Last week I heard a man on television say that our memory is shot to bits by smart phones, iPhones, iPods, iPads, etcetera. The memory of telephone numbers, for example, is transported from our brain to our gadget. And although hard to admit, I had to conclude the man was right. Trying to remember numbers I could recite from memory a couple of years ago, I found a few blank spots in my brain, emptied out when I put the digits in my iPod and phone.

These days the same thing happens when I browse through book shelves: Have I read this one? Did I like it? Do I own it? Fortunately I can blame this lack of knowledge to my buying and reading more and more books throughout the years, but still, I remember the time I knew every book I owned, had read, liked or disliked.

Instead of pining for “the good old days” I decided to embrace the new possibilities and I went looking for some good book apps. These are three of the ones I found and use and as you will see these apps aren’t ones to read e-books from, but these are apps that combine the “old” with the “new”. Who says “old fashioned” books and the new media can’t go together?

Goodreads - this great app will give you access to the Goodreads website, a walhalla for book lovers.

Here is a full list of features the app offers:

• Browse your shelves and add to them. Next time you are in the library or bookstore, your to-read or own list will be handy.
• Add status updates and reviews of books you are reading or have read.
• See book reviews and updates from your friends, and comment on them.
• Browse your friends shelves.
• Browse some of the popular book lists.
• View literary events near you.

(FREE: iPhone/iPod/iPad, Android)

Book Crawler is a book database. You will never be without your book shelves ever again. Just add your books with the ISBN-scanner (yes, the more books you own the longer that will take, but you only have to do it once, I promise and I should know ) and off you go to your favorite book store. The thing I really like about this app is that the entries, once added, are available off-line, so you don’t need to have a wifi or 3G connection to browse your books.

Here are some features the app offers:

• Adding new books with the ISBN barcode scanner or manual number search.
• Title, author, publisher, copyright, cover art, summaries, Goodreads ® reviews are automatically generated when you enter a book.
• Sort and search your library collection with selected or custom made parameters to categorize or navigate your entries.

(€1,59: iPhone/iPod/iPad or FREE lite version: iPhone/iPod/iPad)

An alternative for Book Crawler is iBookshelf (€1,59: iPhone/iPod/iPad. Watch the demo.).

ReadMore is a reading log and diary. Just add a book before you start reading, push the start button and stop button before and after your reading session and this app will show you your reading habits, what your general reading time is, how fast you read, etc. It can also help break large books into more manageable pieces.

(€1,59: iPhone/iPod. Watch the demo.)

Rounded up for you by Ester.