Julie A. Wallace

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Unboxing Times Two: Bookshop and Thrifters Anonymous

I recently received two packages in the mail and so let’s unbox them together. First we’ll look at a recent Bookshop purchase, and then we’ll look at Thrifters Anonymous.

Bookshop

This year I am a Bookshop affiliate and am making an effort to buy books from Bookshop or from my local, independent bookstore: Sleepy Dog Books. Let me walk you through the process from purchase to package.

If you’re not familiar, Bookshop actively supports local, independent bookstores and has even given more than 80% of their profit margin to independent bookstores. I even have my own store on Bookshop!

Checkout was smooth and easy. Here’s the thank you for shopping page:

To compare pricing, I looked at what the same paperback books would cost on Amazon.

  • Behind Closed Doors $18.95
  • Tea Set and Match $14.99
  • Royal Tea Service $16.99
  • Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments $16.78
  • That’s $67.71 – only $5.28 more than on Amazon.

So yes, paperbacks do cost a little more on Bookshop – but not by much. And I love that Bookshop tells you how much you’ve raised for local bookstores.

A little further down the order acknowledgement, they listed nearby bookstores. I didn’t know about Ballyhoo or Leopard Print so may need to go check those out one of these days.

I like the tracking page, too – it’s colorful and invites you to shop for more books.

The package arrived safely. Nice box!

Definitely seems like more care was taken with the packaging of these books compared to Amazon. And yep, I’ve already read one of those books.

I will be ordering more from Bookshop!! Have you tried them yet?

Thrifters Anonymous

Thrifters Anonymous is the seemingly unstoppable duo of Shana and Edwina from Las Vegas. They’ve been filming their thrifting antics and adventures on YouTube for years, and I’ve been following them a long time.

I even “stalked” them in Las Vegas years ago. Or rather, I stalked their favorite thrifting places. Not them personally – that’s creepy.

Still, as I was wandering around the Goodwill boutique, I couldn’t help but think that they would be in the dressing room or walking in the store any minute. Then I remembered that it was the middle of the work week and that they both have job jobs.

Anyway, I was delighted to see them launch not only an online store, but also their own clothing line. And you’d better believe I snapped up two things ASAP.

Opening the package was as delightful as watching their weekly thrifting adventures, but you’d never guess that from the simple package.

Still not very exciting, but there seems to be a stack here. And I only ordered two things…

A handwritten note! Wow!

And a free tote? Cool beans.

The tote is for the brand name of their original designed clothing Mes Deux Amis. That means the two friends. That’s perfect for long-time friends Shana and Edwina. And perfect, too, for the relationships they’ve created through their YouTube channel.

The packaging was eco-friendly and high class all the way. And there’s another card with hand writing!

I love the ‘official, members only’ Thrifters Anonymous t-shirt. The lettering is puffy and fun to touch. The shirt is also oversized, which I really like.

And, just like I saw Shana and Edwina do in videos years ago, if I decide to cut the t-shirt, I’m good to go. I mean, I did that with my BCR t-shirts and sweatshirt, so… Anyway, this is a good quality t-shirt, so it may take awhile for me to cut into it.

I also bought the “Tie Me Up” sweatshirt. It’s black and hard to photograph, so no picture from or on me.

It is also oversized and, because it was chilly the day the package arrived, I put it on immediately. I loved the ties at the wrists and waist. And I was warm all day.

The package also had sparkles, a couple of stickers, and another hand-written note. Talk about feeling pampered and appreciated!!

Overall a great experience from both online shops. I love buying from small, independent shops in person or online. There’s just nothing like that personal, pampered touch.

The Ultimate List of Goodreads Alternatives For 2023

When I introduced everyone to Bookshop in January, I was also learning about some alternatives to using Goodreads to track books for the year. I found a lot of alternatives and have tried a few; here is my takeaway.

What Is Goodreads?

Goodreads is arguably the world’s largest site “for readers and book recommendations.” It’s a social media site owned by Amazon that invites readers to record and recommend books. There’s an app, there are giveaways, groups – all the normal things you find with a social media site.

Throughout the year I track what I’m reading. And, like most of the world, I use Goodreads. I even post what I’ve read every month in my “mission” posts.

But the Goodreads website and app are both clunky. In fact, I recently learned that there have been little to no improvements since Amazon acquired the site. I’ve read about bullying issues in the groups and towards authors, and about people making up fake reviews. Don’t take my word for it, though; here are the articles I checked:

What I Look For In A Goodreads Alternative

There are several things I look for in a Goodreads alternative:

  • The most important thing I look for is easy of use. Is it easy, mindless, and super-simple to navigate?
  • Is there both an app and a website? The older I get the less I want to only have an app. I want both an app and a website so I can sit at my computer and do data entry or browser or whatever. But I love the on-the-go flexibility with an app.
  • Can I scan books directly from the app? Having to search or otherwise hand-key is a pain.
  • Can I import books from Goodreads into this new app? For me this is a must. There’s no way I’m scanning or hand-keying years of reading into a new app.
  • Is that app/website modern or clunky?
  • More than numbers and statistics, are there graphs that visually represent what I’ve read?

Goodreads Alternatives I’ve Used

LibraryThing

I found LibraryThing before I found Goodreads, and it remains my favorite. It is a clunky, too, but I love that it’s still majority held by the founder of the company. As far as I know at this time (March 2023) a small, tight team runs the whole site.

The Home page of Goodreads alternative LIbraryThing
The Home page of my LibraryThing account.

The LibraryThing Home page defaults to an overview of my world. In the center you see “Your Books” which tells me I have 849 books, have written 42 reviews, have 24 collections and have rated 291 different items.

To the left is a simple text menu of different options like recent news, my feed, and recommendations. Further down are things to discover like books, reviews, community (groups,) lists, and more.

There is also a menu at the top of the screen with plenty of options. Here’s the Zeitgeist which gives you stats for all of LibraryThing.

The Zeitgeist page of Goodreads alternative LibraryThing

There is also one place to view all of your books. There are several different views. Here is the view of all of the covers.

One view of my library in Goodreads alternative LibraryThing

And here’s a view of the some of the different tags on my books.

A list of tags and collections associated with my LibraryThing books

There’s even a “local” feature that highlights places near you. I even added a couple of the Little Free Libraries that I know about into Mount Pleasant into the local listings.

The local page on LibraryThing

I’ve been on LibraryThing for a very, very long time and as such, I’ll stay despite the clunkiness. I was there when they were using paid memberships and bought a lifetime membership. And I’m still there now that the site is 100% free.

The StoryGraph

The StoryGraph is (at least for me) a new kid on the block. It’s feisty, entrepreneurial driven, and loaded with cool graphics and statistics. Find me on The StoryGraph.

I LOVE these graphics. This is what I mean by a modern, easy-to-use Goodreads alternative. You can click on any “pie” slice to see the books that fall within the selected category. I love knowing that I read mostly informative, reflective, mysterious, lighthearted, and adventurous books.

A pie chart showing all books read and associated moods in Goodreads alternative The StoryGraph.

The vast majority of the books I read are medium paced.

A pie chart of book pace in The StoryGraph.

And my reading is split between fiction and nonfiction.

A pie chart of fiction vs nonfiction in The StoryGraph.

Look at the different genres!

A bar graph of genres from The StoryGraph.

There are more genres, by the way; the screenshot only shows the top genres.

So what have I learned from The StoryGraph? I love books that are medium-paced novels around 300 pages that are mystery, fantasy, historical, reference, self-help, science fiction, romance, contemporary, or memoir.

As much as I love the graphs, as of March 12, 2023, you can’t scan books into The StoryGraph app. And that’s why probably will not use this as much as LibraryThing.

The StoryGraph also has a strong community, reading challenges, and giveaways. There is a Plus version available, and the programming road map for the future of The StoryGraph is public.

Bookstagram, BookTok & Other Social Media Alternatives to Goodreads

Authors, readers, editors, and others associated and enamored with books and publishing are all over social media. The only issue I’ve had with this Goodreads alternative is that while people are really enthusiastic about books, they aren’t always enthusiastic about the kinds of books I like.

For example, when I first joined TikTok, people were super enthusiastic about A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah Maas. I got a copy, read, and was disappointed. I liked the premise, but really hated the blood and guts.

On the other hand, one of the first authors I followed on TikTok was Mary Robinette Kowal. I just enjoyed listening to her talk about her writing process. And then I read The Calculating Stars, fell in love with her writing, and quickly read through (and enthusiastically recommend) the whole series.

Even More Digital Goodreads Alternatives

There are a ton of other digital options if you want to skip or escape from Goodreads. Here are some others. Links are correct as of March 12, 2023.

Analog Goodreads Alternatives

Want to go old school? Here are some analog ways to track what you’re reading or find new books to read.

  • Book Clubs: I’ve never been in a book club; it’s a group activity and boy, I avoid those as much as possible. But I always seem to enjoy the books I buy that are designed for book clubs.
  • Bookstores: There’s just nothing like wandering around a bookstore in the analog world and seeing what catches your imagination.
  • Friends & Family: Exchange books, get recommendations.
  • Hotels: There are literary & book themed hotels.
  • Library: When’s the a last time you were in your local library?
  • Magazines: It’s been a hot minute or two since I read a magazine, but they’re still around.
  • Paper and Pen: If you keep a journal, it’s a great place to track what you’ve read and what you want to read. And it’s worked for millenia!
  • Subscription Boxes: There are a whole load of book and reader themed subscription boxes out there.
  • Thrift Stores: Wander into a thrift store and see what kind of random book you can find. It’s rarely today’s best sellers, but it might be a best seller from 20 years ago

Your Turn

How do you keep track of what you’ve read? What are your favorite Goodreads alternatives? Which one should I try next?

Year In Books 2023

One of my missions this year revolves around writing. And writing means books: writing the second draft of a book plus sharing the books I read through the year.

Yes, I’ve done the whole Good Reads annual reading challenges and I’ve shared Amazon links…but I felt something was missing from those.

Bookshop.org

And then I learned about Bookshop.org. This company “connects readers with independent booksellers all over the world. More specifically, they given over 80% of their profit margin to independent bookstores.

My local, independent bookstore is Sleepy Dog Books. The community-focused boutique bookstore opened in downtown Mount Pleasant last year. It’s been a pleasure to have a bookstore just a few blocks from my house.

Just before Christmas I walked in and asked for recommendations for gifts. The two recommendations ended up being some of my favorite books this year: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

I’m A Bookshop Affiliate

Once I learned about Bookshop and realized that I could get books and support my local bookstore (and walk in the bookstore, too) I jumped at the chance to be a Bookshop Affiliate.

For you, that means if you click through one of the links below and finalize a purchase, I earn a small commission. My affiliate store is also linked to Sleepy Dog, so some of that purchase will also benefit Sleepy Dog. (I’m not quite sure how all that works, it’s my first year doing this.)

(Disclosure: All of the links to books are Bookshop.org affiliate links. If you click through the link and finalize a purchase, I earn a commission.)

Bookshop Advantages and Disadvantages

The most obvious advantage is that any purchase from Bookshop helps me and my local, independent bookstore a little bit. It also helps keep dollars away from Amazon, which I contribute to enough over the year!

The biggest disadvantage I’ve found so far is that Bookshop doesn’t have the depth that Amazon or even Barnes and Noble has. For example, because I published my poetry book through Amazon KDP, it’s not available at Bookshop; maybe I should do something about that, right?

If it’s an older or out-of-print book, you may not find it at Bookshop because they (so far) don’t deal in used books. In turn that means you’re buying a new book which can be pricey at times.

Still, I feel the opportunity to support local, independent bookstores far outweighs the extra cost – especially when I’d buy the darned books anyway. This year, I’ll look to Bookshop first!

Favorite Books of 2022

Felt Like Visiting An Old Friend, ie, Honorable Mentions for 2022

  • A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear. Sigh, the Maisie Dobbs mystery series is fantastic.
  • The Dressmaker’s Secret by Rosalie Ham (great if you loved the first book or movie)
  • The INFJ Writer by Lauren Sapala
  • The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
  • The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.

All Books Read in 2022

Your Turn

What’s in your to-read stack for 2023? I’ve already worked my way through one book and am starting on another. I’ve found another interesting website to help track books (and I already have Good Reads and Library Thing;) so I think I’ll work on a comparison of the three sites.

What are you currently reading? What do I need to read?