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Shelf Source: Chad Comello

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Shelf Source talks to readers who share books they love on their sites. Today I'm joined by Chad Comello. Hope you enjoy reading, and do visit his site and say hello!

Interview

What Book Changed How You Think About the Internet Or Consumer Technology?

The Glass Cage: Automation and Us by Nicholas Carr. Carr's first book The Shallows (2010) was more specifically about the internet and what it does to our brains, but The Glass Cage digs deeper into the cognitive and existential consequences of automation and what we lose when we cede so much control to machines — even helpful ones like GPS. I wrote a review after it came out in 2014 and have thought a lot about it ever since, especially in our new AI age.

When You Finish a Book That Moves You, What's Your First Instinct?

It used to be to log it on Goodreads, but I deleted my account last year (which might seem counterintuitive for a librarian and bookish person, but I found I wasn't using it and didn't care to stick around as Amazon lets it slowly die). These days I'm much more likely to text my friend chat about it, then add it to my personal reading/watching logbook.

Has A Book Ever Inspired You To Build Or Change Something On Your Site?

I don't think a book ever has, but I'm always inspired by creative uses for personal websites that I stumble upon. I finally got my Book Notes online after seeing others publish theirs in various formats.

What's A Book You've Recommended The Most, And What Does That Say About You?

I'm a librarian by trade, which puts me in an excellent position to recommend books to those who ask. As nonfiction is my specialty and primary interest, I never pass up the opportunity to recommend books by Steven Johnson, an incredible nonfiction writer who combines excellent storytelling with rigorous dedication to the historical record and a knack for synthesizing disparate narrative threads. Can't really go wrong with any of his books, but The Ghost Map or How We Got to Now are great places to start. What does that say about me? I guess that I love great narrative nonfiction and making history accessible to everyone.

How Do You Decide Which Books Deserve a Place on Your Site Versus Staying Private?

Just vibes. A full book review post is rare these days, but often I'll be compelled to share some select quotes. Most of what I read at least gets a mention in my Media of the Moment series just as a way to share what I've been reading/watching lately.

What's Something You Believe About Reading Most Would Disagree With?

Oh man, don't get me started. I've made it my mission in life to dispel the deep-seated notions people have about reading. My main exhortation is to stop reading books you don't like. There's so much guilt around reading based on your schooling and other factors, but if you're a grownup and aren't in school, you should read whatever you want and stop reading whatever you're not into so that you can get to your next favorite book sooner. Life's too short.

If You Could Design a Library That Reflected Your Site's Ethos, What Would It Look Like?

I've been blogging consistently since 2006 because I've always only ever written about what interests me, whenever it interests me. That ethos has prevented burnout and kept me excited to post for so long. So my theoretical library would look just like a regular public library, with books about everything so everyone can find something they enjoy. Plus an insanely huge movie collection.

What's A Genre Or Type Of Book You Used To Dismiss But Now Love?

I wouldn't say dismiss, but my tendency toward nonfiction has meant I don't read as much fiction as I'd like. Every time I do read a good novel I think, Man, I gotta read more fiction.

How Has Having a Personal Website Changed the Way You Read?

Not sure it has, honestly. Even if I didn't have a website I'd still be reading the same kinds of books. The compulsion to share what I'm reading with others is really secondary to my own enjoyment of it. That intrinsic love of reading is something I want to model for my two young sons, and hope goes with them throughout their lives.

What's A Book You Wish More People Would Read, And Why?

Stumbling upon Richard Polt's The Typewriter Revolution at my library over a decade ago was a lightbulb moment that awakened me to the power and possibilities a typewriter can provide, and I've been preaching the good news ever since. Viva La Revolution!

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