And one is a book I'd actually look for on my own! It's an "End of the world" type book titled "Salvation City" by Sigrid Nunez.

I also got one by Jennifer Vanderbes, the author of "Easter Island", a book I read and enjoyed, and this newest one is titled "Strangers at the Feast".

The last one is by Emma Donoghue, another author I've read and enjoyed! This book is titled "Room". It's about a boy who has lived his life inside just one room. It sounds good!

I didn't even know these books were coming, but I feel really lucky that all three were books I'd have chosen on my own. That's a good thing since I have to read them all and write a short, paragraph long review before June 16th. I'm looking forward to it!

If anyone else wants to try this, just send an email titled "September Juror" and send it to the following email addess:

readersprize2006@hfmus.com

The email must be titled "September Juror". Just write a short note saying you'd like to review ARC's for them and make sure you give your name and address. I just sent my email 3 days ago, never heard back from then, then the books were delivered by UPS this morning. :-D

I better start reading, don't have much time!!

Wow Valli.  Is this an ongoing thing?  Where do you send the reviews?

I don't know yet how often they do this. When they send the ARC's, they send an instruction sheet that gives details about the review and gives you the email address you need to send the review to them.

I've already read half of "Salvation City" and I'm enjoying it so far.

They send both fiction and non-fiction packages. While I'm glad I got the fiction package this time, because I already liked these authors, I do hope I get a chance to get some new non-fiction as well.

Valli, HOW do you find these things????

Another PBS'er pm'ed me about if after it was mentioned on another board here. I dodn't find this one on my own, lol.

Unfortunately, this reviewing thing is starting to go down exactly how it did the last time I agreed to review a book. Once I know I HAVE to read a book, I no longer want to do it! I was excited when I got these 3 books, and now, just 24 hours later, I hate them and I don't want to read them. I want to go back to Queen of Camelot, lol.

Aargh. Why do I keep doing these things to myself?! lol

I thought about requesting the books, but I came to the same conclusion.  Right now I only have the Goodreads and Library Thing books to review and it's already no fun.  =(

Hang in there Valli.  

I've only requested review books from Library Thing once. They sent me a reminder to review the book before I'd even gotten the book! That annoyed me and made me never want to read the darn book, lol. I still haven't read it, but I know I really need to do it. They send these books out so that we will review them and I shouldn't ask for them if I'm not going to do it. I will read the book one of these days and I'll write a review when I do, but it should have been done right after I got the book. I think I'm going to go pull it from the shelf and make myself do that soon!

I really thought I'd like the ARC I'm reading now, "Salvation City", because of the setting. Unfortunately, it's not really a post-apocalyptic book; it's a boy's coming of age story that just happens to be set in a post-ap world. The people in this community don't seem to be suffering from the world losing so many people and there is very little discussion of the world outside their town. Really, I'm not getting the point of making this a post-ap book, except as a way to make the main character an orphan and also to discuss the way people turn to religion after a disaster. The main focus of the book is the boy and religion, just not what I was expecting. It's really not a bad read though, just not what I was hoping it would be because of my love for post-ap fiction. ;-)

I saw an ad somewhere for an ARC for "Rooms" and I was a little worried about feeling claustrophobic during the book.  

Sounds like you're making good progress Valli.  

I'm probably going to get the wet noodle treatment here, but I have to say that what you are describing, Valli, is exactly what I try to avoid: making reading seem like work! Even with the challenges, I just figure that they are an impetus to get me through some of my TBR pile. If I complete the challenge, fine. If I don't, fine. Somehow, I just can't take the reading all that seriously. It's supposed to be FUN, ENTERTAINING!! That is also one reason why I bounce from HF to mysteries to history to non-fiction, etc. - gotta keep it interesting and FUN. (Anyway, that's MY opinion, for what it's worth.)

I don't mind getting an occasional ARC with Vine or elsewhere but I only get it if it's one I'd planned on reading anyway. They become a great chore after a while and reading is supposed to be fun.

UPS just delivered three more copies of the exact same ARC's.

WTH.

Weird.

Do you have to sign up every month to be a juror? I got the same books as the original poster. I guess it's time to get reading!

I'm not sure if you have to sign up again or not. I actually hope you DO have to sign up because I don't want to do this again, lol. I know it's stupid, but these books are sitting here, staring at me, pressuring me to read them, but I all I want to do is read more about Arthur and Guinevere, lol.

I'm also wondering what in the world I'm going to do with all of these ARC's. I have two copies of each book!! I made a post in the ARC thread in the Book Bazaar here, but now I'm wondering if we are allowed to get rid of them. There was nothing with the package that said we couldn't....

Which book are you reading first? I'm reading "Rooms" now and I think it's going to be a good one, if the narrator doesn't become annoying. (He's a five year old child and the book is written like a 5 year old would think and speak)

I am reading 'Room' right now and I really don't like it so far. It hasn't engaged me yet, and the way it's told is making me crazy. Half of it doesn't make sense, and I have a three year old and it still is just... off? I'm hoping the plot picks up too, though I am not far into it yet.

I see what you're saying about being forced to read them. I just love free books, but I am kinda stressing about completing them and reviewing them on time. I can do it, no problem; it is all a matter do i want to do it? LOL.

Keep me posted on what you think of 'Room'.

I'm just 50 pages into "Room" and while I'm really curious about it, the 5 year old narrator is trying my nerves a bit. It's just too much. It is holding my interest though. I want to know WHY they live in one room. How long have they been there? Who is "Old Nick"? I have to keep reading and find out!

I have to admire the mom for trying so hard to make a life in one room worth living. The boy's voice doesn't always sound all that authentic to me, but I can imagine that a child who has lived his entire life seeing no people other than his mom and never seeing the things out in the real world might talk a bit different from my own son.

I am really curious about this one! I'm having to keep myself from skipping to the back of the book, just so I can see what happens at the end.

For some reason, "Room" reminds me just a bit of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". I guess it's because of the unique narrator.