The new “Tinder for bookworms” has the least sexy name on the planet.
Hey, nerds. Do you have more books than you do friends? Do you ever find yourself explaining the plot of the novel you’re reading to your dog? Are you looking for that special someone to lie next to you in bed in the morning while you ignore each other and read your own books?
Turns out there’s an app for that (or there will be—it’s still in early beta). Yep, it’s “Tinder for bookworms“—though to be fair, it isn’t actually a book dating app, but rather a “book meetup app.” It’s called Klerb.
“We create IRL activities in your geo radius where you can meet people who will get the stuff you read,” Klerb’s launch page explains. “Other reading apps recommend books based on your similarity to other people. We recommend people to meet based on the similarity of their bookshelf.”
“It’s not a hook-up app,” developer Abe Winter told The Observer. “Or a dating app of any kind. But Tinder, which is not without its problems, delivers real value to communities by connecting strangers in geographical proximity. I’m trying to bring that model to reading. Readers are hungry for discussion, and introverts are hungry for social outlets. It’s easy to socialize if you like partying or sports; it’s harder if you have academic interests.”
Despite the fact that, as anyone who has ever had a Guy in their MFA can attest, good taste does not necessarily make for a good hang, it’s actually a pretty good idea. But I just have one question: why is it called Klerb? Klerb. Very gross mouthfeel. It’s almost as bad as blog. Or am I simply old?
I guess it doesn’t matter—as someone who is always itching to talk about the last great (or terrible) novel I finished, it would be cool to have a potential coffee date (or a book club!) just a swipe away. And hey . . . in da Klerb, we all fam.
