Goodreads facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Goodreads

Type of business	Subsidiary
Type of site	Book
Available in	English
Founded	December 2006; 18 years ago (2006-12)
Owner	Amazon
Founder(s)	Otis Chandler Elizabeth Khuri
Commercial	Yes
Registration	Optional
Current status	Active

Goodreads is a popular website where people can find and share information about books. It's owned by Amazon. On Goodreads, you can search for books, read reviews, and find quotes.

Users can sign up to keep track of books they own or want to read. You can also create groups to talk about books, share suggestions, and even make polls. Goodreads started in December 2006 and was launched in January 2007. It was created by Otis Chandler and Elizabeth Khuri Chandler.

By July 2019, Goodreads had grown to 90 million members around the world.

How Goodreads Started

The Founders

Otis Chandler, one of the founders of Goodreads.

Otis Chandler and Elizabeth Khuri Chandler are the people who started Goodreads. They met while studying at Stanford University. Otis worked as a programmer, and Elizabeth was a journalist.

The Big Idea

Goodreads was founded in 2006. Otis Chandler got the idea when he was looking at a friend's bookshelf. He wanted to create a website where people could share their thoughts on books they read. He also wanted to help people discover new books they might enjoy.

Growing the Community

In its first year, Goodreads grew by word of mouth. It started with about 800 users. Soon, media outlets like Mashable noticed the site. In December 2007, Goodreads received its first funding. Later, in 2009, it received more money to help it grow.

In 2011, Goodreads bought a company called Discovereads. This company used smart computer programs to suggest books. These suggestions were based on books users had liked before. By 2012, Goodreads had over 11 million members. Users had added 395 million books and created more than 20,000 book clubs.

Joining Amazon

In March 2013, Amazon announced it would buy Goodreads. This news surprised many in the book world. Some people worried about Amazon's growing power. But Goodreads founder Otis Chandler said his team would stay to protect the review process. He continued to lead Goodreads until 2019.

In January 2016, Amazon decided to close its other book site, Shelfari. It encouraged users to move their accounts to Goodreads. By April 2016, Goodreads had over 50 million user reviews.

What You Can Do on Goodreads

Discovering Books

On Goodreads, you can add books to your personal shelves. You can rate books with one to five stars and write reviews. You can also see what your friends are reading. The site gives you suggestions for new books based on what you've liked.

Goodreads has default shelves like "read," "currently-reading," and "to-read." You can also make your own custom shelves.

Accessing Content

You can often read or listen to previews of books on Goodreads. The site also has quizzes, trivia, and lists of books. You can even find free book giveaways. Members can get a newsletter with new books and author interviews.

If you are an author, you can link your books to your profile. You can also write a blog. Goodreads sometimes organizes real-life events, like book exchanges.

Connecting with Others

Goodreads makes it easy to connect with authors. They do interviews and giveaways. Authors also have blogs and profiles where they share information. Many authors use Goodreads to reach their readers.

You can add other users as "Friends." This lets you share reviews, posts, and book recommendations. Goodreads is also connected to sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can link your accounts to find friends or share what you're reading. Some Amazon Kindle devices even have Goodreads built in.

How Book Information is Managed

Goodreads gets its book information from many sources. These include publishers, Ingram, Amazon, and the Library of Congress.

Goodreads has volunteer librarians. These are members who help improve book information on the site. They edit book details and add cover images. You can apply to become a librarian after you have 50 books on your profile.

Review Fairness

Goodreads has rules about reviews to keep things fair. In 2013, after Amazon bought Goodreads, the site updated its rules. It stated that reviews mainly about an author's behavior, not the book, would be removed. This helps keep reviews focused on the books themselves.

Goodreads Choice Awards

Goodreads also hosts the Goodreads Choice Awards. This is an annual award where users vote for their favorite books of the year in different categories.

See also

In Spanish: Goodreads para niños