Time Travel discussion

Let's talk about Goodreads!

What brought you to goodreads? Or kept you here? How long have you been here? Have you tried any other sites or programs to organize your books, or find new ones, or chat about them? How avid a user of GR are you?

I found Goodreads through my local library and liked that I could catalogue what I had read and what I wanted to read next. It helped me keep organized and gave me a sense of accomplishment to be able to mark books "read." I've been using it now for about 11 years. I'm obsessive maybe; I'm checking Goodreads almost every day.

There was once a website I signed up for where you could create a shelf of books but it wasn't interactive the way this website is. I don't even remember what it was called.

How cool that it was your library!

I learned about it from casual friends at a BookCrossing event. I've been here even longer than you, and check in even more often... probably because I'm 'retired' and books are my life. ;)

I really enjoy both the discussion groups and the pretty darn good cataloging system. But I think that I most especially love others' reviews, so I can choose more carefully what to add to my ginormous to-read lists!

I've tried librarything but it's just not quite as juicy as GR, and leafmarks failed, unfortunately.

I don't remember how I found GR but I love it. I use it and the app all the time. As a bibliophile, I am always looking for books, so when I'm at a thrift shop I can just scan a book and find out if I've read it or what it's rating is. SO helpful.
I've tried LibraryThing but am so used to GR that I just use it ... Why not?
When I'm at work at the library I tell patrons about the App all the time so they can keep track of what they've read. It's just so very handy.

Welcome, Amy Bea, lovely to have a helpful librarian here! Well, that came out wrong... almost every librarian I've ever met has been as helpful as possible.... :)

I joined GR in 2009 (says so on my profile so it must be true!) I think I was just looking for a place to keep track of what I was reading. I also tried LibraryThing but it wasn't for me. I pretty much check GR every day these days, a little less often pre-retirement (I think that's a word?)

Hey, neologisms work for me; language evolves!

A friend recommended Goodreads a long time ago but it wasn't until I joined a local book club that I signed up. I find it helpful in tracking the books I have been reading and finding new and interesting books. I also use Storygraph since it is easier to track certain reading challenges but it has more limitations than Goodreads.

I don't know if I've ever heard of Storygraph; I'll have to investigate.

I joined Goodreads after I was searching for a book and the link to Goodreads came up. At first I was using it to track which books in a series I was on, then I joined a couple of groups-this one being one of the first.
When I discovered challenges, I became obsessed with the site!

Oh, challenges. I wish I could quit 'em but I keep signing up!

for me, a ways back I used an online website called Shelfari for managing my book collection. Unlike other apps that basically kept a list of book titles with some metadata about them (genre, isbn, author), Shelfari had beautiful book icons with unique cover art and a Shelf-like display to browse. It was beautiful! And I was quite proud of that collection!

Shelfari actually got bought out or taken over by Amazon and became what Goodreads is today. It was quite a few years before I was back to reading at a volume where I wanted to track and catalog my again, but when I did rediscovered Goodreads my goal ever since is to amass a broad and unusual collection of consumed books that I may or may not have enjoyed! I've been on Goodreads for about 5 years now and it's my favorite among all the social media options.

That seems to be a common theme, that we have benefited from GR by broadening our selections across genres and beyond bestseller lists.

But I'm intrigued by your word "consumed." At times, when I come out of the library with bags that I can barely lift, I feel like I'm doing something different than reading and evaluating them, but I don't know if I've ever felt "consumed." Though it's an apt word for sure!

Shelfari! That's the other website I briefly used but wasn't a huge fan of.

I found Goodreads through a friend when I wrote Blast from the Past, however, I have discovered much more here. I have been reading more and have discovered books I didn't know were out there. Enjoying the groups, people and reading through the reviews. I am waving hello Cheryl 👋 I am right next door in Kansas, lol.

Jeb, welcome! Good to meet other readers in the heartland.