I don't blog for the ARC's...

When I started this blog back in 2009 I didn't know book blogging was a thing. I just started posting about books in a sort of "book journal" kind of way, in order for me to have something to look back years later and reflect. I honestly thought I was being a little unique by doing this. I'm not exactly sure how I stumbled across my first book blog but then I discovered this whole new world! And so my journey into reviewing books began.

After a short time of reviewing, I discovered ARC's. Everyone was getting them and they were...free books! Free books that weren't even released yet! I found it amazing and wonderful and oh I wanted all the books! But...I didn't request any. Part of me believed that I wasn't a good enough reviewer. I was very inconsistent in my reading and blogging habits. So I waited and after a while, I decided I had enough books and I didn't need to request any after all. So there. [Although there was one time that I did request a book, Anna Dressed in Blood, but I didn't receive any kind of response so I figured I wouldn't be getting it and bought it anyways. A couple days after I got my copy, I got a second one from the publisher. I was quite surprised]

The first time an author contacted me was momentous. Why? Because it was Tiffanie DeBartolo that's why. She was one of my favorite authors (still is, no doubt.) On a wishlist type of post I ranted that I wanted to read her other book, How to Kill a Rock star and I was probably going to buy it soon. Her email to me just said simply that her publisher had seen my post, mentioned it to her and would I like a copy of her other book. OMG!! OF COURSE I WANTED HER BOOK AND OMG! A few weeks later, I had a copy in my hands and it was signed to me. First free book from an author and first signed copy. All because of this little blog right here.

I then started receiving frequent offers for ARC's from other authors, mostly indie. It became easy to filter through what I would read, what I probably would never read and what I really would enjoy. Books began piling up on me and I was obsessively buying more. Eventually, I became overwhelmed with it all and stopped. Both blogging and accepting books and reading altogether.

When I finally decided to get back into blogging (which I've done a number of times) I decided not to accept books for review, which I've been good at. That wasn't why I ever did it and I think that when I started getting all kinds of ARC's, I was reading less of what I loved.

Occasionally I'll get books in the mail, because I am on some list somewhere but they're usually genres I do not like so I donate them or give them to family. This past week though, I received a whole box of YA books! A whole box! I was over the moon excited and I really am going to try and get through them. I'll be posting a monthly wrap up of sorts where I'll share what I got.

Do you request ARC's? If not, why? And if you do, do you become overwhelmed sometimes also?