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How to Organize All (Yes, All!) of Your Books in Goodreads

June 12 // 2 Comments // 5 Minute Read

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I'd had it. My overflowing bookshelves and towering stacks on my nightstand were cluttering up my life and NOT motivating me to read. Instead I had decision fatigue just staring at all of those books! Plus whenever I was in a bookstore I couldn't remember which books I owned and didn't need to buy. Enter this app: Goodreads. I now have an organized book collection and actually enjoy reading again!
Wondering how to organize books? With this money- and time-saving app! You’ll never have to guess again what you’ve read or haven’t read!
 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.
 
I'd had it. My overflowing bookshelves and towering stacks on my nightstand were cluttering up my life and NOT motivating me to read. Instead I had decision fatigue just staring at all of those books! Plus whenever I was in a bookstore I couldn't remember which books I owned and didn't need to buy. Enter this app: Goodreads. I now have an organized book collection and actually enjoy reading again!

Does this make me a words person or numbers person? 🤔You tell me.

Tracking data, especially bookish data, is in my DNA.

In my teens and 20’s, I used to keep a detailed spreadsheet where I took painfully tedious notes of:

  • All my favorite authors
  • Books I’d read (and dates read)
  • Which books I owned
  • Where the book was located (Kindle or traditional paperback)
  • Series lists so I knew what books I had read in a series and how many I had left to go

This spreadsheet could have been an amazing source of bookish information about my reading life … if I kept it up-to-date.

But I didn’t!

Because filling in all those details was sooo time-consuming.

Then my friend Rachelle inspired me with her post about organizing all her books in Goodreads and I fell down the rabbit hole of an organization system that trumped my spreadsheet in every way.

That’s when the data nerd in me got really giddy.

But wait. What is Goodreads?

Goodreads is a website (complete with mobile app!) that catalogues every book ever published.

Every single book.

Once you create a Goodreads account, you can add digital “shelves” and organize every book you’ve read and want to read inside those shelves. Plus, you can rate books, leave reviews, and even see what your friends are reading (and what they thought of a particular book!).

Basically, it’s a book gold mine.

Want a detailed primer on how to use Goodreads? Here are the top ten things you need to know.

I highly recommend you sign up if you haven’t already. Because if you’re an avid bookworm and data nerd, you will LOVE tracking your reading life through Goodreads.

Here’s how to organize books using Goodreads and a peek at my personal library. May you be inspired in how you set up your own shelves!

Step 1. Decide how to organize books according to your preferences … and create your bookshelves!

In Goodreads, you’re given three default “status” shelves you cannot delete: Read, Currently Reading, and Want to Read. You can then add as many additional shelves as you want!

But before you do, consider how you think of your books. By genre, reading status, ownership, read/unread, type of book (Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook), or the year you read each book?

Set up your bookshelves accordingly.

For example, I tag my books by genre only after I’ve read them (and decided I want to keep them).

Goodreads shelves screenshot

Bonus: When you add a new shelf, you can decide whether that shelf is exclusive or not. Exclusivity means the book cannot be on any other exclusive shelf.

Here is a list of my exclusive shelves:

Goodreads shelves screenshot

I’ve made these exclusive because I don’t want “Abandoned” books to be filed under my “Read” shelf since I haven’t actually read them all the way through! I also want to keep unreleased books and series books separate from my “Want to Read” list since I can’t read them right away (or out of order).

The rest of my tags are genre and ownership based. All my fiction genres start with “fiction-” and all my non-fiction genres start with “non-fiction-“. I like being able to keep them in order!

Goodreads tags screenshot

Then I list the books I own and read/haven’t read. I own so many unread books that sorting them this way does two positive things:

  1. Gives me an up-to-date inventory of all books owned.
  2. Shows me what I have left to read in my own collection so I’m not tempted to buy or borrow more books! (Most of the time.)

Once your shelves are set up, it’s time to…

Step 2. Start Scanning and Shelving

If you stick with me, this part will take some time, but once it’s done, you are going to feel so empowered by your organized book collection!

Here are tips you’ll want to keep in mind:

  • If you don’t want to blow up friends’ feeds, turn off updates first. You can do this through your Account Settings under Feeds.
  • Use the Goodreads App to scan your physical books—all you need is the book cover (and if that doesn’t work, there’s always the barcode on the back)! Just be aware of the scan limit (100 books and then you have to delete them all so you can scan more).
  • Easily search for your Kindle book titles using the Goodreads Search Function.
  • Add each book to as many shelves as you want. But remember, each book must be on an “exclusive” shelf, so if you don’t want them on the default shelves, add at least one exclusive shelf of your own.
  • If you have used Goodreads before and want to assign your newly created shelves to titles you’ve read in the past, you can Batch Edit your books and assign multiples to a specific shelf.
how to batch edit books on Goodreads

Wondering how to organize books / PDFs you bought from Ultimate Bundles? Here’s what I do.

Step 3. Declutter as You Go (Including Your Digital Books!)

I declutter all the time. Not surprised?

Well, this may shock you:

A few months before we moved into our RV, I donated seven boxes of books to our local Goodwill. (I cried more over this than I did when I donated my wedding dress!)

I promise I’m still a bookworm! These were just books I didn’t want to read or wouldn’t read again that can now find their way to another happy reader’s home.

The four remaining boxes of my personal library I stored at my parents’ house. So when we visited them last fall, I blocked off 3-4 hours over the course of four days to tackle adding each title to my Goodreads shelves!

four boxes of books, organized by category

I culled again as I went, putting books aside into a Donate pile if I knew I wasn’t going to read them again and leaving a bunch for my mom to read.

I also decluttered my Kindle content as well. (Many were free books that I knew I wouldn’t read again!)

To find your Kindle content on Amazon, go into Your Content and Devices section.

how to organize books on Kindle

Then go through each title one-by-one and delete what you don’t want.

how to delete books from your Kindle library

Warning: If you share a content library with another family member (like I do with my mom), there is currently no way of filtering out their purchases as of this writing. So be careful not to delete anything that’s not yours!

While you’re on Amazon, don’t forget to check out Kindle Unlimited. This program offers so many books to read and you can try it free for 30 days!

Step 4. Maintain your system

Here’s the one and only catch: The key to this system is keeping it up.

Anytime you purchase or receive a physical book as a gift, make sure you scan it! It only takes a second!

For digital titles, you can connect your Amazon account to Goodreads so you don’t have wish lists in two different places! Then you can add the book straight to your Goodreads “Read” shelf when you’re finished.

On the flip side, anytime you take books to the used bookstore, make sure you scan and remove from your “own” shelf.

I'd had it. My overflowing bookshelves and towering stacks on my nightstand were cluttering up my life and NOT motivating me to read. Instead I had decision fatigue just staring at all of those books! Plus whenever I was in a bookstore I couldn't remember which books I owned and didn't need to buy. Enter this app: Goodreads. I now have an organized book collection and actually enjoy reading again!

Get Back to Reading!

With all your books in one place you’ll never have to guess what you’ve read or haven’t read and what books you own and don’t need to buy (hello, saving money!) .

And just in case you were trying to track your books in a clunky spreadsheet like mine (tell me I’m not the only one!), you’ll save loads of time which you can use to get back to the hobby we all love—reading.

Need some pointers on what to read next? This process will guarantee the next book you pick up is a winner.

How do you track the books you read?

Book journal, spreadsheet, Goodreads? Tell me about your system!


Pin this post to reference later:
I'd had it. My overflowing bookshelves and towering stacks on my nightstand were cluttering up my life and NOT motivating me to read. Instead I had decision fatigue just staring at all of those books! Plus whenever I was in a bookstore I couldn't remember which books I owned and didn't need to buy. Enter this app: Goodreads. I now have an organized book collection and actually enjoy reading again!
I'd had it. My overflowing bookshelves and towering stacks on my nightstand were cluttering up my life and NOT motivating me to read. Instead I had decision fatigue just staring at all of those books! Plus whenever I was in a bookstore I couldn't remember which books I owned and didn't need to buy. Enter this app: Goodreads. I now have an organized book collection and actually enjoy reading again!

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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Comments

  1. Liane says

    June 30 at 8:54 pm

    I love Goodreads!! I’ve used it since 2013. I admit to being shocked when I mention it to people and they don’t know what it is. I love how you have your shelves organized and have wanted to do something similar so thank you for the inspiration! The Goodreads app was a lifesaver for me when I worked as a Young Adult librarian. This is the absolute best app out there for organizing all things books.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      July 1 at 12:47 pm

      “Librarians agree! This is the absolute best app out there for organizing all things books!” I think you just made their next catchphrase. 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Kalyn—a recovering perfectionist who nerds out about organizing systems, personal productivity, and helping you prioritize what matters over the pressure to do it all. I have a feeling we’re about to become the best of friends! Learn more >>

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👩‍💻 | I help value-driven women lead manageable + meaningful lives.
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What’s one thing you budget for that other peopl
What’s one thing you budget for that other people might not? I always find those interesting. 😃⁣ ⁣ You might have a mortgage. I budget for campgrounds. You might want a separate clothing budget, while I’m fine combining it under “Beauty and Style.” Recently, we also added a new line item for our motorcycle—something I NEVER thought would appear in our budget. ⁣ ⁣ See, we’re all different! ⁣ ⁣ Recently, I rearranged my budget categories and created this “cheat sheet.” Sometimes I forget where things go, like picking up new wall art for the living room. Does this item belong in the categories of Household Items or Home Maintenance? 🤔⁣ ⁣ Now I know! And I save time processing receipts each Friday. 🧾⁣ ⁣ What budgeting categories do you use? Share one of your random budget line items with me in the comments below! 😃

I call 2020 the Year of Abandoned Books. ⁣
⁣
I

I call 2020 the Year of Abandoned Books. ⁣ ⁣ I’m never afraid to stop reading a book if it doesn’t live up to the hype. Why invest more time in a book I’m not all that excited about when I could be exploring new authors and storylines where I can’t wait to turn the page? 🤷⁣ ⁣ But in 2020, I let more books go than I normally do. I suppose my patience dwindled when I thought the world was ending. Not that I thought the world was actually ending…but you know what I mean. 😉⁣ ⁣ As an Enneagram 1, I hate giving up on a book. I’m prone to the all-or-nothing mentality, even in my reading habits. My eyes could glaze over boring prose and I’d still repeat to myself: “You MUST finish this book!” 😫⁣ ⁣ Why? ⁣ ⁣ No one is adding a plastic star to your Book-It pin, (Remember those?) This isn’t assigned reading from your high school English class. This is YOUR reading life. ⁣ ⁣ And YOU should choose what books deserve your attention. 📚⁣ ⁣ There are too many good ones out there anyway. Like one of my favorite reads from 2020. 😍⁣ ⁣ This week’s newest blog post rounds up everything I read last year (43 books total!) including 5-star psychological thrillers, a delightful royal series, a couple self-help books, and of course, historical fiction.⁣ ⁣ Click the link in my bio to read it! ☝⁣ ⁣ What were your favorite books in 2020? Our literary styles might be a match made in heaven! ✨

My planner/journal lineup for 2021. 👆 ⁣
⁣
T

My planner/journal lineup for 2021. 👆 ⁣ ⁣ These small but mighty sidekicks will be my saving grace this year. 📚⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ Bullet Journal (Blue) - for everyday planning and goal setting⁣ 2️⃣ Regular Journal (Yellow) - to track gratitude (5 things a day!) and to process ALL the feelings⁣ 3️⃣ Growth Journal (Sand) - a space for me to brain dump everything I learn from books, podcasts, sermons, etc ⁣ ⁣ That last one is new to me as of this year and I can't wait to flip back through all my notes come December! 📆⁣ ⁣ What planners/journals are you using for 2021?

Self-care is just as important as making your famo
Self-care is just as important as making your famous sugar cookies this holiday season. 🍪⁣ ⁣ Because let’s be real. ⁣ ⁣ That Hallmark-esque Christmas magic disappears the moment disagreeable family members annoy you. Or when you feel irritable over too many late nights and little-to-no sleep. Or when expectations over meals and traditions and social activities fall short and leave you feeling disappointed. 😬⁣ ⁣ But instead of dwelling on these stressful moments and using them as an excuse to completely disconnect from reality (as I’m often tempted to do!), view them as an opportunity for you to respond with poise. 💞⁣ ⁣ ➕ Journal your feelings. ⁣ ➕ Go for a walk. ⁣ ➕ Prioritize what’s essential. ⁣ ➕ Remember to breathe.⁣ ➕ And try not to eat your feelings…okay?⁣ ⁣ Here’s your permission slip if you need one: You don’t need to do or participate in everything! Take a time out when you need it. 🙌⁣ ⁣ That’s the best way you can protect your emotional well-being over the next few days.⁣ ⁣ Merry Christmas, friends! 🎄


I know you’re ready for this year to be over. 🙋‍♀️ The last twelve months brought so many hard things into our lives—relationships were lost, our country became more broken and divided than ever, and oh yeah, we walked through a pandemic too. 🦠 🤯 No biggie, right? Ha! 😅 And while it’s easy to look back and wish we could skip 2020 altogether (or at least insist on a do-over), I don’t want this year to be the one where the hard overcame the good. 💕 Just as hard days don’t mean ruined days, hard years don’t mean ruined years. 2020 can still be good. 💪 For me, I want to remember the fun and exciting things we did. The adventures we had. The new shows we watched, and the books we read. The new life hacks and things I discovered that made my life easier or just brought me joy. 💞 You’ll find it all in my latest blog post (link in profile). If you still need to buy a gift for a loved one (or for yourself!), you’ll find plenty of fun and affordable ideas to fill up the rest of your gifting list. 📦 Otherwise, enjoy a stroll down the good side of 2020’s memory lane and leave your favorite things in the comments so I can try them. 👋


Pro minimalism tip: Use double-duty appliances. 🤯⁣ ⁣ With limited kitchen space, I have to be super careful about what appliances we invite into the RV. We already had an Instant Pot, Ninja Blender, and a Food Processor. But I really wanted an air-fryer! ⁣ ⁣ With no place to put it, I discovered that Instant Pot made a dual instant pot/air-fryer product. So I gave my instant pot away, and my mom bought me this one for an early Christmas present. I’ve only played with it a couple of times but I’m already in love! 💕⁣ ⁣ Kale chips...sweet potato fries...broccoli. I’m basically an air-frying queen now. And I can easily switch back to the instant pot whenever I want. Yay for two appliances in one! 🥳⁣ ⁣ Q: What is your favorite appliance to use? Is it double duty? 🤔


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