amazing selections. I also think they are a very easy way to get ARCs. I have a lot of great luck with those, I usually get accepted for any book I request and I also have auto-approval for all my favourite publishers on Edelweiss. Auto-approval is both a blessing and a curse. If you can just instantly download the book then it's very temping to do so, without even considering whether you really want to read it or not. So that is my first piece of advice, make sure it's a book that you're actually going to take the time to read. Don't just request as many books as you can because if you get accepted for them all then you have a ton of books waiting to be read. I am very guilty of doing this, so I have been trying to get better. I have been downloading and requesting a lot less ARCs on both sites.
But, if you want to see what my outstanding eARCs look like... here's my rather embarrassing shelf on Goodreads.
As you can probably tell from looking at my shelf, I clearly don't have a great plan or technique for getting through my ARCs. This is mostly to do with the fact that I am definitely a mood reader, I can't force myself to reading something if I am not in the mood for it. I did try to be organised. I bought a diary and put the books into it on the days they were due for release. This meant I could see when I needed to have it read and reviewed by. It was a great plan, it just didn't work well.
As you can probably tell from looking at my shelf, I clearly don't have a great plan or technique for getting through my ARCs. This is mostly to do with the fact that I am definitely a mood reader, I can't force myself to reading something if I am not in the mood for it. I did try to be organised. I bought a diary and put the books into it on the days they were due for release. This meant I could see when I needed to have it read and reviewed by. It was a great plan, it just didn't work well.
 |
| When I received my finished copy of Heir of Fire. |
My main advice to people starting out is to stick to sites like Netgalley and Edelweiss. Physical copies are expensive and it costs a lot for the publisher to send them to you. It's better to wait until you have been blogging for a while, have built up a following and a viewership and then consider requesting physical ARCs if you want to. But Edelweiss and Netgalley are amazing, as I am from the UK it allows me to get copies of books that I wouldn't get because they aren't being published in the UK. For example, HarperTeen don't send ARCs to the UK, so you have to get them online. I also advise only requesting the books you are desperate to read. And don't be disheartened if you don't hear back from a publisher straight away, sometimes it can take a while.
I have read and loved both of Abigail's books, Dangerous Girls & Dangerous Boys. To celebrate the release of Dangerous Boys, I am giving 2 winners the chance to win paperback copies of both Dangerous Boys and Dangerous Girls. It's open internationally, as long as Book Depository ships to you!
I also have an ARC copy of Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini to giveaway to one lucky winner. Just be aware that it's an ARC and not a finished copy, so no pretty cover!
Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas: 4.5/5 Review & Giveaway
Five Friday Favourites: Favourite Films
My Weekly Book Haul: 16/08/2014
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover: 4.5/5 Review
Summer Surge: Challenges
Series: Is The Final Destination What Matters Most?
Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini: 4.5/5 Review and Giveaway
I really enjoyed your informative post. Especially about ARCs! I'm new to the whole book blogging thing, so it was very helpful for me. I also prefer tangible books, so I hope that I will be able to get my hands on a print ARC one day.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I probably could have given some better advice, but I wasn't quite sure what to write for it.
DeleteSo far I've only been requesting e-ARCS, and very few, all for the reasons you listed above. I request books because I want to read and review them, and don't think it's fair to the author & publisher if I just request willy-nilly (when my eyes are bigger than my stomach). I'm also much better with physical copies than e-reader copies. I like using physical bookmarks and also flipping back and forth to re-read sections. For physical ARCs, though, I want to establish more of a backlist of reviews before requesting from publishers. Maybe I'll shoot you an email for advice when I'm ready? Thanks for the awesome giveaways :)
ReplyDeleteI know, I didn't even have the eyes are bigger problem - I was just silly and honestly thought I could read them all. I didn't think about the fact that I might change my mind about a book, or another book would come along or something would get in the way.
DeleteYes, sure thing. I'm happy to give advice! :)
Thumbs up for watching Robin Williams movies! :) I watched Awakenings for the first time when it was on TV a couple of days ago and loved it.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your posts about ARCs! I think I would download a bunch of eARCs too, it's just so tempting! You're so lucky on getting the finished copy of Heir of Fire. It might be my favorite cover in the series yet :)
They're the best! I haven't seen that one, will have to look into it.
DeleteI think it's my favourite cover too, it's so gorgeous and I can't get enough of it. Makes me so excited to see the next cover!
I'm with you on the bad organisation re: ARCs. Reading slumps don't help, either. Aaaaaah.
ReplyDeleteI hate reading slumps, I had a two month one that really messed up my ARC schedule.
DeleteFor the most part I only read ARCs for the blog now. But took a while to build up to that. I'm doing better about keeping on top of them now days especially since I get so many print ones from publishers. Makes me feel more motivated to get those done since I know they've put out some on their end for those. THankfully most have been great and they've checked in to see if I wanted them or have sent surprise ones that were really my style so it's been pretty easy getting them read. I am still catching up on eARCs from Netgalley from when I started blogging *hangs head* Was so easy to just accept those and forget or get distracted. I've got 10 left on my Netgalley of those. Determined to get them done even if they are WAY late.
ReplyDeleteI think I prefer ARCs by a large amount, so I will work on building up more connections with publishers. I do like having access to US ones, I wouldn't get them otherwise as they don't send them over - so I need EW and NG for that.
DeleteSometimes it is nice to just watch a movie because you can, not because you need to write a review on it, same goes for reading a book, it is just nice to read one and not write a review, simply because it was for fun.
ReplyDeleteI am with you on the eARCs, I much prefer requesting that way because it is easier and faster and I can virtually go anywhere and have a book with me, either on my Kindle or on my phone using the Kindle app. I makes it so very convenient plus they do have a great selection.
Yes, it has been nice watching them and not stressing about what I am going to write about them. Will definitely try my best to review one this week though.
DeleteOhhh, just ignore my entires into the Trial by Fire giveaway. >.> I don't read fine print. HEH.
ReplyDeleteANYWAY. I have a big issue with eARCs because I only have an iPod to read them on. It's not horrible, but it is tough on my eyeballs and it's freakishly frustrating to be turning a page every second. I just find that I don't enjoy eARCs very much. Which is why I don't want to read Heir of Fire on kindle and it's currently the only way I have to read it. lol Plus I SUCK at getting approvals! Netgalley used to be awesome, but they've really limited it to countries, and let's just all admit that Australia does not do well for promo. :| They hardly put anything on NetGalley. But Bloomsbury is a lifesaver. I love Bloomsbury. They are so awesome plus they publish Sarah J Maas so they have epic taste obviously.
I love my library, mostly, but I don't get to keep the books and that's sad sometimes.
Haha! Sorry, that's my bad. I was supposed to specify UK only, but only wrote it on the T&Cs.
DeleteI even have a Paperwhite Kindle, and it's still tough on my eyes. An Ipod would probably be unbearable for me.
BLOOMSBURY!!! How I adore them! Plus, they always send finished copies, which is just the most amazing thing to ever happen.. EVER!
"Don't just request as many books as you can because if you get accepted for them all then you have a ton of books waiting to be read."
ReplyDelete^^ THIS! OMG! I was so guilty of doing this - especially when I first started blogging because OMG! Free books! ;) I think that it's great you've given that piece of advice because it will really help. And I'm definitely with you on ARCs vs. eARCs. I like physical books in general, but it's definitely a lot easier to request eARCs with Netgalley / EW.
Thanks for sharing, and BRILLIANT post! <3
P.S. OMG! That giveaway is AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing! I absolutely adore Abigail Haas' books and am so excited for Trial by Fire.
~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf
I know, I requested so many in the very beginning and I really regret it now. I am soooo behind, it's not even funny.
DeleteThank you for entering, and good luck! :)
I am the ridiculous opposite, I get too nervous and can't request ANY ARCs because I am so terrified of the rejection. And somehow, my ratio on Netgalley got all jacked up because when I first signed up, I got these invites to read books, but I didn't want to read them, they were just there! So now, I am even more nervous! I think I have requested a total of 4 ARCs, three on Edelweiss because it scares me less, and one on NG. So my shelf is kind of the opposite of yours ;)
ReplyDelete-Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight
I find it easy on NG and EW, I find actually requesting from publishers via email a lot harder. Mainly because it seems like I am actually talking to another person, and that worries me.
Delete"Don't just request as many books as you can because if you get accepted for them all then you have a ton of books waiting to be read." < I did this so much when i first started blogging. I was on Netgalley for literally the first three months of my blogging life and it was ridiculous. I actually 'quit' it altogether after that and haven't been back in about a year haha. I can't trust myself :P
ReplyDeleteNow I just request physical copies form publishers, and only of books I'm absolutely dying to read :)
I can't trust myself fully, but I am better with what I do and don't request. I have started asking for more physical review books, I much prefer them and I only ask for ones I am desperate for.
DeleteOn my old blog, I had a bunch of ARCs from NG and literally all I posted anymore was ARC reviews. I find that a balance is better. As a reader, when I read a good review and I'm interested in a book, I want the book now. When it's an ARC review, I can't exactly go and buy the book now. That's why I think a happy medium is best.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm so feeling you about the eReader eye pains. I'm saving up for the Kindle paperwhite so I don't have to read on my iPhone's LED screen anymore. I spent about eight hours reading on my phone today and my eyes burn SOO BAAAD. So yeah. Can't wait for that kindle.
Great post!
Tori @ Bookish Affairs
Balance is definitely better, I don't want to always have ARC reviews. I try to do ones that are already out, so people can go buy them. I have yet to get the perfect balance, but I am working on it.
DeleteI have a Paperwhite and my eyes still weep when I am reading it. I have not clue why. Reading on a phone would kill me though.
Yea ARC's the bane of my existence. I think like all bloggers, we certainly learn to take a step back with our requesting on Netgalley. I learned my lesson. And like you said, I only request ones I'm 100% interested in and will read. Although that doesn't stop me from not reading them on time or letting them archive. Oops.
ReplyDeleteI've also just started receiving physical ARC's. I do enjoy them a lot more because I'm not a huge e-book reader. But again, I am limiting my requesting to books I am beyond excited for. Because like you know, the TBR I already have is out of control and I don't need to be over zealous with the review books when I have 100's on unread books already sitting on my shelf. Ones I have actually spent money on. :P
Happy reading!
Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life
It's a hard lesson to learn and I have over 70 waiting to be read now, most months passed their release date. I will have to work very hard to ever catch up.
DeleteI am much pickier when requesting physical copies, I have to make sure I 100% am dying for it so that I guarantee I will actually get to it.
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has a problem when it comes to eARC's, in my defense though a lot of what is still sitting on my shelf is what I requested before I had to take time away. I'm a lot more careful now, sort of. I cant even begin to imagine what I would be like if I had auto approval for all my favourite publishers haha.
ReplyDeleteIT'S AWFUL! You're so much more likely to just hit that download button!
DeleteI've never requested a physical ARC but I've only been blogging for a year so I feel like it's not appropriate yet (and we don't have a lot of followers). I've actually had great luck with NetGalley, but not as much with Edelweiss. Oh well! I'm just happy to get any books for free!! :) ~Pam
ReplyDeleteIt takes a while to feel like you can request physical ARCs, at least I think so. I feel a lot more pressure when reading them too, I feel worse if I end up hating them.
Delete