Weekly Geeks 2009.40: Tools of the Trade

This week, Weekly Geeks asks:

Book blogging, as a concept, is essentially pretty simple: If you have Internet access and an opinion about a book, you can be a book blogger. However, actually maintaining a book blog is much more complicated -- our blogs are labors of love that require a lot of time, energy and devotion. For this edition of Weekly Geeks, I want to focus on the little things that make your blogging and/or reading life a bit easier. Do you use sites like GoodReads, LibraryThing or Shelfari to organize your books? Do you swear by Book Darts? Couldn't live without your Book Buddy? Love connecting with other bloggers on sites such as Twitter? Tell us about what makes your blog tick. Is there something specific that keeps you organized or inspired?

Interesting questions. What do I use to keep organized, and to stay inspired?

I love Goodreads. I find it very fun and easy to use. I use it to keep track of what I'm reading, and to quickly see what others are reading. I also use it for my F2F group. But LibraryThing I tried, and it made me a bit crazy. There's too much there or something. And besides, it costs money. I've never tried Shelfari at this point.

Book Darts? Book Buddy? Haven't heard of them. What am I missing? I guess I'll have to go investigate.

Now Twitter is interesting. I resisted, as many of us do. But when I finally joined, I quickly learned that Twitter is not really a place to "say what you are doing" but to see what everyone else is thinking. After connecting to many other book bloggers there, I discovered that it is like an ongoing chat where several bloggers at any given time are having a bookish conversation. You can join in if you are moved to, or just "eavesdrop" as I find myself mostly doing. It's fun. But having said that, it's also very annoying....creepy automatic followers. Icky. However, I do like to do my own bit of stalking, because it's quite fun to keep track of one's favorite celebrities!

I would die without Google Reader these days, and still, I'll never ever get caught up. But it is the only way to keep track of other bloggers.

But what makes my blog tick? Comments keep me going. And events like the readathon coming up. And having my own small features that keep me thinking and brain storming is very good. And just plain connecting with other book fanatics. That's what makes this blog tick.

I'm not completely sure if I went the right direction for this question. but that just where it took me!

What makes YOUR blog tick?