8th May, 2019
Bookish Spotlight: Litsy now has a web version! Hurrah!
Have you heard of Litsy? If not, you'd better check it out. It's now available as a website as well. :)
I first joined Litsy in June of 2016, back when it was still somewhat mew, and I was immediately amazed by this wonderful and supportive bookish community. Someone back then said that Litsy is a bit as if Goodreads and Instagram had a baby and I think that description fits perfectly.
What makes Litsy special is that it is solely about books. Every post needs to be tagged with a book title and even though people branch out a little here and there, this overall bookish focus has remained ever since I joined. By now, what started out as a small group of readers discussing their current novels has evolved into a plethora of all things related to books: There are swaps, giveaways, organised or spontaneous meet-ups, reading retreats, postal book clubs and dedicated letter writers have found new pen pals. A lot of people send each other birthday or Christmas cards and gifts, and real life friendships have developed. Of course, as with all social media sites there is occasional drama, but what I admire is how such problems only occur very rarely and are resolved quickly. Almost all the people I've met through Litsy have been extremely nice and supportive. It simply feels great to chat with "people who get you", people who don't think you're crazy when you gush about your favourite author or your fifth edition of the same novel which you bought because "it was just so pretty".
Most of the swaps that happen on Litsy have specific themes, such as the by now almost legendary "Secret Santa Book Swap" or the "Summer Solstice Book Exchange", both hosted by one of the most dedicated Litsy members. The postal book clubs are wide-ranging with themes such a horror or crime and participants from all over the worlds. Recently, a few members met up at a residential library in Wales to spend a weekend together reading, chatting and - well - eating lots of cake. Through all of this Litsy has enabled readers from all corners of the planet to come together and celebrate books. Different viewpoints are not just accepted but welcome. It's essentially like a huge virtual bookclub where opinions come together and are discussed.
In the past year or two, Litsy has undergone a few exciting changes. It has become part of LibraryThing and now is also available as a website. You can check it out here and if you're looking for a lovely bookish community to become a part of you may want to give Litsy a try: www.litsy.com (And if you want to get in touch over there, my user name is scripturient but there is also a link on the Contact page of this blog. :))