Hello there readers!
Last week I published my first blog in a few weeks and I’m back at it again today! Be sure to keep your eye out for my blogs hitting the site once a week, usually on Tuesdays from here on out but maybe some on Thursdays like today.
So yesterday June began! We are almost halfway through the year already, I can’t believe it! But June is the start of the summer and vacations and, for me at least, that means it’s time to read, read, read. What better way to start off the summer than with a blog for readers.
Goodreads
The Basics
I know in the past I have brought up this site called Goodreads but we haven’t had the proper opportunity to really delve into what Goodreads really offers. There are many functions of Goodreads but I want to talk about some of my favorites.
To start, what is Goodreads? Goodreads is a social network for bibliophiles. It’s a virtual bookshelf for readers to showcase what they are reading to friends, family, and any one else who follows them. Goodreads helps you stay in touch with other readers through your books and their’s.
There are many aspects of Goodreads and many of them can seem somewhat confusing. I wish I had the time to really take apart each of these sections because I think they provide incredible tools to readers and authors alike. However, for today’s purposes the two most basic parts of Goodreads are your bookshelves and your basic update.
Goodreads keeps all of your books, whether in print, on your Kindle (which is what I use the majority of the time), your Kindle App, or any book you read on other platforms, on virtual shelves. There are a few shelves that everyone is set up with from the beginning, Currently Reading, Read, To-Read, and you can add shelves to organize your books in other fashions. I currently use the three main shelves as well as a shelf dedicated to my 2016 reading challenge, which includes all of the books I have completed this year. Maybe you want all your sales books on one shelf or your top 10 favorite books on another, make your shelves personal! And don’t worry, you can have your books on multiple shelves at once.
The other basic aspect of Goodreads is the update. Once you have a book added to your shelves you can update your reading progress to show others how far you have read. You can do this on your Kindle by sharing the update from your current page and Goodreads will automatically update with your progress. If you read print books, keep track of your progress on Goodreads as well, just add a manual update and Goodreads tracks your place.
If you are new to Goodreads these two parts are where I would spend some time becoming familiar with the site. But if you are a regular visitor or an advanced user there are many other aspects of the site that I love.
Virtual Spelunking
Further exploring Goodreads
For those who want some more Goodreads, come and explore with me! I really want to talk about two things I use regularly.
First off, check out their List section. Reader Beware: You can get lost for a long time here. As the name suggests, here you will find lists upon lists upon lists of book. The topics range from :Best Books of the ’90s” to “Books that Grow You” to “Best Business Books” and thousands of others. Why do I sit at the computer and look at these? Mainly because they are lists generated by users who vote on books to climb up or down the list. This is neat because it shows you what books others are reading and what books you might want to read.
One downside to the way that this works is that people have an inherent bias to vote for books that others have voted for in order to be viewed favorably by others. This might hide a few books that are great reads so don’t feel obligated to read what everyone else already has. Do not let that impede your discovery of books though as nearly all of the books I have found on these lists are top-notch books. The biggest thing is that the lists are a tool for you to discover new books to read and you might find a hidden gem you never knew about before!
The other part of Goodreads I like is the recommendations offered by Goodreads. The site takes the books you have read, shown interest in, or rated and it will give you recommendations based on those books. With someone like myself who constantly wants to find a good book to read these recommendations give me another source to add books to my to-read shelf.
Your turn!
What else is there?
I know that there are many other aspects of Goodreads and I highly suggest digging into them especially if you are a reader. From giveaways to the Choice Awards, to discussions, and more, you can find about anything you need to satisfy your need to read. Look forward to some blogs coming out in the future that will look into these other sections.
For those of you who use Goodreads, what are some of your favorite parts? Anything you can’t live without or maybe something that you hate? Let me know!
And if you want to become friends send me a request!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Peter
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