Psst! Did you see the FREE book offer?

[rebeccamumsnet]

Hello. We just wanted to jump up and down in an excited way and draw your attention to the fab book freebie being offered to all Mumsnetters by Radox.

We know a fair few of you have claimed your free book already but there are still some left - and we didn't want anyone to miss out.

Just click on the link to find out more - and happy reading!

PS If you haven't claimed your book, can you tell us why? Is it because you're waiting for a different month to get the book you really want?

Thanks

To be fair the literary selection is quite highbrow.

If you transpose the M and the N...

I didn't claim for exactly the same reasons as most others. What a patronising campaign! Really, what view of women do these people actually have? Are any of them actually women, or married to women? Do they really consider reading to be a passtime we should consider selfish? We really should know our place, shouldn't we?

If only one of those books was a fluffy chicklit type book, then that would be fair enough - catering for all tastes. But the fact that they are ALL that kind of non-challenging twaddle (except for the Tractors one) tells me exactly what the people at Radox think of the average mother.

I was disappointed when I clicked on the link - but I'm not surprised. Unfortunately, it reflects the general attitude shown by Marketing companies towards women & mothers.

I didn't claim because all the books looked like tripe. The tractors one looks okayish but I've flipped through it in a bookshop and didn't really fancy it much so I'd rather someone who'd really enjoy it benefited. Agree about the fluffy chicklit. Why not a thriller or a detective story amongst the fluff? That would be just as much of an easy read but at least cater to a few more people.

I reckon chicklit is largely aimed at women without children, actually.

Eleison and others have put coherent reasons for not partaking of this 'marvellous' offer. We've has babies not lobotomies.

And reading is not 'selfish', it's essential, numpties.

God what utter rubbish. They even have the banner advertising on MN 'Even Mumsnetters need to be selfish'. How insulting. Nothing selfish about reading a book (although there might be about reading one of these rubbishy ones).
Most disappointing. And poorly judged.

Well I've claimed mine. I love fluffy chick-lit.

Shallow chick lit - insulting to women. Do they/you think that's the kind of thing mumsnetters would like to read?

I like it It's easy reading and escapism.

I've had a look. Really looks like a stupid book, waste of good reading time.

Another no to chick-lit here. I've read A short history of tractors in Ukrainian, which was OK, but absolutely no interest in the rest. Maybe Radox should sponsor the MN bookclub and send out copies of something requiring a brain that people actually want to read?

Radox-people, if you are reading this - what about offering additional choices to those already on offer for the remaining months? Whilst I am sure a considerable amount of people like chick-lit, I suspect you have misjudged your audience here, so more options will be appreciated.

Might go for Tractors in March if I remember - the rest is chicklit as others have said. Could they not even go for something like Kate Atkinson?

Well, as for my preference of Tractors - I haven't read it, but from the description it might be something I like, whereas the others would not be read past page one, I can guarantee that. Not even as a teenager was I into soppy nonsense.

Oh don't go for Tractors, really don't. It was a really unremarkable story written in really unremarkable prose interspersed with very boring bits about tractors.

Yes, Tractors isn't that good. But it is ok. The depressing thing is the lack of variety. Kate Atkinson would have been good.

Exexpat, the sad thing is that Radox are sponsoring the MN bookclub, according to the blurb on the MN page set up for them. I wonder why MNHQ settled so low.

I expect that Radox & MN would just say that these are the books publishers are prepared to mass market and flog off as freebies. But that is the problem really. They could have led with an out-of-copyright classic as cheaply. A bit of Cranford or something. But, they know what we like and we should respect their delineation of us.

Righto Jux

I would have loved a free classic, particularly something I haven't read, even if you can get them free on iPhone etc now. A new book, a good one that is, is always a good idea in my world.

Agree about lack of variety. I think they want to pitch it low so as not to put people off, but why not a thriller or a detective story or something? Kate Atkinson would be ideal, actually. Easy to read, well-written, engaging, clever, funny etc etc etc.

That Tractors book was written with an eye on an ITV adaptation. It's the only explanation for how bland and cliched it was.

Just had a look, I'm always up for freebies, especially a book related one, but not this time.

I can't stand Chicklit. Generally I like books that teach me things. If I want to disengage my brain when I'm reading I'll find some teen fiction.

The only one that vaguely interested my was A short history of tractors in the Ukraine, but I've already read it, and didn't enjoy it that much.

it's fairly irrelevant anyway. The only way I would put radox in the bath is if I'd run out of anything else, including fairly liquid.

I will read most stuff - have Day of the Triffids and Madame Bovary on my dressing table at the mo, but Marian Keyes makes me laugh so waiting for Dec book.