Have you ever wondered how many books you’ve read? Or if you could finally give more than one go-to answer when someone asks what they should read next? What about keeping track of all of the recommendations you get? I have an answer to all of these questions and it starts and ends with Goodreads.
I must admit that I am horribly late to the game on using this site for more than finding quotations on a particular subject, but I am glad to have found it now. I’ve found the app extraordinarily easy to navigate with separate tabs for your own library, trending reads, personalized suggestions, and a place to search for whatever you please. The section I use the most– my library– allows me to create multiple lists: books I want to read, books I’m currently reading, and books I’ve already read. To make sure you’re staying on track for your yearly reading goal or simply to mark your place if you lose your bookmark, you can update your progress by page number or percentage, whatever works best for you. If you’re a Kindle user, you can also connect your notes and highlights here!
Of course, each book has a large catalogue of reviews below it ready to avail you of every opinion other readers might deem necessary to share. If you’d like, you can even leave some thoughts of your own and a rating so others can see your advice and recommendations. I must admit, reviews can become suffocating and too influential at times, so thankfully they remain out of initial view. Just be careful to avert your eyes from spoilers!
One of my more recent reads, and one I was excited to move to my “Currently Reading” list, was Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore. It is another in the Graceling Realm series and takes place in the newly discovered land of Winterkeep, far from the known lands on the map. Curious about the opportunities for diplomacy and in pursuit of a mystery, Bitterblue embarks on the journey with Giddon and more of her trusted advisors. It’s a complicated and romantic story, one rife with political intrigue and filled with unexpected reveals around every turn.
For those who have read the first book in the realm, Graceling, you might be sad to know that Katsa and Po are not the main characters of this story. If that’s the case and you haven’t read on, I recommend that you first spend time with Fire and Bitterblue, the second and third installments. Cashore has a wonderful ability to attach you to every new main character before they have their own story so when the time comes, you’re excited for a new adventure. And if you’re wondering if Bitterblue is the very same one Katsa meets in book one– you’d be right!
Take a peek at Winterkeep and other wonderful stories just like it on Goodreads this week! You’ll be glad you did.