UP’s Publisher’s Hot Tips

When Goodreads launched in 2007, it gave readers who also liked computers a fun social catalog for books. It’s a free website and app where you can track what you’re reading, rate and review books, join groups, and peek into other people’s shelves. It’s pretty cool, in theory.

I can’t remember exactly when I joined Goodreads, but my profile photo dates back to 2016—and I’m pretty sure I signed up before Amazon bought it in 2013. Like a lot of us, I have stayed out of habit.

What I Actually Do on Goodreads

If you look at my profile (feel free), you’ll see I actively mark what I’m reading, what I’ve read, and what’s on my endless to-read list. When I finish a book, I grab my stupid smartphone and log it. Maybe it’s the grown-up version of the elementary school reading logs we all filled out for gold stars. Habit, structure, a little dopamine hit—nerd fun.

I like knowing what my friends are reading. I like that Goodreads has nearly every book I want to find. I like how easy it is to log in and poke around people’s shelves. With more than 150 million users, it is still one of the biggest online communities for readers, and some people use it incredibly well for reviewing books and building real community.

One reviewer I follow and love is Thomas, whose writing is earnest and emotionally aware. His reviews invite reflection and linger, helping me to reflect on the books intellectually.

Why I Don’t Rate Books (Unless I Do)

Goodreads uses a five-star rating system, but I don’t use it much. It can feel a little performative. I’m not trying to rank a book like it’s a product review. My rating might shift tomorrow anyway, once a scene settles in or a line hits differently.

Do I ever rate books? Sure. If I’ve worked on a book or want to give a nudge to something indie, I’ll slap five stars on it without shame. Ratings help (or harm) sales. Stores and publishers notice. Casual browsers notice. So sometimes I play the game when it helps. But mostly, I’d rather just talk about books than grade them. I want to sit with a story, roll it around in my head, maybe corner whoever’s in earshot and talk it out.

Goodreads Is Broken—And Amazon Doesn’t Care

Of course, Goodreads isn’t just an innocent reading log. It’s a creaky old site owned by Amazon, and Amazon isn’t at all interested in fixing it.

Users have long voiced frustrations about Goodreads—glitches, spam, poor moderation, and a design that hasn’t meaningfully changed in over a decade. For those of us working in publishing, it’s even trickier. While Goodreads remains a powerful tool for visibility thanks to its search dominance and Amazon integration, it offers limited control over book data, few marketing or engagement tools, and almost no support.

None of this is surprising, especially when recent headlines show Amazon laying off big chunks of its books team, Goodreads included. Fast Company, Business Insider, and countless Reddit threads all say the same thing: Goodreads still pulls in user data and sells books, so Amazon doesn’t bother to update it meaningfully.

And yet, Goodreads is still here—because enough of us keep using it. Because the database is massive. It’s easy to find books. And it’s social; knowing what my friends are reading means the next time we meet up, we can skip the small talk and go straight to Did you finish that yet? What was the author thinking?! I bawled when…

Spoiler alert: The StoryGraph allows for all that, too.

And it’s run very differently. In a feature in The Guardian, The StoryGraph is profiled through its founder, Nadia Odunayo, who personally shares updates, responds to users, and shapes the platform’s direction. When asked if that hands-on approach could continue as the platform grows—or if she’d ever consider selling to Amazon—Odunayo made her stance clear:

“We had zero investment in The StoryGraph. It’s a completely bootstrapped company. Anything can happen in life, obviously, but right now we’re happy and we’re enjoying it. We see The StoryGraph as our life’s work.”

She added, “I don’t think there’s a limit to how big we can get and maintain what we’re doing now. I just want more people to know about us. I want us to be the most popular book app in the world.”

I love that. And I want to help.

Here’s what else stood out to me from The StoryGraph’s profile:

• It’s independent and thoughtful by design: StoryGraph is a Black woman–owned platform, not a mega-corp project. It prioritizes readers over clicks and ads.
• Personalized insights that actually matter: StoryGraph tracks pacing, mood, and reader intent, then turns that data into visual stats. Monthly graphs show your most-read genres, formats, moods, page counts—even your reading streaks. It makes your year-in-books feel tangible and intuitive, not just logged.
• Cleaner experience—less drama (but less conversation, too): Without comment sections or private messages, StoryGraph feels calmer and more focused. You’re less likely to encounter trolls or spam. That said, if you enjoy reading through comment threads on reviews (I kind of do), you might miss that layer of conversation. That trade-off is worth it to me.

Like a lot of people, I’ve been trying—slowly, imperfectly—to step away from Amazon’s reach. In my day-to-day life, I’ve made small shifts where I can. But Goodreads has been a holdout. And convenience can only carry something so far.

At some point, I have to ask whether the tools I use every day reflect the kind of world I want to help build. I hope to abandon Google and Meta soon, but today it’s one small corner of Amazon: Goodreads.

Goodreads might not seem like a big deal, but the platforms we participate in shape our habits, our attention, and our communities. If I care about supporting independent creators, about thoughtful design, about systems that don’t just extract from their users—I have to look at where I’m still plugged in. 

I’ve Moved to StoryGraph—Come Join Me

I moved all of my Goodreads data over to StoryGraph—it took five minutes. It’s free to use, it feels modern, and it doesn’t make me feel like I’m feeding a mega-retailer who only cares that I click Buy Now. It’s clean, intuitive, and it does what I need: I can track what I read, browse some fun stats, and keep tabs on what my friends are reading, too.

That’s where I’ll be logging from now on. You can find me there as sjl_up—and I’d genuinely love to connect. Follow me, friend me, or drop by and see what I’m reading. I’m hoping to grow my circle on StoryGraph, to make it more fun, and it’d be great to have you there.

How Do You Track Your Reading?

If you’ve already made the switch—or never joined Goodreads to begin with—where do you keep track of what you read? Spreadsheet? Notes app? A stack of post-its on the nightstand?