Okay, I’m feeling a little bit called out right now. It’s not exactly a secret that I’m forever always behind on ARCs.
And yet, I was tagged by the lovely Melanie @ TBR and Beyond and I so appreciate the tag, but wow, talk about airing my dirty laundry. xD
Rules
✿ Link back to the tag’s creator: Kourtni at Kourtni Reads
✿ Thank and link back to the person who tagged you.
✿ Answer the questions the best you can.
✿ If you don’t use NetGalley, you can substitute other sites or places where you get books!
✿ Tag a few people to do this too!
Auto-Approved
One author whose books you automatically want to read, regardless of what they’re about.
✿ Fredrik Backman – I’d read nutritional facts on a box if he wrote it. Probably ugly cry my eyeballs out, too.
✿ Neal Shusterman – I love Arc of a Scythe so much that I will forever read anything he writes.
✿ Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman – Come on. Illuminae. Enough said. As a duo or on their own, I am 100% down for whatever their evil brains come up with to torture their readers.
✿ Brandon Sanderson – I don’t even read the synopses anymore. I just buy them. I’ve never read a Sanderson book I didn’t like.
Request
What makes you want to request a book on NetGalley?
In order of importance:
✿ Author: If this is someone I’ve already read and enjoyed, I’ll definitely check it out.
✿ Title/Cover: I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by this, but I’m a rule-breaker who clearly lives on the edge. If either one of these catches my eye, I’ll stop to find out more.
✿ Synopsis: I don’t care about comp titles. I don’t care what others say about the book. I want to meet the characters. I want their personality, their struggle, their ultimate goal. If that can win me over, I’m all in.
✿ Hype: Sometimes, sometimes, I fall prey to the hype beast and request a book that’s been talked about so many times that I feel like I need to read it. I try not to do this anymore, because it just doesn’t generally work out well for me.
Feedback Ratio
Do you review every book you read? If not, how do you decide what books to review?
I do not review every book I read. Mostly because I read a lot of books, and I don’t always have anything useful to say. If the book is a super popular book with a ton of reviews, I’m more likely to pass on reviewing it and often just give it a star rating instead. Basically, I don’t think I have anything to add in those situations by reviewing it myself. I mean, unless I loved it so much that I just feel the need to shout out about it, which sometimes happens. There are also some books that I read but feel sort of indifferent about, and it’s hard to review those, so sometimes I just … don’t.
For NetGalley in particular, though, I always review, for better or worse. I confess I don’t think I’ve ever had the recommended 80% feedback ratio. *cough* My bad? I like to request months ahead of time, though, and read close to release. For DNF books, I write a little summary of where I stopped and why I decided not to continue. Which is less of a review and more of a Dear John letter.
Badges
If you could create one badge to display on your blog, what would it be for?
So, a while ago, Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads rightfully noted that, as she put it, I’m a dragon ho. I had never given it any thought, but it’s a super apt description of me, and I now 100% want a badge that says that. With a dragon in the background, preferrably.
I’d love for there to be little badges to show your preferences that way, though, for all the subgenres. It’d be a really cute way to show people what you’re interested in. Personally, I want one for dystopia, dragons, swords, and assassins, please and thank you.
Wish For It
What’s one book that you are absolutely dying to read?
Anyone who has ever read even one post on this blog should already now that this is obviously The Toll by Neal Shusterman. I know I’m not the only broken one lurking around here, and just know that I suffer this wait with all of you, in solidarity. *sobs*
2019 NetGalley Challenge
What was the last book you received as an ARC that you reviewed? If you’ve never received one, what’s the last book you reviewed?
Sooo … because I’m incredibly behind on my reviews, despite having read the books in time, the last review I wrote was for The Ghost Collector, which was a five-star read and #ownvoices and everyone should check out.
Tag … You’re It!
✿ Haley @ The Caffeinated Reader
✿ Dini @ DiniPandaReads
✿ Destiny @ Howling Libraries
✿ Susan @ NovelLives
✿ Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits
I don’t even check my NetGalley ratio any more, lol. I’m too scared! Although I do put reviews up consistently. I’m closing in on 200 reviews and I’m aiming for that 200 Reviews badge!
Oooh, what a milestone! So close. I’m … nowhere near that lol. But I look forward to hitting that mark. 🙂 I glance at my ratio, but I don’t put much stock by it. I figure either people will accept my request or not, and the ratio doesn’t seem to play a huge role in that. *shrug*
YES FOR DRAGON HO BADGES <3 I almost missed this one for some reason </3 I loved your answers as usual.
If it were a thing, I’d definitely make sure you got one, too! <3
I stopped requesting ARCs ages ago because I didn’t like having to review them whether or not I liked them. I don’t miss that feeling of obligation. So… while my TBR is huge (including the physical TBR shelf, not just the GR one) I don’t feel like I’m drowning. Just hoarding. 😉
That’s a great way to approach it! I do hope to one day get to that point, but for now … I’m still so in love with reading ARCs. xD I’m getting better at picking them … mostly.
Getting better at picking them is another way to manage it! Whatever works best for you!
Yep the Toll. Got my fingers crossed SO hard it’s coming up in the Walker Books Email next month!!
*crossing my fingers for you*
You know I was just gonna say we be twins but then you went and tagged me so now it’s just gonna look like I went and copied your answers but whatever that’s cool. Lol
Muahaha, turnabout is fair play, since you tagged me. 😉 Technically, I don’t think it can be considered copying if I live in your head, can it?
That’s right! Very good point!
Lovely post!! It’s so nice to meet someone else who loves the Scythe series as much as I do! The Toll is one of my most anticipated reads of the years – and honestly, after that cliffhanger in Thunderhead, how can it not be? I love everything Neal Shusterman writes, and would highly recommend his Unwind series if you haven’t read it yet! <3
Oh my gosh, yes! I feel like I’ve already suffered long enough. I was so sad when they pushed back the release date, because after that ending, I NEED to know what happens!
I haven’t read Unwind yet, but it’s sitting on my shelf waiting for me! I really need to pick it up soon, because I’m excited to give it a go. Same with “Dry” by … well, two Shustermans. xD Double the goodness, maybe? We’ll see.
Love your answers! Fredrik Backman is one of my autobuy authors as well and having badges for favorite genres/elements would be brilliant! Dragons. <3
Thank you. <3 I'm of the opinion that everyone should at least give him a try once. xD I'm sure there has to be somewhere out there that makes graphics and could do badges. I need to find someone! I would proudly put a dragon ho badge on my blog LOL.
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