LibraryThing v. GoodReads

***Edit***
As I finish writing this entry, I've realized that it is more a promotion of LibraryThing, than a comparative review of LibraryThing and GoodReads. I guess I didn't realize that I had already made a decision!

One of my latest obsessions is comparing LibraryThing and GoodReads. These are two sites that are used to track and catalogue your personal library. That's where the similarities end. There are unique features that set each one apart. I registered at both sites and still am testing them. The cons for each site is mostly the features that the other site has. Here's my assessment, so far.

GoodReads
Definitely has the social networking thing down. It lets you add a profile picture. You can add friends and explore friends's friends myspace-style. It lists your friends on a sidebar. When you first log on, the opening page shows new friend book reviews and/or additions to their library.

LibraryThing
Definitely has the bibliophile thing down. It's for people who really want to catalog their books (specific down to the isbn and edition and cover). It supports tagging, which for me is almost a decision maker.

The "zeitgeist" tab is an amazing collection of lists like the standard "25 most reviewed books," and "top 25 books (by star rating)." But also cool ones like "50 'completists' authors" (avg number of different books held by people who have any books by the author), and "50 lowest-rated authors."

As for social networking LT has support for groups and message boards (especially cool if you want to have a discussion about a particular book with other readers). The book view also has (editable) links to online bookstores, including my fav bookfinder.com.

The best feature, though, is the "Suggestions" tab. There are 3 ways that LT suggests books. First is called "LibrarySuggester" and is based on your own personal library. It's most similar to Amazon.com's "people who bought this also bought..." It even has "most popular books you don't have." Second is called "BookSuggester." You put in a book that you like and it spits out (among other things) suggestions from other people who liked that book, Amazon.com suggestions, books with similar tags, and books with similar library subjects & classifications. The last one is called "BookUnsuggester." Similar to the previous one but takes the book that you don't like and spits out similar books that you are more likely to enjoy!!! (it also lists other books that you will definitely not like. Hilarious!)

I'm in geek heaven.

Well, you can see that LT definitely has the features. I wish it had the social networking that GR has. The biggest con of LT is that it's free only until 200 books are cataloged. Then it's either $10/yr or $25/lifetime. Brilliant marketing, LT!

Last note:
Originally, I was only going to log in the books that I'm currently reading, on my "to read" list, as well as the ones that I've read since I had registered on LT. But now I think I'm going to log in all my favs to get more accurate suggestions. This could take awhile. I could buy a bar code scanner! Oooh la la! Gadget! LT sells a cheap one for $15. yeee haw!

Stephen King marathon

This past Friday, I finally finished Stephen King's "It." It is the longest book I've ever committed to and finished...1090 pages. I'm a slow reader. I started it on the last days of December. It took only two and a half months! I've recently become Stephen King fan ever since I read his writing book "On writing" and got to know his writing style and writing philosophies. It was sad to finish the book because I've gotten to know the chararcters so well. The story reminded me of my own childhood, its wonders and beliefs.

It eerily reminds me of the time my friends and I took our own expedition into our neighborhood sewers! From an entrance that measured maybe 3 feet, that tapered to around a foot an a half, my friends and I crawled what seemed to be miles (probably less than 100 yards) to the first open sewer grate on Queens Court. As an adult, I can't figure any logical reason for doing that. As a kid, it made perfect sense. Even more creepy, my life reflected the book in the way we built a dam out of sticks and rocks at the opening of the sewer.

On the night that I finished the book, "It" happened to be on tv. I had about 50 pages to go. So during the commercials, I read as much as I can. I finished the book before the end of the 3 hour movie. As always, the book was better.

In other Stephen King news, I also finished the first of the Dark Towers books, "The Gunslinger," on audiobook. On to book 2!