I suppose I heard about Goodreads for a year before I ever viewed it. And when I did, I only used it to see what other readers said about particular books. Not until several months later did I decide to use it to keep track of the books I had read, was reading, or wanted to read.
It astounds me that I can look up a book I rate at 5 stars and find at least a few have given it 1 star! It works the other way around too. Nothing else has better drilled into my mind that reading tastes are subjective. No matter how well I wrote a novel, someone somewhere would review it saying they wish they could give it 0 stars.
Despite those variances, I find Goodreads an excellent place to find suggestions of books to read. Unlike the Amazon or Barnes & Noble sites, Goodreads is oriented to the reader not the consumer. Because of that, I think the reviews and ratings may be more honest.
I haven’t written many reviews; I’m still working through my real bookshelves, listing the books I’ve read and rating them. If you’ve never visited the Goodreads site, I suggest you do. If you are, or become, a Goodreader, feel free to add me as a friend.
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I’ve been on Goodreads for a few years, and I love it. I love that it’s for the reader, not the writer. I’m also very glad to see you there! I swear I’ve put up every single book I’ve read, and sadly, it’s not that many. I am slow.
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I’m new to Goodreads too, but love it. It is an easy place to track what I’ve read, extend my list of to-be-read books, read reviews on books I may be interested in and read forum comments from like-minded readers. I’m glad you mentioned the reviews. Yes, I agree that the reviews on this site do read and feel a bit more honest then on Amazon. Maybe it is because they are coming from people who are regular readers who are familiar with multiple titles from the authors and/or the genre and can bring that perspective.
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I, too, like it for that reason, Barbara. At booksellers, like Amazon, I always wonder if the reviews are “fakes” posted to increase sales.
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