Last month I saw a few of these great posts going around the blogosphere where bloggers shared their current ARC shelves and I thought it would be fun to join in as well!
This year has been a fantastic year for ARCs. I was approved for some of the most anticipated releases of the year on Netgalley, had all of my blogging dreams come true when I started receiving physical ARCs from UK publishers, and also had the opportunity to work directly with some authors. Needless to say, I’m incredibly grateful for all of the ARCs I receive but on the flip side of this success, there is also a mounting collection of overdue ARCs which I feel endlessly guilty about.
Like Destiny, I think that being transparent about what goes on behind the bloggers’ computer is a great way to show the reality of blogging life (lots and lots of unread books) and builds solidarity between us by showing you’re not alone in your struggle/guilt around ARCs!
Netgalley
Current Netgalley Stats:
Feedback Ratio: 82%
Approved: 38
Feedback Sent: 31
Approval Rating: 63.33% (38/60)
Currently unread: 6
Netgalley ARCs have always been my Achilles heel. I tend to read physical books more than ebooks so don’t have the constant reminder of looking at these meaning that they can sometimes slip my mind!
Overdue
Defy the Worlds by Claudia Gray | Pub. 3rd April 2018 (Currently Reading)
Free Chocolate by Amber Royer | Pub. 5th June 2018
The Shades Within Us | Pub. 8th September 2018
Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce | Pub. 20th September 2018
The Boneless Mercies | Pub. 4th October 2018 (Read, Awaiting Review)
The Science of Science Fiction by Mark Brake | Pub. 9th October 2018
Not Yet Due
2018 Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide edited by Sean and Corie Weaver | Pub. 15th December 2018
Publishers
Current Stats:
Received: 13
Currently unread: 8
Rather than putting publishing dates for my physical ARCs, I’ve listed them according to when I received the books as many of them aren’t new releases and I receive them after (sometimes long after) the publishing date. I also try to prioritize physical ARCs as much as possible as the publishers have spent money on providing me with a free copy of the book and paid postage!
Green Jay and Crow by DJ Daniels | Received September 2018
Monstrous Little Voices edited by David Thomas Moore | Received September 2018
Worlds Seen in Passing edited by Irene Gallo | Received 2nd November 2018
American Hippo by Sarah Gailey | Received 2nd November 2018
An Oath of Dogs by Wendy N Wagner | Received 9th November 2018
Lost Gods by Micah Yongo | Received 9th November 2018
Space Unicorn Blues by T.J Berry | Received 9th November 2018
An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows | Received 9th November 2018
Authors
Working directly with authors is definitely one of my favourite things to have happened this year and I’m always excited to receive e-ARCs straight from authors. Sadly I can’t always accept ARCs due to time commitments but these are the ones I’ve accepted this year that I haven’t yet read.
Brave New Girls: Tales of Heroines Who Hack edited by Paige Daniels and Mary Fan > Received July 2018
Talk Softly and Carry Your Big Stick with Pride by Ariel Jean Bailey > Received September 2018
Dinosaur Hunters by Patrick Samphire > Received October 2018
A Spy in the Deep by Patrick Samphire > Received October 2018
In the Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard > Received October (Read, awaiting Review)
Total Stats
ARCs received: 56
ARCs unread: 18
ARCs awaiting review: 2
That’s how my ARC shelves are currently looking! I try to be quite controlled when requesting ARCs and making sure I don’t let the number of unread ARCs climb too high. It can be difficult balancing your ARCs with all your other books though.
I hope you all enjoyed this post and it’s gone some way to alleviating some of the stress/guilt you might feel around ARCs. I’d love to hear from you all to see how your ARC shelves are looking at the end of 2019.
For those of us who want to tackle those pesky overdue ARCs, don’t forget that you can sign up to the late-a-thon happening throughout January. I know I definitely need to participate ❤
GOODREADS / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / AMAZON / PATREON
Red Rocket Panda 
Seeing the state of your ARC piles always makes me feel so inadequate! I’m jealous of how small your piles are, when mine are quite a bit….bigger. *sigh*
LikeLike
noooooooo. This was supposed to help not make you feel worse D: go and look at Destiny’s one 😉 she has way more than me
LikeLiked by 1 person
OMG Thank for telling me about Destiny’s!! I feel a lot better, and need to go cheer her on.
LikeLiked by 2 people
*snort* CALL ME OUT, WHY DON’T YOU 😂💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
I laughed SO LOUD at this
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Boneless Mercies is next on my TBR list! It looks so good 😍
LikeLike
I honestly can’t wait for late-a-thon and have some HIGH expectations for how many ARCs I’ll finish 😅
LikeLike
I try not to have more than 2-3 arcs to read per month from netgalley and for next year I want even a lot less. Not that I am achieving this. I have no overdue arcs which I feel quite accomplished about haha. We’ll see how long that lasts. 😉 My mountain tbr of own books however is another thing haha. That is my flipside.
LikeLike
I also do the thing where I organise author/publisher ARCs by date received instead. I have one that I received back in May and I’m ashamed. I’ve heard such good things about An Accident of Stars!!
LikeLike
I love posts like these! Although it’s more because it’s a reminder that I’m doing pretty darn good when it comes to ARCs than anything else, really. I don’t think I ever reviewed an ARC late on NetGalley. Author requests? Entirely different story. But – in my defense – I always tell them I have no clue when I’ll be reading / reviewing there novel if they don’t give me some kind of manageable deadline. Most don’t so.. yeah.
I only have six unread ARC’s right now and one I’m currently reading. Only one of those was published in July, all others.. 2019! Yay me! Haha. [Obviously that one “due” ARC is an author request.. Oops.]
LikeLiked by 1 person
HOWWWWWW. HOW DO YOU HAVE SO FEW?! I feel like not requesting books on netgalley definitely helps, that seems to be where we all fall down
LikeLiked by 1 person
I AM A UNICORN. Or at least that’s what people keep telling me whenever this subject comes up. :’)
Well, in my case it also helps I get denied on most requests due to being international so.. I guess in a weird way that can be a benefit as well – even though it’s frustrating as hell too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awww, I’m so glad you did this! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on some of these, especially Worlds Seen in Passing. It is suuuuch a LONG anthology, but it really has some amazing stories. There’s one in particular about a man who takes his partner to meet his family – who don’t know he’s queer – and rain falls from the sky randomly whenever someone cries? Anyways, you’ll know it when you get to it, and it BROKE me. I literally just sat at my desk and wept over it for a while, but in a good way. 😍😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooooh that makes me look forward to it even more. I feel so blessed that Tor sent it to me as a review copy as well ❤ Now I just need to find the time to actually read it HA
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this post and you remind me that I was planning on doing something similar after Destiny’s post… throwing that into my drafts now so I don’t forget again!
Also thanks for inadvertently getting The Science of Science Fiction on my radar, because that shit is my jam. Good luck catching up and you aren’t too far off… late a thon will be a great help!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha you’re welcome. As soon as I saw The Science of Science Fiction I slammed the request button and was pleased to get approved for it!
LikeLike