Things I love: Book Sites

I love all things books, including my wonderful Kindle and sites that keep track of all of the books I've read. How many times have you found yourself reading a book and thinking "Damn, this is so familiar!  Have I read this before?"  

Since the internets are magical, there are a number of really excellent book tracker websites that I frequent for reviews, updates on new books and to track all of the books that I read.  Here are some of my favorites:



Goodreads is this awesome website that keeps track of everything you've read each year with this handy little chart.   I just started keeping track in 2010 - I mean really keeping track.  There are some books that I've read where I can pinpoint exactly where I've read them in my life - but for the most part - they run together.  So, this is an terrific way to keep track of everything I read. Plus, they have an excellent smartphone app, which means I can update my reading progress from anywhere on the planet.

There are other websites that do this too:

Library Thing - which has one of the worst user interfaces of any website that I've ever used.  It is frustrating, difficult, and needs to be revamped immediately if not before.  But, you can win books on here that are mostly based on how many reviews you do of other books.  So, for that one redeeming quality - I'm a member.

Shelfari - this is a website that is linked through Amazon.com - so naturally is very well run and is easy to use.  I like it because you can see your book on a virtual bookshelf that is interactive - and there are more places to fill in information about your books - if you are into that kind of thing.  Personally, I prefer Goodreads because it is reliable, easy to find reviews by others, and had a really calming format.

Paper Back Swap is a different kind of website where you can trade used books with other members.  Think of it as a Salvation Army but with books!  It is super cool because it is free and you earn credits by posting and trading your own books.  Then, you can use those credits to get other books.  It has a fairly good wishlist feature and also boasts some reader reviews.

Amazon:  What on earth would I do without the Kindle Daily Deal and Amazon.com.  It is absolutely amazing.

Happy Reading!