is Social Reading the Wave of the Future?

[meeera]

Originally Posted by holymadness

I use Goodreads quite a lot and still consider it a failure. Its design clearly betrays its origins as a service for creating an online catalogue of books, rather than as a place to discuss reading with friends and like-minded people. The decision to organize reviews in the manner of article comments, with the "best" comments ranked at the top of the list according to an opaque algorithm, not only stifles exchange but fails to create any kind of sustained community.

Goodreads puts reviews by my friends at the top of the list, which is exactly the way I like it. My GR friends are those who have consistently over time shown that their tastes are similar to mine and their reviews and recommendations trustworthy and useful to me. It's a big win as far as I'm concerned.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by meeera

Goodreads puts reviews by my friends at the top of the list, which is exactly the way I like it. My GR friends are those who have consistently over time shown that their tastes are similar to mine and their reviews and recommendations trustworthy and useful to me. It's a big win as far as I'm concerned.

I love that feature too. I agree about trusting your friends reviews over some stranger's.

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

And this is where I am completely baffled. I am not a user of social networking (except forums if you count that as social networking). Why are all the social network features linked in with Facebook or Twitter? Facebook is for social, and 99% of your 'friends' probably don't care you just finished X-book and thought it great. Same with twitter. But we have goodreads where everyone has something in common, they all like to read.

Would Goodreads integration not be more suitable than FB/Twitter? Kobo tried to start their Kobo Pulse, but thats not really any chop at all.

I dont use Goodreads with Facebook, I registered with my mail address. You always have the option of non integrated use with other social networks.

And as far as the facebook statuses go, believe me there are worse things then book statuses

[jersysman]

I love the fact that on forums such as MR and sites such as Goodreads, like-minded people can get together and discuss what interests them. If that is the wave of the future, then it is okay by me. I do not participate in what on Goodreads is called group reading because I would rather read alone. However, I do like discussing the book afterwards. As long as I have the option to participate or not makes it a good thing.

[Yolina]

Social reading in the sense of the Goodreads thing is fine, though it's not something that I use at all. However stuff like the Amazon tweet/fb when you've finished a book irritates me immensely, and also the fact that when you're in a book on the PW and bring up the Menu, the @#$%* Share button is there too. Luckily none of my friends use that stuff either We talk books when we see each other...

[applesauce]

I would give my right arm for a book club that meet in my area at the local pub and read what I liked. The problem is no such one exists. I gather there are a few book groups out there but they tend to be women driven reading, yes I am female but tend to hate books women like. Or they tend to be far to high brow reading matter.
I have looked at the book club here and I have either read the books or have no interest at all in the books on offer.

applesauce

[BeccaPrice]

It's not that hard to start a book club - find a couple of friends with similar reading tastes, and start it.

While my book club is predominantly women, we do have the Men's Auxiliary - a couple of husbands who want to discuss whatever the book of the month is.

While we're mostly women, we don't tend to read "women's literature" - past books have been mysteries and science fiction, even a spy novel (althogh that one wasn't terribly successful). this month we're discussing Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore.

i don't always like the book chosen, but I always enjoy our discussions.

[Aladyleyna]

There are some aspects of social reading that I enjoy. I like posting on forums about the books I've read, and I like posting reviews on my Tumblr and seeing what else people have to say about the book I'm reading, though this is harder when it comes to the less popular books.

The Kobo reading life, on the other hand, is one that I completely ignore. It's fun to work towards achievements (though to be honest I don't even pay attention to the achievements) but I don't bother sending highlights or important passages to Facebook. In the first place, I don't even use Facebook so it's redundant for me. If they had a way of linking to Tumblr it'll be great but so far, I have yet to see it. Or maybe I haven't explored it enough.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

On a kindle discussion list I follow, we were asked our opinion of social reading. As an introvert, I find the whole concept of social reading to be baffling. I find I don't really care what other people highlight in a book (when I got my Paperwhite, one of the first things I did was turn off popular highlights).

Is all this social reading supposed to make reading more attractive to extroverts ? (Hey, reading is *cool* - you don't have to be a four-eyed geek to like to read!) Is it seen really as a way to sell more books, to hasten new book discovery?

Somehow, being an introvert is seen as being un-American, I think. Is it so in other countries?

Actually I've always thought of being an introvert as being very much American. To be an introvert is to go it alone rather than in a large group, and the history of how the U.S. was settled is the history of the introvert. For that matter most of the discoveries of the past were done by introverts. Galileo, Kepler, Einstein, while the rest of humanity went on their merry way like always these men and others like them paved the way for our present.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by crich70

Actually I've always thought of being an introvert as being very much American. To be an introvert is to go it alone rather than in a large group, and the history of how the U.S. was settled is the history of the introvert. For that matter most of the discoveries of the past were done by introverts. Galileo, Kepler, Einstein, while the rest of humanity went on their merry way like always these men and others like them paved the way for our present.

I think in the past America was definitely a country of introverts. They were valued and many of their traits were valued as well. Now, I think American society values extroverted traits more for a variety of reasons. You should read Quiet. It discusses this in more detail.

[BeccaPrice]

I've just purchased Quite, but haven't read it yet.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I've just purchased Quite, but haven't read it yet.

I read it last year and enjoyed it. I gave it three stars on Goodreads. It gives a good overview of what introverts are like, famous introverts throughout history and why introverts have a lot to contribute to society.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

WTF is social reading? Reading is a singular activity unless you are reading a story to a kid. How does one go about finding enough people who will enjoy reading the same exact books as you. Good grief.

Easily using the net. For each book you are reading other people are reading the same book at the same time.

And reading the same book is not uncommon without the net. For some books it is not uncommon that some friend are reading it at the same time so you can discus the book while reading it.

[applesauce]

Bingo, it might not give me that face to face I would have loved but http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...or-aficionados are my kind of books. I just drag my feet on anything I do not love and really want to join in each book. I am a bit to set in my way of what I like. Now a few years ago Anne Rice or Sidney Sheldon, or Judith Krantz are ones I would have jumped at, but i really can not handle that sort of book any more.

applesauce

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

WTF is social reading? Reading is a singular activity unless you are reading a story to a kid. How does one go about finding enough people who will enjoy reading the same exact books as you. Good grief.

By such means as the MobileRead Book Club.