If you're a huge book nerd you might've heard about Goodreads. Goodreads is a massive book database that lets you input books completed and those on your wishlist to read.

I've been a faithful user of Goodreads since 2015 and it was my only way to keep track of the multitude of books read over the years. I'm sure there are tons of books missing that I've forgotten over the years, but thanks to Goodreads, I'm able to find them a lot easier than before.

Now there's another book database that is similar but also different and it's called The Story Graph. The Story Graph works similar to Goodreads but has additional features that make it a step above good ole' Goodreads. In this article, I'll talk more in-depth about the features that make Story Graph stand out and how using both can be beneficial to readers.

The Story Graph

The Story Graph asks very detailed questions about book your preferences. They don't just ask general questions like your favorite genre, but "What kind of books do you like to read?" or specific characteristics that stand out to you in the books you've read or want to read. Below is a screenshot of my preferences just to give a visual presentation. 

Because of the magnitude of how detailed they can be, my recommendation list was all completely new books and authors unfamiliar to me. Usually, on Goodreads, the recommendations are pretty good, but Story Graph takes it further by giving me books I might've never encountered.

And another feature they have is the "What are you in the mood to read." If you're not feeling up to reading a suspense/thriller book, you can emit that genre from the search detail. It even breaks it down by slow, medium, or fast-paced books.

You can also customize it to search for books in your wishlist or something they recommend. It's a great feature to use when you have absolutely no clue what to read next, are given a plethora of options, and can narrow it down further to fit your needs.

My absolute favorite feature has to be after completing the questionnaire and preference questions, it gives detailed stats of the kind of books you typically read.

Mine were fiction books that were emotional, reflective, and light-hearted. I also typically choose fast-paced books to read around the range of 300-499 pages. I was really surprised at my book breakdown because I always assumed most of my books were on the slower end but that was my lowest percentage.

If you already have a Goodreads account, you can export all your book data to The Story Graph in just a few hours. It also has a book challenge to be a part of, though I like Goodreads challenge interface better as it's a bit more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It showcases all the books read for the challenge without me having to go to another page.

Goodreads

I briefly mentioned Goodreads in one of my older articles while talking about book challenges which I'll expand more on that here. Book challenges were always something my family looked forward to every summer with our local library. And book challenges followed me in my adulthood.

They are a fun way to see how much you've read throughout the year and what you've read in the past year. With the large platform that Goodreads has, they make it easier and more accessible to do digital book challenges and see your progress along the way. I also use the feature to see what kind of books my friends or people I follow are reading, it helps if you have similar tastes to those you follow.

Personally, I like the book challenge look and feel more on Goodreads than on Story Graph. It's easier to find, as it's located on the main page, and you get a brief glimpse of the last 6 or so books read. 

Goodreads book recommendations, while not as preference specific as Story Graph, do offer some great suggestions based on your TBR and shelf lists. The shelf lists can be by genre or other categories and help give you better reading options.

I find for my particular tastes, the recommendations based on the genre and my tbs list do a better job at giving more options. It's something you have to play around with to make sure it's giving you the best variation possible. Don't forget that giving each book a rating also helps the site with its recommendations.

In the community section, the feature gives you opportunities to connect with other readers through various book clubs and discussion forums. The discussion forums correspond with books the reader has read plus any book groups that you joined. You can also search for quotes or see the quotes you 'liked' in the past.

This was a great feature for me because it's very easy to forget your favorite quotes and this way it is all in one area. Additionally, the site offers trivia questions that can assist if you're ever stuck for thought-provoking questions in your book clubs and quizzes. 

Lastly, you can follow your favorite authors and famous Booktubers. It's always fun to see what they've been reading and give you insight into their personal choices.

Putting these two book database sites side to side, they're pretty even. I would say that Story Graph offers more options to figure out your exact tastes and preferences while Goodreads is less specific and more general.

The biggest takeaway with both of these sites is that Story Graph seems to cater to an individual taste and experience, while Goodreads gives you bits of that and an overall community feel.

Both sites offer various features that make my reading experience and the never-ending search for books worth it. Please do take the opportunity to explore both of these websites, each has something to offer all readers.