I was reading a book on my nook earlier today (Mark Levin’s Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto) and I had just finished a chapter and wanted to update my progress on Goodreads.  When moving to my computer I realized; it would be so much easier if I could just do this from my Nook.

Then I realized, Goodreads is a very logical acquisition target for a company like Barnes and Noble.  With the move into digital products business models change and a great way to stay relevant is to get social.  B&N has clearly already seen that there is something inherently social about the books people choose to read by offering a lend feature on the nook.

Goodreads is really nothing more than a central location to get social about books.  It offers the ability to put up a list of books you’ve read, are reading, and plan to read (as well as the option to put those books into whatever types of lists you want).  You can update your progress in a book and comment on the book or a section of it as you go.

With nook integration they could make it really easy to share a section or quote in a book that you enjoy.  When you’re reading a book you could easily overlay all the public highlights and annotations that your friends have shared, making it an even more interactive and social experience.

Of course Goodreads offers users the ability to review books and share those reviews with friends.  It would be tremendously helpful if, while browsing the store on your nook, you saw reviews from people you actually know and whose literary tastes you find in harmony with yours.

In addition to all of the Goodreads offers groups that allow you to find people reading similar books and discuss them with.  Much like that of your friends, fellow group members commentary could be inserted into the book as you read it, allowing a whole new level of interactive reading.

On it’s own Goodreads is a great site, but if it were combined with a big company like Barnes and Noble (or another big book seller – I only chose B&N because I think the nook has the best opportunity in this space), it could be leveraged to create completely new reading experiences.