In 2022, there will still be some pillars of the book-reviewing industry, and 5 best aren’t necessarily based on the number of books they publish, but on the number of reviews they publish. Goodreads, LibraryThing, The New York Times, Kirkus Reviews, and Booktube are just a few. Despite the popularity of these sites, they aren’t the best of all.
Goodreads
The social cataloging site Goodreads is now owned by Amazon and has more than 90 million active users. Goodreads lets readers and authors create reading lists, rate books, and connect with friends and colleagues. With over 34 million book reviews, Goodreads has become one of the most popular review sites on the Internet. The social book cataloging site has a higher number of useful reviews than Amazon, and it’s expected to continue growing rapidly.
However, a few of the main complaints about Goodreads are its slowness and difficulty to navigate. Users can only give books whole stars and can’t shelve them privately. This means that everyone is forced to rate every book on the site, and that leads to many scammy and troll reviews. In the future, users will be able to shelve their books privately, and this will help increase the overall number of credible reviews. If you like the reviews that you see on Goodreads then you can click over here to get those books for free by mail.
LibraryThing
Unlike Goodreads, where unhelpful reviews are hidden under a “no” label, LibraryThing uses tags to display books. Books with the most popular tags are bolded and prominently displayed on the page. So, if you have a book by an author who throws tantrums, the book will be displayed on your LibraryThing page.
Similar to Goodreads, LibraryThing allows users to create accounts, add books, create lists, and write reviews. It uses user-generated reviews to display on other websites, including Bookish. Although LibraryThing is not as visually stunning as Goodreads, its interface is still very functional and has plenty of features that are beneficial to readers. It also costs a modest $10 per year, but you can pay $25 and become a Lifetime member for unlimited access.
The New York Times
A few years ago, Pamela Paul became editor of The New York Times Book Review, a section that covers the latest books in both fiction and non-fiction. Her goal was to unify the paper’s various literary initiatives. The daily critics would work with Times writers and publishing industry reporters to offer their honest opinion. Now, Pamela is moving up the ranks, and will join progressive voices like David Brooks, Maureen Dowd, Ross Douthat, and Bret Stephens. And there will be a new editor for the book review.
In addition to the newest feature, The New York Times Book Review will begin including excerpts in select reviews. Beginning this November, three to four reviews will contain an excerpt of a book’s opening chapter. By clicking on the excerpt, readers can seamlessly toggle between review and excerpt. This excerpt is digital-only and will be included in select reviews. The first excerpt will appear in The New York Times Book Review’s October 10 edition, and more will follow through November.
Kirkus Reviews
If you’re looking to promote your book, Kirkus Reviews is one of the top options. The site provides both traditional and Indie book reviews. Unlike other review sites, Kirkus will publish your book’s review – whether it’s flattering or not – regardless of the author’s intention. A positive review will appear publicly and you’ll have the opportunity to use it in marketing.
The site is divided into two sections: fiction and non-fiction. It features weekly staff picks, a book of the month section, audiobooks and ebooks, and nationwide bestseller lists. You’ll find full reviews of each title, as well as a special section dedicated to themed reading lists. The Kirkus site also provides critiques of popular books and authors. While Kirkus may be expensive, it can be well worth the price.
The Millions
There’s no single best book review website out there. In fact, book review sites come and go, and the ones that do survive will vary widely. Some people like to read comprehensive reviews written by seasoned pros while others like a quick and dirty way to gauge the opinion of others about a title. In the end, though, the most important thing to consider is what you like and don’t like about a book.
LoveReading, for example, is a popular book review site that publishes reviews of both fiction and non-fiction works. It also has a “book of the month” section that highlights a new book, as well as an archive going back to 1980. While LoveReading is primarily a British book review site, it also serves an American audience well. Its archive is extensive, and it’s popular in both the United States and the UK.
