Back in October, we mentioned some websites that allow for free online reading of older or out-of-copyright books. Book Glutton is another opportunity to access books online. What makes Book Glutton so interesting though is their added functionality. Book Glutton allows you to read a book online, but also chat about the book while you are reading it with other readers. You are able to mark a section of text and comment on that section, thereby promoting intelligent discussion about a text.
You can access Book Glutton's catalog of materials without logging in, but you are unable to access the talk and mark functions without creating an account. Creating an account is free, and you are able to update your profile with a photo and other relevant information, if so desired. Follow the "FIND a BOOK" link to search through the catalog of materials by author, title or group. A group is a book discussion group - individuals gathered together online to talk about the books they are reading as they are being read. You can create your own group, or you can request an invitation to join someone else's existing group. When you are done reading a work, you are able to bookmark the text, so that you can return to the place that you left off at the next time you go online. Hit the "JUMP into the READER" button to resume your place in the book.
The talk and mark panels can be found to the left and the right of the reader pane. There is also a help button which explains how to use these tasks. If you like your print to be a bit larger than normal, especially while reading online, you can do so at the click of an icon, and the forward and back buttons take you where you would like to go in the book.
Book Glutton is fairly simple and easy to use, plus if you are an author or have permission to publish someone else's work, you can upload your title to the site. Try it out and see what you think!
