Applications for book nerds

In case National Novel Writing Month isn’t enough book-talk, Facebook offers a few applications that let the book nerds come out of the woodwork and compare notes. Since this is what I wind up doing at pretty much every party I attend — i.e., standing in a corner with another book nerd and playing the “Have you read…” game — I am delighted to see that Facebook’s virtual party offers the same opportunities.

There’s Visual Bookshelf, which at first glance is kind of complicated. There are three toolbars of tabs at the top, and the first bar offers you the chance to use Virtual Bookshelf for CDs, DVDs, games (only video, no board), magazines and gadgets. The application was developed by Hungry Machine LLC, a group that specializes in helping businesses get a foothold on the Facebook market. This one is pretty obviously associated with Amazon.com, as when you search for a book, you are presented with two options: you can add the book to your shelf, or you can buy it from Amazon. I am assuming, though I don’t know for sure, that the application tracks your browsing data for Amazon, but since Amazon itself also tracks my browsing data and I still use it, I don’t really have a problem with this. 

Once you’ve got some books on your shelf, the application starts recommending other books. For example, I put At the Back of the North Wind on my shelf, and the app recommended The Princess and the Goblin, a similar book by the same author. I consider this to be a strong reason in favor of using the app, since I’m always searching for new books. 

In addition, you can check out your friends’ shelves to compare tastes. Until I saw his Visual Bookshelf, I did not realize I was totally in love with my friend Sean. But if he really loves the books he says he loves, I think I must be.

You can also try Goodreads Books, a similar app that lets you add books to a virtual shelf, rate them on a star system and compare with your friends. The interface is simpler than Visual Bookshelf, which I like. However, when I invited my friend to add the application, it sent her an email rather than a Facebook message. Maybe this is stuffy, but I think sending an unnecessary email is intrusive in these days of spam overloads and terrible forwards. I wouldn’t have used the invitation if I’d been warned that it would go out over email.

 One cool thing Goodreads has is the swap/sell feature. You can check a box saying you own a copy of the book you’re reviewing that you’d be willing to swap or sell. I like the informal, community-friendly, Craigslist feel of this feature.

 Got another book application you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

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