This past summer, I read so many terrific books that were recommended to me by friends and family. After I plowed through all these books, I needed a place for more recommendations. This is when I created my account on Goodreads, giving me access to thousands of recommendations and reviews. Soon, I had more books that I wanted to read than I had time for.
On Goodreads, people are brutally honest about a book in a way like no other, even if the review isn’t anonymous. Social media causes competition in our society, but this is an example where it creates community.Â
Is Goodreads even a social media? It may be a bit of a stretch, but according to the internet it is. Although you aren’t sharing photos of your college tailgate or a recent trip to Europe, you are still sharing a little piece of your life. After you read a book, you share a rating of up to five stars with an optional written review.Â
The app also provides you a place to put books on a “want to read” shelf. You can also access every review you have given to a book on your “read” shelf. Additionally you can even set up reading challenges for the year, giving you more motivation to open a book.
With the recent book trends on apps like TikTok, there is a growing community of readers out there. Goodreads finds itself in a helpful niche of the world. As people turn to look for recommendations for books, they can turn to reviews written by real people. Which is better than just walking into a bookstore and picking the first book advertised to you.
The app is one of my favorite ways to stay connected with my college roommates. Most of us are big readers and trade books back and forth. Putting reviews of books I’ve read on Goodreads alerts them to what I’ve read. They can see my honest reviews and what I’ve rated a book and vice versa.Â
If you are a reader looking for the best book app, Goodreads it is! And if you have just gotten into reading, Goodreads is also the perfect place to start finding books to read. Join here at goodreads.com.