[ IndieBookMan] A new social network for book lovers?!?!

Yawn.

I got a boilerplate email today:

I've found a new site called BookRabbit.com, here's the scoop:
It's a social network for book lovers. You can see what other people are reading, discuss old favourites and discover new books and authors, as well as create your own personal bookshelves and catalogues online. The aim is simple - to help you find the right books for you.

Come and take a look. I think you'll like it.

I know, I know. I should celebrate any new forum that helps people find books they like to read. But seriously, a few minutes of poking around and I have "found" the following books:

Twilight
Girlfriend in a Coma
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Year of the Flood

Fine books all (well, almost all) but these are the same books I would "find" walking into the nearest big-box book outlet, where the conglomerated publishing monstrosities pay for placement of giant cardboard stand-ups of their books, and force more modest press offerings to the dusty back shelves.

And yeah, some classics are in the recommend list too... but they are books such as Nineteen Eighty-Four, War and Peace and the Illiad. Not real brain stretchers if your trying to think of something cool to read.

So, I think my point is... what's the point of helping me find books that I can't avoid finding even I want to? Where are the hidden gems, the undiscovered countries, the - and you know I would get to this - the indie books?

And, plus, too, I have to create an account, a profile, make "friends" so that I can "share" my bookshelf. Chore. In addition to the fact that this sounds terribly familiar, I have enough social media accounts, profiles and friends that it's hard to keep it all straight as it is. And I don't see anything really new here.

Now I need to do it all again?

I'm not up for it. Not tonight. Please, convince me I am wrong and I'll give it a whirl. Till then, im gonna hop away from BookRabbit.

Posted via email from The Book Mob