Why You Should Get Goodreads

There’s nothing better than combining social media and reading 

By Amanda Healy

I don’t care what people say: reading is fun. Once you find a specific genre or author you like, reading becomes more than something you need to do for class. BookTok (the side of TikTok for books) has opened many eyes to the magical world of immersing yourself in fictional stories. Still, my favorite way to find new books and recommendations is Goodreads. 

Goodreads is an app and website where you can log what you are reading, add your friends, discover new books from different lists (like new releases and what’s trending), and view the annual Goodreads Choice Awards, which highlight the top picks from the year. 

If you don’t have this app, you need it; what’s better than having a social media app for books? After creating an account, you can add your friends to see what they are reading and expand your personal taste. You can also set your personal goal for the number of books you want to read in one year, and the percentage of completion increases after every book you finish – my favorite feature. Once I set the number of books I want to read, I can’t not hit that number because I’m too competitive, even though it’s me against myself. If I fall behind, it is a great encouragement to keep reading. 

If you see a book you want to read, you can add it to your “want to read” digital shelf. In addition, you can create different shelf titles suited to your liking. So many features allow you to customize your page in personal ways to get as much out of the app as you want. 

Although there are times throughout the year when I am behind on my goal, which can be very stressful due to the number of books I want to read, Goodreads is still one of my all-time favorite apps. It has introduced me to some of my all-time favorite books and encouraged me to read regularly.