if you've written a book that's listed on goodreads, be on the lookout for a slight bump in your rating over the next couple days. it looks like they're in the process of deleting the thousands of one-star reviews i've left that say "i don't feel like reading a book right now." why? who knows
Since Goodreads permits user reviews on books that haven't even been published, I have absolutely no trust in their reviews anymore. Same goes for books getting "awards", thanks to the disastrous Hugo awards these past few years showing just how manipulatable these things can be.
Unfortunately, I do not really have a good source anymore on "how do I find a good new book to read." Lately, I've been scanning any online blog/socials of authors I DO enjoy, and see what they're reading.
Hot take: I dislike anywhere that tells me more about the Author's Census Checkboxes than what they wrote. Hearing "Up and coming Author Zig Snarfly is a 24 year old bisexual transgender Columbian-American releasing their first novel 'The Pants of our Parents'"
Tells me NOTHING about the book....
If I'm looking for science fiction, and thats all I know? I can't tell if I'll like the book. Yes, tell me about the author, but also tell me what they wrote. Is it a detective story? A slice-of-life-growing-up story? Give me a hint about The Book AS WELL please... I want more viewpoints, but wtf?
Heck I chalk that up as a red flag. If there's so little good in the book that they'd rather talk about that stuff than about the book itself then I'm taking that as a warning.
I enjoy finding non white male scifi authors.
For a very long time, even brilliant female writers took male pen names. Because the field was sexist.
But let me know the general gist of the story TOO.
For example, Becky Chambers. She's one of my most recent scifi binge reading authors.
I knew nothing about her, but I knew enough of her first book that I read it and got hooked.
Srsly, I love her work.
Yeah. The whole system is broken. I submit my books for awards but even if I win, I’m not sure potential readers will trust them. Thoughtful (positive and negative) goodreads reviews are outnumbered. Sorry state of affairs.
I do not trust The Hugo Awards. Other awards I do, depending on any encircling drama or longevity of the award. I trust the authors and friends that I enjoy saying "Hey go read..."
Goodreads' "Readers Also Enjoyed" is a reasonable place to browse, lacking a Proper Bookstore.
I completely stopped using Goodreads when YA authors started using it for pile ons. It needs moderation and Amazon has abandoned it, I refuse to be part of that anymore
This is a joke sure, but I've literally seen people tag stuff one star to remind themselves to read the book later. Despite it having a 'want to read' tag.
