Quietly exceptional: Goodreads
it’s weird that I like goodreads as much as I do but never raved about it. I’ve been using it regularly — partly as a reading journal, partly as a recommendation engine (one superior to Amazon’s in many ways) — but I don’t grab my friends by the arm and say “you have to try it out” the same way I do other things. And yet, it has insinuated itself into my weekly reading habits, my purchases, and has gotten me into some interesting debates. (I also learn a lot about friends since everyone on the web rates Ayn Rand a 1 or 5 and they tend to put her on their shelves.)
I’m not sure why, but the reviews are always coherent, even when harsh or sarcastic. People are putting some thought into the reviews and for the most part care about books. The whole idea of browsing other people’s to-read, read, reading shelves is personal, engaging, and extremely valuable. My friend Todd is my business literature sherpa and I follow his reading habits closely.
The funny part, though, are the reminders that you haven’t finished a book.
This is a great, useful, engaging experience . . . but a quiet one. Like the act of reading which it supports.