Finding Books

I think the only way to get to this page is through the Books page, and I already explained everything I need to over there. Book discussion/tracking apps, online shopping, and possibly some forums will be linked here.

Reading Trackers

GoodReads

You know what GoodReads is.

Probably has more books in its database than any other site.
Great source for book reviews. Again, Id say there’s more reviews here than anywhere else online.
Fairly active book groups, generally populated by older members (>35yo Id say) due to the forum layout. Easy to find Facebook groups through these forums.
Ability to export all your lists, making it easier to move to other platforms.
Many say the UI on both the app and website is outdated, but I hardly noticed this, and if you’re on the indie web, this probably won’t bother you.
Bought by Amazon, so if you’re trying to avoid using their services, you should probably, I don’t know, delete your account.

Storygraph

Probably the closest replacement for GoodReads for those willing to make the move. Overall better for reading, but much worse for socialising.

Probably easier to navigate than GoodReads; even though I said that I have no problems with GoodReads’ UI, that of Storygraph is clearly superior.
Dark mode. :D
Reading stats updated automatically, including genres, book lengths, authors, mood, pace, and more.
Books include tags for aspects such as pace, genre, character- vs. plot-driven, likeability of characters, and trigger warnings.
Ability to rate by .25 stars.
Ability to import GoodReads lists (most apps have this ability though).
GoodReads Import can be slightly buggy. For example, if you import your lists to update your Storygraph lists, you’ll end up with duplicate books, and the only way to fix this is manually removing them.
Fewer reviews than on GoodReads, and generally less depth.
Fewer books than on GoodReads, although books can be user submitted if need be.
Invite-only book clubs which cannot be searched for. Not sure how active these are.

Fable

Book-based social media for those who are more into the modern internet. Trendy.

Sleek modernised design that resembles Twitter, come to think of it.
Can post about books, TV, or both. You can choose which ones you’re interested in when you make your account.
Very active book clubs of all genres, with multiple chatrooms per group and a log of all books read. The clubs are actually incredibly designed.
As romance is probably the most popular book genre, your home feed will have a lot of it. Can be good, can be bad.
Typically younger users (<30yo), as to be expected with the social media layout.
Not functional on desktop, can only be properly used in the app.
Literally just social media. If you don’t want that, avoid using your home feed.

LibraryThing

Old-school book tracker. Does what it needs to, and then a little extra.

Has pretty much every feature you could ask for. Book groups, forums stats, messaging, recommendation generator that actually works well, and probably some other things Im forgetting.
Reader stats are more in-depth than Storygraph. The gender ratio and status of authors read, cover colours, and the books’ original languages are only a couple of stats given.
Most groups seem to be inactive, but can be revived if you wish. Just a natural effect of the site being pretty old.
Non-intuitive UI. The amount of features to navigate can be overwhelming for someone (me) who’s used to the previous sites. Like with anything, you can learn to navigate this UI, but it's still worth noting.
The app is dreadful to use. Im sorry.
GoodReads import will need to be categorised manually. Could be an opportunity to clean up your TBR.

Where to Buy Books

Keep in mind that I am from the UK! Some of these won’t be available elsewhere - Ill make sure to add a note on those ones.

Amazon

You know Amazon. Cheap products, cheap delivery, quick and easy. A lot of people prefer to avoid Amazon due to the poor treatment of its workers. Best for first hand books.

eBay

Similar to Amazon in price and service for first hand products, but specialises in second hand. Not the cheapest place anymore since people use this to get extra cash, but it’s a much larger market than many other second hand stores.

Vinted (UK only)

Generally a second hand clothing seller, but pretty much anything can be sold. People selling here usually just want their things gone as quick as possible, and so they tend to price cheap. Most second hand books here go for £2-5, but prices as low as £1 per book are all over the site. The caveat is that it can be harder to find the exact books you’re after. Shipping is always £2.29+ per order, and additional fees depend on the original price of the item. A £1 book will always have a 75p fee. Pricier books tend to be better value, in this regard.

While I ended up not enjoying the book too much, I bought a signed hardback copy of Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh for £10, including delivery. Apparently that’s a very good deal.

World of Books/WoB

The site I see talked about the most. Second hand books generally go for around £3.50-£5, and many books within this price range have an offer to get 4 books for the price of 3, usually with free international shipping. While there’s generally a huge amount of stock available, some lesser known authors can be tricky to buy from here. You can still buy books first hand here, though, if you’re happy to pay full price.

My first Haruki Murakami book, After Dark, was bought from here, along with Four Past Midnight by Steven King, My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, and Wilder Girls by Rory Power. I think Wilder Girls was the one that came free. This was £12.20 in total!