It's #Fridayreads. What Are You Reading?

Perhaps you’ve seen the tweets, book titles followed by a hashtag and the word Fridayreads. Perhaps you’ve seen avid readers tapping on a smart phone, or simply turning pages eagerly each Friday commute. In any case, what you’ve seen in action is Fridayreads.

Fridayreads is the brainchild of The Book Maven (aka Bethanne Patrick: @thebookmaven). Each week, she hits twitter and simply asks people to note what they’re reading. She does giveaways and also runs a Facebook page, but the heart of the enterprise is simply sharing good books with others who love to read.

Jon Michaud, Maplewood resident and author of , is a fan and frequent contributor. “As a writer, librarian, and former bookstore clerk, I am always interested in hearing about what people are reading. On trains and in parks, I always look at the books people have with them. One of the things I dislike about eBooks is that they prevent this kind of casual snooping.”  (This editor agrees!)

Indeed, for those who read quickly and need a next book, The Book Maven posts lists of “Best Read” on the site. She calculates the tweet totals and notes what are the books most often mentioned. The list posted last Friday, which reflects July 15, notes the following:

A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

There is no cost, no sign-up sheet, no mass emails. To participate, get yourself a Twitter account. On Friday, post a tweet that says what you’re reading. At the end of your post, add #fridayreads.

If you’re not on Twitter, there is a Facebook page where you can participate. You can find it at www.facebook.com/FridayReads.

“I know I have been thrilled anytime someone has listed my novel as their Friday Read, and I try to return the favor by tweeting about whatever book I am reading,” says Michaud. “In fact, the book I am reading now—an advance copy of Chad Harbach’s THE ART OF FIELDING—was brought to my attention by a Friday Reads tweet by book reviewer Harvey Freedenberg (@harvF).”

And that’s exactly what Fridayreads is all about. As the website notes, “The more people who share what they’re reading, the more people get excited about reading. And when people get excited about reading all sorts of incredible things happen…we get smarter; we think more; we’re entertained; we learn things…the list is endless.”

And so is the list of great books to share and read. Get reading (and tweeting) with #Fridayreads.

FridayReads is a global community of thousands of people who come together each week to share whatever they’re reading. Our goal is simple: to raise reading’s visibility and encourage more people to join in!