Do you publicize what you are reading?

[treadlightly]

Ereaders make it easy to keep the title of the book you are reading incognito. The glaring cover photo of a half-naked man with over-sized pecs isn't present for all on the bus to see. They are also increasingly bundled with social features to tweet this and post that. Websites with social reading features like Goodreads are enormously popular, and the "What are we reading?" thread here is over a thousand pages long.

Do you make your reading list public? If so, to what audience? And to what ends? If not, and if you feel like sharing, why not?

[speakingtohe]

If I read a good book I might tell someone about it if the topic comes up. Or occasionally if they are reading something similar to something I think is good I might mention it. Not something I make a point of or avoid.

I look at the what are we reading, but rarely post there. I don't think the world is interested in knowing what I read and vice versa.

Helen

[taming]

I have belonged to a mailing list for close to 20 years in which there is a long running bibliophiles thread. I sometimes post about the books I am reading there. I have occasionally tweeted about a book using hashtags like #fridayreads or have joined into a conversation about #canadareads etc.

[elemenoP]

I primarily use Goodreads to keep track of what I've read, for my own purposes. But I do have some friends who like to see what I've read, and I like to see what they've read. That's kind of incidental to me. The list is for me, but I don't mind if others see it. My reviews tend to be a few words long, to help jog my memory later on. I have it set so that Goodreads doesn't post to my FB feed. I have posted about a book I really loved once or twice on FB.

eP

[DiapDealer]

Yes.
The universe.
It amuses me.

I don't usually foist what I'm reading on anyone; they mostly have to seek it out themselves on GoodReads if they're interested.

[Synamon]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

I look at the what are we reading, but rarely post there. I don't think the world is interested in knowing what I read and vice versa.

Since I read that thread and get recommendations from there, I post what I read for others. Quid pro quo.

[jersysman]

Originally Posted by Synamon

Since I read that thread and get recommendations from there, I post what I read for others. Quid pro quo.

I do the same. I do get some good ideas on what to read. Also, others make suggestions on other books I may like based on what I am reading. Overall, a very good concept.

BTW, I have also received great suggestions on Goodreads on other books I should read based on what I have read.

[Istvan diVega]

If someone asks me what I'm reading and if it's any good, I'll tell them. That's about the extent of the publicity my reading material gets from me, with the exception of recommendations given on this site.

[Yapyap]

I like sharing my reading with others - in ways where it's expected and where people come to find out what others read, not in other circumstances.

In other words, I use Goodreads to track my reading (while automatically sharing it with the people I've added as friends or the people who have chosen to follow my reviews), I participate in threads such as "what are we reading now", and other similar places, but I wouldn't just start spamming people in non-reading spaces with what I'm reading.

I make the occasional exception to share a rating or review link to a book I've enjoyed on Twitter, when it's a book that I think the majority of my followers might enjoy. Almost all my Twitter friends are people I've met through one of two book fandoms, so I know we share at least some of the same tastes in reading. (I don't have any sharing boxes ticked by default - it's always a conscious decision, and I don't do it often.)

I do this because most of my own new reading material comes from mentions and/or recommendations by people I know. I don't jump at everything people mention, but I pay attention, and if it's a book I've not heard of before, in a genre I like, I'll often check out the blurb or reviews on Amazon or Goodreads - if it sounds like something I might like, I'll add it to my wishlist or TBR list.

And thus I assume most other people participating in those same spaces also appreciate knowing what other people have been reading and enjoying (or not enjoying), especially as after a while one gains some idea of other people's tastes and how they align with one's own.

[Freeshadow]

No. Neither this, nor tracking it with lists and the like.

[caleb72]

I share what I'm reading here. One of the reasons I came here was so that I could talk e-readers with other e-reader aficionados. One of the reasons I stayed here was so that I could talk about books with other readers.

There's Goodreads of course, but I quite like sharing with some of the members here and also catching up with what the others are reading. The What are you reading now? thread is one of the primary threads I visit every time I log on.

I also use the Goodreads shelves system to keep track of what I'm doing. I don't really broadcast that though. I think my shelves are only visible to those who have connected with me there. But there are some groups I'm a member of there where I do list and/or discuss books I'm reading with the other members.

[treadlightly]

I use Goodreads for my own purposes too. I keep track of my Reading Challenge selections in the List thread. Very few people I know in real life read regularly.

I am very interested in what others with similar tastes as mine are reading, so I do follow a few "What are you reading" discussions in some Goodreads groups. I generally don't post in the thread on MR mainly because it is so generic, but I would participate in a genre-specific group for Fantasy, if one did exist. I welcome any new friends on Goodreads that read the same genres that I like.

[sakura-panda]

I'm active on another discussion board (scrapbooking) where I post in their "What are you reading thread" and I maintain a list at Goodreads, but I don't go out of my way to publicize it beyond that. (I have two friends on Goodreads.)

I try to keep a list here, for the annual reading challenge, but lately I've only been updating it once a month or so.

[DrNefario]

Although I do post in the recommendations thread here, I always wait until I've finished the book, and I hardly ever mention a book I'm still in the middle of.

I don't really know why. Deniability, maybe?

[HomeInMyShoes]

I publish what I'm reading around here sometimes and on Goodreads, but it's up to others to actually check what I'm reading. No twitter or facebook here. I'll publish in progress as well.

It's mainly just to amuse me.

To quote Wowbagger, The Infintiely Prolonged: "it passes the time."