Book Mail!!

On By TeacherofYAIn Book News/New Releases, Daily Updates/Tags/Pingbacks

Book mail…what two words go together better?

You all know I don’t get subscription boxes…maybe one day (hint, hint, Christmas 🎄)…and I don’t get publisher ARCs sent to me…

Oh, wait! I DID get something sent to me, and it’s an ARC, but it’s not from the publisher… 😉

But first, I want to tell you about the one that came first. EC @ ecorrauthor sent me a book she no longer wanted but thought I would like…we have known each other way back before our blogs, when Goodreads was our only forum. Here’s HER book mail:





I’m excited to read a book she so thoughtfully decided I might like. I love media mail: it’s the only affordable way to send books. I, in turn, will be sending her a book that I think she might like. It’s a pen pal system. Though I’m doing #SFATW with my awesome partner, Anne @ Inked Brownies, this is a fun way to share books, too. For a couple dollars, you too can send someone a book that you may not read anymore but think someone else might like. And if they don’t? They can either send it to someone else, or they could donate it to the library (as long as it’s not an ARC…I know of someone that tried, unsuccessfully, to do that…her heart was so in the right place)!

Also, I got my much anticipated package from Donna Freitas! Without further ado, here is the book mail that made my millennia!


I read this book but didn’t own a copy, so Donna sent me one, with a personal inscription!


She’s right! I am her biggest fan! And the fact that she went out of her way to send this to me, along with this, makes me over the moon:


The book I requested and got denied for! But if it weren’t for that event, I would have never had the courage to email her. She also included a lovely inscription in this one:


I know I’ll like this one as much as the first! The minute I finished Unplugged, I requested this book. And it took me forever to receive the no on Edelweiss. I really don’t understand it either: I have all my Goodreads reviews up there, and try to keep it current. That’s why I’m using NetGalley, where my feedback score shows and publishers can see my good stats.

Here’s the two together (I don’t have a bookshelf but I will very soon…I’m bringing one up from the basement because I have too many books just placed in a cabinet, and it’s ridiculous):


My first ARC book mail! I ❤️ Donna! And I’m always going to be grateful to her for taking a chance on me, and offering others the chance to read her books, too! Jasmine @ howusefulitis emailed her and she sent her copies of the books, too! I’m so thrilled for once for getting denied…this is the best possible result I could ever hope for! 

I’m so excited to read The Body Market…but I’m going to be careful with my book because it is so beautiful. And one I can call my own! Yes, I like receiving the digital galleys, and it’s really neat to have so many wonderful ARCs in my Kindle collection, but there’s nothing like the feel of a real book, and the memory that comes from receiving it in the mail!

Happy Reading, y’all! Just so glad to share theses incredible people with you! Thanks to EC and to Donna for the lovely books…you have no idea how much this means to me. 😊😊😊😊😊

**I originally had a pic with the front of the envelope and my address showing, and it was brought to my attention that it might not be a good idea. So I fixed it: I don’t have photo editing programs on my phone, so I just used a pic of the back of the envelope instead. I’m a dork.**

92 thoughts on “Book Mail!!”

  3. Book mail is awesome! Nothing beats hardcopy ARCs! 😊 (you might want to white out your address). Mailing out unwanted books is great! Media mail shipping is fairly cheap. Thanks for sharing with me my first physical signed ARCs!! 💕

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  5. booklingcritics

    I got the arc from Donna too! 🙂

    On Monday, November 14, 2016, TeacherofYA’s Book Blog wrote:

    > TeacherofYA posted: “Book mail…what two words go together better? You > all know I don’t get subscription boxes…maybe one day (hint, hint, > Christmas [image: 🎄])…and I don’t get publisher ARCs sent to me… Oh, > wait! I DID get something sent to me, and it’s an ARC, but it’s not f” >

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  6. Amel

    Book mail, the best mail there is. Congrats on your first hardcopy Arc.
    I know what you are talking about, I love E-books but there is something about holding the book in your hands that feels nice. Good luck on getting a bookshelf.
    Happy reading! 🙂
    (Be careful with revealing your address. I don’t know how addresses in the usa work but I think you forgot blurring it in one of the pics.)

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    1. Thank you!!
      I signed up for Penguin First to Read but didn’t see anything on there that I wanted to read…maybe I’m doing it wrong? Idk…
      Is that what you’re talking about, or do you mean actual Penguin publishing sending you an ARC you requested? Cause that’s super cool too!

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      1. Nah I’ve also signed up for the newsletter from Penguin but it came from Penguin directly. If you see something you like, you can always try to find their e-mail and ask for a copy? I’ve sent a mail like that to MacMillan but I already saw on their site that you have to have many bloggers, so that was a big no :-(. You can always try right? At least you don’t live in the middle of nowhere (it seems) like me so you’ll have better chances anyway.

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    2. How exciting, though! Books from Penguin! Wow!
      Yes, I’ve thought about messaging or speaking to publishers directly, but I think I’m going to wait until Harper starts approving my requests…they really are, like, the last one on my list of publishers that won’t approve me! I don’t know what their deal is: I just don’t get it!
      Once I have conquered that obstacle, I feel then I’ll be able to have the courage to ask for physical ARCs…only five months ago, I was getting denied all the time for ARCs, and now I’m getting approvals. I’m so happy for you, though! That’s so cool.
      I’m just going to try and be patient, but I will admit that Donna has given me a lot of hope. 😊

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    2. They are…and a lot of them aren’t worth the money you spend on them! So few are worth it: most include a book, a piece of jewelry, and some bookmarks. Some stuff is stuff no one would use. Sometimes the book sucks and you can buy it for so much cheaper…these companies make a lot of money off the “surprise” factor! I wish I thought of it, lol!! 😂😉

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    1. Thank you 😘!
      You’ve read Born at Midnight? I’ve never read a CC Hunter book…I really hope I like it. It was nice of EC to think of me when going through her books. Now I need to chose one for her!
      I’m so excited for The Body Market! I’d read it right now if I didn’t have other book obligations…but it’s amazing to own ARCs of a series you really like! Man, I ❤️ this whole physical ARC thing! Makes me want to write to publishers and ask them for books…but not until the library list goes down. Oh, and I finished one RaR (I signed up for it in Aug before I was busy in school…at least I set a calendar reminder telling me when it’s due), and I’m reading another RaR now…so hopefully soon I can pick up my library books again before I have to return them all without reading them. I kinda wish that as long as a book doesn’t have a hold, you could renew it as many times as it takes to read it.
      But alas, that’s not how the system works. Though I always will love my library…

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      1. That’s all right, and yeah I think I read the whole series and I think you’ll really enjoy it too Stephanie. From what I remember and based on your reviews it seems like the kind of book you’ll like.
        And yeah physical ARCs are just kind of more satisfying than the eARCs you get from NetGalley and the like, they’re just so pretty and there’s something so satisfying about actually holding them in your hands. Either way probably a good idea to get your library books down to a manageable level before requesting any more of them right? But it is great you’re working your way through them. You must read really quickly.
        No, if not I imagine people would hold onto certain books for so long they’d end up forgetting to take them back. I’d certainly do that! 😀

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    2. I check my library’s website to make sure I know the due dates, and they send me an email when they are due within the next three days…they also email/text me when a book is overdue, so I’m always trying to make sure my books aren’t overdue! It’s hard bc sometimes I just want to keep one, but if I do that, then I can’t renew the rest! I’m going to have to return some that I really want to keep. But I’ll probably just put holds on them right after so I can get the books right back ASAP…it drives me nuts sometimes though when I request something at the library and they send it to me from another one even though mine has it still. They do that a lot!
      I do tend to read fast when I have a block of undisturbed time…but I don’t get that very often anymore, lol.
      Yeah, I have enough books to read as it is…I won’t be requesting any for awhile!

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      1. Wow my library never used to do that. You had the date it was due back stamped into the book but if it was late it was late and you had to pay the fee. Still j was normally quite good at returning them on time.
        That must be annoying but at least you know the books will still be there and you can go back to them. It’s not like once you’ve returned them you can never get them back again.
        I read on my commute so that gives me a lot of time but still not enough to get around to all the amazing releases out there.

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    3. So true! And there’s so many good ones that I haven’t read yet: it’s hard for me to part with them when I was so thrilled to find them, you know? Definitely keeping ACOMAF and Glass Sword…the others I might just have to wait on.

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    4. I’m so glad that I went in today, because the lady working there renewed Glass Sword, ACOMAF, Forbidden Wish, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, AND Stitching Snow! I’m so happy bc I was worried about them! I should’ve asked her to do The Glittering Court, but at least it’s one I won’t be crestfallen about returning. Have you read that one?

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      2. Oh, really? Then I won’t be terribly bummed if I can’t read it. I know the author has had some other questionable books, it I remember the buzz around this one. Stealing Snow needs to be finished soon and I’ve got that one under control!

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      3. I enjoyed her earlier books but I read Soundless and was so disappointed, and because I’ve been hearing negative things about The Glittering Court I just can’t motivate myself to pick it up!
        That’s good, I hope you enjoy that one. I wasn’t a fan but I’ll be interested to see what you think! 😀

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    5. Just finished Stealing Snow…it had good points and bad.
      I picked up Soundless awhile back at the library’s bookstore, and I never got around to reading it…I read other reviews that panned it, so I’m skipping it. But I had hopes for The Glittering Court: but it might be because of a pretty cover again, lol!

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      1. Well it’s good it had some good points for you, did you enjoy it after all or did the bad points outweigh the good?
        I wouldn’t recommend Soundless, there are plenty of other better books out there you could be reading, but who knows maybe The Glittering Court will be better! 🙂

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    6. I think there was enough good to redeem it for me: I’ll probably give it three stars. I think that it started out with really slow writing, and the quality wasn’t very good. Took me awhile to understand this world Algin because there was a major lack of descriptors. Then, maybe 75% of the way through, the writing seemed to get better! It also drew me in more. I still don’t understand the love square…I guess maybe from a lack of love growing up?
      I would like to read the sequel and see if it gets better: I felt this way after Court of Fives, but the sequel redeemed that one, too!

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      1. Well that is good. I read it a while ago now so I can’t remember much but for me the good points weren’t really enough. I’m still going to check out the second book though when it’s released.
        I’m not even a fan of love triangles so love squares were never going to be a thing I enjoyed in this book either way, and I guess that could be a reason but I feel the story could have worked just as well with a love triangle and allowed for more development of the characters. 🙂
        Yeah I’m hoping the sequel gets better too! 😀

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    7. Yeah, the whole Kai/Jagger/Bale thing seemed a little extreme…and is it just me, or does it seem like Temperly was talking about being in love with Bale? Did you get that? From another land…loved him as a kid…
      I know that others won’t understand the reference so I feel confident writing about it here, lol!

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    1. Hey, it will happen!! Have faith. I had to ask the author directly because I was originally declined. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I figured, “Why not?”
      You can do it, too, girl!! I have faith in you. 😉

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      1. Oh okey! always wondering, when some book bloggers get the first book to be read that all the people haven’t had chance to read it i mean before to be released on the exact release date how could! Feeling jealous sometimes 🙂

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    2. If you want to start getting some books before they come out, go to netgalley.com! They may only be eBooks, but they have a TON of prerelease titles! That’s how I started and I get to read a lot of books before they are published now. Have you tried it? Do you read eBooks?

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    3. Oh good! They have ones to request, but I recommend you do the Read Now titles first and then review…once you do that, when you request titles the publishers will see you already have read and reviewed some and will more likely approve your requests. When I started I requested a bunch right away, and since I was new to the site I got a bunch of denials. That’s the best way to be successful. Good luck, and let me know if you ever have questions! 😊

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  18. Hot damn, I never got a pingback for this one! O_o But that’s some awesome book mail! Ahahahhaa@ the envelope ‘drama’ :’) :’). We can still see it’s an envelope and get the bigger picture behind it ;). I’m currently looking at stuff I can put in my special care package for you, muahahaha *rubs hands*. Or you know, cookies and books! We might want to swap out a list of books we’re interested in, though!

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    1. I think that’s a good idea, yo! My mom is already thinking of Michigan things, but the main book would be nice…I’d love one with a Dutch cover! Maybe you’d like a US cover of a particular book?
      And I know now why the pingback didn’t work…I assumed it would come up under your “About” page, but the address to your about page is different than normal. https://inkedbrownies.com/over/
      Was not what I was expecting, lol!

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      1. The thing with a Dutch cover is that the book would be in Dutch as well. I’d like to see you review that, though! :’) I can check the covers that are available over here, though, it’s probably a mix of covers from around the English-speaking countries anyways. AHA!! You’re right Sherlock! This explains EVERYTHING!! I’ve hardly been getting any pingbacks lately and figured it was just WordPress hating me, but that’s it! Over = about in Dutch. LAME! I specifically set up this site in English! *pouts*

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    2. Oh, so if I say “over,” it means “about?” Good to know…for some reason.
      Glad I could help you with the pingback problem.
      I don’t know…I think it would be cool to have a Dutch book! Have you seen the Dutch cover for Heartless? (Or Heartloos?) And The Lunar Chronicles are always having giveaways for books with the foreign covers! I think it would be neat! Something you couldn’t get here, and then I could learn Dutch…or have someone from Holland, MI read it to me. Only a half hour away, and almost everyone who lives there has a Van in front of their last name (not literally, but you know).
      That’s the point behind #SFATW! Stuff you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else! Go Doichland!

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    1. And more is coming! Sammi won a contest and needed a friend in the US (the giveaway was apparently US only, but they agreed to send them to me), and I’ll be receiving her signed copies of Three Dark Crowns and Replica. For doing this, she’s letting me keep Replica since she already owns a copy! It should arrive any day now! I’m so glad I could help. And I’m getting addicted to book mail! Going to send some myself!

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    1. Oh I will! And I do feel like a kid: a kid at Christmas!! Soon Sammi’s Mail will be here and I’ll show you when it arrives! Some cool signed copies of Three Dark Crowns and Replica! And I get to keep Replica!! 😊

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  22. Oh, getting books is the best feeling, don’t you think? I have a copy of Born at Midnight, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, so hopefully you like it!
    Oh my gosh, that’s so cool! I’ve never actually used Edelweiss (I guess I don’t really understand what it’s about?) but I’ve used Netgalley a few times and I think it’s a totally cool set-up! It’s amazing how that turned out for you though!
    -Amy

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    1. Thank you! I hope you like Born at Midnight! I hope I do too!
      I would advise staying away from Edelweiss. They take FOREVER to approve anyone. And I’m always getting denials even though I have over 200 reviews on there. I love Netgalley. They are the BEST! I am now getting approved for the big ones, and I love it! ::squeals::
      Thank you for reading! I love meeting new ppl! 😉👍

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