Goodreads

Within my new Kindle (read about it here) was a link to Goodreads, which although has been a website since 2006 wasn’t something that I’ve come across before. Whenever I finish a book I can rate it and add it to my virtual shelf on Goodreads, and then receive recommendations based upon my books. It also allows you mark books that you’re currently reading or want to read. All very good, but quite limited on my cheaper Kindle.

This morning I had a look at the full website on my laptop, which includes updates from authors that I follow, hundreds of lists of books and a whole community with groups to join and discussions. Additionally you can follow friends who also have Kindles. To do this automatically you can import contacts from Facebook, Gmail or Twitter. I’m not on Facebook or Twitter and I don’t use Gmail, so I have no friends to follow, although they might be disappointed to see some of the trashy horror novels that I read.

One problem is that with so many groups and lists, it can be really difficult to find one or two that cover the books you like to read, even with a search function. I also found that after browsing different sections of the website 45 minutes had passed. The internet can easily become a black hole of time, which is another reason why I’m not on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, etc. I’d rather be more productive, i.e. writing a blog entry, exercising, spending quality time with my lovely wife or simply reading. Possibly over time I might come to love Goodreads, but at the moment for me it’s a bit ‘meh’.

What are your experiences of Goodreads?