Sneak Peak at Books!

Guess what? I got a book today! I got a book today! Okay, so what's so exciting about that? I have books all around me all the time. Well, this one came from the Barnes & Nobles First Look program. I found out about it through the BBC Book Club. Well, I did know about Harper Collins First Look program. I signed up for it a while ago, but never really did anything about it. None of the books really interested me - mostly nonfiction. I also signed T for the Harper Collins First Look Kid's program and he's actually gotten a few books. We have one right now that I have to read to him.

Let me backtrack - what is the First Look program? It is the opportunity to get an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) for free to review. An Advance Reading Copy, or ARC, is an uncorrected paperback edition created by publishers for distribution to booksellers and the media a few months before the actual publication of a new book. You get to check out new books before they are even on the shelves!

With Barnes & Nobles, it's easier to get an Advanced Reading Copy. You check to see if there is an offering of a First Look Book Club selection. Then all you have to do is enroll. Once there are no more books, enrollment will close. This makes it easier to figure out whether or not you will get a book or not. The number of books are limited and it's a first come first serve basis. So you should check to see if there are new selections each month, since you need to enroll each time. This month's selection The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I'm excited to read it. Also with Barnes & Nobles, you get to have a private discussion with the author and chat with other readers about the book online.

With Harper Collins, there will be a list of Books on Offer of their Advanced Reading Editions (ARE). You select the ones you are interested in. Here you simply briefly write why you would like to review the book. Then you wait to see if you will be selected. A random drawing is held. This past month was the first time I saw a book that appealed to me and chose a book to review. So I will have to wait to see if I am chosen. I think I requested to review 4 different times for T and we received the last 3 books. Perhaps there are better odds for the kids. Then if and when you get the book, you read and write a brief review in the time slot given. It's as simple as that.

Happy reviewing!