Goodreads vs LibraryThing

2023. Goodreads introduces new Giveaway marketing tool for authors



Goodreads has unveiled its latest initiative, the U.S. Giveaways program, introducing two comprehensive packages equipped with impactful features aimed at boosting book discovery and garnering reader reviews. Tailored to address the requests of authors and publishers, the program provides enhanced marketing advantages, facilitating diverse ways to connect with an author's audience and automatically adding giveaway participants' Want-to-Read lists. Notably, Kindle Direct Publishing authors now have the opportunity to host giveaways for Kindle ebooks, a feature previously exclusive to traditional publishers. The all-encompassing benefits of the Standard package, priced at $119 for up to 100 copies (either Kindle ebooks or print books), include these new features. Additionally, the Premium package, available for $599, offers exclusive "Featured" placement on the prominently visited Giveaways page along with all the perks of the Standard Package, catering to both print books and Kindle ebooks.


2019. Goodreads starts Giveaways to help authors promote their books



The new tool Goodreads Giveaways provides valuable support for authors aiming to launch their debut book, maintain momentum for their latest release, or reinvigorate interest in a previous title. This platform serves as a creative tool utilized by authors and publishers to promote their books to potentially millions of readers, injecting an element of excitement into their marketing strategies, and allowing readers to introduce their favorite books to friends. Goodreads Giveaways offers numerous marketing benefits, including the opportunity to expand your audience and increase book discovery. Giveaways are prominently featured in the popular Giveaways section of Goodreads, enabling readers to stumble upon new and exciting titles. Furthermore, your giveaway is prominently showcased on your book page, encouraging more entries and further growing your book's audience. Additionally, your followers on Goodreads and individuals who have already added your book to their Want-to-Read list receive automatic notifications about your giveaway, maximizing the reach of your promotion.


2018. Goodreads launched new Android App



Goodreads has unveiled its latest Android app, offering an enhanced ebook discovery and social community experience. With this app, users can conveniently scan book covers to quickly locate titles on Goodreads, explore personalized recommendations, and effortlessly add recently finished books to their Reading Challenge. The app's refreshed design and intuitive interface make navigating Goodreads from an Android device simple, fast, and enjoyable. Furthermore, the app is optimized for tablets, providing an excellent user experience across different screen sizes.


2018. New Goodreads app for Android is available



GoodReads, the renowned social book community owned by Amazon, has rolled out an update for its Android app. The redesigned GoodReads BETA app offers improved speed and enhanced usability, with a visually appealing interface that is optimized for both mobile phones and tablets. With this app, users can effortlessly search, rate, and review any of the 12 million books available in the catalog. Additionally, they can stay updated with book reviews and posts from friends, engage in discussions by commenting on them, provide status updates and track page numbers for books they are currently reading, and efficiently add their book collection using the barcode scanner feature.


2018. LibraryThing gets Alexa skill


The online book catalog service LibraryThing has recently introduced a Skill specifically designed for Amazon Echo, Dot, and other Alexa devices. With the LibraryThing Alexa Skill, you can easily add books to your LibraryThing account in a somewhat unconventional but convenient manner. Whether you're standing in the foyer with a bag of new books or perched atop a wobbly ladder in your attic filled with literary treasures, simply utter the command, "Alexa, tell LibraryThing to add [Book Title] by [author]," and Alexa will attempt to add the book to your collection. Although it may not be flawless, you can increase your success rate by bypassing the title and author and instead reading out the barcode or ISBN number from the back of the book, like this: "Alexa, tell LibraryThing to add [Barcode or ISBN number]." Additionally, there are a few other useful commands you can employ, such as asking Alexa, "How many books do I have in LibraryThing?" This way, you can impress your friends with the capabilities of your intelligent personal assistant and showcase your remarkable library.


2017. LibraryThing gets own Android app



LibraryThing, the online service that facilitates personal library management, has introduced an Android app, mirroring its existing iPhone/iOS app. This new app offers a range of features, allowing users to browse and search their entire library or specific collections. Adding books, CDs, and DVDs is made easy with the efficient barcode scanning functionality, which is impressively fast. Additionally, items can be added by searching for titles, authors, ISBNs, and more. Users can browse and upload covers by utilizing the camera on their Android devices. The app also allows minor editing tasks such as organizing books into collections and rating them, while major editing can be performed through a link to LibraryThing.com. While primarily designed for phones, the app is also compatible with Android tablets. Excitingly, LibraryThing is offering lifetime memberships as giveaways to users of the app.


2017. GoodReads is rolling out the ReRead system



Numerous GoodReads users set annual book goals for themselves. In the past, if you wished to revisit the enchanting world of Harry Potter or immerse yourself in the captivating pages of the Divergent series, those rereads would not contribute towards your goal. However, all of this has changed with the introduction of a new BETA ReRead feature that will be gradually made available worldwide in the upcoming months. Now, when you decide to revisit a book that you have previously marked as "Read" on Goodreads, simply update its status to "Currently Reading." Once you have completed your reread, mark it as "Read" once again. You can perform these actions through the Goodreads iOS and Android apps, on Goodreads.com, and even within the "About the Book" feature on Kindle. This exciting development ensures that your rereads will now count towards your book goal, allowing for a more accurate representation of your reading accomplishments.


2016. LibraryThing allows to export your home library to excel



LibraryThing, an online library management tool, now offers a new feature—an "authentic" Excel export for your book catalog, replacing the previous CSV and TSV exports. The implementation is designed to be minimal and straightforward. The developers have made the headings bold, adjusted certain column widths, and specified text and numerical formats for different columns. However, the data itself remains unchanged. Although they have conducted tests, due to the multitude of Excel versions available, they would greatly value feedback from members as well.


2016. Amazon is closing book cataloging service Shelfari, merging it with Goodreads



Amazon is to close Shelfari, a social network for book lovers with various recommendation and cataloging features. Since Amazon purchased Goodreads back in 2013, it has been neglecting Shelfari for years, and now it’s officially getting the ax. If you login to Shelfari you get greeted with the following message: "Shelfari is in the process of merging with Goodreads and is no longer accepting new accounts. We recommend joining Goodreads.com if you haven’t already done so". Calling it a merger is just a nice way of saying Shelfari is closing down for good.


2015. LibraryThing released iOS mobile app



The popular online book collection management service, LibraryThing, has introduced its official iPhone app, marking its initial version with limited but essential cataloging features. With the app, users can easily browse and search their personal libraries, add books by scanning barcodes or conducting searches, upload covers by utilizing the iPhone camera, and perform minor edits like adjusting collections and ratings. As an incentive, LibraryThing is offering free lifetime memberships to individuals who use the app within the next month. To avail this offer, users must register for a new account exclusively through the LibraryThing app.


2015. LibraryThing unveiles an online tool for small libraries



LibraryThing, the online personal library organizer, has introduced TinyCat, a robust and user-friendly online catalog designed specifically for small libraries with fewer than 20,000 titles. For nearly a decade, these modest libraries such as churches, synagogues, small schools, community centers, and academic departments have utilized LibraryThing to organize their collections, and now they can continue to do so with TinyCat. This new platform offers a cleaner interface that prioritizes helping library patrons easily locate and explore books within their library. The recent rollout of several new features by LibraryThing developers has facilitated the development of TinyCat, including Barcode Support, Circulation, Advanced Search, and the latest addition, MARC Import. TinyCat incorporates the most valuable and practical enhancements available from LibraryThing, surpassing the offerings of many larger library catalogs.


2015. Goodreads adds Audible integration to let you listen free audiobook samples



Amazon's popular platform Goodreads has introduced an exciting new feature that allows users to listen to free audio samples of 180,000 titles. This feature is made possible through a "Listen" button that taps into Audible's extensive digital audiobook catalog. All Goodreads users, regardless of whether they have an Audible subscription, can access these samples. Additionally, as part of this feature, Goodreads is offering a 30-day free trial of Audible, which is also an Amazon-owned service. Initially available on the Goodreads website, the streaming feature is set to expand to the mobile site and apps in the near future. This move aims to facilitate the discovery of audiobook content for ebook readers and aligns with ongoing efforts by publishers and retailers to encourage cross-usage and exploration between the two formats.


2014. LibraryThing for Libraries advises what to read next



Library users will now have an enhanced experience in discovering their next read, thanks to the expansion of the Book Recommendations feature in LibraryThing for Libraries. This new upgrade, available at no additional cost to current subscribers of LibraryThing for Libraries' Catalog Enhancement Package, offers a wider range of "if you like this, then read that" recommendations. These recommendations include books by the same author, similar authors, genres, and more, all based on the library's existing collection. By leveraging the library's current holdings, this upgrade complements LibraryThing for Libraries' unique tag-based discovery and provides links to other editions and translations of books, thereby presenting users with more avenues to discover books they will truly enjoy. The recommendations in LibraryThing for Libraries are generated through a combination of input from readers, librarians, and professionals, utilizing ProQuest's Syndetic Solutions and Books In Print. This collaborative approach ensures a comprehensive and balanced service for library users.


2014. Goodreads mobile app gets a makeover



Amazon's Goodreads has introduced a significant redesign for iOS (coming soon to Android) in response to the desires of regular Goodreads users. Instead of presenting users with an outdated, grid-like homescreen upon launching the app, it now immediately showcases a dynamic "news feed." This feed is populated with recent updates from your friends on the network, including information about the books they've read, rated, reviewed, and more. Within this feed, you have the convenience of easily liking and commenting on your friends' posts. This update fulfills Goodreads' commitment to functioning as a social network for book readers, going beyond its original purpose of merely cataloging individual reading progress.


2014. Goodreads allows to import books, purchased on Amazon



Users of Goodreads now have the convenience of automatically importing their purchased print and ebooks from Amazon directly into their Goodreads accounts. Goodreads presents an enticing incentive for linking the two accounts, stating that the more books added to Goodreads shelves, the better the recommendations tailored to the individual's reading preferences. Goodreads utilizes a highly intelligent algorithm to analyze the books users rate, providing personalized suggestions to enhance their reading experience. Furthermore, this account linking serves as another means for Amazon to identify which of its customers are also Goodreads users. However, Goodreads ensures users retain complete control over which books to add, allowing them to exclude any books purchased as gifts. Books that are neither rated nor added to a shelf will not be included in the Goodreads account.


2014. Amazon adds Goodreads integration to Kindle Paperwhite 1



Amazon has commenced the rollout of a software update for the first-generation Kindle Paperwhite, introducing various new features to the e-reader, including Goodreads integration. The second-generation Paperwhite, which is already available, acquired Goodreads support in November of the previous year. Additionally, the update incorporates Kindle FreeTime, an element that curates books for children and enables parents to allocate dedicated reading time. It also introduces Cloud Collections for efficient organization, Page Flip for seamless content scanning, and quicker access to the Bookmarks, Highlights, and Notes feature. The update will progressively reach devices in the United States, Canada, and Australia within the next few weeks. For more information, refer to: Why you need Kindle collection manager.


2014. Goodreads competitor Slice Bookshelf shuts down



Unfortunately, Slice Bookshelf, a social community for readers that aimed to offer a more modern and user-friendly alternative to Amazon's Goodreads, will be discontinuing its services. The company has decided to shift its focus towards enhancing its core product, Slice, a mobile shopping companion. While operating Bookshelf, Slice explored the use of its innovative inbox-scanning technology in a new domain. Instead of tracking general purchases, the technology specifically identified book and e-book receipts, enabling the automatic creation of users' libraries. By leveraging data from Facebook, the service eliminated the need for manual data input, a requirement still present in competing platforms like Goodreads.


2013. Amazon integrates Goodreads into Kindle Fire OS



Earlier this year, Amazon initiated the integration of the renowned book recommendation site Goodreads (which it acquired in March) into its tablets. However, with the latest release of Fire OS, Goodreads has been seamlessly incorporated directly into the reading experience. This integration enables readers to actively engage with the Goodreads community without the need to exit their book and launch a separate application. Now, readers have the ability to effortlessly capture and share their favorite quotes to Goodreads from within the book itself. They can stay updated on what others are reading, provide ratings and reviews upon finishing a book, and even import their entire collection of purchased books from Amazon, whether in print or Kindle format, into their Goodreads account. This feature proves particularly useful for individuals who may have not actively maintained their Goodreads account in recent years.


2013. Kobo stops showing Goodreads ratings and reviews



As you may recall, Amazon completed its acquisition of the book-review social network Goodreads in March. Consequently, it is unsurprising that Kobo has ceased using the Goodreads API on its website and apps. This means that Kobo book pages will no longer display Goodreads ratings and reviews. It appears that this decision was made by Kobo rather than Goodreads or Amazon. Michael Tamblyn, Kobo's chief content officer, mentioned to Good E-reader that there is a possibility of Kobo reintegrating the Goodreads API in the future. However, this move highlights the risk of relying on an API provided by a competing retailer. It is worth noting that Goodreads itself encountered a similar predicament in the past. In early 2012, it shifted from utilizing Amazon's API for book data to relying on Ingram, a book wholesaler, instead. Currently, Goodreads states that it combines metadata from various sources including Ingram, WorldCat, and ONIX feeds.


2013. Amazon to acquire Goodreads



In a recent announcement, Amazon revealed its plans to acquire Goodreads, a prominent book discovery website boasting a user base of 16 million and over 23 million book reviews. Goodreads offers a platform for users to participate in book-discussion groups, share recommendations, reviews, lists of books they have read and enjoyed (or disliked), and create "want to read" lists. The site also features its own recommendation engine. Currently, Goodreads provides users with convenient access to download or purchase books from various online retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others. It remains uncertain whether Amazon will continue to permit links to non-Amazon stores on Goodreads in the future.