DearReader.com: book samples are a mere mouse click away from the bookworm in us all There's nothing an avid reader enjoys more than browsing through a new book. Every turn of the page seems to reveal a new world of possibilities. There seems, however, to be an inverse relationship between the mounting list of "must read books and the amount of free time. So, when you finally find a free moment to curl up with a new book, nothing matches the disappointment when the novel falls short of expectations. To avoid this trap, turn to the online book clubs and book teasers, which are only a mouse click away. The service comes from Suzanne Beecher, a lifelong reader from Sarasota, Florida in the US. She began offering the book teasers in 2000 because some part-time employees of her family s software company were working mothers who said they simply didn t have time to read. So on a whim, Beecher typed a chapter of "Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom and sent it to them in an e-mail. Albom had tracked down a college professor and mentor during Morrie's last months. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final class : lessons in how to live. The book recording their visits stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for four years. From the responses to the chapter she e-mailed, Beecher knew they were hooked. Suddenly, these people who thought they had no time to read were turning off their TVs at night and discussing the book with their husbands, Beecher said during an interview with "O magazine. Beecher founded DearReader.com initially to provide the service to libraries. She has since added a service for businesses, featuring professional development books. There are so many things you can do. Reading has taken a back seat, she said. It s kind of overwhelming to go into a bookstore or library. There isn t a lot of browsing time, unfortunately. The easiest way is to sample a book for yourself. Readers join the online book club. They can join 11 clubs, including mystery, romance, science fiction, inspiration, horror and teen. There s even a club that allows them to sample books yet to be published. Signing up for the online book teasers is simple. Select a "club and the site will send you a five-minute sample from the book every day. By the end of the week you'll have read two to three chapters, and by that time will know if you want to read more. Then you can either order it online, head to your nearest bookstore (if it's not available you can always place an order), or search the shelves of the local libraries to continue reading where you left off. This week's online selection includes Alice Hoffman's "Skylight Confessions from the fiction club, and "How to Make Millions in Direct Sales from the business club. There's something to satiate the taste of every reader. The Daily Star Egypt asked a couple of local bookworms to test-drive DearReader.com for a month to see if the US site could emulate their success with Egyptian readers. "I joined the classics' book club last month, and it's been great, Dalia Sakib told The Daily Star Egypt. "It's like book browsing online. And it also sends me samples of books that I wouldn't necessarily reach for at a bookstore. "The only drawback is that if you don't find the book at the bookstores in Cairo, then you have to order it, which means I have to wait weeks to continue reading the book, she added. "Books have become really expensive here, Tamer Ahmed lamented. "You can pay anywhere from LE 50 to LE 150 for a book. So nothing is more frustrating then to start reading it and realize that it sucks. "I kind of like the idea of being able to test drive the book before I commit to it, Ahmed said after he'd signed up to DearReader.com. "The bookshops around town have gotten better about stocking a variety of new books, but if I don't find the book I was e-mailed I can always order it online. It might be more costly, but it beats tossing it in the bin half way through if I don't like it. We tell people to read only what they enjoy reading, Beecher said. If you don t like a book, just hit the delete key. With AP
