Discussion Post : Bookish Websites #001 (BookishFirst and BookSirens)

When it comes to bookish things I typically go to the main sources- Goodreads, Amazon, and nowadays WordPress, Twitter, and Youtube. If I’m interested in a particular series and am not afraid of spoilers, Tumblr tags and some simple googling can be fun too. I am curious about some other large bookish sites that are out there and that people might be visiting daily or weekly. Today I’ll be talking about two that I’ve added to my regular roster, and will be giving some thoughts about them. Both sites are strongly recommendable resources for book reviewers/book bloggers.

1.) BookishFirst (Here’s my referral code if you sign up- 1635d64fd0a72d2b8 would greatly appreciate anyone using it as we’ll both get some bonus points.)

BookishFirst is a site for people to read samples of ARCs (advance reading copies) of books coming out soon. Each sample is about 20-50 pages or 1-2 first chapters of a book. After reading, you can leave a short paragraph of your thoughts that will be viewed by other users and the publishers so they can get an idea for interest levels of upcoming titles. This is a great way to find out about upcoming books that may be of interest.

But the neatest feature of this site is that each thought you share is an entry into contests for getting a free book (a free ARC of the book featured) and 100 points to put toward redeeming for a free ARC of your choice. 2000 points = A free book you can choose. I’m at almost 1000 points after leaving my thoughts on 3 titles and getting bonus points for joining.

You can also get points for sharing your reviews on the service and giving links as proof. For Amazon reviewers, leaving a review on the book’s release day will net a whopping 300 points. I’ve done that math for myself and will probably get 2000 points in a week or two. New samples are posted every monday, so this has become my must-visit-each-monday site. Definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for ARCs to read and are actively writing bookish thoughts.

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2.) BookSirens

I wish I featured this site sooner because it is the first bookish website I’ve come across that literally made me laugh out loud. First a brief summary, this is a resource that takes your Goodreads shelf information (books you’ve read, reviews you’ve written) and puts out wonderful graphs and info about your reading preferences, genres you’re keen on, and other misc info. It’s also a resource for publishers and authors to find reviewers to approach for ARCs. Here is what my reading habits on Goodreads apparently say about me..

I like alpha males AND alpha females?! WHAT? LMFAO. Honestly though if The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is any indication, I do like the idea of a guy and girl, evenly matched in feistiness, fighting entertainingly in romance. I’m confused by animals being so high on this list and wedged between the two types. But after Richard Parker from Life of Pi stole my heart it shouldn’t be that surprising.

I’m a bit confused by this chart but it looks about right. Except alphas, I only read about alphas to watch them grovel.

I knew I read more female than male authors but wow at these stats. O___O

I really like these type of graph and pie chart dealies in general, I was very surprised to find such a detailed resource like this that works through Goodreads, definitely a hidden gem feature. BookSirens is really worth checking out if you’re active on Goodreads and looking network with authors/publishers.

Lets Discuss!

• What bookish websites do you most often visit? While the theme of this post is mainly geared toward readers, feel free to mention any even slightly bookish corner that is notable.
  
• Is there a “hidden gem” of a bookish site that you can recommend? Basically a site you think is underrated and lesser known.