Being well-read is a big part of being a good writer and communicator. I’ve always loved to read, but life gets busy and sometimes you get into a rut of falling asleep before you have had time to read something other than what came across your desk at work. Or you choose the same genre because it meets your most immediate need – relaxation, education, escape, keeping ahead in your field…
In the last few years, I have gotten into a reading rut. I pretty much stick to what I have in my Kindle library which I share with my husband. We like a lot of the same reads, but some of his choices are not for me. Amazon bases recommendations on what you have bought before. I find it sends me in circles and often leads me astray because of my husbands purchases.
What has expanded my horizons? I signed up for Goodreads and am getting recommendations from my friends and people I follow.
At first, I had connected mainly with family and close friends and it seemed like mostly they were listing every book they had ever read. That’s interesting because I’ve found out we have read a lot of the same books. We must be related!
Then I began to connect with other people I know – people from other parts of the world, people I have connected with because of one common interest. Now I am seeing what they are currently reading and finding a lot of material that I never would have discovered or sought. I feel like my mind is expanding again.
I still haven’t found the time to write book reviews that are more than an thumbs up or thumbs down, but maybe I’ll get there someday.
Goodreads (www.goodreads.com) is the world’s largest social network site for readers and book recommendations. I’m sure there are others around, but I definitely recommend you check it out.