Tracking All the Things
So you have a lot of time on your hands, you say? You’ve decided to take up reading, because it’s mighty fulfilling and it expands your mind and you may learn things? What a coincidence! Those were exactly my thoughts as well!
But you’re thinking to yourself, Limey, I want to keep track of what I read. I want to collect them like gaming achievements . . . real-life achievements! Sometimes I don’t remember if I’ve read something before. Well by golly! Have I got some sites for you!
GoodReads has been recommended by not one, but two of my friends who are currently using it. The interface is clean and easy to use, the database is highly detailed and appears to be full of every edition you read of Torn Bodice.
Library Thing was a recommendation from Metafilter, but it doesn’t have the glitzy polish of GoodReads. Still, looks like it’s a solid choice.
22 Books – I have to give them props for putting together a clean site that’s easy to use. Of all the sites, it took the least amount of time for me to figure out where to sign up and login. Unfortunately, the book database is woefully inadequate. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris has been the book that I’ve been using as measure of the quality of the databases, as I have a copy in front of me and can search by title, author or even ISBN. The 22 Books database did not have a single version of it. Not one. I’m not looking for a site that requires me to cobble together the book database, so I think this one is officially voted off the island.
But what about tracking other things with books you ask? Well All Consuming is here for exactly that purpose. I would give it a thumbs up if it wasn’t for the fact that I can’t find TV shows in there anywhere. I watch my TV season by season, episode by episode . . . why wouldn’t I track that? The book section seems solid, but the music database does not seem to extend to some of the more obscure selections that came to mind. I know they can’t include everything, but I’m sure there are other sites that are perhaps a bit more comprehensive in their music database. With that in mind, perhaps a conglomeration really isn’t the best strategy. A site for books, a site for music, perhaps a site for TV and movies would be good. Also, I don’t really see how the food and drink section fits with the other categories. It seems like an awkward fit that isn’t particularly useful, not to mention that the amount of duplication makes the OCD person inside of me need to arrange socks by colour and alphabetize canned food.
When I get home, I’m also going to try Delicious Library, because ZOMG COVERFLOW OF ALL THINGS.
Okay, that’s it. Go track stuff!
