The Five Ways I Use Goodreads

Goodreads is a website—with apps for mobile devices—that allows users to track books, read and leave book reviews, and connect with other readers. I started using Goodreads in 2019, and I wish I had found it sooner. So I’ve compiled the five ways that I use Goodreads. There are over five, but my cauldron, my reasons. 😂

Setting Reading Goals

Each year Goodreads starts a new reading challenge. I select a goal number of books I want to read for the year, and each time I mark a book as read, it counts toward my yearly goal. I’m goal-oriented, and I love marking things off to-do lists. So this is a win for me.

In 2019, when I started using GR late in the year, my goal was thirty books. In 2020 it was fifty-three, and this year it is 100. I crushed it in 2019 and 2020, but this year I am ten books behind schedule. 😱 I need to get to reading!  

Tracking Books

I track both the books that I’ve read and the books I want to read. I used to have a paper list, then an excel spreadsheet. Next, I moved it into the notes app on my iPhone, and now I have Goodreads. Goodreads has been the easiest to manage of my different systems. Keeping a list of books I want to read is very important to me. Although, full disclosure, I’m not very good at actually reading the books on the list. I am easily distracted by shiny objects, or in this case, new books. 

New Reading Ideas

I love seeing what my friends are reading, whether they are someone I know personally or a like-minded reader or fellow author I follow on Goodreads. Goodreads has a feed, similar to Facebook, that lists when your friends finish a book, if they recommend it, and if they’ve left a review. Users can also post comments in their feed about books or asking for recommendations. 

Book Reviews and Ratings

Goodreads members can leave reviews on the books they’ve read. They also can rate a book without leaving a review. Often I will check book ratings to decide if I want to read the book or not. I’ve learned only to read the reviews AFTER I’ve finished the book. If someone points out a negative point about a book, I look for it the entire time I’m reading it.  

Following my Favorite Authors

Just like you can follow friends or fell readers, you can also follow authors on Goodreads. My favorite is Charlaine Harris. She frequently answers readers’ questions on the platform. Whenever she interacts or posts something new on Goodreads, I get an email letting me know. I also get emails when the authors I’ve selected as my favorites release new books. Often their blog posts or event news updates on their page on Goodreads. That means that I don’t have to subscribe to multiple newsletters or check their blogs multiple times to see if they’ve posted something. It’s all right there for me in one place. 

Now for my shameless plug—Follow me on Goodreads

FYI – the non-fiction books on my list, like those about witchcraft, voodoo, wolves, or historical figures, are usually research for my upcoming books. 

So those are my top five. There are so many more ways to use Goodreads. There are quizzes on your favorite books or story worlds, authors often give away freebies, and you can join reader groups based on your preferences. 

Do you use Goodreads? If so, what is your favorite feature?