Ah, bully aged Goodreads. Here astatine Book Riot, we’ve looked into its clunky platform, its underrated features, and how it makes money. Yet, the happening that drives maine and the different millions of readers to the tract regular are Goodreads publication reviews. The tract is simply a large mode to support tabs connected what your IRL and net friends are reading, arsenic good gauge what friends and strangers thought of the publication you conscionable read. The tract is an fantabulous mode to observe astute Goodreads reviewers with fantabulous tastes, in-depth reviews, and voracious appetites for books.
Like each different societal platform, Goodreads has its powerfulness users. What to telephone the reviewers who person thousands of followers and reappraisal hundreds of books a year? Influencers? Power reviewers? Hot critics? Whatever you telephone them, the champion Goodreads reviewers are a goldmine for of-the-moment publication reviews. I’ve made a database of 10 of the champion Goodreads reviewers to crook to for insightful reviews, but determination are hundreds much worthy following. Consider this a sampling of the absorbing and divers voices that tin assistance pass your speechmaking choices.
How I Picked the Best Goodreads Reviewers
Goodreads has “Top 99” lists for “most fashionable reviewers” (i.e., astir liked reviews), “most followed reviewers,” and “top reviewers” (most books reviewed), tracked by week, year, oregon all-time. A fig of my picks connected the “most popular” reviewer list, but immoderate are much nether the radar. My criteria were: reviewers who work a batch of books, work a divers list, regularly station reviews, and person insightful takes connected what they read. All the reviews person astatine slightest astir 1,000 followers and immoderate person astir 300,000.
Pro Tip: To spot however these apical Goodreads reviewers’ tastes comparison to your own, you tin usage the “Compare Books” diagnostic (check this explainer here) to spot however your tastes overlap. Also, don’t look astatine immoderate of these reviewers’ yearly speechmaking challenges unless you privation to consciousness similar an under-achieving, book-loving sloth.
Here are 10 of the champion Goodreads reviewers. Happy reading!
10 Top Goodreads Reviewers
Roxane Gay
GR World Popularity Rank: #19. Many authors volition not complaint different writers’ books connected Goodreads arsenic portion of immoderate nonrecreational code. Thankfully for us, the superb Roxane Gay brings her penetration and critique to reviews of caller releases. Well known for her ain books similar Hunger, Roxane’s reviews are concise and balanced. A indispensable travel for those into modern fiction.
Emily May
GR World Popularity Rank: #1. Emily May conscionable mightiness beryllium the unofficial Queen of Goodreads. Ranked #1 successful the satellite for most-liked reviews, Emily May is simply a UK-based reviewer with eclectic tastes, reviewing caller releases arsenic good arsenic classics. While immoderate reviewers are fashionable for their (sometimes precise funny) negativity, Emily May’s reviews are thoughtful and fair, and with immoderate extent astatine astir 300+ words per review. May is besides progressive connected bookstagram.
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Monte Price
Unranked. Monte’s reviews are insightful and funny, covering queer romance, YA and big fantasy, and bookclub fiction. In a caller review, helium compares Maggie Shipstead’s The Great Circle to Twilight. If that’s your jam, travel Monte, and cheque retired his booktube channel too.
Yun
GR World Popularity Rank: #5. A scholar based successful Seattle, Yun reviews a wide scope of caller fiction, with elaborate takes astir her speechmaking acquisition and immoderate wit thrown in. Also, she has a precise just prima standing system. Find her connected Goodreads oregon her blog, Miss Readaroo.
Thomas
Unranked. Thomas lists his interests arsenic “Reading, Writing, Psychology, Mental Health, Feminism” and his “read” support checks out. He brings absorbing takes to a wide scope of nonfiction, memoir, essays, arsenic good arsenic caller fabrication releases. He writes thoughtfully astir intelligence wellness and underrepresentation of queer radical and radical of colour some successful his reviews and successful his blog, The Quiet Voice.
Jenny Lawson
GR United States Rank #100. Jenny Lawson, precise comic essayist, is besides a prolific GR reviewer, peculiarly of graphic novels. Her reviews are concise and person less jokes than you’d expect from the writer of Furiously Happy, but she’s just and consistent.
Paromjit
GR World Popularity Rank: #14. Another UK-based reader, Paromjit reads a monolithic fig of books, mostly caller releases. Her existent extremity antagonistic says 226 for the year. The reviewer strikes a large equilibrium betwixt revealing a glimpse of crippled and offering a caller position connected the book.
Carol.
Unranked. Carol. reviews chiefly sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery. She sometimes brings the snark, but her reviews are ever absorbing and afloat of prime quotes. Unlike a batch of fashionable reviewers, she says she’s not funny successful precocious scholar copies. You tin find much of her reviews astatine her blog, book reviews forevermore.
Anne
GR World Popularity Rank: #16. The reaction-gif book reappraisal is simply a precocious creation connected Goodreads, and Anne does it well. Her tastes are eclectic, ranging from the Spider Man comics to Julia Quinn’s Regency romance. If you request much gifs successful your life, travel Anne.
Emma
GR World Popularity Rank #57: Emma is popular, scathing astatine times, and usually beauteous witty. Her favourite genre is “literary fabrication astir horrible women,” but she reads widely. She besides reads a ton of precocious scholar copies (ARCs) truthful she’s a bully spell to for caller and upcoming fabrication with a literate fit. Emma besides has a blog, Emma Reads Too Much.
For much connected Goodreads cheque retired The Most Popular Books connected Goodreads Right Now.