This project started out as a list of books in a text file.

When I think about a book, I think about its content, the people who talked about it and how it made me feel. Central to those thoughts is the visual representation of the book itself: its cover. A list in a text file was not the best way to think about books. Over time, I realized that it would be the kind of problem suited for a small web application.

I spent many hours working on this project. It used to be an excuse to play with Ruby on Rails. It used to be an excuse to play the limits of rich-client Javascript applications. It used to be an excuse to play with client and server-side optimizations, not by necessity but by a conscious effort to want to try things on a project I fully understand.

This is an application I designed for myself and that I use, for the lack of a better word, religiously. Hearing about books I want to read, buying a book, starting a new book, or finishing one, these are events that make me want to go to my profile and update it.

This application was initially meant to replace a text file. But the nature of a public display of books created new possibilities. When it comes to people I know, I want to know what they are reading so that we can talk about it the next time we meet.

“How was that book?”

Also, you can look at what people have read and discover what interests them. I have had a lot of interesting discussions after people browsed the books I have read.

Finally, this is also meant to be a portfolio piece. I can send people to the site to have a look at what I can do. The project is open-source and people can read the code and reach their own conclusions.

I'm open to comments and suggestions. Let me know what you think.