Goodreads

I joined Goodreads yesterday. I'd heard of this site before, where you can list all the books you've read/are reading/hope to read, etc. etc. and I had actually clicked over to it several times, but never joined. Now, I'm a member.

I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with it. There are so many different places on the Internet to "friend" people and join things that it all becomes overwhelming sometimes. Still, the idea of finding other people who have read the same book that I have is somewhat intriguing. I distinctly remember reading Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, when it came out several years ago. I wanted so badly to discuss that book with someone, and I could not find One Person who had read it yet. Argggh.


Now, I'll be able to find discussion groups, get ratings, and even offer my own two cents into what I think about a book. Not sure if I'll actually have time to write reviews or get that involved. I mean, it's hard enough to get all the books read that I have stacked next to me right now, besides writing my own.


But for now, as a brand new member of Goodreads, I am totally hooked trying to add to the 'my books" list; trying to remember all the books I've ever read (I mean how far back do you go - childhood? That's a LOT of books.) When I clicked on the children's list, I started adding, adding, adding, because I've worked as a children's librarian (which is where my love for children's literature became honed to a fine edge) and I was amazed how many books I have read in this genre. (And I barely touched the picture books.) Of course there are lots of horse books on my list. Lots of novels featuring ranch life (which I will cover in a further blog post.) And actually, quite a bit of recent fiction.


When you add books to your list on Goodreads, you can rate them. Five stars = It was Amazing. Four stars = I really liked it. Three stars = I liked it. I added a lot of books with Five Stars, because they were memorable, amazing, and they stood out in my mind. I sincerely doubt that I'll ever add any books with only one or two stars (I didn't like it, it was okay) because, let's face it, if I don't like a book, or if I think it's downright terrible, I won't even finish it at all. And this does happen.


Anyway, adding books to my list is addicting, distracting, and one more thing to keep me fooling around on the Internet and not working on revisions of my own manuscript. But it's fun. And now I'm working on this cool widget montage to go on my sidebar to show what I've read, so people will know that I love and appreciate books. Which is true. I do love books, and I love to read.

Are you on Goodreads? Do you use it much? Let me know of ways that it has worked for you.


Oh and Do. Not. Forget. (Have you noticed that this is a cool new Internet way of talking? You know, to emphasize something - you put a period after every word. As in O.M.G.) Anyway - Do. Not. Forget. You can still enter the drawing to win a copy of Riding Invisible, a brand new YA novel by Sandra Alonzo, until March 15th. I will draw the winner on March 16th. Good luck, everyone!