I’ve been using Goodreads for a few weeks now, and I think I’m starting to get the hang of it! Every book I read from now on I intend to write a review of it from a LingQ viewpoint, discussing the complexity of the plot and language used, and giving recommendations for which level of student it’s suitable for.
If this is of interest to anyone, check out Skyblueteapot’s bookshelf on www.goodreads.com.
I can’t repeat often enough how useful I think audiobooks, ebooks and printed books are for language learners!
I couldn’t agree more Helen. I should also get more active at Goodreads. There are so many communities to get active on, I end up with no time for language learning!!
@ skyblue: I tried to connect to your bookshelf but I could not find you. I sent you a friend request through the system. I tried weRead, which which seems kind of like goodreads but is attached to faceboo and unfortunately, I did not find it very satisfying. I had over 50 books on my eshelf and 30+ reviews but none of my facebook friends or family read I guess! I have a huge personal library of English titles and foreign language books, ebooks, audiobooks, language learning books, cd’s and videos. Does Goodreads allow you to merge files from other shelf type websites? I also tried flixster on facebook but after rating 80 movies and reviewing almost 50 it turned the best I could get was “really bad match” with 2 family members! I don’t think I am a curmudgeon or anything like that, but maybe I do need to get out just a little more! I tried doing the goodreads quiz and I thought I was doing well since I had read a so many of the books listed in the quiz. But then, when I tried to get the results, even goodreads told me I need to add some friends! I think part of the problem is that reading, and even language study, can be such a solitary activity that it leaves very little time for social networking.
BTW, I picked up the 3 French Language (unabridged versions) audio books of the Larsson Millenium series when I was in Victoria BC on vacation this summer and I am slowly scanning and adding the text to my LingQ account. Even just listening while walking the dog and reading along with the paperback is great fun and doing wonders for my French listening skills!
I think what I have in mind for Goodreads is we build up a library of reviews of books, assessed by foreign language learners for their suitability for other language learners.
I’m thinking of analysing the books I read in terms of grippingness of plot, breadth of vocabulary, comlexity of semantics, extent of idiom use, cultural interest as well.
Plus introducing LingQ in every review
I think I’ve just accepted your friend request John.
You have inspired me to get more active at Goodreads. I am still a luddite when it comes to these communities but I am willing to give Goodreads another shot.
The thing that first occurred to me about Goodreads was that it was an awful lot of effort just to tell a bunch of strangers what books you have read.
However, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how readers could assess books for foreign language learners, and Goodreads might be a good place to start. It is easy, when you are considering reading a certain book, to look at all the reviews of it from your friends, and use that to help you decide whether to read the book now or later.
I think that Goodreads and other sites like it may be appealing to the collector types who want to keep track of their collection in public as well as those who like to keep track of what they have read. This may be similar to birdwatchers who have a list of birds they have seen or travelers who like to keep a country list. I tried this myself with my reading for a few years and found it was not very exciting. Mostly I was disheartened by how few books I could read in a year. I do like to make up a blurb about what I thought of books that I have read and movies I have seen, mostly to help me remember years later what the less memorable ones were about! I am hoping that goodreads will give me an outlet to share and discuss. My facebook book club was a complete flop in this respect.
