How do I create your goodreads account?

Download the free Goodreads app from the App Store or Play Store, or go to goodreads.com on your computer. Tap "Sign Up" and enter your name, email address, and a password. You can also sign in with your Amazon account if you have one. After signing up, Goodreads walks you through a brief setup where you rate some books to help it learn your taste.

How do I search for a book and add it to your shelves?

Tap the search bar and type the name of a book you have read. When you find it, tap the cover image to open the book's page. Then tap "Want to Read," "Currently Reading," or "Read" to add it to the correct shelf. You can also tap the star icons to rate it from one to five stars.

How do I set a reading goal for the year?

Tap your profile icon and look for the "Reading Challenge" section or banner. Tap it and enter the number of books you want to read this year. Even a modest goal — like one book per month — is a great starting point. Goodreads updates your progress automatically each time you mark a book as read.

How do I browse book recommendations?

Tap "Browse" or the book icon in the app navigation. Goodreads will show you personalized recommendations based on your shelves and ratings. You can also browse by genre (historical fiction, mysteries, biographies, etc.) or look at the current bestseller lists. Tap "Want to Read" on any book that catches your eye to save it for later.

How do I follow friends and see what they are reading?

Tap the friends icon or go to your account settings to search for friends by name or email address. When you follow someone, their recent reading activity appears in your home feed — what books they finished, what they are reading now, and what they recommend. You can like or comment on their updates, making it a social experience around books.

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Goodreads is a free app and website where you can keep a personal record of every book you have read, every book you want to read, and every book you are reading right now. Think of it as a bookshelf you carry in your pocket.

When you finish a book, you add it to your "Read" shelf on Goodreads. Over time, your profile builds up into a personal library you can look back on. You can also rate books and write short reviews for yourself or to share with friends.

One of the most popular features is the Goodreads Annual Reading Challenge. At the start of each year, you set a goal — say, reading 12 books in a year — and Goodreads tracks your progress throughout the year. It shows you how many books you are ahead of or behind schedule, which makes the goal feel like a friendly challenge rather than a chore.

Goodreads also recommends books you might enjoy based on what you have already read and rated. If you loved a certain mystery series, Goodreads can suggest similar books from authors you have not discovered yet.

You can follow friends on Goodreads and see what they are reading, what they rated highly, and what they recommend. If a friend whose taste you trust gives a book five stars, that is often better advice than a stranger's review.

Goodreads is owned by Amazon and works on iPhone, Android, and in any web browser. The app and website are completely free. You can connect your Goodreads account to your Amazon Kindle if you want your Kindle reading activity to sync automatically.

How to Track Books You Have Read with Goodreads

Create your Goodreads account

Search for a book and add it to your shelves

Set a reading goal for the year

Browse book recommendations

Follow friends and see what they are reading

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