Goodreads Challenge now absolutely unmanageable?

[NotMilanese]

Every year I set myself a challenge and enjoy seeing the number of books and percentage of challenge finished rack up. All I used to do was look up a book and mark it as read, and it appeared in my books for this year and counted toward my challenge - this showed up within a few hours. It was simple and fun!
Now, however, there are other challenges within your yearly one - monthly challenges, 'epic reader' 'buzzy books' that I have no interest in. Also, I need to enter the 'date finished' every time I read a book, or it doesn't count. It also doesn't show up under 'my books' for a while, if ever (I just entered one and am refreshing like crazy but it refuses to show up under 'my books.') And it's very tough to find the 'date finished' when you're using the phone! I contacted help but they were no help - am I the only person to find the new system really clunky (Goodreads was already a pretty messy and unintuitive site to begin with)?

I stopped bothering with Goodreads because it's almost unusable as a website. It's not just you!

I find using the app quite straightforward and haven't used the website for years. I either scan in a book or enter the ISBN and add it to currently reading, and update when Ive finished it. I set myself a challenge to read 50 books in a year and when I reach that the year's challenge is done and I just carry on. I don't look at any other challenges and don't care about the ones set by Amazon Kindle. I've been on Goodreads for over 10 years now.

@BobbinThreadbare123 at least it's not just me
@DrivingThePlot that's interesting; I prefer not to have any more apps than necessary on my phone, and will always go for the Web interface. Do you mean that when you type in a book title, select it, and click 'read', it gives you a place to input the date read? Or does it log it automatically as the date you hit 'read'?

You can add read dates, adjust them, add additional dates for subsequent reads. I add a book when I start to read it, update pages/percentage read and then click finished when I've finished reading it. My books are all logged under currently reading or read and also under the annual reading challenge.

I'd recommend using the app if you're struggling with the website, it's so much more straightforward.

I don’t think you can do it from your phone — and the date is not added automatically if you mark a book as read. Have the same problem, I just assumed it’s their way to make you install the app (I don’t like having too many apps either).

I still find it quite straightforward. I didn’t like the app so use the web browser. I tend to just go straight into “Recent Updates” which shows me all my books and challenge info etc.

I haven’t noticed any other challenges.

I find it easier to look up a book and mark it as Currently Reading and the 2025 shelf and add date started and then update when I’m finished.

I don’t love the new way it lists the book in my challenge, I liked to take screen shots of all of them but now have to scroll. I can’t remember ever not having to select the date, but I largely do as above, mark as reading then finished when done.

I’ve no idea what these monthly book mark challenges are but I just ignore them, I like to stats.

I’ve abandoned GR in favour of storygraph for reasons already said on this thread.

I've always found the Goodreads reading challenge a complete pain in the arse. Why can't you just add a book title to a section marked "reading challenge" and it counts from there? Why do you have to fuck about and practically have to read a tutorial to do it? Why does it add the book when it feels like it and not immediately?

I was going to say it's counterintuitive but it's not even that!

It says "set up a reading challenge" but there's no easy link to explain.

Can you tell I set mine up last night after not bothering for a few years and forgetting quite how annoying it was?

I absolutely HATE the new monthly challenges that are at the top of the page now when you go to your reading challenge. Like you, I have no interest in this, but there is no way to opt out of it or go back to the old look! It's really shit. I don't mind them adding new features, but you should be able to opt in or out of them, not just be stuck with them forever when you aren't interested.

You reminded me to look again and see if there is a way to contact Goodreads and tell them how much this feature sucks - and I've found it!

Go to your homepage and click on your photo top right. A menu drops down. Click 'Reading Challenge'. Scroll down and click on the bar at the bottom that says 'Help and Feedback'. You can tell them how much you hate the new features and how you want to be able to see the old look format!

I don’t seem to have that @cheezncrackers. I don’t use the app though. I wonder if that’s why? I hated the app so just use the web browser I think.

I'm using my desktop @Peridot1

Are you doing the 'click your photo' bit that I mentioned above, because you have to do that? If you just go into your reading challenge on the left of your homepage you won't get the screen with the 'Help and Feedback' option.

Sorry @cheezncrackers - what I mean is I don’t have any issues like finding it unworkable - it’s the same for me as it has been for a while. I don’t get monthly challenges just my normal yearly one.

I use the app and haven't had any problems. I'd like to delete the monthly challenges but I just ignore them.

I like StoryGraph

Just downloaded Storygraph and giving it a go. So far it's much more like how I originally imagined Goodreads would be.

I tried storygraph and objectively it’s better at what it can do in terms of breaking down your stats etc, but I found it wanting in terms of the actual titles I was reading or the editions, quite often they weren’t listed and I wasn’t necessarily reading absolutely obscure things. That was a few years ago though, so it might have improved.

I find the tailored book recommendations to be weak on Goodreads and hoping StoryGraph will be better.

I use the app Ive not noticed monthly challenges?? I find it very straightforward