On the advice of a TeleRead commenter, I’ve spent the last two weeks trying out a book recommending service called Book Bub. So far, I’m enjoying it.
Book Bub’s premise is simple: When you register (it’s free), you select from an offering of genres that interest you, and every day, Book Bub sends you an email with a few free or discounted books in your chosen genres. That’s all there is to it.
In general, I’m finding Book Bub’s one, single email a bit easier for me to keep track of than a blog these days—I still haven’t decided what I plan to do about the coming death of Google Reader! The daily email also seems well-curated; they really do pick just a few books—not every book in the world that fits your category. And I’ve actually been reading the emails when they come, not skipping them for later, and I have picked up a few books, too—and not just the free ones.
The only small complaint I have is that a few times, an offer I wanted wasn’t available. The small print does warn that offerings do sometimes change after the email goes out, and that not all books are available to non-Americans. But still, it’s disappointing to read the description, get all excited, and click through to find a full-priced, $13 book. Not their fault, of course, and I suppose it’s the nature of the beast with this sort of thing, but I figure it’s worth mentioning for my fellow non-Americans nonetheless.
I’m guessing this sort of venture is funded via affiliate sales. I don’t begrudge them their cut. I think that for me, this website has proven itself to offer a valuable service, and I look forward each day to seeing what deals Book Bub has chosen for me.