Khoi talkes today about Reading “Game of Thrones” in the Real World:

One thing I had completely forgotten about is how communal popular books can be. A few people have spotted “A Game of Thrones” in my pocket or saw me reading it on the subway and then started friendly conversations with me about it, something that never would have happened if I were reading it on my phone, where every book is effectively invisible to everyone but me.

I’ve often thought about this unique digital problem: Once we go to a completely digital delivery system of long-form reading material, including books, how do we signal cultual cues to others? How will my friends communicate that he reads both the New Yorker and the Economist without annoyingly working into conversation stories he’s read from the magazines? We will no longer have a physical bookshelf.

We can look to music, as CD’s are falling out of fashion and only the most obsessed still buy LP-records. Going to live concerts, browsing Pitchfork and listening to Pandora radio seem to be the new cultural signifiers. Record of these events are now being recorded on people’s Facebook wall, blogs and twitter stream (don’t get me started about recording live music with your phones).

I wonder if Pinterest-like apps are the new bookshelf.