Why You Should Get a Goodreads

As an avid reader, one of the things I can never help thinking about is how many books there are in this world. It bothers me to think I could never read all of them in my lifetime.

As I discover more about my values and the things that matter to me – be it science, feminism, the Punjabi culture, philosophy or my faith – I am increasingly finding myself in search of books that would serve to feed my passion and my hunger to learn more about the elements of my life that form my identity.

However, as a science student, it is not so easy to be perfectly aware of all the books that are out there. Using the library and knowing the keywords needed to find a textbook related to transition metal chemistry is a much easier job than finding a ‘good’ book on feminism, for example.

I have found Goodreads to be the website that has enabled me to keep track of my reading progress, set myself reading challenges and find out about new books. Having a Goodreads account has meant a single click has enabled me to save book titles I would want to read at a later date and I don’t have to worry about missing out.

It bothers me that I am less aware of the good books out there which are not so well-known but still worth reading

However, looking at the books I have read so far, they are all either the super famous ones or ended up on my reading list because they were recommended by others. It bothers me that I am less aware of the good books out there which are not so well-known but still worth reading.

Whilst I greatly benefit from a Goodreads account, there are so many readers I know who don’t have a Goodreads account and I don’t know what sort of a compelling argument it would take to tell them that a Goodreads account is not just a personal account. Your list of books and the resultant experience of reading them could form a part of somebody else’s life.

You documenting the wonderful books you read could mean that other people like me who are not experts are still aware of the books out there that are worth reading. The effort you put into your reviews would be so greatly appreciated by other budding readers for whom, given the enormous amounts of books there are in this world, a few thoughtful words would be of benefit so they know they’re going to invest their time and energy into a book that is worth reading for them. 

As students, recommendations are likely to benefit us by saving our time and money

As undergraduates, we may all be seeking a power over our fields and aiming to become subject-matter experts, be it in arts and humanities, sciences or social sciences. I do not want to be told that having chosen to pursue a career in chemistry means I am unable to explore other sectors. I want to be able to learn about anything and everything in this universe and be able to read about the topics I feel strongly about and more importantly find out about things I don’t even know about. We all have our personal values and interests and, believe it or not, you sharing them could mean somebody else is able to find theirs.

I like to buy the books I read because I often end up developing a special connection with the crack in their spines by the time I finish them, but this wouldn’t be a very healthy habit if I were investing in the books I don’t like.

Recommendations are likely to benefit us as students by saving our time and money as well as providing us with the contentment and fulfilment that a good book inevitably brings.

A Goodreads account would enable everyone to build a network of people who enjoy similar books

Furthermore, I often find the famous books get a lot of reviews but the equally valuable but recent ones don’t get as much. This, I find, puts me off considerably from buying a new book, especially if it’s non-fiction, since reliability and accuracy play a major role. In such cases, you can imagine the value of a sociology or politics student reviewing a book on feminism, for example.

It may sound strange but talking about books really brings me close to people, like sports would for some. But I do find that these connections can be enhanced if I read a wide variety of books rather than only the classic novels.

A Goodreads account would enable everyone to build a network of people who enjoy similar books while meeting people who have different tastes so we all learn more about the world that we live in, one book at a time.