If you’ve been following along for a while now, you know I’ve been doing a blog series on Goodreads. Today I want to talk about one of my favorite Goodreads features.
I like that I can keep track of what I’ve read in the past (though I’m sure there are lots I’ve left off), but even better is that I can compile a list of books I want to read. So often I’ll hear about a good book and then forget about if I don’t get to the library or bookstore right away or if another book comes along that I want to read. A couple books on my to-read list right now are:
- Brian Doyle’s Grace Notes. I heard him speak at the Festival of Faith & Writing in 2012 and loved his mix of humor, sentiment, and humanity.
- Melinda Moustakis’ Bear Down, Bear North: Alaska Stories. I came across her name when she was nominated in 2011 as a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 fiction writer. On the one hand, she’s a young, female, Greek American author so I feel a kindred spirit; on the other hand, she’s from Alaska, which seems more foreign than Greece to me, yet, given my interest in the Lapland, intriguing.
- Michael Sims‘ The Story of Charlotte’s Web: E. B. White’s Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic. My love for literature bloomed when I read Charlotte’s Web, so when I heard about this book I knew I had to read it. I just haven’t gotten to it yet….
As you can see, I have very eclectic taste.
I’ve found a few books on Goodreads that I’ve added to my list, but mainly the books on my to-read list have come from stories I’ve heard on NPR, mentions on lit blogs, and random encounters with the authors.
Have you ever found a great book on Goodreads? How do you usually find out about books? What should I add to my ever-growing list of to-read books?
Shameless plug alert: If you’re looking for a book to add to your to-read list, perhaps you want to add Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.”
Stephanie Nikolopoulos 
stef can we buy the book now, debbie was asking and i was not sure
I moved and haven’t been able to set up internet at my new place yet so the file is stuck on my desktop. Hoping to get this resolved by the end of the month at the latest and get the book out then.
I am on Goodreads but have to say I don’t use it that extensively (but I have got ‘Burning Furiously Beautiful’ on my wish list there!). I have got a lot of ways of discovering books to read, but the most important way probably is discovering writers and their books through the writers/books I have read, or heard about in connection with my favorite writers.
That’s a great point, J — Goodreads is a great way to discover writers. From the lists and categories to searching just by author name or friends’ reading lists, Goodreads offers a lot of ways to find books similar to others you already like.
Yes, but then I would find even more books to read – I would have to give up my dayjob!
Haha, me too! Actually, that’s one of my favorite functions of Goodreads is the “to-read” function where I can list all the books I want to read. I’m finally getting around to a book that’s been on there for two years now!
That’s encouraging and good to know, Stephanie. Someday, I’ll give it another try.