I read a lot. I really do. It's my main hobby. I maintain several book blogs and I take on extra reading projects, like this year's Shakespeare year (next year I'm planning a year of reading classic literature). I read so much that sometimes I have more reading plans than I have time.
And that's where the procrastination comes in.
It's not that I don't WANT to read Shakespeare, or any of the other books I've put on my own reading list. It's just that, well, you know. Why does anyone procrastinate? It isn't always because the thing you're supposed to be doing is boring or difficult. Sometimes it's just because it's the thing you're SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
So what do I do when I'm supposed to be reading Shakespeare?
Well...
I add even more books to my To Be Read pile. I know, I know, it's the absolute worst thing I can do, but I can't help it. It's like a person with a debt problem going out for "retail therapy" or a person who is trying to lose weight "stress eating." When I have too many books to read, I order more books. It's a problem really.
My favourite way to get more books is through book blogger programs. There are several sites that are dedicated to matching book publishers with reviewers, many of whom are just regular readers with a blog. I write honest reviews on my blog (some positive, some negative, but always honest) and also post my reviews on sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and LibraryThing. In exchange for that, many authors and publishers are more than happy to send me--and bloggers like me--free copies of all kinds of books. Sometimes they send print copies, often they send digital ones, and usually I get to read the books months before it is available in stores. It's a great system really.
But it does not cut down on my excessive book problem.
If you have a blog and you'd be interested in reviewing books, here are some great book review sites for bloggers (after the jump):
NetGalley -- Probably the most well-known blogger review site, it has a MASSIVE selection of books from many publishers, both big and small. It is easy to use and allows the reader to contact publishers directly with further questions, which is nice. You can only get digital copies here, not print, but most titles are available in PDF, EPUB or Kindle (MOBI I think?) formats, so everyone with an ebook reader or computer should be able to use them.
Edelweiss -- This is my personal favourite site for getting advanced digital copies of books (no print though). It's easy to use, has a HUGE selection of books from many excellent publishers, and is a joy to use all around.
Booksneeze -- The big advantage of Booksneeze is that they'll send you print copies if you prefer them and any registered user can request any available book (you don't have to be approved for individual books). The disadvantage is that the selection is quite narrow, only books published by Thomas Nelson, Zondervan and Westbow are on the site, which are all Christian publishers. Also, you can only request and review one book at a time.
Hay House Book Nook -- Similar to Booksneeze in that you can request print or digital copies of books published by Hay House Books, which publishes mostly self-help or "inspirational" books (but also some cookbooks!). Again, you can only request and review one book at a time, but you may request any available book (you don't need individual approval once you're in the program).
Penguin Canada -- The publisher has several opportunities for readers to receive print copies of upcoming titles, either through contests or their blogger program.
Goodreads -- They don't have a blogger program, but they do host hundreds of book giveaways for both print and digital books. The only disadvantage is that it is sometimes difficult to sort through the giveaways to find ones of interest, especially with all of the self-published books on there. Giveaways are ongoing and you can enter as many as you like at a time (provided they are available in your country).
LibraryThing -- Similar to Goodreads but with a much smaller giveaway program. However, that is sometimes a good thing, as it is easier to find the books you want to win. Most giveaways run on a monthly basis, making it easy to keep track of when you have won a book (and when you haven't).
ProjectGutenberg -- The best place to get free ebooks, especially Shakespeare. They have thousands of titles available for free online (in multiple formats, including EPUB and HTML) and they have the entire works of Shakespeare, which has come in VERY handy for me this year.
My local library -- I've always been a regular library user. I can't remember the last time I didn't have at least one book out from the library, with at least one more on order. And now I can also download ebooks and audiobooks from home, which is even better. Whenever I move to a new city, my new library card is usually my first form of new ID. My daughter knows the names of many of the librarians' kids at our local branch, that's how often we go.
Do you have a favourite site for getting free books? Any other tips for procrastinating when I have too many books to read and I don't know where to start?
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