Welcome to Musing by Moonlight, where I take the opportunity to get off my chest anything and everything to do with books.
Or maybe not.
Depends how I feel.
How I use Goodreads to organise my TBR books
I have this really strict chaotically organised way of figuring out exactly how I’m going to get my hands on books that I add to my to-reads list on Goodreads.
It goes like this:
- Add to to-read list.
- Later, when I get some time to go hunting, I check if the book is in my state library system. If it is, great! Change it to the exclusive shelf titled to-read-library, or any of the other library exclusives. I’ve got separate shelves for audio books and ebooks as well.
- Check if it’s available on Kindle for a decent price – ie the digital version is not similarly priced to the paperback copy. If it’s substantially different, great! Change it to the exclusive shelf titled to-buy-kindle.
- Check the free shipping online book shops The Book Depository and Good Books International. If it’s available there, add it to the right exclusive shelf.
- Check Amazon and Bookworld. If it’s available there but nowhere else, add it to one of those exclusive shelves.
- Bookworld has a flat rate delivery fee of about $5, so I wait until I have a haul of books I want.
- I tend not to buy paperbacks from Amazon, because they don’t have an Australian warehouse, and shipping is $5 per shipment PLUS $5.50 per item. So I’d only buy from there as a last resort.
- Incidentally, there are a couple of other online bookshops I could look at, including Fishpond, but I haven’t bothered yet.
- If I can’t find it anywhere but I am really keen to own it, I add it to my ‘requires treasure hunt’
- If I can’t find it anywhere and I’m not keen to own it, I add it to my ‘to-read-one-day’ shelf.
- Once I do track a book down and it’s in my possession, I add it to my ‘to read own’
HOW TO CREATE EXCLUSIVE SHELVES ON GOODREADS.
- Click on ‘My Books’
- Click on the edit button next to ‘bookshelves’ on the top left corner.
- Add a shelf – in this example ‘to-read-library’
- Click on the ‘exclusive’ radio button to create an exclusive shelf.
- Acknowledge that any books will be shifted over.
Viola! You now have more than just a read, currently reading and to-read shelf!
Do you have a system for tracking down books you want to read? Or do you just ‘wing it’?

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Meghan
Great post!! In some ways, we are alike in this, but you have given me some ideas on how to clean up the insane TBR list that I have. Thanks 🙂
Nemo
Fantastic, I’m glad to have helped!
Shelleyrae
Lol I wish I was that organised, I just have one heaving Tbr list 🙂
Nemo
I’ve always been organised. I love making lists, so I love that Goodreads allows me to make so many custom ones.
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Rachael @ Rachael Turns Pages
I love exclusive shelves on Goodreads. I have one for Kindle/Physical and 2015 releases.
Nemo
They are so useful!
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