a reader’s online friend

With a little help from my tech-savvy husband, I discovered a new online tool that could definitely be of some help in picking out my next read.  Google Book Search offers previews of books, allowing readers to check out excerpts of books — American Wife, for example, or maybe The Forgotten Garden, or even Coraline – before they go to the trouble of tracking down the title at a library or book store.  And for books within the public domain — such as Silas Marner or Tess of the d’Urbervilles — the full text is available. 

I probably won’t be one to use the full text option regularly.  I imagine it will come in handy on occasion, like if I’ve left my book at home and need something to read over lunch, but I’m more excited about the preview option.  This will give me a chance to check out the first few pages of books I hear about and discover whether they’ll be worthwhile additions to my to-read list or not.  If you find yourself using Google Book Search, or discover any additional benefits, let me know — I’d love to hear what you think!

~ by Molly on February 25, 2009.