A few months back, I signed up for a trial membership to the online “co-op bookstore” Tertulia and then promptly forgot about it when its emails went straight to my junk mailbox. However, this week I saw two references to the project and decided to take another look.

It’s an intriguing concept : “Inspired by the informal salons (“tertulias”) of Spanish cafes and bars, Tertulia is a new way to discover books through all the lively and enriching conversations they inspire. Tertulia serves up book recommendations and book talk from across social media, podcasts, and the web — all in one app which incorporates seamless book purchasing. If a book has moved someone enough to get them talking, you can find it, buy it, and share it on Tertulia.”

There’s an interesting co-ownership element to the project, in which members who pay a fee to get access to books at a discount, free shipping, etc, also have a putative stake in the co-op ownership which allows for a say in governance decisions and an eventual share of any profits it might one day make. A quick read of the fine print reveals that any profit sharing is far from likely as it doesn’t kick-in until $100 million in sales. Still, it’s a possible Amazon alternative, although in the U.S. and the UK, Bookshop.org at least benefits indie booksellers.