New Guy at GR - first book group!

[Tom]

Hi everybody,

My name is Tom. I'm a guy who grew up loving to read and then wound up hating it in HS/college because I didn't like the forced-ness of it and the "agree with the teacher's analysis to get a good grade" aspect of it. Now at 25, I'm getting back into reading again. I'm excited at joining this group and being part of some good book clubs as I've never been a part of one before. Any newbie tips out there? What should I know about this club or about Goodreads that I might not know?

Either way, glad to be here, and I look forward to some healthy discussions! :-)

Tom

[Lori, Super Mod]

Hi Tom! It's nice to welcome another male reader into our fold! This group is pretty easy to navigate, and prepare yourself for a whole slew of new books to add to your shelfs and MUST HAVE lists!

Look forward to seeing you out in the threads.

[Emily]

Hey Tom! Welcome to the group. I used to hate it when my teachers made us agree with them about books too. I mean, what's the point of reading it if I have to think the exact same thing as you do? you might as well just tell me what it's about and save me the time! Luckily I also had some great teachers that really just wanted to know what we thought about things, so I never felt like I had to give up on reading. I'm glad you're getting back into it and that you joined our group!

What advice can I give for Goodreads? Well, I'd say the part that is the most fun is getting in on the conversations in the threads. It's so cool to talk to people from all over the place about books. I'll repeat what Mallie already said and encourage you to add a picture and some profile information too. It makes people more comfortable talking to you, and makes it easier for you to make friends. It's helpful to add books to your shelves too. Just go through and add books that you've read and tell what you thought about them. Give all those bad books terrible reviews, and love on the ones that make you smile. Then, add all the books that you want to read to your To-Read shelf. Definitely look through recommendations for books you might want to read. If you see someone whose reviews you like, follow or friend them, and check out their shelves. Look through the threads for interesting people and interesting books. You never know what you'll find. If you need some motivation for reading, join a reading challenge, or start your own. Most importantly, enjoy yourself! That's what reading is really about.

[Tom]

Thanks ladies! I appreciate the encouragement, and thanks for making me feel welcome!