Best Social Reading Sites (PHOTOS)

Are social reading sites changing the way we think about reading? Is it the new equivalent to reading in public? People can now start book groups without even leaving their couches. From reading sites that recommend books much in the same way Pandora does for music to sites that allow users to chat about their favorite books, here are some we've found.

Did we miss one of your favorite social reading sites? Let us know in the comments!

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Goodreads

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Probably the most well known of social reading sites, Goodreads focuses on user-generated reviews and recommendations. Users can also sign in using Twitter, Facebook, or Google, and the site also has a feature that will search through these sites to find out if any of your friends are users as well.

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Probably the most well known of social reading sites, Goodreads focuses on user-generated reviews and recommendations. Users can also sign in using Twitter, Facebook, or Google, and the site also has a feature that will search through these sites to find out if any of your friends are users as well.

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This Social Reading Site

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

I wouldn't use this Great site!

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Top 5 Social Reading Sites

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Comments

[RGKahn]

01:22 AM on 04/11/2011

"What Have You Been Spotted Reading In Private?" If I am reading "in private" how can I be spotted?

[ChelleAgain]

01:31 AM on 04/11/2011

I believe the idea is that these are social sites and they're trying to be a little funny since in a lot of them you spill your guts on what you're reading.

[trekbette]

11:50 PM on 04/10/2011

I'm surprised this site http://www.literature-map.com/ is not on this list. You type in the name of an author and the site gives you the names of authors that are similar in style.

I'm on Goodreads, but use it mostly to keep an inventory of my books. Some of these other sites sound interesting. I love talking about books!

[leosash]

05:26 AM on 04/11/2011

I love doing it too. Made a note of the site you mentioned. Thank you. Most of the time if I want to let people know that I have read a book, I end-up mentioning in my Facebook status message and my pals respond to it. I am there on Shelfari and Goodreads though.

[John Dav]

11:37 PM on 04/10/2011

I love Goodreads. Most of the people there are pretty stupid, but there are some notable exceptions.

[loki]

10:01 PM on 04/10/2011

Oh yeah, I forgot, A book does not lock you into montly re-occuring charges like everything else online is doing nowadays.

[DeHeSe]

09:36 AM on 04/12/2011

There are no monthly charges on the Kindle, except what you pay for the book, which is often cheaper then the paper version

[loki]

09:58 PM on 04/10/2011

Books. Paper books. no need to recharge them. They dont get broken screens, stuck keys, lose memory, cost hundreds of dollars, and can be read in the brightest to the dimmest light conditions. And I would love to see someone roll up a Kindle or Laptop and put in in their back pocket , sit on it, walk with it in there, and then get it out and start reading it again,like a good old fashion paperback book. And also, no Kindle will ever emulate the smell of a great book and the feel of the paper its printed on. Nope, read online all you want, but books are still my preferred reading, period. and, you can pass them too friends too. Try that with your Kindle or laptop or ipad?
Oh, and each book wont count against your limited ATT or Comcast monthly internet usage.

[MSchlagel]

10:57 PM on 04/10/2011

All is true however for those of us who cannot read (dyslexic and close to legally blind) that rolled up paperback (smell or no smell) is of no use to me. With Kindle, I can magnify the screen to laughable size and use the "text to speech" option when my eyes refuse to play nice. I don't want Kindle to emulate the old-fashioned reading experience. I just want to be able to read. Let me have that ;)

[stepintothelight]

11:42 PM on 04/10/2011

Please enjoy .... although I am surprised that your reader didn't translate the op as blah blah blah blah

[loki]

12:40 AM on 04/11/2011

true, if your dyslexic or close to blind, I can see your point of view. Then its a reading aid, and well worth it for those who need it. But really, for kids and the adult who only wants it so they can look cool.?? And there are so many of those out there too. That is why things like Ipads and Iphones and Kindles and such sell so quickly at first, then fall on their faces so they have to bring out new and improved ones every 3 months to get those who just have to have the latest and greatest to brag about.

[ChelleAgain]

01:08 AM on 04/11/2011

loki,
Readers are individuals and they have preferences. I look at your loaded and trumped up list of e-reader flaws and shrug, because a Kindle works for the way that I read. I would never affect a superior attitude and imply that my way of reading is better than yours.

You'd love to see someone fold up a Kindle and put it in their back pocket, and I'd love to see someone carry over 3,000 print books in the palm of their hand. And each of our points are going to be non-issues to some of the people reading this. Not everyone wants to stick a book in their back pocket, not everyone wants to carry their entire library with them.

I can't take on your whole list because for every point that is factual, there's another point that I don't understand and you seem to be picking across all readers and so this list doesn't completely relate to any one device. Not a whole lot of memory loss with a Kindle. You can also read one in any light under the exact same conditions you can with a paper book.

For some people this is not even a debate, because they need an e-reader in order to read at all. Yet, they to must see others hold court on how the device that saved something vitally important to them is inferior.

[Peanut Santiago]

08:58 PM on 04/10/2011

I love to read.

I spend hours a day READING.

My computer (the internet) has become my newspaper and so much more.

However, I still enjoy a newspaper or magazine. The real thing.

AND I still enjoy a good book (novel). Again, I want the real thing, not a computer screen edition.

[Mum]

07:06 PM on 04/12/2011

The image on the Kindle is not a computer screen image.  It's very much like the page in a "real" book.  It's even more relaxing on the eye, as the background "paper" is light grey and not white.

[mrk65]

07:07 PM on 04/10/2011

Porn, what else? Well, I guess it's not really reading, ah...however, it is fun. :-)

[loki]

09:59 PM on 04/10/2011

doesnt that leave the keys a little sticky?

[jdl51]

10:33 PM on 04/10/2011

I guess it does if you're into keys, but to each his own.

[stepintothelight]

11:43 PM on 04/10/2011

Not if you take them out of your pocket first!!!

[LivJamesBooks]

04:47 PM on 04/10/2011

I joined Goodreads a few weeks ago to connect to new romantic suspense readers and authors (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1433257.Liv_James). The interface is easy to use and provides book recommendations. I think I'll check out readfeeder. That sounds cool.

[SilentSolidarity]

03:29 PM on 04/10/2011

There's only one problem. I hate reading in front of the screen.

[naschkatze]

07:10 PM on 04/10/2011

x2

[Agent Cooper]

07:19 PM on 04/10/2011

Oh my god, it's so annoying. I don't think I could read a whole book on the screen.

[ramsaytroy]

07:22 PM on 04/10/2011

Same.

[logic-a-go-go]

10:07 PM on 04/10/2011

Got that right. Eye-damaging.

[violettefemme]

03:20 PM on 04/10/2011

Hmm...how is someone supposed to be "spotted" reading in PRIVATE? Just wondering.

[loki]

10:00 PM on 04/10/2011

lol good point.

[mmkay]

09:21 AM on 04/12/2011

Pox or measles are my guesses.