Why I Deleted Goodreads

It wasn’t about addiction. Or politics. Or even mental health. Here’s why I finally let it go.

Yesterday, I deleted Goodreads.

It wasn’t because I was addicted to it. Or because of politics. Or mental health. Or any of the common reasons people delete apps. And honestly, part of me felt that as an avid reader with over 1,000 books in my “read” shelf I should be using it. It’s what readers and English teachers do!

At first, Goodreads felt like a miracle. I could track the books I’d read, connect with friends, see what they were reading. I could cultivate a sense of taste by rating books. If a friend mentioned something interesting, or if a title caught my eye at a bookstore, I could save it for later. What’s not to like?

But something shifted a few weeks ago.

At a workshop at Kenyon College, a friend gave me a copy of Beloved, a book enthusiastically recommended by everyone in our group. I had read it a long time ago, but came to it mostly fresh—and I thought it was one of the best books I’ve ever read. Someone else recommended The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. I’m not usually a science fiction reader, but I picked it up anyway, and I loved that too. I bought the second book in the series.

Now I’m in the middle of The Known World, which I found on the New York Times list of the 100 best books of the 21st century, and wondering how I missed it until now. Next up is Firekeeper’s Daughter, another recommendation that I conveniently found on my daughter’s shelf.

On the other hand, I also checked out a book from the library that had been languishing at the bottom of my Goodreads “Want to Read” list. I won’t name it (because I don’t want to steer anyone away from it), but I couldn’t get through the first chapter. I deleted it from my list and then deleted others I no longer remembered adding, or couldn’t explain why I wanted to read in the first place.

Eventually, once I started deleting a good number of books, I removed the app. Havign this list of books to read no longer brought me joy.

I know many people use Goodreads in a functional, even joyful, way. A few of my friends still use it solely to track what they’ve read. But I couldn’t ignore the fact that the best books I’ve read so far this summer came not from my “to-read” list, but from real people, friends whose recommendations sparked my curiosity in the moment. And that was a more fun way to pick what to read next.

But my Goodreads list had started to feel more like a “to-do” list than a place of discovery.

And I’m someone who likes crossing things off. I like finishing lists. But Goodreads was never going to be that. It had become a collection of titles that once caught my eye but now just sat on a virtual shelf gathering digital dust.

The truth is, I never run out of books to read. There’s always something good out there. I’d rather discover books as I go than stockpile them on a list I’ll never complete.

It’s only been a few days, and I can’t tell you a single book that used to be on my Goodreads list. But I can tell you what I’m reading next: Wendell Berry’s Fidelity, another recommendation from a friend. And my next book will more likely come from a new or used bookstore just browsing around. Like I used to do. And it won’t come with a rating becaue I never added it to Goodreads and have no idea what people think of it.

Have any of you gone through something similar with Goodreads? Have you ever considered deleting it or stepping away from it entirely? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

By the way, the clip art here is mine! I have a lot of reading clip art if you’re interested. Click here.

And another reminder that you can get a copy of my book Pizza, Pickles, and Apple Pie for 50% off at Amazon. Don’t want to use Amazon? You can buy it or order it at your local indie bookseller or order it here from the online seller of your choice.