goodreads - Ally Aldridge

January 1, 2024September 28, 2024 Ally Aldridge Book Tube, Books, Goal setting, Reading Challenge, Review, YouTube

Which Reading App – My 2023 Reading Stats

Published on YouTube on 27th December 2024

Which is your favourite app for tracking your reading journey?

I have used Goodreads for years. I started using Story Graph this year, and very recently I started using Fable.

I thought I’d share what each is like and if I have time, I’ll also do a longer YouTube video comparing them. There is another reading app I use too called Litsy. However, at the time of writing, I cannot log into that app so shall not be covering it.

Which of these is your favourite? Is there another one I should check out?

Fable Reading App

Published on YouTube on 1st January 2024.

I actually finished one more book after making this video and before the year was out – 2023 total was 25 books, that’s an average of a book a fortnight. I’m really pleased with that.

Fable Reading App

I discovered this app via Lemon8 but was reluctant to download another reading app. But, I kept seeing it, so in December I decided to give it a go. This app is VERY new to me. Initial reaction is I wished I downloaded it sooner. It has a really good community. It literally is a social media app just for readers.

I joined my first book club. We are reading IceBreaker by Hannah Grace. I’ve new been in a book club before but it’s fun to try new things.

The round up on this app asks you to pick your top 5 books to make a summary image. Oh my gosh, picking just five was sooooo hard. I’d struggle to pick only 10, but 5! Aghhh!

Blood Moon – Borrowed from the library. Thought it would be about shifters or vampires, but it’s a teen romance with coming of age themes like starting your period.

Scythe – This is a dystopian with a lot of gore. The world building and characters is epic, I loved the whole series.

The Diseased Ones – I’m currently reading this series but this is book one. It’s about a society that has put lawed super powers as a disease that must be irradiated. Think Marvel, seen in the future.

The Guidal – Another futuristic super power series. This one has a more magical feel, and more romance. There’s so much to love, and the series gets better and better.

Trouble – I checked this out as the author was one of YALC’s ambassadors, and the book blew me away. It’s a dual POV romance with coming of age themes like pregnancy and bereavement.

Sometimes my Top 5 also included Making Trouble by Rachel Churcher #dystopia , The Girl Behind the Glass #fantasy by April Grace, and Glass House #paranormalromance by Rachel Caine, Hunger Games #yadystopian by Suzanne Collins.

Fable: Follow what I’m reading on Fable–it’s free! https://fable.co/redfae-239209522672

Story Graph

Published on YouTube on 29th December 2023

What is Storygraph?

Someone on Lemon8 mentioned Storygraph earlier this year and I checked it out. I wasn’t ready to give up on Goodreads so decided to use both apps.

What I love about Storygraph is that it shares stats about your reading. Without this app I’d say I don’t tend to consume audio books, but it turns out I’ve finished more audio books than print books. I’m not surprised to see ebooks is my top medium.

I do read non-fiction but I don’t record it. The fiction genres chart shows I mostly ready YA and Fantasy, which is no surprise. And, I noticed I’ve been very into dystopia this year, however, I was surprised Romance wasn’t higher. I don’t tend to like books with no romance.

In the app, you can click on any of the chart segments to see more. For example, I can find out which books I read that were fast paced, or that I rated five stars. I think it’s fun to see my reading habits in charts. It’s been interesting.

Do you use Storygraph? Here’s my profile for Story Graph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/redfae

Good Reads

Published on YouTube on 28th December 2023

I’ve used Goodreads to track my reading for years.

I love how you can set a reading goal, and how at the end of the year it shares your stats. I set my yearly goal at 18 books. I am a slow reader and it can take me a month to finish one book! I didn’t want the challenge so hard that it was unrealistic and demotivating. I ended up reading 23 books and there’s a chance I could finish one more before the year is over.

I like tracking my progress on my current reads and seeing the percentage complete is rewarding for me. I love writing reviews so I can reflect on what I liked about the books. I’m good at choosing books I love which is why my ratings are high. I don’t force myself to read a book that doesn’t appeal to me. Most my reviews are 4 to 5 stars because I love them. 😍

I’m not surprised that Hunger Games is the most shelved book as it’s had so much publicity, whereas a Soul of Glass and Fire is a less well-known indie book. I’m going to continue using Goodreads, and will likely set my 2024 goal at 18 again, because it worked well this year.

My Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4150643

January 7, 2021 Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Books, Childrens, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Future, Goal setting, Historical, LGBT, Middle Grade, Personal, Review, Romance, Suspense, Urban, Young Adult

Goodreads 2020 Reads

Something I love about Goodreads is how easy it is to track my progress towards my reading goals. At the end of the year, Goodreads gives stats on my reads.

Redfae Bookshop is my Affiliate Bookshop.org shop link. NB: This post contains these affiliate links.

2020 Reading Goals

My goal was set at 12 books, thinking I could easily read one a month but I hadn’t taken into account how busy I’d be certain months launching my own book, Ocean Heart. It turned out just 12 books was harder than I thought.

The year has include some books I absolutely loved, and one I hated. I’m pretty good at choosing books I know I will love that I wasn’t surprised that my average rating was high. I just don’t have time to read books I won’t like. ?

Wiccan Romances: Amelia’s Story by Nicola Hebron

This was my first read of 2020. It was a book I’d been eager to buy, but was lucky enough to win a copy from the author on Twitter! Whoop! Whoop! I love fantasy set in the real world so it was a good start to my year.

My last two reads of 2020 were Garden in the Sands by Ellie Mitten and… I rather unusual choice for me… The Substantial Meal by Florence Green. I’ve rated them both on Goodreads but still need to write the review.

Garden in the Sands by Ellie Mitten

I think I preordered this book, but I’m such a slow reader, by the time I got to it, it’d been out a little while. I’m going to write a review very soon but as you can see from my 5 star rating, I LOVED THIS BOOK!

The Substantial Sandwich by Florence Green

I can’t remember how Florence & I got talking, but I was a bit glum I wasn’t going to make my pathetic reading goal of just 12 books. I was beating myself up. Then Florence cheered my up by sending me his recent release, an erotic satire using innuendos and puns about the Covid restrictions. It was a quick short read and succeeded at cheering me up. Review coming soon.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas is the most popular book I read. I’m not surprised as I saw it all over Instagram. I actually bought my copy in summer 2019 at YALC.

Another YALC buy was Sea Witch by Sarah Henning. It’s a historical fantasy/fairytale retelling of The Little Mermaid. I really loved the book, and hope to read book 2 in the series this year.

A book that should be more popular is Sorceress of Truth by J D Groom. It’s contemporary fantasy and has everything I love in a book. The MC was relatable, but all the side characters were well developed. With a modern day sorceress, fairies and vampires, what’s not to love?

2021 Reading Goal

To alleviate pressure, I’ve lowered my reading goal to 10 fiction books. I know, some people can read that amount in a month. But, I read for pleasure. And, I have to be in the right mood. If I’m too tired or engrossed in my own writing, I just can’t get into the book.

I also have a few resource books I need to read and review. I didn’t review any last year despite reading some. So, you can look forward to that. These are separate from my reading goal.

[kofi]

If you enjoyed this, you will like:

2020 Book Reviews

Book Review: If The Broom Fits

Book Review: Agent Undone

8 Reasons Why You Should Write Reviews For You

November 12, 2020 Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Review

8 Reasons it’s good for YOU to write reviews

People often talk about why writing reviews are so important to authors but what about for you the reader. Here we go:

Your Reading History

If you read a lot, you can forget what you’ve read. You don’t want to waste time reading a book you didn’t enjoy, twice.

But on the flip side, wouldn’t it be awesome to rediscover the books you did love. You don’t want to forget those gems.

Reading Goals

If you enjoy a challenge, set yourself a reading goal. Celebrate your wins doing something you love.

If you discover your not getting time to read, it could help you identify that your life is too hectic and you don’t get to relax. Or maybe your energy is focussed elsewhere, which is fine. You can reduce your goal.

Favourite author

It helps you not forget the name of that author whose voice you loved. Now, you can discover more of their books.

You can follow authors you like on sites like Goodreads, Book Bub and Amazon. This will help keep you notified of new releases.

Better Recommendations

Over time your tastes may change but seeing what you enjoyed helps identify what you love. In turn, this will help you discover more fabulous books.

If you post your review to sites like Good Reads or Amazon, then algorithms will learn what you want and recommend what to buy/read next. This can save you time in finding your next great read.

Others will read your reviews, see what you like and be able to make intelligent recommendations.

Reading Buddies

You may connect with people with similar tastes, get reading buddies, and/or develop a book club. Reading can become a social activity, and thanks to the internet, you can buddy a reader anywhere in the world.

By talking about the books you read, you become someone people trust for recommendations. Imagine being an influencer for the books you love, someone others take notice of? If you’re good at reviews, this could be you.

Self Development – Reading

There’s more to reading than getting from page 1 to the end. When you write a review you reflect on what you read.

What was it about? How did it make you feel? Did you learn from the story?

Reflecting on what you read is a skill you are taught at school to deepen your reading but is often lost when you no longer have a teacher invested in your reading.

Self Development – Writing

When you write a review, you’ll think about what was done well and how you can use those techniques in your own work. Being a reader helps you deliver more of what readers want.

You will also be exposed to new words or phrases, expanding your vocabulary. You will visit places, meet new people, and explore plots that will inspire new ideas.

Free Books For Honest Reviews

Authors look for people that read their genre. If they are giving their book away for free, they want it to be to someone that will appreciate and love their book. If you apply to be a reviewer, your history as a reviewer could be checked.

The reason is, if you love their genre, their book is off to a good start already in your hands. If you have a following that enjoy your reviews on this genre, then you’ll be helping the right eager readers discover it.

When authors can see what you like, it helps them know if their book is right for you. Someone that enjoys gritty serious crime novels is unlikely to enjoy a sweet high school romance.

We’re all beautifully unique. It’s okay if YA Contemporary Fantasy isn’t for you, but I’m hoping those that do will love and review OCEAN HEART.

Have you preordered Ocean Heart?

If you buy a copy of Ocean Heart between 1 Oct and 1 Dec, you can enter my preorder giveaway. Visit my Giveaway Page for more details.

Where can you find my reviews?

Let me know the positives you’ve experienced from writing book reviews, and check out my reviews.

Goodreads

Litsy

BookBub

Amazon Author

Book Review Page