Editor’s Note: This article was updated in April 2017 to show sites that are no longer active or have completely shut down (they are striked out) due, in part, to the increased dominance of ultra-massive corporate websites.
“Rumor has it that book lovers would rather be alone at home on a Saturday night snuggled to a book than anything else. No matter how true or false this is for you, there is something that makes reading more enjoyable when you have someone to share it with.”List Compiled by Anna Miller
To help in your quest, we have gathered the 50 best places to meet other book lovers online. Choose from general, specific, high-brow, comics, and much more. Add your favorite book websites in the comments section below.
Best Places to Meet Other Book Lovers Online
These sites are great places to meet other book lovers online if you have a
love of all books.
- WeRead: Both
readers and authors can come here to meet up and meet other lovers of
books. Share ratings, get recommendations, and take part in loads of
other fun. In addition to creating a personalized page, you can also
join several book clubs, along with loads more. It is also available on
many other social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.
- Goodreads: (purchased
by Amazon in 2013) Keep track of the books you have read along with the ones you would
like to read by stopping here. Good reads also allows you to get
recommendations from friends and even collect favorite book quotes. You
can also connect through your Facebook, Twitter, or Google page.
- LibraryThing: A community of over one million other book lovers wait for you here. A
good feature of the site is the option to keep track of your entire home
library in one place. You can also take a tour to see what it has to
offer.
- Shelfari: (Owned by Amazon,
shutdown n 2016) with Goodreads in
Create a virtual shelf to show off your books, see what your friends are
reading, and discover new books here. You can also search books or
members by most popular. There is also a widget to put your personal
book shelf on your blog.
- Listal: If
your love of books extends to movies, television, music, and games, this
is the online network for you. Create your own lists or reviews with a
simple click. There are also forums with more.
- GuruLi:
Organize your reading on one site here. You can also connect and share
with other book lovers. There is also a featured book, sample library,
and other features.
- Chain Reading: The site caters to those who are addicted to reading. You can also
write reviews, as well as keep track of what you are reading. Popular
and recent items are featured on the homepage.
Best Tools to Meet Other Book Lovers Online
These sites offer tools to make your enthusiasm of books known to other book lovers online.
- Shelf Centered: Love your Amazon wish list? Then visit here to catalog and combine it
with many other reading lists. You can also share with your friends.
- aNobii: If
you want just a tool to share your love of books with your blog readers,
click here. The site will also help you meet others with similar tastes.
They are even giving away an iPad and all you have to do to enter is
invite friends.
- Books Well Read: Those who take notes on what they read will enjoy this tool. It also
comes with the usual cataloging capabilities. You can also choose to
share or not with your friends.
- Book Jetty: A stand out feature of this online site for book lovers is the ability
to do one search for a book across a wide spectrum. You can search
Amazon along with over 300 libraries in eleven countries. There is also
a social network.
-
Stuffopolis: Organize your books and more with this useful
tool. It also helps with movies, music, games, and more. You can also
use it to borrow and loan items from your online friends.
- Bibliophil: This site also allows you to loan or borrow items from
other book lovers online. You can even use it to search for the best
price on a book you want. They also have several top 100 lists with
more.
- Book Army:
Book lovers living in the United Kingdom will enjoy this site. Create
your very own profile page to begin meeting others. There are also
resources for authors.
- Juicespot:
This site is for Canadians who want to meet other book lovers online.
Check out reader comments, book reviews and book lists. Choose to spill
or get the juice, along with other options.
Best Places to Get Books You Love Online
Download or view books at absolutely no charge to share with other book lovers here.
- Google Books: Due to controversy, Google reached a groundbreaking agreement with
both publishers and authors. Choose from classics, magazines, highly
cited books, and more. Simply sign in with your Google account to get a
customized library.
- Project
Gutenberg: Started years ago, this project was designed to
again revolutionize the way we read books by making them available
online. To date, over 30,000 books have been uploaded and can be read on
your computer, iPhone, Kindle, and others. With books uploaded daily, it
is a must visit.
- Bartelby:
If looking for more scholastic books, stop here. Visitors can choose
from reference, verse, fiction, and nonfiction books. You can also get
Harvard Classics, the Bible, and more.
- Many Books:
With over 26,000 books to read, this site also has an impressive
database. Books of the Week are given every seven days as
recommendations. They also feature covers if you feel like judging by
them.
- Daily Lit:
Still don’t have enough to read? Then stop here to get minutes a day of
great reading sent to your inbox for free. You can choose how, where,
and when to receive them. There is also a Poem a Day options available.
- Scribd: Visit
here for a user maintained book site. People come here to upload all
sorts of reading materials. Check them out or add your own.
- PDF Geni: If
PDF is your preferred form of reading, stop here. A variety of eBooks
are available at no charge. Top downloads are also available on the
homepage.
- Free Ebooks: Find the help you need, the information you seek, or simply fun
reading to enjoy. To get started select a category or browse by author
from the left or run a search. You can also submit your own eBook.
Best Clubs to Meet Other Book Lovers Online
Discuss what you have read with other book lovers below.
-
AALBC.com: Our African American Literarture
discussion forums have been running continously since 1998 and a great
place to talk about your favorite books.
- Oprah’s Book
Club: One of the most well-known book clubs in the world,
you can join online. With a variety of reading lists to choose from, you
will never be at a loss for something to read. You can also get the
latest book news, excerpts, and more.
- Books a
Month: With a new book every 30 days, members are
challenged to clean off those shelves. With messages for a particular
selection measuring in the thousands, it is a must see. You can also get
peeks at next month’s selection to get a jump on it.
- B&N
Community: Barnes&Noble is not only a leading book
seller, but they also offer a top notch online book club. There is a
community, boards, blogs, and more. You can also follow their Twitter
feed.
- Book Club Girl: This blogger has started a book club all on her own. Check out her
recommendations, participate in discussions, and more. She is also part
of Authors on Air.
- Book and Reader: Read, review, and discuss all on one site. Latest book discussions are
available to participate in. They also offer forums and blogs.
- Book Movement: Get a review of book clubs as well as books on this site.
Over 22,000 book clubs are featured here for the viewing or joining. If
you have your very own club, find out more about how to get it listed
here.
- Table Talk: If you enjoy Salon.com, you will enjoy their book club. Active
discussions can reach over several thousand messages. Recent ones
include mangled language and cookbooks.
- Reader’s Circle: Get both book club meeting information and author appearances on this
site. They even offer a site just for singles to meet other book lovers
online.
- Avid
Reader Book Club: This is a place to celebrate and discuss
literature, as well as interact with hundreds of other book lovers just
like you. The online book club lets you share your thoughts, opinions,
and questions with readers from around the world. You can also sell your
books here.
- Meetup:
Still can’t find a book club in your area? Then visit this social site
to view meetings for book clubs across the world. It is also useful for
meetups in other areas.
Best Specialty Clubs to Meet Other Book Lovers Online
If your love of books leans toward a certain kind, check out the below online social networks.
- Book Talk:
This online book club is targeted more toward the higher end of the
reading spectrum. Topics discussed include religion, politics, science,
philosophy, and other related items. They also have a community and
blogs.
- Mystery.net: If you love Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and the rest, visit
here. Choose by author, title, join in what’s new, and more. They also
offer online mysteries with even more.
- AALBC.com: The
African American Literature Book Club focuses its reads on items written
by the black community or meant to be uplifting. Stop by to get reviews,
information, and more. They can also be followed on Facebook.
-
Comic Book Resources: This site is well known for getting
all the latest and greatest in the world of comic books. Visit the
forums to discuss DC, Marvel, and many other topics. There are also
specialty comics, blogs, and much more.
- Comic Vine: Click here to meet other comic book lovers online. Unlike the above,
the site actually acts as an encyclopedia to answer all your comics’
related questions. The community is also full of others who share their
love of this genre.
- SF Site:
Lovers of science fiction will enjoy this site. Discussion forums review
many new works. Experts also take the time to give opinions on the
newest releases. Be sure not to miss the podcasts with more.
- Classic
Reading Groups: Now on its second version, this book club
devotes itself to the classics. A Yahoo! Group, they discuss a new
volume each month. Members can also post messages, files, photos, and
more.
- eHarlequin: If a few of your books have Fabio on the cover, this is the club for
you. The community offers blogs, forums, and reading challenges. The
site also has recommendations for both reading and writing.
- Buried.com: Express your love of horror novels here. There are reviews from every
author from A to Z. There are also many other horror related resources
on the site.
-
The Stacks: Publisher Scholastic runs this book club
exclusively for kids. They can create their own avatar, personalize
their page, and meet other book lovers online. They also offer games,
videos, and more.
Other Best Places to Meet Book Lovers Online
These sites fit into a category of their own.
- Borders Media: Get the latest on all media, including books, from Borders. Original
programs include a book club, Borders Live, and more. Bonus features
include funnies and web series.
- ABC Tales Radio: Listen to readers by writers, poets, and actors here. Latest news and
uploads are featured on the homepage. The podcast also has loads more.
-
NPR Books: Start with the best books of 2009 on
this site. You can also move on to interviews, must reads, and audio
stories. They also have features on books from all over the radio.
- BN Review: Get reviews of latest releases from Barnes & Noble. With daily
updates, interviews, and more, make time for this site. The Five Books
section contains various topics and the five books that go with them.
- Bookwire:
Choose your genre on this site to begin reading more about books you
love. They also have titles to watch with more. Books by genre are also
featured.
- Amazon Daily: This is a blog that contains posts by editors from all over the
company. Whether you're a die-hard fiction lover, a gadget geek, an avid
collector of classic films, or just a fan of what they sell, you'll find
all sorts of entries that will interest you. The main site also has
loads more for book lovers.
No matter your age, reading interests, or preferences, you are sure to make loads of friends on the above 50 best places to meet other book lovers online. Not only limited to the virtual world, you can use them to find a club in your area, or meet someone special.
