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Book Sites

Online books sites are as numerous as the pages in War and Peace. Everyone knows about the large online retailers and discount booksellers, but there are truly interesting and helpful books sites away from the major players. For those who dread the library and want to interact with people around the world, online book swaps are great. People who love to read often enjoy books about books, and we have located the best website featuring writing about writing. When wondering what to read, a book list can be helpful. Again, book lists are a dime a dozen, but two lists stand out for their originality and usefulness. Readers who love to write often dream about publishing their own books. Technological advances have made that dream a reality for thousands with print-on-demand self-publishing companies.

Whether you love to read books, chat with others about books, or dream of publishing your own book, the featured online resources are the best places to start.

Reviewed Sites

Free Online Books: http://www.freeonlinebooks.org

Freeonlinebooks.org is a great free site that offers 5000 books. The books are "out of copyright" and include classics from authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle "The Hound of the Baskervilles", William Shakespeare "Hamlet", and Rudyard Kipling "The Bridge Builders". It has a total of 5,000 books that can be read online. You can read the books online. The font controls actually make reading easy - and one useful feature is you can adjust the page width, so you can read it narrow (newspaper column style) or wide. You can leave comments next to the books you read, and of course, view the comments left by others. One very useful feature is the "advanced search". You can can choose a reading level when you pick a book, from "beginner reader" through to "extreme challenge". This reading level feature makes choosing a children's book a snap, or picking a book at a certain level of "readability". The site seems to be missing a "chat" function, but I hope this is coming soon. Highly recommended.

Paperback Swap: http://www.paperbackswap.com

Paperback swap is kind of like Netflix for books. It is a way to share books with people all over the world. Swappers join the site and post the books they are willing to swap. Each time a book is requested from a person, that person receives a credit to swap another book. The person sending the book pays the postage, and the website has great tools for printing postage labels.

Books about Books: www.oakknoll.com

Oak Knoll Books specializes in selling books about books. Used books, rare books and out of print books about book design, book illustrating, book printing, and writing cram the virtual bookshelves of Oak Knoll Books. Their website also contains articles relating to books about books, and links to book clubs and online mailing lists for book collectors.

Reading Lists: http://atn-reading-lists.wikispaces.com

This reading list site contains lists of books for any person, problem or occasion. While there are thousands of reading lists available on the internet, this site is particularly useful for its oddball and helpful topics such as "Emergency Storytime Books." Anyone who has had to read to a bunch of two-year olds, or calm a shrieking toddler can appreciate that list.

Honorable Mention: The Art of Manliness--100 Must-Read books for Men http://artofmanliness.com/2008/05/14/100-must-read-books-the-essential-mans-library/

This is not a typical book list. While mostly geared toward men, the list is full of classics and modern masterpieces.

Self-Publishing: http://www.iuniverse.com/

The publishing world becomes closer-knit and harder to break into with each passing day. Self-publishing is a good option for those who have something to say. I Universe is a great POD self publisher. They operate a Print on Demand system, so that self-publishers do not have to buy a huge first run and warehouse it. I Universe gives clients access to listing on Amazon.com and several major book distributors. They offer editing and art direction services for reasonable prices.

Online Book Club:http://onlinebookclub.org

A spot in a local book club can be a coveted a position as a membership at an exclusive golf club. If your schedule does not permit, or you are having trouble breaking into a secret circle, try finding an online book discussion forum such as those at onlinebookclub.org. The site contains many book forums and book reviews.

Tips for Success

1. If you like the idea of borrowing books, but find the due date to be cumbersome, try the paperback books swap. You can keep the books as long as you like, enjoying them at your leisure.

2. Book clubs are everywhere—in your backyard and in you computer. If your schedule is too crazy to accommodate a regular books club, or you would rather read what you want, when you want and then find someone with whom to discuss, find a comfortable online forum for book discussion. You will be able to interact with people from around the world, gaining different perspectives than your neighbors and girlfriends will offer.

3. If publishing a book has been your lifelong dream, check out Print on Demand companies. It is easier and more financially reasonable to meet that goal. Whether it is a cookbook, a book of short stories or a family history, give it a shot.

4. If you love books, contribute to the book lists featured here, and other book lists. Bestseller lists can be inflated by large publisher marketing budgets. Lists compiled by readers are more authentic.

5. If you don't know what to read, visit a book list. Every major book retailer provides book lists, and there are many independent lists.

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