Over Coffee is a segment at A Novel Idea in where we discuss all things bookish. Ranging from events, book blogger tips, book releases and predictions, and how to’s.
Missed the last discussion? Find it here
Over Coffee: On Starting Over with Goodreads
I’ve had enough. Enough of cleaning up a TBR that seems to never go down in numbers. Enough of seeing books that I will never read…Enough of getting 1000 messages from groups I joined 5 years ago!
Dearest Bookworms, I am about to do the unthinkable….Im going to delete all the books in my To-Read shelf and start over!
(Please watch the 27-second video for dramatic effect)
Or maybe not….
But Jeimy, why would you do that?
It’s simple. I need a fresh start with my Goodreads account. Much of the account is outdated, the majority of the to-read shelf holds books that I might’ve read 6-7 years ago but not anymore. I’ve been slowly cleaning it out but looking at the grander scale of things…I think it’s time to push the good ol’ restart button.
What about your read book?
Fret not! Luckily, Goodreads has an export option. I can export out all my shelves, clean it up and import it back in! It wont delete anything in the to-read shelf but in the new account, it will bring over all my read books!
How do you export out your shelves?
If you are as daring as I am right now:
- Log into your Goodreads account
- Click on My Books
- On the left sidebar, click on Import and Export
- Click on Export Library
This downloads an excel spreadsheet with all your shelf data. You can go in and clean it up, save it and the reimport it into Goodreads if you decide to start over as well.
I feel like this restart will help me organize my Goodreads Account better. I’ll be able to keep track of my books in a more efficient way and I’ll be able to join groups in a more controlled environment.
Have you ever hit the restart button on a social media account? How did you feel about it? Would you delete and remake your GoodReads?
Let me know in the comments below!
XOXOXO,
Jeimy
I’ve never used Goodreads for my To-Read shelf because I suspected it would be overwhelming to see all those books whenever I’m on the site. I have spreadsheets to track what I want to read. I only see them when I add books or go through them and delete the books that no longer interest me.
It can be very overwhelming sometimes. That’s why I cleaned it up!
The spreadsheet method is such a good method. I used to use it but the problem with me is that I forget to check them after a while and go back to goodreads lol Certain habits are hard to break!
Thank you for reading, Aj <3
I keep my TBR List for each year as a document on my desktop. It is less overwhelming and when the number gets higher than I can actually read, I either delete books or move them to next year. Goodreads and I haven’t completely clicked yet…
I understand that! It’s great that you keep a document on your desktop for this.
The one thing I do have to say about goodreads is that I can bring it up on my phone and take a picture of a book I want to add to my TBR list if I’m out. It’s super convenient!
Out of Curiosity, What do you wish was better about Goodreads?