Thursday, May 28, 2015

Armchair BEA Day 2 - Talking Social Media, kinda. I might have hijacked this topic a little...

Social Media: How do you use social media to expand your blogging/writing horizons?  Social Media is all about networking and connections, and utilizing today's technology to the fullest.  Make sure you mention your own social media pages. Do you have another blog, maybe a Tumblr? Have a Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook? Or maybe there's an underrated social media program that you like.
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Before we start here's my social media info:

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Goodreads

(Instagram is technically just my personal account but lots of bookish stuff pops up there too!)

So it probably doesn't count as social media, but I want to talk about Goodreads.

I don't think I'd be half as organized in my reading life or running this blog.

I think my favorite thing is making your own shelves. I have shelves for big books ("450 pages +") , books that are perfect to read on vacation ("vacation reads") and books that I can't get my hands on through my library ("books I want to read but the library doesn't have"). I'm super creative with the names right?

One thing that irritates me (and I know Jen from Relentless Reader talked about this too) is that there isn't a way to show that you read a book. Like if I read a book in 2012 and reread it again this year there isn't really a way to show that. Unless I made a special shelf for rereads. Which I might, because I do like making my own shelves! :) Anyone have any hints for Jen and I?

At first I was going to copy and paste all of my reviews on to goodreads but then I got super lazy and was like "naaaaaaah." Maybe someday but not now.

I was scared when Amazon bought it, but in the way that I use it, it hasn't seem to make a ton of difference...except for the lame ads embedded in the feed. That's stupid. (Though I did read one of the books it recommended once and it was awesome so whatever. It was helpful once.)

I love the giveaways! I used to win them all the time and now I hardly win any. But it's a great way to keep pulse on books that you might not hear about otherwise and add them to the TBR!

Are you on Goodreads? Want to be my friend? Have any tips to share? Any great features I'm not using?

To finish, here's an interesting graph that goodreads made (Click on picture for link to larger image:



23 comments:

  1. I use Goodreads all the time. I especially use it when I'm working on a blog post and I need inspiration for titles.

    Yes, it's a lot of trouble, but I love having all my reviews in one place. It makes it very nice to search.

    http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2015/05/armchair-bea.html

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    1. I figure one of these wisconsin winters I'll get snowed in for a few days and I'll get all of my reviews up on goodreads :)

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  2. I'm too lazy to cross post reviews to Goodreads. I just use it as a TBR list. I like the Books the Library Doesn't Have shelf idea.

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    1. That's basically what I use it for too. That shelf has come in handy a lot, though there is more on there than I'd like!

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  3. Yes, it's so annoying that there isn't a reread option on Goodreads!! I've made a "read more than once shelf" but it just isn't the same! ;-)

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    1. Isn't it!? You'd think they'd realize that bookish people have a tendency to re-read their favorites

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  4. I love Goodreads! I have been addicted to it for many years now. I usually cross post all my reviews at the end of every month but sometimes I let it pile up...

    Check out my Armchair BEA post here!

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    1. Oh yeah, I bet that it would pile up pretty fast!

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  5. Your comment about the ads cracks me up! (Though I did read one of the books it recommended once and it was awesome so whatever. It was helpful once.) I know the feeling! I complain about them and then refuse to say anything when they work - haha!

    I made a shelf for 2015 reads and if I re-read a book it gets added to that shelf. It's the first time I made a shelf for 2015, but I like it and I can see all the books I read :) Although, I would like a re-read tab too :)

    I have definitely used Goodreads more and more. If someone makes a suggestion it has to get added to Goodreads, other I'll forget 3 seconds later :)

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    1. The "suggested book" ads are usually really off for me (no thank you John Green books) so I was surprised one actually hit the target!

      Whenever I have bloglovin open and am reading blogs I always make sure that I have goodreads open too. I'm the same way, it has to gone on the TBR right away or else it will immediately fly out of my head.

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    2. The "suggested book" ads are usually really off for me (no thank you John Green books) so I was surprised one actually hit the target!

      Whenever I have bloglovin open and am reading blogs I always make sure that I have goodreads open too. I'm the same way, it has to gone on the TBR right away or else it will immediately fly out of my head.

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  6. The lack of being able to count rereads on Goodreads is one of my pet peeves with the site. I know Goodreads records what you read each year, but I make a separate shelf ("read 2015") so I can include everything I've read in my count.

    My Armchair BEA post.

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    1. Ok, we officially need to start a letter writing campaign! There is obviously a need for the re-read(ers!)

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  7. Goodreads can be a pretty social place. I use it to organize my reading, but I also keep up to date on what my blog friends are adding to their shelves.

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    1. Agreed! Seeing what everyone else is reading is a good way to add to the TBR!

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  8. I've sent you a friend request on GR. I use it too to organise my reading and never ever read a book nowadays without adding it on there and also adding to my own category shelves too. It's annoying about the rereading but I think adding a shelf for that is an ok fix. There search engine is the thing that drives me crazy, it's just so lame!

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    1. The search engine is totally wonky! I don't think anything I've ever searched for has come up in the top 5 results. I'm officially spoiled by google I guess!

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  9. Their not there! My eyes just bled when I reread my own comment! :D

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  10. I am on Goodreads, and yes, I would love to be your friend! I use it to get ideas from what everyone else is reading!
    I agree with you about re-reads, as I just did a re-read recently and it didn't get to count towards my 2015 goal!

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    1. I didn't even think about it not counting towards your reading total for the year! Argh!

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  11. I totally agree with you about the reread bit on Goodreads. It irritates me!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  12. Great infographic! I'm off to make sure I follow your channels.

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    1. I was kind of surprised Goldfinch wasn't on it. I heard from a lot of people who just couldn't finish it off!

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Thank you so much for your comment. I'd love to talk books with you!