Trying to add books on Goodreads

[HappydaysArehere]

Don’t know if anyone can help but I signed up in 2018 and kept intending to update but couldn’t find password and kept meaning to list the many books I read in 2019. At last with new password I have signed in and with a list of some of the books read to hand. However, I can’t figure out how to do it. I thought I would just type in titles/authors but can’t get a keyboard and the search window which mentions adding new books appears to be more of an Amazon buying tool. Of course it must be me but can’t fathom it out. Grateful for any help from Members of Goodreads.

[HuaShan]

Are you on your phone? I don't have a problem searching for books. From memory I think you need to create your bookshelves first. Could you try on a pc? The app can be a bit glitchy but works fine on the pc.

[HappydaysArehere]

HuaShan thank you for taking the time to reply. I am using my iPad and I can see books I put on in 2018 when I first signed up. I saw a page which said 2019 with nothing in it but any attempt to add my reading list didn’t work as I couldn’t type in the title/author. So that is why I tried the search area above as it indicated that you could add books. I then started on a page that asked for 2020 books but still couldn’t do it.
I will go back to it again. I can try my Mac (tho I rarely use it as I prefer the iPad). Thank you again for trying to help an idiot.

[KeithLeMonde]

I don't think you need to put them in by date.

I just search using the big search box at the top.of the screen. When the results come up, there's a big "Want to Read" button, and clicking on that adds it to my shelf. I'm on Android though but it's similar when using the website.

[KeithLeMonde]

Ah, saw you want to list books you have read.

If you click on the down arrow next to "Want to Read" you can mark books as "Read" instead.

Dates are a bit fiddly if you are trying to do it in retrospect. You don't add books to a 2019 list; rather you add the dates when you read a particular book and it then makes up your 2019 list from all the books with 2019 dates, if that makes sense.

It works best when you mark the book as "Currently Reading" and then "Read" as you go along, as it automatically adds the dates for you according to when you list it.

Here's how you change the dates on the Android app - I imagine it will be similar on the iPad but if not, there should be a help article explaining it.

[KeithLeMonde]

Help article:

[HappydaysArehere]

Thank you KeithLeMonde. You have been really helpful. I went back into Goodreads to sign in but strangely it recognised me without my having to do that. Also the search button worked when I pressed “want to read”and thanks to your help I navigated to what I have read. I am still playing about with it and hope to get it sorted with a little practise. Thank you so much.

[HappydaysArehere]

One thing I haven’t come to grips with is that I don’t appear to have a name attached to my reviews at the moment. It seems strange as all the other reviews have a first name to identify them. Above mine is the isbn number!

[HappydaysArehere]

Also my email address is now attached to my name. Very odd.

[HuaShan]

I do think the app is glithcy! It's fine on my Android phone most of the time but I have a lot of problems with the ipad. You seem to be sorted now though.

[HappydaysArehere]

Thank you both so much for your help.