Goodreads Blog
Goodreads Blog posts (showing 1-10 of 608)
Name the Relaxing Read
Posted by Danny on September 01, 2016



Tell us your score—then strip away stress with Goodreads' guide to relaxation!




28 Books That Changed Your Life
Posted by Catherine on September 01, 2016

Sometimes we read a book and its effect is so profound it's like a switch has been thrown. We see things slightly differently, or we adopt a new approach to old problems. We're inspired, comforted, challenged, motivated, encouraged, even bowled over—and that book stays with us. We asked you on Facebook and Twitter to name the books that prompted a positive change in your life. Readers described eye-opening and unforgettable books that helped them become more compassionate, appreciative and positive, as well as books that, as one reader puts it, "get into a person's heart and soul." Take a look at the top picks below.


The Last Lecture
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Gifts of Imperfection
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Alchemist
Rate this book
Clear rating

Eat, Pray, Love
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Shack
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Prophet
Rate this book
Clear rating

Why Me, Why This, Why Now?
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Four Agreements
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Rate this book
Clear rating

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Rate this book
Clear rating

Gift from the Sea
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
Rate this book
Clear rating

Quiet
Rate this book
Clear rating

Who Moved My Cheese?
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Secret
Rate this book
Clear rating

Your Erroneous Zones
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Happiness Project
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Purpose Driven Life
Rate this book
Clear rating

10% Happier
Rate this book
Clear rating

Tuesdays with Morrie
Rate this book
Clear rating

Illusions
Rate this book
Clear rating

On Fear
Rate this book
Clear rating

Ishmael
Rate this book
Clear rating

Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Highly Sensitive Person
Rate this book
Clear rating

When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Rate this book
Clear rating

Man's Search for Meaning
Rate this book
Clear rating

Siddhartha
Rate this book
Clear rating


Tell us the book that changed your life in the comments! Then strip away stress with Goodreads' guide to relaxation.


What's New This Week: 7 Great Books Hitting Shelves Today
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on August 30, 2016

Need another excuse to go to the bookstore this week? We've got seven! Bulk up your Want to Read shelf with these brand-new titles.


Rate this book
Clear rating
The Nix
by Nathan Hill

You should read this book if you like: Literary fiction, American history, humor, family secrets, modern quests


Rate this book
Clear rating
Her Darkest Nightmare
by Brenda Novak

You should read this book if you like: Suspense, psychopaths, romance, protagonists with a (dark) past, Alaska

First in a new series!


Rate this book
Clear rating
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit
by Jaye Robin Brown

You should read this book if you like: YA romance, frank portrayals of teen life, humor, faith, "star-crossed" lovers



Rate this book
Clear rating
Pablo Escobar: My Father
by Juan Pablo Escobar (translation by Andrea Rosenberg)

You should read this book if you like: Nonfiction, biographies, infamous drug kingpins, inside scoops


Rate this book
Clear rating
My Fair Princess
by Vanessa Kelly

You should read this book if you like: Regency romance, tomboy princesses, dashing dukes, scandals, misguided makeovers

First in a new series!


Rate this book
Clear rating
Furthermore
by Tahereh Mafi

You should read this book if you like: Middle grade fantasy, adventure, magic, missing parents, mythical journeys


Rate this book
Clear rating
A Story to Kill
by Lynn Cahoon

You should read this book if you like: Cozy mysteries, unexpected murder, civilians solving crimes, B&Bs, books about writers

First in a new series!



What book are you reading this week? Do any of the above catch your eye? Let's talk books in the comments!


9 Book Villains You Love to Hate
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on August 27, 2016



Sometimes it's just better (or at least more fun) to be bad…. Last week we asked on Facebook and Twitter: Who's your favorite book villain? Your top answers are below!


Rate this book
Clear rating
Pennywise
It by Stephen King

"The face of the clown in the stormdrain was white, there were funny tufts of red hair on either side of his bald head, there was a big clown-smile painted over his mouth… Then the clown's face changed."


Rate this book
Clear rating
Cersei Lannister
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

"She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love."


Rate this book
Clear rating
Count Olaf
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

"His face was unshaven, and rather than two eyebrows, like most human beings have, he had just one long one. His eyes were very, very shiny, which made him look both hungry and angry."


Rate this book
Clear rating
Negan
The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

"I don't feel sad…. I don't feel scared…. I don't feel happy. I'm just…here. That's my strength. That's why I'm alive. You tell me I have to crush a field of babies to keep breathing? Sure."



Rate this book
Clear rating
Levana
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

"Levana's face was fiercely beautiful. Breathtaking in her viciousness."


Rate this book
Clear rating
Professor Moriarty
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

"He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson…. He sits motionless, like a spider in the center of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them."


Rate this book
Clear rating
Dolores Umbridge
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

"They found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teacher's desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and the black velvet bow on top of her head. Harry was again reminded forcibly of a large fly perched unwisely on top of an even larger toad."


Rate this book
Clear rating
Jonathan Randall
Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

"The wary dislike stamped on his face was mingled with a touch of superstitious awe. After all, when you turn someone out into the midst of a pack of wolves on a cold winter evening, you rather expect them to cooperate by being eaten forthwith."


Rate this book
Clear rating
The Darkling
The Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

"The Darkling slumped back in his chair. 'Fine,' he said with a weary shrug. 'Make me your villain.'



Did we miss your favorite book villain? Tell us about him or her (or it!) in the comments.

What's New This Week: 7 Great Books Hitting Shelves Today
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on August 23, 2016

Need another excuse to go to the bookstore this week? We've got seven! Bulk up your Want to Read shelf with these brand-new titles.


Rate this book
Clear rating
Under the Lights
by Abbi Glines

You should read this book if you like: Young adult, romance, small-town stories, football


Rate this book
Clear rating
The Perfect Horse:
The Daring American Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis

by Elizabeth Letts

You should read this book if you like: Nonfiction, history, thrillers, horses

Check out the books Letts recommended to Goodreads members!


Rate this book
Clear rating
Breath of Earth
by Beth Cato

You should read this book if you like: Fantasy, alternate history, assassins, steampunk



Rate this book
Clear rating
First Star I See Tonight
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

You should read this book if you like: Sports romance, mysteries, humor, Chicago

Check out our interview with Phillips!


Rate this book
Clear rating
The One Man
by Andrew Gross

You should read this book if you like: Historical fiction, thrillers, World War II, dangerous missions


Rate this book
Clear rating
The Rat Prince
by Bridget Hodder

You should read this book if you like: Fairy tale retellings, children's books (specifically middle grade!)


Rate this book
Clear rating
Between Two Fires
by Mark Noce

You should read this book if you like: Historical fiction, the Middle Ages, barbarians, romance



What book are you reading this week? Do any of the above catch your eye? Let's talk books in the comments!


Congratulations to the Winners of the 2016 Hugo Awards!
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on August 20, 2016

Forget starship commanders—the people who really know how "to boldly go where no one has gone before" are writers. The winners of the 2016 Hugo Awards prove this. Each of them pushed the boundaries of creative exploration this past year, taking us to magical worlds, dangerous planets, and dazzling stars.

The Hugo Awards, which annually celebrate the best of science fiction and fantasy, were presented on August 20 at MidAmeriCon II, the 74th World Science Fiction Convention. Take a look at the winners below!


Best Novel
Rate this book
Clear rating
Winner: The Fifth Season
by N.K. Jemisin


Nominated:
Ancillary Mercy
The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass
Seveneves: A Novel
Uprooted


Best Novella
Rate this book
Clear rating
Winner: Binti
by Nnedi Okorafor


Nominated:
Perfect State
The Builders
Penric's Demon
Slow Bullets


Best Novelette
Rate this book
Clear rating
Winner: Folding Beijing
by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu


Nominated:
And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead
Flashpoint: Titan
Obits
What Price Humanity?


Best Short Story


Best Graphic Story
Rate this book
Clear rating
Winner: The Sandman Overture
by Neil Gaiman and J.H. Williams III


Nominated:
Erin Dies Alone
Full Frontal Nerdity
Invisible Republic, Vol. 1
The Divine



Check out the full list of winners here. What's the best fantasy or science fiction book you've read recently? Share it with us in the comments!

20 Recently Published Books High School Teachers Should Assign
Posted by Catherine on August 19, 2016

We're all familiar with the books that fill high school reading lists—classics by the likes of Salinger, Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, and Orwell. But how often do we come across a book by a contemporary writer and think, wow, this would make a fantastic addition to that list? Be it a thought-provoking portrayal of society, a personal journey of self-discovery or extreme courage, or a historical tour de force that resonates powerfully today. We asked on Facebook and Twitter what recent books you would assign to high school students. Your top picks are below!


The Book Thief
Rate this book
Clear rating

Station Eleven
Rate this book
Clear rating

I Am Malala
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Help
Rate this book
Clear rating

Homegoing
Rate this book
Clear rating

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Nightingale
Rate this book
Clear rating

Thirteen Reasons Why
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Boys in the Boat
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Serpent King
Rate this book
Clear rating

Brown Girl Dreaming
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Rate this book
Clear rating

Just Mercy
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Rate this book
Clear rating

Off Balance
Rate this book
Clear rating

Between the World and Me
Rate this book
Clear rating

All the Light We Cannot See
Rate this book
Clear rating

Eleanor and Park
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Rate this book
Clear rating

Unbroken
Rate this book
Clear rating


What recently published books would you assign to a high school class? Tell us your picks—and why!—in the comments.
16 "Assigned-Reading" Books You Loved in High School
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on August 17, 2016

Remember when reading books was homework? Sometimes we wish we could travel back in time and tell our younger selves to cherish those years more. As a new batch of fresh-faced students traipse to their classrooms, let's hope they take their required reading seriously. Resist the urge to look up book summaries on the Internet, kids! It'll be worth it—even for The Old Man and the Sea. (Well, no promises on that one.)

Last week we asked on Facebook and Twitter: What was your favorite "assigned-reading" book in high school? Check out your top answers below.


The Catcher in the Rye
Rate this book
Clear rating

To Kill a Mockingbird
Rate this book
Clear rating

Beloved
Rate this book
Clear rating

A Tale of Two Cities
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Outsiders
Rate this book
Clear rating

Brave New World
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Great Gatsby
Rate this book
Clear rating

Pride and Prejudice
Rate this book
Clear rating

Wuthering Heights
Rate this book
Clear rating

Things Fall Apart
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Handmaid's Tale
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Martian Chronicles
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Lord of the Flies
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Rate this book
Clear rating

Macbeth
Rate this book
Clear rating

The Good Earth
Rate this book
Clear rating


Did we miss your favorites? Were you the rare high school student who adored The Old Man and the Sea? Share your "assigned-reading" thoughts in the comments!
How Well Do You Know Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on August 16, 2016



Tell us your score in the comments!
« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 60 61