I’m always amazed at the number of avid readers who haven’t yet created a Goodreads account. If you need one more reason to join, here it is. Goodreads has announced a new program called Goodreads Deals which will offer members discounts on e-books based on the members’s preferred genre and/or books on your “want to read” shelf. When you sign up to receive deals, you’ll be asked to edit your preferences which, in addition to genre, and your “want to read” list, can include authors you follow, and even allows you select the type of device you are using.
As for all of the “old” reasons to love Goodreads (and there are many, I’ll keep it very basic here.), here are my top 5:
5) I can keep track of books I’ve read. This may sound simple to many of you but over the years I often forget which titles I’ve read. Especially if I’ve read multiple titles from the same author that have a similar feel or themes. (Think Dean Koontz.) I can then give it a star rating, write a narrative review, both, or neither.
4) Recommendations! Ever feel like you want to read something but you don’t know what? (Even when you have a shelf or library full??) Goodreads can provide you with suggestions based on what’s on your shelf, genre, etc.
3) Goodreads Giveaways! Who doesn’t love free books? In addition to the link here, Goodreads will send you an email every time a book on your “want to read” list is being given away. Personally, I don’t ever go through the general link, opting only to enter if there’s a giveaway for a book I will actually read. Giveaways are limited to a certain number of copies so why have a book sitting around your house when someone else may have been truly lusting after it??
2) Goodreads Community. There are groups for online book clubs, upcoming book events, and every tiny niche in reading and publishing you can conceive of. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for you can create your own group!
1) Friends, friends, friends! I’ve saved the best for last. You can invite friends from your Facebook account, send emails to your friends, and meet new friends on Goodreads. Some you may know personally, others you may not, (there’s a “compare books” button on each user’s profile that allows you to see how much you have in common with a potential friend) but it’s amazing how many people you can truly connect with. When you are friends with someone, most of what they do shows up in your feed (similar to Facebook). I can’t tell you how many times something a friend is reading ends up on my “want to read”, aka TBR, list. Any many times I wouldn’t have even known the book existed otherwise.
Have I forgotten anything? I’m sure I have. I’d love to hear about your experience with Goodreads. I know there are other similar sites so please feel free to recommend/comment on those as well.
Next up: My first BEA experience.
Goodreads is amazing. That’s awesome they are starting to offer discounted books! I had not heard that.
Can’t wait to read about your BEA experience! I hope to attend next year in NY!
I love the idea because you can adjust your settings so you only hear about books you actually want to read. I’m on lots of email distribution lists with book deals and sometimes there is just too much information to sift through…
BEA was awesome. Grueling and motivating at the same time. I’m looking forward to next year in NYC as well. This was my first year but I’m happy to answer any questions. The last of my books arrived today via UPS so I’ll be posting a picture of my haul soon.
Awesome!! I can’t wait to read all about it and see your haul!
I LOVE Goodreads and visit the site on a daily basis – sometimes several times a day! I love it for all the reasons you’ve listed, plus I’m a Goodreads librarian, so the anal side of me can merge records etc. which is very satisfying for an old retired public library cataloger.
Thanks, Lynne! My first job was at our local public library. I started volunteering at 14 and they hired me the day I turned fifteen. At that time we were located in small historical home and I could work an entire shift without a single patron coming through the door. At other times we were wall-to-wall with people. I loved that job and part of me misses all of the old manual systems we used. Those were the good old days…
As for Goodreads, I’m with you! I’m on it several times a day though I sadly don’t always make it through my whole feed… I need more hours in the day!