The main reason I like and use Goodreads is it’s where readers and writers hang out. It’s like the Internet Movie Database, only for books.
I use Goodreads to keep track of what I’ve read.
Here’s what I do on Goodreads.
Track the books I’ve read, am currently reading, and want to read.
Before I joined Goodreads in 2013, I had started keeping a list of books I’d read so I could go back and refresh my memory as to what a book was about, the date I read it, and what I thought of it. Goodreads gives me a place to do all that, plus I can check the account online even when traveling.
Shelve my books – organize my list – the way I want.
Goodreads lets me assign names for my shelves: Adventure, Apologetics, Autobiography, Kindle Sample, Read on Kindle, Spiritual Issues, Staying Young, Writing Craft, Young Adult. You get the idea.
When you enter a book title to add to your list, you get to see a synopsis, a review, and its average rating. One of my favorite books is The Speed of Dark, by Elizabeth Moon, which comes up on Goodreads with the rating of 4.02 out of 5.
Track which books I liked.
You can either give a book a rating from 1 to 5 stars or you can review it. You can even link your review to your blog.
Connect with friends who like to read.
You can compare your book list with a friend’s list and compare your ratings for a particular book with your friend’s rating. You can also find books on their lists. I love learning about my friends in this way.
Find new friends who are readers.
When I click on reviews of my favorite books, I can strike up a conversation with someone who’s also a fan and become “friends” if you want, but there’s no pressure to interact with anyone.
Find books that are similar to a book I’ve written.
Writers who want to find readers for their own books can use Goodreads to connect with people who are fans of that genre. After all, Goodreads attracts readers.
For another positive review, see
Authors: 6 Reasons You Need to Be on Goodreads
Contrast my viewpoint with Why I’m Leaving Goodreads.
I know Goodreads isn’t the only tool out there. Do you like to keep track of the books you’ve read? If so, how do you do it?
Posted on March 1, 2016
I’ve been wanting to track books I read for some time. Better late than never. Lots of good reading days ahead, I trust.
Thanks for commenting, Carolyn! I forgot to mention that my son tracks his books on 3×5 cards. Every time he starts a book, he writes the title and date on a card and uses it as a bookmark, which is handy for any notes he might want to make. I do that now, too, so when I’ve finished the book, it’s easy to upload the info. No pressure to join Goodreads, okay? But I’ll keep my eyes open for you.