Online Book Clubs & Reading Trackers: Goodreads & StoryGraph
Published October 2026 · Last verified October 2026
Free apps let you keep a tidy list of every book you read, rate them, set a gentle yearly goal, find your next good read, and join an online book club — all free, all optional. Here is how. Want a hand? (330) 200-8042.
Free apps let you keep a tidy list of every book you read, rate them, set a gentle yearly goal, find your next good read, and join an online book club — all free, all optional. Here is how. Want a hand? (330) 200-8042.
What's inside this guide
The printable PDF walks through 36 short chapters, in plain language. It also includes at-a-glance pictures.
- Read this first — this is free, and it is just for the fun of it
- The short version
- Why keep track of your reading at all
- What Goodreads and StoryGraph actually are
- Goodreads: the big, well-known one
- StoryGraph: the thoughtful independent
- Which one is right for you
- Making your free account
- Your three shelves: read, reading, and want to read
- Adding books — including the barcode trick
- Rating and reviewing — as much or as little as you like
- Setting a reading goal for the year
- Getting good recommendations
- StoryGraph's mood, pace, and content notes
- The quiet fun of your reading statistics
- Finding and joining an online book club
- Reading challenges and prompts
- Following friends and family
- Pairing it with your library card
- Moving your list from one to the other
- Using it on a phone, tablet, or computer
- Keeping it as a private reading diary
- Discovering new books and giveaways
- Two ways people come to this — and both are fine
- Setting it up for a parent
- A gentle word on privacy and your account
- Keeping it safe and legitimate
- Common mistakes
- Common questions
- Are Goodreads and StoryGraph really free?
- Do I have to review every book I read?
- Which one should I pick?
- Can I use both at the same time?
- I am not on social media — is this for me?
- The quick recap
- You do not have to do this alone
Get the printable guide
Everything above is a quick summary. The full, printable guide — the same words, laid out to read and keep by the computer — is a free PDF.
Last verified October 2026. Information accurate as of October 25, 2026.
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