The Case for Leaving Goodreads in 2025
Are you a book tracker? Do you regularly keep tabs on what your friends are reading, too? If so, then this blog post is for you! Read on for more from our bookseller and Queer Book Club leader, Lane, for a passionate case on switching from Goodreads to indie alternatives this year. - Ally
Goodreads, an app and online community that combines reading and social media, has been a mainstay in the book community for more than a decade. It has an extensive catalog that readers sort into digital “read,” “currently reading,” or “to be read (TBR)” shelves. Goodreads offers users the chance to rate and review every book read and to follow friends or influencers. It also serves as a platform for staff-generated content highlighting popular titles and new releases. The Old Town Books team has historically been active on Goodreads. We all set yearly reading goals, keep up with each others’ reading, and use the shelves to maintain running lists of what we have read and all the things we still want to get to. But we’re fed up with the platform.
In 2025, we are making the switch to The StoryGraph.
The “why” is pretty simple: Amazon-owned Goodreads does not support the book community, it exploits us. Under Amazon ownership, the main goal of Goodreads has not been to meet the needs of readers or develop community, but instead to direct as many book sales as possible to the would-be monopoly. Critics point out that Goodreads fails to address issues such as review bombing. Instead they opt for growing sponsored content over investing in modern technology that would generate improved recommendations for members. As independent booksellers, we are not interested in a platform which exists to put local bookshops out of business.
Thankfully, there happens to be an amazing alternative to Goodreads. The StoryGraph is run by a small team of book lovers who set out to create the social book tracking platform they wished to see in the world. Since its establishment, it has continued to grow and develop. It has all of the features we appreciated on Goodreads (shelves, socials, and reading goals) plus so many more including:
Partial star ratings
The ability to track your audio books, e-books, and physical books separately
A system to mark books as “owned”
A strong, AI-driven algorithm to provide book recommendations based on your personal taste and reading moods
Data visualization for your personal reading
‘DNF’ and ‘pause’ options for your currently reading shelf
Community-created content warnings
Buddy read and book club features for social reading
In anticipation of setting our 2025 reading goals, our staff has already made the switch and found it to be very easy. Using a computer, you can import your Goodreads library into StoryGraph. From there, you are ready to move forward tracking your reading on the new platform, no extra steps necessary. Reading is more fun with friends, so we suggest encouraging everyone you know to make the switch as well! - Lane