Goodreads Community

I joined Goodreads in late 2013 because a friend suggested it to me. The idea of keeping track of what I've read, what I'm currently reading and all the many books I'd like to read, eventually, was appealing. And that was pretty much all I did on there for a while. I listed my own published works so people could check them out. If someone asked for a review of their book, that's where I'd post it. I had like maybe five friends for a long time. I joined a couple groups but I really didn't visit the site very frequently.

Recently, I figured hey, it's an entire community of readers and writers, I should really utilize this site to talk about books, make some friends and get some feedback on my own writing as well as help out some other writers.

So I started joining groups like mad. I put my two cents in many discussions. I offered to review some books. I offered to beta read some books. I asked for opinions on my own writings. I asked for reviews of my published works.

When it comes to Goodreads, what you have to understand is that it is just like every other social media site out there. No, it really is. You have some nice people who want to have discussions and make friends. You have people who just spam all over every post. You have jerks who have something negative to say to everyone. You have overly sensitive people who can't take criticism, even if it's meant to be helpful. 
It's basically Facebook, with books.

But though there is a lot of negativity and I often find myself frustrated, (I hate commenting on a thread repeatedly, trying to start a conversation, and everyone there just ignores me.) there is a wealth of knowledge to be had. 
If you want to know anything about a book - summary, author, reviews, ratings, sequels- this is where you should go. If you're looking for a local book club or looking to start one, this is where you should check first. If you're having writer's block and need a few fresh ideas, there are people who are willing to help you. So if you can get past the haters and trouble-making kids *shakes fist and grumbles* the site is quite rewarding.

All in all, I'm enjoying the experience. I've made some wonderful friends. I've had fun talking about books, movies, music, even Youtube videos. Hey, I even wrote some new poetry and short stories, and I haven't written a poem in years. 
Goodreads has been good to me.