Bookal is a free iOS app launching this fall, born and based in Petaluma. Bookal is a home for book lovers - a social network where readers can connect and share and an easy to use hyperlocal peer-to-peer marketplace.
Everything you might love about Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon and Craigslist, the clever people behind Bookal have simplified, cleaned up and brought under one roof. What you don’t love about these companies, you won't find at Bookal.
Bookal was inspired by founder Ramin Rahimian's wife’s monthly Amazon book orders for her book club. "She was frustrated that she had to wait so long to borrow a book from someone else in her book club, often not having time to finish it," shared Ramin, over a pile of my new books at my first signing of the season, at Marin French Cheese Company, this August.
"She also often opted not to borrow the book from our local library or to go downtown to buy it from our independent bookstore," he said. "I was frustrated, too. I wished she would take advantage of our amazing local bookstore and library. I also thought - there must be an easier and better way for her to get her hands on these very popular books. These bestsellers are out there, on people’s shelves. Let’s get them back in the market and in the hands of those who want them now."
The result was Bookal.
Features and design create a welcoming, engaging, and easy to use social network and marketplace. The app sounds like it will be a great place to get in touch with the only other person who has read your favorite book, even though he or she might be all as far away as New York or London.
On Bookal, your book club will be able to better manage and organize itself. On Bookal, you'll show off your massive library and discover new books to fill it with. With Bookal, you will push one button to buy a book and have it delivered to your door or buy it new from your local bookstore. I'm looking forward to experiencing what it can do for readers, writers and bookstores and other small merchants that sell books.
Intrigued? I'll keep you posted as the app is closer to launch. Otherwise, CLICK HERE to sign yourself up as an early adopter, today.
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