bookish discussions + free books

Sometimes, we bookwyrms say silly things like, "If only I could be paid to read," and the non-reading humans around us nod and smile at our little fantasy, perhaps with a hint of pity in their eyes. We get similar reactions to our sudden outbursts while reading, or our gushing rants after we turn the last page--"That's nice, dear," says the unfortunate, wide-eyed bystander as they slowly back away from the obviously rabid bookwyrm. (this is, perhaps, only a slight exaggeration...)

Unfortunately, they're right--most of us aren't going to make a living reading books, nor are we going to find a cozy neighborhood of fellow bookwyrms to move into. We must find other occupations--editor, librarian, writer, farmer, teacher--and attend parties and family reunions full of people who, for  the most part, don't spend hours of their week in a fictional world. But these things are good! (says the introvert) I want to edit and farm, and I enjoy (on occasion) spending time with family and friends!

We are, nonetheless, bookwyrms, and we still do crave reading and bookish discussions regardless of other interests and relationships. So we blog, or join Goodreads, or participate in a book club at the local library.

Where am I going with this absurd post? Bookish discussions and free books. Yes. Here we go.

You can find bookish discussions at the afore-mentioned places, and free books are abundant at the library--if you don't already take advantage of that fabulous public building in your community, you should go visit it this week and check out a pile of books. And perhaps a movie or two.

There are also many books-for-review sites (several of which I've highlighted before), and so I finally get to my point: one such site is OnlineBookClub.org. And though I've only been a member for about a month, I highly recommend it! 

OnlineBookClub.org is a free bookish community with forums, reviews, and yes, free books. In fact, as you collect points and climb the ranks, you can even earn a little pocket money for writing reviews. After only five weeks, I've reached level three (out of six), and recently completed my first paid review. The payout is only five dollars, but as I achieve higher levels I'll have more access to higher-paying reviews.

All reviews are posted in the forums, where you can also discuss everything from what you made for dinner to which classic novel is your favorite. If you're the book club type, there's also a thread for discussing the book of the month. And it won't replace Goodreads, but OnlineBookClub.org does have a bookshelves feature where you can add books you have read, are reading, or want to read. To make things easier, you can even import your shelves from Goodreads!

If you decide to join, please do look up my profile and add me as a friend--or send me your username and I'll find you!

*******

Do you have a bookish website to recommend? What's your favorite way to acquire books or connect with fellow rabid bookwyrms?