I needed a tablet. As a social media slave, I needed a gadget with Internet capabilities and a big screen. I am not a fan of smartphones despite its expanded screen size; it’s just too small for my taste. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a fourth-generation iPad. Like an excited kid, I quickly installed apps. The obsessive-compulsive diva in me kicked-in and so I had to research the essential apps for movies, music, travels and of course, books. A respectable book slut has to have the proper book apps. Of course, Goodreads topped the list. The top social networking site for book lovers is a must-have. There is one app though that made me ill at ease – Newsstand. The iOS magazine stand is so tempting. I have read reviews extolling the greatness of reading rags using an iPad; and well, a credit card holder is a weak human inside the app store. As a fan of paper-based books, I have avoided the temptation of e-books. (I still have not stepped into the “dark side” but e-zines are altogether different case). Despite working as a social media manager, I keep it analog when it comes to personal reading habits. However, a little bit of techie touch helps to make the experience better.
NUMBER FIVE: GET AN E-READER
Some e-readers such as Kindle Fire act like an infant tablet. It has an app store just like it’s big brother. Of course, it’s specifically design for reading e-books. Now, as much as I like to discuss the pros and cons of an e-reader, I do not own one and has no intention in the near future to acquire a unit. Not that I’m joining the anti-digital movement, it’s just that I do not feel comfortable with e-readers. It used to be the glare (but some e-readers have fixed this problem), but now I realized, am not a fit with e-readers. Yes I know, it’s more portable than lugging three or more books, but still. Some of my friends though swear by their Kindles so, I guess it helps. Plus, it probably is the most obvious reason to tech-amp one’s bookworm cred.
NUMBER FOUR: JOIN ON-LINE BOOK CLUBS
HuffPost Book Club: click the link. It doesn’t have weekend coffee meets but it’ll still does the trick of pushing us to read books. Not to mention, it does feel awesome realizing it’s a global book club. Just think of the different opinion of people from different cultures.
NUMBER THREE: READ BOOK-RELATED BLOGS AND SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES, PAGES
Networking sites allowed authors to create some sort of personal relationship with their fans. Neil Gaiman is active on Twitter. Most YA (young adult) authors maintain websites, Tumblrs and Facebook Pages to strengthen their bond with their loyal readers. Even established publishing houses have Facebook Pages to entice and excite consumers about upcoming book releases. In the pre-digital era, book events and book signings are enough to drum up interests but now, a new book requires a proper social media campaign. It seems complicated, but for book sluts like us, a simple book cover reveal on Facebook is enough to drive us insane.
NUMBER TWO: DOWNLOAD BOOK-RELATED iOS AND ANDROID APPS
Smartphones and tablets have a number of book apps to choose from both iOS and Android platforms. Some of the more popular ones are Kindle, iBooks, , Kobo Books and several free books apps. Since am not much a fan of e-books, I spend more time with Newsstand. It’s a pre-installed iPad app for e-zines. Not an endorsement for Apple products, but reading your essential rags is quite an experience in iPad. Of course, one needs to subscribe to the magazines but it’ll just as worth it as the ink and paper version. Plus, electronic versions include videos, slides and other stuff paper-based magazines cannot even dream about in its publication lifetime.
NUMBER ONE: JOIN GOODREADS
Goodreads is the social networking site for book sluts like me. It records and organizes your book collection. Like your usual social networking sites, users can invite friends, create groups, like and comment on interesting stuff. But of all its features, the one thing that makes it great is the Goodreads Challenge. A user can set a reading goal for one year and it will track your progress all throughout the duration. For example, I challenged myself into reading 60 books in 2013. Goodreads will remind me how much more pages do I need to flip in order to reach the magic number. Best of all, it also reminds users if they’re ahead or behind their goals. I’ve been using it for two years and saw my progress increase from 50 to 60 books annually. Tip: sync Goodreads with Facebook and Twitter so you’ll be more responsible in reaching your goals. After all, you wouldn’t want any of your friends see you fail in a personal challenge.
