Group Discussions

Good Reads? LIbraryThing? Whatcha using to track your books?

• 
  I'm on Good Reads and Library Thing. I use to be on 43things as well, but I let that lapse big time. Come to think of it, I need to buy a membership to LT so I can go over the 200 free listings. haha!

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Veronica on 23rd June 2008
• 
  I'm considering joining PaperbackSwap.com. Has anyone used it? Is this a reliable site?

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Daisy on 23rd June 2008
• 
  My husband and I have a thing for books & reading, so we like to buy/own them. When I met my husband (about 8 years ago), he had about (don't scream!) 5,000 books in his own library ...
  Ever since, he sold a few, but we keep buying books, as new books/authors we like are being published.
  For book tracking, my husband used an subject based directory.
  As one can see, we are not into book libraries, but into buying from Amazon and Barnes&Nobel.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Lorena on 24th June 2008
• 
  I use Paperback Swap...and I love it! If you join as my referral, I get a credit once you're all set. I think this code lets you join and I get a referral credit.
  
  Swap Your Paperback Books - PaperBackSwap.com
  
  But I've never had a problem with anyone I've ever swapped books with.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Veronica on 24th June 2008
• 
  I'm a big "got to own it" person myself. It's weird, but it's my hobby of collecting great reads. I do discard those I'm not thrilled with. I tried libraries but never seem to get the books back. And, if it was something I treasured, I had a hard time giving it back! I do swap with my MIL and SILs on occasion. The big swaps happen in the summer and the following summer we give them back and swap more. I've gotten some interesting books that I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own. That's how I read Poisonwood Bible.
  
  I don't really track books. I never heard of that. What is that for?

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Michele on 24th June 2008
• 
  I use Good Reads and love it. All my girlfriends and mommy book club pals are on it. I like to read the reviews written by people I know and I am always interested in what my friends are reading. I like that I can keep track of the books on my "to read" list. I used to see a book I wanted to read but forget what it was bythe time I got to the book store. Now, I just add it to my list as soon as I find it.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by peytonjacksmama on 25th June 2008
• 
  Michele - I hoard books too. I only post ones that I don't want to keep on Paperback Swap or duplicates. I ended up with a lot of them back when I use to troll used book stores on a regular basis, but never could remember what I had or not.
  
  As for tracking sites...LT has a moblie site, so I've used it a lot when seeing a book for $1, I can whip out my phone and see if I have it or not.
  
  GoodReads is more about seeing what friends are reading and if they liked it. I usually only read reviewed books. If my friends took a few seconds to write a blurb, it must mean it was really good or really bad.
  
  HTH!

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Veronica on 25th June 2008
• 
  I don't use any tracking method. I just read... A LOT. We love to own books (if they are the kind worth owning, such as Classics, Favorite Authors, Self-Help or improvement, etc...)
  
  For books I don't care to keep, (such as historical novels, love to read but don't need to collect) I use a local used resale shop. When I am done with the books, I take them back for credit toward the next set. This saves a ton of money.
  
  This summer the kids and I are at the library at least twice a week, so I am also stocking up on books that I might want to own but would like to preview first and those that I know I don't need to own.
  
  I do keep a favorite reading list for me and one for the kids. Through my blogging and other activities I get a lot of inquiries as to what we read, so its good to have our favorites somewhere easy to locate along with Author's information.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Yes, Mommy has to work today on 27th June 2008
• 
  I'm on both GoodReads and LibraryThing, like Veronica (hi Veronica !), but I use LT a lot more regularly. I find it easier to add to my collection and manage my library over there. GoodReads emphasizes the social aspects more, I think; LT has them too, but it's less of a focus. (And LT is worth the $25 for a "lifetime" membership with no limit on the number of books you can list.) I keep my book reviews on my blog, but I'll add links to them in LT if I remember.
  
  Like Michele, I prefer to own my books too, but my book-hoarding happens before I read them! I donate or give away most books after I finish them, but I currently have over 150 books tagged as "to be read" in LT. I can't stay out of bookstores . The unread books were actually the main reason I set up LT and GoodReads accounts - I was having trouble keeping track of what was in TBR limbo!
  
  It took me awhile to get serious about keeping track of my books, but online makes it so easy that I'm totally hooked now.

  Flag as inappropriate Posted by Florinda Pendley Vasquez on 27th June 2008