Thing 20: Books 2.0

Could this thing be any longer or am I just being too much of a perfectionist? (My husband would call it anal.)

Books On Your Phone
*BooksinMyPhone - First off I do not have a cell phone nor do I want one. As a driver watching other drivers pay more attention to their cell phones than the road, I hazard to guess what will happen when cell phone users are reading books as they are commuting to work. Multi-tasking is one thing but taking focus away from the primary task at hand can be hazardous to many people.

txt2ph requires an Internet-enabled phone (see above)

*DailyLit I actually liked this because of the RSS format (now that I know what that is). I also liked the variability of the installments and the fact that it can also come in the e-mail. The list of books that are free are not bad. However, paying to read a book that is totally electronic is not as tactile as having the book in one's own hands.

*Twitterlit -Seeing the first line of a book, without the author's name or book title, but with a link to Amazon so readers can see what book the line is from is fun. On top of that it is a hell of an advertising ploy.

Readers' Advisory
*ReadingTrails - At the trail intersections, you wander from trail to trail but it gets too confusing and often you can't find your way back to the beginning. I am a good navigator underwater and in the air but get me on the ground at night and forget about it. I know, I know get a GPS or Loran---I would rather keep it simple.

*BookLamp -Although in beta testing has a nice premise however they will need a great deal more books than just 300 to analyze.

*What Should I Read Next? This is another great advertising ploy for Amazon purchases. Our library database is What do I read next -it includes genre and assists us for patrons. I like it better.
What's Next? Which Book? Neither one of these were particularly helpful. I really prefer the following websites:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ This has a database of 20,000 authors. You type in their name and it comes up with complete lists of their works -grouped by series.
For juvenile series I have found the following website to be beneficial.
http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/ You input the name Nancy Drew for example and you will get a listing of the various series with the different books in the series. I use this frequently for the children's room.

*BookStumpers -This was not bad but I have no desire to pay for it.
Book Calendar - I like some of the synopsis but I was not exactly excited to get another feed.

Online Book Communities
*Overbooked - I enjoyed their categories including the section on adult books for teens (often an overlooked area). They also have good book reviews.

Readerville -This fascinated me merely because they mentioned a program from Knopf of a poem a day via RSS feeds. I do like poetry.

BookGlutton -This was interesting . I signed up for their newsletter. Now if I can only remember what website it goes to.

Book Group Resources
LitLovers- I believe this would be an exceptional site for homeschoolers or those individuals that need help starting book clubs. I liked the LitKids section and some of their book recommendations.

Reading Group Choices- Useful but not my cup of tea. WOW! am I already getting into the 2.0 mode.

*Booksprouts -Although in beta testing, this could be a good resource for book clubs.

Wired for Books- I first thought "Oh God not another gadget" but the number of authors, reading their own works, on this site is impressive and is a unique way of preserving them.

BooksVideos.tv see above.

Audio Books

*Librivox - Their goals are rather lofty but it what concerns me is the quality of the reading. Some people have a talent with their voice others it is like fingernails on a chalkboard. I wish them luck.

Podiobooks -This is like at the beginning where you can read books on your cell phone. Now you can listen to them on the computer.

Book Reviews
Metacritic .
The Complete Review
*BookBrowse
One Minute Critic
I agree with Neflin on this. BookBrowse does appear to have better critiques and they show a consensus of reviews. Although, I would much rather form my own opinion based on my own experience. It has been said that critics tend to be frustrated writers, but that can be a good thing because they know what is good they just can't emulate it.

Book Rental

BookSwim
BooksFree
Both of these seemed to be fairly interesting. I thought BookSwim was curious because of the textbooks that were made available. With the high cost of books this is a viable alternative for college students.

Book Swaps (Optional)
BookMooch
Paperback Swap
*SwapTree
*BookCrossing
I checked out all of these. BookMooch was actually recommended by our supervisor. First off, those books that I buy I usually want to keep. They are old friends who I love to visit with whether it is a chapter at a time or a page or two, or sometimes the whole book. Others that I have accumulated I give to the Library. If they do not need or want to add to the collection, I give them to the friends. The money they make all comes back to the library. So for me this is a better solution.

You talked about Kindle earlier and I wanted to comment. It is another way to obtain printed matter whether it is a newspaper, a magazine or a book. For physically impaired individuals, it is easier to hold than a book and the newer models add voice to the printed matter. It is a great way to deliver the daily newspaper so we can save a great many resources such as trees for paper. However, nothing beats the feel of a book as you turn pages and for me there is nothing more satisfying then reading the last line of a book and closing the back cover. I realize I am old school but for me reading a book affects and usually pleases all my senses (except taste-unless I am reading a cookbook).