Goodreads

This week I decided to explore Goodreads (www.goodreads.com). I have heard a lot about this resource and created an account last year but never really used it. I was able to re-discover my account (http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8926227) and was so excited to find the books I had marked as “want to read” last year. I’ve been looking for some new titles lately and I definitely still want to read the ones I bookmarked so long ago!

I am extremely impressed with Goodreads (and a little scared that I’m going to spend WAY too much time on it) because it is so easy to use – and fun! The links at the top make it extremely easy to find books, read reviews and see what friends are reading. The main page also gives you suggestions of new releases you might like in a variety of categories. I also love how the site is set up like a social networking page. Like most social sites, you are able to find people you know and add them to your list of friends. Then you are able to see what they’re currently reading, what they’ve read in the past and what they’ve reviewed. While I currently only have one friend on the site (more to come!), I enjoyed spending some time looking through several of her well-researched reviews and recommendations. Since I often ask friends for tips on what to read, this website is exactly what I need. After I add more friends, it will be so nice to see all of their recommendations in one place!

I think this would be a phenomenal resource to use with students, especially those in middle and high school. Because of the social networking format, the site will strongly appeal to students. I think the social aspect will also encourage them to contribute; they’re not writing book reviews because they have to for their teachers, they’re writing them for their friends. This is a website I can see students really wanting to use.

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