Goodreads

I did open a Goodreads account few years ago, but I never did anything with it. I may have looked at it maybe twice in two years. So this time, I started by updating my information, added all my colleagues from Be More Bookish as friends (at least the one I could find), and rated books. I started with Letters from a Stoic by Seneca (I did not look for it, it was there in front of me on the screen), then it directed me toward more philosophy books, up to the Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. After this title, the suggestions moved in the direction of classic titles, and once I liked Night by Elie Wiesel, it displayed Maus by Art Spiegelman and other graphic novels. Consequently, I created three bookshelves to contain the books I rated: philosophy, classics and graphic novels.

I explored Goodreads and its features for an hour or so. The Listopia option is fun and easy to use. There is a great variety of lists to look at. Some are straightforward genre lists (Best Young Adult Books), others are more silly or comic (What Book Would You Like To Live In? or The Most Begun “Read but Unfinished” Books Ever), while others are just peculiar (ooks I Think I Read But Have No Recollection Of or TV Readings). I think the Listopia can be a good tool for reader advisory with customers. Personally, I like more the interactive and community side of Goodreads. One can see what a friend had read, but also the reverse. If I discover a book, I can immediately see if a friend of mine had commented on it. Those functions invite conversations and exchanges.

I did have a hard time to judge a book with the stars system –what is the real difference between a three and a four star? I often like one aspect of a book and not so much a different side of it. I just always had difficulty to judge something as a whole. I can say what characteristic I like or dislike about something, but to assign a grade for the whole is a different story. As far as Goodreads recommendations go, the titles were … predictable. More philosophy books for my philosophy bookshelf, more graphic novels for my graphic novels bookshelf and more classics for my classic bookshelf. Maybe my selves were simply too clear-cut and limited. I did only rate two dozen books very similar to one another after all, but the suggestions look more like genre lists. Of course, I also know Goodreads uses algorithms, still I was surprised by the lack of originality and imagination of the recommendations. Though, I really like the “Readers Also Read” section, it reminds me of the “Customer Who Bought This Item Also Bough” by Amazon. I think those recommendations are more based on a personal taste (like the appeals factors) than on the books genre. It’s not because you like mystery that you want to read mystery all the time. It’s more about the characteristic appeals, like well-drawn characters, fast read, good setting for example.