I read at least a book a week, sometimes more (80+ this year so far), so I am always looking for book recommendations. I like Goodreads and The
New York Times Bestseller lists. I look at Amazon, but sometimes I think the people who comment there haven't read the book. I was excited to learn about a Twitter resource for book recommendations, #fridayreads.
#WhatIsThis?
If you're on Twitter, you've probably seen words marked with "#." This symbol gathers all tweets on a topic. #FollowFriday, for example, is used on Fridays to recommend others to follow on Twitter. You'll often see the # sign used with discussions like #craftsocial, which is a monthly event where crafters talk online about their work. (By the way, the topic for November is "finding a market for your work." You can read more about it on the Craft Social website.) InkyGirl has a wonderful list of writer chats as part of her Writer's Guide to Twitter.
FridayReads on Twitter . . .
I just discovered #fridayreads, which is hosted by BookMaven. On Fridays, people use this tag to share what they're reading. There were nearly 3,000 folks using it when I tried it for the first time last week. Not only is it fun to see the range of materials (books, magazines, blogs) listed, but it's also a great way to find like-minded folks to follow. BookMaven also sometimes hosts giveaways of free books.
You do not have to be on Twitter to see the list of what people are reading; you only need a Twitter account if you want to participate. In the search box on the Twitter home page, type: fridayreads
. . . and Facebook
Plus, they just added a Facebook Fan Page as I was finishing this post. You can share your reading recommendations there, too.
What Am I Reading?
In October, I read:
- You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know (fascinating memoir about face blindness)
- Bare Bones (wanted to see how it compared to the TV show, Bones)
- Bubbles All the Way (funny mystery)
- The New Writer's Handbook, Volume 2 (liked better than Volume 1)
- How Did You Get This Number? (essays; most didn't resonate with meāseems to be for younger demographic)
- The Bag Lady Papers (memoir about woman losing her savings; narrator is more likeable as the book progresses, but I still found her hard to relate to)
- The Middle Place (well-written memoir)
- Eat That Frog (business book on procrastination; good idea, poorly written; did not finish--ironic, right?)
I am now completely without anything to read, save the Pottery Barn catalog that just arrived in the mail. That can only keep me entertained for ten minutes at most, so send me your reading suggestions!