Some don’t like that Amazon makes use of Goodreads knowledge to tell its book-selling enterprise, whereas authors allege the app doesn’t do sufficient to fight bad-faith “review-bombing” and creator harassment. Goodreads vp of selling and editorial Suzanne Skyvara stated the corporate has expanded its customer support group and added a function that pauses evaluate submissions throughout “uncommon exercise” reminiscent of review-bombing.
If you would like a much less contentious or extra privacy-friendly residence to your to-be-read record, listed below are our CliffsNotes on 4 of our favourite book-logging apps for Goodreads defectors. (Remember that any time you search a linked database — reminiscent of Google, Apple Books or Amazon — inside one in all these apps, that firm will obtain details about your question.)
Ben-Moshe ended up switching to StoryGraph, a Goodreads-like app that doesn’t share knowledge with Amazon.
In comparison with Goodreads, StoryGraph, which has variations for iOS and Android, places much less emphasis on social opinions and extra on private metrics and automatic suggestions. After I stuffed out its (fairly detailed) suggestion questionnaire, the app generated a spot-on record on recommended reads. (First up is “Parakeet” by Marie-Helene Bertino.) Its “stats” tab generates month-to-month or yearly analyses of your studying habits, with enjoyable breakdowns like temper and style. And its colourful graphs are extra shareable than Goodreads’ annual snapshots.
For those who use e book apps primarily to attach with different readers, StoryGraph will not be for you. Nevertheless, the app does have person profiles, and you’ll invite mates to “buddy learn” (go to a e book’s web page, faucet the three dots and choose “begin a buddy learn”). Or, go to the “group” tab to view lively “readalongs.”
StoryGraph is free, however you may pay $4.99 a month or $49.99 a 12 months for superior options. To add your Goodreads knowledge, go to StoryGraph on the net. Go to your profile icon at high proper, select “Handle account,” then “Goodreads import.” Add your. CSV file and choose “Import my Goodreads library.”
If you wish to log music and films alongside your books, try LibraryThing.
LibraryThing has bare-bones apps for iOS and Android, however it works greatest on the net. Seek for previous and future reads so as to add them to your private library, or pull titles from Amazon, Overcat or the Library of Congress. You may as well add motion pictures and music from Amazon’s database.
LibraryThing, which is free to make use of, says it has about 3 million customers. Detailed e book pages embody hyperlinks to related dialogue threads, in addition to crowdsourced options for comparable reads. For those who share your location in your profile, the location will join you with native mates, bookstores and libraries.
On the lookout for a book-logging device with no social part? Attempt Studying Record, obtainable on iOS. You may add books and go away opinions to your eyes solely.
This app is no-frills, however nonetheless contains some sought-after options like month-by-month statistics and the choice to “pause” a e book with out messing up your metrics.
The “purchase on-line” hyperlink on Studying Record lets you purchase from impartial booksellers by way of Bookshop.org.
Studying Record works with out an web connection, however you’ll want one so as to add new books from the Google-powered search bar. A promoting level for privateness buffs: The app’s developer says he doesn’t retailer or share person knowledge. Studying Record is free, and you’ll pay $2 a month, $14 a 12 months or $34 a lifetime for extra options.
Not like different book-loggers, BookWyrm is decentralized, that means it’s owned by its customers relatively than one entity. (The social media platform Mastodon might be the preferred instance of a decentralized on-line community.)
BookWyrm is a set of communities, however the largest is bookwyrm.social with about 15,000 customers. Making an account is easy, so you can begin monitoring and reviewing books instantly.
One distinctive BookWyrm function is the “books” tab — a feed that exhibits exercise from different customers in the event that they’re partaking with a e book in your shelf.
BookWyrm is free and web-only. It’s clunkier than different choices, however excellent for readers who desire a homegrown on-line hangout.
