Look, there are a lot of problems with Goodreads; it is far from perfect. I know this. But it is the best place to find large groups of readers. If we want to understand how to help our readers, we need to go where they are, and they are all over Goodreads.
One area of Goodreads as a resource that I use but, as far as I can tell, I haven't ever written about are the Groups.
I especially like using groups to find fans of a particular genre. topic, theme, or category. All you do is type in what your patron likes and you have access to a wealth of information created by uber fans.
You just need to type in what you are looking for, such as "Horror" [it is October]. And then choose "Groups" under the search bar. Here is an example of a Horror group.
Groups have discussions and genre specific topics, make lists, do group reads, etc... But you can also see who else is in the group and know that their reviews might be a good "expert" resource for you to find a read for a patrons.
Don't forget you can do this today for your last minute Horror questions, but also anytime and for any genre. And not only established genres. You can search subgenres, keywords, tropes, really anything, and then click groups to see any groups where that interest of your reader is mentioned by other readers.
Try it sometime. Pick one of your own specific interests and put this resource to the test.
Just remember, as much as we prioritize professional resources, it is also important to have reader driven resources too because readers are who we are helping. Let's not lose sight of that.
Have a nice weekend and a great Halloween.
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