Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest. There are many social networks out there to help you connect with other people who share common interests. Whether you are a baker, an artist, or just a bored Mercy student, there is always a website out there for you. For avid readers, there is Goodreads.

Goodreads was founded in 2006 by CEO Otis Chandler and his wife Elizabeth Khuri Chandler. The website, which launched in January 2007, has over 20 million members and over 570 million titles to browse. Membership is free and only takes a few minutes to join. A Goodreads account can also be linked to a Facebook or Twitter account.

Goodreads members can track their reading, mark what number page they are on and what edition they are reading, add books to their read and to-read shelves, read and write reviews, and browse their friend’s shelves. Quotes of from these books can be liked and added to the website by any user, and there are daily polls that can be answered. The website also offers giveaways of newly published or about to be published books.

A unique feature of Goodreads is the direct connection it gives authors to readers. Once someone becomes a Goodreads author, they can offer giveaways of their novels and post videos and blogs to promote new publications. Authors can befriend readers, send private messages, and host discussions. Many new authors and publishing companies utilize this feature to promote their novels.

Goodreads is not just a website for dedicated readers. If you are a British Literature student confused about the time period of Jane Austen, start a discussion about it. If you are a Shakespeare student in desperate need of a laugh, read some of the reviews of The Taming of the Shrew. If you are bored with the junk on Facebook and Twitter, browse the immense Quotes section. Goodreads may be a reader’s Facebook, but everyone has something to gain from it.