Blog Post

Goodreads Got You Down?

Jason BoogJun 27 2023

When Goodreads was down for maintenance recently, readers from around the globe went hunting for new books, conversations, and communities. This, in addition to a recent surge in negative reviews on Goodreads, has some readers exploring other places to find and create book reviews, book lists, and book clubs.Inspired by this quest, we’d like to show you how to use Fable as a safer, more positive space for promoting and discussing books. You can read, review, and rate books with our friendly community, import your lists from Goodreads, or create new lists!

A rise in review bombing and negativity

As The New York Times recently reported, when Cecilia Rabess’ debut novel “Everything’s Fine” was still months away from publication, Goodreads reviewers loaded the novel's Goodreads page with negative ratings. Even though the book wasn't in bookstores yet, it had received an overwhelming number of bad reviews.Reddit readers debated this issue, and many commenters expressed frustration with Goodreads allowing ratings and reviews for unreleased books. They worried that this could lead to biased and uninformed opinions, which can unfairly impact the success of a book. “Everything’s Fine” now has a solid 3-star rating on Amazon. However, this incident highlights how we all struggle to cope with review-bombing and other toxic behaviors on social media.

How to make ratings and reviews on Fable

Fable was built to encourage genuine reviews from people who have actually read the book. When a club or individual reader finishes a book, our rating and review tools prompt them to write an honest review. We’ve also created a number of book review tags to help you collect your thoughts on everything from plot to writing style to content warnings. There are two different places where you can start your review for a book - the first is in the “Reflection” section of your favorite Fable book club, and the second is on the book profile itself. Follow these steps from our “How To Rate and Review a Book on Fable” post to make your first Fable reviews.

Review a book via the “Reflection” section

To review a book after reading it with a club, follow these simple steps (we’ve included a helpful illustration below!

Scroll to the bottom of the club page
Open the “Reflection” section.
Tap the “Rate” button. You’ll see it in the upper right-hand corner of your screen, highlighted with a star.
Start writing your review!

Review a book via the book profile page

If you want to review a book you’ve read outside of a club, just follow these steps!

Tap the “Bookstore” icon at the bottom of the screen in the Fable app.
Search for the book you want to review and select it.
Tap the “Rate” button below the book cover to rate and start reviewing the book!

How to import your Goodreads lists and reviews

It’s easy to create new book reviews on Fable, but you can also import all your Goodreads reviews as well. Once you open the Fable app on your smartphone or tablet, just follow these steps.

Tap the “Profile” icon at the bottom right hand corner of your screen.
Select the settings gear icon in the upper right hand corner of your screen.
Choose “Import Goodreads lists and reviews” and log into your Goodreads account through Facebook, Amazon, Apple, or your email address.

That’s it! Fable’s app will do the rest, adding all your ratings and reviews to your Fable profile.

Create a book list on Fable

Lists are one of the most positive and engaging features on the Fable app. You can use our tools to create lists and share them with thousands of other readers. Just open the Fable app and follow these steps!

Click the blue + icon at the bottom of the screen.
You’ll be prompted to create a “List Name” and a “Short Description” of your new list.
This list will be automatically public and sharable on social.
Choose “Share” and you can pass along your book list through email, text messages, Slack, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media tools.

Discover books to make you feel better

Fable is a tech company with the soul of an artist, and every team member is a lifelong reader. We believe that stories and storytelling are universally human and fundamentally define us as human beings. We work hard to help readers find new books, read together, and enjoy the many wellness benefits of reading. Our social reading platform puts the omnipresent mobile screen in service of digital nutrition. Through reading, we foster:

Mental wellness
Personal growth
Meaningful connections

If the negativity and toxicity of social media is making you unhappy, books can provide an amazing alternative. The Reddit community recommended a huge list of nonfiction books to help you become a better person. These recommendations cover a wide range of scientific subjects and expose common misconceptions in history education. Best of all, you can find all these titles on Fable. If you prefer novels, Fable’s Desiree has created a “Life Can Be Good” list filled with books that will help you feel more positive and hopeful about life. “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius: A classic of Stoic philosophy, a collection of short, powerful thoughts from a great leader. “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking: This book simplifies the complex topic of quantum mechanics and provides engaging insights into the universe. Although some users mentioned that the book gets more difficult towards the end, the majority agreed that it is highly accessible and mind-blowing.“The Elegant Universe” by Brian Greene: This book explores the fascinating field of string theory and its implications for our understanding of the universe. While it may require some effort to grasp the concepts, many users found it to be a captivating read.“A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson: This book takes a comprehensive look at various scientific disciplines and presents them in an approachable and entertaining manner. Users praised its ability to explain complex topics without overwhelming the reader.“Lies My Teacher Told Me” by James Loewen: This book exposes historical misconceptions commonly taught in schools and encourages a critical examination of history education. It challenges readers to question the accuracy and bias of the information they have been taught.

Discover Book Recommendations in Every Genre

Reading for 30 minutes every day is a simple yet powerful way to improve mental wellness. Stories promote empathy, social perception, emotional intelligence, and other cognitive abilities that can lead to better mental health. Book categories like Sleep Better, Self-Improvement, and Manage Your Health will all help you reap the benefits of reading directly. We also have topics that can change your work life, with categories like Artificial Intelligence, Venture Capital, or Social Justice. No matter what genre you love, our category pages focus on the mental wellness benefits of the book recommendations.

By Jason Boog

Jason Boog is a writer living in Los Angeles and part of the editorial team at Fable. OR Books published "The Deep End: The Literary Scene During the Great Depression and Today," his book about how different writers survived the Great Depression. Simon & Schuster’s Touchstone imprint published "Born Reading: Bringing Up Bookworms in a Digital Age," his handbook about how to raise kids who love to read. His work has appeared in The Believer, The Awl, Salon, NPR Books, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Peace Corps Writers, and other outlets. He was the West Coast correspondent for Publishers Weekly.