That’s proper, devoted reader. There’s a brand new assortment and studying monitoring app on the literary block: Bookworm Reads. Need to ensure you’re not buying the identical guide for a second or third time? Love studying challenges and seeing what your folks are studying? Then you’re most likely already utilizing an app like Bookworm Reads. After a pair months of utilizing it myself and having some buddies use it, it’s time to give it a full assessment.
I’ll be evaluating Bookworm Reads to Goodreads, after all, and to The StoryGraph, two of the larger competitor on the market for this section. Let’s get into it.
Getting Started with Bookworm Reads
Signing up for Bookworm Reads is a reasonably easy affair. Basic data, username, password, the conventional stuff. Oh, and also you get to outfit your bookworm. Yep, as you navigate the positioning or you’re your customized bookworm will probably be with you on a regular basis. Don’t fear, you may change the worm’s garments at any time, together with with new stuff you earn.
Once you’re in, it’s time to construct your library. The web site has a helpful importer function in case you’re already utilizing a set tracker. Just export your library from Goodreads, The Storygraph, or wherever, and import it into Bookworm Reads. This is without doubt one of the few duties that you simply can’t carry out on the app. When I did this, 1442 of my books efficiently imported, and 125 didn’t.
Fortunately, Amelia, the app’s creator, re-ran the import, and solely 21 have been lacking afterward. I checked with Amelia, and she or he assured me that she does this with all accounts, not only for me since I’m scripting this assessment. Kudos to Bookworm Reads for completely recreating all of my Goodreads cabinets, too.
The Website
The beige sea of Goodreads could be the clunkiest web site ever. Yes, it’s loaded with a metric ton of options, however the website has wanted a redesign for a couple of decade. The Storygraph is clear, skilled, and slick with its black-and-white design. Bookworm Reads is, in a phrase, cute. Look on the colours, a rainbow of pastels. The UI is clear and slick like The Storygraph, however that colour palette is inviting and enjoyable. And you’ve got your worm to gown up. Goodreads doesn’t have a worm.
The predominant web page reveals your library, “wormy updates,” and a search bar. Also featured is the present neighborhood studying problem. Bookworm Bloom is the present problem, and each consumer can select what number of books they need to learn, with out even sharing that quantity. You win the problem, you get a brand new accent in your worm.
The web site is a bit buggy proper now, nonetheless. Searching for books or clicking on them usually leads me to error pages. If you add a guide to your assortment or give a guide a assessment, it takes a while earlier than these modifications are mirrored on the positioning. I attribute this to the small measurement of their operation, and hope they’ll construct up and work out these bugs.
The App
Let’s face it, given the lovable worm and pastel interface, Bookworm Reads isn’t actually geared toward somebody like me, a 40-something dude who writes loads and is on his laptop greater than his telephone. This actually reveals because the app is a superior expertise to the web site. The cute issue is absolutely current on the app, however the format of the UI is cleaner. Scroll via your and your folks’ updates, entry and replace your libraries, search, and be part of the neighborhood problem.
The bugs are nonetheless right here, although. A pal of mine mentioned it took a number of tries to change the learn standing of any of her books. At the time of this writing, the whole app crashes each time I faucet the worm within the higher left. While I didn’t run into the search points I had on the web site, lots of the books pulled up with out covers and took time to accurately add to my library.
Going Pro
Bookworm Reads is free, however it additionally gives a Bookworm Pro choice. For $5 per 30 days or $50 per yr, you get the next perks:
- Picking a bestie in your worm
- Priority assist
- Multi-worm collaborative cabinets (coming quickly)
Bookworm Reads takes a tough stance in opposition to all issues Amazon, so in addition they boast: “Invest in an independent book community that’s by and for readers, anti-Amazon, and member-owned (sic).” Most of those look like novelties at this level, although precedence assist is beneficial with the bugs of their system. They additionally promise extra perks coming quickly.
The Verdict
While inclined to bugs, Bookworm Reads gives a rising neighborhood and a superb system for monitoring your books. The colour palette and total design could be very cute, which may be off-putting for some folks, however others will seize maintain of it and maintain on for pricey life. Bookworm Reads doesn’t have the micro-details that Goodreads has or the writer instruments. It doesn’t have the content material warnings or the useful labels or moods that The StoryGraph supplies.
If you simply need to observe your guide studying and assortment, be part of studying challenges, and skim with buddies, nonetheless, Bookworm Reads is simply what you’re searching for, significantly in case you adore all issues cute.
Seriously, the lovable issue is large. Don’t underestimate the lovable.
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