LibraryThing launches early book-review program

Here's a bright idea: LibraryThing is going to provide advance copies of books in exchange for reviews. So far the Early Reviewers program includes just Random House, but it will expand to more publishers this fall.

"You get free books, and share your opinions with a wide audience," the social-networking site for bibliophiles says. "LibraryThing makes everyone happy and keeps everything free and fair."

And here's the brilliant part: LibraryThing's matching algorithm will match books with readers based on which books those readers have in their library. The best-case result will be favorable word of mouth for new books -- assuming the program finds enthusiastic readers for the participating books.

But in the end, it all depends on whether the book is any good or not. LibraryThing's algorithm won't guarantee that a selected reviewer will like the book, only that they're a good candidate to review the book.

The first batch of books are:

• The River Wife by Jonis Agee
• Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward
• Peony in Love by Lisa See
  
• Keeping the House by Ellen Baker
• Away by Amy Bloom