By Summer Crawford

Staff Writer

Flipping through the pages of your favorite book with a cup of steaming tea and a blanket beside you can seem like a dream. But what happens when you finish the last page, the last few words, only to find yourself yearning for more?

That is where Goodreads comes in to play.

Goodreads.com is a site that launched in January 2007 with a mission to “help people find and share books they love.” With over 25 million members and an unlimited list of 750 million books in the world, Goodreads has launched a new kind of revolution for avid readers. With the click of a button, people can find an endless array of books waiting to be read, along with a connection to friends through Facebook or Twitter.

Goodreads offers a way to connect with fellow friends, explore the plethora of recommended book lists and keep track of your progress. The organized, systematic process enables users to access books they have never heard of. It is similar to social media sites in that it has a personalized profile page and the option of creating groups and receiving notifications, but that is as far as the similarities go.

Members have “shelves,” on which they can place books they are currently reading, want to read or have read in the past. They also can create a “favorites” section on their profile for their most beloved books. Goodreads gives the option for every member to like or comment on books, furthering their interaction with friends on the site. Another feature is the Book Scanner that comes with the free iPhone and iPad app, giving readers the ability to scan books when they are in stores to determine if they would have further interest in them.

“I was getting really tired of making paper lists of ‘Books-To-Read,’ only to end up losing them in the next week or so. With Goodreads, I can input book titles and organize them to my liking. I am able to have a digital book list that is readily accessible almost everywhere I go,” New Tech High@Coppell junior Lexie Yut said. “I really enjoy the fact that at the beginning of each year Goodreads allows me to set a ‘book goal’ for myself, which basically just motivates me to read more throughout the year so that I can achieve the goal I set for myself.”

Along with Yut, there are several other high school students in Coppell have taken the opportunity to explore the features on Goodreads. Most of the students were introduced to the site in eighth grade by their English teachers.

“I was having a hard time finding books to read as I felt that I’ve read all the popular novels at the time, and Goodreads offered a really brilliant way to discover new books based on ones you’ve already read and liked. I like the ‘Recommended for You’ tab for the reason that it provides books that it thinks you’ll enjoy based off what you’ve previously read. It’s surprisingly quite accurate as I’ve found plenty of unheard of books that I’ve come to love dearly through this service,” Coppell High School junior Emily Friis-Hansen said.

Not only is Goodreads used for pleasure, but it is can also be utilized for school projects or in English class. Many times students find themselves stuck in a rut and can not find any more intriguing books. Goodreads can be used as a resource for discovering new books to read in English class.

“In my English class we’re given assignments where we have to find a book on our own and then write a report on it, and Goodreads is incredibly helpful in starting my search to find a book that’s interesting as well as intelligent enough that I’ll be able to formulate a paper over it. It’s also useful over summer, as during long trips overseas I often find myself in need of new books and through the site I created a list of novels specifically for such occasions,” Friis-Hansen said.

The many uses of Goodreads allows for readers, or people simply interested in literature, to spend their free time searching for new books or adding on to their list. Ratings by online viewers also help members decide on the right book for them.

“I immediately liked it because it gave me an opportunity to find books to read. If I went to the library I would never know which books to read but Goodreads gave me opportunity to preview the books beforehand. I feel that the book previews help a lot and the ability to see what your friends are reading with their rating of the book,” CHS junior Olivia West said.

The librarians at CHS who are in charge of supplying students with resources and books, have come to appreciate Goodreads. CHS librarian Lynn Hevron has her own account and not only uses it for her reading purposes, but also for encouraging students who walk into the library wanting an exciting book.

“I thought it sounded like it had potential to be a good resource but was completely surprised at how great it was once I logged on. As a library group, we are always on the lookout for good applications or resources to connect readers with books. It is that connection piece that seems so powerful to me,” Hevron said. “I am always looking for ways to get new, good books in front of students and this resource totally nails that. If I am not sure about ordering a new book for the CHS Library, I will go on Goodreads to see what other young people are saying about it. I can always count on the subscribers of Goodreads to give honest answers. Reading can be a very social activity when using a website like Goodreads.”

Some members would argue that the best part of Goodreads is the option to join a book club, or go to author visits. When members select certain books to add to their list, they are invited to come to those author visits and talk about the books. The creation of the site has given readers a way to personalize their book lists and at the same time reach out to new people who share the same interests in books.

“I’ve been invited and have attended a handful of author visits over the years and they always end up being wonderful and memorable events. The experience of getting to meet fans of the same book that you are a fan of is always a treat. And meeting the creator of such a wonderful world is beyond amazing – it’s so neat to meet them in real life and to be able to thank them for their beautiful story and the impact that they made on your life as a reader,” Yut said.