Upcoming Reviews and the Reason Why

Over the next few days (weeks?) I will upload a number of reviews on books that I have read a while - in some cases years - ago. Basically, this will be a copy & past job from my musings on goodreads.com with updates to my previous thoughts...whenever memory serves enough to warrant them or, in case the time that has past has made me rethink certain aspects.

The reason is this announcement made by the owners of Goodreads.

 

Let me go into detail.

 

I use Amazon for buying books, as I come from a non-English-speaking country and acquiring specific books in the original English version is not as simple as going into your next (indepentent or chain) book store and picking it up there. The book stores here, even if they do have English language sections, tend to carry mostly 'popular' titles and I have a difficult time finding things that interest me through all the chick-lit that blocks my view. So, for the most part, Amazon it is.

 

However, I don't write Amazon reviews for a number of reasons (don't like the restrictions, couldn't be bothered, don't see it as 'a community', I could go on) and at this point I am not sure how the "merger" (yeah, right) will affect the use and ownership of the reviews I posted on Goodreads. Basically, I don't want to automatically have my thoughts posted on two different websites (with two different log-ins, no less).

 

Also, I always saw Goodreads as an independent site on which I can exchange thoughts with fellow readers - and, yes, real life friends - and don't have to worry about being pc about it (I will use the ocasional swear word). In contrast, Amazon is a business rather than a community. Where on Goodreads I trust that these are real, everyday people like me that share their views, I cannot say the same for the reviewers on Amazon. I don't know who these people are.

 

As for eReaders...I don't have one and at this point I don't want one. However, from the text published by Goodreads it appears that the Kindle readers are a more desired group than the rest of the eReader community. It almost reads like the others might be excluded from content and possibilities granted the Kindle community (there's that word again).

 

Right now I am in wait-and-see mode, but upcoming changes (and I guarantee there will be changes) might lead me to leave Goodreads and I don't want to lose the reviews I have on my virtual shelf. If I do leave you will know by the disappearance of the "currently reading" widget on the right.

 

If you have any recommendations about book blogs that are worth following, they are most welcome.