Shelfari, the book lovers and reviewers social networking site based in Seattle with a global community just got a makeover.

Officially launched in October 2006, Shelfari was the first social media site focused on books, their mission is to "enhance the experience of reading by connecting readers in meaningful conversations about the published word."

According to Dave Hanley Vice President, Marketing of Shelfari, Inc. "users spend 9 minutes on the site during each session and come back for multiple sessions each month."

They have a list of featured authors which are rotated and, according to Hanley "the quality of the content on the Authors Unbound is one of the criteria to make one featured." Currently featured are Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, John Grisham and J. R. R. Tolkien.

My favorite part of their site is the virtual bookshelf which gives the user a familiar cue to browse books.