Goodreads

To anyone that knows me well, it's no secret that I like to read. I have been an avid reader since I could pick up a book. My mom likes to tell the story about how I would sit on the couch looking at books instead of playing with my friends. My book reports were more like slightly condensed versions of books. You get the idea.

 

So you can imagine my excitement when I came across the fantastic website know at Goodreads. The best way I can describe it is that it is like Facebook meets your school reading list. Sort of.

 

You create a profile on the site and then you start adding books that you've read, want to read or are reading to 'shelves.' You also can rate and review the books. I do this for all the books I've read. I like reading reviews from others, so I hope my opinion is valuable to someone. You can also explore books by genre and by different lists. I have discovered so many books this way. This is the 'school reading list' aspect of it.

 

You can also request other users to be your 'friends' like you would on Facebook. This allows you to see what they are reading and look at their reading lists. You can also join book groups. I am part of the Rory Gilmore Book Club, Read the Movie and The Smart Chicks Book Club. Each month the groups read a different book and have a discussion regarding the book. I really enjoy the threads; it's nice to get into a discussion about books. That was one of my favorite parts of my English classes, reading then discussing the books.

 

The site isn't all book list and discussions. There are quizzes and trivia to take, and you can look up some great quotes from different authors and books. One of my favorite features of the site is the giveaways. You can enter to win early releases of books. It can be a great way to expand your library with books that you might not of heard of otherwise. All they ask in return is that you read the book and review it.

 

Another thing I like is that Goodreads allows you to create a reading challenge for yourself and tracks your progress by telling you how on pace you are for accomplishing your reading goal. Right now I'm one book behind to be on pace for reading 25 books this year.

 

Overall, I think this is a pretty cool site to join. It also helps with my compulsion to have things on lists. I now have a list of books to check off. I suggest checking it out if you're a reader like myself and so many others.

 

Here's the link to my Goodreads site.

 

Kim