Andrea’s Book Nook: Why I joined Goodreads, and why you should too

By Andrea Silva Santisteban Fort, December 12 2021—

Goodreads is considered to be the largest online platform for readers and book recommendations. It is a site dedicated to providing book-publishing updates, reviews and recommendations for readers all over the world. I want to give you some reasons why it might be a good idea for you to join this social media site.

Keeping up to date with new books:

Goodreads is a platform that can allow you to keep up with new releases. Every month, you can get a newsletter delivered through your email that tells you what the new reads for the month are. This way, you can keep up with the publishing of your favourite author or book genre.

Reading challenges and goals:

Another reason why I enjoy this platform is based on its usefulness and features that can help you track your reading progress throughout the year. Goodreads has a tool that allows you to set the number of books you want to read during the year. Once you finish reading a book, you can add it to your list of finished reads. Once the list is updated, it will tell you how many books you are up to and what percentage of your goal you have advanced. This is a great way to remember what you have read and motivate you to continue reading.

Community:

Goodreads can be considered a social network. This is a platform where you can interact with other people that share a common interest with you. You can also recommend books to your friends. I think this is a great way to find people with the same book preferences as you in a global setting.

See comments and save some time:

Something I like to do when I find a book I am interested in on Goodreads, is to check out the reviews of other readers. I do this for two reasons.

First, this is a way to get more context. Many times, the back cover of a book or the general synopsis does not provide enough information. However, many people have been able to comment on a review where the plot of the book is further explained, which allows me to go into my reading with a broader understanding, which is what I prefer.

I like to go into the review section, as this is a way to see warnings of potential problems. All the trigger warnings or issues that could be problematic are acknowledged in this section, which I like to keep in mind before I start reading.

Opportunity to talk to authors:

On Goodreads, you can follow your favourite authors. I love this feature because not only can I know what new books they have released but also what  they’re currently reading and what their opinion is about their picks. Many authors also publish blog posts where they share with their followers what they are working on, future publishing plans or any other topic. There is also a Q&A section where you can send them a direct message and ask for more specific information.

Recommends the perfect read for you:

Another reason why I find this platform useful is that it allows me to identify the perfect read for me. Like any social network, by indicating which books you have read and which authors you follow, Goodreads collects information about you. This way, every time you log into the platform, you can see what books might be good reads for you, based on your previous tastes. This is a way to expand your reading and find new books in your favourite genre.

Lists:

Another feature I enjoy about Goodreads is the premade lists it has. Both the platform itself and the readers use it to catalogue books. These are organized under a series of characteristics such as the literary genre they are, the year they were published, or the theme found in them. This is extremely useful when you are looking for something specific. So, if, for example, you want to read a book that was later adapted into a movie, just look for that type of list and you will find many options.

Opportunities:

Finally, Goodreads has giveaways, and many opportunities to get a free book. In addition, many readers who have been on the platform for a long time are even able to earn money for the reviews they write. Many publishers also contact reviewers and give them Advanced Reader Copies (ARCS) which allows them to read a book before they’re published.

I encourage you to join Goodreads as it is a large site with useful features, great recommendations and a space where you might find people with common interests.