I have a new obsession, if you can call something I’ve only been dabbling in for a few weeks an obsession. It’s goodreads, and I am becoming a goodreadsaholic.
Goodreads is a social networking tool like Myspace or Facebook, but the criteria for networking is books. Just like Myspace, you collect friends, and friends of friends, but the only topic of discussion is the books you’re reading, and anyone can write a review. I’m keeping mine short—just a few sentences to help me remember the tone or what I enjoyed (or didn’t); others write lengthy, more traditional reviews. You can comment on others’ reviews, and you can be notified when your friends write or comment on your reviews.
I started goodreads because I’m always looking for a way to keep track of what I read, not because I can’t remember IN GENERAL, but sometimes I can’t remember SPECIFICALLY. In other words, I’m sure I’ve read many books of historical fiction, or about dysfunctional families, but sometimes I can’t recall them. Goodreads allows you to label your “shelves” and pull up those shelves based on your own definitions.
Wouldn’t it be fun to use goodreads with a class, instead of more traditional reading logs? The experience would be more lively and interactive, as students could see others’ comments. Some teachers are already doing this, as evidenced by the “groups” they’ve created (groups can be private so only group members can see the comments). I’d love to hear about others’ experiences and ideas about how to use goodreads, for yourself, for students, or for coworkers.