Want to keep track of your reading?

Ever taken out a book and find that you've read it before (and once was enough)? Have trouble figuring out which of the dozens of Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat Who ___" series you haven't read yet? Library Thing, at http://www.librarything.com/, or Goodreads, at http://www.goodreads.com/, are two websites that will help you keep track of your reading, online.

Both have essentially the same features, although Goodreads is completely free, and Library Thing costs $10/year if you want to store more than 200 books. Enter in the title of your book, and as much other information as you want. There are options to sort your books into categories, like "Want to Read", "Currently Reading", or "Audiobooks." You can type a quick review, if you like, or rate it with stars. It can be as simple or as complex as you like. Personally, I keep it simple; all I enter is title and a 'quick edit' star rating. I have an "Audiobooks" category, a general "Already Read" category, and a "Want to Read" category. It takes less time and is much more organized than the scattered little notes I used to write myself, and is a lot more versatile than just using a spreadsheet-- although Goodreads will export to a spreadsheet, should you want to print out in a convenient format.

Both sites also suggests books based on what you've read, and give you access to the reviews and recommendations of your fellow social networkers; but you don't have to participate or pay attention to that if you prefer not to. You can browse the shelves of people who seem to have similar tastes for new reading ideas, or join discussion groups. You can even 'friend' people, and keep up with their new additions.

Below, I've included a widget (something either Goodreads or Library Thing will cook up for you, if you would like to post what you've read on your own blog, wiki, or website!) It shows a selection of books I've read within the past couple years. Some have my ratings, some do not; I only started doing that recently. These sites may be the answer for those of you who wish the library would keep records of all the books you've checked out in the past-- we can't do it because of privacy issues, but Goodreads and Library Thing make it fun and easy for you to do it yourself.