The StoryGraph is a Goodreads alternative that’s put a bigger focus on statistics and recommendations than Goodreads has. I created an account a couple of years ago but never did anything with it, in part because I wasn’t sure how I’d use it in tandem with Goodreads without driving myself batty trying to keep them both up to date. Not that I write such captivating reviews, but I have a lot of friends and family on Goodreads and I didn’t (and still don’t) want to leave the platform entirely.
But in December I decided to give it a go. I exported everything from Goodreads, and imported it into The StoryGraph. What I did not know at the time, but should have realized, was that December is one of the busiest times of year for new accounts and imports into The StoryGraph, and it took several days before all my data made it in. Unfortunately it wasn’t a clean import, but I didn’t want to delete it all and start over. I made sure the last few years were correct, and from time to time I come across other things that need to be fixed. (Common fixes for me are re-reads not showing up, unfinished books being missing, and the audiobook being selected instead of the ebook. But note that some of these are issues with the Goodreads data.)
It took me a little while to adjust to the navigation, and at first it felt like things were kind of hidden. But once I got used to I liked it a lot, and at this point I’m using it multiple times a day. Overall the design is more inviting and less cluttered than Goodreads and there’s a lot of great features. Goodreads has some of them, but in many cases I think The StoryGraph does them better.
I really enjoy how easy it is to track your reading, and the many ways you can track it. The Stats page is easily accessible and has all kinds of interesting charts and graphs. The homepage you see when you log in also does a great job of featuring books from your To-Read Pile by loading a handful of covers at random whenever you hit the page.
But my favorite feature is Up Next, which is part of the To-Read Pile. This is a feature where you can track the books you’re reading next, and the order you’re planning to read them. I really like this as I can keep the books for my book clubs top of mind, and track my holds as they come in. However I did recently learn that you can only have 5 books in your Up Next pile, which is a little limiting when six holds and a pre-order arrive in less than a week.
I think the biggest thing that differentiates The Storygraph from Goodreads is the recommendations – they do feel much more tailored. Other neat features include Buddy Reads (a read-along with a friend), a really nice page to track Reading Challenges (like reading all the Hugo finalists), and more.
These days I’m using The StoryGraph on a daily basis, and updating my Goodreads once a week. If you want to see what I’m reading at the moment, and quickly look at my reviews of what I’ve read recently, you can see all that (and more) on my profile page. And if you’ve ever felt frustrated by Amazon’s lack of investment in Goodreads, give switching a think.
alisonkcody.com 