Books and Social Networking

I will confess to not being involved in the whole online social networking thing. I don't have a MySpace page, or twitter, or anything else.

But today I did stumble upon a couple of book orientated social networking sites and decided to try them out.

The first, is Shelfari:

Based in Seattle, Shelfari introduces readers to our global community of book lovers and encourages them to share their literary inclinations and passions with peers, friends, and total strangers (for now). Shelfari was the first social media site focused on books, and will continue to innovate as it brings together the world's readers. Our mission is the enhance the experience of reading by connecting readers in meaningful conversations about the published word.

Harry Potter fans please note that Shelfari is having a Seven Days of Harry Potter contest:

If you're like us, you love the Harry Potter books and you're gonna buy the book right away. If you post a review of Harry Potter 7 on Shelfari.com within a week of its release, you will be entered to win one of the prizes, including a signed copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

If that strikes you as simply more crass commercial marketing, then skip that part and just track your books and compare notes with friends.

- The other site I joined is Good Reads. Here is what the founder has to say about the site:

When I was in second grade, I discovered the Hardy Boys series. Ever since, I've loved to read — both for fun and to improve my mind. And I'm always looking for the next great book. Reviews on Amazon and other sites are helpful, but I thought there might be a better way.

One afternoon while I was scanning a friend's bookshelf for my next great read, it struck me. When I want to know what books to read, I'd rather turn to a friend than any random person, bestseller list or algorithm. So I thought I'd build a website — a website where I could see my friends' bookshelves and learn about what they thought of all their books.

Goodreads is that site. It is a place where you can see what your friends are reading and vice versa. You can create "bookshelves" to organize what you've read (or want to read). You can comment on each other's reviews. And on this journey with your friends you can explore new territory, gather information, and expand your mind.

I have to say after just a few moments of noodling around, I like the way this site works. I may just use this to track the books I read.

So if you enjoy this sort of networking sign up and connect with other avid readers.