Such a fun idea! I hope this becomes an annual challenge 🥳 The instructions are clear and I LOVE the idea of the review contest, can we have more of these please? 🤩

This format didn't really work for me. I like a bingo board, but this focused heavily on things besides books. I'm at a point where it's becoming pretty difficult to raise my feedback ratio-- it's been above 85% for years, and i have reviewed so many books (376 as of this morning) that it takes a few to make a noticeable difference.

Things I would have liked:
- Release the board up to a month in advance, or at least 2 weeks. This would allow readers to plan out their reading more (and save back some reviews, allowing feedback ratio to dip!). In addition to ARCs, I had a number of library books and other commitments I was in the middle of, which kept me from being able to devote as much reading time to this challenge.
- Clarify the method of participation. For this year and for last year's NetGalley summer reading challenge, I only used ARCs/eARCs (from NetGalley or from other sources). Are we supposed to count non-ARC reading? I was out of town during the scavenger hunt, which I was glad of-- were we supposed to just find books, or find new/available ARCs in NetGalley, or only choose from things we had already read, or ARCs we had already read, or...? I know I am an overthinker and I also see some benefits to leaving challenges open to interpretation, but I would like ~something~ more concrete in the way of instructions. :)
- Especially if not releasing the bingo board/challenge list early, consider making the challenge 6 to 8 weeks. This would allow participants a little more flexibility-- especially as it's summer and many people have vacation time, family commitments, extra workload, etc!

The review below is for an eARC I read in July, for the Talent Show portion of the competition. This review has already been shared through the title's NetGalley Feedback to the publisher.

So fun to be a part of this! I love doing things like this during the summer. Brings back memories of summer reading at the library.

Although, I didn’t have time to interact, this was such a fun idea! The layout was neat and cute and I loved the bingo card.

The Camp NetGalley Welcome Packet promosted a fun idea to encourage reading novels and writing reviews. Anything that promotes reading is a great thing!

This was a fun and exciting addition to the summer! I love when there are more-involved activities, especially during the summer, and this made reading all the more fun with its interactive activities.

This was really fun, I just wish the instructions were just a little clearer. I did see that there were things to do during specific timeframes, maybe I just didn't understand how they were supposed to be accomplished (i.e. the scavenger hunt). One thing that would have helped is a weekly reminder in social media (Instagram), "Hey, NetGalley Campers this week be sure to work on...." It would have triggered me to probably do some of the tasks. All in all, it seemed like a fun activity to do during the summer and I look forward to seeing what other fun activities like this NetGalley comes up with.

There was nothing wrong with camp NetGalley but it just didn’t feel interactive enough for me. I don’t know if that is just because I am really busy and was on holiday. I have attached my talent competition entry below but more things that mean you can earn badges would work for me.

My review for Zero Stars Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend is a comedic take on the apocalypse. Dan & Mara are on an island vacation when suddenly the sun explodes. Poof. - 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 - The temperature is dropping & they’re stranded with the other guests not knowing if they’ll make it home to their families. Everything descends into chaos immediately & Dan bands together with a few other guests to try & get Mara home to her mom.
This book had me giggling like an idiot. The concept for this book was so intriguing. I’ve read books & watched movies about the world ending before but never where the sun explodes. Before I even started reading I was racking my brain trying to figure out how this was going to play out. I had zero complaints & I 𝒟𝑜 recommend this book. Five stars all around. It’s not all comedy either. It’ll tug at your heart strings. There’s a good balance of seriousness too.
This is also the author’s debut novel so I’d like to take a moment to say what an amazing job he’s done & what a way to kick off your writing career. I hope to read more someday. Also his wife does their social media & she’s equally hilarious so if you want a laugh go follow them!

What makes this book a must-read? The cover, a visual masterpiece, is a window into the story's soul. The cleverly chosen title perfectly captures the dark and twisted tale that lies within. This debut psychological thriller results from a collaboration between Rachel Graham and Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock, writing under the pen name Rachel McGuire. I'm eagerly awaiting their next project!

Do you like untrustworthy characters? Are psychopaths your cup of tea? How about YouTubers, cyber-sleuths, and life on the open sea? "On the Surface" might be the next read you're looking for!

Sawyer and Dani form a captivating pair at the story's core. The seasoned Sawyer has the expertise to keep the boat operational and manage affairs seamlessly. With her youthful savvy and social media know-how, Dani skillfully navigates the waters of online content creation. She understands how to capitalize on her appeal to generate the necessary funds for their way of life, although she may occasionally overestimate her knowledge.

One question: Is the ending open for interpretation, or can we look forward to a sequel?

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

OntheSurface #RachelMcGuire #NetGalley #Bahamas

"Camp NetGalley" is so much fun! It was such a welcomed surprise to see the varying events each week, challenges, and I look forward to participating to earn my Camp NetGalley Badge! Great idea and I love the potential of more new badges in the future!

For the TALENT SHOW - In order to earn my Camp NetGalley Badge -
My review on "You Will Never Find Me" by Allsion Brennan -
Link -
https://www.netgalley.com/book/354160/review/793285
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198366737#CommunityReviews
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:7225170313863401472/

This made summer reading so much fun! I enjoyed connecting with other Campers and would so love to see this again next year! Well done NetGalley!!

This was a fun idea and a nice way to learn more about the community and I enjoyed seeing some of the things happening on social media. I definitely had some fun interactions. It is, however, currently winter where I live so not really a summer camp at all! I think it maybe relied a bit too heavily on existing connections/communities so maybe having more opportunities to talk about books (maybe posts focussed on discussing specific genres or something) could be fun

This was a fun thing to do, I hope we get to do it again next year, Live the bingo and Live the badges and stickers , Camp Netgally was fun!

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer is an absolutely captivating and thrilling new book that will take you on a journey of getting lost, finding a new home, and then getting lost again. Our incredible Storyteller brings the story to life with their enchanting words, adding a touch of magic and wisdom that draws you in and keeps you hooked. Their presence adds light, humor, and depth to the tale, making it a truly unforgettable experience.

I was completely swept away by the heartfelt and emotional journey of this book. The story sucked me in from the very beginning, with its fantastical elements and relatable characters that felt so real and raw. There's something about the setting, the familiar yet mysterious West Virginia backdrop, that just pulls you in and refuses to let go.

Jeremy and Rafe, two best friends with a complicated past, join forces once again to help Emilie find her missing sister. Their journey is fraught with challenges, both external and internal, as they navigate through old memories and forge new ones along the way. The emotional depth and complexity of their relationships make this story truly powerful and moving.

As a paramedic, the quote "you can't save them all, but today we will save one" struck a chord with me on a personal level. It reflects the harsh reality of my job, where some days are filled with triumph and others with heartbreak. But we continue to do our best to help those in need, one person at a time.

I must mention that this book includes some trigger warnings, such as an LGBTQIA+ relationship and mentions of violence and abuse. These themes are handled with care and sensitivity, adding depth and authenticity to the story.

Overall, I was entranced by The Lost Story and I would love nothing more than to dive back into this magical world again. Meg Shaffer has crafted a story that will stay with me long after the final page, and I can't wait to see where the journey takes us next.

When you begin to question your sanity, remind yourself that the fact that something impossible happened doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Yes, books are magic. Maybe the strongest magic there is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out July 16th, 2024!

I thought this was a super fun activity. I wish I was in a better headspace to read this month because I’d be all over this. I’m OBSESSED with bingo and when this first released I was super excited but I just got consumed by the Olympics and honestly I’ve been in Paris mentally and haven’t read anything for two weeks.

This was such a fun event! I think it was the perfect and nostalgic way to go about community building. I loved the bingo board and the searching for post in my feed to see what my fellow book lovers were up to! I voted for an in person meet up one day! That would be amazing!!

I loved reading different things from brilliant minds this summer! Camp Netgalley was a great way to connect our netgalley reading with summer reading.

This was fun but I forgot about it for weeks. A reminder email would have been nice to have.. Submitting Talent Show entry was a bit confusing as I didn't see where on the Links tab to do so. A step by step guide with example pictures would have been nice. Overall it was a nice idea from Net Galley

Camp Netgalley is such a cute and fun idea - digital stickers, quizzes, tracking reading, and more ! I enjoyed this interactive activity and look forward to more like it in the future. Thank you to Netgalley for this fun opportunity.