So I was talking to a friend the other day, and she was telling me about a problem she had with the book she was currently reading having something in it that she was very upset by in general, and how she would not have read it if she had known, but now it was too late. And I remembered a site that would help her with that. And then realized I had another friend who would also get good use out of the site, so I linked her too.
Afterward, I thought that I was overdo making a list of all my favorite sites and apps that I use in my reading journey, so I thought I would do that tonight, just because I can. This is a mix for different things, but for me, they're all about reading. I hope you will all find something new here.
Does the Dog Die is the site I mentioned above. If you're someone who always wishes books came with warnings, or if you have very specific triggers, this is the site for you. They track more than seventy different triggers, from animal abuse to death, and any number of things in between. They actually do more than books. Movies, TV shows, games, and more. Definitely a great reference sort, especially if you have things that make it difficult for you to enjoy different types of media.
Have a Library Card? This is the app to use. Especially if you want to listen to Audio Books. Libby is the app by Overdrive, which allows you to borrow digital copies of things from your local library. It makes the process so smooth and easy, and returning things when you're done is a snap. I can't even tell you how many books I've borrowed from the library since getting this app, but It's probably somewhere around a hundred by now. Or getting close, at least. Trust me, if you want to try Audio Books, this is definitely the way to go. Free and easy. What could be better?
For those who are looking for an alternate to Goodreads, for any number of reasons, The Story Graph is a new site developed by Nadia Odunayo, who wanted to build a site that was more for readers than for social interaction. So not only is it an alternate to a site owned by the evil megacorp, but you're supporting a woman of color. Both great reasons to switch over. Not only that, but you can transfer over all your information from your Goodreads account if you want. That said, I've not cancelled my Goodreads account. There are still plenty of differences between the two sites, but I love what I see already, and I'm curious to see what it will be like in say, five years. It could well outstrip Goodreads easily, given time.
Challenges in particular are far broader of purpose. So if you like doing the Goodreads challenge each year, but always wanted to do more than simple book numbers, this site will give you lots of new options. And if they don't have one like what you're thinking of? You can make one. Check out their Challenges page here for a look at what kinds of Challenges you can find.
Reviews are also much simpler and far more versatile on this site. Not only do you have half star scores, but you can actually do quarter stars. So you're not stuck to simply five stars. And the review itself asks you a bunch of simple questions about the book, and lets you add quite a bit of detail. Unfortunately, at this stage, you can't really see individual reviews, just the percentage others have mentioned the various things, though it gives you a good idea of what the book will be like. And of course, you do get an average rating, just like on Goodreads.
The site is a great alternative, and gives a lot more stats than Goodreads does, though I will say that each site has some great options for their stats, so if you are a stats fiend like me, I would recommend keeping accounts on both sites.
As I said, I do plan to keep my Goodreads account. I've been there for about ten years. I believe I've actually been there longer, but not really on Goodreads, as the account I actually started was originally on Shelfari, which merged into Goodreads. Having been there so long, it's hard to just let go. And there are aspects to the site that The Story Graph just doesn't have, like Groups, quotes, and lists. I've found so many of the books I love on the list features, so it will be hard for me to separate myself from that aspect. And of course, reviews, which are a great thing.
I have a Kindle, of course, but sometimes you're somewhere without your Kindle, and want to read, or access one of your books. Definitely a much needed app if you have any Kindle books. And unlike most of the rest of what Amazon costs, this one is completely free.
And those are my major sites and apps. So what do you use that I don't have listed here? Anything new and great that I should try out? Anything you would recommend would be very cheerfully looked into.
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