9 Goodreads Tips for Beginners – Making the Most of a Reading Community

I’ve only been on Goodreads for a couple of months, but already it’s making a huge difference to my bookish lifestyle! I love being part of a shared community and it also gives me lots of ideas – my want-to-read list is rapidly expanding. I thought I would share some of my knowledge on this list of beginners’ tips for making the most out of Goodreads!

1) Add and rate as many books as you possibly can

The more books you can put on your ‘read’ shelf, the better! This will increase the number and quality of recommendations you get.

2) Add friends

I speak from experience – your homepage will be really boring if you don’t add some friends, have a nose at what they’re reading and properly join the community.

3) Join a group

Why not start by joining the Miscellany Pages book club and discussion group here! Some more of the most popular are:

Everyone Has Read This But Me – the Catch-Up Book Club
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
The Perks of Being a Book Addict
The Mystery, Crime and Thriller Group
Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge
Goodreads Choice Award Book Club
Book Haven
50 Books to Read Before You Die
Catching up on Classics

4) Create a little quote bank

Not necessary, but it’s nice to look back on when you’re in need of some motivation or inspiration. To do this, go to the ‘Quotes’ section and search for particular authors or just browse by most popular. Then get liking!

5) Don’t worry about shelving

I started trying to shelve my books by genre, but the system started getting ridiculously complicated when books fit into more than one category or are really hard to label. Trust me – your ‘read’, ‘want to read’ and ‘currently reading’ shelves will serve you just fine!

6) Get the app

It’s very handy to have a browse for ideas on the bus or add new books when you aren’t logged onto your computer.

7) Put a widget on your website

Have a WordPress blog? Let your audience know what you’re reading at the moment with a Goodreads widget. There is a handy guide on how to do this here.

8) Follow your favourite author

Lots of authors have Goodreads pages and will take questions about their books from readers just like you!

9) Set yourself a reading challenge

If you’re a little competitive, or just want to motivate yourself to read a bit more in 2018, there’s a fantastic feature where you can set yourself an annual reading goal. Joining a group will also allow you to share your progress and get support from others.

Don’t forget to join our Goodreads group here!