Books...and social networks

When I was a kid, maybe 12 or so, I was enjoying reading so much I wanted to keep track of my books. So I started a file card system. It lasted a few months.

I was getting my own little collection of books. You could buy Pocket Books of the classics for 25-50 cents. When my mother took me downtown shopping we would often stop at the lunch counter at Sibley's department store. Right next to it was a little book section. I'd spend some of my allowance each time on a book. I got lovely little copies with attractive covers of things like Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Last of the Mohicans. Still have some.

I still have wanted at times to track my reading, just to see how much and what variety I've read, or to be able to remember a book whose author or title is foggy.

A year ago my niece Kerry invited me to Goodreads. Sounded like a fun thing to do, if just to list my books. Now I discover in a year I've read 52 books. Just as I thought, a book a week.

The first book I listed, which I'd actually read a week or so before I started this, was John Scalzi's Old Man's War. I'm still meaning to find more in this fascinating science fiction series. The last, on my 'reading now' list, Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns. Finished it last night. Wonderful.

I hadn't joined any social networks but this one; I later joined LinkedIn, which I like for the connections it gives me to former colleagues, but I use it lightly.

I've resisted any others so far. But I did recently get a Facebook invite from a former colleague, which I've been pondering. I think I'll join, thanks for asking, Kathy. And thanks, Kerry, for Goodreads. It's been fun.

One more thing: Sheila Lennon posted a link to this song, which I hadn't heard in years. Jesse Colin Young was a genius. Darkness, Darkness, Youngbloods.
(Update:) Jesse's website, where he sells his home-grown Kona coffee and songs, has a link to something I hadn't heard of before but endorse wholeheartedly: A Nobel Peace Prize for Pete Seeger.