(no subject)

[skygiants]

I think there was maybe one weekend in August I got a chance to sleep in my own bed. The first half of September is even moreso. I am just back home two hours ago from a (really delightful!) long weekend of vacation without internet in upstate New York with genarti; tomorrow I'm leaving again to spend two days in DC for a conference, and then going straight to Philadelphia for Rosh Hoshanah with the family. Then if I am very lucky I am not going anywhere until November and my bed and I are VERY EXCITED about that.

What I'm really complaining about here is that I have read a fair number of books recently on trains and airplanes and things, and have very little time right now to write them all up! (Though I'm going to try to do Sorcerer to the Crown at least tomorrow morning before I leave because ahh, so good!)

However, while I'm playing catch-up, a question for those of you who read my posts on books here. Usually I start off any post I do about a book with a link to the book I'm talking about on Amazon, so people can see what I'm actually talking about and attempt to acquire the book if they feel so inclined. However, I don't reeeeally necessarily want to be linking to Amazon every time when I booklog if there's a better option, because even though I am sort of locked into Amazon by dint of having a Kindle there is absolutely no reason everybody else should be, and I think we are all aware by now that they are sort of terrible.

So, booklog-readers, I'm soliciting your opinion. What would be the most helpful link source? Stick with Amazon for the sake of convenience? Goodreads, and let people navigate to a seller of choice from there? B&N? Some other reliable online bookseller? World...cat.....?

(Authors whose books I have talked about or may conceivably in future talk about here, your opinion is also solicited from that perspective as well!)

Comments

[newredshoes]

UGH, NO, NOT AMAZON. I actually have made my entire newsroom start linking to publisher's pages or author websites instead. Personally I'd go with Powell's, if you want people to buy them, but the other two options often have an array of buying links (Indie, B&N, Amazon, ebook, etc) built in, if you want to give your readers the most choice.

[skygiants]

The only problem with Powell's is, yeah, they don't seem to do ebook, and I know many people who largely purchase in ebook if they're going to do so online. (By which I mean, um, it's what I do. I LOVE PHYSICAL BOOKS I JUST DON'T HAVE SPACE.) Even though I love Powell's and would very much like to support them!

[sophia_sol]

I'm excited to read your thoughts about Sorcerer to the Crown! I got a copy this weekend and haven't been able to read it yet because I'm too excited and I'm worried about overinflated expectations. So I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!

As a reader of your booklogging posts I gotta say I have never once felt the need to follow a link to stuff about the book elsewhere from your post. Usually I find what you say sufficient to make me aware of whether or not I want to read the book, and if I do want to read it I just write it in my to-read list (or INTEND to write it in my to-read list but forget to do so.....). So it doesn't matter to me where you choose to link.

[skygiants]

As you saw in my other post, I enjoyed it SO MUCH. :D :D :D :D I'm excited to hear what you think when you end up reading it!

[gramarye1971]

In my editorial work for the WQ, I've been asking that article authors who mention books link to the publisher's own web page for the book. That also helps by providing exposure to the publisher as well, which can be important for small presses (and university presses, for that matter!).

[skygiants]

The only problem with this is that I want something I can do consistently (because ... I'm lazy) and frequently the publisher or author has no web page (for ex. if I am reading a 19th-century novel.) But I do agree that's generally the best choice, so I may bite the bullet and try to do it anyway for contemporary books ...

[sdelmonte]

I prefer Amazon because it offers a wide array of reviews, while publishers' pages will never say anything negative.

[skygiants]

This is true, and Goodreads has that advantage as well, though both have the disadvantage of being owned by Amazon.

[ambyr]

Welcome to DC.

A link to Goodreads would be handy, since that's where I mark my to-read list.

[skygiants]

Thanks! Wish I was going to have more time there this time -- it's literally a 48-hour trip.

[starlady]

I think Goodreads is the best possible compromise, and I will redact further commentary at this time.

[skygiants]

Thank you! Your feedback is appreciated. :)

[hebethen]

Goodreads is owned by Amazon as of a year or two ago, so if you have ethical quandaries, that's no better.

Worldcat makes me log in when I try to check it for ILL purposes -- if that's a universal, that might be a bit bothersome?

If the author has a properly maintained website, it would have information on where to buy the book. But I'm not sure all authors do this -- I may have a biased sample of authors in my mind. And if you are reading older books (whether that means 20 years ago or 200 years ago...) there might not be any reasonable expectation for such a page to exist!

[skygiants]

Oh, ugh, is it? DANG IT, Amazon!

Yeah, I wasn't really thinking of WorldCat as a serious option -- I doubt anyone actually uses it much other than librarians/archivists/researchers, it's not designed for casual readers.

That's the problem! I like the idea of author websites a lot, but frequently it is not feasible. :(

[themadpoker]

I'd go with Goodreads! Mostly because that's where I keep my to-read list. Plus more reviews to check out if on the fence.

[skygiants]

Yeah, more reviews are good! I don't use Goodreads much myself because I do all my reviewing here, but many people seem to find it useful.

[agonistes]

I'd go with Powell's or your favorite indie -- I think that IndieBound provides a site format/search and order function for independent bookstores that places like the Regulator and the Tattered Cover use, among other indies I've frequented.

[skygiants]

Yeah, I would love to support the indies -- my only hesitation with that is that many of them don't do ebooks, and speaking at least for myself, my online impulse purchases are almost all ebook.

[sapote]

As someone who has clicked through and bought kindle ebooks based on reviews before, I have to say that the Amazon links have been helpful.

[skygiants]

Thanks -- that's a good data point to have!

[ashen_key]

Goodreads works for more people, I think, particularly with the combination of other reviews and being able to navigate to a seller of choice.

[skygiants]

Yeah, I'm seeing a lot of votes in favor of Goodreads. And it does have all the links!

[st_aurafina]

I know Amazon owns Goodreads (ugh, all hail our book-peddling overlords), but it's a good one to link to, for reviews and author's profiles and so on.

[skygiants]

WHY DO THEY OWN EVERYTHING. I don't want to live in Amazon's corporate dystopia!

[davidgillon]

If I buy something it's going to be through Amazon as I'm trying only to buy books on Kindle for sheer space reasons.

I do share the general disquiet over Amazon, but the other options won't get me to the format I buy in, so I'll have to hunt down the Amazon link anyway - even if you link to author or publisher pages, they'll probably link to the Amazon pages anyway, so is there ethically any real difference?

I'm actually not that concerned, I tend not to buy books immediately on reading a review, but let the idea mull around for a while, then go 'oh, hang on, I was going to buy X' the next time I'm on Amazon's site, so mostly don't follow the links anyway.

[skygiants]

Yeah, it's the same problem for me. I own a Kindle (received as a gift from friends, so it also has sentimental value!) and I as much as I disapprove of Amazon I am a little bit addicted to the convenience of having books appear immediately in my online space.

BUT I also buy books pretty infrequently right now -- I try to utilize the library as much as possible -- so yeah, I'm curious as to what others do, because my habits are probably quite different!

[luzula]

To be honest I haven't even noticed that you're linking to a bookstore--I think people are perfectly capable of using the search engine and bookstore of their choice to get the book for themselves if they want to.

[skygiants]

Ha, yes, this is probably true! Just for myself, I like having a link to SOMETHING as a sort of reference -- it's probably the library/archives background, that urge to ground what I'm talking about in a source of some kind.

[sovay]

So, booklog-readers, I'm soliciting your opinion. What would be the most helpful link source?

I tend to link authors' or publishers' websites on my own journal and I find it useful when other sites do the same, but I also don't click over and buy books immediately after reading about them, so I may be the wrong audience to ask for an opinion here.

[skygiants]

Nobody is the wrong audience -- the opinion of other book bloggers is also extremely useful! I like the idea of author/publisher websites, I just wish dead authors were more likely to have one. :(

[antisoppist]

I haven't noticed you're linking. I wouldn't click anyway because I'm in the UK and assume I'd have to find my own non-US source of the book myself. I'm unlikely to buy a book immediately on reading the review and I tend to write titles down and save them up for when I have some spare book buying money. I also keep a list of YA for a 14 year-old who keeps running out of books and is amazingly still willing to take recs from her mother. So not a very helpful answer as instant purchase isn't what I read your reviews for, and I also read them for sheer entertainment :-)

[skygiants]

This is probably true, I'm afraid my links are shamefully U.S.-centric as well! So I guess goodreads would to a certain extent fix that.

It is however both helpful and enjoyable to hear what you're reading the reviews for! :)

[kalloway]

I've just been jumping immediately to the local library's site (or inter-library) when something sounds interesting. I didn't actually notice the links. ^^;;

[skygiants]

That's actually what I tend to do too when reading other people's book blogs!

[worlds_of_smoke]

Goodreads is owned by Amazon, but they have all sorts of links to various stores on the book pages, along with a blurb. So I think it would be most helpful.

[skygiants]

Yes, the overall consensus seems to be coming down in favor of Goodreads! Despite the one big obvious disadvantage. :(

[telophase]

I own a Kindle, so Amazon links are good for me, and I usually assume that whoever's posting Amazon links has an Amazon affiliate account so if I buy through that link they get a bit of a kickback. But it's not something I think too much on--I know there's a lot of moral and financial objections to Amazon and I figure it's the choice of whoever's posting the link.

[skygiants]

Huh, you know, I've never even thought of having an Amazon affiliate account -- it's just something that never occurred to me to do. Objections to Amazon aside, I do the write-ups so much for my own enjoyment that I never think of it as something I could make money off at all!

[holli]

ooh, are you going to have any free time in DC? Sadly you have just missed the giant ball pit at the Building Museum.

[skygiants]

Sadly, not much this time! I get in late tonight, there's heavily suggested conference socializing tomorrow night, and then I'm out on Thursday. Next time, I hope!

[saramily]

I like the publisher web page option, for max benefit and minimal Amazon-ing. I'm a Kindle-owner too but I tend to note the name and hop over to library website as I am working out my own DEEPLY AMBIGUOUS Amazon feelings (aka, I hate that place and what it's done to my city and my friends who've worked there, but... I own a kindle.)

[skygiants]

Yes as you are aware THESE TOO are my Amazon feelings, although probably with less personal experience than yours. :(

[thewickedlady]

maybe their goodreads page? While good reads is owned by amazon, it will show links to ALL other places you can buy it!

[skygiants]

Yeah, lots of people seem to be voting for Goodreads! I wish someone would stage a coup and buy them away from Amazon but that seems unlikely. :(

[lizbee]

I'm fine with Amazon! I tend to look for books in this order:

- local elibrary
- Kobo
- Amazon
- actual paper library
- BookDepository

But I like the reviews on Amazon and find them a bit easier to navigate than on GoodReads.

[skygiants]

Yeah, I like the Amazon reviews, too. And I don't personally tend to use Goodreads unless I'm reminded by someone linking to a review they did there -- but more and more other people seem to, so I am behind the times!

[jinian]

I hate Amazon (way ahead of the curve here, I've been boyotting them since uh 1999?) but don't use the links, so *elaborate shrug emoji*.

[skygiants]

You hated Amazon before it was cool!

[snickfic]

First, hello! I found you via a link from... somewhere, and I saw you talked a lot about books, and so I friended. *waves*

Second, are you familiar with LibraryThing? As I understand, it is kind of Goodreads except not owned by Amazon. For example, here is the page for Sorcerer to the Crown. So that might be another option for linking purposes.

[skygiants]

Hello and welcome! Yes, books is most of what I talk about. :D

And, ooh, I think I'd heard of LibraryThing but didn't know enough about them to consider them a viable option. Thanks for the heads-up!