# Starting a Straight Dope Goodreads group **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 29, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384 "2007-08-29T17:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/1 "2007-08-29T17:36:52Z")
[Goodreads](http://www.goodreads.com/) is a site where you can track what you’re reading and what you want to read. (I’m a recent convert from Chain Reading because Goodreads has more features.) It’s similar to Shelfari, Chain Reading, Library Thing, and many other book sites. One feature is groups, where you can get or send updates to your own reading list or discussions, add books to a group shelf, or just see what people you kinda almost know are reading. As a lark, I’m starting an SDMB group which is open to anyone who wants to join. Go [here](http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/822.SDMB_Straight_Dope) if you’re a member of Goodreads. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/2 "2007-08-29T17:42:41Z")
I’m in! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/3 "2007-08-29T18:09:05Z")
Hey, Jodi! 🙂 I think the site is pretty user friendly, so the only tip I have is to use the bookmarklet on [this page](http://www.goodreads.com/review/plugins) to speed up adding something to a shelf when you are browsing Amazon. It’s a nice site and resource, with or without groups. ---
**Author:** ![muzzynyc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@muzzynyc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muzzynyc)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/4 "2007-08-29T20:08:59Z")
I’ve joined as well. Addictive, going through other people’s lists and checking off books you’ve read… ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/5 "2007-08-29T21:17:18Z")
I joined. **jsgoddess** , we have the Dresden Files series, the Vorkosigan series, and the Little House series in common, plus some books by Margaret Frazer, Sharan Newman and Connie Willis. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/6 "2007-08-29T21:33:33Z")
Oooh, I’m in. Remembering what books I’ve read this year will be a long and continuous process. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/7 "2007-08-29T21:36:46Z")
I can’t get there from here. ☹ (The page loads and loads and loads, but never finishes. Kind of like the last Stephen King novel.) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/8 "2007-08-29T21:38:39Z")
I joined, and promptly broke the website. This looks like fun. ETA: Ah! It wasn’t me who broke it! I’m getting an error message. Did we overload them already? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/9 "2007-08-29T21:46:28Z")
It was doing that for me too, guys, so I think I might be the one who broke it. I still got to confirm my e-mail address and complete my profile, though. Amusement: I signed up as “Miss Purl McKnittington,” which means the confirmation e-mail was sent started “Dear Miss.” Hee hee hee. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/10 "2007-08-29T21:49:50Z")
Hey, I’m in, so you guys didn’t break it. I might’ve with my new avatar, though. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/11 "2007-08-29T22:15:26Z")
i’m in too. I’ll have to do this after work though as the federal government does not allow my computer to look at such websites. This one is okay however. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/12 "2007-08-29T22:24:01Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] I joined. **jsgoddess** , we have the Dresden Files series, the Vorkosigan series, and the Little House series in common, plus some books by Margaret Frazer, Sharan Newman and Connie Willis. [/QUOTE] Ooh, we have good taste. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/13 "2007-08-29T23:03:47Z")
Do we need to add each other as Friends to get the full benefit from the site? Because that’s what I was planning to do . . . 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/14 "2007-08-29T23:07:04Z")
I think that adding people as friends will make it so that you’ll see their updates when you log in and you can set it so that you receive emails with their updated lists. I don’t know if there are other benefits. Nor do I know if most people would consider my updated lists to be a benefit! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/15 "2007-08-29T23:15:24Z")
Ooh, **AuntiePam** , our ratings are freakishly in sync. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/16 "2007-08-30T00:32:18Z")
I know! Isn’t it cool? ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/17 "2007-08-30T00:44:27Z")
Feel free to add my as friends if you want. I haven’t gotten around to populating my list and may not until this weekend. ETA: That sounded colder than I intended. I’m pysched! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/18 "2007-08-30T03:53:27Z")
So those of you who have added hundreds of books already – how are you doing that??? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/19 "2007-08-30T03:58:27Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] So those of you who have added hundreds of books already – how are you doing that??? [/QUOTE] There is a way to import books straight from certain types of files. But it’s also fairly fast if you zoom through someone else’s list and rate everything you’ve read. All of my books were entered verrrry slowly, one at a time. I’m only rating books that I’ve read since I started tracking (last August). ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384/20 "2007-08-30T06:54:42Z")
I joined. I haven’t written any reviews yet, I’m still browsing around building up my lists. Looks like fun. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-a-straight-dope-goodreads-group/417384.md?page=2)