OnlineBookClub.org

A discussion in the feedback forum got me thinking about something today...

Over 75% of American adults have not read a single book in the past year. Even of the remaining 25%, the many who merely read one book in the past year probably aren't using this site. The members of this site are part of that special minority of a minority of people who are avid readers.

Yet look how active this site is! We have soooooo many members and sooooo many awesome active discussions.

This site is made for readers not authors. For every one author who finds his or her way here, a thousand avid readers do. However, even at those ratios, thousands of authors have personally come here and submitted their books to us. Without them, the review team would not only not be a success, but it couldn't even exist.

The success of the review team has also helped make the whole community better.

So for the next few days I want to take a moment for us all to thank the authors who have made this possible.

To that end, just today I created a new page on Bookshelves called Shop by Cover.

So I'm asking three things.

1) If you ever had a good experience as a result of the review team, such as previously reading a book because it's been recommended by one of our reviewers, post here about that.

2) Toss in a quick post thanking all the authors who have collectively made this possible.

3) Check out the new Shop by Cover page. Pick a book or two to learn more about. Please consider choosing to buy at least one book this week that has been reviewed by our review team. Alternatively, you can always find other books that have been reviewed using the Book Reviews Digest, or by browsing the review forums, or by checking the latest reviews of your favorite reviewer.

At the end of the day, the authors submit their books because they each hope the submitted book is recommended by the reviewer and potential readers buy it and read it. With reviews as evidence that the book is actually a good read, us buying a book is not just about doing something nice for the authors; it's killing two birds with one stone: You're buying a good book!

Well said!

First I want to thank you Scott for creating this awesome site and for keeping on improving it. Thank you both members & authors for making this site as it is!

I second this! There has been such a wide range of authors submitting their books to the review team that it has benefited both the community and the authors themselves for new recommendations and helping them becoming better writers. Big thanks to Scott and the team and just as important the authors who bring out their work into the community!

Thank you very much for creating this site! I just joined and I can already tell it will be really good for me

Thank you to everyone makes this website such a wonderful place! Scott, you must be so proud of your brainchild. The authors who donate their books for review....well, I can't say enough about all of you. The discussions about reading and the wide selection of honest reviews are like a reading garden, where the flowers just continue to grow. I am fortunate to be a member of this wonderful site.

I ordered No Fury after seeing a recommendation here about one of the author's other books. After going to the Amazon link, I wound up buying another book by the author. I also ordered Sky Ghosts: All for One after reading Leon's glowing review. In this case, I know the reviewer's history of giving very honest reviews. If he loves a book, it must be great!

Scott, one question! I went to the Shop by Cover section and clicked on "Leaving London" to look at the description. It brought up the Amazon page for another book. Maybe there is a glitch?

I just got Becoming Moon downloaded to my Kindle after the book cover caught my eye & I read the review by PashaRu.

I have bought a book, "Dead in the Water", recommended by bookowlie and a couple of other books that were recommended here.

gali wrote:I have bought a book, "Dead in the Water", recommended by bookowlie and a couple of other books that were recommended here.

Great! I need to look up the author on Amazon because I think he was writing the 2nd installment in that series.

-- 24 Jul 2015, 10:56 --

I just looked. Although the 2nd installment isn't out yet, the Kindle version of Dead in the Water is still a great price - $1.99 at the moment. I love when authors do that. It encourages readers to try out the first installment of a series.

Yes to all of this!

Scott, I absolutely love this website, and I think you do an awesome job of keeping it current, relevant, and fun.

To all of the authors--as Scott said, the review team wouldn't exist without you! I've come into contact with some great authors and some really good new books because of this site!

To the review team--I enjoy working with everyone, reading reviews, and receiving honest feedback on my reviews. It's also fun to get to know people who are as into reading and books as I am.

I just bought a book from the Shop By Cover page. You are absolutely right, the cover does have a lot to do with choosinga book. Just FYI, I clicked on The King's Throne and was taken to a different book entirely.

And also I'd like to thank the authors who submit their work for us to read. In a world where it seems many don't want to read anything longer than a tweet or status message, it is wonderful that there are people still writing actual stories. The readers are out there as this website clearly proves. Keep writing, and we will be there.

I fixed the two books mentioned with the wrong covers.

Thank you everyone for showing your support!

I agree with all of you guys! This site is amazing and I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have all the authors to thank for the books.

I read The Message after seeing the cover on here and enjoyed it. I am new to the site and picked the book up my first day, joined Kindle Unlimited to read it and other books for free. I look forward to experiencing the other perks of being a member of the site. Thank you Scott for doing such a wonderful job of providing all of us a place to express our love of reading and to share it with others. Thank you to the authors who provide their books to us for review so we can experience the wonderful things they write about.

Scott, and everyone involved, thank you so much for all that you do! The site is wonderful, and I know that takes a lot of work. Thanks to this site I have read all of Meg Kimball's books and loved them (our very own @"zeldas_lullaby"), I read Being Medusa by @"ALynnPowers" and loved it (found it thanks to Scott's signature on his posts), I read The Message by Avam Hale and loved it, and I have also read and reviewed two books, and am reading a third to review. My second review book The Demon Heritage of Josh Thorne by @"joefowler", and the subsequent books in his series have become some of my recent favorites due to great writing, humor and my love for that genre. I also can't wait to read the books of the Sky Ghosts series by new author @"engellmann". I came here just for fellowship after abandoning modern conveniences like t.v. and social media for the most part, but now I have found wonderful new authors, friends, and a reason to write, which I am enjoying greatly!! I have also taken to social media again, but now just to connect with other readers and authors to help them succeed if I can, which I find very rewarding.

Thanks, Levi!!

And thank you so much, Scott, for this wonderful site. I haven't had friends in, like, decades. In fact, I was just now playing That's What Friends Are For on the piano. Hokey, I know. But having friends rocks. So I am eternally in your debt. I can think of... at least half a dozen meaningful connections I've made on this site, just off the top of my head.

I read ALynn's Secret Memories, which I highly recommend. I can't give details about why I recommend it, because it's fraught with spoilers. I also read her No Fury, which was incredibly good vicarious revenge reading, in a fun way. I loved it too. I have two more paperbacks of hers that I haven't read yet: the one about pie, and Out of the Dark.

Unfortunately, I have some awful focus issues, and reading any book is hard for me. The fact that I read two of Amy Lynn's books speaks highly of how good a writer she is!! So I second Levi's mention that her books are great!

Thanks again, Scott! I love this site.