In the library I notice that the fiction readers most often come in looking for works by a specific author either because they have read one book before or because the author was recommended by a friend. This is definitely more predominant than looking for a genre.
Q.2. Do you think these Book 2.0 tools hamper or enhance one's reading experience?
I think the Web2.0 tools are great for:
-- Individuals who do a lot of reading and want to research on their own for new titles to get;
-- Teachers looking for books reviewed by others to use in the classroom or to recommend to students;
-- Librarians exploring how to expand their collections in new directions; and
-- Authors, present and future, researching what avid readers find interesting.
Once a reader finds an appealing tool that is easy to use, it can only enhance their experience as a reader.
I explored most of the sites listed in Thing 20 which took quite a lot of time. Personally, I liked Overbooked and Wired for Books and plan to return to those sites frequently, and also to keep exploring the Internet for more. I will use these two sites not only for my personal reading but for the library.
Bookbrowse, while great for every reader, has a “children's and teens” section which is great for schools for both teachers and media specialists. I also like the the following features: tag cloud, geographical setting and time period. Those are very helpful when trying to help a reader find exactly what they are seeking when they do not have a title or author in mind.
Booksprouts seems to be a great resource for teachers who want to start book clubs in schools for students. The feature that makes this most appealing to a school is once the club is set up it can a be 'private,' making it safe for school-age children and only the moderator can select the book for the group.
BookGlutton has an online reader which I thought would be great for those who are home bound for a time due to illness or an injury. You can read with a group which could make the home bound feel less isolated. Plus all you need is a computer and the Internet – no Kindle required.
I found Booklamp a very creative concept, but would have to explore it further to be able to use it effectively with our readers. I may experiment with this and a couple of English teachers to see how they could use it in their classes.
Among the book swap sites I like SwapTree and may get involved this summer. Bookcrossing I have known about for some time and have shared the idea with others as well as participated.
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