Archive for May, 2023

Friday, May 12th, 2023

Updated CoverGuess and Contest!

We’ve revamped CoverGuess, our collaborative cover-tagging game. We’ve made it faster and changed some rules. Very soon we’ll be releasing a cool new feature based on it. (Hint: You’ll be able to search for covers by what’s on them.) And we’re giving out prizes to LibraryThing members who play.

CoverGuess is a LibraryThing institution. Starting in 2010, we invited members to describe book covers, racking up points for matching other members. In 13 years members have added more than 3.2 million tags to book covers! 

Now we’re launching a new and improved version of the game, to get it ready for a new search interface, with some new rules:

  • Eight tags. As searchers are likely to focus on the most significant elements, we’re asking members to focus on the eight most relevant tags. (You can add more, but you won’t receive points for them.)
  • Omit bare colors. And we’re asking members to avoid bare color tags, like “blue” or “red.” You are still encouraged to use colors when describing things on the cover, such “blue horse” or “yellow flower.” (We’re going to get covers’ predominant colors another way, so we don’t want you to have to waste your time labeling them.)
  • Multi-Word Bonus. Scoring has changed slightly. You now get a bonus for multi-word tags. For example, matching “green field” is worth 2x points, and matching “bird in cage” is worth 3x.
image of LibraryThing's new CoverGuess game

Contest

We’re running a month-long contest to celebrate the launch of the new CoverGuess! We’ll be keeping score from May 12th–June 12th, with prizes going to the top ten players, as well as ten other randomly selected participants.

The top player will receive an extra grand prize as well.

We’ve got a selection of stickers, coasters, tote bags, stamps, t-shirts and CueCats (more details to come) to give away, so come check it out here, and start tagging: https://www.librarything.com/coverguess

Questions? Come join the conversation on Talk.

Labels: book covers, contests, CoverGuess, covers, games

Monday, May 1st, 2023

May 2023 Early Reviewers Batch Is Live!

Win free books from the May 2023 batch of Early Reviewer titles! We’ve got 179 books this month, and a grand total of 3,449 copies to give out. Which books are you hoping to snag this month? Come tell us on Talk.

If you haven’t already, sign up for Early Reviewers. If you’ve already signed up, please check your mailing/email address and make sure they’re correct.

» Request books here!

The deadline to request a copy is Thursday, May 25th at 6PM EDT.

Eligibility: Publishers do things country-by-country. This month we have publishers who can send books to Canada, the US, France, Germany, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Spain, Netherlands and more. Make sure to check the message on each book to see if it can be sent to your country.

CountdownSummer in the SpotlightLetters from My SisterHe Should Have Told the BeesFlare, CoronaThe Visibility of Things Long SubmergedThe ReunionThe Defiant Optimist: Daring to Fight Global Inequality, Reinvent Finance, and Invest in WomenFairest of HeartRocky Mountain RendezvousThe Laws of AttractionThe Best Summer of Our LivesA Curse of Ash and IronLiz's Road TripInside the WolfI Meant It OnceThe Rye Bread Marriage: How I Found Happiness with a Partner I'll Never UnderstandTravelers: PoemsBack to The 80'sOnce Our LivesFirewallTake Good Care: 7 Wellness Rituals for Health, Strength & HopeSufferah: The Memoir of a Brixton Reggae-HeadThe Big Book of MysteriesMirror WitchPress ReleaseEnsured: The Journey of Life 1st EditionBeautiful in DeathNínayBeatrice the Sixteenth: Being the Personal Narrative of Mary Hatherley, M.B., Explorer and GeographerThe All Jamaican LibraryFavorite ThingsThrough Three RoomsForever Hold Your PeaceThe Vampires of AtlantisGranting KatelynHow Women Saved Civilization: Lollipop's TaleUnearthing SecretsSpheres All YearLearning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing VirtueReligions on Trial: A Lawyer Examines Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and MoreSecrets of the Moon: Myth and Mysticism, History and ScienceFriends Like TheseOf Light and ShadowScaredy Squirrel Gets a SurpriseThe Secret Diary of Mona HasanBelly of the BeastThe Final TrialTremendous ThingsYour School Is the Best!Tribal Histories of the Willamette ValleyDisagreementWhat the Dead Know: Learning about Life As a New York City Death InvestigatorPython QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner's Guide to Python Programming Using Hands-On Projects and Real-World ApplicationsDracula Beyond Stoker Issue 2: RenfieldThe Master of DemiseSpheres All Year / Esferas todo el añoDeceiving D’ArtagnanInspirational ValuesWhere I AmCafé UnfilteredConquered BetrayalWhen Mystery and History MingleTime Traveling Through Yellowstone National ParkThe Rail SplitterCasalvento: House of the WindProphet's LamentationMy Israel: Seventy Faces of the LandThe Jewish State: From Opposition to OpportunityThe Beating Heart: Exploration of Jewish Communities around the WorldA Night at the PlaygroundPumpkin the KittenPutting God First: Jewish Humanism after HeideggerThe ImpostorStakeholder Engagement Essentials You Always Wanted to KnowPrinciples of Management Essentials You Always Wanted to KnowEntrepreneurship Essentials You Always Wanted to KnowBusiness Law Essentials You Always Wanted to KnowCherishA Parent's Guide to Raising an ADHD ChildRiseThe Girl from the PapersBlindspotsIt'll Be IrieThe Chinese Time MachineTrue Crime Storytime Volume 6: 12 Disturbing True Crime Stories to Keep You Up All NightGrave RobberStubbed Toes and Dating WoesShadow of the WestThe She ShedPassport To SpyMy Cousin DarcySidelinersHow to Share What You've MadeFrom Power Struggle To Peace: A Pioneering 5-Step Positive Parenting Discipline System to Get Your Kids to Behave in 30 DaysFrom Power Struggle To Peace: A Pioneering 5-Step Positive Parenting Discipline System to Get Your Kids to Behave in 30 DaysWild Horses: Running FreeLife Scenarios and What To Do About ThemDAAN!: Poems Without PretencePulstar I: The Swan Barely RemembersNerve: A Pulstar PrequelThe Beating Heart of a MindThe Giant Computer Answers Life's MysteriesBlu RainHyphenated RelationsThrough The TyphoonNot Your Kind: The Gaslit FilesOne Reason to Live: A Memoir about Surviving TraumaA Portion of MaliceDark GreenConsumption and Other VicesEcho of the EvercryScuttlebutt: The Cocktail Field ManualElixir of the Gods: The Cocktail Guide to Greek MythologyAkashic Records: Gemstone GuardiansDriftThe Bear & the RoseTransformer KitWhat to Do When You Do Give a F*ck: A Roadmap to a Happy RelationshipSenior Thesis: A Novella in Screenplay FormFlood of MemoriesThe Devil ParticleThe Permaculture Project: Discover the Art of Soil Science, Companion Planting and Landscape Techniques to Create an Organic, Self-Sufficient EcosystemHorse Care for Kids: A Fun Guide for Young Equestrians Introducing Different Breeds, Simple Daily Care, and Beginning Rider TechniquesO2Forbidden LoveThe School of HomerExtasiaJuno's RevengeParenting and Child Care: An ABC for Mastering the Art of Respectful CareMasters of KingsThe Golden ManuscriptsThe Case of the Runaway OrangutanThe Soul MachinesThe Epic of Gilgamesh: A Poetic VersionHack TrilogyNo Gun IntendedGrow Your Business with ChatGPT: The 5-Step Al Blueprint to Generate More Revenue by Automating and Optimizing Your Business Processes Using Artificial IntelligenceOf Wings and ShadowsThe Eternal ReturnAnangokaaAutodriveThe Citadel and the Corrupted KingMAP. MEASURE. MOVE.: Building Clarity for Shared SuccessIt Was Always More Than An Idea Being IdealDeath's ReckoningThe Butterfly CaféTry The Best You Can: An Adventure in Three PartsEverything I Wish I'd Known about Japan Before I Moved There: Practical StuffThe Man Who Feels Like Homethe Night Garden: PoemsThe Truth Is A LieThe Persistent RoadOf Kings and QueensAllowing the NightMichael's WarriorMarcus and the Genie CoinPride and Prejudice and SuperheroesBeauty and the AlchemistMonkey Bob the Explorer Finds a Golden DragonKill RadioDead WestJolts, Synchronicities, Dream Catchers and Milagros: A Memoir Into the Fire of Original ExperienceNo More Faking It: A Woman's Guide to Getting the Love, Pleasure, and Fulfillment She Deeply DesiresWilliam Newman's AdventuresFrom the Valley of OrchidsThe 400-Hour Workweek: Time Management Secrets from 8-Figure Business OwnersFun Facts And Trivia About US GeographyOur Hope For Isabelle: Grieving with Joy and Hope for Eternity through Infant LossThe Enemy of HeavenLies That BindFloppy: Tales of a Genetic Freak of Nature at the End of the WorldRogue the DurumBiblical Questions and Answers for Smart Kids: Quizzes Focused on the Book of Exodus to Help Your Children Grow and Learn about God—Who He Is, His Love, and His Relationship with Humanity, Ages 7-12The Art of Falling in Love with YouUncover Your Authentic Self Through Shadow Work: A Workbook to Identify Your Triggers and Transcend Trauma. Embrace Your Hidden Side, Develop Self-Love, and Become Your Best SelfDarcy: A Pride and Prejudice VariationFragmented Fates17 Planets: The Captain

Thanks to all the publishers participating this month!

5 Prince Publishing Akashic Books Alcove Press
Algonquin Books Beaufort Books Bellevue Literary Press
Bethany House BHC Press BOA Editions, Ltd.
Books Fluent Broadleaf Books Cardinal Rule Press
Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC Circling Rivers City Owl Press
ClydeBank Media DBS Press Entrada Publishing
Gefen Publishing House Greenleaf Book Group Guernica Editions
Hot Tree Publishing Identity Publications IVP
IVP Formatio JH Publishing Kabaty Press
Lauren Simone Publishing House Life to Paper Publishing Mint Editions
New Vessel Press NewCon Press Nosy Crow US
Ooligan Press Paper Phoenix Press Pioneer Publishing
Poise and Pen Publishing PublishNation Revell
Science, Naturally! Simon & Schuster Storybound Publishing
Tapioca Stories True Crime Seven Tundra Books
Tuxtails Publishing, LLC Tyndale House Publishers Vibrant Publishers

Labels: early reviewers, LTER