Where did my last 20 books come from?

Lenore at Presenting Lenore, among others, got me thinking about where my last 20 books came from and how does that affect my blog. I’ve listed the last 20 books I’ve commented on here and where the books came from.

1. Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter – from the library as a Lenten devotional
2. The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe – from the library, Amber’s choice
3. Murder Uncorked by Michele Scott – from the library for an on-line book group
4. A Night at the Operation by Jeffrey Cohen – purchased at the Festival of Mystery in Oakmont
5. The Case of the Night-Stalking Bone Monster by John R. Erickson – from the library, Amber’s choice
6. Trinity by Joseph F. Girzone – from the library
7. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath – from the library for an on-line book group
8. The Mystery of the Black Raven created by Getrude Chandler Warner – from the library, Amber’s choice
9. The Dragon of Doom by Bruce Coville – audiobook from the library for a car ride, Amber’s choice
10. My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel – for review and blog tour, from the publisher
11. The Mystery of Alligator Swamp created by Gertrude Chandler Warner – from the library, Amber’s choice
12. Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox – from the library for an on-line book group
13. The Light, the Dark, & Ember Between by J. W. Nicklaus – for review, from the author
14. Don’t Call Me a Crook! by Bob Moore – for review, from the publicist
15. Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts – from the library for an on-line book group
16. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith – purchased, for an on-line book group
17. Viva Cisco by Patrick Shannon – for review, with Amber
18. The Light of Burning Shadows by Chris Evans – for review and blog tour, from the publisher
19. Seduce Me by Robyn DeHart – for review and blog tour, from the publisher
20. The Old Motel Mystery created by Gertrude Chandler Warner – from the library, Amber’s choice

Lets see. There are 13 “adult” books on my list. Of those, 6 are from the library, 2 I purchased, and the remaining 5 were sent for review. Of the 7 “childrens” books, only 1 was for review and the other 6 were from the library. That breaks down to 60% from the library, 30% for review and 10% purchased. That’s probably pretty standard for me, and I try to give my honest thoughts about all the books, regardless of where they’re from. I think the only way my blog would change if I stopped receiving free books is that I just wouldn’t have as many reviews of “brand-new” books.  My book-buying budget is simply not that big, and there’s always a waiting list at the library for the newest books. Oh, and I wouldn’t have the stress that goes along with the to-be-reviewed pile. From now on, though, I will try to include in my post where the book came from, although I may not remember the source of some that have been sitting on my shelf for awhile.

Where did your last 20 reviewed books come from? Do you buy most of your books? Get them from the library? Or if you review mostly free copies, how would your blog change if you stopped accepting them?