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Low-tech social networking
March 13, 2007

Last weekend I visited my friend John (loved the brunch especially), and as I left for the trip home, realized I'd finished my book and didn't have another one.

The horror! The horror!

I tend to guard against this dread state of affairs by packing at least two books whenever I travel (yes, even for the day; I'm a Virgo, OK?).

Fortunately, John is as much of a book person as I am, so I knew he'd find something for me on his shelves. Without hesitation and with an encomium he handed me David Mitchell's Ghostwritten. I've read some of Mitchell's other work and John knew I'd loved it -- so he made a personal recommendation that carried me through a long train trip and beyond.

Therefore, if you have not read Ghostwritten, I recommend it to you highly.

And now you, too, have had a friendly recommendation made -- the kind of social networking that is loudly touted all over the Web these days, but that enthusiasts (and especially readers) have been doing for eons.

I look forward to making many more recommendations (particularly of new releases) to you, and to hearing yours as well. What's the latest book you've "sold" to a friend?

Posted by Bethanne Patrick on March 13, 2007 | Comments (0)