What to Do With Your Goodreads Data (7 Ideas Beyond the App)
You've spent years logging books on Goodreads. That history is valuable — and once you export it, it's yours to do far more with than the app allows.
1. Back it up (do this regardless)
Your reading history is irreplaceable, and it currently lives inside one account on a platform you don't control. Outages, policy changes, and accidental deletions happen. A periodic CSV export is a permanent copy that's yours forever. Treat it like a photo backup.
2. Move to a different reading app
If you're Goodreads-curious about alternatives, the CSV is your moving truck. Popular options include The StoryGraph (great stats and mood-based recommendations), Hardcover, and LibraryThing — and most import the Goodreads CSV directly so you don't lose your shelves, ratings, or reviews.
3. Analyze your reading in a spreadsheet
Open the CSV in Google Sheets or Excel and you can answer questions the app won't: your true pages-per-month, how your ratings trend over time, your most-read authors, or how your average book length has changed. A pivot table turns years of logging into real insight.
4. Build a year-in-review
Use the data to assemble a recap of your year — total books, top reads, genre breakdown. We walk through it in Reading Wrapped and Goodreads Year in Review.
5. Rediscover your to-read list
Filter to your to-read shelf and you'll likely find dozens of books you forgot you wanted. Sort by date added to surface the ones that have been waiting the longest, and build a realistic TBR for the season.
6. Make a personalized gift
A reader's data can become a thoughtful gift — a printed book of their reading year is uniquely personal. See gifts for book lovers.
7. Turn it into a printed book
This is our favorite use. Upload the CSV to The Bookfolio and it becomes a 6×9″ perfect-bound book of your reading year — every cover, your reviews, your stats, and a written recap. Download a free PDF, or order it printed in black & white ($19.99) or color ($29.99). You can even combine multiple years into one volume.
Give your Goodreads data a second life
Turn your export into a real book of your reading year — covers, reviews, and stats, beautifully bound.
Make your Bookfolio →Frequently asked questions
Should I back up my Goodreads data?
Yes. The export is the only full copy you control. Download your library CSV periodically so your reading history isn't tied to a single account.
What are good Goodreads alternatives?
The StoryGraph, Hardcover, and LibraryThing are popular. Most import your Goodreads CSV directly, so switching keeps your history intact.
Can I turn my Goodreads data into a book?
Yes — upload your CSV to The Bookfolio for a printed book of your reading year with covers, reviews, and stats. Free PDF, or printed for $19.99–$29.99.