Book DiscoveryDo you use websites like Shelfari or Goodreads to actually discover new books to read? I’d never thought of that question before. I use Goodreads primarily for stats-keeping purposes, to keep a log of how many books I read each year and what they were. And I enjoy it, for that purpose.

But a recent blog post discusses the decline and fall of such sites in the wake of Amazon’s acquisition of Goodreads. Is is that, as the post suggests, Goodreads is the only one to really have a mobile app? Is it the Amazon presence? Or is it that people don’t really need a website to find books?

When I think about how I discover new books, it’s usually through browsing the new releases at the library. I don’t think I have ever used a website for that, mobile or Amazon or whatever notwithstanding.

How do you discover new books? Is it mostly online, or in the physical world?

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"I’m a journalist, a teacher and an e-book fiend. I work as a French teacher at a K-3 private school. I use drama, music, puppets, props and all manner of tech in my job, and I love it. I enjoy moving between all the classes and having a relationship with each child in the school. Kids are hilarious, and I enjoy watching them grow and learn. My current device of choice for reading is my Amazon Kindle Touch, but I have owned or used devices by Sony, Kobo, Aluratek and others. I also read on my tablet devices using the Kindle app, and I enjoy synching between them, so that I’m always up to date no matter where I am or what I have with me."

2 COMMENTS

  1. A combination of online and offline browsing. I use Amazon’s categories to search, reviews on blogs, and articles generally. Every now and then when I’m in a bookshop I might stumble on something that I like. The problem these days, in new Zealand anyway, is that bookshop don’t just sell books anymore and their selections are getting smaller and smaller. It is far more rewarding to visit a secondhand bookshop and discover old favorites or out of print copies of books from past years.

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