Amazon acquires Goodreads, helping with book recommendations

Amazon.com has acquired Goodreads, a website dedicated to helping people find new and interesting books to read based on books they and other readers  like.  Amazon’s Kindle is the most popular e-reader on the market, Amazon offers nearly 2 million books in its e-reader store and with a selection like that, it’s oftentimes difficult to know what book to read next.  Book recommendations are as old as books themselves, a neighbor or friend insisting that you must read this book for whatever reason, but Goodreads allows this to expand even further.

The best kind of recommendation comes from someone that has similar tastes as you, with Goodreads you list books you’ve read in the past (and whether or not you liked them) and you get personal recommendations based from that.  You can also see what your friends like and what they suggest you to read as well.  Goodreads has over 16 million members with more than 30,000 book clubs on the site already.  It’s a very active community, over the past 3 months, Goodreads members have added more than four books a second to their “want to read” section on the site.

“Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading,” said Russ Grandinetti, Amazon Vice President, Kindle Content. “Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world. In addition, both Amazon and Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike.”

Best-selling author of WOOL, Hugh Howey said, “I just found out my two favorite people are getting married. The best place to discuss books is joining up with the best place to buy books.”

If you like to read, Goodreads is definitely a great place to check out, if you own a Kindle you can probably expect Goodreads recommendations when the deal is finalized in the second quarter of 2013.