Web Catalogs and book talk

I started a conversation about the perfect man. I mentioned a character from David Eddings's Belgariad series, and before I could explain the book series, she was disagreeing with me. I have yet to meet anyone, besides to person who first started me reading this author, who knew the series. And this woman has read them all! What a small joy to add to my day.

Usually I have no one to discuss these things with. I have considered utilizing the discussion boards on LibraryThing for this purpose. Also, I have just signed up on Goodreads. Not sure if I can use it differently than LibraryThing. On LT I have two catalogs - one of my reading since early 2007 and the other of my personal library. The latter is coming v. slowly - there are just too many other things to get done besides listing all my books. So, I think I'll explore Goodreads a bit. It may lead to the opportunity to talk about what I'm reading. I have no time for book clubs and pick up my reading in a v. helter skelter manner anyhow.

When I first learned of LibraryThing I was overjoyed. I have long excel schedules of books to read, books I've read. It's hard to keep track of things. And this links to Amazon and other catalogs to fill in all the information! I can catalog to particular copy I own, with the particular cover. Sometimes you need to input the information, but that is a small joy for me - knowing that my book is NOT in these other catalogs.

Readers are strange and wonderful people. Booklust drives us as much as the crave for information, imagination, or the warm fuzzy feeling of curling up with a good book. I like that these social networking/cataloging sites offer up the technology for us to talk to each other and discuss books, and revel in our obsessive need to organize and list our books! And share. I miss my freshman year of college when, in this one Japanese lit class, I had the most wonderful discussions on the historical nature of the readings, the characters, the plot, and all that deep, juicy goodness that makes up a work. I also remember the shear boredom and resentment I had senior year when I was forced through technicalities to take a freshman writing class with the most idiotic teacher they had. The man's depth of literary criticism was shallower than a puddle in the Gobi. I nearly threw an anthology at him one day. Did he not realize that taking the time to delve into a story is better than ice cream on a hot day? The discovery of something the writer wasn't even aware of, another facet of a character. Even to the non-English major these tidbits make the act of reading that much more pleasurable. And by not teaching this joy he was not encouraging his students to read, or read well. The discussion alone brings to light so much, expanding the breadth of meaning for the reader. It's fun, dammnit! I wanted to yell out loud in class.

Currently reading:
David Eddings - The King of the Murgos 9book two of the Mallorean)
Thea von Harbou - Metropolis (illus. by Michael Kaluta)