Literature Websites You Can’t Live Without--Guest Post by Alex Morris

Today I'm welcoming Alex Morris to Thoughts At One In The Morning. Back when I was looking for some guest posts, he offered up this little bookish gem and I was intrigued. So, I am going to turn it over to Alex to tell us more about...

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Literature Websites You Can’t Live Without

We can’t read books all day, so this leaves a fair bit of spare time to think about them. One of the better ways to spend this period is to search across the sprawling internet for some innovative displays of literature on the World Wide Web. Here are some of the very best examples for your enjoyment and, hopefully, pursuit.

Use the Book Seer to Discover New Authors

If you’re in need of a new author, or in search of something similar to what you’ve just read, the Book Seer is an excellent way to come across new writers. Simply type in an author and let it do the work for you.

Get a Unique Poster

Literature posters are fairly hard to come by, so why not get a Postertext? This example of The Great Gatsby has the entire text of the book in the form of a picture! It would look fabulous on anyone’s wall.

Join an Interactive Virtual Book Community

With Book Glutton you can be interactive with other readers inside online novels. Invite your friends to the network and then you can debate certain chapters or paragraphs to your heart’s content.

Turn A Book Into a Big Brother Experience!

If you want to take George Orwell’s message of morality from 1984 subversively then you should transform a book into a secret hidden camera. All the details on how to construct this yourself are on the webpage.

Check out some Contemporary Art

For some of the most stylish book art take a look at this site and feel inspired!

Trade Books with People

Bored with your book collection? Want to branch out and trade with other literature fans? Then Bookmooch is a fine example of how the internet can bring the literary community together.

Buy a Personalized Library Kit

If you’ve ever lent a book to someone and never seen it again then this home library kit is for you. You can make out dated stamps to remind its borrower that they don’t own it and it needs returning. It’s up to you to decide if this will come across as cute or unnecessarily pedantic.

Use Online Book Gift Stores

You could always surprise a friend or relative with a unique gift from a store such as the Literary Gift Company. There’s a wide range of unusual items here, including recycled books that have been made into handbags.

Plan a Trip to a Beautiful Library

Some of the libraries around the world are simply stunning. Why not incorporate a visit to one on your next vacation?

Convince Your Husband/Boyfriend to Read

If your husband prefers sports to literary interests why not get him a distinctly masculine read? This list of manly reads by classic authors is a good start!

Got Writer’s Block?

If you do then use this site to bring a slice of calm into your routine. Guaranteed to lower stress levels and loosen your mind.

Send a Unique Letter

The art of letter writing appears to be a fading hobby. Countless authors from the past would regularly compose letters with friends, family, and peers in order to improve their style. Jack Kerouac was a famous practitioner of letter writing, as were Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone Beauvoir. So why not use this service to compose, and then send, a tiny letter to honour this tradition?

Stumble Upon

Stumble Upon is one of the best, and most addictive, tools on the internet. Register yourself (it’s free) and set your account favourites (literature, obviously) and stumble your way through the best book websites that have been saved by other users.

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Alex Morris is a writer and researcher for a discount office supplies store in Manchester. He is also an aspiring writer, and a literary addict. His favourite authors include; Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, George Orwell, Jack Kerouac and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.