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it wasn't anything new to read, but I do have a couple of thoughts about the way social networking, especially facebook and goodreads, are getting used it is especially difficult because some of these people are, of course, only known to one "virtually," but also because one increasingly counters the lonliness of writing with social networking; this interaction has done a lot of replace "region" among certain people and facebook started as an academically-focussed network because so many people are promo-ing books there, one might set one's policy against things like becoming a fan or "friending" presses, organizations, or certain writers to avoid the endless quasi-spam the second is that since especially younger writers have set the tone of giving all of their friends' and teachers' books five stars on good reads, rave "comments" elsewhere -- regardless of actual thoughts on the matter because these contacts are needed MORE THAN EVER for networking, and because these little non review reviews are increasingly the means of networking, in a more direct way than ever the star rating not only has no meaning, but is now REQUIRED; I have been forced to grit my teeth and give five star ratings of really pretty dull books just to "get along" -- after starting with the "three stars is a C" idea -- had to go back re: star inflation and give everyone I might actually have to interact with in person five stars -- thankfully, they changed one star from "it was ok" to "didn't like it" -- it had been like amazon, with no way to rate at no stars -- All best, Catherine Daly [log in to unmask]