A cornucopia of finds at a friend’s book swap

It takes a little work (fun work, but still work) to maintain a robust reading list and make sure you always have something intriguing on your nightstand. Here are a few of the necessary apps, sites, blogs, and resources that keep me stocked with good reads. This will be a two-part post because I have a lot to say! First, the apps:

Chrome’s Library Extension ensures I’m never without a new read and keeps my hold shelf at the library full. If you’re an avid reader and you don’t have it set up yet, stop what you’re doing right now and install it. It works with Amazon and GoodReads, my two other sources for sourcing books and the most likely places authors link when promoting a book. This means you’re only two clicks away from a book review to getting that very title on hold at the library. Speaking of the library…

..I would not get through the number of books I read in a year without one of the most-used apps on my phone, the Chicago Public Library app. I’m constantly reevaluating my holds list, deciding if a buzzy book is worth the wait when I’m #282 on the list and which hold I might sacrifice for some classic I can get in the next two days. It’s a truly Darwinian exercise. Between this and the Chrome extension, a steady stream of new books flow continuously into my home.

Goodreads is not going to be a surprise for most readers, but it’s still worth a mention. It’s the one form of social media I actually engage with on a daily basis. This is where I catalog everything I’ve read and everything I hope to read someday. I like to get really specific with my virtual shelves.

Next: the blogs and reading resources that keep me in the publishing loop.