Online bookseller Amazon.com has acquired Shelfari, an online site combining books and social networking owned by Seattle start-up Tastemakers. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Shelfari, in which Amazon invested $1m in when it was founded in October 2006, allows users to create virtual bookshelves of favorite titles and share them with friends. It also allows readers to post reviews and ratings of books.

Josh Hug, co-founder of Shelfari, said: "We look forward to working with Amazon to continue with our mission of building great communities that celebrate books."

Earlier this month, Amazon acquired AbeBooks.com, an online retailer of rare and out-of-print book titles. It also bought a 40% stake in Shelfari rival LibraryThing.


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Sanjeev K Sunny