Don’t you love Goodreads? I’ve had a Goodreads account since before it was the popular thing for readers to do.

Wait, you haven’t heard of Goodreads? Well let me tell you a bit about it. Goodreads is basically a social media platform for book lovers and readers. On the website or app, you can find pretty much any book, rate it, review it, discuss it, and find other books like it.

Oh, you have heard of it, but don’t know how or if you want to use it? Well, let me help you out. Here are some of the reasons I use and love Goodreads as a reader.

1. Check Ratings and Reviews to Select Better Books

I check Goodreads reviews before picking up nearly any book I read. There is such a variety of readers on Goodreads that when you check the average rating, it can give you a clear picture as to whether the book is really worth your time. (Not necessarily every rating or review is accurate for my style of reading, but I can gauge how I might feel about the book based on the average rating at the top.)

In Goodreads, readers rate books from 1-5 stars: 5 stars meaning I wouldn’t change anything and they want to shout about it from the mountaintops; 1 star being I wish I hadn’t read this. (Or at least that’s how my ratings go.) Since Goodreads averages the ratings, I typically know it’s safe for me to pick up the book if it has higher than 3.75 rating.

*Sidenote: This is also why I write reviews, because I find the value in them as a reader. There are so many books out there and readers like me just want to read good books, but aren’t always sure. I like to keep my reviews upbeat, even if I didn’t love the book, but you can always trust that I’ll be honest.

2. Make Friends with Other Book Lovers

Sometimes, I read reviews, but mostly I only read the reviews of people I know/trust their book recommendations. Because goodness, everyone’s book tastes are so different.

Like I said, Goodreads is just another social media platform, except specifically for book lovers and readers. So you can follow other readers who have similar taste in books. Or if you really want to branch out, you can become friends with anyone and open yourself up to entirely new genres or recommendations.

3. Easily Keep Track of Reading Goals

If you are like me and have reading goals each year, Goodreads makes it easy to keep track. They even have a Reading Challenge that you can enter each year, which will track how many books you’ve read in the year and how far ahead or behind you are. (Although that could stress one out, for me, it adds motivation.)

As someone who loves checking off accomplishments (and even adds small tasks to a to-do list just so I can check it off), this is perfect for me. I feel accomplished every time I finish a book, like I’ve checked off a massive task. And frankly, I have.

4. Grow My To-Read List

Do you ever go to a bookstore and find a book you want, but it isn’t in your budget just yet, so you don’t buy it even though still want to read it someday? Then when you finally get around to needing a good book to read, you’ve completely forgotten? No more. Not with Goodreads. You can look up the book on Goodreads and mark it as “Want to Read” and done. You’ll never forget about it!

*Warning: This could be dangerous for your to-read list, as it will grow and grow and grow.

5. Track What I’ve Read

Along with forgetting what I want to read, I used to forget what I had already read. I would pick up a book, thinking it looked good, then get three or four chapters in and realize, I’ve already read this. Goodreads has solved that for me. I promptly finish reading a book and mark it as read, even if I don’t post my review immediately.

Lastly (and what I personally think is most important)….

6. Support Books/Authors and Get Them in Front of New Eyes

Of course I love this the most. There are just so many books out there, and too many are either hidden away in the back shelves of book stores or not found in book stores at all anymore. And Goodreads gets those books in front of new eyes.

So have I convinced you to start a Goodreads account or to become more active on it? Awesome!

Come find me and follow my Author Goodreads and see my favorites reads. While you’re there, you can check out my books…and if you’ve read one of them (or more) then please leave a review for all of the reason I just listed. As a reader, you are the key to making books a success.

---

If you are interested in how I’m able to read in all the busyness of life, I give all my tips in How I find the time to read.

Follow me:
Share: