We know many of you, like us, see reading as more than a hobby. It’s a huge part of your identity, and you want to obsess over and discover books with other readers. Like us, you've felt the angst of a novel ending on a cliffhanger with the next volume still to be released. You’ve cried over characters and jumped at the chance to talk about your current read. You’ve wondered, did anyone else reading this notice what I just did? Does anyone else feel the same way I do?
We built Pagebound for you.
Though readers have cultivated vibrant online communities through BookTok, Youtube, and Goodreads, these platforms aren’t meeting our basic needs. Goodreads (owned by Amazon since 2013) suffers from dated tech and an inflexible rating system. In response to this gap, indie creators and venture-backed startups alike have built apps with the features they wish existed. From a focus on reading stats and AI recommendations (Storygraph) to influencer-led book clubs (Fable), Goodreads alternatives largely focus on more robust book tracking and one-way communication between book influencers and their audience.
Meanwhile, fan-fiction platforms Wattpad and Archive of Our Own (AO3) see huge engagement with features like chapter comments, niche tagging, and emoji-reactions. They make the reading (and writing) experience fun! We have yet to see a platform bring the playfulness and community of fanfic to the world of published books, until now…
Though readers have cultivated vibrant online communities through BookTok, Youtube, and Goodreads, these platforms aren’t meeting our basic needs. Goodreads (owned by Amazon since 2013) suffers from dated tech and an inflexible rating system. In response to this gap, indie creators and venture-backed startups alike have built apps with the features they wish existed. From a focus on reading stats and AI recommendations (Storygraph) to influencer-led book clubs (Fable), Goodreads alternatives largely focus on more robust book tracking and one-way communication between book influencers and their audience.
Meanwhile, fan-fiction platforms Wattpad and Archive of Our Own (AO3) see huge engagement with features like chapter comments, niche tagging, and emoji-reactions. They make the reading (and writing) experience fun! We have yet to see a platform bring the playfulness and community of fanfic to the world of published books, until now…
On Pagebound, every book has its own forum, so no more bouncing between Goodreads and Reddit. You'll find book recommendations sourced from the community, not AI. We also let you rate and review the way you've always wanted with half-stars, emojis, and sub-ratings. Couldn't finish a book? Mark it as DNF. Not ready to add a book to your library but want to come back to it later? Bookmark it.
Looking for new ways to read? Join a Quest, a themed challenge of 10 books or less that you earn points for completing (and soon to come, badges 🏆). Or, stay on track with your yearly reading goal by planning your TBR by month.
Looking for new ways to read? Join a Quest, a themed challenge of 10 books or less that you earn points for completing (and soon to come, badges 🏆). Or, stay on track with your yearly reading goal by planning your TBR by month.
While we did set out to create better book discovery and engagement, Pagebound becomes truly magical when you find your reader community. Your friends in real life may not share your reading taste, or even read…so come make friends on Pagebound!
Create a profile to showcase who you are as a reader. Select 5 books that represent your taste and build your library. See another reader you vibe with? Follow them! On Pagebound, it’s not about influence or reading clout. In fact, we encourage anonymity and don’t display public follower counts. It’s about genuine connection over a good book. 👯
While we did set out to create better book discovery and engagement, Pagebound becomes truly magical when you find your reader community. Your friends in real life may not share your reading taste, or even read…so come make friends on Pagebound!
Create a profile to showcase who you are as a reader. Select 5 books that represent your taste and build your library. See another reader you vibe with? Follow them! On Pagebound, it’s not about influence or reading clout. In fact, we encourage anonymity and don’t display public follower counts. It’s about genuine connection over a good book. 👯
Create or contribute to Clubs. Like subreddits, Clubs are the ideal way to find your people. We keep it vibrant—all new Clubs must gain at least 5 members within 7 days to stay active. Clubs can be public or private, spanning real-life book clubs to author fandoms to niche subgenres. Clubs have their own forums and book recommendations.
Create or contribute to Clubs. Like subreddits, Clubs are the ideal way to find your people. We keep it vibrant—all new Clubs must gain at least 5 members within 7 days to stay active. Clubs can be public or private, spanning real-life book clubs to author fandoms to niche subgenres. Clubs have their own forums and book recommendations.
Not trying to moderate a group or start a discussion but still interested in curating a collection of books? Create or vote on Lists. These can be created by anyone in the community, and the best ones earn the most upvotes.
Not trying to moderate a group or start a discussion but still interested in curating a collection of books? Create or vote on Lists. These can be created by anyone in the community, and the best ones earn the most upvotes.
If you’re looking for a reading community, then Pagebound is meant for you. While we also have the basics of book tracking and library organization, we are not primarily a tool for reading stats nor are we the best source of truth for all the books in the world. We think those needs are already well provided for elsewhere.
We built Pagebound because we want more friends who read, whose book recommendations we trust, who we can go to at any plot twist. Help us create the internet's book club! ❤️ We are a completely independent, self-funded team of two. You can reach us anytime with questions and suggestions at team@pagebound.co or via the Pagebound Club.
Thanks for the love and support,
Jennifer & Lucy, co-founders
If you’re looking for a reading community, then Pagebound is meant for you. While we also have the basics of book tracking and library organization, we are not primarily a tool for reading stats nor are we the best source of truth for all the books in the world. We think those needs are already well provided for elsewhere.
We built Pagebound because we want more friends who read, whose book recommendations we trust, who we can go to at any plot twist. Help us create the internet's book club! ❤️ We are a completely independent, self-funded team of two. You can reach us anytime with questions and suggestions at team@pagebound.co or via the Pagebound Club.
Thanks for the love and support,
Jennifer & Lucy, co-founders
