I've been using Goodreads more or less actively for about five years, so I'm extremely familiar with all of its features and uses. I utilize it pretty regularly to give suggestions or summaries of books for patrons, and to keep an eye on what my friends and colleagues are reading. A lot of the time I find the peer reviews to be both more helpful and more balanced than a critical review from a blog or publication. This was the first time I've ever given a recommendation for a book through the website, however, and I have to say that I'm a fan of the feature. Honestly I think the only reason I've never used it before is because all of my Goodreads friends always have so many books that they're currently reading. For this assignment I gave two of my coworkers recommendations for a couple of my favorite books. I know that one of them is really into DIY and the punk scene, so I recommended The Taqwacores by Michael Muhammad Knight for her. I also know that she isn't a huge fan of fiction that involves a lot of internal monologue and character development, but The Taqwacores is written with very plain language and even though it's told from the first-person perspective, the main character's arc is very contained and accessible. My other coworker recommendation was for Transmetropolitan, a graphic novel by Warren Ellis. I saw on Goodreads that my coworker has enjoyed graphic novels like Watchmen in the past, and based on conversations that I've had with him at work I know he's also interested in politics and journalism, both of which are huge focuses for the series. He also has a few science fiction titles with high ratings on his list, and Transmetropolitan has some of the most groundbreaking transhumanist and dystopian-future sci-fi elements I've ever read.
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