If you’re a booklover whose typical conversations with friends include the question, “Read any good books lately?,” finding new reading materials can be easier than you think. Goodreads is a free website that allows you to keep track of what you’ve read or are planning to read, write reviews, and see what your friends are reading. The main benefit of using Goodreads is its social networking potential; using the site is all about getting suggestions from other users.
Loyola Libraries has its own account, which provides the Loyola community with a great chance to learn what faculty and staff at Loyola Libraries are reading. If you are already on Goodreads or want to join, don’t forget to add Loyola Libraries as a friend to get their book reviews in your regular digest.
Set up an Account
While you can simply peruse the website to learn what others are reading, in order to get the most out of Goodreads, you’ll want to set up an account and start adding friends. Once you provide your email address and create a password on the on the Sign-up page, Goodreads will enable you to find friends in your address book who already have accounts, if you use Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, or AOL. Additionally, you may send a Goodreads invitation to your contacts who do not yet have an account. It’s also worthwhile to check out the recent reviews, where you can learn how users have rated books in categories such as popular, most read, and unpopular. It can be helpful to learn how others have rated your favorite book or the next novel you are planning to read; and it’s especially rewarding to receive recommendations from those whose opinions you value most, your friends!