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2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


27 / 30 books. 90% done!

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


39 / 50 books. 78% done!

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona
- Arkansas (1)
- California (7)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico
- New York (4)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee
- Texas (3)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (2)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Canada (2)
- England (21)
- Fiji (1)
- France (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Mexico (1)
- New Zealand (1)
- Norway (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Bahamas (1)
- Vatican City (1)

My Progress:


34 / 51 states. 67% done!

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


24 / 25 books. 96% done!

2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

My Progress:


29 / 50 books. 58% done!

Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


38 / 52 books. 73% done!

2026 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 52 books. 65% done!

2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


22 / 40 books. 55% done!

2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


24 / 51 books. 47% done!

2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


19 / 25 books. 76% done!

2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


44 / 52 books. 85% done!

Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)

My Progress:


54 / 65 books. 83% done!

2026 Countdown Reading Challenge

My Progress:


55 / 55 books. 100% done!

2026 Series Reading Challenge


23 / 36 books. 64% done!

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

My Progress:


70 / 125 books. 56% done!

2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge

My Progress:


9 / 9 books. 100% done!

2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)

My Progress:


36 / 60 books. 60% done!

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 40 books. 25% done!

European Reading Challenge 2026

My Progress:


7 / 50 books. 14% done!

2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)

My Progress:


67 / 125 books. 54% done!

2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge

My Progress:


4 / 5 challenges. 80% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


98 / 100 names. 98% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


76 / 80 skills. 95% done!
Showing posts with label Goodreads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goodreads. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 09, 2023

Top Ten Random Reading Recs From Goodreads


Today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is one I feel like I've done a million times: Top Ten Books You Recommend to Others Most Often. Basically, I most recommend the books and authors I most love. I talk about these gems here on the blog so much that anyone who stops by BBB regularly could probably make a list of the ten books I recommend most for me! In looking for a way to twist the topic into something fresh, I decided to utilize a function of Goodreads that I've never really played with before. Under the "Browse" heading, there is an option to get reading recommendations based on the books you've recorded as read on Goodreads or that appear in your lists on the site. I'm constantly adding data about my reading to Goodreads, so it should know me pretty well by now. We'll see how the recommendation generator did in just a sec...

Before we do that, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our hardworking host, Jana, some love. You can find all the details about TTT on her blog. It's a great weekly meme. You should definitely join in the fun!

Top Ten Books Goodreads Recommended to Me

I have a lot of reading lists on Goodreads. A bunch of books were suggested for each one, so I just used the first book on the first ten lists to make today's TTT list. 

Based on my TBR Shelf:


Yesterday's Tides
by Roseanna M. White
—This is a dual-timeline novel that spans both World War I and World War II. It's set on Ocracoke Island, a small community where life is quiet and simple—until German U-boats start causing trouble. When an injured special agent washes ashore, he comes under the care of Evie Farrow, who runs the local inn. As the two get to know each other, they discover their growing relationship echoes another that occurred in the same inn 30 years before. As past secrets come to light, the couple can't help but wonder what it will mean for their own futures.

Verdict: Well done, Goodreads! This historical novel sounds right up my alley. I've never read anything by White, but I like the sound of this one. Plus, I need a book with "tide" in the title for a reading challenge. Score.

Based on my Adult Mystery/Thriller TBR Shelf:


Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver—Inspired by Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, Kingsolver explores the effects of poverty on a man born into a penniless environment in Appalachia. Blessed with only his good looks and a mop of eye-catchingly copper hair, he plows through a lifetime of struggles.

Verdict: Another hit! This book is one I've been eyeing, although I apparently haven't actually added it to my TBR list yet. Although the plot summary gives little away in terms of what actually happens in the story, the publisher promises that the novel has "a plot that never pauses for breath." I'm in.

Based on my YA Historical Fiction TBR Shelf:


The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar—With a Biblical setting, this Christian (adult?) novel features Keren, the daughter of Jewish captives in Babylon. She is sold into the household of Daniel, where she soon becomes his most trusted scribe. After a horrible accident disrupts her ordered life, she is sent to a foreign country and given an odd job: teach a shepherd boy to become a lord. Why has she been tasked with this strange mission? Who exactly is this shepherd?

Verdict: Hmm, I'm not sure on this one. I usually avoid historical fiction set before the mid-18th Century and Bible-inspired fiction isn't something I've ever really enjoyed. The Hidden Prince gets high marks from Goodreads reviewers, though, so maybe I should give it a go? I probably won't, but you never know...

Based on my Middle Grade Mystery/Thriller TBR Shelf:


A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton—The 8th installment in Clanton's Narwhal and Jelly graphic novel series, this outing celebrates the spookiest night of the year. Narwhal is totally into dressing up and enjoying the holiday. Jelly? Not so much. He finds it way too scary. When Narwhal gets swallowed up by a terrifying sea monster, Jelly must face his fears in order to save his friend.

Verdict: I laughed out loud when I saw this suggestion. This series sounds cute, but it's really not the kind of thing I read.

Based on my Adult General TBR Shelf: 


A Silken Thread by Brenda Jackson—Erica Sanders and Brian Lawson are the perfect couple. Everyone agrees about that. Well, everyone except Erica's mother, Karen (naturally), who will do whatever it takes to keep the couple apart. When she hires a private detective to suss out the Brian's most intimate secrets, what she finds will devastate the families of both Erica and Brian. Though hurt, Erica can't deny her feelings for Brian. She doesn't want to give him up, even though everyone is now telling her to stay away from him. Do Erica and Brian have any chance of finding their once-guaranteed happily ever after? Or will the mistakes of the past ruin any hope they have for a future together?

Verdict: Yeah, no. Way too much drama here for me. I'll give A Silken Thread a hard pass, Goodreads.

Based on my Young Adult Mystery/Thriller TBR Shelf:


Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber—This is the first installment in a YA fantasy series about a young woman who is heartbroken when she discovers that the love of her life plans to marry someone else. Desperate, she makes a dangerous deal with the cunning Prince of Hearts. It's not long before she realizes just how foolish it is to bargain with an immortal...

Verdict: I know Garber is a popular author, but nothing about this book appeals to me. Nice try, Goodreads, but nope.

Based on my Adult Historical Fiction TBR Shelf:


Laurel's Dream
by Pepper Basham
—This book is the last (most recent?) installment in a 13-volume series penned by a variety of popular Christian writers. Laurel's Dream takes place in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1918. It features Laurel McAdams, a young woman whose life's ambition is to become a teacher and bring education to her impoverished community. When a disgraced British man comes to the area as a missionary, he finds hope in an unexpected friendship with Laurel that is quickly becoming more. Can the couple find a way to be together despite the challenges that threaten to tear them apart?

Verdict: While I like historical fiction and Appalachian settings, this one might be too romance-y for me. I won't dismiss it outright, but it also doesn't sound all that appealing to me.

Based on my Middle Grade General TBR Shelf:


Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara—Ever since his mom died in a car accident, 12-year-old Collin has had trouble controlling his anxiety. The only thing that calms him is planning for every possible kind of emergency, from a deadly riptide to embarrassing halitosis. Meanwhile, his dad is growing more distant and has turned to hoarding as a way to soothe his own anxieties. How desperate will Collin's situation get before he's finally able to ask for the help he needs to cope?

Verdict: I've never heard of this verse novel before, but it sounds like one I would like. Thanks for the heads-up, Goodreads!

Based on my Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian TBR Shelf:


Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato—In this first installment of the Blue Exorcist manga series, a boy discovers that the blood of Satan runs through his veins. Desperate to keep this disturbing information to himself while he figures out how to defeat the devil, he starts training as an exorcist at the mysterious True Cross Academy. Can he find enough power within himself to banish demons, especially those lurking inside himself?

Verdict: My 14-year-old daughter might go for this one, but I have no clue why Goodreads chose it for me! I have no interest in manga, for one, and this plot sounds super weird, for two. No thanks, Goodreads.

Based on my Middle Grade Historical Fiction TBR Shelf:


Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn't Built For Us
by Alison Mariella Désir
—When Désir hit rock bottom, she found solace in running. Training for a marathon helped her improve both her physical and mental health. As she got more into the sport, she started investigating its history, which she found disturbingly white. Désir advocates for change and offers ideas for creating a more inclusive running community.

Verdict: This book seems like a super weird choice for this category, doesn't it? I'm the adoptive mother of a bi-racial child, so I'm interested in racial issues, but running really isn't a topic I care about. I'll skip this one.

Goodreads made a couple of useful suggestions for me, but I don't think I'll be relying on it for future recs! Ha ha. It was a fun exercise, though. What do you think of Goodreads' choices for me? Have you read any of them? What books do you recommend most often? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments here.

Happy TTT!

Thursday, November 10, 2022

The Goodreads 100: How Did YOU Do?

I saw this over at Helen's Book Blog and thought I would join in the fun. She saw it on Readerbuzz and My Head Is Full of Books. Thanks for letting me play along, ladies!

This is what Goodreads had to say:

"This is a fun one: For the collection below, we decided to take a long-arc overview and try to identify the most popular books published over the past 100 years, as determined by Goodreads members' digital shelves. To do this, we went year by year and picked one title from among the top of each pile.

However, we didn’t always just grab the very top book for several reasons. Repeats, for instance (some entire eras are Very Stephen King). And some years saw multiple Very, Very Important Works published. Ah, the backstage agony of debating the relative merits of F. Scott FitzgeraldVirginia Woolf, and Franz Kafka!

Mostly we wanted to curate a list that would cover a range of genres and suggest the breadth of reading interests over time. And OK, full confession, it tickled our fancy to be able to put Ulysses and Malibu Rising on the same list."

I'm going to use the same key Ann and Helen did by highlighting the books I've read in yellow, the books on my TBR shelf in aqua, and the books I attempted but didn't finish in green. Let's see how this goes!


1922: Ulysses by James Joyce

1923: The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

1924: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

1925: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

1926: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

1927: To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

1928: The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall

1929: Passing by Nella Larsen

1930: As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

1931: The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer

1932: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

1933: In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki

1934: Murder On the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

1935: Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers

1936: Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner

1937: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

1938: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

1939: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

1940: Native Son by Richard Wright

1941: The Library Of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges

1942: The Stranger by Albert Camus

1943: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

1944: Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges

1945: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

1946: The Member Of The Wedding by Carson McCullers

1947: No Exit by Jean Paul-Sartre

1948: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

1949: 1984 by George Orwell

1950: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

1951: Foundation by Isaac Asimov

1952: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

1953: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

1954: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

1955: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

1956: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

1957: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

1958: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

1959: The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

1960: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (I've read this one multiple times. It's my favorite book of all time!)

1961: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

1962: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

1963: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

1964: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

1965: Dune by Frank Herbert

1966: Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

1967: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

1968: Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

1969: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

1970: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

1971: Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

1972: Ways Of Seeing by John Berger

1973: The Princess Bride by William Goldman

1974: Carrie by Stephen King

1975: Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

1976: The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

1977: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

1978: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

1979: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

1980: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

1981: Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

1982: The Color Purple by Alice Walker

1983: The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis

1984: The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

1985: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (I've tried a few times with this one and I just can't ever get into it.)

1986: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

1987: Watchmen by Alan Moore

1988: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

1989: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

1990: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

1991: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

1992: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

1993: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

1994: The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami

1995: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

1996: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

1997: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

1998: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

1999: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

2000: House Of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielwski

2001: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

2002: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

2003: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

2004: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

2005: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

2006: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2007: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2008: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

2009: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

2010: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

2011: The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller

2012: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

2013: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

2014: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

2015: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

2016: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

2017: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

2018: Educated by Tara Westover

2019: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

2020: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

2021: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Interesting. If I counted right, I've only read 24 of these. I'm surprised and not surprised, both. 

How many of these have you read? Which do you want to read? In which do you have no interest at all? Ha ha.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: RECreational Readng



Some Top Ten Tuesday topics are really tough for my aging memory to handle!  Today's is one of them.  We're supposed to list the Top Ten Most Recent Books I've Read Because Someone Recommended Them Here's the thing—most of the books I read have been recommended to me by someone somewhere.  Can I remember those details?  No, no I cannot.  I need to be better about recording where recs come from.  After all, there's no better feeling for a book reviewer or a reader in general than knowing someone has enjoyed a book you recommended to them.  In order not to overtax my elderly brain, I'm going to tweak the topic just a little and chat about my top ten go-to places for reading suggestions.

Want to join in the TTT fun?  Of course you do!  Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

My Top Ten Go-To Places for Book Recommendations 


1.  Book Blogs—No surprise here!  I read tons of book blogs and am always on the lookout for new ones to enjoy.  Book bloggers are the best with reading recs.  With all the blogs on my roll, I'm guaranteed to find a variety of recommended reads.  Hands down, this is my number one source for 
recs.


2.  BookPage—This is a great monthly magazine that my library offers for free.  It has reviews, author interviews, giveaways, and more.  If your library does not provide copies, you can have BookPage delivered to your home for $30 a year.


3.  Bookmarks Magazine—If you like a meatier book magazine, you can't go wrong with this one.  It also features reviews, author interviews, and giveaways—it just offers more of them in a glossier format.  You can buy issues (they come out every two months) at your local Barnes & Noble or subscribe for $34.95/year.


4.  Goodreads—It's no secret that I adore this most popular of bookish sites.  I love that I can keep track of what my friends are reading, see their reviews, and get recommendations straight from them.  Goodreads also has a "Recommendations" feature (under the "Browse" tab) which suggests books you might like based on your shelves.  The more you rate the books you read, the better it works.  When you review a book on Goodreads, there is now an option where you can record who recommended the book to you.  Note to self:  Use this feature!


5.  Book Riot—I don't know about you, but I'm on a lot of bookish mailing lists.  I tend to ignore most of these emails, but I look forward to the ones from Book Riot.  They're fun and informative.  My favorite are their book lists, which have titles like "5 Books Where Women Take Charge" and "Prank Your Significant Other in 7 Fun Romance Books."  Check it out for lists, reviews, book buying deals, and more.


6.  The Library—Because of dang COVID-19, I haven't done any physical browsing of the library shelves for quite some time.  Back in the olden days, however, I enjoyed roaming the aisles to find great new books.  My library always had fun seasonal/themed displays, fliers with themed book lists, recommended books on display, even a short-lived blog.  Although I still browse the library's online catalog, it's just not the same as looking in person!


7.  Bookstores—I visited my local Barnes & Noble last week, which marks the first time since COVID started that I've been inside a physical bookstore.  Whether it's a chain like B&N, a local indie, or just a small section of a larger store like Costco, I dig browsing for books.  I love checking out displays at bookstores, overhearing readers discussing their picks, and even getting recs from random shoppers (which has happened to me numerous times, both at B&N and Changing Hands).  


8.  Family and Friends—My book addiction is no secret.  Maybe it's my READ3R license plate or the book that is always in my hand or the fact that there are more tomes in my home than in a lot of bookstores ... whatever clue gives it away, my bibliophilia is widely known.  Friends and family members are always recommending books to me.


9.  Review Requests—Most book bloggers get tons of queries in their inboxes every day asking them to check out an author/publisher/publicist's latest and greatest.  Although I decline a lot more of these than I used to, this is still a big source of reading recommendations and material for me.



10.  NetGalley and Edelweiss+—Both of these sites, which offer e-ARCs to professional readers, are like literary blackholes.  I can—and often do—spend hours scouring through their many offerings.  My feedback ratio on NetGalley currently sits at a shameful 2% because the site makes me so click-happy that I request a lot more books on there than I actually get read.  Oops.

There you go, ten places I turn to when I'm looking for a new book to read.  How about you?  Who or what are your go-to sources?  Where do you go for awesome reading recs?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

TTT: How Do I Love Thee, Goodreads? Let Me Count the Ways ...


It's Tuesday again and things in the world have changed a little bit.  Has your state or country started opening up?  What do you think about it?  Here in Arizona, a few more places (restaurant dining rooms, movie theaters, public swimming pools, salons, etc.) have been given the green light to reopen.  I'm still a little leery about the whole thing, but I'm not going to lie—I'm happy to have a hair appointment next week and to have been able to reschedule several doctor's appointments that had been postponed due to COVID-19.  I'm a homebody by nature, so I plan to stick close to home no matter what.  I just hope things can get back to a new normal that will feel stabilizing and safe.  This has certainly been a strange Spring, hasn't it?

On a lighter note, it's time for my favorite weekly meme.  This week's topic is a nice, open one that should lead to lot of interesting lists:  Top Ten Reasons I Love ______ (insert your favorite book, author, genre, etc.).  I'll tell you what topic I chose in a sec, but first I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun.  All you have to do is click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read through some brief instructions, craft your own list, and then spend some happy hours hopping around the book blogosphere.  It's a great way to spread the love around our wonderful community!

I've always been a list-making type of person.  There's just something so satisfying about corralling my thoughts into neat columns, adding to it when needed, and then crossing out accomplished tasks.  I began keeping track of the books I read and those I wanted to read in the back of a paper journal in college.  When Google Docs became a thing, I switched to a spreadsheet.  While I've used Goodreads here and there since its creation, it hasn't been until the last few years that I've made it my number one tool for keeping track of what I read, what I want to read, and what I think about what I've read.  So, for today's list, I'm going to tell you why I love the site so much.  

Top Ten Reasons I Love Goodreads (in no particular order):

1.  I can keep track of what I read.  Yes, I could do this on a Google spreadsheet, but I like GR's interface.  It makes tracking easy and fun.

2.  I can rate what I read.  Like many, I have some issues with GR's limited star-rating system.  Half-stars should totally be a thing!  Still, I like being able to rate a book using a simple system.  I can always explain my reasoning in my review.  

3.  I can review what I read.  For the most part, I review every book I read on my blog.  However, sometimes it's months before I actually get around to doing it!  I'm good about ticking off the books I read on GR right away, though, and typing up a quick review on the site.  It's really nice to be able to look back at what I wrote about a book when my thoughts were fresh to remind me of what to write in my blog review.

4.  I can see ratings and reviews from other GR users.  As always, I take other readers' opinions with a grain of salt, but I still appreciate being able to see what other people thought of a book.  Both ratings and reviews help me decide which titles to add to my always-growing TBR lists and which to leave on the shelf.

5.  I can follow my friends and acquaintances.  It's fun to follow my friends on GR so I can see what they're reading as well as the titles on their TBR lists.  My favorite feature under the "Friends" tab is "Compare Books."  It's always interesting to compare/contrast my thoughts on a book with those of my friends.

6.  I can make endless "Bookshelves."  This is a GR feature that I should use more.  Right now, I have only three bookshelves:  Adult Fiction TBR, MG/YA Fiction TBR, and Non-Fiction TBR.  Originally, I only had one bookshelf for all genres, but when the shelf was loaded up with more than 5000 titles, GR would no longer let me organize them in want-to-read order, so I split my main shelf into three.  I could have organized my TBR list by genre or favorite author or setting or whatever, really.  Other people do this a lot more than I do and it's fun to see their lists, some of which are very handy, creative, and entertaining.

7.  I can organize my books in want-to-read order.  This is my favorite GR feature by far.  There are a number of ways you can organize your bookshelves in GR, but I like to have mine in order of most excited to read to least.  In fact, I'm a *tad* obsessive about this.  I spend a fair amount of time making sure the first 30 books on my shelves are in want-to-read order.  Because I can pull up GR wherever I may be, this prioritizing helps when I'm browsing for books at the library or bookstore.

8.  I can take GR with me wherever I go.  See above.  Bringing up a Google spreadsheet on my phone when I'm at the library or bookstore is not easy.  Firing up GR is simple.  The site helps me see what books are on my TBR list as well as find other authors/books when I'm on the go.  Super helpful.   

9.  I can participate in GR's annual reading challenge.  I love me a reading challenge, so I've had a ball with this GR feature.  The site makes it a cinch to set a personal reading goal and keep track of your progress.  GR even gives me a fun widget to put on my blog so everyone can see how I'm doing.  Who cares if I never actually reach my GR goal?  I still have a good ole time with it!

10.  Everything else.  GR has tons to offer book lovers.  You can follow favorite authors, interact with authors and other readers, enter book giveaways, join groups of like-minded bibliophiles, vote for your favorite reads in the annual Goodreads Choice Awards, etc.  There are tons of great features on GR, probably more than I'm even aware of.  It's an awesome website that I definitely recommend using.  If you haven't checked it out yet, do it!  And if you want to follow me, just click on the GR icon on left sidebar of my blog.  Easy peasy.

There you have it, ten reasons I love Goodreads.  Do you use GR?  What do you think of it?  What are your favorite features?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I'll return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT! 
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