I have a dear friend who brags about not having read a single book since college. On the other hand, I read a book or two a week. 
My at-home print library is bursting at the seams, my e-book reader library and audiobook apps are as well. I love to learn and and I want to share what I’m learning. It takes help to navigate these challenges. 
I’ve been using GoodReads to track my reading for years (like, since 2009). If you have, also, you probably know that it’s good but not great, hasn’t been updated substantially in years, and is now owned by Amazon.
But there’s a worthy competitor in this space that I’m really excited about, having used it for over a year now. I highly recommend that you check out The StoryGraph.
A Quick Walkaround
The StoryGraph is a website and/or mobile app (iOS, Android) that supports your reading. It’s easier to see than explain, but you can track you currently-reading, to-read, read books; your goals; do great charts and graphs analysis, follow other users’ updates, explore new books, and more.
A new user can import their GoodReads history if they choose. I did; 15 years of data is valuable to use.
The system is free, with an optional Plus tier for advanced features. It’s not needed, but I am a Plus user because I want to support the excellent work happening here.
The StoryGraph has strengths in charts and graphs, AI based suggestions, and overall user interface.
Stats – Monthly Reading Wrap-Ups
The heart of the system is data, and how they use data. For example, here are the monthly reading wrap-ups that I can use for myself, or post to social feeds (I put these on my Instagram stories). Almost all of this is available on the Free tier; you’ll see a “plus” label for things I get from that tier. There’s no bait and switch happening here.
The StoryGraph does year to year graphical wrap-ups too.
Reading Streak
Although I’m a regular reader, I used to go through gaps in my reading – due to time, or motivation, or whatever. When I started using this system I decided to make a goal for myself, to read just a page a day. I’m currently 468 days into that goal, spread across print, ebooks, and audiobooks. Sometimes I read a page of a tough nonfiction book; somtimes it’s an audiobook for a few hours while doing chores or walking along the river.
This app has helped me to read more, with less obligation.
I love this dev team
As a software guy, I love seeing great ideas implemented by small teams. This may be the best example I’ve seen in ages. The whole thing – app, site, backend, support – is run by two full time engineers and one part time support person. The founder and CTO, Nadia Odunayo, remains the primary engineer writing code, fixing bugs, responding to bug reports and feature requests, and communicating with the public. While she clearly works a lot, she also reads a lot, dances, travels, speaks publicly and enjoys life.
They’re transparent, clear and focused. Their Instagram is run by Nadia, organically, with no hype. Nadia does regular (pretty much daily) Stories for updates, asks for user feedback, and discusses direction there.
Nadia also hosts a weekly newsletter for behind-the-scenes stuff called The One-Woman Dev Diaries. It would be a good read for software or project people, even if you’re not a user of the service.
It’s also worth noting that, rare in the software industry, Nadia, as the Founder/CTO is a Black woman, and Rob as co-founder and AI Guy, is a Black man.
Smart Use of AI for individualized recommendations
One of my favorite aspects of the system is how they use Artifical Intelligence (really, Large Learning Models) to customize and personalize my possible interest in a book.
Chief AI officer Rob explains in his TikTok feed what their AI strategy is.
Use of AI is clearly labeled. Rob uses it to power the book preview (separate from the description), as well as the Personalized Preview, as you can see here in a personalized preview of a book that’s on my to-read list.
It appears that Rob uses AI to power targeted recommendations, some cool stuff around personalized recommendations based on a specific book (“if you’re looking at this book, based on what we know about you, we think you should look at these too”), and a really great way to filter to-read list options to include as well.
This is AI/ML done really well – no hype, just help.
Reading Challenges
One surprising feature that I find myself LOVING is the use of Reading Challenges. The StoryGraph sets up and hosts a few Challenges each year, to help people onboard to the system, or to encourage them to read broadly. In addition, users can host or join others’ challenges. Challenges can be public or private.
Here are some of the challenges I currently find myself in:
- 2024 total books goal (currently 115 books read; I set it low at 30 books)
- 2024 total pages goal (goal was 10,000 pages; currently at 36,538 pages)
- The StoryGraph’s Onboarding Reading Challenge 2024 (6 prompts to show off use of the system)
- The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge 2024 (10 prompts; e.g. Manga or a thriller or crime novel in translation or a science fiction or dystopian book by a woman or nonbinary author).
- Read More Irish Authors (a mix of genres and styles and themes)
- Read Around Ireland (my FAVORITE challenge right now – it’s to read a book from each of the 32 counties of Ireland. I’ve read 6 of 32 so far, and will continue this through 2025. I’ve had to do some research for many counties and that led me to other recommendation blogs, etc)
- Louise Erdrich’s full backlist (31 books total)
- The Fiction of Ursula K LeGuin (14 books)
- The Murderbot Diaries (currently 7 books in the series)
Oh, also – “Finish series” – a prompt to read the final book in 7 series. I’ve currently finished 6 series, and I’m tempted to leave this challenge uncompleted just for giggles.. but the audioboom I’m currently working on will close this out.
Here are challenges that I created, and am hosting. I’m participating in these also.
- American History is Complex
- The Captive’s War series by James S.A. Corey (the writing duo behind The Expanse has a new world they’re writing)
- Hard Science Fiction list from the Vancouver Public Library (17 books recommended by VPL in a genre I like but haven’t read widely in yet.. so why not make it a public challenge)
- Read Native American and Indigenous Canadian authors (read 12 books by self-identified Native or Indigenous authors in any style or format0
- Support Your Local Inbdie bookshop (8 prompts – I bought this book based on a recommendation from my local bookshop; I ordered this book from an indie store not local to me; a book from the Local and Noteworthy section; etc)
Places where GoodReads is still better
GoodReads is still the best at social reading. Most of my friends network is there, and if I want to see how a friend liked a book I’m considering, I go there. The StoryGraph is intentionally focused on the personal reading experience, and downplays social (though supports the ability for a user to share, or not share, their updates and reviews.
GoodReads supports highlights and highlight sharing – I can check out what somebody else has highlighted from a book that I’m reading, and like it.
I can follow authors on GoodReads, both to see what they’re reading, as well as to see what they’re publishing.
GoodReads also supports Groups, though I rarely use them. I can check out what folks in the Irish Lit & Times group are discussing, for esxample – or groups hosted by a podcast, like Books on the Nightstand.
Try it.
As you can tell, I love this service. The free tier is fantastic, and while I don’t use many of the Plus tier features, I happily pay for the Plus tier to support an excellent idea and team.
I strongly recommend that you try the site and app. If you’re a GoodReads user, use both and see which you prefer (or keep using both).
If you’re a The StoryGraph user, feel free to add me as a Friend there (or share your username in comments below).
pat loughery 
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