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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Tuesday Thingers


Question: Were you aware of the Early Reviewer Program? Have you received any books from the program? If you have, how have you liked the book(s)? Any other thoughts on the LTER program?

My answer:
I joined the Early Reviewers group in Feb. 2008, right after I'd finished posting my library. I've been freaky lucky, probably an indication that I have very mainstream tastes! To date I've been chosen for 9 books, but have only received 8. (Uh...edited after ER comment showed up on my profile....Make that 10 books. I'm a little bit embarassed by my good luck!!) My November book never found it's way to me. The first ER book I received was The Last Oracle by James Rollins. I'm a big fan of his books so you can't believe how excited I was. It was better than being a kid at Christmas. After I read it, I emailed him to say how much I'd enjoyed it and *gulp he answered back in less than 15 minutes! Yikes!! I was hooked. Hearing from an author was like a tween kid getting an email from one of the Jonas Brothers for me!

The experience of reading a book before it was published and communicating with an author was addictive. Early Reviewers was my gateway drug. I was hooked. Like a junkie looking for his next fix, I was surfing the Internet. I found Publishers Lunch, and scored an ARC for The Gargoyle. Then I found Shelf Awareness, yet another ARC pusher to feed the monkey on my back. When I finally missed a month on ER, I was secretly relieved. There was a limit to the amount of literary drug even my system could tolerate. But then, like an addict, I discovered I just couldn't stop. I started blogging all in a thinly disguised effort to feed the need. I'd started cold requesting from authors, publishers, anyone who might have what I need. I'm a pathetic and broken woman.....(giggle..)

I've been both surprised and disappointed by the books I received from ER. My biggest disappointment was Faye Kellermans', The Mercedes Coffin. She's an author I usually enjoy, but that particular book was ...meh...at best. Lisa Gardner's Say Goodbye was the best one. I loved it! My biggest surprise came when I posted a review of Thomas White's book, The Book of Matthew. There was a part of the book that I didn't much care for and said so in the review. Fifteen minutes after my review went up on this blog, I had an email from Tom, who wanted me to know that the part had been put in the book at his editor's insistence. We corresponded back and forth a handful of times. Nice guy, who's writing a sequel! I can't wait...Matthew was the best bad guy since Hannibal Lechter!

Library Thing and its Early Reviewer group opened up a whole new world for me! I can't seem to find time for quilting, but someday I'll figure out how to balance these two things better!

Many thanks to Wendi's Book Corner for hosting this terrific meme! Check it out here!

5 comments:

bermudaonion said...

UPS brought me Outcast United this morning from last month's Bonus Batch of books!

Mary (Bookfan) said...

LOL, Early Reviewers was my gateway drug too : )

jlshall said...

Congrats on snagging another book! You really do have good luck, it seems. Hope you enjoy this one.

Yvonne said...

You really have been lucky! That's great.

Wendi said...

:) I still haven't received any ER books, but I do receive quite a few ARCs, and I completely agree with your sentiments - to me it is just like Christmas!! :) And I've met some really wonderful authors because I'm blogging.

Thanks for stopping by and participating in Thingers last week! I've got the post up for this week, we're taking a look at the section called LT Member Giveaways. ~ Wendi