Goodreads.com Founder And Print Heir Says Reviews And Bookstores Dying

latimes.com:

"Book reviews in newspapers, well, those are gone," the young Web entrepreneur told me in the most matter-of-fact way. "Independent bookstores are almost gone. Chains will probably be gone soon. It's all happening online now."

Read the whole story: latimes.com

Comments

[Janice Rawlins]

01:11 AM on 08/16/2010

There are a lot of good books out there.. I know I read them. We should look into books with fresh ideas something new that does not relate to something we have seen before or something that is simular to a movie we have watched before..

Blood- Darters/mystery
Tattoo granny/comedy
Dusty Vampire/thriller/romance

The gift/the curse...

[MyFatCat]

12:32 AM on 08/16/2010

Of course he says so! He's a web entrepreneur.

If I need a good read, I need a creditable review--Kirkus, Library Journal, or one of the better reviewers on Amazon.com will do in a pinch.

And while the convenience of online hunting is great, the best way to find new reads (from established or emerging authors) is still to hit the independent and university bookstores to see what's being introduced, promoted, and studied.

[raven119]

01:39 PM on 08/15/2010

Gee, dotcom guy thinks dotcom is better than paper. Whodathunkit?

Today I read book reviews in the LA Times and the NY Times. I'm currently reading two novels printed on paper and bound into what used to be called book form.

Sure, old fashioned print may be on the way out but there are still a few of us out in the real world who appreciate a good book in book form. Bibliofogeys, unite!

[bksrmgk]

01:28 PM on 08/15/2010

Thank you, Mr. Chandler! I LOVE Goodreads.com. I have 2,426 reviews posted there--not ratings, not synopses, but reviews although the ones written in recent years are more in-depth and comprehensive. It's a great way to keep track of my books and remind me as to why I like a particular author's work. Long may it continue.

As to bookstores, I not only buy books from independent booksellers in the US, Canada and UK, but I buy hardcovers. And I own a Kindle as well. I don't think one has to be to the exclusion of the other.

[naschkatze]

07:38 PM on 08/14/2010

That's too bad. There's nothing lovelier than browsing in a used book store on a rainy late afternoon, the pleasant musty smell, the chill of the rain making it cozy to be inside, and bumping shoulders with other book lovers--the best of all. Maybe they'll come up with a room diffuser that captures it all, and you can place it along side your computer?

[Rivster]

11:59 AM on 08/15/2010

I agree. Though online booksellers offer a convenience that simply cannot be matched by a brick-and-mortar, they simply cannot replicate the experience of being surrounded by aisles and aisles of books.

What I do appreciate about Goodreads.com is the way it has enhanced my reading experience through discussion, debate, and recommendations.