A Drift of Quills – Reading Socially

What’s your favorite way to catalog your reading? I love being able to look back over what I’ve read. Seeing the titles bring the stories up fresh in my mind, and they might even help me recall the time and place I was reading, and the events surrounding.

Before I tell you more about my chronicling habits, let’s hear from the rest of the crew…


Robin Lythgoe

Author of As the Crow Flies

Robin’s Website

 

When it comes to talking about social cataloguing for books, I think Goodreads is the *800 pound gorilla in the room. Nearly everyone knows what it is and how to use it. Nearly everyone uses it as their go-to option.

I do.

It’s easy to keep track of my books, including the correct covers and editions if you’re particular about that. I can put all the candy—er, books onto shelves I can name however I please, thus creating lists of…


Parker Broaddus

Author of  A Hero’s Curse

Parker’s Website…oh wait. You’re already here.

Goodreads. Pinterest. Facebook. Google+. I’m a relative newcomer to cataloging my reading socially. I saw the option on Facebook years ago, but felt like it was too much work to go through and name all the books I love and like – and then I felt like Facebook itself was too broad – I could detail my favorite books, my favorite movies, my causes, my hobbies – it was all too much, and too invasive!

Only recently, (within the past couple of years), did I discover how I could use and enjoy Goodreads. There were no distractors. Nothing about movies or hobbies – even the socializing is focused to books. If I was going to talk about and chronicle my reading online, this was the place to do it.

Now I really enjoy Goodreads. I appreciate their rating and review system, and how easy it is to recommend a book, see other’s recommendations based on my reading preferences, shelve a story for later, or add to my “currently reading” list. I still don’t spend much time socializing. My time is too full of reading and writing! But every once in a while I’ll participate in a thread, or start a new discussion.

And what about those giveaway contests, right? They are easy to access and fun to participate in, and there is always one running in a category I enjoy. Though, truth be told, I haven’t won a book yet…what about you? Have you ever won a Goodreads giveaway contest?

Where do you like to catalog your reading adventures? Where do you look for story recommendations?

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2 Responses to A Drift of Quills – Reading Socially

  1. Pingback: A Drift of Quills: Where Do You List Your (Book) Loot? - Robin Lythgoe

  2. Robin Lythgoe says:

    Oh, my goodness, you think just like I do! I would so much rather read or write than participate in “social media,” even when it’s fun. It’s too easy to get lost in them thar woods!

    So I’ve won a Goodreads giveaway. Two! Boy, was I surprised. Hehehe!

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