Goodreads.com is a really fun, useful and, best of all, completely free site where you can satisfy your inner book nerd in a number of ways…
- Access thousands of book reviews, and write your own
- Receive personalized reading recommendations based on your own book ratings…kind of like what Amazon does, times a hundred
- Develop your own bookshelves and reading lists, and receive even more recommendations based on those
- Join book clubs and discussion groups
- Participate in crazy reading challenges
- Post your own short stories, poems, or even novels, and receive feedback
Overall, it’s a great resource if you love to read or write, and it can really help motivate you to keep reading even during the school year when it seems impossible. Kirk Jones, the first speaker at the Young Artist Series, spoke very highly of Goodreads (he’s got an account himself), and recommended checking it out if you’re serious about breaking into professional writing someday.